Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 09

End of “Where No One Has Gone Before, Pt. 08”

“Good morning, Captain,” Alan said. “We don’t have much time, so I’ll get right to it. I’ve just been informed that I’m to meet with an Ambassador Tsod from the Gingravik Prefect of Earth. Do you know about that?”

“No sir, but I just got off the line with the Gingravik commander of the Tere. She sent me information about those transmissions you told me about. A lot of them are official comms between the Gingravik and this prefect of theirs. But several of them went to Washington, DC. I’ll forward you the image when I receive it.”

“Washington, DC, huh? Any idea where in DC?”

“Yes, sir. According to the image, it looks like a Congressional office building, but I don’t know exactly which office. I do know that this system, T-107, contains material called quadrillium that absorbs solar radiation and can be used as a reliable source of clean renewable energy.”

“Interesting,” Alan said. “What else?”

“According to my Gingravik counterpart, the transmission went through a relay of sorts, run by a group called the Mr’rk. Commander Mishita describes them as profiteers or pirates.”

“Terrific,” Alan said. “I gather you suspect Senator Jacoby of being involved with these… Mr’rk?”

“I don’t know what to think, sir,” I said. “It’s out of my area of expertise. But it does look rather suspicious. The Senator has ties to companies involved with clean alternative energy, and if this is all true, he could stand to make billions. Possibly trillions.”

“You’re right, Bill. It IS out of your area of expertise. But it does look suspicious. And Jacoby would stand to make a great deal of money, if, in fact, he’s involved with this. Our window of communication is closing, Captain. Keep up the good work. Deal with these Darnok creatures as you see fit. I look forward to your next report. Admiral Simmons, out.”

“Yes, sir,” I responded, ending the transmission. The monitor went dark, and I sat back in my chair, wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. Moreover, I couldn’t shake the feeling that every single person on this ship was about to be put in even more danger than we had ever faced before.

…

And now, “Where No One Has Gone Before Pt. 09”

I sat at my desk in the quarters I shared with Kyra that evening, rubbing my temples. It had been one hell of a day so far. After our conversation, I got my report off to Alan and received his acknowledgment. He was ecstatic to hear about the shielding technology, as I figured he would be. At least there was one good thing to come from the day.

“Are you alright, sweetheart?” Kyra asked as she rubbed my shoulders. God, that felt so good. I closed my eyes and leaned back into her as she massaged me. “You seem rather tense.”

“The burden of command, I suppose,” I said. “You think Leesa ever went through this?” Kyra chuckled at that.

“I can tell you she experienced this at least once a week,” my wife said.

“Seriously?” I asked.

“Oh yes. In fact, I had a standing appointment with her, at least one hour every week. Sometimes more.”

“I didn’t know that,” I told her.

“It never came up, and there is such a thing as doctor-patient confidentiality, you know.”

“Of course.” I should’ve known, but Leesa was so good at her job that it never occurred to me that she would even need to seek out Kyra’s professional services. “So, what’s your prognosis, doc? Will I make it?” Kyra chuckled at that.

“I think you will, with lots of tender loving care. It won’t be easy, though,” Kyra quipped with a slight smile. “Seriously, though. You have a lot on your plate. I mean, you’re nose-to-nose with an alien spacecraft, preparing to face off against hostile aliens you know next to nothing about. You have a couple hundred souls depending on you in the harshest and most unforgiving environment known to humanity — some ten light years from Earth. No pressure there, right?”

“Not when you put it that way,” I joked.

“Then it’s probably a good idea for us to talk, don’t you think?” Kyra asked in that tone wives seemed to acquire for getting their husbands to do what they wanted…

“We talk all the time,” I said.

“Yes, we do. We talk, we eat meals together. We play our instruments together. We enjoy each other’s bodies together. And I appreciate that you bring me into the section briefings. But we don’t actually… talk. You know, about the things that weigh heavily on your mind. You share quite a bit, but you tend to keep a lot close to your chest. Let’s face it, this mission hasn’t exactly turned out the way you thought it might, has it?”

“Not… exactly,” I said quietly. Damn, this woman was good, I thought. “I figured we would find some esoteric quality in this part of space that caused the sensor anomalies and that would would be it. I never thought in my wildest imagination that we’d encounter an alien species of intelligent plants sporting 12 penises.”

“Does that bother you?” Kyra asked.

“What? That we’ve encountered an alien species?” I asked.

“No, that this species of alien has 12 sets of rather prominent sex organs,” Kyra said with a mischievous smile.

“Are you suggesting I suffer from a form of penis envy or something?” I responded, returning her smile.

“Are you?” I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at that.

“Not hardly,” I said. “What about you? Are you a bit curious about these well-endowed aliens?”

“I admit, I’m a bit curious, as any woman might be,” Kyra said. “But not curious enough to take action. I have no desire to, uh, sample, what they offer. Besides, I made a promise to forsake all others for you. And that includes well-endowed aliens with multiple penises. I love you too much to do that to you.”

“And I love you more, my wonderful wife,” I said.

“Good answer, space man,” Kyra responded before kissing me.

“But I am concerned about something.”

“What’s that?” Kyra asked.

“As I’m sure you know, the crew was specifically selected for their compatibility. Every possible demographic was considered when putting this crew together. I can’t help but wonder what impact these native Gingravik might have on the balance we have here.”

“You mean, what if our female crew members decide to gravitate towards the Gingravik males?”

“Something like that,” I told her. “I mean, if I were a single man, I might wonder how I could possibly compete against a being with not one, but 12 very large sex organs. Eventually, it could cause some… significant… morale problems.” Kyra thought for a few moments before responding.

“I understand your concern,” she said. “But from what I’ve seen, that isn’t an issue. I’ve been watching their interaction with our crew. I get the feeling these Gingravik are quite perceptive beings. Yes, they have a very high libido. But from my observation, they don’t target women indiscriminately.”

“You mean, they’re not ‘pussy hounds.’ It’s that what you’re telling me?”

“Something like that,” Kyra said.

“That’s good to hear. Have you spoken to Petty Officer Jenkins yet?”

“No, I haven’t. I’ve been rather busy lately, but I do have her on my schedule for tomorrow,” Kyra said. “Did she…”

“Yes,” I answered before she could finish her question.

“I see,” Kyra said quietly. “Well, this should be interesting. How much do you already know?”

“I don’t know all of the specifics, but I know enough. I don’t know if her encounter has had any lasting impact on her.”

“I’ll see what I can find out,” Kyra said. I marveled for a moment at the precarious personal and professional balancing act my wife had to do; between her duty to the ship and doctor-patient confidentiality.

We called it a night and went to bed after relaxing with music and a cup of Kyra’s renowned hot chocolate. Playing music together had become a form of foreplay between us. I had to admit that my wife was becoming quite the musician. The fact that we occasionally played in the nude, or very close to it, certainly helped in that department.

Chet brought us all up to speed on his progress with the Gingravik “brain hood” during the following day’s morning briefing. I was happy to hear that he and the rest of the Engineering team had been able to get past the initial communication gap with the Gingravik.

“We’re set to perform final testing on the hoods today. If all goes well, we can start printing them out,” Chet said.

“Good work, Commander,” I said. “How much of our stock would this take?”

“Best estimate, a little more than a third, sir.”

“I guess it’s a good thing we ordered a third more than normal, isn’t it?” I asked.

“Yes, sir, I suppose it is,” Chet said.

“How long would it take to print out enough for both crews?”

“I’d say three to four full days,” Chet said.

“Alright. Let me know how your tests go. By the way, the Gingravik is bringing over a piece of equipment for us this morning — a device that will give us shielding. I want you to oversee its integration.” Chet’s face turned white when I said that. “Is there a problem?”

“Sir, I’m not sure that’s even possible,” Chet said.

“If anyone can make it happen, you can, Chet. See to it. It’s crucial,” I said.

“Yes, sir,” Chet said, resigned to his task. After the briefing, Chet, Jim, and I walked to the shuttle bay, where I saw everyone off. “You watch yourself over there, Number One,” I told Jim as he climbed on board with his overnight bag.

“I will, Captain,” he said with a shit-eating grin. The shuttles left after we reached the safety of the observation room, only to be replaced with the shuttles from the Tere. We greeted our guests and bade farewell to those who had spent the night. Commander Ra’al, Mishita’s executive officer, wheeled himself to me.

“I believe the standard greeting is, good morning, Captain,” Ra’al said through his speakers.

“Yes, it is, Commander. And good morning to you,” I replied.

“The shielding equipment is inside my carrying compartment, Captain,” Ra’al said. I figured out the door mechanism and pulled out a small box with a container holding smaller parts, which I handed Chet with a smile. “We brought a couple of technicians to help integrate it into your system.”

“Thank you, Commander. That would be most helpful,” I said. “Merry Christmas, Chet,” I told my Chief Engineer, who responded with a forced smile.

“I suppose I can’t ever say you never gave me anything, Captain,” Chet joked ruefully.

“Nope, you can’t. You do this, and I’ll owe you a steak dinner with all the trimmings,” I told him, knowing his fondness for grilled steaks.

“Damn right you will,” Chet said, adding the obligatory “sir” after an awkward moment. I knew he was being sarcastic, but I also detected a hint of frustration. This was way beyond anything he had ever dealt with — splicing an unknown alien component into his beloved ship that he knew every centimeter of. Part of me felt bad about putting this on him, but I promised myself I would make it worth his while if he succeeded. I left the shuttle bay, Ra’al at my side.

“I am not familiar with your protocol. How should I address you, Captain?” Ra’al asked.

“Generally speaking, you can either address me as ‘Captain’ or ‘sir.’ When it’s just the two of us, though, you may refer to me by the familiar form of my name, Bill.”

“Then you may refer to me as either ‘Commander’ or ‘Ra’al,’ if you wish… Bill,” the plant-being said from his cart. “This is an impressive vessel. Your species has come a long way in a short time interval.”

“Thank you, Ra’al,” I said. “I’m sure it’s nothing compared to the Tere.”

“Do not underestimate yourself, Bill,” Ra’al replied. “To be honest, I am quite impressed with the way you and your crew have dealt with our initial meeting. First contact between species can be quite… challenging. We have had our share of successes and failures in that area. Fortunately the failures have been few.”

“As I have recently discovered,” I remarked.

“I see that Commander Mishita has become quite… close… with your Commander Decker,” Ra’al said. The delicate nature of his comment even came through his speakers.

“I believe the feeling is mutual,” I told him.

“Mutual? I do not quite understand.”

“He has become close to her as well,” I said.

“Yes, they do seem to be genetically compatible. I hope this is not what you may call a… short fling. I have worked with her for some time now, and would not like to see her hurt. She is like a fellow seedling to me.”

“You mean, like a sister?” I asked.

“Sister?” Ra’al asked, confused. “Ah, I understand. A female seedling produced by one’s parental units. Yes, I think you could say that.”

“I have heard him refer to her as his queen,” I said. “He tells me that is a term of endearment among your people.”

“And he is right. That is a good sign. Perhaps there may be a mating ritual after all.”

“Are you married, Ra’al?” I asked.

“You mean mated? Yes, I am. To a delightfully smooth creature named Harmonia. She is humanoid, like Mishita, and works in our mapping department. We have been mated for several cycles now.”

“Any, uh, seedlings yet?” I asked, trying to use terms he would understand.

“Not yet, but we remain hopeful,” Ra’al said. We reached the bridge, and I let Ra’al enter first. The bridge crew looked at Ra’al, but none expressed surprise or shock when they saw the plant-being. I took that as a good sign.

“Sir, there’s an incoming flash communication from Starbase One. Admiral Simmons,” the duty comm officer said.

“Very well. Patch it into my ready room, please,” I said.

“Yes, sir,” the female lieutenant said.

“Why don’t you join me, Commander?” I asked Ra’al.

“Very well, Captain,” Ra’al responded. I smiled internally, realizing that Ra’al remembered to call me by my rank in front of the crew.

“Commander Travers, you have the conn.”

“Yes, sir,” Elizabeth responded. I went into the ready room, with Ra’al close behind. I sat at my desk as he took a position next to me. Engaging the video monitor, I saw Alan with an older, impeccably-dressed man.

“Captain Jones here, Admiral. This is Commander Ra’al, Executive Officer of the Gingravik Cruiser Tere,” I said.

“Good morning, Captain. Commander. It is a pleasure to meet you. I’m Admiral Simmons. This is Tsod, Ambassador to the Gingravik Prefect of Earth.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Ambassador,” I said. The older man smiled as he looked from Ra’al to me.

“It is a distinct pleasure to meet you as well, Captain. I have waited more than 90 years to see this. Native Gingravik and native humans work side by side. You have no idea how this makes me feel. My only regret is that the Queen Mother did not live long enough to see this for herself,” Tsod said. Ninety years? How old is this man? He didn’t look more than 70 years old to me. I reflected briefly that my preconceived notions and subconscious biases were getting a pretty good workout every day.

“I have heard of this Queen Tere,” I said. “She sounds like an extraordinary woman.”

“Yes, Captain, she was. Her passing has affected us all. But, as you say, life goes on.”

“Indeed. What can we do for you, Ambassador?” I asked. Tsod looked at Alan, who nodded his head.

“We have reviewed the information you provided, and the report we received from the IGS Tere. After consulting with our local intelligence resources, we agree with your assessment. From what we learned, Senator Jacoby has been in touch with Mr’rk operatives for some time, and we believe he may be attempting to acquire a shipment of quadrillium for his own purposes,” Tsod said.

“You mean he intends to present it as a form of clean energy?” I asked.

“He may,” Tsod said. “But we believe he has other… nefarious… purposes in mind. Military purposes, to be precise.”

“Oh?” I asked. I suddenly had a sinking feeling but chided myself for it. Was there any technology, material, or idea in the galaxy that wasn’t potentially ‘dual-use’ — commercial or military?

“Yes, Bill,” Alan interjected. “From what the Ambassador tells me, this quadrillium can make plutonium-based weapons look like mere firecrackers. That’s why he never introduced it to Earth. We’re talking potential planet-busters in the wrong hands.”

“It is vital that you do not let this Jacoby get his hands on quadrillium, Captain,” Tsod added.

“And the Darnok?” I asked.

“They are a dangerous nuisance to our recovery operations, and any assistance you can provide would be most… appreciated, Captain. Believe me when I tell you that I speak for the Emperor and the entire High Council on this,” Tsod said.

“What about Jacoby and the quadrillium?” I asked.

“The Ambassador and I are working with the intelligence community on that, Captain,” Alan said. “I can’t say any more than that right now. Opsec, you know.”

“Yes, sir,” I replied.

“In the meantime, you are directed to continue working with our Gingravik friends to neutralize the Darnok, and if necessary, any Mr’rk vessel that attempts to interfere with your operation,” Alan said.

“Yes, sir,” I replied, acknowledging Alan’s command.

“Just… be careful out there, Bill. I want you and Enterprise back home safe and sound. That’s all for now. Carry on.” The video began to glitch, and I knew our window was closing. Before I could respond, the connection was lost, and the monitor was filled with static. I turned the monitor off and looked at Ra’al.

“What are we up against, Commander?” I asked.

“The Mr’rk are an aggressive group, Captain,” Ra’al said. “I have only encountered them once before and it wasn’t a pleasant experience.”

“Is your ship armed?” I asked.

“Only with shields and light defensive weaponry. We are not an aggressive race, Captain. The Tere can create a dampening field over the planet, but that only affects artificially-created power. It is similar to what was done during the war on Earth,” Ra’al said.

“Could this dampening field be deployed against an attacking craft?”

“It would require a great deal of engineering to make it work. The field is created by first deploying small satellites around or over the target,” Ra’al explained.

“I suppose we’ll just have to figure something else out,” I said. “C’mon, let’s get back to the bridge.” We left the ready room, and I busied myself with all the daily reports as Ra’al familiarized himself with the layout of our bridge. I smiled as I watched the crew explain their tasks to him and knew Jim was probably getting the same treatment on the Tere.

It was late in the shift when my communicator pinged. I saw it was Chet, and I hoped he had good news for me.

“Yes, Commander, what is it?” I asked.

“We just finished the final testing on the Gingravik hoods, Captain. We were able to print out a prototype that works as well as theirs,” Chet said.

“That is good news, Commander,” I said. “What about the shielding device?”

“They’re still working on that one, Captain, but they’ve made good progress. We can’t use it while the warp bubble is active, though,” he said.

“I doubt we would need it with the warp bubble active anyway, would we?”

“Probably not,” Chet said. “We’re still working on it, though. The tech behind it is solid enough. We’re just working to make sure it doesn’t affect any of our other systems.”

“Understand,” I said. “How long do you think it will take to print out enough of those brain hoods for both crews?”

“With all of our printers, probably three or four days. Remember, it’s not just the humans that’ll be using these things. We had to develop something that would protect the Gingravik as well,” Chet said.

“I see. Finish up your testing, Chet. We’ll head back to the base first thing in the morning.”

“Yes, sir,” Chet said before we ended the call. I turned to the duty comm officer.

“Open a channel to the Tere, Lieutenant.”

“Yes, sir,” the comm officer replied as Ra’al came to my side. “Channel open, Captain. Commander Mishita is available.”

“Thank you.” I pressed the button on my console and saw Mishita’s face on the small screen. Jim was right behind her.

“Commander Mishita here, Captain. What can I do for you?”

“I just wanted to let you know that we’ll be heading to our base of operations right after we get both crews back where they belong, Commander,” I said. “We’ll be there about three or four days while Engineering prints enough hoods for both crews. I’d appreciate it if you joined us so we can equip everyone and plan our operation at T-107.”

“How long would it take to reach this base, Captain?” Mishita asked.

“At our maximum speed, I’d say no more than two days,” I told her, knowing that by now, she would understand our concept of time. I could see her making the conversion before nodding her head.

“I understand. We’ll accompany you, then.”

“Thank you,” I responded before ending the comm. “By the way, could you provide me with all the information you have on T-107?”

“Of course, Captain,” Mishita said. She sent the information over, including maps and photographs, and I began planning our attack. I felt this would require a more “hands-on” approach, so I involved Marco. As the commanding officer of the Marine detachment, I figured he should play a role in the on-site planning. That night, after I made my daily log entry, Kyra massaged my neck and shoulders.

“Oh, that feels so good,” I moaned. “Don’t ever stop doing that.”

“I’ll have to at some point,” Kyra quipped. “I’d like to get some sleep tonight.”

“Yeah, me too. So, how did your interview with Petty Officer Jenkins go?”

“Went well, actually,” Kyra answered. “She thoroughly enjoyed her encounter with the Gingravik. Said it was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. No surprise, given they have 12 massive cocks.”

“No kidding,” I said.

“But as much as she enjoyed herself, she said she doesn’t think she would want a steady diet of that. And she likes having skin-to-skin contact with her partner. But she did say she would like to get some of that love poetry he recited to her,” Kyra said.

“Oh?”

“Yes. She said it was like hearing and seeing it in her mind all at the same time.”

“Interesting,” I said. “Maybe I can see if Ra’al can provide some. For the ship’s library, of course.”

“Of course,” Kyra repeated. “Meanwhile, why don’t you come to bed and recite some of your own love poetry,” she added with a mischievous smile. How could I resist?

The following morning, we made the switch and jumped to light speed after ensuring that both crews were present and accounted for. The only Gingravik remaining on Enterprise were two engineers working with Chet to integrate the shielding technology.

They seemed to have no problems fitting in. However, I reminded myself that their species had regular contact with other alien species for quite some time. I made a mental note to find out more about other alien races. If the human species was going to be ‘wandering around the galactic neighborhood,’ it would be prudent to know about any local gangs.

We reached the “base” unit in just over 25 hours. After settling in, the engineers began transferring the material to make the hoods that would protect us from the Darnok brain waves. I called a meeting with Mishita, her command, and our section heads, including Marco.

I brought everyone up to speed on what I knew and laid out what I saw as the initial operational plan of attack. Everyone remained silent until I finished, and I looked at Mishita before continuing.

“What have your people found?” I asked.

“Our engineers have concluded that the navigation system of the Klagg was off by two degrees — enough to expose the ship to the Darnok. They believe it was done intentionally, but they require a component from the wreckage to confirm that,” Mishita said. “I will have one of my engineers accompany your Marines to the surface to retrieve it if that is possible.”

“I believe we can do that, right, Lieutenant?” I asked Marco, who was busy studying the map on my monitor, taking note of Klagg’s location relative to the Darnok cluster.

“I believe we can do that, Captain. I’ll assign Corporal Sampson and two Marines to their engineer. Just a thought, Captain. Why not just nuke them from orbit?” he asked. I had considered that option but didn’t want it to be my first course of action.

“Nook?” K’ew asked. “What does this mean?”

“We take the targets out with tactical nuclear warheads. Nothing high-yield. Would be a lot faster, and a lot more efficient,” Marco said.

“You have fission weapons on this ship, Captain?” K’ew asked. I could hear the shock in the voice that came through the speakers.

“Yes, K’ew, we do. Is that a problem?” I asked.

“You cannot use them on T-107,” K’ew stated emphatically. “I urge you to not consider that course of action.”

“Oh? Why?” I asked.

“First, the crust of T-107 is quite thin, and unstable. The quadrillium is formed under the crust and pushes its way to the surface as the crystals grow. There is another problem. The quadrillium absorbs and amplifies energy. The amount of energy in your fission weapons could spark a chain reaction that would ultimately destroy the planet,” K’ew said.

I understood K’ew’s objections and, in doing so, understood fully what Alan had told me earlier. And it horrified me. Anyone with even a tiny amount of this material would be able to create a “doomsday” device that could ultimately destroy Earth. A much smaller planet, like T-107, would be shattered, or possibly annihilated.

“Alright, we’ll table the nuclear option. What about standard weaponry? Lasers, and cruise missiles? The lasers emit in the red-light frequencies of our visible spectrum, and the missiles have chemical explosive warheads, though pretty powerful. Will those create a chain reaction?” I asked. I knew the Gingravik scientist had been on Enterprise long enough to be aware of our standard weaponry. K’ew thought for a few moments before responding.

“I do not believe so, as long as they do not use fissionable material,” K’ew said. “The extremely intense electromagnetic flux, what you refer to as x-rays and gamma rays, from an uncontrolled fission reaction is what would initiate a corresponding reaction in the quadrillium.”

“Alright. So it looks like we do this the old-fashioned way. Which means you and your Marines are going to get your hands dirty, Marco. I hope you and your men are up on your low-gravity training,” I said.

“Yes, sir, and we’ve been practicing our Grav Tac,” Marco said.

“Good. From what Astro reports, the gravity on T-107 is about .7 G. The planet has an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, but it’s quite thin, so you’ll have to work in suits,” I said. “Will that be a problem?”

“No, sir. We’re Marines. We improvise, adapt, overcome,” Marco said. His response had the slightest hint of being ‘put out.’ He worked his Marines hard all the time; ‘not being ready’ happened to other people and was unacceptable to Marines.

“Good. Then this is what we’ll do.” I put up a larger map with T-107 in the center. “We’ll approach the system from two directions. Here, at Point Red, we’ll don our protective gear,” I said, pointing at a spot half a parsec away from the system.

“Commander Mishita, you and Tere will approach the system from the sunward side, since you’re more familiar with the approach corridor than I. Enterprise will approach from the dark side. When we’re in range, we’ll open fire to distract the Darnok and soften the target for Lt. Ruiz and his Marines. They’ll be on the Tere. When you’re in position, send them down in three teams. Lieutenant?” I asked, indicating it was Marco’s turn to brief the group.

“Gunny Sanders will lead one team from the north slope here,” Marco said, using his pointer to indicate a bluff overlooking the Darnok cluster at the bottom of a gully. “I will lead another team from the southern slope. Meanwhile, Corporal Sampson will land here, close to the Klagg. Once the enemy has been neutralized and your equipment recovered, we’ll return to the shuttles and fly back to the Tere.”

“Remember, Lieutenant, you’ll only have a few hours of air in your combat suits. And you’ll need to be careful. Even though they’re reinforced, and are self-sealing, those suits can still be torn if you encounter a sharp enough rock. Get in, do your business, then get the hell off that planet as fast as you can. Understand?” I asked.

“Yes, sir, I understand,” Marco replied.

“Any questions?” I asked.

“What if we encounter a Mr’rk ship, Captain?” Mishita asked.

“Like Lt. Ruiz said, we improvise, adapt, and overcome,” I replied, causing Marco to smile.

“Lieutenant, I hope you realize these Darnok are not like anything you have ever encountered. They are extremely swift, and quite vicious. They are not capable of reasoning and they know nothing of mercy,” Mishita said.

“Yes, ma’am,” Marco said. “I understand. We’ll just have to be more swift and even more vicious than they are. Hopefully, Enterprise will have done sufficient damage so there won’t be much left for us to do but mop up.”

“I hope you are right, Lieutenant,” Mishita said. “These creatures are sexual omnivores. Given half a chance, they will do horrific things to you and your men.”

“Then I reckon we’ll just have to give them a very hot lead-based enema, ma’am,” Marco said with a slight smile. “They’ll think twice before they mess with another U.S. Marine.” Mishita chuckled at that.

“Are you sure you’re not really a D’o’wr, Lieutenant?” she asked. “You sound very much like one.”

“I don’t know what that is, ma’am, but I’ll take it as a compliment,” Marco said, causing the rest to chuckle in response. Even K’ew seemed to get a kick out of that. I wrapped up the meeting, and we went our separate ways to prepare for the most challenging job we had ever taken on.

Life on the Enterprise was a blur over the next three days. Chet’s engineers burned a lot of midnight oil printing protective hoods and integrating the Gingravik shields into our system. That turned out to be a bit more of a challenge than Chet initially thought. Still, he eventually figured it out with help from Mishita’s scientists and engineers.

The Marines drilled for their job, all while wearing the bulky combat suits they would have to use on T-107. They even managed to integrate some Grav Tac practice while suited. I also had the weapons officer run drills to test the systems and hone his skills. His techs aligned the guidance systems of the cruise missiles to darn near absolute precision. And he augmented the cooling systems on the lasers.

I heard from Alan the night before our departure. Working with certain three-letter federal agencies and the Earth-based Gingravik security services, Senator Jacoby was arrested as he attempted to contact his Mr’rk overseer. His equipment, computers, and papers were confiscated. He now sat in a tiny cell in the D.C. Prison as grim-faced federal agents pored over his files and alien communication gear.

Our work at the base was finally done. Everyone on both vessels was equipped with a protective hood; everything had been tested and was ready to go. Marco and his Marines “saddled up” and prepared to transfer to the Tere. I gave them the usual speech to prepare them for what they would experience on the alien vessel, then sent them on their way.

Sitting in my command chair, I pressed the button to activate the ship-to-ship communication channel.

“Tere, this is Enterprise. Status.”

“Enterprise, this is Tere. We are ready, Captain,” Mishita said.

“Let’s roll,” I replied. I saw the confused look on my Gingravik counterpart’s face and smiled. “My apologies, Commander. Let’s go.”

“No apologies necessary, Captain,” Mishita said with a smile. “I am ready to go. Please watch over Jim for me.”

“No problem. Your prince is in good hands, Commander,” I told her.

“Thank you,” she said. “Tere, out.” We ended the link and jumped into light speed, going in our pre-determined vectors to T-107.

We reached Point Red in 36 hours, and I commanded everyone to don their protective hoods. Pulling the hood over my head, I hoped it would work, and I also expected the thing wouldn’t be too uncomfortable. To my surprise, it wasn’t too bad, which was a good thing, as we would be using these things for the next two days, at least.

We finally reached T-107 and dropped out of light speed close to the planet — perhaps a bit closer than I would have liked, but I wanted to ensure we had the element of surprise.

“Tere is in position, Captain,” Elizabeth said.

“Thank you, Commander,” I said. Showtime. I knew Mishita was monitoring our position and would move in as soon as I began firing, so there was no need to communicate. “Shields up,” I told the engineering officer.

“Shields up, sir,” the lieutenant replied. I turned to the duty weapons officer.

“Target your objective, Lieutenant. Fire at will. Maximum effect.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” the Lieutenant replied. I watched as streams of hot red laser fire leaped from the ship and pounded T-107, where the Darnok was. I could see the flashes as the cruise missiles struck their targets.

For a moment, I almost felt sorry for the beings on the planet below. Almost. And then, I recalled the images Mishita gave me of the horrific treatment the Darnok had meted out to the crew of the Klagg. Elizabeth’s voice brought me out of my reverie a half-hour later.

“Captain, sensors are picking up another vessel,” she said. I jumped out of my chair and looked at her monitor. I saw the dark shape gaining on the Tere.

“Any idea who that might be?” I asked. Elizabeth shook her head.

“No sir. The emission signature is slightly different from the Tere, so I don’t think it’s Gingravik.”

“I think you’re right,” I told her. The vessel’s shape was sharply angular, unlike the smooth and elegant curves of the Tere.

“Sir, it’s dropping out of light speed,” Elizabeth said. “It seems to be heading straight for the Tere.” I returned to my chair and pressed the button activating the ship-to-ship communication.

“Tere, this is Enterprise. There’s a vessel almost on top of you. We can’t identify it.”

“We see it, Enterprise,” Mishita replied. “It’s a Mr’rk vessel. We’re taking a defensive posture. Tere, out.”

“Captain, we have to do something,” Jim pled. I agreed with him, but we also had a mission to accomplish.

“Ops, what is the status of our target?” Elizabeth consulted her monitors before responding.

“Target appears to be heavily damaged, sir,” she replied. My next move was clear to me.

“Weps, cease fire. Helm, take us out of orbit. Put us right behind that Mr’rk ship’s exhaust,” I said. Both officers acknowledged my command, and I saw the planet shift in the front portal as we broke orbit. “Weapons, prepare to fire on my command.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” the weapons lieutenant said. We slowly made our way around the planet and saw the Tere, with the Mr’rk vessel nearby. I could see red flashes between the third ship and the Tere and knew Mishita had come under fire. I hoped her shields held long enough for us to get in place.

“Steady as she goes, helm. Put us right behind that Mr’rk ship,” I said.

“Aye, aye, sir,” the helm said.

“Weapons, target those nacelles. Fire on my command.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” the weapons officer said.

“Ops?”

“Their shields seem to be concentrated on their bow, sir. I don’t believe they’ve spotted us yet.” We inched closer to the two ships now locked in combat. The Tere’s shields were quite effective at deflecting the Mr’rk fire. Still, it didn’t appear that Mishita’s defensive weapons had much impact, if any. I hoped to change that situation fast.

“Stand by, weapons,” I said.

“Standing by. Aye, aye, sir,” the weapons officer replied.

“We’re almost right up their ass, Captain,” Jim said.

“I agree, Number One. Weapons, unleash Hell. Now!”

“Unleashing Hell, aye, aye, sir,” the weapons officer replied. Flashes of hot-red phased laser fire erupted from the Enterprise before becoming invisible as it reached the alien craft. It neatly sliced through the Mr’rk shields and devastated whatever it struck. Pieces of what I assumed were their engines broke away and tumbled into space. The weapons lieutenant glanced at me for further instructions.

“Keep firing, Lieutenant,” I said.

“Yes, sir,” the weapons officer replied. More pieces of the Mr’rk ship broke away, and I thought I saw bodies floating into open space. I saw the lights on the Mr’rk vessel flicker several times, then go out. The weapons fire it had been pouring on the Tere stopped.

“Sir, the Mr’rk vessel appears to be losing orbit, and it’s heading for the planet,” Elizabeth said. I looked, and sure enough, the Mr’rk ship had turned nose down toward the planet and appeared to be falling.

“Cease fire,” I ordered.

“Aye, sir,” the weapons officer replied. We watched as the Mr’rk vessel tumbled toward the planet, gaining speed as its gravity took hold and pulled it in. My communicator pinged, so I answered.

“Enterprise, this is Tere. We suffered minor damage, but are serviceable. No casualties. Thank you.”

“My pleasure, Commander,” I told her. Jim sighed in relief when he heard Mishita’s message.

“We are not receiving any signals from the Darnok, Captain. It appears your orbital bombardment did the trick. However, we still need to collect our equipment from the Klagg, and I would like to see if we can rescue any survivors from the Mr’rk ship,” Mishita said. I understood what she wanted — prisoners. Hopefully, someone could explain this whole mess.

“Very well, Commander. By all means, dispatch the Marines.”

“Yes, Captain,” Mishita replied. As we watched, four shuttles left the Tere and followed the Mr’rk ship to the surface. Fortunately, the vessel crash-landed not far from where the Darnok was located, so Marco would be somewhat familiar with the terrain, and it wasn’t far from the wreckage of the Klagg.

I watched the four shuttles speed toward the planet below and anxiously awaited word from our expeditionary force. Then I turned to my first officer.

“Status, Number One?” I asked.

“All systems within normal operating parameters, Captain,” Jim said as he received reports throughout the ship.

“Good, thank you,” I said. “Why don’t you go to Engineering and see how things are down there? I need to get my report ready for Admiral Simmons.”

“Yes, sir,” Jim said before leaving the bridge. I figured everything would be fine in Chet’s department, but I wanted to give Jim something to help keep his mind off Mishita, as I knew he was worried about her. I started my report as I waited to hear from our teams on the planet below. An hour later, my communications unit pinged, and I saw it was from Marco.

“Report, Lieutenant,” I ordered.

“Nothing here but rubble and body parts, Captain,” Marco said. He swung his cameras so I could get a look at the destruction. Sure enough, there were several large craters surrounded by pulverized boulders and also scattered pieces of… something… that I assumed were Darnok. Or at least used to be. I heard Gunny Sanders chime in.

“Echo Seven Sierra here, Captain. Same situation here, sir.”

“Very well,” I said. “Meet the team at the Mr’rk vessel, check for survivors.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” Marco said before ending the comm. I reached out to Tere and relayed the team’s findings.

“We are receiving no life signs and have not detected any signals from the surface, Captain,” Mishita said. “It seems your bombardment was quite… effective.”

“Is it possible they may have burrowed underground, Commander?” I asked, recalling from the material she gave me that said the Darnok lived underground.

“That is possible, Captain,” Mishita replied. “This would have been a new experience for them, and their instincts would probably have driven them under. There’s enough quadrillium in the soil to block any signals from underneath the surface, and effectively screen them from out sensors.”

“So we’re not necessarily out of danger, then,” I said.

“That would be the safest assumption, Captain,” Mishita replied earnestly.

“I suppose we should remain in a protective posture, then. At least until we reach Point Red. Would you concur?” I wanted to hear her point of view and didn’t want to appear as though I was running roughshod over her.

“I believe that would be prudent, Captain,” Mishita said. Her tone softened for a moment. “How is Commander Decker, Captain?”

“Your prince is doing just fine, Commander,” I said. “I believe he is more worried about his queen than anything else at the moment.” I couldn’t see Mishita’s face due to the protective hood, but I could tell she was smiling.

“Thank you, Captain. For everything,” Mishita said. “Please tell him that his queen is just fine.”

“I will, Commander. But feel free to tell him yourself,” I replied. “I know it will mean a great deal to him.”

“I will do that, Captain. Thank you again. Tere, out.” The connection ended and I sat back, considering my report. An hour later, I received another communication from the surface and saw it was Marco.

“Report, Lieutenant,” I said.

“Sir, we have found two survivors from the Mr’rk vessel. They have sustained injuries and are in shock from the crash,” he said. “We have performed what first aid we can and are preparing them for transport to the shuttles.” He panned his camera, and I saw one being that looked somewhat reptilian.

The second being, however, caused my blood to freeze. It was a young woman who looked exactly like someone I hadn’t seen in over six years — Tabitha, my ex-wife. She even had the same build and similar tattoos on her arms. How was this even possible? The last time I saw Tabitha, Kyra and I had attached her lifeless body to a nuclear device that detonated in open space.

“Lieutenant, bring the human female to the Enterprise,” I said. “And get the other over to the Tere. The commander wanted a prisoner for interrogation, and they will have more experience with alien physiology than our good doctor.”

“Yes, sir,” Marco said. I sent a message to Mishita,

letting her know, then informed sickbay of an incoming patient.

“Did one of our people get injured, Captain?” the doctor asked.

“No, but they recovered a survivor from the Mr’rk vessel — a human female. I’d appreciate it if you could do a full genetic screen on her.”

“Of course, Captain,” the doctor said, stunned. “Is there something I should know?”

“I don’t know yet, Doc,” I said. “Make this a priority.”

“Yes, sir,” the doctor said before signing off. I retreated to my ready room and worked on my report to Alan. An hour later, I received word that Marco’s people had returned the female Mr’rk prisoner to the Enterprise. I also received a comm from Mishita.

“Yes, Commander, what can I do for you?” I asked.

“I understand the female prisoner has been brought to Enterprise,” she said.

“Yes, is that a problem?”

“No, not at all. We have the other prisoner here. I also wanted to let you know that I am placing two warning buoys in orbit around T-107 to warn off any spacecraft within two periods,” she said.

“A wise precaution,” I agreed.

“I also have a… personal… favor to ask, Captain,” Mishita said somewhat hesitantly.

“Of course.” I had a suspicion of what that was going to be…

“With your permission, I would like Jim Decker to join me on the Tere for our return to your base. I assume that’s where you will be going,” she said. “I will have Commander Ra’al sent to Enterprise in exchange. He may be able to help with your prisoner.”

My guess had been one hundred percent correct. “I… see,” I told her. I understood what she wanted, but I had to hear it from her.

“Commander… Mishita. Rank aside, allegiances aside, one person to another. Please understand that Jim is not only my first officer. I think of him as a friend. So, I am concerned about his well-being. Both physical, and emotional. What are your intentions with him?”

“I have developed… feelings… for him, Captain. Please understand. I feel as if my existence is tied to his. I assure you, Bill, I have only the best intentions for Jim. I guess, in your language, I… love… him. And I… need… him. We Gingravik do not handle separation very well. In fact, it’s quite painful. And if this is to be the last I see of him, I want it to be… memorable. For us both.”

There it was, in the open. I admired her honesty and candor; deep down, I knew Jim felt the same way about her. I considered her request for a few moments before responding.

“I understand, Mishita,” I told her. “Of course, Commander Decker can join you. I’ll have him return with your shuttle.”

“Thank you so very much, Captain,” she said. “For everything. I’ll have Commander Ra’al come to Enterprise.” We ended the call, and I walked to the bridge, where I saw Jim at his console.

“Status, Number One?”

“Engineering is ship-shape and Bristol-fashion, sir,” he replied, using ancient British naval terminology I hadn’t heard for many years.

“Good,” I said. “Walk with me, Jim.” He looked confused and maybe apprehensive as I headed off the bridge.

“Where are we going, sir?” he asked.

“sickbay,” I said. “I want to find out what we can about our prisoner. And I wanted to talk with you for a bit, man-to-man.”

“Oh? Is there a problem, sir?”

“No, Jim. I’m just curious about something. What are your intentions with this Gingravik commander?”

“I don’t quite know, sir,” Jim said. “I know it may sound crazy, but… I love her, Bill. I can’t help it. It hurts to be away from her. Physically… and emotionally. I can’t explain it.” Interesting choice of words, I thought.

“Would you marry her if you could?” I asked.

“In a heartbeat, Bill,” Jim said.

“She asked for you to accompany her to the base. I’ve given her my answer, but I wanted to talk with you about it first. Are you absolutely certain about this?”

“More than anything in my life, Bill. I can’t stand to be away from her.”

“You know that if you marry her, one of you would have to give up your career. You can’t expect her to just throw it all away to be with you. That wouldn’t be fair to her.”

“I’m willing to resign my commission, Bill, if that’s what it will take.”

“That’s a mighty big step, Jim. You’re a damn good officer. The Fleet has spent a lot of time and money getting you to this point in your career,” I said.

“I know, Bill. But there’s some things that are just more important. To me, anyway.”

“I understand, Jim,” I said. “Anyway, I told her you could join her for the trip back to the base. That is if that’s what you want.” Jim’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and he threw his arms around me in a tight manly hug.

“That means more to me than you know, Bill,” he exclaimed. “Thank you. When do I go?”

“Well, I guesstimate that you have just about enough time to throw your stuff together and get to the shuttle bay,” I told him.

“On my way, sir. And thank you!”

“You’re welcome, Jim,” I said. I watched him run off to his stateroom and wondered what his future would hold. Then I headed to sickbay, pinging Kyra on the way.

“Yes, dear?” Kyra asked when she answered. It felt strange looking at her with the protective hood. It just seemed… wrong… to cover up such beauty.

“We have a guest in the sickbay,” I said. “I’d like you to join me there.”

“On my way,” Kyra said before ending the comm. We met at the hatchway leading to sickbay and went in together. I saw the doctor at his desk and approached him.

“What’s the word on our guest, Doc?” I asked.

“She’s got multiple broken bones, some internal injuries, and several contusions, Captain. She took a pretty good blow to her head and I’m concerned she may have suffered a concussion. We’ve got her in a medically-induced coma at the moment, and we’re treating her other injuries. I took a sample of her DNA, and I’m getting ready to analyze it,” the doctor said.

“Will she make it?” I asked.

“Hard to say, Captain. Her vitals are a bit off at the moment, but we’re working to stabilize those. We’ll know more in the next 24 hours or so.”

“When you analyze her DNA, I’d like you to run it against the national registry,” I said, causing the doctor to look at me with shock.

“National registry? Are you sure?”

“Yes,” I said. “Is that a problem?”

“Of course not, Captain,” the doctor replied.

“Good. How long will your analysis take?”

“I should know something by the time we reach base,” the doctor said.

“Make it your priority, doctor. I need answers on this. Can we go see her?”

“I don’t see why not. But don’t expect her to respond to any questioning, Captain.”

“I don’t,” I said. “I just want to take a look.”

“Go ahead,” the doctor said. We went into the small compartment where the prisoner lay, wires and tubes running into her body. Much of her face was bandaged, but we could see enough to recognize who she appeared to be.

“Oh my God,” Kyra exclaimed when she looked. “Is that…”

“Tabitha? It sure looks like her, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does,” Kyra said. “But how is that possible? You and I strapped Tabitha’s dead body to a nuclear bomb and sent it out into space. Remember?” I could never forget that moment.

“I remember, alright. Do you think this is just a coincidence?”

“I don’t know what to think, sweetheart,” Kyra said.

“Neither do I. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the good doctor comes up with.” We left sickbay, stunned at what lay in that bed, and headed our separate ways.

I had just finished sending my after-action report to Alan when I got the word that Mishita had launched her orbital buoys. Seeing no reason to remain in orbit, I contacted her to make sure Jim had settled in. Ra’al had already reported aboard and was making his rounds on the bridge.

“Commander Decker has settled in, Captain, and we are ready to leave,” Mishita told me.

“Thank you, Commander. We’ll see you at the base, then,” I replied, ending the transmission. We broke orbit and made the jump to light speed. When we crossed Point Red, I gave the order to remove the protective headgear. I could almost hear the collective gasps from the crew as everyone removed their hoods.

“Get this thing off me,” Ra’al shouted through his speakers as he fumbled with the garment covering the top half of his cart. Two bridge officers removed it from his cart before folding it into his compartment. The speakers emitted an almost human sigh of relief.

I received a message from sickbay shortly after we reached the base. Enterprise and Tere were now in place, and Chet ordered a level-two diagnostic on all the ship’s systems, which I knew would take a couple of days to complete. I messaged Kyra and asked her to join me in sickbay.

“What did you find?” I asked the doctor when we arrived.

“I checked our guest’s DNA against the national registry like you asked, Captain,” the doctor said. “Believe it or not, there was a match.”

“Let me guess. Tabitha Abernathy, formerly of the Space Corps, now deceased,” I replied.

“How did you know?” the doctor asked, startled.

“Call it a hunch. What else can you tell me?”

“Well, you’re right. Her DNA matched this Tabitha Abernathy alright, but there’s a problem. It isn’t stable.”

“Why not?” Kyra asked.

“Because this woman is a clone. She may appear to be a young woman in her late twenties, but physically, I’d say she’s maybe five, six years old at the most. I’d be surprised if she even survives the trip back to Earth,” the doctor said.

“How is that possible?” Kyra asked.

“Technically, one doesn’t need much material to form a clone,” the doctor explained. “It’s been tried with some level of success, but the end result generally isn’t very stable.” I considered the implications of this for a moment.

“That would mean,” Kyra began.

“The Mr’rk have been to our system before,” I said, completing Kyra’s statement. “For all we know, they’re still there, hiding out. I need to contact Admiral Simmons about this, ASAP. Excuse me, Kyra, doctor. I have to get to the bridge, immediately.”

I left sickbay, not saying another word, and got to the bridge as fast as possible. I began to order the comm officer to set up a flash channel to the Admiral, but she beat me to the punch.

“Captain, Admiral Simmons has scheduled a secure comm. He requested that Commander Decker, Commander Mishita and Commander Ra’al join you, sir. I’ve already contacted the Tere, and they are on their way here now.”

“Good work, Lieutenant. Thank you,” I said. “Send them to my ready room when they get here.” Twenty minutes later, Jim and Mishita entered my ready room. Ra’al was already in the room, waiting for their arrival. After they closed the hatch, I heard the beep indicating the comm was being patched through, so I activated the large monitor where I saw Alan and the Gingravik ambassador, Tsod.

“Good day, Admiral,” I said. “Commanders Decker, Mishita, and Ra’al are also here with me.”

“Good day, Captain,” Alan said. “I’m glad to see you all made it okay. Good work at T-107, all of you. I received your report, and the followup on your… prisoner, Captain. Are there any updates on that situation?”

“The doctor has performed the analysis, sir, and tells me the person we collected from the Mr’rk vessel is a clone of one Tabitha Abernathy,” I said. I saw Alan’s face turn white.

“Your ex-wife?” Alan asked, shocked.

“Yes, sir. One and the same.”

“That means…”

“The Mr’rk were in our system, at least five or six years ago. They very well could still be there, hiding from our interplanetary patrols,” I said.

“Well, that makes what we’re about to announce all the more prescient,” Alan said. “There’s going to be some personnel changes, Captain. Ambassador, would you care to begin?”

“Thank you, Admiral,” the older man said. “The High Council is expanding our diplomatic mission to Earth. As a result of that expansion, they have agreed to assign you, Senior Commander Mishita, to serve as our interstellar military liaison at New South Marsookia.”

“And you, Commander Decker, have been picked to work with the Senior Commander as our liaison. I understand the Gingravik High Council requested you by name,” Alan said, glancing at Tsod.

“I… I don’t know what to say, Admiral,” Jim stuttered as he looked at Mishita.

“That’s easy, Commander,” Alan said. “You say, ‘aye, aye, sir,’ and accept your orders.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” Jim said, quite enthusiastic at the prospect of being with his queen. “So, where is this New South Marsookia, and when do these orders take effect?”

“New South Marsookia is located in the South Pacific Ocean, Commander,” Alan said. “And the assignment is effective immediately.”

“South Pacific? Sounds like fun,” Jim said.

“In light of this, Commander Ra’al, you have been promoted to Senior Commander and will take charge of the Tere, effective immediately. The Council has directed you to report to the home world, where you will personally brief them on the mission,” Tsod said.

“Yes, Ambassador,” Ra’al said.

“I know this leaves you without an executive officer, Captain. I can get someone assigned to Enterprise unless you have another candidate in mind,” Alan said.

“As a matter of fact, I do have a candidate, sir,” I answered.

“Commander Travers?” Alan asked.

“Yes, sir. I believe she’s ready for the job.”

“Very well. I’ll have the orders cut and sent ASAP. There’s also a promotion involved, so I’ll fast track that as well. Commander Decker, your new billet calls for a Captain, so I’ll get your promotion in the mix. Congratulations.”

“Thank you, sir,” Jim said.

“Our window is closing, so I’ll sign off, but first, I want to say that we’re all very impressed with the way all of you have handled this incident. Thank you. And please be sure to let your crews know as well,” Alan said.

“Yes, sir, I will,” I responded.

“Very well, Captain. That’s all for now. Simmons out.” The communication ended, and Jim wrapped his arms around Mishita.

“Think you can handle working with me, my queen?” he asked. Mishita smiled and planted a kiss on his lips.

“I can handle it just fine, my prince,” she moaned. They broke their embrace, and Mishita turned to Ra’al. “Will I have time to move my things from the Tere, Commander?”

“Of course,” Ra’al said.

“Before you return to the Tere, Commander, I was wondering if you could find out what you can from our prisoner,” I asked Ra’al, knowing the Gingravik communicated telepathically.

“I will do my best, Captain, but I cannot guarantee the results,” Ra’al said.

“Whatever you can do, Commander,” I said. We left the ready room and went to sickbay. The female we retrieved from T-107 was still asleep in her bed. We watched as Ra’al wrapped two of his tendrils around her head. He remained still for several minutes before removing his tendrils. I saw his leaves droop and could sense his sadness.

“Well?” I asked.

“This female is quite immature,” Ra’al said. “She is barely literate.”

“Do you know what she did on that ship?” I asked.

“The best word in your language would be a ‘disposable.’ She performed menial, sometimes quite dangerous tasks. When she wasn’t doing that, she… serviced… the rest of the crew. Sexually. Her life with the Mr’rk was one of pain and deprivation.”

Basically, I thought she was a slave and a whore. As bad as Tabitha had become, I wished this existence on no one — not even her clone. Ra’al continued: “She had no name, at least not what you would consider a name, but was designated ‘three of five.’ It seems she was just one of a group of clones from the same source.”

“Interesting,” I said. “Thank you, Ra’al.” We left sickbay and walked to the shuttle bay, where I saw the three of them off. I knew Jim and Mishita would be back — sometime. From there, I went back to the bridge.

“Captain, there’s a comm from Starbase One,” the communications officer said. “It looks like a set of orders.”

“Thank you. Print them off for me, please. Commander Travers, would you join me, please?” Elizabeth looked at me, concerned, then stepped in front of me. I took the printout and pressed my inter-ship comm button.

“Attention to orders. By order of Admiral Simmons, Commander, Star Fleet, Elizabeth Travers is hereby appointed Executive Officer of the Enterprise, effective immediately. That is all.” With a smile, I lowered my voice and added, “Congratulations, Number One. May God have mercy on your soul.”

“Thank you, sir,” Elizabeth said, confused. “May I ask, what happened to Commander Decker?”

“You may. Commander Decker has been reassigned. He’ll be working as the military liaison for the Gingravik Embassy on Earth. His assignment is effective immediately, so you get to be my new Number One. Unless you don’t want the job…”

“Of course I do, sir. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, Commander. Admiral Simmons is working to fast-track your promotion to full Commander, but the job is yours nevertheless,” I said. “I’ll leave it up to you to adjust the Ops assignments.”

“Yes sir, I’ll get on it right away,” Elizabeth said.

…

Epilogue (Five months later)

The last five months had been busy ones for everyone. We returned to Starbase One, where Jim and Elizabeth were officially promoted to their new ranks. Enterprise and her crew were given Star Fleet’s first unit citation for action against the Mr’rk. As promised, I took Chet out and bought him a steak dinner. Yes, it was real meat, and he enjoyed every bite.

Federal authorities were still investigating Senator Jacoby, now occupying a cell at Fort Leavenworth. He had been charged with espionage and trafficking in weapons of mass destruction. Some said he should face treason charges, but that had not yet been decided.

The female clone “Three of Five” survived the transit to Earth. Still, her body began shutting down shortly after her transfer to Walter Reed Hospital. She died of renal failure about 30 days after our return, never having regained consciousness. I felt terrible for her but was also unnerved to think there were at least four more of those things out there somewhere.

Meanwhile, diplomats from the United States, her allies, and the Gingravik Empire were hammering out a treaty they said would benefit everyone. We’ll see about that, I thought. Meanwhile, Enterprise had been given new orders and was preparing for its new mission.

Kyra and I stood in the giant venue on New South Marsookia, as naked as everyone else — Gingravik and human alike. I was more than a bit nervous about all of this until Kyra reminded me that “when on New South Marsookia…” I finally gave in, admitting I had asked the Gingravik to wear clothes on board the Enterprise.

Jim finally popped the question, and Mishita gladly accepted his proposal. They agreed to join in a traditional Gingravik ceremony, which is why Kyra and I were here. We watched as the ceremony took place. It took all I had to not rush the stage when the mating mark was emblazoned on Jim’s chest. At first, I thought he would pass out, but he recovered quickly.

When they were declared officially “mated,” a bed was brought on the stage, and the newlyweds wasted no time ravishing each other’s bodies. We heard a commotion behind us and looked to see everyone else in the audience coupling. I saw one human female with three Gingravik penises inside her pussy while sucking another.

“Well, spaceman? Are you gonna just stand there? Or are you gonna do me?” Kyra whispered. I turned to see my wife about ready to jump my bones, her skin flush, her nipples hard and erect.

“Come here, wife,” I whispered back as I took her in my arms. I’m not sure if it was the strange green wine we drank or the presence of so much open sexuality, but I was more excited than I had been in a long time. These people sure know how to party, I thought as I buried myself balls deep in my wife.

…

Fade to black… For now…

Note: Parts of this story reference the seventh entry of my “Plant” series. Ambassador Tsod first appeared in “The Plant Pt. 06: Ambassador.” The story surrounding Tabitha’s demise can be read in part three of this series here.