Lost - Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I own neither Star Trek nor Harry Potter. I am merely swimming in their pond with this work of non-profit fiction.
Previously
An older Klingon, obviously a senior officer by his uniform appeared on screen. Behind him his crew could be seen engaged in repairs. Before Picard could speak the Klingon cocked an eyebrow and gestured at the screen.
"Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Enterprise, well it appears that I owe you for your assistance Captain. What say you beam over and we'll share a case or two of Blood Wine?"
Bridge - USS Enterprise
Picard frowned. "May I enquire as to your meaning Commander?"
The Klingon shrugged. "I think we need to talk Picard, face to face."
Picard nodded not understanding but needing to, "You are more than welcome to beam over or I can beam over to you."
"I will beam over," was the curt reply and the transmission ended.
"Number One, please prepare a conference room." Picard ordered as his gaze returned to the view screen and the Klingon ship repair itself.
oOoOoOo
Transporter Room – USS Enterprise
As the transporter beam solidified the Klingon Commander immediately stepped off the platform toward the senior Starfleet officer.
"Commander William Riker first officer welcome aboard."
"D'Mek, Commander Riker. Now let's see your Captain as he and I have a rather interesting shared problem."
"This way sir," Riker gestured to the door.
oOoOoOo
Conference room B – USS Enterprise
Picard sat back in his chair and took a few moments to compose himself.
"D'Mek you know that this could be construed as kidnapping."
"Come, come Captain you must understand my ship has been attacked. Your science station was attacked. These two are the link and I need them to solve this puzzle. Besides they are on my ship and are not being held against their will, in fact I believe that my new chief engineer has offered them a job."
"They are Federation citizens." Picard stated in a flat voice.
"They may be human but they are not Federation citizens Captain, on that you have my word." D'Mek looked Picard in the eye. "You may speak with them to ascertain their health and verify their status."
"Very well if you would beam them…" Picard was cut off by a raised hand.
"Captain Picard you may see them aboard the Kaveth Nar. I have a reason for this and if nothing else. Believe me when I say you will want the answers I seek as much as I."
oOoOoOo
Crew Mess - IKS Kaveth Nar
"..you should have seen it Turik the boy waved his stick and they were gone….."
"..L'kor is going to mate the poor PetaQ if he repairs anything else…."
"D'Mek told the Fedies no…by Kahless look there's the boy…"
Harry almost turned and left, it was like being back at bloody school. People thought you couldn't hear the whispers, however before he could decide a hand clamped down on his shoulder. Harry turned his head to see Moros the Tactical officer.
"You did well Harry and they are both grateful and a bit in awe of you. None on this ship mean you any harm. You should speak to them; I'm not saying tell them everything but you need to say something."
Seeing that Harry looked unconvinced he continued, "Harry this ship is big but far too small to hide in and if you say nothing then they will make it up themselves. We Klingons love a good story. "
"I understand but it's been like this before and I hate people staring at me and whispering all the time, I'm nothing special."
Moros's booming laughter startled Harry who looked up at the tall Klingon officer.
"What?" demanded a puzzled Harry.
Moros tried to contain his laugh and looked Harry in the eye.
"Harry you and Sirius helped save the ship. You have strange never before seen powers. Everyone has heard about how Sirius has been running around the ship with L'kor fixing everything in sight and you want to have a low profile?"
As Moros spoke two young Bekk's approached Harry cautiously and to Harry's surprise Moros simply nodded at them and walked off.
"Is it true?" asked the female.
oOoOoOo
Conference room B – USS Enterprise
"D'Mek you mentioned that there were things that I needed to see myself. May I ask if they are linked to the ongoing repairs to your ship?"
"Captain Picard even if I told you, I know you wouldn't believe me. I suggest you pick some senior officers and beam over to the Kaveth Nar and see for yourself."
Picard frowned slightly before responding. "Are you being deliberately mysterious Commander?"
"As I said Picard, wait and see. I will beam over to my ship and await you."
With that D'Mek stood up and Picard called for a security ensign to escort him to the transporter room. Once the Klingon commander left Picard walked to the nearest window and watched the Klingon ship as it hung in space.
This whole mission seemed to be determined to be mysterious and while he enjoyed a good mystery he had a duty to garner the facts. Tapping his comm badge he summoned all department heads to the conference room. As he waited he once more turned watched the Klingon ship as its repairs continued.
Within minutes Riker, Troi, Data, La Forge, Worf and Dr Crusher had arrived. Once they were seated around the conference table and had come to order Picard stood and began describing his meeting with the Klingon Commander. His experienced crew took the information on board and waited for their Captain to finish before asking questions.
Will Riker was the first. "Captain we have been monitoring the Klingons repairs and you are right when you say the pace is incredible, I've had Data & Geordie looking over the sensor logs but we haven't made sense of it yet. New equipment just seems to appear in place; damaged hull sections seem to repair themselves."
"Indeed," continued Data "Scans show a burst of unknown energy type. I have not as yet been able to identify either the type of energy involved or the source. Commander La Forge has been engaged in trying to establish the extent of the damage the Klingon Vessel suffered."
"La Forge?" enquired Picard. The Engineer had been uncharacteristically quiet reading something off the table monitor.
"Captain If our initial scans are correct and I've gone over them twice. We should be towing that ship out there to a repair station there is no way they should have been able to complete repairs so quickly. In three hours they have conducted repairs back to class specifications to over forty percent of the ship that should have taken weeks if not months in a space dock."
Picard frowned and tugged his uniform shirt down before turning to Data and La Forge. "Gentlemen I will leave you to monitor this mystery. Now I want to discuss our two human survivors and our mission to discover what happened at the research station. D'Mek seems unwilling to hand over the survivors but has stressed that he is not holding them against their will. He assures me that they are well and indeed may assist us with both our and the Klingons investigations. It was his statement that they are not Federation citizens that puzzles me. Why would two non-federation humans be working on a highly classified Federation science station?"
"Could they have something to do with the ships repairs?" asked Troi.
Data answered almost instantly. "I do not see how Counsellor the unclassified energy involved appears alien to Federation science. It is most improbable that this is Federation technology, however that does not discount alien technology the research team may have been working on."
Picard ran a hand over his scalp as he replied. "Unfortunately my request for clarification on what they were working on has been met with a wall of silence from Starfleet and the Federation science council. Which I admit does lend credence to the supposition that alien technology may be involved."
"And that would imply that the Klingons have acquired that technology," added Riker.
Picard raised a hand. "Let's not borrow trouble number one. D'Mek has invited us to meet with the two survivors and he has agreed that we both need answers to what happened on Tal Sigma Five. I am not sure he would allow that if he had a ship full of stolen technology."
"If he's being upfront with us that may be true," commented Riker.
Worf shifted his gaze to his superior. "Sir Commander D'Mek is a well known, veteran officer. His reputation is one of honest and honourable individual one who holds himself aloof from politics. I believe the human term is that he is a career officer."
Dr Crusher cleared her throat. "So he didn't need any medical assistance? Did they take many casualties?"
"No apparently they made it through remarkably unscathed. They suffered four deaths in the initial attack. Perhaps Beverly you should accompany the away team to meet out two mysterious humans. Use your judgement and if required feel free to offer D'Mek our assistance."
Dr Crusher nodded, "Thank you Jean Luc."
"Well let's get on with this. Put an away team together Number One. As this is a visit between allied Captains I will lead the away team. Will I'm leaving you in command of Enterprise."
oOoOoOo
Transporter Room - IKS Kaveth Nar
The Enterprise away team were met in the transporter room by a young looking Klingon officer. "Welcome aboard Captain Picard. I am Moros the acting first officer and the Kaveth Nar's tactical officer."
Picard inclined his head to the Klingon and introduced his away team. "This is Doctor Beverly Crusher our Chief Medical Officer. Lieutenant Commander Data my Second Officer." Picard gestured to his left, "This is our ships counsellor Deanna Troi and this is Lieutenant Worf my Security Chief."
"Commander D'Mek wishes us to join him in engineering. However perhaps the Doctor may wish to go to Medical?"
Dr Crusher seemed surprised at the Klingons courtesy, "Thank you Moros that would be excellent."
Moros bowed his head in acknowledgement. "We are passing the Medical area on our way to engineering. I believe that our Medic would appreciate your assistance as she has quite a few injured crewmen to deal with."
The young Klingon officer gestured for the Starfleet officers to follow him and walked out of the transporter room. As they walked the ship they passed a number of the Klingon crew none of whom seemed surprised at their presence.
"Our new chief engineer has requested both you and the Commander meet with her in engineering. In other circumstances we would have provided a more fitting welcome for you and your crew Captain Picard."
"Lieutenant Moros if I might ask a personal question?" began Data and at Moros's nod continued. "You seem rather well versed in dealing with human officers?"
Moros responded with a booming apparently genuine laugh. "Mister Data do you imply my fellow officers are not?" asked a now grinning Moros.
"I did not mean to disparage….." Data was cut off by the Klingons raised hand.
"Mister Data I spent nearly twelve years on Earth and other Federation outposts. Growing up my parents served as diplomats on the Ambassadors staff. So you might say that I grew up amongst humans." The young Klingon turned to Worf. "I am unsurprised that you don't remember me although we met once at a Starfleet diplomatic function. You were I believe a second year cadet. I was twelve."
Moros showed Dr Crusher to the Medical section. After a quick introduction the Senior Medic and the Starfleet Doctor were soon engrossed in discussing the few patients still confined to the medical section.
Again Moros indicated they should move on and led the Federation officers through the ship until they reached the engineering section. Moros came to a halt outside the hatch.
"I am probably speaking out of turn. But I think it fair to warn you that you will need to take care how you talk to Sirius and Harry, your two survivors. Firstly because they are, I believe still dealing with their own demons. The second reason is that they have bonded rather well with the crew. They were responsible for saving many lives with their, shall we say….ah…. unique skills. Threats or anything perceived as such would be unwise as I believe the engineers would protect them as if they were crew."
Before Picard or any of the others could question him Moros opened the hatch to engineering. Immediately the crew could hear a Klingon female screaming obscenities at what appeared by his rank insignia to be the Klingon Commander D'Mek.
"….by Kahless, you fool how could you agree to that? You've seen with your own eyes what he has achieved. Add to that the fact he doesn't wish to leave and what do you do? I'll go to the Council you….." the female Klingon halted in her berating as she took in the arrival of the Starfleet officers.
"Well what have we here? Who let you in to my engine room?" she demanded.
D'Mek laughed loudly, "Captain Picard let me introduce my chief Engineer. L'kor you'll see to our guests or I'll kill you myself."
"Over my dead body" came a light hearted voice with an English accent.
The Starfleet officers turned almost as one to see a middle aged human male standing on a gantry above the warp engine. He was shirtless and filthy but smiling as he looked over the railing.
"L'kor my lovely; please attempt to bring the ward machine up again. I think those coiler things are done."
"Sirius you idiot it's a WARP drive and you were looking at the warp coils. Leave it for now we have 'guests' who no doubt wish to meet you."
The Klingon threw her commanding officer a dirty look. "Oh and you had better drag Harry out from where ever he's hiding as well."
"Okay, okay jeez nag, nag, nag. Oi Harry the star wars people are here."
"Starfleet" corrected Data.
Sirius smiled down at the Starfleet officers. "Sorry Starfleet then, my apologies."
"Coming Sirius," come a disembodied voice. "I'm just finishing up whatever this thing is here, Tarmen told me it's name a bloody second ago, ahh that's it conduit."
A young human male appeared next to Sirius fully dressed but just as filthy.
"Engineer L'kor may I ask a question?" enquired Data.
L'kor nodded absently as she typed in commands on a console, "Go ahead Starfleet."
"It seems that both Sirius and Harry lack engineering training or are at least unfamiliar with Warp technology. Are you sure it is wise to allow them to work on such critical systems?"
L'kor bared her teeth before glancing at Moros.
"Perhaps," offered Moros "We should leave L'kor to her work and move on to a less busy area."
As Data was speaking Troi was scanning the emotions of both Sirius and Harry. Sirius was as he appeared happy and absorbed in his work. Although he did seem worried and she felt it was linked to their appearance. When she turned her attention to Harry meeting his eyes for a moment she was shocked to see him stiffen and clutch his forehead. Trying to pull back from his mind she staggered and closed her eyes as she felt a wave of his pain wash over her. As the pain passed she opened her eyes to see both Sirius and Harry pointing something at her.
Beside her Worf had drawn his phaser but no one else moved. Troi could feel the tension in the room. A quick glance around showed that most of the Klingons had drawn disruptors and had them pointed at the away team.
Picard slowly stepped forward with his hands slightly raised and well away from his phaser. "Mister Worf, please lower your weapon."
Troi looked back to the young human who was shaking and obviously in pain but his aim was still rock steady with his stick pointed directly at her chest.
"Harry what happened?" asked Sirius his voice concerned.
"The woman there just hit me with some sort of a Legilimency probe and it bloody hurt same as Voldemort."
"Sirius?" asked L'kor whose disruptor was now pointed at Troi.
"Mental attack, nasty hurts like hell when someone does it to Harry."
Moros slowly stepped forward and sheathed his disruptor he studied Troi's face a moment before speaking. "Are you a Betazoid?"
"I am half Betazoid my father was human." answered Troi in a calm voice.
"Are you a telepath?" Moros asked slowly.
'No, I am an empath," replied Troi.
"Sirius, Harry I think that you will find that there has been a misunderstanding here. Betazoids are a telepathic race perhaps that's what you felt?"
Slowly the Klingon crew sheathed their weapons and began to go about their duties. D'Mek and Moros conferred with L'kor who nodded and walked off to talk with Sirius. It was decided that Sirius and Harry would meet with the away team in the mess area.
oOoOoOo
Twenty minutes later a clean and fully dressed Sirius led Harry in to the mess area. They found D'Mek and his senior officers sitting at a table with Picard, Worf and Troi. Just as Sirius and Harry sat Dr Crusher and the Klingon Medic Kuri arrived and joined those at the table.
"Harry I would like to apologise if I hurt you in anyway. It was not my intent to cause you any pain or distress." Troi offered sounding contrite. In response Harry nodded and appeared to accept her apology at face value.
D'Mek pounded his fist on the table, the Klingon equivalent of tapping a glass.
"Sirius why don't you share what you have told us with our Federation allies."
Sirius looked at D'Mek and then L'kor. "Should I trust them? Remember what I told you I won't allow it to happen to Harry or me for that matter."
"Sirius, do you honestly think we would let something so dishonourable happen to you? After all we owe you and Harry a great deal." L'kor answered her voice low and husky as she grasped Sirius's arm and looked in to his eyes. "I know why you fear it but times have changed."
Sirius looked to Harry who nodded, taking a deep breath Sirius laid both hands on the table. "Well it started like this; Harry and I come from