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The Starship Enterprise had been in active service for about two years. A starship captain might not get the feel of his ship for several years, but Jean-Luc Picard felt he knew his Galaxy-class ship down to the rivets. Perhaps it was his experience being thrust into the position of starship commander on his first command, the Stargazer, maybe it was his rather authoritative, commanding personality. Whatever the case, when he sat in the center seat, he owned the bridge, he owned the Enterprise. With a little more conceit, he could virtually become the Enterprise. He sat in his seat, watching the stars part for his ship, as Commander William Riker gave his morning report on the various goings on of the ship, which was the first officer’s domain. He was particularly expressive this morning, gesturing with his hands rather demonstratively, and Picard nodded sagely. On his left was Deanna Troi, his ship’s counselor. Perhaps it was the excited way that Will was explaining, perhaps it was their shared history together, her and Riker, but she smiled amusedly as he summed up his report.“Mister Data, what do you think?” Picard asked his second officer, the android Data. He began to explain that Riker’s premise was basically correct but he found that there was more than one possibility to the solution to the problem. He then proceeded to list, perhaps alphabetically, Picard surmised, those myriad solutions. After about five minutes from Data, Picard interrupted him to get him on track, to which Data, almost grateful that he was silenced, nodded and returned to his console. Such was most of Picard’s daily life on the Enterprise. An outsider, he was sure, would consider his routine rather mundane, but it was the breaks in the monotony, the payoff of their mission, to explore that which was unknown, that was the most rewarding part of his Starfleet career. That morning, Picard could not have been happier. The Starship Mediterranean took the long way around.Several months back, a star went supernova, blocking the ship’s shorter path home while the Federation tried to redraw the map to allow ships through the neutral Western Trail. This meant that for long stretches of space, the Medi was on her own. Her captain, Adam T. Reid III, handled the sometime stress by relying on his staff. They ran his ship and let him make the nice, big decisions, after all. He sat in the center seat that only now after two years started to feel comfortable. His first officer and best friend, Commander Joshua Maurice Reid, reported to him what modifications the Chief Engineer, the Khâzad Dwarf Kíli, made. Adam looked at the PADD and signed off on them. He trusted Josh. Trusted him enough to have him virtually share the center of the bridge. His second officer turned around and offered her perspective, reminding the two commanding officers of certain consequences of the modifications and reminding them further of what she would have to do to allocate the ship’s resources as Ops officer to make it happen. Because it was all about Buffi K’gar. There were mornings where Adam was willing to concede that truth to her. Buffi’s services encompassed all departments and all systems. Whatever Josh came up with to make the ship better, and whatever plans Adam signed off on, Buffi made happen.It was the way they operated, and it worked. “Captain, I’m receiving a faint signal,” Lieutenant Worf reported. Picard nodded and told his Klingon security chief, “Locate.”“The signal bears 223 mark 19, and five light-years,” Worf said, and noted with apprehension, “The signal appears to be Starfleet in nature.”Riker’s eyes narrowed. “Is it the Mediterranean? She’s supposed to be rendezvousing with us for supplies, but that’s weeks off.”Worf shook his head. “No, I have located the Mediterranean. She’s on her original course.”“That’s odd,” Picard mused. “Counselor?” he asked Troi. Her empathic powers would allow her to sense anything from the direction of the signal. She shook her head, sending raven streamers of dark hair shivering behind her. “I’m not sensing anything conclusive. Whatever’s there is very ambivalent.”Picard’s curiosity was piqued. “I don’t think we can ignore something so enticing, can we, Number One?”“It will put us off schedule with the Medi, sir,” Data reminded Picard.“I don’t think we need to worry about Captain Reid,” Picard replied. “A signal this close by, I’m sure he’s picked it up as well.” “Captain, sensors are picking up an unusual reading,” Buffi told Adam.Lt. Anthony Carr tapped at his tactical console, and nodded. “It coincides with a faint transponder signal, about fifteen light-years away.”Adam and Josh both leaned forward in their chairs. “Is it a distress signal?”“Too faint to read, sir, but it does repeat,” Carr answered.“The sensor readings are very similar to the anomalous readings that Gondor recorded when that mystery ship escaped from Mordor,” Buffi reminded Adam.“But the signal is definitely Starfleet in nature,” Carr countered.“Well, I think it’s been a few weeks since our last mystery,” Adam said to Josh. “I don’t think the Enterprise will mind if we go out and explore this before we rendezvous.”“Sir,” Carr added, “I believe the Enterprise has already responded to the signal.”“Ms. K’gar,” Adam asked Buffi, “How soon can we get there?”“We can match the Enterprise’s ETA if we proceed at Warp 7...about 48 hours.”“All right then,” Adam decided. “Mister Took, alter course for that signal, warp seven.”The hobbit nodded and replied, “Aye, sir.” Adam wondered silently if perhaps one of the mysterious threads surrounding the inception of Arda into the Federation last year was finally found. If so, he intended to clip it for good. For the next two days, Picard communicated with Reid to work out how they would approach the derelict, which Carr and Worf had both determined it to be. It was very difficult to get any other details on the ship, not even its configuration. Adam suggested that the Medi start out with the initial away team, and call the Enterprise in when the situation granted it. “It’s going to be rather interesting, seeing you at work, Captain,” Picard said to Adam. “I was rather impressed when I read the declassified report from your incident with the Breen.”“It really isn’t a point of pride,” Adam admitted. “It had to be done. We were in a situation, and, to be honest, in my mind, going back the way we came simply wasn’t an option.”“Well said,” Picard said appraisingly. “How did your mission to Cygnia Minor go, by the way?”“Well,” Adam began, trying to remember, “When we arrived, we found that the desertification process had reversed over the last century. We tried to delve into the archives to see what the colonists were doing inadvertently, and it seems that the water that they were delving from underground wells were tainted from sublimated deposits of nilium salts, and that was killing the crops ever so slowly. Once the wells were sealed up, the ecosystem restored itself,” Adam said with relish.“That certainly will be of use to the Federation. They've wanted to recolonize that area of space for decades.”“And since we had to circumvent Breen space, we’ve recorded a boatload of stellar phenomena and new star clusters, made first contact with about four burgeoning warp cultures...”“It sounds like you’ve enjoyed yourselves this year,” Picard noted.“We have, we really have. I’ll tell you, Jean-Luc,” Adam said, hesitant at using the veteran captain’s first name, “Even if I spend the next five years of my career going from Edinar to Wherever Prime, this trip was definitely worth it.”Picard nodded. “Well, I won’t waste your time any further. I’m looking forward, I’m sure I said, to working with you on this.”Likewise, Captain,” Adam said in parting. “Reid out.” The Excelsior-class Mediterranean and the Galaxy-class Enterprise arrived together on Stardate 42725.2. Adam admired the ship looming before him, while Josh rolled his eyes and walked over to Carr. “The signal lies fifteen thousand clicks, mark 34, dead ahead,” the security chief reported, and added, “It’s hard to get a visual fix. It’s really dark against the starfield.”“I’ll reconfigure the sensors to get a negative reading of it against the background radiation,” Buffi suggested, and tapped at her station. Pippin squinted as he tried to get a good look at the dark blotch toward them. “It could be Starfleet,” he suggested. “Maybe a Miranda-class?” On the Enterprise, Acting Ensign Wesley Crusher peered into the viewscreen on the bridge, and remarked, “It could be anything.”“It should be noted,” Data corrected Wes, “That very few vessels use Starfleet transponder signals that are not Starfleet in origin.”“The Medi’s trying to read it against the background radiation to get a clearer picture,” Riker told Picard. “Our sensors might have the edge over theirs, though.”“Data, see what our sensors can do,” Picard suggested. “And we’ll see how soon we can send our away teams over there. Counselor?”Troi frowned. “There’s something alive there, sir,” she said, “But it’s rather jumbled.” She struggled to explain more clearly. “It’s as if their emotional output is skewed from what we consider normal.”“That doesn’t seem conclusive,” Picard noted, his frown mirroring Deanna’s. “But there’s someone alive over there, using a Starfleet distress signal. Every second counts.” “With the dual sensor data from the Enterprise and our sensor arrays, we’ve gotten a conclusive look at the ship,” Aldor told the staff in the conference room. He tapped the wall monitor and brought up a display that displayed several rainbow-bursts of false color framing a dark silhouette of a very familiar design.“Pippin was right,” Buffi murmured. Her head rested on her hands as she studied the picture. “But why couldn’t we see that it was a Starfleet?”“We believe, Commander Data and myself, that the hull plating might have advanced stealth technology. In fact, I’d say that some of it might even be a breach of the Treaty of Algeron, it borders on cloaking technology,” Aldor said. He had a grim look on his blue face. Kíli’s was one of frustration. Can we beam over?” Adam asked.“Shields are down,” Kíli said. “We have the internal arrangement scanned all right, and life support still seems to be chugging along.”“Commander Reid will lead an away team consisting of Lt. Commander K’gar, Lieutenant Brandybuck, Fíli and Kíli,” Adam said. “I’m not picking up anything conclusive with my Betazoid sense, but something’s alive over there. Be careful.” About an hour later, the five away team members beamed into the ship. The corridor was dimly lit with the red emergency strip along the walls, and Joshua Reid couldn’t see much else in front of him. He flipped out his palm beacon and shone it in front of him, peering out along the curved hallway.Fíli and Kíli both held tricorders in front of them, squinting to read the data. It was Kíli first that smelled it.“Ah!” he exclaimed. “I’d remember that smell to my deathbed.”Buffi picked up the scent soon after. She frowned and turned around behind them. “Not human, that’s for sure,” she noted. “It’s a strong scent, as if it was some sort of marking...”“Orcs, Buffi,” Kíli said. “I would swear upon the ax of Durin himself that it was them.”Fíli crouched behind his brother. “If they smell like that, it could trouble,” the doctor grumbled. “It would be a shame if we were done in here.”Josh sniffed tentatively, and he had to admit that it trigger very specific memories…in a cavern filled with Uruk-Hai.Merry looked wary. “We should try to access a computer terminal, Commander,” he suggested. “There might be some sort of record left behind that might be a clue as to how the ship ended up this way.”“Look for an ODN tap,” Josh said. “Or a panel.”Buffi stepped over a section of bulkhead and shone her beacon over it. “This is an access door to a lifeboat pod,” she said. “The crew escaped.”“Whatever is on this ship, it’s not any recognizable humanoid,” Fíli said.“Away Team to Medi,” Josh said, slapping his comm badge, “Cap’n, we’ve got an abandoned ship, but Fíli and Kíli swear up an’ down we’ve got something living here.”On the Medi, Adam nodded. Aldor played over the Ops station in Buffi’s absence, to get as much out of the ship’s sensors as he could. “Still not getting any real biological readings on them. It’s as if they had mediterranium in their blood,” the Andorian noted with annoyance.Adam’s eyes widened a bit, making a connection. “What if they do, Aldor? Can you scan for it?” Adam asked. “Absolutely,” Aldor said. “Once you start looking for the stuff, it shows up like a light. It certainly blocks everything else around it, though.”“Do it.” On the Enterprise, Will Riker assembled his own Away team: Lt. Commander Data, Counselor Troi, Lieutenant Geordi LaForge, and Lt. Worf.On the transporter pad, Dr. Katherine Pulaski handed Deanna a medkit, and gave each of the away members an inoculation. “Fíli’s a fine doctor, but he’s in the field and won’t be thinking of these things,” she reasoned. Transporter Chief O’Brien smiled with more than a little sympathy at Riker as she looked them over. “And don’t pout, Worf--”“Klingons don’t--” Worf began.“--Pout, yes, I’m sure,” Pulaski said. “Well, all done here. Good luck, Commander.”“Thank you doctor,” Riker said with a nod. “Chief O’Brien, lock on to the Medi Away team’s last known coordinates and energize.”O’Brien acknowledged with an “Aye, sir,” and sent them over to the dark ship. Merry had found an ODN port and began hooking his tricorder to it. Kneeling down into the exposed wiring near the floor of the hallway, he frowned. “Power’s sketchy, sir. We might have to get ourselves to the main computer core. It has its own power supply on these types of ships.”“How far away?” Josh asked. “It’s in the primary hull section, about fifty meters and two decks up,” Merry replied.“I don’t like it,” Kíli said almost immediately. “Joshua, you must believe us, there are orcs on this ship!”Merry looked unsure, but wary. Buffi shook her head. “Commander, even if there are orcs or whatever on this ship, that’s not some sort of kiss of death, you know. We’re mandated to at least speak to whoever’s on this ship.”Kíli looked at Buffi, incredulous. “Then you have turned a deaf ear to everything that we have said about the War of the Ring, and of the goblin creatures themselves. They will not listen. They will have a blade in your head as soon as talk.”Fíli glanced at Kíli and said nothing.Buffi’s canine snout jutted up, but bit off what she would have said if Josh were not standing there. “Commander Reid!” A baritone voice called from behind them. Josh turned quickly, and smiled. “Will Riker!” he exclaimed. “Thank god, I thought I’d have to lead this bunch around on my own.”“Now that there’s twice as much of us, I recommend we go forth in teams of two or three,” Buffi suggested.“I agree,” Riker said, sensing the tension. “Josh?”“Right. Me and you and your Security chief,” Josh began, “Your and my Chief Engineer, Your Second officer and my security officer, my Second and your Counselor. That sound square?”Riker nodded. “Mister Data, you’re with Mister Brandybuck, Counselor, you’re with Ms. K’gar. Geordi, you and Kíli... and Worf, you and I will be with my esteemed colleague.”Worf nodded curtly at Josh. He looked up at the Klingon and smiled. “We’ll try to get to the Bridge. We’ll take the access ways if we have to...most likely because I doubt the turbolifts are running.”“The Engineers will try to get down to engineering to see if the warp core is salvageable,” Riker continued. “Data, you and Lt. Brandybuck will make it to the computer core.”“And you, Fíli, and Counselor Troi will head to the main deck, look for survivors,” Josh finishedBuffi scowled slightly, but turned to Troi and smiled faintly. “I guess we’ll go this way,” she directed. And the two went off. “Main engineering’s back this way,” Kíli told LaForge, and the two went back.Merry already headed off for the computer core, and Data followed behind him. Worf, Riker and Josh were left.“That ought to defuse the tension,” Josh said with a slight sigh.“Tension? What happened just now?” Will asked.“Fíli and Kíli are from Arda, and so is Brandybuck,” Josh explained. “I’m sure you know their recent history.”Worf spoke up. “There was a civil war.”“Not really, Mister Worf,” Josh corrected. “It’s--really, Will, they have classes about Arda at the academy, it’s so complicated...”“Go ahead and get to it, Joshua,” Riker prodded.“They swear up and down that they smell orcs on this ship. The tricorder’s obscure, so are the Betazoids, But they smell orc, and Buffi doesn’t know what she’s smelling, but she’s trying to be upstanding and Starfleet and not shoot first and ask questions later,” Josh sighed. “What a nuisance this ship is becoming.”They found the access panel to get to the tunnel under the deck and found their way to the main ladderway. Worf went first, his phaser out, looking for anything that looked suspicious. Josh went next, and Riker took up the rear. Kíli and LaForge stepped into Main Engineering, and saw that everything was in disarray. Panels were removed and tossed erratically, exposing panes of circuitry, ODN fibers, and power transfer conduit. Geordi went to the chief station, and tapped a bit on the console. “Auxiliary power is online, but someone’s blocked it--have you ever seen anything like this before?” he asked Kíli.“No, some of this looks absolutely unfamiliar. Could this be some sort of prototype testbed or something? Something classified that went wrong?”“Don’t know,” Geordi muttered as he concentrated on the console. “I think I can get one of the primary generators online. That might bring some of this to light.”Geordi concentrated on the generator, while Kíli continued to assay the warp core, pulling out the dilithium chamber. “This crystal isn’t like any configuration I’ve seen.”Kíli opened his mouth, ready to note the differences, but he was interrupted by a low THUD. He quickly turned around, checking the exits, while Geordi grabbed his tricorder and replaced it in its holster, and pulled out his phaser.“Hello?” Geordi called. A shadow pulled toward them in the auxiliary lighting, with broad shoulders and long arms. It shuffled toward them, and Kíli crouched, ready to attack.Geordi deferred to Kíli’s seniority, but was unwilling to shoot first. “Maybe we should see what he does first,” he suggested. Kíli stuck Geordi with a look and replied, “Oh, you’ll see what it does all right.”The creature was a mottled green, with luminous yellow eyes that shone in the glare of Geordi’s palm light. He appeared nude, without any visible genitalia, but the strong muscles suggested it was male. It’s lips pulled back, baring foreboding teeth and jutting tusks.“You can’t be here,” he said in a gravelly voice. “Outsiders.”“We’re from the Federation,” Geordi began.“Never saw dwarves,” the creature said, “But you are one. You can’t be here,” he repeated, seeming to become agitated.“He seems confused,” Geordi remarked. “Maybe he just needs some reminders of what a Dwarf is,” Kíli replied, and pulled out his phaser. “If I only had my bow...”“NO!” The orc howled. “You can’t be here! You can’t! We left you all behind!” With that, in a flash of speed, he swiped at Kíli and sent his phaser clattering to the other side of Engineering, causing Kíli to briefly clutch at his lacerated hand. “I have to get rid of you...I have to...”“Whoa, there,” Geordi said, with placating gestures of his open palms, “We don’t want to hurt anyone, and I don’t think you want to either.”The orc swiped at Geordi’s head. “The crew quarters begin here,” Buffi said to Deanna as they stepped over debris, which seemed ripped up and broken, spilling out of the doors. “Looks like they left in a hurry.”“Looks like a rummage,” Dr. Fíli amended. “Like someone--or something--was going through their things after they left. Counselor, are you still feeling unsure about anything?”“It seems that we can’t rely on me,” Deanna Troi said with a sigh.“You can tell us when they’re close,” Buffi said, to reassure her. “Whatever they are.”Fíli affixed a look of contention at the Cainian and sighed, but said nothing. Buffi opened up one of the doors, and was greeted by a cloud of putrefaction. Buffi covered her snout and turned away. Deanna gently took her place, and tapped at the controls inside the quarters, filtering out the stench. Buffi once again took the point, graciously nodding at Troi. “Ultra-sensitive nose, compared to the rest of you,” Buffi said, apologetically.She walked into the room, now aired out. She again wrinkled her nose, not because of the smell, but because of what she first set eyes upon: a collection of globular shells; some broken and covered in dried, mucus-looking glaze, others intact and leathery. She turned to Troi, and stated the obvious: “They look like eggs.”Fíli took out his tricorder and ran it over the eggs. “Very...very interesting,” he said. “The fetal tissue inside the intact eggs seem to indicate carbon-based life...mammal/reptilian features...copper-silver based blood chemistry...”“So what does that mean?” Buffi asked. She shifted weight from leg to leg, anticipating whoever left the eggs behind.“Orcs,” Fíli confirmed. “At least, extrapolated by the Starfleet records on the dead remains left from the War. It seems we know how they reproduce.” He added, mostly to himself. “In its own unique way."“They lay eggs in starships?” Buffi said, with a nervous laugh.“In this case, yes,” Fíli replied. He slipped into his physician’s mindset, putting aside notions of death and axes. “We never figured out how they managed it.”“How they reproduced?” Troi ventured.“No, never. Orcs dwelled in places either deep in the ground, or in inhospitable territory. We’d never seen an orc female, at least as far as we knew we didn’t.”“Assuming they have the standard gender binary,” Buffi pointed out.Fili nodded. “Of course, telling dwarf men and maids are a bit tough for some.”Buffi turned to Troi in confidence and explained: “It’s the beards.”Troi smiled, and turned back to the eggs. “How long until they’ll hatch?“I couldn’t say. The metabolism of the embryos seems to indicate that they’ll hatch within the week, but I’d say that’s the least of our problems.”“I agree. Whoever laid these eggs, she won’t stay away for long,” Buffi said, turning back toward the door. “We should contact the First officers and let them know what we’ve seen here.”“Agreed, Ms. K’gar--” Fíli didn’t finish; he froze in front of the clutch of eggs.“Doctor, what is it?” Fíli stood up and took a step back, never looking away from the egg, which began to pulse. “I might have been conservative on the due date.” to be continued...
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Grobagh was in pain. He sat in the dark, feeling each throb of sensation from his mouth, the result of a broken tusk. He cried out every now and then, between resolutions that he would get through the pain, but the pain always returned, as virulent as ever. He believed that he was in a junction of the ship that the others could not find, but he refused to open the hatch, refused to get himself into sickbay, where he might be able to heal his tusk...Maybe.But the others were still out there, he still heard them arguing stupidly, as if they were the Redeye’s orcs again. That scared and pained him more than his tusk did. There was a slight clinking noise from below him. He froze instantly, as he listened for more. It sounded, to Grobagh, as if someone was climbing the ladder up to his junction, and he feared the worst.They found him.They would tear him into pieces, and he’d never know of the fate of his brood.He heard voices.They sounded lighter, not at all like his own orcish baritone voice. They talked amongst themselves calmly, politely, “We’ve lost contact with LaForge and Kíli in Engineering. Commander Data and Brandybuck’s made it to the computer core, but it’s gonna take a while to get all the chips in order.” Grobagh’s mind raced. Not orcs, he was sure. He struggled with himself, he wanted to call out for help, but feared for his life. But his survival instinct bore out his fear in the end. “Please!” Worf perked up at the sound, and his large Klingon brow furrowed. “Sir,” he said, eyeing the hatch in front of him. Riker nodded.“I’ll blow out the hatch,” Josh said, climbing up past Worf. He concentrated, and his hand began to glow. He pulled it back and released a volley of yellow-white energy, which blew out the hatch.Worf, who was slightly pushed aside by Josh, glared at him stonily and said, simply, “Nice trick.”“You use what works,” Josh said and climbed in. He looked left and right of the junction, and saw the creature cowering in the corner. “Please,” it repeated, his face buried in its knees. Josh frowned. “So it’s true,” he said. “But the question begs to be asked.” He walked up to the creature and asked, “How did a band of orcs get onto a starship?”“My name is Grobagh,” the orc said. “I was the advisor to the Queen--”“Queen?” Josh interrupted.“The successor to the Great Goblin of old,” Grobagh explained. “After the, the War, The mountain orcs were...free. We began to find new ways of life. We began to once again live in the mountains, building things, mining metals...but we were doomed.”“Doomed?” Worf asked. “You didn’t sound doomed,” Riker said, with skepticism. “From what Commander Reid tells me, you were completely controlled by Sauron. If he died, then you were in fact free.”“Yes! Free Orcs,” Grobagh agreed. “Sauron...yes. But we were told by...a visitor...” Grobagh said, cautiously, “That we were in danger. If we were to be found...by the men...that they would kill us and what we had built.”Josh nodded. “That’s...very possible.”“He took me out on his ship, and they found this ship...it was hidden...and took it over with his ship’s...um, computer...and with that ship, he found us a new home.”“If you found a new home, why are you still here?” Worf asked.“I know why,” Josh said. “You were curious about the ship, and about exploring space.”Grobagh nodded. “Many of us were. We decided to take it out and find out how it worked, after our...friend ...left us.”“What went wrong?” Riker asked.“We could not resist the mating urge,” Grobagh explained. “It consumed us, it drove many of us mad.”“And you spawned and laid your eggs,” Josh said. “The eggs that K’gar and Troi found.”“Are they all right?” Grobagh asked suddenly. “I don’t know if my eggs are all right.”“Buffi found the eggs in the sixth deck,” Josh told him.“My eggs...” Grobagh said. “Nothing else matters. Not anymore.”“You’re hurt,” Josh said. “We can have our doctor help you.”“But the eggs,” Grobagh insisted. “You must keep those eggs safe.”Josh frowned, and then looked at Riker and Worf. “He might be the only sane orc on the ship,” he said. “How many others are there?” Worf asked Grobagh.“We started off with seventeen,” Grobagh said. “But several of them have killed each other.”“We’ll get back to Buffi and the Doctor,” Josh said to Riker. “Get him fixed up as well as reunited with his eggs.”“We should consider all the other orcs as hostile,” Worf advised.“Agreed,” said Riker.“Mister Worf, secure Mister Grobagh here, and I’ll take the point,” Josh said, returning to the hatch. Merry climbed up the access ladders to the computer core without hesitation or complaint; Data, likewise crossed every rung without any remark of the sheer height of the main vertical passageway. It was bathed in auxiliary blue, with almost ethereal glimpses of circuitry and optical cable connections, which Merry casually glanced at as he kept climbing the ladder.Finally Data looked at a particular hatch and nodded. “I believe I have found the accessway entrance to the computer core interface.”“All right,” Merry replied, as the android went in first. Merry was certain that the orcs, were they in there, would attack Data the moment he entered, but he could not know because the android would not cry out, nor would he be able to warn him in time. He placed his hand on the handle of his phaser as the android disappeared into the dark hatch.“The room appears to be empty,” Data called after several moments of tense silence. Merry scurried in, and saw the room had been tampered with. In the Mediterranean’s computer core room, the back wall would be literally covered in isolinear chip interface modules, backlighting the room in a vaguely lavender glow. This room, on the other hand, was dark.“Someone pulled out all the chips out of the wall,” Merry said, stating the obvious, while Data nodded. “The isolinear optical chips appear to have been deposited near the door,” he told Merry, and walked to the pile. He picked up a chip from the top and said, “They do not appear to be damaged.”“How long would it take to place them all back?” Merry said despondently. “There’s got to be a megaquad worth of chips on the floor!”“My body has the physical dexterity to complete the task within the hour,” Data assured him. “We must brief our first officers.”Merry began to tap his comm badge, but he was interrupted by a loud THUMP on the other side of the door.Data gazed at the door, analyzing the sound, when the THUMP again asserted itself.“Something appears to be trying to gain entry,” Data said, calmly.“I’d say we don’t want to know who it is yet,” Merry said, and grasped his phaser once again. “Don’t touch it!” Fíli exclaimed, as Buffi crept closer to the pulsating egg. She looked intently at the egg, not knowing what the infant orc would do once it hatched. She knew what Fíli and Kíli told her about the ‘goblins’ of the Misty Mountains, and she knew how savage the orcs that Frodo described could be. But she could not trust anything other than her own experience. She readied for anything. “Buffi, don’t--” Deanna Troi cautioned, but stopped herself in mid-sentence. “I’m not going to hurt it,” Buffi snapped at her, and turned back to the egg. “We don’t know if it’s harmful.”“What do you plan to do with a baby orc, Buffi?” Fíli asked.Buffi stood there, as the egg stretched and tore itself open. She looked back and told the doctor, “We’re already here with it, Doctor. You know as well as I that we have to keep it alive for its parents.” “I’m not bothering an orc’s child if I can help it. They might not like it,” Fíli said, staunchly. “They might reject the child if it imprints itself on us.”Buffi ignored the Khâzad doctor. She kneeled down before the egg, and looked intently as it burst open, parting in half in a small spurt of amniotic slime. A small arm flung itself out, grasping. Buffi, nearly instinctually, gave the arm a finger to hold. Its grip was strong, and Buffi smiled. “I think it’s healthy,” She told them.Fíli sighed and ran a scanner over the arm. “Life signs are strong, including a very rapid metabolism. It’s going to be hungry.”“What should we feed it?” Deanna asked.“I don’t suppose one of you ladies would volunteer...” Fíli suggested, half-kidding.“Now’s not the time for that,” Buffi said, glaring at Fíli. “But I’m not letting him go.”The egg broke in two other places, and a head emerged. It resembled, to Buffi’s thinking, her own baby picture: little snout, dark nose, and closed eyes. It took in a large gulp of air, and began to squawk. Buffi pulled the baby out of the egg and began to cradle it.“Oh, oh, oh,” she cooed, looking down at the baby as it quieted down and then yawned. “Don’t cry. I’m here.”Deanna looked at the baby, as if remembering something, and told her, “He seems to like you. He hushed right up.”“That is rather extraordinary,” Fíli said, looking at Buffi. “I never knew you had it in you.”“I like babies!” Buffi said indignantly, never taking her gaze from the orcling. “It’s adults that annoy me.”“Well, I’m going to load him up with a supplement that ought to keep him good for the next few hours.” Fíli placed a hypospray to the baby’s shoulder and pressed. It wriggled in Buffi’s arms, but didn’t cry. “Good baby,” Fíli said quietly.“We need to reconnect with Commander Reid and Riker,” Buffi said, plainly, and Troi nodded in agreement. “Let’s go.” Geordi came to, with a dull ache at the side of his temples. Not the usual ache that he associated with using his VISOR, the device mounted over his useless eyes, which allowed him to see. This headache was inflicted by whatever it was that attacked him. Kíli, the engineer he was paired with, called it an orc, and thought it very dangerous. Well, Geordi thought, he was right at that.Kíli was at his back, and both seemed to be tied to one of the stools that were placed before some of the engineering consoles. They were bound with ODN optical cable, and Geordi tested its tightness. He grimaced with the strain; the cables were as tight as they could be. The Khâzad seemed still to be unconscious, but he could not see him.His VISOR had been removed.“Hello?” Geordi called. “Can you hear me?”“I can hear you fine,” Kíli said, groggily. “Pipe down a bit.”“Can you see my VISOR?” Geordi asked him.“It’s about seven meters away from you,” Kíli replied. “I’m not sure how we’re getting loose. Optical cable doesn’t give very easily.”“Come on, now,” Geordi replied. “There’s got to be a knot or something that we can loosen, here.”“I--wait a minute,” Kíli said. “I have this,” he looked down at his pocket and fingered a thin, penlike device. “It’s a precision laser tool. I use it to tweak circuitry.”“Might do the trick, if you can get it to overload for a quick burst,” Geordi agreed.“Only problem is, I can’t guarantee you won’t get hurt when it goes,” Kíli warned, trying to grasp it.“I’ll risk it,” Geordi said, shaking his head. “That guy who tied us up, I’m guessing he’s coming back.”“Aye,” Kíli grunted, and pressed hard on the tool. Nothing happened at first, but Geordi began to smell the odor of something burning, and then became alarmed at what it was: It was Kíli.Kíli waved his arm a few times in annoyance, and then began to undo Geordi. The Enterprise engineer had an amazed look on his face as he was set free. “Are you OK?” “Might leave a scar,” Kíli said, and grunted. His ponderous eyebrows rose with pained amusement and sighed, “Thick skinned, we are.” He handed Geordi his VISOR and informed him, “We don’t have our com badges, but I think he ignored the phasers.” He tossed the weapon to Geordi. “Probably didn’t look like a weapon to him. We’re going to secure this room and get the com system working, at least.”Geordi got up off from the floor, holstered his phaser and nodded. “Let’s get to work.” The noises outside the computer core refused to let up. Merry was trying his best not to experience any flashbacks regarding the creatures that were trying to get in. Data was nearly done reassembling the control chips, at which point Merry was unsure what they were to do next. “The control chips have successfully been reinserted,” Data told him. Merry nodded as he walked over to the other side of the room. “We now have to cold-boot the computer system, in order to regain access to other major systems.”“Well, how long will that take?” Merry asked. “On a standard ship of this class, the cold-boot process would take fifteen minutes,” Data replied. “However, there are sufficient amount of unknowns to the system configuration to hamper an accurate reply.”“You don’t know?” Merry paraphrased, slightly exasperated.“That is correct,” Data said, unruffled.“Then we better prepare for the reality that those things are going to get in here, Commander, and that we’re going to have to defend ourselves.” Merry shot back. “Trust me, they’re nothing to sneeze at.”Data’s android face was that of puzzlement. “Why would I wish to engage in an involuntary respiratory spasm toward the hostiles?”“Never mind,” Merry grumbled, as the door shattered. Six orcs stumbled in, tripping over their own unshod feet. Dressed in simple leather loincloths, they snarled at Merry mindlessly, but didn’t go any further. Merry stood his ground. Silently, without any preamble, Data took out his phaser and methodically fired at each one of them, without any care for their speed or their movement. Merry stared at his impassive face as he looked on the heap of stunned orcs.“The stun effect will likely give us the time we need to finish,” He said simply.“You just gunned them down!” Merry exclaimed. “Weren’t you scared?”“I am an android,” Data explained. “I am incapable of feeling fear.”“And what about when they wake up?” Merry asked. “What’s keeping them from tearing out the control chips all over again?”“Before we exit this room, we shall fill it with anesthetine gas,” Data explained. As they did, the lights in the room brightened considerably.“LaForge to Commander Data,” a voice called out on the comm.“Go ahead, Geordi,” Data said, tapping his comm badge.“Hopefully, you’ll have already figured out we got the main energizers online,” Geordi’s voice continued. “How are you coming along with the computer?”“We are attempting a cold boot of the main computer,” Data reported. “However, we were attacked by...” He looked to Merry for confirmation.Merry slapped his badge and reported, “Orcs.”“Aye,” Kíli’s voice came through. “One got us off guard down in Engineering. Place is as infested as cockroaches with ‘em.”“Infested?” Merry squeaked. “How many is ‘infested’?”“How many does it take?” Kíli snapped back. “The important thing to do is to regain control of the ship,” Geordi said, trying to rise over Kíli’s splenic display. “Data, rough estimate.”“No sooner than fifteen minutes,” Data replied, eliciting a glare from Merry. It did not escape the android’s attention. “However, certain factors—““That’s enough to start. I think it’s safe to say that we need the other two teams to reinforce these areas. LaForge to Riker,” Geordi slapped his comm-badge, adding his superior to the conversation.“Riker here.” Riker, Josh and Worf were slowly climbing down the turboshaft, taking special care in regards to Grobagh.“We’re working to reboot the ship’s computer, and hopefully regain access to the engines. There seems to be a rather primitive life…almost tribal, and very hostile.”“Yes, we know,” Riker replied. “They’re from Arda. They seem to have been smuggled off world, and now are in some sort of mating frenzy. Be extremely cautious.”“We’re getting that,” Geordi replied. “What’s the location of Counselor Troi’s team?”“Troi, Commander K’gar and Dr. Fíli are in Crew Quarters,” Josh replied, grunting between ladder rungs. “They’ve found the eggs…and a hatchling.” Buffi looked down the corridor from the hatchery. Empty. She shook her head in disbelief. “No parent stays away from its offspring for very long. And we have to get to Commander Riker and Commander Reid somehow.”“We could call in for reinforcements,” Fíli suggested.“Yeah, and I know who you’d suggest,” Buffi said. “Under any other circumstances, I’d agree. But these are parents. They’re only trying to reproduce. There has to be a solution that doesn’t involve a massacre.”“Who?” Deanna asked, slightly lost in the specifics, if not the intent.“Legolas is still on the Mediterranean,” Buffi explained. He’s a native of Arda, and he fought these creatures when they were enslaved by the other side. He killed a great many.”“And you don’t want him to kill them out of hand,” Troi finished.“I’m not an apologist for those orcs who fought in that war, but…I don’t think these orcs are the same. These don’t seem to have any malice, do they?” She directed the question to Fíli.“Well, no. They’re not the same here. They seem…feral. Wild. This might be their natural instinct, outside of the influence of Sauron. Or it might be a side-effect of the mating instinct.”“Legolas is Quendi, isn’t he?” Troi offered. “From what I’ve gleamed from the declassified information on them, they’re distantly related to the Vulcans. I doubt he’d be capable of killing innocent life out of hand, without provocation.”“A warrior is a warrior, Ms. Troi,” Fíli said. “Buffi?”“His tracking skills are better than mine,” Buffi admitted. “But he’ll have to toe the line. K’gar to Mr. Legolas.”“Ms. K’gar,” the Elf’s calm voice replied. “Please report to the nearest transporter. You’ll be beaming to our coordinates.”“For what purpose?”“We need someone to be an…anti-tracker.”“Interesting. I’ll be there soon.” As Buffi continued to cradle the orcling, Troi looked down to a contemplative Fíli. “You don’t feel the same about these orcs as your brother.”“Oh! Eh?” Fíli said with a start. “Oh, well. He might be a little biased. He did get killed by an orc that one time.”“But so did you, so the stories go,” Deanna said.Fíli sighed. “Long ago, I was friends with an orc who was raised away from Arda. He was the kindest, gentlest soul you’d ever meet. I’ve never told him.”“You never told him you fell in love?” Deanna asked.Fíli cleared his throat loudly and glared at her. “Now, you stop that, missy,” Fíli warned, then relented. “It simply...didn’t work out that way. Paths not taken and all that. I wonder about him from time to time. If he found what he was looking for. Perhaps...” Fíli trailed off. “But enough. Let’s keep going before Ms. K’gar leaves us behind.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“How long since you broke your tooth off, Grobagh?” Josh asked the orc.“I’m not sure of the passage of time. I’ve slept about nine times since it happened. Does that make sense?”“That could be nine days or nine weeks,” Riker grumbled. “If he has an abscess, and it’s been neglected for this long, he could have blood poisoning.”“Commander, recommend we get him to the Mediterranean doctor, instead of beaming him to Sickbay,” Worf said to Riker. “As a security precaution.”Josh frowned. “Makes sense,” he said. “Assuming he can remain objective.” He paused. “You two go on ahead, Commander,” he told Riker. “I’ll keep Grobagh on his feet.”Riker nodded, and he and Worf continued down the corridor. Grobagh looked at Josh with realization.“You’ve fought orc-kind before.”Josh turned to Grobagh. “Yeah.”“Lots of us?” Grobagh pressed.Josh turned away. “Too many.”“Where?” Josh cleared his throat. “Helm’s Deep,” He replied. “And on to the Pelennor Fields, and then the Black Gate.”Grobagh was silent for a moment. “But…you’re helping me.”A shadow seemed to cross Josh’s face. Then he chuckled and patted the orc on the back. “That was a different time, m’friend. And a different mission.”The two of them caught up with the Enterprise officers. “I meant to ask,” Riker said over his shoulder to them. “Who among you was actually piloting the ship?” Grobagh shrugged. “One of the Feral Tribesman.”Joshua frowned. Grobagh tried to explain. “In Mordor, there are several tribes. The Feral Tribe are hunters and were never entirely in Sauron’s control. They can…they can master any vehicle by simply looking at it.”Riker turned to Josh. “Did you know they could do that?”Josh shook his head. He was about to confess that he had never known that orcs were organized into tribes when a shadow crossed their path. Worf aimed his phaser at it with deft precision, but Riker held out his arm. “Wait a second,” he told the Klingon. Four legs, and a tail sticking straight up, the figure strode around the bend of the corridor, and……Meowed. Grobagh’s face beamed. “Ward!” The orc surged forward and scooped the feline up off the ground and nuzzled his face, wincing as his tusk was jostled. Riker grinned. “A friend of yours, Mr. Grobagh?”“He belongs to the pilot,” Grobagh explained. “Maybe he’s still alive. If he is, then maybe we have a chance.” *** “All right,” Kíli sighed. “Are you ready?”“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Geordi replied. “Fire her up!”Kíli’s fingers flew across the engineering console, activating the reactor. As he did, the lights in the engine room brightened considerably, and many of the other stations flickered on, albeit in standby mode.Kíli smiled and put his hands on his hips. “Now that…is a good start.”Geordi chuckled. “I’ll say.”“Get this ship in order and these orcs on their way,” Kíli muttered.“Hey, Commander,” Geordi said, his brow beginning to furrow behind his VISOR. “I gotta ask—what do you have against these guys?”Kíli’s chest heaved as he sighed and turned to LaForge. “An entire lifetime worth of bad memories and bad feelings, Lieutenant,” he replied. “Imagine an entire species designed specifically to degrade and destroy your own. Knowing only war and violence, and reveling in both.”“Yeah, well, they used to say that about Klingons,” Geordi countered, “And I gotta tell you, after serving with one, it’s not all like that.”“No, I get that,” Kíli said, his hands out in front of him, trying to articulate his feelings. “And lots of this is…many, many years of not knowing better. You don’t become more evolved entirely. Resentments linger. My people suffered at their hands. And despite that…I only came across only one orc in my travels who was unlike them all. And he wasn’t even raised among them.”“So it’s Nature vs. Nurture,” Geordi noted.“Perhaps. But he—this one orc—was a relatively gentle soul. He wanted to take them all away from Arda to get them to come up right. Perhaps…”“Yeah?” Geordi prompted.Kíli shook his head. “Woolgathering. We have to stay in the here and now to get this lot under control.”“That guy that got the jump on us…he didn’t seem warlike or malicious, Commander. He just seemed…confused. Maybe a little scared,” Geordi added.Kíli nodded and stroked his beard. “That may be…It could be a good sign that he was right.” *** On the ship’s lounge of the Mediterranean, off-duty crew lingered at tables and chatted while staring off at the Galaxy-Class ship looming out beyond the ample portholes. Further, and barely visible, was the ship where the joint away mission was taking place. Captain Adam Reid wasn’t quite as aloof with the crew as his Enterprise counterpart was, probably due to his younger age, but it was a rare sight to see him stroll into the lounge, named by its Host as Caritas To Go.It was that Host that Adam made a beeline to at the bar.Green-skinned, red-horned, and eternally fabulous, the Host leaned against the bar as two bartenders worked to fill orders behind it. In his hand was a Sea Breeze. The look on his face was as sour as the slice of grapefruit floating on top.“It’s just not the same,” he lamented, perhaps to Adam, perhaps to himself. “Why did Starfleet have to switch over to synthehol anyway?”“It was either this or have you serve iced teas and fruit punches,” Adam quipped. “What have you heard about that ship, Lorne?”“Orcs in space,” Lorne sighed. “I never thought we’d be here again, and on the other side of the galaxy to boot.”“Go on,” Adam said, looking out at the dark silhouette beyond the ship.Before Lorne could, another figure strode into the lounge. She wore a flowing purple outfit that went down to her boots, and a hat that was wide brimmed at the top.“Yes, please, go on,” Guinan prompted. Adam gestured for her to take a seat, but she leaned at the bar opposite Adam, gazing at Lorne. “It was decades ago,” Lorne explained. A ship landed on Fence, and this scared little guy was found wandering around in his skivvies. Aud and I tried to help him and while he was here, I got wind of some…pretty serious destiny for this group of twenty-five…orcs.”“Orcs,” Guinan repeated. Adam glanced at her and smiled before turning back to Lorne. “What kind of destiny?”“Something…beyond their original purpose,” Lorne explained. “Something better.”Adam’s gaze lowered into his drink.“You fought orcs on Arda,” Guinan said to him. “Lots of them, in fact.”Adam didn’t look at her. “Too many. Looking back, I…regret not helping them as much as the rest of the peoples of Middle-earth.”“It’s a tragic thing when creatures are used the way orcs have been,” Guinan agreed. “But you can’t blame yourself when they were used against you.”“If there’s a way to help these orcs on this ship,” Adam said, “We’re gonna find it. We owe it to them,” he said, pausing, and turned to Guinan. “I owe it to myself.”“When I did a reading for them,” Lorne said to Adam, “I saw many tribulations ahead of them, and that was just in their first year before they found their new home.”“Where, Lorne?” Adam asked. “Where’s their home?”“I…” Lorne stammered. “It was seventy years ago, Adam! Along the Cardassian border, I think.”Adam then turned to Guinan. “And to what do I owe a visit from you, Ms. Guinan?” Adam inquired. “How’s your grandfather?”“Same as ever,” Guinan replied, not quite smiling but still maintaining her serene gaze. “Have you ever seen a Rhosgobel rabbit?”“I’ve heard they’re the size of a bull mastiff,” Adam noted. “And that they can pull a sled better than a husky.” Adam laughed and asked her, “Did he try to give you one?”“He tried to give me twelve,” Guinan corrected him. “I was almost tempted to give them to the Enterprise teachers for the kids on board, but…Captain Picard probably would not have approved.”“Probably not,” Adam agreed, and turned to Lorne. “These twenty-five orcs…did they form a formal colony, or…?”Lorne shrugged. “It’s possible….Listen, they weren’t like what you fought on Arda…they were…” Lorne struggled for a moment. “…Different. Changed.”“If they formed a colony through the usual channels with the Federation, there’d be a record of their compact, or charter. They’d be on the books,” Adam reasoned. “I gotta get back to the bridge. Guinan, please be our guest as long as you’d like.” And with that, he rushed back out. *** Buffi peeked around a T-junction, still cradling the orcling in her arms. Fíli and Deanna were close behind as she tracked her way through the deck. Legolas had yet to arrive. The baby, while quiet, looked around with luminous orange eyes. Buffi looked down to smile at the baby when—Was it just her, or did he look a few weeks older than when he’d hatched?She frowned, and turned back to Fíli, who’d noticed the same thing. “Rapid metabolism?” She asked him.“I wasn’t exaggerating,” Fíli replied. “We need to hurry. Counselor?” Deanna breathed out through her nose as she concentrated. “The life signs are beginning to come out of whatever confusion they were under, the mating urge, if you like. It’s…possibly similar to Vulcans and their own mating cycle. But if the eggs are hatching, that will mean that they will become lucid very soon.”“That’s going to lead to even more questions, like what are we doing with one of their kids,” Fíli grumbled. “Is that their spawn?”A voice called out from behind, causing Buffi to jump. Trying to keep her hands on the orcling, she turned and hissed. “Could you keep your voice down?” Legolas cocked his head and smiled as he moved past Troi and Fíli toward the Cainian. “I was under the impression that they simply…generated spontaneously out of the earth,” he noted, looking down at the baby with pale blue eyes. Buffi pulled away from the elf.“You are not harming him,” she warned. “Or any of the orcs on this ship. Do you understand me?”“They are orcs,” Legolas replied, simply. Buffi bared her canines. “Do you understand me.”Legolas’s face was inscrutable. “As you wish.” He turned to the Dwarf. “And you approve of this?”Fíli brought himself up his full height and glared at Legolas. “I have taken an oath to not harm innocent lives.”“Innocent,” Legolas scoffed.Buffi pulled Legolas by the arm, turning him back toward her scowling face. “I. Am not. Doing this again! The mission is to subdue the orcs without slaughtering them like the good old days, and if you can’t do that, if that goes against your Elven moral code, you can piss off back to the ship!” Legolas took a breath and replied, “I am here to assist you,” and added, “Regardless of my opinion. After all, I came aboard to observe your differences.”Buffi nodded. “Good. Then watch how we resolve this, the Starfleet way.” She straightened up and released the Elf. “Now, I can track a scent pretty well on this deck, but I can’t get through the locked doors. If there’s orcs behind those locked doors, then they’re safe. If I open those doors and disturb them, I risk an unwanted confrontation. Now I’m asking if you can sense them through those doors in those cabins.”Legolas’s eyes fluttered as he seemed to concentrated. From the rear, Deanna looked on with fascination. After a moment, he shook his head. “No adult orcs are on this deck. Only the eggs,” he added, looking down at the baby. “Their scent is…curious. Distinctive, but clean.”“It’s the benefit of a clean slate,” Fíli added, and moved toward Buffi with a hypospray. “I’d better get him another booster, if his growth rate is this fast.”“If there’s only eggs on this deck, are they better off undisturbed?” Troi asked. “Unlike him, they’ll be hatching without any adults. Will they be safe?”Fíli and Legolas looked at each other before Fíli turned to the Betazoid. “There’s no way to know for sure. Like I’ve said, we’ve never observed the natural reproductive cycle of freeborn orcs.”Buffi frowned and turned to Fíli. “Freeborn?” Fíli waved dismissively at the Cainian. “Orcs that mate and create their own offspring, rather than being made by Sauron.”Legolas glanced at Fíli. In Buffi’s arms, the baby began to fuss in high-pitched squeaking sounds. “You know more than you’re letting on.”“I know just enough. We never—“ Fíli stopped himself. “Just trust me.”Buff nodded. “All right, doctor. We’re going to leave this deck. We have a choice. Meet up with Reid-Lebeau and Riker, or the two engineers.”“You won’t want to deal with Kee reacting to an orc baby,” Fíli reasoned. “Blondie and Beardo it is.” *** Kíli and Geordi tore through a straightaway corridor, with Geordi using his VISOR to keep an eye for heat signatures around corners, while Kíli kept his phaser at the ready. The ship’s engine room was secured for the moment. How far to the meetup point?” The Dwarf asked Geordi.“Twenty more meters,” LaForge replied. “Assuming they didn’t get as distracted as we did.”“I have no idea how long Orcs will stay unconscious from anesthezine gas,” Kíli said. “Fee might have a guess, but...”“All right, so we secure the...orcs...in a brig, and escort them...where?” Geordi’s question was pointed.Kíli stopped. “I don’t know. We’ll have to ask them, won’t we?”Geordi cracked a smile. “At least you’ll be talking instead of throwing an axe at them.”Geordi wasn’t looking forward, nor was Kíli, when they collided right into a wiry stranger.Unlike the naked savage in the engine room, he was dressed in a navy blue jumpsuit with a red shirt underneath. A red insignia was stitched over his heart, a jagged omega symbol with a dot in the center. Slightly greenish, but with keen luminescent green eyes and hair the color of steel.The moment he focused on them, he pulled his weapon on them.Kíli did likewise with his own phaser, but not before noting the Orc’s weapon was an older-model assault phaser, over eighty years old.“Who are you?” The orc demanded, before glancing at them. “Your uniforms—Starfleet?”Kíli blinked several times. “Yes. I’m Commander Kíli, this is Commander LaForge.”“I’m Gark,” the orc said. “I am...I was... in command of this ship before everyone lost their minds and started laying eggs.”“Where are you from, Gark?” Kíli asked, the phaser in his hand lowering as Gark’s did likewise.“We’re about four months out from Draenor II,” Gark explained. “Draenor...that’s close to the Cardassian border,” Geordi piped up. “That’s no small distance, my friend.”“Is there any more of you?” Gark asked. “If there are, they might be in danger of being attacked by crazed orcs in heat.”“I think we got most of them under sedation in the computer control room,” Geordi told him. Gark nodded. “But nobody’s been killed?”Geordi shook his head. “Uh-uh. Us or them.”The three kept walking down the corridor. “But why are you out here, so far from...your home?” Kíli asked. “We were given this ship by...unusual circumstances,” Gark explained. “Lots of these guys were new arrivals and wanted to get accustomed to life out in space. I wanted to figure out this ship, see what was special about it. I assume you two are engineers.”“We noticed that the dilithium configuration in the reaction chamber’s nothing we’ve seen before,” Geordi noted.“And the stealth mode rigged on the outer hull,” Kíli added. “It’s a Starfleet ship, but it’s nothing we have on any ships of the line.”“Right.” Gark agreed. “This ship was never meant to be found. It was captured by accident...by...”“ ‘Unusual circumstances’, yes,” Kíli finished. “Well, this is the spot. Hope everything is all right.” *** “This can’t be right.” Riker and Worf looked around, trying to find a doorway or Jeffries tube hatch, while Josh and Grobagh looked on. “What are we talkin’ here?” Josh asked. “Did the ship just suddenly shift its internal arrangement?”“Perhaps the ship’s true arrangement is masked,” Worf suggested. “Another of those ‘enhancements’.”“This ship has no shortage of surprises,” Riker groused. “Agreed. “LeBeau to Kíli,” Josh spoke into his comm badge. “Here, Commander,” Kíli reported back, as LaForge continued to confer further back with Gark. “We seem to have the…pilot of this ship with us.” Josh paused, and looked back at Grobagh, who continued to have the cat in his arms. “Acknowledged. Tell him…we’ve found his cat.” Gark perked up. “They have Ward?”“And one of the orcs, who’s gained lucidity, is with us as well. Name of Grobagh.” Josh added, “He needs medical attention.” “Grobagh…He came with this ship. Good,” Gark said. “If he’s coming out of it, then the others should be well on their way. With any luck, we’ll be able to get control of this ship and its crew.” Josh and Riker glanced at each other, and Josh replied, “Mister Kili…maybe you should explain to Gark the nuances of our situation, and we’ll attempt to reunite with you and the other. LeBeau out.” Kili sighed and turned back to Gark, who frowned. “What did he mean by that?” he asked.“This ship is…by your admission, a vehicle that was stolen by its original owners, whoever that may be. There might be cause for us to confiscate it back to Federation ownership.”Gark’s lower lip jutted out. “Then how am I going to get these guys home?” he protested. “And their children?”“We can…set you off at the nearest Starbase and have you either picked up or dropped off.”Gark considered. “It’s just a…damned unsatisfying way to end a voyage,” he said. “We set out, and we failed.”“Hey,” Geordi said, reassuringly, “You tried. You gave it a good shot, and even if you didn’t do what you set out to do, you learned something from it.”“You sound just like—“ Gark scoffed. “Like Big Brother.” *** Merry and Data remained in the computer room while the Android continued to monitor the progress of the other teams. Merry continued to keep his eyes on the sedated orcs, sleeping and snoring in a pile by the doorway to the corridor. “They’re not the same,” Merry said, quietly. “Why are they different?”“I would help my comprehension if I understood what their nature was…before,” Data suggested. Merry struggled to explain. “They were…terrible. They were cruel and raucous and didn’t care about anything beautiful. They just wanted to ruin everything. But these…they’re just…I don’t know. Not angry? Not malicious?”Data regarded the orc pile. “At the moment, they are merely unconscious.”“You wouldn’t understand,” Merry grumbled.Data turned brightly to the hobbit. “But I would like to,” he explained. “Understanding why people experience certain feelings can help me understand what it means to be human.”Merry glanced up at Data. His pale yellow eyes looked at him inquisitively and he could tell that his curiosity was sincere. “It’s like holding onto an object in a vase,” he said. “You can hold onto the object, but you can’t free your hand from the vase. Not until you let it go. It took me a long time to understand that.”“What does the object represent?” Data asked. “Is it a metaphor for resentment? Or prejudice?”Merry set his eyes back upon the orcs. “All sorts of baggage. And maybe this was something I was still holding on to.”“Your experience at the hands of those…other orcs color your perceptions of these?” Data deduced.Merry scoffed. “All those years ago. All those battles won. All the lessons learned and all the counseling. Sometimes it doesn’t matter.”“But you would concede that this group is not deserving of your mistrust, necessarily,” Data suggested.Merry shook his head. “Let’s just see what happens.” Without warning, without a sound, an arm struck out from the pile of orcs and grabbed Merry’s shoulder. It was joined by a wide-eyed face that put itself uncomfortably close to the Hobbit’s and hissed some incoherent things at him. Merry was transfixed with fear for a moment before he tried to tear away.“No! No!” the orc cried out, still grabbing Merry’s shoulder. “Don’t go away! don’t fire again!” he said in the direction of the android. “I’m…so…sorry that we hurt you,” he said breathing heavily. Merry blinked his eyes several times and made sure he heard the orc correctly. Data, without missing a beat moved forward and removed the orc’s hand from Merry’s shoulder, using just enough precision of force to be firm, but not overly forceful.“My head’s a lot clearer now,” the orc said to them. “This whole trip’s been about…y’know…coming to terms of our former selves…I get it…I’ve done things…terrible things. But he told us. We can be better. Do better.”Merry shuffled away from the orc pile, as the orc continued to babble:“And…I can tell…things were done to you. That’s what we did. Stomping and smashing and…but when the Eye went away, It was…just nothing. Had to figure out what I really wanted.” “Perhaps we can discuss this at a later time,” Data suggested. “We are attempting to gain control of this vessel.”The orc freed himself from the others and stood up. “I’m Goruk,” he said to Merry. “Goruk the Indigent.”“You don’t say,” Merry muttered, but took Goruk’s outstretched hand all the same. “Machine Tribe,” Goruk added. “Me and a lot of these guys were trying to learn about what made this ship so different. Did you notice all the alterations?”Merry’s brain had to switch gears back to Starfleet Mode with that question. “We’d personally noticed the differences in the computer core,” he said, and Data nodded in concurrence. “Did you pull the chips out before you all...” Merry circled his finger on one side of his temple, in the ‘screw-loose’ gesture.“Oh, no!” Goruk protested. “I wish I could remember...”“Never mind,” Merry sighed. “It’s all put to rights, thanks to Commander Data.”Data moved to Goruk and extended his arm. “Greetings.”Goruk took it, while sniffing the air. “Not quite alive. Are you the Android that serves in Starfleet?”“I am indeed,” Data replied. “How did you learn about me?”“Big Brother knows all sorts of things about your Federation,” Goruk explained off-hand. “We were hoping to find out about you ourselves.”“This may have not been the most wise course of action to that effect,” Data suggested.Goruk scoffed and nodded. “Now you tell us!”
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“Why don’t you send a subspace message back to their colony to apprise them of the situation?” Josh nodded from corridor of the ship. Adam spoke to him from the Mediterranean bridge. Will Riker looked at Josh. “We’re still trying to figure out which systems are currently functional. The orcs did a lot of damage in their mating frenzy.”Gark, the leader/chaperone of the orcs strewn throughout the ship, rolled his eyes. He was no more annoyed with the situation than Riker. Several decks away, Lt. Commander Buffi K’gar listened in on the conference call, as she tended to do when the Reids were in discussion. The two tended to need some grounding.“We’re gonna have to hurry, Captain,” She reminded Adam. “At this rate, this pup is gonna be eligible for the Academy before he gets home.” Indeed, the orc hatchling was now crawling at Buffi’s feet. Legolas continued to observe the now-toddler as he amused himself with a piece of refuse from the floor. From behind the Elf, Fíli chuckled at the sight.“Terrifying, isn’t he?” He said to Legolas. He said nothing as he continued to observe.“At the rate he’s going, he’ll be a regular Dennis the Menace by the time he gets home,” Deanna noted.Buffi looked up at her, amused. “Dennis the Menace?” She repeated.“It was an ancient newspaper cartoon my father had a fondness for,” Deanna explained. “My mother likes to say it was his name for me, were I to be a boy.”“My parents were gonna name me after my Grumpi,” Buffi said, kneeling down. Fíli laughed out loud. “You mean I almost served with the namesake of Rott Ag’ta?” He cried. “True story,” Buffi affirmed and picked the baby back up, giggling as she swung him up. “Dennis, huh?” She murmured. “Well, it’s as good a name as any, and we can’t keep calling him ‘the baby’ much longer.” Deanna walked up to Legolas, who straightened up immediately, focusing his unusually clear eyes upon her. “I sense a good deal of conflict when you focus on the child,” she noted. “I was curious as to why.”Legolas, indeed, looked very perturbed. “It’s a child,” Legolas said, after a lengthy pause.Deanna nodded. “And that’s what troubles you? She pressed. “Your people are extremely long-lived. You’ve probably never seen a child of your own kind in...”“Thousands of your years,” Legolas finished, then turned to the Betazoid. “Something about the orc child bothers you as well.”Deanna turned away from his gaze for a moment. “Not long ago a...noncorporeal life form came into contact with me and manifested...as my child.”Legolas’s brows raised. “Your child?”“He was born, and... like Dennis,” She said, smiling, “Grew very rapidly through childhood. When he realized his presence was a danger to the ship, he reverted to his energy state and returned to space.”“Yes,” Legolas said. “So, too, is this child to me. Something so natural as a laughing, happy child...but alien to me, as it is an orc creature.” He added, “I wish I understood what this means.”“Perhaps you’re starting to question one of your own long-standing prejudices,” Deanna suggested. “After thousands of years, it would feel very confusing.”“Yes,” Legolas agreed. “It is very confusing out in the stars.” “It can be,” Deanna conceded, “But we gain our legs by learning, and keeping open minds.”That earned a strangled cough from Fíli. *** Riker and Josh’s group gave up meeting up with the others when they found the ship’s sickbay. Riker moved to look something short-term to assure the orc’s health as Worf and Josh kept guard by the door. “Commander,” Worf began.Josh cocked an eyebrow and glanced at him. “Yes, Lieutenant.”The Klingon furrowed his impressive brow and asked. “You battled armies of these creatures? On Arda.”“On Arda,” Josh began. “In Middle-earth, at Helm’s Deep.” He folded his arms. “You’ve seen what I can do.”Worf looked ahead at the door. “Indeed.”“Now imagine me doing it to a cavern filled with Uruk-Hai,” Josh said. “Armed with polearms, while I’m literally flying through them. And I haven’t even used my phaser yet.”Worf said nothing.“When you face an opponent, warrior to warrior,” Josh proposed to the Klingon, “You value an equal playing field, yes? With only your skill and your will to win to prove?”“Of course,” Worf replied.“I take no satisfaction in defeating them—killing them,” Josh amended. “We needed to, but it was no hard-won battle.” Riker did his best to ignore the conversation, but Grobagh clearly was listening. He peered at Josh as Riker pushed a hypospray into his shoulder. “There. That should stop any infection that might have set in,” he told the orc. “I can’t restore your tooth—that’ll have to be done by an actual doctor.”“Thank you,” Grobagh replied. “I feel much better already.” Riker was about to tell Grobagh not to worry about thanks when a knock sounded at the door. Josh and Worf immediately tensed up.Riker’s comm badge bleeped. “Data to Commander Riker,” The android’s voice sounded out. “We are on the other side of the Sickbay entryway.”Riker nodded. “Acknowledged. Commander, let them in.” Josh manually opened the door, revealing Data, Merry and Goruk in tow. Two other orcs peered from behind them. “Grobagh!” one of them exclaimed. “You’re all right?”“I’m fine, Pâsh,” Grobagh called back. “Thanks to them.”“And the eggs?” the other orc asked. “As far as we know, they’re fine,” Riker reassured them, and turned to Data. “What about the others?”“Most of them are still under the sedative effect of the anesthetine gas,” Data reported. “However, they would most likely be as affable as these fellows here.” Merry looked slightly uneasy among the recovered orcs, but seemed relatively calm. “Commander?” he called over to Josh. “Everything seems to be calming down, Mr. Brandybuck,” he replied. “We just need to get Kíli an’ Fíli and Buffi’s group here and we can get everyone set up to move.”“Hey!” Pash exclaimed. “Ward’s with you!”Grobagh nodded as he held up the cat. “And Gark’s all right as well.” He turned back to Riker and shrugged. “We just need to get back home.”“Back to Draenor?” Riker prompted. Goruk nodded. *** On the bridge of the Mediterranean, Adam hunkered over Aldor’s science station.“According to Federation Colonial records,” the Andorian explained. “A colony was approved for Draenor II seventy years ago. A shipment of starter housing and supplies was delivered after the USS Hanson did its initial survey of the planet on Stardate 9923.7.”“Anything more than that?” Adam pressed. “Names?”“Only the personnel assigned to help the colony get started from the Corps,” Aldor replied. He turned in his seat and faced the captain. “Sir, it should be noted that at least two of the people involved in this endeavor…were your relatives.”Adam frowned. “My relatives? Who?”“The psychologist assigned to prep the colonists was Varria Leil,” Aldor replied. “I believe she was your grandmother.”Adam took a step back from the console. “Gramma Varria,” he said, and scoffed quietly. “Every time I think i’m closing her story, something new pops up. She was a colonial consultant back then, it’s true. Who’s the other?”“Commander Kaitlin Riley,” Aldor replied. “At the time she was the guardian for your Reid Complex.”Adam frowned. “What’s her connection?”“The colony’s charter was approved with her endorsement,” Aldor replied. “She’d also used Complex resources to prep the colonists for their eventual journey to Draenor.”“Huh,” Adam said. “If this is true, then my family helped a group of orcs form a colony on the other side of the galaxy. But why?”“The details of the colony’s charter remain under seal,” Aldor replied. “As with anything Arda-related, it was approved by Gandalf.” “All right,” Adam said and turned back toward Lt. Carr. “Have we received anything from Starfleet Command regarding this ship?” “Not yet, sir,” Anthony Carr replied. “Nothing other than to prep it for tow to the nearest starbase.” “That’s the real mystery,” Adam muttered. “That ship out there does not officially exist. Its modifications, its purpose, its eventual handover to the Draenorans…all of it…makes no sense. Someone’s gonna have to return these people back to their home and to ask what they know, if anything.” He turned back to Carr. “Send a message to Starfleet Command. Let them know that we’re volunteering for that duty.”“What about the ship?” Carr asked.“The Enterprise and her crew are, quite frankly, much better staffed and equipped to solve that mystery and to return her to port,” Adam replied. “After you send a message to starfleet, I want a direct channel opened to Picard.” *** Geordi and Kíli’s group arrived in Sickbay next, with Kíli looking about for his brother before turning to Josh. “This ship’s a puzzle all right, he summed up. “It’s like it was a testbed for every kind of stealth technology you could think of.”Riker frowned. “What do you mean?”“Short of an actual cloaking device, almost every system is optimized for the most silent of running. The obfuscating hull plating, the duranium shadowing that’s kept us running around like ninnies this whole time, even the warp configuration is designed to avoid detection.”Riker turned away, seemingly lost in thought. “Have you seen anything like it?” Josh asked Riker.Riker looked startled, didn’t quite look Josh in the eye. “No, not quite. And nothing in the way of a log that would connect the ship to any official or unofficial Starfleet operation?”“The official logs were purged, presumably by the crew,” Data reported. “It might have been done as the crew abandoned the ship.”“Crew. Who crewed this ship?” Josh muttered. Gark, for his part, made a beeline for Grobagh and the cat, milling about his feet. “Wardsyyy!” He cooed, picking up the cat who chirped and rubbed his face into Gark’s neck. “You like cats, do you?” Josh called to him, in an attempt to make conversation.“You could say. Have you ever heard of a Caragor?” Gark asked. Merry perked up at the name. “Sounds familiar...like one of Bilbo’s stories.”“It’s also the creature that Zanie changed into, if I’m not mistaken,” Josh added.“Back...before,” Gark said, “I was Gark the Caragor-lover.”“Before...before when?” Josh asked. “Don’t you know?” Gark asked. “You’re Starfleet, you should know all about the colony. You all helped us settle Draenor all those years ago!”“You wouldn’t be the first colony that fell through the bureaucratic cracks, my friend,” Riker remarked.“And like I said, Draenor’s mighty close to the Cardassian border,” Geordi added. “What was the ship?” Josh asked. “Who was her captain?”“It was the USS Hanson,” Gark replied. “Her captain was Rott Ag’ta.” Josh turned to face Kíli, and found that he’d gone pale, as if he’d seen a ghost. “You all right?”“That was the ship that took us to Earth,” Kíli said, in a small voice. “That was also my Grumpi.” Buffi, Fíli, and Deanna walked into Sickbay at last, with Legolas staying along the perimeter. Fíli moved to Kíli, and grasped his brother’s arm. “Your Grumpi?” Josh repeated as the Cainian made her way to the main biobed, holding Dennis as she placed him on top.“Yes, my Grumpi, My mom’s father,” Buffi explained. “She got her looks from her mom, obviously.”Fíli moved from Buffi to Grobagh and Gark. “Something about a broken tooth?” He inquired. Grobagh nodded and pointed at his mouth. “Commander Riker gave me something for the pain,” he told the doctor as he ran his tricorder over him.“And the infection is already being countered,” Fíli noted with approval. “We can set up a session to fix that tooth once we’re in my own sickbay.” Grobagh nodded, but moved toward the biobed. Buffi continued to posture protectively toward the toddler, but relented as he opened his hands to pick the baby up.“Da?” Dennis spoke.Grobagh held the baby, breathing in deep. His snaggletoothed smile was sublime. “Oh, yes, little one,” he replied. “I’m your Da.” He took Dennis to his chest and held him tightly. “We...um,” Buffi looked slightly awkward. “We named him Dennis.”Grobagh looked at her, and grinned. “He is named?” He asked, not unhappily. He turned back to the boy, who laughed, trying to touch the Orc’s nose. “Hatched and named so early. Good signs.”“Dennis?” Riker repeated, his eyes twinkling as he moved toward Deanna who was looking on with a bit of emotion behind her eyes. “The Menace?”“And a title as well!” Grobagh exclaimed. “What a blessed child!” He held Dennis tightly once more. “I am curious,” Data spoke up. “All of the mating activity taking place would indicate a gender binary, however we have only encountered male-presenting creatures. Does your species procreate in a way other than known norms?”Gark suppressed a laugh, while Grobagh’s complexion darkened in a blush. “Well...most of us are freeborn,” Gark replied. “From the Misty Mountains.”“That’s what I figured,” Fíli muttered. “Eh?” Kíli turned toward his brother. “You know what that means?”“Don’t you remember?” Fíli retorted. “The house in the woods in the Neutral Zone?”“I know, but what does that have to do with—“ Kíli stopped himself. His eyes widened. “No. NO, FEE.” Kíli’s face turned red, either with anger or mortification. “Are you kidding me?”“It wasn’t like that!” Fíli snapped back. “It was—“Gark looked on at the exchange, and had an expression of realization, but said nothing. “All right!” Josh said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “My captain has authorized me to provide transport for you back to Draenor II and to put you up in our guest quarters. “That’ll take weeks at high warp,” Gark noted.Grobagh’s face fell. “The child will grow to young adulthood before he sees his home,” he said.“If that’s an issue for you, we can place the remainder of the eggs in stasis, where they can incubate and hatch once you’re safely home,” Fíli offered.Goruk nodded. “That would be best.”“It might give the Federation a chance to reconnect with our colony, and begin relations,” Gark suggested. “You’d want to seek an audience with Big Brother.” *** “Captain,” Carr called to Adam on the bridge of the Mediterranean. “Picking up a small vessel, bearing 233, mark 2. Coming up on us fast.”“Identify?” Adam turned to ask. “Nothing matches,” Carr replied. “Mr. Took, take a defensive stance between us and the derelict,” Adam told Pippin. “Aye, sir,” Pippin complied. ** Moving to flank the derelict,” Wesley reported on the bridge of the Enterprise. “Hail them, lieutenant Robinson,” Picard ordered. “Hailing, sir,” B.G. Robinson reported. “No response. Captain, should I raise shields?”“Not yet, Lieutenant,” Picard replied. “Continue hails, all frequencies. “Engineering?” Ensign Sonya Gomez answered the comms from the Enterprise engineering section. “We’re monitoring, Captain. Full power is at your disposal.”“Excellent.” Picard sat in the center seat. “Let Commander Riker’s away team know about this development.” ** Samwise had the rare opportunity to take the Ops station while K’gar and Kíli were both on the away team. “Cap’n, the ship’s hull...defies all analysis. Everything comes up one great big ‘unknown’.”“What’s their heading?” Adam asked.“Right for the derelict,” Pippin reported. Adam paused and looked at the ship. It was a slightly boxy design, about the size of a long-range shuttle, and its hull was awash in red. He peered at it, attempting to get a sense...and nodded.“Would you say, Ensign,” he proposed to Pippin, “That this ship is attempting to dock or otherwise gain entry?”Pippin glanced down at the console, then back to the view screen. “The ship is orienting itself to the derelict’s aft shuttle bays,” Pippin confirmed. “Life signs?” Adam asked.“Not quite conclusive,” Carr reported. “According to bio-mass, possibly four humanoid life signs.”“Can we get a transponder signal from her?” Adam asked Sam.“Aye, it’s the...oh.” Sam’s eyebrows raised as he read the display. “Captain, had you ever heard of something called an Etten?”Adam considered for a moment, then leaned back down “Let’s go ahead and allow them to dock with that ship.”“But...sir?” Sam protested. “The away team—““The away team, Mr. Gamgee, contains Ms. K’gar, Commander LeBeau, two Dwarves, an android, and a Klingon.”Sam craned his neck to face Adam and nodded. “All, right, Cap’n. See how it plays out, I guess.” *** “Right,” Josh replied into his comm badge. “Ms. K’gar,” he gestured to Buffi, “We’ve got company.”“Is it ours?” Gark asked.“My commanding officer’s identified it as a vessel called the Etten,” Josh replied. Gark’s face fell. “Oh no.”“What’s wrong?” Deanna asked. “That’s who they send...when things go wrong,” Gark said. “We are in so much trouble with Big Brother...”“It’s your call, Gark,” Buffi told him. “What do you want us to do?”“Get my crew to safety,” Gark told her. “Secure the eggs, and do what we discussed.”Fíli nodded. “I’ll use my tricorder data to have the Medi beam the eggs to my sickbay. I’ll direct my staff to place them in stasis.”Gark nodded in approval. “And all my sleeping beauties as well.”“Not to be too harsh, but we should have them placed in secure custody until you can get them up to date,” Merry suggested. Gark nodded. “Place them in your brig if you need to. They’ll be secure and safe at least, until we return.”“All right. Ms. K’gar, Mr. Kíli, you’re with me and Gark,” Josh said.“Wait a minute, LeBeau. Are you going to confront them without knowing what they’re—“ Riker began before Josh cut him off.“—I’m not about to let Gark and these boys get punished for something out of their control. What I need the Enterprise team to do is to get the orcs and the eggs to safety so we can heave to from this damn ship.”“Although...” Buffi looked back toward the Enterprise crew members, which, if she were to be honest, looked more than a little bored at that point. “Mister Worf?”“Commander?” Worf replied.“Would you care to assist?” She asked.Worf looked at the Cainian, a slight smile on his face. He knew a challenge when he saw it. He turned to Riker, who nodded his approval. “Lead the way.” Josh let Buffi take the point as they made their way back through the labyrinth of corridors. “We can’t trust the tricorder readings of the ship’s plans,” Josh told her. “We’ll just have to zero in on the shuttle bay, using our tricorder readings of the life forms aboard that shuttle.”“But Commander,” Buffi asked, “If we’re scanning them through this ship, what makes those readings any more accurate?”“The life readings aren’t generated by this ship,” Kíli clarified. He moved double-time to keep up with Josh and Buffi. Worf took up the rear, looking over his shoulder. “And as far as I can tell, this…obfuscation system this ship has doesn’t extend to external craft.”Worf addressed Gark. “Who…exactly…are you expecting?”“The Etten is dispatched for any…Draenor-related issues,” Gark attempted to explain, his hands in a motion of gesturing. “Up until the launch of this ship, we…stayed close to home, with the exception of…well, anyway, if something goes awry, he sends the Etten to…rectify things.”Josh looked back at Gark. “Well, if that don’t sound ominous…is your life in danger?”Gark shook his head. “Not by their hands. Big Brother might have some words, but you don’t need to worry about me.” Gark paused a moment. “You, on the other hand…might have to convince them not to kill you.”Josh stopped, just short of the doors to the shuttle bay. “Wait a minute. What’s that supposed to mean?”Gark took a breath. “If they feel that you’ve brought harm to us in any way, if they think we’ve been mistreated in any way…they could summarily decide to retaliate.”Josh blinked. “That’s crazy!”Buffi gestured toward the door. “Forget our odds of fighting them, Gark. That’s a Galaxy-class starship out there. It’d be suicide!”“They’d have made their statement for us to be left alone, Commander,” Gark insisted. “We’ve kept to ourselves this whole time for a reason.”“And that reason is?” Kíli asked.Gark looked down on the Dwarf. “I think you know better than any of us.”Kíli looked off. He remembered his own thoughts when he’d realized there were orcs aboard the derelict. He sighed, “Damn.”“It’s no secret that the Dark Lord was defeated back on Arda,” Gark continued. “We felt it. Those of us who were made there…we felt it. It was like something was cut out of us, and it was terrible, but when it was over…?” Gark looked up at Josh and Buffi. “We celebrated for weeks.”“As well you should’ve,” Josh agreed. “But what does that have to do with—?”“As long as Sauron was in charge of Mordor, orc-kind was…safe. At least safe for us to…do what we needed to do to get them to safety.”Buffi took a step toward Gark. “You set up an…Underground Railroad, didn’t you?”Gark took a step back and blinked several times. “The point is, that when he died, that safety net went down. First, the odds of them being hunted and killed on sight became greater. Then, you joined the damned Federation,” He sneered at Kíli. “Our Railroad, as you call it, was derailed. If it wasn’t for…”“ ‘Unusual circumstances’?” Kíli suggested.“…We wouldn’t have gotten the last few hundred new arrivals. But that’s it. No more. Big Brother wanted to create a place where all of orc-kind could…start over, get a second chance.” Gark turned away. “But I guess not all of us get to.”Buffi looked from Josh to Kíli back to Gark. “And that’s not fair. I get it. So let’s figure out how to make it right. Together.”Before Gark could reply, the doors opened.A figure stood before them. Dressed in a dark extravehicular suit with a slightly iridescent sheen. Beyond, the Etten stood parked in the center of the shuttle bay. Buffi didn’t see anyone else before them. “I’m Commander Joshua—“ Josh began, but the figure didn’t give him a chance.He was knocked back five feet with a concussive blast from the suit. Buffi and Worf immediately tensed up.“Hey!” Buffi barked. “Back up, there!”The figure in the dark suit put their hands on their hips. “Came all this way for a mission to get my people to safety, only to kowtow to some Starfleet interlopers?”He took his dome of a helmet off, revealing his face. With scars over his left eye, and several shining rings embedded in his lip, septum, and ears, he glared at them with luminescent green eyes. A smirk smeared across his face.“What am I, a Coward or something?”
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Before the orc stranger in black could react, Buffi had a pair of dark blades, strapped to her wrist, to his throat. She pressed in with her arm against his chest, trapping him against the wall. “How about we calm down and try this again?” She growled, in low tones, at him.“An’ here’s Ratbag, with a blade to his throat, all over again,” the orc said, chuckling. “We’re either gonna be mortal enemies, or best friends.”Buffi, not relenting, cocked her head to one side, her whiskers twitching. “Your choice.”Josh, trying not to allow the situation to spiral out of control, called out. “Let him go, Lieutenant.”“His. Choice,” Buffi emphasized. “Sir.”“Oh, I think we’ll get on,” Ratbag said. “But not before I get a dance.” He strained his neck toward the shuttle bay entrance, and cried out. “BRÛZ!!”Josh felt aware of a presence behind him, but before he could turn and react, a giant hand came out of the dismal light and grabbed him by the shoulder and yanked him into the bay. “GYAH!” Josh cried as he disappeared.“You IDIOT!” Buffi cried. “We are trying to help your people get home!”“Then how about you give us a dance?” Ratbag said, and while Buffi was distracted, he unsheathed an old, twisted blade and shoved her bladed arm back. The blades grazed his armored suit with a grating screech. He lunged forward, swinging with his knife. Buffi took a step back, but met to strike the Orc’s knife with her own. The impact sang out in the corridor.Kili turned to Worf and barked, “Commander LeBeau needs backup! GO!”The Klingon nodded, but not before taking something from his person and hurled it at Buffi.She caught it in her other hand, and looked up at it.It was a mek’leth, a Klingon half-sword.Buffi’s mouth widened into a toothy smile. Ratbag’s expression mirrored hers.“NOICE,” Ratbag exclaimed.“I know, right?” Buffi agreed. With that, she threw the blade down upon Ratbag, who countered with his knife, and a second, matching knife, the blades crossed. Josh looked around in the dimly lit bay. He balled his hands into fists and struck them together, causing them to glow brightly. The illumination revealed a tall humanoid being, with rough, calloused skin the color of an underripe mango. He was dressed in a sleeveless vest which revealed well-muscled arms, and trousers with a holster at his hip. “Well, hello,” he said. Josh looked up at his face, and noted the scars, as if a great beast had raked its claws across his cheek.“Hi—“ Josh began, but had to duck as the creature swiped at him. “That’s enough talkin’” he said, and swiped again, with his other arm. He connected, but Josh’s power deflected it with a bright yellow flash.“Could we not?” Josh suggested. “It’s been a long day on this stupid ship.”“Commander!” Worf barked at them. He stood by Josh, waiting for instructions.“Listen...Brûz, is it?” Josh began. “We just want to get your folks back home. There’s no need for a tussle.”Brûz grabbed Josh with one hand and proceeded to pick him up. Josh struggled against the behemoth’s grip, while Worf attempted to run interference by striking at Brûz with a lesser Klingon blade. Josh began to glare at Brûz.“You don’t wanna go here,” Josh warned.“Aw, don’t wanna play?” Brûz mocked, his face in a pout.Josh’s eyes began to glow with the same energy which illuminated his fists. “I can get a little rough.”He kicked off of Brûz’s chest, and unbleashed a burst of power his lower body, blinding the giant temporarily. As Brûz let him go, Josh rebounded from the ground, and Worf saw him literally bounce off the floor and back up into the air with another brief flash of light. Angling like a billiard ball, Josh somersaulted back into Brûz’s chest with the full force of his body, knocking him onto his rear. Grinning, Brûz got back up and moved toward Josh once more. “Human bloke wit’ powers...It’s been a while.” He pulled a cast-metal mace from behind his back and struck down at Josh. Worf, for his part, knew when to give the superior officer his own fight. He watched and waited for an opportunity to assist, but it seemed that Josh held his own quite well...for a human. He instead moved toward the shuttle to gain some modicum of cover. As he did, he felt a presence begin to breathe along his neck behind him. He turned, baring his teeth at the new figure with a greenish complexion, a broad body, and a pair of impressive tusks. An index finger moved to his lips, and Worf nodded silently. Both of them watched the fighting continue. Buffi grew increasingly frustrated with fighting the orc in the space suit. For one thing, he hardly made any attempt to gain advantage. For every strike, he counter-struck. For his part, he looked like he was enjoying himself. “What are you doing?” She blurted out, exasperated. “Toldja,” Ratbag replied, continuing to match every one of her mek’leth strikes with his knives. “We’re dancin’.”“He’s playing with you, Ms. K’gar,” Kili sighed. Throughout the sparring match, he’d trained his phaser on the orc, but didn’t seem too concerned. Buffi stopped, and held up her hands. “If you’re not gonna take this seriously, I’d rather not,” She said. Ratbag for his part didn’t attempt to ambush her.“Fair enough,” He replied. “Say,” he said to Kili, “Didn’t you used to serve on the Excelsior?”Kili looked confused. “Aye…a long time ago. How did you know?”Ratbag maintained his cocksure grin. “Mutual acquaintances. An’ we pick up some driblets of intelligence, here an’ there.”“Bully for you,” Kili sighed. “Well, we better see if Josh is having any more fun than we are.”Before they could peer in, Buffi was startled by Legolas suddenly appearing before the hangar bay entrance. “They have an Olog-Hai,” he drawled.“Is it Az-harto?” Gark spoke up.“Naw, he’s on a retreat outside of Durotar,” Ratbag replied, and set his gaze on Gark. “Good to see you again.”“Never mind that— It’s Brûz in there with Captain LeBeau?” Gark said.“Yah…wait, LeBeau?” Ratbag’s grin faded. “As in Reid-LeBeau?” He turned to Buffi, urgency in his face, and asked, “What is he able to do? Powers-wise?” Josh was literally bouncing off the walls of the shuttle bay. The kinetic field which propelled him also let him deflect off of most surfaces within reason, turning him into a human projectile. Each bounce took him back to aiming himself at Brûz, who, for his part, stepped aside as he careened toward him. But Josh was losing patience, and he preferred to save his pinball trick for parties. His face screwed up, his eyes literally flashing as he banked against the walls and ceiling of the bay, gaining momentum and speed as he went. Worf and the third passenger of the Etten looked on, the Klingon with genuine awe in his face. There was no side-stepping this run. Josh collided into the Olog with enough impact to throw him all the way to the far end of the bay, toward the starboard hangar door, nearly fifty meters. It was almost enough to knock Brûz out. Almost. Sitting up in the corner of the shuttle bay, Brûz held a hand to his head, blinking a few times, not quite seeing the figure with glowing eyes and hands stalking toward him. “Alright, alright, Uncle, uncle!” Brûz began, but Josh was on him before he could stop him. Josh held his left hand up and was ready to finish knocking the Olog out, when he stopped.The first thing he noticed was the faint handprint-shaped scar that almost diverted his attention from the deep scars on the side of Brûz’s face. The second thing he saw was the look of genuine fear on the Olog’s face. Brûz backed away, scooting with his backside on the ground, attempting to stay away from Josh. His demeanor changed, deflating Josh’s aggression.“Je me rends!” Brûz cried out. “Je me rends!” Was that French? Josh thought. Josh blinked a few times, his arms lowering to his sides. “Q-Quois?” He replied, also in French. “Je ne veux plus te battre, horrible humain,” Brûz muttered, and brought his knees up to his chest. Behind him, Josh could hear Buffi call out to him.“Commander! Josh!” She called out. “Take a step away from him for a second!”Josh stood where he was, and gently reached out with his arm to touch Brûz’s forearm.“I-I’m sorry, okay? But I told you I play kind of rough,” Josh told Brûz. “Where did you learn French?”Brûz looked up and glared at Josh. “De ton grand-père,” he said. “From Maurice.” Josh turned to Buffi and Ratbag and threw his hands up. “What in the hell is going on here?” He exclaimed. “If you’ll allow me,” the third figure walked up to Josh with Worf close by. The figure looked nothing like either Ratbag nor Brûz, with his impressive tusks and greenish complexion. He wore an outfit similar to Brûz, with bare arms and a vest. Both of them bore a symbol on their right side, a spiked omega with a central eye. He wore his black hair with two braids running down his back.“My name is Go’el,” he told the Starfleet officers. “I...indulged these two their fun because they wanted to find out...about the two of you.”Buffi turned to Ratbag. “Wanted to dance?”Ratbag shrugged.“You know, y’all could have just asked,” Josh grumbled.“Learn more from fighting, seems like,” Brûz replied, attempting to get up. “Little help?”Josh held out his hand and helped the giant to his feet. “I take it we’re not going to be summarily executed.”“Nah,” Ratbag replied. “Gark was bein’ a tad bit dramatic, is all.” “Regardless, we’re here to represent the Draenor colony’s interests in this situation,” Go’el continued. “I’m led to believe you are confiscating this vessel?”“Starfleet has a lot of questions regarding the origins of this ship,” Josh explained. “An’ not to put a fine point on it, it doesn’t really belong to you.”Go’el nodded in concession. “I’m authorized to offer to share our findings from handling the ship over the last year or so,” he told Josh.“What would you expect in exchange?” Josh asked.“We would ask that the Mediterranean would ferry our people back to Draenor and seek an audience with the leader of our Tribal council,” Go’el replied. “If you and your Captain agree, We will relinquish our claim on this ship and allow it to be towed to your nearest starbase for scrutiny.” “I’ll save you the negotiation; we already agreed to do that,” Josh replied. “And...I think our captain’s more than a little curious about your colony, to be honest.”“We thought he might,” Go’el said. “All things considered.”
Captain’s Log, Supplemental. With the arrival of the envoy from Draenor II to recover their comrades, the loose ends which remain continue to revolve around the existence of the derelict vessel. However Go’el promises to give us all of the information the colony of orcs have gathered in the year the ship has been under their possession.
The ship will be rigged to be towed to Starbase 62 with the Enterprise as escort, and from there the Corps of Engineers will likely strip this thing down to the wires. The Etten was placed in the Medi’s own shuttlebay for the journey. In Adam’s ready room, both Picard and Go’el consulted with him before the Enterprise disembarked. “Starfleet Command seems...reticent to comment on the origins of the derelict,” Picard told them. “The ship doesn’t even seem to have a proper name or even a designation.”Adam nodded. “When the Corps of Engineers get their hands on her, I think there’s gonna be a lot more questions raised than answers. Including the identity of the individual that delivered her to Draenor, Mr. Go’el.”Go’el was circumspect. “I can’t speak to that, Captain.” He then brightened. “I have Mr. Grobagh and another Machine Tribesman over on the ship to make sure that everything of value’s been transferred to you. That also includes anything left on the ship’s computer that hadn’t been purged by the original crew.” On the bridge, Buffi took the center seat while Josh was getting the orcs situated in their guest quarters. She watched as Pippin kept looking over his shoulder at her guest on the bridge. “Ensign?” She called to him, gesturing for him to keep his eyes forward.Aldor took the ops station, either oblivious to the tension, or ignoring it completely. Ratbag’s eyebrows raised, his mischief piqued. “Don’t wanna distract ya none, Ensign,” he said jovially. “I’m not distracted,” Pippin replied tersely. “Just watching my six, is all.”“Well, then,” Ratbag retorted, moving toward the Conn station. “Let me sidle up to your three, and put your neck at ease. Do you mind, Ms. K’gar?” He asked the Cainian.Buffi sighed. “Just...be nice.”Pippin looked up defiantly at Ratbag. “Anything you need to have explained to you?” He asked. Even as he did, he noticed the Uruk’s expression...lock in, as he looked over the layout of the station. “They’ve made some interface changes since I’ve worked a Starfleet helm station last,” Ratbag murmured. “This is all customizable, yes?” He asked Pippin.“Uh, aye,” Pippin replied, clearly not expecting a comment so sophisticated from an orc. He ran his hand over the Conn console “You could run any station from any console, in theory, as long as you have the authorization.”“But the vector inputs look a lot more precise than it was even twenty years ago,” Ratbag commented. “Even for a ship of this class. Nice.”“Oh, yeah, you could parallel park her like she was an old automobile if you wanted,” Pippin boasted. “Or at least, I could.” Pippin stopped and ventured a question. “How did you know about all that?”Ratbag shrugged. “Something we found out about ourselves out here. Something the orcs back home could never have learned.” He looked down at Pippin. “Many of us Uruks were programmed with abilities from the Old TImes. Some of us can figure out any vehicle. Others can run ships, others can fire guns.” He snickered and grinned. “If you don’t mind me saying,” Pippin ventured further. “I’m rather glad the orcs back home hadn’t learned they could do any of those things.”Ratbag nodded, and patted Pippin on his shoulder. “Me too, halfling. Me too.” Buffi for her thought looked pensive and said nothing until Aldor spoke up.“Commander, getting an energy buildup from the derelict.”Buffi got out of the chair. “Cause?”“The magnetic seals from the antimatter chambers are weakening,” Aldor reported. “What? Captain Reid to the Bridge!” She barked. “Who’s on that ship?”“Two of the Draenorians,” Aldor replied.“Transporter Room! Mr. Goramar, yank those men back aboard the Medi!” Buffi commanded. “Yellow Alert! Ensign, back us off to maximum transporter range!” From behind her, Adam, Picard, and Go’el emerged from the ready room. Ratbag retreated back to Go’el’s side.“Report!” Adam demanded.“The derelict’s heading for a warp core breach,” Buffi told him. “Transporter room’s retrieving Grobagh and—“ The bridge was washed out in white light for an instant from the main viewer. As it faded, Adam could see the Enterprise in the distance, its deflector shield bubble visible as it kept the blast at bay. In the foreground, debris began to fly toward the Medi.“Goramar, do we have them?” Adam called out.“I have one,” Chief Goramar affirmed over the comm. “I couldn’t get—““Shields up!” Buffi cried out. As she did, Josh ran from the turbolift. He grabbed the vertical railing by the doors and held on as the ship was rattled by the impact.Pippin looked back up from his console. Nothing of the derelict was left.“Mr. Carr, damage report,” Adam said, quietly.Carr looked slightly rattled, but steady. “Minor damage to the secondary hull. A few conduit blowouts on deck 15, damage control teams are on it.” Josh barreled down the corridor to Transporter Room 1, just below the bridge. Goramar looked up from the controls, panic in his face. “I couldn’t hold the second pattern—too much interference from the electromagnetic fluctuations from the—““But you have one pattern?” Josh interrupted him. Goramar nodded. “I swear, I tried my best to get them both!”Josh stood side-by-side to Goramar, working the controls, getting the pattern out of the buffer for rematerialization. “Why would you think—?” Josh began, then realized. “No one would ever accuse you of that, Chief…no matter what happened to your father!” He paused and took a breath. “Here we go.”The pattern formed on the transporter pad, shimmering until a form solidly appeared.The Uruk was shirtless, but managed to regain his trousers after mindlessly attacking Geordi LaForge and Kili on the derelict.“Where’s Grobagh?” he asked.Goramar looked away. Josh walked toward the Uruk, shaking his head.“I’m real sorry, man,” Josh began. The Uruk, Shagh, stood still on the transporter pad. His hands started to tremble.“No,” he said, quietly. “Come on,” Josh beckoned toward the door. “Let’s have the doc check you out.” As the door closed behind them, Goramar, alone in the transporter chamber, put his hand to his mouth and bowed his head, sobbing. “You have my deepest condolences, Mr. Go’el,” Adam was saying as he followed the orc down the corridor towards Sickbay. Picard had since returned to the Enterprise. The two ships were getting ready to part their ways, since there was no longer a ship to tow to Starbase. `“And I trust in your sincerity,” Go’el replied. “However, we have a new set of questions and problems to solve.” They entered Sickbay, where Fíli and Buffi waited for them. “Daddy?” a small voice called out. Dennis had grown to the size of a three-year-old. He was dressed in a bright blue jumpsuit, but remained barefoot. He looked up at Go’el, anticipation in his face.Go’el, sadness in his face, knelt down and looked Dennis in the eyes. “No, little one, your daddy’s not coming with us now.”“Why?” Dennis asked.“He’s not with us anymore,” Go’el explained, and Adam knew that the explanation would not tide over a child’s questions. He cleared his throat.“Will you have to tell the other children whose parents didn’t survive their births as well?” he asked Go’el.Go’el bowed his head. “Yes.” Dennis, his questions forgotten, moved toward Go’el and put his little arms around his neck. “Don’t cry,” he said.Go’el wrapped his own arms around the boy. “What a good child you are. I came to comfort you, and you respond in kind!”“Want Buffi,” Dennis said, muffled in Go’el’s mane.“C’mere, kiddo,” Buffi said, beckoning with her hands. Dennis scurried to her and wrapped his arms around her legs. “He seems to have bonded with you, Lieutenant,” Go’el remarked. “Yeah,” Buffi agreed. “I don’t know if I can explain it.”“Perhaps you have some nascent maternal instincts that are coming to the fore, Buffi,” Adam teased.Buffi turned to her captain and stuck him with a look. “I do all right corralling you and Commander LeBeau, don’t I?”Adam chuckled and gestured toward her. “Fair point. My second officer, Mr. Go’el, pretty much runs my ship for me.”Buffi picked Dennis up and placed him on her hip. “To that end, sir, I should get back to my duties...”“I’ll keep my eye on him here in Sickbay,” Fíli piped up. Go’el nodded in approval. “Of course, Doctor.”Buffi put Dennis back down. “I’ll see you later, little man,” she said, and nuzzled him with her canine muzzle. “You be good, okay?”“Okay.”She stood up and glanced back at him once more before she headed out. “By the time we arrive at Draenor II, the boy will have grown to adulthood, or at least of age to decide his own future,” Go’el replied. “It would have been Grobagh’s responsibility to ferry him through his short childhood. It’s been the Uruk tradition for generations.”“For Uruks, yes,” Fíli agreed, nodding. “But you’re not an Uruk, nor are you Olog. I can’t place you, in fact. From where do you hail?”Go’el looked down on the doctor, a serene smile on his face. “I am the son of Durotan, Chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan.”Fíli looked up and him and shrugged. “It sounds like you’re saying you don’t originate from Arda. How—?”“You’ve undoubtedly given me a glance with your equipment, Doctor,” Go’el said, as Adam continued to observe. “I think you’ll find a great diversity among us. Uruks make up a sizable proportion of the population, but others who identify as orc-kind exist as well.”That satisfied Fíli for the moment.“What should we do for Dennis?” Adam asked. “How do we make this right?”“If Lt. Commander K’gar is willing, I would request she continue to foster the child through this time,” Go’el said. “The other Uruks, likely Gark, can advise and support her, but it is she that the child has connected with strongest. Probably because she was the one that was there at his hatching.”“I—“ Fíli began, clearing his throat. “I will also pledge my time for the boy. I was there too, you know.”“You, doctor?” Go’el asked. “That’s a surprise, considering—““I’m a tad bit more evolved than my brother is,” Fíli said. “And the both of us, especially me because I was older...we remember losing our father at a young age as well.”“Very well,” Go’el agreed with a deferent nod. “I shall return to my guest quarters, Captain—I’ll be communicating with our Council leader on the events that have occurred.”“Would this be the ‘Big Brother’ that Gark and the others have referred to?” Fíli asked. “There’s nothing Orwellian in the reference, if that’s what you’re wondering, Doctor,” Go’el remarked with a chuckle. “But yes. He’s one of our ‘founding fathers’, if you like.”Adam moved toward the door. “After you,” he said to Go’el, and the two left Fíli alone in Sickbay. He stroked his beard absently and moved to his office. “ ‘Big Brother’,” he muttered. “Could it be...?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Second Officer’s Personal Log, Stardate 42731.4.
It’s been almost into our journey to Draenor II. The orcs have settled in as our guests, and I’ve found myself in a...situation I’d never dreamed of before.
Mother would find this humorous, of course; she’d say that taking care of someone else like this would do me good.
But...
I can’t help thinking about that other one, taken from me. His life, lived in the darkness, and I...
“BUFFIIIII!” An adolescent voice called out, cracking. “Have you seen my shoes?”Buffi, sitting at her desk in her quarters, pinched the bridge of her canine snout and closed her eyes. “That child,” she muttered, then called out, “I put your shoes back in the replicator because you outgrew them. Again.”Dennis Grobagh, lean, and almost as tall as the Cainian, sighed deeply and slumped. “But they were my favorite!”“Replicate yourself some new shoes, in your size, and get ready for school,” she growled, and as Dennis turned on his heel, she added, “Don’t you even roll your eyes at me!”The remainder of the morning was filled with grumps and sighs, but eventually Buffi frogmarched the young orc out the door, where she was greeted by Judie Corell, one of her oldest friends on the ship. She did a double-take as she glanced at Dennis, then back to Buffi. “Uh,” she stammered. “Wasn’t he ten yesterday?”Dennis, for his part, looked sullen and surged ahead.“Growth spurt,” Buffi grumbled. “Possibly puberty.”“At this rate, he’s gonna be a linebacker in a day or two,” Judie remarked. “How are you holding up?”“This morning notwithstanding, It’s been pretty good,” Buffi admitted. “Sitting in on Gark and Go’el’s lessons, I’ve been learning as much about orcs as he has.”“And what’ve you learned?” Judie asked.Buffi took a breath, and exhaled through her nostrils. “They were made, Judie. A whole race of creatures designed to fight and serve others. Not to love, not to enjoy, not to create, none of it. Legolas says they were not made to appreciate anything growing or beautiful.” Buffi’s lower lip stiffened. “But they say that there were whole tribes of orcs in Mordor. And there were artisans, musicians, dancers, priests...under the influence of Sauron, yes, but true culture was peeking out.” She balled her hands into fists. “It makes me so mad, all over again.”Judie smiled kindly and put her hand on Buffi’s shoulder. “Anything else?”“Gark let slip something about my Grumpi,” Buffi added. “I don’t think he meant to, but he referred to something that happened on Cain back when Grumpi was in command of the Hanson. Uncle Rutti mentioned it once too. The day Gruffi’s Hill caught fire.”Dennis was past the curve of the corridor. “Come ON!” He cried.“Keep marching!” Buffi growled back, and turned to Judie. “He barely let that slip. When I asked him how it happened, he clammed right up.” She sighed. “So that’s that.”“There’s one thing I noticed about the orcs,” Judie remarked, and leaned toward Buffi. “No girls.”“It doesn’t look that way,” Buffi agreed, “But those eggs got laid and fertilized somehow, so...”“Wow,” Judie said with a whistle. “Nature really does find a way.” Pa’Tiaro awaited them outside the classroom. The Thunderan panther schoolteacher doffed his cap. “Ladies.” He addressed Dennis. "Young Mister Grobagh.”Dennis brightened. “Hey, Mr. Pa’Tiaro!”Pa’Tiaro chuckled. “Well, look at you! A whole head taller than yesterday!” He turned to Buffi. “What are you feeding him?”Dennis interjected, “I had to replicate new shoes. She threw my old ones away.”“I know. I’m a monster,” Buffi deadpanned.“Go ahead and take your seat,” Pa’Tiaro told Dennis. “Gark and Go’el will be along shortly.”“Okay.” And with that, he strode in as the doors closed behind him.Buffi blinked a few times, then looked up at the Thunderan. “If there’s a trick to that, I’d like to learn it.”“Come now, Commander,” Pa’Tiaro chided. “You manage to keep untold ensigns and lieutenants in line. Surely one sulky teenager can’t pose that much of a challenge?”“You’d think,” Buffi grumbled. “So much for my maternal instincts.”“Hey, parenting is not for the weak,” Pa’Tiaro assured her.“That’s another thing,” Buffi sighed. “By the time we get him home, he’s going to be an adult. That means every single moment counts.”“Hey,” Pa’Tiaro folded his arms. “Dennis has been a good kid so far. He’s kind, he’s intelligent, he’s engaged.”“Just like his Auntie,” Ratbag’s voice wafted from behind them. Buffi looked over her shoulder to find Ratbag grinning at them. He wore an anachronistic t-shirt and a pair of jeans, his hands stuffed in his pockets. “Hey, Rattie,” Buffi greeted him. The last couple of days found the two of them, as Ratbag predicted, becoming friends. “Gark ’n’ Go’ll be along in a few,” he told them. “See he shot up last night.”“Yep,” Buffi agreed. “He was a real grumpy-pants too this morning. That typical?”“Ehh…” Ratbag shook his hand out in front of him. “Mileage may vary. But Kiddo’s doing all right so far.”“Well, I’m gonna give him some busy work,” Pa’Tiaro said, and disappeared behind the classroom door.“I’ve got some time before my shift,” Buffi told Ratbag. “Wanna tie one off?” *** In the ship’s main lounge, the tables were filled with officers and crew who were getting off of Gamma Shift. Lorne looked like he’d just gotten in himself as Buffi and Ratbag strode in and bellied up to the bar. “Seabreeze?” the bartender asked.“Seabreeze!” the two replied in unison. “Best in Show! Party Goblin!” Lorne called out to the two of them. He seemed to have a nickname for everyone. They raised their glasses to him as he moved along.“So,” Buffi began. “I’m the auntie to an orc. Wanna join me? Have yourself a nephew?”Ratbag’s face turned serious as he looked her straight in the eye. “Buffi,” he said, “I’ve got me about…five thousand nephews at this point.”Buffi put her glass down.“Y’gotta realize,” Ratbag explained. “We founded the colony over seventy-some years ago. Once everyone got settled in, there was a baby boom, like. And if they weren’t asking Ratbag to be their Unkie, they were asking if he could be a godfather, and whatnot.”“But five thousand??” Buffi exclaimed, incredulous. “What can I say?” Ratbag shrugged. “Ratbag’s kind of a big deal.”“And what about you?” Buffi asked. “Got any Dennises of your own running around?”Ratbag cackled. “Ratbag is…a father…”Buffi nodded, smiling. “A grandfather…” Buffi’s smile widened. “An’ with this batch, working on being a great-grandfather to boot.” Buffi took a sip of her drink. “Wow. So…how does that…work, exactly?”Ratbag took a swig of his own drink, putting the straw aside. He eyed her mischievously and replied, “See, now you’re just getting personal.”“Come on!” Buffi cried, laughing. “Are you all males? How does it work? What are the rules?”“It just…works,” Ratbag replied, and quickly changed the subject. “Lemme ask you about your boys.”“Huh?” Buffi grunted, taking another sip.“Yer cap’n and his first mate. The Reids.”“What’s your question?” Buffi put her glass aside. “They were all up in it, right? In the Middle-earth? At the Black Gate?”Buffi grimaced. “I…I’m really not the one to ask. I wasn’t there, and every time the subject comes up, they put up a barrier. Even with me.” She looked around the lounge, and looked around for…“However, if you want to ask questions about that, you might want to ask some other folks that participated in those battles.”“Oh?” Ratbag perked up. “Like who?” Buffi pointed at a table on the other side of the lounge, where Merry and Pippin were sipping at what looked to be coffee with a considerable amount of breakfast at their table.“Like Ensign Took, for starters,” Buffi replied.“The halfling?” Ratbag exclaimed, and immediately put his hand over his mouth. He moved toward Buffi, asking, more quietly, “But he’s…so itty.”Buffi sat up straight, and stuck Ratbag with her own look. “They are stronger than you’d think, pal,” she retorted. “Took, Brandybuck, and Gamgee…all veterans from back then. And…”“Ratbag didn’t mean to upset Buffi over drinks,” Ratbag said, looking sheepish. “Just had some questions, was all.”“About what?” “Just need some facts confirmed…about your cap’n.” Buffi began to inquire, but Ratbag waved her off. “It’s…about…a third party, and it’s personal.”“I understand,” Buffi replied with a shrug. “But, like the Dwarves like to say, ‘a story for a story’, so…”“Some other time,” Ratbag replied, still gazing off at the hobbits. *** “So,” Kili said to the elf in Astrometrics, “How is my cousin Gimli?” He needed to say something to Legolas or else his unblinking stare in the dim light of the Stellar Cartography department would drive him to distraction. The only reason he was there at all was to adjust the sensor reception to account for the Rolor Nebula, where Draenor was located. And more likely than not, that was where Legolas spent his time, studying the stars of the Alpha Quadrant.“He’s done quite well for himself since Arda was admitted,” Legolas drawled. “As a standing member of the World Council, he participates in policy on a global scale.”“So he’s a politician,” Kili said, with a smirk. “Just like his poppa.”“Yes.” He was quiet for a time, while Kíli adjusted the controls. “Have you spoken to any of them?” Legolas asked Kíli. “Most of them are Mordor Uruks, but there are a few Gundabad orcs as well.”Kíli eyed the elf contentiously. “Hand me the hyper-spanner, would you?” Legolas complied, and sat upon a nearby stool. “I...feel very conflicted.”“You feel conflicted?” Kíli scoffed. “I was the one who was murdered by one. And Fee—“ Kíli’s voice grew louder and rougher—“I cannot believe him...!”“What did he do?” Legolas asked.“Even if he was the nicest, kindest orc that ever got decanted from the Vats, I would never...never ever...! But then, this is Fíli the Libertine of Starfleet Medical we’re talking about here. I guess he had to start somewhere.” Legolas continued to look lost.“How did you feel,” Kíli leveled at the elf, “When you found out about Tory and me? Be honest.”Legolas blinked once, twice, and his face was that of sudden realization. His face soured. “Surely...not!?”“Oh, ho ho,” Kíli chuckled ruefully. “I could tell you tales of his deviant adventures that would curl even your hair!”“But not you,” Legolas said. “By all accounts, you kept working in Starfleet as an engineer and ship-builder.”“I had found my One, Elf,” Kíli said. “And that was that. And when she found me, we were complete. That’s all.”“One,” Legolas repeated, and smiled, seemingly to himself. “Yes. I believe I have ventured beyond Arda for too long. I will be returning ashore upon our next arrival to home.”“Excellent.” Kíli got up and spoke into the room. “Computer, run a level-3 diagnostic of the astrometric sensor array.” [Astrometric sensors working within nominal parameters,] The Computer replied in its pleasant female voice. “There we go,” Kíli said. “On our way to find the Planet of the Orcs.”“What will they think of us?” Legolas mused. “Will they hold us in judgment of our carnage against their comrades? Will they demand reparations?” He thought further. “Will reparations be demanded against them?”“As ever, I’ll leave matters of diplomacy to the humans,” Kíli sighed. “Adam and Josh can sort that mess out.” *** Ratbag pressed the button at the entrance of Captain Reid’s ready room and waited a moment.“Come!” Adam’s voice rang out, and Ratbag entered. Ratbag found the captain at his desk terminal speaking to someone. He didn’t recognize the voice, of course. “I just wanted to apprise you of the situation, and my concerns. We’re set to return to port within the month,” he told them.“Thank you, Captain,” The voice on the other side replied.“Reid out.” Adam tapped the button on the terminal and looked up. “What can I do for you, Mr. Ratbag?”Ratbag took another step into the room and sat in the seat that Adam beckoned him to take. “Had a few questions, is all.”Adam folded his hands in front of him. “Likewise. Mr. Go’el’s a consummate diplomat, but he tends to gloss over topics that can be...less than pleasant or expedient. You strike me as someone who’s not afraid to pull your punches.”“Well, yeah. An’, well, We like to talk, Ratbag does. Ask anyone.”“I have,” Adam replied with a grin. “Haven’t heard a sour note about you yet. Which made me rather curious. You were from Mordor. Not from Gundabad, or Moria, or even Uruk-Hai. There’d be something about you, if you’d managed to survive all of that.”Ratbag said nothing.“But...I only found one mention of you, and that was when we recovered the data from Minas Morgul. One word.”Ratbag cleared his throat and leaned forward. “An’ what word was that, then?”Reid’s crystal blue eyes gazed right at him. “ ‘Saved’.”Ratbag scoffed. “Yeah. Saved, stored, put in a box. That’s Ratbag.”“Wanna tell me about it?” Adam asked. “What we’re talking about is two ends of the same story, we are,” Ratbag said. “You got yourself the Red Armor, yes?”Adam eyelids fluttered. “Um...yes.”“And you got yourself the Sword of the Elf Lady?”Adam’s brow furrowed. “Yes...”Ragbag nodded. “Defeated a Black Rider, in that suit, with that sword, at that battle? Like they said you were destined to do?”Now it was Adam’s turn to be silent and listen. Ratbag got up and began to pace. “Thought that when this moment came, I’d be ragin’ mad. I’d want to throw things and whatnot. But that’s not what he’d want. And I don’t hate ya. He’d gone over long ago, I reckon.”“Who? The Nazgul?” Adam asked. “Tell you what,” Ratbag said. “Use your computer and look him up. Look up Talion. The Ranger. The Bright Lord. The Gravewalker. Replicate yourself some popcorn while you’re at it, mate, because it’ll make your hair stand on end.” Ratbag moved toward the door but before he exited, he looked over to Adam and added, “You deserve to know who it really was you ended. And when you do, come see me, and I’ll finish the tale for ya.” And with that, he left, leaving Adam awash in his sudden burst of broken thought, as well as his own resurfaced concerns. Josh came in as the Uruk exited the bridge.“Man,” he remarked as he strolled into the ready room. “Rattie looks like someone killed his best friend.”Adam said nothing, but looked up at Josh. “I very well might’ve.”“Oh.” Josh said, and sat. “Also, I just spoke with Admiral Feldman. He’s granted me the authority to extend diplomatic courtesies to the orcs, and to offer their council leader a chance to normalize relations with the Federation.”“So what’s up with Ratbag?” Josh pressed.“I guess I’ll find out once I do research on a figure called the Gravewalker,” Adam sighed. “I’ve heard that name among the Uruks, here ’n’ there,” Josh said. “Good. We can find out together. I’m gonna set up a channel to Minas Tirith, and work from there.”Josh nodded. “Let’s do it.” *** The next day, Dennis had grown another eight inches. His voice deepened by two octaves. Buffi had to have him replicate new shirts as well as shoes. “God, this is so annoying,” He sighed. Buffi laughed, and had to raise her arm to reach his shoulder. “Yeah, but look on the bright side, kiddo. You’re almost done growing. You’ve almost made it.”“Yeah, I guess,” Dennis sighed. “Okay, you ready?” Buffi asked, heading for the door.“Yeah,” and he picked up his satchel and headed out.They were met by the door by Buffi’s brother. Bruffi had done his Academy ship rotation on the Mediterranean, not knowing it would be sidetracked for six whole months. As such he and his fellow cadet Naro were on a faster track to graduation with field credit. He gazed upon Dennis, who now towered upon the young Cainian, his canine mouth agape.
He only had one thought on his mind. “WOO-HOO!” Bruffi whooped, as Dennis carried him on his back down the corridor. Buffi followed them, several paces behind, only a little mortified. Judie passed them in the corridor. He looked down at her grinning madly.“Yo, Judie!” Bruffi exclaimed. “YO!” Dennis barked.Judie shrieked when she realized it was Dennis. “Omigod! I was just kidding yesterday!”“What is a linebacker, anyway?” Dennis asked.“It’s a position in a sport that you would absolutely dominate in,” Judie opined. “That or rugby.”“Huh. Do they play those sports on Draenor?” Dennis asked. “I never asked.”“I dunno, buddy, but, I bet you’ll find out when you get home,” Bruffi reassured him, patting him on his shoulders. He jumped off of the orc’s back and landed by the turbo lift doors. “After you?” Pa’Tiaro stood at the classroom door once more, and looked up at Dennis. “Well, hello, sir!” he said.“Have you ever played rugby?” Dennis asked.“I have, in fact,” Pa’Tiaro said. “You’re looking to learn to play?”“Judie thinks I’d be good at it,” Dennis crowed. Buffi preened from behind him.“But I don’t know if they play rugby on Draenor,” Dennis sighed. “As a matter of fact, we do,” the voice of Go’el spoke as he walked toward them.“Hi!” Dennis greeted him cheerfully. He looked himself up and down. “I had to get a new shirt this morning.”“We’d wear the same size shirt by now,” Go’el remarked. “Go. We’ll be learning about the other clans, who arrived in Draenor.”“You mean, like Ogrim Doomhammer?” Dennis asked, excitedly.“Orgrim,” Go’el corrected. “And yes.”“And then about the Fogteeth?” Dennis pressed. And—““Go,” Go’el emphasized. Dennis walked in.“He’s been eager to learn today,” Buffi told him. “I think his inner scholar’s awakened.”“Good,” Go’el said. “He has lots to learn before we arrive.”“Who was Orgrim Doomhammer?” Pa’Tiaro asked. “He was my father’s best friend,” Go’el explained. “And one of the Council Leader’s most trusted advisers in the early days of the colony. When the colony expanded, they named the new territory after him.”“It sounds like you’ve known the Council Leader…” Buffi began.“…Since I was an infant, yes,” Go’el affirmed. “I’m his godson, in fact. His and his spouse’s.”“And who would that be?” Buffi asked.“Hoi!” Ratbag descended upon them. Buffi turned and grinned. “Hey, ready for…?” *** “Seabreeze?” the bartender in the lounge asked.“Seabreeze!” Buffi and Ratbag exclaimed. The two of them sat at the bar for a while, not speaking. “I, uh, talked to yer cap’n,” Ratbag began. “About that thing you didn’t want to talk about?” Buffi asked.“Yah,” Ratbag replied. “He was the one who finally ended the Ranger.”Buffi shook her head. “Wait. Adam killed a Ranger? I thought they were the good guys?”“He was…for a long time. But he took one of those Nine Rings to keep fightin’ to keep goin’, and turned into a Nazgul.”“Oh!” Buffi exclaimed. “I remember this! It came up when we had to fight that Darkbird robot in Limbo!”“Yah,” Ratbag affirmed. “Know all about your adventures in Limbo, luv. Mutual acquaintances, an’ all that.”Buffi side-eyed him, but nodded. “All right. So you know that it started with finding these artifacts from Arda. The Tablets of Turnax from Betazed, the Debrune Stone that my father excavated, and that gauntlet that kick-started the robot. Are you saying that your Ranger was the owner of that gauntlet?”Ratbag nodded. “The Black Armor, y’see. He faced Kaitlin when she had the Red Armor. But she refused to fight him. He let them take us twenty-five away from there, in the hopes that we’d be…better. But he was told that he was still destined to fight the Red Armor.” Ratbag took his glass and downed it. “The Red Armor that your Cap’n wears.”“And that’s what he did,” Buffi realized. “Not knowing any of the backstory.”Ratbag nodded. Buffi looked at her hands. “I…I don’t know what to say, Rattie.” She turned to him, but he didn’t meet her gaze. “Was this Ranger…was he someone you cared about?”Again, Ratbag nodded. “But you get it, don’cha?” he replied. “You had someone like my Ranger, right? I can tell.”Buffi nodded. “It’s all right. Don’t havta share if you don’t wanna.”Buffi looked grateful. “It’s heavy, isn’t it?” She said. “The burden of that person in your thoughts, but never able to let them go?”“Yah.” Ratbag held up his glass, empty except for the ice and the lime. “To our burdens to bear.”Buffi held up her glass as well. “To their memory.”Ratbag cleared his throat. “To Talion.”Buffi smiled, and Ratbag could see her eyes were a little shiny. “To Raphael.”They clinked their glasses together, but Ratbag gave her a curious glance. “Name sounds familiar. Tell me about him sometime.” *** Josh walked into Cargo Bay 2, located in the ship’s secondary hull. There, rudimentary lodgings were provided for Brûz, who spent his time between the bay and the Etten. While he lamented a view of the stars, he spent his time aboard the ship calmly.Josh heard him occupied with something on the far side of the bay, and called out.“Brûz?” “Yeah, over here!” was the reply. Josh walked over to find the Olog working over...a makeshift kitchen. “Ah, yer just in time,” Brûz said, wiping his hands on the apron he was wearing. Josh smelled the meat searing over the grill, and nodded, though in the back of his mind he wondered how he got the fire suppression system to ignore the smoke coming off of the...“Is that mutton?” He asked.Brûz grunted in affirmation. “Wanted to try somethin’ different for the boys,” he said. “And your replicator makes a decent leg of lamb.” Josh looked over at a prep table Brûz had set up and saw vegetables and soft bread. “Are you tryin’ to make gyros?” Josh asked.“Oh, yeah,” Brûz said, rubbing his hands together. “Trying, no. Making, oh, yeah, cher.”“Not the traditional way to cook the lamb,” Josh noted, “But whatever works, I suppose.”“You’ll love it,” Brûz promised. “Why didn’t the fire controls kick in when you started the grill?” Josh asked.“Pfft,” Brûz blew a raspberry. “That’s easy to turn off. I’m a big boy, Commander, I can handle a little grease fire.”Josh decided to leave well enough alone. “Well, what can I do to help?” He asked.“Chop them veggies,” Brûz told him. Josh grinned and moved toward the kitchen knife. “Knife’s too small for me anyway.”Josh started with the onions, making quick work of them, and set them aside. Next were the peppers—“Are you sure you want gyros, Brûz?” He asked. “You got the makin’s of...Greek cheesesteak, here.”Brûz put his hands up. “Hey, you’re the chef.”“Ehh,” Josh demurred. “That was my deddy. An’ ma grand-père, too. I like to dabble, here an’ there, though.”“Heard some things,” Brûz remarked. “Heard ya kept a vial of paprika in yer pocket when you went to taverns and such.”“True story,” Josh replied with a nod. Brûz ventured further. “Also heard,” he began, clearing his throat, “That when it was all over, there was an Olog kept alive, got rescued from all of that. That true?”Josh put the knife down, and turned to face Brûz. “What else you heard, friend?”“That he was taken to Umbarhaven,” Brûz continued. “Put in their zoo. You can see how that wouldn’t sit right with me, hein?”“He was in a rather bad way when he was spared,” Josh told the Olog. “He kept asking if he was good to anyone who would listen. Zanie promised he’d want for nothing for the rest of his days. ““ ‘Cept for freedom, I’ll bet,” Brûz grumbled.”Josh put up his hands. “Okay. Listen. We’re due to return to Arda within the month. I will...work to get your guy released to your custody.”“An’ all the other Ologs? The ones that’s survived in the wilds? What’s keeping them safe?” Brûz took the pita brad and wrapped the meat and veggies together with the sauce, and presented it to Josh. “Here ya go.”Josh accepted the cheesesteak gyro and took a big, juicy bite. “It’s not cheesesteak unless it’s messy,” he told Brûz. Well,” Brûz said, taking a bite of his own creation. “ ‘Messy’ and me are old pals, yeah?”Josh nodded. “I promise,” he told Brûz, “We’re gonna make this right.” *** Later, Josh was in the Ready Room with Adam.“What’re we gonna do?” He asked. The captain looked down at his terminal, then back to Josh. “It’s clear that Draenor and Arda are dealing with unresolved issues on both sides. I know you don’t like hearing this, but this is going to require a diplomatic solution.”Josh crossed his arms. “How so?”“Sauron was destroyed,” Adam said. “His armies went into disarray and fled. Lots of them have been apparently surreptitiously smuggled over the last 70 years to Draenor.” He stood up. “Josh, there has been no formal end to the War of the Ring. That means that any orc that’s found by the Unified Kingdoms is in danger of being struck down on sight.”“And vice versa,” Josh pointed out. “Brûz knows that Zanie took a tro—an Olog-hai back to Umbarhaven with his surviving mumakil.”“And...” Adam swung his terminal round to face Josh. It displayed a pencil drawing of a rather handsome face with square jaw and hair in the style of the Rangers of Gondor. “This, according to the records in Minas Tirith, is Talion. Common family from the North, he married up and rose among the ranks of Rangers. Posted along the Black Gate. He, his wife Ioreth, and their young adult son Dirhael. Apparently killed in the attack that put the Black gate staunchly under Sauron’s control.”“All right,” Josh nodded. “I’ll let you read the rest, but, long story short, he was the Nazgul I defeated on the Pelennor Fields,” Adam said. “I’ve reached out to see if he has any surviving family.”“Why?” Josh asked. “Kill two birds with one stone,” Adam replied. “Ratbag clearly needs some closure, and possibly so does Talion’s family.”“You’re such a meddler,” Josh teased. “You know that?”“I...can’t stand seeing people suffering apart when they could come together,” Adam argued. “That is grand-père Gandalf talkin’,” Josh prodded. “Between that and your other little project that you don’t think I know about, you’re just getting all up in other people’s lives.” He teased further. “You must be stopped.”Adam smiled in the face of Josh’s accusations. “If you don’t watch yourself, Commander, I’ll put a call in to Cindy-Belle Bordreaux”—Josh’s face blanched—“And have her visit the Medi next time we’re near Earth.”Josh said nothing, but glared at Adam all the same.“Well, then, if there’s no further business, I’ll let you resume bridge duty,” Adam said cheerfully. “I’ll relieve you at 0500.”“Awright,” Josh grumbled. “Swing by Cargo Bay 2. Told Brûz to save you a gyro.”Adam walked toward the doorway and let Josh exit first. “I just might.” *** “Buffi.” She was jostled from her sleep. As her eyes slowly opened and began to focus, she saw Dennis’ face staring at her. “Whuh?” She muttered, and rolled over.“Buffi, it’s time!” Dennis exclaimed. “You gotta get ready!”She glanced at the control display by her bedside, which told the time. “It’s 0432, Dennis!” She angrily mumbled. “You don’t have school for another three hours!” She huffed and began to sit up. She wore a simple outfit to bed, which exposed her fur-tufted shoulders and collarbone. She pulled at the top as she turned to face Dennis, who looked a little guilty to wake her.“We’re almost at the nebula!” he said again. Buffi rolled her eyes and smiled despite herself. “Must feel like Christmas morning, huh?” She remarked, now sounding more awake.“Huh?” “It’s an Earth holiday where kids get presents. They don’t get a lot of sleep the night before either,” She added. “What do you want for breakfast?” He asked her. By this point, Dennis was as big an orc as could be, with a wider build than Ratbag, and slightly taller than Gark and the rest. He almost was a stall as the hulking Go’el. Which made his sitting in Buffi’s dining chairs even more incongruous. Buffi swung her legs to the side of the bed. “Get dressed,” she told him. “But breakfast?” Dennis said, his brow knit.“It’s a special day,” Buffi told him. “So we’re going out.” ** “Seabreeze?” The bartender asked.Buffi’s mouth hung open as she turned to Dennis. For his part, he just smiled cheerfully as he sat at the bar. He’d never been to Caritas-To-Go before.“I literally don’t know if you’re old enough,” she told him. “He looks old enough,” the bartender suggested. “And besides, it’s synthehol. If you’re not sure I can whip him up a virgin—““Ohhh,” Ratbag’s voice said from a stool or so away. “I’d say he’s old enough. Pour him some sour grog.”He plopped himself next to Dennis. “You made it, kiddo,” he told him. “When we get to Draenor, you’ll be asked to make decisions about your future. What do you think so far?”Dennis looked at Buffi, then back to Buffi. His smile faded. “I...I wanna...” “Party Goblin! Best-In—Hwaaah!” Lorne’s greeting was interrupted by Buffi grabbing his lapel and bringing him over to the bar. “It’s almost time for Dennis to get home,” Buffi told him. What can you do for us?”Lorne considered the young orc. “Can he carry a tune?” He asked. Buffi brightened. “Dennis! Sing him the song!”Dennis looked stricken. “What? No!”Buffi was insistent. “Sing him that song I used to sing to you when you were little. You know, last week.”“It could help me out,” Lorne added, shrugging.Dennis closed his eyes, took a breath and exhaled. “Okay,” he said. “Baby—I hate you, by the way,” he added, glaring at Buffi. “Baby Orc, Doo Doo D-Doo, D-Doo, Baby Orc, Doo Doo—““Ohh, Kay!” Lorne interrupted him, just as dark color crept up into Dennis’s cheeks. “Not bad, but geez, Aunt Buffi!” He exclaimed, looking incredulously at the Cainian, who grinned toothily. “Did I do okay?” Dennis asked.“You did fine, kiddo,” Lorne assured him. “And you’re on the right track. Go home. Talk to Big Brother. Tell him what you want. It’ll be fine.” “Here you go,” the bartender said to Dennis, putting the cocktail in front of him. “Yer gonna love it,” Ratbag promised. “Lorne got me on the Sea-Breezies from way back.”Buffi glanced at him. “He did?” Ratbag waved a hand dismissively at her. “Oh, yah. On Fence. That’s where I was reborn into this big ol’ galaxy.”“Ah,” Buffi sighed. “I love Fence.”“Heh-heh. So did your Grumpi,” Ratbag snickered. “Three Limbo Coolers, and he was ready to go round an’ round.”Buffi leaned in and confided. “I once fought a robot...that was covered in circular saws. In a kimono.”Ratbag frowned. “Why was the robot wearin’ a kimono?” Buffi was about to clarify that it was she who wore the kimono when her comm badge chirped.“Lt. Commander K’gar to the Bridge,” Josh’s voice called.She tapped her badge and replied, “On my way.” She turned to Ratbag. “If we’re this close to the nebula, you should join me, Rattie.” “A-yup,” Ratbag agreed, and the two of them hopped off their bar stools. Buffi turned to Dennis, her face in an indecisive grimace. “You too, kid. You deserve a first look.”Dennis’s face lit up as he leaped toward them. “All right!” he cried, as he passed them up. Buffi turned to Ratbag. “Old enough to drink?” she said to him.“Ehh,” Ratbag replied with a shrug. “I never said I was a responsible unkie.”“You’re the worst,” Buffi laughed. “Come on.” Buffi strode onto the bridge and made her way straight for her station. Ratbag found Go’el toward the rear and led Dennis toward him. Captain Reid had already assumed command of Alpha Shift, though Josh hung back. “Aldor?” Adam prompted the science officer. The Andorian nodded and worked the Science station like a virtuoso. “With the standard proto-stellar elements present, the nebula also contains quite a bit of heavier elements mixed throughout. Mostly metallic in nature. Makes penetrating the outer vapors difficult, and navigating the nebula slow-going.”“Hmm,” Adam murmured. “Ensign, do we have the interior of the nebula mapped?” “The interior of the Nebula’s been previously explored, so we have signposts to navigate,” Pippin explained. “However, if something unexpected gets thrown up at us, we’ll have to think fast.”“Or?” Ratbag spoke up.Adam stood up and turned toward the Uruk. “Do you have an alternative, Mr. Ratbag?”“Hows about we take a minute and wait for the escort to arrive?” Ratbag suggested. “We’ve been knocking about the nebula for a good part of a century, and we’d be the better party to bring you in, like.”Adam nodded. “Sounds fair.”“I’ve already sent for the escort, and they’ll be en route quite soon,” Go’el assured Adam. At the edge of the nebula, the opaque boundary began to waver, as something began to…push through the cloud barrier. Carr frantically ran his fingers across his console. “Scanning…damn, that thing is big,” he remarked. It was indeed big.And red. “Garry would want to send the Big One out for this,” Ratbag muttered. “He’s spoken about showing strength when contact with the Federation finally occured,” Go’el replied, sotto voce. “Yeah, but…It’s not exactly like the Tzenkethi,” Ratbag retorted. “I can’t believe this got the okeydokey from Az—““Gentlemen?” Adam’s voice interrupted them. “Is there a problem? Because I can turn this ship right around.”“This is our flagship,” Go’el explained. “The Kill Kroozer.”“Name does not invoke fluffy bunnies,” Josh muttered. “Hail them,” Adam said to Carr. “Standard friendship messages.”“Hailing,” Carr replied, then added. “Responding to hail.”Adam exhaled. The ship dwarfed the Mediterranean, easily. “On screen.” On the screen, an orc stood before them, wearing the same uniform as Go’el and Bruz. He looked friendly, but held himself in a tight professional manner.“This the Flagship for Draenor,” he announced, avoiding the adversarial name Go’el had given them. “I am her captain, Krug. We are tasked with escorting you within the nebula. Please allow Mr. Ratbag access to your helm and he will fly you in.”“Captain—“ Adam began to protest.“The alternative will be for you to submit to our tractor beam and be towed in,” Krug replied, firmly. “For reasons that will be clearer once you speak to our Council Leader, this is necessary.” Adam turned to Ratbag and nodded. Ratbag for his part rubbed his hands together and made his way to the Conn station. Pippin relinquished his station and adjusted the seat for the Uruk.“Ya see why I needed to look at your station before?” Ratbag said to Pippin. “Aye,” Pippin replied. “Hope you got a real good look though.”“Ah, don’t worry,” Ratbag turned to Pippin and winked. “This is what I was made for.”He plopped down in the seat and swung the station back into ready position. He tapped once, twice, while glancing at the console. “Ah! Got it,” he said. “With your permisison, Cap’n?” he turned to Adam. “Signal the Draenor flagship that we’re ready on our end,” Adam told Carr. The massive ship retreated back into the nebula, disappearing.“Locked onto her navigation beam,” Ratbag told Adam. “We can proceed at your go.”“Match her velocity, Mr. Ratbag, and follow her in,” Adam told the Uruk. “Engage.” “And here we go,” Ratbag said, tapping at the Conn station, glancing at Buffi, who, for her part, looked amused to have him next to her on the bridge. He looked at the Nebula and tapped one last control. “Whammo!”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ratbag was a deft pilot, Pippin came to find. Through twists and turns through the Rolor Nebula, he followed the gargantuan Kill Kroozer with the utmost accuracy. “So you just figured out you could just…know how to fly things?” he asked the orc.“Yah,” Ratbag replied. “I’m figuring it’s different than when I…” Pippin faltered. “Computers came easy for me to figure out. You know, after I learned what they were.”“At Starfleet Academy?” Ratbag suggested.“Oh, no, no,” Pippin replied, shaking his head. “In the Ballroom. In the White Tower.”Ratbag’s eyes widened. “No-o-o!”“Ancient technology in Minas Tirith that just needed dusting off,” Pippin said. “And not just there, oh no! They found computer control centers at Helm’s Deep, in Minas Morgul…even at the Black Gate!”Ratbag froze for a moment, his eyes unfocused. But then he turned back to the hobbit, regarding him. “We’ve seen some things, haven’t we?” Pippin shrugged, and pointed at the screen. “Watch your pitch, there.”Ratbag glanced at the controls and corrected the ship’s course. “Gettin’ distracted; sorry.” He kept his eyes on the view screen, as he added. “But what I mean is, you halflings got in deep in some heavy world events, didn’cha?”“Oh, yeah,” Pippin agreed, and a shadow crossed his expression. “Maybe too deep.”The orc cast Pippin a sidewise glance. “Once you’re changed…” he began.“…You can’t go back to what you were,” Pippin finished.Ratbag looked back to Go’el, who stood by the doors that led to Captain Reid’s ready room and the Conference Room. The two nodded at each other. This didn’t escape the notice of Captain Reid. *** In the Conference Room, Dennis nervously paced from one side of the long table to the other, while Buffi looked on. “Oh, god,” he muttered. “It’ll be fine,” Buffi reassured him. “You heard what Lorne said.”“I—“ Dennis whinged, and turned and suddenly moved toward the Cainian, taking her hands in his own. “I don’t wanna leave, Buffi!” “Oh, puppy!” Buffi exclaimed, and pulled Dennis into an embrace. “It’s gonna be okay, no matter what! If you decide that you want to stay on board the Medi, I’ll support you! If you decide that you want to learn about being an orc on Draenor, I’ll support that too.” She added, looking him right in the face, “It is your choice.” “Oh, thank you!” Dennis sighed, and sniffled. “I do want to learn more about myself, but…I also wanna join Starfleet!”Buffi nodded. “Whatever you want, Dennis. You can do whatever you want!”The door opened, and Go’el entered. “We are minutes away from entering orbit, Ms. K’gar,” he told Buffi. “Everything all right?”“Just some...” Buffi looked back at Dennis. “Just some last-minute jitters.”“Sure,” Go’el said, with an expression equivalent to a smile, his tusk jutting out. “Commander, I’d like to run something by you.”Buffi blinked once. She ran her hand through her hair absently. It had grown out a bit in the intervening week. “Sure.”“I’m coming to you, because, as your captain has said, there’s nothing that happens on this ship that doesn’t go through you or Commander LeBeau. I’d like you to set some meetings on the surface with members of your crew.”“Is there something your people particularly want?” Buffi asked. “That is negotiable,” Go’el conceded, “But what I’m most concerned about is what certain members of your crew may need from this encounter.”“Mr. Go’el, you have been an exemplary diplomat,” Buffi noted. “But you haven’t been particularly forthcoming.”Go’el cleared his throat and turned to Dennis. “Why don’t you join Ratbag on the bridge, Dennis, while Buffi and I have some words.”Dennis gave Buffi a concerned glance, and complied. Buffi looked on, then turned her attention back on the orc. “So what’s this about?”Go’el took a breath, and began. *** On the bridge, Dennis stood beside Ratbag, as instructed, as they peered through the nebula clouds. As they crossed the star system’s heliopause, the clouds gave way, pushed out to the limits by the stellar wind of Draenor’s star, and while faint, Dennis could see the pinpricks of stars beyond.“It’s beautiful,” Dennis said.“Aye,” Pippin agreed, “But I’d miss the stars at night, myself.” “Steady as she goes, Mr. Ratbag,” Adam said. “Tony?” “We’re getting normal background comm traffic,” Carr reported. “No elevated alert status from the planet.”“Any sign they’re expecting us?” Adam asked. “Not sure,” Carr replied. “I’ll keep monitoring.”Adam nodded. “ETA to orbit?”Ratbag tapped at the conn. “‘Bout fifteen minutes, as the crow flies.”Buffi and Go’el emerged from the conference room to join Carr. On the screen, the Kill Kroozer veered off, allowing the Mediterranean to cruise freely.“Mr. Go’el,” Adam began, “Your escort ship’s delivered us here, but we don’t see any sign of a reception from your planet’s communication traffic.” “The colony at large aren’t aware of what happened on the derelict,” Go’el explained. “The Council preferred to keep it that way. The same goes with any diplomatic prospects.”“Didn’t wanna get anyone’s hopes up,” Ratbag remarked, and scoffed. “At this time, I’m authorized to invite your staff to the Draenor II colony,” Go’el announced. “In addition, we also invite the following to join us below.”Adam got out of the captain’s chair and faced Go’el. “Go on.”Go’el read off of his padd. “Ensign Peregrin Took.”Pippin for his part looked confused, and turned to the captain for confirmation. Adam nodded. “Lieutenant JG Meriadoc Brandybuck,” Go’el continued. “Lieutenant JG Samwise Gamgee. Doctor Fíli Viliul. Commander Kíli Viliul. Chief Petty Officer Goramar. Krevlorneswath of the Deathwok Clan. And,” Go’el said, taking a breath, “Legolas Greenleaf.”“If I may ask,” Adam said, “Why these particular crew members?”“Our reasons will become clear,” Go’el replied, and exited the bridge. “Well, Ms. K’gar?” Adam pressed his second officer. Buffi moved around toward the center seat, facing her captain. “Sir, you know me well enough to know how I feel about people like these orcs. I’m always gonna stick up for folks who had to live in the dark, who had to live in fear, even among their own. That’s who these people are, or where they started from. And...” Buffi looked away for a moment, and wiped at her eyes. Ratbag moved toward her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Go on, luv,” he encouraged.“Knowing that they were made to hurt others...even when they rose above their situation, they knew their legacy needed to be addressed. So that’s what this is about.”“Sometimes, Cap’n,” Ratbag added, “The first step to healin’ is just going to someone else and sayin’,” He turned to Pippin, and looked him right in the eye, “I’m sorry for what we did to you. It was wrong, an’ you didn’t deserve it.”Pippin stood there, before Ratbag and Buffi, looking up at them, speechless. Ratbag looked at the hobbit, and smiled gently. “It’s all right, Pip. Don’t have to say anything. If you wanna talk, it’s up to you,” he said.“So these,” Adam searched for the word, “reconciliatory meetings were set up in advance?”“Not that far in advance,” Ratbag replied, and his expression soured. “I had no idea Dr. Hall Pass was on this ship, fer one thing.”“Okay, well,” Adam said, with an awkward chuckle. “That sounds personal. All right, Buffi,” he said to his second officer, “You’ll set these up with Go’el. Let’s plan to go planetside within six hours of entering orbit. I suspect Josh and I’ll be having our own little meetings once we’re down there, so I’ll leave these up to you.”“Yes, Captain,” said Buffi.“Awright!” Ratbag exclaimed, hopping back into the helm station. “Let’s do it!” *** “No.” The response from Samwise Gamgee was flat and final, cutting off Buffi’s pitch.“But, Sam—““Permission. To speak freely. Sir,” Sam growled at the Cainian as he continued to monitor whatever function in Main Engineering Kíli had assigned him. Buffi’s voice was calm, but lowered the temperature about five degrees. “Granted.”“Whatever these creatures are, whatever they’ve become, bless them,” Samwise said. “But I don’t want what they’re offering. I…can’t. I see them, walking the halls of this ship, and it takes everything inside me to…” Samwise stopped, and turned to face Buffi. “I get it, all right? It’s something inside me, something that’s become ugly because of what I faced. It’s what kept me from letting your Dennis play with my girls, to be honest. I’m owning it.”“Sam—“ Buffi sighed.“I’m also owning that whatever they want to do for me down there isn’t gonna erase nothin’ in me, no how. That’s my doing, and no one else’s.”Buffi was silent for a moment, as Sam’s breathing returned to normal. “I do understand, Sam,” Buffi said. “I served on the Rutledge, remember? With Captain Maxwell, of all people. He lost his whole family to the Cardassians on Setlik III. Not that he ever talked about it, but the crew told me. You know, the ones that didn’t hate my guts. But he had the same look in his eyes as you do right now, Sam. The look of someone who had something taken from them that they can’t get back.” Sam looked relieved for a second, until he saw her canine features make a familiar expression.“I’m directly ordering you to join the official landing party,” Buffi told him. “Receive whatever they have to give you, and then…walk away.”“That’s all?” Sam asked.“That’s all,” Buffi affirmed. “Because I think you’ll find that you have more in common with them than you think.”Sam sighed and grabbed his padd from the ledge it was on. “Aye-aye, Commander.” and walked away. Buffi’s shoulders slumped. “Bet you thought that was gonna be easy,” Kíli’s voice came from behind her. She turned to face him. “Maybe. I figured the hard part was giving you your invitation.”“What’s the worst they can do to me?” Kíli joked. “Kill me?”“I was hoping you’d stay close to him,” Buffi suggested. “Make sure he’s okay.”Kíli nodded, and noted, “I remember Setlik III. A hundred civilians killed in cold blood. Maybe we’ll solve the whole war thing, but probably not this century.”Buffi’s response was muted. “Right. Now I gotta make sure Merry’s got his invite, but I can buddy him up with Pippin; it should be fine. Pip’s bonded with Ratbag in the last few days.”“And Fee?” Kíli asked.“What about Fee?” Buffi asked. Kíli scoffed and waved Buffi off. “Never mind. Standard operating procedure; keep him away from the clubs, et cetera.”Buffi frowned. “Nuh-no, Kee, what’s up? You keep making a face whenever your brother comes up, and I wanna know why.”He shook his head and moved back to the warp core. “I’ll tell you when you’re older, pup,” he said, and waved her off. “Go on, Commander.” *** Captain Reid, Commander LeBeau and Lt. Commander K’gar beamed down by a dark structure in the middle of the capital city, joined by Go’el, Ratbag, and Gark. It was a warm, sunny day, with hardly any clouds in the blue-green sky. Buffi turned to look at what looked like an arch, decorated by two imposing figures on both sides, and a snake at the top.Adam frowned. “That’s…not…” “All in good time, Captain,” Go’el assured Adam. “Ah, one of our Council members.” He beckoned another large, green skinned man over to greet them. “Not an Uruk,” Josh noted, under his breath to Adam.“More evidence of this being a blended culture,” Adam replied. “Gentlemen, Ms. K’gar, this is Council Member Varok Saurfang,” Go’el introduced. His hair was gray, and he wore a red, sleeveless outfit, which contained gold decorations. His face was painted with a white omega-looking symbol.“Captain, welcome to Draenor II,” Varok greeted them and offered an imposing hand, which Adam took and shook. Varok’s grip was as strong as he looked, Adam noted. “I trust Ratbag gave you a smooth ride,” he added, glancing amicably at the Uruk.“Quite so. I was told I’d have an audience with your Council Leader,” Adam said.“He’s hoping to confer with you once the entire council is in attendance,” Varok told them. “Is this all who came down? Go’el was supposed to issue the invitations to the—““Forgive me, Council Member,” Buffi spoke up. She walked up to him and extended her hand, which Varok took gingerly. “It was my design to have the three of us, the most senior officers aboard, come down and be greeted before your invited guests.”Varok glared at Buffi. “For what reason?”“Because,” Josh spoke up, stepping up to Varok, “War, as they say, is hell. And some of the invitees expressed their reticence. We wanted to ease them into your hospitality.”Ratbag moved to whisper into Varok’s ear, gesturing with his hand a point around the orc’s knee, as to indicate a hobbit’s height. Varok turned to Ratbag, concern in his face. “Truly? Such bravery then for those so small.” He turned to Buffi and nodded. “We will attempt to accommodate any reluctance. We had nothing but the best of intentions.”“Of course,” Adam said, graciously. “But I really was hoping to have some of our questions answered. The ship your people were commandeering,” Adam said, gesturing to Gark, “Raised all sorts of issues with us and with Starfleet Command, and with all respect,” he gestured to Varok, “If we can get past that, I’m authorized to offer the prospect of renewing diplomatic relations with the Federation.”“That is welcome news,” Varok said, his tusks jutting out in an orcish smile. “If Ms. K’gar has no objections, we’d like to begin straight away. I understand that you, Captain, and you, Commander, were involved at Pelennor, and the Black Gate?”Adam nodded.“Excellent. We’ve arranged for Commander LeBeau to travel with Brûz to Orgrimmar. We have a well-settled Olog-hai community there. Captain, I’ll leave you in Ratbag’s care. My son Dranosh’ll be along to transport you to the Council chambers.”“And me?” Buffi asked.“You, my dear, have the misfortune of having me for company,” Varok replied, holding out an arm. Buffi smiled and hooked her own harm in his, and walked down the path which led into town. “I’ve been in communication with Go’el, as you no doubt surmised,” Varok said. “At the very least, he’s kept me in the loop. You have a reputation which precedes you, young lady.”“That is very sweet of you to say,” Buffi said. “Call me ‘young lady’ one more time, and I’ll have to demonstrate how I got it.”Varok threw his head back and laughed heartily. “You’re going to fit in quite well, Commander!” *** “Where are we going?” Josh asked, not for the first time, in the oversized transport, which contained Brûz and, well...Brûz was enough to crowd a transport.“Takin’ you home to meet the fam,” Brûz replied, chortling. “Orgrim was a big ally to me an’ Azzy, and we settled Orgrimmar in his honor.” “So it’s a community of tro—“ Josh stopped himself once more. “Of Olog-hai?”Brûz looked down at Josh, could practically see him inwardly cursing, and jostled his shoulder. “Oi. You can call us ‘trolls’ if you want. Don’t offend me one bit.” A beat passed. “I mean, you’re practically family.”Josh frowned, and looked up incredulously at Brûz. “What does that mean?”“Remember how I said I learned French from your grandpa?” Brûz reminded Josh. “It’s because of the leap.”“Oh yeah,” Josh said. “Possessin’ people was his power, wasn’t it.”“So basically, we spent a time in each other’s head, and I picked up his French an’ all, and a little bit of cookin’ and other skills as well. Handy little talent, that.”Josh nodded, and saw as the grasslands along the road they traveled gave way to homesteads with large, Olog-sized farm equipment. “Lots of us took to the land when they arrived,” Brûz explained. “Wanted to try out farmin’ and cultivatin’ and animal husbandry, all of that. The Uruks did okay with farmin’ but they’re more like the Other Guys—more hunters than gatherers. Ya know?”“How many of you are there here?” Josh asked. “The original batch—me and Azzy’s—gave us about two dozen kids runnin’ around,” Brûz explained. “That’s fine for a family, but for the long run, you’re gonna need...what’s the word...diversity. Otherwise, someone’s gonna be runnin’ around with two heads or what have you. But the ol’ gal managed to lift an entire Olog-hai village from Mordor, after careful negotiation, and most of them live here in Orgrimmar.”Josh looked at him, smiling. Brûz hadn’t actually answered the question.“Last census had us at almost two thousand,” Brûz said. “Now that’s four or five main families generating kids at about two dozen each over three or so generations...”“Got it,” Josh replied with a nod. “Is viability a concern for you guys, you seem a little occupied with it.”“It’s the preservation of a species, innit?” Brûz retorted. “They wiped us out back in the old world, so we gotta keep kickin’ here.”Josh didn’t say anything more after that.As the transport came upon the city of Orgrimmar, Josh looked out and found that the architecture was all of a piece. Spiked dome-like structures stood atop sturdy yet tapered bases, like aggressive red mushrooms. The colony’s omega-like symbol continued to appear, even in illuminated, holographic form at the top of buildings, brightly appearing even in the mid-day light. Josh saw that all sorts of folks made their way down the wide streets; Stocky yet sturdy Uruks; imposing tusked orcs of both earth-tone and green complexions; a few folks with a piebald blue complexion as well, and, of course, the occasional Olog. “Here we are,” Brûz gestured at a large rotunda of a building, and worked to park the vehicle. Josh got out first, stretched his legs and arms, and looked as another Olog, even larger than Brûz, began to bound toward them at speed. His complexion was a bluish-gray, the color of river shale. He wore an open vest with a chunky metal chain around his neck. His face had a splash of paint across his keen, green eyes, and Josh moved out of the way just in time to see the two Ologs collide with each other......And engage in a loving embrace. Brûz gave him a loud audible kiss on the lips. “Mmmmm-wah!” He vocalized before turning to Josh. “This is my guy. Az-Harto, this is Joshua Maurice Reid-LeBeau.”“Welcome, Commander,” Az-Harto greeted Josh. He looked Brûz over and remarked. “You’d think from your correspondence that he’d brutalized you, my love.”“Got him to call me names in French,” Josh said.“HA!” Az-Harto exclaimed. “Ohh, no.”“Got over it,” Brûz sulked. “Is Ur-Ranan ready?“He is. Commander, we may be in a position to help you,” Az-Harto said to Josh.“Help me?” Josh replied. “Help me with what?”“All in good time,” Az-Harto said and beckoned. “In the center of the rotunda, the ceremony is ready to begin. Your duties permit you to wear the raiment of ceremony?”“Well, yeah,” Josh admitted. “Sometimes, they require it.”Az-harto’s grin was dazzling, his eyes gleaming behind his face paint. “Excellent.” *** “Refuge.” Adam looked out at the vista of the city. Around the monument at the center, prefabricated housing gave way to architecture that reflected the blended cultures on Draenor.“What do you think, Captain?” Dranosh asked him.“I can tell that everyone’s proud of what they’ve built,” Adam replied. “And It’s really inspiring.”Dranosh nodded. Like his father, he wore a high-collared, sleeveless vermillion shirt. “Yeah. You know, my name means ‘Heart of Draenor’ in the native tongue.”“Yah,” Ratbag interjected. “Came out of a generation of lots of hopes and dreams fulfilled. For some reason,” Ratbag added, glancing at Adam, “Got lots of our residents feelin’ frisky.”Dranosh grimaced and continued. “We’d really like to share this with the rest of the Quadrant, sir.”Adam nodded and looked at the young orc. “Maybe you can answer a few questions for me.”Ratbag gave Dranosh a furtive glare, causing him to stammer. “I mean, I-I’l do my best to help.”Adam caught the glance, and moved to crack his knuckles. “The ship that was captained by Gark—where did it come from?”“W-we’re preparing a briefing packet for you that should satisfy all of your questions, Captain,” Dranosh said. “Sure, sure,” Adam agreed, nodding. “But what was the impetus to send this ship out on a long-range cruise?”Dranosh sighed. “The ships under our banner—like the Kroozer—are ships of war. We wanted to test whether or not we could sustain a program of exploration.”“That’s what the crew of the derelict told us,” Adam said. “They also were, shall we say....circumspect...about the source of the ship, other than it was by some anonymous benefactor. Now I can respect your willingness to protect this person, whoever it may be, but for the purposes of moving forward—““Cap’n,” Ratbag said. “Truth is? We didn’t know where the ship came from, same as you. But we received it all the same, and decided to make use of it. Seein’ as we didn’t have relations with the Federation, we felt, y’know, no harm, no foul.”Adam turned to Ratbag and smirked. “Is that an official response?”“Cap’n,” Ratbag replied. “I’m not much for bein’ official. But you have the marks of needin’ a mystery solved.” He added, with a shrug. “I can relate.”Adam bowed his head for a moment. “Mr. Saurfang, can I have a moment—?”Dranosh nodded and stepped away.“I, uh,” Adam said. “I did my homework.”Ratbag clasped his hands behind his back and nodded. “Whaddaya think?”“I located several surviving family members in Gondor,” Adam said. “And his wife’s family in Cair Andros, just for good measure. Did he talk about his wife’s family?”“Not with his words, no,” Ratbag admitted.“That was the easy part of the assignment,” Adam continued. “The Gravewalker part took a bit more...research.”“Used great-Grampa’s connections, did ya?” Ratbag asked. “How’d it pan out?”Adam said nothing. “I figured as much,” Ratbag sighed. “Listen—“ “It was you who said it to Pippin,” Adam turned and looked Ratbag right in the eye. “I’m sorry you lost your friend. I’m sorry I was the one who killed him.” “Stop.” Ratbag turned to face the window with the view of Refuge. “You don’t get it. His suffering’s over. He’s at peace now.” He turned back to Adam, who could see tears streaming down Ratbag’s cheeks. “Isn’t he?”Adam looked away. “He is. He was put to rest along with the Dead Army on the Pelennor Fields. He told me. For a moment, I thought I could see...” Adam cleared his throat. “A figure walking toward a field, his weapons forgotten, walking towards...” Adam stopped. “I’m sorry.”
Ratbag nodded, and opened his arms wide. Before Adam knew it, the Uruk wrapped his arms around Adam, his head buried in his chest. After a moment, he disengaged. “Sorry, Cap’n...It looked like you could’ve used it, and I’ve been waiting to give that hug away for a lifetime.”Oh, well...second-hand hugs,” Adam said, his face turning pink. “A-a-and, y’know, it’s a sympathy hug too,” Ratbag offered. “For...y’know...for Varria.”Adam snapped back to attention and almost recoiled from Ratbag. “How did you know about her?”“She meant a lot to us too,” Ratbag said with a shrug. “We’re more connected than you think.”“No one ever told me about this...Not even...”“Not even your wizard of a godfather?” Ratbag suggested. “Well, I meant to say my grandfather, but yeah,” Adam admitted. “Not that straight answers are Gandalf’s forte...”“Or any wizard’s, for that matter,” Ratbag said, and gave Adam a sidelong glance. “Before you meet my...Council Leader, let’s you and I pay a visit to someone really unreliable.”Adam shrugged and gestured forward. “Lead the way.” *** “Go’el and Rattie seemed a little grumbly when we were greeted by your...frankly gigantic ship,” Buffi said to Varok. “What’s that about?” The two had made their way to the beautiful mountainside lake that sat adjacent to Refuge. The two continued their stroll, while park goers enjoyed themselves around them. Varok sighed and muttered under his breath. “Garry.”“M’sorry? What’s that?” Buffi asked.“Many of the younger generation, who lived through a lot of the tension of the Invasions have instilled a bit more boldness in their actions,” Varok explained. “It is the same with many of your contemporaries in Starfleet, we’ve found. Go-getters, if you like.”“Who’s Garry?” Buffi asked, shrugging.“Like my son, he’s a junior defense officer,” Varok explained. “Garry’s father Grom was one of us, from the old Draenor, who joined the Uruks and the others here. I feel you know more about the Uruks of Arda, but perhaps not so much of my own people.”“When I was helping with Dennis, they focused more on the Arda side,” Buffi admitted. “But Go’el told me you come from a tradition of warriors and hunters.”“It’s true. Each of the peoples of Draenor had their own set of unique challenges. Ours was adapting our way of life to...peace,” Varok said, not quite comfortable with the word. “To living among our neighbors freely. Fortunately, this world is wild and unfettered.”Buffi nodded. “And you?”Varok chuckled. “When I arrived here, I was young and eager to make something of the situation. I focused my energies on building the city up, and inspiring the peoples to make something new of this strange new world.”“Was it hard to reconcile the different orcs?” Buffi asked.“At first. At first we sequestered ourselves terribly,” Varok admitted. “Our peoples in the wild, with the Uruks and the Fogteeth in the cities, and the Orsimmer running trade between us. But we came to realize we could live amongst each other.” “Saurfang.” Buffi swiveled her head toward the voice calling Varok’s name. Standing before them was a Tusked Orc as massive as Varok, tan in complexion, with a smooth, shaved head, glowering at them in an impressive suit, his gold communicator pinned to his lapel. His chin was adorned with tattooing which reminded Buffi of South Pacific traditions on Earth. She glanced back at Varok and back at the newcomer. “You must be Garry,” she said, extending her hand.Garry did not take it.“You may address me as “Mr. Hellscream”, Commander K’gar,” Garry said, with a whithering, yellow-eyed gaze. “The Council is convening, Saurfang,” he said back to Varok. “With all due respect, Mr. Hellscream” Buffi said, smiling just enough to reveal her own set of impressive canines, “But Mr. Saurfang was authorized to take me on a tour of your city. I’m sure the Council wouldn’t mind, given the lengths—““This is not a conversation,” Hellscream interrupted her. “This is merely a reminder. At your convenience, sir,” he added to Varok as he turned and walked away.Buffi watched as he stormed off through the lawn. She then turned to Varok and quipped, “I hope your son’s a better-behaved go-getter than Mister Hellscream.”“If he dared to talk to me like Garry, I’d beat his narrow ass,” Varok said, tusks protruding. “I’d offer an apology on behalf of Mister Hellscream, but I’m sure you can fend for yourself. Yes?”“Of course,” Buffi replied happily, and took Varok’s arm once more. *** The dwarf and the hobbit beamed down adjacent to a fountain area in front of a large, round building. The architecture was simple, geometric, with a spire near the front that looked to Kíli’s thinking like a steeple. Walking out toward them was a tall, genial-looking creature who wore the garb of a clergyman.Samwise saw that he had the look of an orc, but his face...For one thing, he had a beatific expression on his face. For another...He walked right out into the sun, with no apparent discomfort. His complexion was a slightly pale green, with some scars upon his cheeks, but no sign of being burnt.“The day greets you, gentlemen!” The clergyman exclaimed, beaming, and extended his hands toward them. Kíli took it, and shook the hand firmly. Samwise kept his hands at his sides. “My name is G’nash. Welcome to The Church.”Samwise frowned. “Church of what?” He said, mostly to himself. “Just, The Church,” G’nash explained. “All the disparate peoples that came together here on Draenor brought their own faiths and beliefs, and, in my own case, a willingness to find our own way. Therefore The Church accommodates all. In fact,” G’nash turned to Kíli, “We have a shrine to your Mahal, if you’re so inclined.”“Really?” Kíli mused. “Are there other Dwarves here on Draenor?”“All in good time, Commander, Lieutenant. Join me inside, won’t you?” They followed G’nash into The Church, with a spacious reception area which, for all intents and purposes, resembled that of any place of worship, with comfortable seating and bulletin boards with items pinned upon it. Kíli wandered up to one of the bulletin boards to take a glimpse. After all, lots of social activity centered around churches. True enough, there were flyers asking for volunteers for an outdoors retreat; items for trade; a reminder that a Tribute to Jirak was in the next month and there would be food and music, and, interestingly, a public invitation to Gornak’s baptism, from Rev. Peter Zao.“Where are we going?” Kíli asked. “No offense, but I wasn’t expecting to attend afternoon Mass.”“No worries there,” G’nash assured them. “Through this hallway.”The hallway was narrow, and doors branched off on the left and right. “In addition to our worship accommodations,” G’nash explained, “We also head up a great deal of counseling services. Traditionally, it’s transition counseling that we engage in.”“Transition?” Sam said.“Right,” replied G’nash, nodding. Whenever we received a new group from...wherever, the transition to life on Draenor was not without...difficulty. So we help them.”G’nash opened a door, revealing a group of orcs, wearing contemporary garb, in a circle, engaged in discussion. All of them swiveled around to face them, and Samwise froze. Kíli placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but he, too, had the same feeling from their collective gaze, the tapetum lucidum of their retinas creating a dull glow in the fluorescent lighting. “Let’s take a coffee break,” a piebald-colored orc woman in a smart pantsuit said from the center of the circle. She placed a padd under her arm and as the orcs ambled out into the hallway, she spoke again. “Um, Shaggy?”One of the orcs stopped and turned back. He was right next to Samwise when he glanced at him and himself stiffened. And then he bolted.“Shaggy!” The counselor cried out. “Shagrat!”Now it was Samwise’s turn to bolt. Kíli tried to restrain him, to keep him in place, but the hobbit was too quick. He was out the door, and gone.“Well,” G’nash said, grimacing, rocking on the balls of his feet. “That could have gone better.”“Oh, you think?!” Kíli exclaimed. “That was the former Captain of Cirith Ungol you were gonna have chat with Samwise? Are you mad??”“With all due respect, Commander,” said the piebald woman, with her head covered in a scarf, and the tag on her lapel identifying her as Harona Jakoby. “But that’s not who he is here. Here he’s Shaggy, who’s doing occupational and transitional therapy, and this was supposed to help him as much as Lt. Gamgee. If you hadn’t noticed, he was the first to run.”“Dammit,” huffed Kíli. “So...we round them back up and stick them in this room, just staring at each other until their time’s up? Was that the plan?”“Wait,” Harona shook her head. “Did the two of them actually meet before? That wasn’t in my file. G’nash!” G’nash for his part looked rather sheepish but nodded.“Commander, I apologize,” Harona said. “The man that was supposed to speak with Lt. Gamgee wasn’t supposed to have known him in any way.” She placed a well-manicured hand to her forehead. “I would have never done that to either of them.”Kíli frowned, and glanced just outside the door. Shagrat had remained in the hallway.“Perhaps, but maybe this should play out. What do you say, laddie?” He called out toward the hallway. Shagrat crept back into the room, looking at the floor, and slumped into one of the folding chairs.“You don’t have to if you don’t want to, Shaggy,” Harona emphasized. “That goes for Lt. Gamgee as well, Commander.”As she said it, Samwise silently walked back into the room, and hopped onto the chair directly opposite that of Shagrat. His feet dangled off the floor. He never kept his eyes off of Shagrat.“You wanna do this?” He said.“Yeah,” Shagrat replied, almost a whisper. “We get a referee here, or...? Kíli asked. “I’ll be with them,” Harona told him. “And, don’t worry. I’m licensed to carry.” With that she revealed a holstered phaser.“I take it that comes with experience,” Kíli quipped.“I could tell you some tales,” Harona replied with a laugh. “All right,” the dwarf said, moving toward the door. “Lieutenant,” he called to Samwise. “The comm badge still works, all right?”“Yes sir,” Sam replied, still keeping his gaze on the orc. “Come, Commander, “G’nash said, beckoning to Kíli. “Let me show you something.” Kíli left Sam behind, and followed G’nash further down the hall, into a room with wooden panels, with hexagonal designs, varnished with red stain. Runes were carved into the wood, leading into the shrine at the end of the room. There was someone already at the shrine. Kíli cleared his throat. “Just a moment,” the dwarf said, taking his thumb and forefinger to put out the candles, finishing his invocation. He turned around, revealing a Dwarrow, wearing a short-sleeved shirt similar to that of the circle of orcs, with a similar tag identifying him as...
“Torvin!” He stuck his hand out. Kíli took it and shook it. He was shaking a great many hands today, he noted. “It’s not every day I get to shake hands with a dead prince.”“Well, I haven’t been either of those in an age,” Kíli replied, and they both shared a laugh. “I’m Commander Kíli these days, Chief Engineer of the Mediterranean.”“Aye, I know,” Torvin said, waving off the introduction with his free hand. “They’d told me of the excursions of the House of Durin when they lifted me here.”“Why are you here?” Kíli asked. Torvin’s beard was shorn down, much like his own when he’d entered the Academy, so many years ago. “I’m a hunter by trade,” Torvin explained. “I’d left the mountains to look for big game in Mordor, and I’d gotten tangled up with the Gravewalker business. His shrine’s two doors down, by the way.”“Good to know,” Kíli quipped. “So what do you do here?”“It’s a wild planet, Draenor,” Torvin explained. “These orcs are learning how to live here, and part of that is learning about the wildlife. Which animals are dangerous, poisonous, delicious, not necessarily in that order.”“Yes, but why did you come?” Kíli pressed. “Because they asked?”“Have you ever seen a Graug, Highness?” Torvin asked. “I’ve not. But I’ve made up for it with the Dragon.”“With the machinery of war building up in Mordor as the years went on,” Torvin explained, “Mordor became more and more a toxic place, no good for hunting. They offered me an entire planet to explore, beasties to discover and perchance to battle, and…they offered me a place. I’d felt out of place in the world after my brother had died. You know?”Kíli nodded.“And one day, I came across one of the skin-changers of the South, the one they call Zanie the Beastmaster—““I know of him,” Kíli said, grinning. “My Captain could tell you a tale or two.”“He’d have to get a word in,” Torvin retorted. “Anyway, he tells me that the she-elf Eltariel was collecting orc beasties and takin’ them away. I tracked her down, and she told me about this place. What, was I gonna say no?”“I get the feeling she didn’t actually invite you,” Kíli said, stroking his chin.“Not so much,” Torvin admitted. “But here I am. It’s been nearly forty years since I made planetfall, and It’s been a wild ride ever since.”A moment passed in silence, and Kíli moved to make his own invocation to Mahal. He lit the candles at the shrine and he rumbled a few words in Khuzdul.“Ah, you still speak the father tongue,” Torvin noted.“Still, yes,” Kíli replied, then went back to his worship. He put out the candles, satisfied with his prayers, and back to Torvin.“So what kept you out here?” Torvin asked. “Sailing on ships is not exactly a trade known to the Dwarrow-folk.”“Lots of reasons,” Kíli said, not willing to tell his life story to someone he’d just met. “Starfleet seemed to fit me.”“It’s not for everyone,” Torvin admitted. “So...is it just you? Maybe more of us have signed up since I came here.”“Just me and Fee,” Kíli said. “That’s Fíli, my brother.”Torvin looked pensive. “What’s he do?”“Chief Medical Officer,” Kíli replied. “Oh, a doctor?” Torvin said, with interest. “Think he’d see me for a check-up? The doctors here are all right, but Starfleet medicine is tops, they say.”Careful what you ask for, Kíli thought. “He’s bound to be out and about. He’s one of the people on this list. “Huh. Well, if your doctor brother’ll fit me in, that’ll be ace,” Torvin said. The two strolled back to the therapy room. They found Samwise with what looked to be cigarette papers, and passing a hand-rolled cigarette to Shagrat. “I mean, the Old Toby ought to grow here, no reason why It wouldn’t, but...” he said, and shrugged.Shagrat, still not quite looking at the hobbit, nodded. Sam caught Kíli’s eye and moved toward the door, beckoning Shagrat to come with him. “Commander,” Samwise said. “This,” he indicated the orc, “Is Shagrat the Shredder. He was in the Feral Tribe, and he’s something called Freeborn. He drives sanitation vehicles and he does janitorial work at The Church.”“Commander Kíli, at your service,” Kíli said, and bowed.“He received his three-year pin today,” Harona added. Shagrat shuffled his feet. “His group had the most amount of challenges. Previous arrivals were already bucking their programming because of different circumstances, but the post-war group have had to face it head-on.”“We’ve had a few things to talk about,” Samwise said to Kíli. “Things we have in common.”“Things like forgiveness?” Kíli suggested. Torvin wrinkled his nose at that.“We’ve...agreed that forgiveness ain’t as important as...understandin’,” Shagrat spoke up. “Still got a lotta work to do.”Samwise glanced at Shagrat, not quite smiled, and turned back to Kíli. “I’ve agreed...to be Shagrat’s sponsor.”“Really, Sam?” Kíli exclaimed. “That’s extraordinary!”“The way it’s set up, a Sponsor can be someone that someone in the program can turn to when things get overwhelming, old habits start emerging, or just...to talk,” Marona explained. “Sam’s the first offworlder to agree to sponsorship.”Kili turned to Sam. “Why?” He asked.Now it was Sam’s turn to shuffle his feet. “Like I told Buffi, I had something ugly inside me, that made me hateful. Helping him...helps me. I don’t want to pass this on to my kids.”Shagrat put his hand over his mouth and turned away. Samwise joined Kili and Torvin in the hallway as they wove their way through the labyrinth of The Church. As they did, they saw another sanctuary shrine which was decorated in antlers of all kinds. “What about you, Mr. Torvin?” Sam asked. “How’d you manage to live among these folks for so long?”“Well,” Torvin said, and took out a pipe as soon as they exited the building. “Way’s I see it, these folks are...trying. You know? Figuring out how to live. That’s something.”“So,” Samwise turned to Kili. “True to Buffi’s word, In and out, like I promised. Unless...you wanted to look ‘round a bit?”“And what?” Kili scoffed. “Try the local cuisine?”“I’ll vouch for the local cuisine,” Torvin interjected. “If you wanna eat hearty, you gotta eat at Giz’s.Samwise turned to Kili, who turned to Torvin and extended his hand forward. “Lead the way, then!” *** “Will you stop fidgeting.” Pippin rocked back and forth, as Merry sat next to him alongside a public fountain in Refuge. The two had beamed down and, having no one to walk up to them, decided to have a sit and relax in the warm sun. “Guess they don’t burn in this sun,” Pippin said. Two Uruks walked past, wearing pastel shirts and chattering amongst themselves. “Guess not,” Merry replied, and snapped, “Sit still, Pip!”“It’s just...” Pippin said, faltering. “Ratbag’s a good enough bloke. He saw fit to apologize on behalf of all the orcs to make a point. What are we even doing here, then?”“Getting out of our duty shifts for the day?” Merry replied.Pippin considered, nodding. “I suppose. But, I mean...”“Gah, Pippin!” Merry exclaimed. “Things aren’t as black-and-white as we used to think, back then. “You can have your Uglúks and your Grishnákhs as well as your Garks and your Ratbags in the world. You can have your Othos and Ted Sandymans in the world as well. People are people. Take them one at a time, you know?”Pippin rolled his eyes. “Merr—“Merry silenced his friend by holding up his index finger. “It’s as simple as this.” He turned to another pair of Uruks strolling through and exclaimed, “Oi!”They turned, looking down, confused, but bemused at the halfling shouting up at them. “Yeah?” One of them replied.Merry grinned at them madly. “Have a nice day!”The other Uruk snorted with laughter. “Yeah, mate. You too,” he said, and the two of them continued on their way.Merry turned to Pippin. “See?” The two were interrupted by someone sitting down next to them. It was Chief Goramar. He turned to them and shrugged. “They told me to meet you two here.”“No worries, Chief,” Pippin said, and continued to rock back and forth. Goramar glared at the hobbit for a moment. “That’s really not helping, sir.”“It’s helping me,” Pippin replied, pointedly, not stopping. “Ah, Gentlemen,” a high-pitched voice greeted them. Before the hobbits was a humanoid, not much taller than themselves, Roylan by the look of her. She looked at them with eyestalks embedded within deep sockets, but smiled warmly. She moved toward them with care, walking with the help of a elaborately carved cane.“I’m Dr. Nierseek,” she introduced herself. “I’m the senior physician here on Draenor.”“How d’you do?” Pippin greeted her. “Not to be rude, but we were expecting an orc to meet us.”“All in good time, Mr. Took,” Nierseek explained. “We’re standing in front of our main research facilities. Please, follow me.”They followed her into the building, which felt clinical and sterile, as any scientific facility would be. It took a second for the Hobbits to remember that this was a planet founded by orcs, which made their excursion even more surreal to them.Nierseek led them up several floors, where they stopped in front of what looked like a store room. An Uruk met them, wearing a similar lab outfit to Nierseek. He wore spectacles with brass frames and squinted at them as he looked onto his Padd.“This is Dr. Gorzu,” Nierseek introduced. “He’s currently in charge of the research here.”“Ah, yes,” Gorzu extended his hands to Goramar, who took it, albeit cautiously. “If you don’t mind me asking,” Merry spoke up. “What are we here to see?”Gorzu’s face fell. “You weren’t told?”Merry shook his head. “I’m guessing it’s not a present, judging by your face.”Gorzu sighed. “It’s not. Please come inside.”They followed him into an antechamber which filled with green light, which Gorzu explained was a decon process. When they entered, they found a chamber filled with over a dozen boxes that, to Pippin’s thinking looked like…“Are they coffins?” Pippin asked. He moved toward them to look inside. Each of the containers had a window at face level, and even from his low angle, he could tell that there was someone in each of them. Orcs, seemingly in repose, lay in each of them.“Are these orcs dead?” Goramar asked.“In stasis,” Gorzu clarified. “They’ve never been revived since they arrived.”Merry studied their features. “Are these…no…Are these Saruman’s Uruk-hai?” he asked.“Uruk-hai?!” Pippin repeated. “Wait…why can’t they be woken up?”“Because,” Nierseek spoke up. “They are dying.”“Dying of what?” Goramar asked. he stared at the relaxed face of the Uruk-hai in the coffin-chamber, and he thought he could see the ghost of a white handprint on their face. “A enzyme deficiency, as far as we can tell,” Gorzu explained. “These Uruks have been purposefully made to require an isogenic enzyme compound to function properly.”“And who else but Saruman would have supplied it to them, to ensure their loyalty?” Goramar muttered. “So you cannot replicate this enzyme?” Pippin surmised. “Otherwise, you would have already.”Nierseek shook her head. “No. And further, when the withdrawal symptoms occur, these Uruk-Hai become anxious, and uncontrollably violent toward everything around them, including themselves, before they suffer a complete genetic breakdown. If there’s any of them remaining on Arda, they’d be extremely dangerous.”“But,” Pippin began.“It’s not fair,” Goramar said, quietly. “For them to be made to fight against men, only to die by a flaw from their own creator. This is not control. This is high cruelty.”Merry bowed his head. “And with a built-in self-destruct to top it off.”Gorzu peered over his glasses at the creature in the coffin. “Not even Sauron could be this cruel.”Pippin turned and looked up at the Uruk. “What would you have us do, then?”“We’d have anyone coming into contact with Uruk-hai with withdrawal symptoms take extreme caution,” Nierseek said. “Stun them, and place them into stasis before they succumb.”“However, we know that scenario seems very unlikely,” Gorzu added. “Draenor and Arda don’t currently have any diplomatic relations that would place the Uruk-hai back into our care. They’re all but doomed.” Goramar cleared his throat. “My father,” he said, “Was killed by the Uruk-hai. Killed protecting these two, as a matter of fact.” He gestured to Merry and Pippin. “I don’t have a great love for them in particular, but this,” He moved his hand toward the coffin. “I would not wish this fate on any creature.” He turned to Gorzu and Nierseek. “I will speak to my uncle, the Prince of Ithilien,” he pledged. “It won’t be easy, but I think he will move to try.”“What would you do with them,” Pippin asked, “Were you able to cure them?”“Whatever would happen next with them would not be a simple matter,” Gorzu admitted. “It wasn’t like with myself. I was already broken free of Sauron’s hold when I traveled here, so many years ago. I learned I could read Numenorean, and educated myself. These orcs will have to essentially undergo some kind of deprogramming and reeducation. It’s not going to be easy or fun.”“Poor devils,” Merry sighed. As they were guided back outside, Pippin turned to look up at Gorzu. “You knew.”The Orc’s eyelids fluttered. “I’m sorry?”“You knew it was us, waylaid by the Uruk-hai. You knew how Boromir died. How?”Gorzu glanced back at Nierseek, leaning on her cane at the door. She shrugged. He turned back to the hobbit. “We have our confidential sources. I can’t really say more than that.”“It doesn’t matter,” Goramar said, shaking his head. “Oof,” Merry spoke up. “I do believe it’s time to eat.”“Everyone goes to Giz’s,” Gorzu replied, and took out a device from his pocket. “I’ll call you a ride.” *** The forest air was thick with the smell of the trees and the soil. Clean, but pervasive. A well placed forest trail traveled through the trees, with official-looking signs pointing out the paths. Legolas stood still in the woods on the alien planet. He attempted to do what he and other elves of the Woodland Realm could do in the Greenwood. He was only partially successful. The green of this world only responded with strange, rote symbols within his mind’s eye. “It is my greatest honor to greet you, my Elvish Prince!” A voice called out. Legolas reached behind him to grab—No arrows. No weapons. Captain Reid had forbidden him to be armed on the planet’s surface. Not even a phaser set to stun. He took a second to formulate a proper Elvish curse at Reid, when... An Uruk, wearing garb not unlike his own, walked toward him with a small party of brown-skinned tusked ‘orcs’—those who bore the visage of Go’el. Even his hair was styled in a manner similar to his own.“Milord!” He called out again.“How do you know me, Orc?” He asked.“Only an ignorant glob would not know Legolas Thranduilion,” the Uruk replied, and bowed low. “It is my greatest honor to be your escort.”“So you’ve said. Where are you taking me?” Legolas asked.“Why, to the woodland sanctuary,” the Uruk replied. “Were you not told?” Legolas glared at him. “What do I call you, orc?”He genuflected once more. “I am known as Krimp, the Enchanted, and at your service.”“I am unarmed,” Legolas proclaimed. “I expect you to be the same.”“Just this,” Krimp held out a small, Type-1 phaser which looked too small for his hands. “Just to keep the local fauna at bay, you know.”“Like, for real,” one of the other party members, with the piebald blue complexion, spoke up. “They only go up to setting three. It’s cool.”Legolas turned back to Krimp, who grinned awkwardly. “I’d hoped you’d share some of your stories from home with the younger ones here. They’ve never set foot on Arda.”“I can’t imagine my stories of killing orcs would appeal to them,” Legolas said.“Krimp,” one of the others prompted, “Let’s go.” “Lead the way,” Legolas agreed, and Krimp acquiesced. After about fifteen minutes and a few stretches through sun-dappled fields, Legolas asked Krimp, “Why don’t you burn?” “What now?” Krimp replied, scratching his head. “Burn?”“Yes,” Legolas affirmed. “The sun, it does not burn your skin, blacken it. you walk freely without pain, as if you were walking through the night. How is this?”“Uruks were designed to be more resistant to the sun than one’s average mountain orc,” Krimp explained. “However, more to the point, the rays of Draenor up above are far more benevolent to orc-kind than cruel Anor ever was.” The group moved on. Now, the path led toward a deep, dense part of the woodland, with gnarled, old trees wending up to the top of the canopy. A rudimentary shelter lay ahead, with an opening which was lit, seemingly by firelight. “There you are, Milord,” Krimp said. “I have escorted you to your destination.”Legolas didn’t look back at Krimp as he stepped forward into the Sanctuary. Inside, a red-hot stone dominated the center, and he saw that the stone walls of the small space was covered in decorated skins, in primitive patterns. “You may have a seat,” a deep voice spoke in front of him. The voice belonged to a voluminous man, wrapped in loose, blue-dyed fabric. His head was shaved bald, but his beard reached down to his chest. His ears, like Legolas’s own, was pointed and his eyes were keen but yellow-tinged.“This is a shrine,” Legolas surmised. “What do you worship?”“The Primal Elements,” another voice answered. It was Go’el. He, too was dressed in the garb of a monk, with a string of oversized beads around his neck.“I was once the Orc-Slayer,” the large creature said before him. “Here, I found answers to questions I did not know I had. I found my own peace.”“You have an orc aspect,” Legolas said, peering at him. “And yet...”“It doesn’t matter,” the monk said, shaking his head. “Why have you brought me here?” Legolas asked. “Have you deduced what has happened on this world?” the monk asked Legolas.“The orcs that have settled here seem to have found their own...souls?” Legolas replied, his answer feeling like a question. “And you probably didn’t think we’d come equipped with them,” the Monk remarked. “I would have agreed, a year ago, when I first stepped aboard the Mediterranean,” Legolas agreed. “The stars seemed to have bestowed a particular wisdom.”“Tell me,” the monk pressed.“The humans,” Legolas attempted to explain. “The Terrans...they question everything. They seek to find understanding beyond all common sense. They are ridiculously curious.”The monk laughed heartily. “We have found it to be so, with the children of Earth. Go on.”“They have encouraged me to question everything I think I know, about the worlds without, and the worlds within,” Legolas continued. “When I ask them, ‘Why do you seek to learn about a star that you shall only see in passing?” They answer, ‘Because we’ve never seen this star before, and we want to understand what makes it special.’ ”“That is the quintessence of the explorer,” The monk proclaimed.“So the question you haven’t answered,” Legolas said, “What is the reason for bringing me here?” “The reason is a request,” yet another voice came from the entrance to the Sanctuary. Legolas turned to find another elf at the threshold. She pulled her hood off to reveal a short-cropped head of hair and eyes like his own. “I know you,” He said. “I saw you at Caras Galedhon, in Lothlorien. You are Eltariel.”“In the years since Sauron was unmade, much tumult has occurred,” Eltariel explained. “It’s had a ripple effect throughout the quadrant. We need you to send a message to the remaining members of the White Council, back on Arda.”“Concerning what, exactly?” Legolas asked.“Concerning the final fate of Celebrimbor,” Eltariel replied. “And the remnants of his legacy.” *** Dennis was in somebody’s house. Gark left him there, inside a friendly, welcoming foyer. He wandered around, his hands behind his back, looking out the window, with the hanging garden leading out down the path back into town. With the yellow flowers. “Here.”Fíli handed a book to Dennis. He was escorted along with the orc youngsters to a prefab home along the lake. Dennis looked at the book. It was bound in leather, but looked relatively new.
There and Back Again, By Bilbo Baggins.
“It’s a good enough story,” Fíli told him, “Didn’t care much for the ending, though.”“Doctor?” Dennis replied, though he kept his eyes on the book. “You seem like...like you’ve been here before.”“Oh?” Fíli shrugged. “It’s a nice enough house. Simple. Humble, considering.”“I guess,” Dennis replied. He continued to wander through the foyer into a main hallway, with Fíli close by. The walls were mostly unadorned, with the occasional way sconce lighting the way. He came across a large piece of artwork and turned to Fíli. “What’s this?”“This...is an installation by an artist called Winarin,” Fíli replied. “Late 23rd Century.”Dennis looked at it for a moment, then grimaced. “Guess I’m not much for art.”“Art’s subjective,” Fíli replied. “Where is...ah.”He opened a closed door which led to a wood-paneled study with bookshelves covering half the room. A desk dominated the other half, with books, papers and an old-fashioned adding machine piled upon it. “Um, Doctor? Are you sure you should be in here?” Dennis asked. He huffed and turned himself around. “Why are we even here? Who’s house is this?”“If I’m not mistaken, young man,” Fíli replied, “This home belongs to Big Brother himself.” “I rather wish they didn’t call me that. Mr. Azkh is just fine.” Dennis turned to find a tall, wiry orc at the doorway, a scarlet jacket draped over one arm. A fabric crevat was undone around his neck. He had a shock of brown hair, with a streak of gray through it, piled on top of his head. a spiderweb of wrinkles appeared around his kind, amber eyes as he smiled at the two trespassers. Particularly, at Fíli.“Hello, Doctor,” he said.Fíli simply nodded, his face betraying no emotion. “Azkh.”“And hello, Dennis!” he exclaimed. He moved toward the youngster and took his hand in both of his own. “We are so happy and grateful that you’ve arrived home safely!”“Th-thank you,” Dennis stammered. “We have so much to talk about, you and I, because I want to know all about your time on the Mediterranean,” Azkh said to Dennis. “But there’s someone who wants to meet you, just outside in the garden. And I have to confer with Dr. Fíli, so why don’t you leave us?”Dennis turned to Fíli, uncertainty in his face. Fíli nodded his approval and Dennis turned back to Azkh. “Everything’s okay?”“Now that you’re here, son, everything is perfect,” Azkh assured him. “Now run along.”Dennis wrung his hands as he walked out into the hallway and back to the entrance.Azkh hung the jacket upon a hook by the door and closed the door. He smiled and gestured widely, his hands out. “It’s been a long time,” he said.Fíli wordlessly got up, and moved toward Azkh and wrapped his arms around the orc. He began to laugh, and Azkh followed suit.But Fíli’s laughter began to turn into sobs, as he held onto Azkh for dear life. He sniffled as he buried his face in Azkh’s shirt.“I’m sorry,” Fíli whimpered. “I’m so sorry.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Adam was led up a winding stair by Ratbag. Unlike the rest of the Council building, this had a bygone-era feel to it, as if it was constructed not decades, but centuries ago. Stone stairs spiraled up and up with no end in sight. Adam stopped, exhaled, and put his hands on his knees.“What is this,” he joked, “The Tower of London?”“Just...bear with, Cap’n,” Ratbag said, tersely as they continued to ascend. Finally, they came upon a fortified door. Ratbag began pull out a key to open it when they were both startled by a pounding from the other side.“OI!” Ratbag called out. “Nonna that! It’s me, Rattie!”“Did you bring him?” A voice called back. It was both gravelly and twittery at the same time. A cold feeling set into Adam’s stomach.“Just stand back, and let us in,” Ratbag grumbled, and fished out the key once more to release the padlock.“Ratbag, what have you done?” Adam asked, as the door opened, heavily on its hinges. The room was slightly more modern than the stairwell, but it still striking, with its white walls, with foam pads hanging on them. It looked for all the galaxy like an old mental asylum, to Adam’s thinking. In the center was a single occupant. He wore a loose, white robe about himself, and possibly no more, with bare feet sticking out at the bottom. He crouched, almost defensively, and glared at Adam with bright, crazed eyes. A disheveled, wild beard grew down to his chest, which framed a cockeyed grin.
All in all, the scene looked to Adam a little—“Medieval?” The man finished his thought for him. “It’s par for the course, as I’m a medieval man!” Ratbag turned to Adam and gestured to the human before them. “Captain Reid, this is—““I’m a MEDIEVAL MAN!” He interrupted.“This is—“ Ratbag tried again“MEDIEVAL!”“GAH! Dammit, Medivh,” Ratbag cursed. “That’s enough, Ratbag,” Adam put his hand up and moved toward Medivh. “Captain Adam Reid of the Federation Starship Mediterranean. Are you being held here...?”“Oh, no worries, Captain!” Medivh said, with a strange jocularity. “I am here quite voluntarily, you see.” Adam looked confused. “Then why is he up here in a padded cell?”Rattie was about to answer when the sound of labored breathing emerged behind them.“Because...he has demanded to be placed here in isolation,” a little man replied.Ratbag once again made the introduction. “Dr. Grieco Vagries, Captain.”
“That’s a hobbit name,” Adam noted.“My mother,” Vagries said, simply and continued. “Medivh seems to have suffered a psychotic break when he arrived here, but since orc psychiatry is still a budding science, not much has been done for him other than to keep him comfortable. I’d arrived about six months ago to bolster their doctors’ progress, but treatment’s been a little sporadic, for reasons that will become...”Back in the cell, a blue light seemed to emanate from Medivh. The same light flashed from his eyes as he extended a hand outward toward Adam, causing him to careen back toward the stairwell.“...Clear,” Vagries finished.“Adam!” Ratbag exclaimed. From around the bend, footsteps—Heavier footsteps than what came up originally, returned to the door to the cell. A figure in red and pewter armor, silver wings and a glowing blue face grill arrived.
“Maybe don’t let’s do that again,” Adam warned, as his arm cannon trained on Medivh, its mechanics whining to life.“There he is!” Medivh exclaimed. “Just as you said, Grieco—the Wings! The Seraphim Wings!” And his voice dissolved into nervous giggling.“What was this encounter all about?” Adam demanded. “Who is he?” “You’ve seen the big ol’ arch in the middle of town, right?” Ratbag spoke up.“Right. The arch that looks nothing like anything that came from Arda,” Adam replied. “ ‘Cuz it didn’t,’ Ratbag affirmed. “And this Tark—sorry,” Ratbag amended, holding up a hand. “This guy might have had a hand in creating it.”The helmet of Adam’s armor retracted, revealing a deadpan face. “Really. Because according to my ship’s sensors, the thing’s made of fiber resin and paint.” He turned to Medivh. “Wanna try again?”“That thing,” Medivh scoffed. “That was built in homage to my gate. By your people, hundreds of years ago. But it was enough to bring the orcs from Draenor.”Adam’s armor retracted back into its disc. “Draenor? What are you—this is Draenor...” He turned to Ratbag. “Isn’t it?”Medivh began to giggle again. “Okay, this is...” Adam began to think. “It must be some sort of convergence point? Where other dimensions are bleeding through?” He kneeled down to glare at Medivh. “An artificial Hellmouth?” He looked up to Ratbag. “Is that where all those ‘other’ orcs came from? Go’el?”Medivh simply grinned at him.“You’re not from this universe, are you Medivh,” Adam surmised. “Something tells me the act of coming here taxed you beyond your sanity.”“That’s as good a theory as any,” Vagries jumped in. “Scans reveal healthy brain activity.”“But...why?” Adam asked. Medivh got up and huffed once, twice. “Because they weren’t supposed to come here! They came here because SOMEONE,” He roared, “Had to make a damn WISH!”Adam got up, as Medivh continued to rant. “They were supposed to go to Azeroth, as Gul’dan planned. But it all unraveled. The Uruks. The Fogteeth. The Orsimmer. They all came here. And I couldn’t... couldn’t bring them back. Couldn’t even send them back to Outland. So I’m stuck. Stuck here. Stuck in here,” he added, tapping on his temple. “What do you want me to do?” Adam asked.“Wings,” Medivh said. “Fire. Fist. Leaf. Star.”“I—Rattie, I don’t...” Adam turned to Ratbag, shaking his head.“Show him, Grieco!” Medivh demanded of the half-hobbit.Vagries reluctantly pulled his tunic up off of his back and turned around, revealing a full length tattoo. It, indeed, featured the symbols that Medivh had spouted off.“Wizardry,” Medivh said to Adam. “Is just a word without context. What I’ve done, what your mentor has done, is both, but not the same. And the wizardry you yourself have engaged in.”“I am not—“ Adam began but Medivh cut him off.“Oh? Oh no? The effort to unite you with the Red Armor? With the Silver Star? To put you in front of the Dark Tower to dismantle its deadliest weapon?” Medivh then slid in close to Adam’s ear and hissed, “The thing that happened that you cannot tell anyone because it would make you seem as mad as I?Adam’s eyelids fluttered. This man knew too much to be guessing. Perhaps he was like Gandalf, a rogue Istari, and if he was...No padded cell could contain him anyway.Medivh nodded and grinned. “Dr. Vagries is a Starfleet Reservist. He will be your new Ship’s Counselor.”“I have a...” Adam didn’t say perfectly fine, because Stoor had disturbed him since he stepped foot on the Medi. “I have a Ship’s Counselor.”“His loyalty is to something other than Starfleet values,” Medivh told him. “He is not what he seems, and he’s been at odds with you since the beginning. He’s the answer to your nagging questions.”Adam turned sharply to Medivh. “The Denethor Tower collapse. The mystery ship that burst from Udun. The destruction of the derelict that brought us here in the first place! Are you saying my Counselor orchestrated all of that?”“Two out of three,” Medivh sighed. “Also, you’re going to need Mr. Vagries aboard, since you’ll be escorting me to Arda.”“The hell you say...!” Adam said, his hand moving toward his SilverHawk disk.“Arda is the closest analogue this universe has to Azeroth,” Medivh reasoned. “It might be the only place where my mind can heal itself.” He looked down at his bare feet. “Please. It may be the only way we both get answers.” Adam took a step back, and tapped his badge. “Captain to Commander LeBeau,” he said. Nothing.“Adam to Josh, respond, please?” He tried again.“Cap’n, if the timetable is still on, LeBeau probably doesn’t have his communicator on him.”“And why’s that?” Adam demanded. “Ratbag, you folks are really taxing my patience right now.”“Just...please trust me. He’s in good hands.” *** “At least tell me,” Josh said to Bruz, “That I look pretty.”The Medi first officer was dressed in Olog finery, with a leather harness across his bare chest, and fur trim around his waist. Bracers covered his forearms, and sturdy, metal-tipped boots shod his feet.
And, like Bruz’s mate Az-Harto, a stripe of dark paint crossed his face, contrasting highly against his light blond hair.“Yer’ gorgeous,” Bruz teased. “Damn right,” Josh affirmed. As he nodded, ten Ologs, similarly dressed, appeared into the center of the chamber, a circular space lit in the middle by skylight. One, particularly decorated in ceremonial brass, walked toward Joshua with a carved staff.“Ur-Ranan,” Az-Harto spoke up from the circle. “We have brought the human, Joshua, Son of Belmont, Son of Maurice.“What is it that Joshua needs of us?” Ur-Ranan asked.“Well, I’d kind of like to know—“ Josh began, but he was cut off.“Joshua needs absolution!” Bruz spoke up.Josh turned back to Bruz, who looked out to Ur-Ranan, impassively, then back to the chief.“Absolution implies a crime has been committed!” Ur-Ranan proclaimed. “What are Joshua’s crimes?”Az-Harto stepped forward. “Joshua has waged war against Sauron and Orc-kind!” He bellowed. “A stranger to our long-ago world, he stepped foot on Arda and made his intent clear! He cleaved the depths of Moria and plowed through goblin-folk like as nothing!”“What is this?” Josh demanded of Bruz.Bruz covered his mouth in a ceremonious gesture of two hands crossed. However, behind his hands, he winked once at Josh.“Continue!” Ur-Ranan cried.“At Helm’s Deep, Joshua single-handedly protected the women-folk and children of Rohan against the Uruk-Hai within the Glittering Caves,” Az-Harto continued. “Hundreds of orcs were struck low.”“What power does Joshua Maurice have,” Ur-Ranan asked, “That gave him the strength to vanquish all his enemies?”“He was born with an extra power!” Bruz spoke up. “Which was passed to him from father to son. His grandfather was known as Leap, as he himself was known among the peoples of Middle-earth as the Falling-star!”“And he led a Rohirrim éored at the Pelennor Fields!” Az-Harto spoke further. “More Uruks fell at his feet! And at the Black Gate, he fought against the host of Mordor!”Ur-Ranan looked intently at Josh. “So what is the crime?” He said, after a long pause.Josh stood up straight and walked up to Ur-Ranan. “The crime,” he said to the chief, “Is...is murder.”“You claim to have murdered orc-kind,” Ur-Ranan said, “Even as you waged war against them?”“It’s the same thing,” Josh argued. “I swore an oath to honor all life, and I broke it in the waging of someone else’s war. That, to me, is murder.”“But you yourself was accosted by the forces of Mordor, were you not?” Ur-Ranan countered. “The only correct thing to do would be to fight back. Or are you lamenting your own living by having won?”“I should have—!” Josh said, his chest heaving, emotion creeping in his voice. “I should have tried harder, to help a people that were under as much oppression by Sauron as any of the peoples he attacked. Should have attempted to save you from him instead of slaughtering you like a mindless barbarian!” He stooped down to the ground, wiping at his eyes, smearing the ceremonial paint. “I should have tried to be a better man.” And with that, Joshua wept. The Ologs gathered around Josh looked at one another, looking unsure. This seemed like something they weren’t prepared to confront. Even Az-Harto looked to Bruz for clarity, but his mate only shrugged.“We can only appreciate your deep feelings,” Ur-Ranan said at last. “But the only crime we see is a crime of conscience, which many who have waged war must face within themselves.” He knelt down and placed a gargantuan hand, gently, upon Josh’s shoulder. “It is not within our power to absolve your heart of its burden. That you must do on your own. By your actions going forward. If it is punishment from orc-kind you are after, we also cannot bestow. Many of our number are guilty of your crimes, or worse. They, too must absolve themselves of their perceived crimes. Josh, still sitting on the ground, chuckled ruefully. “Then...what do I do with myself?”“Ha. Live,” Ur-Ranan said, smiling kindly at him. “You regret not being a better man? Then do that. Be the better man going forward. Foster those virtues in others who would be your enemy. Live. Laugh. Love,” he finished, and patted Josh on the shoulder.Josh nodded, sniffling for a moment before jerking his head up to face the chief. “Wait. Isn’t that a motivational poster?”Ur-Ranan looked off, color creeping in his chitinous face. “Per...haps?”Bruz folded his arms and started to chuckle. Az-Harto followed, and soon the chamber was filled with the sound of the giant Ologs laughing heartily, with Josh in the center. “There,” Ur-Ranan said, with a nod. “Good start.”From outside the circle, an Olog wearing contemporary clothes approached. “Um, His badge is going off. I think his captain’s looking for him.”“Ah, merde!” Josh cursed as he scrambled to his feet, exiting the circle past Bruz. *** “I’m so sorry.” Fíli held on to Azkh like a drowning man. “Fee—Fíli, come on,” Azkh attempted to disengage, to get the weeping dwarf sitting down. Finally, he got Fíli back to the chair behind his desk.“What on earth do you have to be sorry for?” he asked. Fíli looked up at Azkh, tears streaming down his face. “I left you behind.”“Left me behind?” Azkh took Fíli’s hands into his own. “I made a promise to you, do you remember?” Fíli said. “That you could have a home with me?”“That’s very sweet, but…” Azkh gestured around them. “You knew this was everything I was working for. What’s the real reason you’re upset?”Fíli pursed his lips, and tried again. “But I did leave you behind, Azkh.”“That’s really not the way it was,” Azkh countered. “You went your way, and I went mine. Do you regret not looking back?” He asked.Fíli grimaced. “Maybe a little.”“Well, I don’t. Look at what you’ve accomplished! You achieved what you set out to achieve. You didn’t just become a doctor, but a successful one! You have surgical techniques named after you!” Azkh said, gesturing with arms wide. “You were head of Starfleet Medical for six years! You coordinated efforts during the Cardassian border wars to minimize casualties across two dozen sectors—“Fíli grabbed Azkh’s hand. “Wait, how do you know about that? We never told the public about that!”Azkh glanced at Fíli with a sly smile. “Maybe I really am Big Brother, sometimes,” he said. “But back to you. All the things you accomplished, and you regret not coming back to little ol’ me?”“That night…seventy years ago…in the hotel room,” Fíli said. “Felt…unfinished. Unresolved. Like we had more to say about our feelings. Don’t you think so?”Azkh considered, and nodded. “We were men without homes. You had left your old home behind to start anew, and I was searching to start a home of my own. We promised to have home be where the other was.” Azkh frowned and looked away. “It seems as if I’ve broken my promise, though, and for that I’m sorry.”“I didn’t exactly pine after you,” Fíli admitted. “I, uh, might have gotten a reputation, as a matter of fact.”Azkh laughed. “Heh! I might have heard a few unsavory rumors about the Libertine of Starfleet Medical. But fair enough. I didn’t pine after you, either.”“Did you get a fella?” Fíli asked. “Or a lady, or…a freeborn chap?”“I got a fella,” Azkh confirmed. “And we’re great-grandparents, now.”“Great-Gr—“ Fíli sputtered. “How many?”Azkh attempted to dodge the question. “Let’s just say a good amount of the colony is related to me, and leave it at that.” He got up off the ground and extended his hand out to the dwarf. “Let’s see how Dennis and his host are doing.”The two ambled out to the garden, and Fíli was struck by how thick the smell of the yellow blooms were. If the Master of Bag End were there, he could tell him of the deep meaning of the flowers hanging from their baskets and overflowing toward the ground. But as it was, it was a frame in which Dennis and a smaller, yet no less imposing Uruk stood, Dennis’s arms wrapped around the other.Fíli would have no way of knowing, but it was the same orc that Samwise and Kíli had met earlier, at The Church.“Once, he was one of the most heartless, most cruel creatures that you would ever meet,” Azkh said. “He was never branded or Dominated, but—“ Azkh stopped, in sudden realization. “Ah, but I can explain later. His group was the hardest to integrate. The Uruks that had come before were...changed, but these were the hard-core orcs. The ones that had their lives completely come down around them when Sauron was destroyed. I call them a case study going forward.”They watched as Dennis and his grandfather, Shagrat, continued to chat out of earshot. “Going forward?” Fíli asked.“I’ll explain what that means when I address your superiors and the Council,” Azkh explained. *** Buffi was led by Varok toward the Council building. Varok, an old soldier, regaled her with stories from what he called the Invasions.“Over the last fifty years, the nebula’s been...shall we say, discovered by other races this side of the quadrant,” he told her. “The Tzenkethi, the Breen, the Ferengi...the Cardassians,” he added, to the chagrin of the Cainian. “And every time, you’ve repelled their incursions?” Buffi asked.Varok nodded. “With varying degrees of success. With the Ferengi, it was as simple as negotiating a trade deal, which we did with our Orsimmer representative. That is, once we established a few ground rules,” he added with a smirk.“And the others?” Buffi prodded.Varok looked down at Buffi. “You’ve seen the ships that orbit our planet, Commander. You know how.”“Your Red Fleet alone?” Buffi said, with a fair amount of skepticism. “No landings? No ground engagements? Varok Saurfang smiled at her. “You seem to have a good understanding of the craft of war, Commander.”“Please, Varok,” Buffi said. “You said you’ve repelled the Cardassians from the nebula. What happened?”Varok was about to say, when he was interrupted. “They’re waiting for you, Saurfang.” It was Garry. “If you’ll excuse me, Ms. K’gar,” Varok said, and walked through the open entrance.Leaving Buffi alone with Garry. “It was during your border wars with Cardassia,” Garry said. “Four cruisers entered the nebula. Captain Krug didn’t want to overplay our hand by deploying the Kroozer, so he sent two cutter ships to deter them. They attacked; we responded.”“And you destroyed them?” Buffi asked.“Not all of them,” Garry replied, coldly. One ship broke through. It made it to Draenor orbit, and sent down troops in Durotar. Two dozen of my fellow Warsong clansmen were slaughtered before reinforcements arrived to finish them off,” he said to her, his lips curled up in a sneer.Buffi squinted up at him. “Your tone seems very pointed right now, Garry.”“It’s Mister Hellscream,” Garry retorted, “And if I seem a little bothered by the murder of my kin, I can’t imagine why. After all, I’m not one to consort with the enemy.”Buffi stiffened. “That’s right,” Garry affirmed. “Almost like a fairy tale, the story of the diplomat’s daughter who fell in love with a young Cardassian officer in the backdrop of war.”“You all have really done your homework,” Buffi said. “But you might have drawn some poor conclusions.”“I know enough,” Garry said, moving toward her. “While we struggled to remain independent and free on Draenor, your superiors worked to kill orc-kind on their homeworld, and you gave comfort to the enemy like a common—“Before he could finish his unfortunate sentence, he found himself with a blade to his neck.
“There is nothing common about me, Garry,” Buffi growled.Garry smiled.“Clearly not,” he said. “And if you knew a tenth of what you should know what you’re talking about,” Buffi continued, her eyes flashing green, her blades ever over his throat, “You should know what happened to him, at the end.”“So it’s true,” Garry rumbled. “You are a student of the Kar-tagh-kai.” He took a hand and forced Buffi’s blades away. “I would like nothing better than to test your mettle.”Buffi cocked her head toward him. “All you have to do is ask,” she told him. “You didn’t have to try to piss me off.”“HEY!” Buffi’s whiskers perked up when he heard the sound of sneakers slapping against the pavement as a blur collided into Garry, knocking him down. Breathing heavily, chest heaving, a slightly sweaty Dennis glared down at Garry, his hands balled into fists.“You LEAVE HER ALONE!” he bellowed. Garry shook his head, and got up on his elbows, looking up at the youth. “I am impressed,” he said, eyeing Dennis with a look that wasn’t quite admiration, but fascination. “Not even a Monthling, and able to take me unawares.” He turned back to Buffi. “I was sure we’d have to subject him to reeducation once I heard you were his Guide.”“You sure have a lot of opinions about me,” Buffi said, keeping one eye on the still-upset Dennis. “Maybe you should keep a more open mind. Dennis, please?”Dennis rolled his eyes and stuck his hand out toward Garry. “Fine.”Garry swatted his arm aside and stood up without assistance. “I am a patriot of Draenor, Commander,” he said to Buffi. “Like my father before me. I don’t like what you represent to my home.”Before Buffi could counter, a sharp voice called in the direction that Dennis ran from.“Garrosh… Dorghu… Hellscream!”All three turned to see Azkh and Fíli stride toward them. Garry for his part looked slightly shamefaced, as if he’d been called to the carpet. Buffi had a similar look when she saw the annoyed expression on the Dwarf’s face. “You were tasked with assembling the Council,” Azkh said to Garry. “Not sparring with our guests. That you can do on your own time.”“Seconded, Commander,” Fíli admonished Buffi. While the two of them held the same rank, he still technically held seniority. “And Dennis, I know you know better.”Dennis’s head retracted into his shoulders. “Sorry, Doctor.” “Did we miss something?” Adam emerged from the council building, with Ratbag surging ahead of him.“Captain Reid. At last.” Azkh moved past the group toward Adam and took his hand. “I’m Azkh, the Council Leader of Draenor. I’m so sorry to make you wait, but…”Adam looked past Azkh to see Fíli, and got a sense of the doctor’s feelings of simultaneous regret and affection. “No, of course. There’s a lot of meetings and reunions going on; I had my own…interesting encounter with your gentleman at the top of the tower.”Azkh turned to Ratbag. “Medivh?”“Yah.” Ratbag moved next to Azkh, leaned in close to him and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Mmmm-wah! Missed ya.”Adam for his part looked amused. Buffi looked on with amazement and Fíli looked absolutely gobsmacked. “I’m glad, at least, that you all have gotten on well with my husband,” Azkh said. “Rattie, didn’t you tell them?”Ratbag shrugged, pure mischief on his face. “Never came up.”Azkh scoffed, and shook his head. “ ‘Never came up’. Right.” He turned back to Adam, and looked slightly taken aback. “I’m sorry, but you look so much like Varria.”The captain’s cheeks turned pink. “That’s what my father tells me. I still can’t believe I’d never been told about her involvement on Draenor.”“That might not have been an accident,” Azkh replied, and turned to Garry. “Garrosh, are we all gathered?” Garry nodded. “You’re the last one…as usual.”Azkh sighed. “That’ll be all, Garrosh. Maybe you and Ms. K’gar can work out your differences in a more productive manner, hmm?”Adam turned to Buffi, looking annoyed. “Go easy on him, Buffi. No loss of life or limb, please?” “Yes, sir,” Both Buffi and Garry said. Neither of them looked particularly pleased. *** Azkh led Adam down a wide hallway to the main Council Chamber, where he was met by a group of sixteen in a semicircular arrangement of tables. Among the Council members were Az-Harto, dressed in contemporary wear, with Joshua and Ur-Ranan seated next to him.Varok was seated toward the center, with four other tusked orcs flanking him. Two of them had a green complexion like Go’el, who stood at the entrance of the chamber. Four members were of the piebald-blue variety, with leather jackets and silver chains around their necks. A sole Orsimmer, with green skin and slim build, stood between the Ologs and Varok’s group. And finally, were four Uruks dotted among them all.“As usual, thank you for waiting for me,” Azkh addressed them. “You’re already acquainted with Commander LeBeau, I see, and I’d like you all to meet Captain Adam Reid III of the Starship Mediterranean.” The Council mumbled their greetings.“Captain Gark has submitted his report,” Azkh told them, “And Captain Reid has corroborated it, in conjunction with Captain Picard from the USS Enterprise.”“Five dead, and the loss of the Ship,” One of the Uruks spoke up. “This is hardly the way we wanted to gain the attention of the Federation.”“I realize that, Dozur, but regardless, here we are,” Azkh replied. “Captain, would you like to speak?”Adam nodded toward Azkh and cleared his throat. “I’ve been authorized by Admiral Feldman of Starfleet Command to offer this Council the opportunity to enter into negotiations regarding normalizing relations with the United Federation of Planets. This colony was established seventy years ago with the help of the Federation Colonization Corps, and this gives you leverage in petitioning for membership, if you should choose. I’d like to emphasize that the Federation will respect your decision to remain independent, if this council chooses as well.”“Captain,” another Uruk spoke up. “Isn’t it true that Arda is a new member of the Federation?”“Arda enjoys protectorate status at this time,” Adam replied. “And it was granted that status due to rather…unique circumstances.”“Would relations with the Federation preclude opportunities of trade with individual member planets?” the Orsimmer member asked.“Would individuals be able to enlist into Starfleet?” a piebald orc next to Varok spoke up.“Would membership include Starfleet protection from outside hostilities, like from the Cardassians?” another asked.“Please, Council Members,” Azkh spoke over them, his hands raised. “Allow him to finish.”“Thank you, Mr. Azkh,” Adam said, graciously. “These issues would all be addressed with a Federation arbitration mission to Draenor.”“Can we address the issue of repatriation of those of us remaining on Arda?” Az-Harto asked. “Would we have to negotiate directly with their government, due to their protectorate status?”“That’s…a good question,” Adam agreed. “And one that I am willing to address with the Governor of Arda directly.“Speaking of Arda,” Dozur said, “Can we broach the subject of reparations? We have engaged members of your crew in good faith, to build bridges toward forgiveness and mutual understanding. We’re willing to expand that effort toward Middle-earth in general…in exchange for certain conditions.”“We would prefer they not hunt and exterminate our kind, obviously,” Az-Harto added.“I can give you assurances that any orcs on Arda are now subject to protection under Federation sentient rights guarantees,” Adam said.The Council murmured among themselves, and Azkh brought attention back to himself.“Thank you, Captain,” he said, and addressed the Council once more. “The Council will convene to deliberate over these initiatives in the next thirty days. The issue of relations with Arda will be more immediate and we will hold a closed session regarding that first thing tomorrow. Now I’d like you all to meet our newest citizen.” He beckoned toward the door, and Dennis gingerly approached Adam and Azkh, who put a reassuring hand on his back and addressed the Council. “This is Dennis Grobagh. He was hatched from The Ship, and he was Guided by Lt. Commander Buffi K’gar—Rott Ag’ta’s granddaughter.”Murmuring amongst the Council began anew, and Varok smiled and nodded in approval.“H-Hi,” Dennis said, waving a hand. “I’m happy to be here, and grateful to be home. Um…?”Azkh whispered up at his ear. Dennis looked down at him and nodded.“Buffi taught me that my life is about my choices. Having spent my first week of life on the Mediterranean, I learned about Starfleet and their mission. It’s…It’s a mission that I’d like to share in.”Murmuring among the council resumed, and one of the elder piebald orcs spoke up.“This would make you the first orc in Starfleet, Dennis. Are you prepared to be the first of your kind, far from home, representing your people? Are you prepared to educate them about us, and to defend against their ignorance?” Dennis stood up a little straighter and responded. “As I’ve learned about all of you, I would be proud to let everyone know what I’ve been taught. We are…a good people, and deserve to take our place in…in the stars.”The orc grinned, and elbowed the younger Council member next to him. “Told you.”“Yes, Uncle Mikey,” the younger one replied, rolling his eyes.“From tragedy, some hope emerges,” Varok spoke. “Captain, we who arrived through the Dark Portal have long hoped for reconciliation for our brethren from Arda. In their healing, so are we all. Thank you for your help.”“Of course, Mr. Saurfang,” Adam replied with a nod. “If we can set up a timetable, we can provide for...” ***
Dr. Fíli and Ratbag found themselves in the hallway, on opposite sides of the Council Chamber door.Standing, in complete awkward silence, for what seemed to be an inexorable amount of time. Fíli stole a glance at the orc as he stood still, facing out toward the exit doors, his arms crossed. While he couldn’t ascertain his age, his hair was the color of steel. His chin was adorned with a chinstrap of a beard, and his face was adorned with both piercings and scars, particularly over his left eye. Like Azkh, his build was not so bulky, though he’d accumulated a slight spare tire around his middle. As his slightly luminescent eyes turned toward him, he quickly looked away. Ratbag gave him the once-over. The Dwarf still had a youthful twinkle in his eye, despite his maturity. His beard was fully grown, unlike either the Hunter or the Chronicler, who preferred their chins bare for some reason. Grown enough for a braid down his chin and along his mustache. Two plaits of braids also ran along the side of his head, which accentuated his leonine coif.The look screamed nobility, as far as Ratbag understood. Not like his more austere brother, who kept his hair in a sensible bun. More was the pity, he could understand the appeal of the prince in exile. He—“By Mahal, I’m hungry,” Fíli said, at last. “If you don’t mind, can we catch a bite or something?” He looked at his feet for a moment, then back at Ratbag. “Unless you wanted—““Gyah, no,” Ratbag exclaimed. “Standin’ around waiting for them to let out is the worst. Okay. Ratbag’ll take ya to Giz’s. Everybody goes there.”Ratbag pushed off the doorway just as it began to open, revealing a beatific Dennis, who opened his arms wide and threw his head up and whooped.“I’m going to be in Starfleet!” He cried up to the heavens. Fíli grinned and clapped the youngster on the back. “Good lad! This calls for a celebration.” He turned to Ratbag. “Lead the way.” *** Buffi reluctantly accepted Garry’s invitation to join him in a place he referred to as the Hearthstone. Inside, several orcs of all kinds engaged in sparring matches on mats.“It’s like a...a...oh, what did he call it...a dojo,” Buffi said, mostly to herself.“Yes, that’s basically what it is,” Garry agreed. “For the pursuit of martial knowledge, strength of mind and body.”Buffi looked at him. “Do you run this place?” She askedGarry turned and shook his head. “No.” Buffi heard it before she saw it. An object flew through the air toward her, and she raised a hand to catch it. It was a weapon. One that she’d hadn’t wielded in almost two years. A red-bladed axe with a wooden handle, sharpened to a point at the end. She looked up to find an Uruk woman before her, in loose, comfortable clothing and a long leather coat. A shock of blond hair was styled high on her head. She grinned at her. “We meet again...Poison.”
Buffi relaxed as she realized who was before her. She walked up to the Uruk and handed the Scythe back to her. “Thanks to you, I’ll never be Poison again. I should have realized sooner that you were an Uruk once all this started.” With that, she moved to embrace her. “Akoth! How have you been?” She exclaimed, as Akoth lifted her up in a bear hug.“Believe it or not, I just got in, a week or so ago,” Akoth said. “When you’re in my line of work, it takes a while to get home.”Garry frowned. “Do you mean to tell me you know Akoth, Slayer of the Dead?” He demanded.Buffi attempted to catch her breath. “Yes...for a few months, I took over her job!”“Long story, Garrosh,” Akoth added. She turned to Buffi. “You’ll have to forgive him, Buffi. You can understand what losing someone you care for can do to you.”Buffi nodded, and turned to Akoth, and was about to agree, when she saw the painting on the wall behind her.Of a very familiar-looking figure.A green, wide face, with blue eyes, partially obscured by an orange mask.
“Who…is that?” She asked, her voice rising in volume.“That,” Garry replied, “Is the founder of this…dojo, as you call it.” “Raphael,” Buffi said, barely above a whisper.Akoth frowned, with a look of confusion on her face. “No, Buffi. You’re mistaken.”“Who’s Raphael?” Garry asked. “That’s Other Mikey.”Buffi’s eyes flew open, and wheeled toward Akoth. “This is important, Akoth: Where is he? Is he still—?”“Buffi, no,” Akoth put her hands up, attempting to calm the Cainian. “Other Mikey got sent back to his long sleep…decades ago.”Buffi closed her eyes, and clenched her fists at her sides. She inhaled and slowly exhaled. “Gandalf,” she said in a low growl. “Let me guess, he came and put him back to sleep, saying, ‘It is not yet—““Not yet his time’,” Akoth finished. “I’m sorry, my friend.”“Just when I think I can forgive him, that what he did wasn’t personal, it keeps coming back, again, and again,” Buffi said, tears soaking into the short-haired fur on her face. “How can I ever move on?”Garry looked unsure as he moved to put his hand on her shoulder. “I lost my own father to the Cardassians, K’gar,” he told Buffi. “They gunned him down without even knowing his name. No one on Cardassia will even take pride in the killing of Grommash Hellscream.” He managed a weak smile. “I know how hard it can be to move on.”
“Okay!” Akoth exclaimed. “That’s enough hugging and sappiness—especially from you, Garry!” Garry turned to her and glared. “You brought Buffi here for a reason, and I think she shouldn’t leave here empty-handed.”Buffi looked up at Akoth, an eyebrow raised. “What did you have in mind?” * She opened the locker in a back office of the Hearthstone. Inside were mounted weapons which originated from all over the Alpha Quadrant. But only two caught Buffi’s attention. “Rott Ag’ta, your grandfather,” Akoth explained, “Was an early ally of the Twenty-five, as we were originally called. He was the captain of the original USS Hanson, and he escorted our ship here.”“Grumpi,” Buffi said, softly.“He opened his house to us, and for that, he and his will always have a place with us on Draenor. That includes you, Buffi. You and I will always be connected because of our shared experience, so I think you should have these.”“The Twin Blades of Ag’ta,” Buffi said reverentially to the saber blades before her. The guards around one side of the grips were serrated, like razor wire. “The Justice Keepers.”“They’re your birthright, Buffi,” Akoth affirmed. “And they’re yours.” She took them, one in each hand, and felt their weight. “They just feel right,” she remarked as she moved them through the air. “Like they’re just—““—Yours?” Akoth suggested. “Like the Scythe felt to you?” Buffi countered. Akoth nodded. “Yes. Now you understand.”Buffi grinned. “Now all I need to do is to get a feel for them, and work the bugs out. Hey, Big Guy,” she called to Garrosh, who’d maintained a respectful distance the entire time. He perked up.“Wanna help me out?”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Everybody went to Giz’s.
It had been decades since she had worked out of her mobile kitchen, moving from one section of Refuge to another.But now it was a spacious cafeteria in the center of town, and the crowd looked like no one was there as their second choice. And as they came in, the crew of the Medi gathered together to eat and to let what they’d experienced sink in.Pippin and Merry outpaced Goramar in their appetites as a matter of course. The two found the menu to be rather diverse, with dishes from all over the Alpha Quadrant, and, interestingly, several choice Klingon dishes as well. “Just…perfect!” Pippin exclaimed with a mouth full of food. “Oh, look!” Merry said, pointing over Pippin’s shoulder toward the door.Samwise, Kíli, and Torvin sauntered over to their table, and quickly added an empty table to theirs. Introductions were made in short order, with Torvin bowing before the hobbits and especially Goramar, who waved him off. “I don’t use my title out here,” he explained. “I’m performing my errantries through Starfleet.”“Lots of that goin’ ‘round,” Torvin remarked, eyeing Kíli. “Must be a Federation thing.”“It’s a Starfleet thing,” Kíli countered. “Rank is earned, not inherited. And thank Mahal.”“No, I get it,” Torvin said. “Most of the hierarchy on Draenor’s based around families or clans or tribes, but when it comes to running the place, the Council’s all about equal footing.” He craned his neck toward the door. “He was supposed to meet us here, but I can’t see him anywhere…”“Who?” Pippin asked. “Another Dwarf who got brought here from…somewhere else,” Torvin explained. “He’s…well…”Kíli smiled and rolled his eyes. Another one who’d get on with Fee a little too well, he thought. “So what was it they had for you?” Merry asked Samwise. “You wouldn’t believe what they have in their medical lab…”“What?” Sam asked. Kíli also turned toward the conversation.“They have all these Uruk-hai in these stasis chambers,” Pippin spoke up. “They can’t revive them; they’d die without this enzyme. Saruman did them especially dirty, seems like.”“No!” Kíli exclaimed. “That’s diabolical!”“Told the doctors there I’d speak to Uncle about putting any surviving Uruk-hai in stasis,” Goramar said, looking down into his empty plate. “But I don’t see any hope.”“And no cure?” Samwise asked. “Just stuck…forever?”Torvin shook his head. “Hate to say it, but maybe death is better.”“Well, here’s my part of it,” Samwise spoke up. “The orcs they brought here after Sauron was finished…they’re being re-conditioned for civilian life. I just spoke and had a one-on-one with Shagrat, of all things!”“Whaaaat?” Merry gasped.“No way!” Pippin chimed in.“He’s a janitor here,” Samwise said. “Honest work, but when you remember what he was up to in Mordor…”“But that’s almost all the Uruks here,” Torvin reminded them. “With the exception of the Council Leader. He was raised off-world.”“I knew it!” Kíli exclaimed. “I knew it was him! Excellent!”“I take it you’ve met Mr. Azkh,” Torvin said.“Mr. Kíli?” Pippin perked up. “Wasn’t he the fellow you and Dr. Fíli met in the Neutral Zone? From that story?”Kíli nodded.“Well, that sounds like it was quite a story,” Torvin remarked. “And if that doesn’t…”Torvin didn’t get to finish. “Did someone say ‘story’?” a new voice spoke out at the entrance. All the orcs in the dining room turned and cried out. “VARRIC!” Torvin covered his face. Kíli turned and beheld the man strutting into the cafeteria. He took off his overcoat, revealing a broad, hairy chest which was barely encumbered by a shirt that plunged to his navel, though very well-made. His leather boots seemed not-quite familiar to him, as if they were exclusive to Draenor.But most notably, Kíli saw, was that Varric was as clean-shaven as a hobbit.“Hunter!” Varric cried out as he sauntered over to the group. He clapped a hand on Torvin’s shoulder, and looked at the table. “Look at all of you!”Kíli got up and bowed low toward Varric. “Commander Kíli, at your service.”Varric stuck a hand at Kíli, who took it, eyeing him curiously. “Varric Tethras. Nice to meet you, Commander.”Kíli squinted. Varric showed no hint of knowing the proper Dwarvish reply. “Where…are you from, Master Dwarf?” he asked.“I got yanked through that Portal in the center of town, about ten years ago,” Varric explained. “How did you…?” He turned to Torvin who glowered at him. “Ah, I was supposed to say the other half of that greeting, wasn’t I? We don’t have that where I’m from.”Kíli smiled faintly, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Clearly.”“When I arrived, I was greeted warmly enough, though the Orcs here didn’t quite trust my intentions. They fetched the Hunter here from the wilderness to help me…acclimate,” Varric explained. “We get on well enough, though we’re oil and water for most occasions.”“What do you do, Mr. Varric?” Merry spoke up. “You have the trappings of a merchant, seems like.”“The mercantile arts were my family’s trade, it’s true,” Varric said. “Didn’t catch your name, sir.”“Lt. Meriadoc Brandybuck,” Merry said, and had his hand shook from across the table. “Ship’s security.”“Ah, yes, you all serve on the Federation ship,” Varric realized. “Excellent. We don’t get many Federation ships through the Nebula. It takes quite a bit of trust to accumulate with the Council to allow entry, as you’ve no doubt realized.”“So other Federation ships have traveled to Draenor?” Kíli asked. “Not Starfleet, obviously, but there’s this one freighter, the Xhosa, that has gotten permission to cut through the Rolor Nebula to shave some time off her runs. Captained by a lovely young woman, a Kasidy Yates…but that’s a story for another time.”“That’s actually quite useful to know,” Kíli said. “I’ll be able to report that to my captain; thank you.”Varric was offered a chair, and he sat between Merry and Torvin. “Did you know that his brother is a doctor?” Torvin asked Varric.“Is he really?” Varric replied. “He’s the ship’s doctor,” Torvin affirmed, “But he used to head up Starfleet’s entire Medical division.”“That is extraordinary!” Varric replied. “So, no humors or bloodletting, I take it?”“No, nothing like that,” Kíli replied. “Although my kinsman Oin was known to tap a vein or two...”“Perhaps things will improve once modern education pervades the mountains,” Torvin suggested.“Shall we meet this vaunted physician?” Varric asked. Torvin turned to Kíli, expectantly. “By Mahal, I hope so,” he said. By then, the mistress of the cafeteria, Gizhnoz herself, swept into the hall, to raucous applause. She wore a bawdy, low-cut dress with a skirt down to her booted feet, and braided hair piled high upon her head. “Well bless my boots!” She exclaimed as she came across the Mediterranean party. “Never thought I’d ever set eyes on a Man of Gondor, much less Halflings! Welcome, Welcome, Welcome to Giz’s!”Another roar from the crowd.“Madam,” Goramar addressed Giz. “Much thanks, but how did you know I was...?”“Oh, there’s a slight difference from Terran humans,” Giz sniffed. “A bit deeper indentation under your nose than them. It’s not like Bajoran noses, but subtle enough.”“All the same, compliments to the cooks!” Pippin proclaimed. “Anyone who can make a hobbit full, deserves all the accolades!”“And who am I do argue with a Halfling who can hold his own gagh?” Giz said, throwing her head back in laughter. “More on the way, lads?”“I think so,” Kíli said. The door opened once more. “RATTIE!” “Well, now it’s a party,” Giz said, chuckling as she turned around, her dress twirling around her. “Back to the kitchen with me. Enjoy yourselves, boys!”“Ugh,” Torvin grunted pushing away a bit from the table. “Getting too hot for this straitjacket.” And with that, he pulled his T-shirt off, revealing a torso lined with Khazad tattooing and a leather harness with a hexagonal ring over the center of his chest. “I only wear this when I have to go to The Church anyways,” he said, and balled the shirt up. Ratbag grinned as he insinuated himself with the hobbits. “An’ have we left anything in the kitchen for Ratbag?” He joked. “Not for lack of trying,” Merry quipped.“Still waiting for my plate,” Samwise grumped. Goramar slid his leftovers to him. “Go ahead,” he said. “They passed me up two courses ago.”“And who do we have here?” Torvin turned to see who was talking, and found his face touching a full, though well-conditioned beard.“Oh!” he laughed good-naturedly as he scooted his chair back.“Torvin, Varric, this is my brother, Dr. Fíli,” Kíli said. The first thing Torvin noticed were the braids. Two pairs of full braids on either side of the dwarf’s blond head, and a leonine mane which was plaited down his back as well. By Mahal, even his mustache was braided. He managed a weak chuckle. “At your service,” Fíli said, and bowed, the beads capping his braids swinging slightly.Torvin, unlike Varric, reciprocated, and lowered his own head, though he was seated. “Torvin, at your service, and your venerable family’s,” he replied, solemnly.Varric stuck his hand out toward Fíli. “Varric Tethras,” he introduced himself. “How’s it going?”Fíli, like Kíli, eyed him, but placed a finger by his own eye. “Round pupils,” he noted. “Not Khazad?”Varric shook his head no, smiling all the while.“Well met, all the same,” Fíli said, turning back to Torvin. “You’re a hunter, aren’t you,” he said. “These leathers are Blue Mountain-make, I’d wager.” As the two of them discussed Torvin’s outfit, an Uruk child scurried up to Ratbag.He beamed as he picked the child up and placed them on his lap. “Well, now!” He exclaimed. “Who’s this then?”The child, who wore a romper, and had long ears which stuck out on both sides, replied, “I’m Nuggit!”“Ohhh, I know who your parents are!” Ratbag said, and looked about. “You were spawned by Junky and Scamp, wern’cha?”Nuggit nodded. “You’re my great gammpa!”“Ah-yup!” Ratbag said, and turned to the hobbits. “Scamp’s my grandson, see, and Junky’s one of the Misty Mountain Gobbos we took in not too long ago.” He turned back to Nuggit. “How old are ya, kiddo?”Nuggit held up 4 fingers.“Four days!” Ratbag exclaimed. “But you’re so little!”Nuggit didn’t reply, and snuggled into Ratbag’s arms.“Aw, well, it’s all right to be little still!” Ratbag said, patting Nuggit’s back. “All the big ones stomping around, and you get to fit in just about anywhere.” He smiled down at the child. “Don’t you worry about it. “Big, small, you got folks who loves ya no matter what. Okay?”“‘Kay.”Nuggit slid off Ratbag’s lap and scurried toward an Uruk fast approaching the table. He shared much of Ratbag’s lean features, though he was considerably paler, with amber eyes. His hair was cut into a Mohawk, and hung down on one side.“Welcome home,” Scamp said to Ratbag, as Nuggit clung to him. “Come meet the other hatchlings!”Ratbag got up. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said to the hobbits, who nodded their approval as he left with his kin.“Big families,” Pippin noted. “Downright hobbit-like.”“So... you’re a doctor?” Torvin said to Fíli, who insinuated himself between him and Varric. “Aye,” Fíli said, as a serving-orc placed his order before him at the table. It was a big shank of...some kind of cured meat, but studded with fruit and glaze, it looked appetizing all the same. “The woods they smoke the beast with is exceptional!” Varric exclaimed. “Fit for a prince!”“I’ll be the judge of that,” Fíli murmured as he cut off a slice and placed it in his mouth. He grunted his approval. “Oh, that is good!” He said, his mouth still full.“It’s just that...” Torvin continued, “The last expedition I was on, I wrenched my shoulder...right here?” Torvin shrugged his shoulder, which was decorated with a tattoo pattern common to the Blue Mountains, Fíli noted. “And I can’t seem to get the range of motion back...”Fíli peered at his shoulder. “Common enough injury to the rotator cuff,” he said, placing a hand on Torvin’s bare shoulder. “If you’d like, we can beam you up to the Medi and one of my assistants can take care of it for you.”“Assistants?” Torvin wrinkled his nose. “You won’t fix it yourself?”“Oh, no, no,” Fíli replied. “Wouldn’t be ethical for me to do it. You see, I’m about to ask you out for drinks tonight.”Varric’s grin began to grow wider and wider. He shared a look with Kíli, who shrugged. “Oh. Oh!” Torvin looked suddenly flustered. “You want to have...drinks...with me?”“Unless you’re not interested,” Fíli countered. “It’d be a shame, though.”“Torv,” Varric leaned in. “You really should avail yourself of an opportunity in front of you.”Fíli cocked an eyebrow as he turned to the other dwarf. “You’re invited as well, my fine-furred friend,” and as he said so, he ran his finger down the edge of Varric’s open shirt. “We could all discuss...comparative anatomy?”Varric smiled graciously. “Not that I don’t appreciate the offer, Doctor” he replied, “But that could lead to...awkwardness. And I don’t do awkward. Besides,” he added. “My good friend Torv can use the diversion far more than I. Well, Torv?”“This feels like a set up,” Torvin said, with a short laugh, “But it...has been a while. Drinks, then. And after?”Fíli simply smiled at him, raising his eyebrows up and down. The next couple to walk through the door were more subdued. Dennis and Shagrat were continuing to chat, with the younger orc gesticulating widely, describing his experiences on the Medi. Shagrat punctuated his diatribe with the occasional, “Oh?” And “That’s somethin’!”“Dennis!” Pippin called out. “Oi!”Dennis’ face lit up as he grabbed Shagrat’s arm and practically dragged his grandfather to the table. As soon as he saw the array of hobbits, dwarves and one Man of Gondor, Shagrat began to buck Dennis’ grip.“That’s...that’s awright...dammit, kid!” He exclaimed.Dennis stopped. “What?”Shagrat stepped away. “I cant, kid. I just...” and began to shuffle to another table to be served.“Was it something I did wrong?” Dennis asked aloud.“Go easy on him, Dennis,” Samwise suggested, not unkindly. “It’s been a lot for one day for us old folks.”“Yeah, I guess...I guess I didn’t think,” Dennis sighed, and walked back to Shagrat’s table. Sam could see the younger orc put a hand on Shagrat’s shoulder, and he patted Dennis’s arm in return. Dennis sat down with Shagrat and soon a server came to take their order.A pall of silence hung over the table for what seemed like a long time. Then the doors opened one more time. “By the Three Crosses, that was fun!” A mightily disheveled Buffi stumbled through the doors, still wearing her Action Suit. Garry, bare-chested save for the bracers holding his trousers up, his feet bare, laughed behind her.“There they are! “Guys!” Buffi called. “Buffi Mar’i K’gar,” Fíli scolded her. “What the hell—?”She held up one of the Justice Keeper blades. “The Twin Blades have been returned to their rightful heir!” She proclaimed. “And Garry—““GARROSH!” Hellscream admonished.“—Helped me work out the kinks,” Buffi finished. As Buffi leaned in, Kíli breathed in and choked. “Have you tossed a few back already?” He accused.She brought her thumb and forefinger together. “We had a few shots of grog back at the Hearthstone,” Buffi admitted. “I know, I know, synthehol’s made a lightweight outta me, but I figured once I ate, It’d settle. So where’s the grub?”“This must be the incomparable Buffi K’gar,” Varric spoke up. He moved to take her hand. “The stories that have been told about your bloodline on Cain are truly legendary.” And with that, he placed a kiss on her knuckles.Buffi glanced at Fíli, then Kíli, who shrugged. “Is he for real?” She looked down at Varric who flashed her a devilish smile. “I like you. If I wasn’t lit like a Christmas tree, I’d let you buy me drinks!”
Garrosh hung back by the entrance. As he did, Akoth walked up to him. “You’ve seen what she can do,” she said to him. “Are you sure you want to make an enemy of her?”Garrosh reflexively stretched his now-sore shoulder, a result of his sparring match with he Cainian. “No. I am not,” he replied. “And if not for fate, I would call her a friend. But our paths might not let us have it any other way.” “What.” Garrosh and Akoth turned around to find Legolas standing at the doorway, looking at the cafeteria filled with dining orcs, and the Arda party in the center. He beheld them, eating, laughing, enjoying each other’s company, different kinds of orcs together under one roof, and the two of them looked expectantly at what Legolas would say next. “Nope.” And with that, he turned on his heel and left. Fíli looked back over his shoulder. “Was that the elf?” He asked absently. “I wonder what they could have done for him.”“Beyond my pay grade,” Torvin said, and continued to shovel his meal into his mouth. “So what does an exiled prince like to drink?”“I like me a pale ale, myself,” Fíli replied, and added, with a wink, “But we can see where the night takes us.” “So, uh,” Buffi said to Varric, “Only two dwarves on the planet. Did the two of you ever, uh...?”“I’ll forgive the question, since you’re delightfully inebriated,” Varric replied, his confident smile never leaving his face. “But I’m afraid I don’t know you well enough to answer.”She sighed and patted his shoulder. “Fair enough. You’d make a cute couple, though.” And with that, strolled over to where Ratbag was holding court with Scamp, Nuggit, and even more of his progeny. “Say,” Merry said, straightening up suddenly. Pippin took notice and leaned in, so he could hear his friend over the din. “Wasn’t Lorne supposed to be coming down as well? “Where is he?” *** “Where am I?” Behind him, a stage was set up. Benches were arrayed in front of the stage in the middle of a sunny field. All around him, orcs were strolling around, seemingly waiting for a performance to begin. “Some kind of...orc Woodstock?” Lorne mused. He could see another stage in the distance as well. “Sound check, sound check!” A voice called out over the speakers, the feedback of a microphone squealing. On the stage, an Uruk sat upon a stool in front of a microphone stand. He wore dark clothes and a pair of brass spectacles perched on the bridge of his nose.“Are the levels okay?” The Uruk asked someone off-stage.“We’ll give it another run, Zaga,” they called back.“Zaga,” Lorne muttered to himself. “Mister Lorne?” A voice beckoned to his right. He turned to see another Uruk looking at him. He wore a pink T-shirt, with a design that looked terribly local to Lorne.“N-yees?” He said, grinning.“Glad you agreed to come,” the orc said, taking Lorne’s hand, and shaking it vigorously. “What do you think?”“I think it looks like a music festival,” Lorne replied. “A regular Orc-apalooza.”Behind them, the band started to play loosely, testing the levels of the audio equipment. The drummer banged his beats out, while what sounded like a sax player began to riff a jazz melody.“Is this why you wanted me here?” Lorne asked. “This is our first unified music gathering—I’m Kaszh, by the way,” the Uruk said, hunching his shoulders. “They say your ability can set a person on their path. I’m wondering if we can test it on an entire planet.”With the band warmed up, Zaga, on his stool, in front of his microphone, began to sing.
We couldn’t say them
Now we just pray them
Words we couldn’t say....
Funny, ain’t it
Games people play
Scratch it, paint it,
One in the same
We couldn’t find them
We tried to hide them
Words that we couldn’t say
It hurts, don’t it,
Fools on parade
Taint it, own it
Chase it away
We couldn’t make them
We had to break them
Words we couldn’t say...*
“You realize I’d have to listen to every single one of your artists to piece together something—anything coherent,” Lorne protested. “By the way, he’s never stopped loving you from the moment you two kissed in Azkh’s spare bedroom.”Kaszh smiled wistfully up at the stage, as Zaga continued to sing. “I know.”“So is that the plan—Have me attend, judge a music festival while everyone else on the Medi waits on my green ass?” Lorne joked. “We’ve got seats for anyone who wants to attend,” Kaszh replied, his chest puffed out a bit. “This is something we deserve to be proud of.”Lorne nodded. “I’m getting that. Loud and clear.” Outside the Council Chamber, Adam was escorted out by Azkh, who had a serene smile on his face. Things had went well in the Council meeting.“So judging by the reception, should I report to Admiral Feldman a success?” Adam asked him.“A qualified one,” Azkh replied. “I think we have a long way to go before you gain a Federation member.”“Is that what you want?” Adam pressed.“What I want is not relevant,” Azkh stressed, gesturing with his pale hands. “It’s what’s best for everyone, going forward. I have concerns for the future that Federation membership won’t allay. Concerning our future prosperity, and my own personal legacy…and mortality.”“Sir?” Adam looked concerned.“We still aren’t sure about our lifespans, the Orcs of Arda,” Azkh said, with a slightly nervous chuckle. “I seem hale and hearty, but we don’t know. The metagenic background radiation that persists through Arda, combined with its unique mediterranium material, seems to be part of what keeps the Elves from aging or dying, and our connection to them seems to give us a similar fate of agelessness. I’m well over a hundred years old, Captain.”Adam’s eyebrows raised. Though he had a streak of white in his brown hair, and a smattering of crows’ feet around his eyes, Azkh looked to be a gentlemen in his midlife at worst.“The orcs from the Other Realms age at faster rates—Varok was a young man when he arrived sixty years ago—and It also seems that the Uruks that have hatched here on Draenor are aging faster than we original Twenty-five. Not by much, but still.”Adam nodded. “However, the future cannot lay on my shoulders forever, regardless of how long I may live. Eventually, I must name a successor, so I can retire and become a house-husband at last.” At that he laughed briefly. Adam paused. “Go’el. You want Go’el to succeed you.”“Go’el has a balance about him, a quiet peace,” Azkh explained. “He also has more than a little steel in his spine. The Mystics have told me their visions of his future, but I think he’s earned the spot on his merits.”“Would he have the support of—“ Adam began.“This is the worry of another day,” Azkh cut him off. “The Mystics have also told me of my own Troubles to come. The universe isn’t quite done with me yet.”“Fair enough,” Adam said, and left it at that.“In the immediate future,” Azkh said, “I’m told that you had an interesting meeting with our mad sorcerer.”Adam’s jovial face fell. “Yes.”“His words are like a jigsaw puzzle, Captain. It takes awhile, but eventually the truth falls into place.”“He told me to replace my Counselor,” Adam said. “The one who I don’t trust.” He took a breath. “He also seemed to speak in sigils. Wings, Fire, Fist…”“…Leaf and Star,” Azkh finished. “It’s almost a mantra for him. He told me something recently too.”Adam turned to Azkh. “Yes?”“He told me I had to return with you to Arda. Rattie and me. I’m coming with you.”Adam blinked a few times. “I have no objections, certainly, but I will have to get the permission from at least Admiral Feldman…”“I’m sure that other Admiral of yours will approve,” Azkh said. “He owes me.”“Unfinished business?” Adam asked. “You could say,” Azkh replied. “The gesture we’ve put forth needs to advance. And it needs to be personal. As orcs, we have blood on our hands, and in one case, blood I have to personally account for.”Adam snatched the name out of the air. “Fíli.”“My brother Azog killed him, and his kin,” Azkh said. “If there’s to be peace between Draenor and Arda, then it must start in Erebor.”“Admiral Feldman would be swayed by that line of reasoning,” Adam agreed. “It’s personal for him as well.”“Not to be presumptuous, but my bags are already packed,” Azkh joked. “Rattie never vacated our suite on your ship.”Adam threw his head back and laughed. “Looks like I’m along for the ride!” he exclaimed. “All right, I’ll see you aboard, but it looks like I have some housekeeping to do before you arrive.” He took his leave of the Council Leader and was beamed aboard the Mediterranean. In the transporter chamber, Aldor was waiting for him. He was left in command while the others conducted their business on Draenor.“Sir,” he began. “I need to discuss something with you.”“So do I,” Adam replied. “I need to talk to Counselor Stoor immediately.”“That’s the thing,” Aldor said, his Andorian features looking concerned. “He’s been missing for the last thirteen hours.”“What do you mean, ‘missing’?” Adam demanded. “Ship’s sensors can’t detect him aboard the ship. His cabin’s been searched, and large chunks of his computer files have been deleted. Beyond my ability to recover. This also includes lacunae where communications logs and transport logs should exist.”“Do you realize what you’re saying?” Adam said, glaring at Aldor. “You’re telling me that my Ship’s Counselor has abandoned his post—deserted his duties?!”Aldor stood up straight. “I realize that sir. But from the facts it’s clear that his intent to desert was clear. He clearly deleted his files for other, unknown reasons."Adam scoffed. “ ‘Unknown’.” He realized Aldor (or Josh and Buffi for that matter) weren’t filled in yet. “All right. Prepare a VIP stateroom for the Council Leader and his spouse. He’ll be traveling with us to Arda.”“Yes, sir. Any others?” Adam shrugged. “We’ll see.” ** As predicted, the Draenor Music Festival invited the crew of the Mediterranean to attend. But that, as they say, is another story. ** Fíli stretched in his bed on the Mediterranean. He smiled and reached his arm toward the other side, to put his hand on... “Are you gonna sleep all morning?” Fíli’s head jerked up to find Torvin, completely naked, padding around his quarters with a tankard of raktajino in his hand. Fíli looked at his chronometer by his bed. 0620. Then he looked back at Torvin, sipping at his coffee, scratching his rear end with his free hand. “We did end up staying up...rather late,” Fíli murmured.“Under the pretense of drinks, aye,” Torvin chuckled. “We could have been havin’ at it the whole time.”“Must be losing my touch,” Fíli said, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. “It was sweet,” Torvin admitted, as he moved toward Fíli, and leaned in for a long, slow kiss.
After what seemed like several moments, Fíli disengaged. “Ach!” He exclaimed. “My breath must be a fright.”“Tasted worse,” Torvin admitted, and moved toward a pile of clothes. “I’ve gotta ask, though.”Fíli, similarly undressed, walked to his dresser and fished a pair of trunks out. “What’s that?”“Why did you particularly want me?”Fíli looked over his shoulder to Torvin. “Not to swell your head, but you’re kind of hot, lack of beard notwithstanding.”Torvin paused before wrapping his fundoshi-like garment around himself, in a pose that showed he’d sheared more than just his beard. Fíli absently put his hand to his lips, still chapped from the revelation. “Always nice to hear,” Torvin admitted, “But why me...and not the Council Leader?”Fíli blinked several times as he wrapped a bathrobe around himself and moved toward his dining table. “How...?”“It’s a very poorly kept secret that Mr. Azkh had some kind of thing with a Dwarf...Out there...” Torvin explained. “Ratbag’s referred to you as “Doctor Hall Pass on more than one occasion. I just figured...”Fíli sat himself down at the table. “Well,” he exhaled. “This is awkward.”Torvin completed wrapping the loincloth around him. “Sorry,” he said. “I should have left well enough alone. I’ve always been shite in the pillow-talk department.”“I appreciate your honesty,” Fíli said. “My fun and games preclude mucking about with married couples, though. Hall passes...Nah.”“Long story?” Torvin fished.“Yes.” Fíli said, simply.Torvin hitched up his leather breeches. “Sounds like your ‘fun and games’ preclude commitment of your own,” he ventured. “Yes?”“Not much for domestics,” Fíli admitted. “Me neither,” Torvin agreed. “Spend most of my time in the bush as it is. Your brother, though.”“No, he found his One,” Fíli agreed.“So,” Torvin asked. “What would they consider more perverse back home—A Dwarf who found love with an Elf...” He smiled and turned toward Fíli. “Or one who found love with an Orc?”“If they knew all the different species I’ve found interest in over the years, I think they’d strip me of my name in earnest,” Fíli quipped. “But it doesn’t matter. I’ve changed.”“But,” Torvin asked. “What if you were to go back? To see what you left behind? To see just how you’ve changed, to see what you were before?”“But that’s the thing about change,” Fíli retorted. “The force of change is always forward. And nobody changes alone.” He added, “And if you hadn’t heard, all of Arda is undergoing change now. After thousands of years of stagnation, things are allowed to.”Torvin scoffed, and looked out of Fíli’s window, at the limb of Draenor II and the nebula beyond. “I...would like to see it,” he said, quietly. “It has been long since I have seen the Blue Mountains.”Fíli nodded. “Me too.”“Would you have me as a guest?” Torvin turned toward Fíli, intensity in his eyes. “Please. You can have of me what you will.” Fíli got up and moved toward Torvin, putting his arms around his sturdy waist. His eyes crinkled as he replied. “I’ll get you passage to Arda, Torv. And I’d be happy to have you as my guest. My willing guest,” he added. “Starfleet looks down on indentured servitude, y’know.” He took a step back. “I’m rather glad you’re staying on a bit longer, actually. This...this was nice.”“Yes.” Torvin nodded.“If you don’t mind my asking,” Fíli pressed. “Buffi was a bit out of line when she asked him, but I was curious myself. You and Varric...?”“He and I have...a connection,” Torvin said, guardedly. “And an understanding. Don’t worry, Doctor, there’s no jealousies to be unearthed.”“Oh good,” Fíli said and snickered mischievously. “Because I’m going to invite him to come along as well.”Torvin looked at him incredulously as he strapped his leather harness on. Fíli pointed at it. “You know, last time I was on Fence, I was looking for one of—““Why do you want to bring him along?” Torvin demanded. “Because I’m still holding out hope that I can have the two of you together,” Fíli replied, and strolled into his bathroom. Torvin, his face still agape, called after him. “T-t-together?” *** On the bridge of the Mediterranean, Josh sat in the center seat. “Have we finalized the Draenor contingent, Ms. K’gar?” he asked Buffi.“Well,” Buffi replied, at her Ops station, “We have Azkh and Ratbag,” she continued, “He’s requested an security escort of his choosing, so that’s pending.” “Any of our other friends?” Josh asked.Buffi frowned and turned toward him. “Did you have any requests?”Josh looked thoughtful, not quite at her. “As a matter of fact…” He tapped at the arm controls. He seemed to wait for a response. His eyes raised as he got one. “Yeah, I meant it, you big doofus,” he muttered as he tapped again, more determined than before.“Commander?” Buffi asked. “Bein’ a good man can start with returnin’ a favor,” Josh said, quietly. “Brûz is joining the contingent.”“Yes sir,” Buffi acknowledged. “If he doesn’t mind staying in the Cargo Bay.”The comm bleeped. “Lt. Commander K’gar, please report to my Ready Room,” Captain Reid announced.Buffi frowned and tapped her comm badge. “On my way.” Buffi found the captain hunkered over his desk station. His expression mirrored her own. “Captain?” She prompted.“I heard about the painting in the Slayer’s dojo,” he said, not quite looking her in the eye. “Other Mikey,” a voice affirmed. Buffi’s head turned toward the voice.In the ready room were Lt. Carr and Azkh. “I realize that Gandalf is a sore subject for you,” Adam began.“Understatement,” Buffi muttered.“But it looks like whatever he’d started with our four ninjas have come to fruition,” Adam finished. “Draenor was the final puzzle piece.” He looked at Buffi. “We’ve met Leonardo.”“And Michelangelo,” Azkh added.Tony spoke up. “Donatello.”Buffi looked down at her feet. “And Raphael.”“The only questions are,” Adam told her, “Is when the brothers will re-emerge, and in what capacity.” He looked at Buffi with concern. “Are you prepared for that?”Buffi looked lost at sea. “No, I’m not,” she admitted. “I don’t think anything is gonna prepare me for when he returns.” With that, she put a hand over her mouth and exited. Azkh looked on as she left, then turned to Adam. “It is as you said,” he remarked. “He’s the one thing she won’t talk bout openly,” Carr added. “If you knew Commander K’gar, you’d know that’s something.”“Gandalf’s done so much good in the galaxy,” Adam sighed, “But with this he’s truly failed. Thank you, Lieutenant,” he added to Carr.“Sir,” Tony replied as he exited to the Bridge. Azkh looked down at Adam as he slumped at his desk. “What are you thinking?”“I spent six months on an accidental mission of exploration,” Adam said. “And the whole time we were doing it, and enjoying it, the whole adventure of it...all I kept thinking was, ‘This isn’t my mission. This isn’t what I was meant to do.’ My thoughts kept coming back to that planet I left behind.”Azkh cocked his head. “Earth?”Adam looked up at the orc and shook his head. “No, sir.”Azkh scoffed and shook his head. “Arda.”Adam got up and faced Azkh. “I was given an opportunity to learn as much about that planet as I could. I was witness to Middle-earth taking itself back from Sauron not that long ago. I want that planet to...thrive, to live again.” He extended his hand to Azkh. “For everyone.”“Including her former slaves?” Azkh prodded.‘Especially for you!” Adam exclaimed. “Arda cannot move on and face the future until it rectifies the past.” He looked back down at his desk. “I can’t promise anything other than I will advocate for orcs, just as fiercely as Buffi has.”Azkh took Adam’s outstretched hand. “I know you will, son.” *** Buffi took her Ops station and began her routine of checking on the different department reports and ship’s status. Then, suddenly she felt aware of someone new one the bridge. She turned around.Garrosh Hellscream, in official Draenor uniform, stood by the door to Captain Reid’s Ready Room.“Hey,” she said.“I am the Council leader’s official escort,” Garry explained. “Welcome aboard...Garrosh,” Buffi replied.Garrosh looked slightly taken aback. She’d never referred to him by his proper name.“You’re a guest on my ship,” Buffi said by way of explanation. “That earns you a bit more respect.”Garrosh looked ahead, toward the main view screen. “Good to know.”As Buffi chuckled and returned to her console, Ratbag sidled next to her. “Could make for an interestin’ trip for Ratbag, yah?”“Going back, after all this time,” Buffi said. “You nervous?”“Everything’s different,” Ratbag said with a shrug. “But maybe not different enough.” Ratbag looked out toward Draenor on the view screen. “What about you?”“I’ll, uh,” Buffi paused. “I’ll figure it out.”Ratbag sighed. “I didn’t realize that your guy and Other Mikey were brothers. I would have said something.”“What would you have said?” Buffi asked, and sighed. “I keep trying to get over him, over all of it, to, you know, get on with my life. I joined Starfleet to start fresh. You know what that’s about, right? Starting fresh?”Ratbag looked away. “Yah.”“But I guess this is what I’m meant to face.” She turned to Ratbag and smiled, her eyes shining with tears. “You know, I’m glad we became friends, Ratbag. There’s not a lot of people that I can talk to about any of this.”Ratbag looked pensive. behind them, Garrosh was impassive, attempting to ignoring the conversation. Buffi knew what would lighten the mood.“If you orc-types are interested,” She suggested, “I picked up this calisthenics program from the security chief of the Enterprise, that might be up your alley. Garrosh, you brought your, what do you call it, Gore Hound?”“Gorehowl,” Garrosh corrected.“Right, that. My shift’s up at 1900 hours. We can let off some steam.”Garrosh and Ratbag looked at each other and shrugged. “Calisthenics,” Garrosh said, “Sounds...healthy.”Buffi’s widening smile did not ease the orc’s mind. *** “That was an altogether different experience!” Varric stepped off the transporter pad and raised his hand to Goramar, manning the controls. “Thank you for the ride, sir.”Goramar smiled faintly. “No problem, sir.”Fíli and Kíli both greeted Varric in the transporter room. “Welcome aboard the Mediterranean,” Kíli said. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.” He looked at Fíli who had That Look on his face. “Probably the good doctor, though.”“This is my first time aboard a starship,” Varric admitted. I’ll want to see everything. That is, with your permissions?”“There’s some parts of the ship that are restricted to Starfleet personnel only, but we can escort you,” Kíli conceded. “Excellent!” Varric exclaimed. Kíli made for a discreet exit to the corridors. “Engineering calls, gentlemen. Excuse me...” He said...and disappeared.The two remaining dwarves took the other door to another corridor on the deck. “I understand that Torvin will be joining us,” Varric said to Fíli. “I take it the two of you hit it off?”“Oh, yes, indeed, and he’ll be joining us by and by,” Fíli replied. “I was hoping the three of us could enjoy the Holodeck.”“Holodeck? Is that the virtual environment I’d heard so much about?” Fíli grinned widely. “It is indeed. It lets us enjoy any environment we can program into it. There’s this one program I have, a place called the Continental Baths...” *** In Caritas-To-Go, Lorne held court as usual in his lounge on the ship. Dennis sat at the bar, not quite doing anything, just taking in the atmosphere. “Getting anything, Dennis-the-Menace?” Lorne asked, not unkindly.“Oh, just waiting for the ship to get going,” Dennis said. “Captain Reid gave me my own quarters for the trip!”“Still going to school?” Lorne asked. “Oh, yeah!” Dennis exclaimed. “I have so much to catch up on before I can apply to the Academy, and I have so little time to do it in.” A shadow crossed his face. “I might not be able to join Starfleet as soon as I want.”“Don’t sweat it, kiddo,” Lorne said, cheerfully. “It’s gonna happen. Just do your best!”“So...” Dennis said, looking out toward the large windows. “What did the music tell you?”Lorne sighed. “A lot. Maybe too much to put into words. Your planet’s gonna have an important role to play in a lot of events to come.”“So you can’t say anything in particular?” Dennis pressed. Lorne attempted to articulate, but eventually gave up and shook his head.“Oh,” Dennis said. “Okay.”“It did tell me one thing,” Lorne said. “About me.”“Oh? What’s that?” Dennis asked.Lorne sighed. “The music said that I won’t be staying aboard for much longer.” *** Adam and Azkh emerged from the Ready Room and Josh relinquished the center seat, taking his own on the right. Adam sat down and tapped at the controls on the arms of his chair and looked up at Azkh, who sat in the seat on his left. Garrosh stood sentinel beside Carr at Tactical. “We’ve received navigational updates to exit the nebula,” Pippin reported. “We can navigate at full impulse.”“Excellent,” Adam replied. “Make your preparations, Ensign.”“Aye sir,” Pippin replied and went to work.“Ms. K’gar, all hands accounted for?” Adam asked Buffi.“Aye Captain,” Buffi replied. “All latecomers are on board and quartered.” She added. “We’ve received official go-ahead from Admiral Feldman to escort Council Leader Azkh to Arda.” She turned to face Adam and Josh. “He’s indicated he’ll be waiting for us personally.”Josh shrugged. “We won’t get there for weeks,” he said. “Perhaps he’s taking the time to soft-sell his relatives under the mountain.”“Starfleet Command is deploying us to short stops along the way,” Adam told his crew. “That’s why our plotted course is circumventing much of Federation space, and adding a few extra days to our trip.”Buffi rolled her eyes and muttered, “So what else is new?” which made Ratbag snicker.“What’s new, lieutenant,” Adam spoke up, “Is that also gives our guests extra time to enjoy our hospitality and to prepare their own agenda upon our eventual arrival to Arda. They have their own mission to perform, in case you’ve forgotten.”Buffi, chastised, sighed. “Aye sir.” “Course out of the nebula set in,” Pippin reported. “Engineering reports ready at any speeds,” Samwise reported.“All right, here we go!” Adam said. He held up his hand, ready to give the word, then, and whimsical expression crossed his face. He extended his hand to one of his guests. “Mister Ratbag, I’d be honored if you’d give the word.” Ratbag, once the Coward, now the Party Goblin, looked back at the captain, and at his husband, who nodded happily. He then looked down at Buffi and Pippin, who held his hands up from his console. Ratbag snickered and wheeled around and tapped the red blinking button which would send them on their way. “WHAMMO!” ***
Elsewhere, far from the Mediterranean, in a small ship without registry, with a technology that avoided detection, Stoor received his instructions.“We’ll send a recovery team to your location within the week. I assume you have enough provisions until then,” a voice said over his comm.“I’ll make do,” Stoor grumbled.“Very well. We were impressed by your ability to create the accident on V-34 without attracting undue attention to yourself,” the voice continued, “But you realize that your extraction includes your culpability. You’re going to have to lay low within the Section for awhile. That decreases your value as a field agent, I’m afraid.”“My cover was already blown,” Stoor grumbled. “The wizard had my number from the beginning.”“You let the Section handle him,” the voice insisted. “We don’t have time for your petty grudges.”“Fine.”“Thanks to your poking around that Red fleet around Draenor, we’ve figured out their technology. It’s inter-dimensional. That means that, wherever those ships came from, they used an trans-dimensional bleed to travel to point a to point b. That might have been what brought those creatures to our universe in the first place. If that’s true, we can use their technology to send folks from, say Dimension Y to...”“Dimension X?” Stoor suggested.“As I’ve said, job well done, Agent. Ration your supplies wisely. Sloan out.”Stoor sat in the quiet dark of his chamber as the comm went dead. He thought about all the orcs, goblins, and other creatures on Draenor he’d left behind. “God, I’m hungry,” he said.