After the briefing with Rosemary Kent, Brad notifies Harris about the ceremony to take place on Deep Space Six-Alpha, newly redesignated as Starbase Deep Space Six-Alpha.

"Captain?" she asks, "I knew I was up for consideration, but you never know how the dice will fall. I'm—speechless. Guess I'd better print up a new uniform and dig out my fruit salad. Say, can those new replicators produce champagne?"
This message was last edited by the player at 18:04, Wed 21 Apr 2021.

In reply to Commander Theresa Harris (msg # 1):

"Harris, congratulations, it is well deserved.  And both Mercer and myself can definitely tell you, your career doesn't seem to miss a beat even when others presume you are MIA or dead." he says with a smile.

He definitely made sure Thoma was not within even Andorian ear shot when he made the comment.

Harris smiles at Thelev's remarks. "Good to know, Thelev. I'll have to keep that in mind. Must've been hard on Thoma, though. I understand Vethia was born while you were MIA.

And I'll bet the crew of the Genser will have some real adjustments to make. Boluri likewise. Starfleet Medical wants to examine him from the subatomic level up. My new Security Chief has also dealt with the same sort of issues. He was captured by the Terran Empire from the Mirror Universe and managed to escape. He was put through every test Starfleet could come up with and only just returned to duty. His name's Singh. LCdr Gurdas Jaswinder Singh."

Thelev is familiar with Singh, or at least his mirror counterpart. He'd been a mere lieutenant when Brad, Thelev and Khendron had were originally assigned to the old Excalibur and had been exposed during the early stages of the Intelligence War. Several former crewmates of Captain Perinni and Lt Tom Cat had been killed by a serial killer with a grudge. They eventually determined that the killer was the son of an officer killed on a mission which then-LCdr Perrini had commanded, and to which the victims had been assigned. Excalibur's security chief Lt Singh was revealed to be an agent from the Mirror Universe and murdered the prisoner as he was being taken to a rehabilitation colony. Singh was extracted by the Terran Empire's ISS Odyssey and was killed in action during battle with the Excalibur. His body was recovered and the case was closed.

Teri continues, "All this time, the original Lt Singh was a prisoner of the Terran Empire and had been interrogated and tortured. He managed to escape and used the modified transporter the Empire had used to swap him for the impostor in the first place to return to the real universe, managing to destroy the transporter in the process."

[OOC: This all happened just before you guys joined the game. Perinni was played by Trish Slater, Lt Tom Cat was a Caitian played by Ron Frasier who'd played in the original iteration of the game in Halifax, and Lt Singh was played by Marc Tyrrell, now a professor at Carleton U.]

In reply to Captain Theresa 'Teri' Harris (msg # 3):

"Yes it was very hard on Thoma, along with Thanek and Vora. And that is why Thoma and I really wanted Vethia here with us when we were given the opportunity.  I don't want to miss a second of Vethia growing up." he finishes with the dad grin when talking about Vethia.

"I remember reading the reports about the then Lt. Singh when I joined the ship and started some of our exploits." he adds. "Yes Starfleet is getting good and making sure you are who you are, the understanding the subatomic differences from different universes.  Boluri will be fine coming out of this."

"Star Base Deep Space 6-Alpha, you must be looking forward to it being an official Star Base. You are going to draw far more attention now."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:09, Thu 22 Apr 2021.

"And congratulations to you and the Commodore on the formation of the Sector Task Force with you as the captain of the Flagship! That's a feather in your cap for a first starship command. Starfleet's finally recognising you for all your service, and about time," she positively gushes. "But with Boluri, I think it's more that they want to see just how he was resurrected than if he's some döppelganger. I'm hearing rumours already that Capt Myrissaw wants to poach him for the St. Roch."

She sighs and concludes, "Well, enough of the mutual admiration society. I've got to get back to DS-6A and oversee things. Ciao!"

The door swishes open and as she leaves Al MacCay passes her. "Ah, Capt Thelev, just the man I wanted to see. I'm afraid I just got word from Starfleet Command to report to Starbase 31 with my crew for reassignment. Seems the Genser is just coming out of its five-year refit cycle and is due for crew rotation. The entire crew has been reassigned to the old girl! With yours truly in command, of course! So, we're shipping out after Teri's ceremony for reorientation, but don't worry, we'll be back as part of Brad's new Bright Stars Cluster Sector Task Force. I always used to think of Starfleet as a sleeping elephant but it seems the elephant has grown a pair of Warp nacelles! Damn, it's hard to believe about Nogura."
This message was last edited by the player at 20:01, Fri 23 Apr 2021.

The United Federation of Planets Starfleet Chief-in-Command, Fleet Admiral William Smillie, recently appointed by President Ra-ghoratreii after the tragic passing of Fleet Admiral Heihachiro Nogura at age 95, has officially announced the return of the USS Odyssey NCC-2001 from a mission to test its new drive systems with an entire fleet of stranded ships and their crews. Reports have come in that as of Stardate 9115.75, the Odyssey returned to Starbase Deep Space Six-Alpha in the Bright Stars Cluster after a six-month shakedown cruise with what is increasingly being called the Rag Tag Fleet. The crews of the 60 ships in this rag tag fleet will undergo psychological and skill-based assessments, as well as security assessments. If they pass and are not able to be returned to their own universes, they may be offered positions in Starfleet and/or planetary fleets. This will be an intensive process conducted at the τ-Cygni Campus of Starfleet Academy which will be dedicated to this task for the foreseeable future. Students from the campus will be transferred to the Presidio Campus in San Francisco on Earth to finish their own Academy courses.

Following the successful test cruise, conducted along with the cooperation of the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Star Empire, the Odyssey will become the flagship of the newly formed Bright Stars Cluster Sector Task Force stationed out of Emerson's Planet and nearby Starbase Deep Space Six-Alpha under Commodore Bradron McCurrvey of Alpha Centuri and Captain Thelev of Andoria with Captain Khendron of Efros as First Officer.

The still-classified drive system, code-named Silver Ball, was developed by renowned Daystrom Labs' subsidiary Banzai Institute, based in Okinawa Prefecture in Japan, Earth.

In related news, Doctor Carol Marcus, creator of the failed Genesis Project and inventor of the spin-off Molecular Replicator Technology, reported missing in the Triangle in March, has resurfaced. It appears that she, as a consultant to Daystrom Labs, was also assigned to the Odyssey's shakedown, most likely because the Odyssey is the first major deployment of the Replicator on a starship.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:59, Sun 25 Apr 2021.

It's a quarter of one in the afternoon, old reckoning, and the hangar of DS6-A is vacant of all small craft. The deck and the central turntable have been polished and the lighting is focused on a large table elevated on the turntable. Light classical music plays over the speakers. At the table is Federation Commissioner Rosemary Kent, Sam, representing The Federation Council and the local government respectively, Brad, Thelev, Mercer and MacCay. The centre seat at the table is empty. In the audience are several of the rag tag fleet's captains including Dame Flavia and Raven Syrene, Purple, and many of the senior staff of DS6-A.

Commissioner Kent gives the signal and a lone trumpeter sounds the Starfleet fanfare [the opening notes from Star Trek, The Original Series] and the speakers come live. She begins, "We're here to celebrate a number of events, all coming together on a confluence of glory for us all, and for a new day in the Federation and the Kellinan Reach. It's been eight long years since the Federation and the Teldani signed the Emerson Accords, along with Governor James Emerson of Epsilon Zeta II, and Samuel Lowry of Bridgetown, to establish a pocket of Federation influence in the Kellinan Reach. And now, of course we need to defend our planets from the incursions of the Akasha and their remaining War-Arks for which purpose Starfleet has decided to create the Bright Stars Cluster Sector Task Force under the command of Commodore Bradron McCurvey and his flagship the USS Odyssey with its able Captain S. Thelev and his First Officer, Captain Khendron Mercer.

"And congratulations to Captain Alistair MacCay lately of the USS Genser and his crew, brought back from the dead—so to speak— and actually regaining command of his old ship as part of the Task Force.

"But most of all, your own Commander Teri Harris is embarking on a new phase of her career as Starfleet's latest captain. Commander Harris, approach the dais, please. Commodore McCurrvey, I turn this ceremony over to you as commanding officer of the Bright Stars Cluster Sector Task Force."

The assembled crowd breaks out in applause as the trumpeter repeats the Fanfare and the sound system plays the Starfleet March [the Theme from Star Trek, the Motion Picture], as Teri, in her freshly 3-D printed uniform makes her way to the dais.

Brad feels a little light-headed. This is the second time this year he's been in the spotlight, first overseeing his good friend Thelev's ascension to command, and now promoting a deserving officer in his new role as Sector C/O.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:43, Sat 24 Apr 2021.

In reply to Commissioner Rosemary Kent (msg # 7):

After watching the news Thelev thinks, so much about being low key in my first command. And so much about keeping the Silver Ball low key.  Guess that is what happens when we jump all over the place with other ships in tow.

At least he could look forward to their new mission as the flag ship in the Bright Stars Cluster Task Force. But right now he was looking forward to watching Commander Harris promotion ceremony to Captain.  He remembered both when he became Captain of Engineering and Captain of the Odyssey.

As Teri passes Thelev on her way to the podium where Kent and Brad await, she hands Thelev a small flat item, "Hold on to this for me and don't let me forget to give it to the Commodore."

Thelev looks at the item. It's a still-image holographic display, about 150mm by 100mm. It activates from the heat of his fingers and he sees an old image of Brad as a lieutenant seated at the helm of a starship. Brad is be about thirty in the image but looks a decade younger. Thelev tries to remember if he knew Brad at the time—it's certainly before Brad and Collette got married. He sits it on the table and directs his attention to Brad and Teri.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:38, Sat 24 Apr 2021.

In reply to Captain Theresa 'Teri' Harris (msg # 9):

Khendron finds all ceremonies quite boring, and passes the time thinking about how the official Federation News Network story aligns with reality. He always reads FNN stories with a healthy dose of skepticism, and now he has some personal experience in the matter.

[OOC: Updates and adjustments to the timeline and other administrivia, Part One.

I'm currently in the process of adjusting such things as Stardates and the like, as well as how the adventure fits into canon continuity. I'd chosen the 9211 stardate as the beginning of the Odyssey's mission by rationalising backwards from SD 9521.6 by 3 years, based on TNG's 1000 stardates = 1 Solar year. When adjusting that to produce the current stardate, it came out way too high, so I looked back at TWOK, where we had a stardate with a firm year: 8210.3 = 2285. 9520 - 8210 is 1310 stardates = 8 years, roughly speaking, or 164 stardates per year, rounded off. This means that rather than 9211.83 being the beginning stardate, it was actually 9011.26. Therefore, the current stardate, as of the promotion ceremony, is 9124.88.

Also, according to my chronology notes, which I hadn't checked, Collette proposed to Brad while Thelev and Khendron were MiA, but when we restarted the game, I gave Bruce the option of it being earlier with a daughter he chose to be age 16. This makes Star Trek, a Space Odyssey arguably an alternate timeline. I'm quite comfortable with this, as it ties in to the rebooted Relic campaign also being an alternate timeline. You'll all remember that toward the end of the H.Beam Piper campaign, they'd discovered a colliding alternate timeline at Dyson Base, but had not been able to track the divergence point to any more than a year earlier. This now moves that divergence date back to at least 2270, when Brad met Collette, which raises another question - did Collette wear "pajamas" to their first date? (Evil GM in-joke there...) For all intents and purposes, it doesn't make any in-continuity difference, but it does allow me to make some minor adjustments in established continuity, such as the exact time when the St. Roch gets thrown into the future, etc...

Also, I've replaced the image I was using for Matt Bowman, the deputy Science Officer. Previously I was using an image of Dmitri Valtane of the Excelsior, but since Valtane is to old looking, and I may need to involve the Excelsior in future adventures, I substituted an image of Bruce's favourite Elvis impersonator.]

This message was last edited by the GM at 17:58, Sun 25 Apr 2021.

[OOC: Updates and adjustments to the timeline and other administrivia, Part Two.

Some time ago, one of you asked how I handled stardates. When we were gaming in the 24th Century, it was easy, as the writing staff on Star Trek,the Next Generation had actually thought it out. They had defined 1000 stardates as one Solar year and had defined their season one as 2364. In Star Trek, the Original Series, it had been a much more amorphous concept. To quote Gene Roddenberry, "In the beginning, I invented the term "star date" simply to keep from tying ourselves down to 2265 A.D., or should it be 2312 A.D.? I wanted us well into the future but without arguing approximately which century this or that would have been invented or superseded. When we began making episodes, we would use a star date such as 2317 one week, and then a week later when we made the next episode we would move the star date up to 2942, and so on. Unfortunately, however, the episodes are not aired in the same order in which we filmed them. So we began to get complaints from the viewers, asking, 'How come one week the star date is 2891, the next week it's 2337, and then the week after it's 3414?'

"In answering these questions, I came up with the statement that 'this time system adjusts for shifts in relative time which occur due to the vessel's speed and space warp capability. It has little relationship to Earth's time as we know it. One hour aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise at different times may equal as little as three Earth hours. The star dates specified in the log entry must be computed against the speed of the vessel, the space warp, and its position within our galaxy, in order to give a meaningful reading.' Therefore star date would be one thing at one point in the galaxy and something else again at another point in the galaxy.

"I'm not quite sure what I meant by that explanation, but a lot of people have indicated it makes sense. If so, I've been lucky again, and I'd just as soon forget the whole thing before I'm asked any further questions about it."

A gobbledegook rationalisation if there ever was one, but classic Roddenberry. However, it did give the seeds of an idea. In the beginning, they were applied somewhat haphazardly, but progressed upward as a rule. By the time of the movie series, it became less scatter-shot. Mostly, this was the effect of stories being years apart or in clusters, and the numbers chosen reflected that.

I'd chosen the 9211 stardate as the beginning of the Odyssey's mission by rationalising backwards from SD 9521.6 by 3 years, based on TNG's 1000 stardates = 1 Solar year. When adjusting that to produce the current stardate, it came out way too high, so I looked back at TWOK, where we had a stardate with a firm year: 8210.3 = 2285. 9520 minus 8210 is 1310 stardates over 8 years, roughly speaking, or 164 stardates per year, rounded off. This means that rather than 9211.83 being the beginning stardate, it was actually 9011.26. Therefore, the current stardate, as of the promotion ceremony, is 9124.88.

So, after crunching the numbers, with only a tiny bit of tweaking to the canon numbers, I came up with: 1 year = 365.2425 = 8765.82 = 164 stardates, and 1 stardate = 53.45 hours = 2.3 days...

Year     Date        Time      Stardate      Incident                       Canon
2273                           7412.6        V'GER incident                 Star Trek, the Motion Picture
2278                           7818          USS Bozeman commissioned       TNG: Cause and Effect
2285     Feb. 19               8130.3        Genesis Incident               Wrath of Khan
2285                           8201.3        USS Excelsior commissioned     The Search for Spock
2286                           8390.0        The Whalesong Crisis           The Voyage Home
2287                           8425.0        USS Odyssey commissioned
2287     Jul. 15               8454.1        Thelev & Mercer MiA            The Final Frontier
2288                           8618.0        Thelev & Mercer rescued
2290     Mar. 07     12:45:00  9011.2        Thelev appointed C/O Odyssey
2290     Oct. 16     11:25:00  9115.8        Odyssey returns with alien fleet
2290     Oct. 17     12:45:00  9124.9        BSC Sector Task Force activated
2291     Jan. 01     00:00:00  9187.3        New Years Day, 2291
2293     Apr. 15     13:01:10  9521.6        Praxis explodes                The Undiscovered Country
2293                           9575.0        USS Enterprise-A decommissioned & recommissioned as USS Yorktown-A
2294                           9715.5        USS Enterprise-B commissioned  Generations prologue

There. Hope that's as clear as Mudd!
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:45, Sun 25 Apr 2021.

In reply to Odyssey GM (msg # 12):

OOC: Dear God, I am less concerned what the actual stardate is, and more concerned a) we have fun b) where we fit in time compared to the Star Trek universe.

a) I for one can say is true. b) your previous post tells us.  So in my Star Trek universe at least I am good.

Many thanks as always.

Thelev thinks back if he may have taught Brad since Thelev's first time as an instructor at StarFleet was about the time Brad was at Starfleet. But that would have had to be in a Structural/Space Frame course and since he was pretty junior himself he was likely teaching non-engineers who were taking the course. If he remembers correctly Brad's first Cadet Cruise was in Merchant Marine and by that time he would have been in Merchant Marine.  But chances is that if they were on the same ship a Cadet destined for command and a Lt (jr) in engineering (my 3rd assignment so guessing I was passed ensign) cross pass would have been over a game of poker if they were by some fluke assigned to the same ship.

OOC: Brad does have 1(2) in Structural/Space Frame and I am currently 2(6) in it so since that is a strength of mine I decided that was what I taught my first stint as an Academy instructor. And yes I know Poker and Brad does not so if he joined a game and he was on the same Merchant Marine ship it is more likely he remembers me for beating him than I would remember a cadet who I took some money from. And looking at timelines it looks like I was teaching when he went to the Academy and I had left and went to Merchant Marine by the time he would have done is first Cadet Crusie.

On the day after Teri Harris's promotion, Collette DesMarais organises a celebration of the Canadian Thanksgiving, eight days late for 2290. Harris, also Canadian, presides at the head table during the feast, which includes whole replicated roast turkeys with stuffing, cobs of corn, mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie, traditional for the holiday. As Sam Spaxter and Louella Goodbody have departed the Odyssey to take up residence on Bridgetown, Khendron strikes up a dalliance with Dame Flavia.

Over the next month, MacCay and his crew are dispatched to Federation space to pick up the Genser. They return two weeks later accompanying a flotilla of eight Sydney class passenger transports to take the crews of the Rag Tag Fleet to τ-Cygni for orientation. On October 31, at Kyra and Bellandra's instigation, the entire Rag Tag Fleet is introduced to the Earth celebration of Hallowe'en. The party is a big hit. It seems this is one of those traditions with parallels in many alternate universes.

The Genser and Arcadia leave on November 5th for the τ-Cygni Academy campus, escorting the convoy of transports. Khendron bids farewell to Dame Flavia. Captain Ahab's Spelljammer Pequod, having been confirmed as having originated in the same universe as Lord Dhark's Chateau d'Amber, enters a Silver Ball-generated conduit into the Hole to return home. Captain Ahab refuses an escort, given the reported political situation with Lord Dhark.

[OOC: Thelev's reminiscences sound great. Just the type of background info I love. The more obscure the better—just did some more tinkering with the Klingon language and it turns out that Silver Ball in Klingon is QujmeH moQ SIrlIy!

Of course, this message just lays out the broad strokes of what Starfleet does in October/November 2290 and should not replace the actual role-play of the events. Role-Playing is after all, the name of the game!]
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:39, Mon 26 Apr 2021.

According to some historians, the first celebration of Thanksgiving in North America occurred during the 1579 voyage of Martin Frobisher from England, in search of the Northwest Passage, as Spaniards conducted similar services in Spanish North America during the mid-16th century, decades before Frobisher's arrival. Years later, French settlers, having crossed the ocean and arrived in Canada with explorer Samuel de Champlain, from 1604 also held feasts of thanks. They formed the Order of Good Cheer and held feasts with their First Nations neighbours, at which food was shared. During and after the American Revolution, American refugees who remained loyal to Great Britain moved from the newly independent United States to Canada. They brought the customs and practices of the American Thanksgiving to Canada, such as the turkey, pumpkin, and squash.

At the Thanksgiving feast, Brad mulls over everything he has to be thankful for. His best friend is settling nicely into the centre chair, he's sharing a posting with his wife after so many years of her being stationed on Luna and likewise he's closer to Kyra than ever before, he's at the top of his career to date with the flag position in a sector command. Of course, not everything is perfect. Nogura, whom he'd respected highly, is gone; he's lost a crewman, something that always bothers him, and it seems that Dhark has used him as a scapegoat in some scheme against the Emperor of the Underdark. He's still a little dubious about Dworkin the Black and there's the case of Calista hanging over everything. The Orions, who had been instrumental in hammering out the Emerson Accords with Sam Lowry and James Emerson, have decided to make Prefect Ozakin their representative to Bridgetown, so while he'll be off the ship he'll always be lurking in the background. Luckily, he regards himself as being in debt to the Odyssey for saving his life and those of many of his crew. He looks at the holo Teri has gifted him of a very young Lieutenant McCurrvey from when she was an ensign and thinks, "Things were so simple back then..."

Thelev likewise has much to be thankful for. Unlike Brad, he's been able to serve with his wife for much of his career. He has an incredible family group, Thoma, Thanek, Vora and now Vethia. He's in command of the most advanced ship in the fleet and his best friend is in charge of the Task Force. "The Student is now the Master..." he muses. [OOC: I've checked the numbers, and since Thelev is 5 years older than Brad, his first year of being an Academy instructor coincides with Brad's Senior year at the Academy, so it all works out.] Again, there's the threat of Calista hanging over them.

Khendron is seated with Dame Flavia, who's telling him how much this Thanksgiving reminds her of the Ambarvalia, an agricultural fertility rite held in honor of the goddess of fertility and growth Dea Dia. Although he feel somewhat overshadowed by his friends, Brad and Thelev, he is a captain and the Executive officer of a huge honking ship, all while still retaining his duty as Science Officer, in charge of one of the most important (and now not so secret) scientific advancements since Genesis or Transwarp. Although both of those were dead ends, he's reminded of the Human superstition that "the third time's the charm." He's happy to be working with Smith again, but sometimes misses Wesson, who went back to its own universe—the Silver Ball giveth and the Silver Ball taketh away. He smiles at Flavia's banter. She's a beautiful, energetic, inventive lover, in many ways as much like an Efrosian as any Human woman he's ever met.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:50, Tue 27 Apr 2021.

In reply to Odyssey GM (msg # 15):

Thelev decides even though the background of this Earth holiday seems a bit strange at times, he can understand why people want to be thankful.

And Thelev is, a great ship he is able to serve on so many ships with Thoma, especially now that he is the captain of the Odyssey, and even more so that their daughter is with them.

"Thoma, we are so lucky that we are able to serve in Star Fleet together and have Vethia here with us.  I look at Brad and Collette and think how much of their career they have been apart and I am so thankful we have been able to be together."

In reply to Captain Thelev (msg # 16):

At sometime during the evening's celebrations, Khendron find himself in conversation with Brad and Thelev, with Dame Flavia on his arm. He raises his glass. "Alls well that ends well, as they say on many planets and in many dimensions."

Khendron leans in closer and adds quietly "Nows about the time something throws a wrench into all our well being. I wouldn't be surprised if this time next week finds us under red alert on the other side of the galaxy.

"But, " he continues, "there is nothing quite like living in the moment. Flavia, my dear, shall we go rustle up some dessert?"

Flavia gives a low throaty chuckle. "You're all the dessert I need, Khendron m'dear," she says playfully. This is a side of her that Brad and Thelev have never seen.

"But on the other hand, that chocolate cheesecake smells wonderful..." she says, leading Khendron to the dessert table.
This message was lightly edited by the player at 18:57, Tue 04 May 2021.

Teri Harris overhears Khendron's "All's well that ends well" speech and says, "'It ain't over 'til it's over,' or so says Yogi Bear. We still have to catch that bitch Calista, and we have no idea of the capabilities of her magic ship!" She's not drunk, precisely, but she's had more than a little rum and her Newfoundland accent is more prominent than usual.

The day after the Thanksgiving festival, LCdr Boren convenes an intelligence briefing. Attending are command representatives from the various ships in-system, including Al MacCay, C/O designate of the Genser; Teri Harris, C/O DS6A; David Bowman C/O Excalibur-A; Anne Potrikos, C/O Discovery; Captain Haarlech, C/O Arcadia; Captain Jason Culver, C/O USS Fife, a Chandley class frigate newly arrived in-system; all their Intelligence Officers; Commissioner Rosemary Kent and her Sector Chief of Intelligence, Agent Paul Knox. Also attending via subspace radio are Captain Myrissaw, C/O St Roch, and Vice Admiral Mercedes Hernandez, Judge Advocate-General for Special Operations. This is the JAG's overseer of clandestine missions. Normally, she would not be involved in an antipiracy mission, but nothing seems normal about this meeting.

Hernandez is a heavyset woman in her mid-sixties with a head of iron-grey hair and an equally iron-like expression of her face. "Ladies and Gentlemen," she begins, "This briefing is classified. Operation Hellfire is hereby established as a multijurisdictional mission incorporating Starfleet Command, Starfleet Intelligence, the Department of Temporal Investigations, The Orion Frontier Mercantile Association and the Romulan Tal Dian.

"Commander Boren, please introduce your additional personnel."

Boren stands at the podium and begins, "We've been burning up the subspace frequencies and the following people have been approved for Operation Hellfire.

"Centurion Tevan of the Romulan Tal Dian is well acquainted with Calista the Damned and most of the crew of the Armida IV, having been a deep-cover agent in the ship's crew.

"Next, Bellandra ferch Jaime was Calista's captive for three years. For the last few days, she has been seeing the ship's psychologist, Lieutenant Carleton Smith, dealing with her adjustment to her new-found freedom and assessing her for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. She is a minor child, so she is being placed on the Odyssey's manifest as a ward of the state, and will be under the care of Miss Jordan Stone, a civilian Human/Betazoid teacher.

"Prefect Tural Ozakin of the Orion Frontier Mercantile Association represents the interests of the Lifaq family of the Orion world of Workday, where Calista did several billion dejebbits damage to the orbital shipyards."

"Excuse me," asks Commissioner Kent. "You say Ms. ferch Jaime is a minor child. How old is she? Have you been able to contact her parents?"

Tevan replies, "She is sixteen Terran years old and quite mature for her age, as Humans go."

Boren elaborates, "Bellandra ferch Jaime, born March 10 2274 on Hastings, Fomalhaut IV to Melisandre ferch Gwyddion, occupation - dancer; father not listed. Melisandre confirmed among the dead on the starliner Singing Star in the Triangle on or about August 5 2287. All hands and passengers listed as lost in pirate attack. Bellandra's body was not found and she was declared dead by statute."

[OOC: Note to Bruce - yes, I've added a lot of new background NPCs. No, you don't need to keep track of all of them - that's my job. It's like a movie—you need to know the heroes and the main villains, but the rest are extras in the background.]
This message was last edited by the player at 01:51, Sun 16 May 2021.

In reply to Lieutenant Commander Bryan W. Boren (msg # 20):

OOC: I assume we are there as well. And second is HoD Kang here.

[OOC: Well, I did say representatives from the various ships in-system are there. That includes the Odyssey. Only Starfleet officers are cleared to attend, so Kang isn't there. He's aware that the meeting is happening, but will be briefed later, along with Centurion Tevan. Both of them will of course report back up their respective chains of command. While peace talks are ongoing with the Klingon Empire, the Alliance won't happen for half a century, following the Enterprise-C's destruction defending Narendra III in 2344; and the Intrepid's rescue of Klingon survivors of the Romulan attack on Khitomer in 2246.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:02, Fri 07 May 2021.

The door to the washroom opens and a diminutive character walks in. He's wearing black trousers, a snow-white shirt and black waistcoat with a satin back panel, a blood-red necktie in a Windsor knot and red velvet sleeve garters. He's humanoid, of extreme age, barely a metre and a quarter tall. He has pale skin, a bushy white beard with a bald scalp and piercing ice-blue eyes. He is clutching a walking stick with a silver skull topper.

"Perhaps I may be of some help," he says drily. "My name is Dworkin. I have some expertise in these matters."

Boren slaps a touch panel on the table before him. "Intruder alert! Security to the flag briefing room!" There is no response and the alert klaxon is silent.

Dworkin smiles. "Observe the chronometre, ladies and gentlemen." The time readout over the wallscreen is stationary, reading 13:15:26, and the faces on the screen are still. "I've suspended the passage of time. I assure you, I mean you no harm. Bradron, I realise that things have been hectic as of late, but have you given my calling cards to Thelev and Khendron?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:58, Tue 11 May 2021.

In reply to Dworkin the Black (msg # 23):

Thelev signals to everyone in the room to remain seated or once again to take their seats and turns to our guest. "I do not believe we have been introduced. And you make think having the ability to pause time is impressive, I can assure you it is not impressing any of us."

As Thelev stands and take a step around the table "And you may have talked to Commodore McCurrvey but this is my ship, so I would appreciate if you allowed time and communications to return to normal. This is a Starfleet Command hosted meeting so if you believe you have something offer this meeting, I ask you to introduce yourself and let us know what you can offer us and then we can determine if you can stay."

Dworkin chuckles and says, "Ah, not easily impressed, are we? I like that. Well," he snaps his fingers and the milky purple stone on his ring finger flashes blue. "Tempus fugit," he says in Latin. The chronometre reads 13:15:27, 13:15:28, 13:15:29 and so on...

On the screen VAdm Hernandez blinks as she realises that another person has just appeared on her screen. "Cdore McCurrvey, who is this person? Is he cleared for this meeting?"

Boren says, "My question exactly! I gather you know him, Commodore?" He raises a type I phaser and levels it at Dworkin.

Dworkin raises an eyebrow, "But you, Commander, seem easily flustered. Yes, he knows me, and I know you, LCdr Boren. Yes, I'm read in on Operation Hellfire, code word Chaos."

Boren lowers his phaser and replies, "Countersign Amber."

Hernandez sighs and says, "Well, if Special Projects is involved. Welcome, Mister..." she raises an eyebrow questioningly.

"Dworkin, Admiral," replies the little man, bowing at the screen. "Investigator at large Dworkin Barimen at your service, ma'am."

Brad, Thelev and Khendron have all heard of the Special Projects Section of Starfleet Intelligence. It was one of the loyalist factions in the Intelligence War.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:35, Mon 21 June 2021.

In reply to Dworkin the Black (msg # 25):

"I got your card, thank you for providing me with an uninfected one," says Khendron with cold sarcasm. "If you think you can help us, then state your case. Without any distracting theatrics, please."

Khendron actually believes that this Dworkin can be of assistance, but he could do without his unpredictable antics.

The little man puts his hand to his chest with a pseudo-puzzled look on his face. "Moi? Theatrical? But, good sir, did not the Bard say, 'All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players'? My dear Khendron, the card was not infected as you put it. Mere machines with a single task and a destruct function immediately thereafter. One must observe technological hygiene, after all! A logical outgrowth of your Prime Directive, as it were."

He steps to the replicator and orders, "Bushmills." A glass of amber liquid with a single ice cube shimmers into existence. He sits on the nearest vacant chair and takes a sip. "Ah, that does hit the spot. Now to business. Correct me if I'm wrong, but you were just discussing Calista's young captive and her immediate future. You are aware that she was being groomed by Calista for a vile destiny? Yes, of course you are, and you were concerned that her finding this out would cause her irreparable psychological harm, yes? There is no need to worry there, my friends. You vastly underestimate the young miss. She put two and two together almost a year ago and has been waiting all this time for an opportunity to escape durance vile.

For those among you who are not aware, Ms. ferch Jaime was being saved, if such an inapproriate term may be said to apply, until she reached maturity; then to be sacrificed to the Verlegg. This meant of course, that Calista must needs preserve her virgo intacta until such ritual, therefore she'd been kept safe from the predations of Morgh, Jasmine, Jade and the rest of the motley crew. Your security crew relieved her of a silver dagger." An image of a particularly nasty weapon appears in a window on the viewer.

"Known on Earth as a Tibetan Phurba, on Andor as a Takatan, a katrafal on Vulcan and as a yabtaj or 'Dagger of the Mind' in thlIngan Hol. [Dworkin says the Klingon name in fluent Hol with no discernable accent]

"100% pure Sterling silver, though it's heavily tarnished and stained with—well, never mind—it's specifically designed to kill life forms the likes of the Verlegg. Bellandra would have concealed it until the last moment and plunge it into the dæmon's eye, ah, socket."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:20, Thu 13 May 2021.

In reply to Dworkin the Black (msg # 27):

"My dear sir, you have a lot of confidence in a 16 year old young lady that she would be able to catch Verlegg off guard and drive the Takatan into his eye socket. From what I have seen she is an incredible young lady for her age, but Verlegg is a powerful being.  May I ask what makes you so confident that she would have been successful." Thelev asks.

"Secondly if she has only been aware of her purpose for only a year, I doubt that she has been able to obtain a Takatan on her on and even know that it would help her kill Verlegg, so that must mean someone else within Calista crew was helping her out." he adds.

"So full disclosure here would help, no games, no clever play on words, but a clear concise briefing.  And remember we can either clear the room of anyone without the proper clearance or have them temporarily given the proper clearance for them to stay and hear." as he points to the screen. Of course he knows basically everyone current here are either ship captains, intelligent officers or have a significant Selcar level.

"My dear Captain Thelev, you are correct. I do have a lot confidence in this young lady. She is a most formidable specimen of adolescent humanity. Yes, she managed to acquire the takatan on her own and conceal it from the crew. She had long since memorised Calista's private codes and was able to delete it from the pirates' manifest of ill-gotten gains. She is a genius-level hacker—largely self-taught—and had thoroughly infiltrated the Armida IV's computer systems." He takes another sip. "I calculate at least a sixty per cent probability that she would have been able to dispatch the Verlegg. Although innately powerful, the Verlegg has a fatal flaw—overconfidence.

For so long, he's been able to work through minions like Calista and her crew and cannot conceive that an juvenile Human—a female no less!—could defeat him. Bit by bit, by sheer happenstance and by dint of her innate force of will, young Bellandra has been able to construct a mind shield and it has completely slipped Verlegg's notice."

He finishes his drink and leans back in his chair, fingers laced together over his belly. "And now, by sheer cosmic coincidence, she has come into contact with one who complements her strengths and compensates for her weaknesses."

Collette, sitting in on the meeting in her position as Navigator, looks up in alarm. "Are you referring to Kyra? I noticed the other night that they seemed to be like best friends on first sight, down to finishing each other's sentences, but sometimes teenagers are like that. Are you saying there's more to it? Is Kyra potentially is some sort of danger from Bellandra?"

Boren looks at Dworkin, a frown on his face. "What do a Starfleet brat and a pirate cabin girl have in common that's so remarkable? Special Projects or not, you've got a lot of explaining to do Mister Dworkin!"

Dworkin observes Boren, his eyes icy. "For someone who works for Starfleet Intelligence—as great an oxymoron as ever was—should know, still waters run deep. Young Kyra has had all the benefits Bellandra never had - a stable family life, access to the best schooling and all that comes with it, but she's never had to operate on the most visceral levels; whereas Bellandra has had to fend for herself in the face of true adversity. On the other tentacle, pardon the metaphor, Kyra longs for adventure and derring do, while Bellandra has lived that life and longs for stability and normalcy.

"On that note, Kyra and Bellandra are two sides of the same coin. Unfortunately, that also makes Kyra a prime target for the Verlegg.

"Now that they have found each other, it would be inadvisable to separate them. If they are apart, Verlegg will be able to menace them separately, but together they can be trained, forged into something greater than the sum of the two apart."

Collette walks over to Brad. Taking his hand, she whispers, "Is he saying what I think he is?"

Boren looks at Brad. "Commodore, when this meeting is over, I request a get-together with you, Cdr DesMarais, Kyra, Bellandra, Carl Smith and Centurion Tevan." He looks around the room. "Ladies and gentlemen, I suggest we table the question of Calista, the Verlegg and all; and return to the Operational and Intelligence aspects of the Bright Stars Cluster Sector Task Force's mission. Next on the agenda..."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:31, Sun 16 May 2021.

In reply to Dworkin the Black (msg # 29):

"Dworkin, I agree we should table this discussion and get back to the matter at hand.  But I would like to remind you that Bellandra is in the care of the state and I believe that Miss Jordan Stone has been appointed her guardian. So unless there is some complying security reason she can not be involved I request she is included in the meeting.  I remind you that yes she is a civilian but is aboard a ship with temporal capability and in the care of my daughter has been briefed to the point she can help deal with my daughter if anything should arise around the period of time I was missing." Thelev comments.

"Second Kyra is a minor aboard my ship and I will support whatever Commander DesMarais decides is best for her daughter as a member of my crew." he adds giving a supportive smile towards Collette.

Turning back to Boren he says "You may continue with your briefing." feeling that Brad maybe distracted about what was just said about Kyra and his and Collette's concerns on the matter.

"Excuse me, Captain," interjects Boren, "I will be chairing the meeting with Kyra and Bellandra. As C/O, you are of course welcome to attend, but since neither Kyra nor Bellandra have a SECLAR, there is no reason Miss Stone cannot attend as a supporting witness. In fact. it's a very good idea and, as you say, she's the state-appointed guardian and so has not only the right but the duty to attend."

"Quite right," acknowledges Dworkin. "And on that note, I shall take my leave; other than to note that Captain Ahab of the Pequod has a chart of the Phlogiston, the realm of fluidic space from which he—and the Verlegg—hail." with that, he walks to the door to the corridor and exits.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:04, Thu 24 June 2021.

The strategy meeting goes on for eight hours, not even breaking for meals courtesy of the food replicator. Many of the organisational details of the task force are hammered out. Eventually, decisions are made and the meeting ends. Teri agrees to brief Sam on the effects the decisions will have on Bridgetown and the Emerson Accords.

The next day at 15:00 hours, after the end of the day's school session, Brad, Collette, Thelev, Khendron and Boren meet in the ship's classroom. Kyra, Bellandra, Miss Stone and Lt Carleton Smith are present. As the adults are getting set up, the girls are discussing an old flat-screen video presentation from their classics class. "That was just plain silly! Parsecs are a unit of distance, not time! Just like light-years! And from the way the old man rolled his eyes, he knew it!" Bellandra says.

"More like the actor knew it but the writer didn't," agrees Kyra. The two of them are polishing off a couple of litres of Flaxian bubble juice. The helium gas in the bubbles has made their voices squeaky, like a pair of chipmunks. Kyra is feeding her pet beaker roasted nuts, tossing them in the air and watching the odd creature catching them in its beak.

Miss Stone claps her hands to attract their attention, "OK, we're ready to begin! Send the little guy home, Kyra."

Beaker jumps down off the foot stool and waddles over to the door, chittering to himself. The door sensor detects the creature, no larger than a smallish dog, and opens obligingly. Beaker hoots goodbye and proceeds to the family quarters. "My cousin has an albino beaker back on Betazed. The albinos are highly prized as they form a psionic link to their humanoid companions and act as a psionic amplifier," Jordan informs the girls.

"Now, Commodore and Commander, shall we begin? It seems that Kyra and Bellandra have become what on Earth they call BFFs, or best friends forever. On Betazed, they are referred to as imzadis which translates as beloved. Many Humans believe that this is a romantic relationship, even sexual. Not true, of course. Its literal meaning is the first, not necessarily referring to the first sexual partner but the first to ever touch your soul. It would better translate as soulmate though Humans often equate even that as romantic."
This message was last edited by the player at 12:58, Mon 17 May 2021.

In reply to Lieutenant Commander Bryan W. Boren (msg # 32):

Thelev plans to mainly listen and be there to support Brad, Collette, and Miss Stone.  And make sure Lt. Commander Boren isn't putting the Odyssey in danger.  After grabbing a Srjula to sip Thelev takes a seat where he can keep an eye on Bellandra and Miss Stone.

If there is a moment before the meeting he will ask Miss Stone how Vethia was today, more as a loving parent than anything else.

[OOC: A writeup on the beaker can be found here—Beakers are from the Traveller RPG by GDW, originally published in The Journal of the Traveller's Aid Society #3, 1980.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:48, Mon 17 May 2021.

Miss Stone smiles and says, "She's a real sweetie. She's already learning to write her name in Graalek. [Graalek is the written form of Graalen, a native language of Andoria] I'm very pleased with her progress. She loves sculpting with clay." She takes out a PADD and shows Thelev a selection of holograms of clay figures. "Sure they're rough, but good for a three-year old. She has amazing hand/eye coordination. I've shown these to Thoma and she asked for copies."

Thelev has a lump in his throat looking at his daughter's handiwork. He makes a note to send copies of the holos to Thanek and Vora. They'll be as proud as he and Thoma are of their little girl.

However, he puts aside these thoughts to savour later. The focus at this moment is on Kyra nd her new-found friend. If all goes well, Bellandra may be the key to the Calista problem.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:22, Thu 20 May 2021.

[OOC just back tracking a few moments to the beginning of the session.]

Miss Stone begins, "Now, Commodore and Commander, shall we begin? It seems that Kyra and Bellandra have become what on Earth they call BFFs, or best friends forever. On Betazed, they are referred to as imzadis which translates as beloved. Many Humans believe that this is a romantic relationship, even sexual. Not true, of course. Its literal meaning is the first, not necessarily referring to the first sexual partner but the first to ever touch your soul. It would better translate as soulmate though Humans often equate even that as romantic."

"The term imzadi could even be applied to the relationship between you, Commodore, and Captains Thelev and Mercer. I'm told that some even refer to the three of you as the Three Musketeers. The relationship is very common with Human girls in their teens and is much celebrated in Human literature, though not by that name. True, in Betazoid culture there is a psychic connection but it's just as real in non-Betazoids. Oh, dear, I've embarrassed the girls..." she concludes.

It appears she's right, as both of them are blushing.

Lt Smith, the psychologist leans forward. "I'm sorry Miss Stone, but Betazoids are much more open about these things than are we Humans. There's nothing wrong with that—interaction between various cultures adds a certain spice to life, but can also lead to embarrassing comparisons.

"That said, we all have much to adjust to. Teen years can often be confusing, what with new experiences and new acquaintances. Kyra, your father and Capt Thelev were not all that much older than you were when they met, and lok what that led to. A gestalt can be much more than the sum of its ingredients."

Lieutenant Smith looks to Brad and Collette and says, "Commodore, Commander, Miss Smith; do you mind if I ask the young ladies to wait in the ante room for a few moments? I need to discuss something sensitive with you."

Bellandra says with some pique in her tone, "Guess that's our cue to scram, Kyr. At least they didn't just tell us to Zark off like Jasmine does!" She and Kyra saunter out of the room, leaving their jackets on their chair backs.

Collette shoots a slightly confused look at Brad. Kyra's usually a little more headstrong.

Smith, a short Human in his early thirties with dark hair and a touch of a cyanotic tinge to his face, begins, "I assume you've all been briefed on Calista's plans for young Bellandra. According to information extracted from Centurion Tevan by LCdr Boren, it seems that our pirate captain inherited a taste for the macabre from her Human father. While her mother was running her own cons on the side, Calista's father was a high priest in a Satanic cult. Most Satanists are actually atheists at heart and use distorted versions of Christianity as a satirical tool of parody. A tiny minority, however are just as fanatical in their worship of the so-called god of evil that they actively believe in a mirror version of the once-powerful Catholic Church. Calista learned this religion at her father's knee before her mother decided she'd had everything she could get from him and left taking her with her.

"Apparently this Verlegg entity assumed the likeness of one of the supposed demons her father had worshipped and seduced her into its service. She decided that once Bellandra had reached the age of majority at eighteen, or six plus six plus six years, she would sacrifice her to bind Verlegg to her own service and theoretically gain its power for herself. All purest bunkum, of course."

He sighs and concludes, "I worry that, on top of the abuse she has endured over the past three standard years, though she has been spared the pirate crew's carnal attentions, this knowledge might have negative psychological repercussions on her formative mind."

Boren stands and walks over to Bellandra's chair. He says, "Yes, that's all well and good, Lt. Smith, but your information is out of date." He picks up Bellandra's jacket and reaches into the pocket, withdrawing an open communicator. "You may as well come in, girls," he says and flips the antenna closed.

Bellandra follows Kyra into the room, holding Beaker on her shoulder. "How did you know?" she asks, a touch of red in her cheeks. She tries to grab her communicator back, but Boren simply holds it high, out of her reach. Beaker jumps onto Kyra's shoulder, chittering in alarm.

Boren looks bemused, raises an eyebrow and says, "Intel knows everything..." He turns to Miss Stone. "...and you may be interested in finding she's bootstrapped a sort of mind shield to prevent a certain Half-Klingon Betazoid from reading her mind. That's why you find it hard to read her, Miss Stone."

Miss Stone's jaw is set. "Yes, Commander, I had figured that out. It's a skill some people raised in such conditions sometimes develop. It's called shuttle-think. It's possible to break through by slow and gentle work, but I decided to respect her privacy." She does not look happy or, indeed, impressed with Boren's hard-driving attitude.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:17, Wed 09 June 2021.

OOC Sorry guys.  I got spooked with the Dworkin stuff and it made me want to reread everything we had done.  I thought it would have taken me a few days but in fact it’s taken me weeks (I guess we’d done a lot of stuff).  Just the sheer number of NPCs we have going was overwhelming!  I think I now have most of the characters down and can get down to things.  Sorry again!

Brad looks around the table and shakes his head.  Having Collette around was bad enough (in a good way) but exposing Kyra to these dangers is almost overwhelming.  Most of these people around the table view her as a tool or as data, and not a precious little girl.  A small spark of anger begins to take hold which he forces down.

“Ladies, Gentlemen, While we can continue to discuss my daughter’s relationships for a while, I would really like to understand what is being proposed.  The Verlegg is one aspect of this mission but there are others.  If my daughter or her ward-of-the-state friend is to be involved I want specifics!”  Brad notices that his fist has clenched into a ball and he makes an effort to relax and present a calm (but firm) demour.

Krya stomps her foot and Beaker looks distressed, "Look, everyone, I'm not gay, but it shouldn't matter even if I was! If Bellandra is, I don't care—she's my friend and we're tired of being guinea pigs!"

Bellandra agrees, "Your father is right! We have to deal with Calista and the Zarkin' Verlegg! Do you know what they were going to do to me? They were going to cut my heart out when I got old enough, in two frakkin' years! My taste in friends or whatever is totally beside the fact! I'm only sixteen for Zark's sake. I've been a prisoner of a bloodthirsty frakkin' Satanic pirate who killed my Mom, three frakkin' years now, being prepared to be a frakkin' Human sacrifice and all anyone cares about is my love life! I don't have one, OK?! I'm just a kid. Commodore McCurrvey, Kyra and Collette seem to be the only ones here who seem to grasp that. Jordan's all right as far as that goes, but even she doesn't understand, pryin' about the edges of my mind!

"C'mon, Kyra, we don't have to put up with this felgercarb!" The two of them grab their jackets and stomp to the door while Beaker chitters angrily at everyone.

As the door swished closed, Jordan murmurs, "Well, that went well..."

The intercom chirps. "Captain and XO to the Bridge please," announces Thoma.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:36, Mon 14 June 2021.

When Thelev and Khendron arrive on the bridge, Thoma advises them that there's been an anomaly reported in the Engineering section. A small inspection hatch has been discovered incompletely closed. Upon close inspection by techs in EVA suits reveals scratches in the alloy which interfered with its closing. Also present are silicon fibres resembling hairs at a microscopic level.

In reply to Commander Thoma (msg # 41):

"What does that panel give access to?" Khendron asks the Engineering Chief. "And who was the last person acknowledged to have opened it, and when? Let's get a security team to analyze the scratches and fibres!"

Khendron debates with himself whether or not to go down in Engineering, but decides he will wait for the security report.

Rutherford introduces Khendron to Lt Laetitia George, the Warp Plasma Tech who'd been sent out to do the inspection. She notes that the inspection corridor is normally kept in vacuum so it took until a routine diagnostic to discover the tiny air leak at the hatch caused by the scratches. The silicon fibres, most closely resembling the guard hairs of a caninoid creature but composed of silicates rather than keratin, were found clinging to the main Warp Plasma Conduits in the  starboard nacelle pylon. "We've begun a complete diagnostic scan of the area and have ruled out any contamination by the crew—nobody's been in the inspection corridor since we launched from Starbase 31 in March—about two weeks ship time. We were just on the verge of calling a Security Alert once we confirmed the hair-like structure of the fibres. The only silicon-based life forms on record are the Hortas of Janus VI, but they have no analogous body structures."

OOC Since I don’t know about the hatch.

“Commander Boren, without bringing my daughter into the coversation, what should we be doing about Callista?  We need intel to find her and a tactical analysis of this new ship she has.  I’d like some actionable intel ASAP”

“Dworkin, the Lord Darhk situation: can we deal with this later or can we expect “surprises” from that direction and if so, what?”

Brad looks concerned.  He doesn’t like so many balls in play at once.

Boren pauses. "Er, sir, Dworkin's not—"

"Here, Commander," comes the voice of the little man as the door opens, "Very perceptive, Commodore. I wasn't aware you'd realised I was watching." He steps into the room and sits down, dapper as ever.

"I suspect that the Captains may be able to shed some light on your last question. While I'm not personally aware of Dhark's plans, the timing is too coincidental."

Collette stands and says, "I think I'd better go check on the girls. Jordan, if you please?" They leave, taking Lt Smith with them. Smith looks disappointed to be left out but realises it's way above his SECLAR.

Brad's head is whirling, but everyone seems to think he knows more than he does. He suddenly realises that Flag officers rely on this all the time.

"Agent Dworkin—" begins Boren...

"Mister, Commander. Just Dworkin, or Mister Barimen, if you must—I have no official rank." clarifies Dworkin.

"Well then, Mister Barimen," continues Boren. "Just who the hell are you? Are you really with Special Projects? Sir," he says to Brad, "Just who is this—gentleman?"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:38, Mon 21 June 2021.

Dworkin chuckles. "Special Projects? Come now, Commander, we both know that Special Projects is really just a cover name for a little-known but critical covert division of Starfleet Intelligence, supposedly sanctioned by the Starfleet Charter, Article 14, Section 31 of which allows for extraordinary measures to be taken in times of extreme threat. The current Director of Section 31—or Special Projects—is Fleet Captain Gideon Lancaster."

Brad is familiar with Fleet Captain Lancaster, though he's never met him. Then-Captain Lancaster was in the loyalist faction in the Intelligence War.

"However, to be frank, no, I'm not with Special Projects, I'm an independent investigator for the Empress of the Twenty Universes, based out of Centre. No, Commander, put your phaser down—I'm afraid it will be ineffective against me. Remember my little time-stopping trick? That's just one of my techniques."

Boren is holding a Type I Hand Phaser in his hand. He presses the trigger and a red beam lances out and envelopes Dworkin.

Dworkin grins broadly. "That tickles," he says, waving his hand. The beam cuts off.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:50, Mon 21 June 2021.

While Thelev and Mercer are debriefing Lt George, they get an update.

"Bridge, PO Gurdeep here. I'm in the Warp Pylon Corridor and I've got an anomaly. I've just found a cold spot on one of the plasma conduit modules. Scanning..." he says. Gurdeep is a Roylan—a short humanoid with oyster shell-like facial skin and eyestalks projecting from deep pits in his face. He is adept at climbing into small spaces like the plasma conduits.

"Oh, Frell!" he exclaims, "Intruder alert!" A tricorder scan of a thermal image appears on the screen.

The scan shows a cold hand-shaped outline against a glowing hot background. It resembles a humanoid hand, but elongated unnaturally.

"Gurdeep, evacuate the area!" snaps Lt George.

"Aye, sir, running like frell!" says Gurdeep and his transmission ends, leaving just the image from his tricorder on the screen. Khendron has a sinking feeling in his stomach—it looks strangely familiar.

In reply to Petty Officer 1c Gurdeep (msg # 47):

"Security alert!" exclaims Khendron. "We have detected signs of an unknown entity in the vicinity of the plasma conduits! Lock down the area and get us a thorough scan. I want know of anything moving near there, known and unknown."

Khendron also quickly summarizes the findings so far, concerning the open hatch and the traces of silicon "hair", so that the security chief is up to speed. He parks his bad feeling in the back of his mind for the moment. He can analyze his feeling later, after what is necessary is in motion.

No doubt Thelev is contacting Khendron asking what all the kerfuffle is about, so he brings him up-to-date.

Since you're still on the bridge, Thelev is right there.

"Roger that, XO. Security team to Deck Ten nacelle pylon inspection corridor—heavy duty environmental suits and Type III Phasers. Major Bilgebottom, place Rapid Reaction Team on standby!" replies the Security Chief.

The Marine commandant replies over the intercom, "Bilgebottom, aye. Capt Mercer, I've just looked at Gurdeep's scan. Is that what I think it is? Remember Lord Dhark's 'pet'? Didn't it have hands just like that—only on all four limbs? Did anyone get a scan of it?"

Dworkin looks at Boren. "Well, Commander, it looks like you have a bigger problem than little old me. Now put that toy away!"

Boren looks at Brad for orders, trying to digest what Dworkin has just said. "Brad? Orders, sir?"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:49, Tue 22 June 2021.

In reply to Lieutenant Devlin Trask (msg # 49):

"That giant naked dog thing?", exclaims Khendron. "Hmmmm, I see what you mean. Dhark named is Pistos, and called it a domesticated hell hound. I did not get a scan, but perhaps someone else did. Let's check the records of that visit."

Khendron does a quick search, and figures somebody at least got a picture of thing.

"Dhark was not pleased with the Verlegg." Khendron muses, half to himself. "I wonder if he sent his ... pet to keep him appraised of the progress of our hunt."

Khendron sighs. If this is Dhark's pet, it would be best not to harm it if possible. "XO to security teams, if the intruder turns out to be a large four-legged furless creature—I am sending a picture—do not harm it if at all possible.

"Bilgebottom," Khendron continues, knowing full well that the Major is not going to like what he hears next, "if it is indeed Pistos, it may remember you. Perhaps you will be able to communicate with it. The thing seemed pretty intelligent."

In reply to Captain Khendron Mercer (msg # 52):

Turning to Bowman Thelev says "Work with the Transporter chief and see if their are any anomalies in our transport records that could have been a silicon based life-form when we beamed back to the ship from The Abyss pocket universe."

Bowman checks the Library Computer. "No, XO, we've got no scans of Pistos, but we do have one image clip, about 8 seconds long."

The image appears on the screen—it is a large dog-like creature with hands on all four legs and a naked pelt of corpse-white skin. The head, atop its long, curved neck, is an ivory skull with a gaping mouth, a ragged, black tongue, teeth like needles of yellow bone. Atop the cranium is a bush of transparent bristles like glass fibres. From floor to scalp, it stands just shy of two metres.

Bilgebottom enters the bridge, in full combat gear carrying a phaser rifle. "Yeah, I remember that beastie," he rumbles.

Bowman scans the transporter records. "The Abyss, skipper?" he asks. "Would that be the Museum or Lord Dhark's palace? At any rate, no records from either time period match those parametres, sir."

Lt. George, following the conversation on the intercom system, says, "We're running a complete scan of the records of that hatch. No records of it opening since we launched from SB31. The only reading I can find is a momentary glitch about an hour ago. Since the corridor is kept evacuated, it didn't trip any sensors. Soon as we figure out what happened we'll modify the monitoring protocols."
This message was last edited by the player at 18:22, Thu 24 June 2021.

“Boren, What the hell are you doing?”

Brad is shocked that Boren fired without authorization.  He moves to his own phaser (wherever that might be; on his person or close to his desk).  He also tries to determine the setting used.  Was it a shot to stun or kill?

“You seem to be ignoring the fact that Mr Dworkin is an invited guest here”

"Sir! I was apprehending an admitted alien agent for impersonating a member of Starfleet Intelligence Special Projects Division and for revealing secret information above even your SECLAR." He places the phaser on the desk. It is, as consistant with his statement, on heavy stun.

Dworkin notes, "I never said I was a member of SI—I merely indicated that I was aware of Operation Hellfire and gave you the codeword. Indeed, I identified myself otherwise before you attempted to stun me. As for being an alien, I'm as Human as you are; just not from your Universe. 'Judge me by my size, do you?'" Brad recognises a line from the adventure series Kyra and Bellandra had been discussing.

Boren retorts, "And how the hell do I know that Intruder Alert isn't for you, Mister Barimen?"
This message was last edited by the player at 01:49, Sat 26 June 2021.

In reply to Lt. Commander Matt Bowman (msg # 54):

"Lt. George, do we have visual scans both prior and after the glitch of the corridor in both directions.  Perhaps we can catch whatever went through the hatch either prior to or after the glitch.  And in the event whatever we are tracking can move at extreme speed be sure that the video is analyzed down to the frame. Be sure to keep your eye open for any blurs or distortion in the the video signal.  Plus be sure to check full spectrum."

"Commander Thoma, can you analyze the audio signals, be sure to check full range as well." Thelev adds.

"Yes, Cap'n," replies Lt George in her soft Jamaican accent. "I'll put out best diagnosticians on it, but we'll have to run a complete diagnostic scan on the sensors. Call it fifteen minutes..."

"Aye, sir," replies Thoma.

"Laetitia," says Rutherford, "Use CPO Hayes. He was on the development team for the newest model of those sensors." George disappears from the screen.

Brad glances at the desk, which is displaying a message header from Thoma regarding the alert.

If Brad taps Accept, he gets the information regarding Pistos and the notation that Maj Bilgebottom is attempting to contact the hellhound.

Ten minutes later, Lt George is back on the comm. "You were right, sir. Hayes managed to pull up a few frames, very fuzzy, of a large grey quadruped clinging to the overhead right inside the inspection hatch right over where PO Gurdeep found the paw-print. Since the corridor was still in vacuum, this Pistos creature maintained his cold surface temperature so it was able to leave the thermal print on the plasma conduit. Gurdeep left the area by way of the airlock with no problem and Major Bilgebottom on deck twelve coordinating with Security."

"Bilgebottom here, XO. I'm two decks below the inspection corridor. In between is a maintenance space, not normally accessable, through which the vertical warp plasma conduit and the vertical turboshaft pass. PO Gurdeep says that the space around the plasma conduit isn't large enough for something the size of the beastie in the image to pass through and then only with thermal armour, but I'm not so sure. Ever seen a weasel or a ferret? If they can get their head in they can get through, and Pistos touched a hot plasma conduit with a space-cold bare hand with no indication of injury."

Boren steps to the comm panel. "Cdr Thoma, this is the Intelligence Officer. What is the nature of the Intruder Alert?"

Thoma replies, "Intruder is believed to be a member of a species identified as a hellhound, a subject of Lord Dhark of Chateau d'Amber. Its intentions are unknown. The Marine contingent is responding to the Warp Plasma Conduit Inspection Corridor, Secondary Hull, Deck Ten. Contact has not yet been established. Security is standing by for backup."

In reply to Lieutenant Commander Bryan W. Boren (msg # 61):

"Friend or foe," comments Khendron, "we can't have it running around the plasma conduits. It is either there by accident, and doesn't know the dangers, or it is there for a purpose. I don't know which bothers me most.

"Engineering," continues Khendron, "are you constantly monitoring the systems that pass through the area? Report any new anomalies, however small."

Khendron also contacts the Commodore. "Sir, I trust you have seen the security alert. We are not having much success pinning the hellhound down. As much as I'd hate to ask, is there any assistance or insights your Dworkin friend can offer."

"Yes, sir," replies Lt George. "We think we've located this Pistos creature. It seems to have climbed into the vertical warp plasma conduit shaft and is holed up on deck eleven, nestled up against the conduit itself. The Engineer has just ordered the M/ARA to be shut down and the Warp plasma flushed. Recommend we go to Red Alert due to the creatures proximity to vital ship's systems, but that phaser fire be avoided!"

Bilgebottom cuts in, "I'm on deck twelve with three Marines. Two more Marines are in the turbolift on deck ten, and Mister Gurdeep is manning the airlock as an escape route."


"Sir?" asks Thoma, her finger hovering over the alert button.
This message was last edited by the player at 18:44, Tue 29 June 2021.

Dworkin says, loud enough for the intercom to pick up, "Hellhounds? Nasty pieces of work. In their home universe, they're called Demons. They are the primary servants of a vast intergalactic Intelligence engaged in an unimaginably ancient total war against all entities with creativity and free will. Ruthlessly logical, the Demons direct an army of human intelligences imprisoned in robot bodies. A powerful telepathic hypnosis enables them to induce humans to see them as members of their own kind.

"Their planet of origin is unknown to all but their employer Intelligence.

"A small contingent of Demons became stranded in the Underdark, an area of the Phlogiston. Trapped in one of the crystal shells, they were soon captured and seemingly domesticated by the Great Powers of the Underdark. They have become prized servants among the aristocracy of the Underdark, among them the Ilithids and others, and have truly won the sobriquet Hellhound.

They're undeniably intelligent and fiendishly clever. Lord Dhark is not kind to his minions, and so may be vulnerable to being suborned."

In reply to Dworkin the Black (msg # 64):

Turning to Thoma "Commander Thoma, Silent Intruder Alert."

Tapping his comm badge "Major Bilgebottom, please secure all access points to the plasma conduits and lock down the tubes past those points. I will be on my way down and once I am there you and I can try and communicate with the creature. But make sure you and your team are prepared if it tries to evade us or makes any aggressive move."

In reply to Captain Thelev (msg # 65):

"Captain," Khendron says to Thelev before he gets a chance to leave. "It is my duty as XO to remind you not to put yourself in unnecessary danger. I would prefer that you stay on the bridge and the Major and I attempt to make contact. After all, the creature has met all of us."

Saavik turns her chair to face Thelev. "General Order Number Fifteen would seem to apply, sir." http://www.coldnorth.com/owen/...ey/security/regs.htm

Bilgebottom replies, "I concur with Mr. Saavik and the XO, sir! Capt Mercer and I can handle it."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:51, Fri 02 July 2021.

Having hit the intercomm, McCurrvey hears all this. “McCurrvey to Thelev.  Dworkin says that these creatures are intelligent and likely have not been treated well.  Whoever goes down there should try a peaceful tact first”.  McCurrvey switches off the intercomm for a moment.  “Dworkin, is there any particular incentive that we should try with the creature?”

Dworkin sits back into his chair and motions Boren to do likewise. Boren eyes the little man suspiciously but sits down. His eyes stray to the phaser on the table and he sighs unhappily.

Dworkin turns to Brad and continues so that the intercom picks his voice up, "Treat it as an equal. Don't patronise it or it will become suspicious, but don't snap orders at it. Don't lower your weapons but likewise don't act aggressively. I suggest asking it how it would prefer to be addressed."

Bilgebottom's voice, almost a whisper, comes back. "Roger that. Will comply. Wish me luck."

Khendron heads down to deck ten to rendezvous with Bilgebottom and Pistos. Over his communicator, he hears Bilgebottom ordering the two Marines and PO Gurdeep to shelter in the airlock and prepare to evacuate. The Marine commandant also orders the engineers in the chamber to move away.


When Khendron steps out of the turbolift, Bilgebottom is watching Pistos lowering itself from the vertical warp plasma shaft. Up close, the creature is every bit as monstrous as Khendron remembers it, a lean, somewhat doglike being, two meters in length. The hellhound's pale, pinkish-gray body is sparsely covered with short, stiff bristles. Thin fore and hind legs end in pale handlike paws. The yellowish-white skull-like head has needle-sharp teeth, a ragged black tongue, and glowing red eyes. It is ferociously strong and can move on either two or four feet at a swift but awkward gait. Its mass exceeds 140 kilograms. It is an oxygen breather with copper based circulatory systems. Flesh tissue is silcon-based, almost crystalline, and the hair contains glass-like flbres.

Pistos raises itself up on its hind legs, the glittering fibres on its head brushing the piping lining the 2.5 metre overhead. Bilgebottom takes one step toward it and raises his right hand to his brow, palm forward in a gesture like an old 20th century British salute. He introduces himself, "I am Major Korran Bilgebottom, Starfleet Marine Corps. This is Captain Khendron, the Executive Officer of the starship Odyssey, United Federation of Planets. Please identify yourself, sir!"

“McCurrvey to Comms.  Please alert the rest of the Task Force to our intruder situation and pass all relevant info to them.  While I like to think that we’re special, this may be an effort against the entire TF.  Ensure that they notify us before taking any action.  Inform me of any such notifications 24/7.”

McCurrvey softly shakes his head to himself.  This being in charge of a whole group of ships is a new way of thinking.  Maybe he’ll get used to it someday.

Thoma acknowledges Brad's orders and sends out his concerns to all vessels and DS6-a. Teri Harris responds with, "Roger, Odyssey. DS6-a going to Yellow Alert and conducting a security sweep. That Pistos bugger looked like a tough customer, and being a silicon-based lifeform makes it a lot more... interesting. I'll have LCdr Singh review Capt Spock's and Cdr McCoy's notes on the Horta to see if Enterprise gathered any relevant tactical information. We'll copy you anything he finds."

Pistos, as it is known, glares down at Khendron; or so it seems, as a skull is inherently expressionless. "Milord Captain Khendronmercer, you are in charge here?" Its voice sounds like a knife being ground to a sharp edge. "My master"—the voice drips venom—"sent me on a mission to surveil you. Master is cruel, but weak. I claim sanctuary!" It wraps the fingers of its upper left hand around the leathery straps holding a small pouch around its body and tears it free, tossing it at Khendron's feet.

"Pistos is the only name I have ever known, but it is the name of a slave. Henceforth, I will not answer to that name. It is abhorent to me." The hellhound drops to all four hands yet again so that its eyes are nearly level with Khendron's. "I must choose a new name for myself, but I do not what name would be suitable."

OOC Spot?

In reply to Commodore Bradron McCurrvey (msg # 75):

Khendron picks up the pouch an opens it up. As he does so he quickly runs through a variety of possible names. The dog names that come to immediately to his mind he dismisses, as he suspects the hellhound will not be amused upon discovering he has been named after a pet. Khendron remembers Dworkin's words about hellhounds being part of a war *against* creativity, and the name of a famous Earth artist incongruently pops into his mind. He decides to run with it.

"As the Executive Officer of this ship," Khendron says aloud, "I acknowledge your request for sanctuary and grant it to the limits of my authority, until a formal sanctuary hearing can be arrange. You may consider yourself safe while aboard this ship, as long as you do not purposely endanger this ship or its occupants.

"As for a name, how does Vincent sound to you?"

In reply to Commodore Bradron McCurrvey (msg # 75):

[OOC: *snicker*]
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:27, Mon 05 July 2021.

In reply to Captain Khendron Mercer (msg # 76):

"Vincent: from the Latin Vincentius, meaning conqueror," muses the strange beast. Khendron has no idea where it has gotten this information—obviously it is capable of some form of telepathy. "Yes, Vincentius I shall henceforth be called. Make it so, milord Captain Khendronmercer! Far more fitting than Pistos from the Greek for faithful—a slave's name!" The voice is taking on more normal inflections, a deep baritone. The eyes blaze brighter, shading into orange.

"But my form stands out too much. I shall need a less obtrusive appearance. Will this suit?" it asks, its form rippling and fading to a tall, muscular humanoid with shaggy blond hair and a devil-may-care grin. It is however, completely nude, but without mammalian traits like nipples or genetalia. Its groin area is as featureless as a mannequin.


Marine Captain Rimbaud blushes and says, "Perhaps some clothes would be in order, sir? If you're worried about being obtrusive, that is..."

Vincentius looks down and says, "Yes, I see," it says and suddenly is wearing a plain grey business jumpsuit over a moss-covered shirt. "Will this do?" he asks Rimbaud.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:47, Mon 05 July 2021.

In reply to Vincentius (msg # 78):

"That is a more suitable appearance," says Khendron. "Your natural form, which is admittedly startling at first glance, is also acceptable if your illusionary appearance—is that using psionics?—becomes wearisome.

"By the way, Vincentius" Khendron continues, "my the proper address is Captain Mercer when being formal, and simply Khendron in personal conversation. The 'my lord' honourific is unnecessary."

Khendron calls the Commodore. "Commodore, I presume you are monitoring. Shall I bring Vincentius to your ready room?"

Khenron is still holding the pouch that Vincentius tossed to him. What is in it?

In reply to Captain Thelev (msg # 65):

Thelev sits stewing in his chair on the bridge. "Damn it, Brad never let frakking General Order Number Fifteen get in his way when he was captain," he thinks glaring daggers at the back of Saavik's head. "Damn her Vulcan logic, anyway!"

Still, at least the comm channel is open and there is a security video feed of vital Engineering spaces, so he's been able to see the newly-named Vincentius. The creature has chosen a thoroughly mundane appearance, indistinguishable from about half the crew of the ship, uniform aside.

Khendron calls the Commodore. "Commodore, I presume you are monitoring. Shall I bring Vincentius to your ready room?"

"Well, at least Brad's ready room is right next to the bridge, so I can at least attend in person..."
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:45, Mon 05 July 2021.

“Yes, bring him up and make sure someone deals with quarters and such”

McCurrvey turns to Commander Boren and Dworkin.

“Dworkin, should you be here when our guest arrives?”  “Commander, you are dismissed”

OOC:  I believe it was just the three of us in my ready room.

In reply to Commodore Bradron McCurrvey (msg # 82):

It was my impression you were still in the classroom, but no matter—it makes sense that you would move to the Flag Ready Room for security. [Make it so.]

As Thelev exits the Bridge, Mercer arrives in the turbolift with Vincentius and two Marines who take up positions flanking the door. He enters the Ready Room with Mercer and the hellhound. Vincentius's new form is a blond Caucasian Human, 1.8m tall and massing about 90kg. Thelev notes that Khendron has an assault phaser at his waist. Brad likewise has a type II phaser on his desk. From long habit, Thelev has a type I phaser tucked inside his belt [just assuming established habits from the original and future campaigns]. Otherwise, he reflects, he'd feel under dressed. Dworkin sits in his usual chair.

Vincentius braces to attention for a second, then relaxes and sits on the settee. "Commodore McCurrvey, Captain Mercer—Kendron‐ has granted me sanctuary, but as his superior I request asylum from you as an escaped slave." He nods to Thelev, "Captain Thelev."

While on the way up from Engineering in the turbolift, Mercer had a chance to look inside the pouch Pistos had discarded. He finds it easier to regard Pistos and Vincentius as two distinct personnæ. The pouch contains a small leather bundle filled with herbs, three tiny bones on a copper chain and a silver amulet on a silver chain. The bones are wrapped in a fold of white silk while the amulet is wrapped in black leather.

Khendron's eyes water and his nose begins to run. He's obviously allergic to something in the pouch.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:12, Wed 07 July 2021.

“Vincentious, welcome aboard.”

McCurrvey is a little put off that the XO offered sanctuary so quickly to an unknown and potentially hostile individual.  However he’s learnt to trust Mercer’s instincts.

“Captain Mercer and I have been comrades in arms for many years and I trust him explicitly.  However before I make sanctuary official, I would like two things from you”

McCurrvey eyes the new guest for reaction to this and how well he is mimicking general human responses (is it a simple illusion to make him look human or is it something more that allows him to mimic human responses, etc)

“Firstly I want your word that you will not harm any member of this crew or those under my protection.  That includes allowing another to harm them through your actions or inactions.  Secondly I would like to better understand how and why you are onboard this ship.  Beyond that, you may have official sanctuary and I expect you to conduct yourself in accordance with our rules and regulations.  I’ll assign a yeoman, not a security guard or keeper, to assist you in your acclimatization.  Is that acceptable to you?”

McCurrvey continues to survey the guest but glances at the others in the room.

If the hellhound is faking its Human mannerisms, it's doing a hell of a job. It gives every appearance of considering the implications of McCurrvey's offer and conditions. Out of the corner of his eye, Brad sees Dworkin nod slightly in approval.

Vincentius notes, "And of course I will protect myself in that it does not violate the other conditions..." thus completing the Asimovian triad. "I agree. I also agree to the help from your yeoman. Yeoman: a naval petty officer who performs clerical duties. Middle English young plus man, perhaps a contraction of Old English: iunge man." It cocks its head to the side like a spaniel learning a new trick.

"Yes!" it concludes. "That will be satifactory. Thank you." With every word from its mouth it seems to be more and more comfortable with Human inflection and body language. It leans back on the settee and extends its legs, crossing them at the ankles and extending its arms along the back, giving the impression of relaxation and non-belligerence.

In fact, it's getting hard to think of the hellhound in the neuter—his appearance and mannerisms seem completely masculine to the Starfleet officers.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:05, Thu 08 July 2021.

In reply to Vincentius (msg # 85):

As he enters the ready room, Khendron closes the pouch and tucks it away. He plans to show it to Dworkin at the soonest opportunity. Although Khendron doesn't appreciate Dworkin's wild card potential, he is not going to let having such a resource go to waste.

As McCurvey and Vincentius talk, Khendron watches Dworkin closely to see his reaction to the situation.

OOC: Not sure if Thelev is in the room.  If he is, I address him.  Otherwise I address Mercer.

“XO, please see that a Yeoman is assigned to Vincentius.  I’d like someone gregarious, but with some diplomatic training.  He is to be treated as a foreign envoy.”

OOC:  I want a Tilly

“Vincentious, can you please fill us in on what your mission was and wether you were acting on your own or with a team.  I’m concerned we are being blamed for a situation that was not in our control and would like to correct that.  In addition, I want to ensure we take reasonable precautions against any hostile actions against us.”

In reply to Commodore Bradron McCurrvey (msg # 87):

[OOC: Yes, he came in with Khendron and Vincentius. "Tilly?" Who or what is that?]
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:14, Thu 08 July 2021.

OCC: Ensign Sylvia Tilly: gregarious to a fault.

[OOC: Oh, yeah. Captain Killy! How about your personal yeoman, a female Denobulan named Lt(jg) Xanthe? Denobulans can be summed up by the word gregarious! As XO, Khendron is in charge of crew assignments. Think of him as your head of HR (Humanoid Resources).]

Khendron gets more and more stuffed and he begins to have trouble breathing. Suddenly he collapses to the deck his complexion turning bluish, far from his normal ruddy tone.

Dworkin kneels over himand says, "Call your doctor immediately—He's gone into anaphylaxis!" Picking up the pouch, he opens it and reveals the dried herbs. He re-seals the pouch and asks, "Do you have an air-tight sample container?" As it happens, after the incident with the nanites in Dworkin's card, Khendron had ordered Xanthe to make certain that a pack of sample bags be placed in Brad's desk, so Dworkin seals the entire pouch and its contents in one.

Dworkin says, "Computer, replicate one litre of pure isopropanol." As the replicator produces a beaker of clear liquid, Brad and Thelev both realise that there's no possibility that it's programmed to produce non-food items, aside from dishes and cutlery. Brad remembers he'd had doubts earlier whe Dworkin had ordered an alcoholic drink.

Dworkin places Khendron's blistered hands, one at a time, into the beaker. He looks up as Ensign Goldberg enters the ready room. "He came into contact with dried borgia plant. Went into anaphylactic shock. I cleaned the residue from his fingers with alcohol."

Goldberg nods and pulls out a hypospray and presses it against Mercer's jugular. It hisses and Goldberg sprays clear bandaging on Mercer's hands, much as McCurrvey had seen him do to Saavik's burned hands an eternity ago. Two orderlies arrive with an antigrav gurney and take the XO to sickbay for treatment.

Goldberg asks, "Where did he get the borgia plant?"

Vincentius stands and answers, "It was in a talisman my former master prepared to control me. When your ship teleported into the microuniverse with the other ships and the Museum, it lost its potency over time when we were stranded there. After we teleported to our current location, the effect had become so weak that I was able to overcome it. I had no idea that it would cause such a violent reaction when lifeforms such as yours came into contact with it. I am truly sorry. Will Khendron recover, monsieur le medécin?"

"Medécin? No sir, I'm just a nurse, un infirmier," replies Goldberg.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:19, Fri 09 July 2021.

In reply to Dworkin the Black (msg # 90):

OOC: Finally caught back up I think.

OCC: Yes God got in right on msg #81 Thelev was fuming and is looking for a good reason to demote Mercer and Saavik until they quit quoting Star Fleet regulations against him.

If I still need to I will grant Vincentius asylum but believe McCyrrvey has as Flag Officer.

Turning to Vicentius "Is there any threat to us from your talisman if we do not touch it, or is physical contact required." He glances at Dworkin as well to see if he reacts to the question.

“Nurse, prognosis?”

McCurrvey looks worriedly after the gurney.

In reply to Captain Thelev (msg # 91):

"It is my understanding that there are powerful curses attached to such talismans of power. Had I seen Khendron opening the pouch, I would have so warned him." replies Vincentius.

"Balderdash!" exclaims Dworkin. "There is no such thing as a curse, at least not in that sense. Most curses are psionic attacks, directly applied by the co-called sorceror. Others are like this one, simple traps—in this case, the poisonous borgia plant which causes anaphylaxis upon inhalation or contact. Curses also rely on psychology, so if someone is aware of the so-called curse, especially low-tech and superstitious beings, they can cause all manner of psychosomatic mischief. A very rare minority utilise psionic matrices to cause an effect."

"But you have seen the curse take effect upon Khendron, and surely he is not a low-tech, superstitious being." objects the hellhound.

"Not at all! He is a technologically advanced, skeptical being," notes Dworkin. "If your sickbay destroys or isolates the dried borgia plant and decontaminates the rest, it should be safe to analyze the pouch's contents. You may wish tho have a Vulcan or a Betazoid examine the pendants in the off-chance that they are psionic matrices, but I rate that a low probability," he says to Thelev
This message was last edited by the player at 02:40, Mon 12 July 2021.

In reply to Commodore Bradron McCurrvey (msg # 92):

"The XO should be fine as long as Mr. Dworkin is correct and it's simply a reaction to the borgia plant." answers Goldberg. "I'll inform the doctors. Permission to be dismissed, sir?"

“Dismissed.  Please keep us updated”

“Oh, and please have the pouch analyzed for both physical and psionic issues”

“Now back to business.”

Turning to Vincentius. “So what exactly were you commanded to do and were you acting alone or were others dispatched with you?”

In reply to Commodore Bradron McCurrvey (msg # 96):

"My mission was in brief to discover how you travelled between the Outer Planes and if possible to return to my former master with that information. I was given leave to kill if necessary for my mission. I have no knowledge of any other minions of the Dark Lord with similar missions. Certainly none of his minions are capable of surviving in the Outer Void," answers the hellhound.

Khendron wakes up with a blinding headache. A bright light flicks across his right eye's field ov vision, triggering an explosion in his head. He feel finger on his left eyelid and he tries to raise his left hand to swat it away. His hand is restrained, so he tries to move his right hand only to find it similarly restrained.

"U-u-u-h-h-h. R-r-r-gh," he tries to tell them to stop, but his throat is filled with jagged shards of glass, or so it seems. There is something blocking his throat, and a warm hand strokes his cheek.

A female voice says, from a parsec away, "Shhhhh, sir. Don't try to speak, you're on an endotracheal ventilator. Your throat was closed up. Do you need an analgesic? Blink once for yes, twice for no."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:19, Tue 13 July 2021.

In reply to Lieutenant Andrea Parducci, RN (msg # 98):

"Vincentius, knowing you have been granted asylum what information are you willing to offer us about your former master.  What threat does the Dark Lord pose to us himself, what protection if any do you need from him or others that serve or work with him?" Thelev asks

McCurrvey sits back and lets Thelev take the lead in the conversation.  McCurrvey eyes flicker between all parties but linger a bit longer on Vincentius and Dworkin.

McCurrvey’s main objective if to study Dworkin and Vincentius’ reactions.  Are either of them lying or at least hiding something?  How intelligent a creature is Vincentius?  What relationship, if any, do Dworkin and Vincentius have?  What is Dworkin’s reaction to the creature (nervous, fear superiority, etc)?

The hellhound ponders his reply for a few seconds. "Lord Dhark, the Dread Lord of the Outer Spaces, chafes at the boundaries of his realm, a relatively small crystal sphere on the edge of the Underdark within the Phlogiston. His son, the Verlegg, had found a way to traverse the Outer Planes and happened upon the Prime Material Plane—your universe, and allied itself with Calista, a pirate and worshipper of what you might call evil."

Dworkin catches Brad's eye and nods in aggreement.

"In the Underdark, personae are deemed to be controlled by their alignment on two axes: one of good to evil, the other from lawful (or patterned) to chaotic for a magical square of nine alignments with neutral in the centre. Think of it as a cartesian matrix. Nobody is of a pure alignment, rather it is a coordinate system. Of course, what constitutes good and evil, or lawful and chaotic is—flexible and the True Neutral is the rarest of the rare. It is imprecise, but astrologers and philosophers find it useful," concludes Vincentius.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:45, Thu 15 July 2021.

Dworkin explains, "This can be roughly equated by the system of sixteen personality profiles used by psychologists for the past few centuries beginning on Earth in the late 20^th—early 21^st centuries: Analysts; Intuitive (N) and Thinking (T) personality types, known for their rationality, impartiality, and intellectual excellence; the Architect, Logician, Commander, and Debater: Diplomats; Intuitive (N) and Feeling (F) personality types, known for their empathy, diplomatic skills, and passionate idealism: Advocate, Mediator, Protagonist, Campaigner: Sentinels; Observant (S) and Judging (J) personality types, known for their practicality and focus on order, security, and stability; Logistician, Defender, Executive, Consul: Explorers; Observant (S) and Prospecting (P) personality types, known for their spontaneity, ingenuity, and flexibility: Virtuoso, Adventurer, Entrepreneur, Entertainer."

He steps to the replicator and orders his customary glass of Bushmills with a single ice cube. Once again. Brad is reminded that Dworkin is somehow able to override the replicator's programming. Thelev notices the same thing.

He continues, "One is as good as the other, quite frankly. Both are somewhat primitive but serve their purpose. Both, of course, have their strengths and limitations."

The little man looks directly at Brad and Thelev. "I realise that this seems hard to take in. I'm not trying to be condescending, but I come from a society far in advance, both in the hard and social sciences, of yours.

"You're now wondering how I can override the restrictions placed on your replicators," he raises his glass in salute, "Both Vincentius and I have a limited ability to, well, speak to the low-level AIs that make up your computers. Now, don't overreact, it's just on the surface level, like convincing them to substitute an oxygen atom for a carbon atom or a hydrogen atom here and there, or to access non-restricted linguistc files as Vincentius does. It's an advanced form of psionic technology about a millennium away for you."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 21:38, Thu 15 July 2021.

In reply to Lieutenant Andrea Parducci, RN (msg # 98):

Down in sickbay, Khendron blinks once. Anything to get some peace from the pain. He tries to say, "What happened?" but of course cannot. The last thing he remembers is being in the Commodore's ready room with a slightly stuffy nose. He then remembers the pouch and mentally kicks himself for opening it up in an uncontrolled environment. After his anal retentiveness about the nanites, he is never going to live this one down.

Khendron is also very worried that his actions caused other people to fall ill. He, very very slowly, tries to turn his head and look around to see if there are any other patients in sickbay.

A tall slender Vulcan woman walks over to Khendron's bedside. "I am Dr. T'Sara, Capt Mercer. I have been examining the pouch you took from the alien. We've isolated the borgia plant material and decontaminated the rest of the contents. Here are the two amulets from the pouch. One is a pure metallic silver pendant while the other is bone on a copper chain. Both are psionically inert." She hands over a pair of transparent sample pouches with the two amulets in them.

T'Sara raises Khendron's bed to a sitting position and swings over an LCARS terminal. Handing him a science tricorder she says, "If you feel up to it, you can proceed with your examination of the amulets. In about a hour, we'll remove the endotracheal tube and give you another shot of tri-ox compound. If you're not feeling up to it, you may nap instead."
This message was lightly edited by the player at 05:14, Sat 17 July 2021.

Vincentius looks warily at Dworkin. He says to Brad, "I am feeling fatigued. May I rest?"

Brad is not so sure he buys this. Looking toward Dworkin, he notes that he, too looks dubious. Thelev, from long experience with Brad, notes the tension in the air. This Vincentius talks a good line, but something is just not adding up to Thelev. Suddenly he's glad he has the hand phaser, but halfway wishes it was a tricorder instead.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:44, Sat 17 July 2021.

Dwrokin picks up where he left off moments ago, "However, discussions of the grand sweep of sophont personality types and alignments would seem to be irrelevant to the discussion except as how they inform individual actions. The question at hand, as I'm certain the Commodore and the Captain would agree when we get down to the nitty gritty, is 'what are your intentions?'." He balaces his glass on the arm of his chair and raises the skull-handled walking stick in the air. Vincentius stands to confront the smaller man.

In reply to Lieutenant T'Sara, MD (msg # 104):

Despite his discomfort, Khendron starts analyzing the bones and the silver pendant from the pouch. At least this may distract him from the pain.

He starts a database search for matches to anything that looks like the silver pendant, and then analyzes the bones to attempt to figure out from what creature they originated. He also queries for any historical or mythical relationship between bone, copper, and silver.

In reply to Captain Khendron Mercer (msg # 107):

The LCARS comes up with a result immediately. The symbol is a geometric baphomet, a semi-abstract representation of Baphomet.

"Baphomet is a deity that the Knights Templar were accused of worshipping, and that subsequently was incorporated into occult and mystical traditions. The name Baphomet appeared in trial transcripts for the Inquisition of the Knights Templar starting in 1307. It first came into popular English usage in the 19th century during debate and speculation on the reasons for the suppression of the Templars.

"Since 1856, the name Baphomet has been associated with the Sabbatic Goat image drawn by Éliphas Lévi, which contains binary elements representing the "symbolization of the equilibrium of opposites" (e.g. half-human and half-animal, male and female, good and evil, etc.). On one hand, Lévi's intention was to symbolize his concept of balance that was essential to his magnetistic notion of the Astral Light; on the other hand, the Baphomet represents a tradition that should result in a perfect social order.

"Modern scholars agree that the name of Baphomet was an Old French corruption of the name Mahomet, with the interpretation being that some of the Templars, through their long military occupation of the Outremer, had begun incorporating Islamic ideas into their belief system, and that this was seen and documented by the Inquisitors as heresy. Alain Demurger, however, rejects the idea that the Templars could have adopted the doctrines of their enemies. Helen Nicholson writes that the charges were essentially "manipulative"—the Templars "were accused of becoming fairy-tale Muslims". Medieval Christians believed that Muslims were idolatrous and worshipped Muhammad as a god, with mahomet becoming mammet in English, meaning an idol or false god (see also Medieval Christian views on Muhammad). This idol-worship is attributed to Muslims in several chansons de geste. For example, one finds the gods Bafum e Travagan in a Provençal poem on the life of St. Honorat, completed in 1300. In the Chanson de Simon Pouille, written before 1235, a Saracen idol is called Bafumetz.

"It is also possible that the term Baphomet originates from Byzantine Greek. Since the Crusaders had their first direct exposure to Greek culture during the time of the First Crusade, bringing back with them stories and strange terms from the East, it is possible that the word was adapted from the Greek name of Muhammad, Μωάμεθ (Moameth), who was at times referred to as "devilish" in near-contemporary sources such as Constantine VII's De Administrando Imperio.

"Lévi's Baphomet is the source of the later tarot image of the Devil in the Rider-Waite design. The concept of a downward-pointing pentagram on its forehead was enlarged upon by Lévi in his discussion of the Goat of Mendes arranged within such a pentagram, which he contrasted with the microcosmic man arranged within a similar but upright pentagram. The actual image of a goat in a downward-pointing pentagram first appeared in the 1897 book La Clef de la Magie Noire, written by the French occultist Stanislas de Guaita. It was this image that was later adopted as the official symbol—called the Sigil of Baphomet—of the Church of Satan, and continues to be used among Satanists.

"Satan, also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is a non-physical entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehood. In Judaism, Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God or typically regarded as a metaphor for the yetzer hara, or "evil inclination". In Christianity and Islam, he is usually seen as either a fallen angel or a jinn, who used to possess great piety and beauty, but rebelled against God, who nevertheless allows him temporary power over the fallen world and a host of demons. In the Quran, Shaitan, also known as Iblis, is an entity made of fire who was cast out of Heaven because he refused to bow before the newly-created Adam and incites humans to sin by infecting their minds with waswās ("evil suggestions").

"A figure known as ha-satan ("the satan") first appears in the Tanakh as a heavenly prosecutor, a member of the sons of God subordinate to Yahweh, who prosecutes the nation of Judah in the heavenly court and tests the loyalty of Yahweh's followers by forcing them to suffer. During the intertestamental period, possibly due to influence from the Zoroastrian figure of Angra Mainyu, the satan developed into a malevolent entity with abhorrent qualities in dualistic opposition to God. In the apocryphal Book of Jubilees, Yahweh grants the satan (referred to as Mastema) authority over a group of fallen angels, or their offspring, to tempt humans to sin and punish them."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the GM at 00:39, Sun 18 July 2021.

Rising to his feet, Vincentius answers, "I have told you the unvarnished truth. Having escaped slavery, I ask for sanctuary and the freedom to live life as a sovereign citizen. If you cannot grant me that, I'll be on my way!" His eyes glint crimson.

[OOC: Andorian antennae are considered to be more than just a sensory organ, in fact they are so important to Andorians that touching them without permission is considered to be the ultimate act of rudeness and any threat of injury to their antennae is often considered grounds for assault and even murder. Andorians can obtain a great deal of sensory information through continually waving their antennae. They can detect electrical fields, changes in air density and temperature, and sub-sonic sounds. They sense fluctuations in gravity, useful for beings living underground on a geologically unstable world. Because of this, extreme gravity disturbances can cause pain or unconsciousness. When an Andorian concentrates, they can even use their antennae to single out bioelectric signals nearby. However, the antennae are not particularly reliable sensory organs as the antennae can move differently depending on the emotion state of the Andorian, and the levels of epinephrine or teptaline in their system. Even detecting overheating equipment can cause false senses.]

Right now, Thelev's antennae are detecting a swirl of electromagnetic energy around Vincentius, similar to the heat haze one sometimes sees in a desert. Thelev's hand instinctively strays to his hand phaser. Even though it is restricted to the lowest 8 power levels it is still capable of vaporising a humanoid. The settings available are light/medium/heavy stun, light and heavy thermal, and light disrupt settings A, B & C—colloquially known as cut, kill and disintegrate. Based on the one known silicon-based lifeform in the Federation database the Horta of Janus VI, the hellhound is most likely immune to stun settings.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:35, Thu 22 July 2021.

"You have merely asserted things without evidence. By claiming sanctuary and accepting it when offered, you have bound yourself by the same guest oaths used by your former master. However, since you have disavowed your master, how then are the commodore and captain to believe your word?" asks Dworkin.

Dworkin stands to face Vincentius and despite the difference in their heights seems to stand eye-to-eye with the hellhound. The heat-distortion ripple in the air is now visible to Brad as well as Thelev, and Vincentius seems to grow in size as his appearance changes. He now stands two metres tall, deeply tanned, heavily muscled, with dark hair and a beard; naked save for a loincloth and woad. His eyes are deeply shadowed and gleam blood red from beneath heavy brows.

"Enough! I will suffer no more of your prattling, little man!" snarls Vincentius.

"Oh, judge me by my size, do you?" asks Dworkin with a mischievious grin.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:04, Mon 26 July 2021.

In reply to Dworkin the Black (msg # 110):

ooc: I am hoping that there is a non-verbal signal that I can send via my communicator for security.  If so he will send it.

Thelev brushes his phaser controls and bumps it to B (to kill thinking it will hopefully stun), and says "Vincentius, we have granted you asylum here on MY SHIP, stand-down." If he senses any additional change around Vincentius he will draw and fire.

"Dworkin as I guest please do not provoke Vincentius unnecessarily" try to give Dworkin a little latter in that wording.

OOC: Finally sorry for the delay in getting involved.  RL.

In reply to Captain Thelev (msg # 111):

[No, not with your communicator (they're the old-style clamshell units, not commbadges) but Brad has a panic button at his desk and after years together you have certain non-verbal cues to signal certain concepts like call security, back me up, or you take the lead. Marine Captain Rimbaud and Security CPO Cobretti are standing guard outside the Ready Room. I'll take it as read that you give Brad the signal and he presses the panic button.]

Dworkin nods, "As you wish, Captain," and returns to his chair, all the time keeping eye contact with Vincentius.

The door opens almost silently and Rimbaud enters, flanked by Cobretti, assault phasers drawn. Vincentius stands frozen, his eyes locked on Dworkin's. A low growl comes from deep in his chest. Khendron's assault phaser lies on Brad's desk where Nurse Goldberg had placed it, close enough for Thelev to grab if things go to hell.

Meanwhile, down in sickbay, the silver amulet begins to glow on Mercer's bed table. Dr. T'Sara calls out, "Sir! Watch out!"
This message was last edited by the player at 22:30, Thu 29 July 2021.

In reply to Dworkin the Black (msg # 112):

Thelev turns slightly towards Vincentius being sure he is in a position to grab Khendron assault phaser if need be. And signals with his hand as he says "Perhaps you could take a seat and we can talk this through, I am sure we can come to a resolution that is beneficial to all of us." knowing that Brad is likely laughing on the inside seeing Thelev use his diplomacy.

All the while accessing the situation using both his Security procedures and combat leadership accessing who is all in the room and their positioning in relationship to Vincentius and depending how Vincentius and Dworkin interact Dworkin.

In reply to Captain Thelev (msg # 113):

The tension between Vincentius and Dworkin is palpable. Neither blinks or looks away from the other, locked in an animalistic duel for dominance. Both Brad and Thelev recall from their Academy classes in diplomacy the analogy between a cold war and the dominance struggles between Alpha males in a wolfpack. To Thelev it also reeks of a bluffing standoff in a high-stakes winner-take-all Poker tournament. Rimbaud and Cobretti look to Thelev for guidance, phasers levelled.

Down in sickbay, Khendron stares in amazement as the polymer of the containment pouch swells and begins to heat-discolour. T'Sara moves toward the bed table, as if to knock the glowing amulet away. Khendron notes this as if everything is moving in slow motion.

In reply to Odyssey GM (msg # 114):

Thelev nods at Rimbaud and Cobretti to stand down but does not signal them to leave.

Remaining standing Thelev ask Vincentius, "Lord Dhark sent you to investigate us and if necessary kill.  Two questions if I may.  What are the risks of Lord Dhark sending someone else or coming himself to investigate. And second if I can be so bold, why the change of heart? " When asking the second he ensure to emphasis his bold trait.

Thelev's gaze seems to interrupt whatever interaction is going on between the hellhound and Dworkin. Suddenly, he breaks the stalemate, shakes his head as if to clear it. Suddenly, he's simply not there! There is a rush of air into the space he'd just vacated and a loud pop!

Dworkin collapses deeper into the cushions of the chair and fumbles for his glass, downing it in a single gulp.

Rimbaud and Cobretti raise their phasers and scan the Ready Room to see where he's gone. Cobrett reaches for her tricorder. "Where the frack did it go?" she mutters as she activates the device.

****************************

Suddenly, Dr. T'Sara is tossed aside like a child as the hellhound materialises in the sickbay.

Vincentius has reverted to its animal-like form and is standing on it hind legs, the glaasy bristles on its head brushing the ceiling bulkhead.

T'Sara comes to her knees and snaps, "Security to ICU! Intruder alert!" and is slammed to the floor as Vincentius kicks her savagely in the head. She lies on the deck, olive coloured blood spattering the wall. Khendron notes that she still has her hand phaser from the earlier yellow alert.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:00, Sat 31 July 2021.

Brad looks to Thelev and Rimbaud “GO!”.  He turns to Dworkin.  “Now it’s your turn, Mr Dworkin.  To explain why you would antagonize our guest when we seemed to be coming to some level of agreement.” “There seems to be some history between the two of you and I’d like an explanation NOW!”  McCurrvey motions to Cobretti to retreat to the door and take up a station there. (Inside). McCurrvey trusts that Thelev won’t turn sickbay into a war zone.  He focusses on Dworkin.  He’s starting to view the diminutive figure as more of a potential threat than before.  However he struggles to keep his temper.  He’s very aware of where the assault phaser is.

"Every second word that came out of its mouth was a lie. Oh, the information about the alignments in the Underdark was true enough. By those standards the Demons would be Neutral Evil. In the personality profiles, they would be Explorers; Observant (S) and Prospecting (P) personality types, specifically the Adventurer profile. In that, they're much like you, though your alignment would be Neutral Good, like myself. I suspect this Vincentius, as he calls himself, was never truly a slave to Lord Dhark—it shows too much self-awareness and individuality—too glib, if you will.

"I pray that your people get it under control as swiftly as is possible. The Vaarduvée—their name for their species—are a deceitful lot and do not take defeat well. I suspect he means your Captain Mercer ill, and probably Captain Thelev as well. I count myself in that unhappy number and more than likely yourself. They're well-named as hellhounds, share many traits with canines of all species. When I stared him down like that, as did Thelev, we successfully asserted dominance and the Vaarduvée do not suffer that gladly.

"I initially contacted you when it came to my attention—some time ago by my reckoning, time does not behave the same in all the Twenty Universes—I reviewed your career. You, Thelev and Khendron are quite the team. I was quite impressed by your interactions with other timelines when you came into command of the Infinite Improbability Drive, something rarely discovered by polities as young as yours. It's been only a third if a millennium since your species, and I hope you will forgive me if I lump you in with the Humans from Earth, as your anthropologists are correct that Al Rijil was seeded from Earth by the people you call the Preservers; achieved space flight, and that only half a century after powered flight itself! Everyone was quite astounded that the planet survived the twenty-first century. It was a good thing you were discovered by the Vulcans and not the Klingons or—the gods forbid!—the Iconians."

He has the replicator refresh his Bushmills. "A cousin of mine named Rufo spent much time on Earth during the twentieth century. Claimed he had a low taste for slumming but I think he just liked the place. I spent some time there myself in the 1960's; quite refreshing. At any rate, you'll be wondering about these Twenty Universes."
This message was last edited by the player at 23:14, Sat 31 July 2021.

Dworkin leans back and steeples his fingers. "Center is the capital planet of the Twenty Universes, but Empress Star is not an empress and it is not an empire.

"I'll call her Star as hundreds of names are hers, but it is the name given to her by her husband and I'll call it an empire because no other word is close, and I'll refer to emperors and empresses—and to the Empress.

"Nobody knows how many universes there are. Theory places no limit; any and all possibilities in an unlimited number of combinations of 'natural' laws: each appropriate to its own universe. But this is just theory and Occam's Razor is much too dull. All that is known in the Twenty Universes is that twenty have been discovered, that each has its own laws, and that most of them have planets, or sometimes places, where humanlike beings live. I won't try to say what lives elsewhere.

"The Twenty Universes include many real empires. Your Galaxy in your universe has its stellar empires, and there are Gates that link the universes. Some planets have no known Gates. The anomaly in the planetoid below is a major Gate.

"The Emperor is sole source of Imperial law, sole judge, sole executive — and does very little and has no way to enforce his rulings. What he or she does have is enormous prestige from a system that has worked for seven millennia. This non-system holds together by having no togetherness, no uniformity, never seeking perfection, no Utopias — just answers good enough to get by, with lots of looseness and room for many ways and attitudes.

"Local affairs are local. Infanticide? — they're your babies, your planet. PTAs, movie censorship, disaster relief — the Empire is ponderously unhelpful. Sort of like your Prime Directive, but on steroids!"

He looks at Brad like an Academy professor who's just delivered an advanced introductory elective to a promising student.
This message was last edited by the player at 23:12, Sat 31 July 2021.

McCurrvey looks at him like a first year student who has shown up for the wrong class.  He wonders to himself if this is some form of psionic attack.

In reply to Vincentius (msg # 116):

Down in sickbay, Khendron rolls off the bed on the side away from Vincentius.

"Somebody is not living up to their side of the bargain" he says.

Khendron's eyes dart quickly around looking for 2 things: a safe route around Vincentius to T'Sara and her phaser, and a stasis container to toss the glowing pouch into. He has the hypothesis that Vincentius's abilities are somehow tied to the contents of the pouch, and would like to remove them from the equation.

In reply to Captain Khendron Mercer (msg # 121):

As Khendron rolls off the bed, the endotracheal tube pulls out of his throat, causing him to retch and spit mucus all over himself. It hurts like hell, but he manages to croak out the words. It comes out, "Thumdy no liwng uppa dir si'utha prgn...", but the message is clear. A high-pitched keening sounds in the room, and Scotty McQuarrie barrels through the door, phaser drawn and ready. He fires, and the beam envelopes the hellhound to no effect. Khendron can crawl under around the pedestal of the bed and grab T'Sara's phaser.

He aims it up at the hellhound's belly and fires it on setting eight. Again the beam envelopes Vincentius but this time it screams in pain and frustration. Scotty takes a split-second to select a higher setting and fires again, as Khendron's beam fades.

The hellhound collapses onto Khendron, who passes out from the impact.

This message was deleted by the player at 01:15, Mon 02 Aug 2021.

In reply to Odyssey GM (msg # 122):

OOC deleted my first reply since I typed while Owen also replied.

On his way out Thelev grabs Khendron’s assault phaser and on the way done he bumps the setting to Kill. Thelev rushes into sickbay with Rimbaud. Looking around and assessing the situation quickly based on where Vincentius, Khendron and the medical staff is and aiming the assault phaser at Vincentius.

Seeing Vincentius collapsed on Khendron he quickly moves over to free Khendron and he opens his communicator and says “Transporter room point to point beam Vincentius to the brig and be sure maximum security is enabled once he is in the brig.”

In reply to Commodore Bradron McCurrvey (msg # 117):

Rimbaud and Thelev exit the turboliftlift just as the piercing medical alarm sounds and head for the double doors ahead to their left. Passing through, they see the door to Khendron's ICU room open and Crewman MacQuarrie standing in the doorway. They can hear the piercing alarm and the scream from the hellhound as MaQuarrie fires. Vincentius collapses onto Mercer, who is poking out from under the medbed, a type 1 phaser in his hand. Dr. T'Sara lies crumpled on the deck against the wall in a pool of blood.

Thelev gives his order and Vincentius disappears in a swirl of energy.

Khendron begins to move, now that Vincentius has been beamed off him. He stands shakily, leaning against the wall, grasping T'Sara's hand phaser in a death-grip. Blood-streaked mucus drips from his chin and mustaches onto his chest, already wet with the stuff.

Nueses Goldberg and Parducci and Dr. Driveon arrive, Trask and Braunschwegger of Security right behind them. Goldberg and Parducci squeeze past MacQuarrie to T'Sara. Driveon says to Thelev, "Captain, can we clear my ICU so we can treat T'Sara? And XO, get back in that bed, you've ripped out your endotracheal tube and you're bleeding."
This message was last updated by the player at 05:23, Mon 02 Aug 2021.

Trask says into his helmet communicator, "Beam me and Crewman MacQuarrie to security. Arnie," he says to Braunschwegger, "Secure the area. Dr. Driveon, as soon as Dr. T'Sara and the XO have been relocated for treatment, we'll need this room sealed off so we can do a full investigation. Computer, copy all audio and visual records since the XO was admitted to Security and place them under security lock except fo the XO's medical readings. Captain Mercer, we need to take the samples you were examining for forensic examination."

Goldberg and Parducci transfer T'Sara to an antigrav gurney. As they take her to surgery, Thelev and Khendron can see that they've stabilised her cervical spine with a force-field and that the bones of her left orbit and cheek are crushed. Her eyeball has popped out of its socket and lies on her cheek. Sticky olive green blood is everwhere, mixed in with mucus from Khendron and the clear circulatory fluid from Vincentius.

Another nurse brings in a gravchair and orders Khendron into it, then transfers him to the adjacent room. She examines his throat, prescribes analgesics and a dose of tri-ox compound before leaving, cautioning him to speak only in a whisper for the next few hours.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:15, Mon 02 Aug 2021.

In reply to Commodore Bradron McCurrvey (msg # 120):

Dworkin sighs and continues, "I can see you're feeling confused, Bradron—if I may call you that—or would you prefer Brad?

"You've been to more of the Twenty Universes than most other beings in your Federation. Though the word Universe is most often used, perhaps the more precise term would Multiversal Clusters, as such things as alternate timelines and the oh-so prosaically named Mirror Universes are mere shadows in a Multiverse and are considered all part of a single Universe with a captial U.

"As you've noted personally, each Multiversal Cluster can have widely diverging laws of nature. In some, certain chemical reactions simply cannot take place. Certain lifeforms cannot exist except in their own Cluster, while others may gain new abilities, such as when Captain Kirk and crew were able to tap into the magical realm when they were transported to Megas-Tu."

He leaves his seat and begins to pace. "The crux of the situation is this: by utilising the Infinite Improbability Drive—your Quantum Para-Dimensional Transport Device—hell, those are both mouthfulls—let's just call it the Silver Ball, as your crew does. By utilising the Silver Ball, your Federation has come to the attention of Her Glory Empress Star and She is of a mind to invite your Federation to formally interact with Centre.

"Peripheral to this is the question of Lord Dhark's son, the Verlegg. While it was merely using Calista as a proxy within the Federation and surrounding space, it was of little importance, but with its discovery of the Bridgetown Anomaly—a major Inter-Multiversal Gate, it has become a danger to reality itself. Her Glory wishes you to, in Her words, 'rid Me of this existential menace'."
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 15:04, Tue 03 Aug 2021.

Trask and MacQuarrie materialise in the Brig.

"Status!" orders Trask.
Cygnan Petty Officer 2c Daneric-Tren replies, "The prisoner is badly injured from the phaser shot. Its right arm is nothing but a charred stump and the skin of the right side of its head and torso are charred and blistered. A glossy oil-like fluid is seeping from the shoulder and blisters—may be what it uses for blood. I've requested a doctor with a specialty in exobiology to attend. She should be here in a moment."

Within seconds, the door swooshes open and in walks a tall redheaded woman in medical whites, carrying a large medkit. "I'm Maura Regem. You need a exodoc? I'm your gal," she says. "Where's the patient?"

When shown to the cell with Vincentius, Regem says, "Oh... my!"
This message was last edited by the player at 17:41, Thu 05 Aug 2021.

In reply to Lieutenant Devlin Trask (msg # 128):

Once in sickbay Thelev says "Put that pendant into stasis and put a psionic shield around it."

Turning to the doctor "How is Captain Mercer doing."

"We'll place it in a stasis chamber, that and the bone amulet—best we can do short of coming up with a working psi-shield. We're decades away from that.

"On the other hand, the XO will be fine. He's got a mild abrasion from pulling out his breathing tube, to we're got him on tri-ox and pain killers. The steroids should take care of the damage from the borgia plant, so I foresee releasing him for light duty at 07:00 hours tomorrow—say, fourteen hours. I'll want him to wear a medical monitor for a couple of days, though," reports the CMO. "We've got Dr. Regem, our xenobiology specialist, seeing to the prisoner. Looks like it's lost a limb. No idea whether they regenerate. Presumably not, but you never know with unknown life forms."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:58, Mon 09 Aug 2021.

In reply to Lieutenant Commander Winston Driveon, MD (msg # 130):

Meanwhile, Khendron is in the next room undergoing an examination from a tall female African doctor. She introduces herself as Surgeon-Lieutenant Ayan M'Benga. Khendron had met her father, LCdr Jabilo M'Benga MD (formerly of the USS Enterprise) when he was a young officer suffering from a minor plasma burn.

"I'm going to prescribe more tri-ox compound to help with your breathing. Doing a combat roll off the medical bed is not an approved procedure for removing an airway," she says with a stern face. "Luckily it just caused a minor abrasion." She breaks into a wide grin which lights up her eyes. "We'll try not to let alien assassins disturb your rest further."

She looks to be in her twenties, though he knows for a fact that she was preparing to enter Academy pre-med twenty years ago.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:01, Tue 10 Aug 2021.

In reply to Lieutenant Ayan M'Benga, MD FFCS (msg # 131):

Khendron cannot help giving Dr. M'Benga a wink. "I don't think Vincentius had an approved procedure in mind either," he whispers hoarsly.

Then in a serious tone he asks "What is Dr. T'Sara's status? Her actions probably saved my life!"

In reply to Captain Khendron Mercer (msg # 132):

"She's in critical condition with a depressed parietal fracture and crushed facial bones. We're hopeful we can save her eye. If so, she should recover, but it'll be a long process. Deborah—Dr. Clearbranch is not only a fine surgeon, but also our Vulcan medicine specialist," Khendron has noticed Deborah Clearbranch. She is a short, zaftig Caucasian woman with short dark hair and an infectious giggle.

M'Benga hands Khendron a clear yellow lozenge. "Here, let this dissolve in your mouth." He slips the lozenge in his mouth. It tastes of lemons and his mouth and throat begin to go numb. Lt. M'Benga takes out a hypospray and says, "This will help you sleep."
This message was last edited by the player at 02:02, Tue 10 Aug 2021.

In reply to Lieutenant Ayan M'Benga, MD (msg # 133):

"Wait!" Khendron whispers urgently. "Somebody has to tell me what's going on! One moment Vincentius is an agreeable conciliatory guy, and then suddenly he's back down here as a vicious hellhound! What happened in the Commodoressss'zz offissss..." Khendron's voice trails off as the hypospray takes effect.

In reply to Captain Khendron Mercer (msg # 134):

Once Thelev realizes sickbay is secure and Khendron is out, Thelev heads down to the brig to check on Vincentius and see if he is in a condition for Thelev to talk interrogate him about the attack.

When he arrives he sees Dr. Regem looking at Vincentius and waits until she acknowledges him before asking Vincentius status.

Once acknowledged he asks "Doctor, how is Vincentius?, has he said anything yet why he attacked our crew in sickbay?"

Regem sighs and reports, "I can't figure out its damned silicon metabolism—its flesh is like foamed asbestos with solid silicon struts for bones. The right 'arm' is burned off at mid-humerus and the integument—skin—on its shoulder and upper torso is crisped and blistered, equivalent to sixth degree burns where the skin, underlying muscles and even bone are charred away. Somehow, it's still conscious and all it says is that it refuses to give any statement under the Seventh Guarantee of the Constitution of the United Federation of Planets and Starfleet Directive One Zero One. It appears to have some form of pain-blocking techniques similar to those used by Vulcans. My only recommendation is to put it into medical stasis until we can get further medical expertise—perhaps from the Horta Prime Mother."

PO2c Daneric-Tren replies that, "Under Directive 101, we can't legally question it further, sir."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:36, Fri 13 Aug 2021.

In reply to Lieutenant Maura Regem, RN, MD (msg # 136):

Loud enough for Vincentius to hear he asks "Are you sure the Horta Prime Mother is our best option, I was thinking if we could avoid Lord Dhark one of Lord Dhark children may be able to better treat our patient. Even though Vincentius is under our protection I was thinking if the best option was to risk a jump back to the 'Under World' we have to at least consider it." hoping to goat Vincentius into speaking first to get around Directive 101.

In reply to Captain Thelev (msg # 137):

Regem considers Thelev's question, "I had no personal interaction with Lord Dhark or his family, but from what I was able to gather from Dr. Driveon, they're a fractious bunch. I'm more inclined to consult the Prime Mother, as she's a more or less known quantity. True, the royal family seems to have some sort of magic technology but their attitudes are unknown—well, except for the Verlegg, who appears to be hostile both to Dhark and to us. By going to them for help, we may put Vincentius in more grave danger."

Daneric-Tren notes, "Since the prisoner has invoked its civil rights, placing it within the grasp of its former master may well violate those rights."

Vincentius remain silent and unmoving, lying on the bunk behing the force field.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:02, Sat 14 Aug 2021.

In reply to Dworkin the Black (msg # 127):

Dworkin stands and looks at a timepiece on his wrist. "Now, my dear Commodore, I fear I must take my leave and return to Centre, to consult with Her Glory." He reaches into his breast pocket and pulls out a stack of about a dozen cards about 7 x 12cm. Brad only catches a glimpse of the faces on a couple of cards and they appear to be hand-painted portraits. Dworkin selects one and stares at it with the same intensity with which he'd stared Vincentius down. He seems to fade from Brad's site, shrinking and distorting in a non-Euclidian manner before disappearing. Only the high-ball glass with a melting ice cube remains.

Brad sits for a moment refusing to be surprised.
This message was last edited by the player at 22:03, Sat 14 Aug 2021.

In reply to Dworkin the Black (msg # 139):

Thelev turning and looking at Daneric-Tren and givng her (corrected by Odyssey GM) the look of shut-up says "PO2c Daneric-Tren, I am familar with Directive 101 and fell we can protect Vincentius, I want to ensure we give Vincentius the best possible medical care and I was giving our doctor an alternative in case she had any doubts about the if Horta Prime Mother is qualified beyond just being a Silicon based lifeform. "
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:25, Sun 15 Aug 2021.

Daneric-Tren frowns and turns her desk monitor so Thelev can see it.

Minimum Sapient Rights: No person shall, by force or by guile, be deprived of their ability to resist volitionally the will of another person—except under due process of law, and even then, not by guile.

She flushes a darker shade as she comments, "Sorry, sir, but if you wish to declare the prisoner a hostile enemy alien, then Directive 101 no longer applies."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:57, Tue 17 Aug 2021.

McCurrvey shakes his head and strides out to the bridge.  He needs people to clear his head.  To no one in particular he says “Status”

In reply to Commodore Bradron McCurrvey (msg # 142):

Collette is in the centre chair. She swivels to face Brad and reports, "Captain Mercer is stable and the Doctors say he should be able to resume light duty tomorrow morning following an attack by Vincentius. Doctor T'Sara was also assaulted by Vincentius and is in surgery with critical injuries. Vincentius was subdued by Mercer and security Crewman MacQuarrie and is in the brig being treated by Doctor Regem, as it was seriously injured during its apprehension, and is being questioned by Captain Thelev. Security Chief Trask is filing a request to promote MacQuarrie to Petty Officer Third Class for saving Khendron's life." She hands him a PADD with all the details.

McCurrvey relishes the hum of the bridge for a few moments as he takes a quick scan of the padd. “Have someone meet me at the brig who can do a scan for nanites on site”.  “I want to talk to our prisoner and I’d like to do it without Dworkin overhearing”  He heads into the turbolift.

"Aye aye, Sir!" responds the Navigator. Brad steps out of the Bridge into the turbolift. CPO Cobretti is waiting for him in the lift and accompanies him to the Brig. On the way, they pick up Petty Officer 1c Manuel Espinoza, who has dealt with Dworkin's nanobots before.

Upon arriving at the Brig, he asks for Brad's and Thelev's replacement (supposedly nanobot-free) calling cards and scans them using security's equipment. They are as advertised, nanobot-free, but he places them in a Faraday enclosure to ensure Dworkin cannot use them to eavesdrop. Likewise, he scans the two amulets and determines that the silver sigil is a molecular-level portable transporter link connected via subspace to an implant in Vincentius's skull. He immediately restores it to its stasis container and recommends removing the transceiver implant.

Doctor Regem, a Centaurian, orders an orderly to the Brig with a surgical transporter unit. Daneric-Tren lowers the force-field and stands by with her phaser drawn. Ensign Goldberg arrives with the unit and beams out the implant. Espinoza places it in the Faraday enclosure. Vincentius makes no hostile moves.

Daneric-Tren raises the force-field and informs Brad, "We've listed Vincentius as a hostile enemy alien under Starfleet Security Procedures, thus removing it from the protections of Starfleet Directive 101 normally applied to Starfleet personnel and civilians. You may proceed with your interrogation."
This message was last edited by the player at 01:37, Thu 19 Aug 2021.

In reply to Petty Officer 2c Daneric-Tren (msg # 145):

Turning to Brad, Thelev says "Commodore, the prisoner has not said anything yet, his injury is severe and Doctor Regem is recommending that we take Vincentius to the Horta Prime Mother. But to be honest I am concerned about him escaping."

“Thank you, Captain.  May I have a word with our ‘guest’ for a moment?  Is he conscious?”

McCurrvey moves past Thelev while trying to impart to his friend that he understands the situation.

“Crewman, in your opinion, am I clear of all nanites and other alien technology?”.  McCurrvey gives his best ‘you’d better not screw this up’ look at the PO.

[OOC: Not Crewman - Crewmen are basic ratings of ranks E1-E3. Petty Officers with ranks E4-E9, are NCOs. PO1 is equivalent to a rank one grade above Sergeant. http://www.coldnorth.com/owen/...y/uniforms/equip.htm ]

"Readings indicate you're clear, sir," replies PO1 Espinoza.

PO2 Daneric-Tren once again lowers the force field. "You may enter the cell, Commodore," she says.

Vincentius raises itself onto its remaining arm. "It seems you have me at a disadvantage. I do not waive my rights under your Seventh Guarantee. I believe that your Charter of Rights and Freedoms still applies, even to prisoners of war, which status I claim pursuant to being deemed a hostile enemy alien." Its voice is a silky rasp with little inflection. "However, I would like to make a statement—

"My race is called the Vaarduvée. Some centuries ago, a cohort of my people were stranded in the realm known as the Underdark. We reached a détente with the Ilithids, beings known as the Mind Flayers, and they began inserting us as operatives posing as slaves in some of the surrounding polities like that of the so-called Dread Lord of the Outer Spaces, Lord Dhark. When the Vizier took the admittedly foolish risk of devouring the intellect of your Chief Petty Officer Alexander, he was attempting to garner intelligence of your newly-encountered Federation with the intent of spreading the Underdark's influence into your plane, part of the Prime Material Plane. Although my erstwhile master, Lord Dhark, thought he'd captured the Vizier, intending to make use of him as a tool against the Grand Elder Concord, the ruling council of the Ilithids, made up of the most powerful Elder Brains. Unfortunately for him, he'd already fallen under the control of the Vizier, who had him dispatch me to gather information. By in turn, in capturing me, with the help of that being you call Dworkin, you have sealed you inevitable doom!" It laughs like a villain out of a holo-thriller and suddenly freezes in place on the bunk, its body surface gleaming with the unmistakable reflectivity of a stasis field.
This message was last edited by the player at 00:31, Sat 21 Aug 2021.

“Well there goes the idea that Dworkin influenced him into attacking…”  McCurrvey strokes his goatee and turns to Thelev.  “Thoughts?”

In reply to Commodore Bradron McCurrvey (msg # 149):

"We are stuck in the middle I believe, maybe in the middle of more than two influences." Thelev replies

"My gut is that we have to peel back the layers of the onion. So who is Vincentius working with? And who is Dworkin working with? And what is both parties goal? And is Lord Dhark a third faction or still related to one of the other factions?" he ponders out loud.

It is the end of both Brad's and Thelev's shifts. Brad is watches as the security staff take care of Vincentius's body. Dr. Driveon secures a treatment room in sickbay with enhanced security and full sensor surveillance, and they remove Vincentius from the Brig, where Bilgebottom stations a marine guard. Brad realises that his, Thelev's and Khendron's copies of Dworkin's calling cards are sitting on the duty desk in their Faraday enclosure. Thelev replies, "We are stuck in the middle I believe, maybe in the middle of more than two influences."

It's been a long, tiring day, so Brad absent-mindedly picks up the enclosure and summons a lift to return to his quarters on deck three.

"My gut is that we have to peel back the layers of the onion. So who is Vincentius working with? And who is Dworkin working with? And what is both parties goal? And is Lord Dhark a third faction or still related to one of the other factions?" Thelev ponders out loud.

The two continue discussing the mysterious little man's motives as the turbolift moves silently up to the lift station. They walk the twenty-five metres to the cross-corridor where they part ways, Brad turning left and Thelev right. [OOC: you can continue or wait until the morning when Khendron will be awake.]

Brad's quarters are dark, but he can hear music coming from Kyra's room. Both Kyra and Bellandra can he heard laughing. As he fixes himself an evening snack the door opens and Collette walks in, her tunic over her shoulder and her waistcoat unfastened.

"Hi, love," she murmurs. "You look as tired as I feel." She gives him an absent-minded peck on the cheek and hangs her tunic on a coatrack before peeling waiscoat off, leaving her in her grey pullover. "How's Khendron? Driveon gave us an update on T'Sara before I went off duty—Ayan's saved her eye and rebuilt her eye socket."

She sits down and replicates a smoked meat sandwich and a large dill pickle with a large glass of red wine. "Mind if I join you?" she asks.

Meanwhile Thelev enters his quarters and finds Thoma in her night dress replicating a slice of toasted Hari, a traditional Andorian bread. She takes a bite and says, "Mmmmm. Want a bite?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:56, Tue 24 Aug 2021.

In reply to Odyssey GM (msg # 151):

Thelev gives a reluctant smile and says "I would love a bit" and then gives Thoma a quick kiss.  "Somedays I wonder how Brad did this all those years. We are missing a key piece and I have no idea."

He thinks for a moment before saying "How is Vethia, I have been so busy I haven't been able to see how she is doing."

"I think she's still up. I told her she could stay up 'til you got in," says Thoma, smiling as she hands the toasted Hari over so he can have some.

Thelev goes into Vethia's room, where she's playing with some colourful interlocking plastic bricks, a favourite toy on Earth for the last three and a half centuries.

She looks up and says, "Daddy!" She sees the slice of Hari and asks, "C'n I have a bite Daddy?"

Thoma says from the doorway, "May I, Vethia."

Vethia corrects herself, "May I have a bite, please?"

Over the next few days, work continues apace organising the Bright Stars Cluster Sector task force. Teri Harris spends most of her time at Bridgeton negotiating with Sam with the goal of initiating a full Starfleet scientific survey of the Hole and the Bridge, in session with Federation Commissioner Rosemary Kent. Brad is consulted from time to time, as are John Smith and Okun Soong.

Khendron is released from Sickbay and resumes light duty. His throat still feels scratchy, more from pulling the breathing tube out than from side effects from the borgia plant.

T'Sara is in the ICU recovering from her surgery and seems to be recovering well. The team successfully saved her eye and rebuilt parts of her skull.

After a week with no contact from Dworkin, an encrypted message from Starfleet Command ordering Odyssey, Excalibur, Discovery and Fife to jump via Silver Ball to the plantoid Babel, taking with them Capt Harris and Commissioner Kent. Specific orders are to bring the stasis-bound Vincentius and the minor child Bellandra ferch Jaime. By now, Khendron has been cleared for full duty status. As Science Officer, he is instructed to bring along the stasis pouch with Vincentius's amulets.

Within an hour, the Discovery is in station-keeping with the Odyssey, and the Fife is keeping station with the Excalibur. Soong and Smith announce in unison over subspace, "Ready for Blue Alert" and Thelev and Bowman give the command...


To Be Continued in the Thread The Glory Road...