Vanessa James looked up from Ops and said, "Captain, everyone from the vessel has been beamed aboard: the ship's commander and forty-seven passengers."
Johansen whistled in amazement as Rush said, clearly surprised, "Forty-seven? His ship's not tiny, but it's not that big. He must've had people plastered to the ceiling. Johansen, arrange to have the passengers brought, in shifts, to life station, so Dr. Selar can check them over. Make sure they're not suffering from exposure, dehydration, et cetera."
"In tow shall we take his ship, sir?" asked Thul.
"And to where do you suggest we tow it, Mr. Thul?" asked Rush reasonably. "It's not as if we've got a convenient base nearby. Bridge to Engineering."
"Engineering, Wren here," came the quick response over the intercom.
"Chief, we've got a transport ship to port with an engine that needs your magic touch."
"My wand is ready as always, sir."
"How many times have I heard that line," murmured Vanessa James....just a bit louder than she'd intended. The comment drew a quick chuckle from Greer, and a disapproving glance from Johansen---who, in point of fact, thought it was funny but felt that it behooved her to keep a straight face.
"Get a team together, beam over, and give me an estimate on repair time."
"Aye, sir."
He turned to Johansen and said briskly, "Commander, talk to the pilot. Find out just what happened, what he saw. I want to know what we're dealing with. Also, see if you can find Turhi. He's supposed to be our ambassador. Let's see how his people react to him. If they throw things at him or run screaming, that'll be a tip off that he might not be as useful as we'd hoped. Damn, we should have given him a comm badge to facilitate...."
"Bridge to Turhi," Johansen said promptlyl.
"Yes," came Turhi's voice.
"Meet me in life station, please. We've got some refugees there whom we'd like you to speak with."
"On my way."
Johansen turned to Rush. "I took the liberty of issuing him a comm badge. He's not Fleet, of course, but it seemed the easiest way to reach him."
"Good thinking, Commander."
She smiled. "I have my moments," and headed toward the turbolift.
The moment she was gone, though, Thul stepped over to Rush and said, "Go as well shall I, Captain?"
"You, Thul? Why?"
"Keep an eye on Turhi I must."
"What do you think he's going to do?"
"Know not I," Thul said darkly. He seemed to want to say something more, but he kept his mouth tightly closed.
"Lieutenant, if you've got something on your mind, out with it."
"Will say I. Feel I do a vast mistake you have made allowing Turhi aboard this vessel. Jeopardize our mission could he."
"If I thought he could, I would never have allowed him to remain."
"Of that be I aware, sir. Feel it was an error nevertheless."
"I generally have a good instinct about people, Lieutenant. I've learned to trust it; it's saved my life any number of times. If you wish to disagree with me, that's your privilege."
"Fear I is that remain shall it be, Captain, until convinced otherwise be I."
"When do you think that will be?"
Jakar Thul considered the question. "In years of Earth or years of Malon in?"
"Earth years."
"Earth years in?" He paused only a moment, and then responded, "Never."
Johansen entered life station and looked around at the haggard faces of the patients in the medlab. Immediately her heart went out to them. They were a mixture of races, with such variations of skin colors between them that they looked like a rainbow. But there was unity in the fact that they were clearly frightened, dispossessed, with no clear idea of what lay ahead for them. Dr. Selar was going about her duties with speed and efficiency. Johansen noticed that Selar and her people already seemed to be working smoothly and in unison. She felt some relief at that; Rush had mentioned that there'd been some difficulty between Selar and one of her doctors, but Johansen wouldn't have known from watching them in action.580Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmpvx9Xeo93
"I'm looking for the commander of the vessel," she said to the room at large.
One of the scruffier individuals stepped forward. "That would be me." He stuck out a hand. "Name's Chilo."
"Commander Johansen, second-in-command."
"Your people saved our butts."
"That's what we're here for," she told him, even as she thought, Did I just say that? I sound like something out of the Fleet Cliché Handbook.
And then Johansen saw the attitude of the people in life station change instantly, as if electrified. A number who were on diagnostic tables immediately jumped off. One even pushed Dr. Selar aside so he could scramble to his feet. They were all looking past Johansen's shoulder. She turned to see that, standing behind her, was Vito Turhi.
There was dead silence for what seemed an infinity to her, and then a young bald-headed woman, who appeared to be in her early twenties by Earth standards, seemed to fly across the room. She threw her arms around Turhi so tightly that it looked as if she'd snap him like a twig, even though she came up barely to his chest.
"You're alive! Thank the gods, you're alive!" she whispered.
And now the others followed suit. Most of them didn't possess the total lack of inhibition of the first woman. They approached him tentatively, reverently, with varying forms of intimidation or respect. Turhi, for his part, stroked the young woman's pale pink bald head as gently as a father cradling his newborn child. He looked to the others, stretching out his free hand as if summoning them. They seemed to draw strength from his mere presence, many of them genuflecting, a few had their heads bowed.
"Please. Please, that's not necessary," said Turhi. "Please---get up. Don't bow. Don't....please don't," and he gestured for them to rise. "Sometimes I feel that such ceremonies helped create the divide between us that led to---to our present state. Up---yes, you in the back, up."
They followed his instructions out of long habit. "This ship is bringing you back to power, Lord Turhi?" asked one of the men. "They'll use their weapons on your behalf?"
Johansen began to state that that was uncategorically not the case, but with a voice filled with surprising gentleness, Turhi said, "This is a mission of peace, my friends. I am merely here to lend help whenever I can." And then he glanced briefly at Johansen as if to say, A satisfactory answer? She nodded in silent affirmation.
Then Johansen turned back to the refugees and said, "What were you all fleeing from?"
A dozen different answers poured out, all at the same time. The specifics varied from one individual or one group to the next, but there were common themes to all. Governments in disarray, marauders from an assortment of races, wars breaking out all over for reasons ranging from newly disputed boundaries to attempted genocide. A world of order sliding into a world of chaos.
"We just want to be safe," said the young woman who had so precipitously hugged Turhi. "Is that so much to ask?"
"Unfortunately," sighed Turhi, "sometimes the answer to that is yes."
"The rest of the royal family---are they.....?"
He nodded and there were a few choked sobs....and also, Johansen noted, a few sighs of relief.
"What's going to happen to us now?" asked one of them.
"First, we're going to repair Captain Chilo's vessel. We've got a team right there now," Johansen told them. At this, Chilo moaned softly and shook his head which piqued Johansen's curiosity. "Problem, Captain?"
"Well, don't think me ungrateful for the rescue and repair. I am. More than you can ever know. But I must ask----how much is the repair job going to cost me? Because I'm not making the kind of money off this job that you'd probably think I am...."
"Captain Chilo," Johansen began.
"----and you've got your experts who, I'm sure, are the best that money can buy, but my credit level is so low that unless we set up some kind of payment schedule....
"Captain, there's no charge," Johansen interrupted him.
This brought him up short. "No charge?!"
"None."
"Well then---what do you get out of this?"
"We get nothing more from it than the awareness that we're fulfilling the mandates of Fleet. That, and just the knowledge of a job well done," Johansen told him, and this time she thought, Dammit, I know I've mostly specialized in fighting the Goa'uld, and have far more strategic bridge experience than I do with one-to-one diplomacy, but I have got to drop the homilies before someone beats me to death with a baseball bat.
"And then what?" asked another of the refugees.
"Then we'll make sure that you get where you're going. Where are you going, by the way?"
"Intended destination is Sigma Bizanti," Chilo told her. "Not the greatest planet on the rim, but it's within range considering what they were able to pay. Although if you've got other suggestions, I'm sure they'd be happy to discuss it...."
At that moment, Turhi's comm badge beeped. He seemed slightly startled by it since he was, naturally, unused to wearing it. He tapped it tentatively and said, "Yes?"
"Soleta to Turhi," came the Vulcan's voice. "We've received a communique I think you should be aware of."
"What is it?"
"It's another vessel. They not only sent out a distress call, but they included a passenger roster. If I'm recalling correctly, didn't you say your sister's name was Oliviana?"
For a moment Turhi felt as if his heart had stopped. "Yes. Yes, I did."
"Well, her name's on it."
"I'm on my way," he said without hesitation. He paused and said to the refugees, "Trust these people. They'll take care of you," and then he was out the door, his long legs carrying him so fast that Johansen felt as if he'd vanished between eyeblinks.
Chilo took a step forward and, clearing his throat, said, "Uhm, Commander---as long as your people are over thre---you know, the phase converter's never worked really up to what I'd like. Also I could use a replacement of the dilithium charger, and a full cleaning of the...."
"Chilo...."
"Yes, Commander Johansen?"
She smiled wanly. "Don't push it, okay?"580Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2fiwvxt4U
Inside the midship area of the Qeexar, Wren shook hish head in annoyance as s/he looked over the damage report. "Interior and exterior damage to the impulse rods, as well as the primary warp stabilizer. And look at the age of some of these parts; I hope we can match it. To say nothing of the fact that we'll have to do EVA repairs." S/he sighed. "This'll take forever."580Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaruishUPBb
"Can we bring this ship into the shuttlebay and work on it there?" asked Chanthavong.
Wren shook hish head. "Too big. If we were in a Galaxy-class ship, yes, it'd fit. But in the Ambassador-class size? Not near enough room. Although I suppose if we could bring it close enough in to the Universe, we could raise shields and encompass it within the shield sphere. Then all we'd need is some floaters to move around it, rather than have to put up with clunky EVA suits. You'd think after four centuries of a space program, we've had come up with better EVA suits than what we've got." Wren tapped hish comm badge. "Wren to bridge."
"Bridge. Here be Thul."
"Jakar? Tell the captain we're talking at least a nine-hour repair job here."
"Nine hours?" Thul sounded skeptical. "Disassemble the Universe's engines could you and together put them again in nine hours."
"If you think you can do better, Thul, you're welcome to try. Wren out."
Turhi studied the passenger roster with a rapidly growing sense of urgency. "What's the ship's name again?" he asked.580Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpjnvQBmey
"The Ihiolcian Eagle," Soleta said, coming around from the science station. Turhi was at the tactical station, looking at the incoming transmission. Thul had at first stood firm, but ultimately backed off a few feet and simply glowered with arms folded. "It's not a Space Federation ship, but it's in the registry nonetheless. It's a freelance science and exploration vessel."
"Science vessel be carrying passengers? Why?" asked Thul. "Why passengers be at all? Why Turhi's sister?"
"It makes sense," Turhi said with more excitement than Soleta had ever heard in his voice. "You're absolutely right, Thul, it's not the kind of vessel that would be used for transport. Secondly, unless I'm mistaken, it's big."
"Quite big," affirmed Soleta. "Such vessels usually are. Science and exploration vessels generally tend to be prepared for anything. It can easily accommodate a scientific team of up to one hundred people, transporting sufficient life-support equipment to sustain them for..."
"We get the idea, Lieutenant," Rush said, rising from his chair and standing on the lower level of the bridge in front of the tactical station. "But according to the manifest, how many passengers in this instance on the Ihiolcian Eagle?"
"Only nine."
"I see. How long ago was the message sent?"
"Still being sent is it, Captain," Thul said. "On a live feed it be, a pulse steady."
"Hail them."
Thul made that slight bow that passed for a nod and stepped up to tactical. He took a small amount of pleasure in hip-checking Turhi out of the way as he sent an autobail back through subspace. While he awaited a response, he watched Turhi's reactions carefully. And he could see that Turhi was....
....afraid.
This struck Thul as odd, to say the least. He wasn't quite sure what to expect from Turhi, but fear hadn't quite been it. Thul immediately started to become annoyed with himself as he realized he wasn't feeling something for Turhi that he didn't want to feel: sympathy. He pushed such annoying thoughts away as far as he reported briskly, "They respond not."
"How far away are they?"
"Two hours away at warp two they be."
"Captain, we've got to go get her," Turhi said urgently. "She can't be that close and we don't do anything."
"We're already working on one rescue effort, Ambassador," replied Rush. "We finish one before we move on to the next. We can't go running helter-skelter throughout the sector."
"Captain, please," began Turhi.
But Rush cut him off emphatically. "We've got four dozen frightened and shaken-up people on this vessel. I'm not about to start dragging them on side trips."
"A side trip? Captain, there are lives involved."
"My decision is final, Ambassador. I'm sorry." He hesitated. "Unless...."
"Unless?" demanded Turhi with obvious urgency.
Rush turned to James and said, "Ms. James, don't we have a runabout down in the hangar bay?"
"Yes, we do, sir. The Prennia."
"Can it make warp two?"
"That and more in a pinch."
He nodded and looked back to Turhi. "Ambassador----we're remaining on station until such time that repairs are completed and we can send our passengers on their way. But if you want to grab a runabout and rendezvous with the Ihiolcian Eagle, I'll authorize it."
"That's more than generous, Captain," Turhi said. "I'll prepare to leave immediately....."
"Captain!" exclaimed an alarmed Jakar Thul.
"Problem, Mr. Thul?"
"A formal protest I must register, sir, as head of security I."
"Formal. And me without my dress uniform."
"In a runabout you would send a non-Fleet individual....." Thul couldn't quite find the words.
"On second thought, Mr. Thul, you're absolutely right."
Jakar let out a sigh of relief. "Pleased I be!"
"You'll be accompanying him."
"Captain! Do this to me not!"
And Rush stepped in close to Thul, and when he spoke his voice was low and angry, and his scar seemed to be standing out against his skin. "I'm doing this to you---because I can! I ask nothing of my crew members but the best they have to offer, and if the best you can offer is insubordination, then I'm going to get a new crewmember and you can damn well walk home. Understood?"
"I do," said Thul tightly.
"Good." Rush stepped back and then his gaze transfixed Turhi. "Do you have a problem with Mr. Thul accompanying you?"
Thul seemed ready to make one response, and clearly thought better of it, and said instead, "None whatsoever."
"Just what I wanted to hear: nothing. James, have the shuttlebay prepare the Prennia for departure. Gentlemen----have a pleasant flight. And stay in touch. You know how I worry." 580Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6mf8SHoJh
