AN: Now that we've got everything set up, it's time for everything to go wrong. Har har har. Thank you for your reviews again! Sorry this took so long to get out, but, y'know…also…I should also probably give credit to Ursula K. LeGuinn, because one of her character names is Thar (from "The Tombs of Atuan"). And also, saving the best for last, a most sincere thanks to Duckyinthewater for beta-ing this chapter. Thank you, thank you, thank you! 3
Chapter Seven: Contact
Yellow eyes skimmed the dark waters that lay vast and virgin before the helm of the Haad-en-Vreil, the Seventh Wind. The Typhon Expanse was greater than she had ever dreamed or known, even though she was only a few clicks away from her home world, her black lips pursed in thought. The countless planets and systems plagued by Thar, the thousands upon millions of people killed lay in the vast expanse before her. The Captain of the Haad-en-Vreil felt a pressure swelling in her throat, yet she clamped it down as she shoved it away and elsewhere. She was suddenly reminded of how much she missed Veridian Prime, her home. The sand colored sky always held the most magnificent sunsets, yet no stars, as the sky was always a lit smoky orange. She had enlisted in Starfleet so she could see what was beyond their thick skies, but when she had returned, desolation had only met her eyes, the crops ruined, nearly everyone dead. And the sheer wonder that had struck her across the brow made her feel dazed, confused, why the Federation still hadn't sent their aid. It was becoming a rather large problem on the fringe of the Beta Quadrant, and was becoming more and more skeptical of the command of the Federation, what they were telling everyone. Yet she hadn't thought of it much, as the rage with the Cygnus still commanded her mind.
The scent of charred embers and ash still lingered in her nose. And grieving screams that were her own, still lingered in her ears.
"Captain. We're being hailed." The light voice of Lieutenant Xchilra flicked gently across her pointed ears. M'wyr was rather glad of this as her eyelids fluttered closed, golden olive skin seeming to glow in the starlight. Something to distract her, finally.
"Frequency?" yellow eyes flicked to the young xenolinquist, the captain began to move to the chair that acted as anchor to their thoughts, their sanities.
"It appears to be a…D'Kora class vessel, ma'am."
"On screen" Her svelt form was encompassed in the stretched leather chair, held by sleek metallic claws. A sculpted sepia eyebrow flicked quickly to the heavens, confused as what a Ferengi trade vessel would want from them. She knew that the Haad-en-Vreil could easily subdue them; there was no concern of that. Besides, the Ferengi weren't particularly interested in war mongering. It was just…odd. She figured that she'd better find out what they wanted.
The familiar bulbous brown shape flashed on screen. M'wyr restrained herself from making any sort of noise. The last thing she wanted to show was that the Beld'Kur were rude; rudeness meant childishness. And they were anything but. Yet the Ferengi's heads were always so ridiculous.
"This is Captain M'wyr of the Starship Haad-en-Vreil. To whom am I addressing?" She stared at the screen, her pointed chin resting on her scaled hand, most likely coming off as a mixture of dangerous and seductive.
"Uh…" The Ferengi quickly cleared his throat, obviously never having to deal with the Beld'Kur in his life. Her tactic worked. "An honor to meet you. I am Zek of the Ferengi Alliance…"
"To what is your purpose, sir?" Eyelids flashed yellow gems. The captain enjoyed watching the Ferengi squirm, as a small smile flickered across her face, yet only for a moment, leaving one wondering if it even existed at all.
"Captain M'wyr. My compatriot and I had seen that your ship had posted a bounty for surviving members of the Cygnus, yes?" The Ferengi appeared rather glad to get to business, and gladder still when M'wyr's expression seemed to change significantly. And all that would have suggested so was a mere blinking in shock.
"…Proceed…Zek." The captain sat up slowly. She was most alarmed; a crewmember that Thar had not alerted her to? But…Thar was all knowing. All powerful. Well, at least it seemed that way.
"Well, details are details, which I'm sure you're not interested in…but we've managed to come by Andrey Fedorov, the Cygnus' first mate."
That name seared in her memory as she clenched her jaw, M'wyr remembered suddenly how Vrailya told her of such things, when she was infiltrating them, and learning of their sudden plans to discover the planet, when things went horrifically wrong. When they poisoned her and abducted her. "Name your price, Ferengi."
A quiet laugh echoed across the transmitter, relieved that she had taken the bait, as it were. M'wyr would play their game a bit longer, as long as her patience would hold out.
"Not so fast, Captain M'wyr. We have an engagement on Riisis in seventy two hours, an auction if you will." Zek smiled proudly, as if they were going to have the most valuable item there. The Beld'Kur sniffed; the concept of slavery certainly didn't bother her. They had been practicing it for several centuries. But something such as this to prevent her from exacting her revenge. She would have to do it at any cost, she vowed to herself.
"And…what makes you think I shouldn't open fire on your little vessel now? Seeing as I only want to kill him anyway, it should make no difference." She stood and paced slowly across the small dais that was in the middle of the bridge. This statement wasn't true, she really had only meant it for show. Even though M'wyr still wanted to prove that she controlled the entire situation at hand, she really wanted to watch Fedorov suffer in front of her own eyes. It would be a pity if she weren't able to extract her revenge as she had envisioned for the past few months, but, as they say, the ends justify the means.
AH…ONE WHO IS EXEMPT FROM OUR WRATH…HOW CURIOUS.
The voice echoed through her skull as she turned back to the four slumbering forms. Fedorov seemed to be far more important than what he really seemed. One who is exempt from our wrath? Could that mean that Thar could, in some strange strain of fate, not be able to harm him? It also had seemed an eternity before Thar spoke last. She hated to play these games, but nodded gingerly, a hand placating itself gently onto the metal frame of the chair. "Very well, Zek of the Ferengi Alliance. We shall see you on Riisis in little under seventy two hours."
The screen dimmed to the stars before them and the space between. Her gaze still fell on the four, their gnarled bodies crippled by the majesty of Thar. A thought spasmed through her brain for a flickering moment: who were these beings before they fell into the subconseous of Thar, only to wake in the dreaming ribbons of a unified existence that it held over their eyes. She looked in the direction of her navigator as she resumed her seat. "Is the Enterprise in the same trajectory of Riisis?"
S'vyead did quick calculations under several minutes. "Not too far out of the way, Captain."
M'wyr nodded, "Stay your course. How long 'til we reach them?"
"About three hours." Burnished orange eyes were tinted green-blue from the light of the computers.
"Soon…"
Chekov hadn't felt like he had laughed or had been quite this entertained in a very long time. Hannah was more than good company, and quickly chided himself for letting his feelings slip when they were in the canteen. They had run the circuit of covering just about everything, from home to the dangers of microdyne couplers. Chekov felt partially relieved that she was just as interested in technology as he was, but different things mathematically, which he didn't mind either. Listening to her was utterly fascinating, he couldn't help but be captured in the way she said things, and certainly loved her stories of her time served on the Cygnus. But from time to time his gaze would suddenly focus on the swift, easy movement of her pink lips, the way the flesh around her eyes crinkled, her inquisitive eyes. No mathematical problem or the sunwashed Urals was as interesting or beautiful as she. The ensign noted she still favored her left leg, but her stride wasn't so much graceful as it was filled with purpose, and this seemed far better to him. A focused conscience was always far more valuable to him than anything else.
"Pavel" the ensign's heart soared to his throat as he seemed to hear her say his name for the first time. It swooned back down to his chest, as he saw Hannah's dark auburn hair settle back around her shoulders, an energetic smile made it flutter pleasantly.
"D-da?" He spluttered, as a laugh made her shoulders twitch. Though he didn't mind seeing her naked arms, Chekov wished she would put a coat on or something. It did often get somewhat annoyingly chilly on the Enterprise, and he would hate for her to be uncomfortable. Yet all these amassed thoughts melted away into nothingness as green-hazel fell into his own blue eyes. His puzzlement kept increasing. How did she even manage to do things like this to him? It was unnerving and wonderful all at once, he was sure that he had never felt this way before about…anyone or anything. Well…maybe about astrophysics, but…one couldn't laugh with or hold hands or kiss…
Wait. Kissing? Aren't you getting ahead of yourself, Pavel?
"You really do have the best faces." The engineer chuckled quietly as Chekov cleared his throat and, to his credit, laughed at himself.
"I vish I knew vat ju vere talking about…"
"Well…it's okay. As long as I get to see them."
Again…how does she do it? Chekov shook his head in attempt to clear it. It seemed like every time she said something of that nature, it sent his head spinning.
"So…which way's the engine room?" The engineer began looking about in hopes to find at least the right direction. He couldn't help but laugh at her comical appearance as he began walking to a door to the right. She stood up straight, confusedly looking at him "What?"
"Ju are a wery… strange girl, Hannah." A smile hung about his lips, his heart warming at her appearance. Before she could answer, he turned, trying desperately not to give himself away. It was hard not to already wonder what she would feel like in his arms, what the texture of her hair would feel like across his cheek as he inhaled her. Yet for someone as brilliant as she, someone so charismatic, to have the same feelings for such an awkward person such as himself was rather improbable.
They entered the primary engineering level, and he couldn't help but smile at Hannah's childlike wonder. It was as if she had never seen something so magnificent in her life. "I…I always knew the Enterprise was complex, but…this is incredible!" Hannah suddenly realized her mouth had been open for quite some time and quickly closed it, as her hand lingered at her mouth.
A flash of red jumped up from one of the seemingly endless stairways. Chekov received an affable nod from Montgomery Scott, whereupon he did the same to Hannah, but then stopped as he realized he didn't recognize her. A somewhat incredulous look from the head engineering officer had Chekov laughing, as he took him aside. "Lad, if you don't mind me sayin', but this is en't the best place for…what you're about to do. After all, things get messy an'…"
The ensign's eyes went wide and he began shaking his head vigorously. "Niet, Misteer Scott. I vas onlee trying to show her zee engineering decks, because she ees an engineer herself."
The Scottsman chuckled, patting the confused ensign on the back "Ah…so that's what yer callin' 'em nowadays. Good joke there…actually, back in my youth, when I was more risky, I would—"
"Permission to eenterupt, Misteer Scott…she is one of zee engieneers from zee Cygnus." Chekov's face was flushed, not only from embarrassment, but also hearing a little too much from the head engineering officer.
Scotty blinked, then coughed as they both looked at Hannah, still in sheer awe of her environment. He clapped the ensign on the shoulder "Sorry for embarrassin' ye, lad." Chekov exhaled quickly, rather glad that she didn't seem to hear any of what was said between them, and watched as Scotty headed over to the inebriated Hannah.
"So…y'like her, do ye?" The head engineering officer bowed down slightly to come into her frame of visage, then darted quickly out again, pulling himself up at his full height; bouncing on his heels slightly. Hannah appeared to be genuinely surprised to be pulled so quickly from her reverie. Seeing as she said nothing, he grinned and held out a hand "Montgomery Scott, head engineer to the Enterprise."
Hannah's face lit up immediately "Oh…oh wow! So you're the lucky ships keeper, huh?" The former engineer of the Cygnus immediately launched into questions concerning the build of the intermix chambers to the location of the rather dangerous baffle plate. Chekov couldn't help but smile at the situation. Sure he really couldn't understand much of the content they were talking about, but he was glad to have given her this opportunity. He felt it was something that would help make her feel more at home, knowing she now had people to look after her and care for her. Yet the sudden realization that he should be on the bridge in less than three minutes jarred and reminded him that he should leave as soon as possible.
"Well, I dunna think I've exactly met someone quite like you before, Miss Hannah." Scotty grinned, extending his hand. Hannah abashedly laughed, taking the Scottman's hand "Just Hannah…please."
The ensign felt rather out of place, interrupting the engineers as he approached, "Sorry to interrupt, but I should hawe been on zee bridge about fiwe minoots ago."
Hannah looked at him quizzically, making the poor ensign's heart melt a little "Ah, right…" her gaze turned back to Scotty "I'll be sure to come back! Maybe if you're not too busy…maybe you could give me a tour sometime, y'know?" She flashed a smile at Scotty as he nodded "Nice meeting you!" Chekov noted that she was following him, and it took a moment for him to address her, clearly happy he could fill her with such joy.
"Ju could hawe stayed, Hannah. I did not mean to distract ju." An inquisitiveness muddied his features, yet she still smiled.
"Well I mean…I'd like to see the bridge…I mean…if it isn't too much trouble. –" A spry grin from her and his heart went erratic. "—Promise. I'll stay out of the way. Not touch anything…not distract anybody."
But you'll distract me. Even if I can't see you. A grin twitched at his mouth, rather proud of himself that he didn't say what was instinctive. Then again…he really wished he had.
"Wery vell zen. Eet eesn't all zat interwesting." Chekov shook his head as they boarded the turbolift once more.
"Isn't interesting?! This is the Enterprise you're talking about!"
As they stood in the small cabin, he couldn't help but notice the way she chewed her lip, the way her hair moved about her shoulders, the way her fingers tapped against one another to an imaginary beat. She often gave him questioning looks, but he just smiled and shook his head.
She seemed also profoundly dumbstruck when she entered the bridge, but kept to her word as she found an empty chair quickly, quietly, not trying to make any fuss. When questioning looks were sent her way, she appeared to introduce herself rather quickly and a few sentences were exchanged before they went into their separate ways of thought. Chekov almost remembered his initial shock of first entering the bridge, but it quickly dissipated as he resumed his seat. Had it been two years serving on this ship?
A soft smile flickered on his lips when he sat at his post. It was good to be back after what seemed like an eternity. There was truly nothing more precious than this, to be present amongst the stars, to be the forefront of human exploration. It was all he had ever dreamed about.
"So…you've been gallivanting all over the place, and you come on the bridge with a girl." Hikaru Sulu chuckled as he checked on warp levels. Chekov looked over to the Japanese helmsman as he began checking their current trajectory.
"Ehh…galawanting? I hawe onlee been on the Cygnus." Chekov said, a little hesitant as to whether his best friend was kidding or not.
"It's been kinda lonely at the helm without you."
"Sulu….I…vell…"
"Captain, I'm picking up a frequency…" Uhura paused, the crew appeared either confused or tense. "It appears to be a hail in a…Beld'Kur dialect…" Her beautiful face suddenly was muddied with confusion "…that's so strange…"
"What is?" The captain tilted his head, honestly.
"The Beld'Kur never really leave their system; only if they are accompanied or slaving vessels, but just a freighter is uncharacteristic."
"On-screen" Kirk swiveled his chair back to the helm of the ship. A woman with reptilian skin glared so harshly, her rage seemed palpable through the frequency itself.
"Hello. This is Captain—"
"I know who you are, Captain Kirk--"
Kirk smiled, yet it had no mirth. "Okay…but I don't know…who you are."
An ebon eyebrow flecked with deep gold pushed skyward, in malicious frustration. "Captain M'wyr of the Haad-en-Vreil." Chekov could almost feel his skin prickle at the harshness of her voice. "—And your little ship…I'm quite familiar with its misgivings. You have no qualms of harming other species, I see, unless it is your own."
There was a hushed silence at the obvious brutality then Kirk continued "You are referring to the Romulans?"
"The mistake that christened the fate of the Enterprise. Yet this is not what I am referring to." Gold eyelids slipped closed for composure before yellow lined in ebon lashes resumed. "You have taken something very dear to me, Kirk. Something that will put my crew and myself at ease. One of the last surviving crew members of the Cygnus, Hannah Ebonfield."
Chekov felt his heart lurch protectively as he turned, as did others. He wanted to take Hannah away from all of this, so she could rest, so she didn't have to worry about this. It was hitting her, one after another. The engineer was already on her feet, her face crumpled with a mixture of emotions; confusion, distress, sadness. She only walked forward, pulled by those frightening yellow orbs.
"What business do you have with me? And how the hell do you know my name?" Hannah seemed to robotically say really without realizing it.
"There was a woman that your crew had taken aboard your vessel. She was my first mate. Your medical crew ran horrific experiments on her, which eventually killed her—"
Hannah shook her head, confused even further "Look, I'm just an engineer. I had no contact with her…and how do you know all of this anyway? You're only just assuming—"
"I know because I had someone who was there. Tell her, Thar."
There was a brief pause, which was only filled with members of the crew quietly chattering to one another, as confusion rippled and ebbed through the bridge. Chekov's eyes remained on Hannah. Her eyes widened and eventually they flew shut, as if in pain.
"So…you know this…thing?"
"Oh, Ebonfield. If you only knew the true powers of Thar."
"Look, ah…" a hand flew to the bridge of her nose, attempting to take this all in "Alright…who else have you…talked to? I deserve to at least know that, don't I?"
Partially beaded dreads clanked against one another as yellow became subdued in thought "Well, if you must know Ebonfield, there were a few science officers, and a weapons specialist…oh and the first mate of the ship, but I still haven't managed to meet him quite yet."
Chekov could almost feel Hannah's knees buckle as she sucked in a breath to remind herself she wasn't dreaming. "Andrey?" She walked a few steps forward; a new ardor instilled in her "Where is he?" A laugh echoed through the frequency, and her face muddied with frustration, yet Kirk resumed questioning, probably for the best, Chekov nodded. He didn't doubt that her vocabulary was full of vile and horrific things to say.
"Captain M'wyr. What…or who…is this…Thar?"
Chekov's gaze fell upon Hannah and anxiety pounded against his ribs. Why did all of this have to happen now? It seemed too much for her; just when she was beginning to recover, all of his hard work gone to waste. M'wyr's voice echoed through the chamber of the bridge, and pulled the ensign's attention to her "It doesn't matter It would certainly destroy all the fun of your search." An insane smile curved the sharp black lips as yellow lights fell on her "Soon, you'll be one of them."
Hannah shook her head in disbelief. Suddenly, her body hitched as hands flew to her head. A scream wrenched out of her lungs as she sprawled across the floor in agony, as a black liquid began to drip from her right ear. The engineer futilely gripped for her skull, Chekov jumped out of his chair and lunged for her, his heart wrenching with her screams. He could partially hear McCoy being called for, as he began to restrain her, her nails attempting to claw the sides of her face. He felt all of her muscles straining against him, eyes rolled in the back of her head. She really was stronger than she looked.
McCoy appeared out of thin air, like he always did, as a tranquilizer found its way into her jugular. She stopped struggling, and eventually fell still. Chekov tears prick his eyes as he looked down at her seemingly lifeless body, those warm and cheerful gold and green swirls, now dull and empty. McCoy shook his head "She isn't dead yet, kid." He saw the doctor reach for her wrist and curse sharply at what he saw. Chekov looked on in confusion and then stark astonishment at the strange green veins that rippled underneath the flesh of her arm.
As they pulled her away to sickbay and he was ushered to stay at his post, Chekov numbly fell into his chair. His heart painfully wracked in his chest, feeling almost powerless, as there was nothing he could do now to aid her. All he could do was wait, and patience seldom came to his nineteen—year old mind. A strange, terse pause had filled the time that had elapsed as if the conversation was awaiting his return.
Kirk appeared to be filled with the dire gravity of the situation, a serious expression cutting his face, "So...all you want is Ebonfield."
"She is of no use to you anyway, Kirk." The flat reptilian nose sniffed indifferently. "She would just be endangering your crew. And don't tell me otherwise. We have the proper means of containment."
"Now hang on a second…" The blond shook his head, as his hands meshed "Why haven't you told the Federation about this? It would have only made sense if you had alerted them beforehand—"
A synapse of fear tingled down Chekov's spine as the yellow orbs flashed vehemently. "We have. Many times." A shaky sigh was exhumed from the deadly woman, attempting to compose herself "It is the common belligerence of your Federation that has landed the Beld'Kurian empire and many others in the deadly wake of Thar. Now…are you going to hand her over, or not?" Her seething glare had turned confusion into terror, and the ensign was well aware of the change of atmosphere. No one was talking or doubting her anymore.
Yet Kirk still remained an upstanding example of the Enterprise "…and if we don't?"
Golden eyelids remained closed, almost in disappointment. "Then I suggest you prepare yourself for a slow, painful death, Captain." M'wyr's eyes flashed open, pupils dilated in anger. "The majority of your crew will suffer a quicker fate." The screen flashed to the horrific, and ghastly vessel that lay before them coldly.
The young ensign shook his head in confusion, almost not fully aware of what had just transpired. He hated the way they spoke about Hannah, like if she were an item to have bartered with, not a human being. Though the deadly mass of the Haad-en-Vreil loomed before them, he was rather certain that it wasn't the Enterprises time to go quite yet. Well, he really hoped so. He grimaced as he exchanged a quick glance with Sulu, as if to say here we go again.
"Captain, they're preparing to attack."
"Phasers and Torpedos on full, Mister Sulu."
Hannah awoke to a dull pain in the back of her head, slowly wondering why she hurt all the time. It was an unrelenting deluge of moments like these one after the other. The sound of her inhalation of breath suggested to her that she was not in the expanse of the bridge anymore, but a small cell, dimly lit in white-blue hues. Panic hit her for a moment before fractured images of what had occurred before slipped into her conscious. The strange woman talking about Andrey. What she called "Thar" invading her conscious. Chekov trying to keep her from harming herself. As much as she adored him, it was rather embarrassing, and she didn't want to make that sort of impression on the crew. But she was unable to control it.
She quickly surveyed her bounds as a low strain of panic still pervaded her mind. About seven feet long, five feet high, five feet wide, and a small glass porthole was in view. Not a great time to be a claustrophobe. At all. A new layer of questions began to fall into place. Was she even on the Enterprise anymore?
OF COURSE YOU ARE, HANNAH EBONFIELD. IF YOU WEREN'T, YOU WOULD BE MOST AWARE.
The young engineer's panic swelled, as she clutched her skull, not aware she was hyperventilating. "The hell…do you…want?"
Before an answer could be generated, she was slammed up against the wall, crying out in pain, as the plastic walls were not terribly soft to begin with. She groaned, as she rubbed her face, slowly crawling to the porthole. Why the fuck was she in here?
YOU HAVE BEEN QUARANTINED, HANNAH EBONFIELD. FOR THIS, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE. WE STILL BELIEVE THAT YOU WOULD BE A GENUINE ASSET TO OUR RANKS.
"To become…a mindless…drone? How the fuck…would that…aid you?" She panted, desperate to be anywhere but here. Well…maybe not in the Beld'Kur's clutches, but…
A DRONE IS A POOR DESCRIPTION OF US. WE ARE A COLLECTIVE SUBCONSEOUS. IT IS IMPERITIVE THAT WE HAVE SUCH POWER TO CONTINUE OUR EXISTANCE.
Hannah shook her head as she ignored the monotonous words of the voice that pervaded her head. She feebly knocked on the aluminum, hoping to get someone's attention. Something clutched at her heart, something twisting and familiar. She stared down at her arm, awash with a disgusted terror of the bulging green sapling contorting her flesh, her skin. Tears of hopelessness cut crude rivers down her face, as a scream mixed of surprise, anger, and pain found her in her small cell, as something began twining around her heart.
Though the voice kept talking, all Hannah could think of was those beautiful blue eyes, and how they filled her with hope.
AN: Sorry this took fucking forever. Of course with the new semester starting and what not, the updates will be rather scattered, but don't fear! I promise I will finish this. Seriously. I haven't been in love with a fic like this in a long time! ^^ Thank you for your patience!