The Double Effect

Posted on Mon Mar 2nd, 2020 @ 10:10pm by Commander Kilrogg & Lieutenant Commander Toshnarr & Company Sergeant Major Jeffery "The Mountain" Duval & Chief Warrant Officer Ryi "Taffy" Amlari
Edited on on Mon Mar 2nd, 2020 @ 10:11pm

Mission: Mission 49: The Stars Look Down
Location: Various Locations - USS Roanoke
Timeline: 1100Hrs - November 9th, 2391

Command Warrant Officer Toshnarr went into the Green Dragon, he was a man who kept to himself but already many were confusing him for his alternate self who was also aboard ship, the tow had not yet met, most would find this to be downright annoying where as Toshnarr for his part thought it was mildly amusing.

He heard a female voice behind him, he turned to find himself looking down at a smaller Andorian Shen. "Can I help you?" he inquired, his soft tone inquired his nature. He was wearing the usual starfleet uniform except his was crowned in black and he wore the emblem of a command warrant officer.

"Oh, excuse me." Ryi told the Gorn. "You have a striking resemblance to another Gorn aboard the Roanoke. He is a junior grade lieutenant."

"Yes. My twin." Toshnarr responded. "Or rather the native to this reality." the being regarded her. "Are you his bedwarmer?"

"Bedwarmer?" Ryi stated out loud. Ryi liked Toshnarr but the idea of having him on top of her sent a chill down her spine. "Oh, no. We are just close friends."

Toshnarr peered down at her. "Mmm... Well... Thats not what I was expecting you to say but alright." he rumbled. "So.. whats the food like in this place?. Do they sell anything worth eating or should I just snatch someone and feast on their bones."

"Commodore Tane takes a dim view of having her crew eaten." Ryi told Toshnarr. "But there are plenty of other good things to eat. Things that are not sentient creatures."

Toshnarr regarded her, she seemed almost fearless in the face of him. "Oh?" he almost leered down at her, but he was able to stop himself more or less. "And these are.... what?" he gave her a rather evil grin.

"Well, Toshanarr likes sweets. I could recommend some Bolian mints or Tellarite jams. For such a dour race they make some nice jams." Ryi told the Gorn. "If meat is your forte, and I bet it is, I would recommend some Kamodak meat. A kamodak is a large herbivore discovered on Tamman IV. It has soft, sweet meat and a lot of it. Those creatures are the size of a shuttle."

"Tell me something... small one.. Do you work here?" Toshnarr inquired. "I will try this... Kamo'dak meat.." he turned. "Computer one large plate of Kamo'dak meat... and cook it properly this time please."

His dish appeared before he plucked it from the shelf. "Interesting.."

"No, I do not work here." Ryi replied. "I do know what Toshanarr likes. He likes sweets and big hankin' haunches of meat."

Toshnarr almost sneered. "A Gorn who eats candy... Is he even a Gorn or just... Something foreign.." he shook his snout. "I find it hard to believe... that a Gorn would ever serve alongside the likes of you."

"Believe it." the second Toshnarr rumbled. "If you have a problem with me then you should address me..." he shrugged before he let fly with his massive fist. "You dare speak to my friend like that... get up!"

The alternate Toshnarr staggered back with the force of the blow but he landed to keep his footing, he handed off his dinner to Ryi, expecting her to hold it for him as the two Gorn began to fight.

The alternate Toshnarr was far superior and it was telling. "My My Toshie... you really are weak!"

"Put him down.." came the angry voice of Duval, in a tone that brooked no argument whatsoever. "Set him down on the deck... or I'm gonna shoot you Hingehead."

The alternate Toshnarr set the medical Toshnarr back down on his feet. "Good boy... So you do know how to behave... play nice now... or I will let him kill you." Duval rumbled.

"I think not."

"What are you thinking?" Ryi asked the newer Toshnarr. "The Federation won't tolerate your behavior. Now just try and act like you possess some higher reasoning."

Toshnarr who wore medical teal simply smiled. "I'd listen to her... If I were you..."

The alternate Toshnarr merely growled as he snatched his plate of food from where it was sitting before he went over a nearby table, the more friendly Toshnarr shifted his attention to Ryi. "Hey.." he rumbled. "That was... different."

Ryi looked at Toshnarr. "Are you injured?"

"Only my pride." Toshnarr peered down at her. "I was not expecting to get along with my duplicate but he forgets himself."

Meanwhile the alternate Toshnarr's face burned with shame. In his home reality nobody ever questioned the way he operated, what he did or how he said it. At least, until now.

"Your duplicate self?" Ryi asked. "Please explain."

Toshnarr peered down at Ryi. "He... is me. From another reality.." he rumbled. "He... comes from a Federation that became an Empire. His people... his kin... his children... all slaughtered as sport." he watched the other version of himself, the darker reflection eat his food. "He doesn't have what I have... Its important that we remember that."

"I'm sorry to hear that." Ryi replied. "While I feel for his plight, he cannot act aggressive towards us. We were not responsible and if we could, would have helped him."

"I know." Toshnarr responded before he shifted his attention back to his alternate self. "If I had lived his life... would I have turned out the same..?" he turned back to the smaller Andorian. "Would you?"

"I doubt it." Ryi admitted. "We are the product of our experiences. Still, doesn't give him license to be mean."

"True... it does not.." Toshnarr responded. "In any case... I'm going to watch him for the next while and if he gets any further out of hand... then I will... deal with him."

"Good." Ryi told Toshnarr. "If he is half as nice like you, he will come around."

"Ryi." Toshnarr rumbled softly. "I almost became something worse then him... It was one Starfleet Captain... Stephen Caldwell who saved me and she who would later become my mate from it.." he rumbled.

The door opened and in walked a female Gorn, she was followed by two smaller Gorn. Clearly this was a female as she plodded up to Toshnarr. "Greetings." she nodded to Ryi. "I am S'taaszan...Toshnarr is my mate." as the two smaller Gorn greeted the one who was clearly their father.

Toshnarr noticed that his duplicate had stopped eating and had turned to gaze at his mate, who would also be considered his own mate from his home reality.

Toshnarr nodded. "Hello S'taaszan, I was wondering when you were going to get here.." he hugged his two children. "Where are the rest of our hatchlings.?"

"In the starbase daycare..."

"I understand." The large Gorn responded as he indicated Ryi. "Everyone... This... is Ryi Amlari."

"Ahh.. the Legend herself." the largest of the two children responded, her voice sounded feminine. "I am Talon and this is S'sarash. We greet you." before she pressed her claws together before she bowed her snout.

The other child did the same. "We did not know if you were real.."

Ryi giggled. "I hope I can live up to my reputation. You're father is a friend of mine."

Toshnarr regarded his duplicate as the female Gorn did likewise. "Wait... there are two of you?"

Toshnarr nodded. "Yes... He is from an alternate reality in which... our family was exterminated" he explained. "Lets just say he comes from hell. As the humans put it."

The two Gorn children ignored their parents and focused on the Andorian. "Whats it like.... Being in Starfleet... I mean?" the eldest inquired. "Is it worth it?"

"Um, yeah. I guess." Ryi answered. "I really like serving in Star Fleet."

The two looked at each other then both turned back to Ryi. "Oh... we heard it takes years of study and work... that true?"

Toshnarr regarded his two daughters in silence as his mate commented. "They were curious... so I brought them... Whats this hear about a sex epidemic?"

"That sounds like fun." Talon commented. "Though... I never expected I'd want to try mating with a human....." she sounded a little confused.

"About that..." Ryi addressed Toshnarr. "From what I was told, one of the idiot Orion girls serving on the Argonne touched that weird Deltan woman from sick bay. Caused quiet the problems. Another marine from the Dreamcrusher was found dead."

"Lovely... sounds like something I should be glad that I missed." Toshnarr rumbled as the alternate Toshnarr snickered. "I read about that...Odessa Martel was the Orions name in question." the alternate Toshnarr explained.

"Well, she can't be that smart if she touched a Deltan." Ryi stated. "Especially if she is one of those green orions. The marine that died was a guy named LaJae. I ran into him once. He wasn't pleasant."

"Lovely" the smaller of the two responded. "is this ship really as crazy as they tell us?"

"I don't know what you have heard." Ryi replied. "This ship is kinda crazy though."

"We have heard many tales." Talon responded as she peered at Ryi. "You feature quite predominantly... you stood up to our father when he wanted to snack on you."

The smaller of the two nodded. "You also introduced Dad to Bonbons.. you have our thanks... for he introduced them to us.." as she produced a chunk of Andorian taffy and tossed it into her gaping maw of a mouth. "Mmmmmm good."

Talon regarded her sibling before she turned back to Ryi. "Indeed... She's addicted to the bloody things.."

"Nothing wrong with candy." Ryi told them. "A lot better than eating other members of the Federation."

S'taaszan peered over at her daughters. "S'sarash is stuffing her face again with candy I see.." she said with a sigh, it sounds more of a rumble considering her looks and species. "Toshnarr... Why?"

"I was hungry and Ryi had given me some Denevan Rock... Its good... Ever tried a Human gobstopper?"

S'taaszan was confused. "A what?"

"It is a large and very hard piece of candy." Ryi told them. "It is sometimes called a 'jawbreaker' because it is so hard for humans to eat."

Talon almost jumped for joy upon hearing this. "You got any?"

S'taaszan sighed. "Ryi... I don't know whether to thank you... or not.." she rumbled. "You... caused this...my children are addicted to candy..."

"Me?" Ryi asked. "They are children. Any child that is in the Federation more than a few days will discover candy."

"Gorn should be eating meat... not sugar." she sighed as she shook her snout, Toshnarr rumbled in laughter, a moment later the other one joined in as well. "This is a different place then I had come to expect..."

Toshnarr handed his duplicate a mars bar. "You'e not lived until you've had one or... ten of these."

"Are they good?"

"Very."

The alternate Toshnarr peeled the wrapping off before he tossed it all into his maw, he then closed his eyes in a blissful expression came over him. "Mmmmm."

"Nice." the medical Toshnarr rumbled.

"Candy is what holds the Federation together." Ryi told them. "Actually, I just made that up. We do have nice candy though."

Talon munched on her mouthful of candy in silence, clearly in a happy mood. S'sarash hefted a large human gobstopper. "Want one?" she inquired of Ryi.

The alternate Toshnarr peered down at the two children as a soft rumble escaped from his snout. "I am grateful to you.. for being able to meet the family I should have had.."

Toshnarr was not expecting this as S'taaszan regarded him. "You...are Toshnarr..?"

"I am yes... He and I are the same person.. from two different realities.." The alternate Toshnarr explained. "Mine is.. barbaric... the Gorn are almost extinct.. our worlds, all glassed, our people... slain for the Klingons sport.."

Talon and her sister S'sarash listened in silence as the alternate version of their father explained his story, the entire story took about eight minute to get out.

"That sounds horrible." Ryi stated.

The alternate Toshnarr regarded her. "You have no idea..." he paused.
"Hearing about it is one thing.... but... I saw it.. Are the Gorn well in this reality?"

S'taaszan nodded. "Yes... our species thrives.."

"Good." the alternate Toshnarr responded.

"The Gorn just need to find an alternative diet." Ryi added.

Talon blinked her large golden eyes. "I like candy." she rumbled as her sibling was mowing down on a gobstopper the side of a human fist. "Mmm... wait what?"

"Nothing girls..." Toshnarr responded "Go on back to what you were doing."

S'taaszan regarded Ryi, the dark red orbs in the front of her face shone with malevolence. "So... which one is better.... Andorian or Tellerite candy?"

The alternate Toshnarr regarded this entire situation in amusement. "Never in all my years did I expect a situation like this.."

"If you want hard candies I prefer Andorian." Ryi answered. "If you want fruit chews or jellies than you want Tellerite."

Talon turned as she handed her mother a rather ample sized gobstopper. "Try it."

"Ms Amlari, answer me one question..." S'taaszen inquired. "Why... did you need to get my mate and hatchlings hooked on sugar?" she peered darkly at Ryi as she asked.

"Why are you blaming it on me?" Ryi asked.

S'taaszen indicated her mate. "He... brought home...... candy.. fed it to our children and now they are like drug addicts.." she rumbled. "He mentioned you fed him some Andorian food... Tell me something... Do Andorians taste good?"