Mission Archive

Setting: Yxidii Battle Cruiser. Command Deck
Stardate: 30148.1500

"If your people are in the hands of the Akitashiinu, they are either already dead or in mortal danger," the Commanding Officer snarled not having enjoyed speaking the name of their enemy or the fact that someone else had come to get in the way of their affairs.

[/\] Well... Not exactly what I had hoped to hear. [/\]

It had been easy for the Yxidii to access the linguistic translation bank from the computer of the USS ANUBIS, this despite the layers of protection that had stood in their way.  From there it had been simple to establish a translation matrix and contact the unknown ship.  What had been far more complicated though had been to understand the nuances of the language and dealing with the odd looking creatures that appeared on their main viewer.

At first glance the race appeared almost fragile, lacking in physical stature and mass.  Their ability to construct a vessel the size that had been encountered indicated a certain level of engineering and mechanical skill, so far though there had been little to show as to the intellectual level of these alien creatures.

A simple glance towards the science station had been enough to have the Yxidii manning that station to initiate a bio-scan of the alien command deck.  It had long ago become normal procedure to scan any enemy vessel and gather as much information as possible.  In the heat of battle, knowledge could easily turn the tide and grant victory where defeat had been expected.

The data gathered was made to be displayed on the main screen, unseen by those the scan had concerned.  This permitted to pinpoint specific data to their respective sources.  A detailed listing of the atmospheric content appeared at the bottom of the screen, showing down to the atomic make up what the Yxidii would encounter should they board the alien ship.  Although different from their own, the O2 / N2 (Oxygen / Nitrogen) atmosphere would not prove harmful.  The rest of the data that appeared on the screen showed the heart-rate, respiratory frequency and bone density among other crucial details of each individual on the alien command deck.  That data had been essential to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of any potential enemy.

The attention of the Commanding Officer stopped on one set of reading which greatly differ from all others.  The creature that stood next to he one who had spoken earlier had been completely different, in fact it had not been biological at all but rather mechanical in origin.  This unexpected discovery guided the course of action that the Yxidii would follow from this point on.

"If you are having difficulties in locating your missing officers, we are ready to offer our help.  The Akitashiinu have grown increasingly more sneaky in their ways of hiding their victims from potential rescue, and although our methods may not be perfect, we do have more experience in dealing with these unnatural beasts than you," the Yxidii Commanding Officer said in a forceful yet friendly tone, not at all trying to hide his own dislike of the enemy.

[/\] Thank you very much for your offer, [/\] the Chief of Security replied with a hint of hesitation and caution.  [/\] If you will permit us, we would like to review the situation and contact you once this had been completed. [/\]

"Act as you must, but keep in mind that each second you chose to review your situation may cost your fellow shipmates their lives.  The Akitashiinu are not known for being patient, or civilized for that matter," the Yxidii said as he ended the communication with the alien vessel, not at all pleased by the reply that he had received.

Ages ago the Yxidii had leaner the hard way that diplomacy had been a tool for cowards and the weak to delay or even hinder progress.  Only once their social structure had been challenged and destroyed, to be immediately replaced by a military command structure had their society truly begun to evolve and prosper.  Within the first full solar rotation, they had reached the stars and within the next ten solar rotations of their home world the Yxidii had taken their place in the galaxy.

Dealing with races that still used the tools and methods found within the diplomatic measures had been difficult for the Yxidii who valued honesty and action over words and promises.  Still, there had been no reason to mistrust those found within the new ship at this time, so the Commanding Officer would do his best to be patient without becoming foolish.  The Akitashiinu had still been out there and could return at a moment's notice, so the battle cruiser and its crew could not afford to be distracted in the slightest way by these strange creatures and their alien ways.

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Jessica Solarik