Change and dash

Posted on Mon Apr 6th, 2026 @ 3:06pm by Captain Mira Rodale Lance & Lieutenant Betaras K'ner

1,883 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Into the mirror
Location: Harbinger
Timeline: Present

ON:

{ Harbinger mess hall }

Mira’s early morning breakfast and reading reports ended up turning into a meeting.

Mira rubbed her tired eyes then looked around as she heard Kolar yell her name. “Momma!” He ducked under legs, dodged left then right to toss himself in her arms. “I missed you.”

Mira planted kisses all over both sides of his face, making him laugh. Shan’nara moved in close to her and waited quietly.
Mira scooped her up into her lap and hugged and kissed her. I little more reserved until the little girl relaxed at the affection she received.

“Momma, when is dada gonna get here?” Kolar asked.

Biting her lip, Mira tried to smile. “Dada is working. What are you going to have for breakfast?”

Zimia passed her the baby and smiled. “You didn’t sleep. I’ll get them breakfast.”

Mira tilted her towards Cable and the security guards took the hint, it was time for those two to leave the mess hall. “Ok, you two get in your seats. I need to figure out a disguise for my away mission.”

Kolar frowned. “Why?”

Shan’nara rolled her eyes. “So the bad people will not know who she is, silly.”

Kolar raises his little eyebrow and tilted his head, probably trying to imitate his mother’s look. “So, the bad bad will not get you.” He nodded his head, sending his little blonde curls bouncing.

Zimia brought another cup of raktajino to Mira and took her seat. “Any ideas?”

Shrugging, Mira tapped on her PADD loading 4 images of Mira. One she looked Orion with the green skin, black hair and gray eyes. She was also dresses like cargo ship crewman. Next was her looking Vulcan, a Romulan and the last was Klingon.

Shan’nara grinned. “Oh yes, Klingon!”

Zimia frowned. “That might be what they would expect you to do.”

Looking over the Images, Mira nodded slowly. “True and the Vulcan and Romulan doesn’t hide much. I guess I’ll be green.”

“But momma, what about your spots?” Kolar asked her then shoved some pancakes in his mouth.

“They will have to be hidden, Kolar.” She gave him a smile.

“Can we be green, too?” Kolar asked with a grin.

Mira opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to come up with a reason not to give into her son’s request. She the, tilted her head, and raised an eyebrow and said. “What about the 5th Element?”

He giggled and said, “She got to be green too, momma. We hiding from the bad bad.”

“I guess so. You can be green, too.” Seemed a reasonable solution. Let the kids have a little fun and enjoyment the safety it might give them.

“Awal, you staying Klingon?” Mira asked just to watch him narrow his eyes at her, knowing she was joking. Only her and the any human they might bring would need a disguise.

Shan’nara spoke up with “I will stay Klingon.”

Mira gave her a nod then turned back to Awal.

“We are taking five crew members with us?” He asked her.

Mira nodded slowly. “Is that all we can fit in a shuttle? “

“No 6 to 12. Perhaps 10 would be better, not sure how big our… guest will be.” Awal told her. His lips twitched slightly at calling their prisoner a guest.

Mira smirked but nodded, “I’ll let you and K’ner pick our team then.“ Mira told him standing up. She placed the plate of cold food on the grown next to Vaytoc and moved to get a hot breakfast sandwich.

Hearing the kids giggling , she turned her head to look back at them. Kolar had picked up the PADD and was changing her appearance. Mira raised an eyebrow at the image on the screen morphing into a completely different look. Pink long hair that hung to the floor, green skin and very bright blue eyes.

Shan’nara rolled her eyes “Now she looks more like food.”
“She could hid in the plants.” Kolar told her.

Mira gave a little frown “I am trying to hide, Kolar, not have everyone notice me. That hair is….”

“it’s pretty mama” he told her with a grin.

“ah so you want pink hair down to the floor?” Mira asked him as she brought the food back and took her seat. Zimia was doing her best not to laugh at the kids.

Kolar slowly shook his head no.

Shan’nara laughed “ Told you! Beside she can’t just hide! She has to find your brother.”

Zimia Laughed “ oh let me try!” Mira rolled her eye. There was no telling what Zimia would come up with.


{ Armory }

K’ner closed the cabinet, checking the seal as a message scrolled down the side of her HUD.

“Hmmm, 5-person escort…” She started thinking through names that could be calm if things got out of hand, which they undoubtedly would, eventually. Unconventional operators.

Another pulse of color and she now studied the 3D concept of the Captain’s new image.

“Betaras to Billingsly…”

“Yo chief. What’s up?”

“How’s the fine tuning on that belt coming along?”

“I’ll admit, I had my doubts, but I really shouldn’t have. You were right. This thing is so subtle, someone would really have to be looking to notice anything was different.”

“Good. Get it over to the Captain’s quarters as soon as she gets back up there and show her how it works. Not much for her to do but make sure it’s in the right place but it will effectively mask out the fact she has a symbiont. We’re gonna have enough to deal with without that coming into the mix.”

“And, it goes with everything,” she said, cheekily.

As Billingsly acknowledged and signed off, K’ner made a note to find an opportunity to chat with Rodale and suss out a little of more history, plus make sure there were no developmental issues since their joining.

(Harbinger hall way)

The kids had gone crazy on playing with the program to color mommy. They had made some funny changes that had everyone laughing at her expense. Mira thought as she made her way to Sickbay with Ashla on her hip. She was hoping that by seeing the changes happening to her mom Ashla would still recognize her and not be traumatized over the drastic change.

{SICKBAY}

Mira handed Ashla over to the nurse and started stripping down to bra and panties before she laid down on the table. Her spots would be temporary covered, green skin, black hair and gray eyes. Hopefully they would be able to hide the symbiont and give her an Orion medical bio-reading according to K’ner’s explanation of the tiny data tickers she was implanting during the procedure.

“Quit wriggling.”

“It tickles.” Mira grinned

K’ner growled slightly as she continued working, talking quietly as she went.

“Your body will try to make corrections naturally, on its own, so you’ll start noticing changes after a week or so. Plus, make sure Rodale doesn’t try to push that along or respond to any stimulus. In a few moments you’re going to feel a… pinch, a tightness of muscles. It’ll probably feel like you’re about to have a cramp but I won’t let it go that far… if you can stay relaxed.”

K’ner glanced up and caught Mira’s hazy gaze from the relaxers, her voice low and husky. “Pretend you’re crouched in ambush, avoiding the pack scouts, prepared to get in what will be your only clear shot on the largest beast, the leader, the last thing you’ll see in your life if it even senses you are near.”

The Captain’s gaze sharpened as she stiffened for a split second, then a stillness shifted through her body. She felt prodding, and tingles, a muscle spasm, then cold… It was a mixed bag of sensations that continued forever, or minutes, she wasn’t sure, the scouts were near and the hunters just beyond. Once she took the leader, they would submit. Her gaze was a little distant, but never wavered as she waited.

{…time passes…}

Eventually her awareness shifted subtly as she waited, no longer hearing the leaves, the soft footfalls, the ragged breaths on the wind. It was… a laugh… a child’s giggle and it pulled at her heartstrings so. NO! They cannot hear! She will not permit them to harm her child. Her child?

The laughter continued quietly as awareness continued to shift. Antiseptic smells, lighting not sunlight. Grayish walls with symbols… writing… Klingon. I know Klingon. ‘Medical Bay’.

A touch on her arm and she was reacting before she realized, trapping and locking an arm as she slid smoothly off the surface she was lying on, shifting like liquid along the arm to hook the attacker’s leg in a test of strength, her will would not be broken, her child’s safety at risk!

K’ner grunted, glad she had prepared for this reaction but not wanting to wait longer for the Captain to wake up, and also glad for the add’l strength from her suit. She looked down at the fetching Orion, clinging to her like a six-iimbed pentarigan monkey that was trying to break her arm, and probably her leg too if she were to guess from the pressure readings scrolling down the edge of her HUD.

Mira’s body felt… wrong… fortunately not sluggish, it moved quite smoothly but.. something was wrong… different. As she puzzled and prepared to change her hold, an ancient, scarred up Flaxian looked down at her, at least giving her the satisfaction of looking uncomfortable for her efforts.

The voice that came from the face was familiar, contributing to the continued shift into her new reality, memories of lying back on a med bed and changes to be made for the mission.

“You’ll also notice a voice shift, to fool cursory voice print analysis,” K’ner said with some tension in her own voice. “I warned Zimia so she can tell the children, and Ashla has been here and doesn’t seem to be upset at all. She knows who her mama is.” She nodded to the side where the giggler was.

The ancient Flaxian kind of smiled, the scars warping the attempt. “Can I have my arm back now before you break it. We’ll need it for the mission.” She worked out the stiffness once Mira eased up…
Looking down Mira raised her eyebrow. She did indeed have a hold of her doctor “Sorry” then a surprised look crossed her face at how she sounded. It was different then her standard vocal range. At would take time to get use to. Sitting up carefully Mira tested her body and dressed in black leggings and black crop top with long sleeves. Then looked over at her daughter “what do you think?”

There was a giggle and Ashla held her arms out “mamma”
Well that was a relief. She had worried changing her look would scare her.


OFF:

Captain Mira Rodale Lance
CO USS Chuck Norris

&

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

 

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