Treacherous Waters - Gibraltar/Intrepid Crossover
- Thread starter Gibraltar
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Treacherous Waters - Chapter 20
NOTE: I realize I'm posting this chapter out of turn, but my co-author is experiencing some delays and I didn't want this thread to fall off the fanfic board completely. I'll be putting up Chapter 19 as soon as Galen4 gets it to me.
CHAPTER 20 <by Gibraltar>
An undulating tendril from the morphing Changeling slammed into Lar'ragos as he advanced and catapulted him into the wall. Only the kinetic absorption matrix in his armor saved him from a concussion and spinal injuries.
Haftan was not as fortunate. The Founder snaked out a tentacle that engulfed the security man's head. It yanked him off his feet, snapped back sharply and decapitated the Tiburonian in a lightening-quick flash of savagery.
Lar'ragos struggled to clear his head. He realized dimly that his phaser blasts should have killed the creature. He spared a quick glance at Tark's motionless body, but didn't allow himself to mourn or thirst for revenge. Lar'ragos knew he would have to keep his mind clear to survive the next few minutes. There would be time for grief and anger later.
He grasped a compact shield coil from his belt and tossed it into the doorway. A forcefield snapped into place that sealed Pava in with the murderous Changeling. He issued terse orders to his team and instructed them to remain outside.
The Founder undulated and oozed free of its shackles before it solidified back into the shape of the Velk military officer. It appeared momentarily pained, and it seemed to take a great deal of effort for the Changeling to complete the metamorphosis. The reconstituted simulacrum turned to face Lar'ragos. "Free my man."
"Piss off," the El Aurian replied flatly. To underscore his point, he tapped a forearm control and sent a stun charge though the bound Velk's restraints. The man moaned, went rigid, and pitched face-forward onto the floor. Behind his faceplate, Lar'ragos smiled, "Just the two of us."
The Changeling cocked its head as it examined him, "You don't fear me."
"I wouldn't go that far," Lar'ragos allowed. "Fear and I are old friends, though."
It moved forward as it formed a sneer with it's Velk features. "I'm going to kill you, you know."
Lar'ragos would have shrugged if his armor allowed it. "And my men in the next room will kill you back." He raised a leaden arm and gestured to the Changeling's midsection, "You're injured," he observed.
It looked down at where its torso wavered and clung to solidity. The Changeling nodded, "Yes, wounded." It glanced up and scrutinized the lines of Lar'ragos' helmet. "But not by you. The Affliction was visited upon us some time ago, solid."
Pava reached up and opened his faceplate, a figurative roll of the dice. He was already riding the crest of the worst case scenario, and his fear of death was trounced by a potent dose of curiosity and his own conceit. Lar'ragos had no idea whether the Changelings were vulnerable to his talents, but it seemed an ideal opportunity to find out.
"Tell me a story," Pava said conversationally, as if an exchange of personal histories in this venue was the most natural thing in the world. He saturated his voice with competing levels of empathy and interest, and inquired, "How did this happen to you?"
The Changeling continued to inspect him for a long moment before finally speaking. "Your Federation infected the Great Link with a morphogenic virus during the war."
"Really?" Lar'ragos was genuinely surprised by the accusation. "Doesn't seem our style, dirty cricket and all that..."
It emitted a shrill, keening laugh and it's face contorted into a grotesquely large smile. "Doesn't it, though? Regardless, it's true." The shape-shifter extended an elongated arm and began idly batting Haftan's helmet-clad head around the room. "I was returning home to the promise of a cure when my ship was caught in a freak subspace shear. I was rescued by the Gambis, the inhabitants of a local star system. They proved merciful and attempted to cure me themselves."
The creature's arm suddenly liquefied and spattered to the floor in gelatinous clumps that struggled to reintegrate as Lar'ragos and the Changeling looked on. "Their cure was, in many ways, worse than the disease." It continued to watch its tissues squirm helplessly on the floor with a kind of detached amusement.
“The Founders won’t help you?” Lar’ragos asked, his curiosity piqued.
“No,” it croaked. It stooped finally to absorb its wayward mass. “My genetic structure has been significantly altered. I can never return home, never again join in the Great Link for fear of infecting my whole race with these... revisions.” It spat the last word like a curse.
"Alone and apart from your people," Lar'ragos noted, a hint of genuine sadness in his voice. "I can empathize."
"I doubt that," it hissed, its anger suddenly palpable. It advanced on him, "The Gambis tried to send me back to the Dominion by transporting me to Velkohn, but our forces had already left this insignificant sphere. I was marooned with a handful of my Jem'Hadar who became increasingly difficult to control, as the Gambis had freed them from their dependence on the white."
"So what's the point of all this, then?" Lar'ragos focused his concentration like a laser on the Changeling, but proved unable to decipher the responses he received.
"If I can no longer share in the order imposed on this part of the galaxy by the Great Link, than I shall levy my own."
Lar'ragos fought back an ironic smirk, "Your people are nothing if not persistent."
The Changeling lurched closer to him, "The Gambis' ministrations did leave me with one significant advantage, however. Even if your friends manage to destroy me, a little piece of me will live on... in you."
Lar'ragos slammed his faceplate shut, "I'm going to have to pass on that, but thanks." He keyed his comms, "Now!"
Twin beams of polaric energy pierced the hatchway's forcefield and slammed into the Founder. It howled in response and became a twisting, undulating mass of flailing pseudo-pods and thrashing appendages.
Lar'ragos scrambled to recover his rifle, and added his fire to the maelstrom until the Changeling had been reduced to a quivering mass of protoplasm on the floor. "Cease fire," Pava ordered tiredly as he clambered to his feet. He deactivated the portable field blocking the doorway, and made sure to keep his distance from the innocuous looking puddle. "Somebody get me a bucket."
*****
Ramirez had rigged the team's phaser rifles in a semi-circle tracing the curve of the shield-wall's geometry. Balanced on barrel-mounted bi-pods, the weapons were slaved to Ramirez's tactical forearm padd. The rest of the team stood by, now armed with their secondary hand phasers as the commander spoke quietly with Petty Officer Herschal.
"So this is the configuration the SCE techs used to breach the barrier wall on Krav'st?"
"Near as I can remember, sir," the non-com hesitated, "it has been awhile."
Ramirez nodded, "It'll have to do. Thank you, Mister Herschal."
She activated the phasers in concert. The rifles each emitted a beam or pulse at a specific energy frequency that was designed to harmonize in such a away as to create a growing instability in the shield wall.
The problem was that Ramirez had no idea if the frequency variances were correct, and if they were, she didn't know how long the process might take. She looked to another of her team, "Any sign of hostiles?”
"No, sir. We haven’t seen any more Velk since we stormed this area, but I’m not sure how often the guards down here were required to check in.”
“Right,” she acknowledged. “A response could arrive at any time. Make sure we’ve got our firing positions pre-established so we can fight our way out of here if need be.”
No sooner had she given the order when the comnet came to life, “Team One to Team Two, we are under attack! Repeat, we are pinned down in the prison block and have encountered a Changeling. Tark and Haftan are dead, and Lieutenant Lar’ragos has sealed himself in with a shapeshifter.”
Ramirez glanced at the bank of pulsing, whining phasers, and cursed the fates. Someone would have to remain behind to monitor the breach of the force wall, and loathe as she was to admit it, Ramirez was the best choice for the job.
"Herschal, you stay and cover me. Davikk, you take the rest of the team and fight your way to Team One's position and affect a rescue of Lar'ragos and his people." As the group mustered to carry out her orders, Ramirez added, "Keep your six clear and fall back here once you've extricated our people. Hopefully, I’ll have this shield down by then.”
*****
"Emergency power to shields!" Sandhurst called out through split lips and chipped teeth as he clawed his way back into the command chair. "Release counter-measures," he added as he engaged the chair's restraint harness.
"We're now being targeted by three defense platforms!" Pell called out above the din of shrill klaxons.
Sandhurst wiped a forearm across his mouth that smeared a bloody trail across his lower face. "Lieutenant Shanthi, if we can't take control of their weapons grid in the next thirty seconds we'll have to break orbit! I'm not stranding our people down there. Give me another option."
Ashok’s voice cut in on the intercom, an uncharacteristic tinge of fear in his voice. “Captain, we’re not going to last five minutes under fire like this!”
Sandhurst’s response was to mute the com-link.
Intent on his Science board, Shanthi's reply was nearly drown out by the groan of fatigued metals as Gibraltar strained through a series of high-g evasive maneuvers. "I'm not sure what we have will be enough to breach their security lockouts, sir."
"No time like the present to find out," Sandhurst answered as he watched the weapons platforms bracket his ship with gouts of blazing phaser fire.
Shanthi activated the transmitter and bathed the Velk global defense network in an invasive cyber-pathogen. It was designed to compromise the command and control of orbital weapons grid and give Gibraltar control of the net.
From Ops, Ziang reported, "The platforms are beginning to shut down, sir. Reading weapons systems going offline in a cascade progression."
“I don’t know how long that’s going to last, Captain,” Shanthi urged from his station. “If we’re going to get our people out we need to do it now.”
Sandhurst released the restraints on his chair and moved shakily to the Science panel. “Kuenre, is that transport scrambler still functioning down there?”
“Yes, sir. We’re still unable to beam the team back.”
The captain engaged the comms, “Ramirez, report. What’s happening down there?”
*****
Lar’ragos scooped the last of the Changeling’s viscous form into the carryall. He scanned the area briefly, “That looks like all of him...” he corrected, “it... whatever.” The El Aurian dropped the scanning wand from a medical tricorder into the hard shell duffle as well, coupled to the stun circuit from a pair of handcuffs.
Yet another contingent of Velk soldiers had rallied from an earlier defeat and returned to try and pin the Starfleet personnel down in the prison block. Sharpe and Valmak lunged into the doorway at random intervals and exchanged fire with their attackers.
“The commander is still working on dropping the shield protecting the transport inhibitor, sir” Sharpe updated him. “Ramirez is sending the rest of her team to assist. They’re maneuvering to come in right behind these guys,” he gestured towards the Velk fire-team opposing them.
Valmak triggered a volley of phaser fire down the corridor, then gave Lar’ragos a questioning look as the lieutenant sealed the carryall.
“If the med sensor detects movement, it triggers a stun charge.” Lar’ragos answered the unasked question as he hefted the duffle. It was heavier than he’d anticipated.
“Will that work?” Valmak sounded dubious.
“I have no idea,” Lar’ragos admitted.
Specialist Sharpe gestured to the bodies of Tark and Haftan, “Do we leave them behind, sir?”
“We have to,” Lar’ragos replied heavily. “We’ve got to carry Freely and the two surviving Velk rebels out of here with us. Once we‘re back aboard the ship we‘ll find a way to recover them.” His voice grew icy with controlled rage, “Even if I have to shoot my way back in here to do it.”
“What about our friends out there?”
Lar’ragos took his last grenade in hand and primed it. “Remember, we’re done playing nice.” He approached the doorway, and was on the cusp of lobbing the device towards the enemy when the sound of Federation weapons reached his ears. The incoming fire from the Velk slackened and then ceased.
Lar’ragos heard Davikk’s voice, “The cavalry has arrived, sir, courtesy of the XO.”
“Get in here and give us a hand with our injured,” Lar’ragos ordered, not daring to hope that their luck might be changing.
“Pava,” Ramirez’s voice sounded tight with worry, “I know you’ll want to fall back to this position, but we’ve got to get those prisoners to the surface as quickly as possible. Herschal and I will stay here and keep trying to drop this shield. I’m ordering you to take your team topside immediately.”
He wanted to ignore her directive and descend to the shield room, but every soldierly instinct Lar’ragos possessed agreed with her assessment of the situation. Liana’s tactical acumen was considerable, and she’d obviously weighed their options carefully. Pava cursed himself as he rallied the security team to move to the surface.
*****
Saihra Dunleavy’s flurry of photon grenades left the Velk hovertank smoldering, laying disabled and nose-down in a stream bed as she rocketed past on her SWIFT. Thus far only a handful of Velk military units had tried to break through the Starfleet cordon around the underground facility, and all had suffered a similar fate. If Lightner didn’t hit the advancing enemy units with his shuttle’s weaponry, Dunleavy and her cycle-borne team made short work of them on the ground.
A platoon of Velk infantry spilled frantically from a stricken personnel carrier. They assembled a hasty skirmish line and trained their weapons on the low-visibility blur that was Dunleavy’s hovercycle. Three anti-aircraft missiles flashed up from their firing line and corkscrewed towards her. Saihra blasted one with her phasers and accelerated, causing another of the missiles to detonate well behind her. The third, however, exploded only meters from her SWIFT.
Though heavily shielded, the concussion threw the cycle off course and overwhelmed the craft’s stabilizers. It plowed into the ground at close to three-hundred kilometers per hour. A rooster-tail of soil and debris arced skyward behind the hovercycle as it sliced into the earth.
*****
Lar’ragos and his team had made it exactly ten meters up the stairwell when the Velk ambushed them. A withering wall of fire had driven the team members back down to the next landing, where Sharpe struggled to erect a shield wall to protect against the grenades that bounced down the stairs and detonated only meters from their position.
With enemy closing from above and below, the hunters had become the hunted, caught in a deadly pincer that was certain to grind them up in a matter of minutes. Lar’ragos recognized that something had to be done to break the momentum of the enemy’s advance.
Pava dropped the carryall and scrambled wildly up the staircase. He ignore the grenade that clattered off his armored back and exploded just behind him. The force of the blast threw him forwards and up, where he landed sans rifle amidst a contingent of Velk soldiers. They appeared momentarily stunned by his unexpected arrival.
He activated his external speakers, emitting a piercing howl as he drew his combat knife and lunged into the mass of reptilians. The lieutenant punched, slashed and stabbed as he surrendered his mind to his base impulses, becoming a mere conduit for his instincts and prescient insight.
As he waded into them, Lar’ragos knew he had only moments, but perhaps those moments might buy some precious time for his people.
*****
Ramirez inserted the power feed cable into the phaser rifle’s power tap delicately. She forced herself to be calm under circumstances that demanded the adrenaline surge of a fight-or-flight confrontation. Ramirez secured the final energy cable to the last of the rifles which linked them to a portable generator, a more sustained source of power than their quickly diminishing magazines.
She glanced towards Herschal, who guarded the doorway to the corridor outside. “How goes it?”
“Still no signs of any Velk,” he replied.
The audio receivers in their helmets emitted a piercing squeal that was mercifully squelched by safety filters. Petty Officer Davikk’s panicked voice cut in, “...to Commander Ramirez, we’re pinned down between levels five and six and are taking heavy fire. I’ve lost contact with Lieutenant Lar’ragos. We need immediate assistance!”
Ramirez looked down to check her phaser’s charge, and glimpsed the telltales on her forearm display register a growing disruption in the shield wall. Fifteen percent and rising. It wasn’t much, but it was the first positive sign she’d witnessed since beginning this desperate gamble. She tapped at the interface and attenuated the beams’ frequency even further. The disruption jumped another three percent.
‘Two bodies won’t make much difference in a pitched firefight,’ she thought, ‘but I could make all the difference if I can drop this damned energy screen.’
She hoped it was the right decision; an impulsive voice in her head clamored for her to rush headlong to her comrades’ aid. “Herschal...” she began numbly, “I want you to head up there and try and take some heat off the team.”
The man raised his faceplate and gave Ramirez a disbelieving look. “Just me? Doesn’t that seem a bit suicidal, sir?”
“Don’t put yourself in any unnecessary danger,” she cautioned. “Just throw some beams downrange and see if you can’t get the Velk attacking from beneath the team to shift formation and realign to defend against you.’ She handed Herschal the last of her photon grenades.
He met her eyes unflinchingly. “And you, sir?”
She gestured to the crescent of firing rifles. “I’m afraid this may be the only way any of us are getting out of here.” Ramirez cuffed him on the shoulder, “Now go.”
Herschal slammed closed his faceplate, gripped his phaser pistol tightly and moved into the corridor beyond.
*****
“Saihra!”
Ensign Lightner threw the shuttle into a nosedive and rocketed towards the surface at many times the speed of sound. As he approached the last known location of the petty officer’s SWIFT, Lightner unleashed the shuttle’s arsenal and rained micro-torpedoes and phaser fire down on the handful of remaining Velk formations.
He evidenced no hesitation, no thought to disabling the reptilians’ ground vehicles. Lightner simply annihilated every enemy target within sensor range of his small craft.
Few among the crew knew of he and Dunleavy’s relationship, a new, tentative, and delicate experiment for the both of them. The thought of losing her was more than he could bear, and though Gibraltar’s Ops officer repeatedly demanded that he return to his overwatch position, Lightner continued his descent.
*****
NOTE: I realize I'm posting this chapter out of turn, but my co-author is experiencing some delays and I didn't want this thread to fall off the fanfic board completely. I'll be putting up Chapter 19 as soon as Galen4 gets it to me.
CHAPTER 20 <by Gibraltar>
An undulating tendril from the morphing Changeling slammed into Lar'ragos as he advanced and catapulted him into the wall. Only the kinetic absorption matrix in his armor saved him from a concussion and spinal injuries.
Haftan was not as fortunate. The Founder snaked out a tentacle that engulfed the security man's head. It yanked him off his feet, snapped back sharply and decapitated the Tiburonian in a lightening-quick flash of savagery.
Lar'ragos struggled to clear his head. He realized dimly that his phaser blasts should have killed the creature. He spared a quick glance at Tark's motionless body, but didn't allow himself to mourn or thirst for revenge. Lar'ragos knew he would have to keep his mind clear to survive the next few minutes. There would be time for grief and anger later.
He grasped a compact shield coil from his belt and tossed it into the doorway. A forcefield snapped into place that sealed Pava in with the murderous Changeling. He issued terse orders to his team and instructed them to remain outside.
The Founder undulated and oozed free of its shackles before it solidified back into the shape of the Velk military officer. It appeared momentarily pained, and it seemed to take a great deal of effort for the Changeling to complete the metamorphosis. The reconstituted simulacrum turned to face Lar'ragos. "Free my man."
"Piss off," the El Aurian replied flatly. To underscore his point, he tapped a forearm control and sent a stun charge though the bound Velk's restraints. The man moaned, went rigid, and pitched face-forward onto the floor. Behind his faceplate, Lar'ragos smiled, "Just the two of us."
The Changeling cocked its head as it examined him, "You don't fear me."
"I wouldn't go that far," Lar'ragos allowed. "Fear and I are old friends, though."
It moved forward as it formed a sneer with it's Velk features. "I'm going to kill you, you know."
Lar'ragos would have shrugged if his armor allowed it. "And my men in the next room will kill you back." He raised a leaden arm and gestured to the Changeling's midsection, "You're injured," he observed.
It looked down at where its torso wavered and clung to solidity. The Changeling nodded, "Yes, wounded." It glanced up and scrutinized the lines of Lar'ragos' helmet. "But not by you. The Affliction was visited upon us some time ago, solid."
Pava reached up and opened his faceplate, a figurative roll of the dice. He was already riding the crest of the worst case scenario, and his fear of death was trounced by a potent dose of curiosity and his own conceit. Lar'ragos had no idea whether the Changelings were vulnerable to his talents, but it seemed an ideal opportunity to find out.
"Tell me a story," Pava said conversationally, as if an exchange of personal histories in this venue was the most natural thing in the world. He saturated his voice with competing levels of empathy and interest, and inquired, "How did this happen to you?"
The Changeling continued to inspect him for a long moment before finally speaking. "Your Federation infected the Great Link with a morphogenic virus during the war."
"Really?" Lar'ragos was genuinely surprised by the accusation. "Doesn't seem our style, dirty cricket and all that..."
It emitted a shrill, keening laugh and it's face contorted into a grotesquely large smile. "Doesn't it, though? Regardless, it's true." The shape-shifter extended an elongated arm and began idly batting Haftan's helmet-clad head around the room. "I was returning home to the promise of a cure when my ship was caught in a freak subspace shear. I was rescued by the Gambis, the inhabitants of a local star system. They proved merciful and attempted to cure me themselves."
The creature's arm suddenly liquefied and spattered to the floor in gelatinous clumps that struggled to reintegrate as Lar'ragos and the Changeling looked on. "Their cure was, in many ways, worse than the disease." It continued to watch its tissues squirm helplessly on the floor with a kind of detached amusement.
“The Founders won’t help you?” Lar’ragos asked, his curiosity piqued.
“No,” it croaked. It stooped finally to absorb its wayward mass. “My genetic structure has been significantly altered. I can never return home, never again join in the Great Link for fear of infecting my whole race with these... revisions.” It spat the last word like a curse.
"Alone and apart from your people," Lar'ragos noted, a hint of genuine sadness in his voice. "I can empathize."
"I doubt that," it hissed, its anger suddenly palpable. It advanced on him, "The Gambis tried to send me back to the Dominion by transporting me to Velkohn, but our forces had already left this insignificant sphere. I was marooned with a handful of my Jem'Hadar who became increasingly difficult to control, as the Gambis had freed them from their dependence on the white."
"So what's the point of all this, then?" Lar'ragos focused his concentration like a laser on the Changeling, but proved unable to decipher the responses he received.
"If I can no longer share in the order imposed on this part of the galaxy by the Great Link, than I shall levy my own."
Lar'ragos fought back an ironic smirk, "Your people are nothing if not persistent."
The Changeling lurched closer to him, "The Gambis' ministrations did leave me with one significant advantage, however. Even if your friends manage to destroy me, a little piece of me will live on... in you."
Lar'ragos slammed his faceplate shut, "I'm going to have to pass on that, but thanks." He keyed his comms, "Now!"
Twin beams of polaric energy pierced the hatchway's forcefield and slammed into the Founder. It howled in response and became a twisting, undulating mass of flailing pseudo-pods and thrashing appendages.
Lar'ragos scrambled to recover his rifle, and added his fire to the maelstrom until the Changeling had been reduced to a quivering mass of protoplasm on the floor. "Cease fire," Pava ordered tiredly as he clambered to his feet. He deactivated the portable field blocking the doorway, and made sure to keep his distance from the innocuous looking puddle. "Somebody get me a bucket."
*****
Ramirez had rigged the team's phaser rifles in a semi-circle tracing the curve of the shield-wall's geometry. Balanced on barrel-mounted bi-pods, the weapons were slaved to Ramirez's tactical forearm padd. The rest of the team stood by, now armed with their secondary hand phasers as the commander spoke quietly with Petty Officer Herschal.
"So this is the configuration the SCE techs used to breach the barrier wall on Krav'st?"
"Near as I can remember, sir," the non-com hesitated, "it has been awhile."
Ramirez nodded, "It'll have to do. Thank you, Mister Herschal."
She activated the phasers in concert. The rifles each emitted a beam or pulse at a specific energy frequency that was designed to harmonize in such a away as to create a growing instability in the shield wall.
The problem was that Ramirez had no idea if the frequency variances were correct, and if they were, she didn't know how long the process might take. She looked to another of her team, "Any sign of hostiles?”
"No, sir. We haven’t seen any more Velk since we stormed this area, but I’m not sure how often the guards down here were required to check in.”
“Right,” she acknowledged. “A response could arrive at any time. Make sure we’ve got our firing positions pre-established so we can fight our way out of here if need be.”
No sooner had she given the order when the comnet came to life, “Team One to Team Two, we are under attack! Repeat, we are pinned down in the prison block and have encountered a Changeling. Tark and Haftan are dead, and Lieutenant Lar’ragos has sealed himself in with a shapeshifter.”
Ramirez glanced at the bank of pulsing, whining phasers, and cursed the fates. Someone would have to remain behind to monitor the breach of the force wall, and loathe as she was to admit it, Ramirez was the best choice for the job.
"Herschal, you stay and cover me. Davikk, you take the rest of the team and fight your way to Team One's position and affect a rescue of Lar'ragos and his people." As the group mustered to carry out her orders, Ramirez added, "Keep your six clear and fall back here once you've extricated our people. Hopefully, I’ll have this shield down by then.”
*****
"Emergency power to shields!" Sandhurst called out through split lips and chipped teeth as he clawed his way back into the command chair. "Release counter-measures," he added as he engaged the chair's restraint harness.
"We're now being targeted by three defense platforms!" Pell called out above the din of shrill klaxons.
Sandhurst wiped a forearm across his mouth that smeared a bloody trail across his lower face. "Lieutenant Shanthi, if we can't take control of their weapons grid in the next thirty seconds we'll have to break orbit! I'm not stranding our people down there. Give me another option."
Ashok’s voice cut in on the intercom, an uncharacteristic tinge of fear in his voice. “Captain, we’re not going to last five minutes under fire like this!”
Sandhurst’s response was to mute the com-link.
Intent on his Science board, Shanthi's reply was nearly drown out by the groan of fatigued metals as Gibraltar strained through a series of high-g evasive maneuvers. "I'm not sure what we have will be enough to breach their security lockouts, sir."
"No time like the present to find out," Sandhurst answered as he watched the weapons platforms bracket his ship with gouts of blazing phaser fire.
Shanthi activated the transmitter and bathed the Velk global defense network in an invasive cyber-pathogen. It was designed to compromise the command and control of orbital weapons grid and give Gibraltar control of the net.
From Ops, Ziang reported, "The platforms are beginning to shut down, sir. Reading weapons systems going offline in a cascade progression."
“I don’t know how long that’s going to last, Captain,” Shanthi urged from his station. “If we’re going to get our people out we need to do it now.”
Sandhurst released the restraints on his chair and moved shakily to the Science panel. “Kuenre, is that transport scrambler still functioning down there?”
“Yes, sir. We’re still unable to beam the team back.”
The captain engaged the comms, “Ramirez, report. What’s happening down there?”
*****
Lar’ragos scooped the last of the Changeling’s viscous form into the carryall. He scanned the area briefly, “That looks like all of him...” he corrected, “it... whatever.” The El Aurian dropped the scanning wand from a medical tricorder into the hard shell duffle as well, coupled to the stun circuit from a pair of handcuffs.
Yet another contingent of Velk soldiers had rallied from an earlier defeat and returned to try and pin the Starfleet personnel down in the prison block. Sharpe and Valmak lunged into the doorway at random intervals and exchanged fire with their attackers.
“The commander is still working on dropping the shield protecting the transport inhibitor, sir” Sharpe updated him. “Ramirez is sending the rest of her team to assist. They’re maneuvering to come in right behind these guys,” he gestured towards the Velk fire-team opposing them.
Valmak triggered a volley of phaser fire down the corridor, then gave Lar’ragos a questioning look as the lieutenant sealed the carryall.
“If the med sensor detects movement, it triggers a stun charge.” Lar’ragos answered the unasked question as he hefted the duffle. It was heavier than he’d anticipated.
“Will that work?” Valmak sounded dubious.
“I have no idea,” Lar’ragos admitted.
Specialist Sharpe gestured to the bodies of Tark and Haftan, “Do we leave them behind, sir?”
“We have to,” Lar’ragos replied heavily. “We’ve got to carry Freely and the two surviving Velk rebels out of here with us. Once we‘re back aboard the ship we‘ll find a way to recover them.” His voice grew icy with controlled rage, “Even if I have to shoot my way back in here to do it.”
“What about our friends out there?”
Lar’ragos took his last grenade in hand and primed it. “Remember, we’re done playing nice.” He approached the doorway, and was on the cusp of lobbing the device towards the enemy when the sound of Federation weapons reached his ears. The incoming fire from the Velk slackened and then ceased.
Lar’ragos heard Davikk’s voice, “The cavalry has arrived, sir, courtesy of the XO.”
“Get in here and give us a hand with our injured,” Lar’ragos ordered, not daring to hope that their luck might be changing.
“Pava,” Ramirez’s voice sounded tight with worry, “I know you’ll want to fall back to this position, but we’ve got to get those prisoners to the surface as quickly as possible. Herschal and I will stay here and keep trying to drop this shield. I’m ordering you to take your team topside immediately.”
He wanted to ignore her directive and descend to the shield room, but every soldierly instinct Lar’ragos possessed agreed with her assessment of the situation. Liana’s tactical acumen was considerable, and she’d obviously weighed their options carefully. Pava cursed himself as he rallied the security team to move to the surface.
*****
Saihra Dunleavy’s flurry of photon grenades left the Velk hovertank smoldering, laying disabled and nose-down in a stream bed as she rocketed past on her SWIFT. Thus far only a handful of Velk military units had tried to break through the Starfleet cordon around the underground facility, and all had suffered a similar fate. If Lightner didn’t hit the advancing enemy units with his shuttle’s weaponry, Dunleavy and her cycle-borne team made short work of them on the ground.
A platoon of Velk infantry spilled frantically from a stricken personnel carrier. They assembled a hasty skirmish line and trained their weapons on the low-visibility blur that was Dunleavy’s hovercycle. Three anti-aircraft missiles flashed up from their firing line and corkscrewed towards her. Saihra blasted one with her phasers and accelerated, causing another of the missiles to detonate well behind her. The third, however, exploded only meters from her SWIFT.
Though heavily shielded, the concussion threw the cycle off course and overwhelmed the craft’s stabilizers. It plowed into the ground at close to three-hundred kilometers per hour. A rooster-tail of soil and debris arced skyward behind the hovercycle as it sliced into the earth.
*****
Lar’ragos and his team had made it exactly ten meters up the stairwell when the Velk ambushed them. A withering wall of fire had driven the team members back down to the next landing, where Sharpe struggled to erect a shield wall to protect against the grenades that bounced down the stairs and detonated only meters from their position.
With enemy closing from above and below, the hunters had become the hunted, caught in a deadly pincer that was certain to grind them up in a matter of minutes. Lar’ragos recognized that something had to be done to break the momentum of the enemy’s advance.
Pava dropped the carryall and scrambled wildly up the staircase. He ignore the grenade that clattered off his armored back and exploded just behind him. The force of the blast threw him forwards and up, where he landed sans rifle amidst a contingent of Velk soldiers. They appeared momentarily stunned by his unexpected arrival.
He activated his external speakers, emitting a piercing howl as he drew his combat knife and lunged into the mass of reptilians. The lieutenant punched, slashed and stabbed as he surrendered his mind to his base impulses, becoming a mere conduit for his instincts and prescient insight.
As he waded into them, Lar’ragos knew he had only moments, but perhaps those moments might buy some precious time for his people.
*****
Ramirez inserted the power feed cable into the phaser rifle’s power tap delicately. She forced herself to be calm under circumstances that demanded the adrenaline surge of a fight-or-flight confrontation. Ramirez secured the final energy cable to the last of the rifles which linked them to a portable generator, a more sustained source of power than their quickly diminishing magazines.
She glanced towards Herschal, who guarded the doorway to the corridor outside. “How goes it?”
“Still no signs of any Velk,” he replied.
The audio receivers in their helmets emitted a piercing squeal that was mercifully squelched by safety filters. Petty Officer Davikk’s panicked voice cut in, “...to Commander Ramirez, we’re pinned down between levels five and six and are taking heavy fire. I’ve lost contact with Lieutenant Lar’ragos. We need immediate assistance!”
Ramirez looked down to check her phaser’s charge, and glimpsed the telltales on her forearm display register a growing disruption in the shield wall. Fifteen percent and rising. It wasn’t much, but it was the first positive sign she’d witnessed since beginning this desperate gamble. She tapped at the interface and attenuated the beams’ frequency even further. The disruption jumped another three percent.
‘Two bodies won’t make much difference in a pitched firefight,’ she thought, ‘but I could make all the difference if I can drop this damned energy screen.’
She hoped it was the right decision; an impulsive voice in her head clamored for her to rush headlong to her comrades’ aid. “Herschal...” she began numbly, “I want you to head up there and try and take some heat off the team.”
The man raised his faceplate and gave Ramirez a disbelieving look. “Just me? Doesn’t that seem a bit suicidal, sir?”
“Don’t put yourself in any unnecessary danger,” she cautioned. “Just throw some beams downrange and see if you can’t get the Velk attacking from beneath the team to shift formation and realign to defend against you.’ She handed Herschal the last of her photon grenades.
He met her eyes unflinchingly. “And you, sir?”
She gestured to the crescent of firing rifles. “I’m afraid this may be the only way any of us are getting out of here.” Ramirez cuffed him on the shoulder, “Now go.”
Herschal slammed closed his faceplate, gripped his phaser pistol tightly and moved into the corridor beyond.
*****
“Saihra!”
Ensign Lightner threw the shuttle into a nosedive and rocketed towards the surface at many times the speed of sound. As he approached the last known location of the petty officer’s SWIFT, Lightner unleashed the shuttle’s arsenal and rained micro-torpedoes and phaser fire down on the handful of remaining Velk formations.
He evidenced no hesitation, no thought to disabling the reptilians’ ground vehicles. Lightner simply annihilated every enemy target within sensor range of his small craft.
Few among the crew knew of he and Dunleavy’s relationship, a new, tentative, and delicate experiment for the both of them. The thought of losing her was more than he could bear, and though Gibraltar’s Ops officer repeatedly demanded that he return to his overwatch position, Lightner continued his descent.
*****
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A very tense combat segment! The Gibraltar and her crew aren't out of the woods yet and the outcome is still very much in doubt. Unfortunately, it appears that even more casualties are likely.
Glad to see this story continue! I've been looking forward to the return of "Treacherous Waters," and this segment was worth the wait!
Glad to see this story continue! I've been looking forward to the return of "Treacherous Waters," and this segment was worth the wait!
A tense and taut episode. An exiled Changeling and Pava finds out about 31's plot. Hard fighting with Lightner now going berserk and Dunleavy's condition unknown. How many members of Gibraltar's crew is going to survive this?
Very well done and well worth the wait!
Very well done and well worth the wait!
Reading this segment after its 'break' was like sitting in a plush couch after a long day!
I liked how Lar'ragos tried his listening talents on the Changeling; nice tactic.
The ship & crew defiantly stepped in it...and there's no easy way out.
Looking forward to more!
I liked how Lar'ragos tried his listening talents on the Changeling; nice tactic.
The ship & crew defiantly stepped in it...and there's no easy way out.
Looking forward to more!
Great segment. I loved the Pava/Changeling sequence and the fact that Pava decided to take it's remains. Something tells me that might not have been a good move, considering it's last words.
A lot of continous, intense action here and as usual very well written.
Now I guess I am among those who didn't know about Lightner's and Dunlevy's relationship. It's been a while since you posted but did I really forget about that?
Excellent work!
A lot of continous, intense action here and as usual very well written.
Now I guess I am among those who didn't know about Lightner's and Dunlevy's relationship. It's been a while since you posted but did I really forget about that?
Excellent work!
Actually, this is one of those 'behind-the-scenes' things that's happened 'off-screen' as it were. I'd hinted at Lightner's interest in Dunleavy in Prophets and Loss, but I hadn't shown it until now.
Thanks to everyone for their kind words.
This chapter took over a month to craft, as the writer's block-monster apparantly came calling for me. Here's hoping my next chapter proves easier.
Hi everyone,
Sorry about being gone so long. I did finally get my chapter completed and you should see it soon. I wanted to thank everyone for their feedback on my last chapter, even though it was a while ago. Like I said, I've been away for a while.
As always, Gibraltar is a tough act to follow!
Sorry about being gone so long. I did finally get my chapter completed and you should see it soon. I wanted to thank everyone for their feedback on my last chapter, even though it was a while ago. Like I said, I've been away for a while.
As always, Gibraltar is a tough act to follow!
Treacherous Waters - Chapter 19
Chapter 19 <by Galen4>
Captain’ Log, supplemental:
We were successful in retrieving the away team and special envoy Jivin Sharm from the outpost. However, not everyone survived the mission. Two of my crew was lost and three of Sharm’s kidnappers perished during the incident. Two more of my officers suffered severe radiation poisoning. Happily, they are recovering and will begin limited duty soon.
I would like it officially noted for the record that Ensigns Wells and Koslovich gave their lives while in the performance of their duties. Their meritorious conduct honors everyone who wears this uniform.
By the time we completed the rescue effort, the warship that attacked us made repairs and fled deeper into the Bog. Reluctantly, I’ve decided not to pursue them. The heavier Theta radiation in that region means that our opponent could evade us easily. Tactically speaking, we would also be at a decided disadvantage should they or any other hostiles resume aggressions towards us. Ships native to this area are designed to drive in the Bog while we would be virtually blind. Though I might be willing to risk my own crew in such an endeavor, I’m not willing to place Sharm in any further jeopardy. His safe arrival on Velkohn may avert a civil war. However, I am having the data from our battle examined closely. Perhaps the warship’s specs may give us another piece of the puzzle.
We are proceeding at maximum warp towards Velkohn. Within the hour, we’ll clear the interference bubble generated by the weapon’s residual noise and the Bog’s radiation field. I’ve ordered immediate contact with the Gibraltar once the channels are open.
I look forward to debriefing Jivin Sharm and his surviving abductors once Dr. Kella indicates that they’re strong enough to answer questions.
The sheet settled over the body as if it were the symbolic closing of a curtain.
Dr. Kella Lisern was not a Bajoran whose faith included the “Prophets”. But that was not to say she didn’t have any faith. And now, standing over the dead man, she uttered a silent prayer to whichever Supreme Being it was that listened to the arrant requests of mortals.
The chime sounded almost at the same time the door hissed open. Mildly surprised, the doctor turned to see who had entered. The sickbay’s morgue was not a part of the ship people usually barged into.
Except maybe the one person aboard who had the duty of speaking for the dead.
She said nothing as Captain Aubrey approached the table and drew up next to the lifeless shape beneath the sheet. After a moment of grave silence, he reached forth and drew down the cover. The pale face of a young man was revealed. He almost appeared to be sleeping. “Godspeed on your journey, Ensign Koslovich.” He said quietly to him.
He pulled the sheet up again and stepped back.
Dr. Kella’s dark brown features softened into the familiar contours of empathy. “Jason,” She said softly, “You did everything possible. We could have lost everyone. You know that.”
He looked sideways at her. “It’s hardly the first time I’ve lost people under me.” He put a hand on the table. The person who spoke next was an ordinary man, one who was railing against an unjust universe. “It’s just that…so many people have died.” His voice tightened. “How many more I wonder, before this business is concluded?”
Kella found his eyes and drew them to her own. “The question should be; how many more will you save?”
Becoming uncomfortable, he changed the conversation’s course. “So, you reported that Shantok and Adol are well enough to return to duty.”
As they exited the small room, she answered distractedly. “Yes, they’re ok for limited duty. But they’ll need hydronalin injections every two hours to ensure their recovery.”
“How about the children?”
A little more life returned to the doctor’s face, but she still seemed elsewhere. “They actually did better than the rest. They must have developed some immunity to Theta radiation. And their smaller size helped them avoid injury during the decompression.”
“Do we know where they came from, or if they have family in this sector?”
“Lt. Pal is running a search through the Velk directories, and the data we copied from the Outpost’s network. Nothing yet.” An orderly walked over and handed her a PADD. She scanned it, and then gave it back after briefly dispensing a few instructions. When the orderly stepped away, she continued her last sentence in a rush. “The boy is Terran and the girl is from a species we haven’t catalogued yet. Probably from a distant part of the quadrant.”
Aubrey filed the information away for future exploration. “And Special Envoy Sharm? You said he was in fairly good health. That being the case, I want him ready for questioning.”
Dr. Kella reached out and took hold of the captain’s forearm, nearly yanking him to a halt. He looked back at her in surprise. And then he looked again, only now seeing her clearly for the first time since arriving in sickbay. Her dark brown complexion had grown almost ashen, and she was ringing her large hands together in a state of controlled anxiety. This was an expression he had hoped not to see again. The last time she had looked this way was just before informing him that his memories were being reprogrammed by nanites.
“Doctor?” He said experimentally.
She looked around her, only speaking after verifying they were free of eavesdroppers. “Jason, it’s Jivin Sharm. You know how I am about being thorough, especially after a patient has undergone a serious trauma.”
“All too well.”
“Well, I found something troubling. Very troubling. It changes everything.”
With dawning amazement, Aubrey realized that his mature and unflappable Bajoran CMO wasn’t just anxious.
She was afraid.
Reflectively, he put a hand on her shoulder. “Just come out and tell me. What did you find out, and how does it change things?”
Barely two words escaped her mouth before she was interrupted by shouts. Near the end of the long room, a door puffed open and a chagrined reptilian was storming into the main ward, arms flailing with indignation. “Absolutely not!” Jivin Sharm thundered. “Unreasonable and unacceptable!”
Striding beside him was a tall human of Middle Eastern decent. The man was speaking in a calm but firm voice, evidently trying to dissuade Sharm from whatever action he was taking. At the same time he was purposely stepping in front of him, trying to route him back to the room he emerged from. But Sharm stomped around the chief nurse practitioner, evading his efforts to be corralled even as he continued his rant. “I demand to speak with my captors, do you hear? I will not stand for this-----this imprisonment a moment longer!” Sharm stopped suddenly and placed both hands on his waist, and his glare nearly sizzled with heat as he looked up at Nurse Mazyar. “Do you know who I am, you oaf?” The challenge was meant as haughty superiority but instead came off as a child’s empty taunt. The effect was unintentionally comical.
By the time the drama had reached this point, Aubrey and Kella had arrived. Sharm’s head snapped around upon seeing them. “Ah, Captain Aubrey. Just the person I need.” Waiving amiably at Nurse Mazyar, Sharm slipped into politician mode, his oily platitudes dripping easily from his tongue. “There’s been a misunderstanding of some kind. I’ve no doubt we can straighten it out now that you’re here.” He smiled mechanically.
Aubrey’s own expression committed to nothing. “What seems to be the problem?”
Sharm made a clicking noise somewhere deep in his throat, a chuckle if one was disposed to think of it as such. “Well, it’s this quarantine business of course.” He replied. “While I applaud your doctor’s due diligence, I think we can both agree that such drastic actions are not required in my case. We Velk are a resilient race, you know.”
As nurse Mohammed Mazyar rolled his eyes, Aubrey gave Kella a questioning stare-----disguised as one of those “my work is never done” types of looks.
Kella took over at once. “Envoy Sharm, I’m sorry but my hands are tied. Starfleet regs force me to keep you in isolation until all the Theta radiation is diluted from your body.”
With some effort, Sharm kept his slipping politician's mask in place. “But Captain Aubrey, surely you can override these…’regs’ and let me out of here? You are the captain, are you not?”
Watching Dr. Kella from the corner of is eye, Aubrey responded. “I’m sorry, but our regulations are quite strict. If my chief medical officer needs to keep you in quarantine for a few more hours, then I’m forced to defer to her judgment.” He spread his hands apologetically. “You understand.”
Sharm’s lower jaw glided back and forth on its hinges. His voice lowered noticeably. “And I’m sorry to point this out, Captain…but if we were exposed to extra radiation it probably had something to do with your ah, somewhat overzealous rescue. Under the circumstances, I don’t think that allowing me a little latitude here is unreasonable.”
Kella leapt to Aubrey’s defense, again securing her place as the ship’s resident ‘mother hen.’ “You should know that the captain saved your life. The docking arm that you and the others took refuge in was dangerously irradiated from a breach in the mining complex. Since the arm had no shielding, you would have been dead within minutes from Theta radiation poisoning. There was no choice but to act fast.”
Sharm lowered his head, looking coy. “The mining complex just happened to suffer a breach at that time?” He winked mischievously. “Forgive me for saying that sounds a trifle convenient.”
Aubrey regarded him with a rapidly cooling disposition. “In fact, it wasn’t convenient. A warship attacked us and the mining hub was damaged in the ensuing battle. It just so happened that my away team chose the worst possible docking arm to take cover in; the one closest to the leaking hub.”
Sharm’s debunking effort began to falter. “But the increased radiation wasn’t detected by your crew-----”
“With that scattering field that your abductors had in place, it’s a wonder the tricorders worked at all.”
Sharm pretended he was evaluating Aubrey’s remarks with a fair but skeptical mind.
“I’ll tell you what else was inconvenient;” The captain continued through paper-thin lips, “Two of my crewmembers died in rescuing you.”
Sharm backpedaled. “Umm…you know I’m grateful of course. There’s no question. But I need to speak with the two surviving abductors. As soon as possible.” Hoping that his bulging eyes would seem imploring, Sharm moved towards Aubrey. “They held me captive. In my culture I would have the right to confront them. It’s only fair, Captain.”
A warning look from Dr. Kella ended Aubrey’s deliberations before they began. “I’m sorry. For now, I’ll have to ask that you remain in sickbay as the doctor has instructed. But rest assured you’ll have the opportunity to speak with your abductors.” He held up a hand to cut off a new round of protests. “I’ll be speaking with you very soon. In the meantime, please try to recall as much about your kidnappers as possible.”
Sharm’s body swayed like a cobra and his mouth worked silently. There was a split second in which it seemed he would go berserk, attacking anyone between him and the nearest exit. But the moment passed and the oily politician returned. “It looks as though I’m again in captivity.” He grumbled dejectedly.
“It won’t last long, I promise.” Kella was extending her best bedside manner. “We’ll expedite your treatment.” She gave Mazyar a pointed look. The nurse frowned in confusion but was careful not to vocalize it.
Sharm quietly examined the Bajoran woman without any further objections. He then scrutinized Aubrey, looking for any cracks in his resolve. Finding none, he turned and stalked back to the isolation room with Mazyar.
Aubrey stared after him. “Not quite what I was expecting.”
Only after the doors had closed behind him did Dr. Kella let out the breath she had been holding. “Thanks, Jason.”
Aubrey’s face was somewhere between quizzical and annoyed. “I backed your play, but there had better be a really good reason for this.” He cocked a thumb at the far side of the room. “That man may be the next leader of Velkohn-----and offending him could derail whatever diplomatic progress Sandhurst has made in our absence. To say nothing of the fact that we need Sharm’s help to unravel this mystery.”
“Believe me when I say there is a really good reason.”
He nodded gently. “I do believe you, or I wouldn’t have gone along.” He glanced back towards the isolation room. “But he’s not stupid. I doubt he believes that he’s been irradiated to the point of needing quarantine. He won’t sit still for long.”
“Then you’ll need to force the issue. I’m requesting that security guards be posted outside the isolation room and all sickbay exits.”
Now on edge, Aubrey punctuated each word with deadly earnest. “If you feel Jivin Sharm is an immediate threat to the ship, I want to know right now.”
“A threat yes, maybe not an immediate one. But I should tell you the details in private. And you may want to include Shantok and Adol on this.”
Twenty minutes later, Dr. Kella fell heavily into her office chair as if she had just unburdened an enormous weight. Aubrey, Shantok and Adol were very near speechless as they watched a hologram of Sharm’s brain rotate over her desk. Wrapped around what looked like his cerebral cortex, were writhing strings of material, highlighted by the computer to show as bright red.
“You were right about one thing,” Aubrey said into the silence that followed her statements, “This does change things significantly.” He cocked his head to one side and peered at the hologram from underneath. “Do you have any theories at to how this genetic material was introduced into Sharm’s cerebrum?”
“No. But given its morphic attributes, it could have entered through any body cavity or even been absorbed through the skin.”
Shantok brought two perfectly chiseled eyebrows together. “Doctor, is there any room for doubt in your findings? I only ask because you said yourself that the DNA sequence has several irregularities that deviate from normal parameters.”
Dr. Kella examined her folded hands as she spoke. “There’s no question that it’s changeling DNA, if that’s what you’re wondering. Regarding the irregularities, I only know that the genome sequence is in a ‘state of flux’. In other words, various chemical bonds within the tissue are unable to hold a definite pattern for very long. They shift back and forth between at least seven different configurations. The deviation is large, but not enough to compromise the overall integrity of the tissue.”
“Can it be removed?” Asked a solemn Aubrey.
Kella was equally solemn. “Maybe with transporter surgery. But even that’s uncertain. This tissue isn’t just wrapped around the cerebral cortex, Jason-----it’s actually merging sporadically with his brain tissue, on and off every second, merging at the molecular level.”
“Can the changeling tissue be transferred to anyone else?” This came from Shantok.
Kella was now rubbing her temple with a forefinger. “There’s no way to be sure. Possibly. We all know how their body structure can move…”
Adol’s antennas waved thoughtfully in the air. “Do you know to what extent he’s being influenced?”
The doctor sighed in negation, feeling like she was being interrogated. “Even today we know very little about changeling DNA. To make matters more difficult, we know even less about Velk physiology. I’m in agreement with others who’ve postulated that the Dominion used Velk genetic stock in creating the Jem’Hadar, in fact I’m now certain of it-----but there are still significant differences between the two races. The bottom line is: how much Jivin Sharm is in control of his own facilities is pure conjecture at this point.”
“Well that tissue was not placed there by accident.” Adol said matter-of-factly. “It looks like we were right the first time. The Dominion are back in business.” He addressed Aubrey as he stood from his chair and straightened his uniform. “I’ll double security, sir.”
“For now, let’s reinstate the security measures we had in place for Gibraltar’s crew. That should be sufficient without arousing suspicion-----so make sure this deck is cleared of non-essential personnel. After that, I want him confined to our best ‘changeling-proof’ cell. If he’s being influenced by a shape-shifter, I certainly don’t want him roaming about the ship. And let’s get Sharm’s abductors interrogated as soon as Dr. Kella gives the ok. There must be some reason he was so desperate to speak with them.”
“We should also update our communiqué’ to Starfleet to include Dr. Kella’s findings, sir.” Adol suggested.
“I’ll see to it.” Shantok said.
The Andorian slipped through the parting doors but Kella’s voice lassoed him at the threshold. “Commander, when I said that you were on limited duty, I meant it. You’re still suffering from the debilitating effects of Theta radiation poisoning. I expect you back here in two hours for your hydronalin injections.”
“I understand.”
“I hope so for your sake.” She acknowledge like a scolding parent. “Otherwise you’ll be enjoying my hospitality for the remainder of this mission. And if you think I’m bluffing, try me.”
“I read you loud and clear.” He smiled.
Shantok’s tone was quiet enough to communicate foreboding. “If one or more changelings are involved in this as it would appear, Captain Sandhurst and his crew may be in grave danger.”
“True.” Aubrey admitted. “But we’ll be in contact shortly.” He chewed his lower lip. “It doesn’t make sense. Why would the Founders take this route? It’s easier to just mimic someone’s form.”
“There’s the advantage of passing a blood screening.” Kella pointed out.
“Yet, why go to the trouble at all?” Shantok wondered. “All this to take control of a system that the Founders recently gave up-----a world whose resources have been stripped away from over a century of Dominion rule? Velkohn has no value to speak of, from the Dominion’s vantage point.”
Something stirred behind Kella’s eyes. “Unless this is about more than Velkohn. There was talk of the Velk signing a treaty with the Gambis. That’s why it was so important for us to secure their trust.”
“I can see no advantage in attempting to influence the Gambis.” Shantok rebutted. “Their technology is advanced, but not enough to make the Dominion go to these lengths.” All at once something in her demeanor changed. She straightened just a little more in her chair and slowly turned her head to the side.
It took a moment to register, but eventually Kella became aware that Shantok’s attention was directed at Aubrey.
The captain’s poker face seemed just a little too perfect now that she noticed.
An unnatural silence dominated the doctor’s office for several heartbeats.
Finally Kella broke the emptiness, deciding she had little patience for Shantok’s maddening restraint. “Jason, why do I get the feeling that you may know something that the rest of us don’t?”
Wearing his usual disarming grin, Aubrey climbed to his feet. “Let’s table this line of speculation for the time being, shall we? We all have work to do.” He nodded sharply at Kella. “Make sure that Sharm doesn’t leave sickbay until Adol has arranged better security for him. Commander, please see what you can do to speed up the analysis on that Velk warship.”
“Acknowledged, sir.”
“Aye, Captain.” Kella chimed in thoughtfully.
Captain Aubrey exited so quickly that he missed both responses.
<continued...>
Chapter 19 <by Galen4>
Captain’ Log, supplemental:
We were successful in retrieving the away team and special envoy Jivin Sharm from the outpost. However, not everyone survived the mission. Two of my crew was lost and three of Sharm’s kidnappers perished during the incident. Two more of my officers suffered severe radiation poisoning. Happily, they are recovering and will begin limited duty soon.
I would like it officially noted for the record that Ensigns Wells and Koslovich gave their lives while in the performance of their duties. Their meritorious conduct honors everyone who wears this uniform.
By the time we completed the rescue effort, the warship that attacked us made repairs and fled deeper into the Bog. Reluctantly, I’ve decided not to pursue them. The heavier Theta radiation in that region means that our opponent could evade us easily. Tactically speaking, we would also be at a decided disadvantage should they or any other hostiles resume aggressions towards us. Ships native to this area are designed to drive in the Bog while we would be virtually blind. Though I might be willing to risk my own crew in such an endeavor, I’m not willing to place Sharm in any further jeopardy. His safe arrival on Velkohn may avert a civil war. However, I am having the data from our battle examined closely. Perhaps the warship’s specs may give us another piece of the puzzle.
We are proceeding at maximum warp towards Velkohn. Within the hour, we’ll clear the interference bubble generated by the weapon’s residual noise and the Bog’s radiation field. I’ve ordered immediate contact with the Gibraltar once the channels are open.
I look forward to debriefing Jivin Sharm and his surviving abductors once Dr. Kella indicates that they’re strong enough to answer questions.
***
The sheet settled over the body as if it were the symbolic closing of a curtain.
Dr. Kella Lisern was not a Bajoran whose faith included the “Prophets”. But that was not to say she didn’t have any faith. And now, standing over the dead man, she uttered a silent prayer to whichever Supreme Being it was that listened to the arrant requests of mortals.
The chime sounded almost at the same time the door hissed open. Mildly surprised, the doctor turned to see who had entered. The sickbay’s morgue was not a part of the ship people usually barged into.
Except maybe the one person aboard who had the duty of speaking for the dead.
She said nothing as Captain Aubrey approached the table and drew up next to the lifeless shape beneath the sheet. After a moment of grave silence, he reached forth and drew down the cover. The pale face of a young man was revealed. He almost appeared to be sleeping. “Godspeed on your journey, Ensign Koslovich.” He said quietly to him.
He pulled the sheet up again and stepped back.
Dr. Kella’s dark brown features softened into the familiar contours of empathy. “Jason,” She said softly, “You did everything possible. We could have lost everyone. You know that.”
He looked sideways at her. “It’s hardly the first time I’ve lost people under me.” He put a hand on the table. The person who spoke next was an ordinary man, one who was railing against an unjust universe. “It’s just that…so many people have died.” His voice tightened. “How many more I wonder, before this business is concluded?”
Kella found his eyes and drew them to her own. “The question should be; how many more will you save?”
Becoming uncomfortable, he changed the conversation’s course. “So, you reported that Shantok and Adol are well enough to return to duty.”
As they exited the small room, she answered distractedly. “Yes, they’re ok for limited duty. But they’ll need hydronalin injections every two hours to ensure their recovery.”
“How about the children?”
A little more life returned to the doctor’s face, but she still seemed elsewhere. “They actually did better than the rest. They must have developed some immunity to Theta radiation. And their smaller size helped them avoid injury during the decompression.”
“Do we know where they came from, or if they have family in this sector?”
“Lt. Pal is running a search through the Velk directories, and the data we copied from the Outpost’s network. Nothing yet.” An orderly walked over and handed her a PADD. She scanned it, and then gave it back after briefly dispensing a few instructions. When the orderly stepped away, she continued her last sentence in a rush. “The boy is Terran and the girl is from a species we haven’t catalogued yet. Probably from a distant part of the quadrant.”
Aubrey filed the information away for future exploration. “And Special Envoy Sharm? You said he was in fairly good health. That being the case, I want him ready for questioning.”
Dr. Kella reached out and took hold of the captain’s forearm, nearly yanking him to a halt. He looked back at her in surprise. And then he looked again, only now seeing her clearly for the first time since arriving in sickbay. Her dark brown complexion had grown almost ashen, and she was ringing her large hands together in a state of controlled anxiety. This was an expression he had hoped not to see again. The last time she had looked this way was just before informing him that his memories were being reprogrammed by nanites.
“Doctor?” He said experimentally.
She looked around her, only speaking after verifying they were free of eavesdroppers. “Jason, it’s Jivin Sharm. You know how I am about being thorough, especially after a patient has undergone a serious trauma.”
“All too well.”
“Well, I found something troubling. Very troubling. It changes everything.”
With dawning amazement, Aubrey realized that his mature and unflappable Bajoran CMO wasn’t just anxious.
She was afraid.
Reflectively, he put a hand on her shoulder. “Just come out and tell me. What did you find out, and how does it change things?”
Barely two words escaped her mouth before she was interrupted by shouts. Near the end of the long room, a door puffed open and a chagrined reptilian was storming into the main ward, arms flailing with indignation. “Absolutely not!” Jivin Sharm thundered. “Unreasonable and unacceptable!”
Striding beside him was a tall human of Middle Eastern decent. The man was speaking in a calm but firm voice, evidently trying to dissuade Sharm from whatever action he was taking. At the same time he was purposely stepping in front of him, trying to route him back to the room he emerged from. But Sharm stomped around the chief nurse practitioner, evading his efforts to be corralled even as he continued his rant. “I demand to speak with my captors, do you hear? I will not stand for this-----this imprisonment a moment longer!” Sharm stopped suddenly and placed both hands on his waist, and his glare nearly sizzled with heat as he looked up at Nurse Mazyar. “Do you know who I am, you oaf?” The challenge was meant as haughty superiority but instead came off as a child’s empty taunt. The effect was unintentionally comical.
By the time the drama had reached this point, Aubrey and Kella had arrived. Sharm’s head snapped around upon seeing them. “Ah, Captain Aubrey. Just the person I need.” Waiving amiably at Nurse Mazyar, Sharm slipped into politician mode, his oily platitudes dripping easily from his tongue. “There’s been a misunderstanding of some kind. I’ve no doubt we can straighten it out now that you’re here.” He smiled mechanically.
Aubrey’s own expression committed to nothing. “What seems to be the problem?”
Sharm made a clicking noise somewhere deep in his throat, a chuckle if one was disposed to think of it as such. “Well, it’s this quarantine business of course.” He replied. “While I applaud your doctor’s due diligence, I think we can both agree that such drastic actions are not required in my case. We Velk are a resilient race, you know.”
As nurse Mohammed Mazyar rolled his eyes, Aubrey gave Kella a questioning stare-----disguised as one of those “my work is never done” types of looks.
Kella took over at once. “Envoy Sharm, I’m sorry but my hands are tied. Starfleet regs force me to keep you in isolation until all the Theta radiation is diluted from your body.”
With some effort, Sharm kept his slipping politician's mask in place. “But Captain Aubrey, surely you can override these…’regs’ and let me out of here? You are the captain, are you not?”
Watching Dr. Kella from the corner of is eye, Aubrey responded. “I’m sorry, but our regulations are quite strict. If my chief medical officer needs to keep you in quarantine for a few more hours, then I’m forced to defer to her judgment.” He spread his hands apologetically. “You understand.”
Sharm’s lower jaw glided back and forth on its hinges. His voice lowered noticeably. “And I’m sorry to point this out, Captain…but if we were exposed to extra radiation it probably had something to do with your ah, somewhat overzealous rescue. Under the circumstances, I don’t think that allowing me a little latitude here is unreasonable.”
Kella leapt to Aubrey’s defense, again securing her place as the ship’s resident ‘mother hen.’ “You should know that the captain saved your life. The docking arm that you and the others took refuge in was dangerously irradiated from a breach in the mining complex. Since the arm had no shielding, you would have been dead within minutes from Theta radiation poisoning. There was no choice but to act fast.”
Sharm lowered his head, looking coy. “The mining complex just happened to suffer a breach at that time?” He winked mischievously. “Forgive me for saying that sounds a trifle convenient.”
Aubrey regarded him with a rapidly cooling disposition. “In fact, it wasn’t convenient. A warship attacked us and the mining hub was damaged in the ensuing battle. It just so happened that my away team chose the worst possible docking arm to take cover in; the one closest to the leaking hub.”
Sharm’s debunking effort began to falter. “But the increased radiation wasn’t detected by your crew-----”
“With that scattering field that your abductors had in place, it’s a wonder the tricorders worked at all.”
Sharm pretended he was evaluating Aubrey’s remarks with a fair but skeptical mind.
“I’ll tell you what else was inconvenient;” The captain continued through paper-thin lips, “Two of my crewmembers died in rescuing you.”
Sharm backpedaled. “Umm…you know I’m grateful of course. There’s no question. But I need to speak with the two surviving abductors. As soon as possible.” Hoping that his bulging eyes would seem imploring, Sharm moved towards Aubrey. “They held me captive. In my culture I would have the right to confront them. It’s only fair, Captain.”
A warning look from Dr. Kella ended Aubrey’s deliberations before they began. “I’m sorry. For now, I’ll have to ask that you remain in sickbay as the doctor has instructed. But rest assured you’ll have the opportunity to speak with your abductors.” He held up a hand to cut off a new round of protests. “I’ll be speaking with you very soon. In the meantime, please try to recall as much about your kidnappers as possible.”
Sharm’s body swayed like a cobra and his mouth worked silently. There was a split second in which it seemed he would go berserk, attacking anyone between him and the nearest exit. But the moment passed and the oily politician returned. “It looks as though I’m again in captivity.” He grumbled dejectedly.
“It won’t last long, I promise.” Kella was extending her best bedside manner. “We’ll expedite your treatment.” She gave Mazyar a pointed look. The nurse frowned in confusion but was careful not to vocalize it.
Sharm quietly examined the Bajoran woman without any further objections. He then scrutinized Aubrey, looking for any cracks in his resolve. Finding none, he turned and stalked back to the isolation room with Mazyar.
Aubrey stared after him. “Not quite what I was expecting.”
Only after the doors had closed behind him did Dr. Kella let out the breath she had been holding. “Thanks, Jason.”
Aubrey’s face was somewhere between quizzical and annoyed. “I backed your play, but there had better be a really good reason for this.” He cocked a thumb at the far side of the room. “That man may be the next leader of Velkohn-----and offending him could derail whatever diplomatic progress Sandhurst has made in our absence. To say nothing of the fact that we need Sharm’s help to unravel this mystery.”
“Believe me when I say there is a really good reason.”
He nodded gently. “I do believe you, or I wouldn’t have gone along.” He glanced back towards the isolation room. “But he’s not stupid. I doubt he believes that he’s been irradiated to the point of needing quarantine. He won’t sit still for long.”
“Then you’ll need to force the issue. I’m requesting that security guards be posted outside the isolation room and all sickbay exits.”
Now on edge, Aubrey punctuated each word with deadly earnest. “If you feel Jivin Sharm is an immediate threat to the ship, I want to know right now.”
“A threat yes, maybe not an immediate one. But I should tell you the details in private. And you may want to include Shantok and Adol on this.”
***
Twenty minutes later, Dr. Kella fell heavily into her office chair as if she had just unburdened an enormous weight. Aubrey, Shantok and Adol were very near speechless as they watched a hologram of Sharm’s brain rotate over her desk. Wrapped around what looked like his cerebral cortex, were writhing strings of material, highlighted by the computer to show as bright red.
“You were right about one thing,” Aubrey said into the silence that followed her statements, “This does change things significantly.” He cocked his head to one side and peered at the hologram from underneath. “Do you have any theories at to how this genetic material was introduced into Sharm’s cerebrum?”
“No. But given its morphic attributes, it could have entered through any body cavity or even been absorbed through the skin.”
Shantok brought two perfectly chiseled eyebrows together. “Doctor, is there any room for doubt in your findings? I only ask because you said yourself that the DNA sequence has several irregularities that deviate from normal parameters.”
Dr. Kella examined her folded hands as she spoke. “There’s no question that it’s changeling DNA, if that’s what you’re wondering. Regarding the irregularities, I only know that the genome sequence is in a ‘state of flux’. In other words, various chemical bonds within the tissue are unable to hold a definite pattern for very long. They shift back and forth between at least seven different configurations. The deviation is large, but not enough to compromise the overall integrity of the tissue.”
“Can it be removed?” Asked a solemn Aubrey.
Kella was equally solemn. “Maybe with transporter surgery. But even that’s uncertain. This tissue isn’t just wrapped around the cerebral cortex, Jason-----it’s actually merging sporadically with his brain tissue, on and off every second, merging at the molecular level.”
“Can the changeling tissue be transferred to anyone else?” This came from Shantok.
Kella was now rubbing her temple with a forefinger. “There’s no way to be sure. Possibly. We all know how their body structure can move…”
Adol’s antennas waved thoughtfully in the air. “Do you know to what extent he’s being influenced?”
The doctor sighed in negation, feeling like she was being interrogated. “Even today we know very little about changeling DNA. To make matters more difficult, we know even less about Velk physiology. I’m in agreement with others who’ve postulated that the Dominion used Velk genetic stock in creating the Jem’Hadar, in fact I’m now certain of it-----but there are still significant differences between the two races. The bottom line is: how much Jivin Sharm is in control of his own facilities is pure conjecture at this point.”
“Well that tissue was not placed there by accident.” Adol said matter-of-factly. “It looks like we were right the first time. The Dominion are back in business.” He addressed Aubrey as he stood from his chair and straightened his uniform. “I’ll double security, sir.”
“For now, let’s reinstate the security measures we had in place for Gibraltar’s crew. That should be sufficient without arousing suspicion-----so make sure this deck is cleared of non-essential personnel. After that, I want him confined to our best ‘changeling-proof’ cell. If he’s being influenced by a shape-shifter, I certainly don’t want him roaming about the ship. And let’s get Sharm’s abductors interrogated as soon as Dr. Kella gives the ok. There must be some reason he was so desperate to speak with them.”
“We should also update our communiqué’ to Starfleet to include Dr. Kella’s findings, sir.” Adol suggested.
“I’ll see to it.” Shantok said.
The Andorian slipped through the parting doors but Kella’s voice lassoed him at the threshold. “Commander, when I said that you were on limited duty, I meant it. You’re still suffering from the debilitating effects of Theta radiation poisoning. I expect you back here in two hours for your hydronalin injections.”
“I understand.”
“I hope so for your sake.” She acknowledge like a scolding parent. “Otherwise you’ll be enjoying my hospitality for the remainder of this mission. And if you think I’m bluffing, try me.”
“I read you loud and clear.” He smiled.
Shantok’s tone was quiet enough to communicate foreboding. “If one or more changelings are involved in this as it would appear, Captain Sandhurst and his crew may be in grave danger.”
“True.” Aubrey admitted. “But we’ll be in contact shortly.” He chewed his lower lip. “It doesn’t make sense. Why would the Founders take this route? It’s easier to just mimic someone’s form.”
“There’s the advantage of passing a blood screening.” Kella pointed out.
“Yet, why go to the trouble at all?” Shantok wondered. “All this to take control of a system that the Founders recently gave up-----a world whose resources have been stripped away from over a century of Dominion rule? Velkohn has no value to speak of, from the Dominion’s vantage point.”
Something stirred behind Kella’s eyes. “Unless this is about more than Velkohn. There was talk of the Velk signing a treaty with the Gambis. That’s why it was so important for us to secure their trust.”
“I can see no advantage in attempting to influence the Gambis.” Shantok rebutted. “Their technology is advanced, but not enough to make the Dominion go to these lengths.” All at once something in her demeanor changed. She straightened just a little more in her chair and slowly turned her head to the side.
It took a moment to register, but eventually Kella became aware that Shantok’s attention was directed at Aubrey.
The captain’s poker face seemed just a little too perfect now that she noticed.
An unnatural silence dominated the doctor’s office for several heartbeats.
Finally Kella broke the emptiness, deciding she had little patience for Shantok’s maddening restraint. “Jason, why do I get the feeling that you may know something that the rest of us don’t?”
Wearing his usual disarming grin, Aubrey climbed to his feet. “Let’s table this line of speculation for the time being, shall we? We all have work to do.” He nodded sharply at Kella. “Make sure that Sharm doesn’t leave sickbay until Adol has arranged better security for him. Commander, please see what you can do to speed up the analysis on that Velk warship.”
“Acknowledged, sir.”
“Aye, Captain.” Kella chimed in thoughtfully.
Captain Aubrey exited so quickly that he missed both responses.
<continued...>
Treacherous Waters - Chapter 19 continued
<,,,continued>
Jivin Sharm noticed the noise about four minutes after Nurse Mazyar left the isolation room. He heard it only because he was lying very still under the medical awning of the bio-bed, listening to the lapping thoughts that now churned together with his own. It was really quite pleasant.
With mild interest, he eventually sat up to determine what was making the soft breathing and scraping noises behind him. Peering behind a tall medical cabinet he just barely made out a wisp of hair protruding from around the corner.
“Well hello there.” Sharm called out. “I can see you, you know.”
He was rewarded by the sound of a frustrated child. “Aww…crap.” Said a small boy as he clambered to his feet. He stood and presented himself, wearing his disappointment like an iron manacle about his shoulders. Sharm recognized him from the outpost. He had been one of the pair of children that his inept hired guns had used for a distraction-----hardly surprising that the self-righteous Starfleet officers had managed to take them along. Fortunately Sharm had had the foresight to stay in hiding during much of the planning phase, so the kid hadn’t seen him before now.
The boy was a human of about eleven Earth years, olive complexion and short-cropped hair, now wearing Federation civilian clothes. He looked with interest at Sharm. “Don’t tell them that I’m here okay?” he whispered.
“Tell whom?” Sharm whispered back with amusement.
“The doctors. Otherwise Pe’los will find out and I’ll lose the game of hide-‘n-seek to her. And that’s not good since I just taught her the game.” The boy went on to illustrate his dilemma. “I’m human but Pe’los is Tos’Darian.” He shrugged. “So you know it’s not fair. She has better senses and stuff. Did you know she can actually smell colors?”
“How fascinating.” Sharm showed his hands palm-side up. “And I won’t tell a soul. My name is Sharm, Jivin Sharm.”
“My name’s Carris.” The boy absently brushed off the front of his pants, opting to leave his last name to the imagination. “You’re Velk, hunh?”
Sharm nodded.
Carris seemed lost in old memories. “I thought so. Velk were always nice to me on the outpost. You know, always gave the most when I asked.”
Cold reptilian eyes studied the child, as though he were something of interest within a Petri dish. “Well, what can I say? We Velk are a generous people.”
“So, what’s wrong with you? Are you sick?” Carris kept eyeing the door, all too aware of his imminent discovery.
Sharm noticed his apprehension. “Just a little bug. But you know how doctors are…always ah, overreacting. Say, Carris…can you keep a secret?” He grew animated, heightening the boy’s anxiety of being caught. “It’s a really big secret. Not even the Starfleet people or the doctors know about this, that’s how big it is.” He dropped his chin for emphasis. “Can I trust you with it?”
Carris wanted very much to hear the secret. He had no idea of where he was going or whom he would live with. His life on the outpost had been harsh, but familiar. He had only just met Pe’los, and he liked her, but it was unlikely they would remain together for long-----and their games only went so far in taking his mind off his troubles. But an interesting secret to keep would give him better things to think about then what his new life might be like.
But neither did he survive this long as a “station rat” by throwing caution to the wind.
“Why would you wanna tell me? I’m just a kid.”
Sharm clapped his hands together and emitted a trilling giggle. “See? I knew you were smart the moment I saw you. Who else could hide for so long without being caught? Or live by himself without an adult? Now that takes brains. More brains then I’ve got, I’m afraid to say.”
Carris accepted the acclaim with a grain of salt. “Yeah.” He agreed neutrally.
“So why do I want to tell you? Because quite simply no one would suspect that I told some kid. It’s perfect precisely because it’s so dumb! And my secret will be safely hidden.”
“Wouldn’t it be safer to keep it to yourself?”
Sharm gave him a sly grin, conceding he was in the presence of an equal. “Right you are. But if something happens to me, no one will be left to carry this special knowledge. Frankly, I need another person.”
Carris shrugged, trying to hide his enthusiasm. “Okay, you can tell me. I swear not to tell anyone else.”
Sharm sighed with obvious relief. “Thank you Carris. Now step over here, for we must hurry. I need to whisper it to you. I can’t chance someone walking in and overhearing something.”
Carris bobbed his head once, to show he understood the urgency of the situation. This had to be something extra important.
Jivin Sharm leaned over to share his secret.
<,,,continued>
***
Jivin Sharm noticed the noise about four minutes after Nurse Mazyar left the isolation room. He heard it only because he was lying very still under the medical awning of the bio-bed, listening to the lapping thoughts that now churned together with his own. It was really quite pleasant.
With mild interest, he eventually sat up to determine what was making the soft breathing and scraping noises behind him. Peering behind a tall medical cabinet he just barely made out a wisp of hair protruding from around the corner.
“Well hello there.” Sharm called out. “I can see you, you know.”
He was rewarded by the sound of a frustrated child. “Aww…crap.” Said a small boy as he clambered to his feet. He stood and presented himself, wearing his disappointment like an iron manacle about his shoulders. Sharm recognized him from the outpost. He had been one of the pair of children that his inept hired guns had used for a distraction-----hardly surprising that the self-righteous Starfleet officers had managed to take them along. Fortunately Sharm had had the foresight to stay in hiding during much of the planning phase, so the kid hadn’t seen him before now.
The boy was a human of about eleven Earth years, olive complexion and short-cropped hair, now wearing Federation civilian clothes. He looked with interest at Sharm. “Don’t tell them that I’m here okay?” he whispered.
“Tell whom?” Sharm whispered back with amusement.
“The doctors. Otherwise Pe’los will find out and I’ll lose the game of hide-‘n-seek to her. And that’s not good since I just taught her the game.” The boy went on to illustrate his dilemma. “I’m human but Pe’los is Tos’Darian.” He shrugged. “So you know it’s not fair. She has better senses and stuff. Did you know she can actually smell colors?”
“How fascinating.” Sharm showed his hands palm-side up. “And I won’t tell a soul. My name is Sharm, Jivin Sharm.”
“My name’s Carris.” The boy absently brushed off the front of his pants, opting to leave his last name to the imagination. “You’re Velk, hunh?”
Sharm nodded.
Carris seemed lost in old memories. “I thought so. Velk were always nice to me on the outpost. You know, always gave the most when I asked.”
Cold reptilian eyes studied the child, as though he were something of interest within a Petri dish. “Well, what can I say? We Velk are a generous people.”
“So, what’s wrong with you? Are you sick?” Carris kept eyeing the door, all too aware of his imminent discovery.
Sharm noticed his apprehension. “Just a little bug. But you know how doctors are…always ah, overreacting. Say, Carris…can you keep a secret?” He grew animated, heightening the boy’s anxiety of being caught. “It’s a really big secret. Not even the Starfleet people or the doctors know about this, that’s how big it is.” He dropped his chin for emphasis. “Can I trust you with it?”
Carris wanted very much to hear the secret. He had no idea of where he was going or whom he would live with. His life on the outpost had been harsh, but familiar. He had only just met Pe’los, and he liked her, but it was unlikely they would remain together for long-----and their games only went so far in taking his mind off his troubles. But an interesting secret to keep would give him better things to think about then what his new life might be like.
But neither did he survive this long as a “station rat” by throwing caution to the wind.
“Why would you wanna tell me? I’m just a kid.”
Sharm clapped his hands together and emitted a trilling giggle. “See? I knew you were smart the moment I saw you. Who else could hide for so long without being caught? Or live by himself without an adult? Now that takes brains. More brains then I’ve got, I’m afraid to say.”
Carris accepted the acclaim with a grain of salt. “Yeah.” He agreed neutrally.
“So why do I want to tell you? Because quite simply no one would suspect that I told some kid. It’s perfect precisely because it’s so dumb! And my secret will be safely hidden.”
“Wouldn’t it be safer to keep it to yourself?”
Sharm gave him a sly grin, conceding he was in the presence of an equal. “Right you are. But if something happens to me, no one will be left to carry this special knowledge. Frankly, I need another person.”
Carris shrugged, trying to hide his enthusiasm. “Okay, you can tell me. I swear not to tell anyone else.”
Sharm sighed with obvious relief. “Thank you Carris. Now step over here, for we must hurry. I need to whisper it to you. I can’t chance someone walking in and overhearing something.”
Carris bobbed his head once, to show he understood the urgency of the situation. This had to be something extra important.
Jivin Sharm leaned over to share his secret.
Yeah, Sharm is going to share a secret - more likely he's going to share something residing in his head! Poor kid, this is going to be bad!
Great segment!
Great segment!
Looks like Carris is about to pick up a new 'friend'. A rather intriguing--and powerful aspect of changelings you bring out here.
Very nicely done!
Very nicely done!
At any rate, this was great. It's a genius (if hideous) use of the changeling!
I read this the other day but forgot to post a reply.
Really great job here. You've really given the shapeshifter threat a new spin and one which Aubrey and co are not prepared for. The is going to amp the tension for sure.
Also it leads me to wonder about the shapeshifter pieces Pava picked up. I told him not to keep it! I did. Why wouldn't he listen?
Really great job here. You've really given the shapeshifter threat a new spin and one which Aubrey and co are not prepared for. The is going to amp the tension for sure.
Also it leads me to wonder about the shapeshifter pieces Pava picked up. I told him not to keep it! I did. Why wouldn't he listen?
Thanks everyone. Sorry about the late response, here. As usual, I get tied up for several weeks at a time.
In regards to our poor child in the story...don't worry too much. I just became a first time dad about ten months ago, so there are limits to how much misfortune I'm willing to dish out to a kid.
More to come...Gibraltar is busy with the next chapter as we "speak".
Thanks again for your continued interest.
In regards to our poor child in the story...don't worry too much. I just became a first time dad about ten months ago, so there are limits to how much misfortune I'm willing to dish out to a kid.
More to come...Gibraltar is busy with the next chapter as we "speak".
Thanks again for your continued interest.
Youch. The terrible two's...I already have a junior level Dickens. God help me as he grows. And yes, he's doing all of that stuff you said. Plus he enjoys the pastime of trying to rip the hair from the head of anyone within reach.congrats-you should just be entering the "eat the dog's food, learning to pour liquids on the floor intentionally" stage of parenthood. It gets better-wait till they learn to throw with a bit of accuracy!(mine just turned 2)
Treacherous Waters - Chapter 21
Author's Note: Though Galen4 and I have been posting our chapters one after the other thus far (Galen4 / Gibraltar / Galen4 / etc), the final chapters of the story will be presented in such a way as to better maintain the narrative thread, meaning that one or both of us may have sequential chapters.
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 21 <by Gibraltar>
Lar'ragos had lost himself in the ballet of violence. His limbs moved of their own accord as he struck his enemies and parried their comically languid attacks. He marveled with detachment at the spectacle, at the artistry that imbued his movement... the lethal choreography of carnage.
Those Velk he had not yet sundered shrank away from him and sought escape from the whirling dervish of butchery in their midst. Then one of them stepped forward from the fleeing mass of reptilians. The figure discharged a booming projectile weapon into Pava's chest at point-blank range. Lar'ragos thought the concussion of the shotgun analogue was impressive, even through his high-density combat armor.
His body reacted to the kinetic energy imparted from the blast. He fell forward towards the Velk soldier. The man spun the rifle deftly and wielded it as a bludgeon. He closed to meet Lar'ragos' collapse, and drove the butt of the rifle into Pava's helmet, followed by quick but telling blows to his neck and left shoulder.
A spasm seized Lar'ragos' arm as the last blow fell; the knife slipped from his grasp. He struggled to rise, but was jolted by another strike from the rifle. The Velk then delivered a powerful kick that sent Lar'ragos pin-wheeling backwards down the staircase. He collapsed in an undignified heap against the crackling forcefield at the bottom. As Specialist Sharpe rushed to deactivate the shield barrier, Lar'ragos took a moment to perform a self-check. He marveled that his armor was still intact.
The field evaporated just long enough for Sharpe and Davikk to pull Lar'ragos back into the rapidly shrinking defense perimeter. "Sir," Sharpe queried breathlessly, "are you okay?"
"Yeah," Lar'ragos groused, "that was not my best plan ever."
*****
"Now reading multiple Velk warships inbound, Captain."
It was unwelcome news, especially considering that the Velk military was well on their way to re-establishing control over their formidable orbital weapons satellites.
"ETA?" Sandhurst asked grimly.
"Seventeen minutes until we'll be in weapons range of the closest ship," Pell answered smartly, her eyes glued to her sensor returns.
Sandhurst settled back into his chair and cursed the only option he had left. If the orbital grid came back online before they could rescue their strike team on the surface, he'd have to destroy the satellites. That would leave Velkohn virtually defenseless following their departure. If he had to cripple their remaining warships, that would only compound the crime.
Now that Dominion complicity in this fiasco was evident, it was clear that the Velk had been unwitting pawns of the Changelings. The fact that Sandhurst and his crew were now victimizing the Velk even further weighed heavily on him, though not as greatly as did the losses suffered by the surface team. The deaths of multiple crew members were bad enough, but Master Chief Tark was irreplaceable. The cantankerous chief-of-the-ship had set the tempo for the entire vessel, and had worked tirelessly to mold the enlisted crew into a unified whole.
"Tactical," Sandhurst said with weary deliberation, "target the weapons satellites. If we can't cause them to self-destruct with Shanthi's invasive programming, we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way."
"And the ships?" Pell pressed.
"We'll fire to disable," Sandhurst instructed as he resisted the urge to rub his pounding temples and aching jaw.
"Captain..." called Lar'ragos from the surface. Even over the scratchy, encrypted comms channel, his voice was tinged with resignation. Muffled explosions could be heard in the background. "We're surrounded, sir. We've got enemy fire teams above and below us, and we have no avenues of escape. Our portable shields will hold out for maybe two minutes more. Then we'll be overrun."
Sandhurst bolted forward out of his chair and made for the Science station. "Ramirez, status of the shield barrier around the transport inhibitor?"
There was a prolonged pause, then Ramirez's voice cut in. "Instability is at sixty-eight percent and growing, Captain."
As he ascended to the upper deck, Sandhurst fixed his gaze on Shanthi. "Does she have enough time?" He'd meant to whisper the question, but it had emerged as a growl audible to the entire compartment.
The younger man turned to meet his captain's eyes with a dour expression. He shook his head fractionally. "No chance, sir. At this rate it will take another five minutes to penetrate the shield around the transport scrambler."
Sandhurst's eyes widened as he absorbed the sudden urgency of the situation. "We'll have to..." his voice trailed off as he turned and walked towards the Tactical console. "Ramirez, get out of there," Sandhurst ordered. "If you can't get to Pava's location, you'll need to be at least thirty-five meters away to be at minimum safe distance."
*****
"...can't get to Pava's location, you'll need to be at least thirty-five meters away to be at minimum safe distance."
Ramirez triggered her phaser pistol and sent another scorching beam of energy at the Velk soldiers surrounding the doorway. "That's going to be a bit of a problem, sir." She flinched as a hail of answering fire sent shards of cement shrapnel whizzing throughout the room.
Herschal had been cut down by the advancing Velk platoon only a few meters past the door. Their presence had apparently been masked by the combined output of the transporter scrambler, the shield wall protecting it, and the chorus of phaser rifles that even now sought to destabilize the vexing barrier.
"Problem?" Sandhurst was proving damnably slow to follow the quickly changing dynamic of the team's predicament.
"I'm pinned down at the moment, Captain."
"It's important that you get yourself un-pinned, Commander!"
Ramirez saw one of the Velk just outside the door angling for a shot at the phaser rifles that howled in protest behind her. If the enemy succeeded in knocking out the her makeshift weapons array, the entire strike team was doomed. She picked herself up and dashed across the room as she fired a series of short blasts at the soldiers stationed on the other side of the hatchway.
A plasma bolt caught her under the right arm. The pulse sheared through the thin, flexible armor at the joint and sent Ramirez to her knees. She stifled a groan but managed to hold on to her phaser. She transferred the weapon to her uninjured arm, ramped up the power setting, and delivered another beam that vaporized her assailant. The scream of air rushing to fill the void of the man's departure proved an eerie counterpoint to the sound of weapons fire.
"That's..." she coughed, "...easier said than done, sir."
*****
"Grenade!" Volusilev screamed as the cylinder bounced through the strike team's flickering shield barrier. "Shit! Shit!" The security woman moved to knock the explosive back the way it had come with her rifle when it detonated. Her armored body absorbed the majority of the blast, but showered the rest of the strike team with bits of gore and shattered ceramic.
Lar'ragos wiped an arm across his cracked faceplate to clear his visor of Volusilev's blood as he maneuvered his last few ambulatory personnel into place. He wanted to place them where they could best resist the final Velk assault on their crumbling position. The two rescued Velk prisoners and the carryall containing the insensate Changeling had been secured in the middle of the team's formation. Lar'ragos hoped that should the prisoners and shapeshifter survive the coming attack, they could be beamed aboard Gibraltar after Ramirez deactivated the transport inhibitor. That way he and his team might still accomplish their mission, albeit posthumously.
He knelt to change out the magazine in the rifle he'd liberated from Freely, and took a moment to check the energy remaining in their portable shield generators. Cuing his comms, he prepared to make his final report to Captain Sandhurst. Strangely, Lar'ragos was not overwhelmed by anger or regret, but felt buoyed by a sense of finality. At last, his long life's story would reach the kind of conclusion he'd only dreamt of. There were worse ways to go than falling on the field of battle in defense of a righteous cause.
"Thirty seconds, Donald" he announced. "Maybe less." He brought the rifle up and seated the stock against his shoulder.
"Lar'ragos," Sandhurst protested, "just wait..."
"Not really an option," he replied coolly. The defense screen began to flicker. Plasma bolts and phaser beams began to sneak through the now semi-permeable barrier. Sharpe took a hit in his side but kept his feet and continued firing. "You'll want to try for a transporter lock on this level and the ones above and below. You'll be looking for two unarmed Velk and a duffle containing the Changeling, all marked with viridium patches."
"Pava, damn it, just hold on..."
"For what it's worth, sir, it's been an honor serving with you." He cut the comlink as a jumble of shadows surged towards the wavering field. "Here they come!" Lar'ragos roared to the others. He took careful aim and fired...
*****
Sandhurst moved to the Tactical station as if in a trance. He felt as if he were outside his own body, viewing his actions from a great distance. Sandhurst gently but insistently brushed aside the ensign manning the console. He activated the comms, the urgency in his voice unmistakable. "Liana, you need to get out of there. Right now."
Her reply was nearly drown out by cacophonous weapons fire, "There's no way, Captain. I'm pinned, wounded, and cut off from Pava's team."
He blinked and willed his uncooperative fingers to move across the Tactical display. He armed the modified aft/ventral phaser bank and selected target coordinates. "I'm sorry," Sandhurst offered lamely, "there's no other way."
Despite her circumstances, Ramirez managed to answer stoically, "I understand, Captain. If our positions were reversed..." She added, "It's been a privilege, sir."
He muted the comms and called out to Pell, "Tell our surface units to clear the area, and standby to beam the strike team, the prisoners, and the Changeling aboard. Send them directly to Sickbay, and have a security team waiting to secure the Founder." Sandhurst reactivated the channel, "The privilege was all ours, Liana." He pressed the firing toggle, murmuring, "God speed, Captain Ramirez."
The collimated energy beam lashed out from beneath the shuttle bay doors and lanced downward. It screamed through the atmosphere to where it pierced the Velk bunker complex and descended at the speed of light to the reinforced room containing the transport inhibitor, a half-dozen Velk soldiers, and the executive officer of the starship Gibraltar. All were annihilated in less than a second.
"Sensors clearing," Pell's voice seemed unusually loud in the grim stillness that gripped the bridge. "Locking on to the team's signals... viridium patches identified... initiating transport."
Taiee's voice sounded from Sickbay, "We have them, sir. Multiple wounded with some fatalities. I'll update you when I know more."
No one bothered to acknowledge her report. Sandhurst relinquished control of the Tactical board to the ensign, and moved slowly to the command chair where he sat heavily. "Status of our surface teams?" he asked after a long moment.
"The shuttles are recovering the SWIFT's, Captain," Ziang reported from Ops. "They report light casualties, one cycle lost to enemy fire."
"Status of the SWIFT pilot?" Pell asked after it became apparent that Sandhurst was unwilling or unable to do so.
"Petty Officer Dunleavy is being med-evac'd by one of the returning shuttles, Commander. At last report her condition was critical."
Sandhurst shook himself from his torpor long enough to address the computer. "Computer, log a temporary transfer of executive officer authority to Lt. Commander Pell Ojana. Authorization, Sandhurst Yankee-Foxtrot-One-Three-Oh."
"Temporary transfer of stated authorities logged and accepted."
The captain rose unsteadily from his seat and moved toward the turbolift. "I'll be in Sickbay." He paused and gripped the upper deck's safety railing for support. "Commander Pell, you have the bridge. Should any Velk orbital satellites or ships pose even the remotest threat to us, your orders are to blow them out of the stars."
Pell knew better than to argue that directive under the circumstances, "Aye, sir."
As he stepped into the lift, Sandhurst slumped against the wall as the doors closed behind him, overcome by a wave of emotion. He spent the rest of the descent struggling to pull himself together.
He had just killed his first officer.
*****
Author's Note: Though Galen4 and I have been posting our chapters one after the other thus far (Galen4 / Gibraltar / Galen4 / etc), the final chapters of the story will be presented in such a way as to better maintain the narrative thread, meaning that one or both of us may have sequential chapters.
_________________________________________________________________
CHAPTER 21 <by Gibraltar>
Lar'ragos had lost himself in the ballet of violence. His limbs moved of their own accord as he struck his enemies and parried their comically languid attacks. He marveled with detachment at the spectacle, at the artistry that imbued his movement... the lethal choreography of carnage.
Those Velk he had not yet sundered shrank away from him and sought escape from the whirling dervish of butchery in their midst. Then one of them stepped forward from the fleeing mass of reptilians. The figure discharged a booming projectile weapon into Pava's chest at point-blank range. Lar'ragos thought the concussion of the shotgun analogue was impressive, even through his high-density combat armor.
His body reacted to the kinetic energy imparted from the blast. He fell forward towards the Velk soldier. The man spun the rifle deftly and wielded it as a bludgeon. He closed to meet Lar'ragos' collapse, and drove the butt of the rifle into Pava's helmet, followed by quick but telling blows to his neck and left shoulder.
A spasm seized Lar'ragos' arm as the last blow fell; the knife slipped from his grasp. He struggled to rise, but was jolted by another strike from the rifle. The Velk then delivered a powerful kick that sent Lar'ragos pin-wheeling backwards down the staircase. He collapsed in an undignified heap against the crackling forcefield at the bottom. As Specialist Sharpe rushed to deactivate the shield barrier, Lar'ragos took a moment to perform a self-check. He marveled that his armor was still intact.
The field evaporated just long enough for Sharpe and Davikk to pull Lar'ragos back into the rapidly shrinking defense perimeter. "Sir," Sharpe queried breathlessly, "are you okay?"
"Yeah," Lar'ragos groused, "that was not my best plan ever."
*****
"Now reading multiple Velk warships inbound, Captain."
It was unwelcome news, especially considering that the Velk military was well on their way to re-establishing control over their formidable orbital weapons satellites.
"ETA?" Sandhurst asked grimly.
"Seventeen minutes until we'll be in weapons range of the closest ship," Pell answered smartly, her eyes glued to her sensor returns.
Sandhurst settled back into his chair and cursed the only option he had left. If the orbital grid came back online before they could rescue their strike team on the surface, he'd have to destroy the satellites. That would leave Velkohn virtually defenseless following their departure. If he had to cripple their remaining warships, that would only compound the crime.
Now that Dominion complicity in this fiasco was evident, it was clear that the Velk had been unwitting pawns of the Changelings. The fact that Sandhurst and his crew were now victimizing the Velk even further weighed heavily on him, though not as greatly as did the losses suffered by the surface team. The deaths of multiple crew members were bad enough, but Master Chief Tark was irreplaceable. The cantankerous chief-of-the-ship had set the tempo for the entire vessel, and had worked tirelessly to mold the enlisted crew into a unified whole.
"Tactical," Sandhurst said with weary deliberation, "target the weapons satellites. If we can't cause them to self-destruct with Shanthi's invasive programming, we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way."
"And the ships?" Pell pressed.
"We'll fire to disable," Sandhurst instructed as he resisted the urge to rub his pounding temples and aching jaw.
"Captain..." called Lar'ragos from the surface. Even over the scratchy, encrypted comms channel, his voice was tinged with resignation. Muffled explosions could be heard in the background. "We're surrounded, sir. We've got enemy fire teams above and below us, and we have no avenues of escape. Our portable shields will hold out for maybe two minutes more. Then we'll be overrun."
Sandhurst bolted forward out of his chair and made for the Science station. "Ramirez, status of the shield barrier around the transport inhibitor?"
There was a prolonged pause, then Ramirez's voice cut in. "Instability is at sixty-eight percent and growing, Captain."
As he ascended to the upper deck, Sandhurst fixed his gaze on Shanthi. "Does she have enough time?" He'd meant to whisper the question, but it had emerged as a growl audible to the entire compartment.
The younger man turned to meet his captain's eyes with a dour expression. He shook his head fractionally. "No chance, sir. At this rate it will take another five minutes to penetrate the shield around the transport scrambler."
Sandhurst's eyes widened as he absorbed the sudden urgency of the situation. "We'll have to..." his voice trailed off as he turned and walked towards the Tactical console. "Ramirez, get out of there," Sandhurst ordered. "If you can't get to Pava's location, you'll need to be at least thirty-five meters away to be at minimum safe distance."
*****
"...can't get to Pava's location, you'll need to be at least thirty-five meters away to be at minimum safe distance."
Ramirez triggered her phaser pistol and sent another scorching beam of energy at the Velk soldiers surrounding the doorway. "That's going to be a bit of a problem, sir." She flinched as a hail of answering fire sent shards of cement shrapnel whizzing throughout the room.
Herschal had been cut down by the advancing Velk platoon only a few meters past the door. Their presence had apparently been masked by the combined output of the transporter scrambler, the shield wall protecting it, and the chorus of phaser rifles that even now sought to destabilize the vexing barrier.
"Problem?" Sandhurst was proving damnably slow to follow the quickly changing dynamic of the team's predicament.
"I'm pinned down at the moment, Captain."
"It's important that you get yourself un-pinned, Commander!"
Ramirez saw one of the Velk just outside the door angling for a shot at the phaser rifles that howled in protest behind her. If the enemy succeeded in knocking out the her makeshift weapons array, the entire strike team was doomed. She picked herself up and dashed across the room as she fired a series of short blasts at the soldiers stationed on the other side of the hatchway.
A plasma bolt caught her under the right arm. The pulse sheared through the thin, flexible armor at the joint and sent Ramirez to her knees. She stifled a groan but managed to hold on to her phaser. She transferred the weapon to her uninjured arm, ramped up the power setting, and delivered another beam that vaporized her assailant. The scream of air rushing to fill the void of the man's departure proved an eerie counterpoint to the sound of weapons fire.
"That's..." she coughed, "...easier said than done, sir."
*****
"Grenade!" Volusilev screamed as the cylinder bounced through the strike team's flickering shield barrier. "Shit! Shit!" The security woman moved to knock the explosive back the way it had come with her rifle when it detonated. Her armored body absorbed the majority of the blast, but showered the rest of the strike team with bits of gore and shattered ceramic.
Lar'ragos wiped an arm across his cracked faceplate to clear his visor of Volusilev's blood as he maneuvered his last few ambulatory personnel into place. He wanted to place them where they could best resist the final Velk assault on their crumbling position. The two rescued Velk prisoners and the carryall containing the insensate Changeling had been secured in the middle of the team's formation. Lar'ragos hoped that should the prisoners and shapeshifter survive the coming attack, they could be beamed aboard Gibraltar after Ramirez deactivated the transport inhibitor. That way he and his team might still accomplish their mission, albeit posthumously.
He knelt to change out the magazine in the rifle he'd liberated from Freely, and took a moment to check the energy remaining in their portable shield generators. Cuing his comms, he prepared to make his final report to Captain Sandhurst. Strangely, Lar'ragos was not overwhelmed by anger or regret, but felt buoyed by a sense of finality. At last, his long life's story would reach the kind of conclusion he'd only dreamt of. There were worse ways to go than falling on the field of battle in defense of a righteous cause.
"Thirty seconds, Donald" he announced. "Maybe less." He brought the rifle up and seated the stock against his shoulder.
"Lar'ragos," Sandhurst protested, "just wait..."
"Not really an option," he replied coolly. The defense screen began to flicker. Plasma bolts and phaser beams began to sneak through the now semi-permeable barrier. Sharpe took a hit in his side but kept his feet and continued firing. "You'll want to try for a transporter lock on this level and the ones above and below. You'll be looking for two unarmed Velk and a duffle containing the Changeling, all marked with viridium patches."
"Pava, damn it, just hold on..."
"For what it's worth, sir, it's been an honor serving with you." He cut the comlink as a jumble of shadows surged towards the wavering field. "Here they come!" Lar'ragos roared to the others. He took careful aim and fired...
*****
Sandhurst moved to the Tactical station as if in a trance. He felt as if he were outside his own body, viewing his actions from a great distance. Sandhurst gently but insistently brushed aside the ensign manning the console. He activated the comms, the urgency in his voice unmistakable. "Liana, you need to get out of there. Right now."
Her reply was nearly drown out by cacophonous weapons fire, "There's no way, Captain. I'm pinned, wounded, and cut off from Pava's team."
He blinked and willed his uncooperative fingers to move across the Tactical display. He armed the modified aft/ventral phaser bank and selected target coordinates. "I'm sorry," Sandhurst offered lamely, "there's no other way."
Despite her circumstances, Ramirez managed to answer stoically, "I understand, Captain. If our positions were reversed..." She added, "It's been a privilege, sir."
He muted the comms and called out to Pell, "Tell our surface units to clear the area, and standby to beam the strike team, the prisoners, and the Changeling aboard. Send them directly to Sickbay, and have a security team waiting to secure the Founder." Sandhurst reactivated the channel, "The privilege was all ours, Liana." He pressed the firing toggle, murmuring, "God speed, Captain Ramirez."
The collimated energy beam lashed out from beneath the shuttle bay doors and lanced downward. It screamed through the atmosphere to where it pierced the Velk bunker complex and descended at the speed of light to the reinforced room containing the transport inhibitor, a half-dozen Velk soldiers, and the executive officer of the starship Gibraltar. All were annihilated in less than a second.
"Sensors clearing," Pell's voice seemed unusually loud in the grim stillness that gripped the bridge. "Locking on to the team's signals... viridium patches identified... initiating transport."
Taiee's voice sounded from Sickbay, "We have them, sir. Multiple wounded with some fatalities. I'll update you when I know more."
No one bothered to acknowledge her report. Sandhurst relinquished control of the Tactical board to the ensign, and moved slowly to the command chair where he sat heavily. "Status of our surface teams?" he asked after a long moment.
"The shuttles are recovering the SWIFT's, Captain," Ziang reported from Ops. "They report light casualties, one cycle lost to enemy fire."
"Status of the SWIFT pilot?" Pell asked after it became apparent that Sandhurst was unwilling or unable to do so.
"Petty Officer Dunleavy is being med-evac'd by one of the returning shuttles, Commander. At last report her condition was critical."
Sandhurst shook himself from his torpor long enough to address the computer. "Computer, log a temporary transfer of executive officer authority to Lt. Commander Pell Ojana. Authorization, Sandhurst Yankee-Foxtrot-One-Three-Oh."
"Temporary transfer of stated authorities logged and accepted."
The captain rose unsteadily from his seat and moved toward the turbolift. "I'll be in Sickbay." He paused and gripped the upper deck's safety railing for support. "Commander Pell, you have the bridge. Should any Velk orbital satellites or ships pose even the remotest threat to us, your orders are to blow them out of the stars."
Pell knew better than to argue that directive under the circumstances, "Aye, sir."
As he stepped into the lift, Sandhurst slumped against the wall as the doors closed behind him, overcome by a wave of emotion. He spent the rest of the descent struggling to pull himself together.
He had just killed his first officer.
*****
