The Star Eagle Adventures: Star Crossed
- Thread starter CeJay
- Start date
Taz is definitely over her head here--just goes to show that even joined Trills with several lifetimes worth of experiences can do stupid things. Sacajawea is definitely one twisted ship...
RobertScorpio
Pariah
But I think that is why I like her. It is good to know that even someone like that can make mistakes.
“What the hell happened?”
Captain Akinola had headed out for the bridge the moment he had spotted the bright flash from a window in his quarters and he had reached his destination before his first officer even had a chance to summon him.
“We just experienced some kind of total sensor failure, systems are coming back online now,” McBride duly reported and vacated the center seat.
“What’s the source of the failure?”
The Vulcan operations officer replied. “Sensor logs show a minor spatial disruption, 0.2 seconds before the sensors were overloaded. If I had to guess I’d say that it was a localized phenomenon within 2,500 meters proximity.”
“That’s a pretty good guess,” Akinola said.
She shot him a small smile. “Well it is a well educated one.”
“Anything else?”
“You can paint me green and call me crazy skipper,” said Solly Brin, Bluefin’s Orion Chief of the Boat and tactical expert, “But this looks like somebody detonated a Mark 22 right in our backyard. I’m getting all the familiar hallmarks of being sucker punched, including that tingling sensation in my gut.”
“Besides your gut, Chief, what makes you say that?” Akinola asked.
“Well for once our sensors have been effected just the way a Mark 22 would,” the red skinned Orion re-checked his console. “Also there is a slight disruption in subspace which is going to make it a challenge for us to use the warp drive.”
“They used our own weapons against us,” said McBride and looked at his captain. “Who would do that?”
“Sir,” T’Ser interrupted with urgency. “Sensors are coming back on-line. The freighter is … gone.”
“Gone?” Akinola couldn’t quite believe it. “Gone where?”
“I’m trying to find out now, sir,” she said and focused on her instruments.
“Captain, we’re being hailed by the Heracles,” reported the first officer.
“Let’s hope our esteem colleges have some answers. Put it on the screen.”
If Akinola had hoped that his counterpart was going to shed some light on recent events, it was a short lived expectation. The man looked even more puzzled. Out of his mind would have been a better description. “Captain, what happened and where is my freighter?”
The veteran captain had to take a deep breath. It was all he could do to avoid losing his temper at the boisterous manner his colleague was putting on display. “I’m afraid, Captain, I know about as much as you do. Our sensors went down and we’re just now recuperating from this failure. I was hoping that your vessel’s advanced sensors would be able to provide us with more information.”
Akinola’s aim had been spot on and the younger captain momentarily recoiled by the subtle implication. “I’m afraid not,” he replied simply. “Our sensors are more sensitive and have taken extensive damage by whatever it was that has been detonated. My crew is assessing it as we speak.”
“I see,” said Akinola, fighting to keep a smirk of his face. “Perhaps in that case you could ask the Sacajawea for assistance?”
Schwarzkopf squirmed uncomfortably. “We haven’t been able to contact Captain Star or her first officer,” he nearly mumbled. “I’m having that looked into as well.”
Akinola turned away from the screen to look over at McBride who had not managed to keep a large grin off his face as if to say, ‘so much for the glorious exploratory division’.
The skipper moved a hand in front of his mouth to hide his own growing grin. He quickly managed to get it off his lips again before facing Schwarzkopf once more. “It seems to me Captain, that the disappearance of your freighter is linked to the problems locating your officers.”
Schwarzkopf’s face reddened but he didn’t speak.
“Do you think it would be at all possible that somebody under your command decided to take this mission into their own hands?” Akinola managed to keep his voice perfectly devoid of any accusations. He wouldn’t be petty about this, he had decided.
The man quickly shook his head. “I don’t see how that is possible. Besides all my crew are accounted for. Whatever happen did not originate on the Heracles.”
It was a weak point and even Schwarzkopf knew it, judging by the lack of conviction in his tone. He had taken complete command of this mission and whatever had transpired, in one way or another it had happen under his watch.
“Captain,” interrupted the Vulcan operations officer. “Sensors are now detecting a recent warp trail. It matches the signature of the freighter.”
“Can you extrapolate which heading it took,” asked McBride.
The Bluefin crew as well as Schwarzkopf fell quiet while T’Ser worked her instruments. It took her less than a minute to calculate the requested information. “The freighter’s heading was 3-2-1 mark 2-9 with a margin of error of 2.1 percent.”
“That’s straight for the Eteron system,” said McBride and found Akinola nodding in agreement.
“What’s the status of your warp drive?” asked Schwarzkopf.
Akinola indicated McBride to report. The first officer checked a status display. “Engineering reports that the warp drive is offline. Gralt’s initial estimate puts the repair time to just under one hour.”
And just like that Melvin Schwarzkopf’s confidence visibly returned. “Fortunately our warp core has not been affected,” he said with a little bit too much assertiveness. “I will not sit here and wait for these people to sabotage this mission. You will remain here and keep an eye out for the Sacajawea while I go after the freighter.”
“I suggest you reconsider. According to our intel Eteron is swarming with Orion vessels with orders to shoot on sight anyone who might interfere with their little get together. You are more than likely to get dragged into an ugly fire fight if you rush into Eteron now.”
“What do you suggest I do, Captain?” he shot back angrily. “Letting them get away with whatever devious intentions they have planned? Considering the nature of this mission, it is clear to me know that the enemies were trying to track down where in our midst already and I’m not willing to let them get away with this.”
Akinola kept his stern expression focused on the younger man on screen. “What I suggest is that we come up with a plan of engagement which will be most likely to produce results with a minimum of collateral damage.”
But Schwarzkopf shook his head. “I don’t have time for this. And a couple of antiquated Orion ships are not going to stop the Heracles. Now you have your orders Captain and I expect –“
Akinola stood suddenly and shortened his distance to the screen with two fast steps. “Captain, I am willing to dismiss the lack of respect you have shown me thus far as a consequence of the stress incurred by this unforeseen development. But let me be perfectly clear. I do not appreciate your tone and I am quite certain that it is not the appropriate manner to address a fellow commanding officer,” said Akinola in a voice that remained firm as steel with every syllable that came over his lips.
If they had stood on a field, it would have been the sound of chirping crickets surrounding them. In this instance it was the gently humming of the machines and equipment that became deafeningly prominent during the few moments nobody dared to speak. It felt like half an eternity.
Schwarzkopf cleared his throat. “I apologize if you felt I have been disrespectful. I assure you that was not my intention.”
Akinola nodded and walked back to his seat. “Think nothing more of it, Captain,” he said and shot McBride a grin which remained hidden from Schwarzkopf. “Now, you are certain I cannot change your mind about what you want to do?”
The suddenness of change in the older captain’s demeanor had thrown off Melvin Schwarzkopf and his voice cracked slightly. “It is the correct course of action. Please remain here and ensure that no other members of the Sacajawea will attempt to interfere. Schwarzkopf out.”
His image vanished from the screen.
“I’ve never seen a man trying to get off a com-line this quickly before,” said McBride and smirked.
“And I’ve never seen a man with his head stuck that far up his ass,” mumbled Solly Brin.
The bridge officers chuckled and Akinola couldn’t keep a small grin off his face himself. But the seriousness of the situation quickly sobered him up once more. “Bridge to Engineering.”
“This is Gralt,” came the clipped reply from the Tellarite chief engineer.
“I need those engines, Gralt, and I need you to do a lot better than what you have estimated.”
“Sure thing, Captain, and can I also interest you in the secrets of life and peace in the galaxy? It’s my fracking miracle week.”
“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, Gralt. Stick to insults you’re much better at it,” Akinola replied. “Bridge out.”
Dale McBride threw the captain a look. “Expecting trouble?”
Akinola glanced at the screen just to see the massive Galaxy-class cruiser jump to warp. “Always, Commander. Always.”
Captain Akinola had headed out for the bridge the moment he had spotted the bright flash from a window in his quarters and he had reached his destination before his first officer even had a chance to summon him.
“We just experienced some kind of total sensor failure, systems are coming back online now,” McBride duly reported and vacated the center seat.
“What’s the source of the failure?”
The Vulcan operations officer replied. “Sensor logs show a minor spatial disruption, 0.2 seconds before the sensors were overloaded. If I had to guess I’d say that it was a localized phenomenon within 2,500 meters proximity.”
“That’s a pretty good guess,” Akinola said.
She shot him a small smile. “Well it is a well educated one.”
“Anything else?”
“You can paint me green and call me crazy skipper,” said Solly Brin, Bluefin’s Orion Chief of the Boat and tactical expert, “But this looks like somebody detonated a Mark 22 right in our backyard. I’m getting all the familiar hallmarks of being sucker punched, including that tingling sensation in my gut.”
“Besides your gut, Chief, what makes you say that?” Akinola asked.
“Well for once our sensors have been effected just the way a Mark 22 would,” the red skinned Orion re-checked his console. “Also there is a slight disruption in subspace which is going to make it a challenge for us to use the warp drive.”
“They used our own weapons against us,” said McBride and looked at his captain. “Who would do that?”
“Sir,” T’Ser interrupted with urgency. “Sensors are coming back on-line. The freighter is … gone.”
“Gone?” Akinola couldn’t quite believe it. “Gone where?”
“I’m trying to find out now, sir,” she said and focused on her instruments.
“Captain, we’re being hailed by the Heracles,” reported the first officer.
“Let’s hope our esteem colleges have some answers. Put it on the screen.”
If Akinola had hoped that his counterpart was going to shed some light on recent events, it was a short lived expectation. The man looked even more puzzled. Out of his mind would have been a better description. “Captain, what happened and where is my freighter?”
The veteran captain had to take a deep breath. It was all he could do to avoid losing his temper at the boisterous manner his colleague was putting on display. “I’m afraid, Captain, I know about as much as you do. Our sensors went down and we’re just now recuperating from this failure. I was hoping that your vessel’s advanced sensors would be able to provide us with more information.”
Akinola’s aim had been spot on and the younger captain momentarily recoiled by the subtle implication. “I’m afraid not,” he replied simply. “Our sensors are more sensitive and have taken extensive damage by whatever it was that has been detonated. My crew is assessing it as we speak.”
“I see,” said Akinola, fighting to keep a smirk of his face. “Perhaps in that case you could ask the Sacajawea for assistance?”
Schwarzkopf squirmed uncomfortably. “We haven’t been able to contact Captain Star or her first officer,” he nearly mumbled. “I’m having that looked into as well.”
Akinola turned away from the screen to look over at McBride who had not managed to keep a large grin off his face as if to say, ‘so much for the glorious exploratory division’.
The skipper moved a hand in front of his mouth to hide his own growing grin. He quickly managed to get it off his lips again before facing Schwarzkopf once more. “It seems to me Captain, that the disappearance of your freighter is linked to the problems locating your officers.”
Schwarzkopf’s face reddened but he didn’t speak.
“Do you think it would be at all possible that somebody under your command decided to take this mission into their own hands?” Akinola managed to keep his voice perfectly devoid of any accusations. He wouldn’t be petty about this, he had decided.
The man quickly shook his head. “I don’t see how that is possible. Besides all my crew are accounted for. Whatever happen did not originate on the Heracles.”
It was a weak point and even Schwarzkopf knew it, judging by the lack of conviction in his tone. He had taken complete command of this mission and whatever had transpired, in one way or another it had happen under his watch.
“Captain,” interrupted the Vulcan operations officer. “Sensors are now detecting a recent warp trail. It matches the signature of the freighter.”
“Can you extrapolate which heading it took,” asked McBride.
The Bluefin crew as well as Schwarzkopf fell quiet while T’Ser worked her instruments. It took her less than a minute to calculate the requested information. “The freighter’s heading was 3-2-1 mark 2-9 with a margin of error of 2.1 percent.”
“That’s straight for the Eteron system,” said McBride and found Akinola nodding in agreement.
“What’s the status of your warp drive?” asked Schwarzkopf.
Akinola indicated McBride to report. The first officer checked a status display. “Engineering reports that the warp drive is offline. Gralt’s initial estimate puts the repair time to just under one hour.”
And just like that Melvin Schwarzkopf’s confidence visibly returned. “Fortunately our warp core has not been affected,” he said with a little bit too much assertiveness. “I will not sit here and wait for these people to sabotage this mission. You will remain here and keep an eye out for the Sacajawea while I go after the freighter.”
“I suggest you reconsider. According to our intel Eteron is swarming with Orion vessels with orders to shoot on sight anyone who might interfere with their little get together. You are more than likely to get dragged into an ugly fire fight if you rush into Eteron now.”
“What do you suggest I do, Captain?” he shot back angrily. “Letting them get away with whatever devious intentions they have planned? Considering the nature of this mission, it is clear to me know that the enemies were trying to track down where in our midst already and I’m not willing to let them get away with this.”
Akinola kept his stern expression focused on the younger man on screen. “What I suggest is that we come up with a plan of engagement which will be most likely to produce results with a minimum of collateral damage.”
But Schwarzkopf shook his head. “I don’t have time for this. And a couple of antiquated Orion ships are not going to stop the Heracles. Now you have your orders Captain and I expect –“
Akinola stood suddenly and shortened his distance to the screen with two fast steps. “Captain, I am willing to dismiss the lack of respect you have shown me thus far as a consequence of the stress incurred by this unforeseen development. But let me be perfectly clear. I do not appreciate your tone and I am quite certain that it is not the appropriate manner to address a fellow commanding officer,” said Akinola in a voice that remained firm as steel with every syllable that came over his lips.
If they had stood on a field, it would have been the sound of chirping crickets surrounding them. In this instance it was the gently humming of the machines and equipment that became deafeningly prominent during the few moments nobody dared to speak. It felt like half an eternity.
Schwarzkopf cleared his throat. “I apologize if you felt I have been disrespectful. I assure you that was not my intention.”
Akinola nodded and walked back to his seat. “Think nothing more of it, Captain,” he said and shot McBride a grin which remained hidden from Schwarzkopf. “Now, you are certain I cannot change your mind about what you want to do?”
The suddenness of change in the older captain’s demeanor had thrown off Melvin Schwarzkopf and his voice cracked slightly. “It is the correct course of action. Please remain here and ensure that no other members of the Sacajawea will attempt to interfere. Schwarzkopf out.”
His image vanished from the screen.
“I’ve never seen a man trying to get off a com-line this quickly before,” said McBride and smirked.
“And I’ve never seen a man with his head stuck that far up his ass,” mumbled Solly Brin.
The bridge officers chuckled and Akinola couldn’t keep a small grin off his face himself. But the seriousness of the situation quickly sobered him up once more. “Bridge to Engineering.”
“This is Gralt,” came the clipped reply from the Tellarite chief engineer.
“I need those engines, Gralt, and I need you to do a lot better than what you have estimated.”
“Sure thing, Captain, and can I also interest you in the secrets of life and peace in the galaxy? It’s my fracking miracle week.”
“Sarcasm doesn’t suit you, Gralt. Stick to insults you’re much better at it,” Akinola replied. “Bridge out.”
Dale McBride threw the captain a look. “Expecting trouble?”
Akinola glanced at the screen just to see the massive Galaxy-class cruiser jump to warp. “Always, Commander. Always.”
* * *
CeJay, I can't get over how well you've captured the Bluefin and her crew! Akinola's reaction to Schwarzkopf was spot on! I think you portrayed the old man using remarkable restraint! 
Hopefully, Gralt can get the warp drive up and running ASAP.
My hunch is that Schwarzkopf is about to get in over his head. What kind of trouble has Star stirred up?
Hopefully, Gralt can get the warp drive up and running ASAP.My hunch is that Schwarzkopf is about to get in over his head. What kind of trouble has Star stirred up?
Star's racking up a tab here and as for Schwarzkopf--fools rush in where angels fear to tread...
As expected the Corvellan freighter had drawn no attention entering the Eteron system, blending in seamlessly with the heavy civilian traffic around the border planet.
Tazla Star knew exactly where to find Shuun and she was certain that it would be little trouble to track him down. Convincing him to return with her however would proof a much more challenging task.
In any case it was something she would have to do on her own, that much was for certain. She had dragged N’ek’too and his security people down the wrong road for far too long already. She had needed them to secure the freighter and to get to Eteron. She had not revealed any part of the plan to them so that they could always fall back on the well-proven excuse that, after all, they had just been following orders, entirely unaware of their commanding officer’s rouge intentions.
The security chief might not be able to get away quite as clean perhaps. A remark in his file or possibly even temporary suspension was not out of the question for him but that was a price Star was willing to pay. Taking them down to Eteron and possibly getting them killed however was not.
Star had strapped on a backpack and checked the transport coordinates one more time before beaming down onto the surface of Eteron.
It was then that the Ariolo security chief entered the transporter room, equally prepared to leave the freighter.
“Where do you think you’re going, Lieutenant?” Star asked, barely even looking up from the transporter console.
“I am accompanying you to Eteron,” he said almost casually as if it was a foregone conclusion.
The Trill shook her head. “Negative, your orders are to remain on the freighter and await my signal.”
“I’m afraid I cannot do that.”
Star finished at the console and shot the security chief a hard look. “That is a direct order, Lieutenant.”
“With all due respect, sir, I believe you have lost the privilege of issuing me with orders when you decided to act against yours.”
Star was momentarily speechless. It had been obtuse to believe of course that N’ek’too could have been fooled to believe that they had embarked on a legitimate undertaking. Even the most gullible of persons would have shaken any such notion after Star had detonated the EMP mine to mask their getaway. But somehow Star had hoped that N’ek’too would have preferred to pretend a certain amount of ignorance in the matter.
“If you no longer recognize my authority than you have no obligation whatsoever to continue to follow me,” she said. It was a large gamble on her part. N’ek’too could have decided then and there to place her into custody for disobeying direct orders. The truth was she didn’t know the man very well and didn’t really have any idea what he was capable of. She liked him well enough, in fact he was about the only member of her crew who she thought had no ulterior motives. And yet her hand slowly drifted towards her phaser, hidden from view behind the console.
The imposing reptile moved a step forward. “You have done your research, I take it, when you chose me for this mission.”
“I beg your pardon.”
“You didn’t ask for my assistance solely because I happen to be the chief of security, did you?”
She gripped the handle of her weapon. “What are you getting at?”
“You’ve learned of the loyalty pledge that every adult Ariolo must make. You’ve used an ancient cultural aspect of my people in order to assure that I would help you in whatever you’ve planned. You knew full well that I am bound by honor to you as you are my shenk’ta, my master. I must ensure your safety with my own life for as long as you remain my shenk’ta.”
He was absolutely correct. Star had counted on exactly that. It was more than a convenient cultural tradition. It was going to ensure that she could carry out Altee’s wishes. “Alright, so I did,” she said without a hint of remorse. “But I am no longer your master, your shenk’ta. I have obviously lost that role when I turned against Schwarzkopf. I release you from your pledge and you have no further obligations to me.”
N’ek’too took another step forward. “Obviously your research was not complete, Captain. You cannot release me from this pledge. It is too late. I remain obligated to protect you even if your status with Starfleet is now void.”
Star sighed. She didn’t need this, not know. “Ok, listen, you’ve helped me when I needed you and I’m thankful to you, alright? But from here on out I have to do this alone. So do whatever you have to in order to remain faithful to your pledge but I cannot allow you to follow me.”
“You have decided to go down this route, Captain. There are no compromises to be made. I have to fulfill my role as much as you have to fulfill yours.”
She brought up her phaser and pointed it at the Ariolo. “I don’t have time for a debate. You stay here, understood?”
He slowly approached until the emitter cone was just inches from his chest. At this range even a phaser set on stun had the potential to be lethal. “This will not work. You cannot force me to ignore my pledge.”
“What do I have to do to keep you from doing this?”
“You can kill me,” he said without fear or spite in his voice. “It is the only other way to release me from my pledge.”
Star wasn’t all too proud of it but the thought crossed her mind. She could shoot him now and be done with it. Perchance the blast might not even kill him. And if it did it would not have been the first time she had looked a man in the eye before killing him. It would of course complicate her mission.
“We are wasting time, Captain. Whatever it is you need to do on Eteron I’m sure it won’t wait.”
Strangely enough he was right, she realized. She pushed the phaser forward, jabbing it into his chest slightly. N’ek’too didn’t even flinch. This surprised her. She had expected some gesture or reaction to the threat of imminent death. But an Ariolo appeared to rival a Vulcan in stoicism.
“You follow my lead and you do exactly as I tell you.”
“Of course.”
She holstered the weapon. “Activate the transporter,” she said and watched him slip behind the console. There was no sign of relief on his face which remained as hard as that of a stone gargoyle.
“Ready for transport,” he said.
“Let’s go.”
Star stepped onto the small dais and the Ariolo entered a final command before joining her. Moments later they vanished from the transporter room in pillars of bright golden light and Star knew at precisely that moment that she had lost control.
Tazla Star knew exactly where to find Shuun and she was certain that it would be little trouble to track him down. Convincing him to return with her however would proof a much more challenging task.
In any case it was something she would have to do on her own, that much was for certain. She had dragged N’ek’too and his security people down the wrong road for far too long already. She had needed them to secure the freighter and to get to Eteron. She had not revealed any part of the plan to them so that they could always fall back on the well-proven excuse that, after all, they had just been following orders, entirely unaware of their commanding officer’s rouge intentions.
The security chief might not be able to get away quite as clean perhaps. A remark in his file or possibly even temporary suspension was not out of the question for him but that was a price Star was willing to pay. Taking them down to Eteron and possibly getting them killed however was not.
Star had strapped on a backpack and checked the transport coordinates one more time before beaming down onto the surface of Eteron.
It was then that the Ariolo security chief entered the transporter room, equally prepared to leave the freighter.
“Where do you think you’re going, Lieutenant?” Star asked, barely even looking up from the transporter console.
“I am accompanying you to Eteron,” he said almost casually as if it was a foregone conclusion.
The Trill shook her head. “Negative, your orders are to remain on the freighter and await my signal.”
“I’m afraid I cannot do that.”
Star finished at the console and shot the security chief a hard look. “That is a direct order, Lieutenant.”
“With all due respect, sir, I believe you have lost the privilege of issuing me with orders when you decided to act against yours.”
Star was momentarily speechless. It had been obtuse to believe of course that N’ek’too could have been fooled to believe that they had embarked on a legitimate undertaking. Even the most gullible of persons would have shaken any such notion after Star had detonated the EMP mine to mask their getaway. But somehow Star had hoped that N’ek’too would have preferred to pretend a certain amount of ignorance in the matter.
“If you no longer recognize my authority than you have no obligation whatsoever to continue to follow me,” she said. It was a large gamble on her part. N’ek’too could have decided then and there to place her into custody for disobeying direct orders. The truth was she didn’t know the man very well and didn’t really have any idea what he was capable of. She liked him well enough, in fact he was about the only member of her crew who she thought had no ulterior motives. And yet her hand slowly drifted towards her phaser, hidden from view behind the console.
The imposing reptile moved a step forward. “You have done your research, I take it, when you chose me for this mission.”
“I beg your pardon.”
“You didn’t ask for my assistance solely because I happen to be the chief of security, did you?”
She gripped the handle of her weapon. “What are you getting at?”
“You’ve learned of the loyalty pledge that every adult Ariolo must make. You’ve used an ancient cultural aspect of my people in order to assure that I would help you in whatever you’ve planned. You knew full well that I am bound by honor to you as you are my shenk’ta, my master. I must ensure your safety with my own life for as long as you remain my shenk’ta.”
He was absolutely correct. Star had counted on exactly that. It was more than a convenient cultural tradition. It was going to ensure that she could carry out Altee’s wishes. “Alright, so I did,” she said without a hint of remorse. “But I am no longer your master, your shenk’ta. I have obviously lost that role when I turned against Schwarzkopf. I release you from your pledge and you have no further obligations to me.”
N’ek’too took another step forward. “Obviously your research was not complete, Captain. You cannot release me from this pledge. It is too late. I remain obligated to protect you even if your status with Starfleet is now void.”
Star sighed. She didn’t need this, not know. “Ok, listen, you’ve helped me when I needed you and I’m thankful to you, alright? But from here on out I have to do this alone. So do whatever you have to in order to remain faithful to your pledge but I cannot allow you to follow me.”
“You have decided to go down this route, Captain. There are no compromises to be made. I have to fulfill my role as much as you have to fulfill yours.”
She brought up her phaser and pointed it at the Ariolo. “I don’t have time for a debate. You stay here, understood?”
He slowly approached until the emitter cone was just inches from his chest. At this range even a phaser set on stun had the potential to be lethal. “This will not work. You cannot force me to ignore my pledge.”
“What do I have to do to keep you from doing this?”
“You can kill me,” he said without fear or spite in his voice. “It is the only other way to release me from my pledge.”
Star wasn’t all too proud of it but the thought crossed her mind. She could shoot him now and be done with it. Perchance the blast might not even kill him. And if it did it would not have been the first time she had looked a man in the eye before killing him. It would of course complicate her mission.
“We are wasting time, Captain. Whatever it is you need to do on Eteron I’m sure it won’t wait.”
Strangely enough he was right, she realized. She pushed the phaser forward, jabbing it into his chest slightly. N’ek’too didn’t even flinch. This surprised her. She had expected some gesture or reaction to the threat of imminent death. But an Ariolo appeared to rival a Vulcan in stoicism.
“You follow my lead and you do exactly as I tell you.”
“Of course.”
She holstered the weapon. “Activate the transporter,” she said and watched him slip behind the console. There was no sign of relief on his face which remained as hard as that of a stone gargoyle.
“Ready for transport,” he said.
“Let’s go.”
Star stepped onto the small dais and the Ariolo entered a final command before joining her. Moments later they vanished from the transporter room in pillars of bright golden light and Star knew at precisely that moment that she had lost control.
* * *
Indeed, it seems that Star's sense of being in control has been tenuous at best. Events are now moving beyond her ability to influence them.
A very good scene between Tazla and her security chief. The Ariolo is not going to be easy for her to shake!
A very good scene between Tazla and her security chief. The Ariolo is not going to be easy for her to shake!
Star's flailing about--never a good thing. To make matters worse, she's dragging down Nek'too with her--by not completing understanding his code of honor, he's roped her into this--very probably against his better judgment and his principles.
As I said earlier, the butcher's bill for this is going to be very high and Star's the perfect fall guy.
As I said earlier, the butcher's bill for this is going to be very high and Star's the perfect fall guy.
“They must hand out commands like candy in the regular fleet these days,” mumbled Akinola as he paced up and down his small bridge.
Commander McBride watched him carefully. Akinola was not a man to get impatient easily or to make snide remarks, an unmistakable sign then that the veteran officer was boiling with frustration. After all it wasn’t bad enough that Starfleet had decided to take over a carefully planned mission to apprehend a dangerous criminal mere hours before it had been due to commence. And it wasn’t just that now a seemingly rouge Starfleet officer had commandeered a well prepared vessel and taken off to do God knew what. No, to add to the mounting woes the very same man who had taken over his operation had blindly stormed after the rouge officer, seemingly more determined to hunt down those who had dared to defy him than trying to save what could be saved from this entire mess of a mission.
Thirty minutes had passed since the Heracles had departed for Eteron. Akinola knew that it would take Schwarzkopf about half that time to get there. Not quickly enough to catch up with the freighter but more than enough time to make an even greater mess of things.
He froze and looked at the screen. “Hail them again.”
McBride did. For the third time. And for the third time he gave the same reply. “They are not responding,” he said and then stood. “Either they don’t want to talk or they can’t.”
“It is a direct violation of Starfleet regulations to ignore a hail from a friendly vessel,” said Akinola.
McBride nodded. Schwarzkopf was not a man to lightly ignore the regs.
“Mister T’Ser, can you get a fix on the Heracles?” asked McBride.
The Vulcan operations officer checked her instruments. “She’s definitely in the Eteron system but we are too far to get a more detailed scan.”
“We’re going after her,” Akinola said.
“Is that wise, sir?” asked the first officer.
“You think I’m worried of what Schwarzkopf might do if I ignore his so-called orders?”
McBride shook his head. “Oh no, sir, I know for a fact that you don’t care what that man thinks of us.”
A tiny smile twisted Akinola’s lips. It vanished quite quickly. “I don’t like this one bit. And I can’t shake that feeling that something has gone wrong.”
“With that pompous head of hot air calling the shots that wouldn’t be a surprise at all,” said Solly Brin from his station. He had meant to keep his voice down but everyone on the bridge caught the remark. Nobody disagreed.
“Hail the Sacajawea.”
Moments later the face of Lieutenant Command Evan Mahoney filled the view screen. It took Akinola a moment to remember what he had wanted to say. Mahoney looked absolutely awful. All the color had drained off his face and he had a slick film of sweat covering his forehead. His eyes were bloodshot and he generally appeared as if he should have been in sickbay instead of the bridge. This image did not help to improve Akinola’s currently low regard for the officers serving in the regular fleet.
“This is Captain Akinola of the Bluefin, who am I speaking to?”
“Commander Mahoney, first officer. How can I help you, Captain?” he asked. He voices sounded off-balance as if he had problems composing his speech.
“Excuse me for saying this, Commander, but you do not look well. Should you be on duty?”
Sacajawea’s first officer looked more embarrassed than anything else. He quickly adjusted his hair which was a grave mistake as it had been the only part of his head in decent shape. “I just had a bad night, sir. Nothing to worry about,” he managed to sound slightly more confident on his second try. “Is there something we can do for you, Bluefin?”
Akinola decided to honor his request and did his upmost to ignore the man’s apparent condition. “We will be heading for Eteron to investigate the situation. The Heracles has failed to reply to our hails. We could use some help.”
“I’m afraid I do not understand, Captain.”
The older man forced himself not to roll his eyes at Mahoney. He couldn’t be sure if he was naturally dense or if it had been brought on by whatever it was he was suffering from. “I would like you to accompany us to Eteron in case the Heracles has run into more trouble than she can handle.”
Mahoney’s face looked as if he was torn as to how to respond. “Well, you see the problem is, we have been given strict orders by Captain Schwarzkopf to maintain our position and I cannot in good conscious disregard those orders.”
“Have you attempted to make contact with Schwarzkopf?”
“Uhm, no.”
“Perhaps you should try, don’t you think?” Akinola was beginning to lose his patience with the acting captain of the Sacajawea. He didn’t dare raise his voice however. The man looked so fragile at the moment, he might have fallen apart right in front of his eyes if he had tried to pressure him.
“Given the circumstances I’d be more comfortable to hold our position until I get new orders.”
Akinola had enough. “Very well, Commander. Akinola out.”
Mahoney disappeared from the view screen.
Solly Bin opened his mouth for another observation but Akinola beat him to it. “Don’t say it, Chief.”
The Orion nodded and kept the comment to himself.
The captain turned to his first officer. “Get Gralt on the line. Tell him I need those warp engines yesterday. I don’t care how much as long as we can get there within the decade or so.”
McBride nodded sharply and opened a channel to engineering.
While Akinola took his seat again he noticed a peculiar event taking place a mere few meters in front of him. Ensign Lennox Okonedo – his nephew – had entered the bridge, hesitantly, and very slowly approached the helm station to speak with Lieutenant Bralus in a hushed tone.
When the young ensign caught Akinola’s disapproving glance he quickly stopped, ready to make for a quick departure.
The captain of the Bluefin never gave him the chance. “Ensign, what do you think you are doing?”
The man swallowed but eventually found enough of his voice to reply. “Sir, I had previously agreed with the Lieutenant to swap shifts with him,” he said in a subdued voice. He didn’t quite know how to finish and so he added a, “sir.”
“And you really think this is a good time for playing loose with ship operations, Ensign?” Akinola’s powerful baritone voice was a stark contrast to Okonedo’s. The young man tried to look to Bralus at the helm for help but he had no intention to coming to his rescue. He tried McBride instead.
“Don’t look at the first officer when I talk to you, Ensign. I am youe commanding officer and you will have to answer to me.”
McBride leaned slightly into Akinola. “Sir, Gralt has cleared the engines for a maximum speed of warp three,” he said and gave the young African a sympathetic look. “As for Lennox, he received top marks at the Academy for flight control so I thought it be a good idea to give him more experience at the helm. That was before the current situation developed that is.”
Akinola eyes continued to pierce his young nephew.
“I understand this is not a good time, sir,” he mumbled and paddled backwards towards the turbo-lift.
“Ensign Okonedo,” Akinola said so forcefully he stopped him in his tracks. “Speak up when you address a senior officer.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied hesitantly but with a lot more volume this time.
“Good. Now if you’d be so kind as to plant your backside into the seat at the helm station and relief Mister Bralus. Set a course for Eteron and engage at warp three.”
Okonedo was momentarily stunned.
“Whenever your schedule allows for it.”
The ensign nodded sharply. “Aye, sir,” he said and then took over the helm station from a grinning Bralus. To his credit it took him no time at all to find the right controls. “Course set and engaging.”
McBride smiled at the captain but Akinola’s grim expression quickly caused him to drop it. He was not going to let the crew enjoy the fact that he had decided to take it easier on his nephew. In fact he had no intention to do so at all. And now that he was on the bridge he could keep a much closer eye on the recent graduate.
As Bluefin jumped to warp Akinola pondered that perhaps he had been too quick to judge the officer’s serving in the regular fleet for their shortcomings. Perhaps it was the Academy who didn’t turn them out like they used to, not that a mustang officer like he had ever held high regards for the institution in the first place.
Commander McBride watched him carefully. Akinola was not a man to get impatient easily or to make snide remarks, an unmistakable sign then that the veteran officer was boiling with frustration. After all it wasn’t bad enough that Starfleet had decided to take over a carefully planned mission to apprehend a dangerous criminal mere hours before it had been due to commence. And it wasn’t just that now a seemingly rouge Starfleet officer had commandeered a well prepared vessel and taken off to do God knew what. No, to add to the mounting woes the very same man who had taken over his operation had blindly stormed after the rouge officer, seemingly more determined to hunt down those who had dared to defy him than trying to save what could be saved from this entire mess of a mission.
Thirty minutes had passed since the Heracles had departed for Eteron. Akinola knew that it would take Schwarzkopf about half that time to get there. Not quickly enough to catch up with the freighter but more than enough time to make an even greater mess of things.
He froze and looked at the screen. “Hail them again.”
McBride did. For the third time. And for the third time he gave the same reply. “They are not responding,” he said and then stood. “Either they don’t want to talk or they can’t.”
“It is a direct violation of Starfleet regulations to ignore a hail from a friendly vessel,” said Akinola.
McBride nodded. Schwarzkopf was not a man to lightly ignore the regs.
“Mister T’Ser, can you get a fix on the Heracles?” asked McBride.
The Vulcan operations officer checked her instruments. “She’s definitely in the Eteron system but we are too far to get a more detailed scan.”
“We’re going after her,” Akinola said.
“Is that wise, sir?” asked the first officer.
“You think I’m worried of what Schwarzkopf might do if I ignore his so-called orders?”
McBride shook his head. “Oh no, sir, I know for a fact that you don’t care what that man thinks of us.”
A tiny smile twisted Akinola’s lips. It vanished quite quickly. “I don’t like this one bit. And I can’t shake that feeling that something has gone wrong.”
“With that pompous head of hot air calling the shots that wouldn’t be a surprise at all,” said Solly Brin from his station. He had meant to keep his voice down but everyone on the bridge caught the remark. Nobody disagreed.
“Hail the Sacajawea.”
Moments later the face of Lieutenant Command Evan Mahoney filled the view screen. It took Akinola a moment to remember what he had wanted to say. Mahoney looked absolutely awful. All the color had drained off his face and he had a slick film of sweat covering his forehead. His eyes were bloodshot and he generally appeared as if he should have been in sickbay instead of the bridge. This image did not help to improve Akinola’s currently low regard for the officers serving in the regular fleet.
“This is Captain Akinola of the Bluefin, who am I speaking to?”
“Commander Mahoney, first officer. How can I help you, Captain?” he asked. He voices sounded off-balance as if he had problems composing his speech.
“Excuse me for saying this, Commander, but you do not look well. Should you be on duty?”
Sacajawea’s first officer looked more embarrassed than anything else. He quickly adjusted his hair which was a grave mistake as it had been the only part of his head in decent shape. “I just had a bad night, sir. Nothing to worry about,” he managed to sound slightly more confident on his second try. “Is there something we can do for you, Bluefin?”
Akinola decided to honor his request and did his upmost to ignore the man’s apparent condition. “We will be heading for Eteron to investigate the situation. The Heracles has failed to reply to our hails. We could use some help.”
“I’m afraid I do not understand, Captain.”
The older man forced himself not to roll his eyes at Mahoney. He couldn’t be sure if he was naturally dense or if it had been brought on by whatever it was he was suffering from. “I would like you to accompany us to Eteron in case the Heracles has run into more trouble than she can handle.”
Mahoney’s face looked as if he was torn as to how to respond. “Well, you see the problem is, we have been given strict orders by Captain Schwarzkopf to maintain our position and I cannot in good conscious disregard those orders.”
“Have you attempted to make contact with Schwarzkopf?”
“Uhm, no.”
“Perhaps you should try, don’t you think?” Akinola was beginning to lose his patience with the acting captain of the Sacajawea. He didn’t dare raise his voice however. The man looked so fragile at the moment, he might have fallen apart right in front of his eyes if he had tried to pressure him.
“Given the circumstances I’d be more comfortable to hold our position until I get new orders.”
Akinola had enough. “Very well, Commander. Akinola out.”
Mahoney disappeared from the view screen.
Solly Bin opened his mouth for another observation but Akinola beat him to it. “Don’t say it, Chief.”
The Orion nodded and kept the comment to himself.
The captain turned to his first officer. “Get Gralt on the line. Tell him I need those warp engines yesterday. I don’t care how much as long as we can get there within the decade or so.”
McBride nodded sharply and opened a channel to engineering.
While Akinola took his seat again he noticed a peculiar event taking place a mere few meters in front of him. Ensign Lennox Okonedo – his nephew – had entered the bridge, hesitantly, and very slowly approached the helm station to speak with Lieutenant Bralus in a hushed tone.
When the young ensign caught Akinola’s disapproving glance he quickly stopped, ready to make for a quick departure.
The captain of the Bluefin never gave him the chance. “Ensign, what do you think you are doing?”
The man swallowed but eventually found enough of his voice to reply. “Sir, I had previously agreed with the Lieutenant to swap shifts with him,” he said in a subdued voice. He didn’t quite know how to finish and so he added a, “sir.”
“And you really think this is a good time for playing loose with ship operations, Ensign?” Akinola’s powerful baritone voice was a stark contrast to Okonedo’s. The young man tried to look to Bralus at the helm for help but he had no intention to coming to his rescue. He tried McBride instead.
“Don’t look at the first officer when I talk to you, Ensign. I am youe commanding officer and you will have to answer to me.”
McBride leaned slightly into Akinola. “Sir, Gralt has cleared the engines for a maximum speed of warp three,” he said and gave the young African a sympathetic look. “As for Lennox, he received top marks at the Academy for flight control so I thought it be a good idea to give him more experience at the helm. That was before the current situation developed that is.”
Akinola eyes continued to pierce his young nephew.
“I understand this is not a good time, sir,” he mumbled and paddled backwards towards the turbo-lift.
“Ensign Okonedo,” Akinola said so forcefully he stopped him in his tracks. “Speak up when you address a senior officer.”
“Yes, sir,” he replied hesitantly but with a lot more volume this time.
“Good. Now if you’d be so kind as to plant your backside into the seat at the helm station and relief Mister Bralus. Set a course for Eteron and engage at warp three.”
Okonedo was momentarily stunned.
“Whenever your schedule allows for it.”
The ensign nodded sharply. “Aye, sir,” he said and then took over the helm station from a grinning Bralus. To his credit it took him no time at all to find the right controls. “Course set and engaging.”
McBride smiled at the captain but Akinola’s grim expression quickly caused him to drop it. He was not going to let the crew enjoy the fact that he had decided to take it easier on his nephew. In fact he had no intention to do so at all. And now that he was on the bridge he could keep a much closer eye on the recent graduate.
As Bluefin jumped to warp Akinola pondered that perhaps he had been too quick to judge the officer’s serving in the regular fleet for their shortcomings. Perhaps it was the Academy who didn’t turn them out like they used to, not that a mustang officer like he had ever held high regards for the institution in the first place.
* * *
Akinola has found himself in a cluster foul-up of the first magnitude here. And what's happened with Schwarzkopf and the Hercules? If Schwarzy screws up and gets his ship taken out from under him...he'll be lucky to be given command of an old K class space station! As for Star...the bill's going to come due here...
That about sums it up for me. Though, I'd use a slightly different word usage.
...
It would appear that the Bluefin now has to conduct a search-and-rescue mission to save Schwarzkopf and the crew of the Heracles. Star is AWOL and the Sacajawea's XO is twiddling his thumbs, so Akinola and co. are on their own with only partial warp capability restored.
All of this will certainly improve Akinola's lovely mood.
All of this will certainly improve Akinola's lovely mood.
The Sac's XO looks like a drug addict, the captain of the Heracles is a blowhard gloryhound and Star(see my post above)-that having been said-I question Bluefin steering in harms way without backup. Maybe Akinola should call his sometime girlfriend or something. Anything that can screw up the Heracles can fold, spindle and mutilate Bluefin.
I cracked up over the line:
"Whenever your schedule allows for it."
I cracked up over the line:
"Whenever your schedule allows for it."
It was not a friendly planet and never really had been.
First attempted to be colonized some one hundred fifty years earlier it had ended in disaster when the fledging settlement had been wiped out by what survivors had called a horde of blood-lusting demons from hell, single-mindedly determined to rip out the colonist’s hearts and devour them. Back then of course nobody had known about the Klingons and their proximity to Eteron.
The second attempt had met with an equally devastating yet less overt end. The colonists simply began to die en mass for no apparent reason. Only about twenty years later did evidence surface to suggest that operatives of the nearby Romulan Star Empire had poisoned all sources of drinking water in order to wipe out the human settlers.
For a while it had appeared that most had come to the realization that colonizing a world near such hostile powers was indeed a very bad idea and Eteron was left alone.
But human are nothing if not persistent. The third try turned out to be the charm and the colony began to prosper. But it didn’t last long. The potential dangers of living on a border world also attracted immense opportunities. Starfleet kept only a token presence to ensure neither power would use the sector as a staging area for an invasion, giving all sorts of elements plenty of room for illicit affairs and lucrative deals with equally questionable individuals across all borders.
It wasn’t until long that Eteron had turned into a paradise for smugglers, mercenaries, pirates and from time to time the criminally insane. A perfect place then for the Orion Syndicate to hold a meeting to discuss their expansion plans with crime lords from all over the galaxy.
Shapiree Shuun was such a crime lord. Or at least he liked to think that way.
As expected Star had no trouble whatever to track down his whereabouts to a small, yet densely populated suburb of Eteron’s capital city. She and her Ariolo companion traveled quickly under the cover of darkness, passing the numerous unfinished and long abandoned high rise buildings, many of which were nothing more than empty skeletons. They traversed narrow streets and even narrower alleyways.
Star moved quickly and with purpose as if she had been to this place many times before. She hardly even consulted her tricorder as she navigated the maze like streets with the Ariolo never straying more than five paces from her side.
They had stopped behind one of the few seemingly completed towers which reached some three hundred meters into the air. A few lights were shining in the windows above but for the most part the building looked empty or the residents asleep.
The Trill removed an access hatch to the underground maintenance shaft and slipped inside, ignoring the nauseating smell of sewage mixed in with the toxic fumes of whatever cheap yet hazardous materials had been used to build the structure.
They followed the shaft packed with dirty and rusty pipes the size of a grown man until they reached the access to the basement. Security was lax. A few sensors and motion detectors were easily deactivated, the single guard neutralized without a sound.
Star had found what she had been looking for and went to work on the circuitry hidden behind some loose wall covers. “It’s just as I thought,” she said as she inspected the circuits. “They’re using dual phased transporter inhibitors. And they’re not the cheap ones either. We try to deactivate them and a backup will come up instantly not to mention a neat little alarm that will make every single guard in this building chase after us.”
“What do you suggest we do?”
She shot him a quick smirk almost as if she had hoped for him to ask her that. Almost as if she enjoyed playing with these toys. “Shuun is good but I have a few tricks of my own,” she explained and presented a small black box, half the size of her palm. “This little bad boy will hack the inhibitors by pretending to run a routine diagnostic. This will take some time but it will give us a chance to find Shuun and get out of here before anybody even knows what happened.”
“You intend to kill him?” he asked, keeping his voice entirely free of any inflection.
“I’m not a killer,” she said and finished inserting the hacking device. She stood and turned and something bothered her about the way N’ek’too looked at her. It wasn’t that he looked particularly doubtful but he didn’t look convinced either. “I don’t care what you think of me. In fact by now I wouldn’t hold it against you if you thought I was. The matter of fact is I’ll do what I have to and if you have any problems with it you better –“
The Ariolo interrupted her “It does not matter if I believe you or not. It does not matter if I like you or not. What does matter is that I will do what I’ll have to. So let us not waste any more time by discussing that which cannot be altered and proceed on our mission.”
Star didn’t admit it but she cringed inwardly upon hearing those words. All she did was to nod sharply and no more words were exchanged on the subject. In fact there wasn’t much being said at all.
The Trill quickly and quietly led the way and the Ariolo followed as he had promised. Her consciousness nagged her for dragging him into this mission which by all rights was solely her burden to carry. And no matter how hard he tried to hide it, she could see in his dark eyes that he very much doubted the validity of this entire undertaking. It was a tiny glimmer and it was not all too difficult for her to pretend it wasn’t there. As for her consciousness, she had decided to leave it back on the Sacajawea.
They made one last stop near a central power conduit. Star went to work as efficiently as she had before, making just enough adjustments to get the job done and not cause any suspicions.
When she was done they headed upwards, climbing up a maintenance shaft the size of a starship’s Jeffries tube. It was a long ways to go but neither Star nor N’ek’too complained. The Trill checked a wristband hidden underneath her cuff every few minutes. On it a row of dull red lights flashed in an increasingly faster sequence. It was linked to the device hacking the transporter scrambler. Only once the lights turned green would it be save to beam out.
The sun was beginning to rise when they reached the thirty-eight floor and the windows allowed an almost unobstructed view of the surrounding area which was being drowned into a blood red glow.
“Our target will be in the main conference room on this floor,” she whispered and carefully walked down the large corridor which appeared had not been maintained in quite some time. The wall covers had either never been put in place or had fallen off quite some time ago, leaving the circuitry behind it bare.
She felt a large hand on her shoulder. It was the Ariolo’s even voice that kept her from whipping around and plunging her hidden blade into his neck out of fear of having been betrayed.
“No guards?”
She threw him a lopsided grin. “He’s probably expecting us.”
The security officer did not show his surprise at this revelation.
Star took a knee and produced a padd she had carried in her backpack. It held a complete blueprint of the building.
“I can see now why you were so familiar with this place.”
“I know this building like the back of my hand,” she said, leaving out the part that this knowledge had nothing to do with those blueprints. “I want you to turn right at this intersection,” she said and pointed at the corresponding area on the schematic. “Turn right again and then stop after 5 meters. There’s a hidden entryway right here. It will lead you into the back of the conference room,” she said and handed him the padd. “Once you’re in position wait for my signal.”
He nodded in acknowledgment and they set out again. They separated as discussed and moments later Star had found the doors leading to the room. She slipped inside noiselessly. The room was huge, with no external windows and spanning at least three floors. It was clattered with old junk and equipment, providing it with plenty of corners and dark shadows. There wasn’t much light to begin with and most of it was focused on the long table on the lower floor of the room.
She sneaked up to it, staying undetected between dead computer consoles and empty crates.
“If the rumors are true, Starfleet will attempt to get to you during the meeting. They say they have assembled quite an imposing force solely for the purpose of brining you in.”
The ugly Dopterian sat on the table, his feet on one of the seats. A friend of his, a short man of Bolian origin stood close. They were both facing a third person sitting in the chair at the head of the table. Star could not see his face but it didn’t take a second for her to realize who it was.
“Our syndicate friends will deal with any Starfleet attempt to try and disrupt the meeting,” the third man said. “Quite interesting what they have prepared, I must say. It seems their ingenuity at causing destruction is equal only to their obsession for profit.”
“We shouldn’t be here if Starfleet is trying to get us,” the Bolian said, his voice showing much more concern than that of his leader.
“I’m not worried about Starfleet. No, they’re not the ones to be concerned about, I assure you,” he replied.
“Who else is there? You don’t think the Syndicate will double cross us now, do you?” the rouge sitting on the table asked.
“He’s worried about me.”
The two henchmen drew their weapons instantly and it was still not quite fast enough. Star’s phaser rifle had them already square in its sight as she stepped closer to the table. “This might look like a standard issue weapon but trust me when I say that getting hit by this and there won’t be any waking up afterwards. Now drop those guns and step back slowly.”
They did as they were told.
Their was no movement form the man in the chair which Star still couldn’t see. The henchmen on other hand had noticed that he had moved a blaster on his lap, ready to atomize Star the moment she dropped into view.
A phaser burst rang out and struck so close to Shuun’s head that it singed some of his black hair. He gasped but did not speak.
N’ek’too stepped out of the shadows with his rifle aimed at his head. “I believe she said to lose the weapons.”
Shuun smiled wanly at the Ariolo and then discarded the blaster almost casually. Then he stood and faced Star.
He was just like she had remembered him. Of course he had a face that was difficult to forget, with his neatly combed black hair, penetrating green eyes and perfectly square jar. He wasn’t a pretty boy like Evan Mahoney but instead he radiated a roguish handsomeness and more than anything else, steely confidence. Even now. “Taz,” he said in a voice laden with implication. “I knew he would try to send you but somehow I wouldn’t have thought you’d do it.”
“I’m brining you back.”
He took a small step away from the table. Star moved with him, switching her aim on him while N’ek’too covered Shuun’s underlings. “You know I hoped it wouldn’t be you,” he said and he sounded genuine as he spoke. “I really did. I thought you had what you wanted after all this time, why would you let him drag you down this route again.”
Star clenched her teeth. “I haven’t come here to talk.”
He nodded. “Of course not,” he said in agreement. “But I’m not going to come with you. I’ve left all that behind and I have no intention to re-join the club.”
“Don’t fool yourself, it’s not a choice and you damn well know it.”
“Are you saying this because he got to you? Perhaps my resolve is stronger than yours. Perhaps I have more to live for than you do.”
That made Star laugh. “Do you know? And what exactly is so great about your newfound purpose of running with the scum of the galaxy? No, don’t tell me, it’s the benefits package.”
Shuun moved slowly to the right and Star stayed with him, always keeping her distance. She didn’t particularly like this stalling tactic but she had no choice. Her wristband still showed red lights. And there was something else, something she wasn’t all to happy to admit. She liked seeing Shuun again.
“It might not be as noble an existence as being a Starfleet officer but these people are not so bad once you get to know them better. We were so busy once trying to get rid of them but once you realize the truth it is quite comforting to be part of it.”
“What truth is that?”
“If you take away the bad guys those who will fill the void will be much worse. You think I betrayed you, don’t you? You think I turned my back on everything we did by joining those we swore to fight against. But did you ever stop to think that maybe we were on the wrong side? Who is Altee to decide who deserves to life and who does not?”
“And you don’t make those same decisions on your own now? What purpose does it serve to attack defenseless colonies and terrorizing citizens? At least what we did was for the good of a greater cause. All your doing is serving your own selfish aims.”
Shuun smiled. “We could stand here for hours and discuss the greater implications of my work. I could tell you about the looming dangers we face far larger than we were able to imagine years ago. And I’m sure that would suit you just fine, wouldn’t it? How long do those hacking bots require these days? Twenty-five minutes?”
The Trill noticed that the Ariolo had become uncomfortable by Shuun’s revelation that he knew about their plan. He shot her an insistent look, trying to prompt her to action.
“Twenty,” Star responded in a dead pan, she could feel the wristband vibrating slightly, a sign that time was nearly up.
“I cannot allow you to take me back, Taz.”
And with that the doors opened and a row of goons stormed in, at least ten of them, surrounding the conference table and Star and N’ek’too along with it. Their crude yet effective weaponry pointed at the two intruders and without doubt it would take just one word from Shuun make use of them.
Neither Starfleet officer reacted to the suddenly changing circumstances, instead keeping their own aims steady.
“I’ve done this too long as not to expect Altee to make a move. But the only way to make him truly understand that I will not yield to him again is to destroy as many of his assets as I can. Can you see know why I wish you hadn’t come here?”
First attempted to be colonized some one hundred fifty years earlier it had ended in disaster when the fledging settlement had been wiped out by what survivors had called a horde of blood-lusting demons from hell, single-mindedly determined to rip out the colonist’s hearts and devour them. Back then of course nobody had known about the Klingons and their proximity to Eteron.
The second attempt had met with an equally devastating yet less overt end. The colonists simply began to die en mass for no apparent reason. Only about twenty years later did evidence surface to suggest that operatives of the nearby Romulan Star Empire had poisoned all sources of drinking water in order to wipe out the human settlers.
For a while it had appeared that most had come to the realization that colonizing a world near such hostile powers was indeed a very bad idea and Eteron was left alone.
But human are nothing if not persistent. The third try turned out to be the charm and the colony began to prosper. But it didn’t last long. The potential dangers of living on a border world also attracted immense opportunities. Starfleet kept only a token presence to ensure neither power would use the sector as a staging area for an invasion, giving all sorts of elements plenty of room for illicit affairs and lucrative deals with equally questionable individuals across all borders.
It wasn’t until long that Eteron had turned into a paradise for smugglers, mercenaries, pirates and from time to time the criminally insane. A perfect place then for the Orion Syndicate to hold a meeting to discuss their expansion plans with crime lords from all over the galaxy.
Shapiree Shuun was such a crime lord. Or at least he liked to think that way.
As expected Star had no trouble whatever to track down his whereabouts to a small, yet densely populated suburb of Eteron’s capital city. She and her Ariolo companion traveled quickly under the cover of darkness, passing the numerous unfinished and long abandoned high rise buildings, many of which were nothing more than empty skeletons. They traversed narrow streets and even narrower alleyways.
Star moved quickly and with purpose as if she had been to this place many times before. She hardly even consulted her tricorder as she navigated the maze like streets with the Ariolo never straying more than five paces from her side.
They had stopped behind one of the few seemingly completed towers which reached some three hundred meters into the air. A few lights were shining in the windows above but for the most part the building looked empty or the residents asleep.
The Trill removed an access hatch to the underground maintenance shaft and slipped inside, ignoring the nauseating smell of sewage mixed in with the toxic fumes of whatever cheap yet hazardous materials had been used to build the structure.
They followed the shaft packed with dirty and rusty pipes the size of a grown man until they reached the access to the basement. Security was lax. A few sensors and motion detectors were easily deactivated, the single guard neutralized without a sound.
Star had found what she had been looking for and went to work on the circuitry hidden behind some loose wall covers. “It’s just as I thought,” she said as she inspected the circuits. “They’re using dual phased transporter inhibitors. And they’re not the cheap ones either. We try to deactivate them and a backup will come up instantly not to mention a neat little alarm that will make every single guard in this building chase after us.”
“What do you suggest we do?”
She shot him a quick smirk almost as if she had hoped for him to ask her that. Almost as if she enjoyed playing with these toys. “Shuun is good but I have a few tricks of my own,” she explained and presented a small black box, half the size of her palm. “This little bad boy will hack the inhibitors by pretending to run a routine diagnostic. This will take some time but it will give us a chance to find Shuun and get out of here before anybody even knows what happened.”
“You intend to kill him?” he asked, keeping his voice entirely free of any inflection.
“I’m not a killer,” she said and finished inserting the hacking device. She stood and turned and something bothered her about the way N’ek’too looked at her. It wasn’t that he looked particularly doubtful but he didn’t look convinced either. “I don’t care what you think of me. In fact by now I wouldn’t hold it against you if you thought I was. The matter of fact is I’ll do what I have to and if you have any problems with it you better –“
The Ariolo interrupted her “It does not matter if I believe you or not. It does not matter if I like you or not. What does matter is that I will do what I’ll have to. So let us not waste any more time by discussing that which cannot be altered and proceed on our mission.”
Star didn’t admit it but she cringed inwardly upon hearing those words. All she did was to nod sharply and no more words were exchanged on the subject. In fact there wasn’t much being said at all.
The Trill quickly and quietly led the way and the Ariolo followed as he had promised. Her consciousness nagged her for dragging him into this mission which by all rights was solely her burden to carry. And no matter how hard he tried to hide it, she could see in his dark eyes that he very much doubted the validity of this entire undertaking. It was a tiny glimmer and it was not all too difficult for her to pretend it wasn’t there. As for her consciousness, she had decided to leave it back on the Sacajawea.
They made one last stop near a central power conduit. Star went to work as efficiently as she had before, making just enough adjustments to get the job done and not cause any suspicions.
When she was done they headed upwards, climbing up a maintenance shaft the size of a starship’s Jeffries tube. It was a long ways to go but neither Star nor N’ek’too complained. The Trill checked a wristband hidden underneath her cuff every few minutes. On it a row of dull red lights flashed in an increasingly faster sequence. It was linked to the device hacking the transporter scrambler. Only once the lights turned green would it be save to beam out.
The sun was beginning to rise when they reached the thirty-eight floor and the windows allowed an almost unobstructed view of the surrounding area which was being drowned into a blood red glow.
“Our target will be in the main conference room on this floor,” she whispered and carefully walked down the large corridor which appeared had not been maintained in quite some time. The wall covers had either never been put in place or had fallen off quite some time ago, leaving the circuitry behind it bare.
She felt a large hand on her shoulder. It was the Ariolo’s even voice that kept her from whipping around and plunging her hidden blade into his neck out of fear of having been betrayed.
“No guards?”
She threw him a lopsided grin. “He’s probably expecting us.”
The security officer did not show his surprise at this revelation.
Star took a knee and produced a padd she had carried in her backpack. It held a complete blueprint of the building.
“I can see now why you were so familiar with this place.”
“I know this building like the back of my hand,” she said, leaving out the part that this knowledge had nothing to do with those blueprints. “I want you to turn right at this intersection,” she said and pointed at the corresponding area on the schematic. “Turn right again and then stop after 5 meters. There’s a hidden entryway right here. It will lead you into the back of the conference room,” she said and handed him the padd. “Once you’re in position wait for my signal.”
He nodded in acknowledgment and they set out again. They separated as discussed and moments later Star had found the doors leading to the room. She slipped inside noiselessly. The room was huge, with no external windows and spanning at least three floors. It was clattered with old junk and equipment, providing it with plenty of corners and dark shadows. There wasn’t much light to begin with and most of it was focused on the long table on the lower floor of the room.
She sneaked up to it, staying undetected between dead computer consoles and empty crates.
“If the rumors are true, Starfleet will attempt to get to you during the meeting. They say they have assembled quite an imposing force solely for the purpose of brining you in.”
The ugly Dopterian sat on the table, his feet on one of the seats. A friend of his, a short man of Bolian origin stood close. They were both facing a third person sitting in the chair at the head of the table. Star could not see his face but it didn’t take a second for her to realize who it was.
“Our syndicate friends will deal with any Starfleet attempt to try and disrupt the meeting,” the third man said. “Quite interesting what they have prepared, I must say. It seems their ingenuity at causing destruction is equal only to their obsession for profit.”
“We shouldn’t be here if Starfleet is trying to get us,” the Bolian said, his voice showing much more concern than that of his leader.
“I’m not worried about Starfleet. No, they’re not the ones to be concerned about, I assure you,” he replied.
“Who else is there? You don’t think the Syndicate will double cross us now, do you?” the rouge sitting on the table asked.
“He’s worried about me.”
The two henchmen drew their weapons instantly and it was still not quite fast enough. Star’s phaser rifle had them already square in its sight as she stepped closer to the table. “This might look like a standard issue weapon but trust me when I say that getting hit by this and there won’t be any waking up afterwards. Now drop those guns and step back slowly.”
They did as they were told.
Their was no movement form the man in the chair which Star still couldn’t see. The henchmen on other hand had noticed that he had moved a blaster on his lap, ready to atomize Star the moment she dropped into view.
A phaser burst rang out and struck so close to Shuun’s head that it singed some of his black hair. He gasped but did not speak.
N’ek’too stepped out of the shadows with his rifle aimed at his head. “I believe she said to lose the weapons.”
Shuun smiled wanly at the Ariolo and then discarded the blaster almost casually. Then he stood and faced Star.
He was just like she had remembered him. Of course he had a face that was difficult to forget, with his neatly combed black hair, penetrating green eyes and perfectly square jar. He wasn’t a pretty boy like Evan Mahoney but instead he radiated a roguish handsomeness and more than anything else, steely confidence. Even now. “Taz,” he said in a voice laden with implication. “I knew he would try to send you but somehow I wouldn’t have thought you’d do it.”
“I’m brining you back.”
He took a small step away from the table. Star moved with him, switching her aim on him while N’ek’too covered Shuun’s underlings. “You know I hoped it wouldn’t be you,” he said and he sounded genuine as he spoke. “I really did. I thought you had what you wanted after all this time, why would you let him drag you down this route again.”
Star clenched her teeth. “I haven’t come here to talk.”
He nodded. “Of course not,” he said in agreement. “But I’m not going to come with you. I’ve left all that behind and I have no intention to re-join the club.”
“Don’t fool yourself, it’s not a choice and you damn well know it.”
“Are you saying this because he got to you? Perhaps my resolve is stronger than yours. Perhaps I have more to live for than you do.”
That made Star laugh. “Do you know? And what exactly is so great about your newfound purpose of running with the scum of the galaxy? No, don’t tell me, it’s the benefits package.”
Shuun moved slowly to the right and Star stayed with him, always keeping her distance. She didn’t particularly like this stalling tactic but she had no choice. Her wristband still showed red lights. And there was something else, something she wasn’t all to happy to admit. She liked seeing Shuun again.
“It might not be as noble an existence as being a Starfleet officer but these people are not so bad once you get to know them better. We were so busy once trying to get rid of them but once you realize the truth it is quite comforting to be part of it.”
“What truth is that?”
“If you take away the bad guys those who will fill the void will be much worse. You think I betrayed you, don’t you? You think I turned my back on everything we did by joining those we swore to fight against. But did you ever stop to think that maybe we were on the wrong side? Who is Altee to decide who deserves to life and who does not?”
“And you don’t make those same decisions on your own now? What purpose does it serve to attack defenseless colonies and terrorizing citizens? At least what we did was for the good of a greater cause. All your doing is serving your own selfish aims.”
Shuun smiled. “We could stand here for hours and discuss the greater implications of my work. I could tell you about the looming dangers we face far larger than we were able to imagine years ago. And I’m sure that would suit you just fine, wouldn’t it? How long do those hacking bots require these days? Twenty-five minutes?”
The Trill noticed that the Ariolo had become uncomfortable by Shuun’s revelation that he knew about their plan. He shot her an insistent look, trying to prompt her to action.
“Twenty,” Star responded in a dead pan, she could feel the wristband vibrating slightly, a sign that time was nearly up.
“I cannot allow you to take me back, Taz.”
And with that the doors opened and a row of goons stormed in, at least ten of them, surrounding the conference table and Star and N’ek’too along with it. Their crude yet effective weaponry pointed at the two intruders and without doubt it would take just one word from Shuun make use of them.
Neither Starfleet officer reacted to the suddenly changing circumstances, instead keeping their own aims steady.
“I’ve done this too long as not to expect Altee to make a move. But the only way to make him truly understand that I will not yield to him again is to destroy as many of his assets as I can. Can you see know why I wish you hadn’t come here?”
* * *
Star and her security chief appear to be in deep kim-chi! I hope she has a good back-up plan, 'cause plan A sure sucked! 
Similar threads
