April 2015
Disclaimer: See Chapters One & Two. For a picture of the Trading Ring follow the link: [www dot worth1000 dot com/contests/13300/13300-flywheel] If the site will let me put this in! It helped me to visualize it whilst writing this chapter.
Chapter Twelve
Worthy Jewels.
The Trading Ring was so vast it would obviously take a lifetime to travel it extensively; from hub to outer rim along with all eight of its inner spokes. Although it looked as if it had been cobbled together with many differing metals the chemical composition of those metals said it was basically the same, just that the production methods was different; or so Chakotay was reliably informed by Vorik as the pair flew The Ring in the Cochrane shuttle; and that it was more than just a trading post, where commodities could be bought, sold or exchanged. It was home also to a large civilian population of Rigellian's and other alien cultures, as well as the Free Traders and their families. It was here that they really were 'Free' Traders as the name implied.
If Voyager felt small against The Ring, then the shuttle even more so, as he piloted the craft to its destination one of four large hanger areas in the outer rim, one of which was at least two parsecs from Voyager's current docked position. They were using the shuttle as the commodities that both Torres and Neelix required couldn't be transported and it was much too far to walk it. Chakotay also had his own personal reasons for offering to undertake this mission and pilot this shuttle trip.
He had twice tried to leave Voyager via the docking port for The Ring, but had been thwarted each time; first because he'd been alone and next because he'd been with Tuvok; for as security informed both men, their specific orders from the Captain was that neither man could leave the ship at the same time. Feelings of anger and frustration at being denied his basic freedoms had almost caused him to make a scene – not that it was the security guard's fault they were just following their Captain's orders. Tuvok had quietly and forcibly lead him away from the docking port to a near-by restroom to calm down. Rozene had chosen that moment to pop her head out of the satchel that hung over his shoulder, her quizzical whistles and puzzled coloured eyes causing both men to smile in their own ways and lighten the mood.
"I'm sorry, Tuvok," he sighed softly.
"No apology necessary, Chakotay," he responded using a finger to scratch Rozene's eye ridges. A rumbling purr echoed round them and then her head suddenly disappeared back into the satchel when another crewman came into the room.
Chakotay found himself smiling at the memory seeing that self same satchel resting at his feet on the shuttle floor. If Vorik was mentally or telepathically aware of the little dragon he gave no indication of it, as he silently worked beside his commanding officer, taking readings of the station and relaying them back to Seven on Voyager, for further analysis.
The Cochrane soon found the large open hanger and entered the wide opening and settled down where the hanger controller directed them. Once all the post flight checks were completed Chakotay exited the shuttle leaving Ensign Vorik to handle the shopping expedition; whilst he went about his own agenda with Rozene inside the satchel.
=/\=
A Rigellian official met him at the main inner entrance of the hanger into The Ring introducing himself as Elroy and greeting him with a smile.
"I have been expecting you, Cmdr. Chakotay and I must say it is a pleasure to meet you, having heard so much about your exploits on Rigel Prime," he said leading the way down the main thoroughfare, where shops of all sorts paraded their wares to the many peoples moving along the wide enclosed avenue.
"Hey! Something bit me!" wailed a voice behind them, halting their walk.
"Well that shows you shouldn't put your hand where it doesn't belong!" noted Elroy mildly, eying the assailant calmly, whilst Chakotay pulled the satchel round and held it close to his chest, hearing Rozene's angry chatter.
/Hush!/ he admonished gently mindful of her still exhausted physical state after her long flight to catch up with him and the ship.
"We don't get many pick-pockets here, but there are the odd one or two who try their hand," noted Elroy leading the way again. Something told Chakotay that his would-be thief wouldn't get off as lightly as first appeared, seeing the uniformed security men move to apprehend the alien male who was still nursing his hand. "Don't worry yourself unduly about him, he'll be dealt with according to Rigellian Trader Law," said Elroy. "Here we are, my office," he said leading the way into a bright functional area, which looked out over the open cluster of stars and towards the central hub. The office was a standard executive area, combining comfort and function a lot better than some Starfleet Admiral's offices, he noted.
"The com-unit is located in the central part of the desk. I'll leave you to your business," Elroy said with a soft nod and then he was gone.
"Probably gone to sort out that thief," he said quietly, setting the satchel down on the desk and opening the flap to let Rozene out. She whistled a thank you and sat preening on the wide desk. He smiled at her antics and sat in the comfortable chair and keyed in the code he'd been given via a message from Neelix.
=/\= Ah I see Elroy met you alright! =/\=
"Rom'lo, and a good afternoon to you too!" he quipped back at the Rigellian male who laughed at his offbeat tone.
"Did Rozene make it?" he asked concerned, and then smiled when the little red/gold dragon looked round the screen at him. "Good. We did wonder, especially as Azure was so insistent that she leave."
"Oh?" having settled himself more comfortably in the chair so Rozene could curl up on his lap.
"Have you got time?" Rom'lo asked quietly. "This may take a while."
"Tuvok will call me if he hasn't managed to persuade the Captain to stay until all supplies are on board. Plus the fact that the central hub is insisting on a full health and maintenance inspection of the ship whilst we're here and before being allowed to continue our journey out of Rigellian space," Chakotay informed the grinning male. "You wouldn't have had anything to do with the latter, would you?" he asked amused.
"Me?" asked Rom'lo incredulously. "As if I would!" he grinned. "Seriously though, Chakotay I'm glad that the Trading Ring still insists on that protocol," he added softly. "Now where to start on the saga of two little alien mini dragons..."
=/\=
"It was the gardener who discovered them, in the hot house in one of his prepared heated sandy seed beds," Rom'lo began.
The startled male backed off as the little blue dragon hissed and flew at him angrily whilst the red/gold one sat in a small depression in the warm sandy soil straining. Once the gardener was at a safe and acceptable distance the blue one returned to the straining female and crooned softly, eyes whirling a rainbow of colours. The man watched fascinated and concerned realising after the first egg popped out what was happening. He quietly called to his young assistant and told him to run and fetch their returned Master, Rom'lo.
Wondering at the fuss and insistence of this member of the palace staff – especially in view of the frantic goings on inside in preparation for the coming double wedding – he quietly hunkered down beside his gardener once the male had pointed out what was happening and watched. The assistant was sent off at one stage to fetch a bowl of tepid water and some cut up fruit which they put as close to the pair as the little blue would allow. When the red/gold one lay down at one point, looking exhausted by her efforts, Azure took a piece of fruit and fed it to her, his actions gentle and caring. She struggled to eat it though, only mouthing it, as if the effort to eat the chunk was too much for her. Rom'lo frowned a moment and then inched forward, he took the bowl of fruit and using his fingers crushed the ripe fruit so it was mushy rather than pieces. He wondered if the male would let him get close enough to return it, but although Azure eyed him warily he managed to push it close enough so the female could eat and renew her flagging energy. It wasn't long before she was straining again and more eggs were added to the growing clutch. The two males were unaware of the passage of time as they watched the two dragons bring forth new life into their world. Soon the blue lay down beside the exhausted female so using a piece of sacking Rom'lo covered them and the clutch of eggs to keep them warm.
He and his gardener exchanged an understanding glance as they left the small hot house, locking the door to keep unwelcome visitors out.
"Looks like I won't be using those seed beds for a while!" noted the gardener resigned, wonder in his eyes at what they'd just witnessed.
"I doubt very much if we can keep this quiet, but do keep an eye on them," he said a friendly hand on the others shoulder.
"Aye, Master," the gardener responded, nodding his understanding. "I'll put some more ripe mashed fruit in later, mixed with some bran," he added.
"Please do. I'll inform Della," Rom'lo said and the two had parted company.
=/\=
The young woman had been overjoyed to know about the events in the hot house, but was concerned about the red/gold dragon and Chakotay in view of the fact that Voyager had left Rigel Prime.
"Let's worry about one thing at a time, Della," he admonished her, gently enfolding her into his embrace. "We'll get you hitched to your beau first," kissing the top of her head.
"Yes, Papa!" hugging him tight, concerned about his thinner frame. "And feed you up!" she quipped with a grin.
The weddings of the century took place in their usual fashion of pageantry and frolicsome, joining two happy couples together in a time honoured ceremony. It was during the morning two full days later that word came from the gardener about the two mini dragons. When Rom'lo, both new couples and the retainer arrived at the hot house, it was to discover Azure hissing angrily at the female chasing her away from the stirring eggs, so she retreated to Rom'lo's shoulder mewing sadly eyes a deep brown colour.
"From what Chakotay told me dragons are impressed on hatching," Della said watching the eggs carefully. Azure urged her closer along with Raoul her new husband. The others stayed near the door. The little blue pushed a large gold egg towards Della and shifted another mottled one to Raoul. She wasn't sure why, but she picked the egg up and held it within her gentle hands. Raoul followed suit with his and was rewarded a moment later with a snout poking out through the crack in the shell. Gently he pulled back the breaking shell and soon had a little bronze mini dragon resting in his hand.
"Tamaki," he whispered awed as the little creature gazed at him with soft blue/green whirling eyes.
"He's beautiful," noted Della quietly and then turned her attention to her golden egg, feeling it stir in her hand. As she watched the egg split and out tumbled a bright golden dragon a piece of shell still sitting on her head. Della grinned as she removed it. "You are beautiful too, Oriana," stroking the eye ridges with a gentle finger.
"What's going on here?" asked the irate voice of Padarn, having been disturbed from his task of perusing the library Voyager had traded with them, by the insistence of the retainer. "Oh!" his purple eyes taking in the scene, moving closer to the clutch of eggs at Azure's urging. "Interesting," his hand drawn to one egg that almost stood apart from the rest, gently stroking it as it moved. Soon a snout poked out through the cracks a soft mewing cry ringing out. Azure crooned softly encouraging the little creature within the shell to break free. Soon the snout was followed by the rest of the little dragon whose body colour was a deep purple brown.
"Johari; Wonderful!" he exclaimed picking up the little creature a deep rumbling purr echoing around them from her.
Rom'lo felt Rozene hide behind his shoulder when Azure came close holding a smallish egg and giving it to the white/purple haired male, a snout already pushing through the cracking shell. Carefully he peeled the semi-hard shell away and revealed a deep iridescent blue mini dragon.
"Sapphira," he said softly removing all the shell as she sat in the palm of his hand. "The pretty one!"
"Get away," said Fox batting at Azure who flew close, annoyed that he'd been disturbed from his breakfast on what appeared to be a fool's errand.
"Hold out your tunic," Cyra instructed her tone brooking no nonsense from her new husband, gently propelling him forward into the hot house. He did as she asked and Azure dropped an egg into it, where it hatched soon after, revealing a dazzling green colour that unfurled into a small female dragon.
"Esme!?" he whispered surprised. The others around him smiled. It wasn't long before all the other eggs hatched; one gold and two bronze among the greens, browns and blues.
"Let them go," ordered Rom'lo as the creatures tried in vane to fly through the glass. The gardener reached over and opened the near-by window and watched as the group flew off up into the sky for places unknown.
"Now I think we all need something to eat," he added and led the way with his new companion back inside for a hearty breakfast.
Azure re-joined Della along with her queen – Oriana; a sad looking Rozene stayed with Rom'lo and the small Sapphira.
=/\=
"So Fox now has two females to keep him on the straight and narrow!" Chakotay quipped surprised.
"True, not that he seems to mind. He and Padarn have both decided to step down from their duties as Councillors; Fox for obvious reasons," informed Rom'lo, making Chakotay smile. "And Padarn because he felt it was time for the younger generation to do their bit."
"Oh!? It wouldn't have anything to do with a certain library we traded," he grinned.
"That too!" Rom'lo agreed, encouraging his little blue friend to introduce herself.
"It's interesting that you've all named them after jewels and gems," he said. "She is a pretty one," he noted softly. "You too!" stroking the eye ridges of his little companion, responding to her indignant mental whistle. "She's small compared to how I remember Rozene when she first hatched," he noted puzzled.
"Perhaps like Azure she didn't actually hatch, just appeared to," offered Rom'lo.
"I hadn't considered that," he mused quietly. "Others of her kind did harass her if she was on her own, so you maybe right. The trauma pushing her into a comatose state, as if going back into her shell; until I landed on top of her, hurt and in need of assistance," recalling something of his time on the planet through the rift. "You said Azure insisted she leave; what happened exactly?"
"A lot," his distant companion sighed. "Some in the Council were upset that they'd not been asked to the hatching and so forth," shaking his white/purple head exasperated at the remembered antics of his officials. "It had been Sheldon who'd calmed the proceedings down, reminding everyone, of events in the Royal Halls."
"Della has already made a degree regarding these mini dragons when the first two arrived along with Voyager and that will now stand for them all," his tone brooking no arguments on the subject. "Now let us return to our usual business, Elders," he'd said firmly, bringing their minds back on task for all of Rigel and its colonies.
"He took me aside later and suggested that Rozene be returned to you. Everyone else will have to wait for Della's Queen to grow up first before anyone else could have their own pet dragon; to quote Sheldon."
"By then – hopefully – they'll have got use to them being around," Chakotay said, stroking his little dragon as she slept on his lap.
"Hopefully," Rom'lo echoed his concern. "Sheldon has already added to Della's degree, making it a capital offence to harm the creatures in anyway or mis-treat them or their owners."
"Fire Lizards have a wilful mind of their own," he said, using the little dragon's former name; an indignant whistle scolded him. "I thought you were asleep," he admonished her with a smile.
"Now where was I? Oh yes, it wasn't just Azure," the Rigellian male said.
=/\=
Della once again had to stop Oriana from attacking Rozene as she sat listless at the view ports watching the stars streak past. It had been decided to use Golden Bird to follow Voyager so she could re-join her friend. They had been hoping that their alien visitors would use one of the closer trading posts to complete their supply needs, but they had just headed out of the inner system on a straight course. When the Golden Bird had developed problems with her engines, they'd had to stop, so Rom'lo had procured passage on a faster ship with Rozene. He had encouraged her to try and reach out to Chakotay; talking to her of how he must miss her company.
"She perked up when we received word that Voyager had been sighted, although still at warp. What she did next surprised me; she just vanished from the cabin, only to show up ahead of the ship in space. How she got you to slow down I do not know, but I'm glad she did as we started to lose power."
"Let's just say I'll have to avoid engineering for a while," he revealed amused. "Rom'lo; who really is Da'Kin?" he asked quietly. "I know he's Della's uncle so obviously he's your brother, but!" puzzled.
"He's my half-brother. Same father different mother," he sighed sadly. "She conceived on my father's stag night. He was angry at her for the duplicity but married her quietly to give her child legal status. But she wasn't from a ruling line so."
"So therefore, he had no real legal claim to power, whilst a legitimate heir existed," Chakotay finished the thought.
"Could he escape the planet?" his tone worried.
"No I do not think so, unless he could persuade someone to take his place. An exact equivalent I believe Gar'vin realised."
"That's a relief," he sighed; his thoughts turned inwards.
=/\= Vorik to Commander Chakotay =/\=
"Chakotay here, Vorik," he responded to the call.
"The last of the 'shopping' is being loaded, Commander," his tone expressing something of his thoughts on his commanders choice of wording when calling him.
"Thanks, Ensign. Has Lt. Cmdr. Tuvok called in?"
"Negative, Commander."
"Understood; I'll join you as soon as I've finished my business here. Chakotay out," tapping his com-badge closed.
"Sounds like you'll be journeying again soon," noted Rom'lo sadly. "I was hoping to join you at The Ring," he shrugged disappointed, absently giving Sapphira a piece of fruit to chew on.
"Me, too." The pair sat in silence a moment and then sighed together making them grin.
"Padarn has made an interesting suggestion, based on his re-assessment of the Birdmen of Rapa Nui that we race during the autumn equinox, rather than spring; more seeds and possibly a longer open window of opportunity."
"Of course, I was forgetting the island is in the South Pacific, so their spring would be the planet's autumn," he softly berated himself.
=/\= Tuvok to Chakotay =/\=
"Yes, Tuvok," his tone cautious, waking Rozene whose eyes whirled an anxious blue in response to his mood.
"The inspections are almost complete and the Captain is eager to be away, before those trading vouchers fully expire."
"Understood; Vorik has already contacted me to say the supplies he's acquired are on board, so I'll be joining him shortly."
=/\= Acknowledged. Tuvok out =/\=
"Why are you grinning like a Cheshire cat, Rom'lo?" he queried the Rigellian male.
=/\= Oh I'll let Elroy enlighten you on that score. Safe journey, Chakotay of Voyager =/\= he said and signed off, leaving both human and mini dragon puzzled. She was back inside the satchel when Elroy returned to escort him back to the hanger and his shuttlecraft. Thus he asked the Rigellian Official for an explanation, realising it had something to do with the trading vouchers.
"Ah yes; the dated Trading Vouchers," he grinned amused, puzzling his guest still further. "If they have both the seals of the Ruling House and Rigel Prime's Full Council, the vouchers have in effect no end date, even though one is stamped on them," he paused in his narrative beside the Starfleet shuttle. "Because the end validation date is at the discretion of the Trader who receives it, but only if used at a Rigellian trading post and especially The Ring," he informed the Starfleet pair.
"Thank you, Elroy," he said his tone expressing more than his words. Elroy inclined his head in quiet acknowledgement and ordered the hanger controller to give their shuttle priority clearance from the area.
"Commander?" Vorik questioned once the Cochrane was clear of the hanger and they were en route to Voyager.
"Nothing, Ensign; just put it down to the Rigellian's strange sense of humour."
"Indeed," he agreed; His frank tone causing his commanding officer to grin, if not chuckle softly. The young Vulcan just returned to his instrumentation board and proceeded to add further data to his previous scans as they flew back to their home.
=/\=
NB: from Author: Will the crew discover the truth about Rozene; Is Captain Janeway still compromised is anyway? Watch this space!
