The recent events made Captain Mark Anthony wish he had more mental discipline. The ability to suppress emotions that his mentors – the Vulcans – possessed, would have made him more decisive. At least that's what he thought. He couldn't help but blame himself of being too lenient towards his computer officer, for allowing him to endanger not one but two crews.
Human mind, however, was certainly less prone to discipline and no matter how hard he tried, the emotions were still there, building up.
Anthony had lit the candles in his spartan quarters and he just sat down, preparing for another session of meditation, when the door bell chimed.
"Enter," he sighed heavily.
The door parted to reveal Piete, faltering hesitantly on the doorstep, despite the fact that he had already been asked to come in.
"May I speak with you, sir?" The Gurlan asked silently. His face, even with its somewhat distorted features, showed deep concern.
"What can I do for you, ensign?" The captain got up and pointed Piete to a sofa. The helmsman walked in and looked at Anthony.
"Permission to…"
"Ensign!" Anthony's voice sounded tired. "You're coming to my quarters at 11 PM and asking to speak with me. Isn't it obvious?"
He turned to the replicator and ordered coffee. "Anything for you?" He offered but the Gurlan only shook his head.
"All right," Anthony said, settling down with his cup of coffee. "What is it?"
"It's Pierre, sir," Piete's voice quavered a little.
"What about him?" The captain took a sip of his coffee, looking very casually. Below that rather thin layer of self control, his heart began pounding. *What has he done now?* He thought, almost despite himself.
"I'm not exactly familiar with the procedure he had to undergo after his recent crash, sir but…" the Gurlan hesitated, thinking how to voice his doubts. Anthony was just sitting there, looking calmly at him.
"What if it was ineffective?" Piete finally found the courage to ask.
"What to you mean?"
"Well, sir, he was supposed to be rid of his feelings. It had all been blamed on them, right? All his… malfunctions. That he intentionally miscalculated the coordinates for the Johnson and, before that, he attacked me and all his other… odd behaviors.
Anthony nodded slowly. "Lieutenant Rex assured me that the procedure was, indeed, successful," he replied. "Do you have reason to suspect otherwise?"
Even though Anthony was speaking very calmly, Piete's face went blue. An unmistakable sign of a Gurlan's nervousness.
"I… I don't know, sir," he muttered quietly. "Is this true that all of this happened because of Cadet Kruk? I mean," he added quickly. "That he had fallen in love with her and it overloaded his systems?"
"It's a little more complicated than that," Anthony smiled. "But I suppose you might say that."
"I saw them yesterday, in the mess hall!" Piete blurted out. "He was holding her hand and they were whispering!"
Anthony raised his eyebrow. The Gurlan shrank visibly as if expecting some kind of a blow.
The captain looked at him thoughtfully. He knew that, as far as emotions were concerned, the Gurlans were just the opposite of the self-controlled, calm Vulcans. Piete just couldn't help it. He was born like that. As a matter of fact, this inability to control emotions was a direct reason for only so few Gurlans serving in Starfleet. Piete was one of the most coolheaded of his people.
"Do you think Pierre didn't lose all of his emotions?" Anthony asked finally. Piete only nodded.
"Just because two members of the crew whisper in the mess hall, doesn't necessarily mean they have a romantic relationship," Anthony tried to explain. "However…" he wanted to add something but just at this moment the ship rocked suddenly. They were shook so violently that both the captain and the helmsman landed on the floor on the opposite side of the room. Anthony was about to ask what happened when he heard Pierre's mental report:
"We have been hit, sir."
* * *
"Any idea what did that?" Anthony looked around his bridge crew. At that moment they were all rather puzzled.
"There are no other vessels in the vicinity, sir. Nothing on long range sensors," Tanaki kept a firm link with Pierre, constantly demanding new data from him. He was working furiously inside the net of the ship's circuits, adjusting and calibrating the sensors, inventing new ways of seeking for cloaked ships, processing huge amounts of information and trying to find new pathways to work even more effectively. That was his advantage over more conventional computers - he was being creative. He could come up with options a non-sentient computer would not be able to invent on its own.
Right now, however, this advantage didn't mean more data.
"We were hit just below our port nacelle, sir," Liana had arrived on the bridge only a few minutes before the captain but she was already working hard on her sensors, too.
"Something penetrated our shields and the explosion shattered one of the transwarp coils. No casualties," she finished her report.
"Scan the area of the blast," Anthony ordered. "Any specific energy readouts?"
Pierre adjusted the sensors one more time and even before Liana could think about it, he sent the information to her console.
"I am picking up a certain pattern, sir," Liana replied, analyzing the display. "But I can't tell you much more than that. The signature is unknown."
Anthony nodded. They were exploring another galaxy, after all. It would be stupid to expect only familiar phenomena.
"Keep scanning," he said. "I want the senior staff to meet me in the conference room in half an hour. Try to gather as much data as possible. I'll be in my ready room."
* * *
"Anything new?" Anthony looked around the table. Everyone was there. Liana and Tim still busy with their pads, Tanaki, glancing at Kowalsky from time to time, Piete, fidgeting nervously and trying to keep himself as far from Pierre as possible.
"As a matter of fact – yes, captain," Tim began, taking a padd from his wife's hands. "We've been trying to recalibrate the sensors to look for cloaked vessels and I believe we have an answer."
"Go ahead," the captain nodded and everybody turned to look at the viewscreen that Tim activated. They saw the Explorer on its way to the next star system, still a few light years away. Then, something else appeared in the image. Some distinct energy signatures. Lots of them – all around their ship.
"What's that?" Piete asked. "They're too small for ships… escape pods? Cloaked?
"No," Tim Rex shook his head. "We believe we've traveled into a mine field."
"Mine field?" Kowalsky repeated incredulously. "Who would put a mine field in the middle of nowhere?"
"Perhaps it's a part of some training facility," Pierre offered.
"That's logical," Anthony agreed. "A training field could be established away from any settlements. Any idea what else we might expect here?"
"We're not sure, captain," Tanaki's voice sounded concerned. "This cloaking technology is very sophisticated. We even have no guarantee that display shows all the mines that are out there. Each of these little things has a slight variance in frequency," she added and manipulated the display. The viewscreen now showed a few of the mine signatures in close-up. They were indeed slightly different.
"Can we navigate through that field?" The captain asked. "What's our engines' status?"
"Transwarp is offline," Tim reported. "I have repair teams working on that transwarp coil but it will take at least another few hours. We have conventional warp but I wouldn't recommend using it right now. Impulse engines and maneuvering thrusters are intact."
"Even provided we've managed to map out all the mines, navigation will still be hazardous, sir," Piete reset the main screen and walked over to it, carefully avoiding Pierre. He pointed his finger at a particularly dense cluster of mines. "The Explorer is not a big ship but she still may not fit in between those little guys."
"Pierre?" Anthony signed the android and Pierre immediately accessed the display, plotting a very complicated course.
"I won't be able to do that!" Piete exclaimed, jumping away from the screen as if he saw something dangerous there. "I'm a good pilot but no one can react that quickly!"
"I can," Pierre replied calmly. "With your permission, captain," he added. "I can guide us through the minefield."
Piete, to his horror, saw the captain nod.
"Proceed with the repairs and then we'll back away from here," Anthony ordered. "Dismissed."
Everyone got up and left. Piete was looking for a chance to speak to the captain but he left as quickly as the others. Only Pierre stayed behind.
"Ensign," he said quietly. Piete flinched.
"You don't trust me," the android stated bluntly.
"Why should I!" Piete was trying to circumnavigate him but the computer officer stood directly in his way. The Gurlan panicked. "What do you want from me?!" He yelled.
"I just want to ensure you that I am as reliable as ever," Pierre explained quietly. "I have already apologized for my attack on you. It won't happen again."
"Just let me go!" Piete was trembling.
The android moved to the side, letting the scared helmsman go. *It might be a good idea to talk to the counselor,* he added mentally.
"And stay away from my thoughts!" The Gurlan dashed through the door as if his life depended on it.
Pierre stayed in the empty room for a while, thinking sadly how he had jeopardized the crew's trust. Piete was the most emotional of them all but he knew others were at least a little apprehensive as well. He shrugged it off and went back to work. He didn't have time for such thoughts right now.
* * *
“What are you doing here?”
It sounded menacingly. Chris jumped up, startled, and looked around. What he saw was a… monster. In an engineering uniform!
“I…” he gasped. “I was just…”
“Don’t be afraid,’ the monster smiled. “My name is Arak, I’m an engineer here. You are Chris, right?”
The boy swallowed and nodded slowly.
“You shouldn’t be here,” the engineer said softly, reaching out his hand. Chris fought the sudden urge to back off and run away as fast as he could. He just remained there, looking at the alien with terror.
“Please,” Arak sighed heavily. “I’m not going to hurt you…”
Chris slowly moved away from the console he’d been peering at and gingerly sneaked around the engineer. He shot a quick glance towards the door to the corridor. Good, he had an open way there. Then he hesitated and looked at the engineer again.
“You… work here?” He asked curiously.
The monster nodded. “I told you I’m an engineer,” he smiled, noticing the boy’s maneuvers. “Would you like me to show you around?”
Chris thought for a while. Curiosity took the better part of him and he nodded enthusiastically.
“Can you show me the transwarp coils?”
The engineer laughed. “I’m afraid that won’t be possible. Transwarp coils are installed deep inside the nacelles. They can’t be accessed while we’re at warp.”
Chris sighed, disappointed but let the man walk him out into the corridor.
“I’ll show you the warp core and all the ship’s schematics, all right?” Arak offered. Chris nodded with fresh enthusiasm.
“Tell me,” he asked as they were walking through the corridor. “What species are you?”
“I am Jem’Hadar,” Arak replied. “Haven’t you head about us?”
Chris shook his head. His education so far has included social and historical issues concerning various Milky Way races but the subject was simply too vast.
“Tell me,” the boy looked up to the engineer. Somehow he didn’t look all that scary anymore.
“It’s a sad story,” Arak began, showing Chris into a small office in the engineering. They came in and the Jem’Hadar pointed Chris to one of the chairs in front of a small desk. There were no pads, no consoles on the desk. Just the familiar red outline of a humanoid palm. The telepathic interface – the key to all ship’s systems.
“Tell me!” Chris demanded impatiently again, sitting on the chair. Arak sat down next to him and sighed.
“My race hasn’t evolved naturally,” he began. “We have been bred and genetically engineered by another species. The Founders.”
“I know!” Chris exclaimed. “The counselor is a Founder!”
Arak nodded. “At the time we thought the Founders were gods who created us to fulfill their wishes, so we did. We fought for them.”
“Fought?” Chris’s eyes became wide. “Like in a war?”
“Lots of wars,” the Jem’Hadar nodded sadly. “We were told we’re a race of soldiers, warriors. We believed our only goal was to fight and win for our creators.”
“Couldn’t you just stop and say no? Did they force you?”
Arak looked thoughtfully at the boy in front of him. Chris may have been a thousand years old but he knew nothing about the universe out there. He was just as innocent as any eight-year-old child.
“We never felt the need,” he tried to explain. It wasn’t easy. The times he was talking about were long gone, together with the people who lived back then. The Jem’Hadar of the 25th century, freed from their dependence were an established species now, flourishing with their own culture and beliefs. They all learned their history at schools but still many of his own people had trouble understanding how it was to live during ‘The White Years.’
“We weren’t taught about other races,” Arak continued. “The moment any of us grew up, and we grow up fast – in just a few days – he was given a disruptor and told to fight.”
“You didn’t even know how it’s like to be a child…” Chris thought aloud. “Do you grow up so quickly now, too?”
Arak smiled. “We do. But only physically. Now we send our young to schools and educate them. The Federation scientists helped us develop a new brand of Ketracel White that didn’t have the effect on us…”
“Effect?”
“Ketracel White was a drug we were given to keep us aggressive. It’s still our basic food but it doesn’t cloud our judgment anymore.”
Chris nodded. “I still don’t understand something,” he said slowly.
“What is it?”
“Why were you created in the first place? Couldn’t the Founders fight their own wars?”
“Good question,” Arak agreed. “But no, they needed us and the Vorta to fight for them. They were afraid of the ‘solids’ as they called races like me and other Milky Way species. They considered them a threat and wanted to destroy them all.”
“Why is it…” Chris frowned, thinking, “that so much violence is born out of fear and lack of knowledge? I’m sure if the Founders had thought about it, they would have seen that not all the other people were adamant to destroy them…”
“You’re a smart kid,” Arak remarked, quite impressed.
“Do you have a son?” Chris asked.
“No, we don’t have children the way other races do,” Arak shook his head. “Our young are still genetically engineered in special facilities on our home planets. But we provide the genetic material and supervise the whole process now,” he added. “One day, when I decide to have a son, I’ll go there and have him created from my own flesh and blood. And I will certainly want him to be a lot like you,” Arak smiled.
Chris fidgeted a little, not sure what to say.
“There you are!” Joanna rushed into the office. “I’m sorry, ensign,” she turned to Arak. “I’ve been looking for him all over the ship! Pierre told me he was here.”
“That’s all right,” Arak replied, standing up to greet her. “We had a very interesting conversation.”
“I hope he didn’t bother you too much,” Joanna smiled apologetically.
“Oh, no,” the engineer laughed. “Not at all.”
“Come on, Chris,” Joanna reached out her hand. “It’s time for dinner.”
“But Mom!” Chris protested. “Mr. Arak promised to show me the warp core!”
“Another time, Chris,” Arak bent over and whispered confidentially. “Come again tomorrow and I’ll show you everything.”
Chris nodded happily and got up. Arak’s white face with it’s sharp, scabrous skin didn’t look frightening anymore. He had just made a new friend.
* * *
"What's our status?" Captain Anthony asked his first officer the moment he stepped onto the bridge.
"The repairs are underway, sir." Kowalsky got up from the central seat and moved over to the tactical console. "We'll be good to go in twenty minutes."
Anthony nodded and took his seat. He looked around.
The Explorer's bridge was smaller than the old Intrepid class after which she took her basic shape. The viewscreen in the front showed motionless stars at the moment . The single navigation station was currently unoccupied. Piete wasn't required to sit at his post while the ship wasn't moving. If anything unexpected happened, Pierre could easily take over.
To the right of the captain's chair was the first officer's seat. Apart from that, Pierre could replicate as many additional seats as required. The common guests on the bridge were the counselor and, occasionally, doctor Darek.
In the aft section there were two more consoles: tactical and science. With holoemitters all over the ship and Pierre ready to accommodate all the needs, that was more than enough.
Anthony liked the rather spartan look of his vessel. No excessive controls, no unessential displays. Everything was simple and efficient.
*We're ready, sir,* Pierre reported silently. A moment later Kowalsky asked:
"Shall we begin?"
Anthony nodded. He shot another quick glance to the navigation console and noted Piete's absence. He wasn't exactly neglecting his duties but the captain wondered if it had anything to do with the Gurlan's recent apprehension towards Pierre.
"Proceed," he ordered, nevertheless.
Pierre accessed the ship's propulsion systems and the vessel started maneuvering slowly. The stars on the viewscreen never moved, as they were only using thrusters, but Pierre also displayed the mines for the crew to see where they were going.
The Explorer only managed to circumnavigate two or three of the dangerous missiles when, suddenly, they stopped.
*We're being hailed, sir,* Pierre warned and started scanning for cloaked vessels. The signature was still a little different than all they had discovered before. After a short while, they saw it.
"On screen."
"You have trespassed into our space. Withdraw immediately or we'll open fire!"
The transmission was audio only. On the screen they saw a ship of an unknown design. It was dark and cone-shaped. Very sleek.
"This is captain Mark Anthony of the Federation starship Explorer. We're on a peaceful mission of exploration. We mean you no harm."
"Withdraw immediately!" Was the only answer. The ship moved in closer.
"We're trying to," Anthony sighed in response. "Navigating through your minefield is a little difficult…"
*They're charging weapons, the channel's closed,* Pierre reported.
*Raise shields! Weapons online! Stand by!* - These weren't even fully conscious orders. Anthony didn't have to phrase them in his mind. They were more like impulses and the telepathic link simply picked up the impressions for Pierre who acted on them instantly.
*Hail them again!*
"We mean you no harm," Anthony repeated. "We've bumped into one of your mines and we're having trouble…"
The ship banked hard under fire.
"Looks like they don't want to talk," Anthony muttered. *Return fire. Target their weapons!*
A moment later the fire ceased.
*They're hailing us,* Pierre relayed the message:
"Alien vessel, this is the Tharraki flagship 'Queen'. Stand down your weapons. I repeat, stand down your weapons! Any further attempt to disable this ship will be treated as an act of war."
"Ahh," Anthony smiled. "So now we can talk…" He nodded to Pierre.
"Welcome, 'Queen'. I was just trying to tell you that we're here by accident. Your cloaking technology is very impressive. We have sustained damage from one of your mines here. We're trying to get out."
The screen blinked and lit up so brightly they were momentarily blinded. Pierre adjusted the filters and, when their eyes could focus again, they started to make out some shapes. They saw the interior of the alien ship. The bridge was an elongated room, filled with masses of tangled pipes or cords. The face they finally saw there bore a close resemblance to that of an ant.
The alien had red, shiny skin, it's bulging eyes were almost black and it had two pairs of feelers on either side of a wide mouth.
Anthony quickly ordered Pierre to adjust their own visual transmission for the Tharraki to see them.
The alien on the viewscreen moved its feelers.
"I've never seen such an ugly race before!"
* * *
"We will tow you out of the mine field but don't count on our assistance in repairs!"
The Tharraki commander, Leira, stated graciously. The Explorer's senior officers, along with the delegation from the 'Queen' were sitting in the conference room. 'Sitting' wasn't perhaps the best way of expressing it, since the Tharraki, being twice the size of the humanoids, virtually cramped the whole room. They were an insectoid species and their size was a surprise. Pierre had managed to replicate high benches for them to recline on but the conditions were certainly far from comfortable. On top of it, the aliens breathed slightly different atmosphere so they had to come aboard wearing breathing apparatuses. All these little inconveniences evidently weren't helping the negotiations.
"Thank you, Commander," Anthony bowed slightly. "We can manage with the repairs on our own. However, any help you might be willing to offer in terms of navigation would be greatly appreciated."
"Very good," Leira nodded. "Thorm, juice!" She snapped at one of her men. The alien darted up to her with a goblet filled with some liquid. Leira reached with a pair of her feelers into it and sucked in some. The male waited with reverence until she had enough and waved him away.
Counselor Purr and Anthony exchanged quick glances. Hierarchy was apparently closely observed in this culture.
"We expect something from you in return," Leira continued. "As a matter of fact, you should have offered it first. But I'm willing to forgive your rude behavior because you're aliens."
"That's indeed very kind of you, Commander," Anthony bowed again. "What can we do for you?"
Leira shook her head with clear disgust.
"How come you have males in charge here?"
"Commander?"
"What are your responsibilities here?" Leira turned to Liana, completely ignoring the slightly puzzled look on the captain's face. Then again, human's facial expressions may have been absolutely meaningless to her.
"I am the science officer," Liana replied.
The Tharraki female shook her head.
"Who takes care of your weapons systems?"
"I'm the tactical officer, if that's what you have in mind," Lieutenant Tanaki said.
"Good," Leira nodded with appreciation. "You will be leading this ship to battle, then."
* * *
A few hours later the away team came back from their brief visit to the Tharraki flagship. The captain called a briefing. When everyone settled in the conference room again, Commander Kowalsky began his report.
"They almost didn't listen to me, Captain," he sighed. "The good thing was that they also didn't pay much attention to me, so I could move around their ship almost unnoticed."
The captain nodded and waited patiently for Jerry to go on.
"They not only have a matriarchal structure, sir," he blurted out, raising his voice. "They are virtually enslaving their men!"
Lieutenant Tanaki and Liana glanced at each other knowingly but neither said anything. They had noticed it, too. Anthony said nothing. He was just looking at his first officer, allowing him to speak his mind.
"All the command posts are taken by women, of course," Kowalsky continued after a pause. "But it's not only that. Even common crewmen are only women. The males aboard this ship are only used as aids and servants! They're not even privy to a minimum of the information pertaining the ship's operations."
Anthony sighed. This was about as far as he was willing to let it go. "Thank you for your observations, Commander. We may need that knowledge, too, but right now I'd like to hear more about what they're expecting us to do."
Liana stifled a choke and nodded at the captain.
"They're at war with another species, the Zuthans, sir," she began. Apparently, the whole thing started decades ago. And they're fighting over the exact thing Commander Kowalsky mentioned. The Zuthans are appalled by the way males are treated in the Tharraki Empire. The Zuthans themselves seem to have a rather democratic society, with equal rights for both genders. The Tharraki basically want us to take out their flagship in the coming battle."
"We haven't come out here to fight wars…" Yoko murmured to herself but the Captain heard her.
"You're right," he nodded with appreciation. Kowalsky, sitting directly opposite her, noticed that she blushed and he smiled discretely. Anthony looked around at his staff.
"What are our options? Can we safely get out of here on our own?" He asked, turning to Pierre. The computer officer shook his head.
"I can't guarantee it anymore, Captain. I can't be sure I've detected all the surprises ahead of us."
His shiny, white eyes looked sad. It wasn't a pleasant thing for him to admit that he wasn't good enough. After all, he was the ship's computer, he felt ultimately responsible for its performance.
"Our sensors are simply incompatible, no matter how I configure them," he explained. "We've never before dealt with that kind of technology. It would be a good idea to get all the help we can from these Tharrans."
"But we can't get involved in their war!" Lieutenant Tanaki almost exclaimed and blushed deeper this time. It was rare for her to voice her opinion at a staff meeting. It was even more rare to voice it so strongly. Nobody seemed to mind it, though.
"Perhaps we could talk them into some peaceful solution?" Tim Rex thought out loud. "Federation has negotiated many peace treaties among even the most violent and ruthless races. Klingons and Romulans for example?"
"But that took centuries," Liana smiled gently to her husband. "We have to act quickly here."
There was a pause. Everybody was just staring at each other for a while, each of them deep in their thoughts. Finally, Captain Anthony spoke again.
"I don't see we have much choice. We either agree to their terms and see what can be done in terms of negotiations or we take our chances and try to break free from the mine field on our own. Keep working on the sensors, Commander," he turned to Pierre. "Let's make the most of what we have. I'll contact the Tharrans and try to find out more about this conflict…"
"Excuse me, Captain?" Liana interrupted before Anthony managed to dismiss them.
"Yes, Lieutenant?"
"Taking into consideration their social structure…" she paused. "I'd recommend Lieutenant Tanaki contacts them. She's the tactical officer and," she smiled to her friend, "She's a female."
Anthony chuckled softly.
"You're right. The Tharrans might not treat me seriously and that's bound to bruise my ego…"
"Captain!" Liana tried to protest but the captain smiled and waved his hand.
"You're right of course. My ego or not, Yoko has a better chance of achieving something with these people. All right," he finished, standing up. "You've got your orders, people. Dismissed."
When everybody raised and headed for the door, Anthony stopped Lieutenant Tanaki.
"A moment, please," he waited until they were alone.
"Is there something wrong, Captain?" Yoko asked shyly.
"Wrong? No," he shook his head. "I'm glad we agree on the subject of war, Lieutenant."
Tanaki nodded. "It would be against all our principles, sir" she said forcefully. "I thought it's obvious…"
Anthony looked at the young woman carefully. Then he smiled softly, apparently satisfied with what he saw.
"You'd be surprised, Lieutenant, how many people, even in our Federation, might not consider it that obvious…"
Tanaki wanted to say something but the captain continued.
"I want you to make absolutely sure that we don't end up in the middle of their conflict, Yoko. Contact their commander, find out as much as you can about the history and the present of this war. At the same time, I want you to probe her feelings. Would she, under any circumstances, consider peace as an option?"
Yoko nodded.
"My decision will largely be based on your report," Anthony added. "If there's no other way, we'll try and manage on our own."
"Aye, sir. And… thank you," Tanaki smiled. She only became a full lieutenant a week before she was assigned to the Explorer. She understood how much trust the captain just put in her judgment. Not only as a tactical officer but also on a more personal level.
"Dismissed," Anthony replied only.
* * *
"And this is an android, Commander Pierre IV," Leira finished her presentation of Starfleet delegates with apparent disgust.
They were in the Queen's Chamber in the Palace of Queen on the Tharraki home planet. After the insectoids helped them map the mine field, the Explorer was escorted there. Anthony chose Liana Rex and Tanaki Yoko to represent them. Pierre went as an escort and Piete piloted the shuttle.
"It's an honor, Your Majesty," Liana bowed respectfully. The Tharraki queen was a really intimidating creature. Over three meters tall, with twice as many limbs as any of her subordinates, she was filling the huge throne with royal dignity of a queen bee.
"Our pleasure," she nodded graciously. "We are told that you will be fighting for us in the next battle? Good soldiers are always appreciated."
The officers looked at each other. After a short pause, Liana spoke.
"Your Majesty, with your permission we would like to know a little more about this conflict before we engage in a battle."
The queen glanced at them suspiciously at first but then she lightened up.
"A wise tactic," she praised favorably. "It's always good to know your enemy. I'll have one of my admirals brief you on the subject."
That was final. The officers bowed deeply and were escorted out to the corridor.
"It went better than I expected," Piete uttered with clear relief when they left the chamber.
"You are not allowed to speak in the proximity of the Queen, male!" One of the Tharraki escorting them shouted suddenly and she made a move as if she wanted to strike the poor Gurlan with her sword. She only made one move. Before anybody could blink, Pierre jumped ahead and positioned himself between the furious female and disoriented Piete. His android reflexes surprised the Tharraki for a second. It was long enough for Yoko to react.
"We apologize, Madam," she said calmly. "We're alien to your world and not yet familiar with all your customs."
The insectoid seemed to have lost her impetus. She lowered her sword and slowly turned around.
"It's an honor enough for them to have been let into the presence of Her Majesty," she murmured, still angry, and resumed walking. The officers followed her in silence thought the richly embroidered, royal corridors. Only Piete, still not understanding what had just happened, needed a solid push to move forward.
* * *
When they were safely back in their chamber, Piete turned to them with a completely puzzled look on his grotesque face.
"What was that all about?" He managed to ask.
The room was huge, with massive, stone walls, just like the rest of the palace. However, it looked unfinished, since it was scarcely furnished. Just the beds and a thick carpet in the floor. The officers were told to wait there for their briefing with the Admiral.
"Apparently, you are not to open your mouth near the Queen," Pierre smiled reassuringly. "Fortunately, they were willing to forgive that breach of protocol this time."
Piete looked thoughtfully at the android. He opened his wide mouth to say something, then he shut them again. Finally, he spoke softly.
"You saved me."
Pierre beamed.
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why did you save me?" Piete's voice was unusually quiet.
Pierre shrugged.
"That's kind of stupid question, Ensign, don't you think?"
Liana and Tanaki were resting on one of the beds, listening to the conversation. They just looked at each other but neither said a word.
"I thought you hated me," Piete replied.
Pierre shook his head.
"You know what? You just think about it. Even if that was true, we're Starfleet Officers. Personal grudges aren't supposed to get in our way. Certainly not to the point of letting a fellow officer be killed!"
The Gurlan nodded slowly, still unconvinced. Pierre continued.
"Besides, I have just had all my emotions wiped out of me. Love, hatred, everything. Lieutenant Rex can confirm that I'm like an empty shell now. Finally, why would I ever hate you? What I did to you was caused by my circuits being overloaded. A momentary lapse of reason, if you will. I apologized sincerely and hoped to have the matter closed. I'm sorry it happened. I never meant to harm you."
Piete wanted to say something but Liana interrupted.
"Oh, come on, Piete! Get over it and move on! It was a sad accident but luckily you came out of it only with a few bruises. There is no need to keep on accusing him of an attempted murder! We all lose our temper from time to time. You, of all the people, should know it."
"Yeah but none of us is a super computer with level 9 security clearance ultimately responsible for the safety of the whole ship!" Piete was becoming more agitated.
"True," Liana nodded. "But he just saved your life. Doesn't it prove something?" She wanted to continue but Pierre waved his hand.
"That's all right," he smiled sadly. "He does have a point. I have failed terribly. Now I can only try and work hard in the hope of regaining some of your trust. I realize this is not going to be easy."
* * *
"Admiral, the most important thing we need to know is what they are postulating,' Tanaki was trying to put the conversation on the right track. As a tactical officer, she was of course interested in all the tactical data pertaining the forces on both sides of the conflict. Right now, however, she was much more interested in any information that might help them resolve the situation peacefully. The Tharraki Admiral didn't seem to appreciate it.
"Cultural differences," she replied quickly and was just about to continue with the number of ships in each fleet but Yoko insisted:
"Please explain," she said forcefully.
The insectoid looked puzzled but she nodded and started explaining.
"The Republic of Zuthan was created approximately two hundred years ago. The Zuthans had left our planet long before that. They were a group of our people who set out to colonize the neighboring systems."
*So, Tharraki and Zuthans are, in fact, the same race,* Tanaki and Liana exchanged the thought through Pierre. The Admiral went on without noticing anything.
"Over the years the contacts between the home planet and the colonies became loose and they started building their own culture, separate from our common roots. It lead to all sorts of deviations, including their stupid ideas about the males."
"The males?"
"They believe the males can be as capable and responsible as we are!" The Admiral snorted. "This conflict is the direct consequence of this incredible notion. The Zuthans imagine we're enslaving our males and they see this war as a revolution to set them free."
Piete was opening his mouth to say something but Piete touched his hand discreetly to warn him. The Gurlan jumped up, startled, but quickly shut his mouth and glanced at Piete thankfully. Starting another incident, by speaking in the presence of a Tharraki Admiral, was the last thing he wanted. Pierre nodded.
* * *
"This is going to be very difficult, Captain," Tanaki wasn't trying to hide her disappointment. After two days of discussions with the Tharraki Admiral, she wasn't closer to the solution.
"Nothing is ever easy about wars, Lieutenant," Anthony agreed. Yoko looked at the painting behind the captain's back. It showed a battle scene from some old holoseries, or maybe it was television? She didn't remember.
"What have you found out?"
"Everything is in the report, sir," Tanaki replied, surprised. Anthony smiled.
"I'm not asking about what you put in the report, Yoko. I'm asking about your gut feeling."
The woman thought for a while before answering.
"They're not willing to listen," she finally shook her head. "We've only talked to a handful of people, high in the ranks. Those close to the throne usually only echo the official policy of the monarch and don't dare to have their own opinion on the color of a new flower pot. Pierre, however, was able to talk to some common people, mostly from among the servants. No one seems to be willing to support the idea of a peaceful solution."
"You only talked to women?"
"No, sir. The Commander managed to get a few male servants talk as well. They aren't thrilled about the Zuthans trying to free them either. From what we understand, they seem pretty happy just as they are."
"Now that is interesting," Anthony fell silent for a while. "Seems like we really got ourselves into a difficult position."
Tanaki nodded.
"It might be a good idea to talk to the Zuthans as well, but I wouldn't like to raise our hopes too much on that. After all, they're of the same race. Probably just as stubborn."
Tanaki left the captain's office in a bad mood. It was her first serious assignment and she felt like she had failed. She did realize, of course, there wasn't much more she could have done. No one expected her to change these people's minds after a few days. But she'd feel much better if there was any hope of getting them to talk to the Zuthans. As it was, however, the whole thing looked hopeless.
The woman crossed the bridge and nodded to Commander Kowalsky. She wasn't due for her shift in the next couple of hours. Just enough time to get something to eat and relax a little. She was hoping he'd invite her to a meal in the mess hall, but he hardly acknowledged her. Yoko had already stopped to say something but seeing the cold look in his eyes, she changed her mind and moved on. Definitely a bad day.
"Chris, I told you not to play on the holodeck alone!"
Joanna was more worried than angry but she tried to make her voice sound stern. Chris might have been over 3 thousand years old but psychologically, it was still an equivalent of an eight-year-old human child. She didn't enjoy the idea of him walking freely around the ship. Chris, as probably any ordinary boy in his place, saw nothing wrong with that. There were just so many fascinating things going on all over the place. Being locked in their quarters until Joanna came back after her shift in sickbay and her classes wasn't exactly his idea of fun.
"But Mom, there's Pierre! He can always look after me!"
The boy was trying to negotiate at least some freedom. Unfortunately, this wasn't the best argument at the moment.
"Pierre has other things on his mind. He can't be held responsible for your safety. I am," Joanna said firmly.
It wasn't as if she didn't trust Pierre. She knew there was no reason now for him to malfunction. She kept telling herself that. Unfortunately, this very statement included the very source of her ambiguity towards him. It reminded her painfully that Pierre could, in fact, malfunction. He was a computer. An artificial life form. She thought she had dealt with it long ago. Now, she just wasn't so sure anymore.
"You are not allowed to stroll the ship on your own, Chris," she finished the discussion before Chris managed to open his mouth to argue.
Kowalsky hesitated. He stopped at a junction in the corridor, unsure how to proceed. Coming here hadn't really been a conscious decision. Upon leaving the bridge after his shift had ended, he was so deep in thoughts, he had no idea where his legs were leading him. And now, half way through to Lieutenant Tanaki's quarters, he realized he wasn't looking forward to meeting her. It was too late, though. He spotted her walking down the corridor. The woman noticed him, too.
"Good evening, Commander," she smiled shyly. They were supposed to be on the first name basis but she wasn't sure if this accidental encounter was actually off-duty.
Jerry felt a blush. He nodded to her shortly and made a move as to go around her but she stopped him, saying:
"You still owe me that holodeck adventure, remember? Would this afternoon be a good time?" Jerry sighed.
"I think we should talk," he said and it sounded cold and official. He noticed the small smile on Yoko's face freeze and slowly dissipate as she replied.
"Yes, sir."
"Let's have a seat," Jerry pointed in the direction where a couple of armchairs stood on either side of a big plant. 'To make the crew feel more at home,' had been the designers' idea behind it. To Jerry's knowledge, though, no one ever used these spots, preferring the mess hall or other places to conduct their private business. On this occasion, however, it seemed appropriate.
"I've been thinking about what happened," he began, as Tanaki meekly took her seat. "I don't think it's such a good idea after all."
Yoko raised her eyes and looked at him.
"Why?" She asked quietly.
"Well, I'm your superior officer. I am responsible not only for you but for the entire crew. I might be facing a conflict of interests one day. There are no strict protocols about such relationships but these problems are known to have happened. Surely you can understand that?"
The woman didn't respond immediately. She just sat there, quietly, for a long while with her eyes down. Jerry started to feel awkward. He thought his brief explanation would have been sufficient and expected her to just accept it and move on.
"How long have you been thinking about it?" She finally raised her head and looked at him.
"I beg your pardon?"
"Are you sure this is the only reason you don't want our… relationship to continue? Because, from where I sit, it looks more like you're just afraid to get too close to anybody.
"Deck two!" Chris whispered cautiously as soon as the turbolift door closed behind him. He really wanted to be a good boy but the temptation was just too strong. They were about to drop out of transwarp and the view was too spectacular to be missed. The observation lounge was the perfect spot to watch the T-space field collapse.
No sooner had Chris turned around to face the exit when the cart jolted violently. He lost his balance. The turbolift stopped dead for a split second. Then, it moved in the opposite direction. Chris landed hard on the wall. Then, on the floor.
"Pierre!" He screamed out, terrified. There was no answer.
For a moment, everything stopped. The cart wasn't moving at all. Chris tried the door but it was stuck. *Pierre?* He asked again. Silence. He reached for the manual override mechanism but he just wasn't strong enough to move the handle. Or, it might have been fused, too.
The boy looked around. Then he decided the best thing was to just sit there quietly and wait for someone to rescue him. He sat down. And then… the cart started moving again. Awkwardly. It slid sideways, rocked and then slid some more.
Chris was absolutely horrified now. He didn't know if the shaft he was in at the moment was horizontal or vertical. He stood up again and started banging at the door with his little fists.
He knew he could easily set himself free or even reverse the time and avoid stepping into the turbolift in the first place. However, he remembered the condition under which he had been allowed to stay with the Explorer: 'No using his Yagla powers.' He valued his position too much to even think of violating the promise he'd made to the captain. Not even to save his own life.
"Hello!" He shouted as loud as he could. "Help! Can anyone hear me?!"
"Calm down," he heard a comforting voice. "We're about to cut you free," his new friend, Arak, explained. "Stay as far from the door as you can now."
* * *
"Shields up!" Anthony's voice was calm. He could have, of course, given the order in this thoughts but somehow it felt more natural to speak up in emergency situations. It wasn't strictly protocol, rather a habit.
"Hail them," the captain added.
The main viewscreen showed three huge alien ships. They had all opened fire without warning, as soon as they decloaked all around the Explorer.
"No response," Tanaki reported. She was almost as calm as the captain. The crew had been through some hard times already and they all trusted their commanding officer. That's always been the basis of operation for any Starfleet vessel.
"Evasive maneuvers," Commander Kowalsky added, looking at a small monitor next to his seat. He requested that Pierre relay all the tactical data there. Not that he wanted to supervise what Yoko was doing, of course. He only liked to have absolute control in each situation. Being the First Officer meant that for him.
"The shields are failing, Captain," Tanaki didn't raise her voice. "They're down to 30 per cent."
"The aliens are using some unknown energy weapons. The signature is akin to the Tharraki technology but not identical," Liana offered from her science station. Simultaneously, Pierre took all the scans she'd ordered and passed them on to every station. The whole bridge crew was now able to see how the energy patterns of the beams disrupted the Explorer's shields.
"Hail them again," Anthony repeated. In the meantime, Piete at the helm was doing everything to avoid the intersecting beams.
Steering a ship like the Explorer seemed easy. He just sat there, with his hand firmly on the panel connecting his brain to Pierre's systems. All the work was done in his mind that analyzed the alien ships' movements, the angles at which they shot and a thousand other variables necessary to navigate a ship in battle. The task would be impossible, of course, if not for Pierre, who not only relayed the swiftly changing data back and forth between the ship's systems and the Gurlan's brain but also enhanced it's processing capabilities.
"They're still not responding." Tanaki answered.
Commander Kowalsky ordered Pierre to conduct some additional scans. "Can we outrun them?" He asked.
"Sir, I think I know how to disable their weapon systems!" Yoko exclaimed with excitement. Within the next second the data she had on her panel was relayed to the captain's mind directly.
"Do it," he ordered, having already processed the information, thanks to Pierre.
On the viewscreen they saw a cloud of thoron particles engulfing all of the ships in the blink of an eye. Combined with the energy output from the Explorer's shields, the disperse pattern created a wave that shook the alien vessels visibly. Then, one by one, they stopped firing.
"Now they're hailing us, sir," Tanaki smiled.
"Good work, Lieutenant," Anthony nodded.
Lieutenant Tanaki's idea was to carefully modulate the Explorer's shield frequency and, simultaneously, emit a wide thoron beam through the ship's main deflector. It created a massive graviton pulse, affecting the alien's weapons as she hoped. Explaining the procedure aloud and taking the time to think about it would have certainly lasted longer than a second. That was one of the main tactical advantages of the TCS systems over more traditional starships.
Lieutenant Yoko Tanaki didn't even have to push buttons or hit icons on her panel. Once the procedure was approved by the captain, Pierre took care of the rest.
"On screen!"
The main viewer blinked a few times, apparently Pierre was having problems adjusting his technology to receive the alien message.
"I am Praxton K'rent, commander in charge of the Zuthan Military Forces in sector F. Identify yourselves!"
"Captain Mark Anthony of the Federation starship Explorer. Why have you attacked us?"
The insectoid aboard the alien ship got up and walked over to the monitor as if allowing the Explorer's bridge crew take a closer look at his ant-like, elongated face. He looked very much like one of the Tharraki leaders. Except that he was a male.
"You have allied with our enemy!" He hissed. "We consider you a threat to the Republic of Zuthan."
* * *
Joanna sat on the couch in her quarters and sighed, resigned. Chris, standing before her, now all safe and sound, didn't look guilty in the least.
"I told you not to wander around the ship on your own, didn't I?" She asked, softly. The boy nodded.
The lights in the room were subdued. Pierre knew her habits quite well. The evenings were for quiet rest: reading, talking or listening to music. Now it suddenly seemed too dark. She only thought she wanted to see the boy's face more clearly, when the lights brightened. She thought briefly about Pierre and returned all her attention to Chris.
"You realize you could have gotten yourself killed during that attack? On a starship there's no telling when it's safe. One minute everything is all right and then all the hell breaks loose. You have to remember that," she lectured. Chris nodded again.
Joanna slumped deeper into her couch. She didn't get the impression he really understood.
"Why?" She asked finally.
"Mom," the boy pledged. "You know I can take care of myself! See? Nothing happened! I'm fine! Arak rescued me!"
"What if he hadn't been there? Or if the turbolift had gone all the way down and crashed with you inside?"
"I could have escaped," Chris kneeled in front of the young woman and took her palm into his small hands. "I would have if there had been no other option. I understand Captain Anthony's order now. I am not to use my powers for fun or out of curiosity. I can use them in self defense. You said so yourself…"
* * *
The Explorer's Conference Room was once again crowded. Three huge Zuthans occupied one side of the round, elongated table, while most of the senior officers were closely packed together at the other side.
"Gentlemen," Captain Anthony began, greeting the aliens with a small bow. They were all male.
"Gentlemen. I hope we will manage to convince you we're not your enemy. We were… invited by the Tharraki government to take part in the upcoming battle. Truth is, we're not willing to fight you. Neither of you," he added for absolute clarity. "Our mission is to seek out new life forms and make peaceful contact. We want to learn from others, not wage in their wars."
"A very noble goal," the biggest of the Zuthans acknowledged with a short nod. "We would very much like to be able to say the same for ourselves. Unfortunately," he paused and looked at his two comrades as if awaiting their approval. After a short pause, he continued.
"Unfortunately we are being forced to defend ourselves. I'm sorry to say that, Captain, but we're losing badly. Half of our fleet has been destroyed already. The Tharraki don't leave any survivors. The whole crews have been captured and put to slave work by these voracious females. And they keep on raiding us."
Tanaki, as the Tactical Officer, was surprised for a moment at such an open statement of weakness. Then she realized that even one crippled Zuthan ship was more than a match for the Explorer. The aliens really had no reason to fear them. In fact, the whole thing with them fighting for the Tharraki must have been more a matter of honor than tactical advantage.
Captain Anthony listened carefully to everything that was being said. He still hoped a peaceful solution was possible.
"Commander," he said thoughtfully. "If there is anything we could do to help both your peoples stop fighting each other, we'll be more than willing to help. I am open to suggestions."
The insectoid aliens looked at each other. There was a long, tense silence in the room, as the Starfleet Officers held their breath awaiting the Zuthans' reaction. They remembered full well how the Tharraki had reacted to an offer of peace talks.
Tanaki in particular was feeling nervous. She still considered the matter largely her own responsibility. She was just about to say something when one of the Zuthans spoke up.
"We are aware of a certain group of Tharraki who might be willing to talk…"
* * *
The away team comprised of Commander Kowalsky, Liana Rex – as a chief mediator in case the Tharraki here preferred matriarchy after all – Pierre as chief of security, Arak and Joanna. Surprisingly, it was Kowalsky who had recommended her for this mission. Anthony raised an eyebrow but Jerry only shrugged. "She's supposed to be gaining experience, right?" The captain approved with a short nod.
The group of officers and the three Zuthans were now wondering a maze of spacious, stony corridors. The whole facility, the main base of operations for the underground movement, was indeed located under ground. Just on the outskirts of the capital.
"We're closing," the Zuthan in the lead cautioned.
Joanna looked around. The surroundings reminded her of an Earth gothic castle with its massive walls and endless dungeons. She tried to keep up with the rest of the group, staying close to Liana. The Zuthans with their enormously long legs were almost forcing them all to run. Jerry was leading the group with Liana close behind. Arak brought up the rear.
Joanna was suddenly startled to find Pierre at her side. Since his accident, she hadn't been exactly avoiding him. It's just that… well, her progressing Starfleet training gave her the ability to shield her mind from him when she wanted to, just as the rest of the crew could do. She was simply practicing this new skill. And, since she wasn't a bridge officer, she didn't have to stay in contact with him while on duty either.
Now it was different. She was a part of the away team and Pierre was sent there to protect them. He kept the link with the ship open, so he could easily communicate with the captain or beam them all out at the first sign of trouble. Unfortunately, it also meant that his telepathy was there too.
*We need to talk, Sunshine,* she heard his soft voice in her head.
*We have a mission,* she replied likewise, without looking at him.
*Not now,* she felt, rather than heard, a soft laughter from him. *I'd like to meet you when we get back.*
Joanna only nodded stiffly and moved on. Pierre sighed quietly and slowed down to join Arak.
"Stop! Don't move!" They heard suddenly. The group froze. Apparently from nowhere, groups of Tharraki started materializing all around them. Each of them male and each with a weapon trained at the officers. It was a small consolation that the Tharraki were generally smaller than the Zuthans accompanying the Explorer's crew. Sheer numbers were against them.
"Identify yourselves!"
Before any of the officers managed to open their mouth, the Tharraki answered their own question.
"Betrayal! They heard one of them shout. "Federation!" "Female allies!"
One of the newly arrived insectoids, also male but evidently of great authority, raised his limb and everyone went silent.
"Who are they?" the leader turned to one of the Zuthans as if the humanoids were even unworthy of questioning.
"They're friends," the Zuthan replied.
"Oh? I thought they were preparing for battle at our females' side."
"We are a peaceful people," Jerry chose this moment to speak up. Everyone turned to look at him. "We have been… obliged by your customs," he continued, unabated. "To aid the Tharraki forces in the battle, that's true. However, we're trying to find a way out of this. We'd very much prefer a peaceful solution."
"Peaceful solution!" The Tharraki all but sneered sarcastically. However, he motioned for his people to stand down. The officers were still surrounded by over a dozen Tharraki, their weapons down but not yet holstered.
Joanna found herself in the middle of the group. It was only her second mission but for the first time she was in danger of being attacked. She couldn't help but shiver. Immediately, she felt Pierre's hand on her shoulder. *It's all right,* he beamed at her with warm encouragement. Joanna felt tempted to lock him out of her mind but that would be going against her orders. Pierre must have sensed her apprehension because he quickly withdrew both his hand and his thoughts.
*It's… nice of him,* she thought. Then she forced herself to focus back on their situation.
"No one has ever achieved a peaceful solution with our females!" The Tharraki leader stated and his companions laughed shortly.
"Well," Kowalsky moved to the front of the group, causing some of the closer Tharraki to raise their weapons slightly. "Even as we speak, one of our representatives is talking to the Queen."
"And what might they be talking about?" The Tharraki asked suspiciously.
"Lieutenant Tanaki is presenting her Majesty our idea for peace among your people…"
* * *
"That's ridiculous!" The Queen's feelers moved furiously. "You are insulting us!"
"I beg Your Majesty's pardon," Yoko made the deepest and most humble now she could muster, without actually falling down on her knees. "We mean no disrespect," she continued after a pause. "All I'm saying is that all the battles have taken their toll on your people already, Your Highness. From what tactical information I have been granted access to, I can see that this battle is unlikely to solve your conflict as well. Just another bloodshed," she added courageously.
"And you think you have a better plan?" The Queen raised slightly to change the position of her massive body in the throne. Immediately, three aides were at her side, supporting their monarch. She waved them off impatiently, nodding for Tanaki to continue.
"I suppose you're aware of the small resistance movement among your people?"
That part was risky but Yoko had no other option. She held her breath for a moment and was relieved to see the insect Queen only nod. She let the air out and continued.
"Well, that would mean solving two problems at the same time…"
Joanna entered the mess hall with mixed feelings. She took a look around and, to her relief, she noticed the Tharraki woman who had asked her here didn't arrive yet.
It was a late evening and the room was almost empty. She spotted a young couple nested comfortably in one corner and a lone ensign over a cup of raktajino in another. She shrugged briefly at the thought of drinking strong coffee that late but then realized the ensign probably worked nights. She was lucky not to have been assigned might shifts, due to her responsibility for Chris.
Joanna strolled to a replicator and stopped, undecided. She wasn't really thirsty and eating a second supper that evening wasn't tempting either.
*However,* she thought. *I'd rather have something to occupy my hands while that... ant is here.*
*That was rude, wouldn't you say?* She heard a familiar voice in her head. She'd forgotten to shield her mind for just a few moments and Pierre must have jumped at the opportunity to communicate with her.
*Leave me alone,* she pleaded wordlessly and felt him quietly remove himself from her thoughts. She knew she'd have to deal with him sooner or later but right now she preferred later. Much later.
"I'm glad you decided to meet me, Cadet," the Tharraki bowed right in front of her.
Being close friends with Vort by now, Joanna wasn't startled by her sudden appearance.
"The pleasure is mine," she replied with a smile, thinking that just a few months ago such an encounter would be her worst nightmare. "Why don't we sit down?" She added, pointing at one of the tables. "Or, perhaps, you'd care for some refreshments first? I hope our replicators manage to satisfy your needs?"
"They do but I don't eat this late at night, thank you," the giant ant shook her head and steered towards the table.
"I seem to share your sentiment," Joanna nodded and followed her companion. She couldn't help but wonder why, of all the people aboard the USS Explorer the alien wanted to see her.
"What can I do for you?" She asked when they settled down.
The Explorer was currently serving as a transport ship for the small group of Tharrans who decided to try and live in the proposed colony along with the Zuthans. The negotiations were tough but they finally managed to convince both sides that this little experiment was worth trying. The Explorer was leading a small flotilla of ships heading towards the borders of Tharraki space where the chosen system was.
The alien female looked at Joanna with her red, glowing eyes. Under different circumstances, she might feel threatened. The Tharraki remained motionless for a long while. Even her feelers seemed frozen in the air. The fact that she didn't blink only added to the impression.
"I'm curious about your relationship with that android of yours," she said finally. Joanna felt her jaw drop slightly at such directness.
"My... relationship?" She managed after a while.
"I understand he is your superior?"
Joanna nodded, realizing what this was supposed to be about. Tharraki treated their males no better than slaves. They did have relationships of course, otherwise the survival of their race would be impossible, but they had to be of a very different nature.
"Pierre is a Commander," she began slowly, looking straight into the other woman's eyes. "I'm only a Cadet. It means he gives me orders, yes."
"Do you trust him?"
The question wasn't surprising. From what Joanna knew the Tharraki considered their males seriously handicapped. They were good enough for serving, simple menial work and, of course, mating, but little beyond that. For a Tharraki woman, the concept of equal rights was inconceivable, much less the idea of male superiority. Joanna wondered briefly if her companion knew how special her relationship with Pierre really was but her doubts didn't last long.
"I hear you're also intimately involved with him. How do you manage it?"
"Manage what?" Joanna didn't understand at first.
"I imagine you take him to your bed and then he issues you orders?"
Joanna blushed deeply. She had no idea where the Tharraki could have heard such rumors but she decided to investigate it later.
"I do not take him to my bed," she corrected calmly. "We are friends, maybe more than friends but we do not have that kind of relationship."
"I see," the woman didn't sound convinced.
Then again, the ultimate translator could have got her tone wrong.
"Besides," Joanna continued. "Pierre is our ship's computer. The fact that he's chosen a male body is really a matter of preference. He could have just as easily been a beautiful woman..."
"Oh!" This time the Tharraki was clearly disappointed. "In that case I'm afraid our further conversation is pointless..."
"On the contrary," both women turned at the gentle voice that interrupted their conversation.
Pierre bowed elegantly, apologizing for the intrusion.
"I'd be very happy to answer all your questions considering the nature of our relationships."
*Pierre!*
*I meant in general, of course,* he thought to Joanna. *And I told you I wanted to talk to you.*
Joanna shook her head but gestured for him to sit down.
"This is our Computer Officer, Pierre IV," she turned to her companion.
"I believe we have met," the woman nodded. "At the staff briefing. I was surprised to see so many males in that room," she added. Pierre smiled and took a seat.
"And yet you are leading a revolution which aims at establishing equal rights for both genders?"
"That's not exactly accurate. We just want to put a stop to the constant struggle between our people. We're willing to try and see things with our adversaries' eyes, see and try to find some mutual compromise. I never said we're ready to accept the males as equals!"
"I see," Pierre smiled. "I'd say it's a good start."
"Thank you," the woman lowered her head with dignity. "May I ask why you assumed your current form if you had had a choice to become a female?"
Pierre shrugged his shoulders slightly.
"I suppose I just felt more like a male."
"What does it mean? To feel like a male?"
The android's eyes shone brightly as he stared somewhere in the distance trying to find an answer.
"I suppose it's difficult to describe. Perhaps if you told me what it means to you to feel like a female?" He suggested finally.
The Tharraki didn't hesitate a moment.
"I feel self-confident, secure, capable of taking responsibility for myself and those under my command."
"Hm... I suppose that's what most Starfleet Officers feel, regardless of their gender," Pierre said slowly.
Joanna was sitting silently, listening to the exchange. She felt what Pierre was smiling at and she didn't want to interrupt.
"Are you trying to tell me there is no difference between females and males in your society?" The Tharraki's red eyes went wide in an almost human expression of utter disbelief.
"I wouldn't go that far," Pierre shook his head. "Of course there are differences beyond the physical side of things but they're too subtle to describe in one short conversation."
"Has your culture always been like that?"
Joanna laughed softly. Pierre had turned his eyes to her as if expecting her to take over, as an expert on the humanity's past, albeit not that remote. She nodded slightly to him and replied.
"No, it wasn't. In the past we used to have a lot of gender-based discrimination. Only with us it was the women who had been considered inferior.
"How strange! I suppose it may be because you come from mammals. Mammal males do tend to be bigger and stronger."
"Well," Pierre propped his chin on his hand, looking the alien woman straight in the face. "If we have managed to overcome our primitive instincts and build a society based on equal rights, there's no reason you can't do the same."
* * *
"It certainly was a very interesting experience," Vort agreed the next day after Joanna had opened her mind to let her experience the meeting with the Tharraki. "How did the evening end?"
Joanna looked at her friend suspiciously, then she laughed out loud.
"Don't tell me you don't know!"
Vort hissed in a way that meant a mild chuckle.
"I do have some ideas but I'd rather you gave me some details..."
Joanna blushed. After the Tharraki woman departed, Pierre stayed with her in the Mess Hall. She knew she couldn't avoid this confrontation forever.
*Will you tell me what is wrong now?* He thought to her sadly. *I thought you'd have gotten over that incident a long time ago,* he sighed, referring to his emotional overload.
Joanna realized there was no danger of him behaving that way any time soon now that his emotions have been purged. She still had her doubts though and now was as good a time to share them as any.
"Nothing is wrong," she began with a sigh, turning her chair to face him. The Mess Hall was empty by now and they were alone. Only a quiet sound of humming engines could be heard.
"I'm just not sure about the outcome of the procedure," she whispered.
"Are you telling me you're not sure if I don't go crazy again? Timothy confirmed the success of the purging..."
"I know," she shook her head. "But you were supposed to be rid of all your feelings, including your... inclination towards me," she hesitated over the choice of words. "How come you're still acting as if you cared?"
Pierre leaned over the table to look closer at her face. "That's because I do. Joanna," he added after a pause. "I told you that love is something that goes beyond emotions. At least the kind of love I have for you. Being free of emotions means that I'm not going mad with  jealousy for you and I'm highly unlikely to jump at another man's throat just because he brought you flowers. But I do care for you, deeply. I think you're a unique person and I just want to spend time with you..."