Star Trek: Zeus(PG-13)

[Founder]

Chapter 10
M�Tress

Silence was the only thing that could be heard in the eerie corridors that the team skulked through. M�Tress, now helmet less like the others, could only smell death.

�I don�t know about you all,� Ensign Lee said, �But I can�t wait until we�re done with this mission.�

Another crewman, a Vulcan/Human hybrid named Tor Jell, nodded in full agreement, �I feel the same way. This station is really strange��

Ensign Rex, the Saurian assistant chief of engineering, looked at them and scolded, �Enough of that. Don�t focus on stupid things. Lets just get the parts and we leave.�

James chuckled at the idle banter but did not say anything. If M�Tress didn�t know any better, he could smell fear from James. Their SIM lights pierced the darkness ahead of them, allowing them to see where they were going. M�Tress, using his natural night vision, simply stared ahead and stopped.

�We�ve reached the engineering level,� He announced, �There are two doors. Which do we go into?�

James lifted up the hand held SIM beacon and shined it at the larger door, �I think that one is main engineering. The other door could possibly lead to a station of some sort. It could be used to power up the station, not an unusual design on most space stations. Crewman Jell, check the station and try and get main power back.�

�Aye sir.� He said, immediately moving towards the door.

M�Tress watched him walk over to the door and prepare to open it. He turned her head sharply in response to something he heard. His sensitive ears picked up something in the distance. He let out a growl and rushed down the corridor as fast as his EV suit would allow.

�M�Tress!?� James called out.

The large Catian bound down the corridor, following the voices that were screaming. As he continued running, the voices became much clearer. They went from being low sounding to high pitched screams, yelling for help. For a moment, he thought it was the others on the away team, somehow in danger. He suddenly stopped when he sniffed a familiar scent-Tulak�s. His eyes looked in the direction he smelled and saw a horrifying sight. The Vulcan commander was pinned against the wall, a blunt and sharp object was sticking out of his chest. M�Tress� feline eyes widened in horror at the sight of the body. The first officer had been brutally murdered, by an unknown assailant. He tapped his combadge quickly.

�M�Tress to Doctor Ut,� He said, �Medical emergency!�

Strangely enough, he had heard his voice from a nearby location. He quickly followed the source and saw doctor Ut sprawled out on the metallic floor. A large hole was in her stomach as well, although there was no object sticking out from it. He noticed the chief science officer�s body a few feet away from the doctor�s.

�M�Tress to the Zeus,� He said, �Medical emergency��

He shut his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief at the gruesome sight all around him, his crewmates�dead.

�Lieutenant?� A voice asked.

M�Tress� eyes shot open and looked up to see the Vulcan commander looking at him in curiosity. He rushed over to him, looking him over and trying to ascertain what was going on.

�You�re alive!� He yelled.

Tulak nodded his head, �It would appear so.�

�But I�� He said, pointing behind him only to find the corridor empty.

He shook his head in incredulity, not understanding what just occurred.

�Lieutenant?� Tulak asked.

M�Tress looked back at the first officer, �We should leave��

Chapter 11
James Graham

�Ok, on my mark,� He said while standing on the left side of the door, �1...2�3!�

He pulled back on the door using a device that stuck to the door and allowed him to slide the door open. The doors were half way open and that was satisfactory for James. He helped up his tricorder and began to scan the interior of the alien engineering.

�Chief!� Rex yelled, �I�m detecting a large amount of dilithium. All ours for the taking��

James pointed towards him, �Just remember be careful with the beam out. That stuff is volatile.�

�Aye sir.� The Saurian replied.

While James, Rex, and Jell worked on stripping main engineering clean, Ensign Lee was inside of an operations room, working to restore systems. He tried to figure out what system was which, not familiar with the alien technology. With a silent curse, he squatted under the console and prepared to try and force it to activate using his tricorder. His fingers felt around in the dark for a way to pry off the covering.

�Where are you�� He whispered to the console.

He jumped in surprise when the console suddenly lit up for no apparent reason. Lee stood up and stared down at the console, not understanding how it suddenly activated.

Tapping his combadge, he said, �Ensign Lee to the chief. You better come take a look at this��

�On my way.� The chief replied.

Lee noticed text slowly being type out and sent to his console from an unknown source. He stared down at the console and read the words�

James approached the door, clipping his tricorder to its holster, �Open the door Lee.�

He stared at the closed door, waiting for the young man to allow him passage. James banged his fist against the door, once more asking for entrance. He tapped his combadge, wondering if the man simply couldn�t hear him through the hull.

�Chief Graham to ensign Lee,� He said, �I�m here. Open the door.�

He waited for a response or for the doors to simply open but they didn�t. Concern began to grow on the man. First, M�Tress disappears and doesn�t respond to him and know the engineer is doing the same. James turned to get Rex to assist him with the door when he suddenly heard Lee�s blood curdling scream from the other side and the sound of glass shattering. James rushed back at the door, pulling out his phaser. He took a few steps backwards and fired at the door, slowly disintegrating the frame. Rex and Tor Jell rushed over to James, having heard the scream and phaser fire.

�What is going on?� Rex asked.

James held his phaser closely and stepped through the smoldering hole that was once a door. He gasped when he saw ensign Lee�s head plunged into a damaged console, his body hung slack over the side.

�Bloody hell�� James muttered.

Tor rushed over to his friend�s corpse and covered his mouth in revulsion. The young ensign had suffered a most painful death from an unknown source. James looked around with his tricorder, trying to detect if anyone else was in the room.

�I�m getting strange readings,� He said, �But I think we�re alone��

He felt a pang of guilt for Lee. James always felt responsible for his engineering staff, almost like a father, or in his case, grandfather figure. He tried to not think about what had happened. They had a mission to do for the Zeus and that was what would take precedence.

�Graham to Tulak,� He said, �We have an emergency near engineering.�

There was a sound of static from the other side of the comline and then suddenly, silence. As Graham turned to leave the room, all of the consoles in the room lit up and a message appeared on all of them. He squinted his eyes, straining to read the small text.

�What is that chief?� Rex asked.

Graham stared at the words, filled with dread.

�It�s a message�to us.� He said.

The same text continued to repeat�over and over.

�You�shouldn�t�have�come�here. Now I�ll kill you too��

[Founder]

Chapter 12
Janvi Varghese

The counselor was standing next to the captain�s chair, staring at the large station on the view screen. She didn�t know why or couldn�t put her finger on it, but she felt that there was something very wrong with the station. It was obvious everyone else on the bridge felt the same exact way. There was no hiding the tension that they all felt. The deserted station hung in space, with only the stars to keep it company. The ship had been orbiting the station for the past hour, waiting for some kind of word from the away team. They had lost contact with them when the station�s shields had come online.

�Well?� Cain asked Jenna.

She could only shake her head in return, having gained no new results.

�Shields are still up,� She reported, �I can�t make sense of any of these readings sir.�

Miguel looked back at the captain from his station, �We could fire on the station. Nothing too big, just a light hit to knock out the shields.�

Cain quickly shook his head, not liking the idea at all.

�Absolutely not,� He said, �We�d risk hurting them. A piece of the bulkhead could fly out and crush one of them for all I know. We�re certainly not doing anything like that. I want you all to keep scanning the shields and find another way.�

�Aye sir.� Miguel responded.

Janvi folded her arms and sighed in frustration at their situation. There had to be some kind of solution to this. She looked down to see her friend, the captain, cast a worried glance in the direction of the station. Her hand immediately touched his shoulder, trying to comfort him.

�I�m sure they�re ok,� She said, �The chief probably activated something and didn�t even realize it. You know him.�

Cain gave a weak smile and nodded, �I do know him and the man is meticulous to a T. I don�t think he would make such a�sloppy mistake.�

�Captain,� Jenna said, �Long rang sensors are detecting vessels dropping out of warp.�

Janvi looked down at the dark skinned woman and waited for her to report who it was that was approaching the ship.

�It�s a squadron of Qirate ships and they�re on an intercept course.� She reported gravely.

�Red alert!� Cain shouted, �Battle stations.�

Officers rushed about, moving towards their stations and preparing for the fight ahead. It was moments like these that Janvi hated the most. She felt so useless and wanted to do something to help, but at the moment, there was nothing for her to do but watch. She silently prayed that she did not have to relieve one of the crewmen at their stations�

Chapter 13
Z�jj �c�m����l�h�jj

Z�jj �c�m����l�h�jj floated at one of the view ports in the �Tranquil Nebula�, staring at the haunted station. He was obviously no stranger to these parts and knew everything about the Poverty Zone. Like most people, he knew better then to come near the station. Unfortunately, this ship-his new home, was desperate and needed to come there for supplies. He folded his small arms and sighed when he heard the loud red alert sirens. Officers rushed from their meals and ran out of the room towards their stations. Z�jj was glad they were gone, annoyed with the constant stares. He had almost sold several of the officers onboard the ship and they were not really happy with his presence. The alien was grateful the captain offered him a place to stay, despite what he had done. He didn�t know it, but captain Sebastian had saved Z�jj from a life of deficiency, one that had no future and a past that he could only regret. Z�jj promised to only help, not harm, the starship. A promise he intended to keep. After all, they were offering him a rather lavish room and food more times in one day that he had eaten in weeks.

�Another monument to this sector? A voice asked from behind him.

Z�jj flew backwards, while turning to face the source of the person speaking. He had recognized him as the owner of the restaurant.

�Not a monument,� He responded, �An evil place. We should not have come here.�

Kal walked up beside him, staring at the station that floated nearby. He motioned towards the loud sound of the sirens.

�So it seems,� He said, �Although if we don�t go to trouble, it comes to us. That�s the way it seems to me at least��

Z�jj slowly nodded in response, but didn�t say anything else. Kal leaned against the wall and continued to look at the outside space.

�Oh where are my manners,� He said, �My name is Kal...�

Z�jj�s wings fluttered as he flew in the air, �My name is Z�jj.�

�As you already know, I�m not from around here,� He said quietly, �What species are you?�

�J�mma,� He replied absent mindedly, focused more on the station then Kal, �My home world is at the edge of ISC space.�

Kal slowly nodded his head, acting like he was interested, �Fascinating. You wouldn�t happen to know any�lucrative business opportunities around here would you?�

Z�jj turned his head and looked back at the dark skinned Human. He wondered why the man was so inquisitive about his species and business around here. Kal was in for a surprise if he thought he could flourish economically in the Poverty Zone. He chuckled in a sardonic way.

�If I knew of business opportunities around here, would I have been barely making ends meet on some dead end, polluted, and over populated planet?� He asked.

Kal smiled, nodding in agreement, �Perhaps not, but if I should ever need information or your assistance, I hope that I could count on you. I�would repay you of course.�

Z�jj raised an eyebrow in mistrust and turned his head to the galley. He noticed a large alien with ridges on its head, staring back at him in almost foreboding way. His eyes quickly moved back to Kal.

�Of course�� He replied.

The man smiled and bowed his head just as the ship shook. Z�jj looked back towards the view port and saw a dozen ships, fighter class, rush past the Zeus, firing on it.

�Qirates!� He yelled in fear.

Chapter 14
Monica Esposito

Monica was quietly following Tulak, as he led them down the corridor towards engineering. They were trying to find the engineering team and make their way off this hellish station. The darkness was starting to get her and so were the feelings. Her empathic abilities were kicking at full and she could sense nothing but pain and anguish. Monica�s foot steps became slow and she had to lean against the wall for support.

�Are you alright lieutenant?� Doctor Ut asked.

Tulak, M�Tress, and Alexei stopped to look back at her.

�Lieutenant?� Tulak asked.

Monica quickly nodded her head, pushing away from the wall, �I�m ok sir. I just feel�something. There is definitely some one else on this station.�

�What?� Tulak asked.

�I don�t know,� She replied truthfully, �But I know we�re not alone.�

The Vulcan wasn�t quite sure of what she meant, but nodded her head, trusting her evolutionary ability to feel things on a deeper level. He motioned for the others to follow and stopped suddenly. Monica reacted in surprise when she noticed what was standing at the end of the large corridor-a little Human girl.

�Hello!� She said in a high pitched voice, �Who are you?�

Monica flipped open her tricorder and ran a quick scan of the child.

�I asked you all a question!� She said, steadily growing angry, �It is RUDE not to answer.�

Tulak looked back at her, wondering what Monica was getting from the child.

�The tricorder is picking up the same strange energy,� She said, �And I�m ge-�

She dropped the device on the ground and clutched her head in pain. Her voice let out a weak scream as she fell against the bulkhead. Voices�hundreds of voices were screaming at her, begging for her to rescue them.

�NO!� She screamed.

Dr. Ut and Alexei rushed over to her, gently lowering her to the ground and trying to assist. Tulak and M�Tress looked back at the Human girl who was now glaring at the Vulcan.

�You should have answered me,� She said, �But you all didn�t��

M�Tress raised a phaser and aimed at the child, only to have Tulak place an arm on the weapon and lower it.

�I am commander Tulak of the Federation starship USS Zeus,� He introduced, �Please state your intentions.�

The girl covered her mouth and began to giggle.

�My intentions are to go home,� She said suddenly turning angry, �And you all will not stop me.�

Monica tried to block out the voices, but she couldn�t. There were simply too many of them, sending barrages of telepathic waves at her. Dr. Ut was running a scan of her using a medical tricoder, but was unable to help.

�We have to get her back to the station.� Monica heard her say.

Tulak continued to face off against the child, �We do not wish to harm you and we have no intention of preventing you from leaving the station, but I must ask you to discontinue your attack on my crewmen.�

Monica felt the voices being pulled back and sighed in relief, finally feeling her mind return to her and her alone.

�She is unique,� The girl said about Monica, �But it won�t save you all. I�ll still kill you.�

�If you wish for us to leave your station,� Tulak said in a neutral way, �Then say so and we shall do it.�

The girl shook her head, �I don�t care about the station. I want to go home!!!!�

Her eyes suddenly became blood red and she rushed forward. Hatred covered her face like an evil mask. M�Tress fired his phaser only to have the girl suddenly vanish before reaching the commander.

�What the hell was that!?� Alexei cried out in panic.

Tulak looked down at Monica, wondering if she had an explanation to what just happened.

�I don�t know what she was,� She reported, �But she is source of the strange energy readings��

The Vulcan slowly nodded and looked back at the end of the dark corridor, flashing his SIM beacon to give off light.

�We must find the chief�� He said.

Chapter 15
Miguel Fuentes

The helmsman cringed as a shower of sparks shout out from the first officer�s station. He was glad Tulak was not sitting that at that moment or he would have been hurt badly. Miguel maneuvered the ship to try and avoid the phaser blasts, but that was nearly impossible. The ship was a large target and dodging the quick little phaser and photon blasts was nearly impossible. There was a trade off though-the Zeus� fire power was far too advanced for the fighters. The ship was picking each one off, one by one.

�Shields down to 24%!� An officer at tactical shouted.

Miguel rushed towards the station, hoping it could offer cover fire. He suddenly got an idea when the station began to take up the entire view screen. A feeling in his gut told him that the captain wouldn�t like it, but he had to try it. The fighters may have been weak but if enough attacks, they could knock the shields out and start tearing apart the already weakened hull. It was bad enough the shields were not at a 100% to begin with, but the hull was in bad condition. One of the engine nacelles was cracked and heavily damaged. Thankfully, it was not at the point where they were venting plasma.

�What are you doing Miguel!?� Jenna yelled at him over the explosions, whine of the engines, people yelling, and red alert sirens. Suffice it to say, she yelled loudly.

�Saving our butts!� He yelled back.

He drove the ship forward, moments away from hitting the large station. The captain stood up and looked over at him in an inquiring way. Miguel checked sensors and detected exactly what he wanted. Four fighters, the last ones left, followed on the ship�s tail closely, matching them move for move.

�Hang on!� Miguel yelled.

His fingers tapped the helm, jumping from glowing button to button. The Zeus� gave out a loud sound, almost as if it complained about the sudden move downwards. The ship narrowly slid under the station, scraping along the bottom of it. Cain and Janvi fell over as the ship shuddered from scraping along the station�s hull. Miguel immediately adjusted the course and the loud scraping stopped. The fighters, not anticipating the maneuver had little time to dodge and all of them rammed into the station, exploding in a ball of fire. Miguel immediately put the ship at an all stop and breathed heavily, surprised about what had just happened. Cain pulled himself back into his seat, gasping heavily from the rather painful fall.

�Mr. Fuentes?� He said once he was back in his seat.

Miguel swiveled his seat to face the captain, �Yes sir?�

�Good flying�� He said.

The helmsman smiled widely, �Thank you sir!�

�But don�t ever do that again!� Cain yelled.

�Aye sir!� Miguel said, while turning back to his seat.

Parts of the ship�s hull were floating under the station�

Chapter 16
James Graham

The sounds of a tricorder echoed down the corridor as James led his engineering team. They were making their way back towards the command center, hoping to find the others on the away team. Lee�s body was left behind due to the difficulty of dragging a dead body along with them. Not to mention, his head would be difficult to pull out of the console without making a huge mess. The station suddenly shook really hard. The engineers grabbed the corridor.

�What the hell was that?� James asked, not knowing it was his own ship scrapping along the station�s hull.

The other engineers shrugged in confusion. They continued on towards a door. James stopped in front of one door, scanning it with the device.

�Here,� He said, �We can access the communication�s array from this room. We�ll be able to reach every room and the others can hear us.�

�If they�re still alive�� Tor muttered.

�Quiet!� Rex admonished him.

James motioned for help to open the doors when they suddenly flew open by themselves. The three looked at each other, surprised by what had just happened.

�I don�t know about you men,� James said, �But where I�m from it is rude to not walk in when someone opens the door for you.�

�Even if that someone is trying to kill you?� Rex joked.

James ignored him and scanned the interior of the room as he slowly stepped inside. The room was small and nearly empty, save for various consoles that directly connected to the communication�s array. James placed his tricorder on the console and worked on trying to activate the array.

�I almost got it,� He said, �Just a few more seconds.�

Tor looked around nervously, wishing the chief would finish quickly.

�Got it!� He said, activating the ship wide comm. system, �This is Chief Graham to the away team. If you can hear this, we�re on the engineering deck, corridor 3!�

His voice echoed throughout every corridor and room on the station. He looked back at the others and smiled.

�There,� He said, �Now all we can do is wait.�

The doors suddenly shut tightly, trapping them inside of the room. Tor, ever panicky, ran to the door and began to slam on it. Rex nodded and suddenly felt light headed, clutching the wall to steady himself.

�Is it just me�� He muttered.

James gripped the sides of the console, finding it difficult to stand up all of a sudden. He shook his head trying to gain her bearing.

�Wow,� He said, �The air feels�much more thin in here��

James, Rex, and Jor quickly scrambled for their helmets when they realized what was happening. The oxygen was being flooded from the room, leaving them to die.

�Where...are�our�helmets�!?� James yelled.

They had taken their helmets off, but had kept them with them at all times. Somehow, they had disappeared�

�Oh no!� Tor yelled, �They�re gone�!�

James collapsed to the ground, no longer able to breathe anymore. He crawled towards the door, fighting to get out of the room. His hand slipped from the door frame and he went slack unable to breath any longer. His eyes were still open and in pain from the light. Light that shone in from the now open door�

Chapter 17
Tulak

The Vulcan commander stared down at the engineering team as they gasped for air. He motioned for M�Tress and Alexei to get them out of the room. Doctor Ut immediately began to assist them as they were pulled out into the corridor.

�What happened?� He asked.

Monica scanned the interior of the room with her tricorder.

�I�m detecting that the environmental controls were taken off-line.� She said.

Tulak squatted down next to James, �Are you alright?�

The man, still breathing heavily, slowly nodded his head, but was unable to speak.

�I don�t know about you all,� Alexei said, �But perhaps it is time we leave?�

The Vulcan nodded in agreement and looked around.

�We�re unable to contact the Zeus,� He said, �We must find another way off. Perhaps a shuttle?�

Monica sighed and looked back at him, �Sir. This�entity that is on the station, he or she or whatever it is, controls the station. We can�t leave without it letting us leave.�

Suddenly the ship wide comm. line activated, almost as if it was timed to follow the woman�s words.

�1-2 I�m coming for you, 3-4 lock all the doors, 5-6-� The voice said.

Tulak quickly spoke as the rhyme continued.

�We must find a way to communicate with it!� He shouted.

The song abruptly ended and the girl spoke, �You are communicating with me commander��

The commander arched his eyebrow and looked up, �What are your intentions?�

�We�ve already discussed this,� She replied, �I want to go home��

Tulak found her words rather ironic considering their current situation.

�We have a similar mission as well,� He said, �We too wish to go home.�

The sound of static was heard from the comm. line. Tulak looked back at the others, unsure of what to do now. The chief science officer was right though. What it is they were going to do; it would have to be because the alien allowed it�

[Founder]

Chapter 18
Alexei Kazlov

Nearly an hour went by. Tulak had tried to access a console and M�Tress went to explore the corridor. Alexei stared down the dark corridor in fear at what could be down there. Some strange alien force was haunting the station and trying to kill the away team. He looked down to see James, Rex, Tor recovering from the attack. Alexei realized that one of the engineers was suddenly missing.

�Where is Ensign Lee?� He asked.

James looked up at him in sadness, �He�s dead, lad.�

Alexei stared at the ground in sadness and whispered something in Russian. The sounds of footsteps coming from the darkness were heard.

�The lifts are off-line.� M�Tress reported as he walked back towards them.

�Great,� Alexei said, �Then we�re trapped here. What does this thing want? To kill us?�

The commander shook his head, �No. If it wanted to kill us, then it would have.�

�Did you not just hear the chief?� He asked, �The being killed Ensign Lee! It tried to suffocate them!�

Monica approached the cadet, �Calm yourself. What Commander Tulak meant was that if it wanted to kill us now, it easily could. The thing is waiting for something, I can sense it. I think he killed Ensign Lee and tried to kill the others either to get our attention or it was a mistake.�

�Mistake my arse!� James cried out, �They killed one of my men!�

Doctor Ut placed her hand on his chest to get him to lean back on the corridor.

�Quiet!� She barked, �I�m not done here, so sit still!�

Yes ma�mn�� He muttered.

Alexei sighed and squatted down next to the assistant chief of engineering, Rex. The Saurian was a hard worker and an old friend to James. It was thanks to the chief engineer that Rex was now serving on the Zeus.

�I�m sorry about Ensign Lee.� He said to Rex.

The Saurian nodded his head and gave as wide a smile as he could, �Me too��

�We�ll figure out how to get out of here,� He comforted, �And what the thing wants��

�To the latter, I may have an answer.� Tulak said, stepping away from a console inside of the formerly oxygen deprived room.

Alexei looked up at him, as did the others, wondering what he meant by that.

�I have been reviewing the crew�s logs,� He explained, �And have gained insightful information.�

�Logs?� Alexei asked, �Why would pirates keep logs?�

Tulak shrugged his shoulders, �Pirates have been known to do that. Without having to mention, I believe this station was built before their�encounter with the Interstellar Concordium.�

Monica approached the commander, �Well? What did you discover?�

�I hope its way to beat the ghost�� M�Tress muttered.

Tulak folded his arms and explained, �It is not a ghost. The logs spoke of a survey mission to a nearby nebula. The away team took samples of the nebula as a potential source of energy and brought it back to the station for further study.�

�And?� James asked.

�And the matter they retrieved was not simply gas, dust, and plasma, but a sentient being.� He explained.

Monica stared at him in surprise, �That might explain the anomalous readings we�ve been getting��

�Indeed,� He replied, �The life form was apparently taken here against its will and killed the crew as it is trying to kill us, probably viewing us as a new threat. It has been trapped her for over a century. I can only surmise that it does not have enough intelligence to leave the station on its own accord.�

A strange hissing sound was suddenly heard and they saw gas slowly forming in one spot. It swirled around until finally turning into the familiar little Human girl. M�Tress stepped forward, prepared to defend the others.

�You�ve figured it out,� She said, �It is true. I do not understand your�corporeal technology. What I know of your primitive verbal communication, I tore from the minds of the others.�

Monica stepped forward and spoke through her mind, �We don�t wish to harm you.�

The girl looked back at Monica, her eyes glowing a strange red color.

�Then free me.� She demanded.

�Let us contact our ship and we will bring you back to the nebula.� Monica replied.

The girl smirked and shook her head, �How do I know you won�t simply beam away and leave me here to rot?�

The others stared at Monica and back at the child, watching them stare at each other and say nothing.

�We wouldn�t do that,� She said, �We�ll help you. All we want is what is on the station, nothing more.�

The two stared at each other in silence, physical and mental, for several moments. The being looked around, tired of being trapped on the station. Alexei kept a safe distance away from the �ghost� fearful of its powers.

�You have access to your ship,� She said, �Do as you will. If you try and hurt me though, I will kill you all��

Monica looked back at Tulak, �We should be able to contact the ship now.�

Tulak tapped his combadge, �Commander Tulak to the Zeus.�

�Zeus here. What the hell happened to you all!?� Captain Sebastian demanded.

�It is a long story sir�� Tulak replied.

His eyes looked back at the strange girl, as did the others who could only wonder what happened between her and Monica�

Chapter 19
Cain Sebastian

Several hours later, the ship was docked in the station, slowly being repaired. The view port in the room revealed dozens of ships, docked, all filled with dead crew. Cain was pacing back and forth inside of his ready room, staring at a combadge on his desk. It belonged to Ensign Allen Lee, former engineer, now deceased. He sighed and scooped up the comm. device, staring closely at it. To most people it was just a combadge, but to him, it was another face that was lost. Another officer that died in this backwater area of space�

Captain�s Log. Stardate 45515.05

My ship is undergoing much needed repairs, led by my chief of engineering. Lieutenant Esposito explained the situation and we brought the nebula alien back to its home. I won�t lie; Mr. Graham was temped into dumping the alien into the middle of space. He, as was I, was angry over the death of the crewmen. The alien expressed regret over it, having thought at the time that we would not assist it. Another death over miscommunication. Just like my sister. It hurts so much to relive that. I didn�t want any more trouble then there was. I am disturbed by what happened, but now we have the parts we need and now we can go home. While that feels rather cold blooded to say, I feel that it is the truth. Killing the confused being would have seemed heartless. I don�t know. I�m very confused by all of this�End log.

He sat down in his seat, his eyes staring into a drawer in his desk. Maraji Crystals lay inside of the desk, waiting for Cain�s use. Cain grabbed one of the crystals and looked up at the door.

�Computer,� He ordered, �Seal doors.�

The computer beeped in affirmation and obeys. He stared in sadness at the crystal and prepared to forget�

-END EPISODE-

SUMMARY

The USS Zeus hides inside of a nebula as its crew tries to figure out how to deal with the damage problem. Thanks to the hesitant suggestion by Z�jj �c�m����l�h�jj, they find a solution for their problem: an abandoned Qirate space station, filled with ship parts. The only problem is, the station has been rumored to be haunted and anyone who approaches the station is immediately killed. The captain decides to brave it, desperate for a way to get parts in a sector of space suffering from poverty. He sends an away team to check the station and scout out if it is safe for the crew to cross over.



It is deemed safe and an away team is sent to scour the station of parts and return them to the Zeus. Besides a mountain of dead bodies, nothing is discovered. Alexei is left shaken from the death that surrounds them. The first officer orders the other to be cautious as the chief science officer expresses suspicion. The teams are divided and they slowly explore the large corridors.



The engineering half of the away team found the station�s main engineering and worked to pillage what they could. M�Tress fled after hearing strange noises, leaving the others to continue working. James Graham ordered one of the engineers to find a way to restore main power, while he sought out dilithium crystals. The engineer, Allen Lee, was mysteriously killed.



Meanwhile, the other half of the team found M�Tress and rush to get to the others. Monica is accosted by voices and feelings of hatred and anger. They come face to face with a strange, but angry little girl. She threatens them with immediate death if they interfere with her quest to return home. M�Tress tries use his phaser on her, but it is useless. She flees to another part of the station.



The USS Zeus, while waiting for a response from the away team, are attacked by a swarm of Qirate ships. Their shields are always weakened and Miguel is forced to utilize a rather risky tactic to destroy their attackers. In the Tranquil Nebula, Kal tempts Z�jj, checking to see if he could trust him for information of the space they were in.



The away team finally meets up, after James, Rex, and Tor were nearly killed. They try to figure out a way for their escape, while Monica reminds them that is not an option. After some time, Tulak pieces together logs from the dead crew. He discovers that the �ghost� is simply a life form that was part of a nebula near the station. It was taken from its home and brought to the station against its will. The little girl reappears and corroborates the story, showing her true form. Monica strikes a deal with the alien and the Zeus returns it to its home. They manage to get the supplies needed, but they are left with one less crewmen�



Episode III Synopsis
The USS Zeus crew continues to head towards the Alpha quadrant as fast as they can, stopping only to stock up on supplies. Captain Sebastian has become obsessed with stock up in an effort to prevent many more stops in the future. They discover an interesting piece of technology and the chief works on applying it to the ship. Meanwhile, Cain, Jenna, and Janvi take a shuttle to find a way to mine some contents from an asteroid. They are attacked by bounty hunters and forced to flee. Meanwhile, the Zeus goes in search for them while fighting off Qirate squadrons. No one knows why bounty hunters are after the captain and no knows who told them how to find him. Now they must discover the answer to both questions, while eluding the poverty stricken forces that hunt them...

[Founder]

Chapter 1
Miguel Fuentes

The USS Zeus was flying through space at warp 7, heading towards the Alpha quadrant. It had been a month since the debacle aboard the Qirate space station. Captain Sebastian had become mildly obsessed with picking up any piece of debris that the ship could use. He didn�t want to make any more emergency stops like they had to make back at the strange station. With the constant grab for parts and stuff taken from the space station, the ship was packed with supplies and would last for their time in the Poverty Zone. Thanks to Miguel�s crazy maneuvers, parts of the outer hull had to be replaced with alien hull parts. The usual grey was no longer the only color on the top of the saucer. It had different colors now thanks to the other hulls being attached, courtesy of Chief Graham. The ship had the beginnings of a unique hybrid look. Miguel stared forward, grateful to not having to alter course once again. The crew was getting tired of going on missions for supplies. They understood why he did it at first, but with the ship being full with so much, it seemed like over kill. With the long trip ahead of them, they were eager to stop the constant stops and just plot a course home. Miguel looked over at Jenna, who ran constant sweeps for anything useful.

�Jenna?� He whispered, �If you uh�pretend to not notice the next debris field, I�ll hand over my holodeck time.�

She chuckled and shook her head, �Not a chance.�

�C�mon,� He pleaded, �Would it really kill you?�

Her eyes darted over to him, not wanting to really draw attention to their conversation, �I�m not getting in trouble for you. The captain wanted me to scan and that is what I�m going to do.�

Miguel sighed and slunk deep into his seat. He was definitely not looking forward to another salvage run or a Qirate attack. If the Zeus or resident of the Poverty Zone did not reach the debris, the Qirates would always do so, which of course would result in a battle that the Federation ship could not afford to repeat. While the Qirates were not on par technologically, enough of their attacks continued to weaken the shields. They would probably not be able to take many more attacks without serious repercussions to the structural integrity.

�Captain,� Jenna said, �I�m detecting another debris field, two light years from our present location.�

Cain took a sip of his drink and nodded, �Excellent. Mr. Fuentes, adjust course.�

Miguel sighed inwardly and slowly nodded, �Aye sir. Should I also load the cannons and sweep the deck?�

The captain gently placed the cup down on a portable table near his chair. He stared at the back of Miguel�s head in surprise at his comment.

�Excuse me lieutenant commander Fuentes?� He said strictly.

Miguel�s eyes widened in shock that he had just said that. It had been meant to be a joke to himself, but he had said it a little too loudly. He slowly turned the seat to face the captain and spoke the truth, realizing this was no time for jokes.

�I meant no disrespect captain,� He said, �But I�m no longer feeling like I�m serving on a Starfleet ship, but a pirate one. We�ve jumped from system to system and taking things for ourselves.�

�Yes,� He said, �Items that we needed. We�ve never stolen from anyone, but simply taken from debris fields, abandoned star bases, and things of the like.�

The helmsman replied, �True, but we don�t need supplies anymore. I feel like we�re hoarding everything. I just don�t feel this is the proper behavior for Starfleet officers.�

He could feel everyone�s eyes drill into him as they stared closely. Miguel wondered if anyone would jump into the conversation in his defense or against it.

�Not to mention,� Miguel continued, �That over half of the time, the debris field is empty, left with parts no one wants. The only thing we get for our troubles is another Qirate attack.�

Cain looked around the room, obviously surprised by this, �Does anyone else feel this way?�

For a moment there was silence, but the first officer spoke from his console, �I do not speak for the crew, but I must say, I find this�pillaging quite distasteful.�

The captain looked around towards the others and took their silence to mean they were in agreement.

�I did this with the intent of never sacrificing our personal beliefs,� He said to everyone, �And if you feel that we have, then perhaps what we�ve been doing is wrong. I simply wanted to�ensure that we would be prepared for what is out here. Maybe I�ve gone too far with that. We�ll stop with the runs then�for now.�

The bridge accepted this, grateful for not having to make yet another supply run.

[Founder]

Chapter 2
Loval

The Romulan sat inside of the holding cell, bored out of his mind. He had wished the ship would be attacked once more so he could take advantage and leave his prison. Loval was tired of looking at random security officers assigned to guard him. He had started his own little game of keeping track of the time. Every time at 1100 hours, the ship�s counselor would come into the brig and meet with him. Right on schedule, she walked in, nodding to the security officer and then moving towards the edge of the holding cell.

�How are you today?� She asked.

Loval rolled his eyes and leaned back against the wall, not in the mood to deal with her.

�I�m the same as I was yesterday and the day before that and the day before that,� He said, �Must we go through this�everyday?

She clasped her hands behind her back and shrugged.

�It is my duty to ensure the well being of the crew,� She explained, �I also have to meet with the prisoners, to ensure that they are being treated fairly and have their say.�

Loval nodded in a sarcastic way, �I�m sure. Well I have nothing to say and I find this�irritating. It would be�agreeable if you left me alone wouldn�t you say?�

Janvi looked down at the floor for a moment and back up at Loval, a determined look on her face.

�Perhaps,� She said, �But I�ll be here tomorrow, same time. You�re bound to have something to say one of these days.�

She smiled and turned away, leaving as quickly as she came. As much as Loval hated Starfleet, he did enjoy their talks�

Chapter 3
K�Peq

The Klingon was busy scrubbing a rather filthy pot over the galley area. He hated doing this, being reduced to a common slave almost. It was insufferable, but he had to. If there was any hope for him and his house. The restaurant was empty, yet again. Rarely did anyone want to come in and eat, well, minus the strange alien who gorged himself on the Klingon�s cooking. Even the alien wasn�t in today. The officers were simply busy working on repairs, something the ship always needed with the constant attacks. They would often come when their shifts ended to unwind. K�Peq tossed the now clean pot aside and dried his hands on his apron. Kal, his equal in the business, was hovering in the back of the galley over a console.

�What are you doing?� K�Peq asked loudly.

Kal looked back at him and hissed, �Quiet!�

He turned back to the console and continued doing whatever it was he was doing. The Klingon could not see since Kal was hiding what he was doing. Exposed and crossed wires hung from an open panel from the console.

�What are you doing?� K�Peq repeated.

Kal groaned and motioned for the Klingon to step closer, not wanting anyone to see. K�Peq took a few steps closer and stared into the screen. He saw a large amount of text in a language he couldn�t understand.

�What is that?� He asked.

The dark skinned man continued to type away, while responding.

�It is the Qirate language,� He said, �I�ve been communicating with them.�

�Why?� K�Peq asked, �They are the enemy!�

Kal rolled his eyes in disgust, �They are the Federation�s enemy, not ours. While I�ve been communicating with them, I�ve hacked into the central net. It has connected me with a zone wide communications net, almost like the Federation News Service. The Poverty Zone is now run by criminals and the Qirates. If we can find a way to�join with them. We can form our own criminal organization��

The Klingon looked at Kal in utter distaste. He shook his head, not wanting any part of this.

�There is no honor in become a criminal.� He said.

Kal nodded in agreement, �Not honor, but plenty of wealth and power.�

K�Peq took a few steps back, walking away from Kal and his scheme.

�I am not a Ferengi,� He said, �I care nothing for things of that nature. You�are dishonorable. What about our agreement! I have slaved for you, day in and day out. Now, you turn away from our agreement on some petty quest for power!�

Kal turned back towards him sharply, leaving the console to continue scrolling through text.

�I will honor our agreement,� He said, �But I needed the Federation database to do it. I hacked into the ship�s computer, not an easy thing mind you, and found out what we were looking for. I know who, within the Orion Syndicate, framed you.�

K�Peq suddenly grew interested in the information, but was suspicious of the sudden�luck.

�First of all, I thought you said it was multiple people who did this,� He said, �And second, how did you gain the information and most importantly�who did it?�

Kal smiled in his familiar evil way.

�It was on a file about the Orion Syndicate in their database,� He said, �These Federation types sure are smart and thorough. It was multiple people, but it came from one source. All of them had one connection: Inwe.

K�Peq stared into the golden irises of Kal�s eyes. It was the only real alien part of him.

�Inwe?� K�Peq asked, not recognizing the name.

Kal motioned back towards the console.

�Yes,� He said, �Inwe is a high ranking member of the Syndicate, but not only that, he is a Chameloid. Many think this species is a myth, but that is not so. Inwe apparently fell out of favor with the Syndicate a few months after discrediting you. His lust for power consumed his reason and well�they tried to have him killed. No one knows his whereabouts now.�

K�Peq continued to eye Kal, suspicion taking over.

�And the Federation knew all of that?� He asked, not really buying it.

Kal became exasperated with the Klingon, �YES they knew all of that! You wouldn�t believe how much information you can get with the right access codes. They know a lot more then they let on.�

K�Peq, while still skeptical, felt a wave of relief wash over him. As greedy as Kal was, he had been K�Peq�s only friend for years. He trusted Kal with the information.

�Why did you not come to me with this information sooner?� He asked.

Kal chuckled, �Well I had just read it. I wanted to complete this Poverty Zone net problem before I spoke to you about it��

K�Peq believed him, despite his better instincts yelling at him to not believe the man.

�His location?� He asked.

The enigmatic figure quietly responded, �Qo�nos.�

The Klingon�s eyes widened in complete shock and disbelief at the revelation.

�Impossible!� He shouted.

Kal shook his head, �Not impossible. That was his last known location according to their records. His shape shifting abilities are coming in handy there no doubt. Who knows what other malicious lies he is spreading about your fallen house�?�

K�Peq slammed his fist down on the bar area in fury. Kal quickly patted his shoulders.

�Calm yourself,� He said, �I will help you hunt him, but we need help. We�ll never get back home and stop him, but we can here. You help me establish my empire here; I�ll have every ship in this zone hunting the shape shifter once we make it back to your home world. With the right technology, we can make it back home in double the time the Zeus does. Then when the death blow comes, I will hand over the weapon and you will regain your honor!�

K�Peq stared at Kal closely, now filled with indignation, �What must I do?�

A smile crept Kal�s face, grateful the Klingon was once more on his side.

�Just help me with this�,� He said, �And you will find out��

Chapter 4
Cain Sebastian

Cain sat in his comfortable chair, leaning back and enjoying the rare quietness of the day. Usually, the red alert sirens were ringing out due to some emergency or the other. He was just grateful that the quiet sounds of the beeps of the console were the only thing assaulting his ears.

�Captain?� Jenna said, �I�m detecting an asteroid directly ahead.�

The captain looked towards her, wondering why she would report something like that.

�That is�interesting,� He said, �Thanks for the heads up.�

She checked her console, obviously in trance with the information she was getting.

�Captain,� She reported, �If I�m correct, there is a large quantity of dilithium on it, so much, that we would be powered for a long time...�

Everyone on the bridge reacted in surprise and excitement. Even though they said they didn�t want any more stops, this was too good of a find to skip. Dilithium was not an easy find and in such large quantities.

�Onscreen.� Cain ordered.

Jenna nodded and put the image on the view screen. Tulak turned his chair to look at the massive space entity.

�Intriguing but curious,� He said, �Dilithium has been found only on planets. I was not aware it formed on asteroids.�

The chief OPS officer quickly ran a scan of the asteroid.

�I�m not sure,� She said, �But I think it was part of a planet. I�m reading dead vegetation and organic material embedded in the rock. It could have also been a moon; again, I�m not sure.�

Cain stared at the asteroid, surprised by her readings, �What could break a planet or moon apart in such a�clean way?�

Monica looked back at the captain after having conduct her own scans.

�I think I can answer that,� She said, �The asteroid is emitting a strange anomalous energy reading. I�ve never seen it before, but it�s slowly cutting the asteroid apart as we speak.�

Cain slowly nodded his head, �Interesting. Take us closer Miguel. We�ll go to yellow alert just to be on the safe side��

He sat back down and watched as the asteroid slowly became larger as they approached it. As they got closer, they could see flashes of energy build ups surrounding the large piece of dead rock. It must have been the energy reading that Monica had spoken of. The ship suddenly began to shudder and power fluctuated, causing consoles to blink on and off.

�Report!� Cain yelled.

Monica checked her console, trying to make sense of what was happening.

�The power the engines are generating are feeding the anomaly!� She said, �At the same time, it�s draining the ship!�

�Get us out of here Miguel!� Cain ordered.

The helmsman quickly nodded and moved the ship out of reach of the anomaly. The ship�s power began to quickly regulate itself, while the shaking stopped.

�Keep us at a safe distance.� Cain ordered.

�Aye sir.� Miguel replied.

Tulak responded in his monotonic tone of voice.

�It appears we will not be able to gain the dilithium.� He remarked.

Cain was not ready to give up just yet.

�Monica,� He said, �You said that the reason the anomaly reacted that way was because of the ship�s power output, correct?�

Monica slowly nodded her head, �I believe so sir, yes.�

Cain smiled, having a plan that may allow them to get the dilithium.

�What if we were to take a shuttle to pick up the dilithium?� He said, �Would the asteroid react in the same way?�

Monica looked back at her console, scanning the readings with her eyes.

�I don�t believe so sir.� She reported.

Cain immediately stood up, having anticipated her response, �Good. Jenna you�re with me. Monica, I want you to stay here and use the Zeus� sensors to monitor the energy readings.�

Tulak stood up, determined not to let the captain go on the away mission.

�Captain,� He said, �Need I remind you-�

Cain quickly interrupted what he knew the Vulcan was going to say.

�Yes, yes, yes,� He said, cutting the Vulcan off, �Captains are not to go on away missions. Thank you for the caution, but I think I can handle it. You have the bridge.�

He and Jenna walked into the turbo lift and called for the shuttle bay.

Chapter 5
Kivido Prime

The dark, tainted planet of Kivido Prime was one of the many criminal centers in the Poverty Zone. Drug dealers, thieves, crime lords, all levels of resided there. Clubs were scantily clad dancers would show off their moves to the drunk patrons. Small private rooms could be found all over the place, for people to handle less then legal business. One such room was currently occupied by a half dozen occupants, all crowded around a view screen at the edge of the room. The view screen was filthy, covered in muck and had insects hovering around it. It would still serve its purpose though. A distorted image of a Humanoid figure appeared on the screen. Even without the grime and dirt on the screen, his visage would not be recognizable due to a scrambling device in place to ensure the figure�s anonymity. The occupants, all low live bounty hunter, smugglers, or pirates quickly stopped talking and focused their attention on the screen.

�Welcome,� The figure said, �My time is limited, so I�ll make this brief and to the point. I have chosen you all, because out of all the hired hands, you all are the most recommended. I�ve weeded out the weak, stupid, and unworthy for my task. The task that I am now giving to you all.�

One of the aliens stepped forward, slinging a phaser rifle across his torso.

�The Federation ship.� He responded.

The enigmatic figure on the screen slowly nodded his head.

�Yes,� He replied, �The USS Zeus, Federation starship, Excelsior class. Can go warp 9 and wields phasers, photon torpedoes, and deflector shields. The vessel is an explorer class, but can also be diplomatic. It is all around powerful. A ship like that could seriously alter the balance of power in the quadrant and I want it.�

A female alien that had three eyes laughed at the order.

�The ship is far too powerful for any of us to take,� She retorted, �Not to mention, they have a large crew onboard. We don�t have the fire power or man power to capture the ship.�

The indiscernible man giving them their mission, twisted his/her head to look at the woman.

�Not if I help you�� He replied in a mysterious way, �All will be explained if you choose to do this. Your reward will be beyond your wildest dreams...�

[Founder]

Chapter 6
James Graham

The short chief of engineering rushed into the shuttle bay where the captain and chief OPS officer were preparing to board. He had to give the captain the exact specifications for transporting the dilithium. Normally, in this era at least, dilithium amount was not really lacking as recrystallizing the dilithium was possible. Using a theta-matrix compositor allowed this. Normally, they wouldn�t need the dilithium but the stress to the engines going over warp 10 depleted the crystals. The ship was pretty much on reserves at the moment and recrystalization was taking rather long while repairs were under way. If they had a fresh amount of dilithium, then James could focus on the repairs and the resource would never be a problem again. A part of James wanted to go on the mission, but he was needed onboard the ship. Repairs were still needed and a constant vigil was as well. As Jenna boarded the Argonaut, James walked up the captain and held a PADD towards him.

�There ya go sir.� He said.

Cain grabbed the PADD and stared at the report on it. He quickly nodded and smiled at James.

�Thanks chief,� He said, �This will help a lot.�

James nodded; his face red from all of the running he did to get there on time.

�I bloody hope so,� He replied, �We could use the dilithium. With this much, we won�t have to make any more stops for it until we reach the Alpha quadrant.�

Cain smiled, �Indeed. That is what I�m hoping for.�

James turned to leave and nearly ran smack into Janvi.

�Excuse me lass,� He said to her, �You alright?�

She smiled and nodded, �I�m fine chief.�

He bowed his head towards her.

�Good,� He replied, �Now if you�ll excuse me, duty calls��

James had the rather boring duty of repairing a damaged console on the bridge. He turned and walked out, leaving Janvi to talk to the captain.

Chapter 7
Janvi Varghese

�Going somewhere captain?� Janvi asked.

Cain sighed and held his hands up in defense.

�I know I know,� He said, �We�re due for a session now. I promise, I�ll report to your office as soon as I return. You have my word.�

Janvi shook her head and quickly walked up the ramp to enter the shuttle.

�Not a chance,� She said, �You know that you are not to miss any sessions.�

Cain stopped walking and stared at her in exasperation.

�I�m going on an away mission,� He said, �It should only take an hour or two at the most.�

She flashed a bright smile, �Good. Plenty of time for a good discussion wouldn�t you say?�

Cain stared at her, not budging or agreeing to her accompanying them on the mission. She gave a slight pout to her friend.

�C�mon captain,� She said, �It�s not everyday I get to go on away missions.�

The captain gave a very slow nod, agreeing to her coming along. He enjoyed the young woman�s company anyways. Cain quickly tossed the PADD towards her.

�All aboard.� He announced.

Janvi gave a quick bow of her head and rushed aboard the shuttle which was prepping to leave. Cain quickly followed, closing the door behind them.

Chapter 8
Jenna Smith

Ensign Smith took the helm and gently piloted the shuttle out of the ship. She wanted to be as cautious as possible while approaching the strange asteroid. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Janvi taking a seat towards the back area as there were only two seats in the front. She wondered why the chief counselor was coming along, but didn�t really feel like question it.

�Raising shields.� Cain announced.

Jenna nodded and continued their course towards the asteroids, slowly approaching at low impulse speeds. The massive rock slowly moved through space, containing a large quantity of dilithium. If Monica had been in her place, she probably would have wanted to beam over some organic samples for study. Jenna decided she would beam some for her as a favor.

�We�re entering the anomaly�s energy field.� She reported.

Cain nodded and checked their condition.

�Reading�s show that we�re in tolerable levels,� He said, �Should be smooth sailing.�

Janvi appeared from the back section and walked over to the two officers.

�How are things?� She asked.

Jenna looked back at her, �Apparently, it will be��smooth sailing� from here.�

Janvi quickly nodded in excitement and stared out at the massive asteroid they were approaching.

�I�m detecting a large concentration of dilithium from within the core.� She said.

�Can we beam it to the shuttle?� He asked.

She shook her head, �Not all of it, but a large amount. The transporters simply can�t get a lock far enough with readings. We of course would still need to process what we beam over.�

He quickly nodded, brushing the problem off.

�That will be easy enough to deal with.� He said.

Jenna brought the shuttle�s transporters online and locked onto the dilithium that could be beamed to the shuttle.

�Energize.� Cain ordered.

She nodded and began the transporter process. A warning siren rang out when a problem with the transport occurred.

�What happened?� Janvi asked.

Jenna checked her readings, frustrated with what was happening.

�I�m having difficulty beaming the dilithium onto the shuttle,� She explained, �I can lock onto it, beam it here, but the energy field is giving us trouble.�

Cain looked over at her, �Could we possibly keep it in the transporter buffer until we clear the field?�

She thought about the idea and realized it could work.

�Indeed we can sir,� She said, �Good thinking.�

Jenna checked to see if the desired amount of dilithium was stored inside of the transporter buffer.

�Perfect.� She said.

She quickly turned the shuttle away, pleased that the mission was done so quickly. They were able to obtain more dilithium due to the captain�s idea, which helped greatly.

�Setting a course back to the Zeus.� She reported.

Janvi frowned and stared at the starship as they approached it.

�I was hoping this would be longer.� She said.

Jenna shook her head, chuckling at the counselor�s comment.

�This was just a routine run.� She said.

Suddenly the shuttle shook hard and a console exploded, knocking Janvi backwards.

�Janvi!� Cain yelled.

Jenna scrambled to regain control and ascertain what happened, while Cain rushed towards Janvi�s fallen body. She ran a quick scan and saw a small ship, slightly bigger than the shuttle was attacking them. Jenna quickly opened a channel to the Zeus.

�Shuttle Argonaut to the Zeus,� She called out, �We�re under attack! We need immediate assistance!�

Another hit knocked the comm. line offline, leaving them to fend for themselves. Jenna quickly returned fired while piloting the ship. Not an easy to do.

�Captain!� She yelled, �I need you up here!�

She felt strange ordering the captain around, but desperate times call for desperate measures. Cain grudgingly left Janvi�s side and sat back down, taking control of the weapons. He returned fired, desperately trying to knock their weapons offline. At that exact moment, Jenna wished Miguel had been here at the helm�

[Founder]

Chapter 9
M�Tress

��immediate assistance!� Jenna said over the comm. before it cut off.

Tulak, now sitting in the captain�s seat, stared at the fighter attacking the shuttle.

�Mr. Fuentes,� He said, �Plot an intercept course.�

Miguel looked back at the commander with a regretful look on his face.

�Commander,� He said, �That would pull us into the energy field��

The Caitian groaned, annoyed by the news and the sight of his comrades under attack.

�Commander,� He said, �Bring me close enough to the edge of the field and I can get a lock��

Tulak looked back at him, thinking about what to do for a moment. He gave a quick nod and ordered Miguel to plot a course to the edge of the field. M�Tress quickly activated the photon torpedoes and loaded them into their respective bays. Cadet Alexei Kazlov was sitting in the OPS station, filling in for the missing Jenna.

�Commander,� He said in a Russian accent, �There are several ships dropping out of warp and heading directly for us.�

�Onscreen.� Tulak demanded.

A squadron of Qirate ships rushed towards the Zeus, bent on taking the ship no matter what.

�Attack pattern Gamma.� Tulak ordered.

M�Tress nodded and waited while Miguel initiated the initial maneuvers and gave him an opening. The captain and the others would have to hold out for the moment it seemed.

�Commander,� Alexei said, �The vessel attack the shuttle has left our range. We can no longer attack it without going into the field.�

Tulak nodded, acknowledging the rather bad news. The ship shook from rapid phaser pulses from the small fighters. M�Tress checked their status.

�Shields are down to 88%.� He reported.

They had started off at 89% to begin with. Repairs were coming slowly and it would be difficult to get it past 95% by James� estimate.

�Return fire.� Tulak ordered.

M�Tress nodded and fired phasers, doing everything possible to conserve their torpedo count. The energy beam lanced out and ripped apart one of the shield less fighters with one hit.

�Direct hit,� He announced, �Vessel is destroyed.�

�Open a channel.� Tulak ordered.

M�Tress nodded and opened a channel, while giving the signal it was ready.

�To all Qirate vessels,� Tulak said, �Our ship is superior to yours in firepower. I demand you call off your attack immediately.�

The ship shook again from more pulse phaser fire. M�Tress clutched his console to steady himself. The Vulcan could only shake his head.

�It appears we have our answer,� He said, �Return fire.�

M�Tress fired several phaser spreads, tearing apart fighter after fighter.

�The Qirates are breaking off their attack and retreating.� M�Tress reported.

Monica breathed a sigh of relief, �And not soon enough��

Before Tulak could order for them to assist the shuttle, Alexei again reported bad news.

�Commander,� He reported, �More vessels dropping out of warp.�

�Qirates?� Tulak asked.

Alexei shook his head, �They�re of unknown configuration.�

Miguel groaned in his seat, �Damn vultures. They�re probably here to pick off what the Qirates left.�

Tulak arched an eyebrow at the analogy, �Then let us show them that we are not mere carrion. Lieutenant M�Tress, fire phasers��

The Catian gave a sharp toothed smiled.

�With pleasure�� He said.

Chapter 10
Cain Sebastian

The shuttle shook from another hit by the alien vessel. It was slightly stronger than the shuttle and much more maneuverable. Cain quickly locked on and fired once more. The vessel narrowly dodged the phaser blast and fired a torpedo.

�Shields are down to 15%!� Cain yelled over the hit.

Jenna nodded, but didn�t respond. She seemed intent on moving back towards the Zeus. The large ship would tear apart the alien fighter with ease, if they made it to them. The small fighter was doing everything possible to ensure that they wouldn�t make it back. The shuttle shook hard and a familiar sound was heard.

�We�re locked in a tractor beam!� Jenna reported.

Cain cursed and quickly tried to break them out of it by sending a feedback pulse. The tractor beam shimmered and their hold was broken.

�Got it!� He yelled, �Get us out of here!�

Jenna nodded and turned the shuttle back towards the Zeus. To their surprise, they saw the ship under attack by various ships.

�What the hell!?� Cain exclaimed.

Whatever was going on, it was looking more and more like this dilithium asteroid was a trap. Another hit from the fighter damaged their shuttle�s engines.

�Engines are damaged,� She said, �We�re dropping in speed.�

�Shields are offline from that last hit.� He said.

Cain groaned and was about to fire when he noticed a hail was coming in. He opened it and turned to a monitor to his right. The visage of a strange alien being appeared on the screen. It was a bright orange color and wore a breathing mask over its face.

�Why are you attacking us?� Cain asked in anger, �We have done nothing to you.�

The alien cocked his head to the side, apparently intrigued by the captain.

�Captain Cain Sebastian of the starship Zeus,� He said, �Fortune seems to favor me."

The screen cut off, leaving a confused look on Cain and Jenna�s faces. Suddenly, the sound of an alien transporter was heard behind them.

�Watch out captain!� Jenna yelled.

She moved to protect him and was hit by a phaser blast to the stomach. Jenna dropped to the ground, unconscious and badly hurt. The alien stood towards the back of the fore section.

�Do not move,� He demanded in a synthesized voice, �Or I will kill you.�

He kept his weapon pointed at the captain.

�Turn back to the helm,� He ordered, �And slowly bring the shuttle back towards the asteroid.�

Cain slowly nodded and turned back to face the console. He adjusted their heading to head towards the shuttle. A part of him wanted to turn inertial dampers off and swerve the ship, knocking the alien off his feet, but with the way the alien was eyeing him, it would not be wise.

�Why are you doing this?� He asked, ignorant of why an alien would kidnap him, �Is it because you want the shuttle?�

The alien laughed and shook his head, while remaining immobile.

�No,� He said, �Your ship��

Cain sighed and kept his eyes on the helm. The alien�s fighter was somehow following the shuttle, perhaps an automatic guidance system.

�You going to hold me ransom then?� He asked.

�Something like that.� The alien responded, while stepping over Janvi�s body.

Cain felt a pang of guilt for her, desperately wanting to assist her and Jenna.

�My crew won�t give you the ship,� He said defiantly and truthfully, �This is a waste of time.�

The alien stood a few feet away from Cain, watching his movements closely. He did not seem deterred by the captain�s bravado.

�No matter,� He said, �They�ll do it or you�ll die.�

Cain chuckled while shaking his head.

�You don�t get it do you?� He asked, �They won�t only not do it to hurt you, but they�re obligated by the prime directive. We can not alter the balance of power in this region by giving you our technology.�

The alien did not respond, but simply stared at him as the shuttle moved towards the asteroid. With the engines heavily damaged, the trip back was much longer. Cain stared at the looming asteroid in frustration, angry that an alien could be so uncivilized.

�What are you planning to do with my ship anyways?� He asked, �Take over the Poverty Zone?�

The alien shook its head, while keeping the weapon trained on the captain.

�You misunderstand me captain,� He said, �I don�t want the ship, my employer does. I�m simply a bounty hunter trying to meek out a meager existence. My employer is paying a large sum for your ship.�

Cain snickered in reply, �Is that so? Well, good luck trying to take the ship. You�ll fail.�

�We shall see.� The alien threatened.

[Founder]

Chapter 11
Saij Ut

Sickbay was packed with injured people, as usual. The doctor was rushing back and forth, desperately trying to heal the injured and fulfill her Hippocratic Oath.

�Broken rib,� She reported to an injured officer, �You�ll be alright.�

She ran a device over the injured bone, quickly healing it.

�Alright,� She said in a gruff voice, �You�re done. Back to duty.�

The Rigelian doctor rushed towards another patient, cradling his injured arm. Emma Creed, the head nurse, was rushing back and forth, trying to help the overwhelmed doctor.

�Nurse!� Doctor Ut shouted, �I need a dermal regenerator, NOW!�

Emma sighed and rushed towards a medical tray, snatching up the medical device. She rushed to the doctor and handed it to her. Doctor Ut ran the device over the officer�s scarred face, quickly healing the wound. The ship shook again from another hit.

�Damn Qirates�� Ut yelled.

The doors open and more injured officers flooded in.

�Great,� The doctor muttered, �Take a number��

It looked like they were going to have a long day in sickbay�

Chapter 12
Tulak

Sparks shot out from above tactical, showering the large Catian. M�Tress didn�t seem phased by it at all. He continued returning fire on the various vessels attacking them. All of them were different, probably residents of the Poverty Zone seeking to take the ship�s advanced technology. The Qirates were at least gone�for now at least. Tulak�s current concern was with the alien attackers. He would need to safeguard the ship before rescuing the shuttle.

�The alien vessels weapons are not equal to ours, but they are damaging the shields,� He said, �Shields are weakening��

Tulak looked back at the helmsman.

�Evasive maneuvers.� He ordered.

Miguel nodded and quickly turned the ship as fast as a vessel of this size could move.

�Shields are down to 22%.� M�Tess reported in frustration, �I don�t get it. They seem to be able to match every shield frequency��

The Vulcan didn�t want to do this, but desperate times�

�We can not risk losing the ship.� He ordered.

He cast a long glance towards the shuttle and then finally gave the order.

�Helm,� He ordered, �Prepare to go to warp.�

Miguel looked back at the first officer, concerned with this choice.

�But�� He said.

Tulak looked at him with a determined look.

�You will obey my orders,� He said stiffly, �Go to warp, now.�

The helmsman reluctantly obeyed and the USS Zeus flew to warp, leaving the shuttle behind�

Chapter 13
Cain Sebastian

The shuttle and fighter were now inside of the asteroid. Captain Sebastian was sitting in the same seat, being watched by the alien bounty hunter. He saw the ship jump to warp, fleeing the swarm of vessels attacking it. Cain was glad that Tulak was smart off to leave, not rushing to be a hero.

�Fools.� The alien remarked.

Cain turned his attention back towards him.

�What happened?� He said, �You didn�t want to join them in attacking the ship?�

The alien chuckled, shaking his head at the query.

�No,� its synthetic voice said, �I knew the key to gaining the ship was through its captain, not phaser fights.�

Cain rolled his eyes.

�So�what exactly is the plan here?� He asked, �I thought you were going to ransom me��

The alien�s eyes were covered by some kind of device, so Cain couldn�t tell if he was looking directly at him.

�I have nothing to do with that,� He said, �I am to bring you to my employer. He will take care of the rest.�

Cain slowly nodded his, a frown covering his face.

�Where is your�employer?� He asked.

The alien looked at him in annoyance.

�You ask a lot of questions,� He said, �QUIET.�

He stepped over to the helm while keeping his weapon trained on the captain. Cain was finding it difficult to stifle his opinion on the matter. It wasn�t just the ship or its crew that was at stake, it was the Poverty Zone�s future. He couldn�t bear the idea that weapons from his ship would contribute to some warlord�s thirst for power.

�Listen to me damnit!� Cain shouted, �I won�t sit back and allow you to alter the balance of power in this quadrant! Don�t you get it? That is too much power for anyone person to have! What about my crew? You�re going to leave them stranded, far from home��

The alien swiveled his head to look at the captain, visibly unphased by his pleas.

�You really are new here,� He said, �I�ve heard sadder stories. My entire family was slaughtered by Qirates. I didn�t sit around and moan and complain like you do.�

�No,� Cain replied, �You simply became some kind of�low life like the people who murdered your family.�

The bounty hunter quickly swung his phaser across Cain�s face in anger. A small spatter of blood flew out across a console.

�Don�t compare me to them, Human,� He said, �While some here may see you as heroes, I do not and I will not hesitate to kill you.�

Cain wiped the blood that dripped from his nose.

�You won�t kill me,� He said, �You need me. With out me, you won�t get the Zeus and without the Zeus, you won�t get your quick buck.�

Once the other ships flew the area, the alien tapped on the console, altering their course from the asteroid to another destination.

�This is about much more than money,� He said, �This is about survival.�

Cain snorted and looked back at the helm, wondering where they were going. The alien had changed their course to an unknown planetoid a few light years away.

�Listen to me,� He said, �I�m willing to forgive all of this. Just return me to my ship and you can join us. I understand things are hard here and we�ll help you.�

It was the alien�s turn to snort, not swayed by the captain�s offer.

�I don�t think so,� He said, �You can throw luxuries at me all you want, but that doesn�t change anything. Being here�this is my fate and it�s too late to change that. Besides, your ship is doomed.�

The ship, followed by the alien�s fighter, was at high warp, heading for a place that Cain had never seen. Yet his fate would be passed there.

�If you truly believe that,� He said, �Then you�re very misinformed��

The alien looked at him for a moment, not saying a word, then went back to the helm�

Chapter 14
Monica Esposito

The Betazoid quietly sat at her station, trying to assist with any initial repairs that she could. The ship had taken yet another beating. At this rate, the bridge would never be cleaned up. She was tired of walking into a room filled with damaged consoles, burnt carpet and walls, and tired crewmen. The ship had left behind three officers, a sad necessity. She was not really empathic, but she could tell that Miguel was really bothered by the order. He had a special bond to the chief OPS officer, Jenna Smith. Monica could not discern if it was just friendship or something more. Not like it was the time to be thinking about that anyways.

�No sign of pursuing vessels.� Alexei reported from OPS.

Monica was grateful at least that the other ship�s warp capabilities were below standard. It would give a chance for the poor chief of engineering to catch up. He had walked onto the bridge and sat at a station designated for engineering. James had been trying to ascertain which systems had reached a critical level. Commander Tulak had ordered the ship to head towards the nearest nebula. Once more, they would be in hiding until initial repairs were done. She sighed inwardly and stared at her console, focused on their predicament.

�Thank goodness for small favors.� James said about Alexei�s report.

Tulak ignored the comment and spoke in his firm voice.

�We will retrieve the shuttle and its crew.� He confirmed, knowing the bridge crew needed some kind of discussion about that.

Monica checked her instruments and reported, �This is a class 2 nebula near our present location. We can hide there and get more repairs on the ship��

Tulak gave a curt nod in her direction.

�Helm,� He ordered, �Alter course towards the nebula.�

She looked to see the chief helmsman sadly nod and obey. The poor man looked like he had lost hope for his friend. Hopefully�it wasn�t too late�

Chapter 15
Z�jj �c�m����l�h�jj

The diminutive alien hovered around the corridor, slowly making his way towards his very own quarters. The captain had been nice enough to give him one while he stayed onboard. He hadn�t told anyone how long he would stay onboard, but he had hoped to see the Alpha quadrant. Kal had been very nice to him the past several weeks and showed him a lot about his home quadrant. The Federation seemed nice enough and he thought about opening a small kiosk on Earth. The planet sounded like a venerable paradise. All that Kal had asked from Z�jj in return is knowledge of the Poverty Zone. Z�jj had just told him today about the rather large underground network that one could gain to contact others, although, now it was mainly used for criminal activity. It had originally been used by the alliance of planets in the Zone as a way to communicate openly with each other. That was before the ISC days of course. Kal had seemed rather grateful for the information and gave Z�jj a large meal as reward. The J�mma hadn�t known how lucrative the information business was or he would have entered it a long time ago. Z�jj flew into his rather lavish quarters. Although, anything not from the Poverty Zone seemed lavish. One of the crewmen apologized for how terrible everything looked. Z�jj had no clue what he had been talking about. Things were thrown around and burn marks were all over the wall, but he didn�t mind. It was still a 100 times nicer than his old home. He flew towards a chair and sat down, grateful to give his wings a rest. Bluish gas was all that Z�jj could see out of the view ports in his quarters. Apparently they had taken refuge in a nebula once again. It was a good tactic, but tiresome. This crew would never get home if they kept this up. People from here to the edge of the Zone were out searching for the Zeus. It wasn�t everyday that a ship like this flew through here. He felt bad that the residents continued to attack the ship. If it wasn�t for the Federation, they would still be under the iron hand of the ISC. Then again, some were angry at the Federation because even with being oppressed and enslaved by the ISC, they always received meals and medical aid. Well�they would receive the latter if they obeyed them. Now that the ISC pulled out of the Poverty Zone, everyone here was left to fend for themselves. It left a lot of embittered people looking for revenge. Z�jj knew better though. He would rather receive nothing as a freedman then receive everything as a slave. Not everyone that attacked the ship for political reasons though. No, most attacked mainly because the ship represented hope. Hope that they could live in some form of luxury and get out of this�life. If one could call this life that is. It didn�t matter that the Federation were good. They would gladly bite the hand that freed them for replicators and sonic showers. Then of course, there were those like the Qirates. They attacked for power, nothing more. Z�jj could only hope the ship could withstand the constant attacks�if not�

Chapter 16
Cain Sebastian

After several hours, the shuttle and the following fighter had finally reached a rather dreary looking planet. That seemed to be the theme of this area of space. Desolate planets littered the area, none offering anything of any real interest. The alien bounty hunter pressed something on the console, doing something that Cain could not discern from his vantage point. He looked back at Jenna and Janvi, noticing both were still unconscious. He was greatly worried about them, wondering if they were dead.

�It is time.� The alien said.

�For?� Cain asked.

The alien didn�t respond to the inquiry and continued to tap at the helm. Cain was getting tired of the alien�s silence and tried to figure out a way for them to get away. He looked around at each console, thinking up plans of either disabling the ship or locking the alien out. He laid his arm on a console as discreetly as possible, hoping the alien would not notice what he was doing. Cain was careful to press a button, knowing it would make a sound. His plan did not come to fruition though, because the alien pressed one more button and all the occupants of the shuttle dematerialized�

They rematerialized on the planet, inside of some kind of mining complex. Cain looked around to see a dark corridor, filled with large pipes. Janvi and Jenna were slumped against one of the pipes, still unconscious or�dead. The only sounds that could be heard were steam hissing or some liquid dripping from distant pipes. The entire place seemed to be abandoned, but Cain wasn�t about to make any assumptions on such matters. His eyes turned to face the rather strange looking alien who still pointed the weapon at him, not taking any chances with the wily captain.

�Now what?� Cain asked.

The alien slowly took a few steps back and motioned for Cain to take a seat.

�I�ve contacted my employer,� He said, �He is on his way now. This is almost over��

Cain looked around in desperation, not ready to give up just yet. He heard the steady hiss of the pipes, sounding almost as if they�re timed. His focus went to the nearest pipe, directly behind him. It was loose and looked like it was either damage or simply really old. He looked back up at the alien to see if he was watching him under the strange devices covering his eyes. To his luck, the alien was momentarily distracted, staring into the dark corridor in his constant paranoia. Cain immediately grabbed the weakened pipe and bent it from the wall to point at the alien. A large amount of gas flew out directly in the alien�s face. It cried out in surprise and turned away, giving Cain enough time to grab the weapon out of its hand. The weapon discharged and hit the ceiling of the long corridor. Debris nearly fell on them, crushing them. Cain shoved his elbow into the alien�s side and pushed him against the wall, desperate to get the weapon away from him. The alien phaser dropped to the ground and skidded several feet away. An orange fist slammed into the captain�s face, knocking him into the adjacent wall. He dodged another hit causing the alien to use his fist against the concrete wall. It cried out in pain, giving Cain enough time to go back on the offensive. He kicked the alien in the stomach and knocked him backwards�

Chapter 17
Alexei Kazlov

Alexei remained at OPS, filling in for the missing crewman. He had nothing but the nebula to scan while they underwent repairs and hid from the many bounty hunters that were after them. The young Russian noticed the chief helmsman looked apprehensive. No doubt because of his missing friend, Jenna Smith. He sighed, hoping they were all ok. While he didn�t like the way he was treated by them, he certainly didn�t want anything bad to happen to them. Captain Sebastian was one of the best captains he had ever met. He hoped to continue learning from the man, to become a captain like him.

�Status of the repairs.� Tulak requested.

James, chief of engineering, sat in the engineering section on the bridge, overseeing everything from the bridge. He turned his head to look over his shoulder and replied in a distinct British accent.

�Same as always,� He reported, �Slow as molasses.�

The Vulcan arched his eyebrow at the euphemism.

�Understood,� He said, �Perhaps the next report can be given without the�metaphors.�

James gave a bitter nod and turned back to his station.

�Aye.� He replied.

Alexei chuckled at the exchange, amused by what sometimes went on, on the bridge. Despite their situation, he was glad that he could find it in himself to smile. The past few weeks have been a nightmare. Ever since they were brought to the Poverty Zone. He leaned back in his chair, trying to forget all of that and focused on the task at hand. His console beeped and an alien text began to scroll down the screen. Alexei rushed to figure out what it was, but was unable to stop it. After about seven lines, it stopped and held itself on the console screen.

�Commander Tulak,� He said, �I�m not sure what is going on, but my console just-�

�Me too.� Miguel quickly said.

�Same here,� Monica said after him, �Chief?�

�I have it too.� He replied to her.

Tulak stood up from his seat and walked to OPS and looked down.

�Intriguing,� He said, �A message written in a foreign text on every console on the bridge. Translation?�

Alexei quickly typed away, trying to match the language with anything in Starfleet�s database. He shook his head, frustrated by the results that followed.

�It doesn�t match with anything we�ve encountered,� He reported, �It must be indigenous to the Poverty Zone.�

Tulak stood up straight, no longer hovering over the console.

�Indeed,� He said, �Mr. Kazlov, please retrieve Z�jj �c�m����l�h�jj...�

Chapter 18
Cain Sebastian

The captain fell backwards in pain from yet another hit to the face. The alien bounty hunter was resilient and taking hit after hit. Their fight had been taken into a large processing facility; it was empty just like the entire complex. Machinery was still active for some reason, moving about, finishing it�s rather old job. Both the captain and the bounty hunter had to carefully avoid the machinery, swinging from side to side of the catwalk they were on. Cain swung around, bringing his foot against the side of the alien�s head. It cried out in pain and fell against a nearby railing. He swung his fist to hit the alien again, but the bounty hunter was quick and dodged the attack, causing Cain to hit the railing. The captain yelled in pain and clutched his wrist. He quickly jumped backwards, narrowly avoiding being hit by one of the moving �arms� that worked tirelessly processing some mineral. He came back with another kick, but the alien had learned its lesson and grabbed his leg. Cain was prepared for this and swung his free leg across the alien�s face. The alien�s grip quickly loosened and Cain dropped to the ground. Both Cain and the alien had to avoid more of the active foundry machines. Part of it clipped the captain and he was almost knocked off the narrow catwalk. He recovered fast enough to avoid a hit to the mid section. Cain knocked an incoming punch to the side and then threw himself to the ground, avoiding yet another moving machine. It was almost like music the way both men moved. Hit, hit then dodge, dodge. It was no longer a test of who was stronger anymore, but a test of who had more endurance. Cain feared he was not winning either�

[Founder]

Chapter 19
Miguel Fuentes

Z�jj �c�m����l�h�jj was flying over the first officer�s console, deciphering the message that was forced on every console. They had worked to take it off the console, but it wasn�t possible. It seemed like it was waiting for some kind of response. Monica, James, and Alexei had worked to find a way to locate the source, but that too was impossible. They could only sit and wait, hoping for the alien native to translate what it said. Miguel hoped that it was the key to finding the missing crew. Z�jj rubbed the stubble on his chin, while reading the text.

�Do you understand it?� Tulak asked.

The alien quickly nodded and looked back at the Vulcan.

"Yes," He said, "It's a dialect of the universal language that the ISC taught us. It was a way to continue linguistic communications with us, even if their translators failed. When the ISC left, we formed our own mix of slang and ISC talk. That is what this is."

Miguel jumped in, "What does it say? Does it mention Jenna...and uh...the others?"

Z�jj looked back at the screen, "It's a short message despite the many letters on the screen. It pretty much reads that somebody has what someone wants and to come to these coordinates to get them."

Miguel looked back at the helm, "Should we check out these coordinates sir?"

Tulak remained silent for a moment, letting this information sink in. He wasn't so sure about all of this.

"Why would this message be sent to the Zeus?" He asked.

Monica offered a suggestion, "Perhaps the ship that was attacking the shuttle? Maybe they are saying we can pick up the captured crewman?"

"For a price no doubt." Alexei said under his breath.

The commander did not like this at all, especially considering the condition of the ship. James had yet to determine how the weaker ships were tearing apart the Zeus' shields. But if there was a chance he could rescue the captain and the others, he would attempt so. Anything else would be illogical to the being. Miguel knew this and readied the helm, waiting for Z�jj to tell him the coordinates. Tulak finally gave in. Even though, he had a bad feeling this could be a trap...

"We'll follow the coordinates..." He said.

Chapter 20
Kal

Kal placed a plate of food down on the table, serving it to some over worked engineers.

"I know you two have been working very hard," He said with a sympathetic smile, "And if you all keep this up, we'll be home in no time!"

They returned the smile with their thanks, leaving Kal to return to the galley area where his Klingon associate was cutting up food.

"Well?" He asked.

The Klingon continued cutting, while looking around in paranoia. Finally, he stopped and looked back at Kal.

"I checked the console," He said, "We've altered course. Just how do you plan on "collecting the ransom"?"

Kal smirked, "I have it all planned out. As we speak, vessels are following us and are ready to take the vessel by force."

K�Peq nodded, "And...what happens to the crew?"

The seemingly Human figure cocked his head in surprise.

"K'Peq is it just me or am I hearing pity in your voice?" He asked.

The Klingon looked uncomfertable at the accusation and shook his head.

"I have no love for the Federation," He said, "It was just a question."

Kal chuckled, "Leave the details to me. Just be ready for when the time comes."

Chapter 21
Cain Sebastian

Cain was now running across the narrow pipe, while fighting to keep his balance. The alien bounty hunter was relentless and not letting his prey escape. Cain jumped off the pipe on to a platform. The bounty hunter quickly followed, but Cain was prepared. He slammed a rusty pipe into the alien's stomach, causing him to gasp and fall to the ground. Cain took advantage of the situation and turned to run, tossing the pipe into the machinery. He rushed towards a door and slammed into it, expecting it to open as it normally does on his ship. Cain cried out in pain, his shoulder feeling like it was on fire. The bounty hunter had gotten up and began to make his way towards Cain, preparing to knock the man out. Cain got up in time to face his would be captor. They exchanged blow after blow, taking each hit. Cain cried out in pain as his jaw was hit once more. The hit was so hard, it caused him to flip and smack the concrete. The alien rushed forward and kicked him, causing the captain to slide across the floor and nearly fall into the abyss of machinery. Cain pulled himself up and slammed his fist into the alien's face, cracking the breathing aparatus. The alien cried out in painn, clutching his face and gasping desperatly for air. Cain took advantage of the situation and ran out of the factory and back into the winding corridors. He had to reach his fallen crewmen. He feared that they were dying or worse...already dead. The corridors were deathly silent. As Cain turned another corner, the silence was broken by the familiar sound of a Federation transporter. He dissapeared from the dead corridor just in time to see his would be captor appear...

Chapter 22
Tulak

The captain reappered in the transporter room, standing next to the bodies of Janvi and Jenna. Cain, bloodied and bruised, quickly looked down towards the injured officers. Dr. Ut rushed onto the transporter pad and began to scan them.

"Are they alive!?" He asked her.

She checked her medical tricorder and nodded.

"Indeed they are," She said, "But I have to get them to sickbay right away."

Tulak slowly approached the captain, unsure of what the mand had been through.

"Welcome back captain," He said stiffly, "We were...pleasently surprised to see you on the planet. We were also surprised at how easy it was to...beam you off of it."

Cain wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve and nodded his head.

"I can imagine," He said, "I have a feeling my captor didn't expect you all to show up. We need to leave this place...now."

Tulak nodded in complete agreement, "My sentiments exactly sir."

Cain, content that Janvi and Jenna would be ok, rushed out of the room and headed for the bridge.

Chapter 23
Miguel Fuentes

The helmsman had the bridge while Tulak went to greet the captain and the others. He hoped that Jenna, his old friend, was ok. The turbolift doors swooshed open and to the relief of the bridge crew, the captain stepped out. Miguel immediatly moved out of his seat and replaced the officer at the helm.

"Mr. Fuentes," He said, "By all means, get us the hell out of here."

Miguel nodded, "Aye sir!"

The ship shook from a hit just as Miguel prepared the warp engines.

"What was that?" Cain asked.

M'Tress checked his console and looked up at the captain.

"A small fighter is firing on us." He said.

Miguel wondered if the fighter was the same one that captured the captain and the others.

"Well it would seem our friend is persistant." He said.

The ship shook again and a shower of sparks erupted on the bridge.

"Direct hit!" M'Tress said, "I don't know how...but he is penetrating the shields..."

Cain looked back at the Caitian in surprise and then back at the viewscreen.

"Fire..." He ordered.

M'Tress nodded and took aim with a photon torpedo. His furry paw pressed down on the console and a torpedo flew out, ramming into the helpless fighter. A part of Cain didn't want the alien to die, despite the fact he was going to sell him and his crew. He realized the alien was just a product of his enviornment, but his crew comes first.

"Seven ships are dropping out of warp." Alexei reported.

More bounty hunters...

"Warp 3-engage!" Cain ordered.

Miguel nodded, "Warp engaged."

The Zeus turned about and jumped to warp, escaping the phalanx of ships heading in their direction. They would easily lose them at this speed....

Chapter 24
Kal

"They'll never be able to keep up." K'Peq said to Kal.

The restaurant, "Tranquil Nebula", was closed for the night, leaving the two to openly discuss the situation.

"So it seems," He said, "It is my fault for putting so much responsibility on those fools. They're pathetic. This is a minor set back, nothing more..."

The Klingon grunted and walked away, tired of the stench of failure on Kal. The restaurant owner stared out at the stars whizzing by.

"The ship will be mine..." He said under his breath.

-END EPISODE-

Summary

The USS Zeus continues its trek in the Poverty Zone, scrounging for supplies. To the dismay of the crew, the ship has been acting like one of the residents to survive. Luckily, that is broken when they discover an asteroid that is filled with dilithium.



Meanwhile, Kal plots with the dangerous underworld of the Poverty Zone. He makes a deal with them that will allow him to gain control of the Zeus. The shuttle, containing the Cain, Jenna, and Janvi are attacked by a small alien vessel. The bounty hunter captures his prey while the ship falls under attack.



The bounty hunter drags them to a factory on an abandoned planet. He contacts his employer, not knowing he was actually contacting the Zeus. Cain fought to escape, taking a hand to hand battle with the alien inside of the factory. He managed to escape thanks to the ship coming to their rescue.



The ship gains the resources they needed and rescues the crew. They destroy the bounty hunter and flee the other vultures coming in to feast. They're baffled as to how the resident of the Zone know how to penetrate their shields and they will never check to see that it is one of their own...



Episode IV Synopsis
The USS Zeus continues its long journey back to the Alpha quadrant, avoiding Qirate patrols. While entering a new system, they discover a Romulan warbird fleeing from a much larger ship, a ship that does not look like it comes from the Poverty Zone. They discover the massive and powerful ship belongs to philanthropist, who goes from system to system helping others. The Romulan warbird is an elusive enemy that has been destroying ships in the Poverty Zone and the captain of the ship is bent on stopping it. To further complicate things, the Qirates have begun a hunt for the Warbird, including their rather large leader. Now the Zeus has to find out how a Romulan warbird is in this part of space and why it is attacking ships and the only person that maybe able to help them�is locked in the brig.

[Admiral Dani�l]

This is amazing stuff! I enjoyed reading all of it. You should publish books!

[Founder]

(Thank you Admiral Dani�l, I appreciate the kind words. )



Chapter 1
M'Tress

"Why not!?" Miguel asked in a whiny voice.

M'Tress and Miguel were walking down a corridor aboard their ship, the USS Zeus. The young helmsman had been trying to persuade the Caitian tactical officer to join him on the holodeck. Trying would be the key word.

"I do not go to the holodeck to play frivilous games," M'Tress said through gritted teeth, "I go to hone my fighting skills, nothing more."

Miguel rolled his eyes and continued after the dark furred feline.

"You'll have plenty of action!" He said, "There is fighting in chapters 3, 6, 7, and 10!"

M'Tress turned another corner and walked into the familiar restaurant-"The Tranquil Nebula", owned by Kal and K'Peq. Alexei was inside, serving at some tables, doing his community service. He always seemed to want to have more stuff to put on his service record...

"Your program does not interest me." M'Tress said while taking a table.

Miguel, not detered by the stubborn alien, took a seat across from him.

"Trust me," He said, "You'll have fun. Besides, I don't know anyone else that would really want to join me and that would fit the role..."

Alexei approached their table, wiping his hands on the apron he wore.

"Can I get you two something?" He asked.

Miguel waved him away, "Come on M'Tress! My holodeck time starts soon."

The Caitian shook his head, refusing to change his mind and indulging the young officer. Alexei's eyes widened at the chance of joining a senior staff officer on the holodeck.

"You know," He said, "If lieutenant M'Tress will not join you, I can. My shift here ends in fifteen minutes."

Miguel shook his head and stood up from the table, "No thanks. I'll substitute a holographic Caitian in M'Tress' place."

He walked out, leaving Alexei dissapointed and M'Tress relieved that he was finally gone.

"I'll have a glass of water and my usual breakfast order." He said to the cadet.

Alexei quickly nodded his head, pleased that he could "assist" another senior staff officer. M'Tress leaned back in his seat and enjoyed the relatively quiet restaurant...

Chapter 2
K�Peq

The Klingon was standing in the galley, cooking Klingon food for one of the patrons. Alexie approached the galley and called into the kitchen area.

"Breakfast order-M'Tress' usual." He called out.

K'Peq grunted and moved to open a small cabinet in the corner. The large Caitian always ordered his favorite-Vorian pterodactyl eggs. They were quite filling and massive, enough to satisfy the hunger of a Caitian. A species that could actually be on physical par with a Klingon. K'Peq respected the chief tactical officer, but would not regret getting a chance to fight him. After years of cooking, his skills needed a lot of work and practice. He carried the large egg over to a counter and prepared to crack it. K'Peq was glad that Kal was not around. Even though he feared no one, there was something about Kal that was certainly insidious and greatly disturbed K'Peq. He shook his head to break him from the thought, not wanting to be distracted. The familiar voice of the cadet, Alexei, could be heard from over the counter. He was at a bar area, serving drinks to two officers. Two rather important officers had walked in and were getting a drink-captain Cain Sebastian and ensign Janvi Varghesi. The two seemed to have a close relationship and many wondered if there was something between the two, even though the captain was a bit old for her. K'Peq did not concern himself with something as trivial as that. After the failure of ransoming the captain through a third party, Kal and K'Peq have had to work on another plan to obtain the ship. The captain had been wise. He didn't allow the ship to remain in any one place for too long. Ships were on the look out for them and many did not harbor good feelings towards the Zeus. Kal had probed Z�jj, the Poverty Zone resident, for knowledge of the area. Apparently, it had been under control of the Interstellar Concordium. When the ISC had gone to war with the Federation, Klingons, and Romulans, they had of course lost and due to that loss, were forced to leave the Poverty Zone. They quarantined it instead, leaving the residents to fend for themselves. It was a rather honorless thing to do in K'Peq's view. His father had fought in the ISC war and told stories of the honorless pigs to him as a boy. K'Peq and Kal learned that the resident's view on the Federation was...mixed. Some heralded them as heroes, while others are bitter at forcing the ISC to leave. Even though the ISC oppressed them, they gave them food and work. Now they have nothing except bounty hunters, Qirates pirates, and resource dead worlds. It didn't seem like freedom was worth it to many. He sighed, wondering where Kal had gone. The orange eyed humanoid was no doubt conjuring up another plan to take the ship...

[Founder]

Chapter 3
Cain Sebastian

The captain of the lost Federation starship took a sip of orange juice from the glass in his hands. He was sharing a nice drink with his friend and counsler, Janvi. She encouraged, for his therapy session, that he go out and socialize. Cain was not much for conversation, but he would talk to Janvi. He wasn't sure what it was about her that made him want to talk, but he always did. She was the only person he would truly consider a close friend at this point. He had known her before his posting onboard the Zeus.

"Try to relax captain." She said to him.

He offered a fake smile and then looked back at the orange substance in his glass. Cain never found these sessions to be easy. He had been going to them as a result of his nervous breakdown of his twin sister's death at the hands of Romulans. She had died because of mistake, a mistranslation the official reports said. He never even learned what the mistranslation was and he doubted if he ever would.

"I know that look captain," She said, "You're dwelling on the past..."

He took another sip, "You know me too well."

She gently placed her glass on the napkin on the bar.

"Captain..." She said, "We usually skirt the issue of your sister."

Cain tensed at the mention of his sister.

"Perhaps," She said, "It is time we face this."

He shook took another sip, finishing the juice and shook his head.

"I'm not ready for that," He said, "Not yet..."

She nodded, completely understanding.

"It's ok," She said, "There is no rush."

Before Cain could respond, his combadge rang out.

"Bridge to the captain." Jenna, the chief OPS officer said.

Cain, visibly annoyed at the interruption, tapped his combadge.

"Sebastian here." He said.

"Report to the bridge immediatly," She said, "I was running a scan of the system and have found something...interesting."

Cain and Janvi shared a look of curiosity.

"On my way." He replied.

Cain headed towards the door, closely followed by Janvi.

"I guess this cuts our session short," She said, "I have someone to attend to anyways. See you tommorrow?"

He nodded, "Of course."

She cast a smile in his direction and walked in the opposite direction of the corridor, leaving Cain to wonder what was going on, on the bridge and if he would ever be able to talk about his dead sister...

[Founder]

Chapter 4
Monica Esposito

The chief science officer was inside of a really calm setting, eating a rather modest breakfast. A man was sitting across from her and to most, it would almost seem as if this was a date. This of course, was most certainly not the case. She was inside of the first officer's quarters, sharing breakfast. Monica would have a nice meal with him every so often and discuss things. Tulak, while reserved and quiet, had a lot of interesting opinions. He was knowledgeable in many areas including music, art, and politics. While he didn't seem to like anyone else onboard, he showed a pint of respect for her. She was never sure why. Monica knew it was not out of attraction, seeing as Tulak had a wife and a daughter back home. It was no doubt he respected her hard work, her thirst for knowledge, and mental abilities that came from being a Betazoid. She took a bite of the food and chewed, shaking her head at what he had just said.

"You're kidding me," She said, "You actually think the occupation of Bajor is not a bad thing?"

While most felt that her...forwardness to a commanding officer would be inappropriate, Tulak had stated that it was "acceptable" during off duty hours. He arched his eyebrow, the only thing he does to show an iota of emotion.

"I do not agree with the Cardassian's brutality against the Bajoran people," He said in a monotonic voice, "But I do feel that the Cardassian occupation is legitamate. If not, why was there no galactic outcry?"

She cut a piece of sausage with her fork and nodded.

"That's the tragedy!" She exclaimed, "You hit the nail on the head right there. The Bajorans are being brutalized under this totalitarian regime under the Cardassians. We've done so little. On top of that, we've signed a treaty with the Cardassians."

Tulak picked at a fruit with his fork.

"Would you rather have us continue hostilities with the Cardassians?" He asked.

Monica shook his head, "Not at all. I'm glad the wars with them are over, but I feel that Starfleet, in an effort not to upset them and risk more war, are giving them a pass on their treatmen to the Bajorans. This isn't tolerable. We have laws against the Cardassians treatment of the Bajorans."

The Vulcan swallowed the fruit he had been chewing and wiped his mouth with a napkin. The man was very neat.

"Yes, we do," He said, "That is why the Federation and other entities are applying political pressure on the Cardassians. Eventually, they will be forced to abandon their hold on Bajor."

Monica gave an unsure look in his direction, "Perhaps, but how long will that take? How many more will have to suffer?"

Tulak immediatly responded, "Cardassian space is not within our bounds. The Federation can not swoop into the system and liberate the Bajorans. That would mean war with the Federation and more death of Starfleet officers. I trust in the Federation council to deal with such matters, I believe you should do the same lieutenant."

She frowned, not pleased with his answer. He was probably right that politics was the only "peaceful battle" that can end this horrible occupation. She took it more personally, because she knew a Bajoran that had escaped to Earth during the occupation. He told her horror stories about what the Cardassians were doing over there. Monica found it horrible that this was going on while the Federation was in existance. Something that she loved about the Federation was how peace and tolerance ruled, as did laws that would not tolerate crimes against people.

"Perhaps," She said, "I just feel that something needs to be done on that matter."

He took a sip of water and coldly responded, "Perhaps, but that is not a matter that we will ever truly be able to assist in."

She eyed him carefully, unsure of what he meant. Monica wondered if he felt they would never get back home.

"Tulak," She said, "You...think we're going to make it back right...?"

The Vulcan looked back at her, continuing to have the same blank face he always wore.

"What I think is irrelavent," He said, "I can not predict what will happen, nor will I attempt to. We must do the best that we can do and give the captain our full support."

She cast a sad look into her food, depressed at the discussion of returning home. Her family was still on Betazed, probably wondering if she was dead or alive. Her family was not native to Betazoid, but rather Humans born in Italy. She had been adopted by them and they moved to Betazed so her mental abilities could mature around other Betazoids. Monica hoped that one day she would return to them. Even though Tulak always had a blank expression on his face, she knew that deep down inside under all of his controlled emotions, he felt pain for the loss of his family...

Chapter 5
Jenna Smith

Jenna was sitting in the captain's chair, having temporary command until the captain started his shift, which he would be doing soon. The ship was currently in warp, never staying in one place for too long. It was a wise precaution the captain had ordered they take, especially in light of the recent events. Jenna, Janvi, and the captain had been captured by a bounty hunted and were nearly ransomed. She was greatful that matter was over with. They had been stacking up on resources and with the ships impressive replicating abilities, great engineering staff, and resources, they would be ok for some time. Hopefully, set until they could get out of the Poverty Zone and returned to civilized space. If that meant facing the ISC, then so be it. The turbolift doors opened with the familiar sound and the captain walked out, heading towards his chair. Jenna immediatly got up and let him take his rightful place on the bridge. Not only because he was the captain, but because she felt he was very intimidating.

"Report." He ordered as he took his seat.

Jenna noticed he looked visibly annoyed, no doubt for being interrupted during his counsel session with the counsler. Jenna cursed inwardly, wishing she had not called him without backing up her findings. She replaced the officer at OPS and spoke.

"Captain," She said, "While doing sensor sweeps, I detected a rather unique energy source. Definitly didn't seem to be native to the Poverty Zone. I called Z�jj to check the readings and he said that he never saw it before."

Cain looked interested, "Go on..."

She tapped a button on the console, "I ran a check with our database to see if it matched anything and I found a rather...old match."

He started to look impatient, annoyed with her not getting to the point. She quickly got to it.

"It's Romulan sir," She said, "There is a Romulan ship in the Poverty Zone...."

[Lord Borg]

Wow! great reading, I have finally caught up with all the reading!. The latest post is a nice DUN DUN DUN moment to Episode III was pretty good, to,4 is off to a good start.

[Founder]

(Thanks. )

Chapter 6
Janvi Varghese

"The Valley of Chula?" Janvi asked in a surprised tone, "I would have guessed the Gal Gath'thong to be the nicest site."

She was sitting in a chair on the opposite side of a force field. A force field that seperated her from Loval, the Romulan captive. For over a month, he had refused to speak with her. Eventually, he broke down and started to have mild conversations. It was probably only because of her species ability to make other people speak. There was reason El Aurians were called the race of listeners. Unfortunately there was only so much he would say. He would never divulge his status in the Romulan empire and did not give up state secrets. Not that, that was what Janvi was trying to get from him anyways. She had grown to be somewhat fond of the Romulan.

"That is a nice location," He said, "But my personal favorite is the Valley of Chula. I have memories of my father bringing me there as a child."

She smiled, pleased that he divulged suched personal information. While a Federation interrogator would find that information boring and useless, she as a counselor, enjoyed it greatly.

"That must have been nice," She said, "It sounds like you had a nice childhood."

Loval, sitting on the bed in the brig, stared directly at her. Like a Vulcan, he revealed no real emotion when he spoke. Janvi wasn't sure if that was a Romulan trait or simply Loval. He was guarded in many of his answers, careful not to give too much. His emotions betrayed him and it was obvious what she had said slightly brought back less then nice memories.

"I had a standard Romulan childhood." He replied.

She slowly nodded, not really sure what that even meant.

"Can you clarify?" She asked.

Loval's eyes slowly moved away from her face towards the security officer stationed at the console. There was always an officer there, no matter what. When had to leave, another quickly replaced him. Janvi noticed the direction of Loval's eyesight.

"Do you wish for us to be alone?" She asked.

The Romulan slowly looked back at her, but said nothing for a moment. There were always period like this. She would speak to him and Loval would sit in silence for a little while before finally speaking, if he even end up speaking. It was as if he was calculating everything he planned to say, no matter how insignificant. Loval was certainly clever. Either that or hiding something.

"No," He said, "I do not."

She leaned forward in her chair, whispering to him.

"Are you sure?" She asked.

Loval, once more said nothing. She leaned back in her seat, slightly frustrated. This had been the longest conversation the two had, had. She was displeased that he retreated into his shell of silence.

"Ok," She said, "That's fine. So...do you want tell me what a standard Romulan childhood was?"

There was that silence again. She had come to expect at it this point. He responded, not directly answering her query.

"My father taught me to be loyal to no one but Romulus," He said, "He worked tirelessly to ensure that his first priority was his people and his planet."

Janvi replied, "He sounds like a very dedicated man."

Loval, sitting straight on the bed, looked unimpressed by her compliment.

"Not really," He said coldly, "All Romulans are to act that way. If not, then they are not true loyalists. My father was no different."

The El Aurian realized she was getting something interesting in his story.

"What happens if you are not a...loyalist?" She asked.

For the first time since she met Loval, she saw him do something very foreign and alien-smile. It was not a smile of happiness or joy, but a cruel one.

"Death." He said simply.

Janvi couldn't help but shiver from the rather cold answer he gave her. She leaned back in her seat, not wanting to get any closer then she was.

"I see," She said, "And...your father taught you to be a loyalist to Romulus?"

His smile faded, "Yes. He took me to the valley and pointed into the night sky. He told me that light years away, the Klingon empire and the United Federation of Planets existed. He taught me about my enemies, threats to Romulus' security."

Janvi smiled, unphased by his choice of words.

"Well," She said, "I'm not your enemy am I?"

He stood up from the bed and approached the edge of the cell. With one finger he tapped against the force field, causing it to glow momentarily. Quickly he pulled his finger back, feeling the slight shock. The security officer at the console looked up at the noise and eyed Loval carefully. Janvi, not deterred or fearful of Loval's actions stood up, but did not approach the cell.

"Are you my enemy?" He asked, repeating her question, "Yes..."

Chapter 7
Cain Sebastian

"Romulan!?" He asked, shocked by her response.

Jenna nodded, tapping on the OPS console and bringing up the sensor readings.

"This is it sir." She said.

Cain leaned over her shoulder and saw the sensor readings matched the Federation database's records. It was definitly an old style Romulan bird of prey.

"Location?" He asked.

Jenna quickly checked her sensor readings.

"It's still in the same spot as before," She said, "It entered the nearby system of Chetanya a little while ago. It's unknown what it's doing there or in the entire Poverty Zone for that matter."

The captain turned away and took a seat, wondering what they should do. It was possible they could find an unlikely ally in the Romulans, but then again, if the wrong thing was said, they would destroy them. It had been what happened to his twin sister. He laced his fingers together and carefully thought about it. Cain slowly ordered the officer at helm to change course.

"Alter course," He said, "But let's take it slowly shall we? I don't want them to think of us a threat."

Even though the class of ship was weaker then the Excelsior class vessel, Cain was in no mood for a fight. They had enough damage as it was and couldn't afford anymore, no matter how minor it was.

"Captain?" James asked.

Cain looked over at the engineering section of the bridge to see the chief engineer sitting there. He hadn't even noticed him as he had entered the bridge.

"Yes chief?" He asked.

James cast a sour look on his face as he reported.

"Need I remind you that the torpedo launchers are off-line for special repairs?" He asked.

Cain shook his head, "No, you...needn't. I'm well aware of our status. We'll be cautious and the first sign of trouble, we'll flee."

James nodded and quickly turned back to his console. Cain tapped his combadge with a quick slap.

"All senior staff, please report to your stations." He ordered.

He knew he ruined a lot of breakfasts at that moment, but he didn't really care. This was of the utmost importance.

[Lord Borg]

Good update. Loval seems to be a rather dark person.

[Founder]

(Ruthless is a better description. )

Chapter 8
M�Tress

The Caitian lieutenant stepped off the turbolift and immediatly proceeded towards the tactical station. The captain had called for the senior staff at a rather good time. M'Tress had just finished his breakfast and rushed to the bridge on a full stomach. As much as he hated to admit it, the Klingon was a master chef. He swept the floor with his tail as he approached his station. The captain was sitting in his chair, staring nervously into the viewscreen. M'Tress wondered what exactly was going on. Qirate patrol, mercenaries, bounty hunters, desperate residents, or one of the other myriad of problems in the Poverty Zone? He took his station and checked the status of the weapons and shields. A low growl escaped his throat as he read the shields were still not up to 100%. The chief engineer was having problems bringing it up to full strength. That was something M'Tress was not going to tolerate for much longer. Even 5% could make the difference in a heated battle. Torpedoes were off-line due to repairs. So the only thing they really had were weakened shields and phasers. Hopefully...that would be enough.

"Sorry I'm late!" A voice called out.

M'Tress looked up from the console and noticed a half dressed Miguel rushing into the bridge. It was obvious he had dresses differently for his holodeck simulation and rushed to put his Starfleet uniform on after the captain called him. Cain gave him a disgusted look and motioned towards the helm. Miguel quietly slipped in and saw the coordinates laid out.

"Engage." Cain ordered.

The ship immediatly jumped to warp, heading to the coordinates. M'Tress couldn't help but wonder what was going on. It was rare for the ship to actually go somewhere other then their steady course towards Earth.

"Go to yellow alert lieutenant." Cain ordered.

M'Tress nodded and activated yellow alert. The shields were raised but the weapons remained cold...for the moment. It was safe to say...they were approaching danger.

Chapter 9
James Graham

The elderly chief engineer was eyeing the ship's systems nervously. He was worried about them going into a possible battle with their status. James had taken the oppurtunity to repair the ship while it was flying at warp and no problems were occuring. Repairs were nearly completed save for cosmetic damages outside and inside of the ship. Once the torpedoes and shields were repaired, the ship would be at full power once more. He had clean up crews that could repair the interior and exterior. The USS Zeus did not look completely like it's old self. External parts were alien in origin. They had to be due to the fact that no replacement parts were around. He would be able to build some, when he had the chance.

"Dropping out of warp." Miguel said.

James swivilled around in his chair to face the viewscreen. Too everyone's surprise, a Romulan bird of prey was floating aimlessly in space. To everyone else, those were a really old model of Romulan ships. It was true, but James remembered when one of those was the pride of the Romulan fleet.

"Rrrrromulan!" M'Tress said from his post.

"Indeed." James said.

He stared in awe at the sight, feeling like a raw cadet again. He had served under captain Sulu when the man was commanding his own Excelsior class starship. He had a run in with the Rommies once or twice.

"Fascinating." A voice said from near the turbolift.

James looked back to see the Vulcan commander and the Betazoid lieutenant step out. They quickly moved to their posts, unaware of what exactly was occuring.

"Captain," Tulak said, "May I ask what is the status of our current situation?"

Cain looked over where the commander was sitting.

"Jenna discovered a Romulan ship." He said, not really going into detail.

He stood up from his seat, "Lieutenant M'Tress. Open a channel."

The Caitian nodded and the familiar sound of the hailing frequancies opening were heard.

"This is captain Cain Sebastian of the Federation starship Zeus," He said, "I...am wondering how a Romulan ship is always out in this area of space."

Cain stopped speaking and waited for a response. James gave a sigh, breaking the rather tense silence onboard the bridge. After nearly a minute, M'Tress spoke.

"No response." He said.

James wondered if maybe the ship was damaged.

"Perhaps their communications are off-line?" He asked.

Cain nodded to Monica, ordering her to scan the ship. She quickly tapped away on her console and looked back.

"From here, it looks completely...operational." She reported.

James was curious as to why the Romulans were not responding. If they too were lost, you would think they would be thrilled to see someone from the Alpha quadrant, even if it was the Federation.

"Maybe they won't respond since we're Federation." Miguel suggested.

Cain took a tantive step forward.

"Maybe not," He said, "But I know someone they will answer to..."

[Lord Borg]

HAHA, Ok. BTW, you build up suspence nicely. Good read.

[Founder]

Chapter 10
Loval

The Romulan captive walked through the winding corridors of the Excelsior class starship. He was surrounded by security officers on all sides and his hands were bound together by handcuffs. The assistant Chief of Security, lieutenant junior grade Andr� Rousseau, led Loval and the two armed security officers with him towards the bridge. A silence between all four individuals thrived. It was not in Loval's or Andr�'s nature to chat, while the other two security officers were simply nervous that a potential threat was now out of the brig. All of them stepped through the doors that led to theb ridge. Loval slowly falled, awed by the sight of the Federation bridge. He had yet to see it since most of his time was spent inside of a holding cell or running through the corridors, fleeing security officers and Klingon cooks. Lieutenant Rousseau nodded to lieutenant M'Tress.

"The prisoner," He announced, "As ordered."

Everyone on the bridge turned to look at Loval, surprised at seeing the Romulan pirsoner at the command center of the starship.

"That'll be all." Cain said from his seat.

Andr� bowed his head to the captain and motioned to the security officers to follow him. Loval looked at the Caitian and noticed an agitated look on the feline alien.

"Captain," He said, pulling out a phaser, "It is not safe to leave the Romulan unguarded."

Cain held his hand up, silencing the chief tactical/security officer.

"He won't hurt us," He said boldly, "Will you?"

Loval gave a typical Romulan look, one that exuded arrogance, but without the unsubtle emotion a Human would have.

"It would be quite difficult." He said, holding his bound hands up.

Loval tried to subtly look at the nearest console for any information he could steal. Shield harmonics, torpedo yield, engine limits, anything. Sadly, every console was occupied by an officer and well shielded by their frames. He looked bitterly away, but something caught his attention.

"Looks familiar?" Cain asked.

The Romulan took a step foward, watching the viewscreen in shock. For an iota of a second, his emotions were revealed and it was obvious he was surprised. A 23rd century Romulan bird-of-prey was slowly floating in front of the Zeus. He quickly gained his composure and eyed the captain suspiciously.

"Is this some...Federation ruse?" He asked in a typical paranoid Romulan fashion.

The Human captain shook his head and pointed at the viewscreen.

"No," He said, "We recently ran into them. They haven't responded to our hails though. We were hoping that...you could get them to open up to us?"

Loval looked back at the viewscreen, wondering two things. First, how a 23rd century Romulan bird-of-prey found it's way into the Poverty Zone. Second, why they were not responding to the crew of the Zeus. It seemed the only way anyone, Starfleet and Romulan prisoner alike, would get any answers would be by Loval speaking. He hesitated for a moment and then opened his mouth...

[Founder]

Chapter 11
Tulak

The Vulcan first officer stared at the Romulan as he opened his mouth to speak to the Romulan starship. He was intrigued by the presence of a Romulan onboard the starship. At this point, Romulans on a Federation starship was never seen. Tulak and Loval shared no history, except for their species coming from the same source.

"Romulan vessel," Loval called out, "This is Loval. My military code is A3-Z8-T1. Respond."

Tulak wondered if Loval had a specific rank in the Romulan military. He didn't specifiy one, but that meant very little. It probably just meant he did not want to reveal the information and revealing his authorization code probably meant nothing, because it was voice recognized. There was still no response from the Romulan ship. It simply floated in space. Loval repeated his words once more.

"Perhaps they believe we are trying to decieve them." Tulak suggested.

Loval looked at him with a disgusted look.

"Doubtful," He said, "My authorization code would have prompted some form of response. That starship is an older model. No doubt, they were somehow swept into this space decades ago. That starship does not recognize my name or code, because without contact from the empire, they have not updated their records."

Cain nodded, agreeing with Loval's assesment.

"Romulan vessel," He called out, "We too are lost in this space. We will not harm you. Please respond."

Once more, there was no response from the old vessel. Jenna's console broke the silence as she detected something.

"Captain," She announced, "A vessel has just dropped out of warp."

Cain frowned at the news, "Qirates?"

Jenna shook her head at the question.

"Negative." She replied.

She ran her fingers over the console and changed the viewscreen from the Romulan vessel to the new vessel that had dropped out of warp. Even Tulak expressed surprise at how it looked. The starship was massive to say the least. It was the size of three Excelsior class starships put together at least. The ship had a dull grey color just like most Federation ships, but was much more...triangular in shape.

"They're moving past us and heading towards the Romulan starship." Jenna reported.

Immediatly, the Romulan ship turned away and tried to flee.

"Well that ship certainly got the Romulans to respond." Miguel muttered.

Tulak looked over at Loval and noticed the Romulan watching the viewscreen with bated breath. He no doubt hoped the Romulan ship would somehow get ouf of this alive. Loval probably missed contact with his own species. Tulak could understand that. Although, there were some other Vulcans on the Zeus, so he was not as bad off. It must have been much worse for Loval who had no Romulans to speak to. The massive vessel opened fire on the Romulan starship. Loval took a step forward. It was obvious to Tulak that the Romulan was hiding his distress.

"Are you not going to assist?" Loval asked.

Cain looked at the Romulan, then back at the viewscreen. The captain hadn't seemed to have thought that far ahead. That too was obvious to Tulak.

"Captain?" Tulak asked.

The conflicted Human captain looked at Tulak, but said nothing. It was obvious he was letting his Human emotions get in the way. His twin sister had been killed by Romulans a while back and the captain had never been the same since. Loval realized the captain was not about to do anything. He took a few, subtle steps backwards until he was near tactical. Tulak was about to get up from his seat and pull the captain from his thoughts, when M'Tress cried out. He looked over to see the Romulan use his body weight to knock M'Tress aside, causing the Caitian to fall over. Loval's fingers rushed over the console as fast as he could. It was rather impressive too considering his hands were bound together. Before M'Tress could get up and stop Loval, the Romulan managed to fire phasers at the larger ship. Tulak rushed over to tactical and pulled Loval away before he could do anymore damage. Unfortunately, the offense had already been made. Tulak could see off of the console that the phaser fire had been a direct hit.

"They've targeted us," M'Tress said as he moved back to his console, "They're on an intercept course."

Cain nodded to Miguel, "Evasive manuvers!"

[Founder]

Chapter 12
Miguel Fuentes

The chief helmsman tapped at the helm rapidly, forcing the Zeus to narrowly avoid an incoming torpedo. The massive vessel fired a strange type of phaser that rocked the Excelsior class starship.

"They're attemping to drain our shields." M'Tress said from tactical.

Miguel cursed at the turn of events. First they were investigating a Romulan vessel next thing anyone knows, Loval used tactical to fire on the alien starship. It seemed his patriotism was not in question. Either that or Loval didn't want to risk losing a ship filled with Romulan who could potentially free him. The Romulan vessel had taken advantage of the chaos and warped away, leaving the Zeus to fend for itself.

"Hail them!" Cain ordered.

M'Tress quickly nodded and opened a channel while watching the shields drain. No one aboard knew who this species was, but they were obviously powerful. Definitly not like any of the others they've met in the Poverty Zone.

"They're responding." M'Tress announced.

Miguel looked up at the viewscreen to see a humanoid alien appear on the screen. He was bald and had a strange coloring on the top of his head. A bone like crest stuck out from the back of his skull as well. The alien was dressed in rather lavish, robe like clothing. He looked well fed and strong, unlike many of the other residents of the Zone.

"You are interefering an important mission," He said in an annoyed tone, "State your intentions."

Cain towards the viewscreen until he stood next to Miguel.

"We have no intentions," He said, "The attack on your vessel was an accident and I sincerely apologize for it. If you need repairs, we can send engineers over to assist."

The alien's tough demeanor switched to look more calm and understanding.

"It's not a problem," He told Cain, "This must have been a cross cultural misunderstanding. Unfortunately, this intereference has caused us to lose those we seek."

Loval, still being held by Tulak, spoke towards the viewscreen.

"You mean the Romulans." He said.

Tulak's hold on him grew tighter, implying he should restrain from any further outbursts. Cain was about to apologize when the alien spoke.

"Romulan?" He asked, "They are not Romulans."

Miguel looked over towards Jenna in curiosity, wondering what the alien meant. That was clearly a Romulan starship, circa the 23rd century. He turned to look at the captain who shared in the confusion of the crew.

"Then...who are they?" Cain asked.

The alien hesitated before answering, then replied in a quiet voice.

"Where are my manners? I'm High Commander Ydob Egassem. Perhaps you can dock your ship within ours?" He said, "I'll treat you and your crew to a meal and assist in repairing your vessel. We detect that it is highly damaged."

James muttered from his console, "Not highly."

"I can explain our mission in more...detail." He finished.

Cain thought about it for a moment before finally replying.

"You'll forgive me sir," He said, "But...we have no reinforcements, no help. This ship is all I have and you're asking for me to put it in potential risk. May some of my officers and myself beam over to your ship and then...assess the trust level between us?"

The alien nodded in complete agreement, not upset at all by the captain's words. Miguel sighed in relief, fearful that Cain could have angered the alien beings.

"Of course," He said, "Contact me when you wish to beam over. High Commander Egassem out."

The viewscreen went back to showing the massive alien vessel, no longer a threat.

"What do you think boss?" Miguel asked Cain.

The captain looked down at the helmsman, a grim look on his face.

"We're about to find out." He replied.

[Founder]

Chapter 13
Z�jj �c�m����l�h�jj

The small J�mma flew into the transporter room where some of the other officers of the Zeus were waiting. Captain Sebastian, lieutenant Esposito, chief Graham, Dr. Ut, and Z�jj were going to the ship to meet with these aliens. Captain Sebastian had called Z�jj to join them, citing he was the unofficial guide to this area of space. It was possible that Z�jj knew who this species was, but he didn't get much information on them. They would find out who they were now. The transporter chief, a dark skinned male from Terra Nova, looked up, waiting for the order from the captain.

"Energize ensign Fishburne." Cain ordered in his normal gruff voice.

The officer nodded and beamed the team to the alien vessel. Z�jj wondered if his hovering would affect the transporter onboard this vessel, but it obviously did not. His vision blurred and temporarily went black as he moved from his spot to the other. They all reappeared in a massive room, which was presumably was the command center. Dozens upon dozens of the strange aliens walked about, dressed in flowing robes. Massive consoles, all connected, formed a ring around the room and the viewscreen hovered in the center of the room. The transporter pad was in one corner, dividing the ring of consoles. The consoles themselves had very few buttons and it looked like through a strange device attached to their foreheard, they communicated with the console mentally. Perhaps to increase response speed? It was certainly a unique look. High captain Ydob Egassem approached the group, flanked by two of the other aliens. They carried rather...strange weapons or what looked like weapons. Cain step down from the transporter pad and pointed to himself.

"Greetings," He said, "I am captain Cain Sebastian of the-"

Before he could finish, Ydob pointed to Z�jj.

"You did not say you had any J�mma onboard your vessel." He accused.

Cain looked at the avian alien, surprised by the alien's attitude.

"Yes," He said, "He is the only one. Is there a problem?"

Z�jj and the alien officer exchanged looks, causing a rather uncomfertable tension. Ydob quickly covered up his outburst with a smile and shook his head.

"Not at all," He replied, "Welcome aboard my vessel, the MIV Niimcon."

Cain bowed his head, "As I was saying, I'm captain Cain Sebastian of the Federation starship, the USS Zeus."

The alien's head reared up in surpise at the mention of the Federation.

"Federation?" He asked, "As in, the United Federation of Planets?"

Cain smiled and nodded his head in affirmation.

"The one and the same." He replied.

The high captain's face became covered in a rather wide smile. Several of the other aliens turned in surprise, shocked that a Starfleet officer was in these parts.

"Incredible," He replied, "I never thought I'd live to see this day. No one thought the Federation would come here."

Cain looked uncomfertable, still not used to the worship many of the residents gave to the Federation in the Poverty Zone. He hated having to destroy their hopes by telling them that he was not part of some Federation relief effort, but simply a captain of a ship very far from home.

"Well," He admitted, "My ship is the only Federation starship in this part of space. We...came here by accident. We're currently trying to make our way back home as a matter of fact."

Ydob took in the information, slowly nodding and revealing little pity in his face. It seemed like he was more dissapointed by his words then anything else.

"That is truly a shame," He said, "Well, then let my people relieve some of your problems. We can repair your vessel and give you supplies to continue on your way."

Cain smiled, grateful at everything the alien officer was offering.

"Thank you sir," He said, "That would be greatly appreciated."

High captain Egassem shook his head, "Think nothing of it."

The other Starfleet officers smiled, glad that all of this was happening. However, Z�jj could not join in on their happiness. He recognized the aliens just as they recognized him. They were called Mohn Iim, but in the old tongue, of his people, they were called the Geh Leej. His species had been at war with them for centuries. Well, to be more accurate, the Mohn Iim were at war with the J�mma. Normally, the J�mma were race of tinkerers and engineers. They cared more about technology then anything else. They were brilliant and had been at their zenith in technology when first contact was made. At first, the Mohn Iim, then called the Geh Leej, were cordial, but definitly had a wall as to how close the two species could become. The Mohn Iim were decently advanced in technology, but they craved more. Their culture gave them all a sense of arrogance and egoism. They believed they were superior to other aliens, not just the J�mma. However, they had it out for the latter. A technology race began unofficially and both sides raced to get the more technology. Through subterfuge, sabatoge, lies, deceit, and other unfair advantages, the Mohn Iim won out at the end. The event that tipped the scales of technological balance were of course the Interstellar Concordium. The Mohn Iim had made first contact with them before the J�mma. This was highly unfortunate because they used it to their advantage. The Mohn Iim played on the ISC's strict beliefs on law and order. They claimed the J�mma homeworld was rife with chaos and needed order. The ISC rushed into the system and demanded the J�mma change their ways or order would be imposed on them in the name of "peace". The J�mma had no idea what they were talking about and demanded they leave their space. This led to the ISC beginning one of their campaings of pacification to take control. The Mohn Iim gladly joined the ISC and stated they would pacify the world themselves if the ISC gave them the technology and manpower to do so. The J�mma realized that the Mohn Iim were behind it all and in an enraged manner, they attacked the Mohn Iim homeworld in effort to stop the occupation of their home system. Furious with this, the Mohn Iim made a counter attack and conquered the J�mma homeworld. Their world was the first to fall in the ISC's quest to pacify what would later be called the Poverty Zone, although the ISC call it Prison Sector 440. Ever since then, the Mohn Iim had occupied the planet and taken control of the system, while pretending to treat the J�mma with respect when the ISC checked in on them. Z�jj's family managed to flee this horror, but their nightmare did not end. Soon, the ISC spread and brought "order to chaos". Z�jj was curious what happened to his homeworld, his people after the ISC left. The flying alien could only hover their in surprise. Suddenly, he really wished he had not come along...

Chapter 14
Kal

"Who do you think they are?" Kal asked his Klingon cook.

Both men, as were several others, were staring out of the viewport and looking at the ship massive ship. It was so big that the USS Zeus could dock inside of it, although it took up virtually the entire docking bay.

"I do not know," K'Peq replied, "I am not a Federation database."

He turned away and began to swipe some tables with a rag, cleaning them of any food particles that may have spilled over. Some of the civilians onboard the starship finally left their quarters, no longer as frightened and tried to live their lives as normal as possible. Some of them weren't even really living onboard the starship. It was just an ill fated choice to use the Zeus to ferry them from one system to the other. While patrolling the border between Klingon and Federation space, the Zeus would cross through four systems. They would always have someone that wanted free transport. However, this time, it came with a huge price. Kal himself was not really bitter about this. He saw all of this as a possible lucrative bussiness oppurtunity. He had failed to capture the Zeus for himself and rule the underworld of the Poverty Zone. However, he did not give up on that idea. He had established a connection with many in the Poverty Zone through a secure network. He would feed them information on where the Zeus was and it's shield harmonics to better bring the ship down. Unforunately, the Caitian tactical officer, adapted to the rather strange occurance of the shields being easily penetrated. He rotated the shield harmonics so fast that Kal didn't have a chance to inform his associates before their ship was destroyed. A full front attack is useless at this point. Not to mention, at this point, taking the Excelsior class starship might be useless. He eyed the large vessel, which had given the Zeus a severe beating earlier. Thoughts of taking that vessel by force danced in his head while a wide smile appeared. Taking the vessel would obviously prove difficult, but if he was able to, then he could easily conquer the Poverty Zone. Eventually, he'd meet with this...Interstellar Concordium and learn how they got to the Alpha quadrant so fast to wage their war. No matter what, they'd make it home and he would rule...

Chapter 15
Saij Ut

The Rigelian chief medical officer followed the group as the high captain led them towards a habitat area of the starship. Suffice it to say, the ship was massive. Their bridge was pretty much the size of deck one onboard the Zeus. If she had any manners, she would compliment them on their design. In reality, she didn't give a damn about their ship. None of this really interested her and she no idea why the captain asked her to come along. As far she knew, there was no medical emergency occuring. She hated being torn away from sickbay. It was her refuge, her home away from home. Going on diplomatic missions were not her idea of entertaining. The only thing she did find interesting was the physiology of the Mohn Iim. The bone crest coming out of the back of their skulls were certainly interesting and she would love to study the species, however now was not the time to engage in such...activities. The aliens, minus gender differences, didn't look that different from each other. They were all about the same height, same skin tone, same bone crest size. The only real differences were the flowing robes they wore. She wondered if that was their equivalent of a uniform.

"Z�jj?" Monica asked, "Are you ok?"

The Rigelian doctor looked over to see the young Betazoid officer speaking to the alien native. He had a perturbed and nervous look on his face.

"I'm fine..." He muttered.

Dr. Ut did not need to be a Betazoid to realize that Z�jj was lying. He was clearly bothered by something, but what? She frowned, something she always did, and ignored it. The alien was probably just taken aback by the sheer size of the alien ship, that was it.

[Founder]

Chapter 16
Jenna Smith

The dark skinned ops officer remained at her position while the ship had docked under permission by captain Sebastian. It seemed he had deemed the aliens to be peaceful. Tulak had remained in charge in the captain's stead. Janna had no doubt that inside, it irked the Vulcan that the captain continued to take such uncessary risks. So far, the aliens had been very helpful and polite. They even went as far as sending their own officers to repair the vessel. For once, they met a race that was not so hostile towards them.

"Well?" Miguel asked her, while sitting at his own station.

Jenna stared at the viewscreen, watching the interior of the alien starship. Miguel had pondered the idea that they had technology that would be able to get him home, but at this point, Jenna felt that were wistful thinking.

"I don't know Miguel," She replied, "Anything's possible I suppose..."

Miguel frowned at her rather pessimistic response and looked back at the helm, even though there was nothing he could do at this point. Jenna gingerly ran a quick sensor scan, but the data was bringing up limited information due to current repairs on the sensor array. Jenna sighed and leaned back in her seat, having nothing else to do at the moment.

Chapter 17
Cain Sebastian

High captain Ydob Egassem had spent some time explaining to Cain their ship and their philanthropic mission, conviently leaving out the part about them being members of the Interstellar Concordium, a former enemy of the Federation. Ydob was well aware of the war between the Federation and the ISC and had no intention of revealing his people's dark secret. The group continued to walk though the ship, now in a corridor that was as wide as the interior of a holodeck.

"So you're saying you go from system to system...helping people?" Cain asked.

Ydob nodded his head in affirmation to his query.

"That is correct," He replied, "We're philanthropists at heart. My ship, the Niimcon, assisted in averting two wars that would have destabilized their respective systems. We've helped cure over a dozen diseases. We've returned long, lost missing items to species. We've done...so much. At this point, we've kept at it for nearly a century and we will never stop. It is...our mission...our purpose to help ease the suffering of others."

Cain was genuinly surprised, not believing that such a species exists in the Poverty Zone.

"That is...an incredible story," He replied in turn, "If anyone needs your help, it is the natives of the Poverty Zone."

The high captain simply nodded, but didn't really reply to the comment. He would not reveal that his people had a huge hand in subjugating this area of space with the ISC. He simply smiled and continued to nod.

"You're technology is incredible," Monica complemented, "The use of mental manipulation for optimal control has been a popular theory in Starfleet."

James nodded in agreement, "Indeed it has. I'd love to take a look at it."

Ydob bowed his head towards the others.

"All in due time," He said, "First, I am interested in knowing more about the current state of affairs for the United Federation of Planets."

Cain was about to speak but Z�jj interrupted, flapping his wings hard to catch up to the captain.

"Captain," He said, "May I have a word with you?"

The Mohn Iim high captain frowned at the J�mma and took a step back, allowing the two to converse. Cain shot Z�jj a dirty look, annoyed that he would interrupt in such a rude way.

"It better be good." Cain hissed.

Z�jj looked around to make sure no one was listening and leaned over to whisper something in the captain's ear, but before he could utter a single word, the alarm sirens rang out on the large ship. Cain moved away from Z�jj and looked at Ydob.

"What is it?" He asked in alarm.

[Founder]

(Nostalgia/boredom has brought me back to Zeus, if only for an episode or two. )

Chapter 18
James Graham

The chief engineer looked around in confusion as a rather unusual sounding alarm rang out through the vessel. The philanthropist aliens were rushing back and forth, trying to get to their consoles. They had interesting technology that allowed them to literally interface with their consoles for better access or so he assumed. James hoped to be able to study the technology, although in his biased opinion, he didn�t think anything was better then Starfleet engineering. He noticed the tiny J�mma, Z�jj, looked fluttered, but he didn�t know why. James ignored it and followed with the others from the Zeus. The captain, Sebastian, had questioned the alien commanding officer on what was going on.

�We�ve located those that we�ve been hunting.� He explained in a cryptic way.

Dr. Ut stepped forward, �Who? The Romulans?

�No,� He replied, while walking towards a console, �As I said before, they are not Romulans. Their vessel is equipped with a high-tech holographic device. It allows a hologram to appear over the hull. They can�appear to be any vessel within their databanks. Their technology even allows them to fool the sensors, but my vessel has recently found a way around it.�

James squinted his eyes in confusion, not particularly understanding what was going on.

�If they�re not Romulan,� Cain questioned, �Then who are they?�

The alien captain slowly turned his head until his eyes were glaring at the J�mma onboard his vessel.

�They�re like him,� He said, �They�re J�mma.�

[Seven of Nine]

Oooh