== Captains quarters== --dream- Keylor stepped out of the shuttle and in to the docking port that connected the shuttle to the small star ship. In the distance Keylor could hear the sound of phaser fire echo through the decks for the federation ship. As he turned the corner out of the docking port the stench of methane, the smell of dung assaulted his nose. He looked around and saw randomly scattered piles of dun everywhere, most likely from the x'chi. Then, of fin the distance he heard a scream, a sound familiar to him. Fearing something was wrong he pulled the type two phaser out of his holster and raced wildly down the corridor towards where he thought the scream came from. Darting down the passage ways, trying his best not to step in the dung, he soon came across the aftermath of a conflict of man and insectoid. At first there were only a few X'chi carcasses lying here and there but as he followed the sound of fighting, the numbers started to mount. The sound of phaser fire in the distance increased, accented by the human scream of agony. He quickened his pace, only to be slowed down by the increasing amount of X'chi carcasses. Now in a frenzy he rushed to his comrades, his crew, he feared of their well being. As he neared and intersection of corridors, he could hear the phaser fire grow louder and louder. The smell of flesh and insect singed skin and exoskeleton now overpowering the smell of dung. Just as he neared the corner the phaser fire stopped. Quickly he turned the corner. "Thump" he hit the floor hard, stumbling over some strewn carcass. For a moment the room went black. For a moment he was at peace. Then his mid returned to him and he opened his eyes. What he saw horrified him. Before his was a mangled mass of man and insect. His comrades, his responsibility, all 12 of them lie broken and bloddy among the many X'chi. {Why did I let this happen. Why did we not prepare better.} he toght beating himself up ove rthe loss of his crew.} She then the clicking sound of insect mandibles came from behind him. {Now it is my turn. If I perish who will save the rest?} he though as he jumped up form the floor. --End dream- Keylor jolted straight out of bed, sweat covering his face. The room was dark and he was still half asleep. Of fin the shadows he thought he heard the clicking sound form his dream. Stumbling to his night stand he grabbed a phaser tucked away in a drawer. He then aimed quickly to the shadows and called out "Computer lights!" he barked out, half expecting an X'chi to be standing there waiting to finish him off. As the lightes flicked on, he squinted form the bright lights and tried his best to keep them open, waiting for his foe to pounce on him. But there was nothing. ==Later== After a shower and a change in to his duty uniform. Keylor replicated a light breakfast and sat at his desk in his quarters. The dream he had was still fresh in his mind. Ever since the mission to the tallos abyss he had strange dreams , he could not understand. It started with the vision of the day he found the bajoran colony in the DMZ completely obliterated, burned in a building, with chained doors. Though that encounter was brought on by some evil force , hell bent on destroying the Crew of the Belefron, ever since that day he had other, less evil dreams. It took many years and in Starfleet for him to realize that it was most likely the result of his encounter with the orb of wisdom his father insisted of having, after that day he found the bajoran coloney. He was not sure if it was a gift or a cusre bestowed upon him by the prophets, and he halfe decided that it would take him another 200 years to decide which it was. He was not sure if it was some manifistation of his concern over the up coming mission or some foretelling of the future. He was locked in doubt and second guessing. If it was some psychological manifistation of his subconscious, he needed to purge the doubt form his mind and let things happen. But if, just if it were some sort of prohhech of the future, then why would the prophets show it to him? Were they warning him, to change the future? Or were they simply torturing him. To take his mind off of his dream, he decided to look over the daily reports. As any seasoned officer would know, reports would take your mind off of just about5 anything. Not because they were exciting, but because they were the exact opposite. The first thing he reviewed were the crew transfers and new assignments. He was glad to see so many new faces. There were a few new officer to science, fresh out of the academy Cadets Dalby and Weranis. Keylro chuckled to himself. {Well Some fresh meat for the Oriana grinder. I am sure that Vulcan task master will put them to good work.} he thought. Glancing over the personnel records he noticed some thing. {Weranis is a fellow Bajoran. Another adventure.} he smiled to himself. Though Bajorans in Starfleet were more and more common, than when he was a boy, He still found himself hearing he sisters words echo inhis thoughts about staying on Bajor and serve their home world. It still struck him as funny why any Bajoran wiuld venture away form their planet with that sentiment. {I will have to meet this man and offer him some Sweet wine.} he thought. Next Keylor looked over a new member to the oda, a medical specialist. {A Cardassian? I did not know SSF was accepting Cardasians? I thought after the last Dominion/Cardassian alliance they were deemed a security risk.} he thought. Tapping on the console on his desk he pulled up the Cardassian's personnel record. {Ah I see, a dissident} he thought reading Private Ra'nar's personnel record. { He and his father were resistance members against the alliance. Special Forces command must be keeping him as some future spy should an alliance like that happen again.} he thought. Keylor then pulled up a request form the medical department. It was a request from Ltjg Steve Desoto. Apparently Steve had found a position on the USS Vesalius. Seeing how life on a small little intrepid calss ship, playing nurse maid to a lot of over sexed combat crazy crew had little appeal in for a career officer. And since Rangi and Shane were romantically linked, there was little chance for him to move up the chain of command any time soon, Or at least that is the thought Keylor had. Approving the request, Keylor placed his seal of approval of the transfer and sent it off to the base so Steve could make his travel plans. Moving along to the engineering department he notice a new engineer, again fresh form the academy. This ne was a hum, a Ensign Rick Rodgers. His thoughts drifted to the previous day when He received the abrupt transfer of the ships CEO, LtJG Matthew Kirkland . The sudden transfers form the chimera were becoming commonplace to him. But loosing a senior officer like that was always devastating. Luckily They had an officer who seemed more than capable to fill in for the moment, LT Sean McTaggert, Himself farily new to the ship, Being the senior officer in the department he was the logical choice to filling for now, until a permanent CEO could be decided on. {McTaggert, Why does that name still sound familiar to me?} he though pushing the pad to one side and pulling his toast and coffee closer to him. Taking a bite of the toast he though back to his days on SB aurora. {Hrm.} he throught. {Back hen that crazy man, Cameron Sikes pummeled me, I remember hearing the names of a few of the officers on the USS Archer, One of them was Mctingle? No, McNugget? No, MCTaggert! Yes that is it. I wonder if there is any relation there.} Placing his toast on his plate, he picked up his coffee and took a sip. Reaching over with his free hand, he pulled another pad over to review. Keeping his coffee in one hand, he tapped and looked over the recent messages from the base. First off the bat was a report form base security about a bar brawl. The chief of security on the base reports that one man was apprehended after starting the fight but at least two more nameless Marines were wanted for questioning. Normally in a regular Starfleet operation, this would be fairly easy to question all marines in the vicinity. Bust since SSF was an equal mixture of Starfleet , marine and intelligence ranks, is was not an easy task. The security chief of the station was looking for any captain that might have information leading to the identification of the offenders. Keylor's first thought was of Jack Walsh. {Ok so I promote you and then you get in to a fight. At least you had the good manners not to get caught and have me kissing some admirals arse for you insubordination.} he thought. Next was a rather terse message from base engineer.. It was a rather annoyed message from a Marine Captain Garsha who was not please with the questioning he received form Lt Sean McTaggert. He 'warned' Keylor that if the Ships engineering staff did not cooperate, he would not be held responsible for any time delays and could not certify that the prototype shielding would work. Though Keylor was not happy with some Marine captain telling him this, he understood engineers well enough that they all had "God Complex" and did not like any one interrupting their 'all mighty power'. He figured that this is what happened between McTaggert and the base engineer. Not wanting they two to go head to head with egos, he decided he would have a 'word' with Mctaggert. Standing up form his desk, he placed his dishes in the replicator for recycling and started for the door. {Well at least this gives me a chance to ask him if he is related to that other Mctaggert I have heard of.} he though. ===End log== Bgen Bretam Keylor Captain USS Chimera