Jihad
Captain's Log, U.S.S. Avatar. Stardate 52334.9

The U.S.S. Avatar has finally launched for her Maiden Voyage to the Halam sector.
According to my information we are supposed to support current negotiations with the Rubalin of Degalan 4, concerning their integration into the UFP. FleetAdmiral von Schneider told me that the Rubalin so far don't know about Langina Peen being part of the UFP. The Rubalin – and especially their religious leaders – would never accept a treaty or an alliance with the inhabitants of hell or their allies. In fact, it is possible that they would try to get in contact with the enemies of the UFP assumed to be an evil alliance, and this would go with the plans of the Dominion.
A Dominion outpost or even a Dominion ally within the UFP space is certainly not, what the UFP is looking for. It must be prevented in any case and by any means at our disposal.
I myself am ordered to get in contact with Ambassador Steinberg, the emissary of the UFP, negotiating with the Rubalin government on Degalan 4. According to informations of StarFleet secret service, two days ago a Rubalin vessel left Federation space through the Bajoran wormhole for the gamma quadrant. It is certain, that they will be informed about the UFP membership of the inhabitants of Langina Peen. Since the Rubalin government is ruled by their highest religious leader, I am afraid, the Federation emissary is in danger of being arrested or even killed.
So far there has been no transmission from the UFP ambassador, since I tried to get in contact with him. This is probably caused by the backward technology of the Rubalin who don't admit any alien technology on their homeworld so far. Nevertheless, a reply to my transmission is about one day overdue, and we have no information about the emissary's current residence.
As the crew of the Avatar is supposed to take the appropriate measures, I have asked my Chief of Security to think over these worst case scenarios and evolve plans about the appropriate measures.
End log.

The C.O. left her ready room for the bridge. The notorious yell ”Captain on bridge!” made the crew straighten up.
‘I have to get used to it’, she thought, fighting the annoyance that filled her, and sat down on the command chair, right beside Cmdr. Frim Hagan who has been detailed to take this position temporarily.
Hagan, a tall human male, black as night and always wearing a stern look, faced her. ”Captain, we are going to reach Degalan 4 in four hours and 25 minutes standard time. No respond to our messages for Mr. Tan so far.”
”Thanks, Commander.” She gave him a smile of appreciation and noticed a faint resemblance of the broad grin she knew very well from the time they had shared service on the U.S.S. Cimarron. This maiden voyage was going to be far more formal than the dinner she had had with Fleet Admiral von Schneider the night before they had left the fleetyards, orbiting Mars. She turned back to face the young Lieutenant holding the Science Station, very busy with a research ... The C.O. got up from her chair and approached her slowly.
”Lt. Aem, any results concerning Langina Peen?”
The alien looking humanoid woman looked at her. ”No, Captain. There is not a single trace of any natural catastrophe or something similar.”
‘Why is everybody onboard almost frightened of me?’ the C.O. asked herself.
”Okay, I suppose, I'm of no use here, at the moment”, she said. ”Senior staff meet in the briefing room in two hours. Commander, you have bridge!” and she headed towards the turbolift.

All of a sudden, the comm beeped. Since she just passed the Tactical/Security Station, she caught a glimpse of the incoming signal.
”Federation distress signal!” the Lieutenant at Tactical said. ”Encrypted. Origin Degalan 4 – it's Mr. Steinberg!”
”On screen!” she ordered.
”Audio only”, he replied, and engaged decryption.
”This is the UFP negotiative emissary Ambassador Kevin Steinberg, current residence Degalan 4. To any ship near the Halam sector. I am placed under arrest by the Rubalin government. I have received anonymous threats on my life several times now. And the guards surrounding my quarters, do not inspire much confidence. I myself and the UFP delegation are in danger. Pass this message to the UFP Council and to Star Fleet Command!”
The C.O. looked at her Tactical, then at all of the bridge staff. ”Secondary staff to bridge immediately! Senior Staff report for briefing! At once!” She turned on her heels and headed for the briefing room. ”Helm! Set fastest course to Degalan 4 - maximum warp!”

While the Security Chief  reported to the Staff, the C.O. was sitting at the head of the desk, pressing the fingertips of both hands together, in front of her face, and staring into space. When he finished, and all turned to face her, she slowly put down her hands. There was a quick mutual glance between her and Commander Hagan.
”Any suggestions?” she asked and looked at them, one after another.
”According to Star Fleet protocol we have to negotiate”, Hagan said.
”I don't have much confidence in this, after all I know about the Rubalin”, she replied. ”These people do not negotiate with the allies of hell. Of course, we will try to negotiate – but we need plans, in case we don't succeed.” She looked at the Chief Tactical Officer. ”Lieutenant Shakaar ...? I already gave you the maps of the city of Kintar, the residence of the Prime Minister, and Mr. Steinberg's accomodation.”
”I'll assign two security teams for a rescue operation, Sir”, he said. ”They'll be ready in ... say ten minutes.”
”How much time left to Degalan 4?”
”45 minutes standard time, if engines can sustain current speed”, En. Ericson said from the conn. 
”Ok, ladies and gentlemen! Go to yellow alert! I want all hands ready for a sudden attack of the enemy. I'll send a transmission to the Rubalin government to inform them of our arrival. Maybe they are sensible people ... for all that.”

They reached the Halam sector right in time, without being stopped by a Rubalin ship. Long range sensor scanning hadn't revealed any Rubalin movements, but the C.O. could almost sense the presence of alien ships.
”Sensors are picking up something”, Lieutenant Shakaar yelled behind her. ”A fleet of small attack vessels. Lead by a ship hardly bigger tan the rest. They're heading towards us!”
”On screen!” She jumped up from the seat. A swarm of very small ships, spread all over the viewer, was heading towards the Avatar.
”Red al--?”
”Not yet, Lieutenant!” The C.O. raised her hand. ”Status on alien vessels?”
”Their weapons are powered, Captain! Their targeting scanners are locked on us!”
”A warm welcome”, Commander Hagar muttered behind her.
She ignored his dry remark. ”Hail them, Lieutenant!”
He tried it once, twice, ... there was no answer.
”I suppose they don't communicate with the Forces of Hell”, Hagar went on proving his well-known sarcasm.
”Frim, shut up!” she hissed, and to Shakaar she said: ”Open a channel!”
Then she stepped forward, facing the screen, and raising her voice, she started a declamation:
”Rubalin vessels, this is the Federation starship Avatar. We have come in peace! No hostile actions are intended. We are here to support the UFP delegation negotiating about your future membership in the UFP.”
Faint flashes appeared all over the screen.
”Captain, they are preparing to fire!”
”Shields up! Go to red alert!”
”Standby to—”
”Lieutenant! I said: Not y—!”
She was cut by a sudden failure of the Inertial Dampers. The ship lurched. The bridge staff grabbed for hold.
”Helm! Get us out of here! Evasive manoevers – pattern omega-4!”
The line of fire swivelled aside, when the Avatar headed starbord up, looped and – while the little ships started to pursuit – bored from above right through their rear lines of really tiny ships.
”Helm! Set a course for Degalan 4 – maximum warp!” She turned to face Lt. Shakaar, ”And you – open a channel to the Rubalin government!”
The ship rocked aside.
”Damage report!”
”Minor damage to hull, deck 4 to 7, section 25 to 27”, Shakaar replied. ”Rear shields down to 75%! Rear phaser array off-line!”
”Again?!” she yelled. ”Bridge to Main Engineering! Get that dead phaser array operational – at once!”
She turned back to the Tactical. ”What kind of weapon are they using?”
”Photon beam ... rotating frequency ... when it matches the rotating frequencies of our shields, it goes right through! I never seen something like that!”
”Status on alien vessels?”
”On pursuit course, Captain.”
”Time left to destination?”
”15 minutes”, the young Ensign at the Conn replied.
”What about the channel to the Rubalin government, Tactical?”
”They don't answer, Captain!”
Turning back, she glanced at Hagan. ”Great! I come carrying an olive twig, and they think I'm the devil!”
Then she faced her Security Chief. ”Now ... any suggestions, Mr. Shakaar?”

Captain's Log. USS Avatar. Maiden Voyager Stardate 52334.3
We have been ordered to delegate the negotiations of the Rubalin of Degalan-4,concerning their joining the UFP.. Though there may be some tension if they find out the Lagina Peen, there mortal enemies are already a member of the UFP.

The Federation President is Weary…he believes that if the Rubalin do find out.. that the entire Diplomacy Party may be taken hostage.. or even killed
End Log.

The Captain walked out to her bridge. She studies the crew. He first officer … her science officer ... Tactical … Helm … everyone.
”Mr. Hagan, status?” She asked
”2.3 Hours until we are in Orbit of the Rubalin homeworld”, he told her
”Very Well..” She sighed.. ”Tactical, Status?”
”All Weapon and Defensive systems are operating within normal parameters, Captain…Though the Aft Shield Emitter is a bit slow at startup”
”Eh? oh…. umm… I'll get Engineering to look it over..”
”Science.. anything?” She was bored
”No, Captain..”
”Well…. who--- ” She was cut off.
”Captain! Incoming Message from Degalan-4..”, Lt. Shakaar Reported
”On Viewer!”
”umm.. It's in Text Only Captain!”
”What? ugh… Ok.” She walked over to the Tactical Station…hands on Hips…
She read the message over, looked up….
”What is it, Captain?” the first officer asked?
”Ambassador Steinberg …and the diplomatic party…Have been taken hostage…apparently…Suppose he let on about Langina Peen….Damn!”
”Captain?” asked Lt. Shakaar.
”Helm! Set a course for Degalan-4 – Maximum Most Extreme Warp!”
”Aye, CAPTAINNNNNN”

”What else does the message say, Captain?” The commander asked
She looked down at the screen
”..There being held…in an…” she looked up at her commander, her face very serious...  ”an Underwater Complex!”
”WHAT--?”
”That’s what the message says. Helm, ETA?”
”1.7 minutes Captain!”
”Good!”
”Lt. Aem! I want you to set up---”
”Captain!” Called Lt. Shakaar ”— respectfully…We can't let the Rubalin get away with this…I am willing to set up a team of 6 of my finest Lt.s and retrieve the Negotiation Team?”
”Lt., I’m only willing to use that as a Last Resort…But put your team together anyway…..Lt. Aem, hail the Rubalin Presidency…”

Lt.Shakaar went to Cargo bay 2…And called in his Lt.s.
He hit his Comm. badge
”Could Lt’s Ochnik, Hicks, Apone, Ash and Bishop please report to Cargo bay 2 .. On the double!”

He waited, and 2 minutes later they were all in the Cargo bay at attention.
”Right!” he said, opening a Container ”Here's your Under-water Combat gear…” He threw it all on the floor. ”Change! Now!”
Shakaar wasn’t the patient type…and he didn’t like excuses for sloppiness…
Each of his Lt.s had a ‘Code Name’ imprinted on the left breast of their armor.

Lt. Anna Ochnik-> ‘Kitten’
Lt. James Hicks -> ‘Frog’
Lt. Frost Apone -> ‘Winter Chill’
Lt. Katherine Ash-> ‘Newt’
Lt. Lance Bishop-> ‘Cyborg’

And Lt.Shakaar -> ‘Annihilator’

”Lt.”, Lt. Anna Ochnik asked, pulling her long golden hair from a band and throwing it over her shoulder ”What is the mission?”
”Yes!?” Everyone else added.
”At attention!” Shakaar grumbled
”There may be no mission yet …. I'll be back in 15 minutes. Prep yourselves.”

He left, into the corridor and into a Turbolift.
”Bridge!” he called.

”Captain!? Any response from the Rubalin?”, he asked as he entered the Bridge.
”Not as yet, Lt. …But they’ve doubled the patrols around their borders and have activated a Global shield!”

”WHAT?—”Captain! We must send my team in…We can't afford to loose Ambassador Steinberg!!
”Agreed, Lt.! What do you plan to do?”
”Lt. Aem, scan the Underwater Complex!”
”Scanning..” she said ”I have located the Federation Delegation…They are in a chamber under a chamber…there are hundreds of rooms.. all connected by a group of intersecting tunnels…there is a hatch on every corridor”
”Thank you, Lt.”, said the Captain
”Captain”, Lt. Shakaar said.. ”We’ll take a Shuttle.. We’ll dive into the ocean above the target and then free dive until we get to a hatch…a---” He was cut off.
”I'm coming with you!” the captain blurted.
”CAPTAIN! I must protest! This Mission is too dangerous! It is my DUTY to protect you!”
”And protect me you must, Lt.!”
”Ohh.. Captain..” He was about to protest again
She raised her hand at him
”Ohh.. very well, as you wish Captain..”
”Excellent! Commander, you have the ship!”

They went to the Cargo bay
”CAPTAIN ON DECK!” someone called
”At ease!” called the Captain.
”Captain!” Shakaar threw her a combat suit. ”Please put this on over your uniform”

She put it on. It had the code name of  ”Milky” on it…

Lt.Shakaar walked to the doors. ”Company. To the Armory!”

They entered the Armory
”Now” Lt. Shakaar begun, ”We don’t know what we’ll expect. So, Lt. Ochnik…You’ll be in charge of carrying equipment. We’ll need”, he scanned the armory ”night vision goggles….Photon grenades…concussion Charges…..” he said, placing the equipment into a waterproof bag…
”Here you go, Anna ..”He handed her the bag. She slung it over her shoulders.
”Hicks!” he called ”What weapons do we use in these combat situations!?”
”Type-IV Compression Particle Phaser Rifle, SIR!”
”Excellent!” Lt. Shakaar said,  handing everyone.. NOT including the Captain ... a Rifle.
”Captain ... you can use this,” he said handing her a Type-III Phaser Rifle.
”Oh thank you.. Lt.”, she said sarcastically .. almost annoyed.
”Lt.!?" Lt. Ash called, ”what about Breathing Gear!?"
”Oh, yes!” He called and handed everyone a Breather, which fits over their face.

The shuttle zoomed over the ocean.
”20 seconds to target!” the Pilot Called
”Good! Open the hatch!” Lt. Shakaar ordered.
”5 Seconds!”
”Bishop! Take the Captain’’ Shakaar ordered him.
”Aye, Sir.”
”Wait! There’s an attack shuttle on our tail…. Ehh. I can’t shake him!”
”NOW!” Shakaar called.. ”GO!GO!GO!”
Every one jumped out of the shuttle and into the water.
They surfaced .. and saw the shuttle explode into pieces.
”NO! YOU BASTARDS!” The captain called. She knew the shuttle pilot.
The attack shuttle turned, and started firing in the water.
”DIVE!DIVE!DIVE!” Shakaar called.

The Security Force dove underwater and started free-swimming towards the Underwater Complex……

+ + + + +  back on the AVATAR  + + + + + 
”Transporter room – you got him?” Cmdr. Hagan yelled over the intercom.
”Aye, Commander”, the chief replied. ”He's alright. The shuttle's on tow ... severe damage to engines and hull, but —”
”Thank you, chief!” the X.O. blurted, and turning to the Science station, he cut the line. ”What about the assailants, Lt. Aem?”
The pale-skinned young woman checked all sensor data concerning the assault. ”The attack craft fires at the away team ... They are underwater ... diving down to the Complex ... all medical readings within normal parameters ... just elevated adrenaline readings ...”
Cmdr. Hagan went back to the command chair and sat down. Then he looked back once more.
”Lt. Aem, keep an eye on the sensors! I'm afraid the Rubalin will soon know about our plans ...”

+ + + + + meanwhile on Degalan 4 + + + +  +
‘O well, here we go ...’ the Captain thought, freezing from claustrophobia in that tight suit.
All around the away team the water was boiling from the continuing rotating Photon beam fire. Bubbles all around, made it hard to make out anything in their way. And she felt extremely bothered by that overkeen Lt. Bishop dragging her down. She couldn’t manage to shake him off. So she faced him and was about to engage the comm unit – then there was a shadow whizzing up behind him.
”Lt. Shakaar!” she yelled over the comm, ”There’s an object at starbord ... very fast moving ...”
It appeared again like a flash, growing bigger.
”... approaching!”
There was a bright red light shining up from the object. The team spread over the place, just Bishop stayed near the Captain, trying to cover her from the object. The object - a dark globe, material impossible to identify under these circumstances - moved straight towards the frogmen.
”Captain to Bridge!” the C.O. shouted, engaging her comm badge with a hard blow on her breast, ”Unidentified object pursuing the away team!”
”Lt. Aem here. I picked it up thirty seconds ago – Lt. Shakaar told me.”
”... and didn’t report to ME! Go, scan it! And keep comm channel open!”
”Aye, Sir!” she replied.
The C.O. could almost see those perfect fingers run over the panels at Science, while the globe kept coming nearer, glowing red and gradually getting shapeless from all the bubbles rising behind it ...
”Captain, it is a heat generator that —”
”Heat!? Quick! Blow it up, before it gets close!” she heard Shakaar's voice cutting her short.
The object seemed to carry a giant bubble of steam, produced by its heat – and suddenly a bright red beam shot down from the surface of the ocean. The bubble exploded.
”Get away!” the Captain yelled at Bishop, and dove down.
But he kept position, pointing his rifle towards the globe, totally stunned. So he was hit by the boiling water spreading through the sea.
”Lance!!!”

Bishop and the rest of the team were hurled downwards, punched by heavy shock waves caused by the explosion. They completely lost their bearings. Nothing but dragging vortexes of hot salt water, stirred up bubbles, and the debris of the globe around them.
Suddenly the C.O. was thrown against something. A metal sound, muted by the water. She slipped aside. Her hands grabbed for a cable, hanging from the tube, she had hit with her back. She looked up and noticed a giant heap of large metallic globes, fitted together, connected by tubes, with airlock hatches ...
”Shakaar!” she yelled, hoping the comm was still operational, ”I've got it!”
There was a loud white noise in her ears, then it stopped and Shakaar's voice said weakly, ”Position?”
”I don't know! I’ve been blown here! What about Bishop?”
”Hell! I lost him! He just sunk down”, he reported.
She took a deep breath. ”C.O. to Avatar!”
There was no answer. The comm channel was dead, but she was sure, they were working hard to open it again. She told Shakaar who gave signs of anger, while she had a close look at the Underwater Complex.
”Listen, Lt.! I can't make out any sort of porthole – so I'll take my rifle, set it on min, ... and interval fire ... and  give signs all around me.”
”What do you —?”
”Never heard about Determination of Coordinates?” she blurted and set out phaser beams circling.

Two minutes later she recognized several humanoid shapes approaching, four people, one of them eagerly struggling up the slope from beneath, carrying a large waterproof bag ... obviously Shakaar.
”Where’s Bishop?”
”I ordered Lt. Ochnik to see to him”, Shakaar replied.
‘Sounds angry’, she thought.
He stopped, when he caught a glance of the Complex. Then he looked around at the rest of his team, pointing at them one after another.
”Apone, Ash, move over to one of the tubes and scan the hatch! Hicks, take the Cap—” He was cut off.
”Stop treating me like I was a kind of millstone round your neck, Lieutenant!” she said, using a direct comm channel, so the others won’t hear them, ”I have been an excellent Security Officer myself – you get me?”
She could hear him snort angrily, then ...
”Aye, Captain”, he said and followed his team slowly moving towards the complex.

They came up to the entrance of the underwater complex.
Shakaar opened a comm channel to everyone except the Captain. ”Alright People. Defensive pattern Omega…”
”Right”, said someone.
The platoon moved around the hatch. 2 above it and 2 at the side. Shakaar right in front. The Captain having no idea what they were doing, hung back for a while. So she saw Lt. Ochnik diving up with Bishop. He seemed to be alright.
”Anna! Get that hatch open!”
”Right, Shak!”
He was angry … he didn’t like being called that.
She moved to the hatch, and found a handle. She pulled it and the hatch moved open ... letting out 10 alien troopers wrapped up in suits.
”NO! What! ANNA! NO!” Shakaar called and the aliens begun firing. Lt. Ochnik moved as fast as she could out of there to Shakaar's side.
”Hicks!” he called through the comm, forgetting to include the Captain, ”Beta! Beta! Beta!”
”Affirmative!”
The aliens fired their green-energy weapons through the murky water.
”Ahh…team…”, called the Captain.
”Captain!” Shakaar called, as he turned to face her …
A volley of energy discharges left the hatch … one headed directly for the Captain…
”What — Nooooo!!!!!!” Shakaar called as he moved in front of the Captain taking the blast in the chest.
”Shakaar!” called Anna.
”The Lt.!” called someone.
”Damn…” the Captain said to herself. ”Abort!! Abort mission! This is a full abort!” She called into her comm.
Ash was also down, the captain realised..
”T'Kal to Avatar”, she said into the comm. ”EMERGENCY BEAM-OUT!”
”Captain!” called Cmdr. Hagan ” 2 attack vessels just came from the planet!…We can't beam you up!”
”Commander! Shakaar and Ash are down! There are alien troops surrounding us!”
”I'll try my best, Captain ... Hagan out!”
She activated her comm. ”T'Kal to all Security personnel
I'm taking command of the mission! Grab Shakaar and Ash and converge on my–”
They were beamed out.
‘Good on ya, Frim!’ she thought to herself

They were all in Sickbay. From the main module the EMH appeared.
”Please state the nature of the medical emergency” it said
The Captain hated it ...
”Disrupter blasts to the chest area … long distance ...”
”Tricorder”, he ordered … she handed him her tricorder..
”Medical Tricorder!” he said handing it back
”Where are they!?” The Captain asked.
”How am I to know! I'm only the Emergency Medical Program?”
”Fine.” She said looking for a Medi-Tricorder.
”Here”,she said handing one from the hypo-spray draw.
”Lt Shakaar only has disrupter burns….no serious injuries. He’ll be fine … Though for Lt.Ash … There's been some neural damage ... I’ll have to operate ...”
”Okay, Doctor. Report to me, when you're done!” she ordered leaving sickbay.

=/\= On the Bridge

”Captain…” Cmdr. Hagan started as something happened around the planet.
”Science! What’s going on!?” called the Captain.
”I'm not sure, Captain ...”
"Not sure?"

Ships began to de-cloak around the planet. An entire Fleet ... 1000’s of ships. Perfectly aligned with each other …
"Science! Full scan! I want to know who's that out there!" the Captain yelled back.
There were more ships here then there had been in the entire history of the Federation … then … a huge base de-cloaked … bigger then anything they had ever seen.
‘If you put this base over Star Fleet Headquarters”, T’Kal thought, ”… it would reach the outer borders and Los Angeles.”

”SHIELDS TO MAXIMUM! STAND BY ALL WEAPONS!” called the Captain and the shields hummed to life.
”Shields activated!”
She looked at the officer holding Tactical … a young Ensign.
”Where’s Lt. Shakaar, when you need him ...” she sighed shrugging her shoulders.
”I’m right here, Captain!" he said limping out the turbo-lift
”Thank God!” she murmured as he exused the Ensign.
”Captain. That .. base is hailing us ...?”
”Don’t answer them yet! – Frim ... what do you think of this?”
”Well … Star Fleet always believed the Rubalin never could build so many ships ... and such big ones ...”
T'Kal turned around to face the Sensor station. Columns of data were rushing down the display ...
”Any idea, Lt.?”
”Not as yet ...” Lt. Aem replied slowly. ”Design ... unknown. Construction ... unknown. Propulsion ... warp drive ... matter/antimatter reactor. Weapons ... tricobalt devices ... disrupters —”
”Phasers?”
”Negative, Sir.”
”Find out what kind of cloaking device they're using!”
T'Kal moved towards the viewer, folding her arms. ”On Screen, Lt.!”

The viewer flickered to life with nothing but white noise and interferences. Shakaar tried to re-modulate ... no change. There was a warning on the comm station.
”Captain, systems are ... incompatible!”
Her hand went right across her throat, so he cut the line. She looked at him, again folding her arms. ”Any suggestions, Tactical?”
He was busy analyzing the incoming message that the computer wasn’t able to decipher ...
”Maybe we should just open a window and wave a white flag ...?” she added sarcastically.
”There’s ... a second signal ... under the main frequency. I’m trying to isolate ...”
”Status on alien fleet?”
”Their weapons are not powered”, Lt. Aem reported. ”And they do not move ... I wonder if they are real ...”
”What?”
”I mean ... it could be ... some sort of trick ... Deceiving the sensors.”
T'Kal pointed to Lt. Shakaar. ”Get that second signal, Lt.! I'm in my room - Cmdr.—”
”... you have bridge!” the 1st officer finished her sentence.
Waving Aem to follow she went into her ready room – the windows! Of course, the windows! When you always rely on highest standards of technology, you often forget the simple means to get information.

In fact, there was a fleet outside. Slim, silvery vessels soaring high over the planet ... The Avatar was encircled.
And she saw the base, a giant ... a monstrous, bizarrely shaped object. T'Kal touched her comm badge.
”Shakaar, report to my room!”

”So what're we gonna do now, Lt.?” she said, as he entered, ”Open the window to wave the white flag?”
He went over to her desk, enabled the terminal. ”I managed to isolate the second signal ... audio-only.” He tapped a touch-pad.
”The allies of the Evil are not welcome in this area of space! Turn back to where you came from and never return here – or we will destroy you!” - a shrill voice ... maybe a young woman or a child ...
”Can we ... reply to this message?” T'Kal asked turning towards her officers.
”Sure!” Shakaar blurted. ”We can remove the secondary transmission, replace it by our answer and send the entire transmission back.”
”Alright, Lieutenant. I’ll make up my reply – and you prepare the transmission! – Lt. Aem, I want a full scan of the alien fleet! All available information! – ”
She stopped, when she noticed Shakaar was about to speak. ”Yes, Lt.?”
”So we’ll not comply ..?”
”Positive, Lieutenant”, she gave him a grim smiled. ”We will not comply!”

She left her ready room - her officers following - and went over to the Sensor station. Lt. Aem  quickly studied the readings on the display.
”Captain,” she begun, ”the Ships are … well … they contain 300 lifeforms each. ... Sensors indicate armories on every deck … Which is 4 decks … Ships' weapons include: Type-6 Disrupters, Quantum Torpedoes ... undoubtly bought from the Ferengi” she added, ”Tractor beam and – Captain!” She gasped.

A large vessel de-cloaked. It was larger than the attack-vessels … but still smaller than the base.
”That’s a troop ship, Captain!" called Shakaar.
”Status?”
”Its on an intercept course!”.
”Well, no troops will be beaming through our shields … that’s for sur–”
4 alien troops materialized on the bridge. Rifles aimed all at the Captain.
”Lower you weapon, Shakaar!” she called ”And quickly! Shields at a rotating frequency!” She yelled.
This would stop anymore troops beaming in – or off the ship.
She pulled her phaser from the holster and pointed it towards the aliens.
”Get off this ship!”
They stunned her.
Shakaar grabbed his phaser and quickly made a few adjustments and fired.
It was a wide-beam shot and the aliens were vaporised into atoms.
”LIEUTENANT!” shouted the Commander.
”Sorry, Sir!” Shakaar said regretfully.
”Why didn’t you just STUN them?”
”As I said ... Sorry, Sir.”
Hagan grunted, as the Captain regained consciousness and looked at the viewer.
”OH MY GOD!!! HANG ON!” she called as a barrage of torpedoes hit the shields.
The Avatar was thrown around, everyone thrown to the floor.
”Evasive manoevers!!! LT SHAKAAR!!” called the Captain, ”Fire all weapons!”
”Yes, Ma’am!” he called.

The Avatar rolled, as it fired all phaser arrays.
The first barrage of phaser fire hit the 4 lead vessels ... their shields glowing brightly, as they turned the phaser energy into microwaves and threw them off into space.
”Captain!” called Shakaar ”Their shields are ... Their shields didn’t loose any energy!”
”Fire Quantum torpedoes!”
10 Quantum torpedoes left the Avatar and hit the Rubalin ships. 2 were destroyed and 3 more damaged.
The Captain looked up at her viewer and noticed the 1000 other ships beginning to move.
”Lt. Aem … are there any moons around here?”
”Scanning … Yes, Ma’am … One at mark 3 point 56!”
”Helm!” the captain said ”Take us behind that moon…We’ll hide out for a while.”

The Captain was in her ready room when she heard her terminal beep.
”Priority One communiqué from Admiral von Schneider.”
”Open communiqué – authorization T’Kal Delta-3-8-2.”

”WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THERE?” the Admiral yelled, as soon as he appeared on the monitor.
”Excuse ME!?” She put both hands down on the desktop and got up.
”We just received a message from the Rubalin government … They’ve declared war on the Federation!”
”I see … Dammit!” she cursed.
He cleared his throat in disapproval. ”What have you noticed about them?”
”THEY HAVE A HELL OF A LOTTA BATTLE SHIPS!”
”How many ... approximately?”
”By judging from my naked eye ... there’s at least over 700 ships.”
He took a deep breath. ”It’s worse than we thought…I'm sending Task Force Alpha to you from D.S.9 … They’ll be there in 40 hours … and ... take care! Von Schneider OUT.”

‘Task Force Alpha?’ she thought.. ‘I'll have to ask Shakaar.’
She tapped her comm badge and said ”Lt.Shakaar, please report to my ready room”.
He was in there just as the Said the M in room.
”Yes, Ma’am?”
”Tell me, Lieutenant …what's this Task Force Alpha?”
”Ohh ... that Task Force was put together to guard the wormhole from the Dominion.”
”How many Ships?”
”Umm …70 starships, Captain … and 4 squadrons of attack-shuttles each with 15 shuttles.”
”Well … Do you think we stand a chance against them?” she asked.
”Well… It's risky … But I think we do have a chance with the newly commissioned 3 Sovereign Class Vessels.”
”Oh?… Is the Enterprise included?”
”No, I don’t think so, Ma’am.”

Having dismissed her Tactical Officer Captain T’Kal was sitting behind her desk, brooding about the situation ... the rescue mission failed ... the Federation ambassador still taken hostage ... or even dead ... her ship damaged. They had just escaped by hiding behind a distant moon and a sudden warp leap. The alien fleet didn’t follow.
She had studied all files concerning the Rubalin again and again. Certainly this per se insignificant species was unable to sustain a fleet like that. There must be some powerful ally somewhere, providing them with materiel, power systems, technology, and even troops ... Who could be interested in tying a major part of the Federation forces to a war with a species so little important? A proxy war ... She tapped her comm badge. ”T’Kal to bridge! Open a channel to Admiral von Schneider!”

”The Dominion?” Von Schneider frowned. ”We haven’t heard about any movements of Dominion forces in month, and now YOU claim the Dominion to be responsible for the Degalan-4 incident? Remember, Ikura, I—”
”Now listen! I’m sure and you know as well that the Rubalin can’t sustain a fleet that size! They don’t even have enough troops! So who’s the ally watching from the sidelines ... stirring this little proxy war?”
She watched him gazing at her picture on his monitor ... thinking ...
”That would never have occurred to me ...” he uttered, lost in thought, at last.
”So if you send this little fleet of yours to the Halam sector, be sure there’ll be some Dominion activities lying ahead!”
”And what about Steinberg?” he asked.
”According to my information he’s still taken hostage, as well as the entire delegation ... We tried a rescue operation ...”
Von Schneider rolled his eyes and wrung his hands. ”So what shall I tell the UFP senate?”
She jumped up, started pacing around ... waving her arms about in anger. ”Whatever you wanna tell’em! THEY never get their asses out of their comfortable chairs to settle things – that’s OUR job, risking our lives and those of our crews to fulfill the plans of some masterminds of interstellar politics – And the hell I know—”
”IKURA!”
She stopped ... and after a pause returned to her desk to sit down. ”Alright, alright! We’ll try to—”
”Bridge to Captain! Alien vessel approaching –”
She waved the Admiral to wait. ”Status?”
”It’s a scout ship!” Hagan reported through the comm. ”Hold on! There are two more – attack vessels! Heading towards us! They’ve got us!”
”I’m coming!” – and with a ”T’Kal out.” she shut off the channel to the Admiral and dashed out of her room.

”SHIELDS TO MAXIMUM! STAND BY ALL WEAPONS!” she called, crossing bridge for her command chair.
”Shields up. Weapons ready”, said Lt. Shakaar.
”Hold your fire ...”, she said.

The Rubalin attack vessels made their way under the Hull of the Avatar, her shields coming to life when they were hit by disrupter beams.
”FIRE!” yelled the Captain.
4 Photon torpedoes left AVATAR and headed directly for each ship. The ships seemed to do a basic Loop-the-loop manoever and dodged the torpedoes.
”Firing again”, said Shakaar, working over his console.
2 Quantum torpedoes left AVATAR and struck both the ships on the main hull. 
”Target destroyed!” he shouted, relief in his voice ... ”Hmm...” he began, ”Their shields seem to be very weak.”
”That’s some good news, Lieutenant!” She turned around. ”Cmdr. Hagan - you have bridge!”
”Aye, Ma’am.”

She was tired, so she left for her quarters for some sleep.
”Bridge to Captain!” called Cmdr. Hagan, just as she got through the door.
”Yes, Cmdr.?”
”The Fleet has just arrived. They’re forming defensive posture only.”
”Very well ... Inform me of any changes.”
”Yes, Ma’am. Bridge Out.”

Several Hours passed. She tried in vain. She was rolling around ... insomnia. She could see the ships swifting across in front of her minds eye ... She tried some raktajino ... tried to read ... her eyes aching ... These ships were everywhere in her room ... She hurled the book away and stepped into her boots to return to the bridge —
”CAPTAIN TO THE BRIDGE!” She had just enabled the turbo-lift, as Red-alert sirens started howling.
Once the lift stopped, she jumped out of the capsule to the bridge.
”CAPTAIN!” called Lt. Aem, ”I’m detecting a massive energy buildup in that … Starbase … A BUILDUP of … 4,500,000 GIGA-QUADS of energy!”
”hmm” said the captain.
”This is Admiral von Schneider. All Ships begin Attack sequence Omega. Mark.”
The lead 3 Sovereign class vessels headed for the ‘Starbase’.
”CAPTAIN! THAT ENERGY IS STILL BUiLDI—” 

The Base grew bright ... everyone was blinded.
The captain glanced at her viewer and saw … the debris of 3 soverign vessels.
She ran over to the Science station ... one hand on her hip, the other running over the panel. The bridge was bathed in white brightness ...
”That’s no Starbase!!” she called,  ”It’s a WEAPONS’ PLATFORM!!”
She dashed around to face her officers - pointing at Shakaar. ”Prepare Quantum torpedoes! All that we have! We MUST protect the Admiral’s ship!” She turned to Aem. ”The shields - what kind of shields? Analysis - instant download to Tactical! - See what you can do!”
Facing the viewer, her fingers clutching the railing, she could watch the effect of the next energy buildup. Waiting. Not knowing what the platform was targeting at ... the four attack crafts engaging it or even the second line ... the Avatar ... the Admiral’s ship ...
”Helm - intercept course for weapons’ platform!”
The young officer,  Jr.Lt. R’Esach, didn’t hesitate. Klingon. Her face a mask of hatred.
”Tactical?”
”Torpedoes ready, Sir!”
”All weapons!” her voice was dark and harsh . ”Fire at will!”
The dance was open ...
Grabbing for R’Esach’s shoulder, she watched the ships on the viewer, moving around, dancing the grotesque dance of engaging and evading enemy vessels moving alike ... She felt the Inertial dampers fail when the shields were hit ... her eyes following every movement of every vessel on screen ...
”Helm - intercept the target!”

The buildup was reaching its climax ... the platform glowing up ... the turned around ”TACTICAL!”
And he was already firing, a line of blue sparks leaving the ship ... one after another ... into the light ... no spread!
”Shakaar, what are you—?”

They were washed away into an explosion of whiteness, all personnel tumbling about, thrown to the floor.
”Evas—” 
A jolt, then a sharp pain through her head. T’Kal’s temple had hit the console beside the command chair ... darkness ...
”WAS THAT YOU?” she heard von Schneider’s voice over the comm - kind of enthusiastic!
She struggled to her feet. ”Report!”
”We’re on an evasive cour—”
”The platform! What about the platform!” she yelled.
Debris was floating across the viewer ... no giant base-like weapons’ platform in sight! The report reached her ears from far away ...
”... minor damage to primary hull on decks 3 to 5 ... several wounded on every deck ... engineering still online ... warp drive operational ... impulse drive operat—”
”We did it!” her voice was nothing but a hoarse whisper, ”We did it! We got them!” She returned to her chair, noticing Shakaar lying on the floor ... people kneeling around him ... Ochnik at Tactical.
T’Kal decided to suppress any thought about her Chief Tactical. The dance was still going ...
”Targeting scanners lock on nearest vessels! Lt.!” She faced Ochnik with her well-known grim smile. ”Fire!”
The phaser beam grazed over the nearest ship ... hit another one ... going right through their shields. Their hull pierced ... they broke into pieces ...

The enemy vessels started retreating ... their shields to weak to sustain phaser fire or even torpedoes. But the Federation forces moved on, approaching the planet of their origin ... the planet that the enemy forces had claimed to defend.
”Lower your shields and disable your weapons!” she heard von Schneider calmly say to the enemy, ”You have 30 seconds to comply!”

There was no reply.
Even after the ultimatum had run out. The enemies’ battle line was moving backwards, some smaller vessels breaking out, trying to engage the enemy, but stopped and disabled or even destroyed by the federation armada.
”Who do they think they are?” T’Kal muttered staring at the viewer.
She glanced at Ochnik ... the young woman was pale, her hands trembling nervously. Just for a moment she let the antenna of her mind reach out for Ochnik’s thoughts and emotions ... confusion .... fear ... not for herself.
‘O yes, I forgot!’ she thought, trying to transmit a wave of confidence. Instantly Ochnik looked up, smiling back ...
T’Kal enabled the comm. ”Lt. Tyrok, report to the bridge!”

”Admiral to all hands! Advance to given co-ordinates!”
T’Kal checked the co-ordinates uploaded from the Admiral’s ship ... a position nearby Degalan-4 ... driving back the Rubalin or their allies’ attack line and making them a line of defence ...
Phaser beams leaving the armada’s battle line ... disabling enemy ships ... sometimes destroying them ... more by accident. And then, suddenly, ships started breaking off the line, disappearing into space within a warp leap.
Tyrok, the tall, dark Vulcan, entered bridge and - hardly greeting - moved to Tactical. Ochnik looked up.
”You’re dismissed, Lieutenant”, T’Kal said.
There was no need to repeat this order - Lt. Ochnik rushed off the station and disappeared into the turbo-lift.
(*Here you have your little relationship!!*)

”Open a channel to Admiral von Schneider!” and when Tyrok reported the channel open and the Admiral’s face - smiling complacently - appeared on the viewer, she said: ”Can we transfer our casualties directly to your surgery, Admiral? I’m afraid, we can’t treat them properly, since we have nothing but an EMH onboard.”
”Of course, Captain!” he said, ”Feel free! I’ll tell Dr. Russell to make everything available.”
”Russell? Is she still working on replicative procedures?”
He laughed. ”She’s my Chief Medical - no time for dreams! Von Schneider out.”

After transferring command to Cmdr. Hagan,  T’Kal left bridge for sickbay. The situation was cleared up at the moment ... She entered Sickbay sensing something uneasy. The EMH was busily running around ... frowning all the time. She saw Ochnik standing beside a bio-bed ... the diagnostic unit closed over the body of the person lying there - Shakaar ... and he was still unconscious.
T’Kal grasped the EMH’s holographic sleeve. ”Status on patient, Doctor?”
”Well ...", his face weary with annoyance. "If you wouldn’t stop me do—”
”Status on patient?!” she repeated ... urgently and only apparently calm.
”He was hit by an energy output ... neural damage ...”
”SEVERE neural damage?”
The doctor tried to shake off her hand, but didn’t succeed. He frowned, rolled his eyes, staring at the ceiling ... ”Yes, Captain, severe neural damage. I told him to stay here, but he just left for bridge! In fact, nobody seems to lis—”
”Alright, alright, Doctor.” She took the comm badge from her uniform jacket and tapped it. ”T’Kal to Transporter room. ”Lock on to my communicator! Direct transport to Wounded Knee’s sickbay on my order!”
”But – Captain!” The EMH was frowning, now confused. ”I’m programmed with the knowledge of 1,760—”
”I know, Doctor! But there’re others to see to! – T’Kal to transporter room. Are you ready?” She fixed the badge onto Shakaar’s shoulder.
”Aye, Captain.”
There was a certain look in Ochnik’s eyes ... and the C.O was sure she could do without that nervous Security officer on the bridge at the moment. ”Transporter room - correction! TWO to beam directly to Wounded Knee’s Sickbay! – Energize!”
Stepping back she saw Lt. Ochnik and the unconscious Chief Tactical disappear in flickering light.

Now 48 hours without a minute of sleep, the Captain - returned to her quarters - was snuggling into her couch, trying to read the book that had suffered from severe damage, after she had thrown it right across the room this morning. But the letters kept dancing around, and her eyes hurt like hell. Though she had wrapped up herself with a blanket ( replicated Shetland wool - one couldn't compare it by far!), she was once and again shivering from a chill - insomnia. How she hated it!

When the comm beeped she welcome it. She reached out for the terminal on the desk, and turning it around, enabled it. The Star Fleet flag ... the transmission demanded an authorization which she had to drag from her memory. Then von Schneider's face appeared - him again! He looked as if he'd had a good meal and a good rest ...
"Yes, Sir?" she sighed, "I assume you got a job for me ...?"
"Positive, Commander!"
Calling her 'Commander' ... There must have been someone else in his room ...
"The Rubalin fleet won't surrender. And I'm afraid their planetary defense systems aren't as weak as the shields of their ships are - according to our sensor readings ..."
"So ... what?"
"We need someone operating behind their lines."
Instantly she was bolt upright, the blanket slipping to the floor. "What are you suggesting?"
"Your ship is armed with a cloaking dev—"
"Admiral, I haven't had sleep for two days! My crew is exhausted - we need some rest!"
"And the Rubalin threaten to kill Steinberg, in case WE don't retreat within 10 hours - completely - and never be seen again!"
"The Defiant ... what about the Defiant?"
He snorted. "We had to leave the Defiant at Deep Space Nine. Since their genius chief engineer went for a long shore leave back to Earth, they experience a multitude of malfunctions ... The Defiant couldn't even launch!"
"Markus ..." She almost slumped into a heap ... then suddenly pulling herself together, "Alright, Admiral. We'll take on Rescue operation Steinberg - T'Kal out."

Having ordered her entire Senior staff to report to the briefing room, she walked through the corridors, entered the turbo-lift which started to take her up to deck.
"Ochnik to Captain."
"T'Kal here - you're back?"
"Lt. Shakaar insisted on being transferred back to the Avatar after ... the medical treatment."
"O! Dr. Russell - I got the idea ... So, how's he doing now?"
"I don't know ... he's on his way to—"
"What? – Turbo-lift stop! – He is WHAT?"
”Heading for the Briefing room, Captain”, she sighed.
”Thank you, Lt. Captain OUT!”

She ran down the Corridor until she came to Lt. Shakaar.
”LT!” she called.
”Yes, Captain?”
”Where do you think you're going??”
”To the briefing room, Captain?”
”NO, you're not…You’ve been injured and need rest! I'm confining you to quarters for two days - except the allowance of using the holodeck –UNDERSTOOD?”
”... But … Captain ...” he began.
”DISMISSED!” she said with an iron voice.

Shakaar went to his quarters.
”Computer”, he said to the replicator in which he got a beep in reply, ”Bajoran Spice Ale."
Before him materialized a mug of Bajoran Spice Ale.
He sat down and began to sip it, thinking.
There was a beep at the door.
He stood up and went over to the doors, making them open.
It was Anna.
”Hi, Anna”, he said.
”Hi Shakaar….Mind if I come in?”
”No, not at all", he grinned.

She went over and sat down on the opposite couch and Shakaar sat down where his ale was.
”I've been going over next weeks duty roster,” she began ”And I've got no Bridge work … WHY?”
”What? Let me have a look.” He said picking up a padd.
He sighed.
”Anna … the Captain has … well ... she has a personal grudge against you ... and doesn’t want you on the bridge."
She moved over next to him. ”Why?”
”... I'm not sure ... I'll look into it for you.”
”Thanks,” she said with a smile.
She put her hands on his chest.
”Anna.. What are you doing?”
”..It's very lonely on this ship, Shak ...”
”I'm sure it is.”
She kissed him, Very passionately.
”Anna..” he begun.
”Sshh…quiet” she said, and led him into the next room.
She pushed him up against the wall and threw her legs around him, wrapping herself around him.
”It's been too long, Shakaar”, she said kissing his lips.
He surrenders to her.
”Too long”, he said kissing her neck.
He held her thighs close to him as they kissed.
He put his fingers through her long hair, and massaged her shoulders a little.
They moved to the bedroom.
”I'm still in my uniform ...” she said
”So am I”, he said kissing her lips.

He laid her on the bed … unzipping her uniform from the back …

... and the night passed very quickly …

Without being noticed the Avatar had approached Degalan-4 and entered a distant orbit.
The Captain walked along with Lt. Tyrok to the Transporter room, followed by the Away team they had lined up, Lt.s Apone, Hicks, Ash, Bishop, and En. Lan, the young Bajoran woman, who carried a methleH with her – a specialist in Klingon martial arts and hand-to-hand fights. They were wearing Rubalin civilian clothes, robes and hats in different shades of gray. Even the two woman would easily pass as young men in the religious and male dominated society of Degalan-4.
”Your decision not to detail Lt. Ochnik to join this team is not a logical one”, Tyrok said.
”In fact, it is”, she replied, entering the transporter room. ”It is – from a Human point of view ... or even a Bajoran.”
”A Bajoran?” He stopped.
Bishop stepped beside Jr.Lt. Hedridge who was programming the transporter, pulling faces, so that she started to giggle. Both, the Captain and Tyrok gave them a sharp look.
”I’m not blind, Tyrok”, she said.
”I don’t understand, Captain.”
She stopped, attentively looking at his pale and blank Vulcan face. ”But I assume you are ...” She put her hand on his shoulder, facing him and each member of the Away team one after another. ”Take care! No heroic deeds! I want you all back here save and sound – you get me?”
”Aye, Captain!” they returned in chorus.
She nodded. ”Go ahead!”
They stepped onto the platform, while Bishop kept returning winks with Hedridge. Tyrok frowned, but T’Kal could hardly keep herself from smiling.
”Energize!”
Hedridge enabled the dematerializing routine, and the team disappeared in flickering light.
The Captain herself, knowing Cmdr. Hagan in charge of command, returned to her quarters for some rest.

Entering her quarters T'Kal was welcome by Gomtuu bitterly complaining about being ignored for hours. She picked him up and caressing his long, smooth coat, she went to the replicator.
”Catfood 72 and ... a cup of Raktaj— correction! A pot of Darjeeling and rock candy!”
A strange assembly appeared before her. She put the little bowl, smelling of fish, and the cat down and took the tray with her tea to carry it to the couch. But before she reached it, the doorsignal buzzed. She stopped, lowered the tray in her hands ... then she decided to go on.
”Come in!”
The door opened, and putting down the tray, she recognized Lt. Shakaar standing outside ...
”Lieutenant?” She nodded to him, then ... ”Don’t let it get cold in here – Come in and have a seat!”
He stepped in, haltingly. ”I ... I prefer to stand.”
”Suit yourself. ” Carefully she watched him approaching, stretching out the feelers of her mind towards him.
Those few lessons Tyrok had given her, had improved her facility far more than she’d ever thought. She sensed him being uneasy ... sort of bad conscience ...
With a kind of professional smile on her lips she sat down, and instantly the orange-brown colored cat hopped onto her knees and curled itself up to a flushy ball. ”Are you enjoying your time-out?”
”Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir.”
Had that embarrassed him? He casted down his eyes, but wasn’t blushing, like his emotional state would suggest.
”So ... what brings you here, Lieutenant?”
He pulled down his uniform, cleared his throat, and could hardly return her attentive look.
”Next week’s duty roster ...” he began and hesitated to continue
”Lt. Tyrok made it up”, she said, stroking the purring cat on her knees. ”Anything to complain? Suggestions for improvement?”
”Lt. Ochnik ...”
There was a wave of emotions surging up in his mind, she realized at once ...
”Lt. Ochnik will have no bridge work next week, yes.”
”Can you explain why?”
”So she went to your quarters and told you – despite of my direct order not to bother you with anything!” The cat jumped off her knees.
”Your ... what?”
The Captain got up from her couch and went over to the cupboard. ”She came to me first – actually, she’s not a coward!” She opened it, released the grav fixture and took a cup from it. ”You want some tea?”
”Yes, Sir.”
”She was complaining ... say, she told me she gave her best in that battle – and ...” pointing at him ... ”I must admit, she did a good job. I mean ... she was very nervous and ... worried about you.”
”If you’re quite content with her, I see no reason why you don’t let her do any bridge work.”
She poured tea into the cup she had put down before him. The cat was keeping close to her feet, purring and squinting, even when she went over to the other couch and slumped down on it, crossing her legs. It crouched beside her, and watched her every move as if it would adore her.
”It’s hungry”, he said winking at the cat.
”Not at all ... he’s always like that.” She sipped on her cup. ”I have my reasons, Lieutenant, and be sure, it’s not because of Lt. Ochnik. En. Lan needs more practice —”
”You already detailed her to the away team!”
She gave him a quick sharp look for blurting in. ”That’s correct, Lieutenant. In fact, you have more than one team, you know, and usually it’s not up to me to see to that ...”
He took this remark as a kind of criticism.
”Lt. Ochnik is young, she’s beautiful ... and she’s captured your mind.”
 
The door signal ... 
”Come in!”
Shakaar was almost stunned when he saw Cmdr. Elbrun entering the Captain’s quarter’s as naturally as if it was his own. Noticing the Lieutenant, the Counselor stopped with surprise and a grin appeared on his face. T’Kal pointed at the cat that had taken a leap to get to his master – or say his slave who picked it up immediately.
”I’m sorry for bothering, Captain”, he said and nodding to Shakaar ”Lieutenant! — Just wanted to fetch Gomtuu and say thanks for taking care.”
T’Kal could almost feel the suspicion rising in Shakaar’s mind.
”It’s alright. You know I’m very fond of cats ...”
She heard the question behind the Lieutenant’s forehead, while he was staring at her ... if she could read minds ... ‘Yes, she can’, she thought by herself and to Elbrun, ‘Be careful! Return later!’
And he returned consent, nodded with a smile and left.

”Lieutenant?” she said turning back to him. And when he kept silent she added, ”Just take it like this: You two will have more time together, as long as Ochnik has no bridge work ... and I’ll tell Tyrok to keep her in mind for further duty rosters. Okay?”
He uttered agreement, and finding himself dismissed, he emptied his cup and was about to leave her quarters.
”Just ... don’t go and tell her that I have a personal grudge against her!”
He stopped.
”A ... what? How ...?”
She looked at him, raising her eyebrows. ”You’re wrong, Lieutenant. Be sure, she’d have a lot to do next week, if I had!”

Captain’s Log U.S.S. Avatar, stardate 52347.7
Despite of the fact that the Rubalin Fleet has been defeated by Star Fleet Task Force Alpha, the situation still remains deadlock, because the UFP delegation is still taken hostage. We are ordered to take the appropriate steps to get these persons out of the hands of the Rubalin government or their executives. I detailed an Away team, under command of Lt. Tyrok, whom I know to be circumspect as well as resolute to carry out these my orders, I gave him: to find the hostages, free them, and get them back to this ship. Since I told them to keep blackout, unless they are in danger and emergency beam-out is necessary, I don’t know anything about the progress of the mission.

Shakaar was walking down the corridor to the Holodeck.
”Damn telepaths!" he  cursed to himself.
”COMPUTER. I WANT A PHASER FIGHT. 30 CAPTAINS.”
”Programme complete.”
He entered the Holodeck and started blasting away at the holographic Captains.(hehe Told you Id Get you back)
After he had blown all of the 30’s heads off…he went back to his quarters to Find Lt.Ochnik inside.
”Oh ... What are you doing here?” he sighed ”I'm already in enough trouble!”
”I'm sorry! I've just got so much time on my hands I just don’t know what to do with myself!”
”There's your hint: YOURSELF” he said sarcastically.
”Hey! No need for that.”
”Yea. Well, I'm going to get some sleep”
”Oh, come on, Ender … We can deceive the captain!”
”We can't deceive the Captain, Anna! She’s always one step ahead of us. Goodnight” he said and left for his bedroom.
He waited a while .. and about 40 minutes later he heard her leaving.
‘I wonder how the team's going?’ he thought, ‘Bloody Captain sent my team down without me ... We’ve trained together most of our career ... I hope they can handle their new commander”
He fell asleep.

Elbrun had returned to the Captain’s quarters 20 minutes after Shakaar had left. The Captain welcome him with a candlelight dinner and a grumpy look on her face. Her mental shields were closed up so tightly, he couldn’t even guess what she was thinking ... but her emotional status was no secret to him. While he was enjoying the dishes well-known from his homeworld, she kept picking at her food, her head propped up on her fist, without saying anything.
At last he resigned trying to get through her shielding and dabbed his lips with the napkin.
”So what’s bothering you tonight, Captain?”
She looked up at him. ”You know exactly ...”
”No, I don’t, ‘cause I can’t get through.”
”Lt. Shakaar ...” she sighed.
”O yes ... we really annoyed him. He was about to kill you.”
”Was he?”
He carelessly threw the napkin on his plate. ”You shouldn’t play your little games with your officers, Ikura ... telling him what you know about him and Lt. Ochnik! How could you!?”
”O please!” She jumped up from the chair and started pacing around. ”I was just trying to be ...”
”... funny? Nice? Understanding?” He picked up the dishes, put them into the replicator, and enabled the remove routine.
”Guess what? My Head of Security whose First duty is to protect ship and captain, is hanging around with an officer who actually hates me and wishes me to die!”
”Ochnik? Then why did you follow his request?”
She stopped, gazing at him. ”Kar! YOU know why! Because I trusted him from the moment I saw him!”
Sensing her attention weakening, her mental shields slackening, he cautiously started to invade her mind. She moved over to the window and stared at the dark planet surface, where Lt. Tyrok and his team were searching for the hostages. They had been removed from the underwater complex ... nobody knew where they were ... And the ship was operating behind the enemy lines ... The Rubalin were unable to pick up readings of a cloaked ship ... Subspace communication was still hazardous ...
”During her first shift on bridge, Ochnik came into my ready room ... We had a...n argument ... She challenged my orders concerning the operation, after we’d been engaged by the Rubalin attack crafts.”
”You didn’t mention that in the log ... nor in her permanent file!”
”She was upset ... so was I ... I didn’t think it necessary!”
”Considering her parents being murdered by Romulan soldiers ...”
”Yea, I know ... But then ...”
”Then WHAT?”
The Captain turned around to face his counselor. ”Meeting her colleagues in the Mess hall lately, she once again challenged my orders – in the public! And she dared to call me a Romulan! ... a goddam Romulan telepath!” she yelled, then paused ... then ... ”On that day I’d been thinking about giving her more bridge work to do ... but after I’d heard her cursing me, I told Tyrok that I don’t want her on bridge at all!”
”Remember she hates Romu—”
”Kar! So do I! Her parents were killed by Romulan soldiers – my mother was raped by Romulan soldiers – So WHAT?” she shouted.
”This is a kinda tricky situation, Captain ... May—”

”Bridge to Captain! We picked up a distress signal! It’s Lt. Tyrok’s team!”
The captain stopped. She looked down at herself, wearing a dress, decolleté which was unusual for her ... then she headed for the door.
”On my way!” and winked Lt.Cmdr. Elbrun to follow her.

When she entered bridge the long white dress swinging around her legs, all bridge staff stopped and just stood around gaping.
”Play distress message!” she ordered and stopped right in the middle of the bridge, behind En. T’Pal and En. Toel, holding OPS and Conn. ”On screen!”
”Audio only!” the young officer at Security said.
”Go ahead!” Turning around, she noticed all officers still staring at her, mouths open. ”What’s wrong?” she asked quickly, and they all returned to their jobs.
White noise filled the room. ”Thi........rok...ing! ...........circled by Rub....troops! .....”
”Transporter room!” she shouted over the comm, ”Lock on to Away team – emergency beam-out!”
”I can’t, Captain!” Hedridge replied in despair, ”I can’t get through!!”
”There’s a force-field ...” the young Security officer said. ”I can’t —”
”WHERE ARE THEY?”
”I ....”
T’Kal groaned. ”Lt. Shakaar, report to the bridge!”

Five minutes later they had located the away team in a large building outside the capital of Degalan-4, Kintar, covered by an intense force-field which made it impossible to beam anyone out. There were troops in the building ... and they had made out traces, indicating the presence of the UFP delegation.
”Good work, Lieutenant!” said the Captain turning away from to the viewer displaying a map of the complex and the people within as blinking points in different colors. ”Any suggestions?”
”We should beam down as many Security officers and get our team and the hostages out of that complex!”
”We can’t beam through!”
”We can!” T’Pal said suddenly, ”The shields are built up on a kind of rotating modulation ... using a frequency matching —”
”Like the weapons they’re using ...?”
”Positive, Captain!”
”Well, then ... Lt. Shakaar, do you feel well enough to—”
”Of course I do!” he blurted in, tapped his comm badge. ”Shakaar to Security! All available security officers meet me at cargo bay for transport! Combat equipment!”
”Except Lt. Ochnik!” the Captain added.
”WH—”
”She’ll be with me! I think it’s time to present our credentials to the Rubalin chancellor.”
”No,Captain! I need her with me!¡”
”Why,Lt?”
”I need all available soldiers and that includes Lt. Ochnik! She’s coming with us and that’s it!!!”:
”LIEUTENANT!”
”No more, Captain!” he said, raising his hand to her face and moving towards the turbo-lift.
”SHAKAAR!” she called.
He continued to the turbo-lift.
”Cmdr. Hagan!” called the Captain ”Arrest Lt. Shakaar!”
Hagan started towards to Tactical officer.
”Under Starfleet code 209 subsection 14: for insubordination and endangering this crew you are under arrest!”

Shakaar stopped, turned towards to Captain.
”Captain!” he yelled.
”No!” She yelled back.
”NO! LOOK” he said pointing towards to viewer.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP. Noone had noticed this during the little argument. Romulan Warbirds were de-cloaking everywhere.
She looked back at Shakaar … but he was gone ... as were the Warbirds on the screen. She laughed at his cleverness.

”RIGHT! ”he called to everyone in the Cargo Bay, Lt.Ochnik at his side.
”This is for all you ensigns!…Everyone fights!! NO ONE quits! If Lt. Ochnik or I see you slacking off, WE’LL KILL YOU OURSELVES … DO YOU GET ME!”
Shakaar had a habit of using Old-Earth-style-Marine-tactics to get his crew into shape.
”WE GET YOU SIR!”
”GOOD! NOW! I AM IN COMMAND! UNTIL IM EITHER DEAD…OR THE CAPTAIN FINDS SOMEONE BETTER!”
”SIR!YES SIR!”
”MOVE IT!”

The 20 or so troopers ran for their gear and everyone stood ready for transport.
Shakaar put his arm around Anna’s waist and kissed her saying ,”Good Luck”
”You too”, she mouthed.

They materialised into darkness.
”Second squad, move up!” he whispered into his comm. to Lt. Ochnik commanding the second squad about 50 meters behind them. They moved into position along first squad.
Shakaar raised two fingers and then pointed towards the two Rubalin guards by the trees. Phaser fire left from the two ensigns beside him, stunning the Rubalin soldiers for at least 6 hours. Which would be plenty of time to take out the rest. Anna moved up beside him.
”There are 32 guards around the complex”, she said.
Shakaar sighed.
”And 15 inside”, she added.

The battle went well. They were now inside with minimum casualties. They managed to stun 8 guards, but the others around the prisoners were putting up a fight.
”CONCUSSION GRENADE!” called Lt. Ochnik.
”Aye, Ma’am! Someone called, as the room burst into light and the Rubalin soldiers fell unconcsious on the floor.
”SHAKAAR!” called Lt.Tyrok.
”Yeah”, he said, as he shot him.
”SHAKAAR!” called Anna.
”WHAT? He’s only stunned!”
”Away mission to Avatar. 27 to beam up” said Lt.Ochnik touching her comm badge and they were all washed away by the transporter.
”Good work, both of you!”
”Thank you, Captain”, said Lt  Shakaar.
”Yea and all you do is sit your ass in a chair and watch from above”, Anna muttered to herself.
”Exuse me?” said the Captain.
Lt. Ochnik just walked off out the of the Cargo bay to her quarters.
The Captain looked at Shakaar.
”Lieutenant! Either you deal with her … Or she’s getting transferred to the FERRET … All I need to do is sign the paper!”
”So why don’t you?”
”Because I know, if she goes, your performance wont be your best.”
”Yeah, you got that right, Captain.”
”Anyway, I must go now … to my quarters. Please … make sure no one disturbs us.”
”US?” Shakaar said wide-eyed.
The Captain just left.

Sitting at his desk, Shakaar stared at the terminal. He was supposed to get his report done before tomorrow, and he hadn’t even started. 
Us ... us ... must have been talking about that guy ... Elbrun ... a telepath himself ... same race ...
He went over to the replicator, ordered Bajoran Spice ale and emptied the glass in one. Then, putting it back, he stopped.
”Computer. Locate Captain!”
”Captain T’Kal is in the holodeck.”
”Holodeck? What program?”
”Alpha authorization necessary to access information.”
”What for do I need an alpha authorization? I’m the Head of Security of this ship!”
”Please rephrase question!”
”Damned computer!” he muttered.
But the next moment he dashed to the door, out of his quarters ... down the corridors ... took the turbo-lift to deck 3 ... another corridor ...  he ran into En. Ericsson, calling ”Heya!” behind him ... and arrived at the holodeck gate, breathless. His fingers ran over the panel ... program Shakaar-23!
”Hell, NO!” he whispered, covering his mouth with his hand.
Suddenly he heard the hydraulics swoosh. The gate went open. He took a look around; there was noone on the corridor. Haltingly he stepped in.
He stood in the Captain’s ready room. She was awaiting him, hands on hips, sharp look on her face. ”Lieutenant!”
The sound of someone setting up a type-2 phaser made him turn back – and there was another Captain, aiming at the first ...
”No! Stop!” he yelled, but the same moment the second Captain shot the first, and just turned and went out.
”Computer! End program!”
There was no answer, and the environment didn’t freeze ... everything just went on. He ran out to the bridge ... there were three more Captains lying over consoles and on the floor ...
”Computer!!” he yelled. ”I said STOP!”
Still no reaction. He saw the second – or was it another? Captain enter the turbo-lift ... she didn’t seem to notice him. And he rushed to the lift and stepped in, just before it started.
”Captain, I don’t under...st......”
Realizing that there was no response, he went silent. The holographic figure was programmed to ignore him!
”Computer! Exit! — EXIT! — WHAT’S THIS GODDAM —”
His hand went right through the holographic body, when he tried to grab it. Then he yelled out, hammering the turbo-lift door with his fists ... and tumbled out, when it opened. Deck 2 ... Why did it take so long to get to deck 2? Damned! This was a holodeck thing – everything could happen!
He followed the holographic captain walking through the corridors towards her quarters .. entering it ... and then
”Here you go!”
By reflex he caught something that was thrown at him out of the dark – a type-2 phaser, set to maximum! He turned to face the person in the dark ... he had recognized her from her voice ...
The holographic captain came back from the other room, her bedroom, now her uniform jacket unzipped.
T’Kal ... the REAL T’Kal came out of the dark, broadly smiling at him, one brow raised, like Vulcans do ...
”Now, what were you about to do with all these copies of mine, Lieutenant?”
The words stuck right in his throat.
”Were you going to shoot ... me?”
He opened his mouth. ”N...not really ...”
”I see. Not REALLY!”
She passed him, crossed the way of her holographic copy, that was about to take off the blue singlet she herself never wore under her uniform. ”Computer! End program Shakaar-23!” and her holographic copy was washed away.
She sat down on the holographic couch of her holographic quarters, waving him to sit down. But he shook his head quickly.
”In fact”, she begun, pointing at the phaser, ”this one’s for real.”
”He looked at the weapon in his hand. It was true. He was carrying a real phaser, no holodeck copy ... it was hers.”
”So you could shoot me and make it look like suicide”, she added.
”STOP READING MY MIND!” he yelled.
She looked at him, rising her brows, in amusement as well as surprise. ”In fact – I didn’t.”
”YOU ALWAYS DO!”
”I don’t. I can’t!” she replied.
She got up again, moved towards him. He jumped back, pointing phaser at her.
”DON’T MOVE!” he uttered, voice choked.
”Lieutenant, this is not The Taming Of The Shrew! This is the taming of a daredevil!” she said, continuing her approach ... he moved back.
”You disobey my orders! You keep opposing! You behave like a 20th century sarge towards your officers – put’em through the mill! treat’em like muck! And you stunned Lt. Tyrok during that rescue mission!”
He felt himself stopped by the holographic wall of her holographic quarters, but still she didn’t stop, till she was so close, their noses almost touching.
”You could shoot me and make it look like suicide”, she repeated sharply, her voice icy now.
And breathing hard, he simply felt like shooting her ... pushing the phaser into her stomach ... wishing her to beg for her life ... to fall on her knees ... But she simply didn’t!
Suddenly she turned away and moved back to the couch, waisting not a glimps to him ... until she stopped, leaning on the back of the couch, and faced him.
”And concerning that ‘sit your ass in a chair and watch from above’ ...” she begun. ”I was beamed down into the closet the Chancellor of the Rubalin uses for his meditations. I had a conversation with him ... concerning the UFP delegation his army kept hostages – HAD kept hostag—”
”You ... were.... Who was with you?”
She looked at him, almost staring, showing no emotions. ”I was alone.”

”You must be mad! The Captain going on an away mission without any guards!”
”Mad? ... Yes, maybe ...” She smiled. ”But Sternberg and his men are free. And the minute you came here, I received word that the Rubalin fleet broke up the line of defence ... most of the delegation was beamed onboard of the Wounded Knee. Just Sternberg ...”
”What about him?”
”O ... well ... I suppose he’s as mad as I am ... He decided to stay on the planet ...”

The door swooshed open and another – holographic – Captain entered, carrying a phaser, fierce look on her face. It pointed its weapon at T’Kal.
Shakaar enabled the phaser ... vaporized it. She gasped.
”Lieutenant! It could have been ME!”
”No, sure not!” he said, putting the phaser into the holster, ”THEY have a dark spot on their neck, right under their right ear – YOU don’t!”

”Are you sure about that LT?” she said turning her head.
He gasped, seeing her pointing onto a small light brown spot on her neck ... right under her right ear.
"Computer. Exit!" she ordered.
And while she stepped to the gate, enabling the opening mechanism by coming nearer, and turned around the corner onto the empty corridor, heading for the turbo-lift, he still stood there, unable to move, and so he couldn't see the broad smile she was wearing on her open face.