Fresh Start(Dirae Chronicles), Khiy

The Lost Puppy

To say Admiral Kanryth was good to herself was understatement central. Vice Admirals got a relatively hefty credit allowance, and Kanryth had spent most of hers on an 18th century colonial manor house with enough gardens to lose an army in. Right now, however, the only occupants were one frantic twelve year old girl and one stressed out babysitter.

Chloris Kanryth had just spoken to her mother and was running about the house like a demon gathering everything she 'thought' she would need for joining her mother aboard ship. After an hour she had managed to fill two large cases and was making a serious dent into the third.

She was rummaging through the drawers of an antique sideboard in the main hall in an attempt to locate a necklace she had managed to lose a few months ago, a fact she had skillfully concealed from Morgana by using the innate abilities of any twelve year old only child - winding the parent around her little finger.

He was old but Grant still knew how to get around security systems like a mischievous Starfleet Cadet. His rough features barely visible in the moonlight as he dragged the young annoyance along with him. Perhaps he would have left the kid at the gate but then he didn't want to meet up with a Romulan later on if anything happened to the boy. At least the payment he was getting was worth it, even if the old bitch who lived here tossed him a prison somewhere, she couldn't touch his money.

As they walked into the beam of the porch light Grant winced once his face was no longer hidden by the darkness. His dark mashed hair was glued to his forehead by the sweat which was now collecting and flowing down in beads. His chin covered by black and white fur made it clear what a ragged looking figure he was. Reaching out with his free hand he pressed the chime to the home.

With little regard for her safety she padded over to the door, pressed her hand to the scanner, and pulled the large wooden door open. Peeking round the edge of the door her eyebrows shot up at the sight of the man in front of her, and her nose wrinkled at the stink of sweat. "Um... are you lost?" she ventured.

Seeing the young girl Grant chuckled out loud, from his lips the intense smell of liquor poured out. Immediately slamming his foot against the door to make sure she didn't in a moment of fright shut it, Gant grunted "I'm looking for the lady of the house, Is the Vice Admiral in? I have urgent business with her."

While the man talked Khiy stood to the back, his head and ears covered by a tight ball cap. Around his body was an overcoat and from the obvious trail it left behind him it was many sizes to big. Though he appeared stoic and distant from what was going on, inside he was fearful.

Chloris had had the benefit of her mother living at home for the last six years. As head of Starfleet Internal Affairs, Morgana hadn't had to leave Earth, and Chloris had seen how people tended to react to the well known Admiral. So she stepped out from behind the door and drew herself up, looking as authoritative as a twelve year old in pajamas can. "Why would the Vice Admiral want to speak to a drunk sweaty old man?"

Grant's grin quickly faded to a frown "What did you say?!" Reaching forward he grabbed the young girl by the hair pulling her aside as he stormed into the home. "Where is the Vice Admiral?" In a drunken rage he began to shake her furiously by the hair.

Khiy was unsure of what to do since he had been told not to interfere with anything and to do as he was asked. Yet she couldn't have expected this, the man was beating around a harmless girl. As flashbacks bit into his mind Khiy went into action, with incredible speed Khiy severed Grant's grip on the girl by snapping his wrist. The loud pop sound proceeded the heavy screaming which soon came as Grant recoiled on the floor.

Getting a hold of himself Grant stood up eyeing the boy with range "Punk! I don't care how much she is giving me. I'm going to show you what happens to stupid kids!" Cradling his injured hand in his gut Grand slapped Khiy to the floor with his left hand. The boy didn't even flinch as he was knocked down. Turning back to the girl he smirked "Go call mommy."

Chloris' arrogance had been firmly dispelled. She didn't make a sound but the tears were pouring down her cheeks as she picked herself up off the floor. She swallowed and nodded; if he really wanted to speak to mommy she wasn't going to stop him.

She silently took a step towards the door and pressed a button, a silent alarm that would alert Morgana that there was something wrong at home. "She'll be here soon," Chloris muttered.

Rubbing his broken wrist Grant took the liberty of making his way deeper into the home and onto an empty couch. Staring at the boy still laying on the floor he laughed "You're quite pathetic, no wonder they wanted to get rid of you." Looking at Chloris he smiled in an attempt to be sweet "Got any liquor around here darlin?"

"No." She said, flatly. She sidestepped across the room towards the fallen boy, never taking her eyes off the old drunk. He wouldn't be getting close enough to touch her again any time soon.

By the time Chloris had stooped down to check the poor boy was still breathing, which he was, the sparkle of a transporter beam appeared around her. Admiral Kanryth and four of her marine guards appeared around her.

Morgana made a cool appraisal of the situation. One young man lying inert on her hall rug, her daughter checking on his condition, and an ugly drunk intruder on her couch. All in all it took her under two seconds to level her phaser at Grant. "You've five seconds to say something to stop me shooting you. Use them wisely."

"Oh yes, the rumors were true! You are a bitch!" Grinning Grant stood up as if willing to temp fate with the woman in front of him. "Listen here lady, I ain't here for trouble, and I just came to make a delivery when that little bee decided to sting me." His gaze was at Chloris as he mentioned the latter. "So if you'll let me complete this delivery I'll be on my merry way. Or I can just." Pulling a square device from his pocket he laughed "Blow us all to bits."

The Admirals phaser didn't waver. Her thumb slid the setting up from stun to maximum disintegrate. If he made one more move she'd vaporize him, possible bomb and all. "What delivery?" She asked icily.

"That Delivery" Grant motioned to the boy on the floor. "Brought me a great deal of Latinum, so I had to make sure he got here in one piece. Though I didn't say nothing 'bout bruising him." Moving forward Grant stared down the Marines as he approached Khiy who was laying motionless on the floor. Stopping about five feet from him and Chloris Grant smirked "Take off his hat."

"This phaser is set to kill. Get out before I decide to take my chances and use it. And don't make the mistake of thinking i'll ask a second time." Grant might have been able to stare down a marine, but he'd little to no chance against a fifty year Starfleet veteran who'd handled more misfits and troublemakers than most penal colonies.

Grunting he nodded "All rightly then." Pulling an isolinear rod from his pocket he dropped it onto the carpet. "I made my delivery." With that he disappeared in a fizzle of blue light.

Kanryth turned to the lead Marine. "Sergeant, have a squad beam down and secure the premises. And have that disgusting man tracked down, shot, and arrested for trespassing, assault, and possible kidnapping."

Sergeant Bergstrom merely saluted, though he was personally eager to fire the shot himself. "Right away Admiral." He turned away and issued the orders as Kanryth knelt down beside her daughter. "Are you all right, sweetheart?"

Chloris just slumped into her mothers arms, willing and eager for the protection only a parent can provide. "I'm okay, mom.. but.. i dunno who this boy is, he's hurt. The ugly fat guy hit him and I can't wake him up."

As if on cue Khiy stirred, not much at first but he slowly started to come to. Sitting up he instinctively wiped the green mix of blood and drool from his lips onto the dark sleeve. Looking around he was slightly stunned to be surrounded by so many aliens, completely defenseless.

Morgana stroked Chloris' hair as she watched the young man in front of her stir. She looked up and motioned for the marines to back off before turning her attention back to the apparent teenager. "You're safe here, son. Can you tell me your name?" she asked gently.

Khiy swallowed nervous unsure of how to answer this woman. She was clearly an authority figure in Starfleet.something he had always seen as the enemy. But she didn't look like the enemy, at least not human. Why was he here? Why did she send him here? Pushing himself backwards Khiy remained silent before finally answering in an unusual accent. "I'm not certain."

"That's okay, my name is Morgana Kanryth and this is my daughter, Chloris." The little girl offered a weak smile before returning to her cuddle. "Do you know where you are?"

"Earth." Khiy responded carefully. It wasn't exactly that he was told he would be taken to Earth or that he knew he was on Earth. Khiy just overheard the guy talking about it.

"That's right. This is my home." She paused slightly, sitting down on the floor opposite the boy in an attempt to appear more harmless. "Any idea why you were brought here?"

Khiy stood up and walked to the Isolinear rod that lay on the carpet. Picking it up he walked over to Kanryth and held it out. With that he slowly removed the tight cap around his head and dropped it onto the floor. Through his mangled and disheveled dark brown hair the points of his ears were very noticeable. "I was told to give that to Kanryth, but I have been ordered not to view it."

Morgana accepted the rod and looked it over. No markings, not that she had expected any. She looked back at Khiy. "You're a little young for orders, aren't you?"

Khiy didn't know how to reply to that since he was old enough for the Gai'Shian. Opening his mouth to reply he quickly closed it as no words streamed forward. A look of frustration clearly expressed itself on his face as he stared ahead.

"Well," Morgana looked at him with a mix of pity and sympathy, "would you like to see my ship? My daughter and I have to go onboard soon." It was obvious to her that the young man was a Romulan, but what he was doing here or why was a mystery. She was just hoping whatever was on this isolinear rod would clear the matter up.

Looking around Khiy was in a foreign and perhaps hostile environment. Even if he did leave here he wouldn't know where to go. If it was indeed Earth then he was surrounded by humans who he had been told would enjoy ripping his limbs off if he ventured to far. There was no other choice for him except to follow Kanryth "It would honor me."

Chloris watched this exchange with great curiosity. She didn't really understand honour, but she chose this moment to stand up. "You'll like the Dirae. I was born there, you know." she said, almost as if it entitled her to special treatment.

Khiy turned to Chloris and nodded "Then it is an amazing vessel."

Morgana just let her daughter do the talking. Sometimes, she thought, the best person to reach a child was a child. The Admiral got back to her feet and watched as Chloris offered him her hand. Chloris remembered how he'd tried to protect her. "Come on, i'll show it to you."

Khiy accepted her hand and followed.

Morgana stepped up behind her daughter and touched her commbadge. "Kanryth to Dirae, three to beam up." The transporter beam engulfed them, whisking them across the distance to Dirae in a microsecond.

Vice Admiral Kanryth Commanding Officer, USS Dirae

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Khiy tr'Rllaillieu, The Lost Puppy