Next steps

Posted on Sun Mar 15th, 2026 @ 11:02pm by Captain Mira Rodale Lance & Lieutenant Betaras K'ner

2,452 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Into the mirror
Location: Harbinger
Timeline: Present

On:
{Harbinger }

Walking into the Detention Block, Mira nodded to the officer on duty. “How is our …….guest doing?”

The ensign chuckled at the Captain taking the time needed to determine what the prisoners title would be.

“He goes from being angry to downright hostile.”

Mira smirked, “I can imagine.” She turned back to the cell. The sound had been cut off so the officer on duty wouldn’t have to hear it. The computer was monitoring the prisoner and keeping a file of what the man was yelling. She looked down at her clothing. Since they were not following the standard protocol of uniforms, Mira had opted for a black sweater dress that came just above her knees, black leggings and her favorite soft soled black leather ankle boots. She was going to need to change her hair color to something less noticeable. Probably a dark brown? She thought this to herself as she twisted a curl around her finger. Maybe that would work along with just the standard blue eyes or should she try brown? Shaking her head at her wondering thoughts, she frowned at the man in the cell. This might be the most enraged she had ever seen him.

“Good, all that smug attitude is gone. Give me a few minutes with him. Keep the shield up and make yourself scarce for a few minutes.”

He gave her a nod before clearing the cell door to be two way and activating communications.

“Do you know who the HELL I AM?!” He yelled, seeing the back of a rather small female with long auburn hair.

Mira chuckled as she slowly turned around to look at him. “Of course I do.”

Carnell frowned, it took him a moment to place her. Crap, it was the little Ensign he had left behind to save his hide. What was she doing here? “Whisper? You need to tell the captain of this ship who I am and to let me out. I am part of this mission, not a prisoner!”

Mira raised a delicate eyebrow and almost laughed. He didn’t know she was the Captain? Too funny, she would bet he hadn’t even read the crew list and didn’t care to know the names. He thought he would just take over and step on everyone. “Reaper, she knows who you are she just doesn’t care.” She gave him a smile.

“I Demand talk to Captain Lance.” Carnell told her, sounding like he out ranked her.

Mira laughed. “Yeah, I’ll get right on that, Reaper. In the mean time, does the captain have a reason she should deal with you at all? She is busy.”

He gave her a growl, of course is wasn’t as impressive as Vaytoc’s ;or even spikes, but she had managed to get under his skin. Looking at the PADD she was holding, she frowned at his orders. She was to take him with her to the mirror universe, then just let him go about his business. Yeah, and there was no way that good deed wasn’t going to come back to bite her on the butt later. Once she had Jason and Kevin back and completed as much as she could of her mission, maybe she works dump him off some place. “Why would I want you running around free in the mirror universe?” Mira asked not even looking up from the PADD.

“Whisper..” He started to say.

“Rodale,” she automatically corrected using her maiden name. She definitely didn't want to be on a first name basis with him.

“Ok Rodale, the mirror universe is causing too many problems in our universe. We need to …. How should I put this, give them other things to deal with.”

Mira looked up at him. “Chaos?”

“Of course,” Carnell gave a laugh. “We could team up. We Had some fun back in the day.”

Mira kept her neutral face in place. “I don’t remember any good times. Besides, I have plenty to keep me entertained.”

Carnell laughed, “yeah? Like what?”

Mira looked over her shoulder as K'ner walked in, moving behind the security console. “Being Captain of the ship, leader of two Klingon houses and married with a family.” She gave a little nod to turn the door opaque, cutting off his view. There was a string of curses from him before she nodded again to cut the sound.
Carnell looked shocked.

“Has anyone tried to see him?” Mira asked, wondering what trouble his men were going to be.

“No Captain, both of the other men have guards. They know one wrong move and Awal will be dealing with them.”

She nodded walking out. Kevin had missed Christmas and new years with the kids. She was hoping to get him back soon.

K'ner nodded at the ensign that stood outside once the door opened. The captain strode confidently down the corridor with all things on her mind, so the ensign just waited for her to clear and slipped inside.

"He still alive?"

K'ner huffed. "Of course. But he's still mad, go figger."

The ensign smiled as he nodded, taking his position again as K'ner moved away. "Watch him carefully for subterfuge, he may try to get out, but he won't anticipate the extra measures we've taken to ensure his continued occupation here. Command and security staff only. His two companions do not have access at any point in time, no matter the emergency. I'll see to this one's disposition myself if there are any alarms."

"And if you don't make it in time?"

K'ner shrugged and left, planning to check in at medical again and review some more footage. She didn't trust Tweedle Dee or Tweedle Dumber to be on their best behavior, they were bound to have noticed Carnell hadn't met up with them or communicated since arriving. She wanted to watch their activity, even with their escort in place. She usually didn't prefer to watch anyone's personal space, but this was one of those exceptions where caution outweighed any moral tendency on her part.


{Captain’s quarters}

Ashla was teething. Mira walked the floor while holding her. Ashla's little head was resting on her shoulder as patted her back. The nurse had assured her this was normal. The nurse had even given Ashla something that looked like a pacifier so her daughter could suck on it providing the relief she needed. But Ashla just wasn’t sleeping now. Like mother, like daughter Mira thought, grimly. She hadn’t been sleeping well either with out Kevin. Normally she would be in the gym, running until she literally dropped from the exertion or drinking until she passed out. Mira eyed the bottle with a little hope. Nope, not with the kids here. She shook her head, then gave a little sigh as she came up with yet another song to sing to sing to her little girl.

Three songs later.

Finally, Mira gave a little smirk, Ashla was asleep. Looking at the chronometer, Mira almost groaned at the time. Her shift would start soon. Laying Ashla down in the kids room, she smiled at Zimia sleeping with the kids. The girl had just moved herself into the kids room and picked up doing all the things Kevin normally did with the kids. Parenting 3 kids was hard work for one parent, she would have gone nuts without the help or just stepped back from her CO duties.

Mira’s hand stroke Vaytoc’s fur as he snuggled with Kolar before she left the room. No sense in trying to sleep now, she thought bitterly as She slipped in the gray sweat pants and a matching gray jacket over her boxers and tank top. Earlier that week, she had quietly packed up all the silks and sexy clothing that had been packed for the trip and put them in storage, then replicated all the clothing she felt safe in. Mira frowned at that thought, safe wasn’t the right word. She continued the thought as she finished putting her long hair in a messy bun. The clothing were more like things no one would think twice about her being in them.

Picking up the PADDs, she went to the mess hall. Eat, get some extra caffeine, and start in on the reports would be at the top of her to-do list. Hopefully somewhere in all these intel reports it would give her an idea on finding the missing ship, her missing team mates, Jason and Kevin. She wasn’t leaving the mirror universe without her son. Jason? She briefly wondered why she had chosen the name.


{Mess Hall}

With a 32 oz. mug of raktajino and plate of food, she sat down at a table with her back against the wall. She had Chosen an omelet loaded with cheese and meat, a pile of bacon and a fruit salad. A lot of food for her but she had lost a few pounds and she was hoping if she was concentrating on reading as she ate she might be able to keep it all down.

Eating slowly, as she read on the changes in the mirror universe. It would seem star fleet hadn’t closed the gateway as most had believed. Or they had people over there keeping an eye on things. Sadly, they were bad at their jobs because they missed the invasion. Lost in thought, she stiffened as two men put down trays of food.

“Whisper, how you doing?”

Mira raised an eyebrow at the interruption. “Cable?” looking up at the other male, she tried to place him “sandman?” as far as greetings, go that was all they were getting.

"Hey, we beamed over a three man team, but only 2 of us made it.”
Mira’s eyes went to the Security team, but she said nothing.

“Do you know what happened to him?” Cable asked her with a little more anger in his voice. Her eyes darted to the small group of Klingons at the next table. “Of course I do. Nothing happens on my ship without my approval.” She spoke loud enough for the room to hear her. It was a reminder of who was in charge.

“Well where is he?”

“In a detention cell, do you want to join him for the remainder of the trip?” Mira asked her attention fully on them now.

Cable looked shocked but Sandman had no expression. Finally Cable spoke “why?”

“Delta 38,” Mira told him honestly, and her tone remained neutral.

“I don’t understand, you transfer during that mission.”

Mira raised an eyebrow, “did I? Interesting. And it had nothing to do with….. oh I don’t know Reaper kicking me off the ship and pulled up some blonde bimbo?“

He chuckled. "well that girl was really into him until we got back to base. But He would never kick a crewman off the ship, we could have squeezed in together.“ he wiggled his eyebrows. “but you took off with the other team.“ he shrugged as he set back.

“The other team? What other team and who would I have asked to be given permission to leave my team to transfer to another team while the mission was going on?” Mira asked him.

He opened his mouth a few times but looked perplexed.

Sandman shook his head, “ told you, that whole thing was BS.”

“Are you saying that you didn’t transfer out of our team?” Cable asked her.

“I was ordered to take the left tunnel and to look for Sara. Reaper took the right tunnel back to the ship and left.” Mira told him losing some of her calm.

Sandman answered her. “Sara was already back at the ship well before Reaper got back and he knew she was at the ship.”

Mira looked at her food, stabbing a chuck of strawberries, “yeah I figured that when I got back and found the ship gone.” She raised an eyebrow at them.


{Medical}

K'ner clasped the door closed on the cabinet, appreciating the simplistic nature. Doesn't need power to open or close, flex hinges to provide some give to warping if it incurred damage, yet inner latches that can be operated from an automated control. Klingons may seem mostly brute-focused, but there were more than a few geniuses amongst the cadre.

Billingsly snapped off a dermal regenerator and rigidly punched the freight-hauler in the shoulder. With a nod, the Klingon rotated her arm and made a fist. "HA! Ready for a fight!"

Billingsly shook her head, already done with any more admonishing the crew for rough-housing or settling even minor disputes with combat. She was also no longer intimidated as the mostly rough-hewn warrior shouldered her way up and out, grinning slightly with a nod to the PA.

She sterilized the equipment, cleaned up the area, and turned in time to see K'ner observing.

"You seem to be feeling your feet finally."

Anya chuckled, no longer the shy, reserved young medic she had once been. Seemed like a lifetime ago... "Yes. They're different than the ones we've met on the station, but I've learned more in the process. I think I like them on the whole."

K'ner nodded. "The more you socialize with them, the more you'll see into their complicated structures. Most people just see the hardened warrior, bloodthirsty, violent, all that... but that's just what's most noticeable I suppose. They have quite the depth. I have some histories I'll send you that might give you more insight.

"They are a more ancient society than most anyone gives them credit for. This is the evolution of those that have gone before. They are not merely prone to violence, as some would have you believe, but rather fiercely protective... of their family, which includes friends, honor always, they understand what's at stake, and to what extent it can take to preserve it."

K'ner shrugged. "Every people has a few bad eggs... but most are completely devoted to what they believe. Loyal, but ultimately reasonable if it's not one of those bad eggs with their own agenda. Your goal, is to suss out the difference."

Anya smirked. "I'm working on it. Some of them have no subtlety, while some have more layers than a Kinsori onion."

K'ner nodded approvingly. "Good analogy, those alternating layers of sweet and sour can be a conundrum. Keep up the good work!"

Anya's smile was blazing while K'ner turned to enter the small cubby that was allocated to a Klingon ship's medical leader. Practical and no waste of space for certain.




OFF:

Lt Betaras K'ner
Hazard Team Combat Medic TL-B / CMO
USS Chuck Norris

&


Captain Mira Rodale Lance
CO USS Chuck Norris

 

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