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"Questions to be Answered"
Previous post "Not Happy At All"
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"Understanding is a three edged sword: your side, their side, and the truth."
- J. Michael Straczynski

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Setting: Moon of PI ALPHA III, Underground cave system
Stardate: 30148.1600

With the two Akitashiinu in the lead, the Native American and what had been left of the away team followed uncertain as to where they were being taken to.  Thanks to the explosion that had nearly brought the cave down on them, the ANUBIS' CO believed that there had been little to no choices available to them.  For the time being they would follow their benefactors until more information could be obtained on this conflict that they had apparently landed in the middle of.

"Are you alright Ensign Mizore?" the redheaded Engineer inquired of the Bajoran Doctor who seemed heavily preoccupied by the item strapped onto her forearm.

"I'm fine," Seska quickly answered, her attention still focused on the device.  "I just can't get this thing to work.  Would be nice for us to have a little more light, just in case," the aCMO added thinking back to the dark room they had left behind and how it would have been useful for her beacon to have actually been functioning at that time.

"Let me have a look at it," the Junior Grade Lieutenant offered with a smile as she offered her hand.  Dealing with trans-dimensional aliens had not been Sonja's strongest point; fixing broken tools and devices on the other hand had been right up the redhead's alley.  With some level of hesitation the Assistant Chief Medical Officer handed the uncooperative device to the Chief Engineer, appearing almost as if she might never see it again.

Sonja smiled, looked at the beacon from every angel, snapped it open and fetched a small pin from her pocket.  Seska watched with trepidation as the redheaded woman worked on the device in her hand, while still keeping up with the rest of the team as they followed their Captain.  A few seconds later the CEO snapped the beacon back together and pressed the *on* switch.  To the aCMO's great delight the device activated shining its light onto the head of the ship's ILO.

"Keep that light off," Shar'El stated with a distinct hint of authority.  "If we are being followed, it is to our advantage to keep any details of our current location and heading as minimal as possible."

Sonja made a face at Shar'El before she handed the device back to Seska.  "Just needed to bypass the power regulation module.  It will work but make sure not to keep it on for more than a few minutes at a time," the Engineer explained.  "The module was likely damaged at some point after our arriving in these caves, and I don't have the parts to replace it here.  As soon as we get back to the ANUBIS it will be made to be just as new."

"Engineers," Eve offered with a quiet chuckle.  "You just have to love the way they can fix pretty much anything."

"Would be nice if she could fix us a way to getting back to the ANUBIS,"  the Zaldan FCO snarled, not at all sharing the Counselor's admiration in the CEO's handy field repair work.

"Before we can get back to the ship," the Native American offered in a quasi-whispered tone as he looked back over his shoulder.  "There are a great deal of questions that need answers."

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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Conference Lounge
Stardate: 30148.1600

"There are a great deal of questions that need answers," the acting First Officer said as the four Senior Officers currently on board the ANUBIS gathered around the conference table.  As a reflex, Maya sat in her usual seat laving the chair at the head of the table, usually reserved for their Captain, empty which acted as a reminder of the absence of the CO and the rest of the senior staff.  "So far the only details we are relatively certain of are that the Akitashiinu and Yxidii are in some sort of conflict and that this conflict has led them to bringing the moon we are orbiting into another dimension."

"According to the Yxidii," the black-haired Chief of Security began, "at least what little we did get from them, the Akitashiinu are a vicious race that had captured the entire away team.  They went as far as to warn me that you might all be dead."

"It is true that the Akitashiinu imprisoned us, but they healed our wounded and later told us of equally disturbing aspects of the Yxidii," the Chief Medical Officer reported.  "While in the care of the Akitashiinu we were treated with fairness given that we were aliens with unknown intents."

"Truth is the first casualty of war," Ensign Stark sighed, the situation having become far more complicated now that they had been able to see the conflict from both sides.

"Both sides will be telling us what they want us to know and keeping the rest as far away as possible," Maya acknowledged.  "We must stay objective and keep our focus on getting the away team back to the ANUBIS.  This conflict is not ours to get involved in, and certainly not ours to take sides in.  Neutrality may be our best and only option to insure the return of Captain Morningstar and the others safe and sound."

"In the meantime though," Ya'Han continued, "I would suggest us getting as much information as possible on both races and the method used to bring the moon into this dimension.  Not only will this help us figure this conflict out a little more but it may give us the means to get the ANUBIS back to our own dimension."

"Exactly what I was thinking," the acting First Officer said as she stood from her chair.  For a brief second Maya's eyes locked on the chair at the head of the table, its emptiness filling her with sadness and fear.  The idea of her being next in line for command of the ANUBIS had actually been a less than palatable one, and she would do everything in her power to insure the return of the ship's legitimate Captain.  "Ensign Stark, you and Ensign Ya'Han will gather as much information on both the Yxidii and Akitashiinu.  Although I hope that we will not have to use this data, we will need to gather all tactical strengths and weaknesses of both races.  Doctor Doyanne and I will head to the science labs and see if we can come up with some way to pierce the interference and get a lock on our people to bring them back."

--==(/\)==--

Francois Charette

Captain Erik Morningstar
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC 18501

AND

Lt. Commander Elan Fairborn
Robotics Engineering Officer
NEW ALEXANDRIA