Of Course, it wouldn't have been Star Trek without....

"Then tell the 'away team' to meet me in the transporter room."

Moments later...

Andrea

"Tell me again why the commanding officer of a Federation starship is beaming down into a possibly deadly situation?" I whisper softly to where only Synizn can hear, "Why is that they all seem ready to do that? That and the second in command?"

Things like that were just one of many items that drove the Military folks up the walls! Now, there were the few exceptions within Star Fleet, but for the most part this trend seemed to have started sometime, from what I've heard, before Kirk's era. It had even survived the shakeup that the coming of the Enemy/Alliance war!

"Couldn't tell you," the former dragonmage says quietly back, ears quirking a little at that himself.

Mind you, it might seem a little hypocritical for us to complain, considering our tendencies for adventure. However, while we Champions (myself no exception) are not...er....adverse to a little excitement now and again, we never let that desire overcome our sense of duty. Thus, it usually turns out that adventure, when it comes, is far and few between (until recently).

Hrmph....

Guess that Captain Kirk and friend feel that their duty for exploration (a Star Fleet mandate) demands them putting themselves in harms way. Being that we are guests on this Starship, despite the fact we are aiding Kirk, we are in no position to criticize. It'd be the height of rudeness!

Well, that said, we soon settled upon just who is going down to the planet. Of course, by needs, us magic users will be part of this "away team". Of course, we also will have Joan and the other non-magic using members come along. While not able to throw spells, they know the means on how to protect themselves (and perhaps the other non-magic using folks) from magic. Oh, I don't know how effective they'll be since we frankly don't know what we're going to face. The others of the away team know that so don't complain. This is, of course, that is one of the reasons why a pregnant woman by the name of Uhura Nyota D'Honaire shall be coming along as well!

That and we mages throw our weight behind Uhura's demand to come along because honor demands it. See, we need her presence for one of several spells we have in mind that we hope will be able to force open the gate open enough for us to go up it back to...that lair where that magical women wardrobe is.

Oh, we shall cast some scrying spells to look ahead down the path to just make sure it isn't a garden path...to the chopping block. Would hate to have to go all that way and run smack into a trap! Not only would it make us look...rather bad....it could be ugly!

So, in addition to my friend I have already mentioned and myself, we have: Chekov, Spock, Kirk, and three nameless "redshirts" go down (didn't catch their names). We have those anti-possession amulets on those who've proven...vulnerable to those alien entities. Us female Champions should be relatively safe because of the rather low rate of reproduction we now face being Champions (part of the package we got) will keep us safe from what the Enterprise women faced. As for a more direct mental attack......

Heh....

We folks have learned a few things in the way of mental defense! If nothing else, it behooves those of our position back on Terra Prime to learn! After all, I fear that is the kind of world we live in.

After a good five hours of effort, we luck out and actually DO stumble upon a mans of forcing the gate open enough for us to go through. We scry ahead and see no indication of trap, magical or otherwise. Seems rather...quiet, actually.

Should have known....

We go on through, us Champions and part of the Away Team, before it happens. Those who aren't through yet hear shouting, the sound of a gunfire, and the sound of something metallic shattering. Then, before the gate comes crashing shut (with a clap of thunder), one of the Redshirts who is only half through is saved by only one thing!

Spock was in the perfect position to see it right before the startled man hits him (knocking him down in the process).

It was an anachronistically dressed woman (dressed as a forester) who dashed forward and bodily threw the man clear before getting cut in half. She looked human enough, what little Spock got from the blurred glimpse, but the thing is....whoever she was she wasn't human. See, the woman's left hand was still through the gate when it collapsed....

The flesh is made of a amalgamation of metals known....and unknown to to Spock's Federation, Spock will find out later.

Right now, though....

1. "Jim!" Spock shouts at the vanished gate, clearly aghast and too shocked to hide it.

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