21

A Special Breed

"Ha," Katoth said triumphantly as he noticed something peculiar.

"What?" Mesh'ba demanded.

"Scanners have picked up a small vessel parked on the southern continent of that barren wasteland," he replied and nodded at the harshened landscape displayed on the view screen before them.

"A dead world isn't something to conquer," Karash spoke up with disinterest.

"It is a Starfleet shuttle," Katoth added.

Mesh'ba returned his focus to the planet. "Now, why would the flagship of the Federation bother to send one of their shuttles there, unless there is something of value to obtain?" he wondered aloud.

"Perhaps we should pay them a visit?" Katoth suggested.

OOOOOO

"I wish I could go back home," Ka'Teelar said longingly as she stared at the millions of stars that seemed to twinkle just outside the window.

Una followed her gaze. "I am afraid the Araxian Star System is too far away in order for you to reach it within your lifespan," she said regretfully. "Although, Chris says it's a wonderful place – once you get to know it."

Ka'Teelar turned to her, not sure how to interpret that statement.

"We'll see to it that you receive everything we have on the planet; its people and traditions. I think you'll find that there is a lot to discover not only about Arax but within yourself," Una reasoned.

"Can I ask you something?" the young empath said suddenly.

The Enterprise's XO nodded. "Go ahead," she said.

"Don't you ever get homesick?"

"I think we're a special breed," Una replied, choosing her words carefully. "Being a member of Starfleet is a calling – it's something you devote your life to serve. Of course, where you go depends on which vessel you are assigned too but this is the flagship and as a flagship officer, I am not allowed to be homesick. I am an explorer, a woman on a mission, someone who's got the greatest job in the galaxy."

"You make it sound like it's a marvelous job," Ka'Teelar said jovially.

"It has its ups and downs. Every time the Enterprise heads out to deep space the journey is set to last for five years. That is a long time to be away from home. You never know where the journey takes you; you never know if you'll ever reach home again. Out here we have only each other and the ship. It is hard to explain but we've become one large family."

Ka'Teelar nodded. "I know what you mean, it resembles what my great grandmother told me of their journey here. Like them, I suppose you'll never return to a place you've visited before?"

"Not likely, no. There will be other ships from the Fleet," Una said. "But this particular ship; this particular crew, will probably never come back here."

She swallowed; her mouth suddenly dry.

Una tried to cheer her up. "Do you want the full tour before you get back down again?"

Ka'Teelar brightened. "I'd love too."

OOOOOO

"Would you do us the honor and stay at the hospital?" Ov'Da Bob Da asked kindly.

He'Kelle hesitated.

"I promise you; you'll never have to give your life for someone else's," the doctor added.

The young woman took a quivering breath as she glanced around the spacious, white painted walls of the senior medical consultant's office. She raised her hand to cover her mouth as a tear of joy escaped her eye. "I am sorry," she whispered.

"There is no rush to decide anything," he said softly. "Take your time and – if you decide to come back – there will be a proper job for you."

"For all of us?" she asked even though she already knew the answer to that.

"For all of you," he echoed with a smile.

OOOOOO

Ka'Teelar smiled as Captain Pike neared. "Are you leaving already?" she asked.

He returned the smile. "And leave my crew?" he said softly. "No, the ship is staying put at Circusia while a few of us are taking a shuttle to the barren wastelands of Trehelios. There is something I need to see for myself."

"Captain?" she called as he turned to leave. "I don't know how to thank you – just saying the word seems so small of me."

"Why," he asked kindly. "You did save my life."

Ka'Teelar sighed. "And almost got you killed too," she pointed out sheepishly.

"I am not bearing and grudges," he replied with a dimpled smile.

"Will you come to the Biosphere when you get back?" she asked carefully. "The Hav'rats would like that and – I have something in mind."

"Then I wouldn't miss it for the world," he assured her. "Stay well Ka'Teelar."

OOOOOO

"Wonder Woman to Miracle Man," Una called enigmatically over the private communication's channel.

Chris looked up from the latest report he was skimming and frowned then he shook his head and smirked amusedly.

"Would that be my illustrious XO calling?" he guessed.

"It seems you've locked yourself into your office again, captain," she remarked as she suddenly walked into the room with a smug look on her face.

"And you've learned to pick my door code," he noticed.

"I need to go through some very boring routine tasks concerning personal rotations and schedules. Then I need you to sign some orders," she replied.

"Right now, I would love mundane, boring tasks and some peace and quiet," he offered.

"Nicola says the chatter on the channels is quite amazing," she informed him warmly. "You've become something of a celebrity – maybe even a godsend - down on Circusia, rumors are spreading fast. They are dying to touch you and see for themselves if you are real."

"Una, please, don't joke about it," he said tiredly. "Starfleet will have me on report for violating first contact protocol and a lot of other regulations."

The XO made a face and shook her head. "What would they have done?" she pressed. "It was the Klingons who picked a fight with us, not the other way around. It was the Circusian government who failed to tell us they had encountered Klingons recently."

Chris appreciated what she was trying to do – like she always did – but her defense would have to be pretty solid this time around. "You said it yourself, because of my actions, I've become something of a-" he hesitated, he would never even consider being on even terms with a God.

"-a divine," Una finished for him. "If it makes you feel better, I'd say your only intention was to save a young woman-," she paused as a mischievous expression broke out on her face. "Saving a damsel in distress," she teased, unable to help herself.

The captain mastered an undignified look perfectly as he leveled his eyes with hers. "You just had to say it; didn't you?" he asked.

She gave him a fond smile.

He sighed and leaned back in his chair; his hands clasped in his lap. "This topic is exactly why I've decided to take a little tour to Trehelios while the main part of the crew have their shore leave."

"I see," Una replied smartly. "Which is why Lieutenants Mann, Lesley and Spock, a few redshirts and myself will accompany you. We can be ready within the hour-," sensing he was about to protest, she leaned forward in her chair opposite him and stabbed a finger at his chest. "There is no point in arguing the matter, sir."

"Point taken. I do know which fights I can't win," he offered.

"Good," she said, looking smug. "See you on hanger deck."

OOOOOO

"Nearing the surface," Una reported from the co-pilot's seat. "I have the Columbus in sight. She's off to our right with a distance of one kilometer."

"Let's make that three hundred meters instead," Chris answered as he fed a few commands to the flight control unit and let the Copernicus hover for a moment.

Mann gave a low whistle as she glanced out through the main forward window. "It really is barren and harsh."

Christopher Pike powered down the Copernicus as the rest of them unbuckled their seatbelts, checked their gear and then started to head for the door.

Trina Mann halted mid-step in the doorway to the barren wasteland that lay ahead. She slung her riffle over her shoulder and turned to her captain. He looked to be in good shape, there was no outward sign that gave him away but she knew he had been through a lot lately and she knew the Klingons would love to get their hands on him again.

"Lieutenant," Spock stated with a cocked eyebrow as she hindered the rest of them to leave the shuttle.

"On my way," she reported and focused on the present. "Security – regroup outside and await orders."

"Yes, ma'am," the three redshirts chorused.

Una smirked as she watched the crewmembers disembark and turned to her captain.

Chris spared her a glance and then frowned as he turned to study her somewhat mischievous face. "What?" he asked, knowing something was up.

She shook her head, smiling faintly. "I don't know. Phil thought you'd be safer here than on Circusia but I know you – you find trouble everywhere."

He chuckled sarcastically. "Thank you," he replied. "If I remember correctly, I think we agreed you weren't any less accident prone – that means this mission is doomed from the beginning."

Una appeared thoughtful for a moment and blinked at him. "We're pretty resilient and we know how to defend ourselves," she reasoned.

"So, what do you make of this?" he asked curiously as he changed subject, adjusted his tac-vest and made sure his phaser was properly secured in its holster.

"I am not sure," she said. "This is a dead world. While there is still breathable air, it's thin. Nothing grows here anymore, the weather is far from docile and calm, winds are reaching hurricane strength and can form within minutes. It is inhospitable and yet it is intriguing to find out why it turned out to be this way."

"Do you think we have found Ichkamar?" Chris asked hopefully.

"If we have, there should be signs of civilization somewhere," she reasoned. "Last I heard any updates from liaison officer, Lieutenant Rhine, none of the teams had found much. If this is what remains of a great, technologically advanced, civilization such as the Ichkamarian-," she trailed off, at loss of what to say.

Chris exited the vessel with Una in tow and nodded at her. "Speaking of Lieutenant Rhine. Won't you consider it odd that no one has come to greet us?"

"You know how they are," she replied with a smirk. "Archeologists, botanists, geologists. Try getting the attention of an excited scientist from whatever area of expertise onboard the ship when they are on to something."

Chris smirked back. "Okey, let's head up to the camp and see if we can find someone. It seems our friends are a bit preoccupied."

As the group began to move and the two commanding officers brought up the rear, Una leaned closer to Chris, looking rather curious and cunning at the same time. "I wonder what the major breakthrough was all about?" she whispered.

They began to walk across the charcoal-colored lava from a nearby volcano, the barren wasteland stretching for miles ahead of them. As Pike narrowed his eyes, he could make out a barely distinguishable pinprick of white further down the hill and down in what appeared to be a canyon.

OOOOOO

Lieutenant Sarah Rhine glanced up from the clipboard she'd been studying as eight figures emerged from the shadows of the semi-dark noon. She strained her eyes to see better and straightened as Captain Pike and his away team walked up to her.

"We tried to call you earlier to let you know of our ETA," the captain informed with a faint dimpled smile.

Rhine shook her head. "I am sorry, sir. The canyon is making communication near impossible. Ensign Rodrigues was on his way to Columbus for the check in with the Enterprise-," she paused, realizing that the botanist wasn't among the newly arrived. "He wasn't there?"

"No, there was no one at the shuttle," Pike replied seriously.

"I'll double back," Mann said and nodded at one of the security officers to join her.

Pike held up his hand to stall them for a moment. "How's communication between this place and the Columbus?" he asked.

"When you've crossed the ridge, there is no problem at all," Lieutenant Rhine assured her commanding officer.

Pike nodded, satisfied with the answer, as he turned to one of the more seasoned security officers. "Lieutenant Mulhaney. I want you on the ridge. Make sure you have our security team in your sight – all the time," he said.

"Yes, sir," came the quick reply.

"Lieutenant Lesley. Grab a few enhancers and see what you can do about communication down here. I've heard you're pretty good when it comes to miracles."

"Commander Reno's words, sir, not mine," Joe Lesley said with a tight smile as he disappeared to begin with his task.

"I am dying to know," Una spoke up. "What the major break though is all about?"

Spock arched a curious eyebrow at her choice of words. "Would that be another of your infamous sayings commander?" he asked evenly.

"Otherwise, she's hiding her symptoms pretty well," Pike deadpanned, eliciting a glare from his XO.

Lieutenant Rhine hid a grin behind a stern façade, fighting to remain neutral while secretly enjoying the light banter between the senior officers. She rarely saw them out of a conference room or lab and when they came to talk, it was usually to discuss something like limited supplies, schedules, rotations of personnel or to give an explanation of a dire situation. Occasionally, she did see them in the mess hall, on the observation deck or the 'great movie hall' but still, she rarely saw them like this.

Spock graciously harrumphed.

Rhine was instantly brought out of her stupor. "I am sorry," she managed with a smile. "Are you ready for it?"

"I was born ready," Una stated.

Chris nodded slightly.

They walked over to a group of people, who seemed to be very fascinated of something that resembled a large stone slab.

The main historian and archaeologist, Lieutenant Parker, beamed brightly at them, looking like a kid in a candy store. "Captain, Commander, Lieutenants-," he paused and waved lazily at them to join him. "If this wasn't made by a civilized people, then I don't know what is."

Spock stepped forward, trying to deduce if the depicted letters resembled those that he'd seen on Sobral, in the Ichkamarian vault.

Pike hopefully watched him study the slab.

The Vulcan shook his head. "Similar but not identical," he summarized.

Chris sighed as he glanced up at the starry sky, watching the three moons; one of them situated at a very close distance. He recalled Sorabraya's words; Ichkamar had been overpopulated for a long time while growth rates had decreased and crops had frozen. The weather fluctuations had intensified as polarity of the planet had slowly been shifting.

"The sky has a different shade of blue; it's almost purple," Una reasoned as she followed her captain's gaze into the starry unknown. "The days seem awfully short even taking into consideration that the sun is nothing but a frail, old dying star. It fits with how she described her home planet."

"I see what you are getting at, commander," Spock said. "Language evolves over time; changes over time. But not to this extent."

"Actually," Parker began. "The ancient depictions are not the only thing that makes this interesting."

Specialist Cochrane took a step forward and nodded at his captain and the landing party. "It appears to be some sort of gateway, sir," he reported.

Una and Chris shared a curious yet cautious look.

"What's that?" Lieutenant Lesley asked, trying to conceal his excitement, from a slight distance.

"Please explain," Spock said.

Project coordinator Rhine took a step forward. "Please, sir. Keep in mind that we've only been here for a week. While we've set up experiments, taken readings and done everything we can think of we have been limited to our portable equipment."

"You could have contacted the ship," Pike suggested kindly.

"I judged the mission at hand - to establish a first contact with the Circusians and possibly arrange a shore leave for the entire crew - to be more important, captain," she said. "It was either that or live out the rest of my days onboard the ship being glared at and remembered as the one who interrupted the shore leave preparations."

"The final decision would have been mine," Pike pointed out.

"Still," Rhine reasoned. "I would have been the whistleblower."

The communicator suddenly chirped and Chris brought it out of his pocket. "Pike here," he said.

"Mulhaney here, sir," the security officer reported dutifully from his crouched position up at the ridge. "Mann and McNamara just disappeared behind Columbus."

"Rodger that," Pike replied and cut the communication.

Rhine frowned as her own communicator began to beep. She retrieved it and answered the call. "This is Rhine?"

Metrological expert Shizou's voice came over the open channel. "Rhine, it's Shizou. I'm beginning to worry. Our biologists, Joplan and Levis, headed your way almost an hour ago. They have failed to check in, please tell me they have arrived safely?"

Pike turned to Rhine who shook her head dejectedly.

"Shizou, this is Captain Pike," he said, his voice polite but also curt as he was worried about is missing crewmembers. "The biologists never made it here. We never saw anyone on the way here either."

"There have been other people on the planet," Rhine answered his unspoken question. "But they have not given us any trouble. It's mostly adventurers who seeks to challenge themselves."

"Thank you, captain, although that was not what I had hoped to hear," the man replied lightly.

Pike looked stern as he turned to the remaining security officer, who'd arrived with the landing party, and then nodded at Spock. "Ensign, lieutenant," he began just as Mulhaney came running down the ridge towards them.

Una reached for her phaser at the sudden movement behind her and breathed a sigh of relief as it was one of their own.

"Sorry, Ma'am," the security officer apologized. "Mann says Rodrigues is dead; smashed up, just like the interior of the Columbus."

Pike stiffened.

"I'll have her on the line in a second," Lesley hollered over his shoulder. "With a little luck we can even reroute through Copernicus and contact the Enterprise."

The captain wasted no time. "Mann!" he called. "Come in."

There was a scratchy sound, static filling the channel, but then came the clear voice of the chief of security. "Sir! We caught a Klingon inside the Columbus. He's damaged the controls and – Rodrigues must have caught him in surprise – he's dead, sir."

"Are you all right, lieutenant?" Pike asked seriously as he shared a worried glance with his XO.

"Just a scratch, captain, but security officer McNamara wasn't so lucky," she replied, sounding slightly out of breath. "I've tended to him the best I can, he's locked inside the Columbus. I didn't know what else to do. He needs medical attention from a proper doctor."

"Okay. Spock, Mulhaney and Gilliz will meet up with you," Pike replied. "It seems we've got a situation. They'll fill you in on the way to the other camp."

"Understood captain," she responded. "Mann out."

Chris watched as Una closed her communicator and nodded at him. "The Enterprise is on her way," she said.

"So, this is where the Klingons went," Pike spoke up bitterly.

"Well," Una remarked dryly as she blinked at him. "Then there can only be three of them left."

He nodded and turned to Rhine and Parker. "While we wait – let's not waste time. Tell me about this gateway."

OOOOOO

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