Editing The Sevant Murders (section)

==Immediatly After the Murders==

===On the Planet, Sevant and Nishi Depart in search of missing Officers===
'''''Authors Note: The following Posts don't directly relate, expect to explain later why Sevant and Nishi are away from the rest of the away team. The mission we were in was 'Burial Grounds', the same mission that kicked off our Civil War. They were cut off from the Nimitz and off searching for Lieutenant [[Falthgood]] and Ensign [[Oynx]], who had departed for a ancient Alien Crystal Tower'''''

(Planet's surface - Base camp perimeter - Lt Cmdr Sevant - 16:11) 

"We leave in two minutes, either you are a security guard hand-picked by you. Make your decision now, we have little time I fear." 
 
The Security Chief smiled, then nodded after a few moments. He addressed a young security officer, and said  "Sandersen, right?" The woman nodded.  "Inform the security personal to keep treating the wounded, and to take orders from the Marines. And...tell them to be careful."
 
The Chief turned back to Sevant, "Alright, lets go"

Sevant turned to Lee, "Rifles."

The Marine reached back and pulled a Type III off his back, and tossed it over. Sevant caught it, just as another unnamed marine handed over their own rifle to Nakamura. The Vulcan checked the charge on the weapon, set it to the highest stun, and nodded with satisfaction. 

(reply Nishi, any)

Sevant pointed off in the direction of a Crystal tower. "They were reported moving in that direction, We are going to make that tower are target, it seems logical they would move for it, our tricorders can find nothing else of note in that direction."

(reply Nishi)

Sevant nodded, and took off at a job in the direction they were going.
The faster the found their two missing crewmembers, the better off they would be.

----

(Planet's surface - Woods, Unknown - Lt Cmdr Sevant - 16:20) 

Sevant came to a halt, put the rifle against his shoulder and looked around. The forest was unnaturally quiet, no insects or animals were to be heard, and there was no breeze to speak of to rustle leaves and branches. 

He reached up and tapped his badge, "Sevant to Rivers."  He waited a few seconds, "Sevant to anyone in Base camp, respond."

Nothing.

"We are officially out of communication," he said as he reached around and pulled out his tricorder. He flicked it on and scanned the surrounding area, then quickly looked down at it. "And, I can see no reason why."

(reply Nishi)

He folded up the tricorder and gently put it back in the waistband holster. "We are ten to fifteen minutes from the Tower, keep your eyes open." 

Sevant moved forward again, careful to avoid branches and bushes along with dry patches of leaves and branches that would make excessive noise in his passing. He had no grown up in a forested area, this would not be his choice terrain in combat, but there were things that just could not be changed. 

(reply: Nishi)
(posted by Trout)


===The Murderer Uncovered, And Captured===

(USS Nimitz - Science Labs - Ensign Richard Collins -  1740)

"Ensign Collins? Richard? Are you OK?" she asked.

Lost in his thoughts, remembering the slick feel of blood on his fingers from only a short time ago, he hadn't noticed that anyone else was in the labs he had just entered. His head jerked to the side, and he noticed a female face. He had seen her before, but he couldn't place the name. 

"I'm fine," he said with an effort. "How are you getting on?" 

He walked over, as smooth as he could, to talk to her. She made a move to type something, then looked up at him. 

"Oh, I'm just running some standard tests," she said casually. "Seeing that Ensign Kalik is so overworked at the moment I thought I'd lend a hand. I used to be stationed here, you know? So I feel at home here. Are you sure you should be on duty?" Louise continued, looking closer at him. "You really don't look well. Can I get you anything?"

Rich looked at her for several moments, she was so cool... What had she just flipped from the screen? A thought chilled him, what if she knew..
What if she was secretly working on evidence that could convict him?

"Excuse me?" she said as she tried to push back on the chair. 

~And now she wants to escape!~

He considered what to do for a couple seconds, weighing in possibilities. He was desperate, he couldn't be caught, not if he wanted his family to live. But, if she were looking at evidence about him, then he was already caught! 

Without any warning at all, he pushed her and the chair into the desk with all of his strength, and heaved away. He broke out running for the door, only to find they were opening already. He tried skidding to a halt, but he had been moving too fast, and be barreled right into a couple armed security guards. 

"No!" he bellowed as he shoved blindly, knocking one of the two surprised people down and the other aside. The yelled after him, but he kept running. He took many shallow, panicked breaths, running blindly down the corridor with people yelling after him to halt. Of course, he didn't want to halt! If he could run forever...

A blue wall suddenly appeared before him, causing him to run head first into the containment field. He fell to the ground, stunned, then immediately got back up and without any reason at all, tried to punch his way through the field. 

Suddenly, he felt a painful stinging sensation in his back, and his legs just gave out from under him. 

~I've failed...~

He lay on the deck, panting, just barely holding on. He heard a female voice say "Ensign Stolev, we have apprehended Ensign Collins, we had to stun him on level one, he tried running."

===The Murderer Questioned===

(USS Nimitz - Security Office - TAC/ASC Lt. Stolev & SciO Ens. Richard Collins
- Day 7 - 2406.03.09.1757)

Mission: Burial Grounds, Day 7
Stardate 2406.03.09

Sasha looked up at the sound of the doors to the main office opening, and he walked out of his office to see two security officers escorting a bound science officer into the lobby.  He glanced down at the PADD he was holding which displayed Ensign Collins's Starfleet bio.

"Where do you want him, Lieutenant?" asked one of the officers.

Sasha jerked his head towards the conference room.  "In there."

Richard looked up at the speaker with sullen, hopeless eyes. ~Maybe, just maybe, he knows nothing and only suspects.~

Sasha watched as they maneuvered the prisoner into the conference room, then walked over there himself.  "You two wait outside.  No interruptions, got it?"

"Aye sir."

~Wonderful,~ thought Richard.

Sasha walked in, the door to the conference room closing behind him.  The young officer stood near the corner, sweat already beginning to bead up on his forehead.  The temperature setting was the only part of the interrogation program that was currently active, but the other components could be activated individually with a simple voice command or keystroke at the control console.

Sasha gestured towards Collins's bound hands.  "You won't be needing those any more."  He walked over and unlocked the manacles.  "Have a seat," he said, indicating the wooden chair near one of the other corners, far enough away from the table and walls so that Collins would have nothing to lean against to make himself more comfortable.  Every spot of Sasha's body language was carefully designed to clearly convey that he was in complete control of the situation and did not feel threatened in the least by being alone in the presence of a multiple homicide suspect.

Richard rubbed at his hands as they were released from the magnetic bonds, and took a moment to look around the room as he sat in the highly uncomfortable chair. Things were not looking hopeful; he had seen something like this not too long ago. 

"So, Ensign Collins," began Sasha.  "Richard, isn't it?  Do you know why you are here, Richard?"

Rich licked his lips, and shrugged his shoulders. "You know my name as well as I do, you can drop the pretence of trying to get to know me. And yes, I know perfectly well why I am here: two of your brutes managed to manhandle me up four decks in manacles. I wouldn't have chosen to come on my own, I assure you." He shifted in his seat, "And your chair is broken, though I trust that is on purpose."

A mischevious glint appeared in Sasha's eyes.  "No, the chair is not broken.  I designed it especially for... certain uses."  His eyes narrowed, the smile leaving them although it remained plastered artificially on his face.  "So, Richard.  Why did you run from the security officers?  You realize that it makes you look... well, a bit guilty, doesn't it?"

Richard grinned at the Security officer, although the grin was filled with false humor. "I started, um, 'running' before Security had even entered the room. I trust you can look at the sensor logs from the Science labs to see that. I'm afraid I had to use the restroom, ate some bad chili or something."
He wiggled his eyebrows. "Your security officers walked in just as I was walking out. I do hope I will have a chance to apologize to the one I barreled over. I didn't have an opportunity while running out into the hall, and they were most rude about chasing me down for the action."

He shifted in the chair again. "If this is how you interrogate officers under suspicion for assaulting two security guards, if you want to call it that as I had something of a small emergency to take care of, then I shudder to think what you would do for a suspect accused of Murder or Treason."
 
The grin faded from his face, to be replaced with the closest thing to an expressionless look that he could muster.

"Bad chili, huh?"  Sasha leaned back against the table.  "I suppose I could call up all the replicator logs and see whether or not you ordered chili in the past few hours, but that seems an awful waste of time to me."  He looked Richard up and down.  "You certainly seem to be feeling better now, and I can't imagine my officers let you go into a bathroom on the way here."

Richard cocked his head to the side. "Amazing the effect that being chased, cuffed and drug around the ship will do to one's priorities, isn't it? I suppose my bladder decided I had more important things to do."

Sasha chuckled, but decided that this particular tact was not one he wanted to pursue further.  "Well, anyway, that's not really relevant."  He picked up one of the PADDs he had brought in, the one that contained Richard's biographical information.  "So, Richard.  I see you've only been aboard for a few months.  I also see that your family seems to have disappeared and is being searched for by Earth Security."  He watched Richard closely for any reaction to this news. 
"Were you aware of this?"

Richard's face did melt into completely expressionless guise this time, so long had he worked at blocking that memory. Several seconds passed, then he chewed on his lip and looked down. "Yes, I'm more than aware my wife and child are missing. I've a request in my quarters that I've been fighting not to turn in, for a leave of absence so I can go search for them, as if there was anything I could do."

He looked back up, "And just what does my missing family have to do with running two security guards over, or do you simply enjoy reminding me of things I can't change?" His voice fell half an octave, only just loud enough to hear.
"The thought already gives me enough pain, your efforts are unnecessary."  His voice quivered with visible pain, and his form slumped into the chair as much as was possible.

Sasha was reaching for the other PADD on the table when he felt a slight jolt through the deck plates.  He frowned slightly, but then picked up the PADD.  He was opening his mouth to ask his next question when the door chime interrupted.

Sasha let an exasperated sigh and walked to the door and opened it to admit a worried looking officer.  "I said NO interruptions!  This had better be damned important."

The officer leaned in and spoke quietly into Sasha's right ear so that his lips were shielded from Collins.  "The ship's been attacked.  A Romulan warbird decloaked, fired a low-power disruptor beam at the secondary subspace transmitter array, then recloaked immediately.  No other damage, but the array was destroyed."

Sasha stared at him as the information sunk in.  "Ok... make sure someone good is manning the tactical station on the bridge.  I'll be there as soon as I can to relieve him, but I've got to finish here first."

The other officer nodded and stepped back so the doors could shut.  Sasha looked blankly at them before turning back to his prey.  "Well, Richard. 
Something's come up, so I'm afraid we'll have to cut to the chase."  He tossed the PADD to Richard and sat on the edge of the table closest to him, leaning forward.  "You're a science officer.  Do you recognize the report on this PADD?"

Rich looked closely at Sasha for several moments, then bent forward to pick up the PADD. He scanned it for a few seconds, then tossed it back onto the table. 
"I'm not a medical officer, but that looks a lot like a DNA workup, and I would assume it's mine from the name on the report." He looked back up with a raised eyebrow, "And...what about it?"

"You'll never guess where this DNA came from.  But we'll get back to that." 
Sasha stood up and slowly walked away from Richard before suddenly turning around.  "Do you know a woman named Vicki Sevant?"

Rich went cold, but showed nothing. "I love a mystery..." he said, followed with, "I know the name, First Officer's wife and Assistant Ops Officer." 

He kept his answers short, simple, lest the tremble he felt inside betray him. 

Sasha smiled.  "I love a mystery too, Richard.  Especially when the pieces are falling into place."  He walked forward and leaned down so that his face was only a foot away from Richard's.  "Tell me, did you know that Vicki Sevant and her two children were murdered this afternoon?"

Rich pulled his head back by instinct. "I would appreciate you keeping a distance, if you don't mind," he said with displeasure as he quickly gathered his wild thoughts back under his control. He decided to change tactics. "I'm going to assume from your line of questioning that you believe I commited these, uh, murders." He once again cocked his head to the side. "Since I just found out about these murders not more then twenty seconds ago, I do hope my assumption is wrong."

Sasha raised his eyebrows and leaned back.  "Really?  That's amazing, considering..."  As he spoke, he moved over to the table and tapped a key at a console there.  The lights dimmed, except for a very bright spotlight which shone on Richard's chair.  "Your DNA was found on Vicki Sevant's cheek.  A teardrop.  One that, according to forensic evidence, was deposited there around the time of her death."  He walked quickly over until he was standing directly in front of Richard, to discourage any notion of running that his captive might have.  "Care to explain that?"

Rich pushed his hands together and weaved his fingers together in a very careful move that bought him a few seconds to think. He was being trapped, very well in fact. D*mn that tear he had shed, it could cost him and his family everything!

He sighed theatrically, and put up a hand to block the light. "I've had my time in the sun, thank you," he commented. "I can imagine someone would enjoy framing someone else for a murder, that's a common theme." He looked directly at Sasha. "Of course, tampering with evidence or improper retrieval procedures could also be an issue here. Just how careful were you with that 'tear' in your haste to find a culprit? It would be fairly easy to either contaminate the evidence... Or plant it." He attempted a small knowing smile, though he couldn't be sure if he pulled it off, so he quickly wiped it from his face.

Quick as a cat, Sasha grabbed Richard's arms and pulled them behind the chair, sticking the manacles back on his wrists, winding them through the supports of the chair back so that he was quite attached.  "This'll be much easier for both of us if you just cooperate, eh?" he muttered as Richard struggled against his unexpected bonds.  Sasha grabbed one of Richard's legs and yanked his boot off.
A quick pass with a tricorder confirmed it; there were traces of blood in the soles, blood whose DNA matched all three of the murder victims.

Sasha leaned back in and showed the results of the scan to Richard.  "My my, Richard, you were rather sloppy.  Didn't realize all that blood would make such a mess, did you?  I bet in your hurry to get out of the room, you didn't notice that you had stepped in it, did you?"

Richard ignored the security officer as he stopped his worthless effort and closed his eyes. Very gently, very methodically, he began testing every conceivable position that he could manage in trying to get out. It was menial, it was hopeless, but it managed to keep most of the images out of his mind of his recent excursions at the behest of the nameless lady that had his family in her clutches.

Sasha pulled back the tricorder.  "Now, Richard.  Let's be reasonable.  You and I both know you did this.  There's no sense denying it anymore.  And while this is a horrible thing, I realize that there are other forces at work here.  Now I highly doubt that you have the expertise or the knowledge of how to bypass the security mechanisms, the transporter locks, and the internal sensors.  So you must be working for someone."

Sasha leaned back against the edge of the table.  "You know, if you cooperate with us now, it will certainly reflect favorably on you at your court-martial. 
And if whoever you're working for is coercing you... maybe they have something to do with your missing family?  Those could also be extenuating circumstances.
So what do you say, Richard?  You help me, and I'll help you."  He leaned forward, a menacing look on his face.  "Of course, if you don't help me, I can also make things very difficult for you."

Richard paused in his activities, and looked up at Sasha with a face of disdain. "Let me speak plainly. You think you have pieced together this whole puzzle, but your last statement made it clear to me that you are mostly guessing at whatever motivations you think I might have had if I did indeed do this act. So I will ask you this counter-question; if I'm being coerced because of my missing family and possibly what could happen to them if I failed, then just what the hell do you think you could possibly do to me to make things even more difficult then they already are?"

Sasha regarded him for a moment.  "Funny you should ask that."  He wandered over to the arms locker in the room, opened it, and pulled out a phaser.  He casually played with the controls while he regarded Richard.  "Have you ever had a phaser set to light stun discharged at the base of your skull?  It's not enough to knock you unconscious, but I understand it is excruciatingly painful."

He walked around Richard's chair, casually resting the phaser against the back of the other man's neck.  "Now, this is what I suggest, Richard.  You help me by telling me everything you know.  I help you by sending you on your way.  I let it slip to a number of people that you had a plausible explanation and that you've been cleared of suspicion.  You can rejoin your accomplice and continue to work towards accomplishing whatever is on his or her agenda.  We'll of course be monitoring you, every step of the way.  We'll eventually catch the bigger fish, the one for whom you're working, and perhaps work out a similar arrangement, until we get all the way to the top.  How does that sound?"

Richard pushed against the phaser slightly, thinking as straight as he could as guilt and fear ran through his veins. He rapidly ran through his options:
either being stunned or following through with the suggestion. He could always get turned loose and point out Sasha to be killed next, but he rapidly threw that thought away; he would probably be the one chosen for that and he wasn't sure he could stay sane if he pulled off another murder. 

He licked dry lips, and said quietly, "You realize if that story doesn't sit right and I am not believed, that I will be the next found in a passageway, and my family will soon be found Earth-side with holes in their heads."

Sasha nodded, feeling the first actual twinge of sympathy for the man before him, as he lowered the phaser and walked back around in front of Richard.  "I understand.  That's why, after you tell me everything you know, you and I will work out a story that will sit right with everyone, so that there will be no discrepancies."  He sat on the edge of the table and set the phaser down.  "So, do we have a deal?"

Richard closed his eyes, and his whole frame crumpled slightly. He rubbed his cheek against his shoulder, and said just above a whisper, "I've never seen the face of my... boss. The voice is female, the frame small, and she is always cloaked. She always manages to get into my quarters and leave a small yellow rose on the table when she wants to meet." He suddenly chuckled, a sound just a step over a sob. "A reminder you see, I wrapped my wife's wedding ring around a yellow rose. These people know me, they know my past, they know as much or more about my life as I do. I digress however, once I have that sign I always go walking the corridors, she finds me." 

He looked up. "She gave me a PADD with command codes, and executable programs, to get into Sevant's quarters and to remotely operate the transporters. The PADD was erased at use and I long since disposed of it." He face was drawn and his jaw working as he lapsed into silence. "You had better d*mned well be good at what you do, Lieutenant. I've lived very carefully for a year, requested transfer here at the appropriate time, I've lived in fear of failing or offending whatever contact I happen to have. If you kill my wife and child..."
He broke off, unable to finish the sentence, not even really knowing what he wanted to say. 

Sasha nodded in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.  "Don't worry.  I am very good at what I do."  He reached around behind the chair and unfastened the restraints.  "We'll monitor your quarters for a yellow rose appearing.  We'll of course see if we can determine who it was that left the rose, but we'll also monitor you once you retrieve it and begin your walk through the ship, in hopes that your boss will slip up and reveal herself to us whenever she makes contact with you."

He sat in one of the more comfortable chairs at the table and tapped the buttons to return the lighting and temperature of the room to normal.  "You may have a seat here if you like," he said, indicating one of the padded conference chairs.  "I'm sure it's more comfortable.  Now, here's our story.  We brought you in here not because of a DNA test, whose results will shortly find themselves deleted from the computer, but because internal sensors recorded you in that corridor near the times of the murders.  We wanted to ask you if you had seen anything.  You hadn't.  Having no other evidence to link you to the crime, we had to let you go."

Sasha leaned back.  "If you have any suggestions that would make the story more believable to your boss, feel free to make them.  This room is soundproof and immune to all forms of eavesdropping."

Richard once again closed his eyes and forced himself to think straight. "You should keep your pet security officers very quiet about me running from them, and that lab assistant as well." He leaned his head back and took a deep breath. Slowly he let it out, ragged as it was. "And be very discreet with your following of me; these people are good, whoever they are."

Sasha nodded.  "Our following of you will be mostly electronic, using nothing more than the normal operations of the ship's internal sensors; we'll just be paying more attention to the ones monitoring your location.  There will of course be security officers posted throughout the ship, but that's a normal response to a murder on board, so it shouldn't cause any suspicion.  And don't worry, my officers are very discreet.  They'll understand what's at stake, if not for you personally than at least for the investigation as a whole."

The Science officer nodded a couple times, dumbly. "Then I had better get out of here quick; if it takes too long then that will also make the wrong people wonder." He opened his eyes and looked at the Security officer, his face a mask. 

Sasha nodded and stood up.  "Good luck, Richard."  He led the way over to the door.  "You wait here.  I'll talk to the officers."  The door opened and Sasha had a quick word with both officers in hushed tones, then came back in. 
"Everything's all set here.  You are dismissed, Ensign."

Richard didn't answer right away as he stepped out of the room. He looked around, squeezed his eyes tight shut and opened them again. "Well, thank you officer," he said out loud, just in case. "I do hope you find that killer, the b*stard deserves death for three murders, more if you include the unborn kids."
He gave a glance at Sasha, then broke eye contact. 

Sasha nodded in reply.  "We will do our best.  And if you'll excuse me, I am due on the bridge."  Sasha ducked into his office, reassembled his uniform, and headed for the doorway.  To the bridge, naturally, but with a quick detour to the science lab where, according to the computer, Louise Palmer was still doing her research.

(posted by Trout & Aaron Scifres)

===Sevant & Nishi, still Searching===

(Planet's surface - Woods, Unknown - Lt Cmdr Sevant & Lt Nishi Nakamura
- 16:20) 

Sevant came to a halt, put the rifle against his shoulder and looked around. The forest was unnaturally quiet, no insects or animals were to be heard, and there was no breeze to speak of to rustle leaves and branches. 

He reached up and tapped his badge, "Sevant to Rivers." He waited a  few seconds, "Sevant to anyone in Base camp, respond." Nothing. "We are officially out of communication," he said as he reached around and pulled out his tricorder. He flicked it on and scanned the surrounding area, then quickly looked down at it. "And, I can see no reason why." 
 
"Doesn't surprise me, this whole place doesn't seem to make sense." 

Nishi could still feel the breeze he noticed before, it wasn't as strong as before, but just as cold. He could feel it on his skin and moving his hair, yet the trees and plants around them were perfectly still. It was as if everything were frozen, no movement, no sound, except for that breeze - no wonder Zzt had found this place disturbing. 
 
He folded up the tricorder and gently put it back in the waistband holster. "We are ten to fifteen minutes from the Tower, keep your eyes open." 

Sevant moved forward again, careful to avoid branches and bushes along with dry patches of leaves and branches that would make excessive noise in his passing. He had no grown up in a forested area, this would not be his choice terrain in combat, but there were things that just could not be changed. 
 
Nishi moved with Sevant, painfully aware of how much noise they were making, moving through this frozen landscape, leaves crushed underfoot, branches that brushed them sounded out of place in this next to silent landscape. He hoped it was just the fact that he was right there causing the sounds, like scratching your ear, the sound can be heard clearly, but not by those around you. 
 
Sevant suddenly stopped again, his hand shot up in a fist and he hunched down beside a tree a moment later. He had heard a *thunk*, very instinct but far away according to his Vulcan hearing. He scanned the trees, trying to find something that looked out of place, but failed. He was just about to stand and continue when another *thunk* sounded through the trees, this time far closer. It sounded to him akin to the hollow thump that had followed Lee being thrown up against a tree by Zzt. It was defiantly an impact sound. 
 
All Nishi could hear was the noises they were making as they moved through the trees, but Sevant suddenly came to a halt, obviously alerted by something, then dropped to the ground. Vulcan's were supposed to have keener hearing than humans, Nishi didn't want to question it, or stand there and see if he could hear anything himself (although, a part of him did consider it), he dropped himself against a nearby tree. 
 
Sevant pulled his phaser up slowly, looking off into the direction he thought he had heard the sound. "Something tells me we are not welcome."

Nishi nodded, switching the safety off on his Phaser rifle, still hesitant, incase whatever was making the noise turned out to be the two missing members of their own crew. 
 
Sevant continued to scan the area, then blinked as he saw a moss-covered rock suddenly lift from the ground, and fling itself against a tree. He pointed in the direction with his phaser as another picked up, and was flung with force against a tree not ten feet from his head. "Back off..." he hissed to Nishi. 

Nishi scrambled around the back of the tree he was using as cover, trying to find an angle where he could see their attackers. He peered out into the trees, but nothing was moving, except for the rocks and branches that launched them selves at himself and Commander Sevant.
Keeping low, Nishi retreated, putting his back against the trunk of the tree for, he called out to Sevant, "Can you see them?"
 
Sevant shook his head, "We go around a different way." he said, as he pointed two fingers off to the right.

(Posted by Trout & Alister)

===The First Bit of Madness, Kestra Informs Caladryll===

(Planet's surface - The Woods - Lt Cmdr Sevant - 1640)

Sevant suddenly stopped in his tracks, and shook his head. He took a couple deep breaths, and uselessly shook his head again. It felt as though he had had a piece of himself cut off, his bond with Vicki had just faded out suddenly. Alarm rose in the back of his mind, but he threw himself into a mind-calming exorcize. This whole planet was screwed up, it was not unconceivable that mental powers and links were being affected as well. This wasn't the first time that distance or extraneous events had cut his Vulcan meld with his wife. 

Still, it wasn't a desirable effect. The sooner he was off this planet, the better.

(reply Nishi, if desired)

(Planet's surface - The Woods - Lt Cmdr Sevant - 1712)

Sevant hissed as he shot his phaser off at one of the rocks shooting for his head, vaporizing it. Something *defiantly* did not want them to pass a certain point, no matter how often or where the two tried to penetrate, it seemed the very forest itself sought to block their passage. He backed up several steps, still scanning for flying rocks.
"This is getting us no-where." he said in a quiet tone, once he had put himself behind a tree. 

(reply: Nishi)

He turned his head to look for an even more round-about path, then suddenly stiffened with the beginnings of a powerful telepathic message.

::Kestra, Sevant, I still don't know if you can hear me, but Caladryll.... Vicki and your children are dead.  The terrorists executed
them.::

Sevant did nothing, his eyes still unfocused with the pain of the transfer, not yet interpreting what was just said to him. 

::Cal, I'm so sorry...::

His hands clenched the phaser-rifle, tightly, as he continued staring ahead blankly. 

~Dead, executed?~

~Executed?~

~DEAD!?~

Sevant's eyes slowly came into focus, his thoughts racing along many illogical paths as he considered the words. They were so monumental that he could hardly comprehend their meaning. His wife, his two children...
His *four* children, two unborn. All dead? All... Executed? He frowned and looked down, heedless to the world around him, and stared at the phaser as he ran Vanessa's message through his mind a few more times. 

Then, without any warning, it struck him. He screamed; heavy, long and filled with despair.


===MXO Lee & Base Camp finds out===

(Planet's surface - Base Camp - 1st Lt Richard Ian Lee -  1712)

"NO NO NOT them, Not the children"  

Rich looked over quickly at the outburst, his phaser already coming up
by reflex, before he realized they were not under attack. 

"Kestra!" the Captain said, "Who're you talking to? What's happened?
What children?"

"I have had contact with Vanyssa."  Kestra said with tears still running
down her face, "Vicki and her children.........are dead"  

Lee frowned behind his faceplate. 

"Dead? What happened? An accident?"

"She said the terrorists executed them," was the Doctors reply.

"Terrorists? What terrorists?" 

Rich's grip on his phaser tightened. "Bastards..." he mumbled. 

"Does Sevant know yet?" 

(reply Kestra)

"Uh oh..." Rich said, there were few people he would rather not cross
with bad news, the Commander was one of them. 

"Rivers to Commander Sevant and Lt Nakamura," 

There was nothing, though the Captain tried again a couple more times. 

"Captain, I have made contact with Vanyssa," Kestra was saying, her
voice still sounding shocked as well it might. "She has asked what our
status is and is letting the Admiral know as I speak.  Do you have
something you want me to relay to her for the Admiral?"

Rich turned away to look out at the woods, in the general direction that
the FO and TAC/SC had last been seen heading at full speed. His eyes
darted back and forth, looking for any sign of movement or life, though
nothing was showing up. His simple scanners could pick up nothing, even
his eyesight could see further. 

"SUSAN, PAIN, MURDER, LOSS, MY FAULT, I AM SORRY"  

Rich spun on his heel, suddenly sorry that he hadn't been paying
attention to what was going on behind him. 

"She looks like she's having an epileptic fit! Someone help me here!" 

Rich dropped the phaser and fell to his knees beside the woman. The
Captain placed something in Kestra's mouth as Lee drug at his memory of
Basic First Aid on what to do in the event of a seizure. The only thing
he could remember off the top of his head was not to hold the body
still. 

It became a moot point a moment later, however, she suddenly went still.
The captain grabbed the Doctors medkit, and scanned her with a medical
tricorder once it was dug out. Rich glanced up as the Captain closed the
tricorder, and watched as Susan moved Kestras body onto her side. 

"Does anyone else here have any medical knowledge?"

Rich shook his head slowly, "Nothing that would cover this." he said
quietly.

(reply any)

The Captain stood, and beckoned to him. Rich looked once more at Kestra,
laying prone on the ground, then grabbed his phaser and stood to join
the Captain.

"Lt Zzt, Lt Lee, I think we can take it that the Nimitz has no way of
contacting us save through telepaths for the time being," she said. "If
they could use the comms system, they wouldn't be relaying messages
through Counselor Winters. Since Lt Troi is out of it for the time being
at least, that means we are on our own. So, in the absence of Commander
Sevant and Lt Nakamura, you two are my seconds in command. If either of
you have any constructive ideas as to how we can get some kind of
communication going with either the Nimitz or our lost crewmembers, I'd
like to hear it. Now."

Rich looked down and sighed audibly. "Best I can think of for the lost
crewmembers is to shoot our phasers into the air once every couple of
minutes. It would provide a beacon to follow." He looked up again, and
he thanked the BDU cameo scheme for hiding his face. "But Sevant is
telepathic as well, at least to a point. I would lay a bet that he heard
the same message the good Doctor heard, which means he could be anything
from out cold to a raving lunatic by this point. With his Vulcan
ancestry, and his obvious predisposition to emotion, I wouldn't have the
first clue as to guess the end effect."

(reply Any)

A Wind started to blow, almost as if there was a storm approaching. Rich
could feel nothing, but his suit sensors registered it and the Captain
turned to the source, curiously. He pulled out his scatter-gun again and
followed close behind her. 

A light formed, and immediately stepped in front of his Captain, fell to
his knee, and pointed the Scattergun in the general direction. A body
took form, and a few moments later a face he didn't recognize wearing a
Starfleet uniform appeared before them. 

NRPG: As tall as Rich is, he would still cover the Captain fairly well
on his knee.

RPG:
Rich closed an eye, and continued aiming at the being, as the Captain
spoke up. "I am Captain Susan Rivers, commanding officer of the USS
Nimitz. Who are you, where do you come from, and what do you want with
us?"

"I am the guardian of this system, right now you see just the hologram
of her because she is elsewhere.  What I want from you... are answers?"

Rich blinked his eyes a couple times, and said nothing. He slowly
pointed the scattergun down, there was no way he would be able to fight
a hologram. This was shaping up to be interesting, if undesired.

===Sevant & Nishi Depart for Base Camp===

(Planet's surface - The Woods - Lt Cmdr Sevant - 17:15) 
 
Sevant fell to his knees and leaned on the phaser, the scream that had
ripped at his throat died off and he clenched his eyes tight closed.
Endlessly, Vanyssa's message ran through his mind. Each time it did so,
the grip on his heart tightened and the feral emotion his people had
worked so hard to contain threatened to break free. The emptiness, the
incredible void left in his mind with the breaking of the link,
threatened to consume him as he spiraled ever further and ever faster
into despair. 

"Commander? Sevant, what is it?"
 
Sevant didn't answer, not for many moments as rocks flew around them and
the howl of the wind picked up through the trees. Sevant continued
leaning against the phaser rifle, mumbling the words, "dead, all
dead..." very quietly, almost like a chant. 

"We can't stay here. C'mon, the camp is that way" 

Sevant paid scant attention, he was completely uncaring of their
situation at the moment. Deeper into darkness he fell as he felt Nishi
tugging at him to get him up. Blindly he stood, not bothering to hunch
or dodge the natural weapons that were being flung at them. One caught
his arm, slicing through the uniform and ripping into his arm. 

Suddenly, his despair turned into righteous anger, and he howled as he
ripped away from Nishi and turned back to face the forest. His thumb
kicked the power setting on his phaser up to full 16, and he let out a
long stream of fire that chopped into trees and completely neutralized
many smaller items that chanced into the path. Dozens of trees fell, but
still he continued firing, slicing and disintegrating anything in his
field of vision without heed to anything else going on. 

After a few more moments, his finger slipped from the trigger, and his
scream of rage died into a choking sputter that was quickly covered by
absolute silence. 

(reply Nishi, if desired)

Sevant, his every move jerky, slung the phaser over his shoulder as he
contemplated the large area of destruction he had just wrought. He
turned away without a word, and looked back the way they had come. His
family was dead, his primary reason for living was gone. But, he had to
get back to the ship. He had to see them one more time, no matter what
else happened. He scanned the area with his eyes, hardly paying
attention but keeping track of the terrain by instinct. 

In a hoarse voice, he said "Move."



===Back and Base Camp===

(Planet surface - The Wood - Lt Cmdr Sevant - 1758)

Sevant leaned against a tree and took a deep breath. The woods were no longer attacking them, but neither had they been able to find a way out again either. It was almost as if they were walking in circles, a giant rat-trap that they were not meant to escape, possibly. Cally found he cared very little, his only goal was to get back to the ship, and even that would be a frigid homecoming. There was nothing on the ship to welcome him back, no one whom he could now kiss goodnight...

He thumped his head hard against the tree, a last ditch effort to get his head out of the pit and back to survival. If he wanted to survive this, he was going to have to start thinking logically. The problem with that, of course, was he couldn't even begin to search for a real reason to survive, much less actually accomplish any effort to saving himself. 

(reply: Nishi, if desired)

A sound caught Sevant's attention, and with a sigh he turned his head to find the source. Nothing was immediately apparent except for a very localized wind that was flowing through the trees. He licked his lips and pushed away from the tree to face in that direction, and found himself chilled by the breeze.  It was his training and not conscious thought which had him pull the Phaser from his shoulder, but he kept it loosely pointed at the ground as the wind continued to blow over his face. The Vulcan scanned the trees all around him, looking in vain for the source of the breeze, and for the strange high-pitched sound that was reaching his ears. "Maybe this force will stop playing with us and just get this over with." he muttered to himself as he started walking directly into the breeze. 

(reply Nishi, if desired)

The breeze, cold and fell, suddenly stopped along with the sound he had been hearing; thus leaving the forest around them in a very unnatural stillness. Sevant's eyebrow shot up, and he lazily swung his phaser around. "If you are coming," he said in a fairly steady voice, "Come now while I still give half a damn."

(reply any)

Within moments, Sevant's stomach felt like it was lurching from side to side and the sound he had heard off in the distance filled his head. It was nearly as painful as the brute force of the telepathic contact he had gone through earlier, and he dropped his phaser to hold his head.
His eyes rolled up into his head in pain and he fell to his knees. 

Moments after that, the buzzing disappeared and his stomach settled back into it's proper place. He fell forward, only catching himself from falling on his face by flinging his hands out in front of him. He heard other sounds now, gasps and voices. He looked up, and shook his head slightly. They were back in camp, somehow, something had brought them; albeit through painful means. 

He gave up trying to keep his eyes open, and fell onto his side for a few moments of blessed relief. 



===Back on the Nimitz, Capturing the Puppet Master===


(USS Nimitz - Corridor - Richard Collins - 1910)

Richard stood in front of the door to his quarters, just out of sensor range so it wouldn't open, and closed his eyes. He had been caught, captured, interrogated... And unless that Security Chief was damn good, he was not only going to be spending his life in the stockade, his family would be moldering in the mean time. 

He had several murders on his conscience, but if his family was butchered because of this crazy little stunt, then he would probably kill Sasha and add another stain to his soul. This one would be free of cost to his other nominal employer.  

His employer, that woman, he would have to see her again sooner or later. 

Practically shaking with trepidation, he walked up to the door and into his quarters. He took a quick glance around, everything seemed to be just as he left it. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, then turned his head to look into the kitchen. 

Sitting on the table, alone, was a pristine yellow rose.

Richard's face crumpled, and his arms fell limp at his side. 

Without another word, and in careful control of his feelings, he turned back around for a walkabout. With every step he took, he prayed that the Security Chief really knew his business.


===On the Planet, Unalloyed Loss===



(Dreamland - Everywhere - Sevant - time is of no consequence)

Even in his dreams, the pain was enough to make his chest hurt. 

Was he aware of his unconscious state? That matter could be up for debate, but it didn't matter to him in the slightest at that particular moment in time. The beach in front of him was awash around his legs, capped with white-tops out beyond the break point. In a show of weather that he had never before seen in what had been their home for so many years, a storm raged, battering the island with fury unmatched in Sevant's previous experience. 

It didn't matter. 

On the outside, Sevant was impassive, his face composed and his figure unconsciously at a loose parade rest. He had no memory of walking into the surf, he didn't even stop to wonder why he had come back to this place. All that mattered now was that on the inside, not even the storm could match the absolute tempest that raged. A mass of emotions, so overwhelmingly powerful that he couldn't even begin to show them physically, surged through his blood and mind. Crushing grief at the loss of his family, pure hatred at whomever had caused this. 

Loss, unalloyed and unbuffered loss, was prominent however. 

He looked out into the tempest, not seeing and not caring, daring the elements themselves to take him, for he had no other reason to stay behind. Quite illogically, quite without hope, he mind-sent into the wind for his family. He strained so hard, so he thought, that a nosebleed started not much later. 

Then, ever so slowly, his awareness of the wind and the weather faded.
He took a deep breath, and let himself fall...



(Planet surface, Base Camp, Sevant, 1945)

His eyes opened slowly. He felt completely numb, all over, but he could feel a slight trickle on his upper lip that said not everything he had dreamed had been an absolute fabrication, he had indeed sent so hard that he had pushed himself beyond physical limits. Pain would come later, real physical pain that was the bodies way of saying 'no more'.

All the other pain had been with him constantly, it was no different now that he was awake. 

His eyes closed again, grief vied with rage for a few moments, but the grief won out. 

~Vicki...~


===Loss===


(Planet surface, Base Camp, Sevant, 1950)

~Vicki...~

::I am here Caladryll, use my strength to help you:: 

Caladryll felt someone make a link to him, he abolished it a moment later. Being tied to another was the last thing he wanted at this moment, the absolute last thing. He took a slow breath as his head started to pound, and opened his eyes again to look around. Kestra Troi and the Captain were there as well. 

He took a breath, and sat up slowly. "Did Lt Nakamura pass out from transport as well...." he grumbled, trying to focus his mind on
*something* that wasn't emotional in origin. 




===Puppet Master Caught, sorta===



(USS Nimitz - Corridor - Richard Collins - 2210)

Richard hummed a nameless tune as he walked the lower decks, the tune being only one of two signs that something was *far* from right. The other, for anyone who happened to be paying attention, was that his eyes kept flickering to dark corners in an endless search. In all the times he had been 'ordered' to go walking by that yellow rose, he had not once managed to spot his contact before she came up behind him. He would have suspected witchcraft if he had lived a few hundred years earlier. 

He had not given the matter overmuch thought, prying too deeply into the affairs of his contact and whomever *her* masters were didn't seem to be a healthy course of action. They already had his life in the palm of their hands, along with the life of the rest of his family. He didn't know what else they could possibly do to him or his, but he didn't want to be finding out either. 

The only warning he had that he wasn't quite alone was the small puff of breeze beside him, and a softly feminine voice that said, "Keep walking, Mr Collins."

His heart skipped a couple beats, but with surprise and with suppressed terror. It was anger that restarted his heart, and it was obedience that kept him in step with her as they continued through the lower decks. 

"You did an admirable job, considering your specialty is subspace and not special operations." that feminine voice said several moments later, as they both turned a corner. "Perhaps you missed your calling?"

"I missed nothing," he said flatly. "I did what I did out of nothing but necessity. When will you release my wife?"

"Bye and bye, in good time." was the amused reply. "We are not quite done with you yet."

"That was not the deal." came Richard's reply, through a clenched jaw. 

The woman's voice dropped several degrees, "You are not in a position to dictate to me, Mr Collins, so shut your mouth while you are ahead and listen." She stopped suddenly, and entered a door that had slid open.
"Come with me."

Rich took a deep breath, and wondered just when the Calvary was going to come a' knocking. Being in an enclosed room would do them, nor him, any favors. However, it wasn't like he had much of a choice. He stepped inside the dimly lit room, and suppressed a shudder as the door slid closed behind him. The cloaked figure stepped forward into the room and threw back her hood. Rich hissed slightly, and shook his head. The face of the person that faced him was a dead-ringer for that of his wife. The woman smiled cruelly and chuckled. "Recognize someone?"

"Amazing what constructive surgery can do, no?" he said with barely contained fury, which almost matched the pang of grief that had resounded through him at the first shock. He closed his eyes, and turned his head away. "What more do you want from me?"

The amusement in the voice, which was nothing like his wife's...
Thankfully, lost just a touch of it's amusement as she asked "Why were you picked up by Security today?"

Rich took a deep breath, this was the line he had been waiting for.
"Someone reported me being in the area of the murder." he said flatly as he looked back at her. "Stolev wanted to know if I had seen anything suspicious. I, as I reported, was clueless." He frowned, "They didn't seem suspicious of me, and he let me go after a few questions meant to make me stumble."

He shrugged, "But they let me go without a cross word, I can only assume I am not under suspicion."

She considered him for several moments with her head slightly cocked to the side. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she said "You know what, Mr Collins, I think you are lying." 

Rich's heart skipped another beat as she moved forward gracefully, and put her hand flat on his chest. "About this, or about something else, I don't know. But, you are sweating awfully heavy to be telling the whole truth about something. I intend to find out what."

----

(USS Nimitz - Access Room - Ensign Richard Collins - 2406.03.11.2215)

"About this, or about something else, I don't know. But, you are sweating awfully heavy to be telling the whole truth about something. I intend to find out what."

Richard tapped his fingers together, in obvious indecision. She had her small hand flat on his chest, for what reason he couldn't even imagine.
"Uh..." he said, not having to feign the careful phrasing of his next words as he slowly looked down at the hand. "I can't guess what you are thinking, but killing me certainly won't help either of us."

A throaty chuckle emanated from the cowl, and she pushed it back with her free hand. "It might make me feel better, however."

"oh." What else could he say, that left little room for argument.
However, being human, he was like to try. "Uh, I didn't, haven't, erm..
Wouldn't ever deceive you, too much rides..."

"And I would imagine that if another way came about, a tempting offer that involved freeing your family in return for a full confession, that you would completely ignore it and place your trust in me, mmm?" Her grin was sadistic as she pushed Richard against the wall, and continued pushing. His chest started to ache from the pressure, panic started to fill his mind as he found it hard to get another breath. "Please...
Stop..." he wheezed

Her response was only to chuckle and push a little harder. "But, what would be the fun of..." She broke off and turned her head to the door with a snap. For half a second she completely ignored Richard, just looking at the portal. Then, without warning, she pulled her hand away from his chest. He took a ragged breath, then held it again as suddenly her female face started to melt, and her shoulders became wider.. And...


~Impossible, I'm dreaming, this is a nightmare!~

The female before him ceased to be a female, in her place was a perfect copy of himself. 

The door burst open a moment later, and she backed away suddenly, a look of panic on his/her face. "No, NO!" s/he bellowed to the entering security officers. "Its her, him... Her... IT'S A SHAPE SHIFTER!" The whole time, his/her finger was pointed at Richard. 

"Like hell!" he burst out, its her.. Him!" He sputtered as he pointed back, while looking at Stolev.