On the Hunt - Part IV
Posted on Tue Oct 21, 2025 @ 11:03am by Commander Cara Letsul & Lieutenant JG Jali Andloch & Commodore T'mpest Michaels & Lieutenant Commander Jason Haines & Lieutenant Commander Curtis Thibideaux & Lieutenant Kael "Vex" Tharien & Captain T'Lisa Anderson - CO of the USS Canterbury & Civilian Thavas Th'Omtala
Edited on on Thu Oct 23, 2025 @ 1:36am
2,128 words; about a 11 minute read
Mission:
Chicken Run
Location: Deep Space 5
Timeline: MD01
Thavas was already sheltering in place, having closed and sealed his doors. Farm animals had their place and that place, wherever else it might be, was not Sartorial Splendor.
"All doors are sealed, Master," Viza said. "And those guests trapped with us are comfortable and well looked after."
"Excellent service as always, my dear," Thavas replied.
"Of course, Master," Viza said.
Security Officer Lieutenant Andloch tapped on her combadge making an announcement.
"This is Lieutenant Andloch, there is a holding area ready for the animals that have been captured. Herd them, carry them to Cargo Bay 51. Security is ready to receive the running, wandering fauna and avians. There are antigrav carts that are being sent out as well to help in this endeavor. Anyone who has knowledge of capturing animals with nets and also lariats. Anything will help to contain this pandemonium--Andloch out."
Cara had left the meeting, making her way through the madhouse. proceeding through the disarray, she had to side step, several pygmy goats that bleated at her, one butted against her leg, as seeking something. "Okay, okay, let's get that taken care of." she made her way to a stand buying several apples of which she gave to the goats. "There you go." Cara leaving them to munch upon the goodies. To her relief someone came to get them and she didn't have to worry about them.
Further on, there was a sound of quacking and some honking, she looked to see where it was coming from and spotted two ducks and a goose splashing around in the fountain. "Okay, need to get them out."
Pulling out her padd, Cara looked to see what these birds would like. Berries for both. That will work, back to the stand she had gotten the apples, "Berries please." getting them from the owner. "Okay, let’s get you to the holding cell. C'mon, let’s go." holding out the berries and strewing some upon the floor.
With a splash and a leap from the small pool, the three birds shook their feathers dry and began to eat. They looked to Cara for more and she gave them more and proceeded to head towards Cargo Bay 51. Now she ran out of berries, the two ducks quacking at her and the grey goose honking at her. "What I am out!"
The ducks quacked and came up and nipped at her uniform trousers, Cara leaped back "Hey watch it!" The goose came up as well, seeking to nip at her as well. Cara turned and moved away, the poultry following after her. A nip from the goose made her move rather quickly, soon Cara was running with the two ducks and goose running after her, quacking and honking.
[Intel Department – Deck 9 | Later That Day]
Kael was halfway through decrypting a backlog of encrypted command reports, left scattershot across the desk by the office’s previous occupant, when the announcement cut across the station-wide comm.
"Attention." The announcement came in both voice and text to everyone residing on Deep Space 5.
"A ship transporting farm animals to a new colony experienced a system-wide failure, resulting in the animals escaping onto the station. If you find any of them wandering around, please notify station security. Again, the animals belong to Orwell Colony and are to be returned. Thank you."
Kael didn’t move.
He simply blinked once. Then tapped the screen to pause the feed of a half-redacted Intelligence scan log from the Tzenkethi border.
A soft thud echoed outside the office door.
Then another. Followed by a sharp bleat.
Kael exhaled through his nose and set the PADD down.
The door slid open.
Ensign Mora was standing in the hallway with her mouth slightly open and one hand raised like she wasn’t entirely sure what she was about to say.
She didn’t get the chance.
Behind her, a pygmy goat trotted calmly past, hooves clacking lightly on the corridor deck. It turned its head, locked eyes with Kael as it passed, then continued on its way toward the secure analysis suite.
Kael looked at Mora.
She cleared her throat. “Sir… there’s a goat on Deck 9.”
“I had noticed.”
“It… made it into the signal intelligence lab. It’s standing on the console. We think it’s chewing on a power isolator.”
Kael said nothing for a moment. Then he stepped past her and into the corridor.
Sure enough, the goat had taken up a commanding position atop a low-priority long-range signal analysis station, nibbling on a dangling piece of Isolinear cabling like it was a Terran weed. Two intelligence officers were crouched behind an overturned chair, peeking out at the creature with a blend of fear, confusion, and professional embarrassment.
Kael clasped his hands behind his back.
“Is anyone planning to remove it?”
Lieutenant Elvar, face slightly red from an apparent headbutt, cleared his throat. “We attempted to, sir. It responded with... force.”
Kael studied the goat for a moment longer. Then looked at the console.
The terminal beneath it had started blinking with unexpected input activity.
“Is that console still connected to the Beta Quadrant Listening Array?”
Elvar nodded slowly.
Kael blinked again.
“Very well. Quarantine the input, reroute to sub-node four, and flag anything it accidentally decrypts.”
The goat bleated loudly, as if in protest.
Kael tilted his head slightly. “Understood. You prefer direct access. Ambitious.”
He turned to Mora.
“Contact Security. Inform them that the Intelligence Department has been compromised by an unknown number of quadrupeds, possibly operating in coordinated silence. We’ll require containment and a debrief.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And Ensign.”
She looked up.
“If the goat successfully overrides the encryption protocols, I want to be notified immediately. It may qualify for a field commission.”
With that, Kael returned to his office, letting the door slide shut behind him. He sat at his desk, reopened the Tzenkethi file, and resumed reading. He ignored the distant clatter of hooves and the sound of someone in the corridor yelling “It’s heading for the secure archive!”
He didn’t look up.
Not yet.
But he did make a note to request stronger doors.
Curtis worked to set up a temporary pen for the pigs, which fought back with delighted smiles on their porky faces, their merry black eyes shining with excitement. He also learned how a pig’s nose was remarkably rubber like and slightly disturbing at the same time. Then a voice sounded, "You need mud there commander," a voice drawled out. Turning, Curtis caught site of a medium height human man with his long hair tied back in a man bun, sporting a scraggly beard wearing simple brown clothing.
"It's all about human nature my friend. Or in this case, animal nature. If you want to control the beast, appeal to the beast’s nature and it will control itself. Thus, the mud."
"Where would I get mud," Curtis said to himself as much to the man and the bearded man smiled. "Well sir, when my children were small we made a mud like substitute out of ingredients like flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, and water or oil. Other items work as well of course." The man had a light to medium baritone and an infectious smile. "I'm sure we could get it close..."
Blinking, his mind working, Curtis said, "That sounds like a good idea...Mister?"
"Oh, I'm no mister. You can call me Boyle though sir," the older man said with a chuckle. "I know something about food though so if you can get me an area, I'll see about making you some mud?"
"Yes please mister Boyle. And thank you," Curtis said as he began shifting about to herd off some of the weaner pigs. Security was starting to show up and he issued instructions to be on the lookout for Boyle and his mud: if that happened.
Hearing a commotion, Curtis turned and stopped as he saw a small herd of sheep go past, bleating as five ducks chased them, answering the bleats with challenging honks.
Previously
Jason tapped his combadge, "Commander Haines to Commodore Michaels. What is your current location?"
"Promenade. I am currently giving a pygmy goat a ride to security."
"Please stay there until I catch up with you", Jason said. "Philips and I just got a goat ourselves. We aren't far from you.
At that moment, the goat turned its head towards Jason and caught him in a stare. Jason heard a whisper, 'Catch me if you can.'
Jason couldn't believe it and thought, 'No, it can't be.'
At that point T'mpest heard Jason let out a yelp of pain. The goat had back kicked him near his 'sensitive' spots and sent him flying ten feet across the promenade.
"Commander", Philips called out running to help him.
T'mpest ran to where she heard the cry and saw Jason on the ground. It only took a moment to figure out what happened. "Do you need to get to sickbay?" she asked him, not sure if he needed a doctor, or for her to pretend she didn't know what happened. "Or should I remove the goat?"
"F...fa", Jason started saying. T'mpest couldn't tell if he was trying to swear or tell her something. He then passed out.
Philips looked at the Commodore and said, "It was weird, the goat looked at him, well more like stared him down and then kicked him in a sensitive area. The goat then ran away."
"I'll go after the goat. See if you can get the commander to sickbay." Calculating the probable direction of the goat based on Jason's position, she pointed. "He went that way?"
"Yes", Phillips said and activated his combadge and activated the emergency site to site beaming for sickbay."
Cargo Bay 3
Like the rest of the Canterbury's crew Commander Kror Gar'Rel found himself aiding the DS5 crew in their repair of the station. Due to his immense strength and stamina, and the fact that there weren't enough anti-grav sleds, he found himself carrying heavy materials and equipment from storage to where they were needed.
He was returning to Cargo Bay 3 when he heard soft wails coming from behind a stack of tritanium hull plates.
Walking over, he carefully moved the metal plates to find a Teran feline that had just giving birth to six offspring.
With a gentleness, one would not expect from a being his size, he knelt down and visually surveyed the cat and her kittens. He made soothing sounds, as not to stress out the animals.
Slowly raising to his feet, he stepped away and tapped his comm. badge.
=^="Gar'Rel to Medical."=^=
=^="Medical here, who is this?"=^=
=^="I'm Commander Gar'Rel, XO of the USS Canterbury, I am currently aiding your crew in repairing this station, But that's not important right now. I have discovered a cat and her newborn kittens in Cargo Bay 3."=^=
=^="Understood, Sir, I'll have a vet sent down to handle the situation, Medical out."=^=
It wasn't long before a red headed woman in Sciences blue, arrived, animal travel container in her hand.
Briefly stunned by seeing an anthropomorphic grizzly bear in a Command red commander's uniform.
"Sorry, I'm Lt. Daniela Lupu, veterinarian, most people call me 'Dani'. Let's see the patients, shall we?" She said.
"A pleasure to meet you, Dani. They are just over here." Gror said leading the way."
When they arrived, Dani put down the container, and pulled out a medical tricorder and set it to Feline Catus and began scanning the cats with the detachable probe. As she did so, she spoke to the cats in soft tones, in order to prevent further stress.
After a few moments, Dani stood up. "Sir, the kittens appear to be in good health, but the mother is dehydrated." She said. "Could you help me get them to my office?"
"Sure, I'll help." Kror said. He bent down, and started to collect up the kittens, holding them to his chest. They called to their mother, and she called back as Dani helped her into the pet carrier.
The two of them made their way to Dani's officer.
(To be continued...)
Thavas Th'Omtala
Owner
Sartorial Splendor
Viza
Assistant
Sartorial Splendor
Lieutenant Jali Andloch
Security Officer
Deep Space 5
Commander Cara Letsul
Executive Officer
Deep Space 5
Kael "Vex" Tharien
Chief Intelligence Officer
Deep Space 5
Ensign Mora
Intelligence Officer
Deep Space 5
Lieutenant Elvar
Intelligence Officer
Deep Space 5
Commander Curtis Thibideaux
Head of Strategic Operations
Deep Space 5
Boyle
Station Inhabitant
Deep Space 5
Lieutenant Commander Jason Haines
Bodyguard
Deep Space 5
Commodore T'mpest Michaels
Commander
Deep Space 5
Chief Petty Officer Philips
Security
Deep Space 5
Commander Kror Gar'Rel
USS Canterbury
Lieutenant Daniela Lupu
Veterinarian
Deep Space 5
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