Herding Cats

Posted on Tue Jun 24th, 2025 @ 5:40am by Captain Rovak & Commander Alex Flynn & Lieutenant Commander Yy & Lieutenant Commander Amvent Kharass & Marcus Grey Horse
Edited on on Wed Jun 25th, 2025 @ 10:44am

3,632 words; about a 18 minute read

Mission: Histories
Location: USS Zhao - DS9 - Bajor System
Timeline: 2395

Lieutenant Commander Rovak's transmission arrived through the wormhole from the other side of the Galaxy, via DS9, to Lieutenant Flynn's location. All of this was handled by an Ensign Brarn on DS9, who seemed increasingly uncomfortable the longer she responded to Rovak's uncompromising stare through the screen in front of her. She looked away for just a moment, only to feel a great sensation of failure. "I'll try her again, sir. Scans show she's still on the Zhao. Let me try it once more." Rovak continued to stare, the bridge of the Tylesh behind him. "Rovak to Flynn. Please respond Lieutenant."

Alex was in the Zhao's armory, cross-checking the list given to her by their Chief of Security as to what percentage of their stock could be taken over with the crew. She'd counted and tagged more than half of their inventory by now. When her communicator beeped she lost her place, swore, and punched the wall, then swore again as she realised the pain in her hand. She tapped her badge, flapping her other hand in an attempt to urge the pain out of it. "Flynn here. Got something for me to do, Commander?"

"Please gather all crew bound for Starbase 51 aboard the Zhao and ensure they are prepared. Installation will be complete shortly, and you will be given clearance to enter the Gamma Quadrant. I believe two of our Senior Staff are currently aboard Deep Space Nine. You will bring them to the Zhao. The files are on their way to you." Rovak explained.

"Okay. Round up the troops. Got it. Is that all?" She nodded and then felt stupid for nodding, realizing she was alone.

"For now, Lieutenant. Thank you. Rovak out." The Commander's voice disappeared with a ceasing chirp of the communicator.

Alex stepped out into the main security suite, leaving the armory alone, for a time. She looked around the room, and spotted a Petty Officer reviewing the security feeds. She couldn't remember his name, so she whistled. A few of the officers present looked around, but she stared at the one she needed to get his attention. When he turned around, she gestured at him to come over to her. He stood up, closing his terminal with some relief, and walked across the room to her.

"Ma'am?" The young man asked. He couldn't have been more than twenty.

"I need you to do this for me." She gave him the pad she'd been carrying, with some hastily scribbled instructions on a sheet of paper she'd written for herself earlier.

"I'm on sensor duty, ma'am." He seemed to be suddenly backing away, realizing how much more work this would be than simply watching the sensors.

"They'll still be there later. If your Chief shows up send him my way." She began to walk away then, not being particularly interested in any other excuses he might have. She moved into the unattended Chief's office, a room she'd been offered any use she needed. Alex sat in the Chief's seat, and opened his terminal, bringing up communications with Deep Space Nine. The face of the slightly frazzled Ensign Brarn appeared.

"DS9 comms. How can I be of assistance?" She seemed to squint at the screen. Alex could tell the woman on the screen needed corrective treatment but hadn't been tested recently.

"Flynn here, Starbase Fifty-One security chief. I've got orders to get everyone together that's bound for the other side of the hole. Can you send out an APB to beam aboard? If you could get on to any senior staff and get them to meet me in transporter room three that'd be groovy." Alex instructed, hoping to end the conversation there.

"No problem, ma'am." Brarn said, twisting her face into a pissed off expression that suggested she may not have remembered she was also on visual.

"Appreciate it." Alex said, closing the channel. She brought up the files that Rovak had sent through. She'd had a chance to meet most of the security staff, and had only lost one that she was aware of, but he was apparently in custody on Deep Space Nine. They could worry about Grey Horse later.

Yy was sitting quietly in the Bajoran temple. The Vedek had spoken at length in Bajoran, a long, articulate ceremony about the nature of the prophets in the lives of modern Bajoran. He offered blessings to the Federation, and blessings to all the galaxy. Now, another Vedek was playing a wooden pipe, a beautiful earthy rhythm that relaxed Yy.

Until her communicator beeped.

She held her hand over it instinctively and moved out of the temple as quickly as she could, flush with embarrassment.

"Lieutenant Yy, this is communications. Please make your way to transporters ASAP for transfer to USS Zhao." The voice of Ensign Brarn told her. "Understood." She responded, and set off immediately for the transporters.

Amvent was drinking a raktajino and studying the latest intelligence out of Romulan space, predicted deployments and defensive strategies along the split between the Romulan Free State and Empire. Amvent was quietly fascinated by the developments, he'd never thought much of Romulans, for all their guile and swagger they were always their own worst enemy. Now that was the reality. When the communication came through, he confirmed, and stood up, grabbing his duffel bag from the foot of his neatly made bed in his temporary quarters. He left them as he had found them, and was soon gone without trace.

[USS Zhao - Transporter Room Three]

Alex arrived somewhat breathless at the transporter room, having had to run most of the way after being distracted by the fish tank being carried by a pair of science officers, containing a small school of Denobulan clown fish. She'd cooed at them for the better part of ten minutes, until she realized how uncomfortable the two scientists carrying the heavy case obviously were. Someone was beaming in when she arrived.

Amvent drummed his fingers against the pad he'd been carrying for the better part of that morning. He materialized quickly in the Zhao's transporter room, and took a quick analysis of the woman standing in front of him. She looked interested. Off-center somehow, as well as exhausted. "Lieutenant Amvent Kharass reporting for duty, ma'am." He said calmly and clearly. He was much taller than her.

"Alex," She said, breathing heavily inbetween words. "Alex.. Flynn. Chief of.. Security. Pleasure to... meet you."

"And you, ma'am. Are you alright?" Amvent asked, remaining clinical.

"Fine. There were... fish. Don't worry... about it." Alex leaned forward for a moment, fearing she might throw up. After a few deep breaths, she stood back up and was alright.

Amvent stepped off the transporter pad. He ruffled briefly through her short term memories, and found that she was telling the truth. The fish were interesting. "Are we expecting anyone else?"

"Yeah. Counselor, I think. There's a lot of plates spinning at the moment. I have no idea how you're supposed to pronounce her name, so I'm just going to call her Lieutenant until she corrects me." Alex said, happy to have been able to form sentences again. The transporter hummed and glowed again.

Yy took a moment to look around at the room she had entered once she appeared. She smiled warmly to the woman waiting at the bottom of the platform, and the officer next to her. "Greetings. I am Yy."

"Alex Flynn. Chief of Security. Not here, on the other side. Where I'm told we'll be heading shortly." Alex smiled at the woman, she practically couldn't help it. She seemed incredibly serene and comfortable.

"Amvent Kharass, Intelligence Chief." Amvent introduced himself with a polite half-bow.

Yy returned the gesture. "A pleasure to meet you both. Do we have orders, Lieutenant?" She asked Flynn.

"Well there's a lot to be done, I'm told you should be able to access your respective databases and make requests of the operations crew before we arrive. Otherwise I think Rovak just wants us to all wait together." Alex paraphrased their orders as best she could.

"You speak familiarly of the Commander, are you acquainted?" Yy asked, with warm, genuine curiosity.

"Yeah we go back a bit. Further for me than for him, he's old." Alex said.

Yy smiled, pleased by the response. "Wonderful. I hope we all know each other very well soon."

Amvent fidgeted a little. The Deltan was beautiful and charming but he was worried if he spent too long near her he might catch diabetes. He hoped they would be leaving soon. He'd wanted to get started uploading his personal files into the station's encrypted database. He'd been carrying a lot of valuable information on his person for longer than he was comfortable with.

"Yeah. Yeah." Alex said, slightly intoxicated by the woman's radiant effect. "Well, if there aren't any more questions, let's get to it."

---

Ten Forward - USS Zhao - Bajor System

Alex and Yy sat in ten forward, where they had remained since they both decided it would be the most efficient and pleasant place to wait. Alex had been chewing through a pulled pork and sauerkraut roll, and an apparently never ending procession of lemon, lime and bitters. They hadn't said much since they arrived, both were working away on pads trying to assign all the necessary elements (personnel, supplies, replication requests) they would need to get started when they arrived. Alex had become slightly uncomfortable when she remembered Yy was a shrink, and began to worry that she was already dissecting her. But Yy had been polite and relatively quiet, seeming happy just to have someone to sit with.

"How's it all going?" Alex asked, taking a sip of her drink as she finished.

"Quite well. I have managed to schedule most of the necessary appointments for my first day. I am working under the assumption that my office will be ready. I can't imagine why it wouldn't be. All I need is a couch." Yy replied with a certain resignation to the fact that she may have to start all over when they arrived, and probably drag a couch from the industrial replicator to her office.

"I've never been on an Ithaca-class before," Alex said, "Do you know what they're like? All I've had to go on is how many phasers they need. Of which I have about half."

"They're one of the smaller classes, I think. Quite formidable, but nowhere near as large as the Stardocks. I believe they're a Federation re-purposing of Deep Space Nine's design." Yy said, but she was by no means an expert.

"That's kind of encouraging. They managed to hold off the Dominion for years. Of course they were on this side of the wormhole. In the Federation. And the Alpha Quadrant. Hmm." She looked slightly disturbed at the thought.

"I wouldn't worry. The Dominion have asked us here. The war finished almost twenty years ago. If they had any intention of aggression, I think it would have happened by now. Besides, aggression like they showed is a childish, immature reaction to others. I like to think they have grown." Yy smiled, hoping to reassure Alex at least a little.

"Well. You are a shrink. But I don't think shapeshifters necessarily conform to the usual archetypes. Maybe they do though. I don't know. It's just nice to not think about grenades and armory lockers." Alex wiped her face with the back of her hand and offered a slightly exasperated smile in response. It was nice having Yy around, she had to admit.

Amvent entered ten forward feeling frustrated. There was little he felt comfortable doing over the Zhao's unsecured servers, and as such had run out of things to do. He decided that at least a drink and a hot meal might take his mind off things. He liked being in social hubs, the bubbling undercurrent of social enjoyment was something he enjoyed passively with his telepathic abilities, and helped him to control his own desires for socialization without actually needing to speak to anyone. To his surprise, Lieutenants Flynn and Yy were already inside. He approached their table, and waited for a lull in the conversation. "Afternoon, Ladies. Mind if I join you?"

"Sure. Have a seat." Alex offered, assuming Yy wouldn't have an issue with it. They'd both known the Lieutenant for just as long.

Amvent looked around and grabbed a seat from a nearby table, from a trio of off duty officers who didn't seem to be using it. They gave him a look he didn't acknowledge, and he took a seat with them. "Any sign of when we'll be getting away?"

"None yet. I thought you were meant to be the spook. Don't you know that stuff?" Alex asked in response. One of the ten forward officers removed her plate.

"Is that a human racial epithet?" Amvent asked.

"What? No. Well, maybe. I don't know, there are a lot of them. We don't really use them anymore. It means spy. You're a spy." Alex corrected calmly, but enthusiastically.

Amvent made a noise that was like a laugh, but he showed no outward expression of amusement. "I haven't been told anything yet. This all seems pretty messed up to me."

"They are trying, Lieutenant. Imagine how difficult it must be to co-ordinate the installation of a Starbase with all the political entities of our quadrant, as well as the Dominion. I only got my transfer orders yesterday morning."

"Huh, me too. It does seem kind of rushed together, hey. You know anything about that, Intelligence?" Alex asked.

"Only what's public. The Dominion floated the idea and gave us a couple of days to get it done or it'd all fall apart. That's just what the analysts are saying, though. There's as many different theories as there are hosts with infonet programs." Amvent didn't have a lot of regard for the infonet, but it was still a useful tool for news and opinions, even if it was discouraged within the Federation for it's private ownership and advertisement.

"Well. If you guys haven't got any info then it probably doesn't exist." Alex conceded with a sigh.

"Now hear this," Their communicators and the lounge's speakers announced, as if to comfort Flynn. "We have received confirmation from Deep Space Nine that we are cleared to depart for Gamma Quadrant. All hands please make ready for transit."

Alex jumped up suddenly, seemingly thrilled by the progress. "Oh hell yes. That means we're off duty. Beers? Beers." She suggested forcefully.

"I don't think I've ever had a beer. That would be lovely." Yy agreed.

"Sounds good." Amvent said, with no indication that he meant it.

Alex stuck her fingers in her mouth and whistled to the bar at the other side of the room. "Three beers. Big ones."

After a brief wait they were served their drinks by one of the staff, and a bowl of salted nuts. Alex held hers up over the center of the table. "On Earth we have a lot of traditions. This is one of the few good ones. To Starbase 51, and may we all not die."

"I can think of no better toast." Yy said with a laugh.

"Starbase 51." Amvent repeated, imitating Flynn's gesture. It wasn't a uniquely human practice, but he wasn't going to correct her. Neither of the women seemed particularly bothersome. He might almost have called them fun. Pleasant, at the least.

They clinked their glasses together, and each took a drink. Alex managed to get nearly a quarter of the glass down before she let it rest.

"Don't you have an officer locked up on DS9?" Amvent asked, one of the few bits of information his position had allowed him to glean before it was public knowledge.

"What?" Alex asked, before realizing. "Oh. Grey Horse. Yeah. Well, he got himself into this mess. If he doesn't get himself out of it by tomorrow I'll try and organize something. Otherwise.. whatever. No point having a Master-at-arms if I've only got a half-full armory and a dozen crew. I'm sure they'll loan him a runabout for the trip at any rate." She took another deep drink of her beer, and belched loudly.

Yy laughed at that, more than was polite in the circumstance. "This is nice. It reminds me of seyteen nectar." She looked at the beer glass, holding it up to the light.

There was a slight sensation of movement, and out the window, DS9 began to shift. The great Cardassian centerpiece of the Bajor system was soon gone from view, and the ship moved at impulse speed towards the wormhole.

"Is this everyone else's first time through the wormhole, too?" Alex asked, realizing she was about to have what could classify as a formative experience.

"It is. A delight to share it with you, Alex. And you, Amvent." Yy said, sipping her beer.

"Mine too." Amvent lied. He took a handful of nuts and chewed one of them.

"All hands, we are now proceeding to gamma quadrant." The speakers indicated.

The wormhole swelled and flashed, opening in a brilliant display that was vivid and awe-inspiring out the ten forward window. The Zhao passed through the event horizon, and was gone.

---

CIC - Starbase 51 - Gamma Quadrant

The USS Zhao emerged from the wormhole in a luminous crescendo of blue light and energy, which dissipated as quickly as it had appeared. The Zhao drifted across the void at sublight speed until it came into range of Starbase 51, their next port of call.

“Starbase 51 this is USS Zhao, seeking permission to dock.” The voice of a young helm officer came through to Ensign Gengall, who had taken the centre seat while Commander Rovak busied himself in his ready room.

“I, uh.. hmm.” Gengall mumbled, still slouching and despondent in the seat, in spite of the excitement of the arrival.

Gengall looked with frustration at the display on the armrest, not entirely certain which button he should press. He ummed and uhhed for a moment, until Lieutenant Vikrant looked up and whispered “Would you like me to open a channel?”

“Open a channel!” Gengall ordered, the confidence within him restored. He had not been himself since the incident with Lieutenant Nwaro, but suddenly he seemed to spring back to life.

“Your vessel is granted permission to dock at the tactically superior Starbase 51. May woe betide you should you seek to do harm.” Gengall ordered extravagantly.

“Okay.. Thanks.” The helm officer responded, not really sure what else to say.

Gengall inflated his chest proudly, warm in the glow of his own success. “Beam the crew directly to CIC!” He announced suddenly, earning a confused look from Lieutenant Vikrant, with none of the earlier sympathy of his whispered advice.

Gengall seemed strangely pleased as more than a hundred Starfleet officers beamed into the lower level of the CIC, most looking confused and disoriented. “Any senior staff present are to present themselves to the first officer. Up the stairs and on your left!” Gengall called out, leaning over the communications console, his inflated chest bumping into Lieutenant Vikrant’s head as the Lieutenant attempted with some difficulty to maintain his professionalism.

In Commander Rovak’s office, he was scanning through the last hour’s list of transfer denials, hoping to find some that would allow for an appeal against the diplomatic rejections, and at least a second look at the others. The chime on his door rang, and he called for whoever was waiting outside the cavernous room to enter.

Alex lead the trio into Rovak's office, which was much larger than the room she was expecting. "Oh, dip." She said as they crossed the space between the door and Rovak's desk.

"Dip indeed." Amvent agreed, he'd found the large CIC understandable, but this room was something more than he'd expected.

"Good afternoon, Commander." Yy announced to the Vulcan behind the desk.

"Good afternoon everyone. Thank you for coming." Rovak said, standing, and stepping around his desk to move down the stairs. He knew them from their files, and assumed that they knew him. Given that he had known Flynn for some years and the other two were telepaths or had later appointments with him, it was not a stretch. "It is agreeable to see you all here. I trust there was not too much trouble in your arrivals?"

"None I was aware of, sir. Except the waiting." Amvent responded. He was pleased to be there.

"Lieutenant Kharass has the truth of it. We were treated well aboard the Zhao." Yy added.

"We kind of ran out of time to get the master-at-arms out of jail. And by ran out of time I mean didn't try." Alex commented, in no way unhappy with her choices.

"I suppose that will have to wait for later. We have much more pressing matters than a missing master-at-arms." Rovak said. "I am sorry to rush you out, but unless there are any follow-up questions I believe there is a great deal of work to be done, for all of us. If you find yourselves without anything to do or in need of help, please contact me." It had a sense of finality to it, but Rovak felt comfortable with these three, he had selected them himself, and was fortunate enough to not have them rejected.

"Understood, sir. I'm glad to be working with you." Amvent said, sounding like more of a kiss-ass than he intended.

"Thank you, Commander." Yy said with a polite Deltan curtsy.

"I ache with joy and anticipation." Alex said with a wide smile that used no other muscles and looked very forced.

"As do I, Lieutenant. Dismissed." Rovak nodded to them and went back to his desk.

 

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