Bad people. People who don’t want to see us.

What they were? Rixx didn’t know. He was getting frighteningly little from them. 

Looking between Alcyone and Nestira, he sighed, and pulled his telepathy back behind closed doors and thick mental shields. Fine, he would operate blind if it meant preserving the chance to know more about the young Rodulan who was with them.

So… use your words, Rixx. He gave a deliberate pause and gazed at the Starfleet officers. “I think, based on that man’s panicked state, that there may be hostile elements inside.”

“Agreed.”, nodded Renn, and looked to River. As diplomatic officer, River had been tasked to lead the away team despite the discrepancy in rank, but now, the situation had changed drastically – and not for the better.

They had come to Risa on ‘shore leave’, and Risa’s tourist policy and restriction on carrying weapons meant that they were unarmed. She looked to address the scared young scientist they had first encountered, only to find that he had either run off, or not followed them inside on time.

Renn tapped her badge. “Away team to Sirona.”

Nothing happened.

Renn took a deep breath, trying to center herself. This… wasn’t a great situation to be in. She reached for her medical tricorder – her most steady companion – and looked at the readout.

“Fifty-three life signs in the main part of the facility. Some weaker than others, and…”, she looked to Rixx. “I think you are right. There are at least twenty whose DNA signature I don’t recognize.”

“You don’t know what kind of aliens they are?” he asked in a surprised tone.

Rixx thought the vaunted Starfleet technology could scan anything, Wasn’t that what they loved to do best?  Scan things?

She shook her head. “No, I can tell when someone is Klingon or Cardassian. These? I don’t have the slightest idea, and our database is extensive, that these people aren’t recognized is not a good sign.” She turned to both Alcyone and River. “You’re the telepaths here. Anything you can pick up on that my tricorder can’t?”

River slowly shook her head. “I am getting fear. Confusion. Someone is hurt, I believe.” She paused “But if there is a ‘hostile element’, I am not getting anything from them. Nothing at all.” She turned to Alcyone “How about you?”

Alcyone bit her lip. “I don’t usually pick up on things. Only when I know someone really well, or spend a lot of time with them. I’m… sorry. ”

Renn consisted her for a moment, then gave a smile. “Right, half human. I remember now.”

That got both of Rixx’s brows to raise. Half human?  Rodulans could mate with humans?

Well, why not, Humans seemed to mate with anything and everything . But Rodulans?  They were different. Older. Structured. Superior.

He must have been thinking that a little too loudly because while his mouth stayed shut and none of the Starfleet people noticed oh boy did he get a look from Nestira.

“What?” he asked like the petulant independent nobody he was.

“It is not very kind to think that way.”, Nestira whispered. Telepathically, she added And you never know what she does pick up on.

And, all things considered, this really wasn’t the most pressing question right now.