[USS Quantum Fury, Sickbay]
As the curtains were drawn around the examination bed Khiy slipped off his uniform jacket and undershirt. Now bare-chested he climbed atop the biobed and lied down as instructed. He twitched as a cold soft hand touched the bottom tip of his right breast and then moved down slowly. Above him he could see the fluttering red hair of his chief medical officer. The young woman smiled at him "stay still please Captain. I am analyzing your bone density." A crack sound broke her smile and Khiy could feel one of ribs jerk awkwardly. He tried to sit up but the quick doctor tapped on the control console next to the bed instantly restraining him beneath a force field "stay still, I need to heal your broken rib." she emphasized to his dismay.
He waited silently and she worked her magic. When she finished she said nothing save for the simple gesture of deactivating the force-field. Khiy sat up, slightly muddled, but he looked at the doctor "thank you Lieutenant."
"Don't thank me. When you get back to Versailles Kelcy is going to KILL you. I just saved you for her- if I had let you fall to pieces here then I would have been at the end of her quite infamous wrath. I don't think I need to tell you how stupid you are- but since I enjoy it so much and you seemed to be deaf towards my advice, EVEN with those ears of yours, I will repeat myself. Captain, your bone structure is porous. Without your treatment you have to be cautious. If you had fallen a little further I might be mending your entire rib cage- and god knows what else. You need to be careful!" Savannah McCoy was a talented doctor, Khiy appreciated that, but she seemed to enjoy the art of nagging.
"I will keep that in mind." Khiy said. Savannah started to speak but the chirp of his commbadge silenced her. He tapped the device slightly grateful for the interruption "Kanryth here, what is it?"
"Captain-" It was Kaen's voice but he sounded strained "another warbird has decloaked out here, it's a bit more modern and bit bigger then that D'Deridex. They seem to be having a heated discussion. Perhaps you should head up to the bridge?"
Khiy glanced at Savannah. The doctor pouted, rolled her eyes, and then turned pushing her way through the curtains. He knew that meant he could go for now- but she had a lot more to say to him and he would hear from her later. He pressed his commbadge "on my way." Sliding on his shirt he made his way out of sickbay carrying his uniform jacket under his right arm.
[USS Charon, Bridge]
When the lift doors opened Khiy had just fastened his last button. As he stepped out a blinding flash from the view screen greeted him. Nik Nok was shouting from the tactical console "they have self-destructed and the bomber we detected earlier is now gone."
"Report." Khiy ordered immediately as he watched the final embers of the D'Deridex's exploding structure fizzle into oblivion. Kaen stood up and switched to the executive officer's chair allowing Khiy to take his seat. The view screen refocused on the monster that had arrived only moments earlier and Khiy easily recognized the giant D'Dherex class. It was both more modern and more deadly the old D'Deridex- just seeing it on his view screen brought a chill to his bones.
"We're not sure." Kaen said "when they arrived they demanded an explanation from the D'Deridex. They were arguing and then we detected a Romulan bomber being launched from the D'Deridex- a few seconds later, well you saw what happened. Now the bomber is gone and apparently that big thing is the flagship of a Romulan fleet commander."
"A fleet commander?" Khiy swallowed. The Charon was missing somewhere in the nebula. If the fury went after them no doubt they would be seen. Unlike the decrepit D'Deridex they were no match for a D'Derex class dreadnaught and with its newer sensor systems they might even be able to detect the Quantum Fury through its cloak. A heavy sigh slipped through Khiy's lips "Decloak and hail them."
"Captain?!" Kaen's eyes widened "that ship is a mons-"
"We don't have a choice. We have to go after the Charon- if they are still out there we cannot abandoned them." His tone was ridged and his expression cold. "Hail them!" Khiy didn't need his tactical officer to tell him that they had decloaked. The D'Dherex's beak turned towards them, the massive disruptor ports at its tip glowing hot.
"They have accepted our hail-" The view screen switched from the monstrous ship to a bridge which seemed comparatively too small for such a behemoth. Several Romulans gazed at them- their eyes showed uncertainty but their expressions hinted at disgust. The Vaek'Riov, Khiy recognized his rank insignia, stood up and approached his view screen "for such a little ship you are quite far from home" a vilely wicked smirk creased through his lips "explain your presence."
"This is the Federation Starship Quantum Fury. We detected a distress signal and came to investigate. When we arrived our sensors detected a biological agent at work in the planet's atmosphere and a lone D'Deridex in orbit." Khiy remained rigid as he spoke.
"You lie." The Vaek'Riov returned to his seat the smirk still clearly expressed on his face "there were other ships- a Federation ship among them. We detected the debris and weapons residue in the planet's upper orbit. Our sensors followed their path from orbit into the nebula." His eyes narrowed- a dangerous sign "what happened here?"
"When we arrived the Charon was already gone." Khiy said "and as a guest of the Romulan Star Empire you are required to assist them. Unless you rule from a perch with no honor."
The smirk disappeared immediately. The Vaek'Riov now scowled "I see- you are not a Vulcan as I originally suspected. A Vulcan would have certainly been wise enough not to mock me." He twisted his head around "tr'Huljan is what he speaks true? We must assist the Charon?"
"It would appear so Rekkhai." A voice from off-screen answered. A few specks of laughter echoed through the small cavern of a Romulan bridge.
"I will allow your insolence slide this once." The Vaek'Riov said "go look for your ship and we will search for ours." The screen immediately switched back to the view of the D'Dherex. The massive thing twisted slowly until it faced the nebula and moved towards it. Khiy looked at his helmsman, Alia, "take is into the nebula- T'Ern, Three, do all you can to find the Charon."
[End]
Lt. Commander Khiy Kanrtyh
Commanding Officer
USS Quantum Fury
