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"Shadows of the Past"
[previous post was "Icy Darkness"]
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 31199.2145

Following the briefing everyone had returned to their stations more aware of their situation and of the urgency that they were under to get their respective ships out.  The meeting had also insured that the Sec/Tac had been far more aware of each and every shadow, that is appeared to move or not.

How had they been meant to defend against something that they could barely be aware of? How were they suppose to fight against the creeping cold fear that made their way into their head? As Ya'Han closed her eyes to calm herself, memories of shadows and the fear that they had instilled came rushing to her like a tidal wave. 

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FLASHBACK
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Sitting at the back of the dirty cargo hold, the young fugitive held her legs close to her shivering body. There had been two reasons for this posture, the first having been to help Ya`Han keep warm as there had been limited heat in the room she had been put in for the journey. The other had been to offer some level of protection from the men who had allowed her onboard.

Her need to escape quickly had been greater than her need to find safe travel arrangements. This had caused the runaway to make several hasty decisions, one of which had been to select the nearest ship over any other.  No questions had been asked by the crew and the ship had been small enough not to draw the attention of the NYLAAN or Ferengi patrols.  Truth be known, Ya`Han figured that no one would have ever expected a daughter of the High Sovereign to be inside such a rundown trade vessel.

From the moment she had stepped inside the ship Ya`Han had felt distrust towards the crew.  There had been something about the way they walked, they way they spoke, and most important the way they looked at her that had instilled that feeling.  Not having had any other alternatives for her escape though, she had been left with no other choice but to make due with her feelings.

Since this had been the first time the youngest daughter of the High Sovereign had ever felt this way, Ya`Han did her best to dismiss it as having been nothing more than childish fear.  During her travels away from her home world though Ya`Han would learn in the harshest of ways to trust that feeling more and more beyond any other.

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End of FLASHBACK
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 31199.2146

The black haired Sec/Tac closed her eyes tightly as she pushed that memory out of her mind, but that proved to be pointless as the effort only allowed for another memory to take its place.

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FLASHBACK
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The first cargo freighter had been a luxury liner when compared to the one she had found her way in this time. The floor of the hold had been so grimy and sticky that the runaway daughter of the High Sovereign had decided to stay standing.  The flickering lights and frequent severe jolts eventually made the young NYLAAN reconsider leaving to to seek refuge in a corner between two crates.

Ya'Han could not clearly identify if the shivers she felt had been due to the cold or because she had been scared. The shadows that surrounded her appeared as if they had been watching her every move, something she knew could not be.  Still she found herself cowering in the corner hoping that the journey would be a quick one to wherever they had been going.  Although she had been shivering uncontrollably Ya'Han managed to close her eyes long enough to find an uneasy sleep.

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End of FLASHBACK
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Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 31199.2147

The Sec/Tac could feel her body trembling as if she had been there once again. The memories had been vivid, so much so that Ya'Han actually found herself scared of opening her eyes.  Back on that cargo ship she had woken to find the Captain and his Ferengi First Officer looking down at her in a way that to this date still made her feel sick to her stomach.

If she opened her eyes now would they be there? Would they attack her in the same manner that they had once before? Would her lips be stained again by her own blood as they treated her as the worthless runaway that she had made herself to be?

"Ya'Han!"

The call had been stern yet caring one and the voice had been that of a woman, not of a low life freighter Captain of troll first mate.  Ya'Han opened her eyes to see the ANUBIS' First Officer standing before her, an expression of great concern looking back at the Sec/Tac.

"Relax and take a deep breath," Shar'El whispered with a reassuring smile that instantly warmed Ya'Han's to her core. "Doctor Doyanne will be back shortly with the alpha wave inhibitors. In the meantime you need to keep those memories under control."

Ya'Han softly nodded her head, thankful that Shar'El had both the ability and compassion that she had.

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Hanali Han
Ensign Ya'Han
Chief of Security / Chief Tactical Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501