Star Trek: Outwardly Mobile
Episode 48 Prometheus Quest Part Four
By
Jay P. Hailey
and
The Star Trek Players
Stardate: 50731.4
-*-
The Human businessman looked carefully up at Brekka Di and Joe-The-Scan. "May I help you?" He was dressed in a black suit that was cut long and draped over his frame.
Brekka Di smiled at him. "I'm in the market for some information."
They were in a restaurant near the bottom of the atrium of Fulcrum Station; it was a relatively crowded restaurant, and a good one. It had to be to be able to afford the rent near the main deck of the atrium,
The businessman was seated at a table in the back of the place, where he could see the people moving in and out of the restaurant. His back was to a wall. He had three people with him. They appeared to be leg breakers and enforcers for the businessman.
"What makes you think I have any information for you?" The businessman asked quietly.
Di's smiled widened "You're a business man. This will make you some money."
He nodded. "Jakko Hargon. Please sit down."
Di and Joe introduced themselves and sat down with Hargon. Di was dressed in her usual civilian style, brown, well worn boots, dark slacks a short sleeved blouse of some sort of neo silk and a jacket that almost appeared too big for her but some how managed to fit anyway. Her tastes had moderated somewhat since her younger days, although Di was not clearly aware of this.
Joe was wearing the native costume of his home world, a pinstriped double-breasted charcoal suit, two toned shoes, and dark shirt with a pastel tie and a fedora with a snapped brim. Joe didn't wear the mechanical slug pistol he'd brought with him from Iotia any more but his service phaser was slung butt forward in a shoulder rig, under his coat just in case.
Hargon had an old-fashioned laptop style computer opened and sitting on the table facing him. He had an ear piece with a wire that wound around his head and down in front of his mouth.
Hargon nodded to his largest and most dangerous looking thug who then signaled broadly for the waiter.
"You mentioned money?" Jakko prompted.
Di didn't hesitate a beat. "But, you see we don't have any money."
Jakko looked at her carefully. Were these people going to have to get hurt?
"So we're hoping to barter." She explained.
Jakko nodded "I understand. First of all tell me who you are."
"We already told you our names." Joe said.
"Yes, but that's not all of who you are. I want to know what you want, who you're working for, how you got my name and the idea that I could help you." The business man said.
"We got your name from the bartender of the Aurora Lounge on sub deck 12." Di said.
"Lemmy, yeah, I know him. He wouldn't have given you my name without a good incentive." Jakko said.
"We gave him samples of Aldirian Brandy and the recipe for recreating it himself." Di explained.
"Aldirian Brandy? Never heard of it." Jakko said.
"It's not from around here. Evidently Lemmy was impressed with it." Joe said.
Jakko idly calculated the amount of cash that Lemmy would have charged for his name, and then factored in the difficulty of setting up the process to make Aldirian Brandy. "He certainly must have been. Keep going."
"Well I don't know exactly what you might want, or what you could take advantage of." Joe temporized.
"No, we'll get back to that. Continue to answer my questions." Jakko said.
"We're from the Federation starship." Di said.
"The Endeavor. Yeah. I heard of it." Jakko said. The Federation had been the big buzz about six months ago when the Endeavor first rolled through. A new buzz had flared up several weeks ago when the Endeavor had returned.
The Federation was itself as big or bigger than the entire Fulcrum region. They seemed to genuinely like the Fulcrum, the idea of the Fulcrum and a lot of the people in the area. To Jakko this was a mixed blessing. A new player in the Fulcrum meant contact with their worlds, and new markets for what he had to sell. However, it also meant a whole new set of authorities with their own peculiar notions of what constituted good business.
"Somebody put a bag on our captain, and we're sorta interested in who that mighta been." Joe said.
"Put a bag on? Oh." Jakko understood. The Fulcrum had been locked down for the last two days. Inconvenient for business. Jakko knew there had been an assault on one of the lower levels of the station, and that security had been conducting extremely thorough searches of the station. Now Jakko knew why.
"That explains a lot." Jakko said thoughtfully. Now he was faced with a quandary. Should he help the Federation people get their captain back? There was an unwritten code on Fulcrum Station. One did not talk to the authorities. Misal Forou the Fulcrum's chief of security was smart, tough and extremely dedicated. She didn't need the help.
On the other hand there was one driving concern in Jakko's business. One principle that rose above all others.
"Let's talk about what you have to offer me." Jakko said. For enough money he would cheerfully sell his grandmother to the Kaa for a light snack. That's just the kind of business man he was.
-*-
Pain washed through Miriah's body. A moment of clarity came to her. She could see herself strapped to the table with every muscle in her body straining in every direction. With great concentration, she reached through the pain and relaxed each muscle in her body.
As she relaxed the pain seemed to become more manageable. Not less but definitely easier to think through.
Miriah tried to be as patient a possible. She knew that beyond a doubt that her crew was searching for her. All she had to do was survive until they found her. As she repeated this to herself, the pain seemed to fade slowly away.
The Torturer stopped and considered his handiwork.
"Impressive." Bloodclaw said.
"This one definitely represents a challenge." The Torturer said.
Miriah spent a few moments picturing how they would look when Endeavor security broke down the door and hosed the room down in Phaser fire. It helped.
-*-
Commander Westin, late of the Prometheus, was in the main Security Office of the Fulcrum getting a briefing from Misal Forou, the Fulcrum's Chief of Security. The office reminded Westin of most planetary security or main police stations. There was a lot of movement and Fulcrum Security Officers moving around in their green jumpsuit style uniforms, along with recently arrested criminals and people coming in to complain about something. It was somewhat familiar to James Westin since he'd been a chief of security before moving to the command track.
Westin was now wearing a maroon command color along with the mostly black and gray of the modern Starfleet Uniform. As soon as it became clear that they were back on duty, most of the Prometheus' surviving Starfleet crew replicated the new uniforms for themselves. They'd begun melding pretty thoroughly with the Endeavor's Starfleet crew.
Even the non-Starfleet people in the Prometheus' crew were working well on the Endeavor. Westin was pleased. He believed in his crew but the professionalism of the Prometheus and the Endeavor's crew was a pleasant surprise to him.
Westin walked into the Chief's office which was segregated from the rest of the Security office and was thus a little more private. Misal Forou was a human woman, thin, dark hired and intense. She evidently ran the Fulcrum security with a mix of cunning, thoughtfulness and pure personal magnetism. She was wearing the standard Fulcrum Security uniform with a single rank pip that marked her as senior officer.
"We've examined some of the dead ones we found." Forou said.
Commander Westin asked. "Have you identified any of them?"
Forou nodded "All part of the Fulcrum's civilian population, all with records for assault and other crimes."
"Why would they attack Captain Katasai and Warrior Patton?" Westin asked.
"The only reason that makes any sense is because some one paid them to." Forou said.
"And who might have paid them to?" Westin continued.
"You have as much a chance of knowing that as I do." Forou said. "Has the Captain made any enemies recently?"
Westin only came up with one candidate. "The Kaa."
"The Kaa?" Forou said. "That's not too hard. The Kaa as a whole is too vague a category. Can you narrow down the search parameters for me?"
"Ambassador Bloodclaw." Westin said.
"That's narrow enough. How did she make an enemy out of him?"
Westin explained "When they first met, evidently the Kaa were quite hostile to the idea of Federation contact with the Fulcrum. The second ship they met was a battle cruiser carrying him. There was a short battle and they beamed him off through an organics only filter."
Forou interrupted. "Your transporters can do that?"
Westin nodded "The Endeavor's apparently can. Anyway, this evidently dishonored Bloodclaw and he swore eternal revenge."
"That's not good, Commander. Bloodclaw is an Ambassador to the Fulcrum. In order to make the diplomacy work some strict protocols are in place? And diplomatic immunity is one of them." Forou explained.
Westin looked grim. "We met him on the way here and he offered us the chance to surrender most of the Fulcrum area to the Kaa in a treaty."
Forou blinked. "What?"
"He intercepted us on the way back to the Fulcrum, and offered us the chance to sign a treaty with the Great Kaa Empire. He said it would offer the Federation practice in dealing with superior species." Westin explained.
"And his proposed Treaty said what?" Forou asked pointedly.
"He refused to propose one, saying that it was our job. He did however show us the Kaa territorial claims, so that we could acknowledge them." Westin said.
Forou blinked a couple of times. "Can you show us those Kaa territorial claims?"
"Oh, I think so. The data was stored in our computer."
"Do you think I can see them?" Forou asked.
Westin picked up a PADD on which he was going to schedule the Endeavor's security crew shifts, and instead used the subspace data link back to the Endeavor to call up the records of the unsuccessful negotiations with Ambassador Bloodclaw.
Forou looked at the initial territorial claims and then at the subsequent iterations of them. The Endeavor had negotiated with some seriousness to obtain a peace treaty with the Kaa.
Forou said "We need to brief Commander Ken-Los-Phar on this immediately. When Ambassador Bloodclaw learned that the Federation and the Romulan Empire were going to send representatives to the Fulcrum, he lodged a protest. Both he and the Kronin Ambassador complained in the harshest possible terms against the inclusion of your two nations in the Fulcrum."
"The Romulans are sending a representative here?" Westin asked.
"Actually they already have one, although he's not a trained diplomat. The Endeavor dropped him off here." Forou said surprised that Westin didn't know.
"I need to read up on Federation Romulan relations." Westin said "Anyway, what do you think the Kaa and these Kronin people will do?"
"The Kronin, who can say? They're honorable but pretty violent. But I always suspect a Kaa attack." Forou said. "After the last war, you'd think that everyone had learned that. Would Captain Malone be willing to brief the Commander about this?"
"Sure. Let's get to work on that." Westin opened a channel.
-*-
Di and Joe walked along the Atrium in the company of one of Jakko's trusted lieutenants. MeowLin was a human with golden skin and almond shaped eyes. She looked exotic and alluring. She had a taste for long silk dresses, slit up the side and embroidered with oddly lyrical, yet precise geometric patterns.
The trio walked into a bar named the Blue Fish, which was located in the bowels of the Fulcrum station. It was too scuzzy to rate a place in the Atrium.
As they walked in Brekka Di recognized the body language of the place if nothing else. It was a tough bar. This was a place where criminals and toughs and wannabes hung out. People like Jakko never went to bars like these if they could help it. That's what trusted lieutenants and agents were for.
Some people noticed MeowLin and reacted in various ways. Brekka noticed a couple of people surreptitiously sliding towards the back of the Blue Fish.
The lighting in the place was bad. The music was loud and the decor was layered cheap and scuzzy.
Joe looked distinctly nervous about the place.
"Relax." Brekka said. "These people can smell fear."
"Cripes. A guy could get seriously kilt in places like `dis." Joe said. "I left Iotia fer a reason."
Di smiled at him. "So you have brains. Now relax and act you eat heart of targ every morning for breakfast, or you'll ruin things."
"Heart o' targ huh? I like Cornflakes fer breakfast. Heart o' targ is too rich until at least a late lunch." Joe sniffed.
Di laughed. "I'll have to feed you some hesperat some time."
"I like hesperat. But it has to be made right. Just spicy ain't enough." Joe said.
Di looked at him, impressed. Usually hesperat was not eaten by non-Bajorans. Even on Bajor it was an acquired taste.
MeowLin strode to a table as if she owned the Blue Fish and sat down. Joe and Di followed.
"What have you to pay for information here?" MeowLin asked.
Joe started to think carefully. They'd had already given Jakko too much in his opinion anyway.
Di looked MeowLin in the eye. "Didn't Jakko say to take care of us?"
MeowLin held the look for a moment. "So he did. I will handle the purchasing of information."
Joe noticed more people entering the bar. They were a motley group of aliens, dressed in various styles. They walked tall and looked a little dangerous. Joe's first thought was pirates or mercenaries.
"Take a look." Joe pointed them out.
"That's ZanKaye and his crew from the Prometheus." Di whispered.
"I guess he's been dressin' down." Joe remarked.
ZanKaye's group sat down across the bar from Di, Joe and MeowLin. They began to act loud and rowdy.
MeowLin looked around and found who she was looking for.
-*-
Lam-No-Dan Ken-Los-Phar was of a race known as the An-Phar. The An-Phar had a distinctly pig like appearance to Malone. "Tellarite-oids." She thought. "The Tellarites ought to be happy."
The resemblance between the An-Phar and the Tellarites was not too close when one looked at them carefully. The An-Phar were not as rotund in shape. The An-Phar were not as hairy either. The basic shapes of the faces were the same but the details were not the same.
Commander Ken-Los-Phar exuded a calm quiet that seemed catchy. Malone could believe that he was a good military commander. He seemed very self controlled and yet supportive of his people.
Malone was briefing the Command staff of the Fulcrum with as much of her own Command staff as she could spare. That was Commander Westin, Commander Stroud and Genevieve Quest, the Chief Engineer of the Endeavor.
"Would you describe to us the negotiations between yourselves and the Kaa Ambassador, please, Captain?" Ken-Los-Phar asked.
Malone stood up and said "Yes, General. Please understand that as the diplomatic representative of the Federation at this time I must keep certain things confidential. And if you ask me to speak on behalf of the Federation I will have to be somewhat careful of what I say."
Commander Ken-Los-Phar nodded. "We understand Captain. Please proceed."
Malone straitened her new Starfleet Uniform and called up the first graphic. It appeared on a large wall screen that everyone in the briefing chamber could see.
Ken-Los-Phar looked grim at the portrayal. Lon Wu gasped and then looked angry.
"This was the first Kaa territorial claim." Malone said. "Acting as the Federation Representative Captain Katasai refused to acknowledge these claims. We had some knowledge of the rest of the nations in the area. Captain Katasai wanted to respect everyone's territorial rights and integrity. She did not feel that this proposal lent itself to that."
"There's a whole wing of territory to coreward that the Kaa are claiming." Lon Wu said. "So far as I know, no ship from the Fulcrum has been in that area. What can you tell us of Kaa holdings in that space?"
"I'll let Commander Stroud answer that, since he was actually there." Malone motioned for Stroud to continue.
Stroud stood up "Computer overlay the Endeavor's maps on this one." The computer did so. Now instead of just a vague pseudo-pod of claimed space there were representations of actual stars and objects, scanned by the Endeavor as they passed.
"We ran across a planet known to its inhabitants as Tairac. A colony of human clones and a scientist lived there. We have the Scientist Dr Ravishol in custody aboard the Endeavor. He damaged our ship with an experiment and wound up stranding some of our people on Tairac. When he realized what had happened Ravishol attacked Captain Katasai and our people with a war machine that he'd inherited from previous visitors. A sort of mechanical infantry unit. Very basic but tough. We deactivated the war machine, took Ravishol into custody and have left the clones to establish their own culture and government on Tairac."
"We ran into evidence of two other human settlements, as well as the ruins of more war machines." Stroud keyed a command and two more star systems ere highlighted. "Evidently some time ago a human culture fought the war machines in this region of space. We see no current sign of the humanoid culture or the war machines in the area."
"Here we ran into a scout from the Shin Hegemony." Stroud continued. A point closer to the Fulcrum Zone lit up. It was still well outside the area that General Ken-Los-Phar had indicted was known to the Fulcrum. Lon Wu looked surprised, yet pleased.
"The scout referred us here to the Fulcrum." Stroud said. "We were moving this way when we encountered the Kaa scout here." Another point lit up. "This was not actually very far from where your intelligence places the Kaa border."
"And a Kaa battle cruiser braced you between there and the Fulcrum?" The An Phar Commander asked.
"Yes, Sir." Stroud answered "We met Ambassador Bloodclaw here." He pressed another control and a point much closer to the Fulcrum lit up.
"We can track Ambassador Bloodclaw's movements and confirm that he was near the Fulcrum when he was evidently called to go handle the Endeavor." Lon Wu said.
"What do you make of this, Commander Ken-Los-Phar?" Mr. Heron asked. Heron was a large pink humanoid rat. The Fassani were the sponsors and chief architects of the Fulcrum as a neutral grounds for diplomacy and commerce in the region. Their idea had turned out to be wildly successful. This made the Fassani happy. They loved to meet new cultures and learn about them.
"One of two things. Both of them bad. The Kaa fear the Federation and Romulan Empires as potential allies of the Fulcrum. As you know during the last war with the Kaa the Fulcrum served as a rallying point for the Allies, as well as a symbol that helped keep the Alliance against the Kaa from falling apart. They may be trying to isolate the Fulcrum region from the Federation and prevent stronger powers from becoming participants in the Fulcrum Project." Ken-Los-Phar explained.
"That agrees with our analysis, Mr. Heron." Malone confirmed.
"What's the other?" Heron asked.
"The Kaa may be planning to launch a new war against the Fulcrum Alliance. If so then the fear of the Federation or Romulans becoming more engaged would force the Kaa to go ahead and open the battle early. They might hope to knock out the Fulcrum before the Federation or the Romulans can even consider becoming allies." The General said.
"I must caution you, Mr. Heron, that a friendly relationship with the Fulcrum is not the same for the Federation as a mutual defense agreement. The Federation is too far away to readily send any military forces into the area, even if there was the political will." Captain Malone said. "Not only that, but the Federation is primarily an instrument of peace. We prefer to use diplomacy and negotiation to resolve disputes. I am free to take what ever action I feel necessary to arrange for a peaceful settlement between yourselves and the Kaa. But fighting is another situation entirely."
"We of the Fassani also prefer diplomacy to war." Mr. Heron said. "We are open to listening to any and all proposals that may lead to a peaceful co-existence with the Kaa."
"We don't even know if the Kaa plan to attack." Forou said. "I think they do, but we need proof. Some sort of confirmation."
"I will work on that end of things." The General said. "You concentrate on finding Captain Katasai. Captain Malone, I am sure we of the Fulcrum would appreciate any aid you could give us in establishing a more peaceful relationship with the Kaa Empire."
"Agreed." Mr. Heron said.
"Yes, Sir." Malone said. "We'll see what we can do."
-*-
"Hello, Loggert." MeowLin said.
"Hey, Beautiful." Loggert leered. He was a slimy weasel of a man. Di wanted to hit him as soon as she saw him.
"A job was done recently. I like to hear about it." The human woman purred.
Idly Joe noticed that across the Blue Fish, one of the women in ZanKaye's party was being badly hassled by a large man with a five o' clock shadow. Joe wondered if he should intervene.
"Now, you know I don't discuss my business dealings, Sweet Thing. Besides how well do you know these two?" He gestured with his chin at Di and Joe.
"You'll discuss it with me, Loggert. Do you want to know why?" MeowLin purred with a hint of danger to her voice.
"And why is that?" Loggert tried to present the image of an unworried man and failed.
The woman from ZanKaye's party made a neat precise motion and the man hassling her landed on his rear end some distance away. Some drinkers moved idly, but conversation didn't even slow down. Joe figured she had it handled and returned his attention to the discussion going on in front of him.
"Because Jakko is interested in what happened. And you know that if Jakko's interested then you're already in trouble." MeowLin purred with a healthy dose of danger in her voice. She enjoyed bullying Loggert and it showed.
"Okay, okay." Loggert said "Just to humor you, what job is that?"
"Someone borrowed the Captain of the Federation Starship two days ago. I recognized one of the dead as your associates." MeowLin lied.
"Just because Zippo worked for me occasionally, that doesn't mean he was working for me that day." Loggert became visibly uncomfortable.
The noise level began to increase in the Blue Fish. Joe noticed that MeowLin and Loggert were starting to have to speak up.
"That imprecise language may work with Station Security, but picture what Jakko will say, lover." MeowLin was practically licking her chops.
"Baby, C'Mon!" Loggert was visibly upset at this point. "You're really putting me in a bad position here!"
"Not yet, Loggert. But soon." MeowLin's expression spoke of pain and humiliation and all of it was set aside for Loggert.
Joe looked over to see several people standing up. At the center of the commotion was ZanKaye's party member and the large man she had just dumped on the deck. They were face to face and looked very unhappy.
"You're going to make me do it, aren't you?" Loggert said with defeat in his voice.
"Sooner or later. Probably later."
"I want some help getting off this station." Loggert said. "Once I spill I'm a dead man either way.
Joe nudged Di, gestured and said "Yellow alert."
Di nodded shortly. "Acknowledged."
"We'll take care of you, Loggert." MeowLin said, "Haven't we always before?"
Loggert was frightened by MeowLin's tone, but believed her. "Alright. I was working' with Naboo-"
A chair came flying across the bar. It landed nearly at the feet of MeowLin. She looked up mildly. Di and Joe whipped around. People all over the bar were in motion. The bar erupted into a melee. There were three basic reactions. One was to head for the door and get while the getting was good. Another was that now was the chance to even up old scores. The third and by far the most dangerous was that now it was time to grab a stranger and begin some recreational hurting.
MeowLin's reaction was a business like mixture of two of these reactions. She stood with a fluid motion, grabbed a random stranger between herself and the door and hurt him, badly.
"Are you coming?" She said to Joe and Di.
Di was ducking. A lot. She had been in enough bar room brawls to understand that it wasn't like in the popular entertainments. Getting punched once and falling down until arrested did not appeal to Di's adventurous nature.
Joe had dodged the wrong way. A large man with a happy expression reached for him. Joe quickly grabbed the man's thumb and bent it backwards as far as it would go. With a small popping noise it broke. The man howled.
"No t'ank youse! I don' wanna dance!" Joe yelled.
Then a glass hit Joe in the head. He went to his hands and knees.
Di stepped up and grabbed him around the waist. "Hey! Help!" She yelled at MeowLin. The violent woman quickly broke a waitress' arm and flung her to the floor. She looked back at Di and Joe. She smiled faintly and turned back to mangling her way to the door.
Di heard the cry "Prometheus!" She looked to see ZanKaye's group holding a corner near the back of the bar. They were being attacked but not mobbed like the door. Di made a command decision and headed that way.
-*-
The Kaa Embassy did not seem terribly welcoming to Captain Malone. The store front had been carefully sculpted to look like the entrance to a large cave. A blast of hot dry air came out as someone, he looked like a delivery boy left the front door.
Malone steeled herself and walked in. It was hotter than it seemed. Within moments sweat had started to flow from her body freely. Her red hair grew slick almost instantly.
"Excuse me." She said to the Kaa sitting behind an ornate receptionist's desk. The Kaa seemed to start at her, and then calmed down. There was a human style name plaque on the Kaa's desk. It said "How May I Help You? My Name Is NABOO."
"What do you want?" Naboo said.
"Is that how you're supposed to greet guests?" Malone wondered.
"You are an inferior mammal with no business here. If you want me to be polite, you're going to have to bribe me." Naboo said.
"Diplomacy wasn't your first career choice was it?" Malone asked.
"Diplomacy is such a mammalian concept. We first learned of it from human explorers when they said `Please don't eat me.' We Kaa have little use for such things." Naboo said.
Malone briefly remembered a trip to New Orleans with a class mate from the academy. They'd had a Cajun delicacy, crispy blackened snake. The taste was not at all like chicken, despite all the jokes but something all its own. Malone smiled faintly but didn't mention the incident. "I would like to see Ambassador Bloodclaw."
"The Ambassador is very busy." Naboo said in an almost perfectly officious voice.
"I would like to discuss the relationship between the Kaa Empire and the United Federation of Planets with the Ambassador. This is something he was pursuing with us a few weeks ago." Malone said.
"Please have a seat and I'll check with the Ambassador." Naboo said smugly.
"You check and then I'll sit." Malone glared.
Naboo pressed a button and then spoke. "Ambassador, there's a Captain Malone here to speak with you." Once he was finished Naboo knew that the computer would repeat his words to the Ambassador. The open circuit was a different system only to be used in emergencies. Humanoids became remarkably difficult to deal with when they could hear their own kind screaming in other rooms.
Soon the Ambassador replied through Naboo's ear piece. "He said he'll be right with you. Please have a seat."
Malone went and sat down in one of the deliberately uncomfortable chairs in the Embassy's waiting room.
Within a few moments The Ambassador slithered out of a door way. Malone carefully repressed shudders. Ambassador Bloodclaw was a very large upgraded snake. He was about three and a half meters long and weighed up to 300 pounds. His body was the same basic shape as a snake's except flatter and broader. His skull was long, very long compared to an Earthly snakes. His eyes were rotated forward across his face until he had binocular vision. He had two arms. They looked like sub-snakes grafted on to his body. On the end of the arms there was a hand with four fingers, three forward and one aft, acting as the opposable thumb.
"Captain Malone?" He slithered up and held out his hand. "Ambassador Bloodclaw."
"Ambassador." Malone shook his hand. It was dry and felt like warm linoleum. Pleased to meet you."
"And you." Bloodclaw could be quite charming, in a snaky sort of way. "Are you the new Federation Representative I have heard is on his way?"
"No, Sir. I am the current Commanding Officer of the Endeavor. I have come hoping that you and I could solidify the relationship between the Great Kaa Empire and the United Federation of Planets." Malone said.
Bloodclaw rolled his head slightly to the side. "What happened to Captain Katasai? I met her in command of the starship Endeavor just recently."
"An accident has befallen Captain Katasai." Malone lied. She immediately felt suspicious of Bloodclaw and didn't want to trust him with any more information than necessary. "I have taken her place until she recovers."
"Oh. Convey my good wishes to her when you see her." Bloodclaw said with an exaggerated air of innocence.
"I will, thank you." Malone said. "I have come with a proposed treaty, confirming a friendly relationship between the Great Kaa Empire and the United Federation of Planets." She held up a data solid in the Fulcrum's generic format.
Bloodclaw took it. "I shall study it diligently and then get back to you with my government's reply."
"Thank you, Ambassador. I won't take up any more of your time." Malone said.
"You're welcome, Captain." Bloodclaw smarmed.
Malone turned and walked out of the Kaa embassy.
Bloodclaw turned to Naboo, and tossed the solid on his desk. "Read this and let me know what the mammals want now. Get the summary to me soonest."
Naboo bowed deeply. "My lord I have received some disturbing news."
Bloodclaw withheld the decision to execute Naboo until after he heard what the news was.
-*-
Stroud and Westin were at the airlock when ZanKaye, his party, Di and Joe, as well as a few other stragglers from the Endeavor's crew were escorted back to ship by Fulcrum Security. Chief of Security Forou led them.
"Did anyone find anything?" Stroud asked pointedly
Di answered promptly "Yes, Commander."
Everyone turned to look at her. She continued. "A man named Loggert apparently acted as an agent to recruit the people who attacked the Captain and Patton."
"The all we have to do is find Loggert and question him." Westin said sharply. He was ready to spring into action.
"I'm afraid that questioning Loggert won't do you any good. We found him dead at the Blue Fish. Someone slipped a knife between his ribs." Forou said.
"Just before the fight started, Loggert said that he was workin' for
someone named Naboo." Joe added.
Forou started "Are you certain he said Naboo?"
Joe nodded and Di confirmed it.
"Great Ghu." Forou said unhappily. "Naboo is the chief of staff at the Kaa embassy."
"Then we go and search the Kaa Embassy and question the staff." Stroud said.
"That's out of the question." Forou said. "They're all protected under diplomatic immunity."
Stroud, Westin and the crew of the Endeavor looked at Forou coldly.
"I took an oath to defend this station and its charter, and I am going to do that no matter what. One person's life is not worth the damage that would happen if this station's diplomatic status was compromised." Forou said. Her determination showed clearly.
"So how are we supposed to get Captain Katasai back?" Zweller, the acting chief of Security for the Endeavor said.
"You'll just have to think of something." Forou said, "Something that does not break our rules."
The Endeavor's crew looked grim.
-*-
Ensign Yoshio Yo was the senior bridge officer of the Endeavor on beta watch. Usually he was assigned to delta watch, but he'd been shifted around to allow other officers freedom to search for Captain Katasai.
Someone had to stay behind and make sure the Endeavor was ready for what ever she was called upon to do. Yo knew his duty and he did it well.
The tactical station sounded an alert. All the security and tactical officers were part of the search mission so no one was manning that station. Fortunately, on a previous voyage, Yo had had plenty of time to cross train for several positions. He called the tactical screen to his ops console and discovered what the tactical sensor array was warning of.
An unscheduled convoy of Kaa heavy freighters had arrived. Yo monitored them. Several patrol ships, cutters and small one man fighters from the Fulcrum were diverting their course to allow them to investigate the new arrivals.
Something about the new arrivals bothered Yo but he could not put his finger on it.
-*-
Captain Malone was on Holodeck with Prometheus and Genevieve Quest.
"Are you certain about this Captain?" Genevieve asked.
"How bad do you want Miriah back, Lieutenant Commander?" Malone asked.
Genevieve shrugged. "She can court martial me when she gets back." With that she popped an access panel off the main control arch of Holo-deck and began to adjust the equipment within.
"The holo-decks on this ship were designed to an earlier standard and then retrofitted with several safety devices." Genevieve explained. "If I can reinstall the original ODN junction the Prometheus should have full access to the Endeavor's on board network, all devices linked to the network and the Fulcrum which is connected and networked with the Endeavor right now."
"Prometheus, what I want you to do is to track down the recorded activities of the Kaa Embassy, the Kaa assigned to the embassy and especially Naboo and Bloodclaw."
"Aye Captain." Prometheus said. "I'll let you know what I come up with."
With a final adjustment Genevieve opened the long closed connection. "There you go. You're live now, Prometheus."
"Thank you, Chief Engineer." Malone said.
"Just call me Genevieve, Captain." Quest said.
"Alright. Endeavor computer, Open log." Malone spoke.
"Working." The Endeavor's main computer said.
"Log new crewmember, Acting Ensign Prometheus, no middle initial, no last name." Malone stated.
"Noted. New crewmember logged." The Endeavor's computer replied. "Please enter Captain's access code."
Malone gave the computer her access code. With Prometheus logged in as an authorized user he was able to interface directly with the Endeavor. Then he began a slow, careful assault on the Fulcrum's main computer.
Malone was just turning to leave when she heard Ensign Yo's voice over the intercom. "Captain to the Bridge, Captain to the bridge."
-*-
Miriah was starting to loose track of time. She was also forgetting how to think.
The Torturer had done some damage to her physically but not too much. Physical injury was not the initial aim. Pain and degradation to break her will were the aim. Miriah clung to the knowledge that her crew was coming for her. It was her mantra. She performed all the steps called for in the Way of Honor, but it was acknowledged at organic beings could only take so much. The Way of Honor was more about how to collapse and die with honor. Miriah wasn't ready for that yet. She wanted to live, and so she hung on and waited.
Ambassador Bloodclaw came into the room. Miriah was both pleased and apprehensive. He did not have his torturer with him.
"Miriah," Bloodclaw began "I have been giving some thought to your proposal earlier."
"What was that?" Miriah managed.
"To reveal my master plan to you." Bloodclaw pressed a control button on the side of the steel table that Miriah was restrained on. The table rotated until Miriah could see a large view screen. He tilted the table until Miriah had a good view.
Bloodclaw pressed another button and the view screen lit up to show a tactical plot of the area around the Fulcrum station. Miriah slowly began to catalog icons representing cutters, patrol ships, fighters and some types of ships she could not immediately identify. On top of the Fulcrum Station itself were icons for the Endeavor and Bloodclaw's battle cruiser.
"What's going on?" Miriah asked.
Bloodclaw slithered around in front of her. "Circumstances have forced me to prematurely end our association. But as rushed as I am, I wanted to make a point of making your last minutes in this life as miserable as possible."
"Let's not waste any time, here." Miriah said. She expected that Bloodclaw would reveal his master plan and then kill her and quickly slam her eyes down, to get on with what ever had him rushed. "Fight me. Let me down from here and fight me honorably. You can't possibly fear me in this condition. But at least I can die honorably, spitting into your face."
"No." Bloodclaw said shortly. "Not only is honorable death something you don't rate, but I have in mind more misery for you than that. Now listen to me carefully, I don't have time to repeat this."
Bloodclaw turned to the view screen. "The Kaa are naturally the superior race in this section of the galaxy, including your Federation. As a superior species it is our right and destiny to conquer and rule you mammals, using you for food animals and slave labor. Do you understand this?"
"I understand. I think you're full of it, but I understand what you're saying." Miriah confirmed.
Bloodclaw continued. "Good. Our last attempt to conquer the mammals of this area was thwarted. Two related things thwarted it. One was the unity of the other races and governments in the area. This was enhanced and represented by the Fulcrum station. It acted as a central rallying point for the so called Fulcrum Alliance. Do you understand this?"
"Yes." Miriah answered. Obviously Bloodclaw was an amateur at revealing his master plans. Miriah didn't bother to correct him. Every minute was that much closer to the moment when her crew would arrive.
Bloodclaw continued his presentation. "We intend to destroy the Fulcrum. This will deny our enemy its services as a staging area. It will also remove a symbol of over all unity. This combined with several other activities begun almost as soon as the last war was over should begin to break apart the Fulcrum Alliance, leaving the individual powers to be picked off one at a time. Do you understand the theory here?"
Miriah nodded.
"Excellent. You are very quick on the uptake. These you see approaching the Fulcrum station are Kaa Q-ships. They are warships disguised as harmless freighters. This one is a carrier with attack craft and space superiority fighters. This one is battle cruiser with fire power equal to my own. But this one is the fun one. This one we call the Mauler. It carries a single beam weapon that if fired at full power has the ability to chop up entire planets. It takes up most of the hull of the ship. This one will move into position and with a single surprise attack destroy the Fulcrum station utterly. Do you understand so far?"
Miriah was wide awake now. The tactical display showed the Kaa flotilla moving to within one hundred thousand kilometers of the Fulcrum, as if they were a standard military supply convoy. They even had a few escort ships along their flanks. Sufficient to guard real freighters against pirates. Unless there was some clue, it appeared as if the Kaa would be easily able to bring their warships right along side the Fulcrum and attack by total surprise. "I understand you."
"Now, this attack is just the first move in a larger campaign that was designed years ago to get revenge for our previous temporary set back. All along the frontier our fleet has mobilized and is on the attack. The arrival of your ship disturbed our timing forcing us to launch the attack almost six months earlier than planned. However, this may be a good thing. Our preparations are not all we wished, but none of the other powers in the region caught on to our preparations and so we now have what I feel is a decisive upper hand. Millions of your fellow mammals will die in the coming days. And you can do nothing about it."
Miriah was horrified. Had the Endeavor precipitated the war?
Bloodclaw paused thoughtfully. "This as an excellent idea, Miriah. I find it strangely satisfying."
"You bastard!!" Miriah yelled.
"Good, good. It's working." Bloodclaw noted. "Soon I will go to my battle cruiser and undock from the Fulcrum. We will move as if to escort the freighters away and then we will begin our attack. I expect the Endeavor to be taken by surprise. Nevertheless, even if she is not, I feel confident that our two battle cruisers, our carrier and our mauler can handle her. In the aftermath of the Fulcrum's destruction we'll turn to the Endeavor right away. Your ship will be destroyed, along with all hands. Moreover, your Federation is too far away to mount a proper counter attack even with your faster warp drives. If the initial battle goes well enough I may even order my crews to board and capture the Endeavor. Her technology would make me much wealthier than I am even today."
"You won't get the Endeavor that easy, you P'tahk!" Miriah cursed and struggled. She was afraid that if the Endeavor was surprised by the attack, and it looked possible, that they would not be able to regain control of the ship before being surrounded by Kaa ships and boarded. "My people will destroy you!"
"What are the lives of a few thousand troops compared to making me rich and powerful? I don't think even your brave and honorable fighters can withstand being drowned in the bodies of my troops. And believe me, the Endeavor is worth the effort." Bloodclaw was very happy at the idea of hundreds of beings laying down their lives for his personal benefit.
"Errrrgggghhhh" Miriah struggled uselessly with her restraints.
"Now the final two strokes and then I'll leave." Bloodclaw said. "The first is your location. I don't expect that the Endeavor will let my cruiser get too far without trying to see if you're on it. I know that they suspect me of your kidnapping, but they have been foiled so far by the Fulcrum's policy of Diplomatic Immunity. They may even be swift enough to bring the Endeavor away from the station in an attempt to follow me and recover you. Soon it will be too late. You were never on my flagship. You're in a cargo hold somewhere in the bowels of the Fulcrum Station itself. By watching this screen you will be able to see the Mauler move into position to shoot the station, and coincidentally you, to death. The Endeavor will be completely out of position to save you when the blow falls."
Miriah stopped and thought just as hard as she could. "What about eating my eyes? If I'm here to get destroyed by the Mauler then you don't get to do that."
"Ah. You have anticipated my last point. You're right. I will not be able to eat your eyes. But I will have a consolation. You see this wound right here," Bloodclaw poked a very painful point in Miriah's abdomen. "This was more than just a way to hurt you. This is where we took cell samples for cloning purposes."
"WHAT!?" Miriah yelled.
"I may not eat your eyes today. Eventually I will, over and over again. Your genome will form the basis for my prize heard of cattle." Bloodclaw said looking at Miriah carefully.
"AIIIIEEEE!!!" Miriah screamed at the top of her lungs, desperate to find some way to get to Bloodclaw.
Bloodclaw sighed happily. "This was a very good idea, Miriah. I will have to develop it further. Thank you."
He turned and began to slither towards the door. "Enjoy the show while you can." He left the room.
Miriah began to wriggle desperately trying to find some way, any way, to escape. She did not find one.
-*-
"Your search is complete." The Endeavor's normal computer voice sad in a completely normal computer tone.
Malone looked at the large repeater station mounted on the arm of the Endeavor's command chair. It was a luxurious touch, and added to her leverage for commanding the ship. Malone touched the screen in several places and brought up her search and its result. Malone was also a little confused. That she knew of, she hadn't asked the Endeavor's computer to search for anything.
As the search screen open up, a smaller screen with Prometheus' face appeared briefly. Prometheus winked at her and the screen disappeared.
"Oh." Malone though to herself "That search."
The search result screen showed several coordinates on the Fulcrum station. Text appeared on the screen describing what they were. "Initial search of the Fulcrum financial database shows that Naboo, the chief of Staff at the Kaa Embassy has extensive business interests in the Fulcrum, many of which do not appear linked to him at first."
"Each of the locations discovered so far are places that Naboo rents through subsidiary agents and cover businesses. The first search was rudimentary. Search continuing." The computer added.
Malone keyed the acknowledge button and then called Lt. j.g. Zweller over.
"I have some places for you to search on the Fulcrum." Malone said. "Can you do it?"
Zweller said "Yes, captain." He looked at the list she had. "Those places are well outside of our current search parameters."
"Abandon the parameters and get everyone checking these places." Malone ordered.
Zweller came to attention. "Aye, Aye, Sir!"
-*-
Mu Leone, Sarah Flynn, Komin Teran, and George Small were known on Patton's records as quad #23. They were standing in the door way of a cargo hold section covering the Fulcrum Security crews who were searching it.
Leone's comm-badge beeped. He tapped it. "Leone here."
Dweller's voice was direct and impatient. "All Security Quads meet me on the Atrium main deck near the fountain facing the Endeavor. Repeat all Quads, priority orders, meet me in the Atrium."
Leone looked up at his quad with a surprised look. "I guess they have a lead."
Sarah grinned. "That would about make my day."
Teran sounded gruff. "Not to mention the Captain's.
Leone called to the Fulcrum security. "Hey guys! Something's up!"
"Are you leaving?" The Fulcrum sergeant asked.
"Yup. Would you like to come along?" Leone asked.
The Sergeant thought about it. There was contraband in the cargo hold. It was a good bust. However, there was someone in trouble out there.
"Mikka, Zammo, Go with 'em. The rest of us will stay here and wrap this up." The Sergeant decided
"Okay, Let's go." The six security people jogged out of the Cargo hold and toward the turbo-lifts.
-*-
An alarm sounded on the tactical panel. Commander Stroud went around to the tactical panel and found out what it was. "Captain, the Kaa battle cruiser is powering up and preparing to leave the Fulcrum. The Fulcrum has denied them permission and called an alert."
"Yellow alert." Malone ordered. "Do you think we've flushed 'em?"
"It's possible." Stroud allowed. "There's a convoy of freighters that look like they're waiting for the battle cruiser. Bloodclaw and Lon Wu are arguing."
"On speakers."
"-I repeat, Star-Talon, do not undock. You are not cleared." Lon Wu said.
"Please, Mr. Wu. This is becoming tiresome. I am an Ambassador on an Ambassadorial vessel. You have no right to impede my movement." Bloodclaw said.
"Star-Talon, we're still under a security lock down. You are NOT cleared to leave." Wu said officiously.
"Mr. Wu, your clearance means little to me, your security even less. Now release the docking clamps or I will have my crews fire at them." Bloodclaw said.
"Mr. Stroud, bring all systems on line and prepare us to move out." Captain Malone said. "I have a suspicion that Miriah is on that cruiser and I do not want to lose it."
"Aye, Sir." Stroud said.
"What about the crew on the station?" Brekka Di asked. "What about the search parties?"
"We'll let them go. If it turns out we need more people we'll have to double back for them. But I don't want to let the Star-Talon go if I can help it." Malone explained.
"Aye, Sir. Waking all shifts. Closing main air lock doors." Di replied.
"The Star Talon is powering up weapons." Stroud said.
"Cast off all umbilicals. Request permission to undock and move to a supporting position." Malone said.
"Aye, Sir, casting off all umbilicals." Stroud said. "I have sent the message to Fulcrum control. No answer."
They listened to more of the argument from Fulcrum control.
Wu said "You are gravely jeopardizing your diplomatic status here on Fulcrum Station, Ambassador."
Bloodclaw hissed and replied. "I was invited here and assured of certain treatment by your staff and personnel, Mr. Wu. I am not receiving the treatment that I am due and I am very annoyed. I will take my ship away from this station, I will perform my escort mission as ordered, and then we will discuss whether I shall return to this vermin infested space station!"
Command Ken-Los-Phar came on the line. "Star-Talon, your clearance is granted. We're casting off our docking clamps now."
Bloodclaw waited a few moments and then said with a haughty manner. "Thank you Commander, your reputation as a diplomat is well deserved."
"We apologize for the misunderstanding, Mr. Ambassador." The Fulcrum's Commander said.
"I will bear that in mind when I consider whether to return." Bloodclaw sniffed and then cut the channel.
Stroud spoke. "Fulcrum Control is opening a channel with us Captain."
"This is Fulcrum control to Starship Endeavor. Please state the reason you'd like to undock." Ken-Los-Phar said.
Malone thought for a moment. "Commander, I feel that there is a possibility that Captain Katasai may be on the Star-Talon. I am reluctant to let the Kaa ship out of my sight until I can ascertain that she is not on the vessel."
Ken-Los-Phar thought too. "Captain Malone, the Fulcrum is a place of peace. I fear any sudden or provocative moves on your part will precipitate a confrontation with the Kaa. This is something I'd like to avoid."
"I understand, Sir. I promise not to take any action more provocative than following the Star-Talon until after we are clear of the Fulcrum Zone." Malone said.
"I understand your concern Captain. I earnestly urge you to remember that the area within 500,000 kilometers of the Station is a neutral zone. For diplomatic reasons all ships at the Fulcrum are obligated to respect and if necessary enforce peace with in this zone. And space out to one light year is considered Fulcrum sovereign territory." Ken-Los-Phar explained.
"We will respect this area, Commander." Malone said.
"Then you are cleared to undock Endeavor. Good luck." Ken-Los-Phar said.
"What's our range from the Star-Talon?" Malone asked.
"Less than a thousand meters, Captain." Stroud reported. "The Star talon has undocked and is making one half impulse toward the freighters and small escort vessels."
"Undock and when we are clear, take a heading of z plus 90 at one quarter impulse." Malone said. "We'll try to get clear of the Fulcrum while not threatening the Star-Talon, right now."
"Aye, Sir." Stroud said.
"The docking clamps have been released." Di reported. "We are free to navigate."
"Plotting course z plus 90 relative bearing." Ensign Kael said. The Endeavor followed his commands and started to move.
-*-
A few minutes later, Patton arrived unsteadily on the Endeavor's bridge. "Warrior Patton reporting for duty."
Joe-The-Scan was with him, looking rumpled and somewhat sleepy in his duty uniform. Joe simply moved towards his station wordlessly.
"Patton, has Matae released you for duty?" Malone asked sharply.
Patton shrugged eloquently. "I am well enough to leave sickbay and take part in retrieving my captain."
Malone looked at him for a few moments, gauging. "Take you station."
"Okay, what's the deal, Sir?" Joe asked Di.
"The Kaa battle cruiser has left the Fulcrum and seems likes its going to rendezvous with three freighters and some light escorts. We're going to tail them as see if the Captain's on it." Di explained.
"Alright. T'ank you." Joe sat down at his science station and began to scan.
-*-
In the Atrium there was the usual business day crowd moving around, absorbing the sights, conducting their business and making their usual riot of color.
The central fountain of the Fulcrum was an extravagant luxury in an enclosed artificial ecology. Apparently, the Fulcrum could afford it. It was tall and artistic, and filled the area nearby with the lovely smell of freely flowing water. It was triangle shape, presented a thematically linked but different face to each side.
Near the facing that until recently pointed at the Endeavor, Security and others from the Endeavor were meeting. Scattered among them were people from Fulcrum Security.
Commander Westin was there, with Zweller and several others. Leone, Flynn, Teran and Small arrived with their two Fulcrum security escorts.
"We have some new leads." Westin said sharply. "We'll be interrupting the usual search pattern to follow up on these leads."
Zammo was the ranking Fulcrum Security officer. "Where did you get these leads, Commander?"
Westin looked him in the eye. "I'd rather not say."
Zammo held his gaze and thought about it for a few moments. If they'd done anything illegal to get their data, then any arrest from the raids would be invalid. On the other hand, the recovery of the Federation Starship Captain had been rated very highly on the priority tree. "Okay. I'm in." Zammo decided.
The rest of the green suited Fulcrum security agreed.
"Search these places. Thoroughly." Westin handed out PADDs with Fulcrum coordinates.
Leone, Flynn, Teran Small, Zammo and Mikka got their target and jogged quickly off to the turbolift.
-*-
"Captain, Something's wrong with those freighters." Joe reported.
"What?" Malone asked.
"They seem different from normal freighters in several critical ways." Joe replied.
Malone looked at Patton "What do you see?"
Patton shook his head. "I have been scanning the Star Talon to try and find Captain Katasai, not the freighters."
"Any luck?" Malone asked
"No. However, there are many places on the Star-Talon that are scan shielded." Patton said.
"Switch off." Malone ordered. "Joe, Scan the Star Talon, Patton find out what's going on with those freighters."
"Aye captain." They began their scans.
A few moments later Patton reported. "I have a report, Captain."
"Go ahead." She replied.
Patton activated the main view screen which showed the group of freighters and their escorts. "The Freighters are all mounting Impulse drives somewhat larger than they'd need. This one," The screen highlighted the middle freighter, "has an extremely heavy mass reading. They are also scan shielded so that I can not tell what is inside their hulls."
"Captain," Stroud said. "I served on Q-ships early on in my career. I don't know Kaa ship architecture, but this smells bad to me."
"How long until they are in weapons range?" Malone asked.
"They are already within our medium weapons range. Soon they will move to close range." Patton
"Where's the Star Talon?" Malone asked.
"They're about a three thousand clicks away from the freighters, closing with the formation." Joe said. "No sign of the captain aboard."
"Patton, warn the Fulcrum about the nature of the freighters." Malone said.
"Captain, we share no tactical codes with the Fulcrum. The Kaa will be able to listen in." Patton reported.
"Good. Maybe if they know the jig is up they won't do anything stupid." Malone said. "Helm move us to place the Endeavor between the Fulcrum and those ships."
"Aye Captain."
-*-
The door flew open and a hand with a Starfleet phaser carefully poked through.
"Who is it?" Miriah called she thought she was barking but in fact she sounded fairly weak. "Identify yourself!"
Leone, Flynn, and the rest of their squad charged into the room.
"Captain!" Flynn said moving towards the metal bed. "Are you okay?"
Leone continued past the Captain the check out the rest of the room. "There's one here." He covered the slumped form of a Kaa with his phaser.
"The entry hall is clear." Zammo reported
Komin Teran waved a tricorder at the room. "No other life signs. Congratulations, it's a stiff."
"Our first of the day." Small commented.
Mikka called from else where. "The galley is clear!"
Miriah gathered herself and spoke to Flynn. "You must warn the Fulcrum. The Kaa are about to launch a sneak attack. Do it now."
Sarah stopped struggling with Miriah's restraints. She tapped her comm-badge. "Flynn to Commander Westin."
The commander replied. "Westin here, go."
"We have the Captain. She's alive. She says that the Kaa are about to launch a sneak attack on the Fulcrum and that we should warn them immediately." Flynn said.
"I think they already know. The Fulcrum just went on battle alert." Westin said. "We're on our way. What's the Captain's condition."
Sarah looked at Miriah carefully. "Bring medics."
-*-
"The Fulcrum has acknowledged. They re going to alert." Patton said.
"Hail the Star-Talon." Malone said.
"The freighters have suddenly started generating a lot of energy." Patton said. "They have raised shields more powerful than freighters usually have."
"Hailing," Brekka Di said.
The screen cleared to show Ambassador Bloodclaw on the dim red metallic looking bridge of the Star-Talon "Captain Malone, A pleasure to speak with you again."
Malone spoke carefully. "Ambassador, the United Federation of Planets is an instrument of peace. We believe that reasonable beings can communicate and resolve their differences in constructive ways. We offer our services as mediators with regard to any dispute you may have with the Fulcrum or any of the people of this area."
Bloodclaw looked at Malone in a particularly snaky way, that seemed to imply he found her tasty looking. "Does that mean you're prepared to drop your shields, disarm your weapons and surrender utterly to the Great Kaa Empire?"
Malone shook her head. "No, I wouldn't say that."
"Then we have nothing to discuss, yet." Bloodclaw cut the channel.
"Red alert. Raise Shields, arm all weapons." Malone said.
"Aye, Sir. Arming weapons and raising shields." Patton replied.
-*-
Bloodclaw turned away from the view screen and towards the captain of the Star-Talon. "There has been a change of plans. Attack and destroy the Starship Endeavor first. You may begin."
"Yes, My Lord." The Captain said. "Activate all weapons and shields, launch all attack craft. Signal the other ships to begin as well. Our first target is the Endeavor."
The Kaa Fleet Began to swing around.
-*-
The Star Talon and the Q-Carrier disgorged dozens of one Kaa fighters and attack craft. They sped away from their base ships momentarily and then swooped around and rushed towards the Federation Starship as if powered by pure adrenaline.
-*-
"The Fulcrum is going to full battle mode." Brekka Di repeated the station's announcement. "They're preparing to launch all fighters and attack crafts. They're asking if we need support."
Malone turned to Stroud. "Commander, open the log and record this. Captain Katasai was very enthusiastic about the Fulcrum project and so am I. I believe it is consistent with Miriah's wishes and aims that the Endeavor fights to protect the Fulcrum against this attack. I have examined Miriah's stated reasons and the evidence available from the Fulcrum itself and I agree. On my own responsibility I am now committing the Endeavor to defend herself and the Fulcrum station from attack by the Kaa."
"Got it." Stroud said.
Malone turned to Patton "Do we need the Fulcrum's help?"
Patton smiled ironically. "I see no reason to withhold the honor of battle from their brave warriors."
"Answer the Question, Tactical!" Malone barked.
"I cannot accurately say at this time, Captain. I have minimal data on the weapons mounted by the Kaa fleet." Patton reported.
"Then, by all means invite the Fulcrum fighters in. There's plenty of honor for everyone." Malone said. "Lt. Commander Brekka, keep sensors on all friendly fighters and small ships. If you see one in trouble beam the pilot to the Endeavor."
"I'll have to open beaming holes in the shields Captain." Di Warned.
"Do it, but keep them moving around." Malone said.
"Aye, Sir."
-*-
Miriah was on a gurney being wheeled through the corridors of the Fulcrum. "What's happening?" She tried to yell. "Tell me!"
"I am not certain, Sir." Flynn said "They've just recalled all pilots and have announced Battle mode. Things are getting complicated."
"What about the Endeavor!?" Miriah asked.
"I haven't heard anything yet." Flynn said. Civilians heading for the shelters jostled the gurney.
"I have to get to the Endeavor!" Miriah tried lever herself up but was not able to.
Flynn gently helped hold her down. "Make the Captain well, then go to battle. Sir."
Miriah's reply was not coherent.
-*-
The first wave of fighters came in on the Endeavor.
"Hail them." Malone said calmly. "Warn them off."
"Hailing." Patton said. He waited for a moment. "No reply. The fighters are still on attack vector."
"Set phasers to point defense fire and once the first fighter shoots, then fire at will." Malone said. "All banks."
Patton nodded. "Aye Captain."
The fighters closed to an almost frighteningly close distance and then opened up on the Federation starship with concussion missiles, lasers and particle beam cannons.
Each phaser bank of the Endeavor was capable of firing up to 5 beams at a single time. The main phaser banks on the saucer shaped hull could fire over 15 individual beams of minor power. That was more than enough. The Kaa fighters were too small to have very powerful shields.
For a few moments the Starship endeavor lit up like a space going fire works show.
When the light show died away, there were no intact Kaa fighters. A few missiles impacted the Starship's shields, but did very little damage.
"First wave of fighters destroyed." Patton replied. "Starboard shields down two percent."
Malone turned to Patton, shocked. "Really?"
Patton nodded. "Those pilots have great honor. Not only are fighters nearly useless against us but the Kaa are technologically inferior."
Malone thought for a moment. "Move us between the Kaa fleet and the Fulcrum."
"Aye, Sir." Ensign Kael replied.
The Endeavor began to move.
-*-
The Kaa Commanding the rest of the task force turned to Bloodclaw and hissed angrily. "Our fighters are useless against that thing!"
Bloodclaw was mildly annoyed. Fighter and attack-ship wings were expensive and the pilots hadn't paid for themselves before getting killed. "Have the fighters and attack ships cover us. Bring the battlecruisers and the Mauler in for a close attack."
The Kaa Commander shot a look at Bloodclaw that would have intimidated any other being in the Fulcrum "You want to close with that thing?"
Bloodclaw was relaxed and confident. "We only have to survive until the Mauler can fire. Then we can pick off the crippled wreck."
The Commander turned and began to hiss orders.
-*-
The Mauler fired at the Federation ship. The Endeavor shuddered and the deck seems to tip sharply to port.
Hanging grimly in the captain's chair, Malone was unhappy, but not worried. She rarely worried in a battle any more. She simply kept fighting. It had always worked out before. "Damage report?"
Patton was standing in an odd position, keeping his balance as the deck seemed to right itself. He read the results of the attack on his tactical panel. "Our number three shield is down. I am shifting shields to cover. Warp power is fluctuating, this eliminates our photon torpedoes. There is a hull breach in section 43, all decks. Their beam penetrated us all the way through. Major plasma leaks, and the warp drives are off line. It was mostly a habitation area so casualties are light."
Malone absorbed the report and assembled her strategy instantly. "Evasive pattern delta. Shift auxiliary power to the phasers. Patton, prevent that ship from shooting at us again."
"Aye Captain. Preventing." Patton grinned.
-*-
Bloodclaw was seriously annoyed when the Endeavor's phasers began to chew into the Mauler. There was a hole clean through the monstrous Federation ship. It bled plasma, atmosphere and debris. Sensors clearly showed its main power fluctuating. Still the Endeavor's phasers punctured the Kaa shields and wreaked havoc in the Kaa attack fleet. "I'm going to have get my hands on those." Bloodclaw thought idly.
"My lord, our fighters and attack ships are retreating to cover the carrier. The Fulcrum's units are counter attacking, and our carrier is vulnerable." The Kaa Commander reported.
That made sense to Bloodclaw. If the fighter pilots lost their carrier then they'd loose their ride home, and capture was only the most pleasant of the available possibilities.
"Order all fighters and attack ships to press home the attack on the Federation starship. We've softened them up enough now so that they might do some good." Bloodclaw ordered. He didn't care if the pilots made it home.
"My Lord! That is an irresponsible use the forces the Emperor has given you." The Commander protested. He didn't care overly for the lives of his pilots either, he just had a distaste for wasting material.
"Commander look at that monster ship. Now do the math. If we leave here without destroying it, what happens when they repair it? What will it do to the war effort?" Bloodclaw pointed out.
"Your will is my command," The Commander said bowing.
Bloodclaw realized that such a formal phrasing really implied the addition "Until I get a clear shot at your back." He was unworried. The mathematics of the battle was plain to Bloodclaw and he had an agenda of his own.
They winced at the viewscreen as the Mauler, heavily damaged and burning began to drift out of control.
-*-
The Endeavor swung around in her evasive pattern. It wasn't doing lots of good. The ships were so close that the tactical computers would have to be totally inoperative to miss. Fusion missiles plowed into the Endeavor's shields. Ravenous beams of exotic energy reached out and clawed at the ship. The Endeavor replied in kind her phasers firing until they verged on over heating.
Fighters still approached and attacked, sporadically. Each pilot made his own calculation about which would be worse, trying to attack the Federation ship, or justifying his failure to do so to his commanding officers. Knowing that Bloodclaw commanded the formation altered the calculations somewhat.
-*-
"The Star-Talon has been disabled." Stroud reported, "She's out of the fight."
"How are we doing, Patton?" Malone asked.
"Our shields are weakening. Soon the fighters will start doing more than scorching our paint and breaking our windows. Warp power has stabilized somewhat but not to allow the use of photon torpedoes. I would not like to pursue this battle past another fifteen or twenty minutes, Captain. " Patton reported.
"Then do what you need to do to end this sooner." Malone said grimly. She would have liked to neutralize the other Kaa ships with minimum loss of life, but long ingrained habit put her own crew first.
"Aye, Captain. Ending this." Patton keyed a firing pattern into his board.
"The Fulcrum is reporting that the Kaa carrier has been badly damaged and is moving off. The surviving Kaa fighters and gunships are following." Stroud reported.
"Good." Malone said.
-*-
The repeater screens on the Kaa Commander's bridge showed a scene of devastation and disaster. The Q-Ship battlecruiser was trying to escape the Endeavor but it was too late. The powerful Federation weapons burned into its hull causing great gashes and burning wounds. The Star-Talon was a near hopeless wreck. With three days to flog his crews in repair efforts he might have some thing to work with, but he was too close to the Fulcrum to get that sort of time. His pathetically few remaining fighters and attack ships had to run a gauntlet of angry Fulcrum fighters to get to their carrier which was damaged and reporting fires aboard, itself.
The Kaa Commander had fought in the previous war against the Fulcrum Allies and had his share of defeats and victories. Never had he been defeated so decisively. A defeat of this magnitude meant dishonor and death. However, the Commander had one consolation. Bloodclaw had been in charge.
The Kaa Commander looked around the bridge, but didn't see the Ambassador. An electric chill ran the length on his sinuous body. "Where is the Ambassador?!" The Commander shouted. "Find him immediately!"
-*-
Bloodclaw flew through space at a speed that abused the engines of his diplomatic courier. He carefully calculated how long he could fly at that pace before he damaged his engines too severely. It wouldn't do to be captured by Allied forces. It was too, too bad that the Kaa Commander had chosen to attack prematurely and without the knowledge of Ambassador Bloodclaw. His defeat was the result of his own bad planning. Bloodclaw had carefully forged documentation saying so. It wouldn't fool the High Command or the Emperor for a second, but it would preserve the illusion and give Bloodclaw the wriggle room to try and recover from the disaster. The Emperor would give Bloodclaw the chance to redeem himself he was certain. They'd played together torturing animals and slaves as children. The Emperor enjoyed Bloodclaw's thought process.
Bloodclaw knew that to reclaim his favored position he'd have to be especially inventive and excessively cruel. He began plotting what he might do.
For a few moments Bloodclaw sighed and regretted the loss of Miriah Katasai's genetic material on the Star-Talon. He quickly put it out of his mind. A true Kaa always realized that tomorrow was another fresh opportunity. Captain Katasai and the Federation would get their come-uppance eventually.
-*-
Miriah walked slowly along the hallways of the Fulcrum station. Her mind was whirling and she didn't know what to think. The Endeavor had defeated the Kaa fleet, although not without suffering damage. Miriah was having trouble wrapping her mind around the idea. She was having trouble accepting it. The Endeavor was her ship. Her home. Her life. It had been taken away from her. Intellectually Miriah knew that Malone had only done what was necessary. Miriah even supported the idea of destroying the Kaa. She had no problem with shooting the Kaa at all.
She felt violated and a little lost somehow.
Stroud was walking along side her. He'd updated Miriah on the condition of the Endeavor. He'd reported on the battle and what had happened. Five of the Endeavor's crew people had been killed. Forty five more had been injured. The ship had been damaged. It was a dry recitation of the facts. It didn't do justice to the emotional impact.
People bustled around Miriah intent on their tasks aboard the Fulcrum. The bustle and energy of the place had an edge, now. The Fulcrum was again at war with the Kaa.
Miriah looked around herself. Another war? Sad. Against the Kaa? It was definitely necessary. Did the Endeavor have to get involved? Did she have to do it without Miriah?
"So." She said casually "How did Captain Malone do?"
"All right." Stroud said. "We were all there helping her."
"Ah." Miriah said. She didn't know of she felt good or bad about that. Her crew was good enough for the Captain of a thirty year old science vessel to come in and command and get the job done. Without her.
"Did you see her in action, Patton?" Miriah breezed.
"I was there on the Bridge during the battle." Patton said.
Miriah looked at him shocked. She was pleasantly surprised when it turned out that he was alive. However, she'd assumed he'd been severely injured. There was no other reason that it was not him scouring the station. Patton's loyalty was to Miriah personally and the Endeavor secondly. Or so Miriah thought.
Patton met her gaze. "I was unable to escape sick bay before the Endeavor had undocked. I knew that you'd want the Endeavor back so I saw to her during the battle."
Miriah nodded slowly.
"He did, too. He made Malone look very good out there." Stroud added.
Miriah smiled faintly.
They made the turn into the huge cargo bay facing the Endeavor's docking ports. There in the cargo bay stood a large portion of the crew of the Endeavor, mixed liberally with members of the Fulcrum's crew. A banner hung over the port. It said "Welcome home, Miriah." Miriah peered at it closely and saw that there were hand written additions all over it.
Miriah kept a straight face until the cheers started. It was a cacophony. Some people were yelling things that Miriah couldn't hear. Others were just whooping it up. A lot of the Fulcrum people waved and cheered too. Miriah wondered why, briefly. There was too much else going on.
As Miriah walked down the ramp to the main deck level, her crew, her friends, her family gathered close and the noise died down a bit. No one wanted to over stress her following her ordeal.
Now Miriah could hear people yell "Good to have you back Captain!" or "We got in a shot or two for you!" or even "Be well Miriah!"
Miriah walked across the deck and to the ramp up to the Endeavor's docking port. Inside the port she could see Katherine Julie Malone standing there waiting for her.
Miriah marched up the ramp resolutely. It made her tired. She had not been abused badly enough to loose much muscle tone, but her energy reserves were all used up and bottomed out. Miriah let none of that show.
A hush fell over most of the people in the crowd as Miriah approached the lock.
Miriah almost stumbled through the lock before she remembered her protocol. The Endeavor was not under her command. "Permission to come aboard?" Miriah hated asking.
"Granted." Malone said.
Miriah stepped through the hatch and saluted the Endeavor's keel.
"Captain Katasai, I hearby return command of the USS Endeavor to you." Malone said in a very clear voice that carried.
Miriah drew herself up straight. "I accept."
"Computer note it in the log as of this moment Captain Miriah Katasai is in command of the USS Endeavor." Malone said.
The cargo bay broke out in a riotous celebration. Captain Malone said something but Miriah couldn't hear it. The Computer said something but Miriah could not hear that, either.
Miriah turned around and waved to her crew and well wishers from the Fulcrum. Her eyes were blurry and she was really tired. Buoyed by the wave of affection, Miriah turned and entered her ship. The party continued without her.
-*-
Miriah was back at her desk. She'd just exchanged codes with Malone and the ship's computer. It was now hers again.
"There's one more thing that I have to report." Malone said.
"What's that?" Miriah asked.
"I had to let Prometheus into the Endeavor's computer to find you. He hacked the Fulcrum's main computer and that's how we eventually found you." Malone explained. "You'll find him listed in the crew manifest as Acting Ensign Prometheus."
Miriah thought about it. "Prometheus are you listening?"
The answer came back a moment later. "No I wasn't. But if you like I can."
"That's all right. You rescued me, is that right?" Miriah asked.
"No, Captain. I just did my job as part of the team. We all rescued you." Prometheus replied.
Miriah nodded "Okay." She turned to other business. "How is the war going for the Fulcrum Allies?"
Malone shrugged. "We're not getting a lot of data, but what we have seen is extremely mixed. The attack wasn't the rout the Kaa were looking for, but they haven't been defeated yet, by any means."
"Would you like to be my strategic liaison to the Fulcrum?" Miriah asked.
"If that's what you'd like Captain, I can do that." Malone said. "What is our role in this thing going to be?"
"Well we're pretty solidly declared for the Fulcrum now, Aren't we?" Miriah asked.
"I take full responsibility for that." Malone said.
"I think I would have done the same thing." Miriah said. "The question now is, how do we explain this to the Federation representative when he gets here."
Malone grinned. "Better you than me, Captain."
Miriah laughed ruefully, and returned to her tasks.
-To be continued-
Disclaimer: Paramount owns all things Trek. I claim original characters and situations in this story for me.
|
|