Disclaimer: I have not used any of the Star Trek characters, but the alien species in my story don't belong to me. For that matter, Jala and Sisma don't belong to me either since they are my friends' screen names.

A/N: As a reminder, this weird version of Star Trek is based on my life, so there's no telling what will happen because life is unpredictable.

Ode to A Starship

by Lina Shay

Chapter Thirty-Four: Without Cause

I awoke feeling as if I was in a mystic world. I knew I had to get up because magical artifacts beckoned to be stolen by me, the Phantom thief. I realized in moments that I was not a Phantom theif, and that he was only a character in the television show I watched last night. I rolled over to go back to sleep. I was nearly asleep when it hit me that I didn't need to get up even if I wasn't a phantom thief. I had still so much to do before my brother came to get me that day.

I forced myself out of bed and began packing like mad. Time was slipping away. I got ready quickly to attend my last duty shift. I had to go through all the data, delete what was irrelevant, and compress the rest for transfer to the Starfleet central database. When the whole mess was cleaned up, barely had time to get to the office of the commander of Utopia Planetia. She looked at my resignation and then smiled at me.

"May I ask what made you decide to quit Starfleet?"

I lowered my head. She was human. I didn't think she would really understand if I explained it to her.

"It's because," I began, "I don't like my job. In fact, I hate it. I just know that Starfleet isn't right for me."

"What don't you like about your job?" She asked.

I stared off a moment. "I feel insignificant. My whole existence seems so pointless when I'm standing at my station all day, categorizing stars. The endless reports you have to write ar a nightmare."

"Is it possible that you are feeling limited by your field?" She asked. "You feel you are supposed to have a greater purpose."

Maybe she could understand after all.

"Starfleet would hate to lose an officer like you, but it seems you have something greater planned for yourself," the commander suggested.

"Commander Peg," I began, not looking at her, "I want to explore myself and really put my soul into my faith."

The commander leaned forward on her desk. "May I offer you some advice."

I nodded.

"I think that you need to take some time for Lina. I think you should figure out what you want out of life and not let anything, even your own limitations stand in your way."

"But how am I-" I began to ask.

"I can't answer that," she insisted. "Only you can."

I left her office feeling a bit confused. When I got back to my quarters, Jala and Sisma were waiting for me.

"Lina!" Sisma came up and hugged me. Following her, Jala hugged me.

"When do you leave?" Sisma asked.

"In about an hour," I told her. "As soon as my brother comes."

"The captain said since you're leaving Starfleet," Jala said. "She wanted to see you off."

I rolled my eyes.

"Is Darren still on duty?" I asked the two of them.

"I'm pretty sure," Jala answered.

"Oh, I kind of wanted to see him before I left," I muttered, "but I guess it doesn't matter."

"Do you want me to give him a note?" Jala asked.

I shook my head. I could always send a message to him when I got home.

"Oh, I made you something," Sisma said, taking a canvas from beside my bed and handing it to me.

I was astonished when I looked at it. Sisma had painted me.

"It was just from memory, so it doesn't look as good as I wanted," Sisma muttered.

"No, it looks awesome!" I insisted. "I didn't know you were so artistic."

"I want to do another of you," Sisma said excitedly. "I want to paint a full-length one, but you won't be here to pose. So I brought my holo-imager."

Sisma pulled it out from who knows where.

"Strike a pose!" She told me.

I did, and she flashed the imager.

"Hey, you didn't paint a picture of me," Jala voiced.

"Ok, I'll take a picture of you, so I can paint you. Pose."

"How do you want me to pose?"

I don't quite know how it was decided, but it came to the point where I had to move Jala's limbs as if she was a mannequin while Sisma waited with her holo-imager. While I was on the floor, trying to put Jala's foot in the prefect spot, the door chimed.

"Come in!" Sisma called.

Darren walked in and looked at me and Jala oddly. I was too excited to care. It wasn't a goodbye-type hug. it was a run into their arms because you haven't seen them in weeks hug. Why did I give him a hug like that? Maybe it was because it was the last time I would be able to hugn him and I wanted it to count.

Just then, the door chimed again. I actually answered it because I was close now. My brother Alym was at the door. I hugged him, too.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"Not yet," I muttered. "Captain Paris wants to see me off."

We stood around waiting for some time. It got to the point where I was getting really anxious. I hit my comm badge.

"Shay to the captain."

"Yes, Shay. What's up?"

"I'm preparing to disembark. Did you want to see me?"

"Oh, yeah! I'll be right there."

"Right there" must be a relative term. it seemed like we were waiting forever. Finally, the door chimed and it was her. Captain Paris glanced over my room quickly.

"It seems in good order," she told me. "I'll walk you to the shuttle bay."

On the way, which we all went, Paris cheerfully made joke and told me what a valued memeber of her crew I was.

"Dent to the Captain."

Paris tapped her comm badge and responded, "Hey, Dent. Anything wrong?"

"I think you had better come to the bridge immediately," Dent went on.

"I'll be there in a sec," she said and then turned to me. "Sorry. What was your name again? Swartz? I've got to go. Have a good trip."

Paris went off down the hall just as B'Liz came bounding up. Ever been hugged by a klingon? Not many have. Let me tell you what it's like. First, they are extraordinarily strong. A good klingon hug could crush your bones. Second, klingons are tall and have the tendency to overpower one. Don't get me wrong, I was happy B'Liz came up to hug me, but it was a little odd.

B'Liz joined us walking to the shuttle bay. Suddenly, a red alert sounded. Two people beamed in front of us. One was a tall, dark-haired man and the other was Lt. Alejandra of security. The two of them were in maquis clothing and pointed phasers at us.

"Alejandra, what's this?" Jala asked.

"Don't play innocent," Alejandra laughed. "You knew this was coming. Your betazoid friend Colban must have sensed it."

"He didn't say anything," Jala insisted.

"Maybe he's on our side then," Alejandra shrugged.

"That's not true!" Jala shouted.

Just then, B'Liz lunged forward and tackled the dark-haired guy. This distracted Alejandra long enough that B'Liz could pull out her gun and shoot Alejandra, who fell to the ground stunned.

"Jala to the captain. We've apprehended two maquis."

"Good job, Lt. Comm. The rest have been captured as well. Paris out."

A/N: Just so you know, Alejandra actually avoided Colban so he wouldn't read her mind. She just said all that to get Jala's goat. So, we still love Colban! He's not a traitor.