Companions of a kind – As it stands
Councilor Deanna Troi wasn't exactly sure what to say when she felt the shorter of the stoic boys, Heero as she found out, telepathically communicating with something unseen. But it had been washed from her mind has Picard put her in charge of showing the youths around the ship.
The first thing she noticed was the almost fierce protectiveness that the tallest one of them, Trowa, had for Quatre. Trowa stood right next to Quatre, his eye (the one she could see) attentive and watchful... almost like a body guard but there was more to it. The second thing she noticed was Heero eyeing the security personal as they walked with them.
"You don't have to worry," Deanna told Heero, trying to reassure him that they meant not harm.
"Don't worry about Heero back here," Duo said as he dropped back and tentatively put an arm around Heero's shoulders. Deanna could have cut the tension that suddenly filled the hall with a knife, it was so thick. All of the boys were on edge, although Duo's was laced with determination as Heero's body flinched as if it wanted to fling the boy off but was stopped by some unseen force.
"Continue the tour please," Wufie's gruff voice stated. Deanna nodded absently and started walking again. She glanced behind her to see Duo walking with his arm part way around Heero's waist. Heero didn't not look pleased, but then again he hadn't looked like anything the entire time he had been here... even when the tension had surrounded him.
"So what is your position on the ship?" Quatre asked as they continued down the hall.
"I am the ships councilor," Deanna offered.
"Ah, the perfect position for a woman," Wufei noted.
"Excuse me?" Deanna said, her eye brows raised.
"Women are not meant for the battle field, they are too delicate and sensitive," Wufei explained.
"I do not agree. Although most females do not exhibit the strength, both physically and mentally that men do, they have strength in different areas that make up for it," Trowa returned.
"Care to mention one?" Wufei asked sarcastically.
"My sister, Katherine. She is a knife thrower and tumbler, when I was younger she managed to sneak into where I was sleeping and talk to me under the noses of 20 mercenaries. She didn't kill any of them... which is a strength of its own," Trowa explained.
"Where is your sister now?" Quatre asked. Deanna cocked her head. Trowa's emotions had been blank through the story but they had gained a hit of sadness toward the end. But then the sadness had vanished as Quatre took one of Trowa's hands in his own.
"I don't know, it has been year's sense I last heard from her... but she is probably doing fine," Trowa stated blankly.
"So there is one case out there," Wufei stated. Deanna sucked in a breath to argue, although she didn't like to fight, women and men were equal now and some women were decorated officers.
"Councilor Troi, what are these rooms here?" Quatre asked as they passed the holodecks.
"Hey, they look just like the weird ones on our ship!" Duo exclaimed as he left Heero to start playing with the control panel by the door. Before anyone could blink Heero hand a hold of his long braid, stopping the boy in his tracks.
"Ouch! Heero let go that hurts," Duo complained. He slowly backed up, rubbing his scalp.
"Baka," Heero dead panned.
"Yha, I love you too, bastard," Duo said rubbing the back of his head.
"Please, Councilor, ignore the idiots that make our company and explain what is behind the doors," Wufei reminded Deanna of the holodecks.
"Well, there called the holodecks and they are for recreation. When crew members have time off they can put a program into the computer and it runs, kind of like a game, so that the crew doesn't feel like they are always stuck on the ship," Deanna explained.
"You mean I could have sat on green grass and swam in a lake every day?" Duo suddenly stated eyes wide. "God damn it! I knew we should have tried to figure out what those rooms were for... well that's what I get for keeping work-a-holics as companions," Duo began mumbling.
"What do you mean 'figured out'?" Deanna asked as she began guided the group toward engineering.
"We were invited to work the ship, but were only shown how to use the necessary functions. When we found the weird rooms, we just assumed that were more storage or such," Quatre explained. "We didn't even think that they were some sort of virtual reality, we didn't know that none magic human now had that ability."
"None magic..." Deanna started.
"Oh! Look its more hallways!" Duo suddenly cued. "Man this is the lamest tour I have ever gotten. Hey Q, you want to go back to those holodeck thingies?" Duo suddenly interrupted.
"Damn it, Heero. Keep your lover in line," Wufie suddenly bellowed his hand on his katana hilt. Deanna's eyes flew wide as the security officers around her reached for their phasers.
"Stop it all of you," Quatre's voice was calm as soothing.
"Duo, calm down. I know this is exciting but please remember that you are not a rowdy teen. Wufei what Duo does is not Heero's fault, take your hand off your weapon before you destroy the peace that we are trying establish," Quatre commanded. His voice was soft and calm but compelling at the same time. Deanna could feel emotions laced in every word.
"But I am a rowdy teen!" Duo wined. There was another moment before Wufei took his hand off his weapon and turned his back to Duo. Deanna glanced at Heero as her mind picked up his communication once again; surprisingly Quatre's face grimaced for the moment that Deanna felt Heero's contact.
"Not worth of my time," Wufei stated.
"Hey Wu-bear..." Duo started. His stair into Wufei's back could have burned holes in the shirt.
"Enough," Heero's cold voice deadpanned. "Finish with this tour and then take us to your caption, a ship approaches."
"What do you mean?" Worf spoke for the first time.
"Although you were the first to find us it seems you were only beaten by a few hours," Wufie supplied. As if on cue Worf was hailed to the bridge, along with Deanna and the five boys.
Except for Duo's occasional comment, the walk to the bridge was fast. The group drew stares as they went but ignored them.
"Caption," Deanna acknowledged as she led the boys onto the bridge.
"Caption Quatre, it seems that we barely meet before a challenge come into our path. There is a ship, giving the White Fang signal less an hour away. Would it be alright to postpone the tour until later," Picard asked politely.
"Yes that would be fine," Quatre stated.
"Than my officers have already assembled in the meeting room," Picard said. The five boys followed Picard and Deanna, Worf trailing behind, to the meeting room. It was plain and comfortable.
"This room needs some color," Duo mumbled as he was shown a seat between Heero and a pail brown haired man. The seats were not designed to accommodate staffs and Deanna watched with interests as the five boys pulled off their staffs, and keeping them in hand, took a seat.
"These are my officers," Picard started right in. He introduced all his major officers present in turn before turning to Quatre. Quatre also introduced his crew, no last names and no titles.
"I would like to start with who you are and how you got here, sense you seem to know everything about us," Picard stated bodily. He looked at Quatre but was surprised when it was Wufei that answered.
"Thousands of years ago there was a split between humans that could use magic and those that couldn't. Those that could chose to solve the issue by removing themselves from the picture so they created a planet and removed it from space time. However there was later a war which divided the planet into 5 and forced the voidus, what we called our galaxy, to slowly come back into space time," Wufei simply explained.
"So you have been here all along?" Data asked. His head cocked to one side in curiosity.
"In a way, we have been in this dimension, but not accessible," Trowa stated.
"So this magic... you can still use it?" Picard asked.
"Of course, we don't carry around big sticks with balls on them cuz were gay, ya know," Duo said crudely.
"Maxwell we are not all Gay!" Wufei spat, the red crystal of fire coming to a slight glow at his words.
"I know, Chang," Duo said sarcastically. "I was just making a comment."
"Our staffs hold crystals full of magic. The best of us hold spells incase we don't have our staffs with us but we are able to channel mot of our abilities through these focuses. As Wufei has just shown these staffs are very close to us and connected to our emotions," Quatre explained, quickly taking the heat away from his hot headed comrades. Deanna could see why he was caption, the more she was around Quatre the more she respected him.
"How much power is in your staffs?" Worf asked.
"Actually that depends on the person. Heero's staff contains the most pure power; he could easily blow up the voidus. However Duo could separate your mental and physical self or call on the ghost of the past to do his bidding. Each of us has a specialty and on average I would say that even the weakest of us could destroy a planet in our own way," Trowa stated.
"But that doesn't mean we would," Quatre immediately added. "My power is healing. I have never used it in violence."
There was silence after that comment. Deanna could feel Quatre's want to have his crew add the same detail but no other could. Deanna didn't care as much about his power, the boy was just a boy after all, as she did about his mental abilities.
"And your ability to control emotions?" Deanna asked.
"Actually that is not a part of the staff. I was born with empathy," Quatre stated. "We do communicate mind to mind using the clear crystal of mind though."
"Does it also glow when you use it?" Deanna questioned.
"It does," Quatre responded.
"Heero, do you have some innate ability to communicate mind to mind?" Deanna asked, turning to look at Heero.
"No," Heero dead panned. Deanna was about to press but before she could Picard was hailed.
"Picard here," Picard stated in answer.
"Caption, an OZ ship has come into sensor range, 20 minutes behind the White Fang vessel," a voice stated over the com.
"Are you positive about that identification?" Picard asked his voice worried. Deanna felt a shiver of fear run up her back. Although White Fang were fierce fighters, they were out laws and could be treated as such. OZ was legal, barely. Deanna turned her attention back to Picard as the older caption looked Quatre square in the eyes. Deanna was proud that the young man didn't even change expressions under the older man's gaze.
"White Fang is a group of pirates. They do not come under the rule of any organization. They do what they please at the expense of whom ever is in there way... but they can be treated as the outlaws they are. OZ is a united military force under the private direction of Treize Khushrenada," Picard stated in explanation.
"Treize Khushrenada has his hand in every pie. We are not entirely sure of his allegiance or motives," Deanna elaborated.
"I wouldn't say that about White Fang," Heero's voice dead panned. "White Fang does not follow any rules but they don't kill needlessly or neglect those in need." Every head turned to toward Heero and Deanna got that feeling that he was communicating with the unknown again. Even his four companions turned there heads in surprise.
"And your input on OZ?" Wufei asked. Deanna noticed that it had blatantly cut off Duo from making a comment.
"None," Heero dead panned. There was a moment of silence and Deanna tried to imagine a possible peaceful meeting between the four ships... and failed.
"Caption Picard," Quatre said as he turned his head back to Picard. "May I see the reports on White Fang and OZ?"
"Of course," Picard stated, barely gaining his wits. "Geordi please bring them up for our friend. I need all officers to their stations, Caption Quatre you are welcomed to join me on the bridge when you are finished. I will have Troi alert you when White Fang has arrived, sense they seem to be in the lead."
"Thank you Caption," Quatre responded. Deanna remained behind as everyone filtered out of the room.
"Caption, I still sense no malice from any of them, however, Heero has been mentally communicating with something outside the ship. I know Quatre knows when it is going on but I am not sure about anyone else," Deanna reported. Picard nodded.
"We will wait and see. I wish that White Fang had not come this fast – and even more that OZ had not come - but what is done is done. Report to the bridge, I will really need your help on this one," Picard stated. Deanna nodded and smiled. She trusted Quatre.
mtc
Councilor Deanna Troi wasn't exactly sure what to say when she felt the shorter of the stoic boys, Heero as she found out, telepathically communicating with something unseen. But it had been washed from her mind has Picard put her in charge of showing the youths around the ship.
The first thing she noticed was the almost fierce protectiveness that the tallest one of them, Trowa, had for Quatre. Trowa stood right next to Quatre, his eye (the one she could see) attentive and watchful... almost like a body guard but there was more to it. The second thing she noticed was Heero eyeing the security personal as they walked with them.
"You don't have to worry," Deanna told Heero, trying to reassure him that they meant not harm.
"Don't worry about Heero back here," Duo said as he dropped back and tentatively put an arm around Heero's shoulders. Deanna could have cut the tension that suddenly filled the hall with a knife, it was so thick. All of the boys were on edge, although Duo's was laced with determination as Heero's body flinched as if it wanted to fling the boy off but was stopped by some unseen force.
"Continue the tour please," Wufie's gruff voice stated. Deanna nodded absently and started walking again. She glanced behind her to see Duo walking with his arm part way around Heero's waist. Heero didn't not look pleased, but then again he hadn't looked like anything the entire time he had been here... even when the tension had surrounded him.
"So what is your position on the ship?" Quatre asked as they continued down the hall.
"I am the ships councilor," Deanna offered.
"Ah, the perfect position for a woman," Wufei noted.
"Excuse me?" Deanna said, her eye brows raised.
"Women are not meant for the battle field, they are too delicate and sensitive," Wufei explained.
"I do not agree. Although most females do not exhibit the strength, both physically and mentally that men do, they have strength in different areas that make up for it," Trowa returned.
"Care to mention one?" Wufei asked sarcastically.
"My sister, Katherine. She is a knife thrower and tumbler, when I was younger she managed to sneak into where I was sleeping and talk to me under the noses of 20 mercenaries. She didn't kill any of them... which is a strength of its own," Trowa explained.
"Where is your sister now?" Quatre asked. Deanna cocked her head. Trowa's emotions had been blank through the story but they had gained a hit of sadness toward the end. But then the sadness had vanished as Quatre took one of Trowa's hands in his own.
"I don't know, it has been year's sense I last heard from her... but she is probably doing fine," Trowa stated blankly.
"So there is one case out there," Wufei stated. Deanna sucked in a breath to argue, although she didn't like to fight, women and men were equal now and some women were decorated officers.
"Councilor Troi, what are these rooms here?" Quatre asked as they passed the holodecks.
"Hey, they look just like the weird ones on our ship!" Duo exclaimed as he left Heero to start playing with the control panel by the door. Before anyone could blink Heero hand a hold of his long braid, stopping the boy in his tracks.
"Ouch! Heero let go that hurts," Duo complained. He slowly backed up, rubbing his scalp.
"Baka," Heero dead panned.
"Yha, I love you too, bastard," Duo said rubbing the back of his head.
"Please, Councilor, ignore the idiots that make our company and explain what is behind the doors," Wufei reminded Deanna of the holodecks.
"Well, there called the holodecks and they are for recreation. When crew members have time off they can put a program into the computer and it runs, kind of like a game, so that the crew doesn't feel like they are always stuck on the ship," Deanna explained.
"You mean I could have sat on green grass and swam in a lake every day?" Duo suddenly stated eyes wide. "God damn it! I knew we should have tried to figure out what those rooms were for... well that's what I get for keeping work-a-holics as companions," Duo began mumbling.
"What do you mean 'figured out'?" Deanna asked as she began guided the group toward engineering.
"We were invited to work the ship, but were only shown how to use the necessary functions. When we found the weird rooms, we just assumed that were more storage or such," Quatre explained. "We didn't even think that they were some sort of virtual reality, we didn't know that none magic human now had that ability."
"None magic..." Deanna started.
"Oh! Look its more hallways!" Duo suddenly cued. "Man this is the lamest tour I have ever gotten. Hey Q, you want to go back to those holodeck thingies?" Duo suddenly interrupted.
"Damn it, Heero. Keep your lover in line," Wufie suddenly bellowed his hand on his katana hilt. Deanna's eyes flew wide as the security officers around her reached for their phasers.
"Stop it all of you," Quatre's voice was calm as soothing.
"Duo, calm down. I know this is exciting but please remember that you are not a rowdy teen. Wufei what Duo does is not Heero's fault, take your hand off your weapon before you destroy the peace that we are trying establish," Quatre commanded. His voice was soft and calm but compelling at the same time. Deanna could feel emotions laced in every word.
"But I am a rowdy teen!" Duo wined. There was another moment before Wufei took his hand off his weapon and turned his back to Duo. Deanna glanced at Heero as her mind picked up his communication once again; surprisingly Quatre's face grimaced for the moment that Deanna felt Heero's contact.
"Not worth of my time," Wufei stated.
"Hey Wu-bear..." Duo started. His stair into Wufei's back could have burned holes in the shirt.
"Enough," Heero's cold voice deadpanned. "Finish with this tour and then take us to your caption, a ship approaches."
"What do you mean?" Worf spoke for the first time.
"Although you were the first to find us it seems you were only beaten by a few hours," Wufie supplied. As if on cue Worf was hailed to the bridge, along with Deanna and the five boys.
Except for Duo's occasional comment, the walk to the bridge was fast. The group drew stares as they went but ignored them.
"Caption," Deanna acknowledged as she led the boys onto the bridge.
"Caption Quatre, it seems that we barely meet before a challenge come into our path. There is a ship, giving the White Fang signal less an hour away. Would it be alright to postpone the tour until later," Picard asked politely.
"Yes that would be fine," Quatre stated.
"Than my officers have already assembled in the meeting room," Picard said. The five boys followed Picard and Deanna, Worf trailing behind, to the meeting room. It was plain and comfortable.
"This room needs some color," Duo mumbled as he was shown a seat between Heero and a pail brown haired man. The seats were not designed to accommodate staffs and Deanna watched with interests as the five boys pulled off their staffs, and keeping them in hand, took a seat.
"These are my officers," Picard started right in. He introduced all his major officers present in turn before turning to Quatre. Quatre also introduced his crew, no last names and no titles.
"I would like to start with who you are and how you got here, sense you seem to know everything about us," Picard stated bodily. He looked at Quatre but was surprised when it was Wufei that answered.
"Thousands of years ago there was a split between humans that could use magic and those that couldn't. Those that could chose to solve the issue by removing themselves from the picture so they created a planet and removed it from space time. However there was later a war which divided the planet into 5 and forced the voidus, what we called our galaxy, to slowly come back into space time," Wufei simply explained.
"So you have been here all along?" Data asked. His head cocked to one side in curiosity.
"In a way, we have been in this dimension, but not accessible," Trowa stated.
"So this magic... you can still use it?" Picard asked.
"Of course, we don't carry around big sticks with balls on them cuz were gay, ya know," Duo said crudely.
"Maxwell we are not all Gay!" Wufei spat, the red crystal of fire coming to a slight glow at his words.
"I know, Chang," Duo said sarcastically. "I was just making a comment."
"Our staffs hold crystals full of magic. The best of us hold spells incase we don't have our staffs with us but we are able to channel mot of our abilities through these focuses. As Wufei has just shown these staffs are very close to us and connected to our emotions," Quatre explained, quickly taking the heat away from his hot headed comrades. Deanna could see why he was caption, the more she was around Quatre the more she respected him.
"How much power is in your staffs?" Worf asked.
"Actually that depends on the person. Heero's staff contains the most pure power; he could easily blow up the voidus. However Duo could separate your mental and physical self or call on the ghost of the past to do his bidding. Each of us has a specialty and on average I would say that even the weakest of us could destroy a planet in our own way," Trowa stated.
"But that doesn't mean we would," Quatre immediately added. "My power is healing. I have never used it in violence."
There was silence after that comment. Deanna could feel Quatre's want to have his crew add the same detail but no other could. Deanna didn't care as much about his power, the boy was just a boy after all, as she did about his mental abilities.
"And your ability to control emotions?" Deanna asked.
"Actually that is not a part of the staff. I was born with empathy," Quatre stated. "We do communicate mind to mind using the clear crystal of mind though."
"Does it also glow when you use it?" Deanna questioned.
"It does," Quatre responded.
"Heero, do you have some innate ability to communicate mind to mind?" Deanna asked, turning to look at Heero.
"No," Heero dead panned. Deanna was about to press but before she could Picard was hailed.
"Picard here," Picard stated in answer.
"Caption, an OZ ship has come into sensor range, 20 minutes behind the White Fang vessel," a voice stated over the com.
"Are you positive about that identification?" Picard asked his voice worried. Deanna felt a shiver of fear run up her back. Although White Fang were fierce fighters, they were out laws and could be treated as such. OZ was legal, barely. Deanna turned her attention back to Picard as the older caption looked Quatre square in the eyes. Deanna was proud that the young man didn't even change expressions under the older man's gaze.
"White Fang is a group of pirates. They do not come under the rule of any organization. They do what they please at the expense of whom ever is in there way... but they can be treated as the outlaws they are. OZ is a united military force under the private direction of Treize Khushrenada," Picard stated in explanation.
"Treize Khushrenada has his hand in every pie. We are not entirely sure of his allegiance or motives," Deanna elaborated.
"I wouldn't say that about White Fang," Heero's voice dead panned. "White Fang does not follow any rules but they don't kill needlessly or neglect those in need." Every head turned to toward Heero and Deanna got that feeling that he was communicating with the unknown again. Even his four companions turned there heads in surprise.
"And your input on OZ?" Wufei asked. Deanna noticed that it had blatantly cut off Duo from making a comment.
"None," Heero dead panned. There was a moment of silence and Deanna tried to imagine a possible peaceful meeting between the four ships... and failed.
"Caption Picard," Quatre said as he turned his head back to Picard. "May I see the reports on White Fang and OZ?"
"Of course," Picard stated, barely gaining his wits. "Geordi please bring them up for our friend. I need all officers to their stations, Caption Quatre you are welcomed to join me on the bridge when you are finished. I will have Troi alert you when White Fang has arrived, sense they seem to be in the lead."
"Thank you Caption," Quatre responded. Deanna remained behind as everyone filtered out of the room.
"Caption, I still sense no malice from any of them, however, Heero has been mentally communicating with something outside the ship. I know Quatre knows when it is going on but I am not sure about anyone else," Deanna reported. Picard nodded.
"We will wait and see. I wish that White Fang had not come this fast – and even more that OZ had not come - but what is done is done. Report to the bridge, I will really need your help on this one," Picard stated. Deanna nodded and smiled. She trusted Quatre.
mtc