Garm Bel Iblis
Commodore
Chapter: Arsenal of Freedom
"Captain's Log, Stardate 41798.2. Given our recent losses to the Romulans, I have taken it upon myself to equip the Enterprise with the most advanced weapons known to exist
To that end I have ordered a course for the Lorenze Cluster and the planet Minos. Known as the best weapons manufacturers in the quadrant, the natives have resisted all attempts at Terran occupation, but have provided weapons to all sides in every major interstellar conflict for the past three hundred years.
However, we seem to have a mystery on our hands. Long-range probes have indicated that all intelligent life on the planet has disappeared."
<><><>
Marlena had had enough. She cried out and struck the man who’d claim her like some sort of prize. “No,” she shrieked. “I am not some play thing to be abused any long,” she said.
Jean-Luc Picard reached across in the dark shadows of his quarters and grabbed her by the hair. “Everything that belonged to James Kirk now belongs to me, including you.” He pulled her closer. “I don’t need your permission or your consent. Only your obedience.”
Marlena slapped him across the face. The edge of her rubidium ring tore open the flesh on his right cheek. Picard snarled and backhanded her across the face. “Perhaps you have outlived your usefulness,” he said. “For a month now I’ve hidden you away from prying eyes and enjoyed myself thoroughly.” He pulled the phaser out of his holster and adjusting it’s settings. “You had a long life,” he said.
Marlena remained silent. ”Silent to the end. When I killed James he cried like a child, begging for mercy that I never showed.” He chucked as her mouth fell open in shock. “That’s right. I killed him myself. Knifed him through the back and tore out his heart.” He touched the firing stud.
“Bridge to Picard. We are approaching Minos, sir. You should really see this.”
<><><>
“Well well well, Picard said, as he departed the lift and drank in the site on the forward viwere. “An old friend.”
“Sensor’s confirmed,” O’Brien said. “USS Drake.”
Picard’s gut clenched. He’d hoped not to have to deal with Riker any time in the next fifty or sixty years. “Have we made contact?”
“Negative,” Data said, vacating the command chair. “Sensors show no signs of life aboard the Drake.”
“What about on the surface?” Picard asked.
“Sensors are being disrupted within the planet’s atmosphere,” Data said.
“Assemble a landing party,” Picard said. “Find out what happened down there and see if there are any useable weapons left.”
Data headed for the left, instructing O’Brien to follow as well as Hanson.
Picard found himself relaxing for the first time in weeks. With Data and Hanson both off the ship, there was no one directly critiquing him and driving him mad. Except Beverly, but she knew her place. He watched the world come closer into view along with the abandoned Defiant-Class escort ship. Smaller than the Enterprise’s saucer section the tiny ship possessed enough power to vaporize the surface of a planet.
Picard was tempted to beam aboard and take the ship for his own, but he knew Riker’s reputation. He wouldn’t have left his ship in orbit without an impressive anti-piracy protocol in place. Ah, well, Picard thought, maybe after I’ve killed him.
“Sir!” snapped Worf from tactical. “The Drake is firing!”
Picard spun on his heel to face the screen the exact moment a stream of pulse-phased energy lashed out from the forward cannons of the small battle ship. The Enterprsie rolled and creaked under the assault.
“Shields at sixty percent,” said Worf. “The Drake was running a high-yield dampening field. It has since been shut down. The full crew is accounted for.”
“Helm, warp eight, take us out,” Picard said. With the away team on the surface, he’d have to sacrifice them for the safety of the ship.
“Sir,” Worf said. “The Drake is hailing us.”
“On screen,” Picard snapped, his fury boiling over. He’d been expertly led into this mess.
Sure enough the smug image of Riker appeared on the screen. “Hello, Jean-Luc, it’s a pleasure.”
“Why have you attacked my ship?” Picard demanded.
“Looting weapons factories to use against the Romulans without informing Command,” Riker said. “Admiral Jellico was quite upset. Sent me out here to take care of you.”
Jellico. Picard’s rival since the academy
The pompous full had rode Picard’s coattails since their freshman year. During their sophomore studies aboard the Wyoming, Jellico had framed Picard for the destruction of the ships bio-weapons lab after Jellico had set off a proton explosion. Picard had been reprimanded by Captain Raimer and had been and nearly executed. If not for the last minute efforts of Boothby, he would have been.
“You can tell that piece of worm-ridden filth to go hang,” Picard said. ”He’ll get no pleasure from me.”
“Pity,” Riker said. “Thought you’d put up more of a challenge.” He nodded to someone off screen and the link was terminated.
<><><>
“Data to Enterprise.”
The landing party had huddled around a small structure in the forest of Minos and awaited contact with the ship. From the destruction that spread in every direction from their position, it was obvious that a high yield orbital bombardment had taken place.
“Do you really think Riker would’ve done this?” Hanson asked. “I only know him by reputation, but what purpose would this serve? Minos has always been loyal to the Empire.”
“Riker is an arrogant fool,” Data said. He swept his tricorder in a wide arc. “It’s most likely he obtained what weapons he could and destroyed any chance of Captain Picard doing the same.”
“Do you think Riker’s on the Drake?” Hanson said.
“Yes, he was running a static dampening field that blocked our scanners. I ‘neglected’ to inform the captain.”
Hanson stood up at attention. “You’re taking a big risk, Commander. Letting your captain die isn’t the most loyal thing you can do.”
“No, but with Picard’s reputation it’s the least he can expect. Our good captain was trying to the exact thing we’re accusing Riker of. Obtaining the Minos weapons for himself for use against the Romulans.”
“In the name of the Empire,” Hanson said. “If Riker weren’t acting on his own, I doubt he would have exterminated all life on this world.”
“Perhaps, but Picard was acting on his own with the help of those Klingons. I will be keeping a very watchful eye on him.”
“As should any good first officer,” Hanson said with a smirk. “And as the chief enforcer of imperial policy, I will be keeping my eyes on you. Especially your cavorting with Romulan spies.”
Data smiled. “Yes, Miss Sela did a number on all of us, myself included. I look forward to witnessing her execution.”
“You won’t have long to wait,” Hanson said. “She’s been in the booth for eighty-nine hours, her Vulcanoid heritage is really rearing it’s ugly pointed head. But best estimates show she’ll break within the next ten to fifteen hours. And that point, she’s all yours.”
“I look forward to it.” He was stopped by the sound of footfalls approaching. La Forge and O’Brien had returned from their recon patrol.
“Nothing,” La Forge said. “We managed to get up on a pretty high incline; there’s nothing left. They really did a number on this place.”
“No sign of any remaining technology,” O’Brien said. “It’s all useless junk.”
“And we have lost contact with the ship,” Data added. “Set up a camp, shell out the provisions. I’ll see if I can construct a more powerful communications array that will breach whatever dampening is in effect.”
<><><>
“Shields at eighteen percent,” Worf said. “The Drake is closing on us.”
Picard grabbed the arms of his command chair and held on as the ship was struck three more times and what little remained of the aft deflector shields melted away. “Come to course eight four,” he said. “Straight into the planet’s atmosphere.”
Barclay struggled against both the weapons fire and the gravitational effects of Minos as the ran at full impulse for whatever cover could be found in the dense atmosphere of the planet.
“Hitting the ionosphere,” Barclay said.
“Shields are gone,” Worf said. “Aft weapons are off-line.”
“Hold your course,” Picard said. “All power to structural integrity.”
<><><>
“Shields are fried! We’re just coming in too damned fast!”
Riker silenced the wailing of the helmsmen but gutting him and taking over the conn himself. The bridge of the Drake was coming apart around them as they pursued Picard through planet’s atmosphere.
They’d nearly burned out the ship’s warp coils once they got word Enterprise was making their way out here. Admiral Jellico had been adamant that Picard not be allowed the weapons of Minos at all costs. Riker had regretted not being able to take the weapons for himself. There just hadn’t been time. He’d ordered a full bombardment of the surface then littered the planet with subspace scramblers that stopped all incoming and outgoing transmissions.
Then they’d set up the dampening field and played opossum until Enterprise came in. As powerful as the Drake was, Enterprise had given as good as she got. Both ships had lost their shields and had fractures along the outer hull. The Drake had fared worse, her smaller space frame coming apart at the stembolts. The computer kept warning that integrity would collapse within seconds if they didn’t’ return to orbit.
“But we’re so close,” Riker said. He barely caught the sensor return as the Enterprise shut down her impulse drive and fired her forward thrusters, essentially coming to a full stop.
Riker slapped the helm and fired the retro-thrusters.
It didn’t do a bit of good. Drake skidded directly into the path of a full spread of torpedoes and phasers. The aft section of the ship was vaporized in an instant, her engineering compartment breached.
“Computer! Escape plan, Riker Omega Three!”
<><><>
“Well done, Worf,” Picard said, grabbing the back of Barclay’s chair for support. The Drake came apart and erupted in a fireball.
“Sir,” Worf said, “a shuttle has launched from the bay. Two Terran life-signs.”
“Tractor beam,” Picard demanded.
Worf spent several moments working the board, then pounded the controls with his fist in frustration. “No good, sir. They masked themselves and went to warp.”
“Riker always knows when to run,” Picard said. “Helm, return to standard orbit. Once we’re stabilized, take a shuttle down and get our away team back home.”
<><><>
Deanna Troi touched the dermal regenerator to the gash on Riker’s forehead. The beams knitted the skin back together and repaired the damage. “There,” she said. “You’ve got enough scars as it is.”
Riker slapped the device out of her hand and grabbed her by the wrist. ”Don’t. Ever. Mock. Me. You may be my Imzadi, but you are still my subordinate.”
“Yes,” Troi said coldly. “Of course.”
Riker shoved her away. The cramped confines of the escape shuttle was grating on his nerves. They’d been on the move for five days since they escaped the destruction of the Drake at Minos. “That bastard’s going to have to pay for this,” Riker said.
“And you’re the one who’s going to do it,” Deanna said, running a finger down his spine. She kissed him firmly and passionately.”
When he pulled away, his eyes twinkled. “You are a catch, Imzadi. When we get home, I’ll make sure your well taken care of.”
Riker smiled. He’d meet up with Jean-Luc Picard again, and the next time, Picard would be the one to lose everything. “I think I should start with the doctor,” Riker said, picking up a data padd. “Hit him close and him fast.”
<><><>
Picard rushed headlong onto Deck 6 outside the booth and was greeted by Commanders Hanson and Data. “Report,” he snapped.
“She broke,” Hanson said.
Picard followed her into the chamber and smiled and the crumpled form on the deck. “Ninety-three hours,” Data said with a smile. ”No one’s ever lasted this long.”
“She was apparently conditioned by her superiors to resist our methods,” Hanson said. “But Lieutenant Worf had a few devices with him.”
“Good old fashioned mind sifters,” Data said. “Nostalgic, crude and effective.”
“We basically ripped what we needed out of her head,” Hanson said, inputting commands into a data terminal. “We got everything. Her contacts in Starfleet, her handlers, everything. We’re still putting the information together, we had to pull it out in chunks, but the correlation programs are ongoing, translating them back to Standard.” She tapped another series of controls. An image appeared. Three Starfleet admirals stood in a semi-circle, laughing and sharing drinks. “These are her contacts,” Hanson said.
Picard felt rage swell within him. The admirals on screen were the highest placed members of Starfleet. Admiral Aaron, Admiral Savar of Vulcan and Gregory Quinn.
“Data,” Picard said, menacingly and barely above a whisper. “Set a course for Earth.”
"Captain's Log, Stardate 41798.2. Given our recent losses to the Romulans, I have taken it upon myself to equip the Enterprise with the most advanced weapons known to exist
To that end I have ordered a course for the Lorenze Cluster and the planet Minos. Known as the best weapons manufacturers in the quadrant, the natives have resisted all attempts at Terran occupation, but have provided weapons to all sides in every major interstellar conflict for the past three hundred years.
However, we seem to have a mystery on our hands. Long-range probes have indicated that all intelligent life on the planet has disappeared."
<><><>
Marlena had had enough. She cried out and struck the man who’d claim her like some sort of prize. “No,” she shrieked. “I am not some play thing to be abused any long,” she said.
Jean-Luc Picard reached across in the dark shadows of his quarters and grabbed her by the hair. “Everything that belonged to James Kirk now belongs to me, including you.” He pulled her closer. “I don’t need your permission or your consent. Only your obedience.”
Marlena slapped him across the face. The edge of her rubidium ring tore open the flesh on his right cheek. Picard snarled and backhanded her across the face. “Perhaps you have outlived your usefulness,” he said. “For a month now I’ve hidden you away from prying eyes and enjoyed myself thoroughly.” He pulled the phaser out of his holster and adjusting it’s settings. “You had a long life,” he said.
Marlena remained silent. ”Silent to the end. When I killed James he cried like a child, begging for mercy that I never showed.” He chucked as her mouth fell open in shock. “That’s right. I killed him myself. Knifed him through the back and tore out his heart.” He touched the firing stud.
“Bridge to Picard. We are approaching Minos, sir. You should really see this.”
<><><>
“Well well well, Picard said, as he departed the lift and drank in the site on the forward viwere. “An old friend.”
“Sensor’s confirmed,” O’Brien said. “USS Drake.”
Picard’s gut clenched. He’d hoped not to have to deal with Riker any time in the next fifty or sixty years. “Have we made contact?”
“Negative,” Data said, vacating the command chair. “Sensors show no signs of life aboard the Drake.”
“What about on the surface?” Picard asked.
“Sensors are being disrupted within the planet’s atmosphere,” Data said.
“Assemble a landing party,” Picard said. “Find out what happened down there and see if there are any useable weapons left.”
Data headed for the left, instructing O’Brien to follow as well as Hanson.
Picard found himself relaxing for the first time in weeks. With Data and Hanson both off the ship, there was no one directly critiquing him and driving him mad. Except Beverly, but she knew her place. He watched the world come closer into view along with the abandoned Defiant-Class escort ship. Smaller than the Enterprise’s saucer section the tiny ship possessed enough power to vaporize the surface of a planet.
Picard was tempted to beam aboard and take the ship for his own, but he knew Riker’s reputation. He wouldn’t have left his ship in orbit without an impressive anti-piracy protocol in place. Ah, well, Picard thought, maybe after I’ve killed him.
“Sir!” snapped Worf from tactical. “The Drake is firing!”
Picard spun on his heel to face the screen the exact moment a stream of pulse-phased energy lashed out from the forward cannons of the small battle ship. The Enterprsie rolled and creaked under the assault.
“Shields at sixty percent,” said Worf. “The Drake was running a high-yield dampening field. It has since been shut down. The full crew is accounted for.”
“Helm, warp eight, take us out,” Picard said. With the away team on the surface, he’d have to sacrifice them for the safety of the ship.
“Sir,” Worf said. “The Drake is hailing us.”
“On screen,” Picard snapped, his fury boiling over. He’d been expertly led into this mess.
Sure enough the smug image of Riker appeared on the screen. “Hello, Jean-Luc, it’s a pleasure.”
“Why have you attacked my ship?” Picard demanded.
“Looting weapons factories to use against the Romulans without informing Command,” Riker said. “Admiral Jellico was quite upset. Sent me out here to take care of you.”
Jellico. Picard’s rival since the academy
The pompous full had rode Picard’s coattails since their freshman year. During their sophomore studies aboard the Wyoming, Jellico had framed Picard for the destruction of the ships bio-weapons lab after Jellico had set off a proton explosion. Picard had been reprimanded by Captain Raimer and had been and nearly executed. If not for the last minute efforts of Boothby, he would have been.
“You can tell that piece of worm-ridden filth to go hang,” Picard said. ”He’ll get no pleasure from me.”
“Pity,” Riker said. “Thought you’d put up more of a challenge.” He nodded to someone off screen and the link was terminated.
<><><>
“Data to Enterprise.”
The landing party had huddled around a small structure in the forest of Minos and awaited contact with the ship. From the destruction that spread in every direction from their position, it was obvious that a high yield orbital bombardment had taken place.
“Do you really think Riker would’ve done this?” Hanson asked. “I only know him by reputation, but what purpose would this serve? Minos has always been loyal to the Empire.”
“Riker is an arrogant fool,” Data said. He swept his tricorder in a wide arc. “It’s most likely he obtained what weapons he could and destroyed any chance of Captain Picard doing the same.”
“Do you think Riker’s on the Drake?” Hanson said.
“Yes, he was running a static dampening field that blocked our scanners. I ‘neglected’ to inform the captain.”
Hanson stood up at attention. “You’re taking a big risk, Commander. Letting your captain die isn’t the most loyal thing you can do.”
“No, but with Picard’s reputation it’s the least he can expect. Our good captain was trying to the exact thing we’re accusing Riker of. Obtaining the Minos weapons for himself for use against the Romulans.”
“In the name of the Empire,” Hanson said. “If Riker weren’t acting on his own, I doubt he would have exterminated all life on this world.”
“Perhaps, but Picard was acting on his own with the help of those Klingons. I will be keeping a very watchful eye on him.”
“As should any good first officer,” Hanson said with a smirk. “And as the chief enforcer of imperial policy, I will be keeping my eyes on you. Especially your cavorting with Romulan spies.”
Data smiled. “Yes, Miss Sela did a number on all of us, myself included. I look forward to witnessing her execution.”
“You won’t have long to wait,” Hanson said. “She’s been in the booth for eighty-nine hours, her Vulcanoid heritage is really rearing it’s ugly pointed head. But best estimates show she’ll break within the next ten to fifteen hours. And that point, she’s all yours.”
“I look forward to it.” He was stopped by the sound of footfalls approaching. La Forge and O’Brien had returned from their recon patrol.
“Nothing,” La Forge said. “We managed to get up on a pretty high incline; there’s nothing left. They really did a number on this place.”
“No sign of any remaining technology,” O’Brien said. “It’s all useless junk.”
“And we have lost contact with the ship,” Data added. “Set up a camp, shell out the provisions. I’ll see if I can construct a more powerful communications array that will breach whatever dampening is in effect.”
<><><>
“Shields at eighteen percent,” Worf said. “The Drake is closing on us.”
Picard grabbed the arms of his command chair and held on as the ship was struck three more times and what little remained of the aft deflector shields melted away. “Come to course eight four,” he said. “Straight into the planet’s atmosphere.”
Barclay struggled against both the weapons fire and the gravitational effects of Minos as the ran at full impulse for whatever cover could be found in the dense atmosphere of the planet.
“Hitting the ionosphere,” Barclay said.
“Shields are gone,” Worf said. “Aft weapons are off-line.”
“Hold your course,” Picard said. “All power to structural integrity.”
<><><>
“Shields are fried! We’re just coming in too damned fast!”
Riker silenced the wailing of the helmsmen but gutting him and taking over the conn himself. The bridge of the Drake was coming apart around them as they pursued Picard through planet’s atmosphere.
They’d nearly burned out the ship’s warp coils once they got word Enterprise was making their way out here. Admiral Jellico had been adamant that Picard not be allowed the weapons of Minos at all costs. Riker had regretted not being able to take the weapons for himself. There just hadn’t been time. He’d ordered a full bombardment of the surface then littered the planet with subspace scramblers that stopped all incoming and outgoing transmissions.
Then they’d set up the dampening field and played opossum until Enterprise came in. As powerful as the Drake was, Enterprise had given as good as she got. Both ships had lost their shields and had fractures along the outer hull. The Drake had fared worse, her smaller space frame coming apart at the stembolts. The computer kept warning that integrity would collapse within seconds if they didn’t’ return to orbit.
“But we’re so close,” Riker said. He barely caught the sensor return as the Enterprise shut down her impulse drive and fired her forward thrusters, essentially coming to a full stop.
Riker slapped the helm and fired the retro-thrusters.
It didn’t do a bit of good. Drake skidded directly into the path of a full spread of torpedoes and phasers. The aft section of the ship was vaporized in an instant, her engineering compartment breached.
“Computer! Escape plan, Riker Omega Three!”
<><><>
“Well done, Worf,” Picard said, grabbing the back of Barclay’s chair for support. The Drake came apart and erupted in a fireball.
“Sir,” Worf said, “a shuttle has launched from the bay. Two Terran life-signs.”
“Tractor beam,” Picard demanded.
Worf spent several moments working the board, then pounded the controls with his fist in frustration. “No good, sir. They masked themselves and went to warp.”
“Riker always knows when to run,” Picard said. “Helm, return to standard orbit. Once we’re stabilized, take a shuttle down and get our away team back home.”
<><><>
Deanna Troi touched the dermal regenerator to the gash on Riker’s forehead. The beams knitted the skin back together and repaired the damage. “There,” she said. “You’ve got enough scars as it is.”
Riker slapped the device out of her hand and grabbed her by the wrist. ”Don’t. Ever. Mock. Me. You may be my Imzadi, but you are still my subordinate.”
“Yes,” Troi said coldly. “Of course.”
Riker shoved her away. The cramped confines of the escape shuttle was grating on his nerves. They’d been on the move for five days since they escaped the destruction of the Drake at Minos. “That bastard’s going to have to pay for this,” Riker said.
“And you’re the one who’s going to do it,” Deanna said, running a finger down his spine. She kissed him firmly and passionately.”
When he pulled away, his eyes twinkled. “You are a catch, Imzadi. When we get home, I’ll make sure your well taken care of.”
Riker smiled. He’d meet up with Jean-Luc Picard again, and the next time, Picard would be the one to lose everything. “I think I should start with the doctor,” Riker said, picking up a data padd. “Hit him close and him fast.”
<><><>
Picard rushed headlong onto Deck 6 outside the booth and was greeted by Commanders Hanson and Data. “Report,” he snapped.
“She broke,” Hanson said.
Picard followed her into the chamber and smiled and the crumpled form on the deck. “Ninety-three hours,” Data said with a smile. ”No one’s ever lasted this long.”
“She was apparently conditioned by her superiors to resist our methods,” Hanson said. “But Lieutenant Worf had a few devices with him.”
“Good old fashioned mind sifters,” Data said. “Nostalgic, crude and effective.”
“We basically ripped what we needed out of her head,” Hanson said, inputting commands into a data terminal. “We got everything. Her contacts in Starfleet, her handlers, everything. We’re still putting the information together, we had to pull it out in chunks, but the correlation programs are ongoing, translating them back to Standard.” She tapped another series of controls. An image appeared. Three Starfleet admirals stood in a semi-circle, laughing and sharing drinks. “These are her contacts,” Hanson said.
Picard felt rage swell within him. The admirals on screen were the highest placed members of Starfleet. Admiral Aaron, Admiral Savar of Vulcan and Gregory Quinn.
“Data,” Picard said, menacingly and barely above a whisper. “Set a course for Earth.”
