Nalarian Blood [FT][Closed]

[Lady Scylla]

Beta Quadrant, Martian Protectorate of the Nalarian Confederation
Enceladus Station

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''And there we go, seven hundred, easy,'' D'sau said as he approached the table where a female Nalarian was sitting. He noticed that Sivara seemed zoned out and waved his hand in front of her visor. ''Nalar to Siv, you okay?'' he questioned.

She shook her head realising she'd been absent and looked up at D'sau in his black suit. Bubbles could be heard churning in her helmet as she heaved a sigh. ''I'm pretty sure we have a tail,'' she said. She used her computer interface to give a digital cue in D'sau's visor towards the direction she was referencing. He peaked across the bar nonchalantly. A figure could be seen at a table by themselves with a hood. They were likely human, or some sort of humanoid creature.

''Could also just be paranoid, Siv,'' D'sau said, shrugging her concern off. ''It's a dock tavern, there are all sorts of weird people that wander in here. That, and I don't think CenSec would send a human to tail us. Now, a beautiful Nalar with large...''

Siv punched him, which gave D'sau a good chuckle. ''There's the Siv I know - if it really bothers you, we can split up and head back to the ship,'' he recommended. Her helmet looked up towards him with another sound of bubbles. ''Or we can just head back to the ship, the others need to know if we're being tailed anyway,'' he pointed out. Sivara gave the lone figure one more passing glance before standing up. The two paid their tab and quickly made their way through the crowd, and out of the bar.

---

''Have they made you?'' a voice said over the detective's comms. Arigan had been sitting in the corner of the room, with a few others playing cards. He pulled on his cigarette and reached over to grab his hat as he moved aside the hud in his visual feed. A tiny, robotic fly had been perched up on the ceiling fan by the table where the two Nalar were at when they departed, the insect had flown off with them. Arigan had been watching them in his left eye the entire time thanks to the camera feed.

''I don't think so, but something spooked them,'' Arigan replied, using his cerebral comms to communicate. ''I've got them on the feed still, patching it through. With any luck, we'll find their ship and you can hopefully get me out of this mess,'' he said.

''It looks like they're heading for the warehouse district. I've got my teams on standby, yours?'' the voice asked.

''Mine is ready, I've given the order to stay out of sight. They're already on edge, last we need is a gun battle. I'm on the move now,'' he said as he put his cigarette out. He looked at the other players and spoke audibly, ''I fold.'' Arigan stood up, grabbed his coat, and hurried out of the bar to pursue to two. He brought the feed back to the forefront of his vision, and was keeping track of where they were heading as he moved to catch up.

---

''Doesn't look like we're being followed,'' D'sau said as he followed the female Nalar which he towered a good foot over. They made a few turns and eventually ended up at the doors to the warehouse sector. Sivara looked up at him.

''Hopefully, let's go,'' she said and pushed the doors open.

The warehouse sector was titanic, filled with rows of containers and boxes. The two made a few more sharp turns down the long corridors to shake any tail they could have. Eventually, they came to the side of the sector where they had parked their ship. The small white vessel could be seen down by the end of the corridor. Sivara heaved a sigh of relief as her suit bubbled more. Yet, they were not in the clear. ''Central Security! Freeze!'' Arigan yelled as he came out of the shadows, already with his gun drawn.

The two Nalar turned, immediately drawing in response. A number of shots rang out. D'sau was gunned down. The bullet had hit his visor, shattering the glass as water poured from it. ''D'sau!'' It was already too late. Sivara looked at the detective's body on the floor across from them. She could hear the sound of bubbles, and then realised she had been hit herself. Her suit had been punctured on her side and was leaking water. ''Shit, shit, shit...'' A security team quickly came around the corner, there was now no time to get D'sau. ''I'm sorry,'' she said, and fired a few more shots towards the team and started to run.

The team fired back, one round grazed her visor but only cracked it. She dodged in and out of the containers, tossing down boxes as the boots behind her made their chase. She holstered her gun and tried to keep the pressure on her suit's side. The door to her ship opened, and Sivara leapt into it amid gunfire. As the door closed, the rounds of the security team ricocheted off it until a cease-fire was ordered. The ship started up, and Sivara continued to panic.

The water level in her suit had now dropped below her gills, and she began to struggle to breathe. Her ship was filling with water, but not fast enough for her liking. The craft fired up its engines, blasting dust from the metal floor, and quickly darted out of the warehouse. She pried her helmet off and inverted the ship so the station's gravity would pull the water down. At last, she took in a few good breaths. Though flying inverted wasn't something she was used to, and collided with a few containers on her way out.

Outside the station, a Martian cruiser could be seen waiting. She knew they wouldn't fire on her this close to a civilian centre and prepped her ship for a jump. What she didn't know was that Arigan's fly had made it into the craft with her. The small robot was hanging on behind the passenger seat now as she typed in her coordinates and the countdown began. The ship frameshifted from Enceladus, and after a few moments, the Martian cruiser followed.

---

''Any word?'' a tall man in a dark black uniform said as he and an examiner stood over Arigan. The examiner shook his head and unplugged a device from the back of Arigan's neck.

''He's dead. There's no cyberbrain activity, he took an incendiary right through the chest. It was pretty quick,'' the man said.

''Alright. What about the Nalar?'' the boot said as he stepped towards the other body.

''Clinically dead, but there's still cyberbrain activity. We've installed a necromancing program with a shard, assuming the damage isn't too severe, we may be able to resleeve him,'' the examiner said.

''Keep me up to date, Doc,'' the boot said.

''You've got it,'' the examiner replied.

---

Beta Quadrant, Alversian Frontier

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Sivara's ship exited jump now in a more familiar region of space. She leaned back in her seat with a sigh and looked at the empty seat beside her. ''Z'ral is going to kill me,'' she said. She spotted the fly on the seat and reached over to grab it, it couldn't move very well in the now filled cabin and tried to fly frantically in her hand. It was then a ladar contact appeared on her hud as a Martian cruiser had jumped in behind her.

''Unidentified craft, this is the MCN Karl R. Rhodes. Submit or be fired upon.''

[Alversia]

Captain Robyn Casey of the Alversian People’s Starship Blackbrook sat back in her chair and let a sigh escape her lips. Arrayed in front of her was an endless mountain of paperwork in digital format; a hundred different documents, acquisition requests, inventory stockpiles, daily reports, watch rotas, performance reviews, maintenance overviews, upcoming minute meetings, upcoming assignments, standing orders passed down from Fleet HQ, standing order drafts for the ship itself…and many others she was sure had been added in for a practical joke, to see how long it would take for her to realise that the staff at HQ were having a laugh at her expense. It would not have been the first time. Nevertheless, she could feel her energy sap away as she read, responded, signed, counter-signed and otherwise performed the less romantic duties that she had failed to ask about when accepting the promotion. The Alversian was not so sure what she had asked at all in that meeting, if anything, so giddy had she been with excitement.

Even now a she leant back, Casey checked the jacket which was hung over her chair, glancing at the shoulders to confirm that, yes, this was not a dream and the past six months of her life had really occurred in the lightning speed she thought they had. Even now, she couldn’t believe it. Her! A captain! With her own ship! Weighing everything up, looking down at the paperwork and then around at her simple ready room, she decided that, yes, being a captain did outweigh the pains that had come with the job. Even the nerves were starting to die down though not quite as quickly as she would have liked. She had been an Executive Officer for long enough and served under more than a few captains so why the nerves now? Perhaps because she knew she was in command of this ship and the thousands of souls who called her home? Perhaps it was because the buck stopped with her, there was no longer someone above her to take the decisions out of her hands or to dispense approval and criticism where needed. That was her job now.

Running a hand through copper red hair, the Captain kicked back and stood, reaching for the ceiling as she stretched, able to feel the hum of the engines beneath her feet. Perhaps a walk and some fresh air would help clear the cobwebs out. Not that she had far to go, the doors hissing open as she approached and granting her access to her bridge. Her bridge! There was a quick scuffle as the Carvon who sat in the captain’s chair rose to salute, as did many of the crew who were sitting at consoles around the rectangular room, a holographic screen marking which wall faced the bow.

The Carvon gave a curt call of “Captain on the bridge!” in the deep tone that all the reptilian race possessed and again a thrill ran through Casey though she was quick to dismiss the standing crew with a wave of her hand.

“I’m not stopping,” She managed once the crew had taken their seats once again, many focused around a large three-dimensional hologram of stars and planets, asteroids and ships towards the back of the bridge, “Found anything?”

“Nothing, Captain,” Commander Kuu Tantsija shook her head, long green hair waving from side to side as she did so. Standing alongside the blue-scaled woman, Casey felt very much like a child, especially when every breath from her XO seemed to come in a deep and threatening rumble, “Scans are on longest-range so we will not get detailed information for the furthest ranges.”

Casey sighed again and nodded. It was the news she had been expecting, “Well, we’ll keep on course for now. Maybe we’ll pick up a jump trail or a warp signature of some sort.”

“Yes, Captain,” Though she did not say it, Casey could feel Tantsija’s annoyance at the lack of results. Her XO was a veteran of many ships and many battles but there were only so many of such scans one could take before the frustration crept in. She herself had already felt it many times but their orders were clear. Pirates had been jumping into the Anaron Sector for weeks now in increasing numbers and preying upon the ships of the Nalenni, a cervain nation whom the Alversian People’s Republic had been given protectorate status by the Nalenni themselves. Action had been needed to both show their new protectorate that the Republic was serious about defending them and to show the pirates that no matter how small-scale the attacks, the APR would not tolerate piracy. Hence why the APS Blackbrook was now patrolling the frontier systems; a brand new, top-of-the-line cruiser with a brand new captain. Of course, such a low intensity was also giving her and her newly assembled crew a chance to find their feet and get to grips with the newly completed County-Class. Casey would personally have been happy to command a light cruiser or even an old port hulk so be given such a vessel was a true honour and yet another reason to grow giddy when she thought of it.

“Captain, Ma’am, who’s your pick for the Cerny Cup this year?” Her helmswoman, a blonde-haired Alversian called Ruby Davenport turned to face her, green eyes alight with mischief as she glanced over at the tactical console. There stood a Silarian male, grey-skinned and slight in appearance who looked up briefly at the question and shook his head before returning his attention to his post, thick tail twitching from side to side.

“Well,” Casey considered, “The Coprina Threshers have Dunne and Meri but the Illesia Panthers are the Illesia Panthers. Plus I’m from Illesia, sorry Mal,” She looked over to the Lieutenant Commander at tactical, “Have to go with my home team.”

“That’s fine, Captain,” He said without looking up, voice lilting and soft, “That will make our upset all the sweeter.”

“Ha!” The Blonde at the helm laughed, spinning in her chair, “Panthers haven’t lost in ten years to the Threshers, there’s more chance of me scoring with the XO than there is of Coprina winning the title!”

“Why are you so interested anyway?” The Silarian looked up, “Your team didn’t even make the playoffs.”

“Because I know how much it annoys you!” A beaming grin, “And I’m never going to pass up that opportunity!”

Before there could be any further retort, the operations console beeped loudly. Standing there and watching over proceedings silently was an alumina, the tall white-furred feline woman content to keep her ears perked in the direction of the conversation without intervening but now she spoke up, “Captain ma’am, we have contacts exiting FTL.”

“Types?” Casey frowned and headed for her chair. A pirate ship jumping into the middle of an empty system? It seemed an odd thing to do.

“One is a small craft, shuttle sized. The other is bigger, a cruiser. We’re identifying it as a Martian vessel.”

“Martian?” The Captain’s frown deepened, “They’ve come a long way from home…” She took a breath, “Yellow alert.”

Instantly the bright lights of the bridge dimmed, replaced by a ringing klaxon and the flashing of buttery yellow lights. All over the ship she knew crew would be scrambling to battle stations, the bridge now alive as spacers arrived to take up the spare consoles in the CIC. The holographic readout was now showing two additional marks alongside that of the Blackbrook, some distance away but within weapons range she figured. Of course, with a yellow alert, only the shields were raised. For now, weapons remained powered down.

“Comms, hail them please,” The Comms Officer was Volantes, a slight elven being with fluttering wings that kept her an inch from the ground subconsciously nodded and a beep indicated that she was ready for broadcast. With a deep breath to steady newly raised nerves, Casey spoke.

Code: Select all

Attention, unidentified vessels. This is Captain Casey of the Alversian People’s Starship Blackbrook. You have entered an area of space under the jurisdiction of the Alversian People’s Republic. Please state your intentions at this time.

[Lady Scylla]

Beta Quadrant, Alversian Frontier

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Commander Tullig was a seasoned veteran, he'd seen his time during the Colonial Wars commanding the MCN Firebrand. He was a tall, slender man in his late thirties with a close and neatly cut head of greying hair and a regulation cut beard that filled out his face. When he was reassigned from the small Temperate-class destroyer to a larger Annihilation-class cruiser, he had set his eyes on an early retirement aboard the MCN Karl R. Rhodes. His orders were simple from the Citadel: Hunt down pirates from the Blackbasin Reach all the way to the Parthian Vale. Give no quarter.

In truth, he was fine with this assignment. Tullig felt a quiet life of patrol after enduring the hardship of war was a welcoming venture, one that was earnt. Yet, this seemingly tranquil philosophy of the man's was by no means a weakness. His cold, calculating, and steely eyes stared piercingly at the consoles before him. He was a hawk out for blood, and anything in his sights did not survive. For the Nalarian pirates, the man's reputation preceded him as ruthless and cunning.

When the Rhodes leapt in behind the small shuttle, the scanners had picked up nothing else out of the ordinary. The ship gave its warning, and instinctively, like a beast ready to lunge, her hull opened up exposing turrets and missile racks primed to turn the Nalarian shuttle in slag. And then, a blip.

The Alversian craft entered the vicinity, and looks were quickly exchanged amongst the bridge. Tullig looked at his skipper, ''Where the hell are we?'' he asked.

''They're not wrong, Commander. Alversian space according to the star chart,'' Skipper Randal replied quickly. Tullig closed his eyes and reached over to snatch the radio from the Comm's Officer.

''Kriegsman, tell the decks to stay on alert. I don't want an incident, but this isn't a good situation either. Skipper, fire up the recall to Hawking, if we're lucky we can jump back. Someone alert Hawking as well, we may need reinforcements depending on how this goes. That or a fucking funeral ceremony,'' the man barked out, the crew quickly scattered across the bridge to their stations and lights flashed among the ship as well. Across the hull, the vessel had gone dark, with its opaque black body silhouetting against the backdrop of stars.

Tullig pressed the button on the handheld and spoke, ''Blackbrook, this is Commander Tullig of the MCN Karl R. Rhodes of the Martian Conglomerate. We're currently engaged in anti-piracy operations. Maintain your distance or we will take it as hostile. We don't want an incident. Advise.'' Tullig unclicked the handheld and looked at the comm's officer, who was standing idly next to him. The commander shook his head and rested a hand on the console hanging above his head.

''Kriegsman!'' he called out, a man in a grey uniform leapt from his station.

''Commander?''

''What's the arming range on the Mk III,'' the commander asked.

''About 750 meters, sir. Do you want us to arm one?''

The commander leaned over and flipped a few screens until he could see the ship's weapon layout. He scanned it for a moment before answering, ''Don't arm, but I need it on standby. Put it on block four's rotation. Hopefully, we won't be needing it.''

''Yes, commander''

''My damn luck that you knuckleheads would cause an international incident. Check your damn navpoints before jumping,'' the commander muttered. There was nothing left to do but to wait for a reply.

[Alversia]

Casey glanced aside to Tantsija as the response from Commander Tullig came in. She had little experience of dealing with the Conglomerate, very few alversians had, but the message had just left her confused.

“Have we just been told to stay clear in our own territory?” She asked the Carvon to which she received a deep and derisive snort in response. The threat which had followed was not great but at least there was hope. They had no more desire for an incident than she did it seemed so now things took on a new slant. This was no longer a stray vessel that had gotten lost but a military ship on an assignment. She would have to tread carefully to avoid things escalating further than they already had.

So what were her options? Tell them to get out and ignore any other overtures? Plenty of more aggressive captains would have suggested that, the idea of a naval vessel conducting operations in Alversian space profoundly unwelcome, even more so when it was a protectorate’s territory. What message did that send that the Republic would not defend them from cross-border jumpers? Sure it was a military vessel today but what could it be tomorrow? It felt a slippery slope she found herself on.

It was not something she had a great deal of experience in dealing with personally but she had read about plenty of first contact scenarios, both historical and hypothetical. She had been trained for this. The Captain just needed to remain calm, remain careful and remain detached. Keep emotion out of the equation.

“Lieutenant Commander Silverleaf, Dispatch a message to fleet HQ,” She turned to the Volantes at comms, “We have encountered a martian cruiser on piracy operations which have strayed into our territory. Will continue to update as situation unfolds. Stand by.”

“Aye, Captain,” Silverleaf nodded, bobbing a little in place as her sparkling wings fluttered, toes not yet touching the ground.

“Nerrana, can you scan the pirate vessel please? What are we facing here?”

The Lieutenant Commander nodded at the Operations console, tail flicking, “Yes Captain. Scans are coming in. It is a shuttle, make unknown but of martian origin. Captain it’s warp signature matches that of a vessel which attacked a Nalenni freighter two weeks ago.”

“The same ship?”

“Hard to say for certain, Captain, but certainly of the same model, class and age as the ship which did so.”

Casey exhaled sharply. If the ship was responsible for piracy in Republic territory then she had every right to intercede and intercept the vessel and its crew. Facing justice for what they had done in the APR was every bit as important as justice for what had been done in the Martian Conglomerate, especially given where they were. In that moment, she made her mind up.

“Helm, set an intercept course for the shuttle. Keep weapons powered down for now and give the martian cruiser as wide a berth as we can.”

“Aye Captain, fly close but not too close.” Davenport gave a nod, hands running over her console before taking the joystick that was the helm and gently easing the eight hundred and fifty metre ship around as if she were tickling a puppy.

“Arm point defences and ion cannon,” Tantsija ordered in her deep voice, “Target the shuttle.”

“Respond to the Karl R. Rhodes, if you will please, Comms.”

“Aye Captain,” Silverleaf typed away.

Code: Select all

Commander Tullig, we too have no desire to escalate the situation. We have reason to believe the vessel you pursue is responsible for crimes against vessels in Alversian space and are moving to intercept. We have activated point defences and ion weaponry in order to make the capture. As the vessel is now within Alversian jurisdiction, we would appreciate if you would stand down and allow us to proceed. Discussions of whatever justice may be required can be made once target vessel is secure.

[Lady Scylla]

Beta Quadrant, Alversian Frontier

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The atmosphere aboard the Karl R. Rhodes remained heavy as the crew all wondered the possibility of an engagement. A Mk III warhead was unceremoniously slid unto a cart and wheeled into position alongside the regular munitions near block four. The men who had transported the city-killer made sure the weapon remained unarmed, but not far from the loader in case they needed it. The five-hundred-meter craft was not as large as its Alversian counterpart, and while the ship's many weapon complements were visible, they dared not make a move without Tullig's command.

The bridge, which was built deep into the centre of the craft, carried the weight of the whole vessel's anxiety. Tullig's priority was the safety of the vessel and its two-thousand servicemen. And while he stood and watched the feeds of the Alversian ship, and that of Sivara's, he couldn't care what happened to the Nalar but she was an important lead to the Martians' main objective. He clicked the handheld once more and spoke.

''Blackbrook, you'll understand I have a duty to my crew, and maintaining anything less than a safe distance from foreign craft is an unacceptable and dangerous position for all parties. That being said, I recognise this is your jurisdiction, ultimately, the shuttle you've come across is your discretion. I'd advise you hear us out beforehand, however. We're on the hunt for a much bigger target, a pirate lord of sorts from our frontier, and the shuttle you're now moving to intercept can likely lead us to them.'' The skipper interrupted with a gesture, the Hawkin recall had been completed.

Tullig continued, ''We are standing down in good faith. A parlay is perhaps in order, where we may meet in person to discuss a joint-venture if you'd allow. In the meantime, while we'd rather have the Nalar, we'll allow you to intercept.''

Tullig turned to the bridge and gave the orders to the Kriegsman. The ship's naval guns retracted into the vessel's sleek hull, and the missile blocks soon followed after. A blue sheen could be seen crawling over the vessel as the Rhodes pushed power to its front transient shields.

[Alversia]

Casey breathed a sign of relief as the response came in from the martians. There would be no confrontation today and they had agreed to let the Alversians take the pirate. Of course, there was talk of hunting down a much larger pirate lord that intrigued her but for now the priority was to see that this pirate was handled.

“Tactical, range?” She asked of Ani-Naros.

“22 and closing, Captain.”

The shuttle was not making much of an effort to escape, perhaps because they realised that attempting to evade the two cruisers was likely to end with the ship as a pile of molten slag and whatever crew were aboard no more than melted atoms drifting through the endless void of space.

“Flight, launch CAP please.”

“Yes, Captain,” The Atoran replied in a thick Vipran accent, dressed in the uniform of a Lieutenant Commander, dark blue headstalks falling down her back, “CAP launching.”

From one of the many hangars along the cruiser launched four XX-40 starfighters, maintaining a strict formation as they approached the shuttle and began to circle like predators after wounded prey from a safe distance out. Now there was no hope of the shuttle escaping, no chance of them outrunning the fighters which waited for just such an event to occur.

“CAP-1 in position, ma’am,” The Atoran, Lieutenant Commander Erevan announced, “Standing by.”

“Captain, we are in ion cannon range,” Ani’Naros did not look up from his console.

“Helm, stand off.” With her hands behind her back, Casey was sure to keep flicking her gaze between the monitor up front, that which showed the entirety of the shuttle, a close up offered by the visual sensors, and the three dimensional map which showed the relative positions of all the players. The shuttle, the Blackbrook itself and then the Karl R. Rhodes which was a respectable distance off. She would not be doing her job if she did not keep at least an eye on this warship which standing by so patiently, “Comms, open a line to the shuttle.”

Code: Select all

Attention, unidentified vessel, this is the Alversian People’s Starship Blackbrook. You have entered Alversian sovereign territory and have been identified as a pirate vessel. Please lower your shields, deactivate your engines and any weapons. We will bring you aboard. Failure to comply will result in aggressive measures being adopted.

A moment of silence. Casey wondered if the pirates had anything up their sleeves, anything they would attempt to do rather than surrender. She had known of vessels turn full suicidal rammers when they thought they had no way out, seeking to either damage their pursuers or even destroy the fighters escorting them. It rarely worked but that was because of preparation. Now was no different.

The shuttle powered down.

Casey relaxed but Tantsija did not, her voice filling the quiet of the bridge, “Helm, bring us close. Tractor control, bring them into hanger 4. Prepare for hostile boarder. Security, have a team standing by at hangar 4.”

“Copy that,” A male voice responded on the radio, “Security team moving in.”

“Tractor control copies,” Another female voice, “Hangar 4.”

The Blackbrook dwarved the shuttle as it approached, casting the tiny vessel in shadow as the fighters broke away and resumed formation further out. They supervised as a bright blue beam caught the shuttle and began to drag it into the silver and red arrowhead that was the Alversian warship. An armoured door slowly opened as the shuttle drew closer before it was placed inside, entirely empty but for the new arrival. No sooner had it touched down than a powerful bubble-shield, large turrets lowering from armoured casements to cover the ship. Two droids rolled in, each armed with what looked like a heavy cannon.

“Attention, shuttle crew,” A bodiless voice boomed, “Please exit your vessel. Keep your hands and limbs where we can see them.”

[Lady Scylla]

Beta Quadrant, Alversian Frontier

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The bridge of the Karl R. Rhodes watched as the Alversian craft manoeuvred to intercept the Nalarian shuttle. It wasn't how Commander Tullig had expected the events to unfold, but it was better than provoking a conflict. He passed the handheld back to the comms officer and walked from behind the consoles. ''Skipper Arzan, front and centre,'' the commander said. Arzan quickly moved from the side of the room to the Commander, and the bridge fell silent.

''The Sergeant-At-Arms will escort you to your quarters. You're hereby relieved of duty and will be sent back to headquarters after the mission is over. Leftenant Sarr, you've been promoted to Captain and will assume Arzan's duties as Skipper of this vessel. We'll have a proper ceremony the next time we're in port. That's all,'' Tullig said and left them. The Sergeant-At-Arms and a number of the ships security team escorted Arzan out of the room. Sarr stood from his seat, and the bridge's eyes were on him as he seemed just as surprised.

---

Sivara couldn't see how her situation could get worse. The arrival of a second, foreign, cruiser was not what she was expecting. Any hope of escaping was dashed, and while she wasn't party to the dialogue between the two vessels, the Alversian vessel's move towards her shattered her nerves. That was it. She took her hands off the controls of the shuttle and watched as she was slowly pulled into the Alversian ship. When the command to come out was given, she didn't know what to do. Siv frantically searched the ship for something that could be used to plug the breach in her suit. Nothing.

She pulled her helmet from the other seat and snapped it on. The door to Siv's shuttle opened, and a wave of water poured across the floor as the Nalar emerged with her hands up. Her suit was quickly losing volume, and she tried speaking quickly. ''I'm injured! I'm injured!'' she said, trying to manage a breath. She stared at the Alversians for a moment, and then her world went black and she collapsed on the floor.

[Alversia]

Casey watched on the bridge through a monitor as the shuttle settled down, the drones moving in with weapons armed and ready and heavy turrets watching. It might have seemed a little paranoid to have such levels of protection for a mere pirate shuttle but then there had been records of captures vessels self-destructing while inside the hulls of naval vessels, attempting to take them with them in a blaze of glory or cripple them in an effort to make any follow up attacks easier. The Necrians had done it, the Booleans had done it. She had no idea if these pirates did it but she was sure as hell not going to give them the opportunity to even attempt it. At this point any explosion would be absorbed by both the shielding around the ship and the armour of the hangar. She felt confident.

“Do we know what sort of races have been attacking us,” She asked Tantsija beside her, never taking her eyes from the screen. Just outside the door were waiting a team of marines to take any aliens into custody, a medic to ensure that none of them were carrying anything contagious or unknown to the Republic and finally, an engineer to assess their vessel and make sure it was safe for continuous storage and what they were required to destroy. It was standard procedure, designed to keep the crew and ship as safe as possible but that did not mean the Alversian was not one edge waiting to see how this would unfold.

The door hissed open and the drones waited impassively for the crew to disembark. One being came out and only one being. Her eyes narrowed. Was this it? A single crew member for this shuttle? Had they been mistaken? A fear grew inside her anew. Oh she hoped they weren’t wrong.

The being shouted something, intelligible to her ears and then collapsed in a pool of clear liquid.

Nerrana reacted instantly, pressing a button on her console as an alarm started to ring throughout the ship, “Medical emergency, hangar 4. Medical emergency, hangar 4.”

The team who had been waiting beyond the blast doors spilled in. The marines stayed back, covering the still alien with their weapons while others checked the ship. The medic practically skidded to her knees and turned the being over, turning her onto her back and gesturing frantically to the engineer. Something was produced, what it was she could not see but it was applied hurriedly to the face plate of the creature. Now she could see the original bulky appearance was down to a suit. Now the pair were gesturing to the marines, requesting something from them. Water flasks? Each marine carried none, to ensure they could stay hydrated both on duty and in combat. These were being fitted to some sort of inlet on the helmet, each one tossed away as it was consumed.

At last, the doors opened once again and a full medical team arrived complete with carrier. They gave a quick check over the pirate before hoisting her up on the carrier and bringing her to the nearest secure medical bay, which Casey happened to know was not far away, escorted all the way by another marine unit.

“Hanger 4 to bridge,” The voice was that of the Marine lieutenant who had led the detachment, “Vessel secure. One inhabitant, wounded. Seems to require water to breath but had a leak in her helmet. Patched up with tape for now and helmet refilled. Medical team have taken control and brought to ERU.”

The Emergency Response Unit. Her injuries must have been serious.

Tantsija was the one who answered, “Bridge copies, hangar 4. Vessel secure.”

Biting her lip, Casey glanced over to the comms officer, “Inform the CMO to please keep me updated on the pirate’s progress. Can you also open a channel to the Karl R. Rhodes?”

“Channel open, ma’am,” The Volantes responded.

Code: Select all

Attention, Karl R. Rhodes. We have successfully secured the pirate vessel with one persons aboard. They are currently undergoing medical treatment for unknown injuries and damage to their life support equipment. We will update once we have further news. Please provide any information you regarding the pirate’s race, place of origin and environmental needs.

[Lady Scylla]

Beta Quadrant, Alversian Frontier

---

---

A crisp knock came at the wooden door, and the weathered commander looked up from his writings with a gaze cast over his glasses towards the entryway. It was his subordinate, Sr. Lt. Commander Avalon, in the characteristic dark blue uniform of the command staff. Tullig looked back towards his writings and continued to scribble out his thoughts in a journal. There was a candle alight at the edge of his desk that gently flicked warm light over the commander and filled out his face in reddish and orange blotches. ''My shift is currently over, Ser Avalon,'' Tullig commented pleasantly without looking back at the officer.

Avalon of Hempstead was nearly twenty years younger than Tullig, with a thin frame and dark black hair. He was from a small noble house, the Weslan, who had earnt their titles during the Martian-Eridani War for their bravery and sacrifice. He was also the only noble Tullig didn't take issue with, as the Weslans were typically more humble in their upbringing than the others. Even still, all nobles immediately became officers in the navy if they joined, something Tullig never cared for but he could see the significance behind it.

''I'm aware, Commander. Some of the Junior Officers have raised concerns over Arzan's confinement,'' Avalon spoke. Tullig laid his pen down and removed his glasses as he gave the journal he had been writing in a once-over. ''Notably, a few think the move was a bit harsh,'' he continued. Tullig sat his glasses down beside the book and then closed it.

''Arzan didn't verify the navpoints before he initiated our frameshift. If we had ended up in hostile territory, the tune here would be far different. The fact of the matter is, Ser Avalon, that when I send my incident report off to the Citadel -- the Admiralty is going to immediately question why we ended up in Alversian space. They are going to want to know who is responsible, and if the Senate gets word, we all will be held at fault. Unfortunately, for Arzan, it is him or the entire leadership of this vessel. That being said, he'll likely get reassigned to a station post. He put thousands of lives at risk, I understand the lot's concerns but this is the matters we have,'' he said tersely.

Avalon nodded. ''The Alversians have also sent us more information,'' the officer stated.

''Then why aren't you dealing with it?'' Tullig responded, ''I'm not here to hold your hand, Ser Avalon.''

''I'm aware of that, Commander. Given you were on shift during the start of this, I thought it'd be prudent to notify you. They've requested information about the Nalar, apparently, there's a medical emergency on board after their capture,'' Avalon spoke.

''The Nalar are aquatic creatures. They breathe cold freshwater, I know they punctured her suit on Enceladus. So if they've put anything else in her suit then they'll likely have a dead Nalar very soon. That being said, their blood contains a neurotoxin, so hopefully, they've taken adequate precautions. You can find more information on the ship's database,'' Tullig said.

''Thank you, Commander. Also, why the candle?''

''I find that it relaxes me,'' Tullig said. Avalon gave a nod and left the commander after that. He had instructed the communications officer to relay a message back to the Alversians when he had arrived on the bridge again, along with the message was all of the relevant data about the Nalar.

''Blackbrook, Commander Tullig's shift has ended, operations have been transferred to his subordinate, Lt. Commander Avalon. We are dispatching all relevant data about the Nalar to you now, and would like to send a shuttle over with the Lt. Commander and our entourage to meet in person. Karl R. Rhodes out.''

[Alversia]

After the excitement of the pirate’s arrival, there was an air of quiet reflection on the bridge. At least it was quiet as a starship’s bridge could ever be; with consoles constantly beeping and crew members passing information to one another in hushed tones so as not to draw untoward attention. For her part, Casey leant back in her chair and let the momentary rush of adrenaline leave her. That had been unexpected, but now the priority was to see that her own ship was safe. The shuttle was still sitting in its energised bubble, returning to station having been dropped to allow the crew access to the wounded pirate. Had anything gone wrong then there was not much she could have done for her crew and the thought terrified her. Had it been the same for the captains who she had served? Not once had they ever give any indication that they were worried and so neither had she but the same nerves were there every time. Would it be like this for the entirety of her tenure? She recalled her last captain taking her aside on her final day aboard that vessel, the day before she was due to take command of the Blackbrook.

She had been very serious, Captain Avalere, a taciturn woman at the best of times but she had the respect of her crew. If anything, her lack of praise, her lack of enthusiasm seemed to spur them on more, to do better for her. When she was impressed, it felt like the entire crew was ready to party. It had been exhausting for the first couple of months but soon she had learned that the Alversian expected the best and was disappointed with anything less. Casey was not sure if she had ever reached that level but she had tried and that had been enough in Avalere’s eyes. Her final piece of advice was simple; “Care, but be careful.”

Cryptic. She had spent a lot of time trying to work it out and only now did she think she was beginning to understand. The jump from XO to captain meant more than administrative duties, there was a whole extra burden that being mistress and commander of this vessel and all those who sailed in her.

“Medical Bay 4 to bridge,” Came the crisp voice to cut across her thoughts, “We have received the prisoner.”

“Copy that,” She glanced over at Tantsija, “You have the bridge, Commander. I’m heading down to check on our guest.”

“Yes, Captain.” The Carvon nodded he head but then turned her eyes to the main viewscreen, very much all business.

“Nerrana, with me please.”

“Aye, Captain,” The Alumina left her station, place taken immediately by a junior officer as the two women left the bridge.

Heading through the ship, the corridors were never empty but their progress was swift. The crew would part as she passed, standing to attention until she had swept by at which point they resumed their duties.

“Nerrana,” Casey looked up into the feline’s eyes, her being a good foot taller than the Alversian, “Do we have any records of encountering this species before?”

The Chief Operations Officer had seemed like a natural to ask; not only in charge of external scans but a keen xenologist as well. Plus alumina had eidetic memories so if she had encountered them then there would be at least some snippet of recollection in there.
“I do not recall so, Commander,” Her voice was soft, almost like a constant purr but with a gentle lilt, the Nerrena frowning as she thought, long and slender tail swishing from side to side of its own accord, “There are no records in the Alversian Diplomatic Corps library if there has been such an encounter.”

“You think she could be one of the pirates we’ve been encountering?”

“More than probable given the engine signature and the fact that the martians were chasing her for this specific reason.”

“I guess you’re right.” Her comm beeped, “Captain, go ahead.”

“Kaity here,” The words caused Casey to roll her eyes. Commander Kaitlyn Ambrose was first and foremost the ship’s Chief Medical Officer but she was also somewhat uncaring of the hierarchy aboard a naval vessel. Being a doctor for thirty years aboard warships would do that to a person, she supposed, “Thought you’d want to know the martians sent through all their files on the Nalar. Seems they’re purely water breathing, so fortunate that we had a tank for just such a purpose. She’s sustained external wounds but nothing life-threatening. When the BlueBars forced her out of her ship, she was fortunate not to choke to death, the poor girl.”

“They were following procedure,” Nerrana frowned again.

“A procedure that nearly killed her. I can hear you, Lieutenant Commander,” Ambrose sighed, “Fortunately Specialist Colter recognised what was happening and had her suit mended and refilled. I will be recommending she be mentioned in dispatches for her work.”

“Fine,” That was another of her jobs too, “Can I speak with you?”

“Not yet, we’ve got her in a temporary coma for now, to verify there was no neurological damage from asphyxiation. I’ll inform you when we wake her.”

“Understood, Captain out.”

“Captain,” No sooner had she realised the comms than the bridge was beeping through. The disapproval was evident in her XO’s voice, “The martians are informing us that they’ve swapped shifts. We’re no longer dealing with their commanding officer.”

“Okay?” It seemed odd that he’d just roll off duty in that manner but who was she to pass comment on how other navies operated, “Do we know who we’re dealing with in turn?”

“Lieutenant Commander Avalon. He’s requesting permission to come across with an ‘entourage’ to meet in person.”

“Send them to hangar 2. I’ll meet them there.” Casey straightened the front of her tunic, suddenly nervous.

“Yes, Captain.”

“Marine Commander Kaito, can you please meet me at hangar 4 with a marine team? We’re about to have some guests board.”

“Hangar 2, got it.” The voice responded through her comms.

With a heavy sigh to hide the building nerves, the Alversian and alumina headed for hangar 2. Marine Commander Kaito had got there first; no surprise in and of itself and the Marine stood with a dozen troops in the dark blue of the Alversian People’s Marine Corps.

“Standard honour guard, Captain?” He asked.

“Standard honour guard.” She confirmed, allowing him to direct his people with barked orders until they were lined up a respectful distance from the trio, weapons held by their sides as if they were on the parade grounds. They should have had dress attire added but with short notice, this would do.

So now there was nothing else to do but wait for them to arrive.

[Lady Scylla]

Image courtesy of Stefan Celic

---

Avalon and a number of Marines filed into one of the ship's shuttles. The Alversians had given the go-ahead for a meeting, and the Lt. Commander tried to collect himself as it was his first time dealing with a foreign power. The officer understood Tullig's intentions, at least he figured as much, it was good experience to have and showed how the junior officer could think and react on his feet in a complex situation. Despite that, precautions were taken, and the Lt. Commander's envoy composed of about a dozen fully outfitted Marines in their characteristic black uniforms.

The shuttle wasn't piloted by a human, and so a robotic voice came over the air like an unwelcomed gust that forced Avalon from his quiet meditation. ''Preparing departure,'' the voice echoed as the shuttle rattled, and jostled those inside for a moment as the engines roared to life and the craft bucked against its magnetic locks. An almost ear-piercing screech could be heard as the locks disengaged and fell to the floor. ''Transferring system control. Autonomy engaged. Tracking target. Departing,'' the voice continued.

The shuttle turned as the Karl R. Rhodes' hangar door creaked open. The hangar depressurised, and the work crews had engaged their magboots and life support as yellow klaxons illuminated the space. The engines on the shuttle rotated, and with a bright flash, the craft rocketed away from the cruiser. Avalon held on to a handle for the first moment, but once they were underway he relaxed and let go. The jolt of take-off was enough to rattle anyone's nerves.

As the shuttle entered the hangar, the craft launched a series of pulses to scan the room, this data was sent to the Marines aboard the vessel via their HUDs. It seemed relatively safe, and the craft touched down, engaging its magnetic locks unto the hangar floor with a distinctive thud. The door along the side of the craft opened, and Marines quickly left the vehicle by two as they set up a security perimeter around the small space with the shuttle at the centre with their weapons lowered, but ready.

The Marines wore full helmets, thick armour, and a suit that covered their entire body. It was all a precaution against foreign contaminants. Beyond this, they seemed rather indistinctive. They made no noise communicatively, as any interaction between them was done via the HUDs inside their visors. The monotonous uniformity of the black and greys of their uniforms was another thing to note, save for a single, dull and orange stripe along their left arms that acted as a visual identifier, and a sort of barcode above that, no doubt for their augmented vision to read.

Once the scene seemed secure, the Lt. Commander emerged from the craft. He was also in a full suit, although his was blue in colour and he carried only a holstered sidearm. He came to the forefront of the small bubble of his soldiers, and glanced at the Alversians and their hangar. As he passed the security line he nodded at who he assumed was in charge amid their honour guard. ''You'll forgive my team for their diligence, protocols are a delightful thing,'' he smiled, which was clearly visible, since, unlike the visors of the Marines, his was clear.

''I am Lt. Commander Avalon of the Rhodes, and the Martian 17th Task Group. It's a pleasure to meet you, and I hope the Alversians and the Conglomerate will be able to reach an acceptable resolution. How is the prisoner doing, if I may?'' he inquired.

---

''Sivara! Run!'' the gunfire was crisp as Sivara ran. She could feel the bombs dropping in the background, causing her to nearly lose her footing. They drew closer. She could feel the heat behind her. Then there was a concussed force that threw her several meters. Dirt and rocks rained down on her, and the world slipped into darkness. ''Sivara!''

Siv's eyes opened tiredly and gazed at a grey sky. She heaved a breath and coughed. A great shadow had blocked out the sun, her eyes lingered on the object in a confused daze. It was a Martian destroyer coming into land, every fibre of her body was screaming to run but she couldn't move. She couldn't move. ''H-help...'' she hacked softly. She tried to rouse her fingers, move her legs, but there was nothing. Then a figure appeared over her. His face was obscure. He was joined by two more, though they were brandishing weapons unlike the original figure.

''What should we do with her?'' one asked as he trained his weapon over her, the sound of a round cycling into the chamber as the gun powered up was unmistakable. The reality began to sink in. Siv looked away and stared at the grey, rolling clouds. It was now an unfamiliar sky, but it was the last sky she would see. She didn't feel at peace, but anger and loss. It had all come to this moment.

The man in the middle reached over and lowered the man's weapon. The gesture caused Siv to look back at them. ''Get a medical team down here. There's been enough death for today,'' the man said solemnly.

''Yes, sir. Captain Tullig,'' one of the men said and quickly departed them.

---

Siv's eyes gently flickered open as she awakened in the Alversian medbay. Her head ached, and instinctively, she wiggled her toes and fingers. Everything worked as it should and a wave of relief passed over her. Despite that, she felt like a train had run her over and then backed up, and ran her over again. ''Where am I?'' she called out softly as bubbles churned in her helmet.

[Alversia]

Casey exhaled as the doors to the recently landed and out stepped a considerable force of faceless marines dressed entirely in black armour. Not the most welcoming sight she had ever seen stepping into her hangar. Beside her, she could feel more than see Kaito’s tail flicking in what she knew was a sign of irritation amongst kitsune. Some advanced warning would have softened that annoyance from him but it was far too late now to consider such things, she could only put her hands behind her back and watch as they formed a protective semi-circle around the vessel. This was for a diplomatic meeting? It did not speak well to the state of galactic diplomacy if their first instinct was to provide a defensive barrier between their hosts and their own vessel. The Alversian exhaled deeply once more. There was no point in getting irritated even if the tod’s tail increased the arc it was swishing with what was going on in front of him, large ears no doubt flicking through his armour.

At last, once the marines had verified that there was no threat waiting for them in the hangar, their guest arrived, though they were technically all their guests, distinguished from wearing blue armour compared to the black of his men. Not only that but she could see his face, another bonus as she was able to make eye contact with a martian for the first time and the butterflies in her stomach jumped and jittered about wildly. In contrast to him, neither Captain Casey nor Lieutenant Commander Nerrena were wearing armour, instead dressed in deep blue tunics and matching trousers with black boots, though the Alumina’s were a different shape for her digitigrade paws. The uniform was not exactly unflattering but crisp and professional, the emblem of the People’s Republic on her shoulder indicating that the Alversian in the centre was in charge. Her eyes were blue with long and coppery red hair spilling over her shoulders, standing 6’5’’ in height. Beside her, Nerrana was a solid foot taller, fur white and eyes yellow with short cut green hair. Most of Kaito’s features were concealed beneath the blue power armour he wore but his muzzle was white in contrast to the orange of his face, eyes green and narrowed, pupils vulpine in shape.

Then she was face to face with the martian officer and he was smiling. That was an encouraging start and she smiled back warmly, “Of course, Lieutenant Commander. We can’t skip on protocol or else where would we be?” She offered a salute, “Captain Robin Casey, Alversian People’s Starship Blackbrook. The pleasure is returned in full. I’ve no doubt we can come to an agreement that will be of benefit to both our nations and I look forward to working with you.” At the question, the captain hesitated, “She’s currently receiving medical treatment. Her suit was damaged and nearly killed her but thankfully we got to her in time. I’m waiting for further update from my CMO.”

She looked past the officer to the marines still standing in position, “…is there something we can do for your men?”

---

When Siv awoke, the first time that would come to her once her senses had returned was that she was floating.

All around her was the medical bay, beds spaced regularly apart and stacked with endless amounts of medical equipment, privacy screens pulled back to show that she was currently the only guest of the doctor. She was in a tank, suspected partway in what felt like cold water even through her suit. On all sides, there came the slow and regular beeping of machinery, screens and sensors pointed in her direction, with a few patches stuck directly to her armour. Though she was still wearing the armour, any equipment and weaponry attached to it was long gone.

“Take it easy,” A woman appeared in front of her, dressed in a white longcoat with short-cut blue hair. She was quite serious looking, a data-pad tucked under one arm as she bent over and examined the Nalar, “You’re aboard the Alversian warship Blackbrook. You took a shot to the side that ruptured your suit and one to your helmet. You’re lucky to be alive,” She leant back and tapped a few buttons onto her datapad, “How do you feel? Try to take deep breaths for now, nice and slow.”

Beyond two marines standing guard at the door, they were the only two in the room.

“My name is Kaitlyn, I’m the chief medical officer aboard. What’s yours?”

[Lady Scylla]

''We've not had the greatest run ins with diplomacy in the past,'' Avalon said, noting the Alversian discomfort with his company. The Lt. Commander returned the salute, and then nodded as the question was answered.

''Actually, I think my men were just leaving us,'' he remarked, and turned with a wave of his hand. ''Gan til skif,'' he muttered. The marines that had come with him began to head back into the shuttle. Avalon turned to face his hosts now with a smile. ''After you, then,'' he suggested.

---

''Blackbrook?'' Siv said as bubbles churned from her helmet. She reached out and touched the edge of the tank and carefully examined the room. ''Sivara... Sivara Kaleekargan'' she answered and moved around in the tank some more.

''You can't keep me in here,'' she said, ''The Martians are going to do far worse unless you just kill me now.'' She was a sitting duck in the tank, and continued looking for a way out, but with the troops present, it seemed unlikely.

(Short post since I'm sick D:)

[Alversia]

“Well,” Casey offered a warm smile, “We shall do our upmost to make this experience more pleasant. Oh, forgive me,” With a sudden blush, she indicated to the feline to one side and the kitsune to the other, “This is Lieutenant Commander Nerrana Voyyna D'Mehav; chief operations officer and this is Marine Commander Kaito of the People’s Marines.” The Alumina gave a salute while the kitsune bowed, armoured tail still flicking in its armoured shell.

She gestured for him to walk alongside her, the Alversian a little taller than him and Nerrana taller than them both. The door hissed open smoothly, allowing them entry into the corridor beyond. The Marines did not follow but remained in the hangar. The corridor itself was white and smooth with a red coloured floor, bathed in a dull light which threw the flashing yellow lights into a sharper contrast against the walls. They did not meet many as they travelled, those who did cross their paths pressing against the wall and saluting as the small party passed them by before continuing on their previous tasks.

“You’ve come a long way from home,” Casey glanced sidelong to the commander, “Is this pirate so significant?”

---

“Sivara,” Kaitlyn nodded, “The pleasure is mine. Now if you could just do me a favourite and keep still, I’m trying to finish a scan of your vital organs.” It took a second for that to finish and it was clearly indicated by both the beep of the tablet in the doctor’s arm and the little “Hm,” noise of satisfaction that the Alversian made as she checked said tablet.

“Well, you’re not going anywhere, young lady. In fact, you’re fortunate to be moving about at all right now. Those injuries you took were fairly nasty but you will pull through.” She glanced down again and tapped a few buttons, “I’ll up the dose we’re giving you. Don’t want to take any chances.”

At her protects, the woman raised an eyebrow, “Will they indeed? Well this is my medical bay and no one leaves without my say so. So,” More buttons tapped as she walked around the tank, “What were you doing in Alversian space? Piracy?”

[Lady Scylla]

''It's Sivara,'' Siv said, correcting the woman as she winced at her attempt to pronounce her name. She recoiled at the scan that followed, not enjoying the feeling like she was some sort of lab experiment in an aquarium. Nevertheless, she leaned against the glass and slid down to the bottom to sit. Nalar organs were unlike humans, and the Nalar eyed Kaitlyn as she looked over the data. Siv didn't share the woman's seeming enthusiasm about her survival.

She folded her arms over her knees and rested her head as the bubbles from her helmet churned with a sigh. ''These are the Martians, if they have to take something by force, they will,'' she said ominously and glanced up at Kaitlyn. ''They've already taken everything from me,'' she spoke softly. Siv could still remember the day the Martians invaded the Nalar, the Seven Day War still seemed so new to her, even though it had been years now. She snapped out of her melancholic spell at the question, or perhaps, more rightly, the accusation.

''Piracy? I'm no pirate,'' she scoffed. ''Martians want me for stealing something of theirs,'' she commented and reached up to carefully unlock and remove her helmet. As the helmet came off, the face of a bluish-purple alien was revealed with large, black eyes. Her face was slender, with a long thin neck engraved with a set of gills just under her jaw. Beneath her eyes was a fluorescent tattoo on each side that looked like something of a similar style to the Ancient Egyptians from Earth. She lacked a nose, but she had a mouth similar to a human's, it could be seen that she had two rows of sharp teeth. There were very faint signs that she was heavily augmented, lights and a few ports could be seen behind her fin-like ears.

She reached back, and pulled a small device from a slot in her head and displayed it. ''It's encrypted, so I've got no idea what's on it, but whatever is they want it pretty badly,'' she said, or well, her helmet did. Her lips didn't move as she spoke, and the voice Kaitlyn had been hearing was coming from Siv's helmet, which rested on the floor now. It seemed the Nalar was somehow wired into the helmet so she could communicate with those in the open air. ''Is that what they told you?'' she asked, ''That I'm a pirate?''

---

Avalon bowed in return, though he said nothing, but returned a gentle smile. He followed them from the hangar, and as he walked, he used his visual feed to catalogue information about the species aboard the craft as they met them, and the layout of the vessel. It wouldn't provide much information, but the entries could be filled in later with more research. ''Depends on what you consider home, the Rhodes is my home personally,'' he said proudly.

''She is. We killed her partner at one of our stations before we made the jump here, D'Sau Av Shardhalek. He's a part of the Nalar Underground, a group of pirates and mercenaries that operate in this area of space. We're assuming she's an accomplice at this point, likely new, since we've little to no record of this particular Nalar. D'Sau on the otherhand has quite the file. The Underground, or Nu, as they call themselves, is lead by a Dread -- it's a sort of title -- we take him down, we can dismantle the network. D'Sau was our best hope, but it's unclear if we can recover any data from his cyberbrain. So here we are,'' he explained.

[Alversia]

“Apologies, Sivara” Kaitlyn did not look up and so did not see the wince, but the second attempt was correct. If the medic had noticed the discomfort of her patient then she did not show it, chewing on her lip instead and humming as she tapped rapidly at her screen, the contents of which were hidden to the Nalar as whatever the Alversian worked on was complete. “They might be martians, but frankly I don’t care if they’re descent gods from the immortal plane of existence, no one leaves this medical bay without my say so. So you best get used to it for now until we can repair that suit of yours.”

She did however pay attention as the woman removed the helmet though again her thoughts at meeting the alien race for the first time were hidden behind a professional veneer. Likewise her defence was met with the same expression but it was quite apparent that at the very least, the woman was listening. She even put down the tablet so that she could focus the entirety of her attention on her patient, perching herself at the edge of the tank so that she was eye-level with the sitting Siv.

“I am sorry that they took everything from you,” She exhaled, “Truly I am. If you were to return the device, perhaps the martian interest would end in you there. They accuse you of piracy, but in my experience, every gal’s pirate is another gal’s freedom fighter. The Captain will decide when she gets here,” The Medic sighed, “But I will argue your corner at the very least. Gods know someone will have to.”

---

Casey nodded in understanding. The Blackbrook had to feel like a home yet but she knew that one day it would do, just as every ship she had ever served on. They all felt the same as first; weird and unusual, different from what she was used to but over the weeks and months that would become the case.

As Avalon explained the situation that had led to their paths crossing, she could do nothing more than smile wordlessly. Her knowledge of the group he was referring to was sadly lacking but then her job here was to find the source of the pirate raids on Alversian shipping. Given the connection between the shuttle now down in their hangar, it was too good an opportunity.

“It’s funny you should say that,” She said, “Our vessels have been attacked by ships matching that of the shuttle. If we could get to the root cause of the pirates then that would be of immense help.”

At last they came to the medical bay and the doors hissed open to admit them. The two marines at the door saluted crisply and Kaitlyn stood, the blonde-haired Alversian glancing at their guest while nodding at Casey.

“Captain,” She picked up the tablet once again, “I’ve completed the preliminary diagnosis of our guest. Though she’s not in immediate danger, I strongly advise keeping any talk you wish to have with her brief. I’ll be counting,” She glanced at a clock mounted on the wall.

[Lady Scylla]

Sivara looked down at the device clutched firmly in her fingers, as if such a small thing could weigh so much. It didn't, of course, but it sure felt like it. She ran her thumb over the edge to feel its contours. ''Martians call them shards,'' she spoke finally. ''Just about everyone in the Conglomerate has one, it's required for citizenship. Everything that is you is contained in these... things,'' she added. She manipulated it in her fingers for a few quiet moments.

''The main shard can't be removed, not without killing the person, it sits deep in your skull. It's what allows the Martians to augment themselves so heavily, or even transfer their consciousness. So, more often than not, people get upgrades,'' she motioned to the back of her neck. ''Download programs to learn how to play the piano, manage data, or even connect to the galactic net... but this one is different. I don't think they'll let it go so easily. They're willing to kill for a piece of technology that is so commonplace in our societies -- it's whatever is on it,'' she commented.

Sivara slid it back into her neck as a faint light lit up in one of her eyes before disappearing. She looked at the doctor and gave a faint smile.

---

Avalon gave her a shrug, ''We've long had pirate problems on our frontiers, it's only been exasperated since the end of our Colonial Wars. Many regions have yet to recover,'' he answered. He kept in step with his hosts as they traversed the hallways. ''I honestly wouldn't put it past them to raid neighbouring states or seek refuge. Admiral Granger in the Delta Quadrant has become a major role model to the other fleets about how to deal with the problem. So our government has been pushing a lot of money to build up the manpower and force needed to counter it,'' he said once they had stopped at the medical doors.

Avalon's gaze levelled on the Nalar in the tank, and there was a faint moment of disgust. ''How soon can we expect to have her out of there? Mars would like to have her for interrogations if at all possible, especially if it can help without our mutual problem,'' he reasoned, facing the doctor now as he spoke. Avalon's ocular feed had still been running, and unbeknownst to him, Tullig had been watching. The man's weathered gaze back aboard the Rhodes had widened as he watched a holo-screen in his quarters.

The Commander stood, and quickly departed for the Rhodes' hangar, ordering a few marines to follow. Their pace was brisk as they quickly boarded a shuttle, and clearance had been filed. Avalon's comms had begun to chatter as he turned away for a moment to listen. ''I apologise, it seems my Commander is seeking to come aboard the ship, I think he'll be joining us,'' Avalon said, obviously surprised at the turn of events.

[Alversia]

Though it was slight, ever so slight, Casey noted the look of disgust that flashed across the First Officer’s face. It was barely perceptible at all, a clenching of the jaw muscles and a narrowing of the eyes. The sort of thing that was so sudden it could barely be said to have happened at all and yet she was sure it had been there. The Captain had to fight to keep her own eyes from narrowing at the reaction and to remind herself that she was ignorant of this relationship. Now far back did the Nalar and the Martians go? Who had inflicted hurt on who? Who was the victim? Was there even a victim? She was captain of this vessel, but she was also a representative of the Alversian People’s Republic. There was more to this story and she was determined that she would get as much of the tale as she could, even if she could not find how deep their animosity went.

'How soon can we expect to have her out of there? Mars would like to have her for interrogations if at all possible, especially if it can help without our mutual problem”

Commander Ambrose stiffened at Avalon’s words and Casey let out a slight exhale, a dangerous flash crossing in her eyes briefly, “I cannot say for certain. We are still running medical tests to verify there are no infections, machinery malfunctions or other passive injuries which may pose a long-term concern to her well-being either mental or physical.”

Casey herself pursed her lips at the words, hands behind her back as she regarded the martian officer, “Lieutenant Commander Avalon, this person is in my custody and the custody of the Alversian People’s Republic. She is also suspected of piracy within the territory of the Republic and will be questioned about such as soon as she is medically fit to do so. If you wish to speak with her then you may do so but as of right now, she is under my protection and the laws of the Republic will be upheld aboard this vessel.”

Avalon’s expression changed in that moment and Casey caught a breath. Had she offended him? They’d only known each other a short time so it was very soon to be disagreeing, but it was important to her that she stood her ground now. However, that was not the case. Evidently, he was in contact with his own vessel for he announced that his commanding officer would be joining them after all. The same commander who had clocked off from his shift just before initiating first contact? What had changed that he was suddenly so keen to meet her in person? The situation seemed odd but the best thing she could do was to stay calm and keep to procedure. So, with a nod, she raised her hand to her own ear.

“Commander Tantsija, we’ve received word that Commander Tullig will be joining us. Please have him directed to the same hangar as Lieutenant Commander Avalon’s vessel and Marine Commander Kaito will escort him here.” She glanced to Avalon, “Unless you would rather meet your CO in person in the hangar? We could make such an arrangement.”