Captain Haze moved like a dark spirit through the ship's corridors, giving a brief nod to the brig guards who snapped to attention when they saw him approach.

"Any problems?" Haze asked quietly. One of the stiff-spined guards cleared his throat nervously and spoke up.

"Um, not really, sir. The prisoner just seems to be yelling a lot, uh, cursing, sir." The youth somewhat trailed off, seeming to be a little disconcerted by the strength of the captain's gaze, even when it was merely idle. Haze nodded a little absently and entered the prison room.

Keeping his gaze from the pirate for a moment, the captain turned and dismissed the interior guards. They gave him a slightly doubtful look that faded as they remembered it was the captain who was asking. He would be fine, capable of dealing with any situation. The guards left the room without even a backwards glance.

Haze turned towards the prisoner and studied him for a long while, maintaining his cool silence. Tail seemed to have been sent through the phaser cleanser but had somehow managed to keep his sparkly blue outfit with him, which wasn't exactly normal prison uniform. He moved in and out of the shadows of the cell, pacing back and forth. The prisoner strongly resembled a captured wolf, his lean frame filled with pent-up energy and implied strength.

Haze was about to conclude he was oblivious to everything when Tail suddenly stopped, glowering at the captain.

"Come to gloat over your prize, have you?" the prisoner muttered resentfully. Haze's lips quirked into a cold smile.

"Not at all. You're not much of a prize, much too gaunt and scruffy, pirate." he replied sardonically. Tail's eyes blazed and he started forward angrily, only to rebound against the forcefield. This brought on a frenzy of curses as the pirate struggled to his feet, fighting off the electrical shock. The captain waited out the verbal storm patiently.
A discreet little beeping caught his attention and Haze turned his attention away from Tail for a moment. He tapped his comlink button.

"Yes?"

"Sir, the scanners have detected an unknown anomaly in the area. It resembles an Earth hurricane somewhat but we cannot tell what it really is from this distance. What are your orders, captain?" The helmsman Colbsone politely inquired.

Haze's brow furrowed a little in confusion. An unknown anomaly? They may be in a far off region of space but it was charted territory. No mention of any anomalies, known or unknown.

"Move in closer. Study this 'space hurricane.' Report your findings as they come." The captain replied thoughtfully. He turned off the comlink and looked again at the pirate prisoner, who was once again scrowling at him.

"You don't happen to know anything about this, do you, pirate?" Haze asked lightly. Tail rolled his eyes and made a rude noise.

"You're outta your tree, captain. Why the hell should I know anything bout a stupid space blip?" The prisoner answered scornfully, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well," Haze continued in that same light tone, "it seems a little suspicious to find a lone pirate floating quietly around a unknown space twist. Makes one wonder why that pirate is there in the first place, perhaps he's consorting with his fellows plasma-eaters to some foul end."

"WHAT?!?" Tail exclaimed angrily "You are fucking nuts! If you must know, Captain Suspicious, my fucking spaceship broke, life support died and I didn't feel like dying with it! I got in the fucking pod, turning the fucking thing on and floated for god knows how long to god knows where, only to have you brass space goofs pick me up and shove me in this fucking box!" The pirate had moved as close to the forcefield as he dared, fairly radiating hostility.

Haze frowned and was preparing to make a sharp retort when another beeping from his comlink button interrupted him, somehow sounding urgent. Keeping one eye on the enraged pirate, who had a rather vicious and mad gleam in his eyes, the captain answered.

"What is it now?" he demanded impatiently. But, to his surprise and alarm, the first thing he heard was a loud crackle. Comlink never crackles.

"Sir! We have a big -crackle-lem, we gotten -crackle-oo close and having problems pulling away from -crackle- the storm's gravity!" Haze could hear the nervous tinge to the helmsman's voice. The captain cursed under his breath.

"Siphon all available power to the engines. Reinforce shielding." He replied tersely. But as soon as he had signed off, the ship shuddered and shook, making frightening wrenching sounds and almost causing Tail and Haze to fall over. Lights flickered on and off so fast that Haze almost missed it.

"Captain!" came the helmsman's voice again, the nervous tinge deepening into a full panic that coloured his words. " We've -CRACKLE-een struck -CRACKLE- large lash -CRACKLE- lightening! -CRACKLE- Massive pow-CRACKLE- failures! -CRACKLE- free of -CRACKLE-orm but -CRACKLE- dead! Everything -CRACKLE- -CRACKLE-!!!" The transmission abruptly cut off with a last long crackle. Haze watched as the lights began to flicker with longer intervals between power restoration. And, as he turned to check on the prisoner, Haze stared in alarm as the gold forcefield wavered then disappeared with a weak blip!

Tail leapt at the captain like a tightly-coiled spring, like he had been waiting for such an opportunity. He crashed into Haze before the captain knew what was happening. They fell to the ground and the pirate got his hands around Haze's neck and began to squeeze.
Haze tried to break Tail's hold but he had been taken completely by surprise and couldn't move effectively under the prisoner's iron grip. His thrashing started to weaken and the captain's vision was filled with stars and coloured flashes. Things began to go black and his mind went chaotic.

"Let..me..go," Haze managed in a strangled whisper " let..me..go..dan.."
Tail's eyes went wide as saucers and he let go of the captain like he had been burnt. He stared in shock at Haze.

"What did you say??" the pirate demanded incredulously. But Haze was already unconscious.