Here You Come Again

Posted on Tue Oct 13th, 2026 @ 2:12am by Enterprise Officer NPC & Lieutenant Urvasi Elandorn & Lieutenant Amber Laurell & Lieutenant Joshua Silas & Lieutenant (J.G.) Dylan Blake & Ensign Sayori Nakai & Ensign Mirakylin Yumerieva

4,444 words; about a 22 minute read

Mission: 11. Recess
Location: Kecemen, Karemma
Timeline: 2439-10-21, 10:30

Amber smiled as the two teams finally merged together, she had to admit she was relieved to have extra people from the ship with them. “Are we glad to see all of you.” She lowered her voice so as not to be overheard. “We were just planning a way to contact the ship.”

Josh nodded, "What Amber said." Without going into specific details in the open.

Sayori nodded as well. "Good to see you, guys. I might have a way to contact the other team. Well, specifically Commander Bernadotte. Provided she brought her personal PADD with her, anyway." She took out her own. "And provided the little piece of software my mother put together actually works, of course. Question is, what do I message her?"

“I suggest we make it a discreet get together, meet up somewhere for shore leave fun kind of message. Just in case anyone intercepts.” Amber offered.

"A casual shore-leave invite is our best option," Anzai agreed, her tone crisp as her latent Betazoid empathic senses picked up the quiet hum of relief and urgency buzzing between everyone. "Given that Captain Tazari's team has deployed a targeted dampening field across the regional grid to blind our telemetry, any standard Starfleet signal will be flagged immediately. Routing a low-yield, civilian-style message through your software will allow us to mask our ping inside routine market data."

"Wait... Captain Tazari?" Barbax blinked, his facial ridges twitching in sudden confusion as his Denobulan caution flared. He looked between Anzai, Amber, and Josh, nervously tapping the edge of his PADD. "Why would Captain Tazari be jamming the regional grid? Is... is there something happening with command that the rest of us weren't briefed on?" He swallowed hard, his eyes darting between the senior officers, "Because if high-level officers are actively monitoring local traffic, an off-duty message is definitely the safest play! Something simple... like inviting Commander Bernadotte to check out local market wares or grab a meal near the central promenade. It'll blend right into the Karemman commercial traffic... but what do you mean about Tazari?"

“It’s safest not to say anything out here in the open” Amber looked around keeping her senses alert for any trouble coming their way. “Let’s get everyone together and go from there.”

Sayori raised an eyebrow at the mention of another Captain being involved, then took out her PADD. "Well, I hope Sora brought hers," she muttered as she began typing a message asking the Lieutenant Commander to come meet her. "Okay, that's sent. Told her we were done with our bit, and asked her to come meet me because I needed her advice on some boy trouble." She chuckled. Hopefully, Sora would understand the "code" that Sayori and her mother and aunt used when something wasn't quite right.

"What if she doesn't have hers, or if the message is blocked?" Dylan asked. "Were you briefed on the assignments the other teams had?" he posed towards senior staff. "We could always use the local transport to join them?"

"Dylan makes a fair point about contingency planning," Barbax noted as he adjusted his grip on his PADD. The initial surprise of hearing a Starfleet Captain's name attached to grid-jamming had settled into a sharp, methodical focus. "If the dampening field broadens and Sayori's message gets caught in a packet filter, we shouldn't rely solely on subspace relays. The Karemman municipal transit grid uses low-frequency hardlines along the central promenade to manage cargo routing. I can tap into a public directory terminal (without raising any security flags) to trace active transport manifests and map out where the other teams were likely routed based on their original administrative assignments. That gives us a reliable backup if Commander Bernadotte doesn't reply."

Anzai crossed her arms, "Checking the hardlines is our best alternative. As for taking local transport directly to them right now, we shouldn't move the entire away team blindly until we know whether Sayori's ping clears. Standard procedure for a multi-pronged delegation gives each unit a specific sector. If Tazari's people are actively monitoring public transit nodes, piling onto a regional transport without a confirmed rendezvous point makes us an easy target to isolate."

She looked between the group, knowing the final decision would be up to Lieutenant Urvasi and Counselor Laurell.

Sayori kept staring at her PADD, until finally a checkmark appeared next to the message she sent. "It's been read," she reported. "No reply yet. My guess is that she's discussing the situation with her own team at the moment." She turned to Anzai. "Lieutenant Sulu, what do you actually know about what's going on, and what is speculation?"

Amber looked towards Sulu giving her a nod to answer the question, they needed to share what they knew so everyone would be aware of the risks. In the meantime she looked toward Urvasi. “What do you think should we go with the public transport?”

"Here is what we actually know," Anzai said, her tone crisp and precise. "Captain Tazari has established a localized communications blackout to cover up a major diplomatic crisis. Three days ago, the John Kelly's senior diplomatic attaché, Lieutenant Commander Tharl ch'Rhirhr, was secretly arrested in Kecemen for the murder of a prominent Dosi merchant. Commander K'Nera, Tazari's diplomatic attaché, bypassed Tazari's blackout to hand us the encrypted evidence before fleeing back into the preserve. According to K'Nera, Tazari considers Tharl an acceptable sacrifice to keep the Karemma treaty on track, and he's treating the whole situation as a tactical equation to be buried quietly."

"Buried quietly," Dylan repeated softly. "I be Commander ch'Rhirhr would strongly disagree. We can't let him take the fall for this."

Sayori nodded. "Yeah. This stinks. I have a feeling there's more to this."

"The whole situation is deeply irregular," Barbax murmured, his voice dropping into a tight, anxious pitch. "And... speaking of high-level officers actively monitoring traffic," Barbax added, his knuckles turning pale against the frame of his display. He leaned in slightly toward Amber and Anzai, his eyes wide with a very typical, hyper-vigilant suspicion. "Do either of you get the feeling that this 'isolated' promenade is actually very poorly isolated? Don't look immediately, but—that Karemman merchant near the registry kiosk? The one who has been holding the exact same data-pad for six minutes without scrolling? And those two individuals on the upper gallery in the matching grey cloaks?"

He swallowed hard, his throat working nervously. "I'm not saying it's Captain Tazari's security detail. I'm just saying if I were a Starfleet Captain running a covert, unauthorized dampening operation on an alien world while covering up a high-level diplomatic murder... I would absolutely have plainclothes spotters stationed at every transit intersection to monitor our group."

Amber took a cautious look around them trying not to be too obvious about it. “You could be right, there’s a lot of tension in the air I can feel it. I think we should move rather than just standing here, let’s head for Commander Zh’Roothi’s location.”

"Sora just messaged back, asking where to meet up," Sayori chimed in. "What should I tell her?"

Amber looked towards Urvasi then back at Sayori. “Tell her we’re coming her way, at least then we’ll see if we’re being followed, or observed.”

"Then that is our trajectory," Barbax muttered, his fingers clearing his PADD cache as his facial ridges twitched. "Tell her we’re heading to the central transit hub—and keep it casual!"

"A casual message gives us clean cover," Anzai agreed, scanning the concourse edge. "If those spotters are tracking us, moving toward a transit hub looks like standard shore leave. It buys us time."

She paused, double-checking the location data attached to Sora's message.

"Wait—hold on," Anzai added, her brow furrowing. "A local transit hub won't work. Commander Bernadotte's team is in Sector 4... on the completely opposite side of the planet. That's a sub-orbital shuttle ride, not a quick walk."

"The opposite side of the planet?!" Barbax squeaked, nearly dropping his display. "Oh dear. If Tazari's detail has the sub-orbital transport lines under surveillance, booking six cross-planetary tickets will light up their interdiction grid like a supernova!"

“Terrific! Just what we didn’t need.” Amber sighed. “Urvasi any ideas?”

Urvasi was following what was being said while secretly glad she had them gather at the picnic spot in the park... this would be looked at as a rendezvous for what next for the visiting crew. She was thinking about next when Dylan answered.

"I vote that we still move," Dylan voiced before Urvasi could speak and gave her an apologetic nod. "That way we can test the theory of being tracked."

The low, resonant thrum didn't start in the air; it vibrated up through the marble underfoot.

High above the sprawling glass arcades, the heavy silhouette of the U.S.S. Hurutam cut through the bright Karemman afternoon. The Rio Grande Class runabout moved with a low, deliberate authority, her sleek, wedge-shaped hull casting a long shadow across the glass pavilion as she swept past overhead. Her twin nacelles pulsed with the soft blue idle of Impulse Engines, banking smoothly as the vessel bypassed the local landing pads entirely, pushing deeper into the dense, gleaming spires of the global city.

Before anyone could speak, the ambient light in the concourse darkened significantly. Far in the distance, breaking through the high-altitude cloud deck, the colossal silhouette of the Enterprise began her descent. The Century Class starship lowered herself into the upper atmosphere, a towering wall of white hull plates and glowing nacelles hanging like a massive, silent sentinel over the planetary skyline.

Urvasi looked up, a surprised look on her face, as she said, "The Enterprise? In Atmosphere?"

"Oh... that's a sight to behold," Dylan gawped at the sight, distracted by their plight.

“Isn’t it just” Amber smiled a wry smile. “Looks like the Commodore has discovered that were in a spot of bother.”

Sayori looked up and chuckled as her eyes focussed on the registry painted onto Enterprise's hull. "You know, when we're out in space, she really doesn't look as massive as she really is. I hope whoever is causing all this trouble remembered to pack a change of underwear."

"A fascinating observation, Ensign," came a voice from nearby belonging to a tall, tripedal security officer wearing a trimmed Starfleet duty uniform. He moved with a remarkably smooth, fluid gait—his three long, multi-jointed legs providing a centered, unshakeable stability across the slick pavement. A pair of bright, inquisitive golden eyes rested above a long, flexible snout, scanning the Enterprise team with unhurried, contemplative focus. This Edosian officer carried an air of serene, almost gentle composure. Yet, as his three multi-dextrous arms moved in subtle, independent harmony—one resting lightly near his sidearm, a second adjusting a Tricorder, and the third holding a slim PADD. He brought his third arm up to clasp his hands together in a polite, traditional gesture while his second arm seamlessly continued stowing his Tricorder. "Though I can assure you, Captain Tazari’s wardrobe protocols remain entirely nominal."

He paused, offering the group a warm, friendly tilt of his head. "Greetings, Enterprise personnel. I am Commander Nileber of the John Kelly delegation. I apologize for interrupting your shore leave, but I am under explicit directives to request that you remain within this immediate sector while our mission proceeds."

"An Edosian," Barbax stammered under his breath, leaning toward Anzai. "They... they can track three tactical variables simultaneously without even breaking a sweat..."

Nileber’s golden eyes flicked toward Barbax with an amused, gentle crinkle at the corners. "Indeed, Lieutenant. My family line has cataloged six thousand years of tactical movement on Edos, and I have personally spent the last thirty-four years studying Starfleet diplomatic interdiction protocols. I assure you, my presence here is merely to preserve order."

He turned his full, courteous attention back to Amber and Urvasi, his posture remaining calm, balanced, and completely unyielding. "Your presence near the sub-orbital transit nodes has been duly noted on our manifest, and while I bear you no ill will whatsoever, I must kindly ask that you hold your positions here. It would be a great pity if such a pleasant afternoon were marred by an unnecessary jurisdictional misunderstanding."

Urvasi tilted her head as she asked Nileber, "So, we are not allowed to continue our visit to go see the Museum of Karemman Commerce and Hegemony and must remain in this small park to prevent unnecessary jurisdictional misunderstandings? Can you please tell us what those would be, because from where I am standing, stopping visitors for possibilities that may never become probabilities to prevent culture and history from being observed at a museum proudly proclaimed to be a point of tourism only causes tourism issues with message and intent against that understood."

"Commander Nileber, was it?" Sayori smiled. "I take it your crew is responsible for the fact that we are unable to contact our comrades or our ship, yes?"

Amber didn’t bother adding another question to the two already asked she simply waited to see what answers Nileber would give.

Nileber’s long snout twitched with a subtle, serene expression, his bright golden eyes shifting calmly between Urvasi and Sayori as his three multi-dextrous arms remained folded in a relaxed, precise posture. He showed no anger, no defensiveness, and no intention of stepping aside.

"Your concern regarding local cultural heritage is entirely valid," Nileber replied to Urvasi, his voice carrying a smooth, musical cadence. "The Museum of Karemman Commerce is a remarkable institution; however, the 'jurisdictional misunderstanding' to which I refer involves active, high-level diplomatic negotiations currently taking place between the Karemma Ministry of Commerce, the Dosi, and Captain Tazari. Under Joint Operational Directive 12, lead diplomatic vessels are permitted to establish a temporary perimeter to ensure secondary personnel do not accidentally intrude upon unbriefed, sensitive municipal zones."

"If we are speaking with complete candor, Ensign," Nileber said, his voice dropping into a quiet, measured tone as he looked at her, "then yes. The interdiction grid was specifically configured around the Enterprise's active comm-frequencies." He paused, offering a faint, apologetic tilt of his head. "Captain Tazari's directives, issued in coordination with Flag Priority Command under Vice Admiral Loatha Targaryen, were explicit: unbriefed Enterprise personnel were to be prevented from interfering with the Karemman trade negotiations. So, while I bear none of you any personal ill will, the suppression of your signals and your containment in this sector are entirely deliberate."

His three hands clasped together in front of his uniform. "Which is precisely why I must insist, without ambiguity, that you either remain in this park until the accords are finalized, or you allow us to return you to your ship."

Urvasi moved back to become a 'less' in the equation. Sayori and the others were keeping Nileber busy, so she entered into direct contact telepathy with Ensign Yumerieva to tie into the civilian grids as well as news reports happening. The team needed information to be able to appropriately argue and win debates with Nileber and his team.

Mira discretely tied into the civilian networks and sent them to the Enterprise Team Leads.

Sayori nodded slowly. "Okay, I understand that. I have some follow-up questions, though. How long do you expect those negotiations to take from this point? And, more importantly, why didn't your Captain just ask us to not come here until they were done? I'm sure the Commodore would have been okay with that, especially if the whole mission was under his own wife's command."

“That’s if the Commodore knew about it. Just because his wife is his CO it doesn’t mean she tells him everything. My guess is he is as much in the dark as us.” Amber added.

Nileber’s snout twitched with a soft, thoughtful movement, his bright golden eyes reflecting the soft ambient light of the concourse as he regarded Sayori and Amber. "Ensign, to address your first inquiry," Nileber began, his voice maintaining its warm, musical cadence, "the final trade protocol ratifications were scheduled to conclude within thirty minutes of our initial deployment; however, operational timelines in complex diplomatic theaters are inherently fluid."

"Your intuition serves you well," Nileber continued smoothly, his tone remaining strictly formal yet surprisingly open. "Commodore Targaryen was indeed unbriefed on the specifics of this interdiction. As to why Captain Tazari did not simply issue a preliminary administrative request... that, I'm afraid, was a calculated risk born of operational necessity. When managing variables of this magnitude, Captain Tazari prefers to eliminate potential friction before it manifests; however," Nileber added with a gentle crinkle at the corners of his eyes, "that calculation may now be undergoing revision. The runabout you witnessed passing over the pavilion was piloted by Commodore Targaryen himself. He descended to the administrative hub and conferred directly with Captain Tazari. He's already returning to Enterprise."

He brought his third arm back into a formal clasp. "So you see, the situation is being addressed at the absolute highest level. Until those command discussions conclude and new directives are issued down the chain, my orders remain unchanged: I must ask that you remain here in safety, or allow my detail to coordinate your orderly return to the Enterprise. Your First Officer and her team have already been returned, safely, as have almost two hundred off duty personnel."

“In that case I think it best that we return to the Enterprise along with everyone else.” Amber added. “There’s little point in being restricted as to where we can go down here. We can wait it out aboard our ship.”

Urvasi nodded in agreement with Amber, all the while Mira kept up her tie-ins to the civy networks and their information incoming.

Nileber’s golden eyes crinkled with genuine, serene approval, his long snout dipping in a formal, courteous bow. "A most pragmatic and sensible decision, Lieutenant," he replied smoothly, his tone warm and respectful. "I shall coordinate with our orbital transporter relay to ensure your group is returned without delay..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the small micro-receiver embedded in his ear canal emitted a sharp, high-pitched double chirp - the unmistakable priority override signal from the John Kelly’s tactical command link. Nileber’s three multi-dextrous arms froze mid-gesture. His snout twitched sharply, the relaxed, fluid posture of his three multi-jointed legs locking into a rigid, centered stance. Across his long, flexible face, the warm, polite composure vanished, replaced in an instant by the cold, analytical focus of a veteran security commander.

Urvasi sent over direct com links, 'Be ready, something has changed which we are not privy to.'

Over the encrypted channel, Captain Tazari’s voice cut through the localized static—raspy, clipped, and devoid of its usual clinical patience:

"Priority directive to all detail leaders. Commodore Targaryen has overridden our atmospheric grid and ordered an immediate extraction of all Enterprise personnel. Simultaneously, Lieutenant Kree'ak’s detail in Sector 1 has been engaged in an active security dispute. Do not permit away teams to beam up. Effective immediately: place all Enterprise personnel in your sector under formal tactical detention under Joint Operational Directive 12. Secure their sidearms and hold them at primary containment coordinates."

The channel clicked off.

Silence settled over the park concourse for a fraction of a second, heavy and electric. High above through the glass dome, the gargantuan white hull of the Enterprise hung in the upper atmosphere, her secondary transporter arrays pulsing with low-frequency targeting locks as she began sweeping the surface.

Nileber brought his third arm up in a swift, fluid motion, unclipping a heavy-duty tactical controller from his belt while his primary right hand unholstered his phaser sidearm with practiced, three-decades-trained speed. He did not level the weapon at Amber or Urvasi, but held it low at a precise, ready-low posture, his three legs balanced perfectly against the slick pavement.

On the surrounding upper galleries, four plainclothes John Kelly security officers discarded their grey cloaks in unison, stepping to the railings with phaser rifles trained down into the picnic grove.

"I must offer my most sincere and profound apologies," Nileber stated, his voice dropping its musical cadence into a crisp, ringing command tone that echoed across the pavilion. "The situation on the surface has escalated beyond administrative diplomacy. Your personnel opened fire on ours in the hospital. By direct order of Captain Tazari under Flag Priority mandate, you are all under formal tactical arrest," Nileber declared firmly. "You will surrender your sidearms and PADDs, step away from the open concourse, and remain in this sector under physical restraint until John Kelly security forces complete containment. Do not attempt to engage your combadges or move toward the transporter locks. I promise that you won't be harmed, if you cooperate."

“Oh terrific! That’s just what we didn’t need.” Amber added as she rubbed the bridge of her nose. “Everyone relax, we don’t need to be making this situation any worse than it already is.”

The sight of the unholstered weapons trained on the group from all directions bought Blake out in a nervous sweat and felt as if he was being herded into a gilded cage.

Bravely he stepped forward not enjoying the prospect of being bullied by Nileber. "Physical restraint?" Dylan repeated. "Is that really necessary? We're not a threat to anyone. If you're concerned about our safety then allow us to return to the Enterprise and we'll be out of your hair and your operation."

"In ordinary circumstances, Lieutenant, your argument would be flawless," Nileber replied, his sidearm lowered in a precise, disciplined hold, his snout twitching with a faint, apologetic tilt of his head, "however, Enterprise personnel in the clinic attacked our team there. Captain Tazari's directive under Joint Operational Directive 12 leaves me no discretion to authorize transport or permit movement out of this perimeter. Allowing you to beam back aboard the Enterprise before our command staff resolves this breach would constitute a failure of my assigned duties," Nileber stated with absolute, unyielding clarity. "I must ask again, without hostility: please surrender."

Urvasi moved forward while her tail touched Mira to continue the tie in with the local networks. Mira was working towards transport to the Enterprise through sidereal channels of the main news networks of the planet. Those sidereal channels had all sorts of data, from industrial remote controls, hospital emergency coordination with metadata, military intel data, and, with Mira interdicting, available transporter channels back to the Enterprise.

Mira was working to be an appropriate apprentice to the esteemed Engineer Miracle Worker Ash Randal. She almost had the channels ready for transport, so she nodded towards Urvasi.

Urvasi now stated, "Nileber, you state directives without any consideration of the pertinent status of the pertinent circumstances of those affected by the orders. Are we not here with you? We are an independent away team... please note, INDEPENDENT away team, not privy to instructions or parameters of another. You are condemning us to orders for another... how is that even allowed? Please, let me know, how a family member who kills and destroys and whose crimes now effect the Honor Roll, A student, Community servant, Person to become a person who needs to be destroyed? Please, what is your logic? And, no, I have not brought in my diplomatic status of being an L'Tandrey Exchange officer... I am only approaching you as an Enterprise Officer who is lost in the socio-politico situation that has no affect on the current away team before you."

Mira's tail touched Urvasi's. Her linkage to the Enterprise Transporters was active, she could at any time get the away team out of there, but she was waiting for possible resolution with the current 'detention' crew of the political climate.

"Commander," Sayori stated, monitoring the surrounding situation out of the corner of her eyes. "Publicly restraining us will draw even more attention to the situation than your armed posture already has. We have agreed to cooperate. There is no need for any of this. If we are to remain here, fine. We'll wait for further orders. We came here to conduct some surveys and enjoy our shore leave. Not to disrupt some critical, secretive operation we didn't even know was going on. We weren't even aware that there would be other Federation personnel on this planet to begin with."

Nileber’s golden eyes flicked from Urvasi to Sayori, his three multi-dextrous arms maintaining their balanced, ready posture as his long snout twitched with calm analytical precision.

"Your logic is compelling, and your frustration is entirely understandable," Nileber replied smoothly, his musical cadence cutting through the tension of the park grove. "However, Joint Operational Directive 12 does not grant perimeter commanders the discretion to evaluate the individual culpability or operational awareness of secondary personnel during an active containment protocol. Independent or not, your proximity to the core data relays places you within the designated restriction zone."

His secondary right hand adjusted the tactical controller at his belt, keeping his phaser held firmly in a low, disciplined ready-stance while his gallery guards maintained their positions.

"If you give me your word that you will remain here and cooperate fully, I will forgo physical restraints," Nileber added, his gaze holding steady on Urvasi as he offered a small, pragmatic concession. "I must insist that you maintain your position while we await further instructions from Command."

Amber nodded to Urvasi to that she was in agreement, they didn’t need to be stirring up any problems.

"That is precisely what I suggested," Sayori replied with a smile. "Though, would it be acceptable if we did move a little bit, to those benches over there? I'd rather like to sit down."

Barbax’s facial ridges twitched violently as his Denobulan anxiety peaked, his eyes darting from Nileber’s lowered phaser to the armed security guards positioned on the gallery above. He swallowed hard, adjusting his grip on his PADD as he muttered under his breath, "Oh, thank goodness for small mercies... no physical restraints is definitely a step in the right direction, but my heart rate is still operating at roughly three times normal resting parameters..."

Before Barbax could finish his nervous mumble, the ambient hum of the park air abruptly shifted. A bright, familiar golden-white pillar of Transporter energy cut through the space around them, accompanied by the distinct, rhythmic thrum of the Enterprise's array locking onto their coordinates.

The glowing light enveloped the away team in a flash, instantly dissolving the tense standoff on the Karemman promenade and sweeping them safely away from Nileber's perimeter.

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