Mythic Visitors

Posted on Thu Sep 24th, 2026 @ 9:13am by Captain Shran dh'Klar & Commander Jonathan Grayson & Commander Samantha Howard & Lieutenant Commander Imik S'Niohun & Lieutenant Commander Callie Raven-Grayson & Lieutenant Kate Kono & Lieutenant James Phoenix

2,074 words; about a 10 minute read

Mission: Here There Be Dragons
Location: USS Washington

Jon had been cleared to return to duty, though he was still in sickbay at the moment. Shran made his way over to Imik at the tactical station. "Deanna has brokered a meeting with these dragons. A contingent will be coming up with Deanna's team. I want you in the meeting in the conference room."

Before Jon returned to the surface he wanted to check in with the captain to see if there were any changes to his earlier orders. Arriving on the bridge he saw the captain speaking with Imik so he just stood out of the way and waited.

Imik simply bowed in response, why would Shran want her in the meeting? So far he'd dismissed her information and her concerns, surely he didn't think she'd stay silent? Imik made a mental note to collate every bit of information she could get on the Dragons, her eyes were open unlike some of the crew.

Shran took note of Jon as he was speaking with Imik. He looked to his XO, "I see Sam got you fixed up. We are going to have visitors it appears. I don't know how exactly, but Deanna seems to have brokered some sort of meeting with representatives of these dragons. Considering what the encounters with these creatures has been like thus far, I much prefer the attempt at diplomacy. Deanna will be bringing them up shortly; Phoenix is on alert. I'd like you to contact the two survey teams and have them return immediately. I don't want to risk additional incidents while we are talking with these representatives. I'll get Sam up here, allow here to collect some medical data as covertly as possible."

As Shran spoke to Jon, Imik noted how she watched a shuttle kill a dragon. Could this meeting be a way of locating the Washington? Once they know where you are, if they can produce a portal then you're vulnerable to a surprise attack. Perhaps she should let Shran know about this bit of information. She stepped forward and waited until Jon and Shran finished.

"I'll call the survey teams and order an immediate recall to them so there will be no Washington personnel on the surface." Jon replied crisply.

Sam appeared a few minutes later, having gotten a message from the captain.

"You rang?" She said, echoing a line from a century's old television show.

"Sam, we have visitors on the way. Figured you might want to be present, maybe collect some medical data on the QT. You've seen what they can do to a degree with your recent patients, but Deanna has expressed that these creatures have some rather fantastical abilities" Shran replied.

"Certainly Captain, the more data we collect, the closer we get to understanding them as a whole" Sam replied with a smile.

******************

In the transporter room, Deanna, Callie, Kate, and Phoenix materialized on the transporter pad along with their 4 guests. Shran stood with Jon waiting to greet them all. Deanna stepped down and looked to Shran, "Captain, allow me to introduce to you the ruling body of Draco IV, Lord Crosis, Lord Bahamut, and Lord Tiamat. And this is our rescuer, Drake."

The dragons were nothing like what Shran had expected. They appeared human, or at least humanoid. They were quite tall, each of them roughly 6'5 in height, but they each had hair that seemed to indicate something, though what it was Shran couldn't say at this point. And their eyes, that was the one thing that was a dead giveaway. Their eyes looked very much reptilian in nature.

Shran remained his generally stoic self, but attempted his best diplomatic face and voice, "Welcome aboard the Washington. I look forward to our talk and hope we can make positive headway towards a relationship. This is my First Officer, Cmdr Jonathan Grayson."

Jon nodded crisply to the visitors. "Welcome to the Washington. I look forward to our talks. Drake, you're looking different than the last time I saw you."

James remained silent and alert while maintaining a diplomatic posture. His instincts didn't sense any immediate concerns, however it was best to remain vigilant. There was little reason to distrust his colleagues. That being said, he was always on the caution with diplomatic visits like this one. Starships were full of their fair share of technology that enemies would want to get their hands on. He didn't suspect the dragons of this at all, however you could never be too careful with new races and factions.

Sam stood quietly nearby, medical scanner ready. "Before there is any interaction with the rest of the ship's population, I need to run a few scans to make sure it's safe for both parties" Sam explained as she stepped forward. "With your permission..."

Imik could now see the visitors up close, she instantly closed her mind as she felt an intrusion. Now they knew the location of the Washington she thought, if the portal theory was a reality then this vessel was now at risk of attack. Shran hadn't acknowledged her on the bridge after talking to Jon, so she had followed them to the transporter room. Her tactical sense kicked in as to her they scanned their surroundings with their other senses, but would Shran even take any notice of anything she might say?

Callie stepped down off the transport pad moving around to Jon’s side happy to see him all healed. “Drake has been kind enough to tell us about his people, we are excited to learn more and hopefully the talks will go well.”

Kate walked over to Drake and tugged at his shirt to get his attention while looking up at him.

“Hello!” she said, her voice a soft, curious hum as she placed one hand on her hip and tilted her head. “When you changed from your dragon form to this one, clothes just… appeared. Fully formed! Was there a fashion menu? A little screen you scrolled through in your mind?” She leaned forward slightly, eyes wide with fascination. “Or do the threads just weave themselves out of nothing? Is it some kind of secret replicator tech? Or maybe it’s pure thought—mind over matter! Either way, it’s honestly amazing.” She took a small step back, studying him from head to toe with an appreciative gaze. “And of course, everything has to fit someone almost seven feet tall. You could open a boutique for the tall and magnificent. Just change forms all day, leave the outfits behind, make a fortune for your hoard!” She clasped her hands together, practically bouncing with excitement. “But truly—how does it work? Is it technology or manifestation? I’ve never seen anything like it.” Her expression was one of genuine wonder, completely charmed by both the phenomenon and Drake’s sharp choice of attire.

Drake looked to the other's, "They have developed scanning technology. You'll find they are far more advanced than when the forebearers encountered them a millennium ago."

"The scan is permissible" Bahamut answered, his voice deep and powerful. Tiamat's gaze seemed focused on Imik. He did not blink, focused on her intently. She had telepathic powers like two of the other females, and she had control over it, but despite that he sensed the conflict in her. She was a perfect mark for his desires.

Drake looked to Kate. He found her different than the others. She had a curiosity to her that one might attribute to a child. He sensed that she was being genuine, no subterfuge. "As I said on the surface to you all, technology or natural abilities often appear like magic to those who have not reached that point technologically or do not have such abilities."

"Captain, I assume you have protocols you normally follow. If we may, I would like to move directly to the talks" Crosis said in a diplomatic tone.

"I respect your desire to get straight to business. We can move straight to talks if that is your pleasure" Shran replied. He looked to Sam, "Everything good, doctor?"

Jon looped his arm around Callie's waist as she came to stand next to him. "Is that a fact?" He remarked after Callie saying Drake had told them stories about the dragons. "I wish to learn more as well." He replied as his eyes caught Tiamat staring at Imik.

Imik could feel the intrusion deepen, so she resorted to an old Ojnas trick. One which if these Dragons were related to the ones her people had encountered, would instantly know. She now used her rarely needed skill of reflection, Ojnas were extremely reluctant to use it as it drained their energy and could leave them on the verge of death if used to long. But it reflected back at the enemy the same intensity used against the Ojnas, she was sure what ever Dragon was mentally attacking her would now show itself as her pain would be their pain.

Callie smiled at Jon before looking towards Imik, she was picking up on her emotions, no doubt their guests were as well.

Sam frowned as the readings on her tricorder started fluctuating wildly. Something was going on but she had no baseline data to draw a formative conclusion from.

"Sir..." she started, looking from the dragons to Imik and back again.

As Shran looked to Sam and the tricorder readings she was getting, Tiamat flashed an evil grin. Bahamut suddenly looked to Tiamat and grumbled, "Enough Tiamat. We are not here to satisfy your desire to inflict mischief."

Tiamat continued to grin evilly. "But it is entertaining. The Ojnas thinks she can reflect pain to me in a vain attempt to avoid my probing her thoughts. She actually believes we are related to another creature her people have encountered."

"I must ask that you cease whatever probing is happening. It is considered a breach of privacy to use telepathic abilities without the consent of both parties" Shran noted firmly.

"Cease your silly ploy Tiamat" Crosis said sternly, sounding like a chastising parent.

"Very well. But I take offense to the Ojnas assumption we are related to those creatures" Tiamat sneered.

"Apologies captain for Tiamat's behavior. He can act petty and childish at times" Bahamut offered sincerely.

Shran considered the situation. He had to maintain the diplomatic attempt. "No apologies needed. It is I who should apologize fir my officer offending you."

Drake wished to try to smooth things over, "Now that we are all on friendly terms once more, shall we proceed?"

"That sounds like a good idea" Deanna chimed, hoping to move things along as well.

Phoenix kept an eye on Imik and Tiamut. He hoped to Surak that either one of them didn't do anything more. Oh, dear the paperwork that would ensue.

Jon was silent as the captain spoke to the dragons. He was sure he agreed with the statement that Imik was offending the dragon. It seemed to him Tiamat had provoked the entire situation and would now bear watching.

Kate had already dialed her phaser to maximum while it was still in her holster during the whole exchange and nobody had noticed, her thumb worked the setting dial by feel alone. Outwardly she showed nothing. Kate was still leaning in, looking almost oogly at the Dragons with kindhearted amazement, fascinated by the technology the dragons used to generate clothing, asking herself the same questions she'd asked Drake earlier. ‘How did the fabric know what shape to take? Was there a menu?’ She looked like a cadet on her first tour of a museum.

As far as she could tell, the dragons weren't all evil. They had their own problem-cultures, their own "that guy," the same way Earth had its Islamists in the twenty-first century. Her mind was multitasking as it always did: outwardly curious, hopeful that things would go well for everyone, already planning how to make friends with the ones who seemed nice… while inwardly ready to kill everyone in the room, starting with Tiamat.

It was a sound tactic. It didn't mean she'd have to do it, and she didn't expect to. It was the same thinking she used even visiting an open market on Risa; smile at every vendor, count every exit. And this was a very tense situation indeed that she aced, letting her curiosity and her goal of making new friends show far more than her ability to throw down.


TBC

 

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