Why We Fight

"He's WHAT!?" Neil shouted over the intercom.

"Missing. I repeat." Veirik raced through the crowds, not even bothering to maneuver through them, just bulldozing his way through. "The Captain is Missing."

"Veirik!? What in the..." Neil roared over the combadge, "How did you let the Captain go missing!? You said he would not leave your sight?!"

"I was ambushed by a classic street brawl distraction. Seven to one. I…" Neil cut him off, "I don't want excuses, Veirik!" Neil was furious, "Find. The. Captain!" and cut off transmission.

A second later, over Veirik's combadge, Neil came on again, "First Officer to all landing parties, shore leave has been immediately terminated. All non-security and Tactical crew return to the ship at once. This is not a drill or a request."

Scattered through the crowd, flashes of white dotted and lit up as members returned to the ship.

Then Neil came over the combadge again, "First Officer to all security and tactical on the ground, the Captain has been kidnapped and is 'Missing in Action'. Begin scanning and locate the Captain. Communications are scanning the planet for Trill life signs. His combadge was found smashed and inoperable. I will be joining the search momentarily. O'Reilly out."

Then, in an alley, a dozen Jem'Hadar, Hirogen, Klingons, and Starfleet in red security uniforms beamed to the surface. At the head of the team was Neil, and he was NOT happy.

Veirik's heart and blood raged. His eyes shot with fury, and his breathing was fast and erratic.

Neil found him and ran to his side. "Veirik, how did…" Neil paused his speech, noticing the furious rage on Veirik's face, blood vessels bulging from his red face and neck. Neil was almost running, trying to keep up with Veirik's pace.

Searching every corner, alley, and street for any sign or clue of the crew that took the captain.

Genuinely concerned that Veirik may burst a vessel or get a brain aneurysm, Neil attempted to calm him down. "Veirik, hey, slow down!"

Ignoring his first officer, Veirik continued, picking up the pace.

"Veirik!" Neil cried out, now running full speed to catch up. "Look, I want to find the captain too! But breathe!" Neil finally caught Veirik's shoulder.

"I can't let it happen again! Not again!" Veirik's heart and breathing were heavy and erratic. "I won't lose them again!" He turned and walked away."

Neil realized something wasn't right with his chief tactical officer and knew that if he didn't clear his head, Veirik would be more of a hindrance. "Veirik, who are 'they'? What won't happen again!?" Neil grabbed Veirik's arm and spun him around. Tears formed in Veirik's eyes.

"Veirik, you have to tell me. I know you're loyal to the Captain, but who are 'they'? And what can't happen again?" Neil put two and two together. "Why are you always so obsessed with the Captain's safety and security? You're the Ship's Chief Tactical Officer, not the Captain's personal bodyguard."

Veirik wiped his face on his sleeve, collected his thoughts, and the slowly subsiding bulging veins. "Alright, I'll explain as we search."

They continued down the dark alley in the night sky, Veirik began, "Ten years ago, on Regulus 4…"

---

Young Veirik, a thin and small teenager at the age of 16, lived with his family on the Federation world of Regulus 4. His family included his father, mother, and older brother, who was 19.

Even though they were Illyrian on a Federation world, they never fully embraced the genetic augmentation that the Illyrians were well known for, hoping to avoid stigma and racial prejudice. They only opted for the basic Auto Immune augmentation to combat sickness. On the surface, the small and happy family looked like every other human family on the utopian planet.

Until one day, while on a family outing, someone stumbled and bumped into them, then falling to the ground. That random someone had an oozing nose and bloodshot eyes, with mucus and other malicious liquids oozing from their ears, nose, and tear ducts.

His father quickly called a Starfleet medical team, and the person was rushed to the hospital. But as they were loading the patient, the family's Illyrian auto-immune system for purging sickness and illness kicked in. The family began to shine and burn brightly, like red-hot metal statues. And as fast as it began, it ended.

However, it was long enough to catch unwanted attention, gasped mouths, hushed horror and shock from the people in the area. Illyrians were not allowed in the Federation, and racial hatred and morbid dread of genetic augmentation were still rampant amongst the so-called "enlightened" United Federation of Planets.

"Let's get home, everyone," Veirik's father urged his family home.

As the four were almost home, turning down a back alley under the light of the moons of Regulus, they stopped dead in their tracks.

An angry duo swiftly marched towards them. The family tried to turn around, but another duo appeared behind them. Scared for their lives and their children, the parents stood together, their sons behind their backs, and the small family held on to each other.

"Look, we don't want any trouble!" His father bravely stood his ground. The quartet of black, shadowy figures marched towards them.

"Can we call security?" Veirik's mother asked in panic. "They are security…" His father glared, recognizing some of the men.

Veirik's father grabbed their hands and fled to the right, but the duo held up phaser pistols, halting their movements. Veirik recalled seeing nothing but disgust on the assailent's faces.

Cornered on all sides, the small family attempted to flee, but all routes were cut off.

Surrounded, the family clutched and held on to each other as the angry mob closed in and around them. "Augments!" "We don't want your kind here!" "Go live on a demon planet where you belong!" the taunts and shouts rang out.

"Please! Just let my family go!" Veirik's father pleaded to deaf ears. "We didn't do anything wrong!" Veirik's mother begged.

Veirik's older brother looked down at him. Taller, better built, and healthier, he was stout, strong, always there when Veirik needed him. The two were best friends, doing everything together. Veirik looked up to him for guidance, and his brother looked out for and protected him. His face, eyes, hair, and smile were identical to that of his future captain, Anzyl Praxas.

As his brother looked down at him, for the first time in Veirik's lifetime, his charismatic, outgoing, and positive demeanor was gone. Now, it was hopeless despair and genuine fear.

The next thing Veirik could remember was his brother throwing him to the cold street ground and jumping on top of him. In his peripheral was his father, throwing fists, and his mother was kicking and screaming as Veirik plunged to the ground. Flashes of red light lit up the night sky. Cries of pain from his father and mother. His brother gasping and shouting in pain as he used his whole body to shield him. 'Whatever you do… don't… move,' his brother whispered to him, his brother's head heavy on his shoulder, his face pressed hard against the ground. Veirik felt a burning hot sting on his foot and calf, like a hot iron prodding him. Then he felt the weight of two more people fall, lifeless on top of him. Veirik lay on the cold concrete ground as the three most important people were on top of him. Lifeless. Murdered.

---

Back in Bajor, Veirik was cold, bitter, and angry, leaning against a pillar. "I immediately enlisted in the Illyrian army after that. I was the perfect recruit," he said, moving on, continuing his search. "I was alone, orphaned, a clean slate as far as augmentations went, and… angry."

"By the time I was 19, I was recruited into the Illyrian Special Forces and received the rest of my superior augmentation: superior strength, speed, stamina, immunity to poisons and disease," Veirik continued in the dark. "Sight of a Romulan Falcon, nose of a Terran Bloodhound, and ears of an Aenar. I was the perfect Illyrian soldier." Taking a deep breath and exhaling, "I vowed to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. And I was dang good at it."

"So you're a real-life Captain America, huh?" Neil asked.

"...who?..." Veirik asked, confused, then started sniffing the air, "Got 'em!" heading off down the street.

As Neil and Veirik turned a corner, Neil asked, "If you were part of the Illyrian Special Forces… Why the Nexus? Why sign up and volunteer?"

"The Captain…" Veirik responded, stopping, closing his eyes, and clenching his fists. "Every time I see the captain… I see Alren. His laugh, his smile… every time… I see one, I see the other… Alren and Anzyl could be twins, or clones, and no one would be able to tell the difference, well, maybe except for the spots," and he began walking again. "And the Nexus, I believe in the Captain's goal and ideals," shaking his head. "Just like Una and Alren… always looking ahead to a better tomorrow… I can never measure up… never be like them. And I failed…I failed Alren and I failed Anzyl. I won't let that happen, I can't let that happen again…" Shaking his head and coming back to his senses, "So I'll support the Captain, and protect him and his goals with all my power," he paused in front of a warehouse and sniffed. "Neil… I found him."