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F.S.S. DRACONUS ©

Day One

Part I

Written and edited

by

superchook692005

and

mkewing2553.

12th June 2352

At the Starfleet section of the Melbourne International Starport an adult chakat and an adult foxtaur walk toward the transporter platform with their family. Both of the adults are dressed in the uniforms of Starfleet's elite Federal Counter Terrorism Division.

The chakat, who has a beautiful tawny coat of a cheetah looks at hir companion as smiles. In her arms the foxtaur is carrying a small chakat child with foxtaur patterned fur. "Come along Tanya we don't want to keep them waiting too long do we?"

"Not really hon." The foxtaur replies as her mate approaches the platform and the deck officer behind the control panel.

The male Rakshani looks at the family and brusquely asks for the family's ID and authorization to be there.

The chakat, Lieutenant Sundawn, stops in front of the male and holds out hir ID before saying in a slightly frosty tone of voice that makes no bones about hir right to be there, "Lieutenant Sundawn and Nurse Tanya Brightpaw reporting for duty as ordered."

The Rakshani stiffens at the unspoken rebuke in the chakat's tone and salutes hir before checking hir PADD to see that the five new arrivals are indeed who they are and that they were authorized to be there. When he was satisfied that they were supposed to be there he handed back the ID before ushering them onto the transporter platform. "Welcome to the FSS Draconus Lieutenant."

"Thank you ensign." The chakat replies warmly with a smile before shi steps onto the platform with hir two older children, six year old Dawnlight, and three year old Firespot, with a blinding flash of barely contained light the three figures vanish.

Not even a second later the three chakats appear on the main transporter platform on board the FSS Draconus.

"Well here we are..." Sundawn says before being distracted by Firespot who is mewling in fright at the rather unsettling journey that shi's just been on. "Sorry baby, I know that was scary." Shi purrs softly to the cub while rocking hir gently, stroking Firespot's tiny ears.

The cub looks up at hir mother and then softly hiccups and meeps at the attention that shi is getting.

The skunktaur behind the control panel looks at Sundawn and says, "Excuse me shir but could you please vacate the platform we still have to receive your mate."

"Oh sorry..." Sundawn replies before stepping off of the panel with hir hand firmly on Dawnlight's leash, the six-year old wanting to be everywhere at once and looking into everything. As soon as Sundawn and hir two cubs clear the pad there is a flash and Tanya and Firespot appear on the platform.

"Woah! That was fast, and weird." Tanya says almost as she appears before giving a slightly unsettled belch and rocking on hir legs before trying to calm down little Firespot who almost immediately began crying from the strange sensation of being teleported from the planet to the ship.

"Yes, you'll get that the first few times, but soon it'll be second nature." The skunktaur from the control console says as hy comes over with a tricorder and quickly scans the five new arrivals for any contagions or contraband.

"I am used to it but the cubs aren't." Sundawn replied as shi kept a hold on Dawnlight's leash.

The little six year old cub was fascinated by the moving and flashing lights in the room that were making all sorts of interesting patterns and sounds. "Daddy, lights pretty." Shi chirped happily tugging on hir leash, trying to get closer so that shi could investigate everything in more detail.

Sundawn smiled tolerantly at hir oldest daughter and replied, "Yes dear, they are very pretty."

They skunktaur nodded hys head as he put the scanner aside. "I would suggest that you head for sickbay then. The Head Nurse will want to give you your boarding check-ups as well as giving you and your partner a DNE injection."

"Oh... you mean Tanya? Well I guess so... not that a DNE injection will do either of us all that much good."

"Oh... why not?" The skunktaur asks with a slight giggle.

"Because neither of us are ranked very high on the E-scale." She replied looking at the trim red furred foxtaur. "I'm a E-3 and Tanya there is not even that much, she's an E-0"

The skunktaur flicks hys ears for a moment and giggles once more "Lieutenant are you referring to your empathic abilities?"

"Yes... I am Ensign. And furthermore..."

At that moment the skunktaur giggled again drawing an irritated glare from the now perceptibly upset chakat. "Listen would you like me to inform Commander Solarblaze about your behaviour here? I can quite easily give hir a call and tell hir how you've been treating hir lifemate."

As soon as hy hears those words the skunktaur stops giggling and gives the chakat a surprised look. "You don't mean THE Commander 3rdSolarblaze? The Green Maelstrom?"

"Yes that is precisely who I mean." The chakat snaps with a growl. "Dawnlight and Firespot here are our daughters."

As soon as hy hears that, the skunktaur's attitude changes and hy stands to attention before saluting Sundawn and hir cubs. "I am extremely sorry if I have been at all disrespectful towards you or your family shir. Please forgive me, and let me explain my behaviour."

The chakat relaxes and calms hirself as shi senses and sees hys sincerity, in hys posture, mental emanations, and eyes.

"No need to explain yourself Ensign, besides, I really must be going... the cubs are starting to get hungry." Sundawn replied, eager to get into hir own quarters where shi could feed hir daughters and catch up with hir two mates, who shi hadn't seen in a little while.

"As you wish shir," Hy replied, nodding. "Do you know the way?"

"I'm afraid not. I've received the layout files of the ship... and glanced over them on my PADD, but I've been more concerned about my own position. I had to look over all of the supply lists for my job." The lieutenant comments with an exasperated sigh wishing that shi had been able to devote more time to studying the ship's layout. However, often times being a young parent of three highly active chakat kittens meant that hir only moments of free time were either late in the evening or early in the morning.

The giggling skunktaur nods. "The files you've received were just to let you know where certain key locations are. Unlike normal Starfleet ships, where you walk or take lifts, traveling around the Draconus is mainly done through the teleportation system."

"Oh... that is different."

"Have any of you received your commbadges yet?

"I'm afraid not Ensign. Things have been a little hectic down there over the past few days."

The skunktaur giggles once more before finally saying, "Well than the first place that we need to take you in that case, is security, where you will all be issued with your own personalized commbadges. Stand close to me." Hy instructed at the end of hys little speech.

"Certainly..." Sundawn replies before drawing, the ever curious, Dawnlight closer with hir leash and getting hir mate to stand beside hir on the other side, placing on of hir arms around hir mate's shoulders. "I really should have talked to Snowdrift about this before, but she was really very busy."

"It's okay Sunny you did what you thought was right."

Nodding while the foxtaur and chakat talk to each other the skunktaur taps hys own commbadge. "Lieutenant Goldpaw, do you copy?"

At the sound of the name Sundawn looks sharply at the skunktaur, "Goldie is here? Why... I haven't seen hir since... oh... must have been 2341 back when I was only a cub."

The skunktaur does a quick double-take with a surprised look on hys muzzle. "It seems you have friends in some very strange places shir."

At that moment a distorted, but still quite recognizable voice comes over the comm. "Goldpaw here, what is it Ensign? I am rather busy right now so, please, make this quick."

"Yes Shir, 6 to beam direction to Security Station 1 from transporter room 4. Giggles Out."

Now it was Sundawn's turn to double-take at the skunktaur. "You're name is Giggles?" All at once the skunktaur's rather annoying habit was easier to understand

The skunktaur with the rather unlikely name nodded with a giggle before replying, "Yes, it's an annoying little tick that I've had since I was a cub, and yes I've tried to get rid of it over the years to no avail.

At that moment they were teleported, again, for the second time in the past half an hour.

"Well, here we are, Security." Giggles said to the people hy was guiding. "Ahh Commander Phalanx, it's good to see you again." Hy said to the female Caitian officer who was sorting through some ordinance, her back facing the group that had just arrived in the room.

"Oh what is it now Giggles, another loan? Or maybe a warm bed for..." The Caitian broke off. "Dear Sweet Makers... Sundawn, I haven't seen you in 2341," Exclaimed the busy Caitian who had turned around expecting to exchange some verbal banter with the skunktaur, only to be startled by the sight of the large group standing in front of her. Giving an ecstatic smile she jumped forwards and embraced the cheetah patterned chakat giving hir enthusiastic kisslicks to both of hir cheeks.

Ears blushing brightly, Sundawn returns the embrace and the kisslicks warmly, being careful of hir mewling daughter in hir arms. "You were at that awful trial Ma'am?" Shi asked, rather breathlessly.

"Yes, yes, I was one of the guards. I'm so sorry for the treatment that you faced back then, but, strict protocols guided our hands." She said with a slightly ashamed lilt in her clear voice. "So what is the meaning for this visit?" She asks, finally letting Sundawn go, pausing to gently pet and scratch Firespot's ears and head softly, eliciting a soft murr from the cub.

"Actually I am here to take my new posting... I'm rated as a Field Medic 1stClass and a Emergency Trauma Doctor... and my second mate here, Tanya, is also a Nurse." Sundawn said nodding towards the foxtaur, who was busy trying to calm hir cub down for the second time in so many minutes.

"I see, and let me guess, you all need commbadges, correct?"

Sundawn nods softly "Correct. What about the cubs?"

Phalanx frowns looking at the three young cubs. "Can they speak?" she asks.

"Well... Dawnlight over there can." Points over to curious kitten who is at the limits of where hir leash lets hir go poking hir nose at a box of pulse grenades. "Firespot here is learning... and Firetail is still too young to be talking."

"I see, well, what can Firespot say?" She asks, reaching into a nearby container and grabbing four commbadges, similar to the ones that she and Giggles were wearing, as well as a small pen injector.

"Shi's learning the basics right now... shi's only three." Sundawn replies gently petting hir kitten's back.

"Any distinct words yet?" The Caitian commander asks.

As she asks that the kitten points at Phalanx and chirps, "Kitty wady!" cheerfully.

Sundawn chuckled softly and softly scritched hir cub's back. "Yes kitten she's a Caitian. Her name is Phalanx."

"Fawanx?" Shi asks doing hir level best to reproduce the name.

Phalanx giggles as she bends down to pin the badge onto Dawnlight's chest, which prompts a small yelp from the seven year old, as the thin needle on the back of the badge punctures hir hide.

Firespot look at hir mom, whimpering and starting to meowl softly in distress at what hir sister was feeling.

"Phalanx, please try and not hurt my daughters. I can feel their pain and it reminds me of what you did to me so long ago during the trial... I was only ten at the time and I didn't know any better."

"Sorry little one." Phalanx said with a soft purr gently petting the young cub's head. She looks up at the cub's father with understanding in her eyes, as well as a bit of regret before standing up. "I'm terribly sorry about what happened back then Lieutenant Sundawn, and I am sorry to tell you right now that this will cause a little pain in all of you. It's part of the verification process on board this ship, it will be over quickly though."

The foxtaur Tanya looked up from her cub, who she had decided to nurse right then and there to ease her nerves, as well as calm her cub down. "What do you mean by that?" She asks softly.

At the same time Sundawn crouches down and picks up hir oldest daughter and hugs the distraught little cub gently.

For hir part Dawnlight had calmed down quite a bit and was now softly fingering the device that was stuck to hir upper left chest.

Phalanx turned to Tanya and smiled, standing up. "Watch and see." She replied to Tanya's question before raising her voice. "Okay, PAL, activate commbadge 134, designated owner, Chakat Dawnlight, Age 7."

"PAL?" The confused foxtaur asked.

Just then, a disembodied voice made everyone but Phalanx and Giggles jump, also causing their fur to poof out rather comically. At the same time the badge on Dawnlight's chest began sparkling and shining with tiny pin-pricks of multi-coloured light from within.

[Acknowledged Commander Phalanx, awaiting voice-print encoding... Please proceed.]

Ever the curious cub Dawnlight looks down at the flashing badge and softly asks, "is that mine daddy?"

[Voice-print encoded and verified, welcome aboard the FSS Draconus Shir Dawnlight, would you like some ice-cream after dinner tonight?] The electronic female voice enquired.

"Ice cream... Yay... um... is mommy here too?" Dawnlight asked, sniffing and looking around again.

[Affirmative, Lieutenant Solarblaze is currently in the Captain's office until 20:00 hours.]

At that pronouncement the cub looks down at the floor. "Oh... Daddy an' mommy always put me ta bed at 8." Shi whines softly.

[I will inform the Captain of shir Solarblaze's parental obligations at once, please wait...] The electronic female voice replied.

"PAL?" Tanya asks, by now getting slightly impatient, and irritated at the lack of response to hir queries.

[Lieutenant Solarblaze will join hir family in hir quarters prior to dinner in the Captain's Wardroom at 17:00.]

Sundawn gives a brief chuckle and smiles at hir daughter. "Dawnlight hasn't seen hir mother in the past few days and shi misses hir."

Phalanx turns to Sundawn and looks at the toddler in hir arms. "Okay Firespot you're next."

The little cub nuzzles hir head up under one of hir mother's arms wanting to hide and mewling softly.

Sundawn smiles gently and uses hir limited empathic abilities to soothe and calm hir cub for the little pain that shi was about to experience, turning hir in hir arms so that the little chakat cub's chest was exposed.

After looking at Sundawn for a moment and getting a soft nod to proceed Phalanx gently pins a commbadge onto Firespot's small upper chest.

For hir part Firespot yelps once at the slight sting of the needle, but other than that shi doesn't cry at all.

"PAL, activate commbadge 135, designated owner... Chakat Firespot, Age 3." Phalanx said, speaking to the computer once more with a flick of hir ears.

"Momma... shy she huwt me?" Firespot asked with a single tear in one of hir green-gold eyes and a sniffle.

The new badge on hir chest began to sparkle and shimmer with the tiny pin-pricks of light from within as the computerized voice spoke out. [Acknowledge, awaiting voice print encoding... Please proceed.]

"Shi has to say something shir Sundawn." Phalanx whispered softly.

Sundawn softly nudges hir daughter and asks hir if shi would like to get down to play with hir sister.

Firespot looks around and spots Dawnlight. "Yes momma wanna pway wiff Dawnwight pwease." Shi says softly trying to escape from hir mother's arms to go play with hir big sister.

[Voice print encoded and verified. Welcome aboard the FSS Draconus shir Firespot, would you like a stuffed toy to sleep with tonight?]

"Uh huh... who you?"

[I am the FSS Draconus' Computer, but you can call me Pal.]

"Um... I hope you no gonna huwt Fiwetaiw... shi jus' a babycub." Firetail said stopping hir attempts to escape hir mother's arms to look over at hir baby half-sister with worry in hir green-gold eyes.

Phalanx paused and turned back to Firespot looking hir in the eyes and seeing a surprising level of awareness in the cub's gaze. She gently stroked the cub's head churring softly, "I'm afraid I must sweetie, but it's just like getting a needle injection. Everyone goes through it, even me, and soon your mommy and Firetail's mommy will have to get one as well. But it's a good little pain, because you are now a member of the crew of the Draconus, with all of the cool privileges that come with it." With that said she held out her hand, palm up, and to everyone's amazement 3 chocolate chip cookies magically materialized on hir hand.

"Wow... tweats!" Firetail exclaimed excitedly while hir mother chuckled at hir sudden change in focus.

"I hope this doesn't spoil their appetite for dinner later on."

Phalanx smiled, looking at Sundawn with the tip of her tail twitching in amusement. "These are just like the sweets that they get when you visit the doctors' office or the dentist, made to give the children an award for being so brave."

Finally a thoroughly frustrated and irritated Tanya Brightpaw growled in a loud voice, "WHO OR WHAT IS PAL?!" At the same time she grabbed the Phalanx's left arm in a strong grip.

Sighing with hir tail-tip no longer twitching Phalanx turned to face the irritated foxtaur. "PAL is the Draconus' onboard AI computer." She explained quickly, "Now, please Nurse Brightpaw will you unhand me." She indicated to the foxtaur's hand on her arm.

Tanya's ears drooped and she stammered a weak apology as she released the Commander.

Smiling once more Phalanx handed each of the three cubs a cookie, who each took one, said thanks, except for little Firetail, and started munching on the tasty treats.

"Ah... yes... I normally have to put a voice lock on the replicator, so the cubs don't order anything and everything that they want." Sundawn said softly as shi smiled and watched hir daughter munch on the cookie.

At that Tanya giggled and said, "I can still remember once when I was a kit ordering a replicator to make lots of ginger snaps... the cabin floor was covered in ginger snaps. Konor and I ate ourselves silly... but dad wasn't exactly happy when he and mom returned to our quarters.

Phalanx smiled before turning to Dawnlight. "Dawny, why not ask for a packet of chips from PAL, a large packet, okay?"

Dawnlight giggles and nods before asking, "PAL, can I please have a big bag of chips?"

[Negative shir Dawnlight, that would spoil your appetite for dinner. Shir Solarblaze or Sundawn have authority over distributing unhealthy snack foods or harmful objects to you.]

The cub drooped slightly before shi looked at hir father. "Is that cause they're mommy an' daddy? What about mommy Snowdrift an' mommy Tanya?" Shi asked

Phalanx shook her head. "Sweetie only your mommy and daddy can order food from PAL for you or your sister. The same thing applies for Firetail, except that only hir mommy and daddy can order for hir."

Tanya looked up at that comment from rubbing Firetail's belly, making hir giggle happily, "How does PAL know who the biological parents are for which cubs?"

"That's easy, when the needles on the back of the badge enters the skin, it takes a DNA and blood sample, and cross checks it with other crew members on board. That way, PAL knows which child belongs with which parent." Phalanx explains moving towards Tanya and her cub.

"Ah... with our weird family that must come in handy."

"It sure does, now Firetail, I have something very special for you my little one." The Caitian replied, taking the tip off of the injector, revealing the inch long needle.

"Shi is my only daughter... right now." Tanya stated nervously, looking at the needle.

Phalanx held up the silver needle and explained. "This is a prototype commbadge, first of its kind, it doesn't sit on the skin like the others, and it doesn't come off. This badge is embedded under the skin and genetically fused with hir skeletal structure, making hir entire body a kind of walking commbadge." She smiled softly, and then added, "When shi gets old enough to speak, we'll activate the voice verification encoding."

"Okay... will it hurt hir?" Sundawn asks softly with a worried look on hir face. "Perhaps shi should be with me when you do this... to keep hir calm." She says, concerned for hir youngest daughter's wellbeing.

"Oh, I think that shi'll be just fine with hir mother, not after the little surprise I gave hir."

"Okay..." Sundawn replies sitting down with hir mate and projecting calmness at hir youngest daughter while Tanya sits down with her daughter in a comfortable position.

Phalanx looks at the two worried parents and then nods in a reassuring manner before quickly and smoothly plunging the needle into Firetail's left chest and activating the auto injector.

Both parents were very surprised when Firetail purred in relaxation in hir mother's arms. Shi didn't yelp, cry, or do anything that indicated that shi had just received a shot.

After a moment Tanya finally asked, "What did you do to hir? And what surprise were you referring too?" Looking the security officer straight in the eyes.

"Just a pain suppressant, after 30 minutes, shi'll be back to normal. Sorry for not supplying it earlier to the other cubs, but, with pain comes a reward. Firetail's commbadge is different, in that, hir entire skeletal structure would feel like it's on fire, and you'd have a screaming, traumatised little bundle of fur on your hands. The other commbadges administer a mild sedative after installation, so the pain didn't linger." Phalanx told them, lightly giving Firetail a scratch on the head, and giving Tanya a friendly hug.

"Thank you... what will happen when we leave the ship?"

"Well they will still work within a limited radius of 2 light years." Phalanx replied with a soft smile.

Sundawn nodded, "Well my family lives on Chakona, so I guess that counts out talking to them with any kind of regularity."

Phalanx nodded at Sundawn's assessment of the realities of the situation, "The communicators do have their limitations, sorry to say, but that doesn't mean that we're totally isolated. Now for you two, would you like a cookie for being brave afterwards?" She asks with a giggle, that is echoed by Giggles.

Sundawn adds hir own giggle. "I think I can survive without a cookie... though... I do like mint chocolate ice cream..."

"Of course, what about you Tanya?" Phalanx enquires turning her gaze to the foxtaur vixen.

Tanya gives a low chuckle before answering, "I really like to treat myself to Passion Fruit Ice Cream from time to time."

Phalanx chuckles and licks her own lips before asking, "PAL do we have access to passion-fruit ice-cream?"

[Yes, but it's for desert after dinner. I have also told you to watch your dietary intake Miss Blackmane.]

Phalanx giggled and poked her tongue out at a nearby display panel in reply.

"Phalanx why is the ship's computer worried about what you eat?" Sundawn asked with a bemused chuckle.

"Yes, she does have a quirky sense of humour at times, but you get used to it. Anyway, time to..."

She was interrupted by an unannounced visitor, a large female Rakshani security officer. She walked by the family, obviously agitated by something.

"What's the matter Stardoom?" Phalanx asked, her tone switching from one of easy comfort and relaxation to a more businesslike tone of a person with a job to do as she detected the Rakshani's mood.

Sundawn also looks up at the newcomer, hir hand on Firespot's head between hir ears.

Grabbing a large Pulse Induction Blaster Rifle, she turned and glared at Phalanx. "Another H1 attack, this one is very close to home, the arrival deck down at the Starport. Moonshot is injured; we've got the bastards cornered in one of the hanger bays."

[Attention, all security details to Hanger Bay 4, repeat, Hanger Bay 4. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill. All medical officers report to Sickbay immediately. Expect wounded. This is Captain Khan Firemane, out.] a loud male voice said over the intercom said before anyone else could say anything.

Sundawn looked at Tanya and then in a tone that conveyed the urgency that shi was feeling shi said, "Tanya and I have to get to sickbay... now... but I need the cubs to get to our quarters... Dawnlight can you be a big girl and take your sisters to our cabin?"

Giggles softly interrupted the chakat smoothly, "No need, I'll take them. Just complete the commbadge procedure on yourselves and then ask Goldpaw to teleport you there. It's that simple, but you must authorised and verified by PAL first."

"Okay, but please hurry, Tanya and I have work to do now."

Phalanx nodded and was all business as she quickly complete the procedure, and soon both Sundawn and Tanya were verified crewmembers of the FSS Draconus. "Lieutenant Goldpaw, request four to living quarters Glazer, over?"

Goldpaw's voice, sounding more than a little harried replied, "Acknowledged." Before Giggles and the three cub's vanished.

"Come on Tanya let's go, we have to get ready." Sundawn said to hir mate. "Lieutenant Goldpaw this is Lieutenant Sundawn and Nurse Brightpaw... we need to get to sickbay immediately."

"Greetings Young one, welcome aboard, Acknowledge." replied the familiar voice of chakat Goldpaw.

Sundawn smiled at the affectionate nickname that Goldie had bestowed upon hir when shi had been a cub.

An instant later the pair appeared in the middle of the sickbay, both of them still carrying their full saddlebags full of belongings. A nearby chakat nurse was preparing emergency equipment and barking orders when the two appeared. Almost right way shi noticed the two new arrivals and walked over, pausing briefly to salute the lieutenant before ordering Tanya to unload and warm up the full body scanner.

Looking around Sundawn asked, "Nurse where's the chief?"

"Shir shi's busy in bay 4 checking over hir surgical equipment, but shi will be here shortly. Meanwhile shir, you can drop your things off in hir office." The nurse stated quickly guiding Sundawn to a nearby office and showed hir inside.

Sundawn took off hir bags and dropped them on the floor before collecting a tricorder and setting it up the way shi had been taught by hir father. Protruding from one of hir saddle bags were the silk wrapped hilts of hir two katanas.

"Shir Sundawn, I understand that you are proficient in martial arts and weapons training, but please refrain from bringing swords into the medbay if you can help it. This is a hospital, not a dojo." The nurse nodded to the exposed hilts.

"I'm sorry nurse Dusk, I came directly from security with Tanya... I didn't have time to drop my things off at my quarters."

The nurse nodded. "I understand, now." Picking up hir own PADD shi ran through the list incoming patients. "2 concussions, 4 burn victims, 3 amputees, 5 internal haemorrhages, and... oh dear... I disembowelment. Correction, 4 internals, one passed away. ETA, 1 minute." Shi stopped and handed the PADD to Sundawn and let hir scan the device with hir own eyes.

Sundawn read the device for a few moments before pausing and shuddering, one of the victims was a chakat cub. "Nurse send the cub to bed 5." Shi ordered. "I want Tantrazine ready ASAP!" Shi barked hir voice going harsh and commanding.

"Might I make a suggestions shir Sundawn?" The nurse said.

"Go ahead nurse, but I intend of relieving hir pain as quickly as possible... or else hir mental anguish will overwhelm us all. Cubs do not deal with pain well."

"Shir I would suggest that you let the Chief deal with the cub, and the disembowelment, also I..."

"Shi's also better at dealing with serious complications." A familiar voice said as a very familiar foxtaur padded into the room.

"Steph?" Sundawn exclaimed, in complete surprise at the foxtaur's appearance in the room. "What in all the stars are you doing here?"

"I volunteered, after speaking with dad and mom."

"How are they? And how are our little sister?" Sundawn asked hir step-sister, who was also hir sister-in-law as shi stepped in to hug foxtaur.

"They're fine, all of them, but we can talk about our families later, right now though, we have pressing matters to worry about." Stephillum stated before turning to the head nurse. "Dusk, have the other nurses been prepared for these kind of injuries?"

"Yes doctor, all but the new recruit." The chakat nurse replied.

Sundawn nodded, "This is Tanya's first assignment." Shi added.

"Okay, she'll help with the concussions." Stephillum replied before issuing another order. "Put them in sickbay 1, and tell her that's her designated bay."

"Yes doctor." Dusk replied turning to the vixen. "Tanya, you're in bay 1."

"Right away shir." The foxtaur replied before trotting off to take hir place and prepare herself for the incoming patients.

"Okay, where do you want me Steph?" Sundawn asked, glancing down at hir PADD while nervously opening and closing hir Tricorder.

"You're in Bay 3, you'll be handling the internal bleeders." Shi replied.

"Okay... Dad told me a lot of things on my last trip home..."

"If there are any complications, contact me immediately, understand?" Stephillum replied.

"Yes sis... I know your talent... but don't kill yourself healing people Steph or your dad will be highly irritated with me."

The foxtaur gives hir step-sister a wink. "Are you kidding me, with the DNE injections, my ability is 5 times what it would be anywhere else..." Shi said smiling.

"Okay sis... I'll rely on my rather old fashioned abilities and training... and you go around healing those that need it more."

At that moment, Stephillum's commbadge beeped, touching it shi replied, "Yes."

"Shi, there's been a update on the condition of hanger 4, apparently, the Humans First had rigged it to explode, all humans dead."

"And the security detail?" The foxtaur inquired hir tail twitching and hir ears betraying hir feelings.

There was a pause at the other end when nothing was said.

"Captain?"

A slow sigh is heard over the channel.

"Sir do we have any survivors?" Shi almost shouted.

"10 dead, 25 injured. 15 are being transported to Melbourne Memorial, and 10 are on their way here." Replied the male voice at the other end.

"Okay Captain, understood, please keep me informed of any updates." Shi replied before the channel went dead. Looking at hir sister-in-law shi whistled. "Looks like we're going to be very busy." Shi whispers.

Sundawn nods heading over to the sterilization sink to clean hir hands. "At least we won't be bored." Shi replies before hir PADD beeps again with an update. Shi pauses and looks down at the device to check the new information. Now the list had revised 4 burn victims, 2 concussions, 2 amputees, and 2 internals. Shi gasped softly reading one of the names, Stardoom before zooming in to check what her injuries were. Mild concussion, and left arm missing below the shoulder. "Ouch... Steph... Stardoom is injured... amputee." She stated, looking with sorrow at the foxtaur.

Steph winces, and there is a gasp from across the room from one of the nurses, a young Caitian male.

Dusk quickly walks over to him and attempts to comfort the upset nurse.

Steph looks into Sundawn's eyes before shi says, "That's Stardoom's mate... they've only been together for 1 week."

Sundawn nods roughly, "Get her here then... I can treat her injuries... but she'll need a cybernetic replacement limb."

Stephillum nods and makes a notation on hir PADD, "Done, okay, ETA is 2 minutes for the new group." Shi says.

TO BE CONTINUED.....