Siren’s Kiss

Cheers and huzzahs resounded through the air as Orion, Andorian, Romulan, and other women of Liberia's Grace, clad in shimmering belly dancing silks, gracefully traversed the stage of the Melting Pot. Oriental melodies filled the hall as the dancers moved with elegance and precision.

Amidst the lively atmosphere of the social morning mixer, the crew of the USS Nexus and Liberia's Grace engaged in animated conversations and playful exchanges.

Libations, served in abundance despite the early hour, flowed freely among the Nexus crew—a whimsical indulgence made possible by the scene unfolding at the captain's table.

Seated at the head table were Anzyl, Neil, and Veirik, completely captivated by the enchanting presence of Jaidaa and half a dozen other Orion women. Adorned in luxurious silks, adorned with jewels and precious metals, the women whispered sweet nothings into the men's ears, their playful gestures eliciting laughter and smiles.

—

Sitting in the captain's chair on the bridge, Eroga appeared thoroughly unamused. Holding the fourth-ranking position on the ship, she assumed command whenever Anzyl, Neil, or Veirik were indisposed, overseeing the operations of the behemoth vessel.

What unfolded on the viewscreen before her was beyond her comprehension, especially considering it was all transpiring aboard the Flagship of the Khitomer Alliance.

"A Social Mixer… Bah!" she scoffed, disdain evident in her expression as she reached to power down the viewscreen, crossing her arms and legs in a gesture of defiance.

"Could be worse," Lusaallii teased from her station, her attention still focused on guiding the ship toward their destination. "You could be there too," she chuckled.

"I still don't understand why Jaidaa insisted the social was for 'Men Only,'" Heluna grumbled from her seat, clearly disgruntled at being excluded from the social event aboard the ship.

"I'm pretty sure I can tell you why…" Lusaalli interjected, her eyes widening as she observed the scenes unfolding on her console's viewscreen, displaying the lively activity in the Melting Pot.

"It's an Orion thing…" Eroga muttered in annoyance, her tone reflecting her displeasure. "Orions 'Socially Mingle' in two ways, and the other involves even more drinking, and a VERY toxic insect." She shook her head, frustration evident as she continued to observe the oversized bachelor party unfolding in the Melting Pot.

—

At the captain's table, Jaidaa twirled her fingers around Anzyl's neck, tenderly playing with his Trill spots. "And they go… All… the way down?" she playfully questioned.

"All… the way down," Anzyl replied, completely ensnared in her intoxicating spell.

Unbeknownst to Anzyl, Jaidaa's seemingly playful banter was actually a potent pheromone that Orion women possessed. This pheromone could easily control unsuspecting males, making the burliest of warriors as docile as a lap dog, a secret closely guarded by the Orion Syndicate. Unlike the patriarchal societies of many races, the matriarchal dominance of Orion women was both fascinating and dangerous.

As Jaidaa turned her head to meet the gaze of her crewmates by the door, she smirked and nodded subtly.

The woman stationed at the door bowed quickly and swiftly exited the Melting Pot into the hallway.

— 

The two guard women communicated through their wrist devices. "It's a go. Activate all canisters."

—

Throughout the ship, small silver canisters materialized on each of the Tzenkethi transporter pads. Once transported, they began emitting a fine pink mist.

Every deck, hallway, cargo bay, and main section of the ship, including Sickbay, was suddenly filled with the magenta pink mist.

—

Back in the Melting Pot, half of the women from Liberia's Grace retrieved silver canisters from their handbags and began spraying the room. The mist dispersed like an aerosol scent.

One by one, the men of the Nexus succumbed to the effects of the mist, falling unconscious where they stood. Meanwhile, the women of Liberia's Grace continued to playfully spray their fumigating toxins throughout the hall.

Neil and Veirik attempted to protest, but as soon as they inhaled the pink mist, they slumped back into their seats, completely incapacitated.

Anzyl, realizing something was terribly wrong as the poison began to overtake his body and mind, summoned all his remaining strength. With a final effort, he tapped his combadge and cried out, "Computer, Kappa Cabbage…" before succumbing to unconsciousness, his head landing heavily on the tabletop.

—

On the bridge, Eroga stood up in panic and worry as the three women on the bridge witnessed the unfolding horrors displayed on their view screens.

Suddenly, five women from Liberia's Grace materialized on the bridge, each wielding disruptor pistols pointed directly at Eroga, Heluna, and Lusaalli.

Eroga remained firm and resolute, her breathing furious as she slowly raised her hands in surrender, muttering to herself, "This is not a good day to die." Heluna and Lusaalli followed suit, also raising their hands in surrender.

—

Eroga then sat in her usual chair, glaring in disgust as Jaidaa materialized on the bridge of the Nexus. "Well, well, well. Now THIS is a bridge!" Jaidaa exclaimed, her fingers trailing over the furnished wood and polished counters.

"Name your terms… Orion," Eroga commanded bluntly.

"Oh!" Jaidaa laughed, slipping into the Captain's chair. "Terms?" She chuckled, "Um… I HAVE my terms!" Her hands caressed the fabric and wood of the captain's chair. "The USS Nexus… Flagship of the Khitomer Alliance… and now it's Mine!" she declared proudly.

"You're sitting in the Captain's chair… this ship is FAR from your control Jaidaa…" Eroga motioned to the computer monitor at her console.

Instead of the typical Starfleet LCars computer display system, there was a flashing white padlock icon.

"It seems like you are locked out," Eroga stated bluntly, "As are we all," she added, typing at her console without any response.

Panicking, hands gripping the captain's armrests, Jaidaa glared at her crew. Each one attempted to access a separate console, but to no avail. They shook their heads in frustration, unable to access any system, file, or even a picture, only greeted by a black and blank console keyboard.

Jaidaa let out a blood-curdling scream of anger and frustration, "Gaaaahhh!!!! Who Locked Up My Ship!?"

—

Months prior, Veirik, Zide'Mok, Neil, and the captain sat at the main conference table. The Nexus was at dock undergoing extensive repairs after its intense battle against the Fek'ihri.

"Ok, that concludes the repair schedules," Anzyl tapped at his keypad, visibly weary from yet another conference meeting. "What else did we need to go over?"

"Captain," Veirik spoke hesitantly, "If I may make a suggestion for future security and tactical reasons, do you have a security lockout, a safe word?"

Anzyl was taken aback by the question. "A security safe word?"

Veirik explained, "In an extreme emergency, you tell the computer a…" He gestured a short distance with his hands, "a short, unique phrase, that you would never say in normal conversation."

Catching on to Veirik's idea, Neil added, "Say the simple phrase and the entire computer system locks and freezes up until you say it again to unlock it. Right?"

Veirik nodded. "Exactly. It's a fail-safe measure. A short phrase you won't forget, like, 'Red Nova.'"

"Hmm…" Anzyl pondered, "How about something like 'Kappa Cabbages'? I hate cabbage. Never use 'em. Never eat 'em. And Kappa is one of the few Greek letters rarely used in Starfleet."

Neil and Veirik both nodded in agreement. 

"Affirmative, Sir," Zide'Mok replied promptly. "Adding it to the computer. Any time any of us say 'Kappa Cabbages,' the computer will immediately lock down until one of us states it again."

Satisfied with the implementation of the new security measure, Anzyl motioned to move on to the next portion and end the meeting.

—

"Total and complete lockout at Captain level," announced a Ferengi woman from Eroga's station on the Nexus bridge. She tapped furiously at the computer console, but to no avail. "A rather simple yet effective lockout," she added with a hint of frustration. "Crew members across the ship report that all computer keyboards on every console have been deactivated. Any attempts at hacking are now physically impossible. There's literally nothing to type on."

"Well…how do we unlock it then!?" Jaidaa demanded, her patience wearing thin as she glared at her hacker.

The Ferengi woman shook her head grimly. "Only Captain Praxas has the authority to unlock it."