Time, and tides.
He dreamed of his youth, solgrav sailing the Core system, in az little cigarette - style racer he and his freinds had built, the last summer before he was Titled and sent to the Academy.
His father had been alive then, at war with the Mach, mother was dead, though. A year and a few months, and the throne was going through the courts, everyone trying vainly to avoid the civil war that was fated, the one that would claim his father and his own innocence. Everyone tried to avoid that war, but it came any way, and he fought, fought to keep his own Clan free, as tensions escalated.
Time, and Tides. Reality itself ebbed around him, and he saw them, the ones he had loved, and who were gone, from the wars, the constant wars, or just the way that life seemed to take the most unpredictable course, no matter what he did. The most painful was not his parents, but Ahh'l. Sweet Ahh'l. She smiled back at him, a beautifully rumpled red headed mess, mostly naked under the sheet. She smiled back from the center of his mat in the cabin of that racer. The civil war was over, Clan Justine had won a claim, and battered the hell out of everyone who opposed them. But they were fair. Stern, but fair. She smiled back at him, their love heavy and heady in the small cabin. Oh Founders, she was beautiful. Too beautiful to ever be any soul's. She was also brilliant, and as career oriented as any up and comming leftenant. She was now a full Captain, with her own cruiser and strike force, a Home Gaurds detatchment.
The Mach and Hohm Di' had taken him from her.
He was too good at what he did, and that was being a Hunter. An Enforcer of The Crown.
She abhord him for this, because, and she had told him this, he was a far better builder, researcher. He had told her his dreams of venturing out, toward the galactic core, leaving the space that the Federation, their unwitting cousins, called the Delta quadrant. Find some little planet or un - allied race, and begin building onto the Empire. Not through coersion or conquest.
He missed her, and his soul cried.
Near the Delta Quadrant
Jean - Luc ached. This time, the Borg had not tried to assimilate.
His ship had survived, but just barely. If it had not been for the timely arrival of those strange ships, the Enterprise would have been destroyed.
Three cubes, no calling out to Locutus. They had just appeared, and then opened fire. In a matter of seconds, shield were gone, the warp core off - line, all but the most basic systems had vanished in an apocolyptic barage.
Seconds to the destruction of his second Enterprise, a flight of ships, strange black faceted arrowheadsm trimmed in gold had shown. Five ships, barely showing up on the remaining sensors. All the warning anyone had was a massive graviton spike that records showed were in - line with a fold drive. Then the ships opened fire, and the Borg turned, the Enterprise forgotten, and began fighting for their lives. The ships used some sort of matter - antimatter weapon, occiliating pulses, the first barage simply anihalated the first Borg cube, and severly damaged a second, before they began returning fire.
Then more cube ships, three in all. Soon the original three were destroyed, and the Enterprise was limping away, towed by her shuttles. Data informed him, as he busied himself with damage control ( all hands not working on repairing the ship were doing triage, first aid, and performing comfort duties for the fallen ) that the unknown ships were using a second kind of weapon now, as they seemingly absorbed the Borg assaults, one that was almost entirely pure energy.
That had been hours ago.
The Borg, and their strange ... saviors ? ... were long gone. They had lost one ship though, aparently to internal malfunction. He had watched those ships take and dish out incredible amounts of damage. Data had surmised that instead of shielding, the ships had some sort of phase armor, that absorbed energy weapons, and routed the energy to massive capacitor banks, which then, in turn, powered that heavy weapon of theirs, that E - Cannon as Riker had called it in the report to Starfleet.
But who were they ?
They had found a sole survivor, amidst the debris feild of the alien ship.
The most startling fact was that he was apparently human. Except for minoe differances, and one major, his DNA was 98.7% human. The minor differances similar to those who had adapted to earth - like planets throughout the galaxy. Another minor differance was that he was genetically perfect. Not one flaw, latent gene, or anything that might be construed as a defect.
Beverly was shocked, and quite disturbed. He was, according to the recently on - line computer, a Eugenic. A cousin of Kahn Noonian Sing.
The major differance, though, was much more troubling. He had two distict kinds of nanites in him.
One were dead borg nanoprobes. They had attemted to assimilate him, and his own system, and the second type of nanites, had treated the foreign matter as a white blood cell treated germs. They had attacked and devestated the infection.
There were other things that bothered Picard about this strange survivor. The fact that he was not dead, and had been in the vacum of space for hours, without any sort of suit. The fact that he had a trace quantum resonance. The fact that he was so ... human ...
The fact Q was here, telling him to space the body before it awoke, and to flee here as fast as possible.
Q did not like this creature, though Q swore he did not know it personally.
He did not need this.
Q even brought up the Prime Directive, saying that the races in the Federation were even less prepared for there Jae'd Kaan as he called them, than they were for the Borg, Dominion, or even Q.
" Crusher to Picard. "
" Picard. "
" Jean - Luc, could you come down to sickbay, bring Data, and Worf, please. " Her voice was perfuntory, but strained. There was only one reason to come down to sickbay, now. He looked over at Q, he was too tired for this, his ship was in shambles, and Q was here. A sense of depresion similar to Deja Vu settled over him.
" Mon Capitaine ..., No, Jean Luc, I beg of you, please, beam his body out into the void, I will do anything ... I will even return your sweet Rene ... "
Rene ...
He smashed the emotions that swelled, all but the hatred he now felt for Q. Then it dawned on him.
" Why don't you do it, Q. Make him go away. "
Q's face contorted in rage, disghust and ... fear. He was gone in a flash, as the tears filled Picard's eyes. Rene ... Q didn't make that man down in sick bay go away because, for whatever reason, he couldn't
" On my way Doctor. Picard to Command staff, meet me in sick bay immediately. "
* * * * *
They assembled outside of sick bay. Worf was armed, and had brought security with him, just in case. Geordi came limping up, looking pained and put out. Data approached, as calm as ever. The only one that surprised him was Seven - of - Nine, the newest attachment to his crew, and Geordi's new Adjunct.
He assembled a quick conferance, and told all of them his encounter with Q. He then said the name Q said, and watched as Seven blanched, visibly. " I take it you know of this race, Seven ? "
She cleared her throat and calmed herself. " Yes, Captain. The Borg refer to them as Race Omega 2313. To be avoided at all costs. They tried assimilating them in the Earth Year 1000 B.C.E. The losses were worse than when the Captains Janeway assaulted the Transwarp Hub. Research estimated they arrived in the Delta quadrant, from a black hole, around a millenium before, and they were already a space - faring race then. Their ships were similar to the old Terran DY - 88 class, but a bit more advanced. Sir, they are so powerful, they assaulted the Homeworld, and forced the Queen to sign a treaty, to prevent a mutual, if not one - sided Genocide. It took almost a thousand years to recover the losses they inflicted upon The Borg. "
" Wonderfull. A race that three thousand years ago were able to defeat the Borg, and still, to this day can, and shows no evidence of decline ? Maybe Q was right after all. " He was too tired, and the sarcasm was uncalled for.
" One more thing, Captain. " Riker intergected.
" Yes number one ? "
" You forgot the DY - 88's. No one knows how many Eugenics escaped Earth prior to the final defeat of Kahn. We don't know how many ended up in the Delta quadrant, thousands of years ago, or what there sentiment towards us will be. "
" Point taken. Mr. Worf, you and your team go in first, phasers on the highest setting, but do not appear hostile. I want to avoid anymore death this day. Geordi, Seven. Go back to engineering, begin an analysis of all the wreckage found in the debris feild, and see what you can do about getting my ship back running. Data, I want you with me, just in case. Deanna, Be as passive as possible. Riker, I want you to handle this, I am going back to the bridge. Let me know how tis goes. " With that he nodded, and headed back to the only functioning turbolift, with data close behind.
Riker looked at everyone, and then nodded. Worf went in as Geordi and Seven, who he could not help admiring physically, went off toward engineering, then he and Dianna entered into sickbay.
* * * * *
He had awoken in a containment feild. That did not surprise him. What did was his surroundings. Intead of the austere white of a Jae'd Kaan medical ward, here was a soft, earthy toned room, filled with sleeping patients, and awed medical staff in smart, bold uniforms of gold or blue, and black. They were in shock because he was sitting up, and through the containment feild, starring at the varioud displays. He stood, tying the blanket around his physique in a show of modesty, and nodded polietly at the beautiful red headed woman, who he was sure was either cheif nurse or doctor, and at her equally beautiful assistant, a lovley oriental woman. Both were stunning for their age, and he had to supress certain feeling that his internal repair systems only amplified.
He began walking as she began talking, English he supposed. It sounded like it, but the accents were unlike any he was used to, and the dilect uncommon. He picked up words here and there, but what a Worf was left him clueless. He liked this Federation ship. It wasn't as severe as a warship should be, but he reminded himself that war was not the primary purpose of these ships. The Federation could wage war with it though.
He took in more and more of the medical ward, listening to the various tounges, looking at the various displays.
That is when they entered.
Lead by a dark skinned humanoid, an obvious weapon in hand, and four more gold and black suited humans, all carrying weapons. Two had larger, rifle - style weapons. He felt them, realised they operated off phase energy, and they were at their highest setting. He smirked. At most they would only accelerate his healing.
He began touring the ward. Burns and radiation wounds, concussion and vacum exposure. Typical starship injuries, common to all races that fought amongst the stars. He studied the beds, the computers, the medical instruments. So advanced. They had come so far ... He didn't touch anything though, he was unsure if they were sterilised or not. Or if they even needed to be. He wished these souls in the ward well, and a full recovery. He then realised he was being rude, his host was talking. A tall man, ruddy and rugged, clean shave as a proper leader, in a red and black uniform. His voice was agitated.
" I appologize. I was simply facinated by the extent of your developement. Will these people be al right ? " His tone was calm and serene, and sincere. Riker was unprepared for this. The alien was physically impressive, as tall and more muscular than worf, with an easy grace. His hair was long, brown and shaved high on the sides, with traces of grey. Clean shaven, and aparently in his twenties.
" I am not a Doctor, but we have the best in Starfleet. They will be as fine, and recover as well as they can, with what we have. I accept your best wishes on behalf of the crew, though. "
He nodded thoughtfully, and went back toward the bed.
" Did any of my crew survive ? I don't think so, I do not sense any of them, but I still hold out hope. " Deanna felt the incredible amount, the strength of the emotion from the man, and he was a man. He was as attractive to her as Riker. As attractive as Seven was to other members of the crew. She felt Beverly's internal struggle as she dealt with her attraction, and astonishment and wonder over the creature.
Riker frowned, looked down. " We have not detected anyone else. If I may ask, what happened to your ship ? "
" The Mach, pardon, you call them the Borg, fired on my ship as we were firing. The remaining three ships fired in unison after I had given the fire - commitance. The capitance bank was being drained and charged at the same time, and overloaded. It went into a critical loop, began pulling on the singularity matrices. When that happens, the outcome is as inevitable as what lays beyond an event horizon. "
Riker was dumbfounded. He expected the creature to dance around the subject, as he did when asked about specifics of his ship by an outsider. He was caught off gaurd. Even more so by the creature's next comment.
" From what I understand, you are the executive officer of this ship. The Empath is similar to a psyche - healer. And this alien here and the others are your enforcers. I understand your trepidation. I would if I were in a similar position. But if I may ask, would you be so kind as to ask them to power down their weapons ? I don't want us to get off on the wrong foot. " His tone was calm, yet firm. The subtly implied threat was real.
" Not yet. Not till we know more about you. I will post a gaurd here, while Dr. Crusher examines you more thoroughly. In the mean while, Is there anything I can get for you ? " Riker was equally calm and nonchalantly toned. The creature smiled, and he noticed the enhanced canines, and the pointier incisors than those of a human. He was pissed, obviously so.
" Commander Riker. That would be wonderful we can start with clothes, and a steak. Prehaps an ale ? Oh, and power down those weapons and holster them. " This was intollerable, he thought, insulted. If the Federation boyscout wanted to know about the Jae'd Kaan, let him stick his course of action, he would find out.
" Will, do as he says. He is feeling immensley hostile, and I feel a sense of calm, like a Terran Karate mindset settling over him. " Deanna whispered into Riker's ear. He stiffened as she did.
" No, I'm sorry, I cannot. Worf, please secure our guest. "
Worf moved in, wary, but incredibly unprepared. As soon as he was within reach, the creature moved, on a blur. His alabaster flesh was a streak as Worf's arm was snapped back, with a sickening crunch of shattering bone, Worf roared, but the howl was silenced as a massive fist slammed into the bone plate on his freind's massive forehead. Another cracking sound and Worf crumpled like a sack of paper to the floor.
Ensign Yu fired, it was a remarkable hit considering a split second later her arm was ripped from her body. The other three opened fire. Blue white arc lightening raced over his body as he absorbed the golden blast. He turrned on them, amidst the chaos of screams, people diving for cover, and the zaps of the phasers, and extended his bdy, palm out. Ball lightening shot from his hand, hitting the attackers in the chest and throwing them in a heap at the foot of the sickbay door.
He then stopped, took a deep breath and turrned toward a replicator. The only sound was Ensign Yu screaming about her arm. Smoke and ozone filled the bay. Soon he was clothed, in loose gray course cotton, baggy pants, tunic and robe, tied tight by a matching belt. Riker rose up and was about to aim a phaser, the sound of the security alarm raging in his skull. Deanna grabbed his arm, yanking it down before he fired. The alien turned his head from the computer console he was navigating with eye movements and gave Riker a dirty look. Deanna wrestled the phaser from his hand and tossed it to the floor, quite inredibly keyed up. A burst of calm green light erupted from his eyes and the computer began recieving an epic level download. In just over a second he was done, and up and moving. He grabbed Ensign Yu, hoisted her up onto his shoulder, and Riker watched in amazement as the clothes and his bare skin simply absorbed the streaming blood. He put her up on a medbed, and placed her arm atop her. A gaze and she was silent, unconscious. He then put Worf on the bed beside her. " EMH, activate. "
After the EMH's beligerant protest on his lack of authorization, it noticed the crew in need. It began treatment and discontinued it's beligerance.
Seconds, barely, had passed since the fire fight began. Ensign Yu's arm was reattached, Worf's skull fractures were knitting.
" Commander Riker, I asked you to please have your crew stand down. I appologize for any trauma, but all your crew will be fine. Under our law, which you are under no obligation to follow, you would be brought up on gross negligence for what happened to your crew. You would spend a standard month, minimum, in a pain tank, and that would only if you had a very highly placed intercessor. Under your law, I think I am guilty of assault, battery, and intent to do greivious bodily harm, if not more. I will shortly have assimilated your culture records, and will know for sure. I have downloaded our pertinent data to your core, saved us both the long and drawn out ' get - to - know - you ' phase. Now, how about that steak, and ale, and a word with your Captain, before you bring me up on charges ? "
The tone was so calm as to be insulting, like a miffed Vulcan. Worf was groaning and growling, swearing oaths of revenge, and Beverly and her crew busied themselves with reviving crewmen and reattatching the fine tissues in Yu's arm.
Riker was pissed, there was no other word for it.
* * * * *
They had compromised, and he had gotten his steak, with Data and Geordi, in a hastily modified Brig cell. He had willingly submitted himself to an unarmed security squad, impressed at the resources being devoted to him, and talked with the two wunderkind about his ship, engineering particulars, and how he had done what he had.
Riker watched in anger from the ready room, the cordial discussion being videoed and sent directly there. " Q was right. We should have jettisoned him out the nearest airlock and be done with him. "
Picard smirked as he sipped his tea. " You were wrong, Will. Pure and simple. He goaded you and you reacted, and then he reacted. He didn't kill anyone, and from the logs I see he could have done much worse. If this were a trial I would be forced to find him not guilty on grounds of self - defense. Mr. Worf has asked to spend time alone with him. And not for a rematch. He wants the creature to show him how he did those moves. "
Riker took the admonishment poorly, but had been an officer long enough to know when to keep his mouth shut.
" Beverly reports that his biology is so similar, yet disimilar to ours it is incredible. All vestigal organs are gone, new ones have appeared, all in the brain, as well as other regions have been hyper developed. His IQ is off our charts, akin to some of the more advanced races. His internal systems are hyper effecient, and he is infinitely adaptable. And the nanites, smaller than anything she has ever seen, almost sub - atomic. She calls them Piconites. "
" That is all well and good sir, but what are we going to do with him ? " Riker asked, obviously flustered. He wanted to be done with the creature, as soon as possible.
" Data says the piconites cause his quantum resonance, a field so subtle yet powerful, that he would be feasibly be untouchable by Q, which would be a Godsend. He even speculates that the field might even be ... painful ... to Q. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. He is a member of an Empire that encompases two galaxies, they are trying to leave this one behind, to settle in one, and I quote from their documents here ' far more apolitical. ' Astounding. " Picard was up now, getting more tea.
" But what are we going to do, Captain ? "
" Whatever it is he wants us to, Will. Whatever he wants. If he wants a steak, we give him a steak. I want real ale too, the kind he drinks, I want a formal dinner in his honor, and I want the command staff there. He wants to appologize for defending himself the way he did, especially to Ensign Yu, and Worf. "
* * * * *
Ensign Yu looked uncofortable. Her arm still ached and the man who had done her such terrible damage now sat at the guest of honor position at the end of the table. Worf and he were speaking in fluent and emotive Klingon, mainly about the Borg, and freinds lost. Riker stewed, and Captain Picard chatted with his crew. Data would intergect, here and there, about engineering and other concerns.
Soon their conversation wound down, followed shortly by a soup and salad course.
Their guest stood, after the footmen left.
" none of us here, other than Lt. Comanders Worf and Data, are willing to speak of what has transpired. It is my duty as a representitive of my race and Empire, of my Clan, to beg you, especialy you Ensign Wu, to forgive my transgressions. I am not offering an excuse, but an appology. I should have considered the stress you were all under due to the Mach attack, let alone my improbable reserection. If you see fit to forgive me, I will surrender myself to your justice system to accept any and all punishments, to appease both of our great unions. "
They were dumbstruck. Picard was expecting a flowery, if perfuntory appology, but not this. He was litteraly throwing himself on their justice system, as a means of peace. He looked over his crew. Worf smiled in pride of the honor in the fellow warrior, and Riker was slack jawed in amazement.
He made his descion, fast.
" In the name of due process, we implore you to contact your nearest Empirial Mission, before you hastily do something that might further strain relations. As for wheather you should be brought up on charges, I leave that up to Ensign Yu."
He knew the law on this. No one, except maybe the Ferengi or some of the more selfish races in the Federation would find him guilty. They would venture to the nearest Star Base, a Vulcan from Justice would probably be called in to oversee the proceedings, and to Judge. If he was smart he would get a Klingon to defend him. But as he had told Riker earlier, he would be found not guilty. He had been an alien in an alien situation, who had responded to aggresion in kind. And besides, no one was permanently hurt. Except possibly Riker's ego.
Ensign Yu was visibly troubled. She wanted to kick the snot out of him. But then again, she had fired first. Dr. Crusher said in a couple weeks she wouldn't even be able to tell what had happen by feel alone.
Then she remebered her grandmother, a Judge back on Utopia Planetia. " Two wrongs do not make a right. Making the right descion is the hardest thing anyone ever has to do. " She could feel this emotive creature's sincerity. He was legitamately sorry.
" If it would please present company, I see no purpose in dragging this matter out any more than it has to be. Appology accepted ... ?"
" Lord Daemon Lucent, of the Clan Morningstar. But almost everyone who knows me simply calls me Dae. "
" Appology accepted, Dae. " She then rose after the soup and salad. She was a devout vegetarian, and even replicated beef offended her. " Captain, if I may be excused ? "
He looked up as he sipped his wine, wine from his brother's vinyard, then had to think why should want to leave. It dawned on him as Dae rose also, extending a hand to her. " Yes, Ensign. We understand. " She shook Dae's profered hand, and was escorted by Worf.
The steaks were incredible, the protiens synthesised off of a pattern from Dae's download. The meat was that of a carnivor, he related over discussion, a semi - intelligent one of mamallian nature, that hunted Jae'd Kaan as they hunted it. It was capable of a psychic attack, as well as having four each arms and legs that were tipped in razor sharp claws.
" You have not hunted it to near extinction ? " Data asked, sincere.
" No, that would be foolish. We have transplanted all of the off of Home, and set up a preserve on a similar planet, populated by the worst criminals in the Empire. Night to night it is a toss up on who is for dinner. "
Riker snickered at that, as did Worf. Data merely asked " Is that not Barbaric ? "
" It very well may be. But our Empire is as liberantine as one can be, while still being a monarchy. Right now, we are recovering from a civial war. One population on the planet is the survivors of a ship that used our considerable weaponry to attack a civilian colony, one that was nuetral durring the war, because they took in all wounded or refugees that came to them.Thirty killed two billion that day. My father was amongst them. Yes, it may be barbaric, but that is what they are, barbarians. "
Picard had trouble swallowing. That was justice, all right. Quite fair, actually. People like that could be mind wiped, and reinserted, but what justice was there in that. Here, they paid for their crimes.
All had gasped, even the none to recently emotive Data, as he related the tale.
" Another case involved a member of an opposing house, and her Clan Militia. She ordered her ships into an asteroid belt, and fitted Extinction Level masses, hundreds of them, with propelant systems, what you call warp drives. She was retaliating against a rival Lord who had questioned her claim to that system in our Imperial Court. She then sent them out at seven planets, all of them terraformed and heavily colonised. She killed almost a trillion in hours. We have kept cloning her psyche into clones, and fitted her brain to see nothing but terrors, and then loosed her into those wilds. Every time she dies, at the split second another clone is launched into the wilds, and we will do so until the last of us die, or the end of time. The same with every member of her crew who knowingly and willingly, under no duress, assisted her.
" I understand your concept of justice, but it is far too forgiving and leniant for such crimes. For other offenses, we simply implant a cerebral device that when ever they even think of commiting trhe crime, it wracks them in pain, and signals local Enforcers, who then counsel the individual. Works great for career crimanls. Murderers are simply executed or sent to The Gardens, at the vicitm's family's discretion." He then looked around at the table. Some were shocked, others appalld. Some were in deep consideration.
Worf was the most approving. " It is very similar to our methodology in some cases. And it must be a real deterant. "
The guest's next comment was the one that really got to the heart of the matter. " Mr. Riker, of all the people who I assaulted earlier, if they bare me no ill will, then why do you ? "
Will almost blew up. Almost. He took a deep breath, and considered before he spoke. " A stressful day, the sense of powerlessness durring the attack, and then again at the melee in sickbay. You power intimidates me, and like most of the people like me, I resent that, and reflect that in aggression and displays of inappropriate behavior to the item of resentment. " Deanna was almost in tears, he noticed, and she took his hand under the table.
" You are too harsh on yourself, and make a fine Captain of a fine ship. But do not let your emotions, nor the universe, rule you. That is a common precept amongst my people. "
Riker simply nodded, and then conversation turned to far more lighter topics, when Jean Luc asked; " What brings you so far into Federation space, Dae ? "
" The Borg who ambushed you made the mistake of crossing a Treaty Boundry, trying to get to you. I am in the Enforcer Service. When they tripped a resonance beacon, my group was sent out to find and destroy them. "
So simple and forward. '... sent out to find and destroy them ...' Picard felt a chill settle over him. He had never heard of anyone, before now, refer to action against the Borg in such a way. They were the bane of existance to all species they crossed, assimilating and destroying all who interested them. Now, an all too real human, sort of her reminded himself, sat across from him at his table. This was no spacer's tale, an exageration. He had seen their prowess with his own eyes. A decendant of the Eugenics, an incredible find at that, and now they were Borg hunters and Empire builders.
" Dae, what is life like on your world ? " Deanna asked, done with her meal and sipping the incredible wine.
" Not too unlike life in the Federation. Except for the Nobility, there are no boundries of caste or origin. The wealth of the Empire is shared equally by all, all the members of the Empire regardless of race. People are encouraged to follow their talents, whatever they may be. My executive officer's wife is on Selir, and is the happiest gardener there ever was. She just loves flowers. Her overseer was born from a refugee family, what you call the El Aurians. She is the overseer of the whole regions parks and services. My executive officer, his wife was born to a very important mining family. Our lives are not perfect, far from it, nor do I intend to paint life in the Empire as a Utopia, but simply, you are allowed to do what you want."
More conversation followed, more comparisons from here and there. Picard surmised that the nobility was required to lead, and be competent, or renounce their Noble stature. Everyone else, based on skill, will and drive followed their dreams. Their military was huge, yet filled mostly with engineering and science types. Those who were born combatants took the positions offered to them were happy, usually as tthe tactical officer or commander in the Home Gaurds or Enforcer branches. Surface combatants were cloned from a naturally combative type, and were endowed with a unique form of telepathy. It was, in one word, impressive.
The night moved along smoothly, and some filtered off for duty or bed. Picard excused himself with all the others leaving, dying to get out of his dress uniform.
Soon it was Riker, Data and Worf sitting with Dae. Dae produced a deck of cards, the graphic unique yet the meaning simple. Playing cards.
He dreamed of his youth, solgrav sailing the Core system, in az little cigarette - style racer he and his freinds had built, the last summer before he was Titled and sent to the Academy.
His father had been alive then, at war with the Mach, mother was dead, though. A year and a few months, and the throne was going through the courts, everyone trying vainly to avoid the civil war that was fated, the one that would claim his father and his own innocence. Everyone tried to avoid that war, but it came any way, and he fought, fought to keep his own Clan free, as tensions escalated.
Time, and Tides. Reality itself ebbed around him, and he saw them, the ones he had loved, and who were gone, from the wars, the constant wars, or just the way that life seemed to take the most unpredictable course, no matter what he did. The most painful was not his parents, but Ahh'l. Sweet Ahh'l. She smiled back at him, a beautifully rumpled red headed mess, mostly naked under the sheet. She smiled back from the center of his mat in the cabin of that racer. The civil war was over, Clan Justine had won a claim, and battered the hell out of everyone who opposed them. But they were fair. Stern, but fair. She smiled back at him, their love heavy and heady in the small cabin. Oh Founders, she was beautiful. Too beautiful to ever be any soul's. She was also brilliant, and as career oriented as any up and comming leftenant. She was now a full Captain, with her own cruiser and strike force, a Home Gaurds detatchment.
The Mach and Hohm Di' had taken him from her.
He was too good at what he did, and that was being a Hunter. An Enforcer of The Crown.
She abhord him for this, because, and she had told him this, he was a far better builder, researcher. He had told her his dreams of venturing out, toward the galactic core, leaving the space that the Federation, their unwitting cousins, called the Delta quadrant. Find some little planet or un - allied race, and begin building onto the Empire. Not through coersion or conquest.
He missed her, and his soul cried.
Near the Delta Quadrant
Jean - Luc ached. This time, the Borg had not tried to assimilate.
His ship had survived, but just barely. If it had not been for the timely arrival of those strange ships, the Enterprise would have been destroyed.
Three cubes, no calling out to Locutus. They had just appeared, and then opened fire. In a matter of seconds, shield were gone, the warp core off - line, all but the most basic systems had vanished in an apocolyptic barage.
Seconds to the destruction of his second Enterprise, a flight of ships, strange black faceted arrowheadsm trimmed in gold had shown. Five ships, barely showing up on the remaining sensors. All the warning anyone had was a massive graviton spike that records showed were in - line with a fold drive. Then the ships opened fire, and the Borg turned, the Enterprise forgotten, and began fighting for their lives. The ships used some sort of matter - antimatter weapon, occiliating pulses, the first barage simply anihalated the first Borg cube, and severly damaged a second, before they began returning fire.
Then more cube ships, three in all. Soon the original three were destroyed, and the Enterprise was limping away, towed by her shuttles. Data informed him, as he busied himself with damage control ( all hands not working on repairing the ship were doing triage, first aid, and performing comfort duties for the fallen ) that the unknown ships were using a second kind of weapon now, as they seemingly absorbed the Borg assaults, one that was almost entirely pure energy.
That had been hours ago.
The Borg, and their strange ... saviors ? ... were long gone. They had lost one ship though, aparently to internal malfunction. He had watched those ships take and dish out incredible amounts of damage. Data had surmised that instead of shielding, the ships had some sort of phase armor, that absorbed energy weapons, and routed the energy to massive capacitor banks, which then, in turn, powered that heavy weapon of theirs, that E - Cannon as Riker had called it in the report to Starfleet.
But who were they ?
They had found a sole survivor, amidst the debris feild of the alien ship.
The most startling fact was that he was apparently human. Except for minoe differances, and one major, his DNA was 98.7% human. The minor differances similar to those who had adapted to earth - like planets throughout the galaxy. Another minor differance was that he was genetically perfect. Not one flaw, latent gene, or anything that might be construed as a defect.
Beverly was shocked, and quite disturbed. He was, according to the recently on - line computer, a Eugenic. A cousin of Kahn Noonian Sing.
The major differance, though, was much more troubling. He had two distict kinds of nanites in him.
One were dead borg nanoprobes. They had attemted to assimilate him, and his own system, and the second type of nanites, had treated the foreign matter as a white blood cell treated germs. They had attacked and devestated the infection.
There were other things that bothered Picard about this strange survivor. The fact that he was not dead, and had been in the vacum of space for hours, without any sort of suit. The fact that he had a trace quantum resonance. The fact that he was so ... human ...
The fact Q was here, telling him to space the body before it awoke, and to flee here as fast as possible.
Q did not like this creature, though Q swore he did not know it personally.
He did not need this.
Q even brought up the Prime Directive, saying that the races in the Federation were even less prepared for there Jae'd Kaan as he called them, than they were for the Borg, Dominion, or even Q.
" Crusher to Picard. "
" Picard. "
" Jean - Luc, could you come down to sickbay, bring Data, and Worf, please. " Her voice was perfuntory, but strained. There was only one reason to come down to sickbay, now. He looked over at Q, he was too tired for this, his ship was in shambles, and Q was here. A sense of depresion similar to Deja Vu settled over him.
" Mon Capitaine ..., No, Jean Luc, I beg of you, please, beam his body out into the void, I will do anything ... I will even return your sweet Rene ... "
Rene ...
He smashed the emotions that swelled, all but the hatred he now felt for Q. Then it dawned on him.
" Why don't you do it, Q. Make him go away. "
Q's face contorted in rage, disghust and ... fear. He was gone in a flash, as the tears filled Picard's eyes. Rene ... Q didn't make that man down in sick bay go away because, for whatever reason, he couldn't
" On my way Doctor. Picard to Command staff, meet me in sick bay immediately. "
* * * * *
They assembled outside of sick bay. Worf was armed, and had brought security with him, just in case. Geordi came limping up, looking pained and put out. Data approached, as calm as ever. The only one that surprised him was Seven - of - Nine, the newest attachment to his crew, and Geordi's new Adjunct.
He assembled a quick conferance, and told all of them his encounter with Q. He then said the name Q said, and watched as Seven blanched, visibly. " I take it you know of this race, Seven ? "
She cleared her throat and calmed herself. " Yes, Captain. The Borg refer to them as Race Omega 2313. To be avoided at all costs. They tried assimilating them in the Earth Year 1000 B.C.E. The losses were worse than when the Captains Janeway assaulted the Transwarp Hub. Research estimated they arrived in the Delta quadrant, from a black hole, around a millenium before, and they were already a space - faring race then. Their ships were similar to the old Terran DY - 88 class, but a bit more advanced. Sir, they are so powerful, they assaulted the Homeworld, and forced the Queen to sign a treaty, to prevent a mutual, if not one - sided Genocide. It took almost a thousand years to recover the losses they inflicted upon The Borg. "
" Wonderfull. A race that three thousand years ago were able to defeat the Borg, and still, to this day can, and shows no evidence of decline ? Maybe Q was right after all. " He was too tired, and the sarcasm was uncalled for.
" One more thing, Captain. " Riker intergected.
" Yes number one ? "
" You forgot the DY - 88's. No one knows how many Eugenics escaped Earth prior to the final defeat of Kahn. We don't know how many ended up in the Delta quadrant, thousands of years ago, or what there sentiment towards us will be. "
" Point taken. Mr. Worf, you and your team go in first, phasers on the highest setting, but do not appear hostile. I want to avoid anymore death this day. Geordi, Seven. Go back to engineering, begin an analysis of all the wreckage found in the debris feild, and see what you can do about getting my ship back running. Data, I want you with me, just in case. Deanna, Be as passive as possible. Riker, I want you to handle this, I am going back to the bridge. Let me know how tis goes. " With that he nodded, and headed back to the only functioning turbolift, with data close behind.
Riker looked at everyone, and then nodded. Worf went in as Geordi and Seven, who he could not help admiring physically, went off toward engineering, then he and Dianna entered into sickbay.
* * * * *
He had awoken in a containment feild. That did not surprise him. What did was his surroundings. Intead of the austere white of a Jae'd Kaan medical ward, here was a soft, earthy toned room, filled with sleeping patients, and awed medical staff in smart, bold uniforms of gold or blue, and black. They were in shock because he was sitting up, and through the containment feild, starring at the varioud displays. He stood, tying the blanket around his physique in a show of modesty, and nodded polietly at the beautiful red headed woman, who he was sure was either cheif nurse or doctor, and at her equally beautiful assistant, a lovley oriental woman. Both were stunning for their age, and he had to supress certain feeling that his internal repair systems only amplified.
He began walking as she began talking, English he supposed. It sounded like it, but the accents were unlike any he was used to, and the dilect uncommon. He picked up words here and there, but what a Worf was left him clueless. He liked this Federation ship. It wasn't as severe as a warship should be, but he reminded himself that war was not the primary purpose of these ships. The Federation could wage war with it though.
He took in more and more of the medical ward, listening to the various tounges, looking at the various displays.
That is when they entered.
Lead by a dark skinned humanoid, an obvious weapon in hand, and four more gold and black suited humans, all carrying weapons. Two had larger, rifle - style weapons. He felt them, realised they operated off phase energy, and they were at their highest setting. He smirked. At most they would only accelerate his healing.
He began touring the ward. Burns and radiation wounds, concussion and vacum exposure. Typical starship injuries, common to all races that fought amongst the stars. He studied the beds, the computers, the medical instruments. So advanced. They had come so far ... He didn't touch anything though, he was unsure if they were sterilised or not. Or if they even needed to be. He wished these souls in the ward well, and a full recovery. He then realised he was being rude, his host was talking. A tall man, ruddy and rugged, clean shave as a proper leader, in a red and black uniform. His voice was agitated.
" I appologize. I was simply facinated by the extent of your developement. Will these people be al right ? " His tone was calm and serene, and sincere. Riker was unprepared for this. The alien was physically impressive, as tall and more muscular than worf, with an easy grace. His hair was long, brown and shaved high on the sides, with traces of grey. Clean shaven, and aparently in his twenties.
" I am not a Doctor, but we have the best in Starfleet. They will be as fine, and recover as well as they can, with what we have. I accept your best wishes on behalf of the crew, though. "
He nodded thoughtfully, and went back toward the bed.
" Did any of my crew survive ? I don't think so, I do not sense any of them, but I still hold out hope. " Deanna felt the incredible amount, the strength of the emotion from the man, and he was a man. He was as attractive to her as Riker. As attractive as Seven was to other members of the crew. She felt Beverly's internal struggle as she dealt with her attraction, and astonishment and wonder over the creature.
Riker frowned, looked down. " We have not detected anyone else. If I may ask, what happened to your ship ? "
" The Mach, pardon, you call them the Borg, fired on my ship as we were firing. The remaining three ships fired in unison after I had given the fire - commitance. The capitance bank was being drained and charged at the same time, and overloaded. It went into a critical loop, began pulling on the singularity matrices. When that happens, the outcome is as inevitable as what lays beyond an event horizon. "
Riker was dumbfounded. He expected the creature to dance around the subject, as he did when asked about specifics of his ship by an outsider. He was caught off gaurd. Even more so by the creature's next comment.
" From what I understand, you are the executive officer of this ship. The Empath is similar to a psyche - healer. And this alien here and the others are your enforcers. I understand your trepidation. I would if I were in a similar position. But if I may ask, would you be so kind as to ask them to power down their weapons ? I don't want us to get off on the wrong foot. " His tone was calm, yet firm. The subtly implied threat was real.
" Not yet. Not till we know more about you. I will post a gaurd here, while Dr. Crusher examines you more thoroughly. In the mean while, Is there anything I can get for you ? " Riker was equally calm and nonchalantly toned. The creature smiled, and he noticed the enhanced canines, and the pointier incisors than those of a human. He was pissed, obviously so.
" Commander Riker. That would be wonderful we can start with clothes, and a steak. Prehaps an ale ? Oh, and power down those weapons and holster them. " This was intollerable, he thought, insulted. If the Federation boyscout wanted to know about the Jae'd Kaan, let him stick his course of action, he would find out.
" Will, do as he says. He is feeling immensley hostile, and I feel a sense of calm, like a Terran Karate mindset settling over him. " Deanna whispered into Riker's ear. He stiffened as she did.
" No, I'm sorry, I cannot. Worf, please secure our guest. "
Worf moved in, wary, but incredibly unprepared. As soon as he was within reach, the creature moved, on a blur. His alabaster flesh was a streak as Worf's arm was snapped back, with a sickening crunch of shattering bone, Worf roared, but the howl was silenced as a massive fist slammed into the bone plate on his freind's massive forehead. Another cracking sound and Worf crumpled like a sack of paper to the floor.
Ensign Yu fired, it was a remarkable hit considering a split second later her arm was ripped from her body. The other three opened fire. Blue white arc lightening raced over his body as he absorbed the golden blast. He turrned on them, amidst the chaos of screams, people diving for cover, and the zaps of the phasers, and extended his bdy, palm out. Ball lightening shot from his hand, hitting the attackers in the chest and throwing them in a heap at the foot of the sickbay door.
He then stopped, took a deep breath and turrned toward a replicator. The only sound was Ensign Yu screaming about her arm. Smoke and ozone filled the bay. Soon he was clothed, in loose gray course cotton, baggy pants, tunic and robe, tied tight by a matching belt. Riker rose up and was about to aim a phaser, the sound of the security alarm raging in his skull. Deanna grabbed his arm, yanking it down before he fired. The alien turned his head from the computer console he was navigating with eye movements and gave Riker a dirty look. Deanna wrestled the phaser from his hand and tossed it to the floor, quite inredibly keyed up. A burst of calm green light erupted from his eyes and the computer began recieving an epic level download. In just over a second he was done, and up and moving. He grabbed Ensign Yu, hoisted her up onto his shoulder, and Riker watched in amazement as the clothes and his bare skin simply absorbed the streaming blood. He put her up on a medbed, and placed her arm atop her. A gaze and she was silent, unconscious. He then put Worf on the bed beside her. " EMH, activate. "
After the EMH's beligerant protest on his lack of authorization, it noticed the crew in need. It began treatment and discontinued it's beligerance.
Seconds, barely, had passed since the fire fight began. Ensign Yu's arm was reattached, Worf's skull fractures were knitting.
" Commander Riker, I asked you to please have your crew stand down. I appologize for any trauma, but all your crew will be fine. Under our law, which you are under no obligation to follow, you would be brought up on gross negligence for what happened to your crew. You would spend a standard month, minimum, in a pain tank, and that would only if you had a very highly placed intercessor. Under your law, I think I am guilty of assault, battery, and intent to do greivious bodily harm, if not more. I will shortly have assimilated your culture records, and will know for sure. I have downloaded our pertinent data to your core, saved us both the long and drawn out ' get - to - know - you ' phase. Now, how about that steak, and ale, and a word with your Captain, before you bring me up on charges ? "
The tone was so calm as to be insulting, like a miffed Vulcan. Worf was groaning and growling, swearing oaths of revenge, and Beverly and her crew busied themselves with reviving crewmen and reattatching the fine tissues in Yu's arm.
Riker was pissed, there was no other word for it.
* * * * *
They had compromised, and he had gotten his steak, with Data and Geordi, in a hastily modified Brig cell. He had willingly submitted himself to an unarmed security squad, impressed at the resources being devoted to him, and talked with the two wunderkind about his ship, engineering particulars, and how he had done what he had.
Riker watched in anger from the ready room, the cordial discussion being videoed and sent directly there. " Q was right. We should have jettisoned him out the nearest airlock and be done with him. "
Picard smirked as he sipped his tea. " You were wrong, Will. Pure and simple. He goaded you and you reacted, and then he reacted. He didn't kill anyone, and from the logs I see he could have done much worse. If this were a trial I would be forced to find him not guilty on grounds of self - defense. Mr. Worf has asked to spend time alone with him. And not for a rematch. He wants the creature to show him how he did those moves. "
Riker took the admonishment poorly, but had been an officer long enough to know when to keep his mouth shut.
" Beverly reports that his biology is so similar, yet disimilar to ours it is incredible. All vestigal organs are gone, new ones have appeared, all in the brain, as well as other regions have been hyper developed. His IQ is off our charts, akin to some of the more advanced races. His internal systems are hyper effecient, and he is infinitely adaptable. And the nanites, smaller than anything she has ever seen, almost sub - atomic. She calls them Piconites. "
" That is all well and good sir, but what are we going to do with him ? " Riker asked, obviously flustered. He wanted to be done with the creature, as soon as possible.
" Data says the piconites cause his quantum resonance, a field so subtle yet powerful, that he would be feasibly be untouchable by Q, which would be a Godsend. He even speculates that the field might even be ... painful ... to Q. And that is only the tip of the iceberg. He is a member of an Empire that encompases two galaxies, they are trying to leave this one behind, to settle in one, and I quote from their documents here ' far more apolitical. ' Astounding. " Picard was up now, getting more tea.
" But what are we going to do, Captain ? "
" Whatever it is he wants us to, Will. Whatever he wants. If he wants a steak, we give him a steak. I want real ale too, the kind he drinks, I want a formal dinner in his honor, and I want the command staff there. He wants to appologize for defending himself the way he did, especially to Ensign Yu, and Worf. "
* * * * *
Ensign Yu looked uncofortable. Her arm still ached and the man who had done her such terrible damage now sat at the guest of honor position at the end of the table. Worf and he were speaking in fluent and emotive Klingon, mainly about the Borg, and freinds lost. Riker stewed, and Captain Picard chatted with his crew. Data would intergect, here and there, about engineering and other concerns.
Soon their conversation wound down, followed shortly by a soup and salad course.
Their guest stood, after the footmen left.
" none of us here, other than Lt. Comanders Worf and Data, are willing to speak of what has transpired. It is my duty as a representitive of my race and Empire, of my Clan, to beg you, especialy you Ensign Wu, to forgive my transgressions. I am not offering an excuse, but an appology. I should have considered the stress you were all under due to the Mach attack, let alone my improbable reserection. If you see fit to forgive me, I will surrender myself to your justice system to accept any and all punishments, to appease both of our great unions. "
They were dumbstruck. Picard was expecting a flowery, if perfuntory appology, but not this. He was litteraly throwing himself on their justice system, as a means of peace. He looked over his crew. Worf smiled in pride of the honor in the fellow warrior, and Riker was slack jawed in amazement.
He made his descion, fast.
" In the name of due process, we implore you to contact your nearest Empirial Mission, before you hastily do something that might further strain relations. As for wheather you should be brought up on charges, I leave that up to Ensign Yu."
He knew the law on this. No one, except maybe the Ferengi or some of the more selfish races in the Federation would find him guilty. They would venture to the nearest Star Base, a Vulcan from Justice would probably be called in to oversee the proceedings, and to Judge. If he was smart he would get a Klingon to defend him. But as he had told Riker earlier, he would be found not guilty. He had been an alien in an alien situation, who had responded to aggresion in kind. And besides, no one was permanently hurt. Except possibly Riker's ego.
Ensign Yu was visibly troubled. She wanted to kick the snot out of him. But then again, she had fired first. Dr. Crusher said in a couple weeks she wouldn't even be able to tell what had happen by feel alone.
Then she remebered her grandmother, a Judge back on Utopia Planetia. " Two wrongs do not make a right. Making the right descion is the hardest thing anyone ever has to do. " She could feel this emotive creature's sincerity. He was legitamately sorry.
" If it would please present company, I see no purpose in dragging this matter out any more than it has to be. Appology accepted ... ?"
" Lord Daemon Lucent, of the Clan Morningstar. But almost everyone who knows me simply calls me Dae. "
" Appology accepted, Dae. " She then rose after the soup and salad. She was a devout vegetarian, and even replicated beef offended her. " Captain, if I may be excused ? "
He looked up as he sipped his wine, wine from his brother's vinyard, then had to think why should want to leave. It dawned on him as Dae rose also, extending a hand to her. " Yes, Ensign. We understand. " She shook Dae's profered hand, and was escorted by Worf.
The steaks were incredible, the protiens synthesised off of a pattern from Dae's download. The meat was that of a carnivor, he related over discussion, a semi - intelligent one of mamallian nature, that hunted Jae'd Kaan as they hunted it. It was capable of a psychic attack, as well as having four each arms and legs that were tipped in razor sharp claws.
" You have not hunted it to near extinction ? " Data asked, sincere.
" No, that would be foolish. We have transplanted all of the off of Home, and set up a preserve on a similar planet, populated by the worst criminals in the Empire. Night to night it is a toss up on who is for dinner. "
Riker snickered at that, as did Worf. Data merely asked " Is that not Barbaric ? "
" It very well may be. But our Empire is as liberantine as one can be, while still being a monarchy. Right now, we are recovering from a civial war. One population on the planet is the survivors of a ship that used our considerable weaponry to attack a civilian colony, one that was nuetral durring the war, because they took in all wounded or refugees that came to them.Thirty killed two billion that day. My father was amongst them. Yes, it may be barbaric, but that is what they are, barbarians. "
Picard had trouble swallowing. That was justice, all right. Quite fair, actually. People like that could be mind wiped, and reinserted, but what justice was there in that. Here, they paid for their crimes.
All had gasped, even the none to recently emotive Data, as he related the tale.
" Another case involved a member of an opposing house, and her Clan Militia. She ordered her ships into an asteroid belt, and fitted Extinction Level masses, hundreds of them, with propelant systems, what you call warp drives. She was retaliating against a rival Lord who had questioned her claim to that system in our Imperial Court. She then sent them out at seven planets, all of them terraformed and heavily colonised. She killed almost a trillion in hours. We have kept cloning her psyche into clones, and fitted her brain to see nothing but terrors, and then loosed her into those wilds. Every time she dies, at the split second another clone is launched into the wilds, and we will do so until the last of us die, or the end of time. The same with every member of her crew who knowingly and willingly, under no duress, assisted her.
" I understand your concept of justice, but it is far too forgiving and leniant for such crimes. For other offenses, we simply implant a cerebral device that when ever they even think of commiting trhe crime, it wracks them in pain, and signals local Enforcers, who then counsel the individual. Works great for career crimanls. Murderers are simply executed or sent to The Gardens, at the vicitm's family's discretion." He then looked around at the table. Some were shocked, others appalld. Some were in deep consideration.
Worf was the most approving. " It is very similar to our methodology in some cases. And it must be a real deterant. "
The guest's next comment was the one that really got to the heart of the matter. " Mr. Riker, of all the people who I assaulted earlier, if they bare me no ill will, then why do you ? "
Will almost blew up. Almost. He took a deep breath, and considered before he spoke. " A stressful day, the sense of powerlessness durring the attack, and then again at the melee in sickbay. You power intimidates me, and like most of the people like me, I resent that, and reflect that in aggression and displays of inappropriate behavior to the item of resentment. " Deanna was almost in tears, he noticed, and she took his hand under the table.
" You are too harsh on yourself, and make a fine Captain of a fine ship. But do not let your emotions, nor the universe, rule you. That is a common precept amongst my people. "
Riker simply nodded, and then conversation turned to far more lighter topics, when Jean Luc asked; " What brings you so far into Federation space, Dae ? "
" The Borg who ambushed you made the mistake of crossing a Treaty Boundry, trying to get to you. I am in the Enforcer Service. When they tripped a resonance beacon, my group was sent out to find and destroy them. "
So simple and forward. '... sent out to find and destroy them ...' Picard felt a chill settle over him. He had never heard of anyone, before now, refer to action against the Borg in such a way. They were the bane of existance to all species they crossed, assimilating and destroying all who interested them. Now, an all too real human, sort of her reminded himself, sat across from him at his table. This was no spacer's tale, an exageration. He had seen their prowess with his own eyes. A decendant of the Eugenics, an incredible find at that, and now they were Borg hunters and Empire builders.
" Dae, what is life like on your world ? " Deanna asked, done with her meal and sipping the incredible wine.
" Not too unlike life in the Federation. Except for the Nobility, there are no boundries of caste or origin. The wealth of the Empire is shared equally by all, all the members of the Empire regardless of race. People are encouraged to follow their talents, whatever they may be. My executive officer's wife is on Selir, and is the happiest gardener there ever was. She just loves flowers. Her overseer was born from a refugee family, what you call the El Aurians. She is the overseer of the whole regions parks and services. My executive officer, his wife was born to a very important mining family. Our lives are not perfect, far from it, nor do I intend to paint life in the Empire as a Utopia, but simply, you are allowed to do what you want."
More conversation followed, more comparisons from here and there. Picard surmised that the nobility was required to lead, and be competent, or renounce their Noble stature. Everyone else, based on skill, will and drive followed their dreams. Their military was huge, yet filled mostly with engineering and science types. Those who were born combatants took the positions offered to them were happy, usually as tthe tactical officer or commander in the Home Gaurds or Enforcer branches. Surface combatants were cloned from a naturally combative type, and were endowed with a unique form of telepathy. It was, in one word, impressive.
The night moved along smoothly, and some filtered off for duty or bed. Picard excused himself with all the others leaving, dying to get out of his dress uniform.
Soon it was Riker, Data and Worf sitting with Dae. Dae produced a deck of cards, the graphic unique yet the meaning simple. Playing cards.