While the array of projectors and scanners for the duck blind had failed, their intricate subspace connections useless even at such short ranges, one of them had at least found a use at the hands of a clever individual. The projector had been hastily attached to the camp’s main heating element, sat in the middle of a circle of seats, turning the boring heater into the universe’s most technologically advanced campfire.

If you could excuse the hologram for being a seemless sixty-second loop, that is.

“You don’t look like anyone I’ve ever met before, Commander Gabrielle Camargo,” the leader of the newcomers said, quiet and soft, respectful of the tents nearby and the occupants within. “I am Fen,” he said, a hand to his chest.

The other four with Fen introduced themselves in quick order as well, which prompted a few introductions from the Starfleet crews, while others kept back a step to stay out of the conversation for now. Water was found, cups produced and drinks poured. The Leytans were careful with theirs until Matt Lake practically downed his cup in one go and refilling it just as quickly, offering to top up anyone else.

A flurry of whispers and the Leytans quickly drank their own fill, requesting more and producing water-skins and asking if it would be possible to refill them as well. “Certainly!” Matt answered, busying himself with the task.

“We are not from around here,” Gabs finally addressed Fen’s opening statement. “We’re from,” she paused momentarily, “very far away.”

Fen’s smile was slight but genuine, tight skin-touched skin pulling at the corners of his mouth. Everything about the Leytans looked stretched out, like they’d adapted for a world of lower gravity than Leytan III. But clearly their height and spindly nature wasn’t an environmental adaptation, but evolutionarily selected for.

“Very, very far indeed, if I understand correctly.” Fen’s statement drew Gabs’ attention completely. “You are not the first void-born to visit our world. Not the first to be drawn to the Dagger either.” Fen leaned forward slightly, the smile touching his eyes. “You won’t be the last.”

“Wait,” Samantha Michaels spoke up as she sat herself down next to Gabs. “Others have visited your world before?”

“Lieutenant,” Gabs said, warning Sam back. Any attempt at subterfuge was a long shot at best, and to have one of her own torpedo it immediately wasn’t helpful.

“It is alright, Commander Gabrielle Camargo. Curiosity amongst the young should be nurtured.” Fen set his cup down, careful to place it where he wouldn’t accidentally nudge it and spill the cool liquid inside. “You come from one of the lesser suns.” He looked up at the night sky. “The last I saw visitors from one would be many a handful of years ago. They said it took years to cross the void. They stayed for months before returning home, not finding what they were looking for, I believe.”

“Well, we didn’t take years to get here,” Gabs said.

“Then you must be from one of the new moons.” Fen again looked up, orientating himself briefly and then pointed at one particularly bright pinprick of light against the night sky. “The slow one, or perhaps the fast one?” He looked along the line that Republic kept traversing, but didn’t see it, returning his attention to Gabs.

“Guess we’re well and truly caught,” Sam muttered.

“Yup,” Gabs answered. “Both,” she addressed to Fen, “though they aren’t moons, but ships.”

“We thought those were your ships,” Fen pointed to the rovers all parked around each other. “The others all would land so far away and then walk to the Dagger. But we never saw you descend from the sky, just seeing you at the Dagger with those…” He trailed off.

“Rovers,” Gabs said, providing the unfamiliar word to Fen. “They let us traverse the ground quickly and efficiently. How we got down from our ships, well, that’s going to be difficult to explain.”

Fen chuckled, raising a hand. “Curiosity is for the young. I’m happy to leave such a mystery for later.”

“You said others were interested in the Dagger, was it?” Matt asked, having seen to the refilling of the Leytan water-skins and finally returned. “As good a name as any.”

“Yes, yes. Every visitor from the void I’ve ever seen was interested in it.” He sighed slowly. “They all came, visited, got angry their devices and such didn’t work and then left. Some in hours, others days. I have seen three different void-born visit us in my life. They always leave with little thought to us.”

“Their loss,” Gabs said. “My people have rules about interacting with others,” she stopped, seeking more diplomatic language, “not able to travel the stars like we can.” It was more polite than ‘less advanced,’ for sure. “If our gear had worked as we hoped, you wouldn’t have seen us, ideally. And we’d have missed out on this meeting.”

“Our world has little to give to us, much less any void-born who could surely find what they want amongst the other lesser-suns.” Fen’s eyes narrowed slightly in questioning. “The others all came looking for something and left because they couldn’t find it. Are you here for something as well?”

Gabs smiled. “To figure out that,” she said, a thumb over her shoulder to the monolith. “And to meet new people and new civilisations.”

“She said the thing,” Sam muttered to Matt, who just nodded in response.

“We’re explorers,” Gabs continued. “We came here because we’re curious. Nothing more.”

Fen took a moment, reading the faces of the Starfleet officers in front of him, of those milling around in the gloom. Then he nodded once, pulling one of his companions close and whispering something to them, a whispered response, then he turned back to Gabs. “Commander Gabrielle Camargo, you are most welcome to stay. Though I doubt there is much my companions and I could do to force you to leave if we wanted to.”

“You could always tell us to leave.”

“Would you?”

“Yes,” Gabs answered immediately. “I’d be upset not to learn more about this monolith, but it is your world.”

“It’s not mine,” Fen replied. “I’m just the oldest of the band of Watchers watching this place.” He took a moment, looking at the holographic fire. “You are the first to welcome us into your camp.”

“What can I say, I like to make good impressions.”

Fen looked past Gabs to the pitch blackness of the monolith behind her, its shape obvious against the night sky. “You are here to uncover the Dagger’s mysteries. I would very much like to learn whatever you discover.”

“And I’d very much like to know more about you, your people, and what you know about the monolith, too.”