U.S.S. Dudley

NCC - 1971

Stardate 44201.6

A diplomatic mission takes a deadly turn when an spatial anomaly threatens millions.

Captain’s log… we are at Starbase K-25 awaiting a party of Ambassadors we are transporting to the Caitian colony Felix.  I have given Lt. Commander Zeek the role of ships liaison with the ambassadors as I feel this will be a great opportunity for learning and… I don’t want to do it.

Transporter Room.  Lt. Cmdr Zeek & Lt. Vec await the ambassadors.  Tellarite Ambassador Gren is first to arrive.

“Am I first?”  Gren enquires?  He’s happy to find he is, shows admiration for the ship and asks for a tour of engineering.

Andorian Ambassador Thon arrives next.

“Is Gren already here?  He always has to be first.  He trapped me in the lift to slow me down.”  Thon is quite mellow and shows interest in the ships arboretum.

Several more guests board, including a Starfleet Admiral, before the final two guests arrive; a flamboyant woman with her tall pale manservant, Lwaxana Troi, Daughter of the Fifth House, Holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, Heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed, and Mr. Homn.  Lwaxana complains about the Captain not meeting her, and also makes comments about another Klingon security officer.

Berik’s Bar.  Crewman Draykk and Lt. Johansson are arguing.  Again.  Johansson leaves, leaving Draykk infuriated.  Draykk sits at the bar and ponders her relationship with a conversation with Berik.  Jaxa offers to help.  “Sorry Jaxa,” says Draykk, “but if Johansson walks in and sees me chatting with you it really isn’t going to help.”

Bridge.  Vec is back at his post.  Captain Hubert comes out of his ready room, but there is a black cat curled up in the Captain’s Chair.  Hubert ponders the situation with a few tuts… and tries to catch the eye of Lt. Vec, motioning with his head towards the cat.  Vec quite clearly sees both the cat and the Captain, but remains focused on his console choosing to feign ignorance of the situation.  Captain Hubert then tries the same with Lt. Poppius who is seated at the Helm.  Like Vec, Poppius ignores the Captains less than subtle gestures.  Hubert stands there, looking around, as Lt. Qaan, the ships Andorian Chief Engineer, enters the Bridge.  She stops to stroke the cat, then proceeds to the Engineering station.  Hubert looks about in disbelief, turns around and heads back into his ready room, with smirks and snickers from the bridge crew.

Conference room.  Lt. Cmdr Zeek is preparing things when he is approached by a Vulcan passenger.  He introduces himself as Tomas, and asks if a meeting can be made with the ships Ensign T’pok.  Tomas reveals he is T’pok’s husband.

Bridge.  Zeek advises T’pok that her husband is on board, but T’pok informs Zeek that her planning mating with Tomas was annulled by the Vulcan Council when she enrolled in Starfleet.  T’pok apologises for involving the ship in her personal life and assures Zeek she will deal with the matter.

As T’pok leaves Lxwana Toi enters the bridge looking for the Captain.  When she doesn’t see him she starts to focus her amourous attention on Lt. Vec.  Complimenting his appearance and armour.  She invites him to the Ambassadors meal later, making sure to make in clear the invite is mandatory.  Troi leaves, and Vec heads to the Holodeck to ‘cool down’ with a combat training program.

Beriks Bar.  Tomas is in the bar, but Berik notices he is looking agitated, so for a Vulcan that must be extremely agitated.  Berik tries to offer Tomas some help, but Tomas is not interested in talking.  Ensign T’pok enters meets with Tomas, but soon Tomas resorts to shouting.  “The council had no right to annul our relationship, and I do not accept their decision.  You are mine!”  Tomas grabs T’pok just as Zeek enters.  Berik tries to clam things down.  Zeek tries to help T’pok, but Tomas huls him across the room.  Berik call for security.  Tomas tries to drag T’pok form the bar, but the doors open revealing two security, and Vec.  Tomas lunges at the Klingon, but Vec just knocks him down.  Security take Tomas to the brig.

T’pok tells Zeek that Tomas is experiencing Pon Farr, the burning of the blood.  He needs to mate, but T’pok has no interest in being party to this.  She says that Pon Farr can be controlled by a combination of medication, meditation and… the Holodeck.  But if it not satisfied, Tomas will die!

Berik’s Bar.  Jaxa asks Berik why the Captain never visits the bar.  Berik remembers getting the Captain drunk so bad he spent time in the med bay.

“Do you think the Captain like me?” asks Jaxa.

“Everyone like you,” replies Berik.

Med Bay.  Doctor Nax Bat discusses with T’pok ways of helping Tomas.  The doctor also contacts Vulcan for advice before preparing a serum.

Brig.  Nax visits Tomas, who in his hyper-state just mocks the Cardassian doctor.  The doctor says he can help, but Tomas only wants T’pok.  Nax reveals the serum (Medical roll: COMPLICATION), but Tomas tells the doctor his blood type, a rare type making him immune to the treatment.

Conference room.  All ambassadors gather for an evening buffet.  Lt. Cmdr. Zeek is mingling, but feeling uncomfortable and anxious.  His mind wanders, ‘I don’t like him,’ ‘he smells,’ ‘he’s an idiot’… (Presence roll: COMPLICATION – two 20’s!)  Zeek was unaware Lwaxana Troi was standing behind him, and the telepathic ambassador airs all of Zeeks thoughts!  The eyes of ambassadors and Admirals turn and glare at Zeek…

Bridge.  Admiral Poppius visits the Bridge, and after a brief interaction with the Captain addresses Lt. Poppius, "Lieutenant, you have new orders, you are to attend Beriks Bar and have a drink with your favourite uncle."

Berik’s Bar.  Commander Gann has a meeting with Lt. Cmdr Zeek regarding the incident in the conference room.

"How do you deal with telepaths?" asks Zeek, just as Jaxa is serving their drinks.

"Me," says Jaxa, "I think of something really sexually explicit, it makes them uncomfortable and leave me alone."  She smiles and leave.

"Yeah, I don't suggest that," says Cmdr. Gann.

Lwaxana's Room.  Lt. Vec is the perfect gentle... Klingon, but makes it perfectly clear he has no sexual intentions towards the ambassador.  Lwaxana Troi acknowledges Vec's sentiments and appreciates his honesty.  Lt. Vec returns the to the Bridge and Lwaxana goes to Berik's to apologise to Zeek.

Berik’s Bar.  Jaxa chats with Berik, saying how whe wishes she could get her own back on Ambassador Troi for embarrassing the crew.

Admiral and Lt. Poppius catch up on family business.  The Admiral says he is proud of his nephew, but reminds him he needs to move away from Conn if he wants promotion.

Lwaxana Troi enters the bar, so Jaxa takes her opportunity and offers her a drink, all the time thinking the dirtiest thoughts she can.

"Oh please child," retorts Lwaxana, "you can't embarrass me, I used to do that with my second husband."  Then she heads over to Zeek. 

Jaxa stumbles back to the bar, looks at Berik, and all she can muster is, "Oh. My. God.  Wow!"

Bridge.  A message is received from the planet Felix from  Caitian Ambassador Layla, "Dudley, please help us.  A strange cloud has engulfed and destroyed the outer planet in our system, there were 500 colonists on that world.  We have sent probes and a science vessel, but have lost contact with them.  The cloud is headed to our world.  Please help us."

Captain Hubert orders the ship move to Warp 9. 

Detention.  "Medical emergency.  Doctor to detention area."

Doctor Bat arrives at the detention area, the Vulcan Tomas is not well.  The Doctor calls for Lwaxana to help.

Lwaxana says his thoughts are confused, but focusing on T'pok.  If Tomas's energy is not released soon he will die.

Vec and T'pok arrive, and T'pok has a suggestion.  She can call Kal-if-fee, a challenege.  It would be a deception, but Tomas would not know.  Vec would be chosen as T'pok's champion, if he accepts.  Being as the duel is on a Federation starship a fight to the death is inappropriate, but all Vec would need to do is defeat Tomas, not kill him.

Vec agrees, and the duel is arranged in the Holodeck, where Vulcan is recreated.

The duel is short.  Despite Tomas's enraged state it takes but a couple of blows for the Klingon to render him unconscious.

Bridge.  The USS Dudley comes out of Warp near the alien Cloud.  Lt. Cmdr. Zeek continues his scans.  Research reveals that 100 years ago the USS Enterprise, under command of Captain James T. Kirk, encountered a similar creature.

The Cloud manages to take grip of the USS Dudley.

Zeek uses the ships shields to send out a modulated signal to communicate with the Cloud.  It turns out that the cloud is but a child, and unaware it was causing harm.  It shows great remorse.  It moves away, now with an understanding of organic life which it says it will now avoid.  They are however unable to help it back to it's own galaxy.

Bridge.  The Caitian's thank the USS Dudley for saving them.  The Captain then approaches Zeek to address the incident in the Conference Room.  The Captain just taps him on the shoulder and says, "Well done."

This story was heavily influenced by the Animated Series episode "One of our planets is missing."

It was also an opportunity to bring in social conflicts and familiar Star Trek faces, in the form of Lwaxana Troi.