Ties that Bind: Chapter 18
“Federation runabout has altered course…” The Cardassian sensor operator on the Linesa reported, “It is now headed for the Tellak Nebula…”
“Just like a vole…” Rejak mused as he tried to divine his enemy’s plan, “Diving for cover. Our sensors will not be able to track them easily in the nebula—forcing us to waste considerable time and effort.” Taking a deep breath, he commanded, “Increase speed. Fire torpedoes the moment we are in range—do not allow them to enter that nebula!”
**************************************************
“It looks like your plan has succeeded, Commander Hobson…” Data quipped as the Ferengi freighter shuddered under the impact of yet another Cardassian barrage. “Shields down to thirty percent.”
“Thank you, Commander Data…” Hobson riposted, a faint note of mockery in his voice as disruptor beams lanced out from both of the pursuing patrol vessels, “…for your acute observation. Now, we get ready for the next part of our plan…”
“Understood…” The android officer acknowledged. “Course set for Beta Illara Four…”
“Very good…” Hobson replied with an icy grin as he entered the system’s coordinates into the ship’s computer. “Let’s hope the Cardassians take the bait…”
Watching as the Ferengi vessel altered course, Gul Tersel flashed a sly grin. “A good move, my friend…one I would have made myself.” Addressing his helmsman, he ordered, “Maintain pursuit.”
“Into the asteroid belt?” The helmsman asked a look of surprise on his face.
“Yes.” The gul confidently answered back. “That Ferengi ship doesn’t know it yet, but they’ve just sealed their fate.”
******************************************
“We’ve made it…” Sam reported as the tiny runabout shuddered violently under the impact of the Galor class Cardassian warship’s disruptors. “We’re in the Tellak Nebula. They’ll have a hard time locking on to us while we’re in here.”
“Just in time!” Maria Django shouted back from the smoking engine area. “They almost knocked our engines out with that last volley.”
“Can you get ‘em fixed?” A worried Sam called back over his shoulder.
Putting out the flames with her portable fire extinguisher, the young Brazilian woman surveyed the smoking circuitry. Sighing, she answered back, “We’ve got impulse as long as you don’t strain the engines, but it’ll take me some time to get the warp engines back on line—I only did a year in engineering before being transferred into ops.”
“Do the best you can, Ensign.” Worf called out reassuringly. “I will see to the repair of the shields and weapons.”
“How’s Jaxa doing?” Sam then called out to Alyssa Ogawa, still at the side of the unconscious Bajoran woman who was the reason for them all being here now.
“She’s still out…” Alyssa replied, “But I’m getting worried about some of the latest readings I got…her heartbeat and breathing are irregular, and her perspiration rate has increased.”
“Should we be worried?” Sam inquired, his voice tinged with worry for his old friend.
“I don’t know…” Alyssa responded in a quiet voice as she looked down on her patient, “I’d feel better with her in a proper sickbay…”
“So would I…” Sam responded before calling out to Ensign Django, “Give me a moment and I’ll come back and give you a hand, Maria. I’m no engineer either, but I did spend some time working with Commander LaForge while I was on the Enterprise.”
“I’ll take all the help I can get.” Maria called back as she returned to her task of repairing and replacing circuits.
*********************************************
“Some of these asteroids are rich in tylium deposits.” Data noted as Hobson brought the Pursuit of Commerce to a standstill near one of the planetoids. “While the tylium will affect the Cardassian sensors, should a disruptor beam or torpedo strike the wrong one...”
“It could initiate a chain reaction blowing everything up.” Hobson finished. His lips turning up into a smirk, the patrician executive officer quipped, “Why, Commander Data, are you getting cold feet now that things are getting interesting?”
“My feet remain at the same consistent temperature they always have.” The android riposted, and then, responding the human’s dig, remarked smugly, “I just wanted to remind you that, for our plan to succeed, it will require the utmost in precision.”
Not rising to the bait, Hobson, still with his icy grin, smoothly replied, “That, Commander Data, is why you are here.”
Watching as the two Cardassian vessels drew ever closer, Data remarked in an emotionless tone, “Then, Commander Hobson, let us hope that the Cardassians understand their part in our plan.”
******************************************************
“We’ve lost them, Sir.” The sensor technician on board the Linesa reluctantly informed his commanding officer.
“That is to be expected.” Gul Rejak replied smugly. “Launch spatial charges. We will not play their game by going into the nebula. They will either be forced out…or we will shake them to bits.”
“Dammit!” Maria swore as her head hit the top of the tiny engineering crawlspace. “What the hell’s happening out there?”
“The Cardassians are firing spatial charges at us.” Worf replied gruffly.
“They’re trying to smoke us out.” Sam interjected from where he lay next to Maria in the crawlspace. Turning to the woman lying next to him, he asked, “Can you finish things down here?”
“Yeah…” Maria replied with a sigh, “If you can keep the Cardies from shaking us to pieces then I think I can get us going again.”
As Sam returned to his position at the pilot’s chair, a voice came through the ship’s speakers. “This is Gul Rejak. You have committed crimes against the Cardassian Union. Surrender now and your lives will be spared.”
“Don’t respond.” Worf counseled from his position at the weapons console. “They can triangulate on our signal.”
“I had no intention of giving him the satisfaction.” Lavelle replied his lips curled down into a frown as yet another spatial charge rocked the tiny runabout.
“Good.” The Klingon warrior nodded his head approvingly as he swore an oath, “We will not surrender. We will all either make it out together or we will die together.”
“I’ll second that.” Sam affirmed in a grim tone. He called out over his shoulder at the women, “What about you, Maria…Alyssa?”
“Agreed.” Alyssa said grimly as she took out a hypospray, loading it with a lethal cocktail of cyalodin and Nogatch hemlock—enough for herself and everyone else on the runabout—and then set it aside next to her, quietly swearing, “I won’t let them do to us what they did to Jaxa and I won’t let them get their paws on her again either.”
Rushing back from the engine area, Maria declared, “If it comes to it, I’ll die before letting that pig Rejak get anywhere near me, but we’re not dead yet!” Returning to her station at the copilot’s chair, the young Brazilian called up the display. As the warp engines indicators changed from red to yellow to green, she remarked smugly, “Am I good, or what?”
“Oh, you’re good…” Sam quipped, flashing his companion a quick leer, “You’re damned good.” Turning towards the large Klingon sitting next to him, the Canadian helmsman asked, “You ready, Mr. Worf?”
His lips turned up into a feral grin, the Klingon replied, “Yes…it is time we gave Gul Rejak our answer.”
************************************************
“Why are we entering the asteroid belt, Sir? Why not simply fire at the asteroids…surely we will eventually destroy the Ferengi vessel and without any risk to ourselves?”
Turning towards his executive officer, Gul Tersel responded, “We cannot be sure. The tylium deposits effectively deflect our scanners at all but the closest of distances. There is no choice but for us to come within close range.” Pausing for a moment, the young gul added, “Also, I would like to try to take our mysterious assailants alive—I have a feeling we’re going to find that they are not Ferengi.” Turning towards his sensor technician, the gul ordered, “Pay close attention to your scans—you’ll only catch them for a moment through all the clutter.”
“Understood, Sir.” The technician responded as he hunched over his console.
“Now…” The gul stated in a flat tone, “We root our quarry out. There is nowhere for them to go. They can hide—but only for awhile—and we will be there when they come out.”
*******************************************************
“The Cardassian vessels have closed and begun scanning.” Data reported as Commander Hobson cupped his chin.
“This Gul seems to be very patient and methodical.” Chris noted approvingly. “Note his search pattern…how he and his partner are gradually sweeping the area. He’s in no hurry.”
“But we are…” The android officer noted. “The longer we stay out here, the more likely reinforcements will arrive.”
“That’s why we’re going to have to get his attention…but do so subtly.”
“I believe I have a solution.” Data declared. “There’s an asteroid with a rich tylium vein approximately fifty thousand kilometers away at bearing ninety degrees. I can modulate the impulse engines to leave a distinct trail. The Cardassians will assume the trail to be the result of engine damage.”
After a few moments considering his rival’s plan and not finding any noticeable holes in it, Commander Hobson nodded his head in assent. “Go ahead. When you are ready, I’ll lay the course in for the planetoid.”
************************************************
“No response from the Federation runabout, Sir.” The Linesa’s executive officer declared.
His lips curling up into an icy grin, Gul Rejak replied, “I didn’t expect one.” Shaking his head in an almost rueful manner, the corrupt gul pressed a flashing red button on the arm of his chair as he muttered to himself, “Ah…I’ll miss you my pet…but…I’ll find another toy…maybe…should she survive…the dusky skinned human who dared to threaten me?” Addressing his weapons officer, Rejak ordered, “Escalate the barrage.”
“Yes, Sir.” The weapons officer responded as four spatial charges launched from the warship dispersed, arcing their way towards the nebula, their explosions appearing as orange flashes on the viewscreen.
********************************************
Taking yet another reading from her tricorder, Alyssa’s heart skipped a beat as she noticed the sudden spike in her patient’s heart rate. “What the hell?” The Japanese nurse swore as her Bajoran patient suddenly began to scream and thrash about.
“What’s happening back there?” Sam called out, his finger hovering over the button that would activate the Loire’s warp engines.
Quickly injecting her patient with a sedative, Alyssa responded, a note of alarm in her voice “I think it’s Jaxa’s pain implant—I believe it’s overloading.”
“How is she?” The helmsman asked, his voice edged with concern.
“She’ll die….” Alyssa answered back, shaking her head as the tormented young woman thrashed about, “…unless that implant is removed.”
Recovering his seat after the Loire was shaken yet again by the near impact of the Cardassian spatial charges, Lieutenant Commander Worf declared, “They are getting too close…we have to go now.” Turning towards Nurse Ogawa, the Klingon officer asked, “Can you remove the implant?”
“I’m…I’m…” Alyssa stammered, “I’m not sure…I’m not a surgeon…”
Looking with compassion on the Japanese woman, Worf declared in a voice filled with confidence, “You can do it. You’ve always handled yourself well in emergencies and you have learned from the very best. Just do the best you can…no matter what happens…Ensign Sito will understand.”
“Thank you, Mr. Worf.” The young nurse, regaining her confidence, answered back in a soft voice. Turning towards Ensign Django, she called out as she tried to hold down a thrashing Sito Jaxa, “Maria? I could use your help for a moment. If I’m going to operate on Jaxa, I’m going to need her restrained, and I can’t do it alone.”
Catching Sam out of the corner of her eye nodding his head, Maria got out of her seat, “I’m on my way, Alyssa.” Quickly rushing back, the Brazilian woman knelt down beside Alyssa. Struggling, Maria held down the thrashing Sito as Alyssa first tied down her arms and legs and then her mid-section.
Shaking her head at the heaving Sito, Alyssa injected her with another sedative, stating as she laid out the surgical instruments contained in her emergency medical kit, “That should calm her down long enough.”
“Do you need me for anything else?” Maria asked, gulping, as Alyssa grasped the exoscalpel in her hands.
“No…” The Japanese nurse responded with a wan smile, “You better get back up front—they’re probably going to need you there soon.”
Inwardly sighing in relief that she wouldn’t have to actually assist in the surgery, Maria put her hand on the nurse’s shoulder, “Good luck, Alyssa—I know you can do it.”
“Thanks.” Nurse Ogawa said in a soft voice as she activated the exoscalpel. Pausing for a moment to say a silent prayer, she prepared to make her incision as she heard Sam’s voice.
“Here we go!”
“Federation runabout has altered course…” The Cardassian sensor operator on the Linesa reported, “It is now headed for the Tellak Nebula…”
“Just like a vole…” Rejak mused as he tried to divine his enemy’s plan, “Diving for cover. Our sensors will not be able to track them easily in the nebula—forcing us to waste considerable time and effort.” Taking a deep breath, he commanded, “Increase speed. Fire torpedoes the moment we are in range—do not allow them to enter that nebula!”
**************************************************
“It looks like your plan has succeeded, Commander Hobson…” Data quipped as the Ferengi freighter shuddered under the impact of yet another Cardassian barrage. “Shields down to thirty percent.”
“Thank you, Commander Data…” Hobson riposted, a faint note of mockery in his voice as disruptor beams lanced out from both of the pursuing patrol vessels, “…for your acute observation. Now, we get ready for the next part of our plan…”
“Understood…” The android officer acknowledged. “Course set for Beta Illara Four…”
“Very good…” Hobson replied with an icy grin as he entered the system’s coordinates into the ship’s computer. “Let’s hope the Cardassians take the bait…”
Watching as the Ferengi vessel altered course, Gul Tersel flashed a sly grin. “A good move, my friend…one I would have made myself.” Addressing his helmsman, he ordered, “Maintain pursuit.”
“Into the asteroid belt?” The helmsman asked a look of surprise on his face.
“Yes.” The gul confidently answered back. “That Ferengi ship doesn’t know it yet, but they’ve just sealed their fate.”
******************************************
“We’ve made it…” Sam reported as the tiny runabout shuddered violently under the impact of the Galor class Cardassian warship’s disruptors. “We’re in the Tellak Nebula. They’ll have a hard time locking on to us while we’re in here.”
“Just in time!” Maria Django shouted back from the smoking engine area. “They almost knocked our engines out with that last volley.”
“Can you get ‘em fixed?” A worried Sam called back over his shoulder.
Putting out the flames with her portable fire extinguisher, the young Brazilian woman surveyed the smoking circuitry. Sighing, she answered back, “We’ve got impulse as long as you don’t strain the engines, but it’ll take me some time to get the warp engines back on line—I only did a year in engineering before being transferred into ops.”
“Do the best you can, Ensign.” Worf called out reassuringly. “I will see to the repair of the shields and weapons.”
“How’s Jaxa doing?” Sam then called out to Alyssa Ogawa, still at the side of the unconscious Bajoran woman who was the reason for them all being here now.
“She’s still out…” Alyssa replied, “But I’m getting worried about some of the latest readings I got…her heartbeat and breathing are irregular, and her perspiration rate has increased.”
“Should we be worried?” Sam inquired, his voice tinged with worry for his old friend.
“I don’t know…” Alyssa responded in a quiet voice as she looked down on her patient, “I’d feel better with her in a proper sickbay…”
“So would I…” Sam responded before calling out to Ensign Django, “Give me a moment and I’ll come back and give you a hand, Maria. I’m no engineer either, but I did spend some time working with Commander LaForge while I was on the Enterprise.”
“I’ll take all the help I can get.” Maria called back as she returned to her task of repairing and replacing circuits.
*********************************************
“Some of these asteroids are rich in tylium deposits.” Data noted as Hobson brought the Pursuit of Commerce to a standstill near one of the planetoids. “While the tylium will affect the Cardassian sensors, should a disruptor beam or torpedo strike the wrong one...”
“It could initiate a chain reaction blowing everything up.” Hobson finished. His lips turning up into a smirk, the patrician executive officer quipped, “Why, Commander Data, are you getting cold feet now that things are getting interesting?”
“My feet remain at the same consistent temperature they always have.” The android riposted, and then, responding the human’s dig, remarked smugly, “I just wanted to remind you that, for our plan to succeed, it will require the utmost in precision.”
Not rising to the bait, Hobson, still with his icy grin, smoothly replied, “That, Commander Data, is why you are here.”
Watching as the two Cardassian vessels drew ever closer, Data remarked in an emotionless tone, “Then, Commander Hobson, let us hope that the Cardassians understand their part in our plan.”
******************************************************
“We’ve lost them, Sir.” The sensor technician on board the Linesa reluctantly informed his commanding officer.
“That is to be expected.” Gul Rejak replied smugly. “Launch spatial charges. We will not play their game by going into the nebula. They will either be forced out…or we will shake them to bits.”
“Dammit!” Maria swore as her head hit the top of the tiny engineering crawlspace. “What the hell’s happening out there?”
“The Cardassians are firing spatial charges at us.” Worf replied gruffly.
“They’re trying to smoke us out.” Sam interjected from where he lay next to Maria in the crawlspace. Turning to the woman lying next to him, he asked, “Can you finish things down here?”
“Yeah…” Maria replied with a sigh, “If you can keep the Cardies from shaking us to pieces then I think I can get us going again.”
As Sam returned to his position at the pilot’s chair, a voice came through the ship’s speakers. “This is Gul Rejak. You have committed crimes against the Cardassian Union. Surrender now and your lives will be spared.”
“Don’t respond.” Worf counseled from his position at the weapons console. “They can triangulate on our signal.”
“I had no intention of giving him the satisfaction.” Lavelle replied his lips curled down into a frown as yet another spatial charge rocked the tiny runabout.
“Good.” The Klingon warrior nodded his head approvingly as he swore an oath, “We will not surrender. We will all either make it out together or we will die together.”
“I’ll second that.” Sam affirmed in a grim tone. He called out over his shoulder at the women, “What about you, Maria…Alyssa?”
“Agreed.” Alyssa said grimly as she took out a hypospray, loading it with a lethal cocktail of cyalodin and Nogatch hemlock—enough for herself and everyone else on the runabout—and then set it aside next to her, quietly swearing, “I won’t let them do to us what they did to Jaxa and I won’t let them get their paws on her again either.”
Rushing back from the engine area, Maria declared, “If it comes to it, I’ll die before letting that pig Rejak get anywhere near me, but we’re not dead yet!” Returning to her station at the copilot’s chair, the young Brazilian called up the display. As the warp engines indicators changed from red to yellow to green, she remarked smugly, “Am I good, or what?”
“Oh, you’re good…” Sam quipped, flashing his companion a quick leer, “You’re damned good.” Turning towards the large Klingon sitting next to him, the Canadian helmsman asked, “You ready, Mr. Worf?”
His lips turned up into a feral grin, the Klingon replied, “Yes…it is time we gave Gul Rejak our answer.”
************************************************
“Why are we entering the asteroid belt, Sir? Why not simply fire at the asteroids…surely we will eventually destroy the Ferengi vessel and without any risk to ourselves?”
Turning towards his executive officer, Gul Tersel responded, “We cannot be sure. The tylium deposits effectively deflect our scanners at all but the closest of distances. There is no choice but for us to come within close range.” Pausing for a moment, the young gul added, “Also, I would like to try to take our mysterious assailants alive—I have a feeling we’re going to find that they are not Ferengi.” Turning towards his sensor technician, the gul ordered, “Pay close attention to your scans—you’ll only catch them for a moment through all the clutter.”
“Understood, Sir.” The technician responded as he hunched over his console.
“Now…” The gul stated in a flat tone, “We root our quarry out. There is nowhere for them to go. They can hide—but only for awhile—and we will be there when they come out.”
*******************************************************
“The Cardassian vessels have closed and begun scanning.” Data reported as Commander Hobson cupped his chin.
“This Gul seems to be very patient and methodical.” Chris noted approvingly. “Note his search pattern…how he and his partner are gradually sweeping the area. He’s in no hurry.”
“But we are…” The android officer noted. “The longer we stay out here, the more likely reinforcements will arrive.”
“That’s why we’re going to have to get his attention…but do so subtly.”
“I believe I have a solution.” Data declared. “There’s an asteroid with a rich tylium vein approximately fifty thousand kilometers away at bearing ninety degrees. I can modulate the impulse engines to leave a distinct trail. The Cardassians will assume the trail to be the result of engine damage.”
After a few moments considering his rival’s plan and not finding any noticeable holes in it, Commander Hobson nodded his head in assent. “Go ahead. When you are ready, I’ll lay the course in for the planetoid.”
************************************************
“No response from the Federation runabout, Sir.” The Linesa’s executive officer declared.
His lips curling up into an icy grin, Gul Rejak replied, “I didn’t expect one.” Shaking his head in an almost rueful manner, the corrupt gul pressed a flashing red button on the arm of his chair as he muttered to himself, “Ah…I’ll miss you my pet…but…I’ll find another toy…maybe…should she survive…the dusky skinned human who dared to threaten me?” Addressing his weapons officer, Rejak ordered, “Escalate the barrage.”
“Yes, Sir.” The weapons officer responded as four spatial charges launched from the warship dispersed, arcing their way towards the nebula, their explosions appearing as orange flashes on the viewscreen.
********************************************
Taking yet another reading from her tricorder, Alyssa’s heart skipped a beat as she noticed the sudden spike in her patient’s heart rate. “What the hell?” The Japanese nurse swore as her Bajoran patient suddenly began to scream and thrash about.
“What’s happening back there?” Sam called out, his finger hovering over the button that would activate the Loire’s warp engines.
Quickly injecting her patient with a sedative, Alyssa responded, a note of alarm in her voice “I think it’s Jaxa’s pain implant—I believe it’s overloading.”
“How is she?” The helmsman asked, his voice edged with concern.
“She’ll die….” Alyssa answered back, shaking her head as the tormented young woman thrashed about, “…unless that implant is removed.”
Recovering his seat after the Loire was shaken yet again by the near impact of the Cardassian spatial charges, Lieutenant Commander Worf declared, “They are getting too close…we have to go now.” Turning towards Nurse Ogawa, the Klingon officer asked, “Can you remove the implant?”
“I’m…I’m…” Alyssa stammered, “I’m not sure…I’m not a surgeon…”
Looking with compassion on the Japanese woman, Worf declared in a voice filled with confidence, “You can do it. You’ve always handled yourself well in emergencies and you have learned from the very best. Just do the best you can…no matter what happens…Ensign Sito will understand.”
“Thank you, Mr. Worf.” The young nurse, regaining her confidence, answered back in a soft voice. Turning towards Ensign Django, she called out as she tried to hold down a thrashing Sito Jaxa, “Maria? I could use your help for a moment. If I’m going to operate on Jaxa, I’m going to need her restrained, and I can’t do it alone.”
Catching Sam out of the corner of her eye nodding his head, Maria got out of her seat, “I’m on my way, Alyssa.” Quickly rushing back, the Brazilian woman knelt down beside Alyssa. Struggling, Maria held down the thrashing Sito as Alyssa first tied down her arms and legs and then her mid-section.
Shaking her head at the heaving Sito, Alyssa injected her with another sedative, stating as she laid out the surgical instruments contained in her emergency medical kit, “That should calm her down long enough.”
“Do you need me for anything else?” Maria asked, gulping, as Alyssa grasped the exoscalpel in her hands.
“No…” The Japanese nurse responded with a wan smile, “You better get back up front—they’re probably going to need you there soon.”
Inwardly sighing in relief that she wouldn’t have to actually assist in the surgery, Maria put her hand on the nurse’s shoulder, “Good luck, Alyssa—I know you can do it.”
“Thanks.” Nurse Ogawa said in a soft voice as she activated the exoscalpel. Pausing for a moment to say a silent prayer, she prepared to make her incision as she heard Sam’s voice.
“Here we go!”
