Chapter One
I opened my eyes, finding myself staring at a light blue wall, my body lying in a heap on a cold slab. Slowly I sat up, making noises, and the lights in the small room immediately flickered on. I groaned again, shielding my eyes, my feet now touching the ground. When my eyes got used to the light I looked around, realizing I was in some kind of holding cell.
"'ech." I muttered, the English word for 'brig' echoing in my mind. I patted myself down, checking for my weapons and communicator, not finding them. "Qumwl'wlj vltu'laHbe.'" I voiced this in Klingon, and forced myself not to curse.
"Hello." A voice said, as I looked up. A tall male clad in a Federation uniform stood before me, the man stroking his black beard. "Do you know where you are?"
He's speaking English, I thought. "'ech?" I said again, puzzled at why I was not able to say the English word for 'brig.'
"Oh!" the man said in slight surprise. "Tlhngan Hol Dajatlh'a'?" Do you speak Klingon? He surprised me in his fluentness, though I did not show it.
"HISlaH." I said cautiously, still wondering why I could not speak English. Correct, I spoke Klingonese more than English, but why couldn't I speak English now? I thought in that language, most of the time. I paced in my cell, watching the officer as he let my Klingon 'yes' hang in the air.
"Um," the man said, thinking. "Nuq tlhIH pong?" What is your name?
"Pong." I repeated, and my eyes widened. "Pong…" I dropped down on my bed, my head in my hands. "jIyajbe.'" I don't understand "Pong… pong…" Name, name. "chay'?" How did this happen?"Qu'vatlh!" I cursed. "Nuq…" What… "Nug jIH pong?" What is my name?
"You don't even remember your name?" the officer half exclaimed,, his eyebrows rising. He obviously did not understand that I could understand English. The man then smiled, and I knew he was about to mock me. "Now," he said "For someone who seems so close to the Klingons, that's a first!" His eyes sparkled in humor and I growled. Even if I wasn't Klingon, he didn't have to insult me!
"Chay'ngIl SoH!" How dare you I exclaimed, jumping up, lunging at the man. He stumbled back instinctively, even though he knew there was a force field between us. I knew that too, but I allowed myself to crash against the mostly-transparent blue wall anyway. After a moment, the officer took a few steps towards me again, straightening his uniform.
"You are aboard a Federation Starship." he continued, still looking a bit surprised at his realization that I could understand him.
"jIH Sov." I know that. I said sourly, sitting back on the slab, looking up at the man. "ra'wI." Commander.
"This is the U.S.S. Enterprise," he said, barley acknowledging my interruption. "I am Commander Riker We found you and the remains of your shuttlecraft on the planet Vegas Nine. Do you remember the crash?"
"ghobe.'" I replied. No. "qatlh jIH 'ech?" Why am I in the brig?
It took the Commander a second to understand me, and while he thought, I stood up again to face him. "You mean you don't remember?" he asked, looking quite surprised again. I gave him a stony look, and pointed at my head.
"'oy." Hurt. It was no use speaking fluent Klingon to this man, he obviously barley knew slang.
"Ah." He responded, looking a tad guilty. "Well, when out Away team tried to help you… you fought back."
"pu' nach?" Phasered in the head? I asked incredulously. That wasn't the Federation's style; usually a strong stun in the chest was their tactic.
"Like I said," Riker replied, smiling but still looking guilty. "You fought hard." He tapped his communicator, turning his head from me. "Riker to Captain Picard. Our… visitor is awake."
"Thank you, Number One." A voice said. "IU will be there momentarily."
"Ah, sir?"
"Yes, Number One?"
Riker gave me a sideways glance. "I highly suggest you bring Mister Worf." I started; this was the ship the Klingon officer was on? Well, he wouldn't take well to my own Klingon comrade, but at least someone would be able to understand me. I put a hand up to the force field, the invisible wall shimmering blue against my small force. I turned and sat down, both Commander Riker and I waiting for the Klingon male. When he came, he strutted up to my cell, an intrigued look on his face.
"nuqneH." He said. Hello.
"She understands English." Riker said helpfully. The Klingon turned to him and Riker surrendered, backing away. The Klingon turned back to me, and I shifted my weight, crossing my arms.
"jlHtaHbogh naDev vlSovbe.'" I'm lost. I said. "NuqDaq jIH Duj?" Where is my ship?
"What's she saying?" a man asked, fascinated. He was also wearing a red uniform, but was shorter than the other, and had balding white hair.
"She has asked where her ship is." The Klingon replied, and then addressed me. "Your shuttle crashed. We took it into our shuttle bay."
"Ghobe,'" No, I said "wI' Duj wI beq. NuqDaq chaH?" My ship, my crew, where are they?
"Your ship?" Worf repeated, and turned his head halfway to the humans. "She claims she has a ship." I snorted. Were we going to talk, or was he just going to repeat whatever I said?"
"HISlaH." I said testily. Yes. "jlwuQ." I have a headache. I touched a hand to the blue wall. "lah jIH be son 'ech?" Can I be released from the brig?
"Ghobe.'" Worf said immediately. No. I started at him until he gave me a reason. "SoH Qob." You are dangerous.
"'a tlhIngan, Worf, puqloD Moge?" Even for a Klingon, Worf, son of Moge? I turned my attention to behind Worf, son of Moge, and onto the two humans in red uniforms. "cha ra'wI?" Two commanders? I asked.
"net HaD." That is the Captain.
The word brought my mind to a halt,, a flashback spinning in my mind. I was on a ship –my ship!— and we were in battle, but it was long ago. I as the Captain of that ship! An Independent ship, with a rough crew of one hundred. Wouldn't they be looking for me?
"Son jIH." Release me. I insisted. "jIH neH SoQ qItH tlhIH Hod." I need to speak with your Captain.
Worf opened his mouth to shit out his retort, but his Captain's curiosity got to him just in time. "Let me speak to her, Lieutenant Worf." He paused as Worf moved aside, and he eyed me. "You cannot speak English." He said, both a question and a statement.
"HIja." Yes. I paused "toh, ghobe.'" Well, no.
"That phaser burst to the head must have affected her more than I thought." The black-haired officer admitted, looking even more guilty than before.
"Does your head still hurt?" the Captain asked, and I nodded. He gave me an apologetic look and pressed a panel next to the door. "Let's get you to Sick Bay." I pressed a hand in front of me to make sure I was really released, and I nodded.
"SoH Qob." Worf growled at me, taking my left arm, tightening his grip when I tried to shrug him off. I turned my head to give him a dirty look.
"bach ghlchraj." I replied to with a grin, and Worf growled even more. Your nose is shiny. I smiled to myself as I was led through corridors, into a turbolift, then more corridors until I reached Sickbay.
"Qel." Doctor. Worf grunted, shoving me towards the woman.
I smiled innocently at her; surely I looked like any young humanoid. "pIch vIghajbe.'" I didn't do it. I said, hiking a thumb back at Worf.
"I'm sure you didn't!" the red-haired woman replied, smiling as she mocked me, catching my meaning. She pointed to a bed. "Sit." I sat, and stared at her. "I'm taking a scan of your brain," she informed me./ "To see what's wrong with you and if we can fix it." After a few moments, her tricorder beeped, and the doctor's forehead wrinkled in concentration.
"nuq?" What?
"I'll have to shock your brain." She answered.
"luq." Okay. I said, shrugging. Then, a moment later, "'oy'a'?" Will it hurt? Worf snorted at me, smiling evilly. The doctor took out what looked like a cattle prod to me, and I gulped, my eyes growing wide.
"Lie down." She told me, after putting two things on my temple. Almost immediately, my headache disappeared, and grudgingly, I laid down.
"ghuH tlhIH." Worf said a moment later. Prepare yourself.
"Ready?" the doctor asked, after a quick glance at the Klingon, and I nodded. I had only half a moment to prepare myself before my brain was shocked. I felt eh electric waves shoot through my brain, and like a whip of lightning, it bounced back and forth around my brain. My eyes shot open, my eyelids stretching, tears streaming out of my eyes. A scream worked it s way into my throat, and when I couldn't breathe anymore, I unleashed it. My voice was loud and high-pitched, and everyone in Sickbay turned away from my shrill sound.
The Federation officers waited until I was done screaming, and the doctor wiped my face. "How… how are you feeling?" she asked me hesitantly, and I glared at her. "try to say something in English." She said helpfully. I paused, and tried to think of something to say. "Okay, repeat after me," she said pleasantly. "Maaa—aay naaa maaa eeess…"
"My name is Captain Lusianna Kayaus." I snapped, sliding my legs off the bed. "And I would appreciate it if you did not treat me like a child!"