The hour before the dawn.

Posted on Mon Jan 31st, 2022 @ 11:15pm by Commander Sthilg & Lieutenant Vise [Sthilg] Kesahl & Ensign BF 345078 (john Snow.) [Sthilg] & Gunnery Sergeant Nenaa [Sthilg] & Captain Garrett Lovejoy [ Taylor] & Captain Gary Taylor & Lieutenant Commander Aurelia Taylor & Lieutenant Colonel Azhul Naxea & Lieutenant Commander Alicia Kelea-Salik & Lieutenant Victor Barclay de Tolly & Lieutenant Commander Rin & Lieutenant JG Damien Blackford & Lieutenant JG Miraj Derani & Captain David Tonelly [Reece] & Commander Arrianna Salannis an Vantar

Mission: Season 5: Episode 3: CAPETOWN
2511 words - 5 OF Standard Post Measure

Chief medical officers log.

Having treated Sergeant Leilani Charles and reviewed the information the away team have gathered I believe we may be able to declare the planet clear of the virus. With the time disruption gone the Nightshadow and the hegemony should be able to handle the planet from here. Maybe life will return to this world someday. Now we just need to take care of a few things before we depart to make repairs done to the ship.

Looking over at the remains of the Capetown the gorn nodded at the team which was removing the remains of the TimeGate into the runabouts. Command was going to have a field day with them.

Looking around he saw the marine commander who was waiting patiently for him. " Sssorry I'm late my dear duty callsss. If you'll follow me we can sssee to Captain Dameian. "

Naxea nodded as she fell in step next to Sthilg. "Despite the craziness of this planet, I think things will improve. Especially now that we can give Captain Dameian's family some closure."

" If the gorn find the planet cleared they may sssettle this place again. I know he'd like that." The gorn replied as she handed him the detantor. " Sssleep well my friend and all the ghossst of the Capetown. " He said as he pressed the button burying the small cave forever.

The old gorn let out a sigh. He wanted to head down the mountain and start sorting out the remains in his village, but he had to make sure the gate was secured. " Come on let'sss get back to the othersss."

“Agreed,” Lt. Victor Barclay de Tolly replied.

*Surface*

Lady Vanessa brought her diplomatic cadets down to document everything that had happened. The Ferengi Ship, The Shuttle, the evacuation, the medical reports, everything. "Be through ladies and gentlemen. The Gorn diplomatic service will have many questions. Some may result in a confrontation with the Ferengi Alliance."

"Yes, Legate." One of the cadets noted.

"I'm hoping the report will shed some light on this situation." Vanessa noted.

One of her cadets spoke. "Isn't this a job for security to investigate."

Vanessa responded. "We have to ask questions, Concerning the Ferengi Survivor's quite insidious plan here. I believe this ferengi woman's actions was not endorsed by the alliance. As such.. if sensational rumors of genocide surfaced, it would raise tensions between the Ferengi and the Gorn. This report, by a third party, will help verify the later investigations into what happened here. The Gorn do not want a war with the Ferengi, and vice verse. Wars are expensive cadet. Wars are things no nation-state wants to be involved in, and this will help ensure there are no vague unanswered questions that could cause a calamity."

" I'm assure we will find out ssshe'sss a ferengi free trader. " The gorn said calmly as he walked over. He'd seen the imagesss of the ferngi ship. It would take weeks to clean out the junk. A task the gorn would have to manage. " Though grave robbing is a life imprisonment offenssse in the hegonomy. "

Vanessa responded. "Still, a through report of what happened here will do much to preserve the integrity of both parties. The Ferengi shy away from war, and the Gorn Hegemony's pragmatism prefers stability over confrontation. " Vanessa noted. "The Gorn are reasonable when they want to be. But fierce when they need to be. Reminds me of a certain doctor I know."

Imik now spotted Lady Vanessa, "Legate, I note you have brought some Cadets. May I enquire why this is so?"

Vanessa responded. "They're learning not to take anything for granted Legate." She noted. "When you have two people in a room. One of them making very serious accusations against each other, things can spiral out of control quickly. We've had a virus unleashed on a planet. Along with the Ferengi moving in to desecrate a Gorn Burial site, and to top that off; a Temporal Incident. This is going to cause a lot of questions when the Hegemony finds out about this. To start.. The Gorn will want a resolution, this incident will be inconvenient for them, and they don't want an incident becoming a diplomatic crisis. We need to make sure it was the work of Criminals. Or anything could happen once we inform the Gorn and the Ferengi what happened." Vanessa noted. "People have gone to war for less rational reasons, Imik."

Imik nodded as Vanessa spoke, "As an Ojnas, I understand your point of view. It is hard to believe that one persons actions, has resulted in this harm to both population and planet."


Sthilg walked over to the landed runabouts and smiled at the sight of Miraj looking rather worried about the remains of the ring being loaded into the runabouts. "Don't worry my dear everything will be fine."

"I want all the pieces of the thing in one runabout, and everyone else in the other one. If that thing does a thing, then I want to minimise casualties."

The gorn nodded. " Sounds good Miraji. "

Liam was standing by, feeling a bit uncomfortable as well. "Forgive me for saying this, Doc, but...wouldn't it be better if I just armed a dozen satchel charges and atomized that thing? What possible good could come from keeping it? Let alone, bringing it up to the ship? What if, what happened to the Capetown, happens to the Elysium, Sir?" His eyes grew a bit wider, as he pictured Samaire's and Skylah's beautiful faces. "There're families up there!"

" Including mine." The gorn calmly reminded him. " We have no idea what an explosion would do to it. For all we know an explosssion could ssset if off again. Have faith in our friendsss from temporal investigationsss will know how to dispose of it properly."

“Faith and family are two of the most important things in the universe,” Victor replied, “And all of you are family.”

" Indeed lieutenant." the gorn responded looking over

Rin refrained from saying anything. Sthilg was correct in that they really didn't know anything about the gate or what blowing it up would do. And it didn't sit well with her that their mystery assailant clearly had knowledge of her and others and suggested they had crossed paths in his past - and assumedly her future, as she had no memory of it. Could that be avoided? Temporal mechanics were complicated and she was no expert. And perhaps the machine had nothing to do with future encounters. They just didn't have enough data to make predictions, so she wordlessly helped move the pieces into the runabout.

" Everything okay my friend." The gorn said walking over to Rin giving her a gentle ressuring squeeze on the shoulder

"Yup. Just don't like knowing what we're dealing with," Rin replied matter-of-factly. "It seems clear this won't be our only encounter."

The gorn nooded. " Indeed the prossspect of running into that thing again in not a pleasssent one. When we get back to the ssship would you look over the namesss and locations he mentioned? If we are to meet him again it would be nice to know to bring a big gun."

"Of course. He sounded like I may have to learn ancient Babylonian."

The gorn gave one of his reptilian chukles. " It'sss odd I alwaysss wanted to vissst Babylon. The ssstart of medicle and sssceince that would lead mankind to the ssstarsss. In fact, a friend gave me a replica cuneiform tablet I'll have to ssshow it you when we get back to the ssship."

"Why the fondness for human history?" Rin asked as she continued moving pieces.

" I'm interested in everyone my dear. You ssshould ssstop by my quatersss and sssee my library." The doctor replied with a warm smile as he picked up another large stone and placed it in the runabout.

Victor shrugs a bit. “Just as long as history is not rewritten.” He paused for a moment. “You know, when someone time travels. Thought I interject a little temporal humor.”

" Don't worry lieutenant we only teach them how to build laser riflesss." the gorn joked with a smile. Walking over to Taylor he gave the commander as smile. " Can you finisssh up here commander? I'd like to head down the mountain and bury my village." he asked hopefully.

Dr. Katherine Taylor approached Sthilg. "I want to come with you Doctor Sthilg.. You should not do this task alone." Vanessa nodded as well. "As will I. This time, we will ensure the burial grounds are in no way tampered with."

" Thank you to the both of you." Sthilg replied with a warm smile on his face.

“How many of us do you need?” Victor asked. “I could come as well?”

" I could ussse all the help I can take Victor." Sthilg replied warmly.

Damien had been helping load things into the shuttle, keeping one ear on the conversations that had been taking place around him. When he heard the Gorn's plan, he quickly excused himself from the shuttle, walking over to the small group. "I'd like to offer my services as well, if needed, Commander."

Gary nodded to Damien, "Glad to have you and we'll take all the help we can get."

" Thank you, commander and your help will be appreciated, Damien. " The gorn said as he lead the way down the mountain. It didn't take them as long to head down the mountain until the small village crept into view with the sun rising behind it. The gorn let out a sigh as the Ferengi shuttle and the load of looted items filled his sight. " They didn't dessserve this." he said weakly

"No one deserves this." Gary said from Sthilg's side..

The gorn could feel tears in his eyes, but he shook his head. He had work to do. " Okay everyone let'sss ssstart sssorting this messss out. Ussse your ssscanners to identify which bitsss belong to which individual."

“Can I offer some emotional support?” The familiar figure of Alicia appeared at her father’s side. “I know you said to stay aboard ship but I thought you’d need me.”

Sthilg was about to berate her but simply walked over and hugged his daughter. " Thank you my dear." He said softly

Alicia hugged her father, she could feel how upset he was but he was holding it inside in order to get the job done. “I’ll be right here to support you father.”

" Thank you my dear." he said before turning to look at the rest of them. " Thank you all of you. There ssshould be sssome sssheetsss in my old houssse if the crabsss haven't eaten them."

Alicia took hold of her father’s arm for support as they made their way towards his home. She was curious to say the least, but she knew how hard it would be for Sthilg, especially when it came to leaving his homeworld again.

The gorn could remember his old home. Like all the other buildings it was a squat concert building with an airlock like door. Though like the others it had been clearly vandalised and looted. Stepping inside the gorn felt sick at the sight.

Doing his best to quiet the thoughts running through his head he opened the cargo door to the houses storage area. Anything valuable had been removed yet the large canvas reels were still there. Picking them up the gorn carried them out before laying them on the ground. " Cut a sssection and ussse it to wrap the bonessss." He explained to his friends.

Alicia took a moment to motion her father to one side, having sensed his distress at seeing his home looted. “Are you okay?” She offered a caring smile. “I can feel how much seeing your home like this distresses you, is there anything we can do? Maybe find a few belongings that are left to take back to the ship?”

" A few, but right now we need to get everyone assorted out and into the correct gravesss." The gorn said a after a short while as he sorted his head out.

Alicia stepped up to help. “I’ll cut the material for you.” She wanted to help as much as she could but she wasn’t up to doing a lot of bending so soon. She found a place to sit and started sorting pieces of the material.

The old doctor nodded as he and the team got to work. It was hard as even after all this time he could recognise every bone. A tear, smile and voice he'd thought lost yet it all came back. Healer was hard to see again. Her skull smashed to bits so the vermin could steal her fillings. Yet still they worked wrapping the biones and returning them to the ground.

Soon only one was left. Looking down into the skull of his father the gorn started speaking. " Hello, father. long time no sssee. Thisss isss Alicia my daughter." he said putting his arm around his adopted daughter.

Alicia offered a supportive smile as she looked at her father, before looking back at the remains of his father. “Hello, Grandfather.”

" You'd be ssso proud of her dad. I hope you're looking out for her as you are for me." The gorn quietly said as he began to wrap his father's bones in his old military jacket. Saying a prayer to the all mother he wrapped that into a tight bundle before lowering it into the grave. The starfleet ensign who shared his grave was lowered in next.

" I hope mom underssstandsss." The gorn chuckled as he took the shovel and began to cover the bones in the earth. After that, he patted it down hard to ensure it would remain undisturbed. Taking in the sight of the now peaceful graveyard he let out a sigh as with a crash of lightning a small shower began to patter the earth.

" I misss you all every day." He said into his helmet as he burned the image into his mind. " Be at peace with the all mother."

He let the planet wind blow dust against him for what felt like an eternity as he felt the ages of his life flow through him. He was an old man looking at the ghost of the past. After hearing a voice and a hand on his shoulder he nodded replying with a. " Yesss I'm okay. Let'sss go home." he said remembering his promise to his grandchildren to read to them.

As he headed for the runabout his white eyes gazed over to the small crowd of crabs that had gathered to continue feasting on the synthetic protein. Pausing the big gorn turned and headed to the small head. With a flick of a switch, the machine roared into life. Who was he to deny them their food?

Heading for the runabout the big gorn took one last look at the village. " I'll sssee you sssonner thisss time. " He said softly before climbing in the runabout.

Time to head home.