Into Exile, I Must Go

Posted on Sat Apr 25th, 2026 @ 3:37am by Lieutenant Bartholomew Hale

3,019 words; about a 15 minute read

Mission: Friends and Traitors
Location: Juhraya Outpost, Juhraya Colony
Timeline: Just Prior to "Friends and Traitors"

From the deep recesses of his mind came the groans of twisting metal, the shrieking arcs of damaged circuitry, the ragged coughs of suffocation.

The dullest red light washed over the inside of the cabin. In the cockpit window above, jagged hull fragments drifted in space. Before him, three young engineers in pressure suits sat crumpled in the corner of the shuttle. One's silvery-blonde hair was drenched in crimson blood. Another was contorted unnaturally, barely alive. Crewman Clements was lucid, simply looking forward. His gaze was clinical, glassy, glaring through Hale as if he were boring a tunnel through his chest.

Bartholomew, not much older than these boys in front of him, looked at the young man, trying to comprehend. He felt the unease in the pit of his stomach.

Then the boy raised a phaser to his chin.

Hale went to open his mouth and reach out. Clements' twisted glare was fixed. He pressed the trigger. His body dissolved in a brief burst of energy. The last of the man was those eyes. Still accusing. Still blaming.

"Mister Hale!"

Bartholomew jolted awake.

In the doorway stood his Yeoman, Crewman Shmack, a stocky Bolian woman. She drew out his name, irritation plain, "Mister Hale!"

Heart pounding, he pulled his uniform jacket over his exposed undershirt and looked at her through one sleep-filled eye. "Yeoman! Good heavens! What time is it?"

"0815, sir."

"Hell's bells!" Hale leapt to his feet and wrestled his crimson tunic on. Pulling on his boots like he was starting an ancient lawnmower, he eyed the woman. "I've overslept."

"I figured you needed the rest." She picked a piece of lint off the black portion of his uniform and tossed it away. "You were snoring again. And talking."

"Talking? Was I? Huh." He shrugged, straightening the creases on the fabric that covered his tummy. Dressed, he turned to his mirror and ran his fingers through his luscious hair, which was a touch oily since he hadn't shampooed for a few days. "Very well. Let's have it. What's on the agenda today?"

"Mayor Sampson wants to meet with you about an incident last night. Cardassians again."

"Ah, Christ, right. What else?" Hale asked, still examining his reflection, plucking a lengthy grey strand from his beard.

"Oh and Glinn Teri," Yeoman paused as the entrance opened. A grey-clad officer stepped inside. "I had him scheduled to come in at 1100 hours, but it seems that he's here... now."

"Alright, well, something tells me Teri may prove to be easier than Sampson," Hale shrugged, his eyes drifting down to the woman's waist, noting the Type-1 phaser tucked into her hip. He raised an eyebrow, closing the distance until he stood shoulder to shoulder with her. "I don't recall authorising that, and I don't want the Glinn seeing it. Get rid of it. Now."

Bartholomew crossed the threshold and entered the main room of the Starfleet outpost on Juhraya. When they spoke of an outpost, it was, in truth, the most compact hacienda he had ever seen. Its cream walls were rendered in locally-sourced stucco, looking almost as if they'd been carved into stone. Around the room, tapestries made by the locals adorned the walls, and desks were adorned by computer terminals. And perhaps most significantly, the wood accents reminded him of the interior of a Galaxy Class starship.

At the entrance of the main room, a Cardassian officer stood in his armour. The officer, around the same age as Hale, had a softness to his face. Even clad in the grey outfit he appeared approachable. Bartholomew thought so, anyway.

"Teri!" Hale boomed, sticking out his hand as he strode across the room.

The Cardassian officer clasped his counterpart's hand but did not shake it, still bemused by the human custom. Still struck by the warmth of human hands. He bowed his head slightly, "Bartholomew."

"Why don't you have a seat?" Hale offered. He went to his replicator. "Beverage?"

"Water, thank you."

Hale tapped the panel above the food slot, "Water, and a coffee, Jamaican blend, double strong, double sweet."

As the two drinks shimmered into existence, Teri initiated the conversation, "Bartholomew, I... I've had a disturbing report from one of my soldiers. He claims that a human assaulted him in an alleyway last night."

"Claims!" A voice called from above. A young officer strode down into the main area from his upstairs bedroom, eating a piece of peanut butter toast. Almost completing his descent, his eyes narrowed as he drew down on the Cardassian. "How many times have your men made something like that up."

"Ensign McGuire," Hale cautioned. He didn't need to ask twice for the boyish, confrontational officer to back down. The kid stood there eating his toast as his superior brought the water to the Cardassian officer. "Mayor Sampson wants to see me, why don't you be a good lad; run on into town and fetch him for me?"

McGuire looked between Hale and Glinn Teri for a moment, then tossed his toast on a nearby table and wiped his oily fingers on his uniform. "Yessir."

As the young man strode off, Hale took a seat opposite the Glinn and shook his head, "I don't know what's gotten into him."

"These times of conflict, they've not been easy on anyone," Teri admitted, a sadness in his eyes as he paused. "This is not what either of our governments had intended."

"Agreed," Bartholomew nodded. He went to take a sip of his coffee, but was repelled by the drink's searing heat. He lowered it. "That Bajoran who stabbed the shopkeeper last week, is he still in custody?"

"Yes. I assure you, he's been treated well."

"I'm sure," Hale nodded. "Have you considered that he may be better served in Federation custody?"

"I don't know if my government would find that acceptable." The Glinn noticed Hale about to counter. The Cardassian sighed. "Our legal system is--"

"Complex, yes, I'm well aware," Hale nodded, going in for another unattainable sip. Still too hot. "I could request that we shuttle him up to the Akagi. Perhaps he could face a tribunal there?"

"Again, I just don't think--"

As if on cue, the door swung open. A tower of a man entered, flanked by a petite ginger-haired woman and Ensign McGuire. Hale noticed Glinn Teri shrink into his seat as Mayor Sampson entered. Denim jeans, the worn face and an earthy scent the man emitted put Hale in mind of a cowboy from one of those pulp comics he'd read years ago. Even just stepping into the room, this elderly man seemed to roar.

He looked at Teri. A sausage-like finger pointed the Cardassian's way. The alien officer shrank again.

"His people!" Sampson commenced with a growl. "His people bashed an old man in the village last night in front of his family! His family, dammit! What are you gonna do about this, Hale? I oughta--"

"Alright, that'll do," Hale interrupted. The room fell silent for a moment. Hale felt Sampson's raw animal desire to grab him by the throat, the older man's jaw tightened. He looked to the Glinn, "Do you know anything about this?"

"No."

"That's it?" Sampson barked. "No? Just... no?"

"Ease up, Sampson, he's not the problem here," Hale cut in. He stood, and placed his coffee on a nearby table. He began to pace, all eyes in the room following him. He was stalling. He knew it. Bartholomew thought it was an absolute miracle that no one had caught on yet. "Alright so--"

And with that, an almighty boom ripped through the hacienda.

Glinn Teri sprang to his feet.

Sampson, on the other hand, grabbed the ginger-haired lady and held her against his beefy body as his eyes darted around. "What the hell was that?"

Teri was the first to act. He ran to the door, and seeing a massive plume of smoke coming from the Cardassian part of town, rushed down the path toward the colony. The others followed. Hale advanced, but was stopped by a firm thump against his chest. He looked down to see a blue hand holding a holstered phaser.

"You might need this." Shmack asserted.

Hale tilted his mouth to the side as he looked at the weapon, then to the billowing black pillar. Reluctantly, Hale took the weapon and fixed it to his belt. He went back to his coffee and bent over next to it, "I'll be back for you, my dear."

Then, he followed on behind the others at the lightest of jogs, his staff bringing up the rear.

Entering the town, they followed the streets until they found dense crowds of humans and Bajorans, the throng pushing their way toward the Cardassian sector, the Starfleet officers shouldering their way through the pack, trying to keep it cool amongst the commotion of pushing, shoving and shouting.

Eventually, the Glinn, Mayor Sampson and the Starfleet team saw the source of it all. Injured Cardassians, military and civilian, lay bleeding on the cobblestones. Acrid smoke swirled in the air, obscuring a hole blown out of the Cardassian barracks. From the haze, a Bajoran man was dragged out by his peers, the crowd cheering on. The proudest reveler, of course, was Sampson, who pumped his meaty fist in the air.

Cardassian soldiers appeared, phasers in hand as they made their pursuit. Teri and Hale locked eyes, and as the first phaser beams cut through the air, McGuire and Shmack looked at their superior to see where their loyalty lay.

"What do we do?" Shmack asked, watching.

McGuire, fingers grazing the grip of his weapon, let his hand fall by his side. "We do nothing."

"Alright, we're getting out of here," Hale asserted. "This has nothing to do with us."

"Are you sure?" Shmack pressed. "We know this is always ends with the Cardassians!"

"Yes, Yeoman, I'm bloody sure!" Hale shouted, a phaser beam soaring over their heads from the direction of the Bajorans. "Back to the outpost!"

|50 Minutes Later

Shmack watched through the hacienda window as explosions and phaser fights echoed in the distance. The mid-morning sky had gone black, lit up by flashes of weapons fire. Across the room, McGuire paced, clutching a phaser rifle like a soldier on picket duty. Meanwhile, Hale was on hold, navigating Starfleet bureaucracy, trying to reach someone senior enough to someone who could help make a decision. So far he'd spoken to three lieutenants, two lieutenant commanders, and a commander, all of whom were happy to pass him from one to the other. He remained on hold.

Hale began to mirror McGuire's nervous pacing, sipping on his lukewarm coffee, before, finally, the image of a captain appeared on the screen.

"Hale, this is Captain Franklin, can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you, Captain Franklin!"

"Hale, my staff have advised me of your situation. I've dispatched Commander Royals on the Akagi to collect you. Admiral Rollman and her people, as well as our Federation Council representatives are reaching out to the Cardassians to see if we can cease the blockade on Juhraya. Are you still in contact with the commander of the Cardassian soldiers?"

"Yes, sir."

"We're seeing if we can get the Cardassians to assist us in moving anyone who wants to voluntarily leave Juhraya. Right now, I've been directed to order you to pack your things. You and your team are leaving. We'll arrange for the Akagi to bring you to a starbase for debrief."

Hale looked between his three colleagues, then back to Captain Franklin on the monitor, "Honestly, Captain... I kinda like it here. Despite, you know, the threat of a cruel death."

"And we need to remove our citizens from Juhraya for their own safety, and for our future good relations with the Cardassian Union. That's all I can tell you over an unencrypted channel. For now, stay safe. Franklin out."

The screen went dark. Bartholomew looked to his two subordinates, who looked as disappointed as he did. He exhaled slowly. "Well, Xander, Shmack, it would seem we have our orders. I know how difficult this is for all of us, we've built a life here in these verdant pastures. We've made friends. Somehow, Xander became someone's godfather. Anyway. Pack your things. We're leaving."

"Leaving?"

"Yeoman, I don't want to discuss it--"

"The Federation is abandoning its people!"

Hale looked between Shmack and Xander. His Bolian yeoman pursed her lips, her pupils shrinking as her face turned a darker shade of blue.

Bartholomew looked down his nose at the crewman, his gaze icy. "The Federation is offering evacuation to anyone who wants it."

"These people aren't leaving their homes!"

"I understand that. And that's their choice."

"And that's... just that?"

"And that, Yeoman, is that. Now pack your things. We need to get the word out and make sure this place is secure before we leave."

With that, Shmack spun on her heel nose pointed to the ceiling. The boyish officer who'd watched the altercation silently looked at the ground, still clutching a rifle that suddenly seemed bigger than he was.

|Hours Later

Word had spread quickly through the colony that the Akagi and the Cardassian vessel Vetar had been able to pass the blockade, enter orbit, and commence the evacuation. Shuttles were sent down, the crowds, though representing only a small portion of the total population, were abuzz with people saying goodbye. Cardassians, Federation and Bajoran citizens were being loaded into ships, a mutual guarantee of safety meant that anyone could leave on any ship and end up in the right place. Many had remarked that it was unusually humanitarian... for both sides.

In an open field, Hale, Teri, Shmack and McGuire watched over the evacuation, ensuring that where possible, families stayed together, but for the most part, it took care of itself.

"The blockade resumes in three minutes," Teri advised the Starfleet team. As a Cardassian shuttle landed, its rear door opened, and Teri started for the craft, "This is the last Cardassian shuttle."

"It looks like this is your ride," Hale said.

"Yes, I think so."

"Teri, it's been a pleasure working with you." Hale extended his arm for one last time. A final indulgence in the strange human custom.

The Cardassian accepted the human's warm hand, this time returning a rare grin, and shook it firmly. "Good luck, Bartholomew."

Teri released Hale's hand and made for the shuttle. A garrison of Cardassian troops, rifles slung and rucksacks met him at the troop carrier, leading a group of Cardassian civilians through the thick, wavy grass. Overhead, a Starfleet shuttle broke through the clouds.

"Alright, lets get out of here," McGuire sighed, picking up his dufflebag and rifle.

"Got everything?" Hale asked the pair.

"Yep," McGuire replied, moving toward the landing spot, where the last group of Federation civilians were hurriedly assembling and getting aboard as soon as it had landed, knowing the timeframe was tight.

Hale dropped his bag of personal effects in the shuttle's cargo section and looked back to see Shmack standing motionless in the field watching the Cardassian shuttle. He could feel the shuttle pilots counting down the precious seconds they had to extract themselves.

"Shmack, what are you doing?" Hale called over the hum of the engines. "Get aboard!"

She looked back for a moment, then again to the Cardassians.

"Xander, come on." Hale gestured for the young man to follow.

Shmack watched a large group of Bajorans rushing to the extraction zone. On the Cardassian troop ship, Glinn Teri was pointing and shouting at his soldiers to get themselves off the transport. The troops reluctantly disembarked and formed up in a line outside the craft. They stood rigid, grass lapping at their boots, clutching their rifles. From behind her, she heard Hale and Xander calling her to get on the shuttle.

The Bajorans got closer. A massive group. A line of Cardassians waited for them, rifles in hand. She saw one tighten the grip on his rifle. Another shouted at the approaching crowd. She wasn't going to allow this to happen. Not again.

She ripped McGuire's rifle from his grip and levelled it at Teri. A bolt of energy tore across the field and struck Teri in the chest, slamming him back against the hull.

"No!" Teri cried out, slumped against the shuttle as the Cardassians raised their rifles, not knowing where to point. "H-hold your f-fire!"

Xander lunged for the rifle, trying to wrench it from her hands. She didn't look away from Hale as she removed her combadge and tossed it in the grass. She ran. Straight toward the colony, into Sampson's waiting arms.

The Cardassians began loading the Bajorans aboard the transport. Teri sagged against the hull. Hale looked across to Xander, a silent plea for him to provide cover. His stomach dropped as the boy stripped off his uniform jacket and chased after Shmack.

Hale's legs carried him across the field as the Starfleet shuttle was left with no choice but to close its doors and lift off. The Cardassians raised their weapons to the Starfleet officer, unsure whether to fire as he rushed to Glinn Teri, who struggled for breath.

"He was just trying to get these Bajorans aboard!" a soldier hissed.

"B-Bartholomew," Teri gasped.

"Oh, Teri... I'm sorry," Hale muttered, dropping to a knee beside him.

"No... no... I know."

A Cardassian soldier shoved Hale toward the ramp. "We need to leave. You're coming with us."

"Then help me get him aboard!" Hale cried, grabbing the Glinn's legs and hauling him aboard with the help of the soldier.

Bartholomew held his hand. Teri struggled for breath.

"You're alright. I've got you," Hale whispered.

"M-maquis..."

Glinn Teri's grip slackened.

Hale went still. A familiar tingle crept across his skin.

No.

The world dissolved into white.

A moment later, he was kneeling on a Starfleet transporter pad, surrounded by Bajorans from the Cardassian shuttle.

The transporter chief offered a small smile when as his shellshocked eyes met with hers. "Welcome to the Akagi, Lieutenant Hale."

He said nothing.

---

Lieutenant Bartholomew Hale
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Thunderbird

 

RSS Feed