I'm heading off to Paris for a romantic weekend with my girlfriend (where I will propose) so no time to post. I hope to post more when I return.
Sorry for the delay.
Sorry for the delay.
USS PYTHEAS (Dauntless Repost)
- Thread starter BrotherBenny
- Start date
Chapter Five
IRW Gilded Talon
Ynelav IV orbit
Stardate 55364.6 (May 14, 2378)
'I will not!' Sokal replied but felt her mind waver.
It was unnerving that she could not move anything except her head. She looked around the bridge and saw that the rest of her crew were in similar situations. They were at the former liaison's mercy.
'You will do as I ask or you will be struck down,' Jonek warned. 'I will protect my people from any who wish to harm them.'
'Remove your hand,' Sokal said. 'I will do nothing to harm you.'
Jonek did so and Sokal lashed out at him, hoping to slam him to the deck. He stayed upright but the warbird shuddered.
'What in Erebus was that?' Sokal asked as alarm klaxons sounded across the ship.
'A solar flare, Subcommander, directed at our shields,' her Lieutenant stated sourly, glaring at Jonek. 'They are down.'
'How did you do that?' she asked as she slumped in her chair.
'I can do more than that,' the liaison replied with a crooked smile.
'Subcommander, we have radiation alarms along all sections of the outer hull. I have to seal them.'
'Do it!'
'But the crew?'
'The crew are unharmed,' Jonek stated flatly. 'Your vessel is another matter.'
'What is the status of the rest of the ship?'
'The singularity drive is offline, weapons are down and the computer is experiencing a cascade failure.'
Sokal turned to the Regent and his liaison. 'You have crippled us. How are we expected to leave your system with our systems damaged in this fashion?'
'Once you agree to leave, I will repair your vessel but not before. Will you return the people you have taken?'
'No, they are an affront to the purity of the Romulan people.'
'It would seem that your bloodline is not so pure either, Subcommander, since you are all Vulcan stock,' Jonek taunted the arrogant Romulan.
'We are nothing like our distant and pacifistic cousins!'
'Consider your position,' Regent Dolan interjected. 'I have no control over the Seer, and he is the saviour of the Ynelavii people. He has come in our darkest time and he will protect us. You have one vessel that is heavily crippled against someone who can manipulate matter and energy at will. What chance do you think you realistically stand?'
'Lieutenant, order our troops on the surface to stand down and return to the ship. Return the Ynelavii we have taken to the surface, and be careful not to harm them.'
'Immediately, Subcommander,' the first officer answered and set about giving orders.
Jonek waved his hand and viewscreen changed to that of the site of the former nuclear power station.
'Our world will be healed,' he said and Dolan and Sokal watched as the radioactive cloud dispersed, the ecosystem spontaneously regenerated and there appeared to be no sign that the station had ever been there. 'I can do nothing about the power loss, Regent, so we will need to quickly discover another way of powering the capital.'
'I will speak with my advisers as soon as I return to the surface,' Dolan replied and vanished from the bridge.
'You will get off my bridge,' Sokal ordered the Seer.
'When your people are back aboard and mine are on the surface.'
Sokal turned to her tactical officer. 'The Ynelavii are in cargo bay two are they not?'
'Yes, Subcommander.'
'Space them!' she ordered.
Jonek narrowed his eyes at her as she grinned cruelly.
'I gave you no reason to doubt my word,' he stated and the tactical officer's station melted. 'The next person who attempts to kill those people will be incapacitated.'
Sokal's lips thinned. 'How dare you presume to give orders on my bridge.' She turned to another officer. 'Space the natives, centurion.'
The centurion stood shock still as Sokal stalked over to him and touched him on the shoulder. He toppled to the deck. 'He is unharmed. Since you are incapable of returning my people to the surface, I will do it.'
There was an audible thump and then a whine. 'Subcommander, we are on the surface,' her lieutenant said.
'Will we be able to take off?' She asked.
'Not under our own power. These vessels are not designed to land.'
She ground her teeth. 'Once your people are on the ground, you will return us to our previous position and we will leave the system.'
Jonek smiled. 'An excellent suggestion, Subcommander,' he spoke quietly and vanished.
'Damn him, are we back in orbit?'
'We are, Subcommander. All our systems have been repaired.'
Sokal looked at the tactical station to see it in one solid piece again. 'Target the capital city and raze it to the ground.'
'Is that wise?'
'Just do it!' she screeched.
Twin disruptor beams lanced out from the warbird and were absorbed by the upper atmosphere.
'What happened?'
'The energy was dissipated. There is a shield around the planet.'
'Natural?'
'No, Subcommander. It is artificial, and does not appear to be the work of the Seer. I would speculate that he alone know how to operate the device.'
'I don't suppose we can beam down to the surface?'
'I wouldn't want to risk it.'
Sokal nodded, thinking to herself. 'Set a course for Starbase 535. We'll be back once we have been checked over by their engineers. In the meantime, begin analysing the debris for evidence of Vulcan energy fire.'
'Vulcan?'
'Yes, I believe they followed my ancestor out here and destroyed his vessel to stop him from reporting the truth to the Praetor.'
'What truth?'
'That although life in the galaxy was seeded by the Progenitors over four and a half billion years ago, Vulcans and Romulans are direct descendants of the Tkon Empire, a civilisation dating back more than a million years.'
The Lieutenant smirked. 'I believe the Office of the Praetor has been disputing that claim for the last four centuries, since the idea was first introduced by a self-proclaimed prophet from Vulcan.'
IRW Gilded Talon
Ynelav IV orbit
Stardate 55364.6 (May 14, 2378)
'I will not!' Sokal replied but felt her mind waver.
It was unnerving that she could not move anything except her head. She looked around the bridge and saw that the rest of her crew were in similar situations. They were at the former liaison's mercy.
'You will do as I ask or you will be struck down,' Jonek warned. 'I will protect my people from any who wish to harm them.'
'Remove your hand,' Sokal said. 'I will do nothing to harm you.'
Jonek did so and Sokal lashed out at him, hoping to slam him to the deck. He stayed upright but the warbird shuddered.
'What in Erebus was that?' Sokal asked as alarm klaxons sounded across the ship.
'A solar flare, Subcommander, directed at our shields,' her Lieutenant stated sourly, glaring at Jonek. 'They are down.'
'How did you do that?' she asked as she slumped in her chair.
'I can do more than that,' the liaison replied with a crooked smile.
'Subcommander, we have radiation alarms along all sections of the outer hull. I have to seal them.'
'Do it!'
'But the crew?'
'The crew are unharmed,' Jonek stated flatly. 'Your vessel is another matter.'
'What is the status of the rest of the ship?'
'The singularity drive is offline, weapons are down and the computer is experiencing a cascade failure.'
Sokal turned to the Regent and his liaison. 'You have crippled us. How are we expected to leave your system with our systems damaged in this fashion?'
'Once you agree to leave, I will repair your vessel but not before. Will you return the people you have taken?'
'No, they are an affront to the purity of the Romulan people.'
'It would seem that your bloodline is not so pure either, Subcommander, since you are all Vulcan stock,' Jonek taunted the arrogant Romulan.
'We are nothing like our distant and pacifistic cousins!'
'Consider your position,' Regent Dolan interjected. 'I have no control over the Seer, and he is the saviour of the Ynelavii people. He has come in our darkest time and he will protect us. You have one vessel that is heavily crippled against someone who can manipulate matter and energy at will. What chance do you think you realistically stand?'
'Lieutenant, order our troops on the surface to stand down and return to the ship. Return the Ynelavii we have taken to the surface, and be careful not to harm them.'
'Immediately, Subcommander,' the first officer answered and set about giving orders.
Jonek waved his hand and viewscreen changed to that of the site of the former nuclear power station.
'Our world will be healed,' he said and Dolan and Sokal watched as the radioactive cloud dispersed, the ecosystem spontaneously regenerated and there appeared to be no sign that the station had ever been there. 'I can do nothing about the power loss, Regent, so we will need to quickly discover another way of powering the capital.'
'I will speak with my advisers as soon as I return to the surface,' Dolan replied and vanished from the bridge.
'You will get off my bridge,' Sokal ordered the Seer.
'When your people are back aboard and mine are on the surface.'
Sokal turned to her tactical officer. 'The Ynelavii are in cargo bay two are they not?'
'Yes, Subcommander.'
'Space them!' she ordered.
Jonek narrowed his eyes at her as she grinned cruelly.
'I gave you no reason to doubt my word,' he stated and the tactical officer's station melted. 'The next person who attempts to kill those people will be incapacitated.'
Sokal's lips thinned. 'How dare you presume to give orders on my bridge.' She turned to another officer. 'Space the natives, centurion.'
The centurion stood shock still as Sokal stalked over to him and touched him on the shoulder. He toppled to the deck. 'He is unharmed. Since you are incapable of returning my people to the surface, I will do it.'
There was an audible thump and then a whine. 'Subcommander, we are on the surface,' her lieutenant said.
'Will we be able to take off?' She asked.
'Not under our own power. These vessels are not designed to land.'
She ground her teeth. 'Once your people are on the ground, you will return us to our previous position and we will leave the system.'
Jonek smiled. 'An excellent suggestion, Subcommander,' he spoke quietly and vanished.
'Damn him, are we back in orbit?'
'We are, Subcommander. All our systems have been repaired.'
Sokal looked at the tactical station to see it in one solid piece again. 'Target the capital city and raze it to the ground.'
'Is that wise?'
'Just do it!' she screeched.
Twin disruptor beams lanced out from the warbird and were absorbed by the upper atmosphere.
'What happened?'
'The energy was dissipated. There is a shield around the planet.'
'Natural?'
'No, Subcommander. It is artificial, and does not appear to be the work of the Seer. I would speculate that he alone know how to operate the device.'
'I don't suppose we can beam down to the surface?'
'I wouldn't want to risk it.'
Sokal nodded, thinking to herself. 'Set a course for Starbase 535. We'll be back once we have been checked over by their engineers. In the meantime, begin analysing the debris for evidence of Vulcan energy fire.'
'Vulcan?'
'Yes, I believe they followed my ancestor out here and destroyed his vessel to stop him from reporting the truth to the Praetor.'
'What truth?'
'That although life in the galaxy was seeded by the Progenitors over four and a half billion years ago, Vulcans and Romulans are direct descendants of the Tkon Empire, a civilisation dating back more than a million years.'
The Lieutenant smirked. 'I believe the Office of the Praetor has been disputing that claim for the last four centuries, since the idea was first introduced by a self-proclaimed prophet from Vulcan.'
Chapter Six
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55368.1 (May 15, 2378)
Commander Aaron Wright sat in the captain's ready room with a smile on his face. For the last eight years he had planned this and it was now coming to fruition. All he needed was a few minor adjustments to the ship and he would be ready to go. The rest of the crew would just be along for the ride. He was busy with the administrative side of being a commanding officer, confirming reports and crew rosters, when someone pressed the enunciator to enter.
'Come,' he called.
Lieutenant Jamal Mahtani entered, looking somewhat bewildered. 'Commander.'
Wright smiled but it made Mahtani feel worse. 'I want you to take a look at this padd and tell me whether you think the modifications can be made to the deflector dish.'
Mahtani took the padd and glanced at it. 'I believe so, but Commander Xeris would be better suited to making the modifications.'
Wright stood and leaned over the desk. 'I don't want Xeris to do it. I'm asking you. I want those modifications ready as soon as possible, dismissed.'
'Aye sir,' Mahtani replied and hurried out the room.
Wright knew that it would take several days and in the meantime he would continue to follow Captain Astar's previous orders, to help the Eeroth rid themselves of the Cha'lav. He looked over the current situation on the planet, provided by the former president over the last two days, made a decision. Since the Eeroth were already in the process of rebuilding, it made sense for the ship to be where the action was, but he wanted to make sure the atmosphere was completely breathable first—which meant pulling his chief science officer off the deflector modifications. Apparently his plan was going to have to wait a little longer.
'Wright to Mahtani, meet me in science lab three,' the commander said, remembering the lab which was set up for such a possibility.
'On my way.'
Mahtani was already there when Wright entered the room, and no other science officer was in sight. 'Where is everyone?'
'Working on their assigned tasks, sir,' the chief science officer replied. 'How can I help you?'
'How badly damaged is Eeroth IV's atmosphere?'
This was an area for which Mahtani had no compunction about working for. 'Pollution is approximately equivalent to the immediate post-World War Three era and the radiation is exceptionally high in some locations. All the rebuilding they're involved in will come to nothing unless the atmosphere is given a chance to heal, and quickly.'
'Is there anything we can do to help?'
Mahtani considered his answer for he had been asking himself that very question since they arrived. 'It is possible to force a large storm front which would remove the pollution, but it is extremely dangerous for anyone living on the planet.'
'How so?'
'The northern hemisphere would freeze and as much of the population as possible should be moved below the equatorial region.'
'And after that?'
'The air will be clear of most of the major pollutants, the airborne radiation will have dispersed and we can work on the irradiated soil.'
'How long before the planet is habitable to Eeroth norms again if we go this course of action?'
'We should be able to do everything in about three weeks, if we accelerate all the timetables. But there is a significant chance, if our calculations are off by too much, of permanent damage to the planetary ecosystem.'
'We'll render it totally uninhabitable?'
'Yes sir.'
'Prepare a report for President Janar and I will propose it to him.'
'Yes sir,' Mahtani said and paused, as if waiting for something.
'Make this your top priority and reassign whoever you need.'
'Aye sir,' the science officer replied, knowing that the deflector modifications would have to wait. It would also give him a chance to speak with the captain about them because what Wright was planning was illegal and carried a serious penalty. But he needed more proof than a few specifications on a padd, he needed intent for Astar and Maxx to declare Wright unfit for duty. He let none of that show on his face though.
'I'll be on the bridge if I'm needed.'
'Yes sir.'
Wright left the science lab and realised as he walked down the corridor that Mahtani knew what he was planning and probably wouldn't do it, unless he had a reason to. It was time to look at his Starfleet file and see if anything cropped up. He knew that he couldn't arrange an accident for that would look too suspicious, especially since the Captain was indisposed, and hoped that the file would give him something.
'Maxx to Wright.'
'Go ahead, Doctor.'
'I need to speak with you, urgently.'
'I'm on my way,' Wright replied and cursed himself again. It would appear that the damned doctor had figured out what was wrong with the captain. His fears were confirmed when he entered sickbay and saw Lieutenant Parker, the ship's security chief.
'Commander, thank you for coming so quickly,' Maxx said and indicated the only occupied biobed.
'What is it?' he asked, his tone appropriately concerned.
'Leza has been poisoned, but it is only affecting the symbiont, not her. That's the reason she acted so strangely the other day, the symbiont's former personalities are coming through.'
'Who would do something like that, why? What can you do?'
'Until I find out exactly what poison was used, there's nothing I can do. I have taken enough blood samples to use and enough scans of both host and symbiont to conduct an investigation, but I need your permission to put her in stasis until I can stop the damage, otherwise they'll both die.'
Wright inwardly sighed with relief. 'Very well, we need her at full capacity as soon as possible, Doctor,' he said. 'How long has this been going on?'
'I don't know.'
Wright turned to Parker. 'Lieutenant, I want to know the captain's exact movements since she arrived on board. The sooner we pinpoint how the poison was delivered, the sooner we can reverse it.'
Parker nodded. 'I'll get right on it, sir.'
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55368.1 (May 15, 2378)
Commander Aaron Wright sat in the captain's ready room with a smile on his face. For the last eight years he had planned this and it was now coming to fruition. All he needed was a few minor adjustments to the ship and he would be ready to go. The rest of the crew would just be along for the ride. He was busy with the administrative side of being a commanding officer, confirming reports and crew rosters, when someone pressed the enunciator to enter.
'Come,' he called.
Lieutenant Jamal Mahtani entered, looking somewhat bewildered. 'Commander.'
Wright smiled but it made Mahtani feel worse. 'I want you to take a look at this padd and tell me whether you think the modifications can be made to the deflector dish.'
Mahtani took the padd and glanced at it. 'I believe so, but Commander Xeris would be better suited to making the modifications.'
Wright stood and leaned over the desk. 'I don't want Xeris to do it. I'm asking you. I want those modifications ready as soon as possible, dismissed.'
'Aye sir,' Mahtani replied and hurried out the room.
Wright knew that it would take several days and in the meantime he would continue to follow Captain Astar's previous orders, to help the Eeroth rid themselves of the Cha'lav. He looked over the current situation on the planet, provided by the former president over the last two days, made a decision. Since the Eeroth were already in the process of rebuilding, it made sense for the ship to be where the action was, but he wanted to make sure the atmosphere was completely breathable first—which meant pulling his chief science officer off the deflector modifications. Apparently his plan was going to have to wait a little longer.
'Wright to Mahtani, meet me in science lab three,' the commander said, remembering the lab which was set up for such a possibility.
'On my way.'
Mahtani was already there when Wright entered the room, and no other science officer was in sight. 'Where is everyone?'
'Working on their assigned tasks, sir,' the chief science officer replied. 'How can I help you?'
'How badly damaged is Eeroth IV's atmosphere?'
This was an area for which Mahtani had no compunction about working for. 'Pollution is approximately equivalent to the immediate post-World War Three era and the radiation is exceptionally high in some locations. All the rebuilding they're involved in will come to nothing unless the atmosphere is given a chance to heal, and quickly.'
'Is there anything we can do to help?'
Mahtani considered his answer for he had been asking himself that very question since they arrived. 'It is possible to force a large storm front which would remove the pollution, but it is extremely dangerous for anyone living on the planet.'
'How so?'
'The northern hemisphere would freeze and as much of the population as possible should be moved below the equatorial region.'
'And after that?'
'The air will be clear of most of the major pollutants, the airborne radiation will have dispersed and we can work on the irradiated soil.'
'How long before the planet is habitable to Eeroth norms again if we go this course of action?'
'We should be able to do everything in about three weeks, if we accelerate all the timetables. But there is a significant chance, if our calculations are off by too much, of permanent damage to the planetary ecosystem.'
'We'll render it totally uninhabitable?'
'Yes sir.'
'Prepare a report for President Janar and I will propose it to him.'
'Yes sir,' Mahtani said and paused, as if waiting for something.
'Make this your top priority and reassign whoever you need.'
'Aye sir,' the science officer replied, knowing that the deflector modifications would have to wait. It would also give him a chance to speak with the captain about them because what Wright was planning was illegal and carried a serious penalty. But he needed more proof than a few specifications on a padd, he needed intent for Astar and Maxx to declare Wright unfit for duty. He let none of that show on his face though.
'I'll be on the bridge if I'm needed.'
'Yes sir.'
Wright left the science lab and realised as he walked down the corridor that Mahtani knew what he was planning and probably wouldn't do it, unless he had a reason to. It was time to look at his Starfleet file and see if anything cropped up. He knew that he couldn't arrange an accident for that would look too suspicious, especially since the Captain was indisposed, and hoped that the file would give him something.
'Maxx to Wright.'
'Go ahead, Doctor.'
'I need to speak with you, urgently.'
'I'm on my way,' Wright replied and cursed himself again. It would appear that the damned doctor had figured out what was wrong with the captain. His fears were confirmed when he entered sickbay and saw Lieutenant Parker, the ship's security chief.
'Commander, thank you for coming so quickly,' Maxx said and indicated the only occupied biobed.
'What is it?' he asked, his tone appropriately concerned.
'Leza has been poisoned, but it is only affecting the symbiont, not her. That's the reason she acted so strangely the other day, the symbiont's former personalities are coming through.'
'Who would do something like that, why? What can you do?'
'Until I find out exactly what poison was used, there's nothing I can do. I have taken enough blood samples to use and enough scans of both host and symbiont to conduct an investigation, but I need your permission to put her in stasis until I can stop the damage, otherwise they'll both die.'
Wright inwardly sighed with relief. 'Very well, we need her at full capacity as soon as possible, Doctor,' he said. 'How long has this been going on?'
'I don't know.'
Wright turned to Parker. 'Lieutenant, I want to know the captain's exact movements since she arrived on board. The sooner we pinpoint how the poison was delivered, the sooner we can reverse it.'
Parker nodded. 'I'll get right on it, sir.'
Chapter Seven
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55368.2 (May 15, 2378)
Lieutenant Jamal Mahtani waited for the computer to finish its current set of simulations regarding Eeroth's atmosphere and he stared at the padd sitting atop his station in science lab three. He wasn't going to let it out of his sight, and didn't want to go to anyone just yet. As long as Wright was concentrating on helping the Eeroth as per Captain Astar's orders, the deflector modifications weren't going to be his primary concern. Mahtani knew what the guy was planning, or was pretty sure of it, but he couldn't authorise a search of the computer library without alerting him. As soon as the captain entered stasis, the ship's command codes were automatically transferred to Wright, giving him the full run of the ship and its crew.
'Computer, where is Lieutenant Parker?'
'Lieutenant Parker is in Captain Astar's quarters.'
Mahtani made a decision and grabbed the padd. He let the computer continue to run its simulations, though he did lock out the console, and headed for the captain's quarters. His entire science team, numbering almost thirty officers and crewmen, were working on the problem and feeding new variables into the computer as they went along. It was tedious work and he was thankful for the distraction, negative as it might be. Beta shift was on the bridge at present so there were few personnel walking the corridors, and he encountered none of his alpha-shift companions during the walk and turbolift ride from the atmospheric science laboratory on deck eight to the captain's quarters on deck three.
He pressed the enunciator and when the doors opened, he saw Parker standing just inside the main room. 'Lieutenant?' she asked.
'We need to talk.'
'Here?'
'As good a place as any.'
'Before you tell me anything about our acting captain, which I presume is the reason you're here and clutching that padd as if your life depended on it, I want to know if someone can poison someone else without them knowing it.'
Mahtani considered the question and looked around the captain's quarters as he passed Parker the padd. There were a number of photographs and Trill artefacts in the room, as well as a good number of padds of all sizes.
'It is possible, but in the old days it would be added to food. I don't see how that could be...' he paused and then with an alarmed look in his eyes, crossed over to the replicator and pulled off the panel at its base.
Parker followed and the two crouched down. 'Is that supposed to be there?' she asked, pointing to a small padd-like device attached to a power junction.
Mahtani stood up. 'No, Lieutenant, it isn't. That device is actually connected to the materialisation relay. Whatever the captain has eaten in this room will have been contaminated by whatever was poisoning her.'
'I'll have the doc examine this,' she replied, disconnecting it. 'And then pass it to Xeris. Maybe he can tell me who would have the know-how for this.'
'Anyone that was in the Maquis or has used guerrilla warfare tactics. This type of device is something that the Bajoran resistance might have used against the Cardassians.'
Parker glanced at the padd held in her other hand. 'Or someone who might have been in a longer-term resistance movement?' she asked.
Mahtani nodded.
'Don't worry, I know what it's like to fight a losing battle every day. He'll never know we're onto him. I'll just have to make sure that anyone else I involve will also keep quiet.'
'He'll figure it out before too long. He's too smart not too.'
'Wright to Mahtani, report to Science Lab Three immediately.'
'He knows I was here,' Mahtani replied and tapped his combadge. 'On my way.'
Parker nodded as Mahtani headed out the door.
Mahtani reached the science lab in just under two minutes and saw two security officers standing there. 'What's going on?'
'You locked out the console, why?' Wright asked as he continued to try in vain to override the lockout.
'I didn't want anyone to stop the simulations while I wasn't here,' Mahtani replied.
'You could have used your authorisation code.'
'I'm a little compulsive when it comes to running such serious simulations, Commander.'
Wright narrowed his eyes. 'Unlock the console. And give me the padd I gave to you.'
Mahtani reached under the console and passed the padd back to him, then unlocked the console and stepped back.
Wright examined the console and then the padd. 'You haven't copied this have you?'
'I didn't need to.'
'That is not an answer, Lieutenant.'
'No, I haven't copied the contents of that padd.'
He nodded, satisfied. 'Carry on,' he added and walked out.
Mahtani breathed a sigh of relief as the ship's first officer left the science lab. He hoped that Parker, Maxx and Xeris were going to have better luck in gathering proof against him. In the meantime, he had bigger problems to deal with, such as how to fix a planet's atmosphere without destroying the population in the process. The simulations were all coming out negative, telling him that everything they were trying was not going to work. He needed something else and decided to go down to deck thirteen where the majority of the science labs were located and see exactly what his team was up to.
No sooner had he left his lab than the intruder klaxon sounded and the ship instantly went to red alert. Something had got onto the ship and he knew exactly what it was.
'Commander Wright, I'm detecting a null-space rupture on deck nine, there are six Cha'lav aboard,' he reported to the bridge as the chirp from his tricorder alerted him.
'I'm sending security, do not engage,' the exec replied.
'I'm close, I can find out what they are doing.'
'Do not engage, that's a direct order.'
'I wasn't planning to attack them, Commander, just observe,' Mahtani replied and headed for the turbolift, ignoring repeated calls from Wright and Gonzales.
He would be able to reach them faster than security unless Wright authorised a site to site transport, which he knew wasn't going to happen.
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55368.2 (May 15, 2378)
Lieutenant Jamal Mahtani waited for the computer to finish its current set of simulations regarding Eeroth's atmosphere and he stared at the padd sitting atop his station in science lab three. He wasn't going to let it out of his sight, and didn't want to go to anyone just yet. As long as Wright was concentrating on helping the Eeroth as per Captain Astar's orders, the deflector modifications weren't going to be his primary concern. Mahtani knew what the guy was planning, or was pretty sure of it, but he couldn't authorise a search of the computer library without alerting him. As soon as the captain entered stasis, the ship's command codes were automatically transferred to Wright, giving him the full run of the ship and its crew.
'Computer, where is Lieutenant Parker?'
'Lieutenant Parker is in Captain Astar's quarters.'
Mahtani made a decision and grabbed the padd. He let the computer continue to run its simulations, though he did lock out the console, and headed for the captain's quarters. His entire science team, numbering almost thirty officers and crewmen, were working on the problem and feeding new variables into the computer as they went along. It was tedious work and he was thankful for the distraction, negative as it might be. Beta shift was on the bridge at present so there were few personnel walking the corridors, and he encountered none of his alpha-shift companions during the walk and turbolift ride from the atmospheric science laboratory on deck eight to the captain's quarters on deck three.
He pressed the enunciator and when the doors opened, he saw Parker standing just inside the main room. 'Lieutenant?' she asked.
'We need to talk.'
'Here?'
'As good a place as any.'
'Before you tell me anything about our acting captain, which I presume is the reason you're here and clutching that padd as if your life depended on it, I want to know if someone can poison someone else without them knowing it.'
Mahtani considered the question and looked around the captain's quarters as he passed Parker the padd. There were a number of photographs and Trill artefacts in the room, as well as a good number of padds of all sizes.
'It is possible, but in the old days it would be added to food. I don't see how that could be...' he paused and then with an alarmed look in his eyes, crossed over to the replicator and pulled off the panel at its base.
Parker followed and the two crouched down. 'Is that supposed to be there?' she asked, pointing to a small padd-like device attached to a power junction.
Mahtani stood up. 'No, Lieutenant, it isn't. That device is actually connected to the materialisation relay. Whatever the captain has eaten in this room will have been contaminated by whatever was poisoning her.'
'I'll have the doc examine this,' she replied, disconnecting it. 'And then pass it to Xeris. Maybe he can tell me who would have the know-how for this.'
'Anyone that was in the Maquis or has used guerrilla warfare tactics. This type of device is something that the Bajoran resistance might have used against the Cardassians.'
Parker glanced at the padd held in her other hand. 'Or someone who might have been in a longer-term resistance movement?' she asked.
Mahtani nodded.
'Don't worry, I know what it's like to fight a losing battle every day. He'll never know we're onto him. I'll just have to make sure that anyone else I involve will also keep quiet.'
'He'll figure it out before too long. He's too smart not too.'
'Wright to Mahtani, report to Science Lab Three immediately.'
'He knows I was here,' Mahtani replied and tapped his combadge. 'On my way.'
Parker nodded as Mahtani headed out the door.
Mahtani reached the science lab in just under two minutes and saw two security officers standing there. 'What's going on?'
'You locked out the console, why?' Wright asked as he continued to try in vain to override the lockout.
'I didn't want anyone to stop the simulations while I wasn't here,' Mahtani replied.
'You could have used your authorisation code.'
'I'm a little compulsive when it comes to running such serious simulations, Commander.'
Wright narrowed his eyes. 'Unlock the console. And give me the padd I gave to you.'
Mahtani reached under the console and passed the padd back to him, then unlocked the console and stepped back.
Wright examined the console and then the padd. 'You haven't copied this have you?'
'I didn't need to.'
'That is not an answer, Lieutenant.'
'No, I haven't copied the contents of that padd.'
He nodded, satisfied. 'Carry on,' he added and walked out.
Mahtani breathed a sigh of relief as the ship's first officer left the science lab. He hoped that Parker, Maxx and Xeris were going to have better luck in gathering proof against him. In the meantime, he had bigger problems to deal with, such as how to fix a planet's atmosphere without destroying the population in the process. The simulations were all coming out negative, telling him that everything they were trying was not going to work. He needed something else and decided to go down to deck thirteen where the majority of the science labs were located and see exactly what his team was up to.
No sooner had he left his lab than the intruder klaxon sounded and the ship instantly went to red alert. Something had got onto the ship and he knew exactly what it was.
'Commander Wright, I'm detecting a null-space rupture on deck nine, there are six Cha'lav aboard,' he reported to the bridge as the chirp from his tricorder alerted him.
'I'm sending security, do not engage,' the exec replied.
'I'm close, I can find out what they are doing.'
'Do not engage, that's a direct order.'
'I wasn't planning to attack them, Commander, just observe,' Mahtani replied and headed for the turbolift, ignoring repeated calls from Wright and Gonzales.
He would be able to reach them faster than security unless Wright authorised a site to site transport, which he knew wasn't going to happen.
Chapter Eight
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55368.3 (May 15, 2378)
Rashal sat in the brig aboard the Federation starship and wished, not the first time, that he had never been found by these people. After his vice-presidential government had been deposed and the rest of his cabal imprisoned or executed, President Janar had given him a merciful choice, execution or banishment. On the surface it seemed merciful but prior to the arrival of the Cha'lav, the Eeroth believed themselves to be the only intelligent life in the galaxy, cut off as they were by the Great Fire Plains. He'd chosen banishment and been placed in a converted missile on a mission to destroy the homeworld, then ejected into a Cha'lav rift which opened close to the warship he was on. Rashal knew that he'd been drifting for a long time before he was found and was immediately grateful. It was only after learning what kind of a threat the Cha'lav were that he accepted the offer to return home, knowing it meant certain death if the government was still intact.
Since the Pytheas arrived in the Eeroth system, and after the peculiar power play between the captain and first officer, he'd learned that the Dahreki and the Fahira had joined forces to combat the Cha'lav threat, though it proved fruitless. Dozens of worlds and inhabited moons had been laid waste to, and the few million survivors of his entire species had all but forgotten about their racial divide. It was not the end he hoped for, but it was positive. With the Federation's help they could drive off the Cha'lav and rebuild their world with a new government and none of the old hatred. He just hoped that he was alive to see it, though with Commander Wright in charge, he didn't think it was likely. The man looked like the others, but he wasn't one of them; he was a fighter, a man who had grown up in a world where survival was granted only to those who fought for it.
The doors the brig slid open and Commander Wright entered, followed by President Janar and two Fahira soldiers. Wright stood back as Janar strode closer to the forcefield. 'Commander Wright has held a hearing in your absence and granted me with your custody, but only because I agreed not to execute you. There are too few of us left to allow a petty thing like treason get in the way.'
'Parker to Wright.'
'Excuse me a moment, Mister President,' Wright said and took a few steps back. 'Go ahead, Lieutenant.'
'There is no sign of the Cha'lav on deck nine and we're doing a deck by deck search. We've picked up no more null-space rifts opening so they must still be on board, but the internal sensors aren't picking them up.'
'How did Mahtani find them then?'
'The tricorders can pick them up if they're within about forty metres in any direction,' Parker answered. 'We're trying to create a network that covers the entire ship.'
'Keep at it, Lieutenant. I don't want the Cha'lav doing anything to my ship.'
'Aye sir, Parker out.'
'I apologise for that,' Wright said and turned his attention back to Rashal.
Rashal looked to Wright and sighed. The ship's first officer seemed to have skirted the law on this one, having a hearing in absentia, to convict him of treason; whereas he believed that Captain Astar would have at least granted him a proper hearing in accordance with their laws which he had looked up on while he was enjoying their hospitality. 'Do with me what you will. The Cha'lav have beaten you but you are better for it.'
Janar looked at the soldiers and Rashal was surprised that they were not Fahira, and that the president did not see it. 'We have learned to tolerate each other, but there is still much work to be done if we are to heal ourselves. The longest journey starts with the smallest step and so, being the sole law-giver left alive, I absolve you of treason.'
Rashal blinked twice, unsure if he had heard what the President said. 'Mister President?'
'I have absolved you of treason and sent out a message granting a full pardon to all of the Fahira rebels and their Dahreki sympathisers and collaborators. You are correct, the Cha'lav have beaten us, but only into recognising our own faults as a species. If we are to be the heralds of a new generation, where we are of one race, then we must start somewhere. I am asking you, Rashal, to return to Eeroth to work at my side as my right hand once again.'
Rashal stood. 'I accept the position, Mister President.'
'It will not be easy, for almost everyone you meet will have lost someone to the Cha'lav or the aftermath of their attack.'
'I am responsible for what has befallen our people and our worlds, it is only right that I should assist in their recovery, no matter the cost.'
Janar turned to Wright and nodded, accepting the burden of responsibility he was undertaking by allowing a rebel and destroyer of worlds to be his number two. Wright took one step forward, to the only console in the room, and deactivated the forcefield. 'Welcome home, Mister Vice President.'
He stepped out of the cell and noticed the eyes of one of the Fahira soldiers, they were a shade too dark.
'You're not Fahira!' he pointed to one of the soldiers and then to Janar. 'His eyes are too dark, like a Dahreki.'
The other one turned and held a weapon on the one Rashal pointed out. 'Who are you?'
'I am loyal to the Dahreki Dominance, and I do not agree with the rule of the current administration,' the soldier replied and fired his weapon before disappearing in a transporter beam.
The other soldier grabbed Rashal and pressed a control stud on his wrist as he clasped Rashal's arm. Both men disappeared in another transporter beam as Rashal saw Wright kneeling before Janar's bleeding body.
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55368.3 (May 15, 2378)
Rashal sat in the brig aboard the Federation starship and wished, not the first time, that he had never been found by these people. After his vice-presidential government had been deposed and the rest of his cabal imprisoned or executed, President Janar had given him a merciful choice, execution or banishment. On the surface it seemed merciful but prior to the arrival of the Cha'lav, the Eeroth believed themselves to be the only intelligent life in the galaxy, cut off as they were by the Great Fire Plains. He'd chosen banishment and been placed in a converted missile on a mission to destroy the homeworld, then ejected into a Cha'lav rift which opened close to the warship he was on. Rashal knew that he'd been drifting for a long time before he was found and was immediately grateful. It was only after learning what kind of a threat the Cha'lav were that he accepted the offer to return home, knowing it meant certain death if the government was still intact.
Since the Pytheas arrived in the Eeroth system, and after the peculiar power play between the captain and first officer, he'd learned that the Dahreki and the Fahira had joined forces to combat the Cha'lav threat, though it proved fruitless. Dozens of worlds and inhabited moons had been laid waste to, and the few million survivors of his entire species had all but forgotten about their racial divide. It was not the end he hoped for, but it was positive. With the Federation's help they could drive off the Cha'lav and rebuild their world with a new government and none of the old hatred. He just hoped that he was alive to see it, though with Commander Wright in charge, he didn't think it was likely. The man looked like the others, but he wasn't one of them; he was a fighter, a man who had grown up in a world where survival was granted only to those who fought for it.
The doors the brig slid open and Commander Wright entered, followed by President Janar and two Fahira soldiers. Wright stood back as Janar strode closer to the forcefield. 'Commander Wright has held a hearing in your absence and granted me with your custody, but only because I agreed not to execute you. There are too few of us left to allow a petty thing like treason get in the way.'
'Parker to Wright.'
'Excuse me a moment, Mister President,' Wright said and took a few steps back. 'Go ahead, Lieutenant.'
'There is no sign of the Cha'lav on deck nine and we're doing a deck by deck search. We've picked up no more null-space rifts opening so they must still be on board, but the internal sensors aren't picking them up.'
'How did Mahtani find them then?'
'The tricorders can pick them up if they're within about forty metres in any direction,' Parker answered. 'We're trying to create a network that covers the entire ship.'
'Keep at it, Lieutenant. I don't want the Cha'lav doing anything to my ship.'
'Aye sir, Parker out.'
'I apologise for that,' Wright said and turned his attention back to Rashal.
Rashal looked to Wright and sighed. The ship's first officer seemed to have skirted the law on this one, having a hearing in absentia, to convict him of treason; whereas he believed that Captain Astar would have at least granted him a proper hearing in accordance with their laws which he had looked up on while he was enjoying their hospitality. 'Do with me what you will. The Cha'lav have beaten you but you are better for it.'
Janar looked at the soldiers and Rashal was surprised that they were not Fahira, and that the president did not see it. 'We have learned to tolerate each other, but there is still much work to be done if we are to heal ourselves. The longest journey starts with the smallest step and so, being the sole law-giver left alive, I absolve you of treason.'
Rashal blinked twice, unsure if he had heard what the President said. 'Mister President?'
'I have absolved you of treason and sent out a message granting a full pardon to all of the Fahira rebels and their Dahreki sympathisers and collaborators. You are correct, the Cha'lav have beaten us, but only into recognising our own faults as a species. If we are to be the heralds of a new generation, where we are of one race, then we must start somewhere. I am asking you, Rashal, to return to Eeroth to work at my side as my right hand once again.'
Rashal stood. 'I accept the position, Mister President.'
'It will not be easy, for almost everyone you meet will have lost someone to the Cha'lav or the aftermath of their attack.'
'I am responsible for what has befallen our people and our worlds, it is only right that I should assist in their recovery, no matter the cost.'
Janar turned to Wright and nodded, accepting the burden of responsibility he was undertaking by allowing a rebel and destroyer of worlds to be his number two. Wright took one step forward, to the only console in the room, and deactivated the forcefield. 'Welcome home, Mister Vice President.'
He stepped out of the cell and noticed the eyes of one of the Fahira soldiers, they were a shade too dark.
'You're not Fahira!' he pointed to one of the soldiers and then to Janar. 'His eyes are too dark, like a Dahreki.'
The other one turned and held a weapon on the one Rashal pointed out. 'Who are you?'
'I am loyal to the Dahreki Dominance, and I do not agree with the rule of the current administration,' the soldier replied and fired his weapon before disappearing in a transporter beam.
The other soldier grabbed Rashal and pressed a control stud on his wrist as he clasped Rashal's arm. Both men disappeared in another transporter beam as Rashal saw Wright kneeling before Janar's bleeding body.
I think Wright's coming off as more sinister in this rewrite--I like!
Also...if memory serves, the use of poison as the cause of Astar's illness is a revision. And to me, it's much more compelling and I like the way it ties into the Wright plot much better. Good work!
(BTW, I know you were interested in The Thirteenth Order...have you had a chance to catch up with the new section yet?)
Also...if memory serves, the use of poison as the cause of Astar's illness is a revision. And to me, it's much more compelling and I like the way it ties into the Wright plot much better. Good work!
(BTW, I know you were interested in The Thirteenth Order...have you had a chance to catch up with the new section yet?)
Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying this. I wanted Wright to be more devious before the denouement.I think Wright's coming off as more sinister in this rewrite--I like!
Also...if memory serves, the use of poison as the cause of Astar's illness is a revision. And to me, it's much more compelling and I like the way it ties into the Wright plot much better. Good work!
I'm completely up to date and loving every piece. Just wish you'd write faster
You're very welcome, and I think you're accomplishing your objective.
And I will certainly try to write faster--hopefully this next section I'm coming into will lend itself to it, at least for a time.
And I will certainly try to write faster--hopefully this next section I'm coming into will lend itself to it, at least for a time.
Chapter Nine
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55368.4 (May 15, 2378)
'Computer, lock on to my combadge and transport to sickbay, authorisation Wright-Everest-2-5-3,' the first officer ordered as he knelt by the Eerothian president.
He put a finger to the man's neck as they dematerialised. His finger was still there as sickbay coalesced around them.
Maxx was at his side instantly. 'What happened?'
'He was shot in the chest by one of his soldiers. It was some kind of plasma discharge weapon.'
'It was a high setting, designed to kill,' Maxx replied as two corpsmen transferred the president to a biobed and the surgical arch moved into place above the president's body. 'Where's Rashal?'
'I'm hoping that the other soldier was on the right side of the law and took the new vice president into protective custody.'
'What are going to do now?'
'You're going to save his life. I am going to find out how good the security is for vetting the presidential protection detail and make sure that the people who attacked the leader of a sovereign nation on my ship won't go unpunished.'
'That's not our way, Commander. But by all means go and find the rebels, I'll keep him alive.'
Wright narrowed his eyes but stormed out of sickbay, tapping his combadge. 'Gonzales, there have been two unauthorized transports in the last five minutes. Tell me you know what happened.'
'I was monitoring the situation, as you requested, Commander. The transports were directed to a series of relay stations throughout the system. It will take time to discover the eventual location.'
Wright sighed. 'Get to work, Commander. I need to find those rebels.'
'Sir?'
'If they have any chance of fighting the Cha'lav they need a united front. While the President is willing to provide that, there are some that aren't. I intend to assist them in making their planet habitable and making sure that the Captain's orders stand. Getting rid of the Cha'lav is our top priority.'
'Aye sir, I'll let you know the second I have a location.'
'While you're at it, deactivate the relay stations.'
'That's not a good idea, sir. The relay stations work for communications and an early warning grid. We would compromise their entire infrastructure if we shut them down.'
'Fine, tap into it so we can monitor everything. Have some security personnel on duty in astrometrics at all time, watching everything that comes through.'
'Aye sir, Gonzales out.'
Wright tapped his combadge again, 'Parker, where are those damned intruders?'
'Nowhere, sir. I'm not picking up any lifesigns other than the crew. I still have security searching every deck and all non-essential personnel have been restricted to quarters.'
He sighed, nothing was going right. 'Find them,' he snapped and turned a corner, bumping right into them.
They looked at him and raised rifles toward him as he backed up and wished he had a phaser.
'Sir, get down,' a security guard called out behind and Wright dropped to the deck as beams of phased energy hit the Cha'lav-Primates in the chest. Two of them went down but the other three retreated and fired back.
'Give me a rifle,' Wright said as the security guards approached him.
'Are you all right, sir?'
'You got to me just in time, Cadet,' Wright told the Ynelavii woman. 'Let me have that rifle. I'll provide cover fire for you.'
'Sir?'
Wright sighed. 'Whatever you have heard about me, or whatever you think of me, is irrelevant. I'm your commanding officer, and I gave you an order. Give me your rifle and go after them. I'll provide cover fire.'
'Aye sir,' Jenak said, tossed her rifle and trotted off down the corridor.
Wright followed the two security officers and when they began firing in earnest, Wright picked a spot just behind a bulkhead and set himself up. He edged round the corner and fired off two shots, each hitting their mark before moving back. Several shots from the Cha'lav hit the bulkhead but they had opened themselves to fire and were quickly shot down.
'Good work, both of you,' Wright smiled and tapped his combadge. 'Parker, your intruders are down in several sections outside sickbay. Come and pick them up.'
'On my way, sir, Parker out.'
'Good shooting, sir,' the older of the two guards said.
'I have always been a good marksman, never thought I'd be firing any weapons on board my own ship though. When Parker is through mopping up here, I want you too on brig duty—and tell Parker I want to see her in my ready room as soon as she's done.'
'Aye sir,' they replied as Wright headed back to sickbay.
Things were finally starting to look up, so he thought until he entered sickbay and heard the monitors in the surgical bay. He knew without being told that the president was not doing well, all the signs were heading down and the peaks were getting shallower.
The president was dying.
'Six milligrams inaprovaline, stat!' Maxx called out as Janar spasmed.
'It's not working, Doctor,' the Grazerite head nurse replied moments after injecting the contents of the hypospray. 'This is the third time we've tried it.'
Maxx muttered a curse and turned to Wright as everything flatlined again. 'Time of death, eleven forty-two. I'm sorry, Commander. There was nothing we could do. There was too much tissue and neurological damage. You should contact Rashal and let him know that he is now the President of the Eerothian people.'
'Great, just great,' Wright muttered. 'From exile to president in a day, that doesn't happen often.'
'Sir, will the people accept Rashal?'
'On that score, I have no idea, but he is legally the leader of the people, and while we're here we'll grant him full diplomatic status until someone takes his place, however that happens.'
'Completely impartial, sir.'
'Yes, Doctor, completely impartial,' Wright replied and headed for the door. 'I just hope we can do what we came here to do.'
As soon as the door closed on him, he sighed. Now he had to stay until he found out who killed the president. He didn't overly much care that the man was dead, but the fact that he was killed under Wright's nose rankled and Wright intended to punish the person or people responsible.
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55368.4 (May 15, 2378)
'Computer, lock on to my combadge and transport to sickbay, authorisation Wright-Everest-2-5-3,' the first officer ordered as he knelt by the Eerothian president.
He put a finger to the man's neck as they dematerialised. His finger was still there as sickbay coalesced around them.
Maxx was at his side instantly. 'What happened?'
'He was shot in the chest by one of his soldiers. It was some kind of plasma discharge weapon.'
'It was a high setting, designed to kill,' Maxx replied as two corpsmen transferred the president to a biobed and the surgical arch moved into place above the president's body. 'Where's Rashal?'
'I'm hoping that the other soldier was on the right side of the law and took the new vice president into protective custody.'
'What are going to do now?'
'You're going to save his life. I am going to find out how good the security is for vetting the presidential protection detail and make sure that the people who attacked the leader of a sovereign nation on my ship won't go unpunished.'
'That's not our way, Commander. But by all means go and find the rebels, I'll keep him alive.'
Wright narrowed his eyes but stormed out of sickbay, tapping his combadge. 'Gonzales, there have been two unauthorized transports in the last five minutes. Tell me you know what happened.'
'I was monitoring the situation, as you requested, Commander. The transports were directed to a series of relay stations throughout the system. It will take time to discover the eventual location.'
Wright sighed. 'Get to work, Commander. I need to find those rebels.'
'Sir?'
'If they have any chance of fighting the Cha'lav they need a united front. While the President is willing to provide that, there are some that aren't. I intend to assist them in making their planet habitable and making sure that the Captain's orders stand. Getting rid of the Cha'lav is our top priority.'
'Aye sir, I'll let you know the second I have a location.'
'While you're at it, deactivate the relay stations.'
'That's not a good idea, sir. The relay stations work for communications and an early warning grid. We would compromise their entire infrastructure if we shut them down.'
'Fine, tap into it so we can monitor everything. Have some security personnel on duty in astrometrics at all time, watching everything that comes through.'
'Aye sir, Gonzales out.'
Wright tapped his combadge again, 'Parker, where are those damned intruders?'
'Nowhere, sir. I'm not picking up any lifesigns other than the crew. I still have security searching every deck and all non-essential personnel have been restricted to quarters.'
He sighed, nothing was going right. 'Find them,' he snapped and turned a corner, bumping right into them.
They looked at him and raised rifles toward him as he backed up and wished he had a phaser.
'Sir, get down,' a security guard called out behind and Wright dropped to the deck as beams of phased energy hit the Cha'lav-Primates in the chest. Two of them went down but the other three retreated and fired back.
'Give me a rifle,' Wright said as the security guards approached him.
'Are you all right, sir?'
'You got to me just in time, Cadet,' Wright told the Ynelavii woman. 'Let me have that rifle. I'll provide cover fire for you.'
'Sir?'
Wright sighed. 'Whatever you have heard about me, or whatever you think of me, is irrelevant. I'm your commanding officer, and I gave you an order. Give me your rifle and go after them. I'll provide cover fire.'
'Aye sir,' Jenak said, tossed her rifle and trotted off down the corridor.
Wright followed the two security officers and when they began firing in earnest, Wright picked a spot just behind a bulkhead and set himself up. He edged round the corner and fired off two shots, each hitting their mark before moving back. Several shots from the Cha'lav hit the bulkhead but they had opened themselves to fire and were quickly shot down.
'Good work, both of you,' Wright smiled and tapped his combadge. 'Parker, your intruders are down in several sections outside sickbay. Come and pick them up.'
'On my way, sir, Parker out.'
'Good shooting, sir,' the older of the two guards said.
'I have always been a good marksman, never thought I'd be firing any weapons on board my own ship though. When Parker is through mopping up here, I want you too on brig duty—and tell Parker I want to see her in my ready room as soon as she's done.'
'Aye sir,' they replied as Wright headed back to sickbay.
Things were finally starting to look up, so he thought until he entered sickbay and heard the monitors in the surgical bay. He knew without being told that the president was not doing well, all the signs were heading down and the peaks were getting shallower.
The president was dying.
'Six milligrams inaprovaline, stat!' Maxx called out as Janar spasmed.
'It's not working, Doctor,' the Grazerite head nurse replied moments after injecting the contents of the hypospray. 'This is the third time we've tried it.'
Maxx muttered a curse and turned to Wright as everything flatlined again. 'Time of death, eleven forty-two. I'm sorry, Commander. There was nothing we could do. There was too much tissue and neurological damage. You should contact Rashal and let him know that he is now the President of the Eerothian people.'
'Great, just great,' Wright muttered. 'From exile to president in a day, that doesn't happen often.'
'Sir, will the people accept Rashal?'
'On that score, I have no idea, but he is legally the leader of the people, and while we're here we'll grant him full diplomatic status until someone takes his place, however that happens.'
'Completely impartial, sir.'
'Yes, Doctor, completely impartial,' Wright replied and headed for the door. 'I just hope we can do what we came here to do.'
As soon as the door closed on him, he sighed. Now he had to stay until he found out who killed the president. He didn't overly much care that the man was dead, but the fact that he was killed under Wright's nose rankled and Wright intended to punish the person or people responsible.
Chapter Ten
Presidential Base
Eeroth system
Stardate 55370.2 (May 16, 2378)
Former exile and now hastily sworn in President Rashal blinked in the harsh glare of the lamps before figuring out how to adjust the controls. He knew that there were more surgically-altered Dahreki posing Fahira in his entourage and was having everyone scanned to make sure they were weeded out. The rebellion now seemed to consist of both Fahira and Dahreki working together toward their own disparate agendas and he knew they would soon tire of working together. He needed to make sure that as many people as possible realised that the only way they were going to survive was to work together. The fact that Janar had made a public statement naming Rashal as his vice president before his assassination had eased his people's fears somewhat, even if they still blamed him for the problem at large. He doubted he would be re-elected but for now he was their leader and they would follow him to end the battle with the Cha'lav once and for all.
Rashal did not like being kept waiting, especially since his duties included overseeing every aspect of Eerothian life and making sure they were all safe. He was meeting with the leader of the cell who killed Janar, to ascertain why they had done so. The cell leader was overdue by almost ten minutes. While he waited, Rashal's eyes focused to the different level of light and he concentrated on the map of the solar system on the screen in front of him. The Federation ship was in orbit of the homeworld and there were several Fahira and Dahreki patrols working together in the outer system, and it pleased him. Perhaps when this war was over he would not be reviled, but hailed as the bringer of peace to the warring nations. Yes, his overture to the Cha'lav had been a mistake, but he was desperate not see his family's lands destroyed by a politician eager for the approval of the fast-breeding Dahreki masses. He'd personally vetoed as many Dahreki-centric reforms as he could and he was well-liked by the Fahira for it.
'Mister President, General Teliz to see you,' an aide said, ushering in the old fair-haired rebel leader.
'My apologies for my tardiness, Mister President,' Teliz said as he entered the room. 'A strategy meeting went longer than expected. I expect you're glad to be out of that Federation cell.'
Rashal narrowed his eyes. 'I was released prior to your assassination of President Janar. Would you mind telling my you decided on that act of treason?'
Teliz shook his head, his short hair looking wrong against his pale face. 'You're one to talk about treason. Janar was going to surrender to the Cha'lav and hope they allowed us to live. I made sure that someone we could trust held the office.'
'So you waited until I was released, how kind of you,' Rashal replied sadly. 'Janar's offer still stands, a full pardon for any rebel who wants to rejoin the people against the Cha'lav. Any who don't accept it will be tried and executed for treason. If you do not renounce the rebellion you will not leave this room a free man.'
'A pardon for what? I have done nothing that was not in the best interests of our people,' Teliz responded angrily. 'The Dahreki will never work with us for long. As soon as the Cha'lav are gone things will go back to the way they were. I wanted to change that.'
'Things will never be the same,' Rashal replied. 'Three quarters of our population have been wiped out. Those of us who are left have to work and live together if we are to survive. The only way is to breed together to broaden the gene pool so that we do survive, otherwise why fight?'
'You have changed since I knew you, and I see that perhaps another assassination is needed. We need someone we can trust.'
'You can trust me to get rid of the Cha'lav and to lead our people to salvation,' Rashal replied.
'You brought this on us all. Why bother to save us now?'
'It is the only thing to do, and I must repent for my mistakes,' the new president stated flatly. 'Will you renounce the rebellion and rejoin the people?'
'No, I won't,' Teliz replied. 'All I can do is order the rebellion to attack only Cha'lav vessels until this war is over.'
'Very well,' Rashal said. 'Guards!'
'What are you doing?'
Three guards entered the room. 'Take him to the prison cavern.'
'Of course, Mister President, right away.'
Once he was gone, Rashal heard a knock at the door and sighed. 'Enter.'
A Dahreki man and Fahira woman entered the cavern carrying a data slate. 'Mister President, I am Serea,' the woman said, 'and this is Mital. We're doctors. We need to begin inoculating everyone with broad-spectrum antibiotics and anti-virals to prevent the spread of diseases which will become rampant if not checked quickly.'
'Do it, but if I find out that anyone is getting preferential treatment, I'll have your heads.'
Mital stepped forward, putting a protective arm around Serea. 'I will protect my wife at all costs, Mister President. We heal everyone, no matter what.'
'If we survive this, I'll make you both my medical advisers.'
'Thank you, Mister President.'
'You're welcome, now go and save our people.'
They scurried out of the room and Rashal sighed. This was going to get harder before it got easier, if at all. At some point, he was going to have to contact the Federation starship again and find out what was happening with their efforts to rebuild the homeworld. After all, he would be forgiven in a large part if he could erase the damage the Cha'lav had wrought, even though he couldn't bring people back from the dead.
All of a sudden he felt vibrations through the caverns and realised that someone was taking a ship from the hangar. He ran from his office as fast as he could and met up with a security detail but it was too late. Just as they reached the hangar, the largest vessel passed through the barrier of the hidden asteroid and into open space.
'Who was it?'
'I don't know, sir.'
'I want a full roll call. Find out who is missing.'
Presidential Base
Eeroth system
Stardate 55370.2 (May 16, 2378)
Former exile and now hastily sworn in President Rashal blinked in the harsh glare of the lamps before figuring out how to adjust the controls. He knew that there were more surgically-altered Dahreki posing Fahira in his entourage and was having everyone scanned to make sure they were weeded out. The rebellion now seemed to consist of both Fahira and Dahreki working together toward their own disparate agendas and he knew they would soon tire of working together. He needed to make sure that as many people as possible realised that the only way they were going to survive was to work together. The fact that Janar had made a public statement naming Rashal as his vice president before his assassination had eased his people's fears somewhat, even if they still blamed him for the problem at large. He doubted he would be re-elected but for now he was their leader and they would follow him to end the battle with the Cha'lav once and for all.
Rashal did not like being kept waiting, especially since his duties included overseeing every aspect of Eerothian life and making sure they were all safe. He was meeting with the leader of the cell who killed Janar, to ascertain why they had done so. The cell leader was overdue by almost ten minutes. While he waited, Rashal's eyes focused to the different level of light and he concentrated on the map of the solar system on the screen in front of him. The Federation ship was in orbit of the homeworld and there were several Fahira and Dahreki patrols working together in the outer system, and it pleased him. Perhaps when this war was over he would not be reviled, but hailed as the bringer of peace to the warring nations. Yes, his overture to the Cha'lav had been a mistake, but he was desperate not see his family's lands destroyed by a politician eager for the approval of the fast-breeding Dahreki masses. He'd personally vetoed as many Dahreki-centric reforms as he could and he was well-liked by the Fahira for it.
'Mister President, General Teliz to see you,' an aide said, ushering in the old fair-haired rebel leader.
'My apologies for my tardiness, Mister President,' Teliz said as he entered the room. 'A strategy meeting went longer than expected. I expect you're glad to be out of that Federation cell.'
Rashal narrowed his eyes. 'I was released prior to your assassination of President Janar. Would you mind telling my you decided on that act of treason?'
Teliz shook his head, his short hair looking wrong against his pale face. 'You're one to talk about treason. Janar was going to surrender to the Cha'lav and hope they allowed us to live. I made sure that someone we could trust held the office.'
'So you waited until I was released, how kind of you,' Rashal replied sadly. 'Janar's offer still stands, a full pardon for any rebel who wants to rejoin the people against the Cha'lav. Any who don't accept it will be tried and executed for treason. If you do not renounce the rebellion you will not leave this room a free man.'
'A pardon for what? I have done nothing that was not in the best interests of our people,' Teliz responded angrily. 'The Dahreki will never work with us for long. As soon as the Cha'lav are gone things will go back to the way they were. I wanted to change that.'
'Things will never be the same,' Rashal replied. 'Three quarters of our population have been wiped out. Those of us who are left have to work and live together if we are to survive. The only way is to breed together to broaden the gene pool so that we do survive, otherwise why fight?'
'You have changed since I knew you, and I see that perhaps another assassination is needed. We need someone we can trust.'
'You can trust me to get rid of the Cha'lav and to lead our people to salvation,' Rashal replied.
'You brought this on us all. Why bother to save us now?'
'It is the only thing to do, and I must repent for my mistakes,' the new president stated flatly. 'Will you renounce the rebellion and rejoin the people?'
'No, I won't,' Teliz replied. 'All I can do is order the rebellion to attack only Cha'lav vessels until this war is over.'
'Very well,' Rashal said. 'Guards!'
'What are you doing?'
Three guards entered the room. 'Take him to the prison cavern.'
'Of course, Mister President, right away.'
Once he was gone, Rashal heard a knock at the door and sighed. 'Enter.'
A Dahreki man and Fahira woman entered the cavern carrying a data slate. 'Mister President, I am Serea,' the woman said, 'and this is Mital. We're doctors. We need to begin inoculating everyone with broad-spectrum antibiotics and anti-virals to prevent the spread of diseases which will become rampant if not checked quickly.'
'Do it, but if I find out that anyone is getting preferential treatment, I'll have your heads.'
Mital stepped forward, putting a protective arm around Serea. 'I will protect my wife at all costs, Mister President. We heal everyone, no matter what.'
'If we survive this, I'll make you both my medical advisers.'
'Thank you, Mister President.'
'You're welcome, now go and save our people.'
They scurried out of the room and Rashal sighed. This was going to get harder before it got easier, if at all. At some point, he was going to have to contact the Federation starship again and find out what was happening with their efforts to rebuild the homeworld. After all, he would be forgiven in a large part if he could erase the damage the Cha'lav had wrought, even though he couldn't bring people back from the dead.
All of a sudden he felt vibrations through the caverns and realised that someone was taking a ship from the hangar. He ran from his office as fast as he could and met up with a security detail but it was too late. Just as they reached the hangar, the largest vessel passed through the barrier of the hidden asteroid and into open space.
'Who was it?'
'I don't know, sir.'
'I want a full roll call. Find out who is missing.'
Chapter Eleven
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55372.9 (May 17, 2378)
She knew there was something about Wright that made her uneasy. He'd always given her the creeps but ever since that incident in the observation lounge, he had become more creepy. It was like there was no longer anything stopping him from doing what he wanted to do. She wouldn't be a very good tactical officer, and former security chief, if she couldn't see what was going on. Mahtani was jumpy around him and the doctor barely spoke two words. Even Parker was suspicious of him, but then she was suspicious of Parker. Wright was an unknown variable in the command crew, and she didn't like that. She'd already looked up his jacket and noticed that three previous incidents were classified and needed a level nine security clearance. Hers, as third in command of the ship, was level eight since Wright had not officially granted her the promotion to first officer, even though he now asked that the crew address him as captain. Mentioning it to him would likely make him suspicious and she didn't want him to know that she suspected him of anything. She didn't even know what she suspected him of, except maybe taking the captain out of commission.
Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales perched at the tactical station, having raised the chair from its lowest height position, and watched the information of all shipboard systems scroll across her screen. It was all mundane. The ship was at yellow alert as she ran continuous searches for the presidential base that Rashal had most likely been taken to after his unusual exodus from the ship. Wright was in the ready room doing who knew what, leaving her in charge. So far she'd had no luck in finding any trace of Rashal and Wright didn't like communicating with someone he couldn't find. Time was running short. The latest scan came back negative and she began it again, adjusting the parameters to account for a cloaked location. A positive result came back almost instantly.
'Gonzales to Wright, I've got something. A small cloaked asteroid seven hundred million kilometres from our current position.'
'Acknowledged, Commander,' Wright replied. 'Make no move to intercept as yet, I want to see what is happening before we do anything.'
'Aye sir, should I deploy the SPRA probes?'
'Negative, we don't want to tip our hand. I want you to track anything that leaves the cloaking field. If you think we're going to lose it, tractor it and bring it aboard.'
'Aye sir, Gonzales out.'
The least they could do was nothing. But even her morality argued against that. By bringing him back they had caused a new set of problems for the Eeroth, and they had to make it right somehow. Even though he had been granted the presidency in a bizarre turn of events, Rashal was still an unknown to them. Perhaps this was Wright's way of evening the odds, but she believed that there was something else going on in his head. She couldn't read him properly and that scared her. No human she had ever encountered had mental shields that strong, not even those strengthened against torture. It was that singular fact which caused her to look deeper into his background.
'Has anything happened yet?' Wright asked as he emerged from the ready room.
'Not as yet, sir,' she answered, having no intention of calling him “Captain.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. 'Keep looking. We're only going to get one chance at this.'
'Aye sir.'
'Sir,' Larson called, 'There's a small flotilla of ships headed our way.'
Wright sighed. 'Gonzales, concentrate on the cloaked asteroid. I'll bet these ships are a diversion.'
'They're firing,' Gonzales said.
'Transfer firing control to the helm,' Wright ordered as the ships firing in concert. 'Larson, fire at their engines. I'll bet they're drones.'
'Aye sir.'
'They are drones, Commander,' Mahtani added. 'I'm reading no lifesigns. I cannot get a clear reading regarding their base of origin.'
'It doesn't matter,' Wright replied testily. 'Larson, destroy them. Gonzales, keep an eye on that cloaked asteroid.'
'There's a ship emerging,' she cried and entered a sequence of commands. 'It's adjusting course, heading relative to us on a bearing of 226 mark 121, out of the system.'
'Tractor beam.'
'We're too far,' she replied. 'Mahtani, do the SPRA probes have tractor beams?'
'Sure, they were designed for a multitude of purposes.'
Wright headed for his chair. 'Pursuit course. Deploy the probes. As soon as we're in range, engage the tractor. I don't want them getting away.'
'Aye sir,' Larson replied as he manoeuvred the ship out of the planet's gravity well. 'Going to three quarters impulse.'
'Full impulse,' Wright ordered. 'Ignore the regulations.'
Larson glanced at Gonzales who inclined her head barely. 'Aye sir.'
The Pytheas surged forward, the inertial dampers whining slightly as Larson compensated. Another one of the major differences between this ship and all the Intrepid-class vessels before it was the new impulse drive, the first radical redesign for more than two hundred years. Even the Sovereign-class ships were only capable of impulse speeds up to point-three-seven of light-speed, the Pytheas was capable of point-four-eight of light-speed without moving at relativistic speeds. It was this extra push that Wright used in order to prevent the small freighter from getting away.
'Now less than one hundred million kilometres away,' Gonzales called out.
'Can we get any more from the engines?'
'Xeris says you've got more than you should,' Gonzales snapped back. 'Eighty million kilometres.'
'Target their engines and fire a low yield phaser burst,' Wright suggested.
'That might destroy the ship. It's not exactly in optimal condition.'
'That was an order, Commander.'
'Aye sir, firing,' Gonzales replied. 'Their warp engines are off-line, but impulse is still active.'
'Fire again.'
'Sir, their shields were seriously weakened by that shot. I recommend against firing again,' Gonzales said, looking at Wright and holding his gaze.
'Distance?' Wright asked.
'Fifty million kilometres.'
'Commander, look!' Larson said as the freighter vanished before their eyes.
'Slow to half impulse and hold us ten million kilometres from their last position.'
'Aye sir, slowing to one half impulse.'
'Sensors?'
'Sir, our sensors show nothing there. The freighter just vanished.'
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55372.9 (May 17, 2378)
She knew there was something about Wright that made her uneasy. He'd always given her the creeps but ever since that incident in the observation lounge, he had become more creepy. It was like there was no longer anything stopping him from doing what he wanted to do. She wouldn't be a very good tactical officer, and former security chief, if she couldn't see what was going on. Mahtani was jumpy around him and the doctor barely spoke two words. Even Parker was suspicious of him, but then she was suspicious of Parker. Wright was an unknown variable in the command crew, and she didn't like that. She'd already looked up his jacket and noticed that three previous incidents were classified and needed a level nine security clearance. Hers, as third in command of the ship, was level eight since Wright had not officially granted her the promotion to first officer, even though he now asked that the crew address him as captain. Mentioning it to him would likely make him suspicious and she didn't want him to know that she suspected him of anything. She didn't even know what she suspected him of, except maybe taking the captain out of commission.
Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales perched at the tactical station, having raised the chair from its lowest height position, and watched the information of all shipboard systems scroll across her screen. It was all mundane. The ship was at yellow alert as she ran continuous searches for the presidential base that Rashal had most likely been taken to after his unusual exodus from the ship. Wright was in the ready room doing who knew what, leaving her in charge. So far she'd had no luck in finding any trace of Rashal and Wright didn't like communicating with someone he couldn't find. Time was running short. The latest scan came back negative and she began it again, adjusting the parameters to account for a cloaked location. A positive result came back almost instantly.
'Gonzales to Wright, I've got something. A small cloaked asteroid seven hundred million kilometres from our current position.'
'Acknowledged, Commander,' Wright replied. 'Make no move to intercept as yet, I want to see what is happening before we do anything.'
'Aye sir, should I deploy the SPRA probes?'
'Negative, we don't want to tip our hand. I want you to track anything that leaves the cloaking field. If you think we're going to lose it, tractor it and bring it aboard.'
'Aye sir, Gonzales out.'
The least they could do was nothing. But even her morality argued against that. By bringing him back they had caused a new set of problems for the Eeroth, and they had to make it right somehow. Even though he had been granted the presidency in a bizarre turn of events, Rashal was still an unknown to them. Perhaps this was Wright's way of evening the odds, but she believed that there was something else going on in his head. She couldn't read him properly and that scared her. No human she had ever encountered had mental shields that strong, not even those strengthened against torture. It was that singular fact which caused her to look deeper into his background.
'Has anything happened yet?' Wright asked as he emerged from the ready room.
'Not as yet, sir,' she answered, having no intention of calling him “Captain.”
He narrowed his eyes at her. 'Keep looking. We're only going to get one chance at this.'
'Aye sir.'
'Sir,' Larson called, 'There's a small flotilla of ships headed our way.'
Wright sighed. 'Gonzales, concentrate on the cloaked asteroid. I'll bet these ships are a diversion.'
'They're firing,' Gonzales said.
'Transfer firing control to the helm,' Wright ordered as the ships firing in concert. 'Larson, fire at their engines. I'll bet they're drones.'
'Aye sir.'
'They are drones, Commander,' Mahtani added. 'I'm reading no lifesigns. I cannot get a clear reading regarding their base of origin.'
'It doesn't matter,' Wright replied testily. 'Larson, destroy them. Gonzales, keep an eye on that cloaked asteroid.'
'There's a ship emerging,' she cried and entered a sequence of commands. 'It's adjusting course, heading relative to us on a bearing of 226 mark 121, out of the system.'
'Tractor beam.'
'We're too far,' she replied. 'Mahtani, do the SPRA probes have tractor beams?'
'Sure, they were designed for a multitude of purposes.'
Wright headed for his chair. 'Pursuit course. Deploy the probes. As soon as we're in range, engage the tractor. I don't want them getting away.'
'Aye sir,' Larson replied as he manoeuvred the ship out of the planet's gravity well. 'Going to three quarters impulse.'
'Full impulse,' Wright ordered. 'Ignore the regulations.'
Larson glanced at Gonzales who inclined her head barely. 'Aye sir.'
The Pytheas surged forward, the inertial dampers whining slightly as Larson compensated. Another one of the major differences between this ship and all the Intrepid-class vessels before it was the new impulse drive, the first radical redesign for more than two hundred years. Even the Sovereign-class ships were only capable of impulse speeds up to point-three-seven of light-speed, the Pytheas was capable of point-four-eight of light-speed without moving at relativistic speeds. It was this extra push that Wright used in order to prevent the small freighter from getting away.
'Now less than one hundred million kilometres away,' Gonzales called out.
'Can we get any more from the engines?'
'Xeris says you've got more than you should,' Gonzales snapped back. 'Eighty million kilometres.'
'Target their engines and fire a low yield phaser burst,' Wright suggested.
'That might destroy the ship. It's not exactly in optimal condition.'
'That was an order, Commander.'
'Aye sir, firing,' Gonzales replied. 'Their warp engines are off-line, but impulse is still active.'
'Fire again.'
'Sir, their shields were seriously weakened by that shot. I recommend against firing again,' Gonzales said, looking at Wright and holding his gaze.
'Distance?' Wright asked.
'Fifty million kilometres.'
'Commander, look!' Larson said as the freighter vanished before their eyes.
'Slow to half impulse and hold us ten million kilometres from their last position.'
'Aye sir, slowing to one half impulse.'
'Sensors?'
'Sir, our sensors show nothing there. The freighter just vanished.'
Chapter Twelve
Fahira Freighter
Eeroth System
Stardate 55374.2 (May 17, 2378)
Shortly after Teliz entered the null-space region, he released his prisoner and let her roam the ship. Teliz looked rather handsome now that he had washed out the grime of rebellion. His chiselled jaw line almost made the woman wish that something would happen, but the hard gaze in the eyes made that an impossibility. The rebel leader sat in the pilot's chair and called up some information. He had been doing the same thing every few minutes for the last twelve hours.
'What exactly are you looking for?' the woman asked.
'We are safe from the Federation ship,' he answered, 'but we are not safe from the Cha'lav.'
Her eyes widened and she was suddenly alert, all trace of the meek religious cleric/slave gone. 'Where are we, exactly?'
'We're in a staging ground for the Cha'lav. They would create a rift and bring a dozen vessels into this nothingness, then emerge into normal space and attack our ships. We had no idea where they came from. A Dahreki fighter discovered this place and because we were working together, we were able to defeat the Cha'lav by booby-trapping this place.'
'Why hasn't everyone come looking for us?'
'Because the Fahira rebellion killed the Dahreki that knew about it and removed those Fahira who knew. The only people that know are in my cell, and you.'
'And the Federation ship,' she reminded him.
'They don't know what is happening, only that one second they were chasing us and the next, we vanished.'
She nodded. 'How long can we stay here? I'm sure this bucket of bolts isn't exactly brimming with supplies.'
Teliz shrugged. 'You're right, it's not. But I have a plan, you see. The Cha'lav were not so stupid as to have one of these null-space bubbles in our territory, they had several and no chance to remove them before they were forced to flee. We can go to any of the bubbles and escape.'
The woman sighed. 'So why have we been sitting here for the last twelve hours?'
Teliz let out an even more audible sigh. 'Don't you see. We're not leaving in this ship, we're waiting for a rendezvous.'
'I see.'
'And that transmitter of yours, aboard this ship, will act as a decoy while we make our escape.'
She narrowed her eyes. 'What transmitter?'
'The one you're carrying which allowed the aliens to track us.'
'They tracked us because you left the cloaking envelope of the asteroid,' she shot back.
'And how did they know how to find it?'
'Because they do this kind of thing for a living. Rashal has done nothing but talk about them since he got back. He's studied their history. Their technology is constantly improving and they have crews from over a hundred different worlds.'
'Perhaps I am wrong and you will submit to a scan?'
'Of course.'
Teliz was taken aback, but covered well. He expected to be rebuffed, thereby proving that a transmitter was present. His bluff had been called and she had to hope that Rashal's engineering team were as good as they said they were.
'Alright then,' the rebel said and waved a bizarre-looking instrument across her arms, chest and legs.
The device emitted no sound.
'Satisfied?'
'I suppose,' Teliz sounded disappointed. 'Our rendezvous should be within the next few hours. Feel free to eat some of what little we have here.'
'Thanks,' she replied and headed aft.
'Don't touch the spicy stuff. That's mine.'
She rooted around for a few minutes and then shouted her reply. 'So I get the ration packs?'
'You gave up sins a long time ago, remember,' he smirked. 'Simple food has no sin attached to it.'
She sighed. 'Will you at least tell me who we're meeting with, and why you kidnapped me?'
Teliz shrugged. 'Not really, and as to why I kidnapped you, that's easy. I wanted you for my own plans.'
'Meaning?' she questioned. Her options were becoming more and more limited every moment.
'I know how much you like the Dahreki, so I thought you would enjoy getting to know them a little better.'
She slumped. 'You sold me?'
'The Dahreki do not have any prophets and since you were the one who counselled our great leader, I figured you would fetch the highest price. I was right.'
'I see,' she glanced around wondering whether she would be able to overpower the rebel leader.
An alarm sounded and Teliz leaned across to see what was going on. 'Ah, your ride is here.'
'Great,' the cleric/slave replied as another alarm sounded.
'Damn!'
'Let me guess, the Federation figured out your little hideaway.'
Teliz shot her a hard look. 'What type of ship is that?'
She looked at the design and shrugged. 'I have no idea. It looks like a fast-response fighter. According to your own sensors, it is capable of medium-warp flight, weapons equally a match to any of our warships and...'
'All right, it's a nasty piece of technology, can we outrun it as sublight speeds?'
'I have no idea,' she replied. 'You can always try, this is your show after all. Ask the Dahreki for help.'
'You're still so sure of them as friends, maybe you're right. But I have no intention of sullying my people's memory by allying with the Dahreki. I am here solely to get some money for you and then I will continue backing the Fahira against the Cha'lav, and killing Dahreki in the process.'
Before she could answer, a voice came through the comm system. 'This is Commander Sheena Gonzales of the shuttle Onizuka. Stand down and prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply you will be crippled.'
'So polite,' Teliz replied sarcastically, activating the comm. 'This is an internal Eeroth matter. Leave and you will not be destroyed.'
'This is your final warning, shut down your engines and prepare to be boarded.'
'I don't like them,' the rebel replied, and fired.
Fahira Freighter
Eeroth System
Stardate 55374.2 (May 17, 2378)
Shortly after Teliz entered the null-space region, he released his prisoner and let her roam the ship. Teliz looked rather handsome now that he had washed out the grime of rebellion. His chiselled jaw line almost made the woman wish that something would happen, but the hard gaze in the eyes made that an impossibility. The rebel leader sat in the pilot's chair and called up some information. He had been doing the same thing every few minutes for the last twelve hours.
'What exactly are you looking for?' the woman asked.
'We are safe from the Federation ship,' he answered, 'but we are not safe from the Cha'lav.'
Her eyes widened and she was suddenly alert, all trace of the meek religious cleric/slave gone. 'Where are we, exactly?'
'We're in a staging ground for the Cha'lav. They would create a rift and bring a dozen vessels into this nothingness, then emerge into normal space and attack our ships. We had no idea where they came from. A Dahreki fighter discovered this place and because we were working together, we were able to defeat the Cha'lav by booby-trapping this place.'
'Why hasn't everyone come looking for us?'
'Because the Fahira rebellion killed the Dahreki that knew about it and removed those Fahira who knew. The only people that know are in my cell, and you.'
'And the Federation ship,' she reminded him.
'They don't know what is happening, only that one second they were chasing us and the next, we vanished.'
She nodded. 'How long can we stay here? I'm sure this bucket of bolts isn't exactly brimming with supplies.'
Teliz shrugged. 'You're right, it's not. But I have a plan, you see. The Cha'lav were not so stupid as to have one of these null-space bubbles in our territory, they had several and no chance to remove them before they were forced to flee. We can go to any of the bubbles and escape.'
The woman sighed. 'So why have we been sitting here for the last twelve hours?'
Teliz let out an even more audible sigh. 'Don't you see. We're not leaving in this ship, we're waiting for a rendezvous.'
'I see.'
'And that transmitter of yours, aboard this ship, will act as a decoy while we make our escape.'
She narrowed her eyes. 'What transmitter?'
'The one you're carrying which allowed the aliens to track us.'
'They tracked us because you left the cloaking envelope of the asteroid,' she shot back.
'And how did they know how to find it?'
'Because they do this kind of thing for a living. Rashal has done nothing but talk about them since he got back. He's studied their history. Their technology is constantly improving and they have crews from over a hundred different worlds.'
'Perhaps I am wrong and you will submit to a scan?'
'Of course.'
Teliz was taken aback, but covered well. He expected to be rebuffed, thereby proving that a transmitter was present. His bluff had been called and she had to hope that Rashal's engineering team were as good as they said they were.
'Alright then,' the rebel said and waved a bizarre-looking instrument across her arms, chest and legs.
The device emitted no sound.
'Satisfied?'
'I suppose,' Teliz sounded disappointed. 'Our rendezvous should be within the next few hours. Feel free to eat some of what little we have here.'
'Thanks,' she replied and headed aft.
'Don't touch the spicy stuff. That's mine.'
She rooted around for a few minutes and then shouted her reply. 'So I get the ration packs?'
'You gave up sins a long time ago, remember,' he smirked. 'Simple food has no sin attached to it.'
She sighed. 'Will you at least tell me who we're meeting with, and why you kidnapped me?'
Teliz shrugged. 'Not really, and as to why I kidnapped you, that's easy. I wanted you for my own plans.'
'Meaning?' she questioned. Her options were becoming more and more limited every moment.
'I know how much you like the Dahreki, so I thought you would enjoy getting to know them a little better.'
She slumped. 'You sold me?'
'The Dahreki do not have any prophets and since you were the one who counselled our great leader, I figured you would fetch the highest price. I was right.'
'I see,' she glanced around wondering whether she would be able to overpower the rebel leader.
An alarm sounded and Teliz leaned across to see what was going on. 'Ah, your ride is here.'
'Great,' the cleric/slave replied as another alarm sounded.
'Damn!'
'Let me guess, the Federation figured out your little hideaway.'
Teliz shot her a hard look. 'What type of ship is that?'
She looked at the design and shrugged. 'I have no idea. It looks like a fast-response fighter. According to your own sensors, it is capable of medium-warp flight, weapons equally a match to any of our warships and...'
'All right, it's a nasty piece of technology, can we outrun it as sublight speeds?'
'I have no idea,' she replied. 'You can always try, this is your show after all. Ask the Dahreki for help.'
'You're still so sure of them as friends, maybe you're right. But I have no intention of sullying my people's memory by allying with the Dahreki. I am here solely to get some money for you and then I will continue backing the Fahira against the Cha'lav, and killing Dahreki in the process.'
Before she could answer, a voice came through the comm system. 'This is Commander Sheena Gonzales of the shuttle Onizuka. Stand down and prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply you will be crippled.'
'So polite,' Teliz replied sarcastically, activating the comm. 'This is an internal Eeroth matter. Leave and you will not be destroyed.'
'This is your final warning, shut down your engines and prepare to be boarded.'
'I don't like them,' the rebel replied, and fired.
Chapter Thirteen
Shuttlecraft Onizuka
Null-space bubble 47
Stardate 55375.9 (May 18, 2378)
Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales held on to her console as the shuttle took the impact of the plasma charge from the Eeroth rebel ship. She muttered a Betazoid curse as she backed off and moved a few degrees to starboard. Two security officers were along for the ride and both winced as the charge hit the unprotected hull. Shields didn't work in the null-space bubble and weapons were severely limited as well, making both shuttles even. Gonzales didn't want to fire, since the rebels had previously done nothing to harm Federation interests, but she had her orders and intended to follow them. The fact that the rebel ship had now fired meant that she could now retaliate, within reason and abiding by her questionable orders.
'Fire phasers at their engines and weapons,' she ordered.
'Aye sir, firing,' Cadet Snowcroft replied under the watchful eye of the more senior Andorian security officer, chief petty officer Reshakella zh'Velan.
The low-yield phaser beam impacted the rebel's hull and scorched it, but did little else. 'No damage,' zh'Velan replied.
'We need to do something, I'm not letting them get away,' Gonzales muttered as the first rebel ship moved away. Whatever Wright has planned is going to cause trouble for everyone concerned and it's my job to make sure that doesn't happen.'
'Commander, Captain Wright's got all the sensor capabilities we have looking for the other bubbles. He can't go far,' Snowcroft added, following protocol by naming Wright as her commanding officer with the correct title. 'We could try routing the phaser beam through the deflector dish. It would make it stronger and the beam won't weaken as much before hitting the other ship.'
'But we'd only get one chance at it before burning out the dish.'
'Three, actually,' Snowcroft replied.
'This is Commander Gonzales, stand down. This is your final warning,' she said over the comm and turned to the others. 'I don't expect a response.'
The shuttle shuddered.
'I guess that's it then,' Gonzales replied with a smirk. 'Fire when ready.'
The flyer's deflector dish glowed and then released a quarter-metre-thick beam of intense phaser fire at the rebel ship which paused in its flight. 'Their engines have been disabled.'
'Excellent. Will the transporters work?'
'No sir,' zh'Velan answered with a wry smile. 'We'll have to dock with them. And the other rebel ship has decided to do a runner, apparently their stomachs weren't up for a little fight.'
'All right then, let's go.'
She manoeuvred the flyer toward the other ship and latched on to the conversation she'd had with Wright regarding this very mission.
'Commander, we need to make sure that the Eeroth are able to repatriate all of their people, including the rebels,' Wright had informed her. 'To do that, we need to find and talk to the rebels. Allow them to air their grievances and get President Rashal to listen.'
Gonzales nodded, but knew in her own mind that they wouldn't listen to each other. Physically they might survive but their emotional wounds were far too severe. The Eeroth should be looking for a new leader, but she wasn't going to tell Wright that. 'What do I do when I catch up to the rebels?'
'Do what you have to. You have my authorisation to fire on them first if the need arises. We can't afford to leave this region in the hands of warmongers, not if they want to have a fighting chance when the Cha'lav return.'
'You think they will?'
'They will, while the null-space bubbles are intact, which is why I have the science team working on a way to destroy them. Now, take the Onizuka, it's the best chance we have of being intimidating and friendly at the same time.'
'Aye sir.'
'Dismissed.'
She didn't like the way Wright acted as if Astar was going to be incapacitated on a permanent basis and made her feelings known to Parker before she left. Parker seemed to be working on something else besides the captain's attempted murder, but assured her that everything she was working on was linked, somehow. The two women disliked each other but were on the right track when it came to believing something was off about Wright. Gonzales wondered, and not for the first time, if she could access Wright's personnel file without him being aware of it.
'Sir, we're within two metres,' Snowcroft said.
'I see it, Cadet,' Gonzales replied. 'Both of you get ready to board, and be careful. They might have booby-trapped the airlock, or they might be waiting for you.'
'Aye sir,' zh'Velan replied.
'On second thoughts,' she muttered. 'Snowcroft, get back here. Keep on your toes. I'll go with zh'Velan as soon as we've docked. You be ready to get us out of here.'
Snowcroft stood by the pilot's chair as the Onizuka made contact with the hull of the other ship. 'Sir, you should go.'
Gonzales nodded. 'Zh'Velan, where's my phaser rifle.'
'Right here, sir,' the Andorian replied as she tossed it to the Betazoid tactical officer. 'Tricorder isn't detecting any booby-traps.'
'We'll have to hope it's accurate. Open her up.'
The hatch in the side of the flyer slid open to reveal a similar hatch in the side of the rebel ship. Zh'Velan used the manual release to open said hatch and then stood back.
Nothing happened.
Both woman cautiously moved into the Eeroth ship and noticed that they had entered in the cargo hold. The Andorian glanced at her tricorder and held up two fingers, then pointed forward. Two people on board, both in the cockpit of this tramp freighter. Gonzales walked up the stairs first and the doors slid open to reveal a man sitting in the pilot's chair with a weapon aimed at them. In the co-pilot's chair, a woman in a long robe sat just watching.
'Put it down, now,' she ordered.
Zh'Velan moved to Gonzales' side and they shared a look when the man didn't respond. Adjusting their rifles to heavy stun, they fired. Both the man and woman fell to the deck and their weapons cluttered aside.
'That was too easy,' zh'Velan muttered.
'Sirs, I'm picking up an increase in power from the engines over there,' Snowcroft called, her voice tinged with worry.
'We're on our way,' Gonzales replied as they each lifted one of the unconscious rebels and headed for the hatch.
Shuttlecraft Onizuka
Null-space bubble 47
Stardate 55375.9 (May 18, 2378)
Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales held on to her console as the shuttle took the impact of the plasma charge from the Eeroth rebel ship. She muttered a Betazoid curse as she backed off and moved a few degrees to starboard. Two security officers were along for the ride and both winced as the charge hit the unprotected hull. Shields didn't work in the null-space bubble and weapons were severely limited as well, making both shuttles even. Gonzales didn't want to fire, since the rebels had previously done nothing to harm Federation interests, but she had her orders and intended to follow them. The fact that the rebel ship had now fired meant that she could now retaliate, within reason and abiding by her questionable orders.
'Fire phasers at their engines and weapons,' she ordered.
'Aye sir, firing,' Cadet Snowcroft replied under the watchful eye of the more senior Andorian security officer, chief petty officer Reshakella zh'Velan.
The low-yield phaser beam impacted the rebel's hull and scorched it, but did little else. 'No damage,' zh'Velan replied.
'We need to do something, I'm not letting them get away,' Gonzales muttered as the first rebel ship moved away. Whatever Wright has planned is going to cause trouble for everyone concerned and it's my job to make sure that doesn't happen.'
'Commander, Captain Wright's got all the sensor capabilities we have looking for the other bubbles. He can't go far,' Snowcroft added, following protocol by naming Wright as her commanding officer with the correct title. 'We could try routing the phaser beam through the deflector dish. It would make it stronger and the beam won't weaken as much before hitting the other ship.'
'But we'd only get one chance at it before burning out the dish.'
'Three, actually,' Snowcroft replied.
'This is Commander Gonzales, stand down. This is your final warning,' she said over the comm and turned to the others. 'I don't expect a response.'
The shuttle shuddered.
'I guess that's it then,' Gonzales replied with a smirk. 'Fire when ready.'
The flyer's deflector dish glowed and then released a quarter-metre-thick beam of intense phaser fire at the rebel ship which paused in its flight. 'Their engines have been disabled.'
'Excellent. Will the transporters work?'
'No sir,' zh'Velan answered with a wry smile. 'We'll have to dock with them. And the other rebel ship has decided to do a runner, apparently their stomachs weren't up for a little fight.'
'All right then, let's go.'
She manoeuvred the flyer toward the other ship and latched on to the conversation she'd had with Wright regarding this very mission.
'Commander, we need to make sure that the Eeroth are able to repatriate all of their people, including the rebels,' Wright had informed her. 'To do that, we need to find and talk to the rebels. Allow them to air their grievances and get President Rashal to listen.'
Gonzales nodded, but knew in her own mind that they wouldn't listen to each other. Physically they might survive but their emotional wounds were far too severe. The Eeroth should be looking for a new leader, but she wasn't going to tell Wright that. 'What do I do when I catch up to the rebels?'
'Do what you have to. You have my authorisation to fire on them first if the need arises. We can't afford to leave this region in the hands of warmongers, not if they want to have a fighting chance when the Cha'lav return.'
'You think they will?'
'They will, while the null-space bubbles are intact, which is why I have the science team working on a way to destroy them. Now, take the Onizuka, it's the best chance we have of being intimidating and friendly at the same time.'
'Aye sir.'
'Dismissed.'
She didn't like the way Wright acted as if Astar was going to be incapacitated on a permanent basis and made her feelings known to Parker before she left. Parker seemed to be working on something else besides the captain's attempted murder, but assured her that everything she was working on was linked, somehow. The two women disliked each other but were on the right track when it came to believing something was off about Wright. Gonzales wondered, and not for the first time, if she could access Wright's personnel file without him being aware of it.
'Sir, we're within two metres,' Snowcroft said.
'I see it, Cadet,' Gonzales replied. 'Both of you get ready to board, and be careful. They might have booby-trapped the airlock, or they might be waiting for you.'
'Aye sir,' zh'Velan replied.
'On second thoughts,' she muttered. 'Snowcroft, get back here. Keep on your toes. I'll go with zh'Velan as soon as we've docked. You be ready to get us out of here.'
Snowcroft stood by the pilot's chair as the Onizuka made contact with the hull of the other ship. 'Sir, you should go.'
Gonzales nodded. 'Zh'Velan, where's my phaser rifle.'
'Right here, sir,' the Andorian replied as she tossed it to the Betazoid tactical officer. 'Tricorder isn't detecting any booby-traps.'
'We'll have to hope it's accurate. Open her up.'
The hatch in the side of the flyer slid open to reveal a similar hatch in the side of the rebel ship. Zh'Velan used the manual release to open said hatch and then stood back.
Nothing happened.
Both woman cautiously moved into the Eeroth ship and noticed that they had entered in the cargo hold. The Andorian glanced at her tricorder and held up two fingers, then pointed forward. Two people on board, both in the cockpit of this tramp freighter. Gonzales walked up the stairs first and the doors slid open to reveal a man sitting in the pilot's chair with a weapon aimed at them. In the co-pilot's chair, a woman in a long robe sat just watching.
'Put it down, now,' she ordered.
Zh'Velan moved to Gonzales' side and they shared a look when the man didn't respond. Adjusting their rifles to heavy stun, they fired. Both the man and woman fell to the deck and their weapons cluttered aside.
'That was too easy,' zh'Velan muttered.
'Sirs, I'm picking up an increase in power from the engines over there,' Snowcroft called, her voice tinged with worry.
'We're on our way,' Gonzales replied as they each lifted one of the unconscious rebels and headed for the hatch.
Chapter Fourteen
USS Pytheas
Eeroth system
Stardate 55376.0 (May 18, 2378)
Teliz and the unknown woman were both safely ensconced in the brig and President Rashal had been informed. He would shortly be making arrangements to travel to the ship soon. To top it all off, Lieutenant Parker had a homicidal maniac in command of a starship with no proof to remove him. The padd which Mahtani had given her contained directions to open a spatial rift to somewhere; and the poison with which the Astar symbiont had been poisoned was difficult to replicate, but not impossible. There was still enough in the device to run a full spectrum of tests on it, and it was discovered to be from a plant native to Trill which only affected the symbionts.
Wright had supposedly never been to Trill and if he was going to get the poison it would have to be weaponised. There was no way he could have purchased it prior to the kidnapping mission, since he had no idea who his commanding officer would be, so he must have created it on board. The biochemical composition of the poison itself couldn't be replicated per Starfleet regulations, so it must have been grown from the seeds which did not contain the poison and therefore would not have triggered the bio-filters on board. Parker knew that Wright wouldn't be stupid enough to keep the plant in his quarters which meant it would be kept in the hydroponics or airponics bays.
'Computer,' she called, 'show me all information on the Tenaran Ice Orchid.'
A lilac-coloured plant with seven petals appeared on her screen. It was beautiful and had actually been used for medicinal purposes in ancient times before Joining was fully understood. Parker read the available information on the plant and realised the hydroponics bay would be the best place to find the plant. She decided to remove it from the ship and Wright would make a mistake.
'Computer, where is Doctor Maxx?'
'Doctor Maxx is in sickbay.'
'Doctor Maxx, meet in the hydroponics bay, immediately,' she said, tapping her combadge.
'Acknowledged.'
The young Bolian was there first, and Parker could see that the shallow ridge bisecting his face was pale, indicating that he was tired and probably stressed as well.
'Do you have something?' he asked.
'I do, have you ever been to the Tenaran Ice Cliffs on Trill?'
He nodded. 'They're beautiful.'
'So are the orchids found in that region,' she replied as they entered.
'I picked a few for her quarters on Trill,' he replied and then slapped his forehead. 'The sap is deadly to the symbionts. Why didn't I think of that before. I'll go and replicate the antidote now.'
'Replicate it, but don't give it to the captain yet.'
'Lieutenant?' The Bolian asked in a warning tone.
'We need to know what is going on before we wake her up.'
'I suppose it can't hurt,' Maxx replied sourly. 'The stasis chamber will prevent any further damage to the symbiont.'
Parker nodded. 'Thank you, Doctor.'
'Go find what that bastard is doing,' he replied and walked out.
'Computer, display activity logs over the last three months for the hydroponics bay and download.'
'Acknowledged, download complete.'
Parker was on her way to engineering to find out where the poisoning device had come from when the ship shuddered violently.
'Red alert. All personnel report to battle stations,' Gonzales' voice spoke across the ship. 'Lieutenant Parker report to the bridge.'
She tapped her combadge. 'On my way.'
When she got to the bridge she glanced at the viewscreen and saw something that she did not expect to see. The Cha'lav were back and the Eeroth were clearly badly placed to launch an attack. But there was an added wrinkle. These ships belonged to the Cha'lav-Aquatics, not the Primates, Insectoids or Reptilians who were usually attacking this galaxy and she said as much.
'What does that mean?' Wright asked.
'Different factions of the Cha'lav are attacking different regions of our galaxy, they're definitely planning an widespread invasion, but this isn't the way they normally do things,' Parker replied.
'Explain!'
'The Cha'lav have a strict hierarchy of their respective phenotypes. The Aquatics are high-up and generally don't do the dirty work like this. The humanoid phenotypes do this kind of work which means that this was not sanctioned by the ruling body.'
'So we've got rogue Cha'lav?' Gonzales asked with a sigh. 'How big is the empire anyway?'
'It's all right, Lieutenant, we might not know where you got the information from, but we know you have it,' Wright added.
'About two hundred and sixty thousand galaxies, give or take.'
Gonzales blinked. 'Two hundred and sixty thousand galaxies?'
'Yes sir, this empire is millions of years old.'
'We're being hailed,' Gonzales said. 'It's the Cha'lav.'
'On screen,' Wright ordered.
A wall of water appeared on the viewscreen and a whale-like lifeform swam toward them from the distance. 'We have no quarrel with you, Starfleet. Leave us be.'
'You attacked this world, I'm not kindly disposed toward you at the moment.'
'We did not attack this planet, nor any other in this galaxy. We work for a group who...wish for the current expansionist regime to end,' the Cha'lav-Aquatic replied. 'I suggest you order all the Eerothian vessels to withdraw to at least one hundred million kilometres from their planet.'
'What are you planning to do.'
'Repair the damage wrought by our brethren.'
'How?' Mahtani asked, interrupting before Wright could.
'Our technology is not to be shared.'
'We can do the same without causing any collateral damage. The shockwave from whatever you plan will likely destroy their moon.'
The Cha'lav-Aquatic paused. 'How soon can you be ready to implement your technology?'
'We're ready now,' Mahtani answered, hoping that his team were in fact ready.
'Very well, proceed.'
'Thank you,' Wright replied and the screen blanked. He turned to Mahtani. 'Lieutenant?'
'Five minutes, sir. We're loading the torpedo tubes now.'
'Okay,' Wright replied as he settled into his chair. 'Let's see what happens.'
USS Pytheas
Eeroth system
Stardate 55376.0 (May 18, 2378)
Teliz and the unknown woman were both safely ensconced in the brig and President Rashal had been informed. He would shortly be making arrangements to travel to the ship soon. To top it all off, Lieutenant Parker had a homicidal maniac in command of a starship with no proof to remove him. The padd which Mahtani had given her contained directions to open a spatial rift to somewhere; and the poison with which the Astar symbiont had been poisoned was difficult to replicate, but not impossible. There was still enough in the device to run a full spectrum of tests on it, and it was discovered to be from a plant native to Trill which only affected the symbionts.
Wright had supposedly never been to Trill and if he was going to get the poison it would have to be weaponised. There was no way he could have purchased it prior to the kidnapping mission, since he had no idea who his commanding officer would be, so he must have created it on board. The biochemical composition of the poison itself couldn't be replicated per Starfleet regulations, so it must have been grown from the seeds which did not contain the poison and therefore would not have triggered the bio-filters on board. Parker knew that Wright wouldn't be stupid enough to keep the plant in his quarters which meant it would be kept in the hydroponics or airponics bays.
'Computer,' she called, 'show me all information on the Tenaran Ice Orchid.'
A lilac-coloured plant with seven petals appeared on her screen. It was beautiful and had actually been used for medicinal purposes in ancient times before Joining was fully understood. Parker read the available information on the plant and realised the hydroponics bay would be the best place to find the plant. She decided to remove it from the ship and Wright would make a mistake.
'Computer, where is Doctor Maxx?'
'Doctor Maxx is in sickbay.'
'Doctor Maxx, meet in the hydroponics bay, immediately,' she said, tapping her combadge.
'Acknowledged.'
The young Bolian was there first, and Parker could see that the shallow ridge bisecting his face was pale, indicating that he was tired and probably stressed as well.
'Do you have something?' he asked.
'I do, have you ever been to the Tenaran Ice Cliffs on Trill?'
He nodded. 'They're beautiful.'
'So are the orchids found in that region,' she replied as they entered.
'I picked a few for her quarters on Trill,' he replied and then slapped his forehead. 'The sap is deadly to the symbionts. Why didn't I think of that before. I'll go and replicate the antidote now.'
'Replicate it, but don't give it to the captain yet.'
'Lieutenant?' The Bolian asked in a warning tone.
'We need to know what is going on before we wake her up.'
'I suppose it can't hurt,' Maxx replied sourly. 'The stasis chamber will prevent any further damage to the symbiont.'
Parker nodded. 'Thank you, Doctor.'
'Go find what that bastard is doing,' he replied and walked out.
'Computer, display activity logs over the last three months for the hydroponics bay and download.'
'Acknowledged, download complete.'
Parker was on her way to engineering to find out where the poisoning device had come from when the ship shuddered violently.
'Red alert. All personnel report to battle stations,' Gonzales' voice spoke across the ship. 'Lieutenant Parker report to the bridge.'
She tapped her combadge. 'On my way.'
When she got to the bridge she glanced at the viewscreen and saw something that she did not expect to see. The Cha'lav were back and the Eeroth were clearly badly placed to launch an attack. But there was an added wrinkle. These ships belonged to the Cha'lav-Aquatics, not the Primates, Insectoids or Reptilians who were usually attacking this galaxy and she said as much.
'What does that mean?' Wright asked.
'Different factions of the Cha'lav are attacking different regions of our galaxy, they're definitely planning an widespread invasion, but this isn't the way they normally do things,' Parker replied.
'Explain!'
'The Cha'lav have a strict hierarchy of their respective phenotypes. The Aquatics are high-up and generally don't do the dirty work like this. The humanoid phenotypes do this kind of work which means that this was not sanctioned by the ruling body.'
'So we've got rogue Cha'lav?' Gonzales asked with a sigh. 'How big is the empire anyway?'
'It's all right, Lieutenant, we might not know where you got the information from, but we know you have it,' Wright added.
'About two hundred and sixty thousand galaxies, give or take.'
Gonzales blinked. 'Two hundred and sixty thousand galaxies?'
'Yes sir, this empire is millions of years old.'
'We're being hailed,' Gonzales said. 'It's the Cha'lav.'
'On screen,' Wright ordered.
A wall of water appeared on the viewscreen and a whale-like lifeform swam toward them from the distance. 'We have no quarrel with you, Starfleet. Leave us be.'
'You attacked this world, I'm not kindly disposed toward you at the moment.'
'We did not attack this planet, nor any other in this galaxy. We work for a group who...wish for the current expansionist regime to end,' the Cha'lav-Aquatic replied. 'I suggest you order all the Eerothian vessels to withdraw to at least one hundred million kilometres from their planet.'
'What are you planning to do.'
'Repair the damage wrought by our brethren.'
'How?' Mahtani asked, interrupting before Wright could.
'Our technology is not to be shared.'
'We can do the same without causing any collateral damage. The shockwave from whatever you plan will likely destroy their moon.'
The Cha'lav-Aquatic paused. 'How soon can you be ready to implement your technology?'
'We're ready now,' Mahtani answered, hoping that his team were in fact ready.
'Very well, proceed.'
'Thank you,' Wright replied and the screen blanked. He turned to Mahtani. 'Lieutenant?'
'Five minutes, sir. We're loading the torpedo tubes now.'
'Okay,' Wright replied as he settled into his chair. 'Let's see what happens.'
Ahh, rebel Cha'lav...
And I will be very interested to see if this poison can STILL be tied back to Wright. Just because he didn't bring it on the ship doesn't mean he didn't take advantage of its presence.
Oh, and I was glad this time around to see that, however capable Snowcroft is, she was receiving the supervision one would expect with her youth and rank. That definitely helped with believability.
And I will be very interested to see if this poison can STILL be tied back to Wright. Just because he didn't bring it on the ship doesn't mean he didn't take advantage of its presence.
Oh, and I was glad this time around to see that, however capable Snowcroft is, she was receiving the supervision one would expect with her youth and rank. That definitely helped with believability.
Chapter Fifteen
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55376.1 (May 18, 2378)
'Are we ready?' Wright asked eleven minutes later.
Mahtani looked up and grinned. 'Yes sir, just running another simulation.'
'Launch the SPRA probes,' Wright ordered. 'Low orbit, I want to get as much telemetry on this as possible.'
'Probes away,' Gonzales replied.
Wright noticed Parker in the corner of the bridge eyeing the image of the Cha'lav vessel on the bottom right of the viewscreen, looking at the tactical data.
'Mister Mahtani?' Wright prompted.
'Ready sir,' the chief science officer replied.
'Fire torpedo.'
'Atmospheric torpedo away, detonation in eleven seconds, receiving active telemetry from all probes,' Gonzales informed them all.
'Torpedo on target,' Mahtani added. 'Detonation in seven...six...five...'
'Commander, back us off, now!' Parker said.
'Two...one...detonation,' Mahtani said, ignoring her, as the torpedo detonated and seeded the atmosphere with scrubbing chemicals.
The effects were immediate, as the dark ash-covered air dissolved into clear purple. Wright was not watching the viewscreen and the incredible vista which was becoming apparent, but the expression on Parker's face. He watched her eyes narrow, and her brows knit together, then her whole face darken as she moved faster than he would have given her credit for and pushed Gonzales from her console. Parker made several adjustments to the shields as Wright moved to her side, joining Gonzales as she watched over the half-Klingon security chief.
'It's unbelievable, the data we're getting,' Mahtani muttered aloud.
'Retrieve the probes. Ensign, back us off, nice and slow.'
'Aye sir,' Larson replied.
'But sir, the information we're receiving is beyond anything we could have imagined,' Mahtani pressed.
'Lieutenant, retrieve the probes, now!' Wright replied forcefully and then turned to Parker. 'You'd better have a good reason for this.'
Before Parker could reply, the Cha'lav-Aquatic vessel fired what appeared to be streams of energy at the atmosphere. The purple surface they had seen moments ago suddenly became a dark mauve and swirled into circular patterns which could only mean one thing.
'Hail them!' Wright ordered as he moved back to the centre of the bridge.
'Can we help you?' the Aquatic asked nonchalantly.
'What are you doing to the surface?'
'Exactly what we said we would, solve its problem. You see, we don't want this world if it is ecologically unsound, but once the water level has risen significantly, it will be suitable for colonisation.'
Wright's eyes widened. 'Gonzales, target that weapon and fire.'
The Aquatic's “voice” rose by two octaves. 'You would do well not to antagonise us, Starfleet. Our vessel is more than a match for yours.'
Parker stepped forward, standing just in front of Wright. 'We live our lives by ideals that guarantee the right to exist for all sentient lifeforms. You already exist but these people won't if you continue your actions. Find an uninhabited planet.'
'What do you think we feed on?' the Aquatic asked before the screen blanked.
'Gonzales,' Wright said through clenched teeth. 'Fire.'
The Aquatic vessel absorbed the phaser fire easily, and kept up the energy stream.
'What kind of energy is that and how can we stop it?' Wright asked, looking around the bridge.
'It appears to be some kind of visible sound wave,' Mahtani answered as his fingers danced across the control panel. 'I'm searching the library for anything similar.'
'What makes you think we've come across anything similar?' Wright asked.
'He's searching through the Enterprise mission logs,' Gonzales muttered.
'Of course, if any ship found something like this, it would be that one.'
'Got it, and many of us should know this. The Whale Probe attack in 2286.'
'I'm not up on my Terran history,' Wright replied and Parker sighed, knowing that the man grew up on the moon.
'In 2286, an alien probe came to Earth to find out what had happened to the humpback whales who'd become extinct two centuries earlier. It nearly destroyed Earth trying to contact them, turning our world into a class-O instead of class-M. It was Admiral Kirk who saved Earth, just before being demoted to Captain,' Gonzales informed them.
'We're not likely to find any humpback whales, so see if you can find the audio frequency and jam it,' Wright offered, wondering why people had to bring up the obscure missions of the Enterprise crew every time they encountered something unusual. It was bizarre.
'Aye sir,' Mahtani replied and increased the sensor gain.
'Sir, we're receiving a hail through the Eeroth communications array.'
'On screen.'
'Commander Wright, you are holding two of our people prisoners,' President Rashal told him. 'I suggest you return them to us to face a fair trial.'
'I'm more interested in saving your world,' Wright replied.
'We can do that,' he replied and turned to face someone off screen. 'Watch,' he added and the screen reverted to the familiar view of the worsening conditions on the surface.
'Sir, some of the communications satellites are adjusting their orbital paths,' Gonzales called out.
'Tactical plot,' he ordered.
Sure enough, more than thirty of the satellites were adjusting their orbit and ended up facing the Aquatic vessel. Seconds passed before a thin stream of orange-hued energy appeared at the confluence of several satellites. The stream grew as more satellites adjusted their orbit and the Aquatic vessel tried to move away but it was too slow. The energy coalesced as it impacted the alien ship which began to compact itself. Decks collapsed into one another and the energy streams it was emitting stopped. For the Cha'lav-Aquatics it was too late as their ship imploded.
'Sir, the satellites are aligning themselves toward us.'
'Hail Rashal,' Wright ordered.
Rashal appeared on the screen again. 'Have you reconsidered?'
'You can take Teliz and his accomplice, for whatever good it will do you. Just promise me you won't be executing them.'
He leaned forward. 'Thank you, Commander. Your presence is no longer required here. You are free to leave at your earliest convenience.'
'Mister President, what exactly are you planning to do?' Wright asked.
'I have fortified this system against attack. If you don't leave so in a timely manner, I'll have no choice but to make sure that the Cha'lav cannot take you prisoner.'
Wright sighed. 'Gonzales, launch the SPRA probes into a standard orbital pattern around the ship.'
'What are you doing?'
'Nothing, are you going to use your little toys on us or what?' he asked, smiling and broke the connection.
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55376.1 (May 18, 2378)
'Are we ready?' Wright asked eleven minutes later.
Mahtani looked up and grinned. 'Yes sir, just running another simulation.'
'Launch the SPRA probes,' Wright ordered. 'Low orbit, I want to get as much telemetry on this as possible.'
'Probes away,' Gonzales replied.
Wright noticed Parker in the corner of the bridge eyeing the image of the Cha'lav vessel on the bottom right of the viewscreen, looking at the tactical data.
'Mister Mahtani?' Wright prompted.
'Ready sir,' the chief science officer replied.
'Fire torpedo.'
'Atmospheric torpedo away, detonation in eleven seconds, receiving active telemetry from all probes,' Gonzales informed them all.
'Torpedo on target,' Mahtani added. 'Detonation in seven...six...five...'
'Commander, back us off, now!' Parker said.
'Two...one...detonation,' Mahtani said, ignoring her, as the torpedo detonated and seeded the atmosphere with scrubbing chemicals.
The effects were immediate, as the dark ash-covered air dissolved into clear purple. Wright was not watching the viewscreen and the incredible vista which was becoming apparent, but the expression on Parker's face. He watched her eyes narrow, and her brows knit together, then her whole face darken as she moved faster than he would have given her credit for and pushed Gonzales from her console. Parker made several adjustments to the shields as Wright moved to her side, joining Gonzales as she watched over the half-Klingon security chief.
'It's unbelievable, the data we're getting,' Mahtani muttered aloud.
'Retrieve the probes. Ensign, back us off, nice and slow.'
'Aye sir,' Larson replied.
'But sir, the information we're receiving is beyond anything we could have imagined,' Mahtani pressed.
'Lieutenant, retrieve the probes, now!' Wright replied forcefully and then turned to Parker. 'You'd better have a good reason for this.'
Before Parker could reply, the Cha'lav-Aquatic vessel fired what appeared to be streams of energy at the atmosphere. The purple surface they had seen moments ago suddenly became a dark mauve and swirled into circular patterns which could only mean one thing.
'Hail them!' Wright ordered as he moved back to the centre of the bridge.
'Can we help you?' the Aquatic asked nonchalantly.
'What are you doing to the surface?'
'Exactly what we said we would, solve its problem. You see, we don't want this world if it is ecologically unsound, but once the water level has risen significantly, it will be suitable for colonisation.'
Wright's eyes widened. 'Gonzales, target that weapon and fire.'
The Aquatic's “voice” rose by two octaves. 'You would do well not to antagonise us, Starfleet. Our vessel is more than a match for yours.'
Parker stepped forward, standing just in front of Wright. 'We live our lives by ideals that guarantee the right to exist for all sentient lifeforms. You already exist but these people won't if you continue your actions. Find an uninhabited planet.'
'What do you think we feed on?' the Aquatic asked before the screen blanked.
'Gonzales,' Wright said through clenched teeth. 'Fire.'
The Aquatic vessel absorbed the phaser fire easily, and kept up the energy stream.
'What kind of energy is that and how can we stop it?' Wright asked, looking around the bridge.
'It appears to be some kind of visible sound wave,' Mahtani answered as his fingers danced across the control panel. 'I'm searching the library for anything similar.'
'What makes you think we've come across anything similar?' Wright asked.
'He's searching through the Enterprise mission logs,' Gonzales muttered.
'Of course, if any ship found something like this, it would be that one.'
'Got it, and many of us should know this. The Whale Probe attack in 2286.'
'I'm not up on my Terran history,' Wright replied and Parker sighed, knowing that the man grew up on the moon.
'In 2286, an alien probe came to Earth to find out what had happened to the humpback whales who'd become extinct two centuries earlier. It nearly destroyed Earth trying to contact them, turning our world into a class-O instead of class-M. It was Admiral Kirk who saved Earth, just before being demoted to Captain,' Gonzales informed them.
'We're not likely to find any humpback whales, so see if you can find the audio frequency and jam it,' Wright offered, wondering why people had to bring up the obscure missions of the Enterprise crew every time they encountered something unusual. It was bizarre.
'Aye sir,' Mahtani replied and increased the sensor gain.
'Sir, we're receiving a hail through the Eeroth communications array.'
'On screen.'
'Commander Wright, you are holding two of our people prisoners,' President Rashal told him. 'I suggest you return them to us to face a fair trial.'
'I'm more interested in saving your world,' Wright replied.
'We can do that,' he replied and turned to face someone off screen. 'Watch,' he added and the screen reverted to the familiar view of the worsening conditions on the surface.
'Sir, some of the communications satellites are adjusting their orbital paths,' Gonzales called out.
'Tactical plot,' he ordered.
Sure enough, more than thirty of the satellites were adjusting their orbit and ended up facing the Aquatic vessel. Seconds passed before a thin stream of orange-hued energy appeared at the confluence of several satellites. The stream grew as more satellites adjusted their orbit and the Aquatic vessel tried to move away but it was too slow. The energy coalesced as it impacted the alien ship which began to compact itself. Decks collapsed into one another and the energy streams it was emitting stopped. For the Cha'lav-Aquatics it was too late as their ship imploded.
'Sir, the satellites are aligning themselves toward us.'
'Hail Rashal,' Wright ordered.
Rashal appeared on the screen again. 'Have you reconsidered?'
'You can take Teliz and his accomplice, for whatever good it will do you. Just promise me you won't be executing them.'
He leaned forward. 'Thank you, Commander. Your presence is no longer required here. You are free to leave at your earliest convenience.'
'Mister President, what exactly are you planning to do?' Wright asked.
'I have fortified this system against attack. If you don't leave so in a timely manner, I'll have no choice but to make sure that the Cha'lav cannot take you prisoner.'
Wright sighed. 'Gonzales, launch the SPRA probes into a standard orbital pattern around the ship.'
'What are you doing?'
'Nothing, are you going to use your little toys on us or what?' he asked, smiling and broke the connection.
Chapter Sixteen
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55376.2 (May 18, 2378)
Lieutenant Talen ignored the tension that caused his antennae to stand tall and concentrated on the operations console in front of him. The SPRA network, when deployed, were nominally within his jurisdiction except when used by the science or tactical departments. Talen thought that Wright was using them for a tactical purpose but he decided to take control of them himself anyway, with the ship at red alert, all other operational concerns were relegated to his deputies.
'Sir, the probes are in a standard orbital formation,' he told Wright.
Wright turned and glanced at him, as if only now realising that he was there. 'Align them so that their micro-deflectors are facing outward and link them into our own deflector dish. Deflector shields at maximum.'
'Aye sir, realigning now.'
'An excellent tactic, sir,' Mahtani replied. 'The deflection capabilities will turn their own energy against them.'
'How many of their satellites' energy can we safely absorb and distribute?'
'Unknown,' the science chief said. 'I haven't been able to get a definite read of the energy type.'
'Well, we're about to get a taste of it ourselves,' Wright replied and returned to the captain's chair, tapping a pad on the arm. 'All hands, brace for impact.'
'He's releasing the energy,' Gonzales said.
The orange-hued energy swarmed around the ship but with the deflectors operating at maximum, and augmented by the probes, much of it drifted harmlessly into space. The remainder, however, caused a multitude of problems.
'Shields are being drained,' Gonzales called out as the lighting dimmed.
'We're losing main power,' Talen added.
'Go to auxiliary,' Wright ordered.
The ship shuddered.
'Shields are gone, ablative armour is holding,' Gonzales informed Wright. 'We need to get out of here. The Eeroth have asked us to leave. If we remain, we'll be violating the Prime Directive by involving ourselves in internal matters.'
'For how long?' Wright asked without turning. 'Ensign, turn us around and get us out of here, we'll make repairs and come back.'
'Impulse and warp engines are off-line,' Larson replied as his console went dark.
'Weapons are down,' Gonzales added.
'Main power is down, auxiliary now being drained,' Talen informed them.
'Hail him, signal our surrender.'
'I can't,' Gonzales replied after a moment. 'My station's down.'
Mahtani moved from the rear of the bridge to the main science station and engaged a preset sequence.
'Sir, the probes are moving out of position,' Gonzales called. 'They're attacking the nearest satellites.'
'Mahtani, stand down.'
'No sir, this is the only way we're going to get out of this. The fewer satellites they have, the less damage they can do. As soon as we're out of immediate danger, the probes will return to the ship and we'll be able to leave the system. If you want to court-martial me then fine, but you'll have to explain why you didn't give the order,' the science officer stood his ground.
'Three satellites down, the energy output from the others is falling.'
'How far does it have to drop before we're safe?'
'It needs to drop below eighty percent, which will mean a loss of eleven satellites, a sixth of their total number.'
Wright sighed. He knew he should have given the order but his wish for revenge and retaliation had blinded him to it. As more satellites went offline, he realised that at least some of the crew were becoming suspicious of his actions.
'Seventy-eight percent of normal output,' Talen intoned plainly. 'Probes are returning to the ship.'
'Back us off with the thrusters. As soon as we have impulse engines, get us out of here.'
'Aye sir,' Larson replied from the helm.
'Mister Mahtani, you're relieved of duty until further notice. Have Lieutenant Malling take over. You will be confined to your quarters until I come by later. Dismissed.'
Mahtani nodded, glanced at Gonzales and left the bridge.
'Larson, find us a planet where we can set down and make repairs. Gonzales, coordinate with Parker and make sure that all systems are secure. Talen, I want a full report on all damage on my desk within the hour.'
'Aye sir,' the crew chorused.
'Gonzales, you have the bridge,' he added and entered his ready room.
'Commander,' Talen beckoned the tactical officer over.
'What is it, Lieutenant?' she asked.
'I've been getting odd feelings from the Commander the last few days,' he answered, scratching at the base of his antennae. 'So I ran some scans on him using a tricorder.'
Gonzales glanced at the door to the ready room. 'And?'
'Parker to Gonzales,' the security chief called over the comm.
'We'll pick this up later,' Gonzales said and tapped her combadge. 'Go ahead.'
'Teliz and his accomplice are dead, it looks like the President them them killed during the attack.'
Gonzales sighed. 'Send the bodies to Doctor Maxx for autopsy.'
'Aye sir,' Parker replied.
'I need it in an hour, Gonzales out.'
The Andorian was about to speak when Larson interjected. 'Sir, I've found a planet two light-years away. Class-O, appears uninhabited.'
'Set a course and engage at warp six.'
'The best we can manage is warp three, sir.'
'That will have to do.'
'Aye sir.'
'Sorry, Lieutenant, duty calls.'
Aye sir,' Talen replied as his beta-shift replacement arrived.
By the time he had transferred his station, Gonzales was gone. He decided to go to sickbay and see if his tricorder results could be verified but as he reached for it he noticed that it had been scorched by the damaged conduit behind his station during the attack and was functionally useless. Maybe the doctor would be able to verify the results using previous scans, he thought, and headed that way. There had to be something they could do to deal with this man, because as long as he was giving orders, they were in serious danger. His Aenar senses were telling him that because the man was hiding something, something bad.
USS Pytheas
Eeroth IV orbit
Stardate 55376.2 (May 18, 2378)
Lieutenant Talen ignored the tension that caused his antennae to stand tall and concentrated on the operations console in front of him. The SPRA network, when deployed, were nominally within his jurisdiction except when used by the science or tactical departments. Talen thought that Wright was using them for a tactical purpose but he decided to take control of them himself anyway, with the ship at red alert, all other operational concerns were relegated to his deputies.
'Sir, the probes are in a standard orbital formation,' he told Wright.
Wright turned and glanced at him, as if only now realising that he was there. 'Align them so that their micro-deflectors are facing outward and link them into our own deflector dish. Deflector shields at maximum.'
'Aye sir, realigning now.'
'An excellent tactic, sir,' Mahtani replied. 'The deflection capabilities will turn their own energy against them.'
'How many of their satellites' energy can we safely absorb and distribute?'
'Unknown,' the science chief said. 'I haven't been able to get a definite read of the energy type.'
'Well, we're about to get a taste of it ourselves,' Wright replied and returned to the captain's chair, tapping a pad on the arm. 'All hands, brace for impact.'
'He's releasing the energy,' Gonzales said.
The orange-hued energy swarmed around the ship but with the deflectors operating at maximum, and augmented by the probes, much of it drifted harmlessly into space. The remainder, however, caused a multitude of problems.
'Shields are being drained,' Gonzales called out as the lighting dimmed.
'We're losing main power,' Talen added.
'Go to auxiliary,' Wright ordered.
The ship shuddered.
'Shields are gone, ablative armour is holding,' Gonzales informed Wright. 'We need to get out of here. The Eeroth have asked us to leave. If we remain, we'll be violating the Prime Directive by involving ourselves in internal matters.'
'For how long?' Wright asked without turning. 'Ensign, turn us around and get us out of here, we'll make repairs and come back.'
'Impulse and warp engines are off-line,' Larson replied as his console went dark.
'Weapons are down,' Gonzales added.
'Main power is down, auxiliary now being drained,' Talen informed them.
'Hail him, signal our surrender.'
'I can't,' Gonzales replied after a moment. 'My station's down.'
Mahtani moved from the rear of the bridge to the main science station and engaged a preset sequence.
'Sir, the probes are moving out of position,' Gonzales called. 'They're attacking the nearest satellites.'
'Mahtani, stand down.'
'No sir, this is the only way we're going to get out of this. The fewer satellites they have, the less damage they can do. As soon as we're out of immediate danger, the probes will return to the ship and we'll be able to leave the system. If you want to court-martial me then fine, but you'll have to explain why you didn't give the order,' the science officer stood his ground.
'Three satellites down, the energy output from the others is falling.'
'How far does it have to drop before we're safe?'
'It needs to drop below eighty percent, which will mean a loss of eleven satellites, a sixth of their total number.'
Wright sighed. He knew he should have given the order but his wish for revenge and retaliation had blinded him to it. As more satellites went offline, he realised that at least some of the crew were becoming suspicious of his actions.
'Seventy-eight percent of normal output,' Talen intoned plainly. 'Probes are returning to the ship.'
'Back us off with the thrusters. As soon as we have impulse engines, get us out of here.'
'Aye sir,' Larson replied from the helm.
'Mister Mahtani, you're relieved of duty until further notice. Have Lieutenant Malling take over. You will be confined to your quarters until I come by later. Dismissed.'
Mahtani nodded, glanced at Gonzales and left the bridge.
'Larson, find us a planet where we can set down and make repairs. Gonzales, coordinate with Parker and make sure that all systems are secure. Talen, I want a full report on all damage on my desk within the hour.'
'Aye sir,' the crew chorused.
'Gonzales, you have the bridge,' he added and entered his ready room.
'Commander,' Talen beckoned the tactical officer over.
'What is it, Lieutenant?' she asked.
'I've been getting odd feelings from the Commander the last few days,' he answered, scratching at the base of his antennae. 'So I ran some scans on him using a tricorder.'
Gonzales glanced at the door to the ready room. 'And?'
'Parker to Gonzales,' the security chief called over the comm.
'We'll pick this up later,' Gonzales said and tapped her combadge. 'Go ahead.'
'Teliz and his accomplice are dead, it looks like the President them them killed during the attack.'
Gonzales sighed. 'Send the bodies to Doctor Maxx for autopsy.'
'Aye sir,' Parker replied.
'I need it in an hour, Gonzales out.'
The Andorian was about to speak when Larson interjected. 'Sir, I've found a planet two light-years away. Class-O, appears uninhabited.'
'Set a course and engage at warp six.'
'The best we can manage is warp three, sir.'
'That will have to do.'
'Aye sir.'
'Sorry, Lieutenant, duty calls.'
Aye sir,' Talen replied as his beta-shift replacement arrived.
By the time he had transferred his station, Gonzales was gone. He decided to go to sickbay and see if his tricorder results could be verified but as he reached for it he noticed that it had been scorched by the damaged conduit behind his station during the attack and was functionally useless. Maybe the doctor would be able to verify the results using previous scans, he thought, and headed that way. There had to be something they could do to deal with this man, because as long as he was giving orders, they were in serious danger. His Aenar senses were telling him that because the man was hiding something, something bad.
I am enjoying this reboot. I especially like how you've reworked Wright--he's even more cunning and devious here. Very well done!
Thanks, am posting more shortly.
Chapter Seventeen
The Reliquary
Ynelav IV
Stardate 55379.1 (May 19, 2378)
Jonek, still eschewing the title of Seer, had been in the reliquary for the last five days, studying the ancient scrolls which told of his return to Ynelav. One of the rarest aspects of Ynelavii religion was a vision of a past life, and it was simply because in the last five centuries, only one person had ever been proved to have one. That man had gone on to lead the world out of despair and into a new era. Even so, the tales of the Seer were more allegorical than factual, and quite secular compared to the vast majority of Ynelavii religious literature. To Jonek, this was a definite sign of its authenticity, that it didn't need to wrap itself in dogma to be what it was meant to be.
Using his heightened senses, he had kept an eye on the Romulans, who for now were content to sit in their ship and inspect every last scrap of their technology that he had given them. The news feeds however, were a different matter. Priests and ordinary people alike were talking about the return of the Seer, the man who will heal the planet's scars and make her new again. He had done so, he'd instantaneously repaired the damage wrought by the nuclear disaster and fixed dams while holding back flood waters. He had cleared the air of damaging pollutants and got people talking.
The only problem is what they were doing. Some were interpreting his wishes and punishing those who were not religious. Others were preparing for the coming of a war between the forces of good and evil which would consume the world if not stopped. Most were content to go about their lives as if nothing had happened and he admired their ignorance, but for his world to be healed completely, he must heal them as well. The High Adept approached and waited to be addressed.
'Yes High Adept Qalas, how may I help you?'
'The Healers are here,' the man replied and backed away a few steps.
The adoration and hesitation was tiresome, and though he had tried to discourage it, there seemed to be nothing that would stop the devout from acting as though he were God.
'Thank you, Qalas. I would like you to observe. Please send them in, and have the pilgrims ready.'
The High Adept nodded and disappeared. Jonek's workout cave was large and held space for several dozen people comfortably. Today, there would be about twenty of the most experienced Healers from across the planet, all of whom had responded to his summons without hesitation. This was good for it made his job that much easier. After today, he would no longer be the only man to heal people using the power of thought. It would be up to these twenty Healers to teach the next generations the ability. The Healers, men and women, filed in and took standing positions in an approximate semicircle a few metres away from him.
'Healers, I have asked you here to grant you an ability lost for centuries. Many hundreds of years ago, you all had the power to Heal with thought alone. This I give back to you today. I want you to teach those who learn with you how to do this as well. Some will learn faster than others, and some will Heal parts of the body better than others. Only by working together can this work. Are you all prepared?'
With some trepidation, and over almost several minutes, each stepped forward, making the semicircle that much smaller. Jonek approached each one, inquiring after their families and placing a hand on their left shoulder. He grew weaker with each one and by the time the last Healer had been granted the power, he felt extremely tired.
'If you will allow me to rest for a moment, I have some pilgrims who require your newfound abilities. Hear this and hear it well. Any who abuse this will find it no longer works for them and they will not be able to teach it either. You must take great care not to harm others lest you became harmed yourself. Even now, you can see in your mind how to show others to perform the same Healing that you will shortly be doing.'
One of the Healers stepped forward. His long salt and pepper hair looked out of place. 'Healing is no place for such superstitions, child. Perhaps you should go back to school.'
Jonek straightened up, and looked at the cup of water on the carved shelf to his left. He held out an arm and the cup obediently sped across the room and into his open hand, without spilling a drop. He took a long draught and the cup disintegrated. 'Please, continue.'
The rural religious Healer stepped back. 'I apologise for my interruption.'
Jonek nodded. 'You must first sense the illness, then you can decide best how to Heal them. Modern medicines may work on some people, but these methods work on all people. This will revolutionise Healing again.'
'And what of those who make their money selling us the medicines we use?'
'They will soon make their money elsewhere, as many others will. Come, let us Heal the pilgrims who have travelled so far to be with us today.'
High Adept Qalas brought more than a dozen people, of all ages and walks of life, into the cave. A few were carried in on stretchers by acolytes and a few used stylised canes to hobble in on. The Healers, paired up, approached the pilgrims on stretchers and laid their hands on the latter's shoulders. Jonek walked among them offering advice and suggesting other places to put their hands. From a distance, High Adept Qalas watched him and narrowed his eyes, holding his arm where he had been scratched by one of the cripples. Jonek looked up and they locked eyes, then Jonek's vision moved to the arm where a thin line of smudged green blood had been wiped away.
The Reliquary
Ynelav IV
Stardate 55379.1 (May 19, 2378)
Jonek, still eschewing the title of Seer, had been in the reliquary for the last five days, studying the ancient scrolls which told of his return to Ynelav. One of the rarest aspects of Ynelavii religion was a vision of a past life, and it was simply because in the last five centuries, only one person had ever been proved to have one. That man had gone on to lead the world out of despair and into a new era. Even so, the tales of the Seer were more allegorical than factual, and quite secular compared to the vast majority of Ynelavii religious literature. To Jonek, this was a definite sign of its authenticity, that it didn't need to wrap itself in dogma to be what it was meant to be.
Using his heightened senses, he had kept an eye on the Romulans, who for now were content to sit in their ship and inspect every last scrap of their technology that he had given them. The news feeds however, were a different matter. Priests and ordinary people alike were talking about the return of the Seer, the man who will heal the planet's scars and make her new again. He had done so, he'd instantaneously repaired the damage wrought by the nuclear disaster and fixed dams while holding back flood waters. He had cleared the air of damaging pollutants and got people talking.
The only problem is what they were doing. Some were interpreting his wishes and punishing those who were not religious. Others were preparing for the coming of a war between the forces of good and evil which would consume the world if not stopped. Most were content to go about their lives as if nothing had happened and he admired their ignorance, but for his world to be healed completely, he must heal them as well. The High Adept approached and waited to be addressed.
'Yes High Adept Qalas, how may I help you?'
'The Healers are here,' the man replied and backed away a few steps.
The adoration and hesitation was tiresome, and though he had tried to discourage it, there seemed to be nothing that would stop the devout from acting as though he were God.
'Thank you, Qalas. I would like you to observe. Please send them in, and have the pilgrims ready.'
The High Adept nodded and disappeared. Jonek's workout cave was large and held space for several dozen people comfortably. Today, there would be about twenty of the most experienced Healers from across the planet, all of whom had responded to his summons without hesitation. This was good for it made his job that much easier. After today, he would no longer be the only man to heal people using the power of thought. It would be up to these twenty Healers to teach the next generations the ability. The Healers, men and women, filed in and took standing positions in an approximate semicircle a few metres away from him.
'Healers, I have asked you here to grant you an ability lost for centuries. Many hundreds of years ago, you all had the power to Heal with thought alone. This I give back to you today. I want you to teach those who learn with you how to do this as well. Some will learn faster than others, and some will Heal parts of the body better than others. Only by working together can this work. Are you all prepared?'
With some trepidation, and over almost several minutes, each stepped forward, making the semicircle that much smaller. Jonek approached each one, inquiring after their families and placing a hand on their left shoulder. He grew weaker with each one and by the time the last Healer had been granted the power, he felt extremely tired.
'If you will allow me to rest for a moment, I have some pilgrims who require your newfound abilities. Hear this and hear it well. Any who abuse this will find it no longer works for them and they will not be able to teach it either. You must take great care not to harm others lest you became harmed yourself. Even now, you can see in your mind how to show others to perform the same Healing that you will shortly be doing.'
One of the Healers stepped forward. His long salt and pepper hair looked out of place. 'Healing is no place for such superstitions, child. Perhaps you should go back to school.'
Jonek straightened up, and looked at the cup of water on the carved shelf to his left. He held out an arm and the cup obediently sped across the room and into his open hand, without spilling a drop. He took a long draught and the cup disintegrated. 'Please, continue.'
The rural religious Healer stepped back. 'I apologise for my interruption.'
Jonek nodded. 'You must first sense the illness, then you can decide best how to Heal them. Modern medicines may work on some people, but these methods work on all people. This will revolutionise Healing again.'
'And what of those who make their money selling us the medicines we use?'
'They will soon make their money elsewhere, as many others will. Come, let us Heal the pilgrims who have travelled so far to be with us today.'
High Adept Qalas brought more than a dozen people, of all ages and walks of life, into the cave. A few were carried in on stretchers by acolytes and a few used stylised canes to hobble in on. The Healers, paired up, approached the pilgrims on stretchers and laid their hands on the latter's shoulders. Jonek walked among them offering advice and suggesting other places to put their hands. From a distance, High Adept Qalas watched him and narrowed his eyes, holding his arm where he had been scratched by one of the cripples. Jonek looked up and they locked eyes, then Jonek's vision moved to the arm where a thin line of smudged green blood had been wiped away.
