Last Frontier Ep. 01 - The Arena

The figure was also glowing, a bit, at least that's what Kawakami's still-recovering senses told her.

"Congratulations. You won," the figure said. Its Standard English was perfect.

"How did I win?" Kawakami asked, confused. "I lost in combat, my trick didn't work, and he dragged me off and raped me." The last few words trailed off a bit, as Kawakami knew inside that "rape" was not the proper word for what had happened. But for her plan to work, she had to be careful not to admit that.

"Exactly," the figure said, an insufferable expression on its humanlike face. "You tried to negotiate. He didn't. You tried reasoning out the situation. He didn't. You would have shown mercy to a captive. He didn't."

"You won because you proved that your people are much less dangerous to others - and thus to us - than his people are. So we will allow you to survive, and return to your people."

The figure raised one glowing eyebrow, its eyes narrowed in what might have been a wink, and before Kawakami could work her way through any of the myriad questions her slow-processing brain was eager to ask, she was back on the bridge of the _Vanguard.

Despite the dislocation, Kawakami's trained senses noticed something - her arms weren't bare. The alien figure had somehow returned her uniform at the same time it transported her across the thousands of kilometers back to her ship.

The First Officer jumped out of the command chair to prop Kawakami up before the exhausted Captain could collapse. Commander Sylith tapped the "talk" button on the arm of the chair. "Doctor to the bridge! The Captain is back and requires medical aid!"

In mere moments, the redheaded Doctor, who must have been waiting for something like this, was at Kawakami's other side. The two female auxiliary officers, one on each side, held their Captain up, allowing her the opportunity to walk off the bridge under her own power.

The lift doors closed behind the three officers before Kawakami allowed herself to collapse into their arms.

...

The sickbay door dilated to admit the First Officer, who was carrying a data padd. "I am glad to see you are recovered, Captain," she said.

"Partly recovered," the Doctor interjected. "She went through a lot down there." The Doctor winced slightly at the inadvertent double entendre.

"We have analyzed the alien's DNA," Commander Sylith continued. "There was a sufficient amount in the sample you were clever enough to obtain, Captain."

"Clever? You're being awfully blasé about the situation. That green-blooded inhuman monster raped your Captain!" sputtered the fiery redheaded Doctor.

"Indeed?" the taller First Officer asked in return.

"Captain!" the Doctor exclaimed in betrayal, turning to the resting Kawakami.

But Kawakami merely looked back with an unreadable expression. "You of all people, Doctor, should be aware of the importance of following regulations."

"Regulations?" the Doctor asked in bewilderment.

"Regulations! First Contact Protocols. Section 18, Subsection 3. 'In the event where a First Contact situation has devolved to irreconcilable hostilities...'"

"'...place primary emphasis on the collection and return of biological and cultural samples from any previously unencountered species.'" finished the whip-slender First Officer from the Doctor's blind side. "From my experience with the Captain's methodology, I estimated there was a high probability that she was following that protocol."

"Did you estimate the exact probability?" the Doctor asked grumpily.

"Despite the reputation of my species, Doctor," the First Officer replied neutrally. "You are aware that we have no particular gift for reasoning or calculation."

"In the end. I won. He lost," Captain Kawakami interjected simply. "Anyway, I'll bet you had enough to analyze - it felt like about a quart when he was... contributing it."

"I defer to your superior experience in the subject," the First Officer said, poker-faced.

"Are you implying the Captain's a... you giant, elvish..." the fiery Doctor sputtered.

"Stand down, Doctor," the Captain interjected. "We've all been in that position."

"Indeed, Captain. I am... disconcerted by how often perilous situations seem to end up with one of the Command Crew on her back," continued the First Officer.

"One or more of us," the redheaded Doctor growled.

"The universe," the Captain replied, "gives you challenges that are appropriate for you. That particular challenge - is something that we here happen to be good at handling." Her tone wasn't as breezy as the words implied, though.

"Do you think we'll see these... reptiles again?" the Doctor changed the subject away from uncomfortable territory.

"Almost certainly, Doctor," the First Officer responded, "As the Captain noted, the individual she... met... was recognizably humanoid. Warm-blooded, oxygen breathing, fully functional primary sexual characteristics..."

"I'll say it was primary," the Captain said, under her breath.

Unheeding, the First Officer continued. "The DNA sequencing confirmed my hypothesis. The reptiloid on the asteroid was a hybrid of human DNA with a bipedal dinosaur similar to a small Earth Allosaurus."

"You mean?"

"Yes, Doctor. Intelligent, strong and resilient for its size, armed for close combat, but capable of delicate engineering works. The perfect soldier for both space and ground combat. It is almost certainly a member of a specifically designed warrior caste. And possibly capable of reproducing with a full human - or even a half-human like myself."

"An arrow. Aimed straight at the heart of the Terran Colonies." the Captain mused. "And we're the only ones who know they exist."

"Perhaps we'll meet them again," posited the First Officer.

FADE OUT

...

Crew of the Vanguard

Commanding Officer - Captain Kaede Kawakami

First Officer - Commander Sylith

Chief Medical Officer - Doctor Saoirse O'Sullivan

Staff Nurse - Lt. Avery Johnson

Science Officer, First Shift - Lt. Commander Thomas Dempsey

Weapons Officer, First Shift - Lt. Jason Weston

Helm Officer, First Shift - Lt. (jg) Dustin Lewis

Communications Officer, First Shift - Lt. Christopher Freeman