"Reaching Out"
By: Commander Lyrr Tayla
Ensign Marp
Lieutenant Derran Casey
Lieutenant j.g. Tchalla Mel'Chir

Location: Shuttle Gagarin
Stardate 57911.02, 02h00

***

Hours into the flight, with all quiet, Lyrr Tayla allowed herself a moment's rest, but she refused to sleep. Perhaps it was the cabin full of officers she barely knew, or the distance from Ben, but Lyrr felt anxious even closing her eyes. Sleep would be out of the question, for Lyrr refused to make herself vulnerable...especially with Lieutenant Casey roaming freely. He'd flirted with every woman aboard the shuttle thus far, and succeeded with none, his actions only serving to reaffirm Lyrr's misgivings regarding the man's actual abilities as an officer. The report she composed to Matt upon their return would be less than glowing.

Lulled by the engines' low rumble, Lyrr's head rolled back against her seat and for a moment she forgot where she was; Ben's arms were closing around her, would protect her as she slept, and Lyrr nearly succumbed to her fatigue. A chirp from the forward console shattered the illusion and jerked Lyrr awake. She sat stiffly upright and adjusted her tunic to eliminate all signs of her momentary lapse. Clearing her throat, she nodded to Marp. "What is it?"

Marp tapped his console. A message had arrived from the Sulu. "A message for you from the Sulu, sir," said Marp.

"Is it the captain?" Lyrr asked, and sat up straighter. Had something happened on Castari Alpha?

"No, sir, it's Lieutenant Commander T'Kal," said Marp as he directed the message to her station.

Her fears magnified and her imagination ran rampant with all manner of catastrophes that could have befallen him. Allowing her cynicism to get the better of her, Lyrr activated the message with no thought to what might have truly been on it, and who would be listening. She would regret that the moment those dulcet notes lilted from the speakers and Ben's soothing voice crooned that hauntingly beautiful melody.

Caught off guard by the actual content of the message, Lyrr sat frozen in shock, then came embarrassment once the heartfelt words of his song acquired comprehension, followed by mortification in realizing it was all being overheard by the rest of the shuttle crew. Lyrr only displayed a moment's lack of composure as she swiftly deactivated the playback with a slap. Her expression remained neutral and unaffected, but her blushing cheeks made it impossible to hide her dismay.

As she listened to the song, despite the fact that she knew it was private and she shouldn't, Tchalla couldn't help but nearly swoon at the beautiful song that Lieutenant Commander T'Kal sang for Commander Lyrr. She quickly turned away, not wanting to intrude on the message that should have been private. As she returned her thoughts to sensors and working, she couldn't stop herself from wondering whether Dwayne would ever do the same for her, or Kelli.

Derran Casey grinned from his seat as Lyrr seemed to be furiously embarrassed. The usually stoic Lyrr was blushing and the security officer watched her dismay with relish. It wasn't often that a junior officer witnessed a senior get so publicly embarrassed. He had to admit, she looked quite delectable.

It seemed that everyone was suddenly very busy with different things, all trying to keep the grins and smiles away from their faces and no one, not even Casey looked at her.

Marp had learned long ago that he could not judge others by Ferengi standards. By Ferengi standards the song was dreadful, however, by Human, or Bajoran standards it was quite passable. He watched the blush slowly creep into Lyrr's face. Remembering his earlier decision to try to stay on her good side Marp said nothing, averted his gaze and worked the helm controls.

After a restorative, deep breath, Lyrr coolly and calmly retrieved the datapad resting beside her right hand on the console. She dared any of them to even crack a smile. With the message downloaded to the device, then meticulously erased from the shuttle's computer, Lyrr rose and strode imperiously to the rear cabin with her nose upturned haughtily. She made eye contact with none of the officers as she passed, and hoped she appeared at least moderately unaffected by the earlier scene. It was difficult, for Lyrr had no control over the blood rushing to her cheeks. Unconsciously, her gait hastened until she had turned the corner and disappeared into the refresher.

"Ahhh true love... " Casey grinned. "Ain't it something?" He chortled to himself and cast a wink at Mel'chir.

Something in his tone, something in the way his body sat, something in the patterns of energy that surrounded him, sparked within Tchalla. While she had trouble at times understanding the human concept of sarcasm, she recognized it here. The words he spoke ran contrary to his feelings. She sensed a bitterness, a need to make fun and seek to inflame the pain that had been brought on by the sudden rush of emotions in a public venue for Lyrr. She could relate completely to the commander's predicament; were Dwayne and Kelli thoughtful enough to put her in the same position, Tchalla knew she would have reacted the same. She narrowed her eyes at him, an indication she understood the truth beneath his words. "It's something you will undoubtedly never experience," she said softly. "Spiteful, hateful people such as yourself are incapable of loving, and incapable of receiving that love in return. I pity you." With that, she turned her attention back to the telemetry data coming in from the probes and sensors. She smiled inwardly, knowing that the only thing that would have felt better than her frosty words would be to punch him in the nose. And, there was still plenty of time for that, the mission was just beginning.

Now seated on the waste disposal receptacle, Lyrr listened at the door for any who might be attempting to eavesdrop, even through the soundproof material. For added assurance, she altered the padd's volume output to its lowest setting and brought the device to her ear. Lyrr activated the message finally. Ben's resonant voice wrapped her in warmth and comfort, and his verse touched Lyrr more deeply than she imagined anything could. Fighting back tears as the song's last strains ended and Ben expressed his love, Lyrr hugged the padd to her chest and let the song play once more.

Why had she ever doubted him, and allowed others to convince her she should? It had been all too clear before, but now Lyrr had no idea what her reasoning had been to suspect something was amiss with their relationship. If only she could tell Ben how stupid she had been...but what could she say? How could she put her thoughts into words that would express how she truly felt, when it was always so difficult to let her emotions pour out?

Lyrr only recalled one occasion where her inhibitions had ceased to become a hindrance to exposing raw, naked emotion, and she had been deathly ill at the time. And the message she had composed to Ben on that day was something Lyrr didn't think she could ever recreate. She decided not to try. Still holed up in the refresher, Lyrr prompted the computer, then let out a deep breath. "Establish a subspace link to the Sulu, authorization Lyrr Alpha 559."

The computer chimed, then announced, "Link complete. Access is limited to non-essential systems and files."

"Good. Computer, record message and append to file 'Ben 001', then override scheduled delivery date. Send it to Lieutenant Commander T'Kal as soon as transmission is complete."

After complying, the computer chirped to indicate readiness. Lyrr smiled faintly as she began speaking. "I know I'm hardly a poet and nothing I say could ever compare to that song I just heard...but I hope this message at least comes close." She paused and held the padd more tightly against her bosom. "I love you," she whispered. "And I'll be home soon."

With a gentle sigh, she ended the recording and hoped it would find its way safely to Ben, just as she would in less than a week.

Time seemed to suddenly grind to a halt at the thought of how long they would be apart. Lyrr replayed the message once more to console herself.

"Message In A Bottle"
By: Lt. Commander Benedict T'Kal
Commander Lyrr Tayla

Location: Ben's Quarters, USS Sulu
Stardate: 57911.02, 02h32

***

The chirping sounded again. Benedict opened an eye and reached out a groggy hand and slapped the small terminal at the head of his bed. "What?" he asked a little harshly and groggily.

"Message transmission from Gagarin; Commander Lyrr Tayla." The computer's voice was as smug as ever, but it did wake Benedict. He sat up in bed and ran a hand through his hair, feeling it dampened by sweat. There was a faint memory of a dream that hovered at the edge of his perception, and he knew it had been disquieting. He frowned and shook his head of the cobwebs and looked at the time; after two in the morning. He wondered if Tayla was able to sleep...she'd been in his dream...something about Hadek. Even the thought made him clench a fist. He sighed and swung his legs to the floor before ordering the illumination up to twenty percent in his quarters. He blinked when the lights came on and ordered the computer to play the message.

Lyrr's voice came out of the speaker and it seemed soft, yet filled with emotion, and Benedict's attention to it was riveted from the first word.

"I know I'm hardly a poet and nothing I say could ever compare to that song I just heard...but I hope this message at least comes close." She paused for a moment. "I love you," she whispered. "And I'll be home soon." With a gentle sigh the computer beeped and began another recording.

Benedict was smiling and his hand unconsciously touched the terminal as if he was trying to touch her, yet at the next sound he frowned and his breath caught in his throat.

Hoarse, shallow breathing filled the silence. Benedict was so familiar with the sound of her very breath that it was clearly identifiable as Lyrr's. There was a pause as she swallowed, then a short gasp for air when her breathing resumed; her agony was obvious in the very struggle to inhale, but she seemed to overcome it when her weak voice finally emerged from the sickly rasp of congested lungs. His name was the first word to be spoken: "Ben..."

His mind raced with what this was, and then he knew...she had recorded this while he was away; on the station in the alternate universe while she struggled here on the Sulu. They all thought that she was going to die, and even Benedict didn't hold much hope of his own survival on the station. He listened to every sound with a dread fascination, but knew that it couldn't be bad, or she wouldn't have sent it now. She must have cancelled its transmission when she knew she was going to live...

There was a wan chuckle followed by a rheumy cough. Lyrr sighed, relieved that it was a short bout. "Things...they aren't so good, Ben," she struggled to say. "I'm...I'm dying. But that's not the worst part. It's that I'll never see you again...never touch you, never--" There was an audible shudder, then a strangled sob as Lyrr tried to hold herself together. Her voice was thick with emotion and pain when it returned. "Prophets, we didn't get much time together, did we? But you know...it was almost enough, Ben. I-I've never been happier, and that's more than I could have asked for. I just wish," she whispered, "we could've made it to Bajor. I wish you could've married me, Ben. And..."

Benedict felt the constriction in his throat and the almost overwhelming emotion that came with it. She thought that she was dying and these were to be her last words. He almost died himself; leaving her alone to face the future without him. He was ashamed of it now...ashamed that he'd been foolish, yet in that act he'd freed himself to be with her too. Good and bad.

Again there was a quiver in her voice. "And if there was any chance of me getting through this alive...I would marry you in a second, nevermind Bajor or the Prophets. I would've done it right now. That...that's the depth of my love for you. And no matter who would stand in our way...and who would try to convince me we aren't right for one another...I'd still do it, Ben." A sob escaped and soon regressed to convulsive weeping as Lyrr's self-control fled. She was barely coherent when she spoke again. "This isn't fair. We were just getting started. We'd only just begun to live, Ben - both of us. Our hearts have been dead so long...we deserved this chance for them to feel again."

He hung his head and covered his face with his hands at her crying. The tears came easy, he cried with her, and was deeply angry that Catherine Page had done this to her. His rage was buried, but it was still alive. Someday...and he shook his head. No. There would be no someday. It was past; gone and dead. Revenge was an old habit; a habit he'd break.

Lyrr coughed uncontrollably, and there was the thump of an object toppling from the desk and hitting the ground. It seemed minutes later before she could find her voice once more. "Oh Prophets," she gasped. "You've lost so many people, Ben. I don't want you to grieve for another, for me. Just...just go on. You have Tebrianne again...don't let her go. And don't let guilt stop you from finding love with her again. You have so much love to give...you can't let your heart whither and die because you're afraid to love another. I learned that...from you." He could hear her smiling now, even if he couldn't see it. "You breathed life into me. I was content to be alone forever...I just didn't know that wasn't what I truly wanted, not until I met you. I know now that...that I wasn't living, that I'd died long ago. And that you saved me from that life of misery. And if I could give you one thing in return...it would be anything you wanted. Anything at all."

"I already have what I want, Love," he whispered to the recording. His own voice was thick with emotion.

A sudden, sharp gasp ripped from her throat, alluding to the pain seizing her body. Lyrr wept violently, incapable of controlling her anguish. "I love you," she rasped. "If there was ever any doubt...there shouldn't be now. I love you and I know you feel the same. And maybe now...you'll paint a picture of me, too, hm?" Lyrr chuckled weakly. "Goodbye, T'Kal. I wouldn't take back anything we've done, not even the tears. Any moment spent with you should be cherished. And it was." There was a long pause, again the sound of her laboured breathing filled the silence. "Yoed keldar pagh, Tikaru. Be brave. Lyrr...out."

"I will, Love," he answered her. Her light did shine upon him. "Yoed keldar pagh, Lyrr," he said as he stored the transmission. The room seemed a lot emptier now. His bed similarly empty. Her request to pursue Tebrianne after her death was something he would never have believed of her. Certainly Benedict wouldn't have done that. It wasn't the same anymore, there were too many bad memories and experiences between them.

He laid back against the bed and stared at the ceiling for a while. The tears were still flowing and he didn't mind. She'd said that she would have married him and he wondered if she still would. Things were a lot clearer now for Benedict. Her instinct to try a separation had hurt, yet he saw the wisdom in it too. She did need to stand on her own two feet. That was a strong part of Tayla's personality. She was too proud to stoop to asking for help, and if he'd forced it upon her she would have rebelled.

He wiped the tears away and sighed. "Only the first night..." he said to himself. "Bloody hell, why did Salinger let her go?" He shook his head and smiled. "Lyrr had demanded it that's why - to not go meant showing weakness. And you can't be weak can you, Love?" he asked of the ceiling.

It took him a long time to get to sleep after that, but the dream didn't come back.

"Mad Scramble"
By: Ensign Mark Thaine
Various Castari

Location: USS Sulu
Stardate 57911.02, 13h55

***

It was easy enough to blend in with the other Castari, for their traditional robes seemed all the same to the foreigners. But when standing beside those of the Sulu, despite their physical similarities, the Castari's wardrobe made it difficult to simply get lost among the very few officers still remaining aboard. But, with a toolkit in hand and the appropriate blue robe that identified one as a Castari engineer, it was less than a challenge to gain access aboard. Finding the other Castari, however, would definitely be one.

***

Mark Thaine prowled Main Engineering, like one of the large cats from Earth, patrolling their territory. He paused, frowning, and watched a pair of the blue robed Castari at work. The Chief Engineer looked as if he'd found intruders in his domain and was powerless to remove them.

It wasn't an entirely inaccurate description.

Command had tied his hands in this matter, thanks to the wonders of 'diplomacy' (another of Thaine's pet hates), into finding non-dangerous and non-insulting tasks for the Castari repair team. Finding these tasks was probably taking more time than if he'd simply done the job himself. And the constant (and discreet) monitoring of their work meant even more time being taken off repairs and onto other tasks. He'd even taken the time to set up the console in his quarters to monitor all their access to the various ship systems.

One of the Castari glanced toward him, and Thaine looked away, resuming the walk to his office. There was no point making them nervous, especially not when he could monitor all their activities without them realising, including the ones not stationed in Main Engineering.

He reached his console to find more than a few messages and reports waiting for him, which took a while to read-through and clear. But when he finally managed to bring up the display of systems access for the Castari engineering team, his brow furrowed in annoyance. The ones he'd sent to deal with problems in the anti-gravity on deck six (despite his better judgement) had removed a panel leading to the power grid!

Fuming, Thaine left Main Engineering, to sort out the problem himself. And to hell with diplomacy!

***

The anti-gravity systems on deck six were tucked away in an intersection of the Jefferies tubes. When Thaine arrived, peering through the access port, he could see the three Castari engineers; one working aside from the others.

He was about to speak, when his mind jolted him into alertness. Two in main engineering, and three down here. How many Castari were there on board?

One of them looked toward him. Thaine gave him a nod. "Keep up the work," he said, as he moved back into the tube, and shut the access port leading to them.

There were only supposed to be four of them on board.

Before he was halfway down the tube, his commbadge chirped and a voice issued from it. "Lieutenant, we've detected an unauthorized attempt to access junction 4G - where you've posted some of the Castari. Commander Lyrr instructed security to remain alert to any suspicious activity on their part.... Are they following your orders, Lieutenant?"

Thaine paused for a moment, before answering. "Tell security to stand by. I'll check it out." With slight trepidation, Thaine opened the access port once again, and took in the scene before him.

The blonde haired engineer he didn't recognize as having arrived with the first group was persistently tapping and hammering at the console with his fist. When that failed, he proceeded to wedge his fingernails into the seam made by the two doors sealing the hatch and began pulling. Of course, the doors refused to budge.

"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Thaine, deciding he'd waited long enough.

The young man turned at the sound and emitted a startled expression in his foreign tongue. Wasting not another moment, he pushed away from the wall and leapt for the ladder connecting to the upper level. He scrambled up the rungs, kicking loose a sandal in the process. Its landing echoed in the alcove.

Thaine swore, loudly. Quickly, he hurried through the hatch and after the man. The pair of genuine Castari engineers looked on in puzzlement as he crawled past them, grabbed the ladder, and began to climb after the intruder.

"Ani'd a pha!" the young man shouted down from the heights, though to whom he spoke was unclear since the UT was incapable of translating. Another sandal slipped from his foot and sailed down towards Thaine. It slapped him on the forehead as he looked up.

Letting out a shout of surprise and frustration of his own, Thaine flung the sandal away and scrambled up at after the intruder. He arrived at the top in time to see another access port automatically shutting, and a brief, fleeting glimpse of blue from behind it.

He hurried through the port himself, and then stopped as a thought occurred to him. "The hell am I doing?" he asked the universe at large, and shook his head ruefully. He should have thought of this sooner. "Computer, activate forcefields thirty six Delta, one, three and five." With those forcfields up, the man in the Castari robes would have all his potential routes blocked.

"Alright, whoever you are," growled Thaine under his breath, as he began crawling through the access port. It opened automatically for him with a hiss. "This time I've got you."

The young man started at his appearance and wedged himself into the corner of the junction. He was speaking frantically in the same foreign language as previously heard, but his true fear was only apparent when he removed a spanner from his belt and flung it at Thaine. "Do not hurt!" the blonde haired Castari pleaded in his thick accent. He held his hands over his face protectively. "I am lost!"

"You're lost on my damned ship!" Thaine caught the instrument this time, and threw it against the side of the tube walls. "Sabotaging my repairs? Sneaking on board?"

"No!" he insisted. "No sabotage. Looking...that is all!"

Thaine shook his head in annoyance, and tapped his comm-badge. "Thaine to security. I've got an intruder cornered between Jefferies tube access junction 4G and 5E. Get someone down here."

"Aye, sir," replied Ensign Palil, and just as the transmission was severed, a crazed screamed ripped from the Castari's throat.

He rushed Thaine, who was caught offguard and could only stumble backwards to evade the young man. But seeking escape, and his only avenue being blocked by the engineering chief, the Castari was quick to bowl Thaine over, then throw himself into the Jefferies tube. He didn't stay behind long enough to see the engineering officer fall backwards and crack his head on a shallow ledge projection from the nearest bulkhead. Thaine was out cold before he even hit the ground, while the oblivious Castari continued his mad scrambled through the ship's tubes, seeking his way to the planet's surface once again.

"Orion In the Sky"
By Adora Arroway

Location: U.S.S Sulu
Stardate 57911.02, 15h55

***

Adora sat in her quarters and sipped a hot cup of tea. Her time on Sulu thus far had been uneventful. She had not been given a heavy case load and her patients thus far were still warming up to her. The Captain was a nice enough man, and she hadn't met the XO.

Adora sat and looked out the window in her quarters. The stars were so beautiful, and a wave of relaxation and peace rippled through her. She was feeling a little down having not made any real friends or connections since her arrival. The only transmission she had received came from Admiral Janeway. It was nothing fancy just a congrats on landing the Assistant job and hoped things were going well in the Gamma quadrant. Her time with the Voyager crew on their return to earth had been one of the most rewarding in her career. She was glad to have been such a help. Recently she had wondered why she was in counselling, since that she didn't seem to be really touching anyone. The Sulu was a very cold ship, and being alone is what Adora was getting used to. She thought maybe she should go back to medicine. Be a doctor full-time again.

What would happen.

"Shattered Diplomacy"
By: Captain Matthew Salinger
Raj Daheel
Der-Raj Monil
Faelen Metah

Location: Castari Alpha
Stardate 57911.02, 16h15

***

Captain Matthew Salinger stood in the lobby of the building that looked like every other building he'd been in on Castari Alpha. This one, however, was where the offices for all government officials were located. In particular, the floor upon which he stood was the one that housed the offices of the Raj and Der-Raj. Matt unclasped his hands from behind his back and turned away from the large window that overlooked the beach below. He'd been standing and waiting in the office for nearly twenty minutes. Relations with the Castari leaders had cooled significantly over the last couple days, though the people seemed as friendly as ever.

A sound behind him brought Matt's attention around as the door in the far wall opened.

The ubiquitous Faelen Metah was there to greet him, but his normally cheerful demeanour had sombered considerably. He gave a stiff bow. "They will see you now, Captain. Though," he confided, lowering his voice, "I would refrain from being too outwardly irreverent with the Rajs today. They are not in the best of moods."

"Neither am I," Matt said, "so I'm sure we'll all get along swimmingly." He gestured toward the office. "Should I just go in, or will you announce me?"

Metah sniffed and upturned his nose at Matt. "You will follow me." Then he pivoted on one slippered heel and shuffled towards the office. His attitude had definitely changed markedly, for any offense taken by his Rajs was an offense made upon him. And he let Matt know it. With the doors opened wide, Metah stepped to one side and announced Matt.

The Rajs both looked up from their cups of steaming brew and bowed their heads. "You may leave us, Metah. Captain, you may approach."

Matt took a moment to meet the gaze of each Raj before starting forward. The set of his jaw and shoulders made it clear he wasn't here on a social call. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice," he said.

"We were glad to make such an allowance for you," Daheel replied without intonation. He was stirring a brilliantly gold spoon in slow circles around his tea. "Is this about your Ensign Marp? Has he returned to face our questioning?"

"He is still investigating the nebula with the shuttle team," Matt said. "This is actually pertaining to another matter. A number of your people with technical skills have been assisting in the repair of the Sulu. One of the people on the team attacked my Chief Engineer. Lieutenant Thaine insists that the young man was attempting to sabotage repairs."

Daheel and Monil paused over their cups, then the former set his down. He folded his hands neatly upon his lap before responding. "Does this Thaine have a description of the man, Captain?"

"He's got better," Matt said, and held up an isolinear chip. "Our internal security systems recorded him."

The two Rajs flashed each other looks. "We will review your recording," Daheel said curtly. "You may leave us, Captain. This is now a Castari matter."

"It involves one of my people and my ship," Matt said. "This is a joint Castari-Federation matter."

"Captain Salinger," Monil said, his mouth a hard, angry slash, "the matter will be resolved internally. Your crew will no longer have any cause to fear from ours."

"They never had any to begin with," Daheel corrected, glaring at his fellow leader. "There was never an instance of such violence before their people arrived. I fear their influence has become a negative one."

"Don't talk like I'm not here," Matt said. "If you wish for us to leave, say so. My people don't desire any harm for yours. We like this place, your people. But, I can't help feeling as if something isn't quite right here, that we're not being told everything." Matt inserted the chip into a holo-imager and held it up. With a press of a button, the Castari attacker on the Sulu was revealed in holographic form. "There he is."

Daheel's face showed recognition first. "Ha'sha!" he spat and threw an angry sneer in Monil's direction. "This is your doing, you realize."

"My doing!? Mine? It is his influence in this, just as it has always been," Monil answered in a frosty tone. "Captain, I really must insist that you allow us to handle this as a Castari matter. We will report to you fully with the results."

"No," Matt said. "You've got secrets you're trying to hide, skeletons in your closet, and I'm not going to just let you slip away from this. This is a matter that affects both of our people, and we'll take care of it together. Your planet isn't as idyllic as you'd lead us to believe, but no planet is. If there's any way we can help, please...let us assist you."

"But this truly is an internal matter, Captain," Daheel insisted. "And...a rather personal one. We would prefer to deal with it on our own."

"It ceased to be an internal matter," Matt began, "when one of your people attacked one of mine."

"I'm afraid now is not the time to divulge anything to you, Captain," Daheel managed almost politely. "We must handle this on our own for the time being...but rest assured your officer's injury will not be forgotten."

Matt frowned, but knew there would be nothing else he could do. There would be no higher authority to which he could appeal. "I want to be kept informed of all progress," Matt said. "I don't want to be left out of this, not when it's a member of my crew involved. I'll let you handle the investigation, but I don't want to be left in the dark."

"You will be informed of anything pertaining to this matter - and only this matter," Daheel stressed. "I hope that is satisfactory."

"It will have to be," Matt said. "You haven't left me much choice in the matter, so I'll go along with it. Please see that nothing is left out. And during the investigation, I believe we'll need to cut back on the number of Castari with access to my ship."

"I assure you, it will not happen again," Daheel told Matt. "Your people are safe in the presence of my own. This was simply an unfortunate...oversight."

"Of course," Matt said, "but we never can be too cautious, can we?"

The Raj's gaze darkened. "Of course."

"Will there be anything else," Matt asked as he looked between the two. "I'm certain it may be possible to salvage some sort of amicable relationship out of this when the dust clears."

"I hope that is so, Captain," Daheel answered, and bowed his head in dismissal.

"It was...good to see you again, Captain Salinger," Monil said, through gritted teeth. He bowed his head and turned away, clearly indicating that the meeting was at an end.

Matt watched both of them for another moment, then turned and left. Their stay on Castari Alpha wouldn't end soon enough, he decided. Xayella was more than right. "Salinger to Sulu," he said after tapping his communicator. "Step up repair efforts, pull in additional help as needed. Salinger out."