ON
As soon as Lukas was certain they were no longer in danger, he rose
from the bed he had been forced into, wrapped himself in the blanket
which had been on the bed and walked out to the main room of their
current sanctuary. The woman who had originally helped them turned
from the window.
"I'm sorry, Commodore," she said, looking at Lukas. "if we embarrassed
you or members of your party, but it was the fastest way I could think
to hide you."
"It is alrahght," Lukas said, understandingly. He knew that sometimes,
drastic measures needed to be taken. "Whah do these people hate
Statfleet? And whah..." Lukas stopped mid-sentence as a thought
ocurred to him. "You called me Commodore. You recognise our rank
pins?"
"E-excause me, ma'am," Rommie said,
trying to get out from under the woman whom had chosen him. He heard
the commodore's voice and figured it was now safe to go out. He, too,
grabbed the blanket off the bed and walked to the outer room.
"I .... I am totally sorry," Malachi said
quickly. He moved to a sitting position on the bed and covered himself
with his hands. He looked around the room for something more to cover
up with.
"It's okay," the woman said soothingly. "It is understandable and
flattering. Don't worry." She ran her fingers under Mal's chin as she
rose and crossed to the chest of drawyers on the opposite wall. She
reached in and pulled out a pair of short pants from one of the
drawyers. "Here. Put these on. It is more to what boys of your age
wear than your Federation clothing."
Mal quickly pulled them on and stood up. The pants were just a bit
loose around his waist, but they would do. He tried not to watch as
the woman pulled her own meager one piece dress over her head. They
walked back out to the main room.
"Yes, sir," the
woman said answering Lukas's question. The way she had said "Sir" was
more of one oficer to another. "I am quite familiar with Starfleet and
it's ranks." She looked one of the other women in the room. See if
there is any garb for the Commodore and lieutenant." As the woman
nodded and moved back into one of the rooms the woman in charge looked
back at Lukas.
"Mr. Haas?" Lukas asked. "Have you any ahdea what year we are in?
Did we go back in tahme? Forward?"
"As n-near as I can tell, sir," Rommie
said. He looked around for his tricorder and was quickly handed it by
one of the women. "We are still in our normal present-day. I do
believe th-the gateway was showing presnt time o-of this particular
planet."
"I can confirm
that, sir," Mal said. "I can still feel Mom, and don't ask me how, but
it just feels the same as always. I-I can also tell you we are not
anywhere near the ship, sir. I can not longer feel......anyone aboard."
He was going to say he could no longer feel Melody, but he wasn't sure
how his father felt about the two of them.
Lukas nodded. He made a mental note to try and learn
more about Mal's growing abilities. Now the problem came to be finding
out where they were. If the woman knew whom Starfleet was, maybe she
would know more about their planet and a possible way to contact the
Eagle.
"You came through a Gateway?" the woman asked.
"Yes," Lukas confirmed. "Something known as an Ahconian Gateway..."
"An Iconian Gateway?" the woman who had been with Malachi suddenly
asked. "I have .... or had been , studying them."
"And a gateway does explain how you were able to get here without being
destroyed," the woman in charge commented. She seemed a bit
disappointed at this discovery.
Now, the Eagle away team were all exchanging puzzled glances. Lukas
turned again, to the woman in charge. "How is it you know about
Starfleet. And who or what would have destroyed us had we come into
orbit under nromal conditions?"
"Well, sir," said the woman."It is because I am also, or was, a
Starfleet officer." She extended a hand. "Lt Commander Deelia Evans
of the U.S.S. Macedonia."
Rommie searched his memory. "The Macedonia?"
He finally asked. "Th-they went MIA, presumed destroyed, almost a year
and a half ago."
"No, Lieutenant," Evans said. "The Macedonia was not
destroyed. It is in one piece in orbit of this planet. It is ow
Captain Prentiss maintains rule over this planet and why the native
population hates Starfleet."
Off
Commodore Lukas Fyrstk
Commanding Officer
Lt. Roman Haas
2nd/OPS officer
Malachi Fyrstk
Science Officer-in-training
