Carson McDaniel hated his assignment. Being a human in a sea of morphs on Chakona, was about as close to being punished as he could possibly come up with; especially when the majority of the species here could read his emotions. It was a good thing he had undergone the gene therapy and specialized training that came with being one of Robert's handlers. At least this allowed him to keep his thoughts private from the empaths on the planet even as he schooled his expression from the revulsion he felt for the majority of the planet's population. It would be better to blast the planet from orbit, it was tainted beyond saving he thought, but he wasn't the one in charge. It wasn't hard for the organization to slide him in as a shuttle pilot for cargo deliveries to the various ARCS sites on the planet. A little creative computer manipulation and he was on the roster as a cargo master. These freaks were going to be stunned when the sleeper was given his commands and everything went BOOM. At this very moment, 17 other sleepers were being activated all over the various colonized planets that tended to have a higher number of freaks than humans. One way or another they would get their point across. Humans were to rule and morphs were to serve, the League of Non-Aligned Worlds (LNAW) at least had the right idea. It was time for the Federation to come to the same conclusion.

Carson double checked the load to make sure everything was secure and reported to the fox morph flight engineer who in turn reported to the skunktaur pilot. Transport shuttle 113-Bravo was then cleared for departure for the restocking of ARCS Stations 1, 2, and 6. The shuttle took off and headed for station 6, the closest and first of their circuitous route. Soon it would be time and panic would govern everyone. Everything would be linked back to an H1 operative and, if everything went right, it would be morph versus human. The day was soon at hand.

The last stop of the route was station 2 and the shuttle plowed through the wind and the snow towards the beacon guiding them to the illuminated landing pad. Once landed, the shuttle was conveyed into and docked with a hatch in the storage building of the station. Once clearance was verified the rear of the shuttle opened and Carson was greeted by a white haired human male and a white skunktaur who looked to be fairly pregnant. Carson recognized the sleeper agent immediately, of course it wasn't hard. He was the only human on site but still, it was always best to verify. The crew then started unloading the shuttle with the help of the site techs and restocking was soon underway. Carson managed to strike up polite conversation with Max being as that he was the only other human around.

"So how did you manage a job on Chakona? Not a lot of humans around," Carson queried.

Max shrugged noncommittally. "Luck of the draw. It's been a great assignment so far; even led to me meeting my mate," he said looking fondly at Swytch, who turned and grinned at him.

Carson almost dropped the container he was carrying. What the heck was this? Deep cover? How could he be mated to that gene freak?!? Carson's thoughts spun in wild circles as he recovered his package and put it on a shelf. This had to be some kind of deep cover story. That's what it was.

"How is she pregnant? Did she sleep with someone else to get knocked up?" he asked.

Max scowled at the guy's tone of speech. "No," he said curtly. "It was some kind of miraculous accident actually. Hy's actually pregnant with my child. We are going to be parents," he said with more tenderness.

Carson just stood there as Max walked back to the shuttle for more stores. Carson begged off for a moment asking to use a restroom and quickly made his way to the living area where he went into Max's room. He then linked his person data PADD into Max's linked personal computer and hopped the encrypted data link back to Earth and sent an alert message back to headquarters through a quick subspace relay system. He then sent everything he had found out about the sleeper here and asked for a quick reply and instructions. He kept a remote link to Max's computer and went back out to work.

After the unloading had been completed it was quite late. Max and Swytch offered the hospitality of the station for dinner and a place to catch some sleep before heading back to the mainland. The shuttle crew readily accepted. Max and Swytch started cooking dinner for their guests. Carson's PADD chirped a notification and he checked it.

Initiate plan. Leave no survivors. Make sure it looks like sleeper coordinated attack on all sites. DO NOT FAIL.

Carson stared at the message and took a deep breath. This was why he was here; it was time to activate the sleeper. Carson went to his overnight bag and while no one was looking, quickly pocketed a small item and then made his way over to where the rest of the shuttle crew were lounging and enjoying drinks while watching the news broadcasts. Carson set his PADD down on a nearby table and triggered a sound file while pulling out the small stunner he had placed in his pocket. As soon as the PADD initiated, the sounds of heartbroken weeping could be heard and then two things happened. The first was Carson stunned both of the other shuttle crewmen and when he turned to stun Swytch, the skunktaur had already hit the floor behind the kitchen counter. The second thing that happened was that Max froze and didn't move.

Swytch didn't know what was going on, only that hy suddenly sensed violence and quickly hit the floor as hy heard the stunner fire. Hy tried to pull Max down with hym but he wouldn't budge. He was standing completely motionless, eyes glazed.

While Max was getting the food prepared, he suddenly heard the sound of Dreamspirit crying again and everything went dark. When he came to, he tried to look around for Swytch to see what had happened but he couldn't move. He tried lifting his hand, turning his head, anything. No response. What the hell had happened???

Carson looked over at the motionless sleeper and then looked around for the skunktaur. "I know you're over there you four footed genetic freak, come out or I'll kill your little human pet," he sneered.

Swytch could feel his contempt and hate, but also his lie. He couldn't kill Max, he needed Max for something. So hy quietly slunk hys way along the floor towards hys quarters keeping as quiet as hy could and when hy was close enough to trigger the door panel hy reached up and a smoking hole exploded on the wall where the control panel was. With a startled cry hy flung hymself back, curling around hys unborn child.

Max beat on walls in his own mind trying to regain control, walls that trapped him into immobility. He beat on them and raged against them then he heard Swytch scream out in terror and felt a wave of fear like none he had ever felt before. Then he heard a crack.

Carson was quite proud of his aim with that shot even if he HAD been aiming at the hand; he still managed to take out the door panel. He quickly made his way around the kitchen cabinets ignoring the sleeper and holding the stunner on the skunktaur curled into a ball on the floor protecting its unborn child.

Carson snorted in disgust and grabbing a handful of hys hair. He started to drag Swytch back across the kitchen floor all the while Swytch kicked and struggled and wailed in pain and fear. Swytch struggled looking at hys immobile mate just standing there. What was WRONG with him? "MAX, HELP ME, HELP US! OUR CHILD IS IN DANGER!"

Max heard the scream in his head; his child and his mate were in terrible danger! With a roar of impotent rage, he brought down both fist on the walls of force keeping him trapped in his own mind and with a booming crack, the walls fell away. On the outside, Max's fingers moved.

Carson just kept muttering expletives to himself as he dragged the skunktaur across the kitchen floor. What a cluster-freck this was turning out to be. He just wanted to go home, have a beer and relax but noooo he had to be in the flipping arctic babysitting a runaway sleeper. He was so fixated on his thoughts that he didn't see the pan swinging at his gun hand and was stunned when the weapon went skittering across the floor. He was even more stunned when he caught the same pan in the nose a moment later.

Swytch looked up at Max who was breathing very hard and looked very angry with a large pot in one hand. As the adrenaline started to wear off, Swytch started to giggle and said, "My hero!" which had the added benefit of distracting Max from some fairly murderous thoughts.

It went a bit downhill and then uphill from there. They had to call in the authorities and then the authorities, realizing whom they had in custody called in Starfleet. Eventually, everything came out and Max was arrested as well. Starfleet found the hidden programs in Max's personal computer and managed to trace them back to Earth, but the location had already been abandoned. The other 16 sleepers had been able to complete their missions and on top of claiming H1 affiliations, they had managed to detonate explosives on each world, taking many lives with them. Max wasn't allowed visitors and was interrogated daily. Eventually, after several weeks, he was once again led into an interrogation room and cuffed to the table. He was heart sick. He could still feel Swytch and his only sanity was that hy was alive and still sending him hys love and frustration even with the dampening fields they had around the cells. If it hadn't been for their inseparable link, Max wouldn't have survived those first couple of weeks. Finally, a skunktaur in fleet uniform walked into the room and sat down on the other side of the table from Max and looked at him levelly.

"I am Commander Shylin of Clan Redpaw. Starfleet has asked me to do a mental evaluation on you. You are being held on charges of terrorism and murder and have no say in the scan. Personally, from what I've gotten from the network," hy tapped hys head, "there are a lot of people willing to vouch for you. So instead, I would like to ask your permission to scan you," hy said.

Max sat listlessly in his chair and nodded his acceptance.

The Commander came closer to Max and laid a hand on either side of his temple and bowed hys head in concentration. Again, Max got to watch everything. He watched as Shylin watched everything. Shylin examined each and every emotion and thought. The skunktaur left no stone unturned. Max wasn't sure how long it went but he noticed when Shylin recognized the link between himself and Swytch. He could feel Swytch through it as a distant warm light on his face and he sighed in comfort when he felt it. Shylin just looked at it for several moments and moved on. Eventually, the scan was done and a much wrung out human slumped in his chair as the skunktaur watched him.

"Damn... You've had one crappy life, Mr. McClellan, but other than a couple of bad choices, none of which are illegal I might add, you were turning it around here. You have not one but two Denmates. Both of which I might add, have been a bother to Starfleet like you would NOT believe. They have presented several petitions, all of which signed by just about every skunktaur, chakat, and other morph possible that was at the liberation festival. You have a lot of people who love you and care about you very much out there. It really is a pity that Mr. McClellan died on Earth. He might have had a better life, one like a Mr. Maximilian Pilumnus, who is a citizen of good standing here on Chakona," he looked significantly at Max.

Max started to shake and his vision blurred with unshed tears almost unwilling to hope. "Does that mean I'm free to go?"

Commander Shylin gave him a speculative look. "Kind of... You will need to be deprogrammed. We found most of what was used to program what they called 'sleepers' and it's pretty close to slave programming used in the LNAW. So far, we've only set up one actual facility specializing in trying to deprogram those triggers. You will be required to submit yourself for examination and treatment. Yes, your mates can go to. From the link I saw in your head... If the fields in here can't keep hym out of your mind, I doubt several light years will either. Once you have been deprogrammed, we will re-evaluate your condition," the Fleet skunktaur explained. "If you pass muster, then you will be returned to Chakona to live life as you wish. The whole process shouldn't take much longer than a few standard Earth months, depending on the level of programming." Shylin relaxed back on hys haunches for a moment before continuing, "We will also have genetic teams there to take a look at what was done to you to make sure there will be no further complications." Hy smiled at Max, "We better get you out-processed, I hear you have a very pregnant mate about ready to pop."

Max managed to be out-processed in time to make it home a day before Swytch gave birth to their child. He almost didn't make it through the front door alive. There was a stampede of friends and family who had been notified of his release and when the Fleet transport dropped him off, a tide of fur rolled out of the house and mobbed him. He finally learned to let his shields down enough to feel the waves of elation and love flowing from everyone directed at him and it was with a tear streaked face he met his Denmates again. Swytch was very heavy with child and Jackie was supporting hym. It was a happy reunion and neither of the three left each other's side until Swytch gave birth. The labor was fairly easy and once cleaned, a pristine white skunktaur child was born. The only color on hys entire being was the red paw on hys chest and heterochromic eyes; one sky blue, one deep green. After a brief discussion, hy was held for all to see and Max pronounced. "Please welcome Arctyc of Clan Redpaw child of Swytch of Clan Redpaw and Maximilian Pilumnus!"