Sky Trek: Children of the Night

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As far as Riker knew, Paddy’s Pub & Grill was the only restaurant on the small island of Farpoint. It was also, naturally, the only pub, too. It made sense, as there weren't too many customers around save for the small civilian population and Federation naval personnel. However, judging by the content looks on his new comrades’ faces, the food sufficed. Though he wasn’t exactly sure why in one of their cases.

“Worf, I really don’t get how you can drink that stuff,” he asked, making a mock gag face.

“It is not for pleasure,” Worf, the Enterprise’s weapons officer said, taking another satisfying sip of prune juice. “This… this is a warrior’s drink.”

“And what exactly makes it a warrior’s drink?” Tasha Yar, Chief of Security, asked the Klingon Orc.

Worf raised his eyebrows. “If you would merely try it, you would know.”

“Dr. Cox, Dr. Dorian, what do you have to say?” Riker asked. “Is there some… medical benefit to drinking prune juice?”

The gruff, older doctor and the younger absent minded one looked at each other, then back to their table companions.

JD (John Dorian) coughed. “Well, it uh… it does have benefits for certain…”

“Annnnnd that’s enough, newbie,” Dr. Cox said, midway through lifting up a sandwich. “That look we had a second ago was, despite what you might be thinking, not permission to ruin everyone’s lunch.”

JD frowned. “Oh, my fault, I thought we were doing a thing.”

Dr. Cox rapidly shook his head, before taking another bite of his sandwich. “Never.”

Tasha leaned towards JD. “Why does he keep calling you ‘newbie’?'' Haven't you been working together for years?”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” JD said, smiling. “Dr. Cox just has trouble connecting with people on an emotional level so he does his best to--”

“Newbie,” Dr. Cox said, giving him a glare. “Finish that and I swear you’ll be the first patient treated aboard the Enterprise.”

JD gulped, before making a zipping motion across his mouth.

Riker shook his head in bafflement. “Anyway, so let’s consolidate. What do we know so far? Tasha and Worf, you first.”

“First name basis already?” Tasha grinned.

“Seemed appropriate for the setting,” Riker shrugged. “Anyway…”

“Right, right.” Tasha cleared her throat. “Well, as far as we can tell, the sabeuters used somewhat… blunt methods to disable the radar.”

“You mean they just smashed it, right?” Riker asked.

Worf nodded. “Whoever is responsible did not have the knowledge to disable it discreetly. There are half a dozen ways to have done so without even letting us know it was sabotaged for quite some time. Instead, they opted to rip the dish off of its supports before heavily damaging it with what looked like bladed weapons. Then, they threw it into the lagoon.”

JD blinked. “Bladed weapons?”

“Something to add, doctor?” Riker asked.

“Hate to say it, but I’m with newbie on this one,” Dr. Cox said. “The seamen working at it were taken down via blows to the head. There weren’t any lacerations, I checked em’ out myself.” He paused, before adding, “And no, they didn’t see who did it, by the way.”

“They’re otherwise fine, though, right?” Tasha asked.

Dr. Cox bobbed his head back and forth. “They’re going to have some nasty headaches for a few weeks, but that’s about it.”

“We, uh, also found traces of smokeleaf in their blood,” JD pointed out. “Not to insinuate anything …”

“She says, insinuating,” Dr. Cox groaned. “‘Golly gee, where oh where could that smokeleaf have come from? Maybe the saboteurs felt so bad about knocking them they gave them a good ole’ shotgun kiss.’”

“Alright, what’s with you?” Tasha said, folding her arms and glaring at Dr. Cox. “Do you really need to be so hard on him?”

JD’s eyes widened in horror. He rapidly waved his hands back and forth as if to say, ‘STOP before it’s too late!”

Dr. Cox, in turn, put on a wicked grin. “We’ve only just met, Ms. Yar, so how’s about we start this relationship off without me wanting to tell you where to shove it, huh?”

“Okay, okay, let's take it down a notch," Riker said in a half-light, though half-stern tone. “We’re officers of the flagship of the Federation - let’s try to act like it.”

“Sorry,” Tasha said reluctantly.

“Mph,” Dr. Cox growled, glancing away.

Out of the corner of his eye, Riker saw Worf giving a look of disapproval. “Mr. Worf?”

“Mmm… nothing.”

“So…” JD said, smiling brightly. “Group hug?”

“Klingons do not ‘hug’,” Worf grumbled.

“How about we put a pin on that for later?” Tasha chirped.

“That’s the spirit,” Riker smiled. “Alright, so we know the saboteurs had bladed weapons of some sort but chose not to use them on the radar operators. Instead, they used non-lethal force. What else do we know?”

“Surprisingly little,” Tasha said. “For how…. inelegantly they took out the dish, they left very little evidence. No footprints, no hair follicles, nothing.”

“Very little about this adds up,” Worf noted. “Especially when considering the only party with a motive to destroy the dish would be my people.”

“Isn’t brute force sort of a Klingon thing, though?” JD asked. “Er, no offense.”

“None taken,” Worf said. “However, if my people were behind this, I doubt they would have left the operators alive. Though they might prefer a blunt approach to the dish, they would also know how to sabotage it properly - the Klingon Empire has been using radar before even the Federation.”

“There was that squadron leader who went missing two weeks ago,” Riker said. “Still hasn’t been found. It sounds grisly, but he could have been killed and… disposed of somewhere.”

Worf shook his head. “If Klingons are responsible for that particular incident, I don’t believe the two things are related. It would imply they’ve been in hiding for two weeks. Long-term stealth is… not our way.”

“It was probably an accident,” Dr. Cox said. “The island is a deathtrap in some places. High sea-cliffs with winds that could kick you right over into jagged rocks. He wouldn’t be the first person here MIA.”

“What if they purposefully changed their behavior?” Tasha asked. “To throw us off the trail?”

Worf seemed to weigh her words, before responding with: “Such a thing is not unheard of, but it is unlikely.”

“Relations with the Klingons have been a little shaky lately,” Riker said. “I don’t think we should rule it out completely.”

“With their submarines, they wouldn’t have a problem getting anyone here undetected, either,” Tasha said.

“What if they didn’t come here by boat?” JD suddenly blurted out.

“Newbie…” Dr. Cox sighed.

“Wait, wait, hear me out,” JD continued. “I was talking to that delightful dwarf who runs this place …”

“Who, Frank?” Tasha blinked. “D-Delightful?”

“Yeah, he’s great!” JD chirped. “Let me in on the island’s biggest secret for only 30 bits.”

“Oh?” Riker said, already apprehensive about what might be coming.

“There’s a warpgate on the far side of it,” JD smiled.

Dr. Cox looked at Riker, then back at JD, then facepalmed. “Newbie… that isn’t a secret. Everyone who lives here knows about the warpgate.”

JD practically deflated. “Oh… well, still, it’s true.”

“I think someone should have a little talk with that dwarf,” Worf growled, nodding towards Riker. “I volunteer, sir.”

“Not right now, Mr. Worf,” Riker sighed. “Dr. Dorian, I hate to say it but I think he pulled a fast one on you.”

“I’m shocked, shocked!” Dr. Cox said dramatically. “Well, not that shocked.”

JD frowned. “And he seemed so… personable, too.”

“I dunno if it was that bad. I didn’t know about any warpgate,” Tasha said. “Honestly, I don’t even know what a warpgate is, really. Some sort of relic, right?”

“I’m not surprised - they barely covered them at the academy,” Riker said. “They’re ancient stone-like structures scattered all about the Terran Continent and surrounding islands - the Federation has discovered about 15 in our territory alone.”

“The Klingon Empire also has a few,” Worf noted.

“Supposedly, they were used by one or more ancient people to travel instantaneously from one place to another,” Riker continued.

“Teleportation?” Tasha blinked. “I thought that was dangerous?”

“It is outlawed for a reason,” Worf said.

Dr. Cox shrugged. “Maybe they didn’t give a crap.”

“Or figured out a way to use them safely,” JD said hopefully.

“I personally don’t think they were used for travel at all,” Riker said. “There’s never been any concrete evidence that what we call ‘warpgates’ were anything more than ceremonial decorations.”

Tasha gave him a pensive look. “Maybe, but wouldn’t it be worth investigating the possibility? Just in case?”

“We don’t have anywhere else to go at the moment,” Worf said.

Riker sighed, before reluctantly nodding. “I suppose. I’d like to give the captain something before the Enterprise arrives. Even 100% ruling out the warpgate was used would be better than what we have.”

“If it was used, there would likely be some form of residual energy we could detect,” Tasha noted.

“Yeah, have fun with that,” Dr. Cox said, finishing up his sandwich. “In the meantime, newbie and I are going to be playing a fun game called, ‘let’s see how much logistics screwed up our medical supply requests’.” He held two fingers up to his mouth and made a loud whistle. “Newbie, come.”

“Woooo, bonding time!” JD beamed.

Dr. Cox cringed. “For the love of whatever of the many deities the Federation worships that might actually be real,” he sighed. “This is purely professional, newbie, professional.”

With that, the two of them left the restaurant, one in a worse mood than when they had entered.

“God, what a jerk,” Tasha groaned.

Worf, however, smiled slightly. “Perhaps, but I like him. A doctor who pursues his craft with a warrior's conviction. It is… a nice change of pace."

"Very Klingon-like, Mr. Worf?" Riker grinned.

"No comment."

"Come on," Riker chuckled. "Let's go see what they have in the workshop."

--

An hour later, the trio were walking through a dense woodland on the far side of the island. It wasn't long before they came across a clearing with a large, circular orifice standing in the middle. It was held upright by an obsidian base.

"Well, that's not ominous at all," Tasha quipped. "Like something out of an adventure picture."

"Hah! So I'm not the only one who likes those?" Riker beamed, pulling out a small device out of the pack he carried. "That settles it. We're definitely having film nights aboard."

"Dibs on first pick!" Tasha interjected.

"Only if you win the first poker match," Riker smirked.

Tasha laughed. “Giving me a way to take your bits and the first pick? Bad move, commander.”

“A second officer makes no bad moves,” Riker grins. “This is all by my design.”

“Commander,” Worf moaned.

“Right, right, back to work.”

A second later, he pressed a large button on the side of the device he carried. It began to make a soft beeping sound in a slow interval.

"Hey wait, you never did say what that thing is," Tasha said

"A trimeter," Riker said. "It's magitek. Should be able to detect almost any forms of energy, including, well, magical ones."

"Handy," Tasha said.

"Well, it does fit in your hand," Riker smirked.

His companions stared at him blankly.

"I stick by that joke," Riker said proudly.

To his satisfaction, Tasha did, indeed, laugh at that.

"Hey now," he said, making a mock tone of offense.

"Sorry, sorry," Tasha said, continuing to chuckle. "It's just you're... different than most officers I've served with. Sooo… casual."

"I try my best," Riker mused. "Now then, let's see if there's any truth to the whole teleporting thing."

As they approached the artifact, Riker noted various markings carved into the sides of the rings. He had no clue how to read them.

"Interesting," Riker said. "Mr. Worf, Lieutenant, did either of you take that Ancient Dialects course at the academy?"

They both shook their heads.

“Ah well,” Riker said. “Worth a shot.”

Not seeing a reason to wait, he moved closer to the artifact. Sure enough, his tricorder began to beep more rapidly. Two lights, red and blue began to shine atop it. Within the two half-circle meters on the device, arrows began to dance to the right.

“Heh, I might stand corrected,” Riker said, raising his eyebrows.

“What is it?” Worf asked.

“There’s almost certainly been some magic used here recently,” Riker said.

“Can it say what type?” Tasha asked.

Riker nodded. “If I’m reading this correctly, it was Shadow Magic. There’s also a lot of residual EM energy.”

“A magitek device was likely used in the vicinity of the ring, then,” Worf said.

“Or it was the warpgate itself,” Tasha said, excited.

“If that’s true, then our saboteurs could have come from anywhere,” Riker said. “And could have gone anywhere.”

Before anyone could respond, there came a voice - a woman’s - from the edge of the clearing. Its tone nearly ran a shiver down Riker's back.

It was dripping with venom.

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

The trio immediately went on full alert, each drawing a weapon. Riker and Tasha each drew stun rifles, while Worf, naturally, drew a Gin’tak Spear from his back. A second later, they emerged: two grey-skinned humanoids with large, bat-like wings folded at their backs. One wielded two, short stick-like weapons and the other, an odd-looking pistol.

“Woah,” Riker said, nearly taking a step back in surprise. “This was unexpected.”

“Thestrals,” Worf growled.

“What-strals?” Riker asked.

“They’re sort of like gargoyles,” Tasha explained. “But without the turning to stone thing. And the only way you can see them …”

“Is if you’ve seen death,” Worf said bluntly.

“Something you’re accustomed to, I see,” one of the Thestrals, a woman, hissed. “Not surprising given how quickly you drew your weapons.”

“I told you, Teyla,” her accomplice, a gruff-sounding male said. His most noticable feature were the large, tendril-like dreadlocks he sported. “Why do you think they’ve made such good friends with the Klingons? Humans only know one language. They’re almost bad as the Wraith in some ways.”

“Wraith?” Riker questioned.

“You’ll meet them eventually,” he said. “Unless you learn to stay where you belong. Not the easiest thing for you to do, though, huh?”

“You are judging us?” Worf spat. “You were the ones who injured two of our people without provocation! Don’t deny it - it must have been you!”

“And you took over my friend here’s home and then poisoned it,” the male growled. “You’re lucky we only beat em’ over the head.”

“Her home?” Tasha said, raising an eyebrow.

“My tribe was here long before you!” Teyla snapped. “For centuries we’ve lived in pristine isolation. Yet even then, we were willing to share. Willing to try a different way. But what did we get for our efforts? Gunshots. Your expedition had no room for talk.”

“Expedition?” Riker said. “You mean the original explorers who found the place? That was over 200 years ago!”

“You speak as if it was uninhabited!” Teyla said. “My people are natural at hiding. Though we’d have liked to try different path, we’ve been content walking in your shadows for generations, making you think we were gone. That was until recently …”

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to insult you,” Riker said, lowering his rifle ever so slightly. “I’m not an expert on Farpoint - what we call this island - but apparently that first contact was never reported. My people, the Federation, had no idea anyone else was living here.”

“Ronon?” Teyla said to her partner, hesitantly.

“He’s lying,” Ronan said. “The humans who discovered this place? The Hiberians or whatever? They joined up with the Federation. Everyone on the Terran Continent did. Anything they knew the Federation should know.”

“Many of those explorers from way back weren’t exactly the best people,” Tasha explained hastily. “They might have left it out of their biographies.”

“Ain't that convenient,” Ronon chuckled darkly. “Just like the Federation to play dumb."

"Indeed," Teyla said. "My friend travels quite a bit - he has heard tales of you. All say the same thing: you hide behind 'progress' in fear of your past - something you don't want people to know of. Well that excuse won't help you now. Today, your past catches up with you. This island used to be known as Athos, and that's what it'll be known as again."

The two Thestrals raised their weapons and began to draw closer. The trio, in turn, readied their own.

“We don’t want to fight you,” Riker said sternly. “But we will defend ourselves if necessary.”

“Put down your weapons and come with us,” Teyla said. “Do this, and you have my assurance that no harm will come to you.”

“We will be nobody’s hostages!” Worf snarled.

“Forget it,” Ronan snapped. “They won’t listen, so no more talk. You wanted me here for a reason, Teyla, so let’s get to it!”

Within a split-second, he pulled the trigger on his pistol. A red orb of energy shot forth from it right towards Riker. He ducked at the last second, the orb grazing his hair and making it stick up on end - as if it were a ball of electricity.

“Cover - now!” Riker shouted, and the three used the warpgate’s sides to do so.

Ronan continued to shoot at them, his shots splashing off the sides of the ancient stone ring. Tasha and Riker, in return, aimed and fired their stun rifles, their mana-infused pellets whizzing towards Ronon. The Threstral was prepared for this, however - folding his two bat-wings in front of him like a shield and, with some visible discomfort, blocking the shots.

Teyla, in the meantime, charged towards the trio as Ronon distracted them. Using her wings to speed her across the grassy clearing, she was soon upon them.

“RAAAAAAUGH!” she cried, plunging her two sticks towards her nearest opponent, Worf.

He met her with his spear, and the three weapons collided with a near thunderclap. They didn’t parry for long, however, as Worf quickly shoved her away from him. She flew backwards a foot before stabilizing herself with her wings, then began to pounce on Worf with a series of rapid thrusts. Having no initiative, he was forced on the defensive, blocking one after another with the top and bottom of his spear.

Riker, in the meantime, tried to take aim at Teyla. However, it was too late. She was in control of her fight with Worf, having placed him between her and Riker. He quickly realized it was a mistake even trying to help him, for now that he only faced one opponent, Ronon closed distance slightly, firing another barrage.

“ACK!” screamed Tasha, who was caught by one of the bolts as she leaned out of cover to shoot. Electricity visibly surged through her body, and she collapsed onto the platform of the warpgate. Riker went wide-eyed, giving his full attention to Tasha. He was about to reach down to check her pulse when--

“RIKER!” Worf shouted. “ON YOUR 9!”

Riker came to attention. It didn’t take long to see what Worf was shouting at: Ronan was circling Riker’s cover - flanking him. Thinking quickly, Riker raised his stun rifle, aimed down the sights, and fired another shot. Again, Ronan shielded himself with his wings, blocking it. Riker tried to fire again, but his rifle merely made a small buzzing sound - its mana crystals which jutted from the forestocks were still recharging it.

“Oh hell,” Riker moaned, drawing from his uniform something he hoped he would never have to use: a loaded, standard revolver. However, before he could take aim, he felt a surge of electricity painfully cascading through his body.

The last thing he saw was the sight of Worf finally gaining the upper-hand in his own fight: striking Teyla with the butt-end of his spear.