Firebird Away team mission

The exceptionally fast personal shuttle of the Phoenix flew towards the estimated rendez-vous point of the much slower bridge module of the Horizon with the incoming alien warship. At estimated velocities and vectors, the onboard computer confirmed that they would all meet about a light year out of the Eden star system where the rest of the flagship was getting ready to evacuate or defend those trapped on the prison planet of the Zetarrians. but before their anticipated arrival, Mriin M'ata's tactical scanner beeped to her.

" Commanderr; I have the trransponder of the Horrizon at extrreme sensorr rrange. We'rre closing on them."

"Good, as soon as we get within range I want to know as much as possible. Everything we can tell."

"We should get the Draxx warship's contact pretty soon as well," added kalynda Hunter looking intently at her own sensors. "With the nanite enhancement of our systems, we will detect them before they detect us."

"As with the brridge module of Captain Kherren," agreed the Caitian woman. "And frrom theirr own position, they must have alrready rreached long rrange contact with the warrship; they arre following Starfleet's standarrd Rrules of engagement rregarding non-aggrressive contact with anotherr vessel in deep space."

"Coming about at the same speed out of weapon's range but within sensor contact on a parallel course and opening communications," specified their pilot.

"I detect no subspace transmission," commented Doctor Gray manning the communication station.

"I hope that is a good sign Doc." Riker quipped.

"They must be using photonic emissions as you did between the Nuntio and the Phoenix, Commander," guessed the Andorian science officer. If they travel at exactly the same warp velocity and at fixed postitions near enough to one another, they can perceive emissions travelling at the speed of light since they share the same warped space; wereas we can not since our position, distance and especially velocity are all out of synch with theirs."

"They must already know about the Zetarrians if they do as you suggest," the EMH pointed out; and those Draxx as well."

"We're about to get in range of their sensors if they are anything close to ours," Hunter warned her commanding officer.

"Steady" Riker said attempting to calm the crew. "Maintain course and speed. We are here to help, the last thing we need to to look too threatening"

As the Firebird maintained course and speed the computer beeped a few low tones, signaling they were within sensor range.

"Lieutenant Hunter, give me a picture. What are we looking at?" Riker asked

Over the starfield on the cockpit canopy was surimposed a computer generated 3d image reconstructed from all the data collected by their scanners; although all details were not clear yet, it looked basically like a flying candelabra from whatever end you were looking at; aft stretched at least a dozen nacelles from an elongated hull that stretched to a multipronged bow made up seemingly of six jagged protrusions. The alien vessel looked sleek yet massive, graceful yet powerful; in short, it looked deadly.

"Over six hundred meters long and sixty-six meters in diameter; mass however is abnormally high even for a ship this size... and I read barely over two-hundred lifeforms aboard, with mammalian profiles," the Andorian scientist reported as they looked at the ominious shape they were approaching. " Power levels register as singularity-based and working with gravitic energies to produce a warp field... from multiple power sources and at least as high as those from the Horizon, Their scanners have yet to detect us since I receive no echo signal from ours betraying it."

"I rread overr six dozen enerrgy weapons porrts... but registerring morre like ourr own trractorr beam arrray... and at least two dozen torrpedo tubes... forr grravimetrric torrpedoes," added the security chief from her own tactical scanners. "The shield emitters are numerous enough to provide about half a dozen shield layers over the entire armored ship. Commanderr, this morre than a prredatorr... this is a monsterr that could singlehandedly destrroy even a Borrg Cube."

Tapping a comms panel, Riker addressed the crew in the cargo area.

"Away team this is Commander Riker. All crews be on full alert, we are approaching our target and may be boarding sooner than later."

The pointy ears of the felinoid woman at tactical perked up.

"Boarrding action, Sirr? Even if we would all go, we wouldn't make even five perrcent of theirr numberr... and we would be facing a completely unknown species on theirr home turrf... of which we also know nothing about."

The question caught Commander Riker off guard, perhaps he and the Captain did not do a good enough job explaining to the crew exactly what might be necessary.

"We are going to try and save fellow officers and crew from their own ship. Did you expect us to be able to do that from here? I mean really..."

Riker gestured to the security teams and specialist crews in the cargo bay, before continuing

"Why do you think we brought a boarding party?"

She was obviously waiting for an explanation as to how and why such a rash action should be even considered. As chief of security, the safety of everyone was her responsibility, a responsibility that only the Commander's orders could relieve her from; and that was only legally, not emotionally.

But she was a Starfleet officer; she would follow orders and die for her fellow officers if need be. And she was Caitian; the prospect of a hunt was already making her blood boil with anticipation.

Her wait was ended with a beep on her panel.

"Commander; we're being hailed by the Horizon's bridge module. It's Captain Kheren, Sir."

"Put it through."

As the comms panel beeped in acceptance Riker spoke.

"This is Commander Joshua Riker aboard the Firebird, from the USS Phoenix. We are responding to a distress call and are here to offer any assistance needed, please advise."

"Glad to have you with us, Commander," answered the deep soft voice of the Andorian captain of the flagship. "if you received our call and the data attached to it, you are no doubt aware of the current situation. Please come about in a parallel course and speed with us on our port side. We may use standard comm channels between us but do not, I repeat, do not do so with the Draxx, nor aim active scanners at them. It will be interpreted as a hostile action. Once you are in position, we will open communication with them and include you as well so that you may also participate. Your input might prove invaluable in dealing with an agressive but still sensible spacefaring culture adamant about keeping a potentially dangerous race confined... to the point of readily sacrificing anything and anyone, including themselves, to do so. We must convince them of our peaceful intentions, our non interference policy and the need to retrieve our people trapped down on their prison planet, and possibly theirs also, without freeing the Zetarrians in the process. If this becomes violent, we are to fall back and let the Horizon, hopefully now assisted by the Phoenix, handle it.  Acknowledge and proceed; any and all suggestions are welcome... but we do not have much time before they reach the Eden system."

"Acknowledged Captain, we received your brief but the situation sounds worse than feared. We will pull along side as advised, Riker out."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Riker watched as the Firebird slowed and rolled slightly to pull alongside the Horizon's section on the Port side. As the Firebird settled on its new course Commander Riker tapped the comms panel and reopened communication.

"We arre at the agrreed position, Sirr," Mrriin M'ata confirmed. "The Horizon module is now transmitting through phtonic signals much like what we devized back when we wre on the Nuntio."

"Great minds think alike," Kalynda hunter commented, even if her rigid Andorian face could not convey the humor she was trying to impart.

But then, they were part of the communication with the Draxx. The light signals were converted into audiovisual signals by the computer and the universal translator matrix just like their voices usually were and just as swiftly. The computer-generated image of the alien starship was replaced by that of Captain Kheren's face as he spoke.

"Draxx vessel; this is Captain Kheren of the USS Horizon, representing the United Federation of Planets. Alongside our ship is also one of our ships, under the command of Commander Joshua Riker. We come from another universe, beyond the cosmic anomaly a light year rimward of the star system you are currently approaching. We come in peace. We come in the hope of establishing a new home for some of our people, and peaceful and prosperous relations with any other people here."

Everyone waited for the answer. It came barely a few seconds later. But before lights started blinking back at them, something else happened.

As in answer to the hail, the immense battleship looked as if it was slowly exploding.

As it still flew at high warp towards the nearing Eden star system, seams appeared on it's serrated surface. The entire mass of the warship opened like a flower blooming under the still very far but steadily approaching sun; six jagged petals of metal spread outward and barely a minute went by before the entire vessel split into six smaller versions of itself, each one this time the size of a star cruiser.

One of them, the closest to their own position, dropped out of warp. The five others continued at the same high warp velocity towards Eden.

Watching the large ship split before his eyes, Riker titled his head in slight disbelief.

"What the hell? Anyone have any idea what I just saw?"

The Caitian tactical chief answered him.

"It was descrribed in the Horrizon's rreporrt. While patrolling the outer edge of the Eden system, the Polarris was attacked by a Drraxx crruiserr. The Draxx beleived it to be the Nuntio they knew from a log buoy was infected by the Zetarrrians. This crruiserr split into six escorrt class vessels when Commanderr Oseno's ship trried to escape within one of the outerr planets' atmospherre... and then again when confrronting the flagship. These six sections arre identical to that one cruiser they firrst encounterred. Accorrding to the logs, each one of these smallerr sections of a single crruiser is a match tactically to the Polaris."

Kalynda's antennae lowered near her white-haired head.

"This means that this one ship before us could become six... and those five cruisers still bound to Eden could form an armada of... thirty destroyers!"

"And being seemingly canine humanoids, I would not be surrprrised if  they would use what Humans call "wolfpack tactics" to best brring down a larrgerr prrey... like the Horrizon and the Phoenix."

Thinking about the past, Riker could only shake his head.

"The Cardassians used to use tactics like that. It is how they were able to fight the Federation to a stalemate. I would hate to see swarm tactics used by advanced ships."

The voice of Captain Kheren came over the cockpit's speakers.

"Your officers sumrized the facts perfectly, Commander. I beleive this one ship dropping out of warp is their command section. Our best chance of preventing a bloody battle is to convince those in charge to desist."

"Commanderr Rrikerr; the brridge module is drropping out of warrp alongside the Drraxx crruiserr," reported Mrriin at that very moment.

And as she said so, the computer-generated image floating before their eyes of the alien starship indeed divided again into yet smaller copies of itself.

"Yourr orrderrs, Sirr?"

"Bring us alongside the bridge module."

Gesturing to the two ships on the screen Riker continued.

"Slowly though. Bring us alongside with a faint roll. I want to look the part of the diplomat while not looking like we are trying to stay together or place distance. Just fly casual"

His helmsman looked askance at him a moment before turning back to his console with a blank look.

"Err... I'll do my best, Sir."

Tapping the communication panel to the cargo area, Commander Riker addressed the rest of the away team.

"This is Commander Riker. We are pulling alongside the bridge module section and the alien ship we believe to also be a command section. Remain on alert, communications will continue."

Looking through the viewer, Riker watched as the Firebird dropped out of warp and listed slowly towards the bridge section and alien command section. Trying to remain calm, and present a positive image for the crew, Riker could not help but blurt out the first words that entered his mouth.

"I've got a bad feeling about this." 

This time, everyone in the cockpit shared the pilot's blank stare.

As they positionned themselves, they all heard over the comm system the voice of the flagship commander.

"Draxx vessel; this is Captain Kheren of the United Federation of Planets. We wish you no harm. We know about the Zetarian threat. We are not under their power. Several of our people and possibly of yours as well are trapped down on their prison planet. We require your assistance in retrieving them."

There was a brief silence before the universal translator and the computer-programmed photonic transmitter rendered to their hears a harsh, growling, low voice that spat words in slow, deliberate fashion.

"We are the Draxx. This is Shanarl, Alpha of the sixth Horde of the Blood Star. Zetarians escaped their confinement with the help of a starship identified by us as one using the same type of design, construction materials, power source, energy signature and lifeform readings as both of yours. One of our scoutship's death log reported this before it was destroyed. One of our interceptor cruiser also sent us it's death log confirming your interference at the location of the Zetarian prison."

Now, everyone had the same feeling as the Phoenix' First officer when it paused before finishing.

"You are either under their power or collaborating freely with them. Helping the Zetarians is a felony sentencing you to their own fate. Power down and surrender, and you will be towed to the prison planet and confined there. Resist us and you will be destroyed."

On their viewer, they all saw the Draxx cruiser angling towards them into an intercept course.

The moment the cruiser made it,s move, Kheren sat back in his command chair.

"Keep us out of range of their weapons! Back off! Back off!"

Almost as if he had read his captain's mind, Aguk Snow banked with the surprisingly agile discoid bridge module away from the approaching craft, almost matching like a shadow the movement of the Draxx. The alien ship was obviously faster but the Inuit helmsman of the Horizon's uncanny skill made full use of their own small vessel's superior maneuverability and acceleration to dance away from the other's firing arc, managing to stay out of range... for the moment.

"Belay that, Lieutenant! Keep our shields and weapons down!"

Tyvya's fingers froze over her tactical controls.

"Captain?"

He ignored her, addressing again his pilot.

"Mister Snow; full evasive maneuvers... but keep us in line and closing with the star system as much as you can."

"Err... I'll try my best, Sir."

A  blob of greenish energy emerged from several tubes protruding from the front of the Draxx vessel. The three projectiles flew towards them. The bridge module swirved sharply out of their path... as they themselves turned slightly away and were lost in the distant glare of the Eden star.

"What the..."

The Andorian giantess' exclamation echoed the surprise of everyone on board... except Kheren and science officer Irksos.

"Gravimetric torpedoes," answered the black-skinned woman with a grin and a sigh. " They not only use gravity to crush a target, but to propel themselves and aim at their target. At this distance and with our own gravimetric-based shields down, they were confused by the gravity well of the star system and lost track of us... just enough for us to dodge them. Nice move, Captain."

"But they too learn fast," growled Kheren, drawing with his own silvery stare their eyes back to the main viewer.

On the screen, they all saw the cruiser separate into it's six escort class segments, each one more than enough to destroy them and now all of them able to cover all possible angles of escape. Three went at the bridge module while the other three bore down on the Firebird, itself between Kheren's disc-shaped craft and the yellowish distant glow of Eden.

"We are being hailed," Lyrya said to Kheren just like Counselor Bijou reported to her own first officer in command of the captain's yacht.

"Let's see it"

They all had seen the lights flashing on the serrated hull of the menacing destroyer closest to the bridge module. Their computer and universal translator turned the photonic signal into audiovisual signals on their respective viewer.  

On screen appeared the feral face of a wolf-headed humanoid seated in a high-backed chair, seemingly alone in a narrow cockpit. Obviously the set-up was to hide to the viewer any view of the ship's bridge and it's technology. But the close-up angle of the image also aimed just as obviously at intimidation, showing the fanged mouth and the heavily-furrowed reddish eyes as close as if the creature was at one's throat. The image also shifted and moved at unpredictable moments, showing from time to time very close shots of those angry eyes and threatening fangs to further unsettle the viewer. It was much like the way the Ferengi had used subspace transmissions in the early days of contact with them.

The sound was also enhanced in volume and lowered in pitch, slightly distorted with faint echos almost like wind and distant howlings in the background; sound effects or actual crew talking in some kind of obscure battle language out of frame, it was hard to tell. The overall effect however was unsettling enough to unhinge even a fierce Klingon.

Fortunately, those in command  facing them were seasoned Starfleet officers; and even their less experienced, more influenceable crewmates remained firm in their discipline and composure as they looked at the bestial face and listened to the low growling voice.

" Federation intruders; we are the Draxx. You are in a quarantined sector. You have allowed a dangerous species to gain freedom to threaten others. You have showed hostile intent towards us. You are a threat to every sentient species. Lower your defenses and surrender. We promise you that your death will be swift and painless. Resist us... and your death will be just as certain... but it will be anything but swift and painless. Your choice."

"We are the threat?... He must be talking about all those terrible things the federation did" Riker mumbled under his breath almost annoyed.

Addressing the crew, Riker continued.

"We have to talk to them, make them see that we are not the threat here"

While keeping diplomacy in his heart Riker glanced through the opening behind him into the cargo area and gave a nod to the security crew. Riker wanted to talk to the crew's new enemies, but he wanted the crew ready to fight as well.

"I agree, Commander," answered Kheren over the comm. "Agression is the child of fear. It is that fear we have to adress and without falling prey to it ourselves. But stand by in case they answer a la Montcalm with the mouth of their cannons."

Lights flashed around the disc-shaped bridge module that the Firebird's in-board computer and universal translator picked up. Captain Kheren's face and voice was reconstructed from the signal for all of them to see and hear.

"Alpha Shanarl of the Draxx; this is Captain Kheren of the United Federation of Planets. You have scanned our ships; you know we are no match to your superior firepower. We have not scanned you in return nor attempted any emission that could allow Zetarians to threaten you. For the same reason, we have not used any transmission but this photonic method those of your people showed us to use as a safety precaution against such intrusion. We are no threat to you."

There was a moment of silence and stillness between all ships before the Andorian captain spoke again.

"If you still fear deception, I call upon your courage and either have me come to your ship by any mean you may choose... or you come to us. Truth cannot be denied when eyes meet."

Again, there was like a moment frozen in time before lights finally flashed on the Draxx destroyer's hull and the wolfish countenance of the alien leader reappeared to growl at them.

"Captain Kheren of the United Federation of Planets; Your bark sounds with truth, but your scent does not reach me. I will comply with your challenge. But I will go to your other ship, to your Beta, to see and hear and smell from him if this truth is from all of you as you claim."

"In the spirit of peace and good will we stand for, I will comply with your requirement, Alpha Shanarl of the Draxx. Commander Riker, prepare to receive the representative of the Draxx with all honors due. As captain of the flagship and commander of this mission, I confer to you all my diplomatic rights, privileges and duty to see this through in the best interest of both parties. We will stand by to assist you."

Listening to the conversation, Commander Riker agreed to the terms.

"This is Commander Riker, we will prepare to receive you, Alpha Shanarl of the Draxx, with all honors that would be bestowed upon a representative of peace."

"And know this," added Shanarl before closing the channel. "All our ships will open fire at the slightest change of position or emission other than photonic communication from any of your ships. A detonating device will be linked to my brainwaves on both myself and the shuttle that will bring me to you. Any attempt to overpower me either physically or mentally will result in the destruction of both your vessels. We will not be tamed."

"I guess it's a good thing we don't plan on killing him" Riker said to himself. Glancing over, Riker noticed Doctor Gray simply shaking his head, perhaps it was not as to himself as Riker had thought.

A few minutes later, a small bullet-shaped craft barely six meters long emerged from the lower back of the Draxx destroyer and moved in a wide arc to connect it's ventral access hatch to the one on top of the Firebird.

"One life form, Commander," Kalynda Hunter confirmed to the Phoenix first officer; Draxx... and there is a neurogenic link to a small explosive device on board his shuttle... and on him."

"Chemical explosive... Nitrroglycerryn, Sirr," M'ata confirmed from her own scan. "Crrude but effective... impossible to defuse except manually and with the prroperr counterr chemicals... and only if you have severral minutes to do so. Disrrupting the neurrogenic connection orr alterring it will most assurrredly cause detonation; and so will any sudden movement."

"Nobody sneeze," advocated the Andorian science officer in very atypical humor for her species.

"Breathing is off limits too" Riker added.

Gesturing to the crew in the cargo area the security team and science members formed basic ranks in as quickly a ceremonial formation as they could. The crew held their rifles at parade rest and appeared as peaceful as possible. Walking over to the hatch Riker glanced down at his phaser pistol, still holstered. It had been many years since Riker had ever gone on a mission without it, but now seemed like a bad time to be armed. Removing the holster Riker rested it on a small storage case and walked over to the hatch.

"The time for diplomacy is at hand, let's see what our new found friends want"

It didn't take long before the hatch signaled it's readiness to open. Once Chief M'ata confirmed security scan and identification of the airlock occupant, she answered Riker's silent command to open the access port. She stood right beside it, in perfect honor guard posture, which meant that her hand was on her hand phaser ready to be srawn out in an instant. Her claws where out of their furry sheats as well.

 The door slid open to reveal Shanarl of the Draxx. The canine humanoid was truly intimidating in person as he lowered his imposing frame to go through the hatche and stand before them. His lean, barrel-chested, long-limbed frame was rippling with big corded muscles under the leather-like black and bronze uniform he was wearing. Most prominent was the belt around his excessively slim waist; it was a chain of small blinking lights and small transluscent spheres full of a clear liquid he was obviously very careful not to slosh around as his digitigrade feet stepped with care and suppleness on the floor, as if the deckplates were too hot for his spiked boots.

Once inside, he stood more thal two meters high and lifted his head towards the Phoenix First officer, showing for a moment his throat before lowering his reddish gaze but making obvious effort not to look into anyone's eyes.

Stepping towards the Draxx representative Commander Riker straightened his posture as to appear professional, but not attempting to look threatening. Standing nearly two meters himself, significantly taller than several Firebird crew members, Riker was not dwarfed by the Draxx the way other officers would have been, although Shanarl still stood more than a head lengths above the Commander.

"Greetings Shanarl of the Draxx, I am Commander Joshua Riker of the United Federation of Planets. Welcome aboard the Firebird"

Riker gestured at the ship in a combined effort to both appear gracious and convince their new guest that the crew of the Firebird meant no harm.

For a moment, Snanarl only sniffed the air and then smiled an impressive row of fangs.

"Commander Joshua Riker of the United Federation of Planets; I do not smell evil spirits in you oe aboard your ship... yet, their foul stench lingers here..."

As he spoke, his feral countenance met the no less ferocious one of Mrriin M'ata.

"There are no evil spirits here Shanarl of the Draxx" Riker said gesturing again to show his crew free of contamination.

"We just came from a mission where we saved fellow members of the United Federation of Planets from the evil spirits you speak of. While I will never claim to have the same knowledge of them that you, and your people do, I would imagine their stench lingers from our recent encounters"

"I will hear your tale and look at your logs," he demanded. "Be warned; just as I can smell any lies from your words,  I have the means the recognize if and how such logs could be altered. We do not tolerate deceit."

"If you arre trry to sabotage this ship,"  Mrriin M'ata hissed.

The Draxx looked her up and down. She was slightly smaller yet no less imposing than the alien caninoid.

"Is that a threat?" 

"A warrning. I am chief of securrity Mrriin M'ata."

"You care for your litter, Felinoid. That is good. But you may sheat your claws. I'm not here to die but to ensure life for my pack. It is not wise to try and make me sweat and shake my fur."

Thus speaking, he pointed at the explosive belt he was wearing.

"Is that a thrreat?" the caitian shot back.

"A warning."

Then, he looked again at Riker, waiting for his response to his demand.

Commander Riker waited patiently, not wanting to interrupt the interaction between the two creatures before him. As he was addressed, Riker gestured towards the computer panel beside him.

"You will have full access to our logs and all log data that was transferred to our computer from the Phoenix herself."

Glancing over at Lieutenant JG M'ata, Riker continued.

"You will also have the support of our entire crew. Despite your initial opinions of us, I assure you that the Federation cares only for peace and exploration."

"Yet, you are not without fangs," the Draxx noted, looking at their sidearms. "This Alpha of yours in the other craft showed definite tactical experience... but we shall see if your bark is true."

Following the first officer's unspoken lead, Chief M'ata clamped her fanged jaws shut and guided Shanarl to the use of their console, taking care not to allow him access to any sensitive systems or data beyond what was offered. After a moment of looking attentively at the readouts, the Alpha of the Draxx stepped back with a clearly pensive expression on his otherwise fearsome mien. A moment of silence followed before his growl, much less harsh than before, voiced his thoughts.

"It seems you were as much a victim of the Zetarians as we have been... and you showed resolve when the time came to deal with them, not hesitating even to risk yourselves and sacrifice your ship... You also look to be much more able to deal with them than we did so far; your alien technology seems at the same time more vulnerable and more effective than ours when facing them. This is quite... unexpected..."

The Draxx kept himself a moment more with his own thoughts before he faced Riker, his eyes roaming everywhere but in those of the man.

"You are hunters... yet you do follow a strange plant-eater philosophy."

"Well, Riker meal 01 is a caesar salad that is to die for" Riker said keeping a balance between observation and open humor

Mrrin M'ata snorted at the remark, which seemed to stretch a bit the snarling mouth of the caninoid as he continued.

"I see now that only your ignorance and blundering made you a potential threat to us. You did not act out of malice or in alliance with those evil spirits. I am willing to abort our hunt on you... if you will share with us the technical data that allowed you to fight the Zetarians."

Nodding in acceptance Riker glanced over at Mrrin M'ata.

"We will share all tactical information that we can. We have developed security and tactical data, and I hope that sharing what information we have with you will help mend what wounds remain."

Gesturing to M'ata Riker motioned for the Lieutenant JG to open the information that was being requested.

As a response, Shanarl unclipped a small device that was interted in his large conical ear and gave it to M'ata. Then, under her unblinking and very attentive stare, he unbuckled the explosive device from his body and very delicately put it in her clawed hands. As she moved away to safely dispose of the dangerous explosive, Kalynda Hunter motionned to the Draxx and gave him a data chip she just extracted from her console.

"This is all the data we have on the Zetarians, from the initial encounter of the USS Enterprise and Memory Alpha nearly two centuries ago to our recent brush with them on the USS Nuntio. Also included are the USS Phoenix reports on their intrusion aboard and how we confined them, as well as the information gathered near Eden IV by the USS Horizon."

The Draxx took it with obvious interest. He opened wide his fearsome fanged mouth and showed his tongue to Riker in a gesture of respect.

"Yours is a people as generous, resourceful and courageous as you are bewilderingly diverse, Commander Riker of the Firebird. We will show our own courage by showing trust in you. may this help us all prevail against those evil spirits."

As he finished, a beeping sound came from somewhere on him. He touched his collar.

"The Alpha is listening."

A voice, clearer and le growling but still very much Draxx was overheard.

"Alpha, Hayapa here; we have received a transmission from one of our buoys coming from the quarantined star system. Beta Garawl confirms that the aliens are not hostile. They also have been victims of the spirits. He states that they have demonstrated the technical means not only to stop and cage the spirits, but also to send them back safely to their prison planet. He also states that their are some of those aliens marooned on the planet, possibly with others from our missing warden vessel. The aliens are intent on retrieving them, but there is no data on how this could be achieved."

"Acknowledged, Scout 1. Alien non-belligerency confirmed. I'm coming back aboard with further data. Stand by."

Shanarl looked again at Riker, still averting his eyes from his in his curious manner of his.

"I will now speak to your Alpha."

Nodding in agreement Riker spoke.

"Well then, allow me to arrange the meeting"

Turning and activating a comms panel Riker spoke to the helm.

"Take us back to the Phoenix, we need to get back to the ship. Hail them, and let them know of our status"

"Aye, Sir. Sending report right now."

barely was the channel closed that it signaled to Riker again.

"Sir, it's Captain Kheren."

The deep soft voice of the Andorian ship commander followed right after it.

"Commander Riker, our sensors detect weapons signatures within the orbits of the inner planets of the system. We are moving out to investigate at top speed... but from here at warp 6, it will take us forty minutes. The Firebird can be there in twelve."

Shanarl's rough voice answered him first.

"Alpha of the United Federation of Planets; we will follow your beta over there... and see for ourselves if deeds matches words."

And so saying, he turned to exit through the hatch leading to his shuttle. Assuming their vessel could also make warp 9, it would still be at least a few minutes behind the Captain's yacth, depending on the time it would take his shuttlecraft to get back to his own ship.

And there was apparently no time to loose.

Watching the hatch close and glancing around the room to make eye contact with the crew, Riker just smirked slightly.

"Well, you heard the Captain. Get us there, as fast as possible. Hail the Phoenix and let them know we are on our way."

Grabbing the holster off the canister behind him Riker reattached his phaser pistol, checked it and reholstered the weapon. Looking over at Doctor Gray, who was also rechecking his equipment, Riker smiled.

"No rest for the weary old friend. Out of the frying pan and into the fire"

"Indeed. Hopefully no one gets burned" The Doctor responded.

With a wooshing sound the Firebird was off and en route to the inner planets.