Dem Vrox-The Beginning

[krodri73]

Malthusia Province, Betazed Stardate: 52477.2
The hay irritated his skin but the boy refused to move. He could feel or “hear” the gray skinned monsters as they moved outside his families barn near the remains of their home. It didn’t last much after the aerial bombardment started, two months ago at the beginning of the invasion. Dem Vrox clung to his mother’s cold hand. The seven year old betazoid boy knew his mother wasn’t sleeping, he couldn’t “hear” her either.
His father, Ryles, was one of the first to stand up when the Dominion invaded. He didn’t have much but was going to do whatever was necessary to protect what he had. He was a simple farmer whose lone extravagance was the terran horse he had picked up from a ferengi trader a few years earlier. It wasn’t much to the eye and had seen better days but Ryles saw to it that the animal was nursed back to health and brought around to better shape then when he purchased it. Dem could remember sitting amongst the clover and dar’ftu flowers with his mother watching his father race up and down their farm road before the monsters came.
Ryles Vrox never made it out of the house when the bombardment started. Dem and his mother had been changing linens on the line when the bombs fell. Fortunately as opposed to his father, the barn on the property survived and his mother hid their in the days that followed. Reports filtered from the capitol city to the surrounding areas via vid link. Shortly after the Dominion landed they placed a Vorta in charge and set to teaching the populace of the new change in authority. A good percentage of the leading houses were summarily executed however rumor amongst the random escapee from the city was that Luxwana Troi had managed to escape and was managing the resistance in attacks against the occupying force. It didn’t matter.
Food was worth more then gold. They tried to survive on what little food stuff had survived in the fields but after two months that was exhausted. One morning as he lay sleeping trying to drown out his rumbling belly the smell of cooked meat woke him. His mother tried to maintain a brave face but her eyes conveyed the sadness. Illyria Vrox wasnt wasteful and knew, the horse wasn’t going to make it anyway, it might as well go to good use.
Several weeks after the bombardment, the Jem’hadar moved out into the outlying areas looking for the resistance and escaped dissidents. For whatever reason, they never entered the barn but were always passing through the area. These monsters thoughts were organized, efficient, and considerably terrifying to the young boy. They had no conscience, no feeling, and no remorse. Death was commonplace and very necessary to the Jem’hadar, they lived for it.
A week prior his mother finally succumbed to hunger and environmental issues. He gently dragged her into the straw and curled up with her waiting. It was the harbinger of the horrible things to come. Ralo Tamz had been a neighbor and friend of the family for as long as Dem could remember. That crisp evening when he shot through their barn door his eyes full of panic finally brought the monsters into Dem’s world. They didn’t run, the didn’t make loud noises or gestures. Four of them stepped through the barn door and started to circle Ralo Tamz.
Dem had never “heard” death before. What they did for the next 30 minutes to Ralo would haunt the boy for the rest of his life. They systematically did things to him trying to get answers that would have made a Klingon shudder. When Ralo finally succumbed, Dem cried out, it was too much.
Four sets of black eyes swiveled in this direction. One of the creatures went to where he hid and even though he was quick, he wasn’t quick enough. The gray skinned monster hoisted the 7 year old male by his ankle and they all laughed. “I think ive caught a rodent” the Jem’hadar spoke as he poked at the struggling child with the knife in his free hand. “Just be done with him, we have work to do” the apparent leader of the group said as he turned to exit with the other two following behind. Dem closed his eyes as he watched the monster draw back. What happened next would forever be a blur to Dem till the end of his days.
The sound of phaser fire filled the air as the monster’s head was now gone. The grip loosened as both fell to the floor. Three men entered in Starfleet uniforms but it was the leader who caught Dem’s attention. All of the men wore gold and black uniforms but the leader was different. His skin had a pale color not found in nature while his eyes were the color of faltian roses, yellow. The lead Jem’hadar charged him knife at the ready. Quicker then humanly possible, the “man” reached out and lifted the monster of its feet. The monster struggled at the “man” reached out and pulled the knife from the Jem’hadar’s hand. He then threw him ten feet away into the far barn wall the creature making a loud grunt before sliding to the floor. His men were not having as good luck as one had been eviscerated by one of the foul creature’s knives and the other was playing a game of cat and mouse as his attacker tried to blast him with his pistol. The creature walked behind them grabbing the knife wielding one by the neck snapping it instantly. The other spun at the sound of the commotion pointing his pistol but it was to no avail. The creature’s hand shot out relieving the soldier of his weapon the other hand coming down in a slicing motion on the creature’s cranium dropping it to the ground. Whatever this strange creature was, Dem couldn’t "hear" it.
The man turned back to his surviving subordinate. “Ensign Rauch, I am going to get Lt Pargan to sickbay, I need you to stay here until local authorities can arrive and get the boy taken care of.” It turned and looked at Dem giving him a awkward wink and a smile, an obvious, although flawed, attempt at reassurance. It reached up and pressed the insignia on its chest. “Commander Data to Enterprise, two to beam up immediately to sickbay”. The two disappeared in a strange display of swirling energy. Ensign Rauch made his way over to the boy and sat down.

Thirty Years later, Starbase 1

Capt Dem Vrox of the USS Morgantown followed Adm Fleisher down one of the many halls of the station. “You sure about this Dem, it is very unconventional?” Capt Vrox smiled at the admiral as they reached their destination. “I’m a scientist Admiral, its my obligation and pleasure.” They stopped at the transparent aluminum glass overlooking a gymnasium floor. Cadets performed close quarter combat drills on each other in non-descript gray uniforms. His eyes followed 2 in particular, both nearly identical with the exception of hair color. The raven haired one currently had a klingon one handed over her head as the white haired one applied what looked like a Vulcan neck pinch on a tellarite. “You know they aren’t Soong models right? They are similar but very much different. You sure you want to take a chance on this?” Capt Vrox turned to face the admiral. “More then anything ever sir, It’s a debt I really need to make a payment on.”

ENS Dem Vrox
USS Morgantown Commanding
7th Fleet