You cannot pick your family

"You cannot be serious!"

It wasn't Mary who said that. R'Kerti was at her helm controls and ready to move the Denali as needed. The Gorn was, despite her youth and lack of experience as a Starfleet officer, well traveled and fairly knowledgeable about things across the galaxy. The Gorn ensign's soft, incredulous voice rocketed around the Denali's bridge like a cannon shot in the silence that followed.

"I don't know a lot about your people, Voth." Mary said slowly. "But what little I know about your kind says that what you just stated is ludicrous in the extreme. Your people do not rescue non-Voth." She shook her head. "Your Doctrine does not allow such things."

"I wish Illian was here. Well... No, I don't." R'Kerti muttered and Mary nodded to her.

Their Starfleet Academy classmate Illian had studied the USS Voyager's long jaunt through the Delta Quadrant to a great extent. Illian had been an eye opener to Mary in many ways. She was deeply religious, but not in any normal Cardassian way. Illian had been born Cardassian but raised on Bajor after losing her parents during the Dominion War. She thought like a Bajoran, not a Cardassian and had gone to Starfleet Academy to get away from the recurring conflicts on Bajor more than anything else. She had been in the Science track, not Engineering like R'Kerti or Tactical like Mary. She was about as far from the devious and merciless stereotype of Cardassians as R'Kerti had been from a brutish Gorn or Mary had been from an Iconian. All of the roommates had been outcasts of sorts, hence why the Academy had put them together instead of with peers. To lower the chance of animosity and potential conflict. Starfleet had learned about such things at the Academy early on and learned its lessons well. That was one reason the group had all bonded so closely over Mary's time at the Academy. Hopefully, the girl was not involved in this. Mary devoutly prayed for that anyway. Also for Coral, Janice and Kireka to stay far away from her insane life. R'Kerti being here was bad enough! That said? Illian had studied a lot of Delta Quadrant races and Mary knew her Cardassian roommate had done entire papers on the Voth. What little Mary knew about the Voth came from listening to Illian talk about them. The various science and medicine things that Voyager had discovered had drawn the kind and gentle student like an Earth moth to flame. Illian wanted to be a doctor, not a warrior and all of her class mates had admired her for that. According to R'Kerti she had been the first to treat Mary on the scene after the bomb had gone off in their dorm room. Knowing her? She had done well. She was a very good person, so Mary wanted her nowhere near this mess.

"Care to try again?" Mary inquired when there was no response from the Voth. "If you are trying to make jokes, that did not work. Maybe you would try to 'take' me, but 'rescue'?" She scoffed. "One of you said 'Take the other for study' when you arrived. I assume whoever it was meant me. Doing that would be a very bad idea." She warned. Again, there was no reply and Mary sighed. "All right. Have it your way. Word of warning: If any of your ships power weapons, they are dead." She looked at Jhinis who cut the com at Mary's mental request. Then Mary returned to her seat, musing. "They want someone. That is clear. Probably me. But why? L'Miren won't take such lightly."

"No." The Gorn at her side was just as dubious a Mary was. "I know very little about the Voth as I said, but I do know they think to defense first. If the galaxy learned anything five years ago it is that defense against beings with such high tech as the Iconians doesn't work." Mary nodded, her face sad and the Gorn reassured her. "We stand with you, Captain Pangolin."

"It is appreciated, Second Officer Taakezh." Mary smiled at the Gorn, but her heart wasn't in it. "I don't want to call in our backup, but if the Voth don't leave, I may have to."

"I don't know what you have on call, but I bet it is extreme." The Gorn said softly as everyone on the bridge but Jhinis looked blank. For her part, the Aenar was just as solemn as Mary, for the exact same reason. She knew what Mary's backup was since she had helped set it up. Heralds had their duties and Jhinis had clear orders in such a case from L'Miren herself. "Do I need to know?"

"I hope not." Mary all but begged, but then she turned professional again. "These Voth are not going to be a problem for anyone ever again if they push things." She stared at the plot and her mouth curled in small grimace. "The others?"

"The small flotilla of ships that ambushed the Voth have formed up around the Bloodwing." Taakezh reported, but seemed unsure. "One thing. Captain, I saw one of those ships destroyed. It came apart, no chance for escape pods in that explosion." Mary nodded, her mind racing in conjunction with her Herald as they tried to make sense of this. She had seen it too. A Steamrunner class escort ship had been blown to pieces by a Voth barrage, but now, the same ship or an amazingly accurate duplicate sat in the massive Romulan dreadnought's shadow. The Gorn was eyeing his readouts and Mary let him talk, trying to focus on the entire problem as she had been taught. It was hard. "The ship is reading as the USS Himalaya." At that, Mary and R'kerti both hissed. Several of the former Starfleet personnel on the bridge also stilled, but went back to their duties. The Gorn looked around and then at Mary. "Is that a problem?"

"Maybe." Mary said softly. "There have been several Starfleet ships called that, but the most famous USS Himalaya was lost with all hands during a Borg attack on the Federation in 2373." At that, the bridge went utterly still. Mary continued, her voice a monotone. "A cube appeared on a direct course for Earth and Starfleet responded. The fleet that assembled intercepted the Borg, but the cube avoided most of the defenders with a transwarp jump. The Himalaya managed to follow the jump somehow and engaged the Borg to buy the defenders time to regroup." Mary shook her head, sadness rearing. "One escort had no chance solo against a cube and they attacked anyway. What happened was seen by a couple of scanner posts and corroborated. The ship took multiple direct hits and was blown out of the sky near Earth. Searchers found one warp nacelle, blown in half, later. Nothing else survived. The Borg didn't slow to assimilate the ship, but some say the Himalaya had to do some damage. Starfleet considers them heroes and so do I." The Gorn nodded. "They are credited with slowing the cube long enough for reinforcements to arrive. Reinforcements that included the Enterprise E. They died doing it." She paused and then shook her head. "That ship looks the same but… It can't be. Time travel is known. It has happened, but an entire ship destroyed? Twice?" She shook her head. "I hope it is not time travel. I have worked very hard to stay out of temporal matters since I started at the Academy. Just the basics give me a headache."

"Me too." The Gorn agreed and Mary eyed him. "I was curious. I learned not to be." He said dryly.

"Smart." Mary,.Jhinis and R'Kerti chorused with at least half of the former Starfleet personnel on the bridge. "Time travel messes everything up even before Temporal Investigations shows up. Gah! Just the thought of all that paperwork makes me want to bury my head in the sand." A snicker went around the bridge and the tension eased a bit, as had been her intent. "What are the Federation ships doing?"

"They have maintained formation." The Gorn at her side said and then paused. "They are scanning our ship." Mary shook her head at the Gorn's dubious tone. "Isn't there something in Stafleet regulations about scanning allies without permission? It is rude."

"That it is." Mary shrugged. "That said, with so many different races aboard who came from the K'Valk's Honor, some of which have never been seen in this quadrant before, curiosity is understandable." The captain frowned a little. "That said? It is against regulations and rude. Hail them, Jhinis."

"No response." Came from the Herald, unease growing in her link to Mary.

"Oh, not more super secret spy crap." Mary groaned and everyone looked at her. "Jhinis, if they do anything to threaten the ship, you know what to do. Don't wait for orders." Jhinis nodded, face grave.

"They aren't Drake's people." Jhinis said softly. "I did a quick data search and they read as part of a CCTF Team 3?" That was half statement, half question. "I don't know that designation."

"Neither do I." Mary started keying in a search of her own, but paused when R'Kerti spoke up.

"Counter Command Task Force Team 3." The Gorn at the Helm said quietly. "They are a Special Operations Task Group within Starfleet. Not secret, per say, but detached."

"Black ops?" Mary inquired, her tone cold.

"No." If anything, the Gorn at the helm was subdued now. "They are not rogue, Captain. They are doing their job."

"Which is?" Mary pressed.

"Hunting Undine." R'Kerti shrank into her seat as Mary glared at her. "Hey! I wasn't about to trust anything she said!" The Second Officer stared at her and then at Mary who shook her head.

"Undine?" The Gorn beside Mary was keeping his tone careful. He knew how dangerous she was. Klingon warriors had tried to board the ship in the fracas over the Klingon homeworld during the assault to oust J'mpok and it hadn't ended well for them. None had died because Mary and Jhinis had bee very careful, but it hadn't ended well. If L'Rell's message proclaiming herself the new Chancellor hadn't come in when it had, there would have been ashes of dead Klingons all over the bridge. He had fought too, but he had been utterly outclassed by the Herald and Mary.

"A long story." Mary said slowly. "Imagine if you will… A hatchling of your people. Taken from your people. Tortured. Brainwashed. To be turned into…" She swallowed hard. "...something like me." The Gorn looked horrified and Mary nodded. The sheer pain in her voice had everyone staring at her for a moment and Jhinis worked to soothe her still throbbing mental hurts. "By the same one who did it to me. Yes. She was and is an Undine. She doesn't remember being an Undine."

"And you know this… How?" The Gorn Second Officer asked slowly. Considering his own people's experiences with the Undine, he was being very restrained.

"I touched her mind and knew instantly what had been done to her." Mary sighed and relaxed a little. "At the time, I did not remember the same things being done to me." At that, both R'Kerti and Taakezh stilled. "She was in pain. A slave and not like regular Orion females. She had been abused. She was terrified. I knew that feeling all too well even without all my memories."

"And how can you know she didn't plan on influencing you?" Taakezh asked, still slow and careful.

"Because I went deep into her mind when I realized what she was." Mary said sadly. "I didn't plan it. I was just trying to calm her down. Soothe her. I had no idea what she was and then… I realized she had been abused just like me. She didn't know what she was. She didn't know she had powers. As far as she was concerned, she was an Orion slave." Mary looked at the deck. "She expected me to hurt her too. I won't." That was an oath. "Mlian may or may not turn out to be an enemy, but I refuse to simply kill any female who was abused like I was for the sake of expediency."

"Undine don't have genders." Taakezh wasn't arguing, more bemused.

"'She' does." Mary's tone might have bent steel. "She was remade to be that way by a sick, twisted scum. The same one who abused me. If I ever get a shot at him again, I am taking it." She focused on R'Kerti who looked as if she wanted to bolt. "Mlian is not aboard. Why are they scanning us?"

"I don't know." The helms-Gorn said quickly. "I… I don't know much more than their designation and duties. I wanted to join them, but they wouldn't take me."

"Because you are right out of the Academy?" Mary all but stammered that. "How stupid is that?"

"No." R'Kerti clammed up and Mary stared at her.

"R'Kerti…" Mary pressed. "If it helps..."

"It won't." The Gorn female said a bit more sharply than she probably intended and then wilted as Mary glared at her. "I uh… They were going to get back to me when they had a set of armor manufactured for me." R'Kerti said quickly and more than one person on the bridge choked at that. "I didn't fit, all right?" That was pure annoyed female and even Taakezh looked away as the Gorn helm operator glared at Mary who looked like she had swallowed a bug as she fought to keep from laughing. "The Federation doesn't make such armor for Gorn!"

No one would meet R'Kerti's glare. Even Mary looked away, but was trying very hard to hide a smile. R'Kerti and Starfleet uniforms had a long, messy history. She had gone through so many shoes and boots that the quartermasters had been in tears before the Academy had let her go bare clawed. Just the thought of trying to put her in any kind of standardized armor was hilarious in the extreme. Gorn generally didn't wear armor. They didn't usually need it for anything but EVA work! Mary worked hard to control her expression and when she looked at R'Kerti again, she made sure her face held understanding.

"You followed Starfleet regulations. You saw an Undine and reported it." Mary said softly and R'Kerti nodded, still defensive. "I am not angry, R'Kerti. Upset, worried, all of that but not angry. This whole situation has been a mess from the beginning. I don't blame you for having misgivings. I have them myself. But I touched her mind, R'Kerti. She couldn't lie to me that way and she didn't. I know you cannot believe me and neither can they. As you say, it is their job. That said? If they fire on a ship that is hooked into our defense grid, you know what will happen." R'Kerti nodded slowly. Taakezh nodded as well as the two other Gorn on the bridge who had been listening with various expressions of shock, worry and rage relaxed. Mary nodded, calm again. "Conflict between the Alliance and the Federation is the last thing we need right now. Hail the Federation ships again, Jhinis. Tell them Mlian is not aboard and to stop scanning."

"They won't believe you." R'Kerti said softly.

"I am sure they have swept the ship several times since they arrived and likely detected no Undine traces." Mary frowned with Jhinis when there was no reply again. "Jhinis, put me through to Mlian's Bird of Prey and make sure the rude people can hear it." The last was sour. The Second Officer looked at her and Mary just shook her head slowly.

"On." Jhinis said aloud as a chime sounded.

"Captain Pangolin?" Mlian's voice came through clear from her cloaked ship. "Is there a problem?"

"Apparently, the Federation task force is hunting Undine and think we have one aboard." Mary said slowly and carefully. "I don't know if it is regulations or just just rudeness but they are not talking to us. We don't need any more complications here." She felt a touch on her mind. Mlian was scared. Mary sent reassurance back and Mlian's mind calmed. Her mind felt just like Jhinis' and for the exact same reason. She offered and Mary accepted her service in milliseconds. She had two Heralds now. Lots of people would be upset by this, but Mary didn't care.

"I understand, Captain." Mlian said aloud. "Remove my ship from your defense grid and I will see you at home." Then her voice turned louder. "And just so everyone knows: Any who threaten my matriarch will get what they deserve."

Mary nodded to the tactical officer who bent to his controls. He nodded back to her and then everyone's eyes turned to the plot as it changed. A Bird of Prey shimmered into view several thousand kilometers from the Denali. Mary stilled as she saw its icon shimmer a bit before settling on Alliance colors. Then she saw the name! 'Matriarch's Honor'!

"Renaming a ship is bad luck, Mlian." Mary said quietly.

"I am not superstitious, Matriarch." Mlian replied even as the Federation ships shifted formation, apparently to pursue. "Federation? Word of advice? Don't." With that, ship was engulfed in a sphere of the well known blue-black energy that heralded an Iconian warp gate jump and then, it was gone!

"Well, that is that." Mary heaved a sigh. "Counter Command? Your target is gone. Do what you will but if you attack my Herald in my presence, we will become enemies."Calm, clear, merciless. Again, there was no response. The Federation ships shifted and then, as one they all went to warp. Taakezh seemed shocked, R'Kerti too, but Mary was resigned. "Better they not witness what I fear is about to happen."

"The Voth are not moving." Taakezh said softly, worry rising. "They have repaired several of their ships."

"Right." Mary nodded and focused. "Jhinis, open hailing frequencies. Wide band." She wanted everyone to hear this.

"Open." Jhinis reported from the com station.

"Voth ships and everyone else." Mary put just the right tone of mild exasperation in her voice. "I am delivering medicine to beings who need it badly. You are all in my way. I suggest you move."

"I am sorry, Captain Pangolin." Owlesha's tone was subdued now. "I can't do that. You know what I have to do."

"What is it? Four times now?" Mary was just tired now. "How many of your people have to die to try and kill me, Captain?"

"The Voth cannot take you!" Owlesha all but begged. "I was wrong! You are not the cause. They are!"

"They are not going to take me." Mary retorted. "You know that. Voth Commander, this is your only warning. Don't try." She was not actually surprised when all the Voth ships powered their weapons again. "Idiot."

"You will come with us." Came the voice of the Voth.

"No." Mary retorted.

"You have no choice! Submit!" Came from the Voth and more than one being on the bridge of the Denali sputtered in disbelief. Mary was anything but submissive!

"No." Mary repeated.

"Very well." The Voth snapped. "We will disable your ship and take you by force."

"You will try. Captain Krenn, I bet you of all people know what is about to happen." Mary fought to keep from sighing again. "I shouldn't, but I find I do care for the one I adopted still. If you could? Move Owlesha, please?"

More than one person on the bridge hissed in disbelief as the massive Romulan dreadnought shifted in space. Moving out from between the Denali and the Voth who were now in one massive formation and starting to move towards the carrier. Mary looked at the formation and shook her head.

"Jhinis, it is time. Send to our backup." The captain of the USS Denali said formally to the microphones. "I say 'One cannot pick their family.'"

More than one person gasped as the broadcast went out and suddenly another blue/black sphere appeared beside the Denali in space. This was was bigger. Even bigger than the carrier. Then everything seemed to stop as a huge white thing appeared out if it. The Vonph class Iconian dreadnought L'Miren's Gift had its weapons powered and started deploying Baltiim Raiders even before it was out of the gate. The voice of its captain, a being Mary had met only in passing but understood all too well came loud and clear. The Herald K'Tao was beholden to L'Miren just as Mary was.

"No, one cannot pick their family. You threaten our family, Voth. Bad idea."