"Pirates"
(Previous Post was Jessica's "Out of the Darkness Comes the Light")
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Setting: CABRY III, on the outer hull of the ANUBIS
The young woman pulled herself up the rope ladder that had been set
over the side of the large wooden sail ship which had dropped anchor as close to the ANUBIS as it had been able to. From where the CO was, as she looked
over her shoulder, the ship which she was the CO of looked like an unreal
site… that of a metallic island set in the middle of a peaceful sapphire
coloured ocean. What appeared even stranger was the array section of the ship
which stuck out of the gentle waves like some sort of alien structure to this
world… which it was.
"Welcome onboard, I am Kattarihanna, Captain of the BLACK PANTHER, but
you can call me Katt," the female Caitian announced as she greeted the CO
and Sec/Tac of the ANUBIS onto her vessel. The warmth of the welcome was
offset only by the glares of distrust the two officers received from the rest
of the wooden ship's crew.
The redheaded woman took no time to see that the crew of the BLACK
PANTHER had taken a strong defensive posture around her and the Hirogen for
reasons that were obvious since Uxtar looked rather intimidating when compared
to the smaller than usual Caitians. The young woman took a moment and
took in her surroundings and noticed that the ship they were on seemed to fit
for the most part what her idea of what an ancient EARTH sail ship would
have looked like.
"Thank you for your hospitality, I am Captain Sabrina Rikar… my ship
crashed and we are looking for help," the young woman offered not yet having
figured out if she could trust these people or not but having little choice in
the matter for the time being.
"We almost crashed on this strange island ourselves," the Caitian
captain said as she moved to the edge and looked at the *island* in question
and the odd looking structure that had appeared out of nowhere and now looked
over the metallic landmass.
"Is that strange thing over there your ship?" The Caitian male whom
they had encountered on the outer hull inquired as he pointed to the array
section of the ANUBIS. It was clear that these people had never seen anything
resembling a SCARAB-Class cruiser… or a starship for that matter. This
of course immediately dictated the young woman's next words as she
considered the full impact of their presence on CABRY III… a per-warp civilization which was protected by the guidelines of the Prime Directive.
"No… we crashed and our ship was swallowed by some sort of whirlpool.
The crew escaped and sought refuge in that cave from which we came out of,"
the ANUBIS' CO explained as she tried to find ways of explaining their
situation without causing further contamination to the civilization they had
stumbled upon.
"A most unfortunate tail… but I am happy to hear that you and the
members of your crew have escaped with your lives. I would be more than happy to help you and your crew return to your home port," Kattarihanna offered still sounding as amicable as could be which of course the redheaded woman
acknowledged as having been fake and concealing some hidden agenda.
"A very generous offer, but I am unsure if you would have enough room
for all of the members of my crew," the young woman countered with not at
all certain that accepting the offer would be in the best interest of her
ship and crew… at least not given what she knew and had so far seen.
"I am sure that Gatito, my first mate, and the rest of my crew would be
more than happy to relinquish their beds to make room for the members of
your crew… unless you would rather wait for the Malhani Armada to arrive,
find your crew and turn them into slaves," Kattarihanna explained rather
bluntly while still managing to maintain her air of amicability.
"With your permission Captain, I would like to return to the island and speak of your generous offer with the rest of my crew," the redheaded woman offered to which the Caitian captain simply smiled and waved them on their way.
As the ANUBIS CO and Sec/Tac made their way back onto the *island*, the
crew of the BLACK PANTHER gathered on the main deck in clear view of the two
departing officers.
"Captain… I do not trust them. There is something shifty about them,
and the flag they sail under is clearly that of pirates… can we honestly
trust these people with our lives?" Uxtar inquired obviously not at all
liking any of this.
"We know too little about this planet and its people to make any sort
of judgement… like accusing them of being pirates only because they sail
under a black flag and the way they dress. What we do need though is to get
some help and information if we are to leave this world. Right now Captain
Kattarihanna and the BLACK PANTHER seem to be our best and only hope.
==========
"We are Grey, we stand between the Candle and the Star, between the
Darkness and the Light" 2006 post #246
Stardate: 61036.1015
Sabrina Jones {sabrina_sweet@hotmail.com}
Captain Sabrina Rikar
Commanding Officer
USS ANUBIS, NCC-18501
-Entilza Delenn, Babylon 5
