Star Trek Hunter Episode 21: The Enemy of My Enemy

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Continued from Episode 20: Survival

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 21: The Enemy of My Enemy

Episode 21 – The Enemy of My Enemy​

“Being the enemy of my enemy does not make you my friend. But an honorable enemy can become a valued ally.”

Klingon Proverb.





Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter: (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter.)

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons.
Chief Executive Officer - Commander Kenneth Dolphin.
Chief Operations Officer - Lieutenant Commander Mlady.

Medical Director - Commander Tali Shae.

Assistant Medical Director - Lieutenant Jazz Sam Sinder.
Epidemiologist - Lieutenant Napoleon Boles.

Ensign Chrissiana Trei.

Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif.
Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj.
Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim.​

Director of Flight Operations - Lieutenant Gaia Gamor.

Assistant Flight Director - 2nd Lieutenant Ethan Phillips.

Navigator Johanna Imex.
Navigator Eli Strahl.​

Ensign Chelna Zusa.

Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth (last name rhymes with Booth).
Chief Flight Specialist Thyssi zh’Qaoleq (last name rhymes with Chocolate).
Flight Specialist Dih Terri.
Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar.​

Director of Ground Operations - Lieutenant T’Lon.

Assistant Ground Ops Director - 2nd Lieutenant Tolon Reeves.

Chief Tactical Specialist Rumi Grace.
Tactical Specialist Dasare Eba (rhymes with Cabaret Nina).
Tactical Specialist Veri Geki.
Tactical Specialist Ranni Neivi.​

Ensign Eykirros Jones (nickname is Ike Jones).

Investigator Buttans Ngumbo.
Special Agent Anana Lynarr, Trantor Police Intelligence Division (temporary assignment).​

Director of Engineering - Lieutenant Moon Sun Salek.

Assistant Engineering Director - 2nd Lieutenant Sun Ho Hui.

Midshipman Tammy Brazil.
Transporter Engineer K'rok.​

Ensign Geoffrey Horatio Alstars.

Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas.
Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs.
Flight Engineer Tomos.
Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon.
​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 21: The Enemy of My Enemy
Scene 1: Battlegod

21.1
Battlegod​

The Romulan Star Navy had invested in the enormous warbirds, and then the far, far larger battlegods for a reason that had nothing to do with klingons or the Federation, or the cardassians or the Dominion. Nothing any of those cultures had ever produced was so much of a threat that would spur such an enormous investment. The four battlegods were created to counter one specific threat – a borg cube. The battlegod was about half the size of a borg cube and was loaded with armaments unlike anything else in the alpha or beta quadrants. But the critical advantage and reason for the enormous size was the power source. Romulan warbirds were powered by artificially created microsingularities. It took over a hundred of these to be combined into the singularity that was housed in the Bestia – plenty to power the enormous disruptor cannon needed to cut through a borg cube.

The I.R.W. Bestia was being trailed not by one borg cube, but by two. But something had happened to the borg after the collapse of their transwarp hub by Admiral Janeway. One of the borg cubes appeared generally, but not entirely complete. The other had suffered obvious damage and did not appear to be self-repairing – what repairs there were had a homemade, unprofessional look. Enormous holes in the structure were at best roughly papered over with sheet metal of some sort. Other holes in the structure simply gaped, allowing stars on the other side of the mammoth vessel to be seen through them.


“Get me a firing solution on the second ship,” said Sela.

“That will require us to reposition,” Commander Hundeeth replied. “Either that or manage to pass a disruptor beam through the first ship.”

“Which is why I want to hit the second ship first and I want to do it without letting the borg know that is our plan. I don’t care if we only get a corner of the second ship, get a firing solution on it. I want our torpedoes programmed to skim around the first ship and hit the second one.”

“The second ship?” asked Admiral Ekot.

“Do it now!!” Sela ordered.

“We have a solution…” Hundeeth started.

“Shoot them! I want a full volley of torpedoes – front tubes as well as aft.”

“All front and aft tubes engaging. Main aft disruptor cannons engaged,” Hundeeth replied.

“That second ship is the threat, Ekot,” Sela said. “For some reason the first ship is fighting and repositioning to protect the other. And if we can cripple it, we only have to face one.”

The bridge of the Bestia shook violently as the first borg ship engaged with an enormous phaser cannon.

21.1 (of 16)
​

 

[Bynar0110]

I hope Sela knows what she's doing messing with the Borg.

Great start to this episode.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

I hope Sela knows what she's doing messing with the Borg... Great start to this episode.

Not that she has much choice... Glad you like the 007 jump start to this episode. Thanks!! rbs

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 21: The Enemy of My Enemy
Scene 2: The Blue Romulan

21.2
The Blue Romulan​

In the main hangar, romulans were scrambling to report to general quarters. The romulan officer who was operating the main transporter unit was so clearly not a romulan that she should have been spotted immediately – her uniform was far too big for her and had been pulled over other clothing. A hastily applied wig of long, black hair was on a little crooked and some sort of green paste that had been smeared on her face and hands was melting, revealing blue skin underneath. And there should have been two officers at the massive main transporter console.

There wasn’t much use for this transporter console during battle, so someone might have thought it odd that the officer operating it was evidently quite busy. But the security officers rushing through the hangar and adjacent cargo bays were looking for borg, not poorly disguised romulans.

Just as Special Agent Anana Lynarr completed her search and enacted a massive transporter program, the entire ship shook from a hit from one of the borg vessels. Relays throughout the Bestia went haywire as energy coursed through the ship in ways it was not designed for. This caused explosions in the main transporter panel. Lynarr had to leap out of the way to avoid getting burned by forks of lightning and bursts of fire coming from the control unit.

“Hveolhaonn yuuhhai. Hveolhaonn duhaen hnaifv iudaiht etrifven kjumnaihsou hteij. Hveolhaonn uaefvalhuneitrde'h'n yuuhhai,” Lynarr shouted with a wave of her hand at a few romulans who had started to move toward her. They returned to their own priorities. Lynarr studied the control panel. “Dhaeg hldl aellei claehis aoni’rhnniohsyrrhihdh,” she muttered and began programming what was left of the panel, making repairs to various systems as she went. She rubbed her hands, trying to redistribute the green paste, only to reveal more of the blue skin underneath. “Their eyesight must be really terrible…”




* Hveolhaonn yuuhhai. Hveolhaonn duhaen hnaifv iudaiht etrifven kjumnaihsou hteij. Hveolhaonn uaefvalhuneitrde'h'n yuuhhai: I’m fine. I just need to repair this transporter. I will be fine.

* Dhaeg hldl aellei claehis aoni’rhnniohsyrrhihdh: Foot food and nose water (a mildly obscene romulan curse.)

- * - * - * - * - * - * - * -​

At the back of the massive romulan battlegod, a row of batteries that helped power one of the largest of the disrupter cannon arrays exploded, opening one end of the corridor to space. Nearly a dozen romulan engineers were killed by the explosion, another group were blown out into space and the enormous aft port array of disruptor cannon went silent. A bulkhead slammed down, cutting off the last two batteries and the remainder of the area was swiftly repressurized. Only one romulan engineer had managed to survive by clinging desperately to an EPS conduit running between two of the batteries.

Moments later, Lt. Gaia Gamor, Ensign Eykirros Jones, Ensign Chrissiana Trei, Tactical Specialist Dasare Eba, Ensign Geoffrey Horatio Alstars and Flight Engineers Yolanda Thomas and Thomas Hobbs beamed into this battery array. The ship shook again from an explosion and threw nearly everyone against one of the walls, causing them to drop the various farming implements they had been carrying. Their boots were clotted with mud, which left long, muddy streaks across the floor as they struggled to keep their footing.

Dr. Chrissiana Trei knelt next to the surviving romulan engineer who had also been thrown against the wall. The trill doctor helped the romulan engineer to her feet. “Does anyone speak Romulan?”

Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas stepped forward and started talking with the engineer, then turned to Lt. Gamor. “Sir, these batteries are in direct line to power the aft port disruptors. If we can’t get that weapons array back online, the borg will get close enough to board. Engineer Muve thinks most of the batteries will work if we can route power around the first two down there that are blown out and this one,” Thomas pointed to one of the giant batteries in the middle of the line that was blown out and leaking acid. “All the tools and EPS conduit we need to do the job are in this area. If we work together, we can probably get it done in a few minutes…”

Lt. Gamor looked around, quickly assessed the situation. “Ensign Alstars, we are your team. Let’s get this array back online. Yolanda, you, me and your new friend – we will move from one end to the other to assess the situation and make changes as needed – let’s go!”

- * - * - * - * - * - * - * -​

Dr. Tali Shae, 2nd Lt. Ethan Phillips, Chief Flight Specialists Dewayne Guth and Thyssi zh’Qaoleq, Tactical Specialist Veri Geki and Transporter Engineer K’rok were beamed into Supreme Commander Sela’s office along with a different set of farming implements. Fortunately for them, the romulan supreme commander was not in her office. Instinctively, they hid behind any furniture they could find as they could see straight through the walls onto the bridge, into a conference room behind the bridge and out into space off the port side. Neither of the borg cubes were in view. They might as well have taken seats in Sela’s office (there were plenty of chairs) as they could not be seen from any of these areas. They were able to observe Sela on the bridge, and hear her and her officers ordering the battle.


“The port aft main disruptor is back online. We are deploying now,” Commander Hundeeth stated.

“Good,” said Sela. “Maybe that will force them to drop back so we don’t get overrun with boarding parties. I thought you told me that section had vented to space and all our engineers in that section were blown out.”

“We have had unusual transporter activity all over the ship, mostly borg boarding parties. But apparently a team beamed into the battery room for that disruptor shortly after it repressurized,” Hundeeth replied.

“Remind me to find out who beamed that team in there and reward them,” said Sela. “They very probably saved this ship.”

21.2 (of 16)​

 

[Bynar0110]

Things are getting interesting.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 21: The Enemy of My Enemy
Scene 3: Strapped Down

21.3
Strapped Down​

Justice Minerva Irons and most of the crew of the U.S.S. Hunter were beamed into the main hangar just behind the main nacelle. She led the crew up to the back of the nacelle, pressed firmly against a section of the Hunter’s skin - several different sections - and a door opened into the rear of the nacelle. The crew who had beamed in with her followed her in single file into the darkened ship, leaving a pile of pre-industrial farming implements a few meters behind the ship.

Investigator Buttans Ngumbo walked around the side of the ship and spotted the flimsily disguised Special Agent Anana Lynarr working frantically at the main transporter console. He sprinted quickly back and pulled Midshipman Tammy Brazil from the line. “You’re needed at the transporter console…” Buttans led Brazil away from the Hunter and to the platform that Special Agent Lynarr was working (and swearing in Romulan) at. Chief Tactical Specialist Rume Grace, Ensign Chelna Zusa and 2nd Lt. Sun Ho Hui followed.

“We’re missing a lot of people, Anana,” Buttans said.

“I know, I know,” Lynarr said. “I was able to get about half of the crew here, but the resequencing program got scrambled and everyone else ended up in random locations around the ship. I’m trying to find them by their communicators. Fortunately, the romulans left your communicators on and active, so they could listen to everything you were saying. Unfortunately, I can’t easily track them all now with part of this system blown out.”

Chief Tactical Specialist Rume Grace stepped up. “I can tell you what our people are seeing. It appears Lt. T’Lon is in main engineering. There are borg in the area and T’Lon has gathered our crew and are trying to stay out of the fire fight. The romulans and the borg both seem to be leaving our people alone in that area.”


At that moment a disruptor beam passed close to Tammy Brazil, causing her to jump aside.


“It looks like we have a fire fight here too,” said 2nd Lt. Sun. “Brazil, Grace, remain here and get our people back. Ensign Zusa, Investigator Buttans – with me.”

A number of borg and romulans were clashing in a far corner of the hangar.

“Who are we helping,” asked Zusa, “The borg or the romulans?” A rigellian chelna, Ensign Zusa had gold eyes, thick grey skin, bundles of golden hair and what appeared at first to be a rhomboid tattoo surrounding her facial features. This coloration had lightened and retreated to the edges of her face – a sign of agitation among the chelna.

“We’re helping us,” Lt. Sun replied. “The Hunter is physically strapped down. We need to cut through those straps and we also need to take out the dampening field emitter – I’m hoping that’s it - the big array above our ship. It looks like an emitter array of some sort.”

“Then we’re probably going to need that…” Zusa pointed to her left.


The U.S.S. Hunter was the only warp capable craft in this main hangar. However, there were a number of landing craft and a couple of smaller launches with an array of external tools.

“Those are asteroid cutters,” Zusa said. “I used to fly something similar before I joined Star Fleet. “Precision cutting tools for extracting minerals. Not much use as weapons, but I can use it to cut those straps.”

Lt. Sun simply ran toward the mining launch. Zusa and Buttans followed him.

21.3 (of 16)


​

 

[Bynar0110]

“Who are we helping,” asked Zusa, “The borg or the romulans?”

I feel that question would be worthy of a Gibbs slap if it was asked during the TNG/DS9 Era, especally in front of Picard, Sisko, or Janeway.

I enjoyed the chapter, it was really good.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

I feel that question would be worthy of a Gibbs slap if it was asked during the TNG/DS9 Era, especally in front of Picard, Sisko, or Janeway.

Totally... Sun's response is a sort of verbal version of that... Thanks!! rbs

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 21: The Enemy of My Enemy
Scene 4: Buddy and the Borg

21.4
Buddy and the Borg​

Several of the corridors within the I.R.W. Bestia were enormous to allow large pieces of equipment to be moved through. In one of these, a few hundred romulans were putting up a tremendous fight against a horde of borg drones. The romulans were far more effective against borg than any other humanoid the drones had fought largely due to training, but also because of their superior physical strength.

The romulans were fighting hand-to-hand using short swords – which were effective when used to attack the borg drones’ heads. The borg were using classic borg tactics, injecting romulans with nanites in an attempt to convert them into borg. Infected romulans used their own disruptors - shooting themselves in the heads with horrifying results to avoid being turned.


As effective as the romulans were, they were being overwhelmed by the number of borg. Until a massive beast with a blue rider was beamed into the corridor. A number of the U.S.S. Hunter’s crew were also beamed in, carrying various farm implements. A number of borg turned to face this odd group of interlopers.

“Okay Buddy, you’ve been itching for a fight,” said Lt. Napoleon Boles from atop the anaixes, “Let’s see what you can do…”


Suddenly, nearly all of the borg in the corridor abandoned fighting the romulans and lined up, requiring almost 30 of them to fill the corridor from one side to the other. They created a formation a dozen ranks deep.


Napoleon looked at this borg army as they started to move toward the small contingent from the Hunter. “Oh, oh no Buddy…. I don’t like the look of this. I think the collective wants to collect you…”

Buddy (the rather moose/bear-like anaixes) pawed the floor, only slightly disconcerted that there was no dirt for him to stir up.

“No, no no no no no no,” Napoleon exclaimed, tugging on the reins and forcing the beast to turn away. “No time to fight today….” He looked down at less than a dozen of the Hunter’s crew – seven of them in addition to himself, pathetically armed with iron farming implements. “No fighting! Run away!!! Run Away!! Run Away Run Away Run AWAY!!! RUN AWAY!!!!” Napoleon ordered from atop his mount, then spurred Buddy.

Napoleon’s terror was infectious and the Hunter’s crew dropped their pre-industrial farming implements, turned and started running down the massive corridor, led by their fearful leader on his even more frightened steed. Buddy started bellowing in fear.

Behind these few members of the U.S.S. Hunter’s crew marched an army of borg drones in lockstep, tight formation. The rear line of these had to turn back to fight off a rear assault from the reorganized romulans, setting up a pitched battle as the majority of the borg marched on – not running, but managing to move very quickly as the Hunter’s crew sprinted out ahead of them.

Within about 200 yards, first Napoleon on his mount, then the seven crew members following him, came to a five-way intersection. Napoleon and Buddy – way out in front – turned down one of these corridors only to turn back toward the Hunter’s crew.

“Not that way!” Napoleon yelled as a line of borg advanced from that corridor. The other three corridors were filled with romulans – swords drawn – also approaching in mass formation.


“Why aren’t they shooting?” asked the terrified Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon.

Dr. Jazz Sam Sinder answered, “The borg have adapted their energy shields to the romulan disruptors. Their disruptors are useless now. It’s hand-to-hand…”

“And we’re in the middle of it,” Navigator Johanna Imex observed. “They’re all headed toward us!”

Buddy whimpered pathetically.

“I do not want to be here anymore!” bawled Napoleon. “Somebody – anybody – Nine to beam out! Now please!!!”


With a familiar whine and sparkling of lights like a gigantic 1970’s discotheque, the pentagonal five-way corridor hub vanished along with the grim advancing ranks of romulans and borg, to be replaced with an equally chaotic hangar. Romulans and borg were battling in two different areas, both somewhat distant from the main transporter control in the center of the hangar.


“The emergency door on the back of the nacelle is open,” said Chief Rumi Grace, gesturing toward the U.S.S. Hunter, parked a few dozen meters away. “Hurry!”


Napoleon leapt down from Buddy’s back and quickly unbuckled the saddle. Buddy made the removal of the saddle far more difficult by laying down on his belly, putting his giant, ferociously clawed paws over his eyes and whimpering in terror.

“Come… On… Buddy…” Napoleon grunted as he tugged the saddle loose from the enormous beast. Once the saddle was free, he walked up to stroke the anaixes’ head and turned toward Midshipman Tammy Brazil. “Can you send him back? This is too much for him. He needs to go home…”

“I have no idea how to do that,” Brazil complained.

“I can do it,” said Special Agent Anana Lynarr. “You focus on bringing T’Lon’s group in – they’re next.

Buddy started to howl, then vanished in a haze of lights.

“I really hope the borg don’t find his environment,” said Napoleon. “How is it that you’ve been able to work here uninterrupted?”

Rumi Grace gestured toward ongoing battles in two areas of the hangar. “The romulans are busy.”

At that moment, a powerful, concentrated beam laced out of one of the other ships in the cargo bay and began cutting the straps that secured the U.S.S. Hunter firmly to the deck. The contact point between the beam and the hardened carbon straps was brighter than a star.

“Okay,” said Tammy Brazil, “Now I can’t see!”

Rumi Grace stepped up behind her, looking over her shoulder, her hands on Tammy’s shoulders.

“Keep your eyes closed,” said Rumi.

“Okay - this is really weird,” said Brazil. She had to keep repositioning her hands as she worked the controls. “I can see the back of my own head, and my hands are really small and in the wrong place.”

“You’re seeing through my eyes,” Rumi said. “Just focus on which controls you want to operate and your hands will go there…”

21.4 (of 16)


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[Bynar0110]

Too bad they couldn't keep Buddy. I don't think he wanted to leave.

Excellent chapter. I enjoyed it a lot.

 

[Will The Serious]

Run away!!! Run Away!! Run Away Run Away Run AWAY!!! RUN AWAY!!!!” Napoleon ordered

An Holy Grail reference? There were certainty a lot of nasty big teeth flashing around. ;-)

Dramatic, fun, tense, great action.

Thanks

-Will

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Too bad they couldn't keep Buddy. I don't think he wanted to leave...

I don't think there's a single room on the U.S.S. Hunter that Buddy could fit into... Even the main cargo bay is really cramped.

An Holy Grail reference? There were certainty a lot of nasty big teeth flashing around. ;-) Dramatic, fun, tense, great action...

Thanks for the kind words! Yes, definitely a scene inspired by Monty Python. STH is riddled with movie moment references, more than a few from Indiana Jones... and the odd Abbot & Costello routine.

Thanks!! rbs

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 21: The Enemy of My Enemy
Scene 5: Read Later

21.5
Read Later​

Commander Kenneth Dolphin set the autopilot. The tactical unit was on course for the rendezvous point, which was dark space, nothing but a set of coordinates chosen at random from within a field of acceptable options. Four additional backup locations had been prioritized against the possibility of an area becoming compromised by enemy presence or some other compromising event.

It had been four days since Dolphin had left Lt. Cmdr. Tauk in the maintenance hatch with a starving carnivore. Or was she a parasite? Until now, Dolphin had always managed to set aside his discomfort about Mlady. Now he was having nightmares about her coming out of the maintenance hatch during his sleep. Nightmares about Tauk coming back as a ghost to haunt him. Nightmares about Pep’s enormous mangled, exsanguinated and desiccated corpse.

Travelling alone through romulan space was unnerving enough. It was worse not knowing what condition Tauk’s remains were in. Or whether the predator who had eaten him had slipped her chains. Dolphin was under no illusion that the lock on the maintenance hatch would present any obstacle to Mlady – the maintenance hatch had not been built to house a wild animal, much less an intelligent predator.


“Commander Dolphin…” The sound of Mlady’s voice over the comm system almost made Dolphin jump out of his skin. He looked about, panicked that she might be on the bridge with him. The maintenance hatch door was still closed. The ship status indicated that she was still in the maintenance hatch.

“Mlady?” Dolphin responded.

“I think it is important that you know… Lieutenant Commander Tauk’s heart stopped about five minutes ago. His higher brain functions ended four days ago, about 20 minutes after the two of you last spoke. He felt no pain.”

Dolphin had no idea what to say to this. It was important for him to know. He had no idea that any part of Tauk’s body would survive so long, but he was aware that Mlady could only consume living blood, living organs. At the first moment of necrosis, blood and tissue was no longer of any use to her.

“Do you know when we will meet with Tali?” There was a plaintive sound of longing in Mlady’s voice.

Dolphin took a deep breath, then responded. “We will be at the rendezvous point in five hours and about five minutes. If all has gone well, the Hunter will be there. But…”

“I understand,” said Mlady. “I have never eaten ferengi before. It will be very difficult for me to digest. I have wrapped Tauk’s remains in his uniform. You should be able to transport them into space. He wanted whatever remains were left to be disintegrated. He left a few things for you.” She paused for a moment, then:

“You should know I now have some of his memories. He loved you, you know. Your friendship meant a lot to him.”

Dolphin had been wondering where the grief had been all this time. Hiding behind a log jam of other emotions – fear, guilt, resentment, anger, disgust – even relief that his friend was finally free of the pain he had been hiding for months. Now was a very inconvenient time for the grief to show up. It overwhelmed him, leaving him unable to speak.

Mlady was silent for several minutes. Perhaps she could hear or smell. Dolphin put his head in his hands and just tried, unsuccessfully, to hold the waves of emotion back. He hadn’t been raised to display emotion – even alone – and he really had no idea how to handle it.


Once the flood gates were open, more grief came elbowing through – in two years Dolphin had lost a lot of friends. T’Lok Smith. Joey Chin. Lynhart Shran. David Pepper. But somehow Tauk’s loss was the one that really hurt. Young, brilliant, unusually capable, surprisingly likable – especially for a ferengi – until the endless pain made him hardened and bitter. Even then he had shown a unique ability to recognize and appreciate a moment and draw others into it with him. Somehow, in spite of the many hard calls he had been called on to make and the months of unremitting pain he endured, Tauk had died innocent.


“Commander,” Mlady said softly.

“Yes, Lieutenant Commander?” Dolphin managed. His face was red and wet. His breathing was ragged.

“I am about to enter hibernation. I can hibernate for a very long time. Please do not wake me until Tali is here.”

Dolphin struggled to regain some semblance of control. But all he could manage was, “Understood.”

Somehow he could sense Mlady gradually entering hibernation.


As creepy as warping through romulan space with a deadly predator in the next room less than 10 feet behind him had been, it now felt even creepier to be out here alone.


Dolphin cast his eye on the reader laying in the seat next to him. He picked it up. Thumbed the control. Two displays came up: “Read Now;” “Read Later.” He sat and looked at it for nearly a full minute, then finally thumbed a control that activated the “Read Later” file.

21.5 (of 16)


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[Will The Serious]

Once the flood gates were open, more grief came elbowing through – in two years Dolphin had lost a lot of friends. T’Lok Smith. Joey Chin. Lynhart Shran. David Pepper. But somehow Tauk’s loss was the one that really hurt.

A most tender moment and a show of strength that Dolphin could recover at all. It was very easy to feel his pain right there along with him.

MLady is a complex character, being the only one of her kind.

-Will

 

[Bynar0110]

Excellent Chapter RBS.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

...It was very easy to feel (Dolphin's) pain right there along with him. MLady is a complex character, being the only one of her kind...

I'm really gratified that came through strongly enough that the reader can feel the pain - something that all writers aspire to. Thanks for the kind words!

Mlady is a critical character. She is destined to devour everyone she loves. But her bite does convey some serious advantages...

Thanks!! rbs​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 21: The Enemy of My Enemy
Scene 6: Escape

21.6
Escape​

The U.S.S. Hunter was freed from its straps, but it still had no power. The crew inside were feeling their way through a completely darkened vessel. The first thing Justice Minerva Irons did on entering the crawlway in the nacelle housing was find a cabinet where several dozen flashlights were stored – but none of these had any power either. She distributed them anyway.

Flight Engineer Tomos took the lead. He had spent more time working in the nacelle than pretty much anyone else and knew the number of steps to the stairway that led the way up into the engineering decks. Once the crew were in engineering, most of them were gathered into the engineering conference room and, although they could not see, sorted by department to be counted. Justice Irons led 2nd Lt. Tolon Reeves and 2nd Lt. Ethan Phillips up the ladders and through the Jeffries Tubes up to the bridge. Once on the bridge, they were able to see through the viewer – which was only a window now.


In the mining launch inside the Bestia’s main hangar, Ensign Chelna Zusa was at the control panel for the cutting beams, retargeting after having cut through the straps that had held the U.S.S. Hunter, just a few meters away, strapped firmly to the floor of the hangar.

Buttans Ngumbo pointed to a large array above the Hunter. “So, do you think that’s the dampening generator?”

“One way to find out,” said 2nd Lt. Sun Ho Hui.

“Targeting the emitter,” said Ensign Zusa.

She positioned the cutting beam and fired it directly at the array.


Nothing happened.


“What?” asked Zusa.

“There’s your answer,” said Lt. Sun. “Try targeting the housing above it.”

“Aye, sir,” Zusa responded and retargeted the cutting beam. The beam connected solidly with the housing above the emitter array. Within a few moments, the Hunter suddenly came alive, its navigation screens creating a positive space between the deck of the hangar and the nacelle.


Buttans leaned out of the door and shouted at Special Agent Lynarr: “Anana, I’m coming to you. Can you send Lieutenant Sun and Ensign Zusa to the Hunter?” Buttans swung off the door of the mining launch and slid down the ladder to the deck. As he exited the unit, the alert klaxon started blaring as the main hangar bay doors started to open. A force field kept the atmosphere from venting. Behind him, he could hear the familiar whine of the transporter beam inside the mining launch. Buttans hit the deck running. He stopped to scoop up a disruptor pistol from a dead romulan – and fired it at a living romulan who was coming up behind Anana.

“Do you have everyone?” Buttans yelled.

Lynarr looked around her quickly - then, “Yes.”

“Go – all of you – I’ll cover you.” said Buttans.


When Buttans reached the back of the nacelle, the door into the back of the nacelle was about 5 feet off the deck of the hangar bay. Rume Grace was pushing Anana’s legs, helping her scramble into the doorway, then leapt up after her. At this point the nacelle was nearly 8 feet off the deck. Grace laid down on the floor inside the nacelle, gripping a bar with one hand – reaching out with the other.

Buttans leapt up and grasped Rume’s hand and scrambled over her up into the nacelle. Once he scrambled inside, he assisted Rume Grace to her feet, then closed the door behind him. “Run! We have to be out of here before they fire up the warp engine!”

21.6 (of 16)

​

 

[Will The Serious]

Buttans hit the deck running. He stopped to scoop up a disruptor pistol from a dead romulan – and fired it at a living romulan who was coming up behind Anana.

Tense action. Any second all could go wrong, even once aboard their own ship.

It is always exciting, as well as inspiring to see decisions made in a snap, all synapses firing, every running footstep has to be precisely place but faster than conscious thought or too much time is lost. Buttans is the guy.

-Will

 

[Bynar0110]

Excellent chapter RBS.

Shouldn't Sela be chasing Hunter?

Justice Minerva Irons sound like a character name from Judge Dredd.