Stardate 52051.4

     Two maintenance crews were repairing stations on the bridge, one at work 
on the Engineering console and another at the helm, working around Elea.  Ming
was on the upper deck, checking out an unconscious Mull with a tricorder.  Enoz
was at her station, working fervently.  Some new Ensign stood at Tactical.  
Mason merely stood in the middle of all the debris and smoke, hands folded 
behind his back, staring at the Goulavar ship they were following on the 
viewscreen.
     Ming glanced nervously at Mason as she ran the tricorder one last time 
past Mull's wounds.  He was all right, just knocked out cold.  She stood up, 
wanting desperately to walk to Mason and ask him why he hadn't issued any 
orders since the one he had given to follow the Goulavar.  Ming couldn't do 
that, though.  No good first officer questioned the Captain on the bridge.
     "Commander," Enoz said gently, "I have the fatality report."
     Ming closed her eyes.  Mason hadn't ordered one, but Enoz had done it 
anyway.  Ming was grateful for how professional the Oblokoni science officer 
was.  Although, even after knowing her for years, Ming still wondered if Enoz 
balanced her professional detachment with an unusually emotional and 
extravagant personal life.  She had no idea, though, as the Oblokoni were a 
very discrete and private race.
     The executive officer stepped over Mull and beside Enoz to look at the 
science console.  Enoz didn't even say anything, just punched up a list of the
deceased.  Three others had followed in Ensign Wood's footsteps during the 
alien attack.  Tears came to Enoz's eyes.
     "Enoz, you look like this is bothering you more than me," Ming whispered.
     "Those were someone's sons and daughters, someone's brother or sister," 
Enoz mumbled quietly, "During the Troubles back home, I lost most of my 
previous triad.  My husband was killed in a raid, my mate executed.  My 
daughter and matlet succumbed to a plague before they even had control of their
third eye.  All that I have left is my son, Munoz."
     Ming struggled over the meaning of the word 'matlet' for a moment before
recalling all Oblokoni children were born in trios of male, female and mate.  
Young mates were referred to as matlets.  Refocusing her train of thought, it 
did dawn on her that Enoz knew better than anyone on the ship what it would be
like to be a mother who loses young ones.  She had done it.
     "Enoz," Mason said, "I'd like you to analyze the sensor data we collected
on the Wiansani during that short energy burst that Antal saved us with.  There
may be a way to communicate with them.  If there is, we have a chance to 
establish diplomatic channels with two races at once."
     Ming nodded, "Analysis of that data could be tactically useful, as well, 
sir.  If we develop a defense against the Wiansani and a friendship with the 
Goulavar, Starfleet might upgrade their optimism of this frontier.  We could be
able to free more ships from this defense line and send them to the Dominion 
front."
     Mason blinked, then turned back to the viewscreen, muttering, "Yes, there
is that, too."  He glanced up at the ceiling as the EMH's voice came over the 
intercom.
     "Sickbay to Bridge!  I've got a problem down here!  There's more patients
than my staff and I can handle.  I can only save them all if there are two of 
me.  Syxx was going to duplicate my file, but he passed out."
     "Can you revive him?", asked a worried Enoz.
     "No, my triage subroutines won't let my hologram treat him with more 
critically wounded around, even if he could help me save them.  I'm having a 
slight algorithm conflict!"
     "On my way," Enoz said as she bolted for the lift.  She was gone before 
Mason could say anything. 
     "Captain," Ming started, "if Enoz can't get the EMH system adjusted, 
she'll probably be able to get Syxx aroused.  She's not exactly a nurse, but 
having a Doctorate from the Daystrom Institute in Xenobiology means she can 
chip in down there."
     Mason nodded and sat down in his chair, beside her.  Ming only stayed a 
moment, as Mull awoke groggily and she went to tend to him.
     Meanwhile in Sickbay, Enoz had found that duplicating the EMH was rather 
easy.  Some of the damage to his system had actually loosened up certain 
protocols and restrictions.  She brought all the auxiliary holo-emitters in 
Sickbay online and accessed the processors in Holodecks 1 and 3 to handle the 
extra workload.  As she finished the last command sequence, the hologram 
flickered and disappeared.  A moment later, not two, but three reappeared.
     "Please state the nature of the medical emergency," the first one said.
     "Grab a tricorder and figure it out yourself," the second one said.
     "Nothing like an alien distortion bolt to take care of morning 
holobreath," the third one said.
     The first two and Enoz looked at the third queerly, but he just grabbed a
medkit and went to work.  The first two shrugged and did the same.  Enoz 
scrolled over the makeshift database, noting that the third didn't have full 
linguistic skills.  She didn't care though, as he was healing and not hurting 
anyone.  The ship still needed a real medical officer, though.
     She carefully stepped over to where Syxx lay slumped in a corner.  After 
a careful prodding, he came to.  She helped him up and supported him as they 
slumped into the vacant and relatively unused CMO's office.
     "Why aren't you on the bridge?", Syxx asked.
     "I was needed more down here," Enoz muttered, scanning the updated 
casualty list.  Syxx read her eyes and lowered his head.  Without his even 
asking, Enoz said, "Ensign Wood, Ensign Terry, Chief Glutherd and Petty Officer
Hilliare."
     "Too many, just so so many," whispered Syxx.
     Enoz wanted to put her arms around Syxx and comfort him, but she saw an 
EMH moving their way.
     "Commanders, Lenoz is bringing in Zenoz!"
     Enoz and Syxx leapt to their feet and trotted back into the now less 
crowded main area.  Lenoz had Zenoz draped over a shoulder.  Syxx and Enoz 
stepped forward to help, but then stepped back as not to collide with the three
converging EMH's.  Zenoz was laid on a table, and one EMH began scanning.  The
other two looked around and saw no more patients needing attention, so Syxx 
went to deactivate them.
     Lenoz turned to Enoz, "I found him lying in the corridor, just lying there
bleeding," he said in Federation Standard.  He then, in Oblokoni added, "What 
if something happened to them?"
     "It's okay, Len," she said, "A new friend dispersed them with a disruption
bolt.  The aliens are gone."
     "No Enoz!", Lenoz screamed, again in Oblokoni.  He pointed at Zenoz's 
eyes, "Them!"
     A confused Syxx walked up behind the EMH.  Enoz looked down at Zenoz.  All
three of his eyes were focused on different faces.  Her stomach felt like it 
hit warp ten.
     The EMH snapped his tricorder shut, "I know Oblokoni biology, but not your
traditions, so I don't know if congratulations are in order."
     Lenoz and Enoz looked at each other.  "It's not appropriate for you to be
here, Enoz.  This is not the time of the female," Lenoz said.
     Enoz turned and left, quickly.  Having been in a triad once, she 
understood the process better than Lenoz.  As she exited Sickbay, her heart 
racing, a very confused Syxx chased after her.
     "Enoz!  Commander!  What was that all about?"
     Rather than wait to tell him later, she impulsively spun on one heel and 
stopped.  Syxx skidded to a halt before nearly running into her.
     "Syxx, have you ever seen me be able to focus my three eyes on three 
things?"
     The Bolian shook his head, he had never seen her be able to focus on more
than two things at once.
     "We can only do it when we're pregnant." 
     Syxx looked even more confused, "Zenoz is the male in the triad.  How is 
the male pregnant?"
     "Male is the closest word Standard has to his real gender.  The male of 
the triad carries the fetus for the first term.  In this term, the fetus is
just one organism.  After it gets transferred to my body, it develops into a 
trio of the three sexes.  After my term, I transfer it to the mate, where the 
fetuses stay until maturation."
     "I'm no expert on Oblokoni biology," said Syxx, "but how are the fetuses
transferred?"
     "You'd download a database into your uniform if I described that," 
chuckled a disbelieving Enoz, "Forget it.  The important thing is, this should
never have happened.  We all three were taking injections to prevent it.  It 
undermines everything we're researching."
     Enoz left the stunned Syxx in the corridor and went back to the bridge.  
As Enoz sat down at the science station, she noticed that the lights dimmed a 
little.  It was time for her to begin the night shift.  Mason and Ming were no
longer there, so she stepped down to Ming's chair and sat in it, ordering the 
beginning of the third watch.
     The disturbing news of Zenoz's pregnancy bothered her greatly, and she 
tried to let her mind relax and drift.  She spent a few moments gazing over 
repair reports on her PADD, as her third eye drifted lazily over to the 
Equinox plaque to her left.  
     "Unless you know where you are, you don't know who you are," it read.  
She had expected upon boarding the ship to see a quote of some astronomical 
reference, but that line was fitting for a ship of exploration such as the 
Equinox.
     Her third eye continued studying the plaque, as her first glanced over 
more reports.  Within a few calm moments, her second was staring at the 
Goulavar vessel on the viewscreen as they followed it.  Enoz realized what was
happening and gasped in panic.  "Elea, you have the bridge!", she ordered, 
bolting for the lift.
     A moment later, she lay on a sickbay bed across the room from Zenoz.  
Lenoz had, according to tradition, arranged a curtain around his bed, as it was
frowned upon for the female to visit the male.
     The EMH scanned her quickly and efficiently.  Before finishing, he raised
one eyebrow, "Enoz, did one of your last research attempts involve a protein 
resequencing?"
     "Yes, why?"
     "I'm assuming you included it in your injections.  The traces I'm finding
suggest a compound that would have neutralized the injectants rendering them 
ineffective."
     "Fine, fine, but how in the galaxy am I pregnant?  I sure haven't been 
transferred anything!"
     "The fetus in you is half Bolian."
     Enoz collapsed back onto the bed.
     The EMH continued, "Apparently, Bolian DNA is capable of interacting with
your set of Oblokoni DNA.  How many genders it could be.. well, its way too 
early to tell, but I can tell you how long you will carry it."
     "How long?", hoarsed Enoz.
     "Five months."
     "This can't be happening!  Zenoz will be ready for transference in four 
weeks.  He can only wait a few days after, or he dies.  The male can't let go 
of the womb without a female, but if he keeps it too long, it develops more 
than he can handle.  I'll still have four months left."
     "We can just put him in stasis," the EMH suggested.
     "No," said Enoz, "it'll disrupt his biorhythms.  They'll be in sync with
mine now, and if they get out of sync, the transference won't happen then 
either.  There's no way around it, either Zenoz dies with my children, or 
Syxx's child dies within me."  
     "I'm not sure what to say," the EMH said, "except that there's currently 
no reason to take you off duty."
     She nodded and the hologram turned and walked away.  Enoz got to her feet
and glanced over at a praying Lenoz, who kneeled aside the drapery surrounding
Zenoz.  She wanted desperately to talk to them both, but tradition bound her 
not to.  She had broken many traditions, but she couldn't this time.  It was 
Zenoz's and Lenoz's first triad and pregnancy.
     Enoz stepped out into the corridor and leaned against the wall, "Forgive 
me Munoz.  My own clan's blood may rest on my hands once more."