Post by startrekfan01 on Feb 8, 2010 13:33:36 GMT -6
Chapter 1: The last days of night
Lileeta Troja lay comfortably on on the lush blue grass with her arms behind her head, relaxing under the stars glistening against the inky blue sky. Her battered leather satchel lay on the ground next to her, her instrument resting on top of it, humming contently in the Indigo-green glow of the three moons and two other planets. Various charts were scattered round her, indicating the paths of the stars, planets and meteorites in this system. She'd made them herself, it had taken a good fifteen years of her life, and she was only twenty-one. Because here on the planet Necropolis there was no time for a chlidhood, not for humans anyway, not if you wanted to survive past the age of seven. A child is nothing but extra weight if it can't look after its self. So she'd made her self useful very early on by mapping out the movement of the planets and stars, which seemed to have an effect on the life cycle of the animals on this planet, which proved useful when it came to the predators.
Finally, she'd finished them, for this night at least, for one night on Necropolis was the equivalent to 1591.4 earth nights, and she'd have to map the solar patterns of the suns during the day (1591.4 earth days) and that wouldn't be easy, especially when the fifth sun rose and the heat would be just about unbearable. So right now she was enjoying the remaining sixty-six-and-a-half hours left of the cool night time.
"Lil!" shouted a voice from the far side of the hill
"Who's shouting this close to day time?" wondered Lileeta quietly, opening her deep blue eyes.
"Lil!" shouted the voice again, it was high pitched and child like, moments later Angeli came running up to her "Hey Lil, over here!" she shouted even louder
Now alarmed at the noise this little girl was making, Lileeta jumped to her feet and clamped her hand tightly over the shorter girl's mouth and wrapped an arm tightly round her shoulders. "You trying to get us killed Venure?" she snapped in a low voice, using the girls second name out of anger, Angeli shook her head, terrified Lileeta would tell on her for yelling so close to day time "You go round here shouting like that and you'll wake the badger-fox, and they're known to be very hungry when they wake up."
"Mi'llft mop mounting mow" came Angeli's muffled voice from under Lileeta's hand. Lileeta let go of the girl, but span her round to face her, still keeping a tight grip on the girls shoulder.
"What have I told you about shunting your duties?" Lileeta scolded
"I've finished them!" she said brightly
"You're only five, you don't remember the day time, it's dangerous, we can't settle anywhere, not for more than one-hundred-and-twenty earth hours, and definitely not until we get to the Falcon. You're lucky you survived so young, but right now, in the last days of night, there is no time to play, no time to visit me, because you need to gather and carry food, if the captain sees that you are not useful he will leave you behind with the weak and sick as food for the badger-fox."
Terrified, her green eyes wide in shock, Angeli didn't move for a moment, but then she ran back down the hill, twice as fast as she had come.
Lileeta flopped back to the ground and started rolling up her maps and folding her notes back inside their binding, stowing them back inside her satchel, followed carefully by her instrument, which curled up in one of the front pockets, humming itself to sleep. With her things packed, Lileeta took one last look at the sky, observing each star individually, calculating a route inside her head, if they left in the next three-hundred-and-seventy-eight earth minuets, their path through the mountain passage would be safe.
Just as she was about the make her way back to camp and help carry as she usually would, she saw something bright and burning out of the corner of her eye, catching her attention. Lileeta's head snapped round, and her eyes followed the burning object across the sky. She knew better than to think it was a meteorite, as the rest of the people down in camp would think. It had the same shine as the Falcon, but it was allot smaller, not even a tenth of the size. The burning object crashed in the forest, sending a tremor through the ground and a strong gust of wind through the deep orange leaves of the trees. Without even thinking, Lileeta ran for the crash-site, her bare feet making little noise against the thick grass. If her theory was right, and the myths were true, there were life forms on that object.
Chapter 2 - Distress Signal
"Captain, I am receiving a video transmission from a small prison ship half a light year from our current co-ordinates." said Tuvok, as his console beeped
"On screen." said Captain Janeway, rising from her chair and standing at the centre of the platform, Chakotay standing just behind her to her right.
The image on screen was distorted by static, the form of an alien was just about visible despite it, the bridge of his ship seemed to be on fire behind him "I am Captain H'reavay of Fraepion Prison Ship 9. We're being pulled in by an..." he dived out of the way of flying sparks "... unknown force emanating from the planet know as Necropolis half a light year from you current position."
Captain Janeway, understanding that now was not the time for introductions, ordered Tom Paris to set a course for this planet. "We'll be there in a moment, try and hold your position until then"
"No," said Captain H'reavay "It is too late, most of my crew are dead, and those that aren't already will be soon, we're loosing altitude..." A console seemed to explode in front of him "But our prisoner on board, he's dangerous, and no doubt he'll survive the crash... When you get here, you need to find the prisoner and when you do, kill him, I'm sending your ship his file... along with the co-ordinates" there was a moment where they lost the picture completely for a moment "They should be..." the rest of his sentence was distorted by white noise
"Could you repeat that last sentence Captain H'reavay?"
"They... Dangerous... please..." static blurred out the image completely and white noise filled their ears.
Captain Janeway waited for a moment to see if the signal would re-establish itself, but instead the external scanners displayed an image of the space outside.
"The ship had crashed captain, on the co-ordinates of the planet he named as Necropolis."
The captain turned to Tuvok "Mr Tuvok, assemble a security team of four then meet me in transporter room 1"
"Aye Captain," he said, turning from the lift
"Chakotay, with me, Mr Paris you have the bridge" she instructed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok and a security team of four paced their way through the thick trees, keeping phaser-rifles at the ready, and trying not to be dazzled or distracted by the strange thick blue grass or canopy of deep orange leaves that were almost the size of dinner plates above their heads. Because of the unknown force the other captain had mentioned, they hadn't been able to transport straight to the crash site. It was dark and a strange Indigo-Green light shone through the gaps in the leaves and branches.
The sound of heavy breathing echoed through the trees ahead of them, the security team spread along a line at Tuvok's signal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lileeta watched the strangers in odd clothing creep through the forest, holding odd metal instruments in their hands. From her position in the tree she was hidden by the large leaves, but she could still see them, climbing expertly and soundlessly from branch to branch, tree to tree. She only followed them out of pure curiosity, they were heading towards where the object had fallen as well, although they weren't taking the safest route to it, maybe she'd intervene soon. As they got closer to the source of the heavy breathing Lileeta took her chance and moved faster ahead of them and took a position on a low branch directly above their path, taking off her satchel and tying it to the branch, then sat so she was facing away from them, securing her grip on the branch so she wouldn't fall. The leaves hid her completely, so even if they stood directly beneath her position and looked up they wouldn't be able to see her.
Taking a deep breath, she swung round so she was hanging upside down from the branch, and face-to-face with the strangers. Lileeta froze for the briefest moment, she wasn't expecting that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuvok signalled for the security team to ready their weapons as they got closer to the source of the heavy breathing. A horrid small of rotting flesh drifted from ahead of them. Without warning or more noise than the swift rustling of leaves, someone swung down from the canopy of trees, hanging upside down from a branch their arms folded across their chest, their face mere inches from Captain Janeway's.
It was a girl, late teens by the look of it, with long dark hair, some of it braided with threads and wooden beads, she wore what looked like one of the old Maquis uniforms but in dark shades of blue. There were also several woven leather bands and strings of beads round both her wrists. Her eyes were a deep blue, almost indigo and her skin was pale and seemed to glow. There was a dark Indigo crescent-moon curved round her left eye with small dots around the outer side, there were curls and spirals in the same deep Indigo colour on the right side of her neck, disappearing beneath her hair and shirt.
The security team were quick to aim their phaser-rifles at her, the girl didn't seem to notice, if she did she wasn't too bothered by it.
"Hello" said Captain Janeway calmly, this girl didn't pose an kind of threat yet
"Hello" the girl replied, almost mimicked
No one spoke, no one drew their eyes away from the Captain and the girl hanging upside down from the tree, who never broke eye contact.
"You're human," the girl observed
"Yes, I'm human" said Janeway "I am Captain Kathryn Janeway, of the Federation Starship Voyager, this is Commander Chakotay, and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok." she indicated to her left, then her right, not once taking her eyes away from the girl "What's your name?"
The girl eyed her suspiciously for a moment, but then spoke "Lileeta, Lileeta Troja"
"It's very nice to meet you Lileeta, but..."
"Why do you come this way?" asked Lileeta, in the same casual, curious tone
"A small ship crashed not far from here and..."
Lileeta cut her off again "Ship? I saw no sea-crafts, the sea is three-hundred-and-twenty earth hours walk from here."
Captain Janeway realized that this must be a pre-warp planet "It's a sort of... sky-ship, that travels the stars."
"Like yours?" asked Lileeta, the team just stared at her, shocked "Is saw it" she said, answering their un-asked questions "North-west of Jertnay, at an altitude of approximately 6000 kilometres from our outer atmospheric layer."
"How could you possibly..."
"I observe the stars throughout night and day, not a single thing can appear in that sky that I won't notice." she said
"Right," Janeway managed to say, "As for the ... sky-ship that landed here, there was a highly dangerous prisoner on board that ship and we need to capture him before he causes any trouble."
Lileeta simply stared at her for a moment "Why do you come this way?" she asked again
"I just told you." said Captain Janeway, slightly annoyed that this girl hadn't been listening to her answer
"Why do you come this way?" Lileeta asked patiently
Before Captain Janeway could say anything, Chakotay cut her off, having a different understanding of what she was asking them.
"This is the most direct route, why do you ask?"
Lileeta looked away from Janeway and straight at Chakotay "Venturing into Tiger-Vulture territory this close to first sun is not advisable, not for those who wish to return."
The security team glanced at each other anxiously, tightening their grip of their phaser-rifles.
"Is there a safer route?" asked Janeway
"Yes."
"Could you tell us where? Or put us in the right direction?"
"No." Lileeta answered bluntly, "But I could show you" she added, now casting looks from Chakotay to the Captain.
"Do you know this land well?"
"I made the only known charts." she said, although it sounded like fact, not as if she was boasting
Captain Janeway turned to Chakotay and Tuvok for their opinions, he just nodded slightly, Tuvok looked wary, as if he suspected a trap.
"Well, lead the way then." she said
Lileeta disappeared back into the tree, a moment later she dropped down from her branch, landing lightly on her toes. She was a few inches shorter than Captain Janeway, and she was barefoot, her trousers had been cut off at the knees.
"Don't get lost, many of the beasts will be waking soon, still, it would be unwise to wake any of them before hand, they aren't known for being merciful." she said, not looking back at them as she moved swiftly off in the opposite direction they'd been going in.
Lileeta Troja lay comfortably on on the lush blue grass with her arms behind her head, relaxing under the stars glistening against the inky blue sky. Her battered leather satchel lay on the ground next to her, her instrument resting on top of it, humming contently in the Indigo-green glow of the three moons and two other planets. Various charts were scattered round her, indicating the paths of the stars, planets and meteorites in this system. She'd made them herself, it had taken a good fifteen years of her life, and she was only twenty-one. Because here on the planet Necropolis there was no time for a chlidhood, not for humans anyway, not if you wanted to survive past the age of seven. A child is nothing but extra weight if it can't look after its self. So she'd made her self useful very early on by mapping out the movement of the planets and stars, which seemed to have an effect on the life cycle of the animals on this planet, which proved useful when it came to the predators.
Finally, she'd finished them, for this night at least, for one night on Necropolis was the equivalent to 1591.4 earth nights, and she'd have to map the solar patterns of the suns during the day (1591.4 earth days) and that wouldn't be easy, especially when the fifth sun rose and the heat would be just about unbearable. So right now she was enjoying the remaining sixty-six-and-a-half hours left of the cool night time.
"Lil!" shouted a voice from the far side of the hill
"Who's shouting this close to day time?" wondered Lileeta quietly, opening her deep blue eyes.
"Lil!" shouted the voice again, it was high pitched and child like, moments later Angeli came running up to her "Hey Lil, over here!" she shouted even louder
Now alarmed at the noise this little girl was making, Lileeta jumped to her feet and clamped her hand tightly over the shorter girl's mouth and wrapped an arm tightly round her shoulders. "You trying to get us killed Venure?" she snapped in a low voice, using the girls second name out of anger, Angeli shook her head, terrified Lileeta would tell on her for yelling so close to day time "You go round here shouting like that and you'll wake the badger-fox, and they're known to be very hungry when they wake up."
"Mi'llft mop mounting mow" came Angeli's muffled voice from under Lileeta's hand. Lileeta let go of the girl, but span her round to face her, still keeping a tight grip on the girls shoulder.
"What have I told you about shunting your duties?" Lileeta scolded
"I've finished them!" she said brightly
"You're only five, you don't remember the day time, it's dangerous, we can't settle anywhere, not for more than one-hundred-and-twenty earth hours, and definitely not until we get to the Falcon. You're lucky you survived so young, but right now, in the last days of night, there is no time to play, no time to visit me, because you need to gather and carry food, if the captain sees that you are not useful he will leave you behind with the weak and sick as food for the badger-fox."
Terrified, her green eyes wide in shock, Angeli didn't move for a moment, but then she ran back down the hill, twice as fast as she had come.
Lileeta flopped back to the ground and started rolling up her maps and folding her notes back inside their binding, stowing them back inside her satchel, followed carefully by her instrument, which curled up in one of the front pockets, humming itself to sleep. With her things packed, Lileeta took one last look at the sky, observing each star individually, calculating a route inside her head, if they left in the next three-hundred-and-seventy-eight earth minuets, their path through the mountain passage would be safe.
Just as she was about the make her way back to camp and help carry as she usually would, she saw something bright and burning out of the corner of her eye, catching her attention. Lileeta's head snapped round, and her eyes followed the burning object across the sky. She knew better than to think it was a meteorite, as the rest of the people down in camp would think. It had the same shine as the Falcon, but it was allot smaller, not even a tenth of the size. The burning object crashed in the forest, sending a tremor through the ground and a strong gust of wind through the deep orange leaves of the trees. Without even thinking, Lileeta ran for the crash-site, her bare feet making little noise against the thick grass. If her theory was right, and the myths were true, there were life forms on that object.
Chapter 2 - Distress Signal
"Captain, I am receiving a video transmission from a small prison ship half a light year from our current co-ordinates." said Tuvok, as his console beeped
"On screen." said Captain Janeway, rising from her chair and standing at the centre of the platform, Chakotay standing just behind her to her right.
The image on screen was distorted by static, the form of an alien was just about visible despite it, the bridge of his ship seemed to be on fire behind him "I am Captain H'reavay of Fraepion Prison Ship 9. We're being pulled in by an..." he dived out of the way of flying sparks "... unknown force emanating from the planet know as Necropolis half a light year from you current position."
Captain Janeway, understanding that now was not the time for introductions, ordered Tom Paris to set a course for this planet. "We'll be there in a moment, try and hold your position until then"
"No," said Captain H'reavay "It is too late, most of my crew are dead, and those that aren't already will be soon, we're loosing altitude..." A console seemed to explode in front of him "But our prisoner on board, he's dangerous, and no doubt he'll survive the crash... When you get here, you need to find the prisoner and when you do, kill him, I'm sending your ship his file... along with the co-ordinates" there was a moment where they lost the picture completely for a moment "They should be..." the rest of his sentence was distorted by white noise
"Could you repeat that last sentence Captain H'reavay?"
"They... Dangerous... please..." static blurred out the image completely and white noise filled their ears.
Captain Janeway waited for a moment to see if the signal would re-establish itself, but instead the external scanners displayed an image of the space outside.
"The ship had crashed captain, on the co-ordinates of the planet he named as Necropolis."
The captain turned to Tuvok "Mr Tuvok, assemble a security team of four then meet me in transporter room 1"
"Aye Captain," he said, turning from the lift
"Chakotay, with me, Mr Paris you have the bridge" she instructed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Captain Janeway, Chakotay, Tuvok and a security team of four paced their way through the thick trees, keeping phaser-rifles at the ready, and trying not to be dazzled or distracted by the strange thick blue grass or canopy of deep orange leaves that were almost the size of dinner plates above their heads. Because of the unknown force the other captain had mentioned, they hadn't been able to transport straight to the crash site. It was dark and a strange Indigo-Green light shone through the gaps in the leaves and branches.
The sound of heavy breathing echoed through the trees ahead of them, the security team spread along a line at Tuvok's signal.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lileeta watched the strangers in odd clothing creep through the forest, holding odd metal instruments in their hands. From her position in the tree she was hidden by the large leaves, but she could still see them, climbing expertly and soundlessly from branch to branch, tree to tree. She only followed them out of pure curiosity, they were heading towards where the object had fallen as well, although they weren't taking the safest route to it, maybe she'd intervene soon. As they got closer to the source of the heavy breathing Lileeta took her chance and moved faster ahead of them and took a position on a low branch directly above their path, taking off her satchel and tying it to the branch, then sat so she was facing away from them, securing her grip on the branch so she wouldn't fall. The leaves hid her completely, so even if they stood directly beneath her position and looked up they wouldn't be able to see her.
Taking a deep breath, she swung round so she was hanging upside down from the branch, and face-to-face with the strangers. Lileeta froze for the briefest moment, she wasn't expecting that.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tuvok signalled for the security team to ready their weapons as they got closer to the source of the heavy breathing. A horrid small of rotting flesh drifted from ahead of them. Without warning or more noise than the swift rustling of leaves, someone swung down from the canopy of trees, hanging upside down from a branch their arms folded across their chest, their face mere inches from Captain Janeway's.
It was a girl, late teens by the look of it, with long dark hair, some of it braided with threads and wooden beads, she wore what looked like one of the old Maquis uniforms but in dark shades of blue. There were also several woven leather bands and strings of beads round both her wrists. Her eyes were a deep blue, almost indigo and her skin was pale and seemed to glow. There was a dark Indigo crescent-moon curved round her left eye with small dots around the outer side, there were curls and spirals in the same deep Indigo colour on the right side of her neck, disappearing beneath her hair and shirt.
The security team were quick to aim their phaser-rifles at her, the girl didn't seem to notice, if she did she wasn't too bothered by it.
"Hello" said Captain Janeway calmly, this girl didn't pose an kind of threat yet
"Hello" the girl replied, almost mimicked
No one spoke, no one drew their eyes away from the Captain and the girl hanging upside down from the tree, who never broke eye contact.
"You're human," the girl observed
"Yes, I'm human" said Janeway "I am Captain Kathryn Janeway, of the Federation Starship Voyager, this is Commander Chakotay, and Lieutenant Commander Tuvok." she indicated to her left, then her right, not once taking her eyes away from the girl "What's your name?"
The girl eyed her suspiciously for a moment, but then spoke "Lileeta, Lileeta Troja"
"It's very nice to meet you Lileeta, but..."
"Why do you come this way?" asked Lileeta, in the same casual, curious tone
"A small ship crashed not far from here and..."
Lileeta cut her off again "Ship? I saw no sea-crafts, the sea is three-hundred-and-twenty earth hours walk from here."
Captain Janeway realized that this must be a pre-warp planet "It's a sort of... sky-ship, that travels the stars."
"Like yours?" asked Lileeta, the team just stared at her, shocked "Is saw it" she said, answering their un-asked questions "North-west of Jertnay, at an altitude of approximately 6000 kilometres from our outer atmospheric layer."
"How could you possibly..."
"I observe the stars throughout night and day, not a single thing can appear in that sky that I won't notice." she said
"Right," Janeway managed to say, "As for the ... sky-ship that landed here, there was a highly dangerous prisoner on board that ship and we need to capture him before he causes any trouble."
Lileeta simply stared at her for a moment "Why do you come this way?" she asked again
"I just told you." said Captain Janeway, slightly annoyed that this girl hadn't been listening to her answer
"Why do you come this way?" Lileeta asked patiently
Before Captain Janeway could say anything, Chakotay cut her off, having a different understanding of what she was asking them.
"This is the most direct route, why do you ask?"
Lileeta looked away from Janeway and straight at Chakotay "Venturing into Tiger-Vulture territory this close to first sun is not advisable, not for those who wish to return."
The security team glanced at each other anxiously, tightening their grip of their phaser-rifles.
"Is there a safer route?" asked Janeway
"Yes."
"Could you tell us where? Or put us in the right direction?"
"No." Lileeta answered bluntly, "But I could show you" she added, now casting looks from Chakotay to the Captain.
"Do you know this land well?"
"I made the only known charts." she said, although it sounded like fact, not as if she was boasting
Captain Janeway turned to Chakotay and Tuvok for their opinions, he just nodded slightly, Tuvok looked wary, as if he suspected a trap.
"Well, lead the way then." she said
Lileeta disappeared back into the tree, a moment later she dropped down from her branch, landing lightly on her toes. She was a few inches shorter than Captain Janeway, and she was barefoot, her trousers had been cut off at the knees.
"Don't get lost, many of the beasts will be waking soon, still, it would be unwise to wake any of them before hand, they aren't known for being merciful." she said, not looking back at them as she moved swiftly off in the opposite direction they'd been going in.
