Thank you to my lovely beta, TheWindowView. She is amazing and always catches those annoying little mistakes that escape me in the wee hours of the morning.
I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It is the true start to the adventure/mystery of this story.
Any comments are welcome. Read and enjoy :)
As soon as she'd heard the announcement, Nia felt the need to run down the halls to the transporter room. As it was she walked quickly and with long strides.
She didn't make it to the transporter room though. First she was intercepted by Uhura.
"Come on." The other woman said, grabbing Nia by the arm. "We need to change. Do you have any light colored, long pants?"
Nia nodded. "You need to put those on. The planet is hot with sand dunes we might have to deal with. A cool shirt would be a good idea too."
"And you?" Nia asked. "You are going down to the planet too? Right?" She glanced down at Uhura's uniform. The short skirt was not going to cut it.
Uhura grinned. "Don't worry I have uniform pants issued for these kinds of conditions."
Nia nodded and followed Uhura's guidance to her quarters. Yesterday, Nia had spent the day in a peace that only comes before the storm. Her experiments had flowed smoothly, mostly confirming information she'd already suspected and after the midday meal, she'd spent the remainder of her time in the lab researching and reviewing the information available in the Starfleet data base.
The midday meal had been interesting, if there was any word for it. Nia had not known what to expect, but falling into the same routine as previous was something Nia felt she should have expected. Well, it was mostly the same routine. Just after the Paladian had sat down across from the Vulcan, he'd handed her a PADD.
On the screen, she saw an official document.
It should not have warmed her heart so much to be presented with the official aspect of their relationship, but it did.
He noticed too, the smile as she used the stylus to sign it and handed the PADD back to him.
"This pleases you." He stated.
"It does." She confirmed, even though it really wasn't a question.
"Why?"
She was surprised she asked, but then she supposed that she really shouldn't be. "You won't find it logical." She warned him.
"But it is logical to know why it pleases you." He smoothly countered.
She nodded. That part did make sense. "This document is a confirmation. It will be on record and –" She paused, uncertain how else to put it. "It's real."
Spock watched her as she spoke "Did you doubt my intentions?"
Nia's eyes grew wide. "No, it was not like that." Sighing, she tugged a hand roughly through her hair. "As a female, I am more vulnerable than the males of my species. As such, I have a need to feel secure. By submitting the proper documentation to notify the captain of an inter-personnel relationship, I feel secure."
He thought over what she said. "Despite there being no doubt, the evidence of my intentions is a comfort?"
She nodded. "It is one thing to know a truth. Another to be shown a truth."
"Fascinating."
She had almost asked what was so fascinating, but decided not to keep him from his meal. He was too polite to continue eating while speaking.
The midday meal had been the most eventful part of the day and even the next morning.
Until they arrived, that is.
Now, nerves twisted her stomach as she pulled her harsh weather pants on. Her hands had a fine tremor, but when she clenched them into fists her hands were steady. She waited for the knock on the door to let her know that Uhura had returned and the two headed down to the transporter room.
McCoy was waiting for them, for Nia in specific, with supplies ready in bags and in his hands.
As soon as the women appeared in the doorway, the doctor tossed the scientist a tub of white cream. "Put that on." He told her. "Its sunscreen specifically designed for Paladians. The radiation on the planet shouldn't be dangerous, but that's no reason to not take the precaution."
Nia nodded numbly and began rubbing the cream on the exposed surfaces of her arms, starting with her hands and working up to her shoulders. While she did so, she looked around the transporter room.
It was going to be a full away team. Kirk and a couple security officers were already prepared and standing on the transporter pad. Uhura joined them shortly, and Nia caught Spock out of the corner of her eye. He was watching her. The shift of his gaze to a spot just behind her shoulder was the only warning Nia had before the sharp pinch and hiss of the hyposray McCoy injected into her neck.
She jerked, but didn't protest. "What was that?"
"It'll keep you from going mad. It's not a failsafe, but it'll do." McCoy said. "I'm sure you've heard of it."
"I've even used it before." She told him. And she had. She'd needed to when first arriving on Earth, as a safety precaution.
A heavy pack was lifted on to her shoulders. Nia squeaked as she scrambled to get the straps arranged comfortably while trying to adjust to the weight. Suddenly, the weight lifted and Nia glanced behind her to see the commander standing behind her, lifting the pack just enough for her to be able to quickly adjust the straps.
Once she was situated, he gently settled the pack's weight on her shoulder.
She nodded her thanks to him then turned to McCoy. "Alright, what have you put in here? Bricks?"
McCoy rolled his eyes. "It's water. You'll need at least three times the ration for a human in this environment."
Nia frowned and tested the weight on her shoulders. "This isn't only three time the ration."
Glowering, McCoy told her "I said you'll need at least that much. Not that you will need that much."
"Let me guess, you packed as much as you could into this thing?"
He smirked.
A voice from behind her spoke up. "Is water the only ration packed?"
McCoy glared at the Vulcan. "No it isn't the only ration packed. She's also got a hand full of lard bars in there."
Nia's eyebrows rose. "Wow, you guys are prepared."
McCoy nodded, grabbed his own pack in addition to medical pack and joined the others on the transporter pad.
The remaining spot was clearly hers. Sighing quietly, Nia smiled to the man behind her briefly before stepping up into position. She met Kirk's eyes, and he nodded to her as Uhura briefly grasped her hand.
Kirk turned to Spock. "Mr. Spock, keep a watch on our vitals. If anyone seems to be reacting adversely, beam them up immediately."
"Certainly, Captain." Spock told him.
"Alright, Scotty. Beam us down."
Nia watched as her vision flared with light before it was replaced by a yellow light that was just as bright and a choking heat hit her chest hard.
"Oh." She wheezed before bending at the waist to try and suck in air against the sudden tightness in her chest. The air was so incredibly dry that she immediately felt the moisture in her mouth evaporating.
When she finally got her breath back, she noticed the others were watching her carefully and McCoy was hovering near her shoulder, face tight.
Great. Not even three seconds on the planet and she's making them regret bringing her along. She took another dusty breath and shook her head. How are the settlers surviving? She thought. How are you doing it, Wena?
She straightened up, nodded to the others that she was ready and they were on the move.
As they walked, Nia grew increasingly miserable. It took less than twenty minutes for her shirt to stick to her skin and her pants to start hanging heavily on her hips. It took even less time for her to crack open the first water container.
She almost waited longer, except McCoy encouraged her to start drinking as soon as possible.
"Better to replace what you are losing now, and at a steady pace then trying to replenish it all at once." He'd told her, voice deceptively gruff.
She listened to him, finding a convenient logic in his reasoning. The first sip had quickly turned into a gulp and slid down her throat like silk.
They'd beamed down a short distance from the camp as requested by Wena, but had not anticipated the difficulty of navigating the sand dunes.
It took a near twenty five minutes to walk the short distance to the oasis where the settlers' camp was set up.
As they drew closure, Nia's spirits stirred. There was something to be said for a Paladian approaching a large gathering of Paladians. Sometimes, it came with a peace. Sometimes, it came with laughter and exhalation. Sometimes, it was just a gentle knowing. When loved ones were a part of the group, Paladians arriving described the feeling as 'coming home'.
This time, the 'coming home' feeling was tainted. Trouble stirred inside her along with it. Her anxiety grew.
Portable buildings had been set up, the only clear shield from the sun beyond the sparse trees only growing in the immediate area.
"Thought this was supposed to be an oasis." One of the Security officers muttered.
"Technically, it is." Kirk told him. "See the trees? They are only growing in this area. Means the water is the closest to the surface here."
Relief pricked at Nia as Uhura glanced at her. Maybe the settlers had an access to it. It would have been the only way for them to survive. Why did it take so long to get here?
Walking past the first few buildings, Nia was surprised at the size of the set up on the oasis. Almost one hundred were stranded on the planet and they had been busy maintaining their survival. Hope began to rival Nia's fear in earnest.
As they approached the central building, a loud wail was heard from inside and a man staggered out. He was clutching his head and pulling on his dark silver hair.
"Jacek." Nia said, shocked to see him in such shape. "Jacek!" She called, overcoming her shock.
He looked up at them, frowning. He straightened and Kirk realized just how tall the man was. The captain was surprised by how clumsily the man walked as he headed their way, determination clearly etched on his face.
Uhura, desiring to use the opportunity to practice her Paladian skills, stepped forward. She said the standard introduction as Jacek approached, but was stopped when she moved to step closer.
It was then Kirk noticed the tenseness of Nia's body. "Jacek," She said carefully. "What happened?"
"Grego is dead."
Nia closed her eyes sharply against the pain blooming in her chest. Uhura saw the look on her face and tried to give her condolences.
The roar that cut her off was Nia's only warning before the man surged toward the xenolinguist.
"Jacek, no!" Nia screamed as she leaped forward, knocking Uhura down in time to be caught by the raging man instead.
The two tumbled across the sand as the security officers aimed their phasers at them. Set to stun, the phaser fire would not harm either, but scuffling pair were moving too much to get a good shot.
Kirk was baffled. Sargent would have said something if the man was a danger, right?
As quick as the two were tossed to the ground, Sargent was up and running with the man following close on her heels. Kirk, McCoy, and the security officers quickly followed them and Uhura was left to pull herself up out of the sand. McCoy had prepared a hypospray, most likely with a sedative to use when he got the chance. Kirk had no plan, he just knew he couldn't lose Spock's girlfriend as she took off across the sand.
She was screaming something, at someone, but Kirk couldn't be sure what or to who she was yelling. Damn, he didn't know she could run that fast. He'd thought she was supposed to be clumsy. He supposed when one has a mad Paladian chasing oneself, there's plenty of inspiration for grace.
In the end, Nia had just circled the central building that Jacek emerged from in the hopes that someone inside could help.
McCoy caught on to this and attempted to intercept the mad Paladian, but instead was knocked to the side like a large toy.
Nia shouted something and suddenly leapt at Jacek, yelling and waving her arms as if to attract his attention.
Kirk was lost as to what in the world was going on. Sargent was yelling and behaving as if the other man were an animal to be tamed, McCoy was pulling himself from the dirt and Uhura was heading their direction.
He figured out what was happening though, when Nia and Bones both surged forward to grab an arm each of Jacek's.
Out of the building another figure joined the group. A woman with a head of dark curls sprung onto the back of the madman and injected a hypospray into his neck. Whatever it contained, the man uttered a low moan and sprawled on the sand.
The unknown woman climbed off the man and ran a hand through the mess of curls. She spotted Nia, grabbed her arm and hauled her up.
The two woman didn't even pause until they were embracing, gripping the other as if they were a lifeline.
"Wena, oh my dear sister," Nia could be heard saying. "I'm here. Help is here. We're going to fix this."
The other woman just started crying in response.
Wena. Kirk heard the name and took a moment to put two and two together. This was Wena Verde, the half human and half Paladian doctor that assumed the leadership of the Paladians.
He carefully stepped forward as the two women pulled apart.
Nia looked at her friend and saw the deep circles under the woman's normally lively green eyes. "Wena," She suddenly wasn't sure what to say. "We've got to get you out of here. All of you."
Her friend's shoulders tensed under her hands. "Tell me something I don't know." The female doctor broke away from her scientist friend to check over the man in the dirt.
McCoy already beat her to it, but Wena checked over him anyway.
"What'd you give him?"
Her eyes snapped up to the blue ones of the man crouched across from her. He was staring down at the man laying prone between them.
"A horse tranquilizer." She told him. When he looked up with a scowl, she continued. "It works quickly enough on Paladians and gets burned out of their system pretty fast. So we should probably get him out of the sun or he might go crazy on us again."
The men stepped forward quickly, only to be waved back by Nia and Wena.
"Don't worry about it." Wena told them. "Even Paladian females are stronger than human males. We've got him."
They hauled the limp man up by his armpits and jammed a shoulder under each of his to drag him across the sand and into the building both Paladians had appeared from.
As the group of humans followed, Bones asked Kirk "That happen how you expected it?"
Kirk shook his head. "I don't know what I expected, but that sure as hell wasn't it."
A/N: So they have finally reached the settlers...
Thank you to crusherccme for reviewing. Thank you to those of you who have added this story to your alerts and/or favorites :)