Minus 13 and Counting

by Mr. David R. Dorrycott

<Trans-Reality. Anomaly. Detected.> Kalith announced.

Snowaters looked up from her position, half buried in sand by her daughters. "What's so important about this one 'Lith" she asked, sputtering as Dawn carefully poured half a bucket of wet sand over her head.

<Appears. To Be. Controlled Access Tunnel.> the Silicon ball replied from its current hiding place, somewhere in the Diamond's greenhouse.

"Ah, I see" she said, wiping sand from her face as she stood. "I'm sorry children, duty calls."

"Who dutty, she purrtie like mama Aries?" Eve asked.

Snowaters just laughed, picking the almost three year old up and spinning her around. "Not she little one, It. Duty is... well it's when you have to do something when you'd rather be doing something else."

"Dutty no play?" Dawn asked, her eyes in the wide innocent puppy look both girls had learned could melt their mothers heart.

She sat Eve down, leaning over to wiggle Dawn's nose. "Dutty no play" she giggled. "You two play and listen to Nanny Yuki understand?"

Both girls glanced at each other, then smiled. "Hokay" they chimed. "We play."

Shaking her head Snowaters exited the SRVR chamber, leaving the pseudo-sand behind her.

<They Will. Cause Yuki No. End Of Problems.> Kalith observed.

Laughing Snowaters entered the bridge. "Would they be children if they didn't?" she asked.

<I Have No. Experience In. Such. Matters.> came the answer.

"At your age? Aww 'Lith, I'm disappointed." Settling herself into the, in her human form, too large Captains chair she studied the readouts. "About three hours from our present position. Looks kinda strange but then, this is the Brawl universe we're talking about."

<Threat Level. Moderate-Three. Remember. The Children.> cautioned the alien.

"Safe enough 'lith" Snowy muttered, staring at a picture the probe Kalith had sent out was relaying back. "Not scanning, just passive?" she asked.

<Affirmed. Probe Undetectable. At Bases Current. Alert Level.>

“Meaning if they were looking, they would find it.... All-right. Bring the probe back in. I'll change into something more.... suitable" she decided. "Pop us in just outside the range of their alert weapons. Standard control, search & shutdown routine. Lets see what their up too."

<Affirmed. Three Hours. One Minute. To Engagement.>

Lieutenant Dodo nearly had a heart attack when the ship suddenly appeared. One microsecond everything was in the green, no ships scheduled for arrival or departure for the next two hours. The next microsecond a ship was there, her bow facing Dodo's scanners, hovering just outside his alert weapons effective range. Alarms screamed red on his board, facing shields suddenly powered down, his alert weapons started hunting random sections of space AWAY from the ship and the computer core was being accessed. To say the Security Officer alerted everyone to the ships presence would be... a bit of... an understatement. His scream left everyone holding their ears.

Captain Cinnamon Crisco had just been leaving for lunch, caught between the turbo-lift doors she spun, her jaw dropping at the scene her main screen was showing. "What the $%^@ is that thing" she demanded as the doors slammed shut against her body..

Dodo studied his scanners, trying to ramp up the stations heavier weapons as he did so. Strangely his scanners, other than showing a vaguely Federation style ship of a remarkable age, failed to inform him of anything else. For a moment he started to swea, then something caught his eyes. "It has scout capabilities Captain" he reported, still trying to adjust his set. "I can't get through their jamming, not at this range."

Criso studied the screen, noting the range marker steady at ten thousand and one kilometers. "What range would suit you Dodo" she asked dryly. "In a docking bay?"

"No Captain, I mean their too furry close, their bathing us with megawatts of static."

Criso noted Ensign Dot Pyle calmly holding her hand in the air. "Need to go number one or two Pyle" she asked.

Pyle blushed, "No Captain" she answered. "I have some information on that... wreak, that might be useful to you."

"Umm hummm, and when did you expect me to need it" she asked. "Before or after this station is turned to dust by an invasion fleet."

Pyle turned darker. Taking a deep breath she counted to ten, then turned to her superior officer. "I have run a search on that hull design. After removing whatever that structure on its back is. Although it basically appears as a Federation heavy tug there are subtle design differences that fairly scream it isn't one of ours, and never was."

"Be a bit more specific" Crisco ordered.

“Her engines aren't warp engines, the power signature is all wrong" Pyle reported. "Also, although she's armed with a close range weapon similar to ours, it is of an unknown design and has multiple barrels. And" she shuddered, glancing at the screen again, "There appears to be a Hergiroun Fleet Gunship docked to the crew section. Finally... Unlike Federation ships the forward hull is not a saucer."

Crisco paled. "Herg Fleet Gunship?" she stuttered. "Is it hot?"

"Unable to tell Captain" Dodo reported, "And I cannot get our heavies to ramp up."

Taking hold of herself, Captain Cinnamon Crisco turned to the screen. "Open a hailing frequency Dodo" she ordered.

"Channel open" Dodo reported instantly. This he was used to.

"Alien ship. I am Captain..." Crisco started when the screen wavered, a woman wearing heavy oriental battle armor was suddenly staring down at her. Behind her a strange symbol was carved into obviously expensive, and very dark wood.

"Cinnamon Crisco, of the Federation Base Station Thirteen" the woman said, completing Crisco interrupted words. "My. What primitive weapons you have Dodo" she commented.

"Translator" Pyle reported softly. "Her lip movements do not match the words."

Crisco nodded slightly, acknowledging the information. "We are a peaceful station" she continued "This is Federation space. Peaceful ships are welcome to visit."

"I am? Great" the woman replied, her voice quickly changing to a much softer tone. "I'm sure the children will love stretching their feet." She leaned back, presenting a less imposing appearance. "Lets see, I need supplies and repairs and I haven't any accounts you'd accept. Do you accept refined Platinum ingots?"

"Platinum? Of course" Crisco answered. You may dock at pylon.." she glanced at Dodo, who held three fingers pointed down. "Three low. I will be there to greet you myself."

"Thank you" the alien said. A moment later her image was gone, leaving only the view of her ship moving slowly towards the station.

"Sensors are again operational, heavies on-line but she's already inside their firing arc. Close in weapons tracking" Dodo reported.

"Shut down the heavies, do NOT fire" Crisco ordered. "What is that ship Pyle."

"A lightly armed mass of junk" came the reply, "Without her tricks she wouldn't have lasted two seconds. As for the drives..." she looked up at her commander. "She's SLIDING through space."

Crisco turned back towards the turbolift. "But she did, and she shut us down too boot. That's something to remember Ensign. Your going to run into a lot of strange people out here, just hope their all as friendly as this one. Sliding huh? That's a new one." A moment later she was gone.

"Friendly?" Dodo half screamed. "All my weapons useless, my facing shields down, invaded the computer core, scrambled my scanners and she calls that FRIENDLY???"

"She could have fired on us" Pyle replied. "And she could have launched that... that... that thing..."

"In which case this station, and everyone on it would have been dust in the stellar wind" Colonel Anson noted. “Along with any planet within three million kilometers. Standing from the station he had been observing from he headed for the turbolift. "I think I'll just see this alien for myself."

To say Crisco was surprised at the group she met would be an understatement. Instead of looking up at some Amazon Star Warrior she found herself looking down to meet the woman's eyes. Before her, in heavy star-armor stood an oriental woman with waist length, pure white hair. Behind her two

mouse-like children stood, somehow resembling the human. Each child held the hand of a..... Plant

Woman in a mobile pot? her mind asked. Shaking herself Crisco smiled. "Welcome to BS 13" she said. "How may I be of service to you." Behind her Anson had stopped, quietly surveying the scene.

Both children giggled, the plant woman softly pulled their arms, whispering something to both of them, they quieted quickly. The white haired woman smiled a moment, licking her lips in a way that made Crisco somehow uncomfortable. Without referring to a translator she started speaking. "We need food supplies, bulk cloth, educational supplies and a few minor hull repairs" the woman answered. She smiled suddenly, holding her hand out, "I'm Snowaters, but Snowy to most people. Nice to meet you Captain" she looked passed Crisco, "And you as well Colonel Anson."