AN/ Um… hi? I know I haven't been active in… forever, but when Boys State blows over I'll have more time for you people. Also I'm thinking about redoing the first chapter to make it more realistic. Anyways reviews good or bad are always welcomed and I hope that the spiders don't- um someone get the bug spray?

July 6th 2156

ECS Gallant:

Captain's Log Supplemental: The search for Captain Miles has proven fruitless. Miles has not been responsive and security teams have packed the decks looking for this illegal trader. I now believe he intended to sell these Talarian Hook Spiders on the black markets, the question is where did he intend to go with these creatures…

Kent blasted three spiders from the ceiling they landed directly on top of Wally causing the red head to spasm out trying to shake the hairy creatures from his jumpsuit.

"Get these motherf****** spiders off this motherf****** ship!" The navigator, in his fury, stomped on several of the Hook Spiders. The Tactical Officer tossed aside her drained rifle and resorted to using her boot to crush the invaders, "Wish I brought my bow, that or an extra power pack." As the three fought the hordes of arachnids, a communications officer ran down the halls of the Gallant into the cargo bay, there he placed an amplifier and his PADD down activating a high pitched squeal. The three fighters in the next room held their ears as the sound radiated through the bulkheads driving the spiders away towards the rear of the ship.

"What the hell is that?" Kent asked clutching his ears.

"That would be our solution to the infestation!" Dick Grayson shouted.

"Look!" Artemis noticed the spiders disengaging and leaving for the rear cargo holds with the other spiders. "Now we need to quickly eject cargo holds Omega and Zeta!" Artemis was already outside the hold accessing the holding clamps. Kent went over to the two shell-shocked women who were covered in webbing, "Ervin, Sandmark; I'm getting you out." Kent took his phase pistol and set the beam to cut through the white material.

"Ejecting!" Artemis pressed the last button closing the doors and launching the containers into the vacuum of space, before pulling out her communicator, "Crock to Justice, lock on to the cargo containers!"

The phase cannons to the ship activated, aimed, and began charging for the container's ultimate fate, "Fire!" The beam shot from the silver cannons and ripped through the metal cargo holds. The resulting explosion shook the ships, but left them undamaged. A beep came from her communicator, which she answered.

"Crock here."

"Artemis, why were weapons fired without my authority?"

Artemis face-palmed and answered him, "Sorry sir, but the infestation is no more; the rear cargo containers have been launched and destroyed, with the spiders in them."

"Good work, now we need to apprehend Captain Miles; send out your security teams through both Justice and Gallant. However I want him alive, set weapons to stun and I will deal with him."

"Yes sir, Crock out."

Artemis sighed and went back towards the hold to see an Orion medical officer tending to the shaking crewmembers. Wally stood off facing them, while Conner loaded his particle rifle and left to search the ship. Artemis was about to leave when she noticed an object on Wally's back sleeve.

"Flyboy, you have a spider's leg on your arm."

"A what?!"West asked in shock.

"Here let me get it."

Artemis was shaking as she reached for it, but at the last minute she inhaled deeply and ripped the leg off and dropped it to the ground.

"GAHH! What the f***! That hurt!"

"Well sor-" Artemis looked at the blood staring to drip from the exposed part of his flight suit and the skin clinging to the dismembered leg, "-ry, um… M'gann? Could you take a look at Wally?"

The Orion medic gave the two some hypo spray before moving to Wally, "Oh my, Wally keep calm." She took out a few utensils from her pouch and began assessing the wound, "I'm giving you so hypo spray for the pain and I'll stitch it right up." M'gann injected the fellow red head with the device, "How do you feel, Wally?"

"Much better now that you're here." He said flirtingly.

Artemis scowled, and glared when M'gann giggled. Dick, watching from the door, noticed the anger radiating off of the blond armory officer. "Artemis, could I speak with you before you go?" The lieutenant turned heel and walked up to the sub-commander, "What?"

"I saw how you reacted to him."

"Reacted how?"

"You like him don't you?"

Artemis blushed a bright pick, "No. I hate his attitude, his jokes, his… his… um." Richard chuckled and spun her around to talk with her about Wally while they walked. The lieutenant in question turned back to them to see the two senior officers leave the room. Disheartened by the departure of the blond with his best friend, Wally busied himself with other matters, "Is there anything else you need, babe?"

M'gann looked at her patients and her bag, "Nope, but come in later for a check up, I wish to see any changes in your behavior."

"I was going to come anyways, just to see you beautiful!"

"Wally!" She tried to hide her laugher as the navigator bowed and exited to the ship.

ECS: Gallant:

Bridge:

Captain Kaldur'ahm and Major Conner Kent met up in the bridge with a small team of MACO soldiers. The dingy, cramped cockpit only allowed for two soldiers and their particle rifles to join the two senior officers, "My men reported Miles storming in here, he stunned one of the tactical crewmembers before barricading in the ready room."

Kaldur pulled out his phase pistol and set it to stun, "Major, I will enter the room. I will try to talk him down to give up. If worst comes to pass, I want your team to raid and stun Miles. I do not want him to escape."

"Yes sir." Kent saluted and ordered his soldiers to aim their rifles at the door.

Taking a deep breath, Kaldur pressed the keypad, by passing the security codes. He entered the small room to find that inside it was completely different from the rest of the ship. The room was filled with hunting trophies, treasures, and many types of weapons filling the wall. The room was immaculate and brighter than the rest of the ship; only a small computer in the corner represented any part of an office. However, behind the desk, the aggravated trading captain held a plasma rifle at Kaldur.

"You're not taking any of my things away, no way, no how."

"Miles, you need help. Put the rifle down, we only need to talk." Kaldur's pistol was poised at his side, but was pointed down to show no hostile intent.

"NO! You Starfleet bastards are the cause of my problems! You want to take my weapons and cargo away, my trophies too! All I wanted was to make extra money, that's all."

"Miles, your not thinking clearly. You endangered this crew, you endangered this ship, and above all you endangered you."

The trader dropped his rifle for a second before bringing them back up. His eyes twitched and he shook every time he looked away. "I did what was best. I was making money for my family and crew. I'm doing it for them!"

"You need to calm yourself, I know how you feel. However these actions are making me wonder if you truly understand your crew's pains; Miles, what happened?"

The trader slowly moved to his seat and sat, but kept the rifle on his lap and stared at the wall. "It started with a trip to one of the binary systems about three light-years from here. My crew was in need of rest so we stopped at one of the hunting colonies to refuel and eat. We all took a little vacation, but I went out for some entertainment. I found some hunting grounds that were owned by a few former members of Terra Prime. They were damn good people. Anyways we hunted for a few hours when we started discussing the upcoming ideas of a… Coalition of Planets. I call it a Coalition of idiots. Earth officials are fools for siding with these aliens and letting them onto our planet. I say we should blow up their planets like they blew up Florida and those other countries. This is Earth for God sakes! And you are an idiot for supporting Starfleet! They are working for this Coalition, they are brainwashed! Starfleet are nothing but a bunch of pansies! They sit at their f****** desks and invite illegals in our space. We should start by blasting the Vulcan to kingdom come, they would look nice on my wall."

Kaldur grew disgusted by this rant but none-the-less held firm, "You believe Starfleet is the cause of all your problems?"

"Hell's right!"

Kaldur shook his head, "Did you ever stop to think that the world is changing? In fact the universe is changing. We are now allies with parts of the Xindi, and we have met friendly races while we explored the galaxy. Much how the Third World War made us think about our lives surrounding money, genetics, and narcotics; we need to keep an open mind about 'aliens'. However you cannot transport illegal material on a ship and not expect trouble, and you cannot expect to hold me at gun point knowing there are three MACOs outside this room."

Miles looked at Kaldur, "Why should I?"

"You would kill a fellow human being just to stop Starfleet? Even though I work for United Earth and the Coalition, I'm still human. So what are you really fighting for? A chance to make money by sell Hook Spiders to different planets, injuring your crew for an extra buck, Terra Prime and their terroristic ways, or yourself and your race's ideals?"

The trader looked at the Starfleet captain like he said the most insulting thing. "I do not answer to Starfleet."

"Then answer to me."

Miles stood up and dropped his rifle before advancing at Kaldur. The captain held his ground and holstered his phase pistol. "Answer me." He pleaded. Miles held up his fists and took a swing at Kaldur. Kaldur dodge the delirious trader's faulty swing and sent a jab to the ribs and putting the man in a headlock. "You don't have to do this! You have a life ahead of you. Don't waste it by acting irrationally."

Miles spat at the ground, "F*** YOU!"

"You need help, please submit."

The trader finally gave up his fight, "Fine!" Kaldur quickly released the merchant just as a MACO walked in with handcuffs.

"I hope your happy Captain," He shouted, "You're letting this damned government win! You are not even letting me have my shipments."

"Your shipments were destroyed by my crew, your spiders are too dangerous to let loose."

Miles spat again at Kaldur's feet before he was finally drug from the room. "That could have gone better," Kent stood next to the Captain, "Man has problems." Kaldur only looked at the ground and started his walk towards the docking hatch, "He does. I want him in the brig until we get to Vulcan. Also I need a full report."

Kent saluted as Kaldur walked back to Justice.

U.S.S. Justice:

Captain's Quarters:

Captain's log, July 7th 2156. U.S.S. Columbia has taken Captain Miles in for questioning. To early investigators it seems that his defined xenophobia is attributed to exposure to Terra Prime's resurgence, however it appears as though Miles was acting as a weapons runner for the organization. Had it not been for his trouble in illegal shipments and his obvious footprints, the Justice would not have been able to stop the threat poised by Terra Prime to the Coalition.

Kaldur sat at his desk drinking his mug of coffee as he stared at the reports for that day. The bright lights of the white dwarfs and red suns streaked pass the exploring vessel. Kaldur's attention was brought away from the computer screen with a knock at the door, "Come."

"Hi." The chief engineer slowly entered the room, her hands on her arms.

"Lieutenant. Are you alright?"

"Peachy, but you can call me by my name, Kaldur. We may be in Starfleet but we were still friends before."

The captain nodded at the memory before pushing himself away from his drink and looking her, "I was worried for a while. You almost died in the cargo holds."

"You almost died at one end of a plasma rifle."

"True enough."

"Yeah…" Raquel rubbed the ring on her finger and looked at the photos of nautical vessels on his wall.

"I hear you are getting married when our 18 month journey comes to an end."

"Yeah, Nobel proposed to me before we left. It's going to be good."

Kaldur rose from his black chair and walked to his window. "Seven years. It has been seven years since we last dated."

"It was nice."

"Shall we watch a movie for old time sakes? I hear that chef has prepared a dinner and a movie."

"Sounds… nice. Which movie?"

"Schindler's List."

"I'll be there."