She had materialised here, near her rock, which is probably why she kept returning to this spot. As the transporter effect dissolved and she turned in disbelief to take in the surroundings, a small box had appeared beside her. It had contained basic survival equipment, a phaser and a portable dilithium energy converter. That was the first clue Mimps had had that the ship did not want to kill her. How easy it would have been to leave her on an inhospitable rock with nothing, or even to just beam her into the vacuum of deep space. It seemed Carolina just wanted her out of the way, and not dead. It was a small planet, the climate was mild and the wildlife abundant. Mimps had made the best of it with what she had.
“Thank the gods for Miki,” she thought as the rose pink twilight deepened and darkness began to fall, “and those Dragon Keeper survival tricks she showed me.” Her hand subconsciously caressed the dragon skin pants as she thought of her sister Miki, a half wild woman with a very strange history.
Miki lived with dragons, she had the gift of being able to communicate with the ancient creatures. She became their voice when they had to deal with others, and in return the dragons taught her many things. She had been with them when they had destroyed a slavers camp and discovered a terrified whimpering child among the ruins. The child had been unable to speak or even say her name, so Miki had given her the name Mimps and they had become sisters. Mimps did not have Miki’s talents for talking to dragons but was more attracted to the stories she heard from the scientists and visitors who came to see and study the dragons. When Mimps decided to leave the dragon’s home world to explore the stars, the dragons had created a link between the two sisters that would span the galaxies so they would always know that the other was safe.
** ** ** ** **
“Security to the bridge,” barked Kelly Heron, first officer of the Carolina, as the unknown woman strode purposefully onto the bridge.
Captain Aimhigh Seelowe rose from his command chair and turned as the woman approached him, he quickly took in her leather clothing, the shield slung over her shoulder and the sword at her side. “Miss Mikadze,” he said as calmly as he could, “Pleasure to see you again.”
Kelly Heron took a step forward and folded her arms, forcing the intruder to stop.
“You,” said the stranger pointing around Heron to the captain, “Seelowe…I have a question for you.”
Seelowe offered what he hoped was a pleasant smile, gestured with his arm and said, “Will you step into my ready room.” He moved towards the open door, “Mr Kappler you have the bridge. Commander Heron please join us.”
The leather clad stranger stood aside, hand still resting on her sword hilt, allowing the others to enter the room first.
Seelowe stood behind his desk and indicated the chair opposite him, “Please have a seat.”
“I’d rather stand,” growled the woman as she unslung her shield, slammed it forcefully onto the desk and glared into the captains eyes. “I am Miki and you have lost her, haven’t you.”
Heron tightened her grip on her phaser and moved to intervene but was stayed with a look from her captain,
Seelowe gave his shirt a nervous tug, “Ah, you mean your sister,” he tried the smile again, “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to sit down.”
Miki returned his smile with a glare, “No, I can reach you better from here,” she snarled, resting her hand meaningfully on her sword hilt.
“As you wish,” said Seelowe letting out a breath as he settled in his chair and tried to gather his thoughts. He rested his arms on the desk, clasped his hands with fingers interlaced and leaned towards the woman. “Miki,” he said quietly, “the truth is, your sister was on the Carolina during a...uh...a temporal event. We lost…” he closed his eyes briefly, “...some crew members.”
Miki leaned in a little closer to listen.
“We have reason to believe she is indeed alive. We just don’t know where…” he paused for a moment as he thought about how to phrase his next comment, “…or to be precise, we don’t know ‘when’ she is.”
Miki straighten up again and released her breath with a loud snort, “We know that,” she said derisively. “We would know if she were dead.”
“We?” questioned Seelowe.
“Me and my dragons,” said Miki matter-of-factly.
“Oh,” mouthed Seelowe, looking sideways at Heron who was suppressing a smile. “Miki, we know you have been following our ship. Perhaps you should join us on board. You would be more….comfortable.”
The woman began to pace the room, looking about as she considered the offer. “It has taken us many months to find this ship. It keeps coming and going.”
“Coming and going?” Seelowe raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, we see it and start to track it, then we can’t see it, then we see it again. I was thinking you had that ‘cloaking’ thing but even the dragons couldn’t find you anywhere. The ship just periodically vanishes.”
Captain Seelowe tapped his comm badge. “Mr Kappler.”
“Aye sir,” came the immediate response.
“Our guest indicates that we seem to be phasing in and out of time. Could you have your men look into it?”
“Aye sir, it is possible the temporal creatures we have encountered have created…for lack of a better term, waves in space-time. I’ll look into it right away,” replied Kappler.
“Miki,” said the captain, turning his attention back to the semi-wild woman who was investigating his collection of artefacts by poking them with her dagger, “we could bring your ship into our hanger and you could stay with the Carolina.”
“Oh, I will definitely stay with you now,” she said picking up an ancient ceremonial Klingon gagh bowl and sniffing it, “It was hard to catch you and I’m not letting you go any time soon.”
Seelowe rose and tugged his shirt again, “Good, good. Then it is agreed. I will arrange quarters for you and if there is anything else you need, just ask.”
“All I need,” said Miki slamming the bowl down with such force that the captain winced, “is for you to find my sister." She stepped towards him, the unsheathed dagger still in her hand. “I wasn’t happy for her to do this Starfleet stuff and I only agreed because you said you would take care of her.” They were standing toe to toe and she raised the dagger point to his chest.
Seelowe looked down at the blade and kept Heron at bay with a wave of his hand.
“Now I am here to keep you to your promise,” said Miki as she pressed the dagger harder against his chest.
Seelowe reached up and gently placed his hand over hers. “Kelly would you excuse us for a moment?” he said not taking his eyes off the woman standing in front of him.
“Aye sir,” said Heron grimly as she backed out of the room.
“Miki…” said Seelowe as he carefully lowered her hand with the blade from beneath his throat, “…I…” he swallowed, “…I…loved your sister.”
Miki continued to glare at him.
“Her loss is a very personal issue with me. One moment she was there…the next…gone.” He looked down. “You don’t realize what someone means to you until they are not there anymore.”
“It has not been easy for me either,” said Miki quietly sheathing her blade, “its like a piece missing from my life. Mimps and I have a special bond that goes beyond time and space. The dragons have made it that way. It is important for me to find her. We are both part of one.”
“We will do all we can. But I am sure, knowing her, wherever she is, she is surviving well. She is…” Seelowe allowed himself a small grin, “…a fighter.”
Miki grinned back and touched her dagger, “We both are.”
Seelowe nodded. “Having you here,” he said, “is like having a part of her here. I hope you will consider us…friends.”
Miki took a step back, “We are friends enough that I will not kill you today. But I am not Mimps. You are my friend today because you are her friend.”
“Then that is a fine start,” smiled Seelowe tugging his shirt once again.
“And I will tell you one thing, friend Seelowe,” she said as she turned to pick up her shield from his desk, “I can feel things and I can feel that there is something about this ship that is not quite right.”
** ** ** ** **
