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Chirakis

Black Silence

Black Silence

Some of Earth’s historians recount that in ancient times a peaceful, prosperous ethnic group called the Israelites became bond-slaves to the rulers of Egypt. It is also said that because of the abusive, barbaric treatment of their slaves, a great darkness fell upon the Egyptians, a darkness that was more than the absence of light, but a mind numbing terror wherein all manner of hateful, defiling, and degenerate spiritual beings assaulted them. In Kirel’s estimation, it was not surprising that many did not survive.

Kirel had no fear of absolute darkness. She appreciated its black silence, but some experienced the blackness of space as terrifying. Granted, there are pockets wherein the absence of light plays tricks with one’s psyche, and one can imagine all manner of unseen entities in pursuit, ready to take them to their final resting place alone, helpless, and hopeless. Or so Doctor Davis had explained. Or perhaps Kirel did not recall the explanation correctly. It did not pertain to her, so she listened “politely”, meaning that her thoughts were elsewhere while she endured the explanation as to why Ensign Cholter had “gone off the deep edge”.

Such terror did not pertain to her. The void was a place of welcome solitude. There, alone, as Drakkor slipped easily through clouds of space dust and past asteroids large and small, she relaxed in its embrace, closed her eyes, and slipped into a pilot’s rest.

Incoming signal. Identity Iomega encrypted. Insert decryption file for analysis and verification.

Kirel sat up, regarded her instrument panel for a moment, then adjusted Drakkor’s canopy settings for pilot visual. “Origin of the signal?” she said, visually scanning the area.

Small craft.

“Define small.”

Length, fifteen point one meter. Span 10.4 meters.

“Specifications.”

Atmospheric and non-atmospheric capability. Warp capable. Heavy armaments. No exterior markings. Stealth capable.

“Are weapons engaged?”

Negative.

“Passengers?”

One Romulan female.

Kirel sat back and darkened the canopy. The craft was stealth capable, yet it was not in stealth mode. No markings. The occupant apparently knows Drakkor, or at least knows its minimal signal designation.

“Using its last warp trail, calculate the craft’s most possible originating point.”

The most likely originating point of the craft is the Air & Space Technologies complex outside space claimed by the Ferengi Alliance.

“Kahless,” she muttered, then slipped in her decryption chip. Within seconds, the identification and verification appeared on her screen, but it took her a moment to process the information.

Incoming hail from unknown craft.

“Open channel.”

Channel open. Audio only. Encryption engaged.

Jolan tru, daehlen.” The soft but commanding voice of the speaker was only vaguely familiar.

“Jolan tru. To what do I owe this honor?”

Something for you, and a query as to the status of the precocious one.”

The precocious one? T’Aldani?

“The precocious one is….” She wanted to say “as precocious as ever” but refrained. “Is well. What do you have?”

Something that I must hand to you personally.”

Kirel thought a moment, then rigged her suit and the cockpit for vacuum exit and released the canopy. Two minutes later, a fighter as black as Drakkor emerged from the void and drifted close enough for physical transfer of a small container. The helmet of the fighter’s occupant appeared. Kirel stood and nodded greetings to the one she recognized as Captain Ja’lan t’Aldani of the Tal Shiar. The item transferred quickly, t’Aldani gave a cursory salute, her canopy closed, and the craft was gone.

Drakkor’s canopy closed. When the atmosphere returned to normal, Kirel released her helmet, set it aside, and removed the item from its transfer container. As though the Romulan fighter were still there, she stared into space, processing what had just happened. Then she secured the item in her locker and commanded Drakkor to continue on course to asteroid 1739G. There would be plenty of time for examination on her return flight. At the moment she had other things on her mind.

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