And Whether Pigs Have Wings* Chirakis Kirel Kirel stood just outside her office door, her eyes narrowed and her thoughts intensely focused on surveillance screens as she watched the latest episode of As Aegis Turns unfold. She had taken her usual stance, the one that often deterred disruption: stock still, arms crossed, expression intense as her gaze darted from one screen to another. It wasn't ordinarily meant as a deterrent, though at times it served that purpose well. She was merely thinking, looking for something, but what she was looking for she hadn't a clue. But she did know that something would emerge eventually. Everything was quiet, and had been fairly quiet since the dramatic docking of USS Mason. The ship came bearing Federation investigators and as many rumors as could possibly fit on a station, and then some. Adriatic’s experience—or conspiracy, depending on how you want to spin it—seemed to absorb the thoughts of everyone involved. Thankfully, the incident had been classified, so most did not know. If we add that to Ma’ev’s destruction and her crew’s mutterings about the Lore Kings, we have the making of a blockbuster novel—novel because not many would ever believe it had happened. “Coffee, Captain?” “Thank you, no,” she replied to the ensign as she raised one hand to stroke her chin. She had too much on her mind, too many incidents to deal with… most recently, the children. Yes, the children. Their parents and guardians had aired their concerns. It was their right, of course, but were she in the same situation, she would…. No. She wouldn’t. She could not relate. She could not relate at all. The surveillance screens faded as her thoughts wandered. The danger the children posed to security as well as the danger to themselves was incalculable, especially if whomever was calling the shots aboard USS Mason saw the children lurking and took them into custody. Commander Walsh was like that. Their parents may never see them again. They would be hostages of the Federation. Was she paranoid? Perhaps she was, but it was better than the opposite, especially when the children were concerned. Annisha. Alexis. Miana. Of the three, perhaps only Annisha had experienced the dark side of life, but for the most part, the children’s lives had been fairly simple. They were well fed, clothed, educated, and protected. In short, they lived a life of innocence Kirel could not begin to imagine. The captain's first twelve years were spent in a colony of Bajoran slaves on a remote asteroid in Cardassian space. She was born there, and that she survived to the age of twelve was nothing short of a miracle. Survival meant tunneling into piles of garbage to evade drunken, marauding Cardassian slave drivers who prowled the colony for young female Bajoran slaves to... enjoy. Children and parents worked the mines by day and furnished different forms of entertainment by night. The garbage dump was not only Kirel’s refuge, it was her source of comfort, her place of rest, and her source of food—of which there was little. Her education? Apparently somewhere buried in her genes was one of survival, stealth, and cunning. She hid in musty, dark attics to eavesdrop on Cardassian overlords as they discussed life outside the colony. Through them, she learned of Cardassia, the asteroid belt, and the location of the asteroid on which she lived. By watching and listening she learned their language, their tactics, and small craft maneuvers. She practiced their combat tactics in secret. She dug metal scraps from the garbage dump and skillfully fashioned them into weapons, then stored them in an abandoned area of the mine. She hoped to escape some day. She never had the chance. The colony was discovered by a small Klingon force under the command of HoD GoragH. When GoragH saw the she slaves’ condition, he exploded in an outrage, attacked and mercilessly slaughtered the Cardassians, then freed the Bajoran slaves. Kirel survived. Her parents did not. Several years later she would be recruited by Starfleet Intelligence and eventually become what she was now: Chief of Security in charge of three highly intelligent and inquisitive children who have no idea what it is like to be held captive. Except for Annisha. She knew. “Captain?” Lt Garand’s voice drew her back to reality. Her arms dropped slowly and a deep breath followed by a long sigh tried unsuccessfully to erase the memory. She could still hear their voices, feel the dankness of the mines, and smell the dump she ate from and slept in. “Lieutenant.” She nodded. “Walk with me.” A slow pace down the corridor helped to clear her mind and focus on the situation at hand. Upon entering the conference room, she secured the door and engaged surveillance of the USS Mason’s docking area. “Just so you are aware, Lieutenant, Ensign Guidry has been permanently moved to heavy administrative duty and will not be joining your security detail, or any security detail for that matter. He was apparently ‘otherwise occupied’ when the children entered the docking area.” Garand’s jaw clenched, pulling his lips and brows into a deep frown. “Otherwise occupied, Captain?” “We won’t go into that, Lieutenant. Suffice to say that it took all my strength to not….” She stopped short of wring his neck, and chose, “...convene a court martial. I have informed his… companion’s superior. It will not happen again. Ever.” Immediately dropping the subject, she pointed at the monitor where the docking area was visible from several angles, then stepped back to study it closely. “I have studied the surveillance records, but I want you to tell me what you and your detail observed. Even the smallest bit of information is important. What did you notice? What did the detail notice? What did those who were interviewed say when they left the ship, if anything? What did they look like—their expressions, the way they walked out versus the way they walked in? Anything.” After a few hours of discussion and documentation, Garand left. Kirel mentally stacked his information next to the information gleaned from surveillance footage. What emerged was more than interesting. Curious. Actually… beyond curious. In fact, it might be the key to knowing the investigators' true purpose. ____________ *The Walrus and the Carpenter Lewis Carrol