S2 M6 - The Spaces Between Us

[Jada]

[Deck 12, Promenade, Katra Station]

Standing over the defeated Klingon captain, the Monster danced and crowed 'How soft your fields so green
Can whisper tales of gore.
Of how we calmed the tides of war.
We are your overlo-or-or-rds!' This last was bellowed to the high ceiling, and rolled on and on like thunder, a clear declaration of triumph.

Then the onrushing line again, 'On we swe-eep, with threshing oa-oar! Our only goal will be the western shore!'

And the beat crashed back with a vengeance:
Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!
Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!
Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!

Now old Boss Ngachi bravely stepped forward. He was like an ancient oak, grown wild and weathered by the elements it had withstood for close on a century, with stout trunk and thick limbs gnarled and knotty with fibrous muscles. He had skin as green as its leaves but as tough as its bark, lined and wrinkled with age and experience, ridged with scars, and mottled with tattoos blurred with time, under black leather long coat and trousers, scuffed and well worn with hard work and harder fighting. He had long unkempt black hair and moustache framing a face in a perpetual scowl, and eyes sharp and deadly as knife-points. And he had knives, and a machete. One look told you he was not a man to mess with.

Yet here he was squaring off with a giant slug costume.

Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!
Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!
Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!

Ngachi charged, making some flashy haymaker swings at the Monster, but it either stumbled back and out of the way, or else absorbed the impact with only a wobble. And it returned the attack, raising up to kick its green legs out, or swing its mouth-tentacles as they duelled back and forth. Then, the monster shuffled in place, crouched low, and finally leaped high, the whole head raising until Jada herself could be seen hanging beneath, clad in gym shorts and Starfleet tank-top.

Then the Monster slammed down over Ngachi, enveloped him completely, and swallowed him whole. Its mouth flap chomped and the whole body wobbled as if digesting.

'So now you'd better stop
and rebuild all your ruins.
For peace and trust can win the day
in spite of all your lo-oosing!' the giant slug sang tauntingly to the remaining would-be defenders.

Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!
Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!
Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!

The Monster backed up, and performed its victory dance, chanting in voices low and haunting like the ghosts of the dead over the battlefield. 'Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh.
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh.'

Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!
Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!
Dun-da-da dun! Dun-da-da dun!

'Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh.
Ooh-ooh, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh.'

Then it just screamed to the Heavens.

At last, as Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" ended, the Monster slithered forward, and emerging from the tail end was Ngachi, looking dazed and covered head to toe in dripping slime. The girls had evidently had some fun inside. The crowd laughed as the old Orion was practically pooped out. But he raised his arms and cried out 'Who will save us from this beast? Who will stop its vile feast?' He turned, taking in more of the crowd, eyeing the gathering Starfleet Security personnel prepping for Round 2. 'Is there no hero, no clan chief? What about a pirate with some teeth? Is there even a wealthy rhadaman?' he implored dramatically. 'I ask, is there no great capitan?'

Starship captains were well respected in Orion culture, as leaders and explorers and heroes, and even accorded some superstitions. So who else would be needed to close this show? HoD Noh'ves certainly fit the bill, but there was only one clear candidate on this space station.

[John Saxon]

[Katra Station - Deck 12, Promenade]

Saxon watched with interest as Jada's leathery old Boss entered the 'fray'. On some minor level, John wondered if that was somewhat cheating; the compère, or ringmaster, stepping in from the fourth wall and into the narrative, and displaying his own brand of moxie. Mentally, he shrugged. He guessed this was now proof enough that there no real rules to participation, save for the spectacle of the show.

To that end, and watching as Ngachi was theatrically 'devoured' and subsequently 'excreted', John nodded to Rayek as the events reached the point where the hospitality of Katra Station would be demonstrated.

He waited for the attentive gaze of the Romulan to be exchanged, and communicated, and then tapped his combadge once more. " Saxon to OCC. Senior Chief Marcin: as we discussed if you please.  "

" Oui, Lieutenant " came the amused, but cultured, tone from the Marseillais SCPO who had taken over duty at the OCC. In many ways, John was pleased it was he, and not Solen, who had been on call at the time. The latter was not exactly the first choice for theatrics, save for those of ill-disposition. " Implementing in cinq...quatre...  "

As the elderly officer backed away towards Rayek the assembled Security Team, Ngachi had resumed his role as Master of Ceremonies, albeit with 'slime' now matting his already unkept hair. The echoing chant was challenging; certainly expecting Captain Solluk to show at any time. But Saxon had been somewhat unaware of timings of this little festival, and so it was likely he was still on his way down.

Fortunately, as always the job of the Security Department, it was they who were to hold the door closed for as long as possible until then.

" ...Un... "

The Promenade went dark. Pitch black, save for some emergency lighting at key evacuation points. Some sounds of thrilled surprise came from assembled crowd. Then as the seconds ticked by, a silence fell to match the darkness.

However, before said surprise and anticipation turned into concern and apprehension, dancing blue and pink light erupted from further down the Promenade, dazzling the onlookers as eyes tried to adjust from onyx to the brightness of luminescence. A high-pitched chime filled the air.

And then again night. And stillness once more.

The crowd stayed silent. Breaths were baited. Held.

A voice began to ring out. It was elegant but gravelled. The assembled populace mainly didn't recognise the voice, but it was unmistakable to those in uniform.

"Alas, the brave,
"Are laid low.
"Smited mortally,
"By a foe.
"And so it must be,
"That we,
"Assembled,
"Must perform,
"Our solemn duty.
"To hold the line against the Beast,
"And force it into retreat.
"But if not
"If we fail;
"We look to our Captain,
"To end this tale.
"Of valour,
"Of victory,
"Of sacrifice.
"And defend this station,
"That hangs in the night."

Suddenly, music began to play, fed through the station's internal speakers. A high-pitched rhythm of electric strings leading into a deep, heavy bass note that thundered through the chests of all that were present. At each heavy beat, a mere spotlight erupted from the ceiling, illuminating two figures down the Promenade's walkway; members of both Gamma and Beta Teams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYMbPc4H0jo

The beats reached five and a full line of Security could now be seen lit across the 'street', all adorned with replicated toy Type-2s and standing at ease. Waiting. Grinning.

At beat six, another spotlight then revealed Rayek at the front of the line, to the right of any onlookers. His toy type-3 Phaser Rifle in his hands, and a series of small devices on a belt.

Then beat seven boomed through the speakers, and the final spotlight lit up John Saxon from and left, his own toy Type-3's rifle in one hand, the butt resting on his hip, emitter pointing to the ceiling. More devices were on his belt. His eyes were on the Beast, and John did his best to look serious, while ignoring the ridiculousness of the scenerio. Then he smiled.

At beat eight, the lights of the Promenade came on, and John chopped his free hand down in an instruction to Rayek to lead the line into a charge. Still standing in place, his hand moved to his belt and a device was thrown by his aged hand. It arced ahead of the running, hollering Security entourage and bounced off the hide of the Monster to lay to rest half a meter to the right. After a literal second, a sound not unlike an ancient party blower could be heard and the device popped into a cloud of glitter.

No-one would ever say that the crew of Katra didn't know how to throw a good party themselves. Especially at short notice.

[Rayek trLhoell]

Ensign Rayek tr'Lhoell
[Katra Station - Deck 12 - Promenade]

It didn't take long for arrangements to be set up and for Rayek to give his nod of readiness to Saxon.   Despite the disgrace of his demotion, there was one 'silver-lining' to his new position... Rayek had long admired the former Master Chief because of the man's vast battle experience.  He had at one point of time, back during his enlisted days, envisioned fighting alongside the legendary man with aspirations of eventually overtaking the Master Chief position.  Rayek doubted the opportunity to surpass the Lieutenant would ever present itself again but at least he could enjoy the knowledge that he could 'battle' alongside him now.

Rayek knew where he and his team needed to be and knew the swiftest route there having planned it just moments before.  He was already on the move by the time the lights cut out.   Most humanoids had the instinct to stop moving in the initial dark as instinct told them that there was danger within.  Rayek however kept moving, listening ahead to avoid 'bumping' into any of the crowd.  When the light display came on at the opposite end of the promenade, it distracted the audience allowing him and his team to get into position, this was aided when John began to speak his own rhymed oration.  Rayek was rather impressed.  He doubled he could have come up with such a rhyme on the spot without it sounding forced or lacking meaning.

In the near dark, Gamma team volunteers fell in line behind him.  They were in position.  With his comm still set to 'silent mode' so that instructions would be sent to his earpiece and not his badge to be overheard Rayek tapped at the device behind his ear, and mouthed their 'Ready' status to Saxon and Marcin.

The music began. It wasn't a piece Rayek was familiar with so its impact on him was a bit more heightened than if it had been something known.  Each successful beat, with it's sudden illumination stirred a sense of increasing anticipation  in him, likely a feeling that was shared by the crowded.   On the sixth heavy beat his position was spotlighted and his eyes narrowed at the sudden illumination as he tried to continue to peer through towards where he knew Jada's position last was.  He had been able to see it's large outline up until the spotlight on him.

Rayek could imagine some of the whispers being passed about at this very public display.  'Wasn't that the former Commander?'  'Hadn't he been removed from position for disobeying orders?'  'Didn't he fire on the Atrosian vessel without provocation?' 'Wasn't his wife the new Commander? - that must be why he was still in the Fleet. Someone was playing favorites.'

Ignoring these paranoid and imagined whisperings, Rayek focused on the security exercise at hand.  With the 7th beat, Saxon was illuminated in a stance that spoke of authority and experience, and the music began in earnest..  then the lights came on full and Saxon gave the 'Charge' signal.

A glitter bomb went off eliciting 'oohs' and 'ahhs' from the onlookers.   Rayek felt very conspicuous screaming theatrically for his troops to "Defend the station!" as he charged forward in point position urging the crowd to clear as he moved through.  The crowd was quick to oblige and a path opened up allowing Rayek and his team to move in and surround the whole right side of the dancing slug in a line two deep.   "Line One continuous fire!  Hold the Monster here!" he shouted out as he leveled his own rifle and fired a shot towards the head and mouth that dared slime him earlier, and in response it rained foam bullets onto the beast.

It didn't take long for the small Type II to run out of bullets.  "Line One - ammunition retrieval.  Line Two - cover fire. Keep the beast distracted!"  To aid in this and because Saxon's initial glitter bomb had begun to settle, Rayek lowered his rifle just long enough to 'pull the tab' on his own glitter grenade and lob it towards the slug.    POOF!

[Tess tLhoell]

Lt. Cmdr. Tess t'Lhoell (5 months pregnant)
[Katra Station - Deck 13 - Promenade - Balustrade]

Apparently the Orion festivities had lured half the station to attend - at least the computer let Tess out on deck 13 instead of deck 12, which had probably become too crowded.

Tess had just stepped onto the balustrade when the lights went out. She had just caught a glimpse of the 'monster' in the middle of the crowd. But now everything was dark. Like everyone else, Tess waited in growing anticipation, though she probably was the one to get nervous earlier than the others around her. She was about to pull out her PADD to check for any security problems when she heard a voice that was all too familiar to her.

John's poem, that was in no way inferior to Jada's. Tess smiled and leaned forward a little to see what would happen next. Music began to play, supported by light effects that flared up before they all were left in the dark again. Tess got pleasant goose bumps. Spotlights flashed up and illuminated a number of security personnel. Then suddenly a spotlight flickered on Rayek. For a moment she had wondered why John had pretended to have forgotten this event in Katra's calendar when it looked like a lot had been prepared after all. But this thought immediately slipped her mind when she saw Rayek at the head of the Security Guards, armed with a TypeIII-phaser rifle - Tess assumed that it was as 'fake' as the normal phasers that had been handed out before.
Then John Saxon was also illuminated. Suddenly the lights came on again and the Katra personnel was undoubtedly about to take down the 'monster'. Her mouth hung open with amazement when she saw the glitter bomb's fine particles shimmering to the ground.

Then she heard Rayek letting out some kind of battle cry before the line of soldiers behind their commander advanced towards the slug. From above, Tess had a perfect view and saw the crowd split in a flash to make way for the troops.

Rayek opened fire and Tess could not suppress the rising chuckle. The chortle turned into a laugh as Rayek ignited his glitter bomb. She would have a lot of fun plucking the little glittering particles from his hair later.

[Solluk]

Somewhere on Katra Station...

"Computer, access database and create list of all forms of photochromatic sodium."

"Compiled."

"Delete all forms which are toxic to humanoid life."

"Deleted."

"Scan all life-forms in the promenade.  Cross-reference known common allergies among the species present, with remaining forms of sodium on the list.  If any matches occur, delete the item."

"Deleted."

"How many varieties remain on the list?"

"Two items remain on the list.  Photochromatic Sodium Chloride Ferensis as found on Feren VII, and Photochromatic Sodium Chloride Abadis as found on Abad Prime."

"Of the two, which has a higher photoreactive rating?"

"Photochromatic Sodium Chloride Abadis is Twenty-two percent more photoreactive than the alternative."

"Replicate three kilograms of Photochromatic Sodium Chloride Abadis in a Chrome-lined cylindrical container with handle.  Include the following accessory items..."

[Kirok]

[Docking Saucer 3]

While Zex waited for an answer from the Tholian, she took a moment to smile at guard A.  Then at guard B.  Neither showed any behavior to indicate that the kindness was being returned.  At least as far a Zex known of their behaviors thus far.

Walking threw the station from her to their embassy could present a problem.  And it was her job to mitigate problem.  So she started to work on figuring out in her head how to resolve that potential issue.

[Jada]

[Deck 12, Promenade, Katra Station]

As the lights went out, the interior of the slug costume, already dim, was plunged into a warm darkness. Peering through the mesh windows showed the women nothing, so they were forced to stop and dance slowly in place, the giant slug outside seeming almost uncertain by this development. 'What's happening now?' Zhelash wondered, speaking in a whisper. 'Now we get ready to react.' Jada returned resolutely.

They watched, as there were lights, darkness, sounds, poetry, and finally musc. 'Looks like Starfleet knows how to put on a show after all.' Zhelash remarked. 'So dramatic though.' s'Metra added from the tail section. Jada just watched intently, trying to tell what their tactic would be. What did they have on their belts?

Then she saw it. 'Saxon's throwing something!' Jada alerted them. 'Water balloon?' Zhelash suggested, a little worried. 'Glitterbomb!' s'Metra cheered, as sparkles burst against their mesh portholes.

Then stuck there through electrostatic attraction, and made it even harder to see out. 'Evasive manoeuvres!' 'Which way?' 'Left!' 'Your left or my left?' 'Watch out!'

*

Outside, the Monster was covered in clinging glitter, making its already colourful hide sparkle dazzlingly under the Promenade lights. Under the hail of nerf gunfire, it heaved and shook, head and mid-section and tail all going in different directions and collectively going nowhere, as if it couldn't decide which way to go, and given the three inside, this was very likely. At one point, the entire tail section slumped, with one foot protruding from beneath the curtain evidently belonging to an Orion girl fallen on her bum.

But it quickly recovered, trotted around to the right and confronted its attackers with glaring googly eyes. Starfleet Security would be prepared for another sliming, and Rayek had thrown a fresh glitterbomb. But instead the Monster shuddered and something emerged from either side of its back, struts that extended and unfolded and unfurled into shimmering membranous wings. Saxon might remember Ensign s'Metra fiddling with the basis of this on a probe last year. And it was, after all, an Orion wing-slug.

The wings turned and flapped back and forth incessantly, in time with the beat of the music. The glitter, both in the air and off the slug costume, was picked up and gusted back at the brave Starfleet defenders. In those sleek black uniforms, they were going to be shiny.

[John Saxon]

[Katra Station - Deck 12 - Promenade]

As the hammering music reached fever pitch, John looked out towards the melee that was being waged before him, and grinned; he had no idea if his last-minute preperations were appreciated by Jada and her cohort, but from the encouraging hoots and applause it was immediately obvious the audience were enjoying the step-up to the show's antics at least. With a well-organised team, cobbling together a display of dramatics was not unlike off-the-cuff battleplans during real combat scenerios. Ordinarily, John didn't care much for play-acting, especially those which skirted a little too close to trivialising the terrible jobs soldiers had in war-time; to him, it undermined the mindset of the warrior, numbing the reactions, responses and realities to a degree whereby the subconcious mind briefly confused the inconsequence of action with the very real struggle for survival.

But today, Saxon relented. Just once. Only briefly. Clearly the hot emotion he felt earlier in the day had been some kind of notice that he needed to unwind. Quite if this was truly the best way to do so would be down to how relaxed he'd feel after the day. Okay...after his muscles stopped aching after a few days.

As events unfolded, John decided to move in himself. Rayek, doing an absolutely superb job of marshalling the Gamma and Beta teams, had just 'detonated' his own glittergrendade - something in John's own personal replicator database, a carry over from the Siege of Triacus that seemed to fit the bill for now - which had been wafted back by the expansive 'wings' of the Beast. Saxon raised an eyebrow; that mechanism explained he discovering s'Metra covering in glitter and glue some months back. He shrugged; it went to show how long this had been planned...and the amount chances the Orions had of notifying the senior team as to their agenda. Well, it was done now.

Letting off a roar of his own, the weathered old warhorse then marched forth, the toy rifle pinned to his shoulder as he looked down the sights, firing foam nuggets as did so. The first one failed to hit the distant target, such were the poor aerodynamics of the ordanance. He adjusted his aim to compensate, accounting for air disturbances and varying elevation as he continued to approach. Soon, a rapid splattering of foam hit their marks - some aimed at the googly-eyes of the Beast, some aimed at the mesh 'view ports'. He tried not show much much he was enjoying it.

But as he reached within arm's reach of the Beast, the foam pellets ran out, just as planned. Saxon raised the butt of his rifle and warbled some archaic, pitched warcry that sounded a bit like "Heyyyy-ya!".

Whatever the reaction and retaliation of the Beast was, the crowd eventually saw Saxon drop his faux rifle to the deck, clasp his throat with both hands and - in a manner that shamed even the great ancient satirical (if not somewhat ostracised) Alpha Centauri dramatist Shaht'nah of Hamm, with his infamous over-the-top and prolonged death-throes - lowered himself to the floor with a face of tortured finality. Children in the crowd giggled; a sound that reminded him of his brother's own children when Uncle John came to visit on those very, very rare occasions.

In a seemingly final act, shaking, trembling, over-acting fingers reached for the last glitter-grenade on his belt and rolled it under the hem of the Beast and laid to rest between green feet.

And then, John 'Century' Saxon, the Warrior of the Terrible Battle of Promenade, gaggled his last breath.

Who would lead Rayek and the Security Team now....?

[Tess tLhoell]

Lt. Cmdr. Tess t'Lhoell (5 months pregnant)
[Katra Station - Deck 13 - Promenade - Balustrade >>> Deck 12]

Tess - despite the excellent view she had from up here - she wanted to be down there and witness everything from there. Moving away from the balustrade, she walked back to the turbolift to once more get to deck 12, overriding any announcement the computer might give her.

Once down she saw - over the heads of the crowd that was between her and the actual spectacle - that the slug had grown some wings. Tess grinned and started to move through the crowed, trying to get to the front - which she did. Maybe because she was relatively short and people were being nice, maybe because she was pregnant, or maybe because she was the designated XO - whatever the reason was, she managed to get right to the front row, just in time to see John Saxon 'dying'. Tess grinned at the acting talent the man apparently had. Next to her she heard some children giggling.

Biting her lip, Tess crouched down as she smiled at the children. "Hey, kiddos! You quickly need to check for me if the brave hero over there really is dead or not. Do you know how best to check that? Tickle him!"

Some kids looked at her shyly but others were more bold and moved over to John, making the cautious ones finally moving along with them and they started to get to John, their hands reaching down to tickle the old man. Tess watched and couldn't contain the laughter that wanted to come out.

[Rayek trLhoell]

Ensign Rayek tr'Lhoell
[Katra Station - Deck 12 - Promenade]

[Deck 12, Promenade, Katra Station]

But it quickly recovered, trotted around to the right and confronted its attackers with glaring googly eyes. Starfleet Security would be prepared for another sliming, and Rayek had thrown a fresh glitterbomb. But instead the Monster shuddered and something emerged from either side of its back, struts that extended and unfolded and unfurled into shimmering membranous wings. Saxon might remember Ensign s'Metra fiddling with the basis of this on a probe last year. And it was, after all, an Orion wing-slug.

The wings turned and flapped back and forth incessantly, in time with the beat of the music. The glitter, both in the air and off the slug costume, was picked up and gusted back at the brave Starfleet defenders. In those sleek black uniforms, they were going to be shiny.

His glitter grenade exploded into a shower of shimmering sparkles that should have settled rather quickly except for the sudden appearance of wings emerging from the sides of the monster that with their beating stirred up the accumulation of glitter on the ground and threw it back into the air...  the entire promenade was a shimmering spectacle.  It was rather breath-taking.  The crowd seemed in awe.  That's when Saxon made his attack.

Although somewhat paranoid at what the appearance of wings might mean for this grounded battle, Rayek continued his issuing of orders to the teams even as he mentally tried to figure out what the Orions had planned and what that might mean for Security.  Orion wing-slugs flew.

The Romulan couldn't help but watch the Fleet's eldest human Security Chief show off his stuff amid the swirl of sparkles.  Watching the man was inspiring.  Rayek knew that due to species biology, he and Solluk would mostly likely be in fitter shape by the time they reached Saxon's age but even so Rayek wasn't sure that they would ever be able to compare to the man's clear, tight control of every moment.  Crisp, taut, effective.

Watching Saxon gave Rayek an idea.  Leaning over towards the nearest team member he whispered his request for the crewman to fetch a couple items from the nearest First Aid Station.  He got a quizzical look in response but the order was acknowledged before the crewman turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Rayek turned back to the battle. Beta and Gamma troops, along with Jada's own TMPST continued to rain down nerf bullets though their trajectory was much less certain now with the added wind buffeting by the slug's wings.  They tried to give their Chief coverfire to get in close but then Saxon ran out of bullets and with a mighty battle-cry made to use the butt of his weapon to attack the beast.  The beast retaliated and then to his surprise rather than brush off the attack, Saxon fell.  It was a theatrical death of course... but still Rayek stared in disbelief as Saxon took himself out of the battle.

That left Rayek leading the defense until the Captain showed up.

He noticed a couple children dart out from the crowd onto the 'battlefield' to surround Saxon and begin tickling the man.  Though there was no danger to the children from the foam bullets, he still had the team halt their fire.  He looked towards where the children came from to maybe give their parents a 'please call back your children' look.  What he discovered was Tess urging more children out to join the others.  Really?!  But she looked so happy, laughing.. that his misgivings melted away.  Okay, that altered things.

"New plan, team.  We move into melee range... and put on a martial arts display.  No actual contact.  Bexx, get the kids to help drag out the Lieutenant... maybe have a few try bandaging him up once in the clear.  That'll teach him to let the beast take him down.  We have to continue this until the Captain arrives. Which hopefully won't be too much longer."

Whereas in the past, Rayek would have thought nothing of contacting the Captain to give a reminder and prompt for a bit of expediency in such a situation that level of familiarity and openness between them was lost now.  Broken because of Rayek's actions.  For a moment that depressing thought swallowed Rayek's awareness, and gave him pause.  What was he doing playing games?  He was supposed to be trying to earn back people's trust not acting like a fool!

He quickly glanced around him, his face no longer mirthful as he wondered at the point of the festival - and his role in it.  No one would want to follow him given he was so unreliable.  But what he saw as he looked to the line of security showed something different than what he expected.   The volunteers from Gamma and Beta shifts were looking to him expectantly for direction.  Their grinning faces showed none of the usual hesitancy that they'd had with him since that day.  Rayek was baffled.

He looked to the crowd, and they too were smiling.. watching, waiting expectantly.  His eyes sought out Tess, amazingly beautiful seen through the shimmer of glitter in the air.  She was too was smiling, at him it seemed, urging him on.  His doubts fell away knowing that this at least made her happy.  HE made her happy... which in turn made him happy.  His smile returned wider than before.  He could work on improving things with the Captain another time.

"Let's do this!" he called out to the security teams and received a shout of acknowledge back.

With a nod towards the teams, and a smile on his face at the ridiculousness of this all, Rayek charged forward to hold the beast, and entertain the crowd until the station's Captain and hero could arrive.  He shouting a battle cry that the others on the team picked up.  "For Katra!"

[Kirok]

[Docking Saucer 3]

The Deltan waited for a response.  Perhaps the Tholian's universal translator was acting up.  Maybe the silence could be attributed to something else.

"I bet your tired from your long voyage.  How about we get you to your quarters so that you can settle in.  We can met after you have had time to rest up" she suggested.

She handed the Tholian a communicator and explained how it worked.  "When you are ready to be beamed to your quarters just let operations know.  And later, when you are ready to meet, tap the communicator and ask for me, Zex" she said before leaving for her next appointment.

[Solluk]

Katra Station - Promenade

The lights dimmed once more.

A long, low note played over the promenade's announcement speakers.  Not a call for an officer to report to some station.  Not an announcement about a lost child.  Not a Yellow or Red alert.

Just one long, low note.  A bass tone that rumbled into the very bones.

Then, a sparkling, glimmering man appeared in a vacant space before the slug, materializing in a transporter shimmer.   He was illuminated from above by a column of light.  He stood, features stark, ears pointed under a ludicrously large tricorn hat, emblazoned with the UFP logo.

In his left hand, he clutched a silvery bucket filled with large granules of some sparkling crystal.  He held the bucket out a bit, so that anyone might dip into its contents.

In his right hand, a large metal ring with attached utensils: some perversion of an ice-cream scooper, fully enclosed but perforated with large holes.  He held out the ring, using gestures to invite the 'surviving' Security team members to each take one of the scooping devices.

When he spoke, his voice was amplified, reverberating through the bodies of the onlookers, primed by the earlier, solitary note.  It was as though his words spawned from within the chest of everyone in the crowd.

Thou beast of Darkness, Filled with Goo!
A Slime of Fear, Such Vile Brew!
Fire with Fire does not Contend.
Anger with Anger only further Offends.

He took the last shining scooper from the ring, discarding the metal loop.  Then he squeezed the lever of the device.  It opened its chrome maw, and he thrust it deep into his bucket, scooping up the crystals within.  When he released the lever, the scooper closed up, but crystals still tumbled forth periodically from its perforations.  He paused long enough to allow the Security personnel present to follow his lead if they wished, also dipping into the bucket of salt.

Lifting his own scoop high like a holy scepter or holy-water sprinkler, he energetically wagged it at the slug-monster.  The crystals became iridescent in the floodlight, exploding into shimmering rainbow colors that sparkled and glowed as they arced towards the beast.  The heavy crystals, no mere flecks of foil, would prove impervious to the slimy slug's windy wallops.

So Into Darkness, I bring this Light,
A Salt of Hope, into this Night.
To dry the Fear, and drain this Beast
to shrivel its Skin and end its Feast.

And here was the risk.  Here was the gamble.  Here was where guesses might turn into shambles.  Solluk had watched footage of the slug's display.  He'd read the reports about this festival, today.

Alerts from officers on the ground, who contended with this slug's rhythmic pound-ing, as it slimed and surged like a hologame boss, encountering Klingons whom it easily tossed.  It absorbed foam phasers, and blew away glitter, treating all comers like mere flies that might flitter.  The beast would easily brush them aside, dancing and mocking, their efforts it would deride.

Solluk knew not the script, but he could imagine a way to defeat such a slug and win this day.

To stand against the Outer Dark, while playing into this Orion Lark.

But such a scheme could easily fail, without help from the slug's green-footed entrails...

Behold, now.  This monster we Feared
Concealed a Beauty, unseen as it Neared,
But now Revealed: Wondrous Frontiers
with Joys to bring all eyes to Tears!

And now it was up to Jada and friends to decide if they would follow his prompt.

[Kirok]

[Outside the Wadi Embassy]

After Zex completed her meeting with the Tholian envoy, she made her rounds to the other 5 embassys.  They had all supplied their food of choice.  They had all also agreed to attend a meeting to get to know each other and members of the station.

So the Deltan took some time to gather her thoughts outside of the Wadi Embassy.  She looked over food choices.  Finally she arrived at an idea.

[Beja]

USS Katra - Counseling Office to Deck 2

Beja finished putting the last of the items into the wicker basket. She smiled over at Mon, and beckoned him to follow, �Come on Mon, we have work to do. There is someone that needs our friendship right now. They have lost someone they loved very much, and we are going to help support them in their time of grief if they need it.�

She was never really sure what Mon understood when she talked with him, but he always was an avid listener. That was the point she supposed that he didn�t need to really understand the words, he always understood the emotions. Once people got over his rather large and intimidating appearance, they usually warmed up to him. He had already helped several of her clients out with their anxiety and depression. Beja was very hopeful that he was the start of a successful therapy animal program here on Katra.

Mon trotted by Beja�s side as the two of them made their way up to Deck 2. Because she had Mon with her, she had to take the turbolift, she tried to avoid them as much as possible, but Mon wasn�t the easiest to get up ladders which she preferred to do when she could. It was her way of getting exercise in, and keeping her cardio fitness in. Sometimes though the lift was the best option, such as now.

Beja smiled brightly over at the object of her mission, when she just happened to run into Lieutenant Junior Grade, Kalem Michael, �Hello, Lieutenant Kalem, you�re just the person I was looking for.�

She held up her picnic basket, �I was hoping that you would join me and my friend Mon here, for lunch, that is if you have time.�  The sehlat cub sat down and thumped his tail, happy to meet any new people he could.

[Jada]

[Deck 12, Promenade, Katra Station]

But as he reached within arm's reach of the Beast, the foam pellets ran out, just as planned. Saxon raised the butt of his rifle and warbled some archaic, pitched warcry that sounded a bit like "Heyyyy-ya!".

And squelch! The dragon wing-slug wheeled around, lowered its eyestalks, and vomited a great gout of slime over the legendary Century Saxon, engulfing him and driving him down. Oh yeah, Jada enjoyed that.

In a seemingly final act, shaking, trembling, over-acting fingers reached for the last glitter-grenade on his belt and rolled it under the hem of the Beast and laid to rest between green feet.

They almost didn't notice until it was too late. From out of the slug costume emanated shouts and squeals, and six frantic feet tried to catch and kick it out. Then, with a muffled pop! the hem ballooned out, glitter escaping from under the gastropod's foot and out of its mouth like a surprised cough. The eyestalks went cross-eyed at that.

Yet it soon recovered, shook its head to clear the glitter, and danced closer, where it dispensed more jelly tubs for the children tickle-checking Saxon. Soon, they were more interested in jelly than medical care.

'For Katra!'

The Monster was driven back again by a resurgent squad of Starfleet Security, firing nerf phasers and hurling the odd glitterbomb. They'd learned to avoid the head and tail, and the slime-squirters there, and instead attacked the flanks. But still the beast danced fiercely and flapped its wings, and green legs licked out at any who got too close. And the crowds were cheering, some for Starfleet, some for the Monster, and some for both.

And then, at last, the Captain arrived.

*

'Woah!' Jada started from the front.

'What?'

'Solluk beamed in. He's got something...' she peered closer to hear what he was saying and work out what was coming next, and how to respond.

'Transporters? Show off.' said the girl who'd designed and built a giant slug costume in secret over the course of a year to be clever.

'Salt shakers, huh? Trust Starfleet to go for the sciencey solution.'

'It works,' Jada conceded. 'Let's get shaking and reverse one step.'

'So, what's he asking for?' s'Metra wondered, back the tail end up last.

'He wants us to come out and be beautiful.' Zhelash translated.

Jada stared out for a long moment, and at last decided 'Cruk that.' She reached for the microphone...

'Jada?' s'Metra beckoned from behind her. 'Do you see? Everyone's laughing and cheering! We did it!' Jada twisted to look through another porthole, seeing it was true. 'The fighting part's over, there's no gain in spoiling what we've won now.'

'No gain in rebreaking a mended heart.' Zhelash said softly, touching her shoulder.

*

The Monster shook and recoiled from the spray of technicolour salt, then lowered its head and eyestalks to stare at Solluk for a long, questioning moment as he told his poem, and after.

At last, the giant slug fluttered its eyebrows over its googly eyes, as if blushing at the compliment. It bowed its head section, as low as it could feasibly go, and dipped its eyestalks, in respect to the Captain of Katra Station.

Then its mouth flap gaped wide, and it hosed him with slime. Some things, after all, still just had to be done.