Naruto: Infinity Divide
Voices of the Atraens
Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This chapter has a lot of build up between the Atraens and the Federation. It's mainly character driven but with some very important plot points. Enjoy!
Port = Left
Starboard = Right
[ ] Signifies a foreign language
~ ~ Signifies singing
Last time:
The Admiral Nogura nodded and said, "Admiral Shimura was pushing hard to let you enter the system for his own reasons, but I was personally against it because of the disaster involving the U.S.S. Bach over a century ago." Then Nogura held up his hand to stave off any questions before Asuma could ask them. "As you have made contact with the Atraen people I want you to discreetly find out what happened on the U.S.S. Bach when they inadvertently made contact with something on Planet Atra while in orbit between Stardates 2164.018 to 2164.021. It is a mystery that has never been solved and Captain Andrea Alexis of the U.S.S. Bach was the only one who knew. Twenty-seven of her crew vanished and she erased all the ship's logs regarding what happened. Captain Alexis took the secret of what happened to her grave."
"Then no one who survived on the U.S.S. Bach knew what happened to those people?" asked Asuma in shock.
"One of the enlisted crewmembers later attested that he overheard Captain Alexis cry out in her sleep that they angered a God on the voyage back to Federation Space." replied Nogura. "Captain Alexis would neither confirm nor deny anything regarding that. All we knew was twenty-seven people disappeared without a trace while under her watch and their bodies were never recovered. They could have been on the ship, on the planet or ejected into space. The three days of logs during that time frame were destroyed so there is no way to tell. The ship was thoroughly searched for remains or foul play and there was nothing…Now you understand why it was classified."
"Is there a possibility those crewmembers were simply left behind on Atra?" asked Asuma.
"That's for you and your crew to find out Captain Sarutobi." said Admiral Nogura.
Asuma saluted. "Understood Sir. My crew and I will do our best."
…
Chapter 44
Stardate 2274.307, Epimetheus III System Oort cloud, U.S.S. Gettysburg, Deck G, Sickbay
"Ship's Medical Log, Stardate 2274.307; Chief Medical Officer Doctor Shizune Kato reporting: The Atraen people are similar to most humanoid life forms in the Federation with the notable exceptions of their advanced hearing and vocal abilities. Their homeworld of Atra has .75 of the gravity of the Terran standard of 1 G. Consequently, they are physically very slight of build and not quite as strong as an average human being. Their atmosphere is similar enough to Earth's in both density and composition that they have no issues breathing our atmosphere. Their lung capacity is very well developed as well though I have been unable to ascertain whether this is genetic or because of their language being sung. Professional singers of various races usually have higher lung capacities than similar individuals who do not. This is a matter that will have to be studied in further detail. From the point of view of a medical doctor treating them, Atraens are close enough to the human norm that we have had no issues though naturally we must be cautious as with any new race we encounter…"
…
Doctor Gregory Hammond was examining a four-year-old Atraen child who had a head injury. The little boy's name was Arotah and he'd been slipping in and out of consciousness since he was brought aboard the Gettysburg. Greg was healing the skin after a minor surgery to remove the risk of blood clots from the concussion the child had as there had been some mild internal bleeding. Finishing the minor operation, he called his colleague Doctor Shelly Wilson over to look at something unusual in the Arotah's brain scans. The pair of doctors noted that part of the child's brain (Broca's area*①) was in a coma like state and the rest was active and functioning normally for a humanoid life form. The two Doctors went over to see the child's Mother whose name was Doneis to ask her about it.
"~Arotah is accursed with Tost Syndrome~" sang Doneis mournfully. "~He cannot sing and has to use tongue language to communicate. It only strikes one in ten thousand but there is no cure. It is one of the saddest disabilities an Atraen can have.~"
"Tongue language?" asked Doctor Hammond curiously.
Doneis nodded and sang, "~It is like this~" Then she started making a various clicking sounds with her tongue that seemed to be very complex in both range and tone. There was no use of vocal cords at all. To both Doctor Hammond and Doctor Wilson, it sounded like an impossibly intricate percussion solo.
'Amazing.' thought Shelly. 'Instead of using sign language they use musical tones created with their mouths to replace singing.' Shelly asked, "What did you just say in tongue language?"
"~I sang: This is the tongue language we Atraens use for those who cannot sing.~"
"Tost syndrome almost sounds like a form of the old Terran Expressive Aphasia*②." said Doctor Hammond.
"They cured that in the early 2100's." said Chief Medical Officer Shizune Kato as she joined the conversation. "And Expressive Aphasia also was related to brain injuries rather than a genetic disorder Doctor Hammond."
Doctor Kato watched as Greg stewed a moment and the gears in Shelley's head started whirring and clicking. As a neurosurgery specialist she had to think of a solution. Shelley's eyes narrowed and she said, "Get me .05cc's of Cordrazine*③ to help wake little Arotah up."
The Chief Medical Officer smiled and patted Shelley on the shoulder. Shizune said, "Such a minimal dose of Cordrazine should be safe to awaken him." '…And if it coincidentally cures Arotah's Tost syndrome by stimulating Broca's area in the meantime then so much the better.'
After the injection, Doctor Wilson watched Arotah's Broca area come to life on the brain scanner as the child awakened. The child sat up and rubbed his eyes groggily. Then Arotah let out a melodic sounding yawn and gasped that he made a vocal sound for the first time in his life. The three Doctors watched a Doneis rushed to her son and the two started clicking wildly in tongue language and the little boy sang "~Maaaaa Maaaaa~" in a beautiful voice like a baby bird. Doneis and her little son Arotah were overjoyed and shed tears of happiness…
The medical staff couldn't have been happier to have helped…
…
M'rella's quarters
"Personal Log of Chief Communications Officer Ensign M'rella, Stardate 2274.307: As a linguist I find the Atraens and their beautiful voices to be absolutely wonderful to listen to. Their ears give them a much greater range of hearing than most humanoids much like a Caitian does. Their vocal range is likewise beyond what other humanoids can emulate. I also find out their definition of 'singing' and 'music' is quite different from other races I've met and studied….'Singing' is their everyday language whereas 'music' is harmonizing with others (usually for pleasure). There are such things as soloists as one would consider in an operatic performance that are considered music but they always are performing some form of poetry. The particular nuances that would distinguish normal speech from poetry done by a soloist are not well defined and make my study all the more interesting."
"I've also found that they have never used or even imagined musical instruments. All the sounds we consider part of an orchestra are performed by the wonderful range of Atraen voices. In essence, the equivalent of a large orchestral performance as seen throughout most worlds of the Federation is performed by an enormous choir. Furthermore, all of their architecture is designed with acoustics in mind from the smallest houses up to their largest buildings. The only amplification they use for their voices is when someone is speaking over subspace or broadcasting to other areas."
M'rella was walking along in her black and gold off duty Caitian kimono with the Aztec patterns she loved so much. The black furred Caitian beauty was purring happily as she padded down towards the Gettysburg's Main Deck which contained the ship's Recreation Deck. Most of their healthy Atraen passengers were staying on the starboard Main Deck and were spread out throughout it. The injured were staying in the port Main Deck areas of the Gettysburg closer to Sickbay that the medical staff was using to care for them. M'rella's duty was to study and learn about the language of the Atraens to give the ship's crew a better idea about how to communicate with the people of Atra. Luckily for M'rella the Atraen people were very eager to share the joys of their language with others…
The small crew of the Imperial Princess was down on the Recreation Deck and found the Caitian beauty to be charming company. Captain Shanis was rather amazed with the grace and dignity that M'rella carried herself with. She also was amazed at the Caitain's soft, purring voice. M'rella could sing too. In Atraen society to be able to sing in such a purring tone was the equivalent of having a sultry voice one would associate with love poetry or even seduction. To top that off, felines were venerated animals since antiquity and several of the pantheon of Atraen myths included gods and goddesses that took the form of felines. This led to Captain Shanis' First Officer Tasias to be completely head over heels for the beautiful M'rella…
…And for better or for worse M'rella was the spitting image of Tiogair, the Atraen goddess of love, beauty…and war.
Shanis thought to herself; '~If my First Officer doesn't stop making a fool of himself, I'll have to step in. Tasias is totally smitten with M'rella and most of the other men are as well. If she wasn't so kind and gentle to everyone, I would say she really is an incarnation of Tiogair. I wish I had a body on par with hers. By the gods she's beautiful.~'
…
Deck E, Shizuka Nadeshiko's Quarters
Naruto awoke curled up with his mate Shizuka in her bed. The Security Chief had been working double shifts watching over the Atraen 'guests' they had aboard the Gettysburg and hadn't been able to spend the night with Naruto for several days. That being said the green-eyed Vulcan woman had been quite pent up to see her lover last night and was very happy that he'd taken care of all her needs and then some. Naruto kissed her to bring her back into the realm of consciousness and she smiled into his kiss. "Good morning, Naruto…" said the black haired beauty in a sultry tone. Her eyes flicked over to the chronometer and back to Naruto's azure pools and she asked, "…Shower with me? We have time…"
The blonde gave her a tiny grin and said, "I would be happy to my love." She gave him a smile that lit up the room before she took him by the hand and led him to the shower…
…
Bridge
…Shizuka raced out of the turbolift and onto the ship's bridge one minute and thirty seconds late for her shift. Given she was the reigning enforcer of punctuality everyone noticed, and Commander Mabui Kumo was smiling (which was rare) while standing at the security station that Lieutenant Nadeshiko normally stood at. Mabui asked Shizuka, "You are late Lieutenant. Well…?"
The Chief of Security blushed terribly and squeaked out, "No excuses Commander Kumo…" 'What am I going to tell her? I was being fucked senseless on the floor outside my shower and then some?' thought the young Vulcan woman in total embarrassment.
Commander Kumo smiled and patted Shizuka on the shoulder. "Watch the time, Lieutenant." she said kindly. Mabui was laughing internally. 'Gotcha Shizuka! It seems you are mortal after all. Pfft! I was beginning to wonder.'
"Yes Ma'am!" replied Shizuka feeling mortified. 'Naruto is going to be the death of me…(sigh) At least I'll die happy…' thought the Security Chief. Then Shizuka noticed both Rafi and Samui glancing at her from their stations with obvious amusement glittering in their eyes. She'd railed both in the past (particularly Rafi on several occasions) for being a few seconds late to the bridge before and they clearly thought the situation was hysterical. The Chief of Security slumped slightly and thought, 'Little brats…I haven't been late since I was a Midshipman…'
….
Imperial Atraen Vessel, Battleship I.A.V. Whispered Song
Admiral Muiruan of the Atraen Navy was rather perplexed at the United Federation of Planets in general. Even moving at maximum speed, they were still two days away from the starship U.S.S. Gettysburg that apparently was twice the size of the civilian Imperial Princess which was a HUGE ship by Atraen standards. The Gettysburg had rescued the passengers and crew of the stricken Imperial Princess as a show of goodwill and were holding their position by the crippled cruise liner to help further if needed. Captain Sarutobi had assured the Admiral that their intentions were entirely peaceful and didn't want to enter the Atrean's Sovereign Space without express permission. Admiral Muiruan had ordered them to stay put until a proper Atraen Navy escort could meet them…
Muiruan knew he wasn't fooling anyone though. Captain Sarutobi of the U.S.S. Gettysburg was waiting patiently as a matter of professional courtesy. If the Federation Captain had ill intentions, he could have left them in the dust. At least according to Captain Shanis (a respected Officer in civilian naval circles and otherwise), the Gettysburg could move at speeds approaching the speed of light and was doing so when it arrived to rescue the Imperial Princess. Worse yet she stated the U.S.S. Gettysburg was clearly a military vessel and despite the fact Captain Shanis believed that the Federation were truly peace-loving people Admiral Muiruan couldn't take things at face value. Thus, the Atraens sent the fastest, most powerful vessels available: the battleship Whispered Song and the battlecruisers Fire Song and Wind Song along with several smaller escort ships.
The Whispered Song was the most potent Atraen ship and was armed with both nuclear missiles and lasers; it also was the most heavily armored ship in the Atraen fleet. The Atraen Navy hadn't ever been tested in real combat though. Admiral Muiruan knew his ships were all that stood between these aliens and the safety of Atra. He'd been in contact with Captain Sarutobi several times and Muiruan could tell Asuma was a military man as well as a diplomat. For some reason knowing the Federation Captain was a navy man was reassuring to the Atraen Admiral. Muiruan could deal with a naval officer. Politicians and pirates were another matter entirely…
The people of Atra were both terrified and hopeful at the same time and even the Royal Family was depending on Admiral Muiruan to make the right decision for all their citizens. '~I'll be damned before I let down the people of Atra~' he thought determined.
…
Bridge, U.S.S. Gettysburg
Captain Asuma Sarutobi had just signed off with Admiral Muiruan and could tell the man was (understandably) under extreme pressure. 'Apparently whatever happened with the U.S.S. Bach over a century ago was never detected by the people of Atra –or perhaps it was never publicly divulged. Either way, First Contact situations were always tricky and tense.' thought Asuma. He turned to his First Officer Mabui and said, "Remind me to put in a request with Starfleet Command to get a Ship's Counselor. I believe one could be invaluable in First Contact situations such as this one."
"A Ship's Counselor is outside of my experience sir." replied Commander Kumo. "Aren't they still considered a bit of an experiment throughout the fleet?"
Asuma smiled and said, "We had an Ensign named Ino Yamanaka on my last ship, the U.S.S. Darwin. Being a Betazoid she was a great help at reading the tension levels of people and was an excellent diplomat. Her primary duty was to be the ship's psychiatrist of course but she was very flexible. I believe in the future that the Federation will have counselors at least on larger vessels."
Mabui raised an eyebrow and said, "I will look into requesting her specifically then sir. It couldn't hurt to have a ship's psychiatrist on the Gettysburg."
"I agree entirely Commander Kumo." said Sarutobi. "Make it so."
…
Rafi leaned over from her position at the helm and said to Samui at navigation, "Hey; the Captain and Commander were just talking about our favorite head shrinker. It would be great if she was aboard. Don't you think?"
Samui nodded. "It would be cool to see Yamanaka again. She was a lot of fun on Away Team Missions."
The young Trill woman motioned over to Shar who was filling in at the science station. "What do you think about Ino Yamanaka being on the Gettysburg Shar?"
The Andorian cocked his head and said, "I think it would be excellent. She was a big help to the crew of the U.S.S. Darwin. I wonder where she is now."
Mabui quietly listened to her junior officers as they discussed having a Ship's Counselor aboard. 'It seems that the kids from the Think Tank all agree. I'll see where this Ino Yamanaka is stationed currently.'
….
Deck G, Main Deck
M'rella had invited T'Lyra Tolaris up to the Recreation Deck to give a small performance with her ka'athyra to demonstrate what a musical instrument was (besides, T'Lyra could really sing with her operatic voice). It took getting permission from Chief Engineer Sassaav but that proved simple enough because he apparently had become a fan of T'Lyra's playing as well as most of the crew in Engineering. Actually, if Lieutenant Commander Sassaav hadn't been running system checks in Engineering that day he probably would have come along to make sure 'Those Atraens were polite to T'Lyra and clapped properly.'
T'Lyra secretly found the big Andorian's behavior amusing but assured him that her purpose was to 'Demonstrate the ka'athyra and whether they appreciated it or not was completely academic.' As T'Lyra retrieved her instrument from she and Naruto's quarters; the young Vulcan woman was communicating with her mate Naruto who very much enjoyed her performances as well. "I'm sure that it will be an experience for them Naruto but there is a possibility that the sounds of a stringed instrument might be excruciating to Atraen ears." thought T'Lyra. "It is logical to assume their musical tastes are vastly different from ours."
Naruto replied mentally, "Nevertheless I would enjoy hearing you sing and play. It is exquisite."
"Very well; I will play for you this evening after we get off duty." thought T'Lyra with a mental smile.
The blonde Vulcan returned her mental smile and replied, "I look forward to it."
….
T'Lyra came onto the Recreation Deck and found she had a much larger audience than expected. The entire deck was packed with eager Atraens wanting to hear a new kind of music. They were paying rapt attention as T'Lyra introduced herself and the kind of instrument she was playing. T'Lyra gave the Vulcan salute and said, "Peace and long life. I am T'Lyra Tolaris of Vulcan. I will be performing a song with the ka'athyra today and if you wish it, I shall sing as well afterwards. Let us begin."
The Atraens couldn't help but notice the lack of emotion in T'Lyra's introduction and many were taken aback. T'Lyra decided to play The Fires of the Forge once again as it was her favorite piece to play. The young Vulcan woman started tapping her feet in twelve-eight time and established a quiet rhythm. Then she gently started strumming the strings in the lilting intro piece and lost herself in the music as the song gradually built in speed and ferocity until she finished with the explosive finale…
M'rella's amber eyes were rather wide as she'd never heard T'Lyra play such a passionate piece of music before. To be honest she was rather blown away at the nearly twelve-minute rendition of The Fires of the Forge that T'Lyra had unleashed on her unsuspecting audience. At first the Atraens were silent but then they started cheering in and clicking their tongues in perfect harmony with each other. They soon started asking for more and wished to hear T'Lyra sing as well… M'rella was immensely pleased that the people of Atra enjoyed the music and T'Lyra ended up singing and playing for nearly three hours…When it was all said and done T'Lyra was a bit exhausted but was pleased that her performance met such a warm reception.
"~Your voice is very commanding.~" sang one Atraen woman in praise. "~It reminds me so much of the Royal Family's voices. Surely you must be highly ranked in your society to have such a powerful voice. I felt compelled to listen. It was wonderful!~" she added.
Captain Shanis asked T'Lyra, "~Are you descended of royalty? You are blessed with a beautiful voice like one of the Princesses.~"
T'Lyra was a bit taken aback at such lavish praise but replied, "I am descended of an old dynastic family but I am not royalty." 'Unless you ask Mother of course…' That led to a whole new line of questions…
When T'Lyra excused herself after nearly an hour of conversing with her audience she returned to Engineering and took a break after informing Commander Sassaav that it was successful. The big Andorian seemed quite pleased that their 'songbird' went over so well…
'It has been an interesting day…' thought T'Lyra.
Naruto's mental smile came to her, and he said, "I could feel your music rolling over me telepathically my love. You really sang your heart out today."
"It was both exhausting and fulfilling." she replied in a satisfied tone.
The blonde thought to her, "I will give you a nice massage tonight to help you relax."
The brunette sighed happily. 'That would be wonderful my love…"
…
Stardate 2274.309, Epimetheus III System, U.S.S. Gettysburg
"Ship's Log, Stardate 2274.309: Captain Asuma Sarutobi reporting. After four long days of waiting the sublight Atraen Navy squadron arrived to escort us. Given Admiral Muiruan is hesitant about coming aboard the Gettysburg we have made other arrangements. I will be taking an Atraen shuttle over to the battleship Whispered Song for a formal dinner with the Admiral. Captain Shanis of the Imperial Princess will be joining me. I'm not allowed to have any weapons, but I am allowed to have my communicator and two escorts. Suffice it to say I don't expect a particularly warm reception and my choice of escorts are Lieutenant Nadeshiko as my bodyguard Ensign M'rella as my interpreter. M'rella can hear ranges I cannot which could be vital. Nadeshiko obviously can defend us if it becomes necessary…"
The crew of the U.S.S Gettysburg was a bit tense as the shuttle from the I.A.V. Whispered Song arrived in the shuttle bay of the Federation vessel. Two Marine guards and an Atraen Navy Lieutenant exchanged formal greetings with Captain Sarutobi and his party before they all boarded the shuttle and headed for the Atraen battleship. Naruto was at the sciences on the bridge carefully scanning the Whispered Song's configuration just in case it came to rescuing their Captain and his party. Naturally he was more worried about his mate Shizuka than anyone, but he was also very concerned for the safety of his dear friend M'rella…
…
I.A.V. Whispered Song, Shuttle bay
Captain Sarutobi watched as the two Atraen Marines stepped off of the shuttle and he stepped off to…absolute silence. The Atraen Officers were staring at Asuma as if he was some kind of man-eating beast. The Federation Captain sweat dropped and said to the Admiral and his staff, "I bid you greetings from the United Federation of Planets. I am Captain Asuma Sarutobi of Planet Earth. It is a pleasure to meet you face to face at last Admiral Muiruan. I hope our visit proves to be a productive one." Then he bowed in the way the Atraens did in greeting.
Admiral Muiruan came forward and returned the bow to Asuma and sang, "~I welcome you aboard the Whispered Song Captain Sarutobi. On behalf of the Imperial World of Atra I thank you for assisting the liner Imperial Princess during her time of need when we could not. I too hope our meeting is productive.~" He turned the Captain Shanis and sang, "~Welcome aboard Captain Shanis. The safety of your passengers and crew have been a great concern of the entire Atraen people.~"
Shanis bowed and sang joyously, "~The passengers and crew of the Imperial Princess will be forever grateful to Captain Sarutobi and the crew of the U.S.S. Gettysburg. Not one life was lost and their generosity knows no bounds.~"
Shizuka was soon introduced but it was M'rella that stole the show. Almost every Atraen male there looked at her love struck or with great reverence. She turned to Admiral Muiruan and sang in her soft, purring voice, "~I am Ensign M'rella of the Planet Cait and I am Captain Sarutobi's Chief Communications Officer. It is a pleasure to be aboard your ship sir.~"
Muiruan blushed ever so slightly and bowed before singing, "~It is an honor to have a beauty such as yourself aboard Lady M'rella. Please consider yourself at home.~"
…
Bridge, U.S.S. Gettysburg
The bridge crew of the Gettysburg was quietly monitoring the Atraen Navy ships to make sure none of them were targeting the Federation cruiser. As it was the Gettysburg was simply floating there holding her position at station keeping. Then Commander Kumo was utterly shocked when a human woman suddenly appeared on the bridge from nowhere. She was wearing the blue Starfleet uniform from a century ago and had sandy blonde hair. She smiled and said, "So the Federation has come back at last…I told Captain Alexis to stay away all those years ago…I guess you never learn." Her smile turned sinister, and she said in a dark tone to the Commander, "You're in charge; I'll make an example of you…Raikiri!"
Mabui's life shot past her eyes as the sandy blonde shot towards her at impossible speed. The mocha skinned woman knew she was dead until Naruto body flickered in front of her an intercepted the strange woman's charge with a spiraling sphere of energy in his hand and rammed it against the lightning jutsu. Naruto had a frown on his whiskered face as he gradually increased the power and started pushing the raikiri back. The woman in the old Starfleet Uniform started to buckle under the pressure and her eyes widened as Naruto grabbed her wrist and broke it cancelling the jutsu. She cried out and Naruto ruthlessly threw her across the bridge by her broken wrist causing her to crash into the viewscreen and crumple to the floor.
The woman cradled her wrist with tears in her eyes and stared at Naruto with a look of confusion and disbelief. "Who…who are you?" she asked in a frightened tone.
Naruto said, "You are not welcome here assassin." The Otsutsuki symbol on the back of his hand started to glow and he ordered, "Be gone from this ship immediately!"
The strange woman looked shocked and said, "Otsutsuki…Rasengan…! I…I will see you again when you come to Atra…Lord Otsutsuki…" Then the sandy blonde disappeared the same way she had appeared in the blink of an eye…
…
Once Mabui got her heartbeat under control she said, "Thank you Lieutenant Naruto. It seems I owe you my life…"
Naruto nodded and said, "You would have done the same for me Commander."
…
Once everyone calmed down; the bridge crew was looking at the visual recordings of the mystery woman on the ship's viewscreen. "Commander Katrina Chase, First Officer of U.S.S. Bach." said Samui as she brought up an old Starfleet personnel profile showing the same woman. "She was declared MIA as of Stardate 2164.021 along with twenty-six others from the Bach. Commander Chase was 28 years old at the time she vanished which would make her 138 years old now." said the blonde bombshell.
"On the main screen Lieutenant Schrodinger." ordered Commander Kumo.
Rafi grinned. "Commander Chase looks pretty damn good for 138. I wonder what her exercise program is."
Mabui sweat dropped at Rafi's cavalier disposition. The mocha skinned woman said, "Well, at least we've identified our intruder. The question is whether or not it is in fact Commander Chase; someone or something taking her form."
"If it was indeed Commander Chase of the U.S.S. Bach then her body has somehow been altered to use chakra as I can naturally." said Naruto. "She also knew the name of my technique and my clan. This is most unexpected."
"It also cements that Atra is Rzom." said Lieutenant Commander Lyakat as he joined the conversation. "If all of the Tkon were capable of using chakra could her appearance have been changed or hidden somehow? The illusions at Ozari-Thul certainly were real enough."
Naruto replied, "She would have had to be incredibly skilled at genjutsu to have maintained any sort of illusion after I shattered her wrist and threw her across the bridge."
Samui grimaced. "Chase's pain was real enough. I'm not a mind reader but it was pretty clear to me she was badly hurt."
"I'll second that." said Rafi. "She sailed right over Samui and I and we had front row seats when she hit the floor…As a side note, remember not to make Naruto mad at you everybody."
…
I.A.V. Whispered Song, Officer's mess
Admiral Muiruan was intending to give Captain Sarutobi a warm reception but with beautiful Lady M'rella aboard he ordered that they give their guests the royal treatment. M'rella stressed she was only an ensign but the whole crew treated her like a queen. For her part Shizuka thought it was hilarious that the lovely Caitian had the Admiral and his entire staff wrapped around her little finger. It actually was Captain Shanis who had suggested that M'rella join the party to Captain Sarutobi and he was glad he did. Asuma hid his grin and thought, 'Note to self, make sure future diplomats to this system are Caitians with beautiful voices…And get Captain Shanis a bottle of our finest wine as a gift for suggesting that M'rella come along.'
Once M'rella broke the ice (and assured the ship's chaplain that she was not a goddess) Asuma found himself having a good time. As it turned out he and Admiral Muiruan were kindred spirits. Both grew up in families that had long naval traditions going back to their planet's blue water navy days and proudly exchanged stories of their ancestors. Shizuka was reminded a bit of Admiral Pye in the way Admiral Muiruan carried himself. He seemed to be a likable old salt once you got past his gruff exterior…and the singing…
Admiral Muiruan was both shocked and pleasantly surprised at Captain Sarutobi. '~He reminds me of myself when I had my first command. He has a good head on his shoulders but he's young and still learning the ropes of commanding his own ship. I think we'll get along with the Federation just fine if he is a good example of their people.~' He glanced over at M'rella and thought, '~Lady M'rella is truly a goddess. I'd love to see her planet and gaze at the beauties there.~'
'The food is good, and the wine is excellent.' thought Shizuka. 'If things keep going this well, we might be able to send some of the Diplomatic Corps out here to at least sign a treaty of friendship with the people of Atra…'
All was peacefull on the Whispered Song much to everyone's relief….
…
Bridge, U.S.S. Gettysburg
"Ship's Log, Supplemental: Commander Mabui Kumo reporting. Under normal circumstances I would immediately inform Captain Sarutobi of the threat presented by the entity that appears to be Starfleet Commander Katrina Chase of the U.S.S Bach. The fact she attempted to take my life as an example to others makes me wonder exactly what happened on the Bach a century ago. That being said, our Captain is involved in delicate negotiations and the last thing he needs on his mind is the Gettysburg being attacked by some hostile entity."
"Regardless; I am convinced that Lieutenant Naruto is our trump card in this situation. 'Commander Chase' recognized him as a Lord of the Tkon and informed us that she would see us again when we arrived at the Planet Atra…Hopefully that meeting will be a more peaceful one…"
…
Naruto watched the playback from the bridge of Commander Chase. "I…I will see you again when you come to Atra…Lord Otsutsuki…"
Samui watched from over his shoulder and asked, "Do you think that you'll have to fight her again?" The beautiful blonde was obviously worried.
The whisker marked Vulcan answered, "I doubt it. She no longer seemed aggressive after I defeated her…However; if I do have to fight her again, I will destroy her. I won't give her another chance to hurt those I care for. That is the way of the Shinobi."
The young augment woman raised her eyebrows but said, "Do what you have to do. I believe in you."
…
Planet Atra, Imperial Palace, Empress Rosoni's private chambers
Empress Rosoni was an ageing but very powerful Monarch who had guided the people of Atra for many decades. She was in her private chambers and took a walk through a hidden stairway to a bluish crystal room to speak alone…
She kneeled in a praying position and sang in a powerful, operatic voice, "~Oh Guardian of our people, I ask that you come forth! Your humble servant seeks your great wisdom for the entirety of Atra.~"
An image materialized of a humanoid woman wearing long blue robes that hid all her features. She spoke in a tuneless, commanding voice. "What is it you seek of me Rosoni? It is not with your usual time or manner of prayer that you summon me this time."
Empress Rosoni remained kneeling and sang, "~Forgive me oh Guardian; the matter is urgent and I had to make the greatest of haste.~"
The Guardian pondered a moment and said, "Speak."
"~An outside force known as the United Federation of Planets has arrived as you said they would one day oh Guardian. They have done us a great service and by custom should be welcomed by our people in return but I do not trust their motives.~"
"So, the Federation has returned after one hundred years…interesting…" said the Guardian.
The Empress sang, "~I fear for my people oh Guardian; how shall I guide them through this crises?~"
The Guardian said with a smile in her voice, "You shall welcome them with open arms Rosoni. One of my heralds has spoken to me and claims an heir to Rzom is aboard their ship." Empress Rosoni gasped, and the Guardian said, "Do not let this be known. I wish to see how this heir reveals himself to me. It should be…very interesting indeed."
"~I shall do as you say oh Guardian.~" sang Rosoni. "~Your humble servant is once again in your debt for imparting your great wisdom.~"
"I will be watching." said the Guardian as she vanished.
Rosoni came out of her private chambers and addressed her council of ten advisors. She sang in a commanding tone, "~I have come to a decision. Inform Admiral Muiruan that the Federation ship is welcome here at Atra.~"
"~Thy will be done.~" sang the advisors as a choir…
…
POSTSCRIPT:
*① Broca's area: Broca's area or the Broca area is a region in the frontal lobe of the dominant hemisphere, usually the left, of the brain with functions linked to speech production.
*② Expressive Aphasia: Expressive aphasia, also known as Broca's aphasia, is a type of aphasia (an inability to comprehend or formulate language) characterized by partial loss of the ability to produce language, although comprehension generally remains intact.
*③ Cordrazine: Cordrazine is a strong chemical stimulant created on Earth in 1987. It is classified as an "autonomic nervous system stimulant" by Starfleet Medical.
Yes! Another chapter in the books. I've always found that the idea of First Contact between various races was a bit glossed over in Star Trek so I added a little tension to the story by the Atraens having some serious doubts about things. And what about this Guardian pulling the strings? It seems that there are some interesting forces waiting on Atra (or is it Rzom?) for the U.S.S. Gettysburg and her crew. See you next time. Blue out. 10/1/23