Subject: The Andorian Assault
From: [email-masked] (Andrew Clark)
Date: 2 Jun 92 02:44:59 GMT
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative

This is my second net-posted story about the (mis)adventures of the
_USS Endeavor_.  Comments to [email-masked].  Happy reading! 

                  The Andorian Assault

     Captain's Log, _USS Endeavor_ - Commander Lisa Tanaka 
commanding.  We have been docked at StarBase 4 for two weeks; 
most of the crew is on leave.  In our recent encounter with 
the Klingon computer-controlled battle cruiser Glorious, we
suffered extensive damage and loss of the warp nacelle.  The 
chief engineer, Lieutenant Reynolds, is supervising repairs.  
She expects completion of reattachment within six hours.  In
other news, the _USS Enterprise_ is passing through our sector
on a "routine training cruise."  Yeah, right.  Admiral Kirk
can't fit his fat ass in anything but an oversized Captain's
chair.  Oops, this is the official log.  Computer, erase log 
after the phrase "routine training cruise."  Resume.  We depart
to resume spacelane traffic patrol in two days.       

     Tanaka pressed a key on the armrest of her chair.     
"Append to Personal Log - thank you, God, for sparing the lives 
of my crew.  We were lucky to survive."  Tanaka turned off the
log and looked around the empty bridge.
     The ship was quiet - the eighty-odd crew were off raising
hell aboard the StarBase.  Only a token engineering staff and
herself remained aboard.  
     The quiet was shattered when the primary screen lit up.
     "Commander Tanaka, you had better get down here RIGHT NOW!"
Admiral Newhausen looked furious; his bald head shone with
sweat and his normally immaculate uniform was badly rumpled.  
     Tanaka barely suppressed a muttered obscenity.  Newhausen 
could break her career with an oblique comment to Commander
Starfleet.
     "What is the problem, sir?"
     "Your executive officer picked a fight with one of my 
Security teams.  Members of your crew interfered with her arrest, 
and it took phasers to stop them.  I want your crew off my StarBase
NOW!"
     "Yes, sir.  On the way."  Tanaka leapt up and ran into the
turbolift.  She stopped by her quarters long enough to pick up a
phaser before beaming over to the StarBase brig facility.
     "Are ya Commander Tanaka?" a Tellarite in security uniform 
asked in a grating accent.  She was a lieutenant. 
     "Yes.  Where is my crew?"
     "They in my cells.  Stupid."
     "What exactly happened?" Tanaka asked as she was escorted
to the appropriate row of cells.
     "An Andorian from ya crew was talking to a security patrol
when all of a sudden she up and decked one.  My security people
panicked and pulled their phasers, and your officers disarmed
them.  Your people go back to sippin drinks, and our backup stuns
'em on sight."
     Tanaka sighed when she turned the corner and peered into the
cell.  
     "Anetsky, Nguyen, and Samirez.  Ko'tanavoatoa.  Ensign Chen.
What the hell HAPPENED?"  This last was delivered in a shout that
made Ko'ta wince and the humans find reasons to avoid Tanaka's
withering glare.
     The three lieutenants looked at Ko'ta, pointedly.
     "No excuse, sir.  I take full responsibility.  A StarBase
security team made some comments, and I reacted inappropriately.
They were only defending a crew mate."  Her voice grew more
intense, signifying her appreciation of their efforts.  
     The Tellarite security officer disengaged the cell force
field.  "Admiral says for ya to recall leaves and get out of 
here."
     Tanaka nodded.  "Follow me, people."  She waited until
they were aboard the _Endeavor_ before speaking again.  The
silence made the other officers quite nervous.
     When they were safe, Tanaka called StarBase Operations
and requested a patch-in to the StarBase loudspeaker system.
     "All _USS Endeavor_ crew, shore leaves are canceled.  Report
to ship at once.  Commander Tanaka out."
     "First things first.  Ensign Chen, get the crew back to work
when they start coming aboard.  I'll talk to you later.  My
quarters, officers."
     Tanaka's quarters were sparsely furnished.  A fold-down
bed was against one wall, and a large desk/computer console took
up the other side of the room.  Unlike the other crew, she had
her own tiny bathroom attached to one side.  Rank hath its
privileges.  A melted and slightly warped piece of phaser armor
hung on the wall, mute testament to a close call with death.
     "What did the security team say?"
     Ko'ta turned even bluer.
     "The team leader was Andorian; we don't know what he said,"
Lieutenant Anetsky noted.  He wished he could raise shields to
defend against Tanaka's phaser-like eyes and photorp voice.
     "None of us speak Andorian; Lieutenant Commander Ko'ta,
translate what he said into Basic for us, would you?"  Tanaka's
voice sounded mild, but there was force behind it.
     Ko'ta struggled to say something.  Her voice was muffled.
     "He called me a vetenolaka."  Tanaka nodded, then glanced 
sharply at her executive officer.
     "What does that mean?"
     "I would strongly prefer not to say, sir."
     "I'm afraid your preferences became irrelevant when you
decked him."
     "The closest word in Basic would be 'queer.'"
     The three lieutenants looked puzzled.  So what?
     Tanaka had studied Earth history at the Academy.
     "I think I see.  Lieutenants, is it true that you only
got involved in the fight because Ko'ta was in trouble?"
     "Yes, sir," the three chorused.
     "Consider yourselves reprimanded.  Get out of my sight.
No gossip to the rest of the crew, please, or I'll tell them
why their shore leaves were inexplicably canceled."
     Three simultaneous gulps, three "yessirs," and three
lieutenants out the door an instant later.
     "Lieutenant Commander, as executive of this vessel you
are an example to the rest of the ship.  I cannot afford to
tolerate your actions.  A formal reprimand will be entered
in your record concerning this incident.
     "I know that you transferred to Starfleet from the 
Andorian Defense Forces.  I do not know why, nor do I care.
I do know that you were given the choice between transfer
and dishonorable discharge.
     "Your performance up until now has been barely adequate.  
You need to do better than that."  Tanaka paused.
     "I hate to say this, but unless you show significant
improvement over the next month I'm going to have to mark
you unsatisfactory on your next evaluation.  We both know
what would happen then.  Dismissed, Lieutenant Commander."
     "Sir, I..."
     "Dismissed."
     After Ko'ta left, Tanaka collapsed heavily on her bed.
Her stomach churned as she mentally reviewed the situation.
Ko'ta had the potential to be an excellent officer, but 
she would have to somehow resolve the problem of her exile.  
It was something no one could help her with.
     For once in her life, Tanaka was wrong.
                              
     "Prepare for warp speed."
     It was about time.  Admiral Newhausen had calmed down,
fortunately.  Tanaka now owed Captain Gerasev of the _Lexington_
a huge favor and two cases of an appropriate mind-altering
substance.  
     "Ready, sir."  The crewman at the helm nodded as she
checked her course.  It would be quite embarrassing for the
_Endeavor_, a Starfleet vessel, to ignore the traffic lanes
they were tasked to enforce.
     "Comm, notify StarBase Operations that we're out of their
hair."
     "With pleasure, sir."  Word had gotten around about the 
reasons behind the sudden cancellation of shore leave.  Ensign
Chen had blabbed.  Tanaka had chosen to not take notice of 
the fact.  Yet.
     "Full impulse out to 100 kkm, then engage warp drive.
Heading 124 mark 5."
     "Aye, sir."  Lieutenant Nguyen, the duty officer, watched 
her bridge crew as they competently performed the tasks their 
commander set.  Nguyen was at the Engineering subsystems console,
monitoring the power feeds from the new warp nacelle.
     "Purring like a cat picking feathers out of its teeth," noted
Lieutenant Reynolds on the link from Engineering.
     Tanaka smiled.  "Warp 4.  The pre-patrol party will commence
in one hour.  Minimum crew on watch."
     The bridge crew tensed.  No one wanted to be stuck with the
helm during the party.
     Ko'ta unwisely chose that moment to enter the bridge.  She
stood at the rail, blue hands gripping it as she watched
the primary screen.
     "Lieutenant Commander Ko'ta and Warrant Officer Grover will be
on duty."  Tanaka figured that Grover wouldn't mind much; he could do
his beloved programming from the bridge just as easily as from his
usual spot at Damage Control.  As for Ko'ta, Tanaka wanted to send
a clear message to the crew.  Looks on faces told Tanaka that her
message had been received.
     The turbolift doors hissed as Ko'ta left the bridge.

     Parties on the Endeavor, as always, were a blast.  Some of the
food had been replicated, but a good percentage of it had been
"liberated" from the vast StarBase supplies.  Tanaka watched from 
the sidelines as her crew ate, drank, and made merry.  She really 
didn't like parties but knew they were essential to crew morale.
Still, the food was good.  Tanaka bit into a cracker and 
swallowed.
     "...and then the Klingon flips over and lets go point-blank
with its disrupters right up our asses..."  Lieutenant Anetsky was
explaining to a new-found friend what had happened during the
Glorious incident.  His left hand held a Nyopian pastry, and he 
flipped it in his fingers as he spoke.  A glass of wine was in
the right hand, and it raced away from the pastry's assault.  
Anetsky lost control, and it tumbled out of his hand.  The glass 
bounced with a clatter, but the ale it held splashed several 
people, including Tanaka.  The front of her uniform was soaked,
and wet fabric tends to cling.  
     "Uh oh," a crewman noted as she scurried out of the line of 
fire.  Anetsky froze.
     "Sorry, Captain.  I didn't mean to..."
     "No problem.  If it hadn't been for one of the best crews in
Starfleet, that's exactly what would have happened in the battle.  
Carry on."  A few people chuckled, and Anetsky looked relieved.
     On her way to her quarters, Tanaka munched on a pastry.
These are pretty good, she thought.  Must have been from the
StarBase.  She changed tunics and decided to check on Auxiliary
Control.  It would probably be quiet down there; she hadn't
inspected it in weeks.  
     AuxCon was located near the bottom of the saucer.  It had been
designed as the ship's last defense against boarders and catastrophic
damage; thus, there was no provision for abandoning it in an 
emergency.  The only access was by turbolift.  
     "Level, please?"  The voice of the ship's computer was a 
husky baritone with an British accent.
     "AuxCon."
     "Override noted, Captain."  Now that was interesting.  Someone
had placed a security lock-out on turbolift access to AuxCon.  The 
doors hissed open before Tanaka could realize the implications.
     Tanaka blinked, as did the ten or so crewmembers in AuxCon.
The scene before her could have been taken from any Roman 
brothel.  Most were naked or nearly so, and were engaged in 
activities normally restrained to two partners and utmost privacy.
Packages of food and drink were piled on the helm console.  
     Lisa Tanaka was frankly amazed at some of the contortions
they were in.  Captain Tanaka had crew morale - and morals - to 
consider.  The room was completely silent, except for the heavy
breathing of two individuals too much involved with each other to 
notice their commanding officer's presence.
     No time to think.  Gut reaction.
     "Excuse me.  Carry on.  Remember, the party's over by 0500. 
I want this compartment inspection-ready then."
     Tanaka turned and entered the turbolift with as much dignity
as she could muster.  Her cheeks turned red instants after the 
turbolift doors closed.
     "Officer's quarters," she said.
     "Aye, Captain."  The turbolift accelerated to life.
     "Computer, reactivate security lock-out on AuxCon."
     "Aye, Captain."
     Tanaka exited the turbolift and walked towards her quarters. 
That's funny, I'm not feeling so good.  I haven't had that much to
drink.  I guess I'd better sack it in early.
     Tanaka collapsed on her bunk, not even bothering to take her
uniform off.  Only one thought made it through her mind before she
lapsed into unconsciousness.
     Something's wrong with me.

     The bridge was very quiet.  Warrant Officer Grover sat at the
sensor console, its normal displays dumped so that he could work on
one of his many programs.  His fingers danced on the keyboards;
voice input is too inefficient for programming purposes.  The 
Endeavor was only at Warp 2, cruising within the heart of Federation
space.  Earth was only three days away at top speed.  There would be -
could be - no threats that would not be detected by the navigation
computers.
     Lieutenant Commander Ko'ta was standing at the security systems
display.  She really had nothing to do; the running of the ship in
a traffic control lane was completely automated.  Regulations 
required that any Starfleet vessel have one officer "able to take 
command of the vessel upon ten seconds' notice" at all times,
even in Spacedock, and she was it for the Endeavor.
     Ko'ta decided to break the silence.  It was getting on her 
nerves, to use a human expression.
     "What are you working on?"
     Grover looked up.  His fingers were still typing away busily.
     "Trying to make the ship's special encryption a little tighter. 
Captain thinks there might be a time when the rest of Starfleet 
doesn't need to know something, and _Endeavor_ crew off-ship do."
     Ko'ta nodded, indicating that he should continue.
     "Right now, a StarBase's computers could crack this mess in about
a week.  The Captain wants a longer duration than that, but the program
has to fit in a hand-held communicator along with standard Starfleet
protocols or it's useless.  That's the difficult part."
     "I see.  Thank you."
     Grover shrugged and continued working.
     Ko'ta checked the time.  0126 hours.
     On an Andorian ship, the time would have been in Andorian 
references.  The shifts would have been designed around Andorian needs
for sleep, recreation, and exercise.  Ko'ta, like most Andorians, 
needed only six hours sleep in every thirty - they had evolved in a
hostile environment that did not encourage sleep.  Therefore, the 
Endeavor's watch schedule - 8 hours sleep in every 24 - was a constant
irritant.  
     Ko'ta mentally shrugged.  On a human ship, she didn't have to
tolerate <constant> slurs on her abilities, talents, and probable lack
of a normal sex life.  It was not normal for Andorian females to seek
out something as risky as space exploration, let alone work to attain
command rank.  Andorians were about as sexist within their own race as 
humans in the Terran 19th century AD.  
     Of course, the fact that she didn't fit in here made her life 
miserable.  Humans seemed to misunderstand what she said; Ko'ta suspected
that some were disobeying her deliberately.  The concept was difficult
to understand, and she didn't know what to do about it.  Andorian
personnel under her command would obey, no matter her status.
     As for other Andorians, Ko'ta dreaded her next meeting with one.
Every single one seemed to be able to identify her as vetenolaka.  The
word meant much more than 'queer' -- it meant a combination of deviant,
outcast, and pervert.  Unfortunately, she had earned the title.
     "Sir?"  Ko'ta looked over to Warrant Officer Grover.
     "Yes?"
     "Permission to leave the bridge?"
     "Why?"  Ko'ta didn't notice that her abruptness had angered Grover.
She wasn't very good at reading human body language.
     "To use the lavatory, sir."  Ko'ta could notice that his voice was
at a lower tone and had slightly more emphasis on the honorific -- she 
could not tell that a human would call it cold and furious.
     "Go ahead."
     "Thank you, sir," Grover muttered as he left the bridge.
     Ko'ta maintained her silent vigil for several minutes.  Grover had
not yet returned when the communications console began beeping furiously.
She looked at it and her antennae flared.  Priority One, all ships, from
StarBase 4.  Ko'ta put it on main viewer.
     It was Admiral Newhausen.  He looked grim.
     "A situation has developed on the Romulan border.  A Federation
scout was attacked by unidentified craft suspected to be Romulan.  It
was crippled by the attack and remains near the Neutral Zone.  Eastern
Fleet combat orders are being relayed through StarBase 8.
     "As you know, the Romulans have significant cloaking capabilities.
The scout reported that the Romulans were not detected before opening
fire.  This may mean that one or several Romulan vessels are in 
Federation space at this time, should the Romulans intend to break the
cease-fire agreement.
     "In response, the Klingon Empire has significantly upgraded its 
combat posture.  StarFleet Intelligence reports indicate that Klingon 
forces are massing at <screech> and <screech>.  The Klingons may 
intend to take advantage of this conflict between Romulans and 
Federation by attacking both.  All StarFleet vessels should exercise
extreme caution at this time."  The screeches indicated positions, 
which were transmitted in code and superimposed on a display.  The 
message winked out.
     "This is USS Endeavor.  Acknowledge.  Do we have specific orders?"
Ko'ta sent.  It had been a while since she had run a communications
display; it took about a minute.  The reply was quick.
     "USS Endeavor, we're putting you on StarBase sector traffic 
control.  Under the higher security conditions, all routine traffic 
approaching a StarBase must be searched for contraband or unauthorized 
weaponry.  Larger vessels are needed in the combatant role.  We'll 
have specific orders after we get in contact with _Revolution_."  Ko'ta 
knew that _Revolution_ was the command ship for this sector.  Commander 
Tanaka's direct superior was Captain Cogswell, StarFleet Operations, 
aboard USS _Revolution_. 
     Ko'ta sent a routine acknowledgement and paged the captain.
     "Captain Tanaka, message from StarBase 4.  Please report to  
the bridge."
     Thirty seconds later, there was no reply.
     "Computer, where is Captain Tanaka?"
     "Captain Tanaka is in her quarters."  Ko'ta pressed the buttons
that would give her a direct link to Tanaka's quarters and override
the intercom shut-off.
     "Captain, we have received a message from StarBase 4.  It is
urgent.  Please report to the Bridge."  Nothing.
     Ko'ta connected to Security, intending to ask them to send 
someone to check on the Captain.  No response.  Ko'ta turned on the
viewer and blinked.  Sergeant Tyrone was collapsed across his
desk, unconscious.  He was supposed to be on duty, ensuring that drunk 
crew didn't get into trouble.  Starfleet Marines were specialists at
dealing with drunks.
     Ko'ta jogged over to the security systems display and initiated an
internal security scan.  Except for a small group in AuxCon, two crew 
in the port cargo bay, and one person in the Bridge head, everyone was 
unconscious.  She switched to interior views and saw that they had 
collapsed, many with food still in their hands.
     Ko'ta activated Yellow Alert.  The siren would normally be
enough to wake the dead, but it had no effect on the figures displayed
on the monitors.
     "This is AuxCon here.  What the hell is going on?"
     Several nude humans were standing in front of the AuxCon screen.
Ko'ta wasn't embarrassed; different standards apply to different 
species -- one lesson she had learned well.
     "A number of the crew have collapsed.  I suspect poisoning.  Have
any of you eaten the food from StarBase 4?"
     The humans looked at each other.  Most were in the process of
dressing rapidly.
     "No, sir."  The food packages were happily unopened.
     Lieutenant Nguyen, having dressed the fastest, walked towards the 
turbolift and ran into its closed doors.  She tried to open it from a 
console, and swore loudly in Vietnamese when it would not budge.
     "Computer, drop security lockout."
     "Security lockout established by Captain.  Unable to override," 
the computer announced cheerfully.
     "The Captain accidentally crashed our own lockout and must have
reestablished it personally.  She didn't think that we would be unable
to override it."
     "The Captain is unconscious."  Ko'ta looked at the screen and 
swore.  Only one person on the ship might be able to handle this.
     "Warrant Officer Grover to the Bridge, now!" Ko'ta snapped on
ship wide intercom.  An instant later, Grover stumbled in, pulling
up his uniform trousers in the process.
     "What the..."
     "We have an emergency.  Most of the crew is down from food
poisoning, including the medical staff.  Almost all of the
unaffected people are trapped in AuxCon by an inadvertent security
lockout.  I'm ordering you to break it."
     Grover sank into a chair, configured his console for hacking,
and began to work on the problem.  He loved a challenge; he had made
his own modifications to the Security protocols.  Problem now was
breaking his own creations, since he had forgotten to leave a back
door.  Wouldn't forget to do that next time, of course.
     Ko'ta glanced at the Internal Security display, and saw flashing
red.  She leaped in front of it and started figuring out why.
     The two beings who were in the port cargo bay had blown the
locked cargo doors and were headed aft for Engineering.  Ko'ta 
activated Intruder Alert and activated three emergency bulkheads.
The red-painted emergency barriers sealed off the corridors, trapping
the hostiles between the starboard transport nexus and the starboard 
recreation facility.  She tried to activate a viewer, but the visual
sensors in that area had been destroyed by the intruders.
     Ko'ta reached under the Internal Security display, tapped five
keys on a concealed pad, and grabbed a phaser as the safe hissed
open.  She tossed another to Grover and put a third in her belt 
before closing it and changing the combination, just in case.
     "AuxCon, check your internal security display."
     "Shit," echoed a petty officer as he sat at the Internal 
Security console.  "Sir, recommend <immediate> command transfer to
AuxCon."
     Ko'ta nodded.  It was a logical precaution.
     "Lieutenant Nguyen, command transfer in five, four, three, two,
one, now."  Lieutenant Nguyen nodded and pressed a key on the AuxCon
command chair just as Ko'ta turned a switch disguised as a button.
     "Transfer acknowledged, sir.  Orders?"
     "Head for StarBase 4 at once.  Notify them we have a medical 
emergency aboard and a possible security emergency.  Fastest safe
speed."
     Lieutenant Nguyen's helm officer looked up.  She did not look
very pleased.  Behind her, other crewmembers were getting out
phasers or turning on consoles.
     "Without an Engineering staff online, we don't dare risk 
anything above Warp 5."
     "Very well.  Try not to inform the StarBase command staff.
I suggest you reach the Medical and Security departments aboard the
StarBase directly, and make arrangements with traffic control for 
a priority docking.  The Captain may not be pleased if she wakes up
without a command."
     "Aye, sir."  
     "I am going below to eliminate the security threat.  If I am
captured or disabled, Lieutenant Nguyen is in command."
     "Yes, sir.  ETA to StarBase 4 is forty-three minutes."
     "Bridge out."  Ko'ta killed the screen and turned to Grover.
     "After I leave the bridge, execute a security lock-out.  If the
intruders get by me, it should stop them."
     "Aye, sir."
     Ko'ta entered the turbolift and the doors hissed shut 
automatically.  She snapped open the control panel and took the
turbolift off computer control.  Using manual commands, she moved the
lift to the starboard transport nexus.
     In this case, "nexus" was a fancy word for stairwell.  During 
one counter-intruder exercise, the Starfleet Marines acting as the
enemy had gone all-out to seize what they thought must be a 
transporter room.  No such luck; the nexus was a combination of ramps,
ladders, and turbolift entrances that could handle high-speed cargo
transfer and remain defensible from armed attack.  The combination
could be quite confusing at first, but was easy to use after some
practice.  Ko'ta hoped it would confuse the intruders.
     Phaser set on maximum stun, Ko'ta charged around a corner and
found herself facing an emergency bulkhead.  She snapped open her
communicator while her antennae waved back and forth.  Nervous
tension.
     "AuxCon, have the intruders moved?"
     "No, sir."
     "Close the bulkheads behind me and get ready to raise this one."
Ko'ta knew that the people in AuxCon could see exactly where she was.
     "Ready, sir."
     "Execute."
     The bulkhead slammed open and Ko'ta saw a black shape just as
she fired.  The shape slumped to the floor unconscious, and Ko'ta
shot it again for good measure.  Humanoid, dressed in Starfleet
uniform, also armed with a phaser.  Ko'ta kicked the phaser away.
     <BOOM>
     Ko'ta spun in pain.  Her antennae had been on maximum 
sensitivity, and the blast of air created by the explosion made her
reel in agony.  A human would not have been affected, Ko'ta cursed
mentally as she staggered to her feet.
     The communicator said something, but Ko'ta could not understand
it at the moment.  She could not hear a thing, nor would she for
several hours.
     Ko'ta threw herself around the corner and saw that the intruder
had breached the bulkhead leading to officer's quarters.  From the
damage, it looked like some sort of shaped charge had been used.
     "AuxCon," Ko'ta shouted, confirming the crew's suspicion that
she was now unable to hear.  "Use your own discretion in sealing off
sections.  Hostile is now headed towards officer's quarters."
     Ko'ta heard no reply, nor did she expect to.  In fact, her
hearing might be permanently damaged.  The Andorian mentally 
shrugged.  Not like it mattered much.
     Ko'ta moved down the corridor cautiously.  It was one-on-one
now; she did not have the advantage of help from AuxCon anymore.
The hostile probably had a gas mask, but she did not.  That made
the intruder control system useless.
     The door to Commander Tanaka's quarters was open.  Ko'ta 
tucked her spare phaser behind her back and stuck one eye across
the threshold, jerking it back just before the flash of light 
enveloped the compartment.  The phaser had been set on vaporize;
part of the corridor wall opposite the door had been disintegrated.
     The hostile was lying on the floor in the center of the 
compartment.  Tanaka's body lay in front of him, acting as a 
shield against phaser fire.
     There could be no negotiation.  Ko'ta smiled as she set her 
phaser to overload.  If she didn't disarm it in time, so what?  Her 
life didn't mean much, and quite frankly neither did Tanaka's.  She 
tossed the phaser into the room, drew the spare, and dived in a 
moment later.
     The flabbergasted hostile had dived for the overloaded phaser
as it hit the floor.  Ko'ta stunned him with extreme prejudice, then
stepped over his unconscious body and threw his phaser out of the
room.  She disarmed the overloaded phaser, then looked down and 
checked her own phaser setting.  Light stun.    
     Ko'ta found herself flying into the wall, propelled there by
a sudden grab and twist of her ankle.  Her phaser flew across the 
room and skittered underneath the desk console.  She pulled herself 
into a fighting crouch as the hostile stood.  For the first time, she 
got a good look at him.  The smell was overpoweringly familiar, and 
Ko'ta understood why the stun hadn't been very effective.
     Lean, muscular, handsome.  It almost took her breath away to
see an Andorian male after so long.  He wore fabric covers over his
antennae; humans jokingly referred to them as "earmuffs."  He 
appeared to laugh as he brought his own weapon up.
     Ko'ta brought up one foot and kicked it away.  The enemy
Andorian looked surprised and said something.  Ko'ta did not hear
his words and had never heard of "reading lips."
     He scowled and grabbed Tanaka by the hair.  Ko'ta charged him
expertly, bringing one hand up to feint at his antennae while the
other slammed into the vulnerable nerve plexus where the human
belly button would be.  He appeared displeased and dropped Tanaka, 
her head hitting the floor silently.  
     Ko'ta had had enough.  She kicked him below the knee and
grimaced savagely as the kneecap shattered.  Taking his head in
her hands, she grabbed his antennae and ripped them out by the 
roots.  He went into convulsions and began spewing the contents of
his digestive system from both ends.  A honorable fighter did not
strike the antennae; it was the Andorian moral equivalent of
kicking someone in the testicles.  The damage was usually fatal, 
however.  He finally slumped to the floor across Tanaka's body.
     Ko'ta picked up the corpse and dragged it out the door.  
After making sure that Tanaka had a clear airway, Ko'ta walked 
to a intercom and activated it.
     "AuxCon, I..."
     There wasn't anything to say.  She couldn't give orders
since she would be unable to hear the reply.  Ko'ta stood there
helplessly until a petty officer came to get her.  He was carrying
a report pad and a pen.  Good thinking.
     "The AuxCon lockout has been broken?"
     YES, SIR.
     "Hostiles secured?"     
     TWO PEOPLE DOING THAT NOW.  COME THIS WAY, PLEASE, SIR.
     Ko'ta walked with him down the corridor.  
     "ETA to StarBase?"
     THIRTY MINUTES.
     It had seemed like a lifetime since she had left the Bridge.
     "Any information on the food poisoning?"
     STARBASE ID'D AS DELIBERATE.  SHOULD BE NO ILL EFFECTS.  
TREATMENT UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW.  ARE YOU INJURED, SIR?
     "No, other than my hearing."
     SIR, IF YOU EXCUSE ME SAYING SO, YOU LOOK LIKE SHIT.  LET
ME ESCORT YOU TO SICKBAY.
     Ko'ta nodded.
     Sickbay was chaotic.  Nine people were trying to take care of
over sixty fellow crew members.  No one had any medical experience
beyond the emergency trauma stuff taught back in basic training.  One 
wall screen showed obviously frustrated StarBase medical staff 
trying to communicate with the medically illiterate _Endeavor_ crew.
     "Who has the conn?"
     WARRANT OFFICER GROVER, SIR.  THE STARBASE MED PEOPLE SAY FOR
YOU TO LIE DOWN AND PUT "EARMUFFS" OVER YOUR ANTENNAE.  HOPE IT
DOESN'T HURT TOO BAD, SIR.
     "I'm fine."  It wasn't exactly a lie.  Ko'ta had felt much 
worse during her life.  She was suffering from nausea and 
dizziness, not to mention a literally blinding headache.  It was
just physical, as opposed to emotional.  That's the deep-down pain
that really causes problems.
     "Tell Lieutenant Nguyen she is in temporary command.  I can't 
take charge under these circumstances."
     ALREADY DONE, SIR.  WE FIGURED THAT DEAF COUNTED AS DISABLED,
BEGGING YOUR PARDON, SIR.
     Ko'ta nodded and tuned out for forty minutes.  When she woke
up, a StarBase medical team was loading her onto a gurney. 
     "I can walk."
     A StarBase orderly held up a pad.
     WE KNOW, SIR.  IT'S ALL RIGHT.  LIE STILL, PLEASE.
     Ko'ta decided not to cause a fuss.  She was carried off ship
as just one in a long line of stretchers.  Ko'ta saw Admiral
Newhausen in a corridor aboard the StarBase and pretended 
unconsciousness immediately.
     A few minutes later the stretcher was set down.  A StarBase
medical doctor ran a scanner over her antennae.  Ko'ta heard a
high-pitched screech and was relieved.  The loss would not be
permanent.  In fact, a few passes of an electromagnetic field
rectifier restored her hearing and relieved much of the nausea.
     Ko'ta opened her eyes and looked up.  The doctor was an
Andorian, and she instinctively tensed.
     "Lieutenant Commander Ko'ta, I'm Doctor Pydoquoda," she
said in Andorian.
     "Pleased to meet you, Doctor.  Forgive my accent, I'm
rusty," Ko'ta replied in the same language.  To human ears, 
the exchange was a combination of clicks, slight hisses, and
a jumble of consonants and vowels.
     Pydoquoda continued in Basic.  
     "Don't worry about it.  Your hearing will be fine, 
vetenolaka."
     Ko'ta stood in one smooth motion and reached for a phaser
that was not in its holster.  Lacking that option, Ko'ta fluently
and roundly exhausted her store of deadly insults and invited
Pydoquoda to engage in a very unfriendly unarmed combat match.
As her finale, she offered to rip out his antennae by the roots.  
The whole tirade took perhaps ten seconds and was incomprehensible
to the humans in the room.  A rough rendering of the ending would 
read like this:
     "I ripped out a pair of antennae half an hour ago, and the
sweet crunch of nerves separating from the brain and sending
out their futile messages of agony was quite enjoyable.  I'm
feeling the need to enjoy that sweet music once again, but this
time I'd like to taste them as well."
     Pydoquoda stood transfixed in horrid fascination, then 
dropped his medical instruments and <ran> for the door.
     Ko'ta smiled in Andorian fashion, but her abused antennae
ached as they vibrated gently.
     "What did you say to him?" a human ensign asked.
     "You don't want to know.  I need to speak with my commanding
officer."
     "Right this way, sir."  
     Tanaka was sitting up in bed by now, wondering exactly what
happened.  Ko'ta filled her in as best she was able.
     "Newhausen will have my ass chopped, shredded, and turned 
into Nyopian coleslaw for this one!"  Tanaka was very displeased,
but mainly with herself.  Her ship, her responsibility.
     Lieutenant Nguyen stepped in.
     "Can you hear me, Lieutenant Commander?"
     "Yes," Ko'ta replied.
     "Sirs, Admiral Newhausen has had an accident.  He apparently
fell off a ladder while searching one of the StarBase cargo bays.
The head StarBase doctor informs us that he has suffered a mild
case of amnesia that will last for two hours more, and strongly
urges us to get away from this StarBase while he is unconscious."
     Tanaka gulped, and Ko'ta helped her get out of bed and start
walking towards a turbolift.  Other _Endeavor_ crew were dragging
themselves out of Sickbay and back to their ship.
     "I think we can get out of this mess, sirs.  A skeleton crew
is aboard ship now, and what's left of the stowaways has been 
handed over to StarFleet Intelligence.  I have been assured by
StarBase Medical, Security, and Intelligence departments that they
will not choose to inform Admiral Newhausen of this new 
development."  The turbolift arrived, and the three officers
clambered in with several _Endeavor_ crew.  The lift took them to
a transporter, and the group beamed into the ship's only
transporter room.  The officers commandeered a turbolift and
went straight to the bridge.  It was empty except for them.
     "Sir, we're a little shorthanded.  Do you think you could 
take the conn?"
     Tanaka collapsed in her chair.
     "AuxCon, transfer command in five, four, three, two, one, now."
     Ko'ta sat down at the helm console and plotted a Warp 5 
course that would get _Endeavor_ out of StarBase scanning range
by the time Admiral Newhausen regained consciousness.  It would also
put them across one of the traffic lanes leading to StarBase 4.
Duty first, of course.
     "How did this happen, Lieutenant?"
     "The two agents were deep-cover agents aboard the StarBase,
although we don't know exactly who they were working for.  They
poisoned the party supplies that we 'requested' from Supply,
knowing that we would go and steal them when our request was 
denied.  The two snuck aboard in the confusion of undocking and
hid in the starboard cargo bay.
     "Based on the equipment they were carrying, they had planned
to capture the ship.  They would have succeeded except for two
things; they didn't realize how horny _Endeavor_ crew are."
     Ko'ta turned slightly blue as Tanaka turned slightly red.
     "And they didn't count on one Andorian executive officer.
By the way, sir, the poison that knocked us unconscious would have
killed you in minutes."
     Ko'ta shuddered.  Tanaka broke the sudden silence.
     "So the saboteurs may have been Klingon agents?  This does not
bode well.  Maybe it's revenge for the _Glorious_ incident?"
     Ko'ta spoke up.
     "Perhaps the Klingons thought we had some new trick up our
sleeves.  How else could we have destroyed a Klingon battle
cruiser?  At least to the Klingon mind, sir."
     "Quite possible.  As it is, we're going to be stuck on 
contraband patrol for quite a while.  Unless there's a shooting war,
of course."
     No one in their right minds would want that.  Tanaka didn't 
think that Kirk even <had> a mind, so he would probably be pro-war.
     "Everyone aboard," reported Sergeant Tyrone over the intercom.  
One of the first to regain consciousness, he had made himself 
responsible for making sure that no one was left behind.  His
superior, Warrant Officer Baruch, was still out cold.  Gastronomes
and food poisoning do not mix amicably.  
     "Let's get out of here," gasped Tanaka.
     Ko'ta complied.  After using impulse drive to go 100 kkm out, 
_Endeavor_ went to Warp 5 and raced for safety like a Tiberian bat 
running from a bloodwing.
     "Whew."  The feeling was doubtless echoed ship wide.
     "Lieutenant Nguyen, you would be in for a major citation
if we could ever report this incident.  Unfortunately, Newhausen
has to sign off on awards.  I'll have to think up some other way
to reward you for a fantastic job.  I may even get to keep my
career."
     "Thank you.  It was Lieutenant Commander Ko'tanavoatoa's
idea, sir."  Nguyen's tongue tripped over the long name, but it
was obvious to both Ko'ta and Tanaka that Nguyen had put effort
into trying to pronounce an approximation of Ko'ta's full name.
Ko'ta felt a little happier than before, when she was sure that
Nguyen was going to take all the credit.
     Tanaka swiveled her head to look at Ko'ta in amazement.
     "It was <your> idea to avoid letting Newhausen know?"
     "My idea, but Lieutenant Nguyen implemented it.  She did
the hard work, sir, and deserves the credit."
     Tanaka thought of something and frowned.  She pressed a key
that shut off the automatic bridge recorder.
     "Answer this honestly, Lieutenant.  Did you arrange
Newhausen's fall in the cargo area?"
     "Most heinously, sir.  It was the Medical section that 
arranged for the temporary amnesia.  Apparently, he was about
to run a surprise inspection of the StarBase Sickbay when a 
sensor report about us interrupted him.  A little inter-service
collaboration never hurts, especially when it saves a Chief
Medical Officer and a Commander from finding new careers in the
food service industry."
     Tanaka laughed for several seconds, paused, and began laughing 
again.
     "Assault on a flag officer, kidnaping, tampering with his
mind... those are all felony court-marital offenses!"
     "Sir."  Nguyen tried to look hurt but failed.  Her grin spoiled
the effect.
     "Congratulations are in order.  Who else knows?"
     "Two Medical staff on the StarBase, Petty Officer Fletcher, and
now you two.  That's it."
     "Keep it that way, forever."  Tanaka switched the bridge
recorder back on.            
     "I need to speak with the Exec alone.  Get one of the other
watch officers conscious and turn the mess over to him."
     "Lieutenant Anetsky has the bag."
     "Whatever.  Dismissed."  Nguyen turned and left.
     "Ko'ta, I don't speak Andorian.  However, I do know the most
violent curses.  Why did you exhaust all of them at that Sickbay
doctor?  I heard you through a closed door; the entire crew will
know by tomorrow."
     "Sir, the doctor was Andorian.  He..."
     "Struck you?  Slapped you?  Pulled a phaser on you?  Made a
lewd sexual advance?  Stroked one of your antennae?"  This last
made Ko'ta turn slightly blue.  Antennae are highly intimate organs;
to allow another to touch them is an overtly sexual act.
     "In a way.  The doctor was treating my hearing loss, then
told me I was a queer after he was done."
     "I see.  You didn't hit him, at least.  Considering the 
circumstances, it's nothing to worry about."
     Ko'ta nodded, very slowly.
     "What happened to your hearing?"
     "The Andorian intruder used a shaped charge to blow a bulkhead.
He was wearing earmuffs, I was not."
     Tanaka winced.
     "Painful?"
     "Not really, I just couldn't hear."
     "Permanent?"
     "No, I hope.  The diagnosis was by that doctor."
     Tanaka growled and strolled over to the communications board.
     "StarBase 4 Medical section, I'd like to speak to..."  Tanaka 
turned to Ko'ta.
     "Doctor Pydoquoda."
     "Doctor Pydoquoda, now.  It is urgent.  Hello, Doctor.  This 
is Commander Tanaka, USS _Endeavor_."
     "Yes, Commander, what can I do for you?"
     "You can give me a precise and professional medical opinion 
about the medical condition of Lieutenant Commander Ko'tanavoatoa.
Everything you say is being recorded and may be used against you
in a court-martial proceeding if necessary.  Do you understand 
this statement?"
     Pydoquoda let out a short cheep that Ko'ta understood as 
"!@$%."  Unfortunately, it was only an audio link.  She would have
loved to see his face.
     "Yes, sir.  Lieutenant Commander Ko'tanavoatoa is in 
excellent physical condition.  Her sinister and dexter antennae
suffered a mild concussion caused by an air-carried shockwave.
The condition is common in combat situations if an Andorian is
not wearing hearing protection.  In this particular case, the
individual will cease to suffer symptoms approximating nausea
and dizziness within the hour.  Temporary loss of hearing and
headaches will continue for several days but should not 
interfere with normal duty functions.  I did not run a full-body
medical diagnostic, so I cannot speak to other aspects of the
subject's condition.  Ko'tanavoatoa should recover full hearing
within six days.  I am quite confident that she will not suffer
any hearing loss, but this incident should be recorded for
review by a specialist at the time of her next physical."
     "Thank you, Doctor."  Tanaka cut the link.
     "Thank you, sir."  Ko'ta felt very relieved.  It was something
she hadn't thought of during her blind rage at the doctor.
     "Now, let's see what you didn't hear while your hearing was
out."  Tanaka entered a security code and ran quickly through 
the internal security records showing Ko'ta's actions.  
    
AuxCon -- "Sir, he blew the bulkhead leading to officer's quarters.
          The Captain is in her quarters.  Can you hear me, sir?"

Ko'ta  -- "AuxCon, use your own discretion in sealing off sections.
          Hostile is now headed toward officer's quarters."

AuxCon -- "If you can hear us, sir, he went into the Captain's
          quarters.  We have audio in there but no visual pickup." 

     Tanaka blinked.  Privacy has its disadvantages.

AuxCon -- "Shit.  How long until we can get that door open?"

Bridge -- "Working on it, maybe three minutes."

AuxCon -- "Step on it, Grover, or the Captain finds out about
          your interactive porno video games!"

     Tanaka laughed.  Now I know anyway.  Wonder if they're any good.

audio  -- "BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP"

AuxCon -- "Ko'ta overloaded a phaser.  Crazy Andorian!  She might 
          blow starboard pressurization that close to the shuttle bay!"

     Tanaka's face turned white.  She looked at Ko'ta and quickly
glanced away.  Bloodthirsty move.  Ko'ta must have been really pissed.

audio  -- "jejejejagjehveteno..."

     "Computer, enhance and translate into Human Basic.  Back point 2."

audio  -- "Not you again, pervert.  Time for revenge." 

audio  -- "<obscenity>!  Back off, crazy woman, or your Captain dies!"

     "I'm still here and you're not," Tanaka murmured as she paused
the recording.  "Ko'ta, where did you run into him before?"  
     "StarBase security officer.  The one I struck."
     "I see."  Tanaka pressed the pause key again.         

audio  -- "Aaaaargh!  AAAAHHHHHH!  AAAAHHHHHH!"      

     Tanaka winced.  Now she understood exactly why Ko'ta was so
protective of her antennae.       

Ko'ta  -- "AuxCon, I..."
  
AuxCon -- "Damn, Ko'ta, way to go!  She can't hear us, damn it.
          Grover, do you have the override yet?"
 
Grover -- "Now!"

AuxCon -- "Finally.  We need to get those bad guys secured..."

     Tanaka shut off the playback.
     "Impressive, Lieutenant Commander.  Very impressive."
     "Thank you, sir."
     "In fact, that was downright heroic.  I can't put you in for
a citation, but I greatly appreciate it.  You literally saved my
life.  One comment, though.  Why did you set the phaser on overload?"
     "Sir, if I didn't stop him he was going to destroy or capture
the ship.  If I had lost he would have killed us both.  If the
phaser went off, we would have taken him with us and prevented the
takeover of the ship."
     "Good thinking.  One thing that should be clarified; this does
not resolve the issue of your previous performance.  You're still 
going to have to work damned hard to stay on this ship."  
     Ko'ta nodded, slowly.  Her antennae were beginning to droop.
     "Right now, you need to get some rest.  I was looking at the
time and I realized you've been up for about thirty-five hours now.  
When you wake up, report to me.  Feel free to sleep in if you want."
     "Yes, sir."  Ko'ta smiled in the human fashion and left the
bridge.  She had a lot to think about.
     Ko'ta took the turbolift to officer's quarters and walked down
the corridor.  A repair crew was working on the damaged bulkhead as
she passed.  As usual, Ko'ta heard their whispers clearly.
     "Did you hear what she did?"
     Ko'ta stopped when she was around the corner and listened to
the repair crew's chatter.  
     "Yeah, ripped out an Andorian intruder's antennae and ATE them."
     "Not that.  Yeah, that too.  But she threw an overloaded phaser
into the Captain's quarters to distract the guy!"
     "Damn!  Ruthless."
     "You heard about what happened on StarBase, right?"     
     "About that Andorian security officer?  The one who cost us all
two days of shore leave by filing a false report or something."
     What?  Ko'ta thought that everyone would know that the mess was
all her fault.  Tanaka let me off the hook again?  
     "No, about the Andorian doctor.  He gave Ko'ta some crap and
she read him the riot act.  Fletcher says that the doctor ran like a 
bat out of hell."
     "Maybe she's got some Klingon blood?  Hey, it's possible."
     Ko'ta grimaced.  Klingon?  Klingon!  I <don't> think so.
     "No way.  Andorians don't have those kind of reproductive
organs."  
     "How do they do it then?"
     None of your business; let's just say humans and Andorians
are sexually incompatible and leave it at that.  I know from 
experience.
     "Damned if I know.  It's probably in the ship's library."
     "Hell, doesn't matter.  At least we have an Exec to be
proud of.  How would you like having a Vulcan as XO?"
     "Never.  My older sister served on _Enterprise_.  She said 
that half the women on the ship were throwing themselves at him, 
and the other half avoided him like the plague."
     "Which half was your sis in?"
     "Let's just say my nephew's ears have a bit of a point to
them."  The repair crew laughed.      
     "Here, help me with this weld."
     Ko'ta walked a dozen paces to her quarters and entered.  The
small, cramped space only had one luxury -- it was hers and hers 
alone.  She set the audio to the human equivalent of "white noise,"
turned down the lights, and collapsed on her bunk.
     Sleep struck before she had time to think.  There would be
enough time for that in a few hours.        
     The intercom buzzed Ko'ta out of her slumber an indefinite
time later.
     "Exec to the bridge.  _Enterprise_ is in distress; she's all
but crippled and has many casualties aboard.  We're enroute, Warp
8."  Ko'ta pulled herself to her feet and staggered in the general
direction of the door.
     "So what?  Never mind, I'm on the way."  

Written by Andrew Clark ([email-masked])
This story is placed in the public domain.  Star Trek characters and
the Star Trek universe are the property of Paramount Pictures
Corporation and are used for entertainment purposes only.  Please do
not remove this notice from electronic or physical copies. 
-- 
Andrew Clark - [email-masked] - My ignorance is my own fault. 
Macs are to computing what television is to journalism. | Bad cop!         
We have virtual reality today; George Bush lives in it. | No donut!