Surefoot 29: Daughter of Kaas

He grunted. "So do I."

She rose. "He needs changing."

He sniffed. "Yes, he does. I, ah, have an urgent call to make to Starfleet Command, I don't suppose you would like to do the honours-"

"No. If you want to be Dad to the Galaxy, you have to be prepared to take the poop as well as the praise." She bent down and rubbed her muzzle against Misha's face, sparing her husband a stroke of his own with her hand. "But then I know what type of man I married, Esek; I know you'll be ready, willing and able to handle whatever comes. In the next few minutes, or the next few decades."

"You can still change him if you want," Hrelle offered.

She smiled as she turned and left. Then he looked to Misha, who was wriggling his backside on his lap. "You're doing that on purpose, aren't you? Spreading your poop all over your furry ass, to give me a real chore?"

His son laughed, gurgling, "Poop!"

*

The girls moved through the hills at Eydiir's direction, the suns racing high into the sky and warming the thin air. Both were silent now, saving their energy for their journey further into the hills. Occasionally they would stop, Sasha wondering if it was done by Eydiir for Sasha's benefit, or because the Capellan wasn't sure about where they were going.

But then she slowed down near a sharp incline, where gaps in the rockface dotted it like eyes, and a flat slope displayed an unmarked lump of rocks that, to Sasha, was unmistakable in purpose.

Eydiir moved slowly around it, occasionally glancing around her, at the surrounding hills and the sky, before returning once more to the cairn. "Father, Uncle, the rest of the tribe... they thought I was wrong to try and save him... but they truly condemned me for burying him and not telling them where... such honours were bestowed only to our broken weapons, or to High Teers... I- I don't know why I did it..."

"Because Straad was better than any High Teer," Sasha assured her. "No High Teer put you on his shoulders to touch the stars."

The Capellan looked to her friend appreciatively, before kneeling by the stones, returning some that had dislodged some time ago.

Sasha joined her, her mind snapping back to the last grave she had visited: her mother's, when her body was returned to Earth and buried in the Eismann family plot. She remembered how bright and breezy it had been, how the long wildgrass in the surrounding fields swayed and there were kites in the distance, and how she wanted to be out there flying one too, and not be here with all these people she didn't know, having to relive the mourning for Mom.

"We don't have prayers," Eydiir murmured softly, her voice reaching her friend's ears and little more. "Prayers or hymns or songs of mourning. When we do speak of the dead, it is to honour their courage, the many foes they had slain. I... I don't know what to say." She looked to her sister. "Do you have any words?"

Sasha did, recalling the words spoken at her mother's funeral, and she struggled to remember the words. When they started, they flowed like water:

"Do not stand at my grave and weep,

I am not there; I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow,

I am the diamond glints on snow,

I am the sun on ripened grain,

I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you awaken in the morning's hush

I am the swift uplifting rush

Of quiet birds in circling flight.

I am the soft star-shine at night.

Do not stand at my grave and cry,

I am not there; I did not die."

"That was beautiful," Eydiir commented softly. "A prayer?"

"A poem, ancient, written for someone who could not visit the grave of a loved one. It's a reminder that no one ever really dies, so long as the people who knew them, and the good that they have done, live." She frowned to herself. "I suppose I should visit my mother's grave when we get to Earth. I hadn't thought about it until now. I'm not religious, but... it feels respectful."

Eydiir nodded. "I will accompany you, if you like."

Sasha smiled. "Thanks. That'd make it easi..." Her words trailed away as she noticed the growing darkness, and she glanced up, just long enough to see Capella's moons eclipsing the suns, before looking down again. "You warned us about that."

The world seemed to grow still, as if joining them in mourning.

Then Eydiir's head shot up again, eyes narrowing as day turned to night, and she rose and raced silently along the slope, keeping low. After a moment's bemusement, Sasha rose and followed.

She caught up with her friend, who held up a hand for silence, peering around the corner of a rockface, nodding outwards.

Sasha took the hint and peered around as well -- just long enough to see dozens of Capellans moving swiftly and silently through the hills, swords drawn, in the direction of the Satiiri encampment. "Who are they?" she whispered.

Eydir scowled in contempt. "Prees Tribe. Using the eclipse as an opportunity to attack the Satiiri. We must warn them."

"Wait." When Eydiir stopped, looking impatient, she explained, "This can be seen as an internal political matter. As Starfleet, we can't interfere!"

"If they succeed in entering the camp," Eydiir informed her, "Their targets will not only be my father, but my infant brother. But if you do not wish to get involved, I'll understand-"

For a moment, Sasha considered calling the Surefoot for help -- but knew that the most likely outcome would be their being beamed onboard, and kept from warning the Satiiri. Instead, she replied, "Never mind, let's go."

As it turned out, the darkness from the eclipse, and the longer route they had to take to avoid being spotted by the Prees raiders, meant that it took interminably longer, and by the time they reached the slope where they had first beamed in, and saw the camp, they realised they were too late; cries and movement, and the sound of clashing blades filled the air.

From the rocks to their left, Prees raiders wearing purple sashes leapt down, swords drawn. Eydiir drew one of her own, but the unarmed Sasha had to duck and dodge her attacker, before delivering a vicious kick from her K'Gressor training, sending him down as she readied to take his fallen sword-

Until she felt the quantum swaddle of a transporter beam envelop her, and she looked up in time to see Eydiir vanishing as well...

Eydiir and Sasha came into existence on the Transporter Pad, Eydiir almost tripping over her feet as she continued to rush forward before stopping herself, aware of the sword still in her hand. She glanced around, seeing Hrelle and T'Varik standing there, and Chief Grev operating the Transporter console, and focused on the Captain. "Sir, something's happening down there- a blood feud-"

"We know," Hrelle confirmed. "The sensors picked up the activity around you." He glanced at Sasha critically. "I'm surprised you didn't call us for a beam-out yourselves."

Eydiir's heart raced. "My father- my brother- Captain, send me back down-"

"Absolutely not," T'Varik interrupted. "Regardless of your personal connection, this is an internal political matter, and we cannot interfere."

The Capellan cadet stiffened, acknowledging the truth of the statement from the First Officer -- and then casting it aside. "I cannot stay here, Commander! Kaas is Teer of the Satiiri, they will kill him! And my brother! I have to help him!"

The Vulcan stiffened. "I am sorry, Cadet, but Regulations, and concern for your safety, must be paramount-"

Eydiir turned back to Hrelle, eyes wide, pleading. "Sir- please- I beg of you- I can't let anything happen to them! THEY'RE MY FAMILY!"

The Caitian regarded her for a moment, before turning to T'Varik. "Report to the Bridge."

She looked to him. "Sir?"

"Monitor our cadets and crew at the Visitors' Centre, make sure this doesn't affect them. Go." He looked to her again. "Now."

T'Varik looked ready to protest, before nodding, turning and departing.

Then Hrelle moved to the console, setting the controls himself, before removing his phaser and handing it to Grev. "You're not seeing any of this, Chief."

The Tellarite accepted the weapon and drew back. "Of course not, Sir. Blind as a Tiburian bat, that's me. But of course I'll be here for when you're ready to return."

Then Hrelle strode up to the Transporter pads, motioning to Eydiir. "Come on, I'm sure I heard a call for medical assistance down there."

"Sir?"

"I have very good ears."

Sasha watched them, stepping forward. "You'll need help-"

But Hrelle held up a hand, as Eydiir returned to an adjacent pad. "No. We won't." He looked to Eydiir as the console beeped, confirming the imminent beam-out as per his instructions. "We'll appear back where we picked you up, but be ready for anything."

She nodded, raising her sword again as they vanished. "I always am, Sir..."

*

The eclipse was ebbing, the light growing over the chaos in the encampment, as Capellans in green and purple sashes fought with swords and blades and occasionally a flung kleegat, while others carried children away and tents caught fire as they collapsed in the melee.

Hrelle took in the scene instantly, his claws bared, given his lack of phaser and unwillingness to pick up a discarded Capellan weapon, and followed Eydiir, dodging around tents and fights, approving of her focus on getting to her family and not joining in defence of anyone else. This would be a nightmare to sort out later, he knew, but at the same time, he owed it to the young woman who had risked her life repeatedly in defence of his own family.

He turned, stopping as he saw the tall Capellan with the purple sash draw back his arm and fling the kleegat towards a Satiiri child standing there alone and unprotected, and he raced to intercept it, the blade slicing through the air with a high-pitched whistle that made Hrelle's ears twitch, even as one of the three curved blades on the weapon pierced his chest with amazing ease, penetrating his uniform, fur, skin and pierce his heart, makign it gasp in shock, and begin the swift descent into death-

He turned, stopping as he saw the tall Capellan with the purple sash draw back his arm and fling the kleegat towards a Satiiri child standing there alone and unprotected, and he raced to intercept it, the blade slicing through the air with a high-pitched whistle that made Hrelle's ears twitch... until he swung out, smacking the weapon out of the air and sending it to the desert floor.

The Capellan who threw it stared in naked astonishment at the unprecedented move.

And then, as Hrelle roared at him defiantly, he went to find someone else to fight.

Hrelle glanced down; his hand was bleeding from the move, but he supposed it was better than the alternative.

Yeah, go stroke yourselves, Prophets.

Several of the Satiiri who had witnessed it raced in to collect the child, saying nothing but looking at Hrelle curiously. Then he returned and caught up with his crewmember, just as she was entering her father's tent. There were no raiders here, but Kaas was on the floor, kneeling, doubled over, his face grimacing in obvious pain, teeth bared -- while above him, his brother Coord stood, sword drawn, ready to bring it down onto the man's neck.

"NO!" Eydiir charged forward and attacked, driving her uncle back. The tent filled with the noise of clashing steel, Coord's strength and experience matched by Eydiir's youth and fury. Hrelle moved around them and knelt to examine Kaas, recognising from personal experience the effects of cardiac arrest, and smacked his combadge. "Surefoot! Lock onto our badges and the man beside me, and beam us directly to Sickbay! Now!"

Coord heard, and stopped fighting. "No! I'm trying to help him! Don't!"

*

Hrelle readied for their near-instant displacement into the receiving area of Sickbay, lifting up the Teer and placing him on the nearest biobed, as Masterson, Scarlo and several other staff members moved in. Hrelle stepped back, moving to Eydiir and stopping her from approaching. "Give them a moment."

"No! He's my father-"

"Which is why you're definitely not working on him. Go get changed and put away those weapons." After a moment he clarified, "That's not a suggestion, Cadet."

The Capellan, breathing hard and still adrenaline-pumped, gasped and swallowed, before nodding and departing. Hrelle stayed back, catching a strange scent on his hands, and lifted them up to examine it more closely -- frowning at what he picked up: illness. Caitians could detect certain diseases on others from scent alone, though thankfully he lived in a time and place where such occurrences were rare, but he had enough experience during his time as a slave to recognise it. And he knew it was from Kaas.

He kept watching, acknowledging Kami and Sasha entering Sickbay, his wife noting the cut on his hand and silently retrieving an autosuture, leaving the medical staff to focus on the more critical case before him.

"What happened?" Sasha asked. "Eydiir's baby brother, did you-"

"I don't know," he replied. "I didn't see him, or his mother. Hopefully they made it to safety before we arrived." Now he looked at her, his expression taut. "You were heading back to the camp when the attack happened. Not contacting us, not seeking advice-"

She nodded guiltily. "Eydiir said in such raids, they kill not only the Teer but the Teer's children. Her little brother was in danger-"

"Yes, her little brother. Not yours."

"That's absolutely right," Kami agreed, finishing up her repairs on his hand. "Sasha's little brother is Misha. Whom Eydiir saved, more than once. Along with me."

Hrelle shot his wife a dirty look -- mostly because she had a point -- and dropped the matter.

Eydiir joined them again, her eyes on Masterson as the doctor approached her. "Your Pa's got no battle injuries, but he did suffer a cardiac arrest relating to an inherited genetic condition."

She blinked. "A genetic condition?"

He nodded. "Something similar to Marfan Syndrome, an old Terran disease of connective tissues whose symptoms and severity varies, but which typically affects the skeleton, the circulatory and immune systems. It's an inherited disease passed through the males in a particular lineage."

Eydiir's face grew haunted. "My older brother Straad... he died of a fever that shouldn't have claimed him... unless his immune system had been compromised by this condition. A condition no one was aware of."

"How is Eydiir's father now, Doctor?" Kami asked.

Masterson glanced back, noting the readings on the sensor panel over the biobed. "We've stabilised him, but he's still very weak."

Hrelle nodded, looking back at Masterson. "And what's the prognosis?"

"Well, the genetic treatment for it is easily done, but without it, he probably won't recover from this last attack."

The Capellan nodded. "Then you may proceed."

Masterson blanched. "Hold up, Tiger. I might not be the brightest star in the sky, but I do know how Capellans feel about medicine." He nodded back to the patient. "And he's not gonna want treatment."

Eydiir raised her chin. "I am his next of kin. I am authorising it."

Masterson blinked, conflicted, before looking to Hrelle. "Captain, I'm not comfortable with this, not a lick of it."

Hrelle looked at the faces around him, finishing with the defiant, afraid Eydiir, before finally replying, "Unless you have something on file from Teer Kaas specifically refusing any medical treatment, I suggest you accede to the wishes of his next of kin. I'll put a note on record approving it, and accepting responsibility."

Masterson still looked dubious, but turned back to his staff. "Scarlo! Fire up the sequencer! I want to get all this cleared up while we've got him under!"

Eydiir relaxed, a little. "Thank you, Captain."

Kami drew in, putting an arm around the girl's shoulder. "Don't expect your father to be as grateful."

The girl steeled herself. "I didn't do this for his gratitude. I did it..." She seemed to deflate. "I did it because... I can't see him die as well. I love him." Then he looked to Hrelle. "Captain, I have to go back down and look for Talaak! Make sure he's alive!"

She had started towards the door, presumably to the Transporter Room, but Hrelle reached out and grabbed her by the arm, halting her. "No. You're staying here and keeping an eye on your Dad. I'll go down; I'm the senior representative of Starfleet, I know what he looks and smells like, they've met me already, and they'll respond better to me than to some hotheaded cub." At her defiant expression, he clarified, "This isn't a suggestion, by the way."

Eydiir tensed, but then relaxed and relented. "Yes, Sir."

He let her go, looking to his wife and daughter. "Don't tell T'Varik I've gone back down until after I've left, you know what a nag she is."

Kami crossed her arms. "What, you mean about complying with Starfleet Regulations and setting good examples to the cadets and all that? Oh, yes, she can be such a bitch about that."

Hrelle rolled his eyes as he departed.

*

He returned to the original beam-in point outside of camp, instantly assessing that the battle was over, something verified beforehand by the ship's scanners. Smoke rose from smouldering tents, and the dead of both sides were being stacked outside of the encampment, for disposal later.

Some started at his presence, but others recognised him -- and a few showed silent gratitude when he stopped to assist in shifting heavy boulders that had evidently been rolled down by the raiders from the slopes as part of their attack. Then he proceeded to the Teer's tent and entered without ceremony, relieved to see Coord there with Liira and a mewling bundle in her arms.

Their reaction was less cordial, the young woman baring her teeth. "You! What have you done with my husband?"

"Teer Kaas is safe onboard my ship, being treated for his condition."

"Condition? What do you mean?"

"Don't play coy with me, you know what I'm talking about." He looked to Coord. "You both do. That's why you were going to kill him during the raid, when he couldn't fight anymore. You were going to give him a death worthy of a Teer."

Coord didn't respond, but Liira did, snapping, "How dare you? My husband is not weak! Coord! Kill him for his insults!"

Hrelle approached them. "Kaas is not weak. If he has a fraction of his daughter's qualities, then he's a formidable man, and I'm looking forward to getting to know him when he's better."

The girl's face was a mask of indignant fury. "Coord! I am the Wife of the Teer! I order you to kill him!"

But the man eyed Hrelle warily. "He has... asked for your help?"

Hrelle kept his hands behind him casually as he focused on the infant in Liira's arm, leaning in slightly. "No. He's not able to respond. Eydiir gave permission on his behalf to cure him. He'll be back with you soon, completely healthy." He sniffed.

And smelled the same disease on the child as he did on the father.

"She did that?" Liira spat. "She robbed him of-"

he looked up at her. "Of what? The right to die needlessly? When he returns he'll be stronger, healthier, more fit. Better able to lead, to fight." He leaned in again and waggled his fingers at him, making the infant smile. "To be a father. Isn't that what you want?"

Liira drew her child back, as Coord explained stoically, "The sick are weak. They live or they die. That is our way."

Hrelle looked back at him, not wanting to antagonise the young mother any further. "Ways are strange things. We follow them for generations, often forgetting the original reasons for following them. Klingons made a taboo of bathing because of a parasite in their homeworld's waters. Humans gave blessings to people who sneezed for centuries after discovering the cause of illnesses to be germs rather than demons. My own people began hugging each other to check for the scent of illness in strangers-"