2
Michael Owens understood that they had to move fast. Their only advantage at the moment was the fact that General Lam didn’t know that Wasco had switched sides. Therefore he had been able to send a message back to the embassy to make the general believe that he and his search team had come up empty handed at the monastery and that they were moving on to their next location to try and apprehend the fugitive Starfleet officers and Gul Belore.
Instead they were planning on commandeering the Marine shuttle—it had taken Deen only a few minutes to locate its transponder and make it transmit false data—to use it to make the trip to Forward Operating Command Phoenix, a Marine base located almost four-thousand miles south from the capital and close to Cardassian-held territory. Phoenix was the headquarters of Lieutenant Colonel Svea van der Meer and her First Battalion, a close friend of Wasco’s, and according to the major, just about the only senior officer on Valeria who might be willing to ask questions first and shoot later at anyone suggesting turning against General Xiaogang Lam.
It was a huge gamble of course but as far as Michael was concerned, it was one of their only remaining chances to see this war end quickly and bloodlessly.
“I don’t understand why I cannot wear that uniform and you be the prisoner.” Sharval had made it clear that she was not crazy about the idea of trying to appeal to other Marines, the very same people who were responsible for bringing this war to her world in the first place. She appreciated their plan of having her and Belore act as prisoners in order to get close to the base even less.
“I think it’s pretty obvious.” Owens zipped up a tactical vest over the combat fatigues he now wore. They had borrowed the uniforms from two of their own prisoners they had left tied up in the barn. They had been understandably reluctant to part with their clothes and Michael had provided them their civilian attire instead so he didn’t have to rob them of their dignity as well. It hadn’t helped to improve their mood much. “Starfleet doesn’t have any Valerian Marines as far as I know. You would stand out far too much, defeating the purpose of our little charade.”
She smirked. “I do tend to stand out wherever I go. Can’t help that I’ve been blessed with such great natural beauty.” She winked at Deen who stood nearby and who was also finishing up pulling on the combat equipment. “I believe you understand what a curse that can be, don’t you, dear?”
Deen offered a minuscule nod but not much else. Even though Deen most likely understood perfectly and much more so than Sharval could ever imagine. It didn’t take much to realize that the young woman didn’t appreciate the condescending tone. Or perhaps, Michael thought, there was more to what Deen found objectionable about the Valerian woman.
Sharval didn’t pay the Tenarian any further attention and instead focused on Owens again as they prepared to board the shuttle. “Did I mention that I believe this is a horrible idea?”
Belore shot her a brief glance. “Many times.”
“Good. Because I want it to be known that this is incredibly foolish. First of all, little princess over there doesn’t look anything like a Marine. She’s far too young.” She indicated back towards Deen who responded with a scowl.
Michael had to admit that she war right. Even after putting up her glowing golden locks and hiding them inside her helmet, Deen looked far too petite to be a Marine. And her peaceful and alluring aura didn’t exactly lend itself to a person trained as a warrior either.
“And second, I may not know much about your people’s culture but in mine, the notion of fooling soldiers with fake prisoners is a terribly obvious ploy. Nobody is going to fall for this.”
“We don’t need to fool everyone. We just need to get close enough to Phoenix so that we can speak to van der Meer.” Wasco of course didn’t have to fake being anything other than himself and seemed the most confident in this plan.
Owens nodded. “Exactly. Just play your part and we should be alright.” Then he boarded the shuttle along with the others, not missing that Sharval was the last person to step inside and even then only hesitantly.
Once he was sure she had taken a seat on one of the benches lining the bulkheads, he took the chair next to Wasco who would steer the vessel towards the Marine base.
With little further delay the major had the main hatch secured, took off gently and pointed the shuttle’s nose southward. To reduce their chance of detection he kept the shuttle fairly low, less than two hundred feet over the ground and their speed just below breaking the sound barrier.
It would mean of course that people on the ground could easily spot them but hopefully the sight of a Starfleet Marine shuttle wasn’t an uncommon sight on Valeria. However if they were detected by sensors, somebody might have deduced that their transponder signal had them traveling into an entirely different direction.
The rain seemed to pick up the further south they were heading, pelting the shuttle’s windscreen with increasing intensity. Michael could see that the rolling hills which had dominated the surroundings of the monastery quickly gave way to large areas of forested lands. Wasco did his best to avoid any population centers, of which there weren’t many as the Valerians didn’t tend to cluster around cities.
They didn’t encounter any trouble until approaching the base nearly five hours after they had first set out.
“We’re being hailed.” Wasco looked at Owens.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Shuttle Sierra-November-Two-Two-Six, this is FOC Phoenix Control. Please identify yourself and state the purpose of your approach.”
Owens nodded at Wasco, letting him know to respond.
“Phoenix control, this is Major Cesar Wasco on the Shuttle Sierra-November-Two-Two-Six. We are transporting two prisoners to Phoenix detention. An enemy Cardassian combatant and a Valerian national suspected of sabotage. Requesting permission to approach.”
There was a momentary delay and Owens held his breath. If they didn’t buy there little story there was little to stop them from shooting the shuttle out of the sky.
“Sierra-November-Two-Two-Six, Phoenix Control. Scans confirms you are carrying a Cardassian and Valerian on your shuttle. You are cleared to land on platform Seven-Four-Oscar. Disengage all engines once on the ground and await your escort.”
“Solid copy on all, Phoenix Control. Sierra-November-Two-Two-Six, out.”
Owens could see the base coming into view. The large compound was strategically positioned on a small rise in the jungle below. It was heavily defended, similarly to the fusion plant they had scouted earlier. It was larger however and with much more activity. Wasco didn’t steer the shuttle directly towards the base but to a small landing area at the foot of the hill, at least a few hundred yards from the base itself. No doubt intended as a security buffer.
Michael stood and headed towards the back to find Deen along with Belore and Sharval. “So far so good. Now we just have to convince them to let us in.” He presented two small and thin silvery discs which he had retrieved from his tactical vest.
Sharval, now on her feet as well, smirked when she recognized the purpose of the small devices and held up her wrists in front of him. “Tell the truth, you’ve been wanting to tie me up from the moment you’ve met me.”
He offered a little smile in response and then dropped the device in between her wrists. The silvery disc immediately hummed to the life, sensing the right composition of skin and bones and forced them together.
“A bit tight, no?”
He shrugged and handed the second disc to Deen who restraint Belore in a similar fashion.
A few short moments later Wasco had sat down the shuttle and joined the others in the back. He considered the captain. “I suggest you let me do the talking, sir.”
“Those are your people, Major. If you can’t get us passed them, nobody can.” He grabbed an assault rifle and Deen and Wasco did the same. He gently poked Sharval in the back when she remained reluctant to head towards the exit.
“Hey, take it easy there, Sky Knight.”
“You don’t stop calling me that soon and we might find out what else I can do with this.”
She shook her head in mock disgust. “You’re enjoying this far too much.”
Owens responded with a tiny smile. Sharval was obviously a woman of action, somebody who liked to take charge. Now she had been reduced to a role in which she could do nothing but follow and it obviously caused her some frustration. And he did take a little pleasure of seeing her out of her comfort zone for once. He quickly forced himself to present a more serious mien when the shuttle hatch began to open and a group of four heavily armed Marines came into view.
Thankfully none of them appeared particularly suspicious of their new guests. Their phaser rifles were hanging by their sides or slung over their backs as they waited patiently for Wasco and the others to disembark.
Owens found that Sharval’s comment about Deen’s age earlier didn’t hold water. The lead Marine was noticeably younger than even the Tenarian. He offered a crisp salute to the major.
“At ease, Corporal. Just here to drop off a couple of prisoners we picked up a few klicks north of here. Looks like the locals are scheming with the Cardassians now.”
The young corporal relaxed and shot Belore and Sharval poisonous glares. “Not surprised at all, sir. Damn Valerians can’t be trusted. They think the Spoonheads will be their friends? They’ve got another thing coming. We can take them from here.”
Owens and Deen exchanged a very brief look of concern.
“That’s alright, Corporal, we might as well take them in ourselves and brief the colonel while we’re here.”
The young man considered the major for a moment and then let his eyes wander over the rest of his team and his prisoners.
“But I do have a timetable, Corporal. General Lam wants me back at HQ as soon as possible.”
That forced the man’s focus back towards Wasco. He offered a curt nod. “Of course, sir. We’ll escort you.”
He shook his head. “That won’t be necessary, we’ll find our way.” Without waiting for a response from the corporal, Wasco set out towards the base, following clear signage pointing to the main gate on top of the hill.
Owens felt the corporal’s eyes resting on their team for a while but risked a quick glance over his shoulder after a couple of minutes and was relieved to find that he and his men had seemingly moved on to other duties.
“That was almost too easy.”
He graced Sharval with a satisfied little smile. “Oh ye of little faith.”
Her responding blank look gave proof that she didn’t fully understand the reference.
“I suggest we don’t count our chickens just yet.”
The Valerian turned towards Deen next, clearly having a hard time following the idioms.
But Owens was more concerned with the reason for her concern. They had nearly reached the gate when he spotted another group of six Marines approaching with fast steps, heading them off. These ones looked much more determined, led by what appeared to be a more experienced NCO.
“Relax and keep moving unless they say otherwise.” Wasco followed his own advice.
They said otherwise. “Stop right there.”
Wasco halted just a few short yards from the main gate.
“Major Wasco?”
He turned to regard the new Marine unit and the Deltan sergeant who was leading them and who had called out to him. “Yes, Gunnery Sergeant. What is it? We are in a bit of hurry.”
“This can’t be good.” Belore kept his voice low as the Marines nearly completely surrounded him and the others.
The Deltan took a moment to look Wasco and the others over.
“As I said, we don’t have a lot of time, Sergeant. I would appreciate it if you’d let us pass.” Wasco’s voice was sharp, no doubt the same kind of tone he relied on when giving orders to his men when in combat. It had worked pretty well on the young corporal earlier but the Deltan didn’t seem willing to bow to his authority quite so quickly.
“You need to come with us, sir.”
Wasco shook his head. “What I need to do, Sergeant, is deliver these prisoners, brief the colonel and return to HQ as quickly as possible.”
The sergeant stepped closer and Owens suspected trouble immediately. It became even more obvious when the other Marines raised their rifles. They didn’t aim them but the implication was clear. “Major, I have orders from General Lam to bring you back to HQ immediately. Now I would much prefer to do this as respectfully to you as possible considering your rank. But if you force my hand, we can do this a lot less civilly.”
“Let me speak to the colonel first.”
The sergeant shook his head. “The general was very clear about this, sir. He wants you, Captain Owens and Gul Belore back at HQ without delay.”
And with that, all pretenses disappeared. Owens wasn’t entirely sure how Lam had found out about their attempt to get to Phoenix but the most likely scenario involved Thelos and the other Marines having managed to free themselves and contact Lam about Wasco’s defection which in turn had likely prompted an alarm going out to all bases in the area.
“You will lower your weapons and come with us now.”
With the niceties apparently out of the way, the Marines aimed their weapons at the no longer disguised Starfleet team and their prisoners.
“Told you this was too easy.” Sharval raised her arms in frustration, causing a couple of rifles to draw beads on her.
“Listen to me, Marine. All I’m asking for is a word with Colonel van der Meer. Five minutes. After that we’ll go wherever you want to take us.”
“I can’t do that, sir.”
Owens understood what was at stake here. Considering the kind of orders Lam had given Sergeant Thalos, it stood to reason that this man had similar instructions concerning Belore’s and his own fate. And even if he had not been told to terminate them, somebody else would have been ordered to do just that, most likely making it look like an accident.
Michael took a careful step forward until he stood side by side with Wasco, keeping his rifle down and making sure not to give the Marines any reason to fire. “This is one of those orders you do not want to follow, Sergeant. What you don’t realize is that this war is over. Has been for days. We have been sent here under orders from Starfleet Command to end it. Orders your general is ignoring.”
The sergeant considered Owens suspiciously. Clearly it wasn’t enough to sway him. A few words from an officer he had never met before would not trump the oath he had sworn to follow the orders of his commanders.
“Jonar Arik?”
Apparently surprised at hearing his name, the Deltan looked towards the person who had uttered it. Owens stepped aside to allow Deen to step forward.
“DeMara Deen?” He seemed completely baffled at finding that woman here and Owens could tell that Deen seemed just as surprised.
The Deltan’s face turned into a wide smile and at first Michael attributed this to the general reaction many people had when they met a Tenarian for the first time. But there was much more there than that. There was recognition in his eyes and he actually instructed his men to lower their rifles when they drew on her.
“I can’t believe it’s you. You are a Marine?”
He nodded with a widening grin. “Yeah. What the hells are you doing here?”
It took her moment to respond, getting over her own shock of this entirely unexpected encounter. “I serve on Eagle under Captain Owens.” She indicated towards Michael. “I cannot believe you became a Marine. You were studying sciences at the Academy.”
That grin didn’t leave his face. “Trust me, Dee, it’s a long story.”
It was then that Owens finally understood who this sergeant was. Jonar Arik had been a cadet at the Academy at the same time Deen had been there. In fact, at the same time he had been a tutor. He was fairly sure Arik had not attended any of his classes but he did remember that he had been a very close friend of Deen’s who back then had refused to engage in any kind of intimate relationship until she had rather suddenly gotten involved with him. It had made her reconsider leaving Starfleet Academy after she had grown increasingly frustrated at the amount of attention she had invited there.
Sharval took a half step forward. “I am all in favor of beautiful reunions with long lost acquaintances but perhaps now that we have established that we’re all friend here, perhaps we could meet with this colonel of yours.”
Arik looked torn. “I have my orders.”
Deen considered him with her powerful purple eyes. “Please, Jonar, let us talk to her. The captain is right, the war with the Dominion is over and we need to find a way to end it here on Valeria as well. The colonel may help.”
He wasn’t immediately convinced. Even Deen’s near magical charm couldn’t cut through years of training and dedication to following orders. But then he nodded slowly. “I’ll let her know you’re here and of your request. If she agrees I’ll take you to see her.”
“That’s all we ask.” Deen smiled at him.
Sergeant Arik stepped away from Owens and the others to make the call but the rest of his men remained in place, keeping watchful eyes on them.
“I think I’m about to change my mind about you.” Sharval looked towards Deen. “You can be quite useful to have around.”
“I’m not just a pretty face.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”
Deen scowled at her but before she could come back with a response, Arik returned.
“Follow me. I’ll take you to Colonel van der Meer now.”
Michael Owens understood that they had to move fast. Their only advantage at the moment was the fact that General Lam didn’t know that Wasco had switched sides. Therefore he had been able to send a message back to the embassy to make the general believe that he and his search team had come up empty handed at the monastery and that they were moving on to their next location to try and apprehend the fugitive Starfleet officers and Gul Belore.
Instead they were planning on commandeering the Marine shuttle—it had taken Deen only a few minutes to locate its transponder and make it transmit false data—to use it to make the trip to Forward Operating Command Phoenix, a Marine base located almost four-thousand miles south from the capital and close to Cardassian-held territory. Phoenix was the headquarters of Lieutenant Colonel Svea van der Meer and her First Battalion, a close friend of Wasco’s, and according to the major, just about the only senior officer on Valeria who might be willing to ask questions first and shoot later at anyone suggesting turning against General Xiaogang Lam.
It was a huge gamble of course but as far as Michael was concerned, it was one of their only remaining chances to see this war end quickly and bloodlessly.
“I don’t understand why I cannot wear that uniform and you be the prisoner.” Sharval had made it clear that she was not crazy about the idea of trying to appeal to other Marines, the very same people who were responsible for bringing this war to her world in the first place. She appreciated their plan of having her and Belore act as prisoners in order to get close to the base even less.
“I think it’s pretty obvious.” Owens zipped up a tactical vest over the combat fatigues he now wore. They had borrowed the uniforms from two of their own prisoners they had left tied up in the barn. They had been understandably reluctant to part with their clothes and Michael had provided them their civilian attire instead so he didn’t have to rob them of their dignity as well. It hadn’t helped to improve their mood much. “Starfleet doesn’t have any Valerian Marines as far as I know. You would stand out far too much, defeating the purpose of our little charade.”
She smirked. “I do tend to stand out wherever I go. Can’t help that I’ve been blessed with such great natural beauty.” She winked at Deen who stood nearby and who was also finishing up pulling on the combat equipment. “I believe you understand what a curse that can be, don’t you, dear?”
Deen offered a minuscule nod but not much else. Even though Deen most likely understood perfectly and much more so than Sharval could ever imagine. It didn’t take much to realize that the young woman didn’t appreciate the condescending tone. Or perhaps, Michael thought, there was more to what Deen found objectionable about the Valerian woman.
Sharval didn’t pay the Tenarian any further attention and instead focused on Owens again as they prepared to board the shuttle. “Did I mention that I believe this is a horrible idea?”
Belore shot her a brief glance. “Many times.”
“Good. Because I want it to be known that this is incredibly foolish. First of all, little princess over there doesn’t look anything like a Marine. She’s far too young.” She indicated back towards Deen who responded with a scowl.
Michael had to admit that she war right. Even after putting up her glowing golden locks and hiding them inside her helmet, Deen looked far too petite to be a Marine. And her peaceful and alluring aura didn’t exactly lend itself to a person trained as a warrior either.
“And second, I may not know much about your people’s culture but in mine, the notion of fooling soldiers with fake prisoners is a terribly obvious ploy. Nobody is going to fall for this.”
“We don’t need to fool everyone. We just need to get close enough to Phoenix so that we can speak to van der Meer.” Wasco of course didn’t have to fake being anything other than himself and seemed the most confident in this plan.
Owens nodded. “Exactly. Just play your part and we should be alright.” Then he boarded the shuttle along with the others, not missing that Sharval was the last person to step inside and even then only hesitantly.
Once he was sure she had taken a seat on one of the benches lining the bulkheads, he took the chair next to Wasco who would steer the vessel towards the Marine base.
With little further delay the major had the main hatch secured, took off gently and pointed the shuttle’s nose southward. To reduce their chance of detection he kept the shuttle fairly low, less than two hundred feet over the ground and their speed just below breaking the sound barrier.
It would mean of course that people on the ground could easily spot them but hopefully the sight of a Starfleet Marine shuttle wasn’t an uncommon sight on Valeria. However if they were detected by sensors, somebody might have deduced that their transponder signal had them traveling into an entirely different direction.
The rain seemed to pick up the further south they were heading, pelting the shuttle’s windscreen with increasing intensity. Michael could see that the rolling hills which had dominated the surroundings of the monastery quickly gave way to large areas of forested lands. Wasco did his best to avoid any population centers, of which there weren’t many as the Valerians didn’t tend to cluster around cities.
They didn’t encounter any trouble until approaching the base nearly five hours after they had first set out.
“We’re being hailed.” Wasco looked at Owens.
“Let’s hear it.”
“Shuttle Sierra-November-Two-Two-Six, this is FOC Phoenix Control. Please identify yourself and state the purpose of your approach.”
Owens nodded at Wasco, letting him know to respond.
“Phoenix control, this is Major Cesar Wasco on the Shuttle Sierra-November-Two-Two-Six. We are transporting two prisoners to Phoenix detention. An enemy Cardassian combatant and a Valerian national suspected of sabotage. Requesting permission to approach.”
There was a momentary delay and Owens held his breath. If they didn’t buy there little story there was little to stop them from shooting the shuttle out of the sky.
“Sierra-November-Two-Two-Six, Phoenix Control. Scans confirms you are carrying a Cardassian and Valerian on your shuttle. You are cleared to land on platform Seven-Four-Oscar. Disengage all engines once on the ground and await your escort.”
“Solid copy on all, Phoenix Control. Sierra-November-Two-Two-Six, out.”
Owens could see the base coming into view. The large compound was strategically positioned on a small rise in the jungle below. It was heavily defended, similarly to the fusion plant they had scouted earlier. It was larger however and with much more activity. Wasco didn’t steer the shuttle directly towards the base but to a small landing area at the foot of the hill, at least a few hundred yards from the base itself. No doubt intended as a security buffer.
Michael stood and headed towards the back to find Deen along with Belore and Sharval. “So far so good. Now we just have to convince them to let us in.” He presented two small and thin silvery discs which he had retrieved from his tactical vest.
Sharval, now on her feet as well, smirked when she recognized the purpose of the small devices and held up her wrists in front of him. “Tell the truth, you’ve been wanting to tie me up from the moment you’ve met me.”
He offered a little smile in response and then dropped the device in between her wrists. The silvery disc immediately hummed to the life, sensing the right composition of skin and bones and forced them together.
“A bit tight, no?”
He shrugged and handed the second disc to Deen who restraint Belore in a similar fashion.
A few short moments later Wasco had sat down the shuttle and joined the others in the back. He considered the captain. “I suggest you let me do the talking, sir.”
“Those are your people, Major. If you can’t get us passed them, nobody can.” He grabbed an assault rifle and Deen and Wasco did the same. He gently poked Sharval in the back when she remained reluctant to head towards the exit.
“Hey, take it easy there, Sky Knight.”
“You don’t stop calling me that soon and we might find out what else I can do with this.”
She shook her head in mock disgust. “You’re enjoying this far too much.”
Owens responded with a tiny smile. Sharval was obviously a woman of action, somebody who liked to take charge. Now she had been reduced to a role in which she could do nothing but follow and it obviously caused her some frustration. And he did take a little pleasure of seeing her out of her comfort zone for once. He quickly forced himself to present a more serious mien when the shuttle hatch began to open and a group of four heavily armed Marines came into view.
Thankfully none of them appeared particularly suspicious of their new guests. Their phaser rifles were hanging by their sides or slung over their backs as they waited patiently for Wasco and the others to disembark.
Owens found that Sharval’s comment about Deen’s age earlier didn’t hold water. The lead Marine was noticeably younger than even the Tenarian. He offered a crisp salute to the major.
“At ease, Corporal. Just here to drop off a couple of prisoners we picked up a few klicks north of here. Looks like the locals are scheming with the Cardassians now.”
The young corporal relaxed and shot Belore and Sharval poisonous glares. “Not surprised at all, sir. Damn Valerians can’t be trusted. They think the Spoonheads will be their friends? They’ve got another thing coming. We can take them from here.”
Owens and Deen exchanged a very brief look of concern.
“That’s alright, Corporal, we might as well take them in ourselves and brief the colonel while we’re here.”
The young man considered the major for a moment and then let his eyes wander over the rest of his team and his prisoners.
“But I do have a timetable, Corporal. General Lam wants me back at HQ as soon as possible.”
That forced the man’s focus back towards Wasco. He offered a curt nod. “Of course, sir. We’ll escort you.”
He shook his head. “That won’t be necessary, we’ll find our way.” Without waiting for a response from the corporal, Wasco set out towards the base, following clear signage pointing to the main gate on top of the hill.
Owens felt the corporal’s eyes resting on their team for a while but risked a quick glance over his shoulder after a couple of minutes and was relieved to find that he and his men had seemingly moved on to other duties.
“That was almost too easy.”
He graced Sharval with a satisfied little smile. “Oh ye of little faith.”
Her responding blank look gave proof that she didn’t fully understand the reference.
“I suggest we don’t count our chickens just yet.”
The Valerian turned towards Deen next, clearly having a hard time following the idioms.
But Owens was more concerned with the reason for her concern. They had nearly reached the gate when he spotted another group of six Marines approaching with fast steps, heading them off. These ones looked much more determined, led by what appeared to be a more experienced NCO.
“Relax and keep moving unless they say otherwise.” Wasco followed his own advice.
They said otherwise. “Stop right there.”
Wasco halted just a few short yards from the main gate.
“Major Wasco?”
He turned to regard the new Marine unit and the Deltan sergeant who was leading them and who had called out to him. “Yes, Gunnery Sergeant. What is it? We are in a bit of hurry.”
“This can’t be good.” Belore kept his voice low as the Marines nearly completely surrounded him and the others.
The Deltan took a moment to look Wasco and the others over.
“As I said, we don’t have a lot of time, Sergeant. I would appreciate it if you’d let us pass.” Wasco’s voice was sharp, no doubt the same kind of tone he relied on when giving orders to his men when in combat. It had worked pretty well on the young corporal earlier but the Deltan didn’t seem willing to bow to his authority quite so quickly.
“You need to come with us, sir.”
Wasco shook his head. “What I need to do, Sergeant, is deliver these prisoners, brief the colonel and return to HQ as quickly as possible.”
The sergeant stepped closer and Owens suspected trouble immediately. It became even more obvious when the other Marines raised their rifles. They didn’t aim them but the implication was clear. “Major, I have orders from General Lam to bring you back to HQ immediately. Now I would much prefer to do this as respectfully to you as possible considering your rank. But if you force my hand, we can do this a lot less civilly.”
“Let me speak to the colonel first.”
The sergeant shook his head. “The general was very clear about this, sir. He wants you, Captain Owens and Gul Belore back at HQ without delay.”
And with that, all pretenses disappeared. Owens wasn’t entirely sure how Lam had found out about their attempt to get to Phoenix but the most likely scenario involved Thelos and the other Marines having managed to free themselves and contact Lam about Wasco’s defection which in turn had likely prompted an alarm going out to all bases in the area.
“You will lower your weapons and come with us now.”
With the niceties apparently out of the way, the Marines aimed their weapons at the no longer disguised Starfleet team and their prisoners.
“Told you this was too easy.” Sharval raised her arms in frustration, causing a couple of rifles to draw beads on her.
“Listen to me, Marine. All I’m asking for is a word with Colonel van der Meer. Five minutes. After that we’ll go wherever you want to take us.”
“I can’t do that, sir.”
Owens understood what was at stake here. Considering the kind of orders Lam had given Sergeant Thalos, it stood to reason that this man had similar instructions concerning Belore’s and his own fate. And even if he had not been told to terminate them, somebody else would have been ordered to do just that, most likely making it look like an accident.
Michael took a careful step forward until he stood side by side with Wasco, keeping his rifle down and making sure not to give the Marines any reason to fire. “This is one of those orders you do not want to follow, Sergeant. What you don’t realize is that this war is over. Has been for days. We have been sent here under orders from Starfleet Command to end it. Orders your general is ignoring.”
The sergeant considered Owens suspiciously. Clearly it wasn’t enough to sway him. A few words from an officer he had never met before would not trump the oath he had sworn to follow the orders of his commanders.
“Jonar Arik?”
Apparently surprised at hearing his name, the Deltan looked towards the person who had uttered it. Owens stepped aside to allow Deen to step forward.
“DeMara Deen?” He seemed completely baffled at finding that woman here and Owens could tell that Deen seemed just as surprised.
The Deltan’s face turned into a wide smile and at first Michael attributed this to the general reaction many people had when they met a Tenarian for the first time. But there was much more there than that. There was recognition in his eyes and he actually instructed his men to lower their rifles when they drew on her.
“I can’t believe it’s you. You are a Marine?”
He nodded with a widening grin. “Yeah. What the hells are you doing here?”
It took her moment to respond, getting over her own shock of this entirely unexpected encounter. “I serve on Eagle under Captain Owens.” She indicated towards Michael. “I cannot believe you became a Marine. You were studying sciences at the Academy.”
That grin didn’t leave his face. “Trust me, Dee, it’s a long story.”
It was then that Owens finally understood who this sergeant was. Jonar Arik had been a cadet at the Academy at the same time Deen had been there. In fact, at the same time he had been a tutor. He was fairly sure Arik had not attended any of his classes but he did remember that he had been a very close friend of Deen’s who back then had refused to engage in any kind of intimate relationship until she had rather suddenly gotten involved with him. It had made her reconsider leaving Starfleet Academy after she had grown increasingly frustrated at the amount of attention she had invited there.
Sharval took a half step forward. “I am all in favor of beautiful reunions with long lost acquaintances but perhaps now that we have established that we’re all friend here, perhaps we could meet with this colonel of yours.”
Arik looked torn. “I have my orders.”
Deen considered him with her powerful purple eyes. “Please, Jonar, let us talk to her. The captain is right, the war with the Dominion is over and we need to find a way to end it here on Valeria as well. The colonel may help.”
He wasn’t immediately convinced. Even Deen’s near magical charm couldn’t cut through years of training and dedication to following orders. But then he nodded slowly. “I’ll let her know you’re here and of your request. If she agrees I’ll take you to see her.”
“That’s all we ask.” Deen smiled at him.
Sergeant Arik stepped away from Owens and the others to make the call but the rest of his men remained in place, keeping watchful eyes on them.
“I think I’m about to change my mind about you.” Sharval looked towards Deen. “You can be quite useful to have around.”
“I’m not just a pretty face.”
She shrugged. “I don’t know if I’d go that far.”
Deen scowled at her but before she could come back with a response, Arik returned.
“Follow me. I’ll take you to Colonel van der Meer now.”
* * *
