Mission 24: Absolution

[Carl Torek]

Aboard the Raven:

Carl could see the immense city on the horizon. He was worried for the members of his crew fighting for their very lives on the surface. His idea had not gone down well with Tetsutaro, but he didn't have time to worry about the aged Admiral at the moment. He looked at the chronometer ...

... 00:04:21 ...

"Transmit to the away team. Inform them of our position. Don't wait for a reply." he ordered Harry, "Helm, Plot a parabolic trajectory into the planets' atmosphere. Calculate our speed to place us above the complex at 'T' minus ninety seconds."

"Calculated and locked-in Sir, we will need to be below one hundred kilometers to guarantee transporter lock, but at that height, our outer hull will begin to be affec ....."

"Understood Lieutenant .... Start our run." The massive Galaxy Class Star Ship increased speed slowly, and began her majestic fall toward the surface of the planet below ......

On the surface:

Calli waited until the Cordovin soldier was stood over her then opened her eyes. The man's surprise was almost laughable as he realized he had been fooled. The boot that landed on target made all thoughts of surprise turn instantly to shock !

All hell broke loose as the Marines entered the room and began firing. Marionette had gone back to retrieve the Captain and was waiting to enter the room when safe. Calli ran, crouched as low as possible toward the enhancers. Thankfully the Cordovin had left well alone. She activated the first and moved it out a little, then moved to the second ... She noticed Commander Blakus stop suddenly, seemingly peering into the fog, then he ran forward, determination governing his every stride ... Arc's of raw electrical energy began lancing across the room, randomly finding targets before moving on in their thirst for expansion ...

"MARIONETTE !" Calli yelled, and was relieved to see the Android in the doorway, a spare pair of legs extending from her shoulder, "NOW !" she shouted as she activated the third enhancer ...... Each of the crew were making their way toward the center now, firing and dodging incoming phaser energy, but it would only be seconds before more Cordovin flooded the room.

Calli made a quick count ....

"Commander BLAKUS ... We're LEEEEAVINNG !" she yelled over the turmoil as the pattern enhancers began to cycle up on power in preparation for transport. She felt the tell-tale electrical charge running through her body as de-materialization began ... Suddenly Blakus appeared, bloodied from head to foot. As he staggered into the triangle his eyes widened in shock ! ......

Aboard the Raven:

"Fifteen seconds Sir ... Outer hull temperature thirty five percent above maximum specifications and climbing." Wedlerson said as Carl shifted his gaze from the red yellow flames on the view-screen, to the chronometer above it:

... 00:01:51 ...

The Comm chirped to life:

=^= Sir .. Transporter Room Two .. Enhancers have come on-line and we have a lock =^=

=^= Do we have everyone Transporter Room ? =^=

=^= Five confirmed locks .. Hold .. Seven .. Transporting =^=

The Raven passed over the city, clearly visible if there had been anyone left to look up. Plasma discharges licked the underside of the ship as it passed above the complex. There wasn't much time left as Torek waited, watching the clock intently:

... 00:00:47 ...

=^= We have them Sir .. En-route to Sick-bay now =^= the Transporter Chief reported.

"Helm ... Punch us out of here. Maximum impulse ... NOW !" Torek ordered.

The ship tore through the atmosphere, burning oxygen molecules into nothingness before they could slip past the hull as she began her climb back into the coldness of her natural environment ... Space ...

"Sir, it's happening. Readings off the scale !" Wedlerson said, changing the view to the surface ...

The ground, almost three kilometers in diameter, began to rise, two hundred, five hundred, eight hundred meters, before some began to fall back into the enormous crater it had brought into existence, while thousands of tonnes spread into a mushroom cloud of burning earth, scorched air, and poisonous gasses. Millions of tonnes of earth melted instantly as the core finally expelled it's immeasurable energy. The mushroom cloud of burning gasses rose at ten kilometers per second, reaching out into space, before being captured by the planets' gravity and spreading like a stain in the upper atmosphere. Enough earth would be ejected into orbit that the planet would have a ring of debris, the sun's rays forever reflecting off the crystalline fragments for the remainder of it's existence ...The Raven escaped the planets pull and increased the distance every second, but even her speed couldn't prevent 'some' radiation damage, and numerous people on board would fall ill ... The ship eventually reached safe distance and rendezvoused with the Hiniori and the other Proximian armada ...

As millions of tonnes of soil fell now as they cooled and solidified, shock waves traversed the planets' surface at over one hundred kilometers per second. Buildings simply disintegrated, falling to the ground unrecognizable as former abodes, offices, schools ...

Then came the tsunami ......

A one kilometer wall of water, travelling at approximately fourteen hundred kilometers per hour, began it's unstoppable journey around the planet. There were no mountain ranges, no amazon-like forests to slow it's progress. The wave traversed the planet once, then a second time, before finally dissipating after almost three circumnavigations. The loss of live would be incalculable ... It wasn't certain that the planet would even be habitable once the aftershocks had finally wrought their toll on the once immaculate home-world on the Proximian race ........

Carl slowly rose from his seat, the Bridge in utter silence as each in turn tried to come to terms with what they had witnessed. The Duty Helm Officer was crying openly, and Carl placed his hand on her shoulder for a few seconds, before taking it away:

"Harry ... You have the Conn ....." Carl said, choking back the tears, "Check on our people in Sick-bay and inform the Hiniori we will reestablish safe orbit, and begin search and rescue procedures as soon as the surface radiation allows ... Please ask the Admiral to contact Star Fleet and request all possible assistance ... I will be in my ready room if you need me."

"Aye ... Admiral." Wedlerson said, taking a few moments to gather himself before he opened a Comm ..........





OOC: OK everyone ...

We're all back aboard ...... PLEASE feel free to post your last few moments, and your reactions to what has happened to the planet's surface ... I am sure one or two will have some memorable, heartfelt, words to post.

Regards,

Steve.

[Andae Blakus]

The assassin was loping side to side, a fell look to him, and disregarding the carnage all around. It was how Blakus knew it was him. The unmistakable swagger, the cold fury in the eyes, all of it visible through the mist. And most of all, the long katana with its fixed serrated side like an inactive chainsaw. Andae met those cold amused eyes with the red fury of his own and dived forwards.

El-Kamat's assassin recognised him, he was sure. The Cordovin's blade came up and he rasped something that Blakus heard clear as a breeze on a crisp autumn morning, despite the chaos about them. It was Cordovin speech, but none that the universal translator recognised; it sounded sharp and unkind but possessed a certain elegance.

"Yes, me again," Blakus said, and threw his now useless phaser at the man. The Cordovin batted it away with his sword but that gave Blakus his chance. He lunged, putting all his might into the charge. The assassin was bundled to the floor. He growled as he rolled away, expertly launching himself to his feet as Blakus was still picking himself up.

So this is it... Again I'm faced with death by the hand of this... man, he thought. The only thing was this time it seemed it would be certain death. No escape, no chance for redemption, no chance to avenge his former lover even though she lived still. But now something fell upon him: realisation, that he'd stumbled into range of the pattern enhancers; bloodied, but alive, and with his fellow crewmembers.

The transporter effect began, but then out of the mists came charging the bloodied and furious Cordovin assassin. And it seemed to Blakus that in those dark features were contained the essence of El-Kamat, as if the assassin had transformed into the despot, and the latter was attempting to carry out a final vengeance. Perhaps... more than an illusion; perhaps an avatar... mind control. His dreams; they shot back to him now, all of it, the portents, the nightmares, the apocalypses, the fiery aspects of Kamat overlaid and represented in that terrible visage encased within the assassin's face. They fought, encased within the cerulean swirls of the impending transporter effect, the cool wash tempering their raging bodies.

Calli and Milyanov were screaming at him, trying to pull him closer to the pattern enhancers' locus. At the last moment, Blakus succeeded in hurling the assassin away out of the range of the enhancers. He tore a phaser from the hands of a surprised marine and took aim at the assassin. Finally... His eyes gleamed. He discharged the weapon. And the cerulean effect of the transporter washed him clean from reality...

---

Raven Transporter Room 2

The transporter chief's brow furrowed. The acting CMO stood beside him, demanding animatedly what was going on. "There's a phaser discharge in the matter stream..." the Chief reported.

"Deactivate it! Now. It could be aimed for anyone."

"Aye... Completing transportation." Seven columns of light coalesced on the pad, leaving a septet of bewildered Starfleet officers and UFP marines. One of them had his arm extended, a phaser in his hand. This officer checked his phaser, seeming more frustrated with every moment. He tapped the side of it, then with a growl of disgust threw the phaser to the floor of the pad, storming past his fellow team members. He charged from the transporter room with only the barest nod of acknowledgement to the Chief.

Valenti and Marionette carried the alarmingly prone form of Acting Captain Watson off the transporter pad. "What's wrong with Commander Blakus?" the Chief asked.

The Doctor wasn't there to speculate; he'd sped off after the Chief Engineer, probably to ensure that the officer made his way straight to sickbay considering the bloodstained condition his uniform. Milyanov was only shaking his head confusedly, checking the walll chronometer. [TBC]

"For all those uninjured, you may want to make your way to your stations," the Chief offered, "Something dreadful is unfolding on Oralix. We're currently trying to outrun the blast wave."

"The blast wave...?" Calli enquired.

<Tag All>

[Marionette]

"....Ensign Marionette, move the Captain back a little. Everyone, get against the far wall ..... Ready."

Splaying herself and Watson against the far wall, she readied her phaser, and prepared to take out whatever targets might be left over. Fortunately, the Marines were very adept at their tasks.

"MARIONETTE !" Valenti yelled, and was visibly relieved to see the Android in the doorway, with Alex Watson over her shoulder, "NOW !" she shouted as she activated the third enhancer ...... Each of the crew were making their way toward the center now, firing and dodging incoming phaser energy, but it would only be seconds before more Cordovin flooded the room.

"Commander BLAKUS ... We're LEEEEAVINNG !"

Unknown to the now-beamed away starfleet officers, the assassin couldn't help but play back his unhallowed failure in his mind, over and over again, as the room electri-fried his body. Soon enough, there was nothing but a sword in a scattered pile of carbonized dust, no doubt to be found by the next civilisation, which would now likely be aquatic.

Materializing onto the transporter deck, Marionette gently laid Captain Watson onto the waiting medical hover-bed, at which the medics swooshed him on his way to sickbay.

- = - = - = -

Discreetly fast-walking with Commander Valenti to the bridge to resume her post, the pair entered the bridge in time to see the planet wipe itself clean of intelligent life. The Duty Helm Officer cried. Marionette spoke, obviously referring to the planet, and in spite of her inherent un-emotion. "Truly Unfortunate."


The female android stood, patiently waiting for the Duty Helm Officer to finish her crying jag in morning the planet.....

[Carl Torek]

~ Thirty Six Hours Later ~

Following the detonation of the device deep below the surface of Proxima Oralix, the planet had suffered an almost extinction level event. The initial explosion had sent shock-waves around the surface. Millions of structures simply crumbled under the onslaught. It was thought that the loss of life would be incalculable ... Those who escaped the devastation of the countless earthquakes and subsequent aftershocks, found themselves facing Armageddon ... Tsunami traversed the planets' surface for a full day, flooding almost seventy percent of the land masses before finally subsiding.

As the waters retreated back into the seas and oceans, their aftermath was something no-one would ever want to behold in their lifetime. Millions of square kilometers of land were devoured by the relentless force of water. A desert, that had not seen water for over a thousand years found itself buried beneath a kilometer of ocean for almost twelve hours, before that water too receded .....

In orbit, over one hundred vessels of all sizes and races, had converged on the ravaged planet hoping to help in some small way in what was to be the largest humanitarian rescue endeavor in the history of the Federation .....



"We can't sit here and do nothing !" Calli was saying.

"Commander .... Callista ...." Admiral Tetsutaro said fondly, "We all want to get down there and try to help those people, but the risk is still too great. No-one could guarantee safety, and yes, I know it is our duty, but there are considerations beyond your control. Please, try to understand my child."

"We are all eager to get back down there Admiral." Andae said.

Tetsutaro hesitated for a long moment before looking at the Raven Officers. At Carl and Calli, who he had always thought of as the Son and Daughter he was never fortunate to have had himself:

"The rescue mission will proceed within the next twelve hours. Plans are being set up as we speak, but .... Earlier, I received a priority one transmission from Star Fleet Command ... I had been holding the communication back, but unfortunately I can no longer do so ... Following the exoneration of Admiral Torek, he has been reinstated as Commanding Officer of the Raven. Acting Captain Watson's temporary Command is concluded and he will resume his assigned duties as soon as he is released from medical care ... Now, despite my furious objections, the Raven has been recalled to Earth." the room erupted in a chorus of objections, and Sato waited until everyone had had their say before continuing, "An, investigation, into the unlawful taking of the USS Raven-B is to be held immediately upon your return."

"I take full respo ....." Carl began, but Sato held up a hand to silence him.

"Carl, I am sorry, but this is out of my hands, or yours ... The USS Songacha will accompany you into Sector zero zero one. On your return the ship will be placed in space-dock for much needed repairs and refit. The crew will be allowed to remain aboard or take advantage of their free time as they choose, but all Senior Command Staff will consider themselves under house arrest and will remain aboard the Raven."

"When do we leave ?" Torek almost whispered.

"As soon as you feel the ship is ready to depart orbit." Sato replied.

Carl stood, looking at each of his Officers in turn before turning to Admiral Tetsutaro:

"We can get underway once you have returned to the Hiniori, Admiral." he said, feeling the need to get out of the room, "Commander Blakus, please ensure we are ready ... With your permission, Sir ?"

Sato nodded. Carl turned away and after a moment left the observation lounge ..........

[Calli Valente]

"When do we leave ?" Torek almost whispered.

"As soon as you feel the ship is ready to depart orbit." Sato replied.

Calli sat in silence, along with the rest of the Senior Staff as Admiral Torek left the observation lounge ... She couldn't believe that they were practically being put on trial. Yes, it was an inquiry, but each of them knew the consequences should the result go against them. Numerous people could loose more than just a rank or two !

"I think, that given the circumstances, the Raven should remain in orbit for the next twenty four hours." Admiral Tetsutaro said quietly, "Please inform Admiral Torek that I have returned to my ship. I would like his input on coordinating search and rescue operations ... The Federation has dispatched every available Medical Vessel. We should begin by assessing casualties ..... Callista, I would be honored if you would join me for supper, I fear it will be the last meal we enjoy for some time."

"I'd be happy to." Calli replied, kissing the elderly Admiral on his cheek ......

In the Ready Room:

" .... concludes my commendations and promotions list." Torek was saying as the door chime sounded, "Come in .... Ahh just in time." Carl said as Calli entered.

She went to the replicator and ordered a drink, requesting a second as she noticed Carl's glass was empty. She took the glasses and sat down opposite Torek. While not biologically related, she had always considered Carl as her older, and sometimes wiser, brother. He in turn looked on Calli as a younger sister, one prone to getting into trouble too often for his liking. accepting the drink he raised an eyebrow but didn't comment as she turned the screen around to peruse the commendations / promotions list ...

"That could have been confidential." Carl said, but Calli just grinned.

"I approve." she said, raising her glass.

"I was unaware I 'needed' your approval." Carl said, "But thank you for your wise council." he said, grinning.

"Why thank you, Admiral." Calli said, "Now ... About that list ... I think you should action one of those promotions right away. The Exec' can process the other's en-route ?" she finished. pointing at one name. Carl agreed, tapping his Comm badge:

=^= Ensign Marionette .. Please report to my ready room =^=

=^= On my way Admiral =^=

~~~~~

Calli opened the door as the chime sounded, she stepped aside to allow the android into the ready room. Torek was waiting.

"Ensign Marionette. Your progress throughout your time on the Raven, along with in my opinion, your obvious self-development, is an example to everyone aboard the ship. Therefore, it is my pleasure to appoint you the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. The promotion is effective immediately ... Congratulations, Lieutenant." Torek said, handing the android a box containing her new rank insignia.

< tag : Marionette >

After Marionette left, Calli sat back down, watching Carl closely.

"Do you think it's going to go wrong, once we're back on Earth. hell, we could end up as the proverbial 'Scapegoats' in this. Despite the face we likely saved a system or two from destruction."

"Frankly, I think they are looking for someone to 'fall on their sword' but they are going to be out of luck !" Carl said getting up and refreshing their drinks again, "While I didn't approve of Watson's actions initially, he was the Acting Captain and chose a direction. If it hadn't been for him, we wouldn't have got here, and who knows what extremes El-Kamat would have gone to in his insane quest ... I'm not saying it's damage control, but I simply can't imagine the losses if he'd activated that bloody weapon."

"So I guess drinking on duty isn't going to be a problem." Calli said, downing the amber liquid and making her way back to the replicator ..........




OOC :

Congratulations on your well deserved promotion Lieutenant Marionette

[Andae Blakus]

The beeping of the life support console that sustained the life of Lieutenant Taylor was annoyingly persistent, but was also welcome for the reason that it meant the engineer was ascending through conscious levels, breaking out of the mind-locking coma that'd had her engulfed for the last two months.

The nurse had come to install a chair so he could sit and watch his subordinate. Her chest rising and falling in steady periods - slowly but with grace - as was her manner, as it'd seemed to him when he was enamoured of her. Recovery was, and always had been the only option. Blakus would accept no less. But - and he struggled to accept it, refused to believe it to be a possibility even though he knew, with wretched fear that such a thing could come to pass - there was a chance she could die.

Still there was the numbness. An analytical presence enclosing his mind cutting it off from all feeling positive or negative. Greyness ornamented the architecture of his thought, muting the world and its contents: Taylor and her condition; the assassin who'd escaped his grasp again, and even the widespread destruction of Proxima Oralix's surface - they seemed distant prospects he could only observe.

Time would pass. He would endure, or what was left of him.

"Commander... Word from the bridge. Admiral Tetsutaro requires the presence of the Raven's senior staff."

Andae sighed, bending to collect his PADDs from the floor beside the chair. He took one look at the unconscious Lieutenant Taylor - the life support connected to her biobed an omnipresent reminder of her condition - and made a movement towards her. But he halted, hovering in place, and left the room.

* * * * *

Tetsutaro's briefing was even worse than Blakus had expected. To be recalled to Earth; to have the entire senior staff under house arrest...?! Someone clearly wanted someone to blame. Blakus knew the repercussions for his actions were to be severe, but that others had been dragged into this when he felt the responsibility lay on his and Watson's shoulders...

He watched Carl go and turned to the rest of the table. "Right, I know we've all still got Proxima on our minds, but the CO has ordered us to make ready for departure. Commander Peers, liaise with Lieutenant Milyanov in my department to ensure our defences are at full capacity. Medical, ensure we have sufficient capacity in case we're brought in on the relief effort. Helm, begin simulation of course plots away from the worse of the shockwaves from Oralix's surface."

It felt odd giving the other departments their duties but with Watson recovering in sickbay, Andae as second officer was virtually filling the aforementioned's role.

<Tag Peers, Marionette etc>

* * * * *

"Sir... Reading a ship on long range sensors," Wedlerson reported. "She's coming in fast... skirting the system's border and angling from galactic north."

Blakus turned from the engineering console, "ID?"

"Federation vessel... Akira class. Identifier USS Songacha. They're hailing us."

Andae nodded at the Ops officer; a moment later a young face appeared on the viewscreen. Captain's rank pips, but he couldn't have been much more than 30. "USS Raven, I'm Captain Thomson of the Songacha. We're here to escort you back to Earth. You're to make immediate preparations for departure."

"Preparations are already underway," Blakus said, coming down to the front of the bridge. "Admiral Torek desires to remain in the system for a further twenty hours. We'll leave when we want to leave, courtesy of discretion given to us by Admiral Sato Tetsutaro."

The Captain mumbled an apology before informing the Raven that his ship was ready to render assistance. "... I'll have my engineering chief Lieutenant William Bligh liaise with your own, Commander...?"

"Commander Blakus." Andae left it that. His mouth was open in surprise. William Bligh, his old colleague and friend on the USS Victory whom he'd met several times since... now serving on a starship as department head. Well... "Captain. May I arrange to have Lieutenant Bligh transported to the Raven to assist my engineering team?" [TBC]

<Tag All>

[Marionette]

=^= Ensign Marionette .... Please report to my ready room =^=

=^= On my way, Admiral =^= Marionette said, tapping her comm-badge. Turning to another ensign, she spoke "I need you to take over the Helm for now, i am requested elsewhere." and then got up to make her way to the Ready Room.

Arriving, Marionette quirked an eyebrow up abit as she scanned around the room, seeing Trek seated and Valenti standing off to the side. There was a felt-covered maroon box on the desk.

"Ensign Marionette. Your progress throughout your time on the Raven, along with in my opinion, your obvious self-development, is an example to everyone aboard the ship. Therefore, it is my pleasure to appoint you the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. The promotion is effective immediately ... Congratulations, Lieutenant." Torek said, handing the android a box containing her new rank insignia.

Accepting the box, she pinched it open to find a black pip with a thin gold rim. "Would a hug be appropriate for this occasion ?" she asked, a ghost of a smile on her face. Both Valenti and Trek looked at each other. "No." they both said flatly.

Unphased, Marionette responded, still with the almost-smile. "I see. Then a handshake will do." as Torek put the pip on her collar, and a short round of handshakes, before exiting and resuming her post at Helm.

"Helm, begin simulation of course plots away from the worse of the shockwaves from Oralix's surface." "Aye sir" Marionette said, her gauntleted hands dancing over the controls. She fed numbers and equations into the computer, having it calculate gaps and arcs through the sub-space warpings of the detonated superweapon.

Weirdly enough, the area was now abit hazardous, as most ships had to come into the system perpendicular to their intended course in order to drop out of warp where they wanted, instead of 90 degrees and several million kilometers off course, which might be hazardous to their health and ship safety.

[Calli Valente]

Ready Room:

"Just out of curiosity Carl, are we drinking ourselves into a stupor here, or is this one of those 'drowning your sorrows' moments that we're extending ?" Calli asked.

"Well ... There's nothing we can do but wait. Don't worry, the ships in good hands."

"Do you think Sato will allow us to help with the evacuations ?"

"We'll do all we can until we have to leave, but there's no point in hiding from the fact that we 'do' need to go back. I'm sure between us we could simply pull rank and remain, but to what end ..." Carl said, putting his empty glass on his desk, "I have the feeling this inquiry is all for show to be honest. to keep the Cordovin happy, after loosing their scapegoat."

Bridge:

=^= Captain .. May I arrange to have Lieutenant Bligh transported to the Raven to assist my engineering team .. We actually wor ..... =^=

=^= If it will hasten the Raven's departure time Commander =^= Captain Thomson said, instructing the Lieutenant to transport immediately, before closing the Comm.

"Harry, you have the Bridge ... I'm going to update the Admiral then head to transporter room one." Blakus said, activating the chime on the ready room door and stepping in, "The Songacha is coming alongside. Her Captain wants to leave now, but I told him it's not going to happen until we're ready. I'm heading to Engineering. Commander Wedlerson has the Conn."

"Thanks Andae." Carl said, "When you're done, come back up here and have a drink."

"I think you two are making enough headway without my help." he said, enjoying the first piece of humorous banter between the group of friends in a long long time ...

Zero five forty hours:

Calli was woken by the Comm chirping insistently in her ear. She and Carl had gone down to 'Ten Forward' after having a drink in the ready room, and had continued to imbibe to excess ... Sometime after midnight, both went to their quarters, definitely feeling the effects ...

"Yes ?" was all she could manage.

=^= Commander .. Captain Thomson is insisting on speaking with the Admiral .. But we were left instructions not to disturb him =^=

=^= So you contact me .. Where is Commander Blakus ? =^=

=^= It seems the Commander and the Captain had a disagreement ? .... So I erm ..... =^=

=^= Put the Captain through .. AUDIO only ! =^=

=^= Admiral Torek .. I have been instru .... =^=

=^= Commander Valenti .. Captain .. The Admiral is not to be disturbed .. What can I do for you ? =^=

=^= You can 'GET' the Admiral .. Commander =^=

Calli wasn't in the habit of throwing her name, or rank, or position about, but at times it payed to drop the odd 'hint' to alleviate any misunderstandings. She turned her feet out of bed and rubbed her eyes before replying:

=^= I can't do that at this time 'SIR' ..... I would suggest that you check my credentials before we continue this conversation .... 'Callista Valenti' attached to Star Fleet Command .... Do it 'NOW' Captain .... I'll wait ! =^=

It took the Captain all of ninety seconds to do the checks:

=^= 'Commander' Valenti .. If you could ask the Admiral to contact me .. I have been informed by my Engineer that the Raven is ready to depart the System .. Humanitarian efforts on Proxima Oralix are well underway and your presence is no longer required .. Your twenty hours will be up at eleven hundred hours .. I would like to be underway on time .. Thomson .. Out ! =^=

Calli sat in silence for a few moments. She wondered what Andae had done to upset Thomson, but good on him for doing so in her opinion. The man was pompous and self-important. He had been assigned the task of 'accompanying' the Raven back to Earth, not drag her back in shame. She didn't regret slapping him down, it would do him good in the long run, and if it didn't, she could care less, though she doubted it ... She wasn't going to wake Carl at this hour. She decided she would shower, dress, and then she would liaise with Commander Blakus re ship readiness ... Then, she would go knock on the Admiral's door ..........

[Alex Watson]

For the second time in what felt like as many days, Alex came to feeling like every bone in his body had been smashed into splinters. It was agony even to move, and when he opened his mouth to speak, he initially found that the only sound he could make was a dry rasping. His vision was blurry, and he could make out several black shapes moving around him and the undefinable murmur of hushed voices. As a scientist, he realised that his body was in a semi-coma, a sort of biological “safe mode” where his sensory systems were not operating at full output in order to conserve energy. He was vaguely aware of some sort of telepathic presence in his head, speaking with what seemed like urgency, but his mind could not make sense of the words – it was like he were hearing them through thick glass or underwater. Slowly, darkness closed back around, and he went under once again, the echo of a terrible scream ringing in his ears.

As he opened his eyes again, and they came into focus, he realised that he was lying on a bed in the medical centre with machines beeping all around him. He glanced at the chronometer by his bed. It was a day and a half later than the last thing he remembered.

“What…happened?” He managed to croak. A nurse standing nearby turned to face him, scanning him with her tricorder.

“You’ve been out for thirty six hours, Commander.”

“Com…commander?”

“Yes. Admiral Torek has re-assumed command of the Raven. You stand relieved.” Alex managed a weak smile.

“Admiral?”

“That’s right. The Federation have seen fit to promote Admiral Torek.” Alex laughed drily, the effort causing him considerable pain.

“Right…” He sat up, even though it was agony, and turned to side his legs off the bed. Slowly, he stood, supported by the nurse at his side. His breath came heavy and quick, and he realised then how weak he had become physically as a result of El-Kamat’s tortures – that he must have been running on pure adrenaline during the firefight down below, and had finally succumbed to the needs of his body when he was out of immediate danger. Slowly, he was lead towards the door.

“Take me to the Gandai.”

<<<>>>

The alien sat on the cot in his cell. The humans had confined him to one of their prison-quarters when he insisted that everything was not as it seemed. They seemed sure that the matter was over.

“Fools…” he whispered under his breath.

He had sat, almost unmoving, in a meditative state for nearly thirty hours. He had tried reaching out with his mind to the human scientist whom he had encountered below in the firing room, but his mind was awash with pain and drugs that kept him too unfocused to send a message to. He sighed deeply, hoping that he would awaken soon.
He did not have to wait long, as only minutes after the thought crossed his mind he sensed the human awaken and start moving towards him. He smiled inwardly, awaiting the arrival.

As the human walked in the alien could see that his physical injuries, and sense that his mental trauma, was great. He was supported by a human female, and his heart rate and respiration were greatly elevated. The alien reached out with its mind into his, touching it, talking to it, strengthening it. The human sat on a chair outside the cell, and waved the human female away.

“Greetings, Alexander Watson. My name is Jand’ra. I am the last of my people alive in this Galaxy, and I am also the last hope to save the planet beneath.”

“But…we saved the planet. It caused massive devastation, but we saved it.” Jand’ra was impressed that the human replied telepathically, although all he had to do was think the words and Jand’ra would hear them. This small success meant that they could talk openly in private.

“You think you did, but you did not. You stopped the device from firing and destroyed the mechanism and chambers, but the core itself is overloading now. It remains powered up, and that power has to go somewhere.”

“You mean…you mean that that WASN’T the core?”

“That was the main reactor chamber – it was the place the energy from the core came to in order to be distributed. You destroyed it. The power now has nowhere to go.”

“But where…where…” Alex’s thoughts trailed off as he realised the answer. “It’s the core of the PLANET?”

“Yes. It is not a true planetary core, but it has kept the mass stable. Now, it has been gathering power for nearly thirty six hours with no outlet.”

“But that’ll explode! That’ll destroy the planet!”

“Yes. Unless we stop it.”

“How?”

“There is a way. Now, it may be possible, in the past, perhaps not. It is far from certain. If we can direct the energy of the core correctly, it is possible we could shape it and create a true planet-core. The shockwave and seismic damage would be considerable, but it is that or annihilation.”

“How do we do that?”

“There is only one way. From the core itself – it must be reprogrammed to dissipate and reorganise the energy in the correct way. If it is not, the consequences would be disastrous.”

“So how do we do that?”

“First, mister Watson, you must get me out of here.”

<<<>>>

Alarms were sounding across the ship, there had been a breach in the holding cells, and sirens were blaring all around the bridge.

“What the hell’s that for?” demanded Carl as he stood on the bridge.

“Unsure, sir. Checking now. Bringing up vid-display.” Carl watched the video on screen for several seconds, before turning and running towards the turbolift to the transporter room.

On screen was a security recording of Alex hard-jacking the holding cell, releasing the creature, and running – running away.

<<<>>>

As they came into the transporter room, Alex limped as fast as he could over to the control panel. He had only been able to delay the alarms for a few minutes, and as such had bought them at least some minimal time. Taking the device the alien had given him he plugged it into the console, leaving it to do its work. He limped slowly back towards Jand’ra – who was now clad head to toe in his full armour, an impressive sword strapped to his back. They stood on the pads. Alex looked around, tired, wistful. He smiled slightly, taking a last look at the ship that he had come to love.

“Stop!”

He jerked his head around. Standing there in the doorway, phaser drawn and pointed at him, was Carl.

“Explain yourself, Commander!” his CO shouted. Alex just smiled his weary smile, a tear leaking from the corner of his eye.

“It’s time, Carl. I’m doing what we have to do.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m saving the world. That world at least. I’m saving it.”

“We already did that! Alex, you’re unwell, you’re tired, you’re stressed! Come back to the medical bay!”

“They’re going to need to pin this on someone, and we both know it can’t be you, Admiral.” Alex smiled. “This has been a one way trip for me for quite a while.”

“Alex…” Carl began.

“It’s okay, Carl…” Alex spoke slowly, weakly. “Let me do this. Let me do this last thing right.”

The phaser rose again.

“I’m going to take you back to the medical bay! You need help!”

“Then shoot me, Carl.” Carl’s finger tightened on the grip, but he hesitated, and in that split second’s hesitation the transporter activated, activated far faster than it normally should – where it usually took a few seconds to transport fully, they seemed to be gone in a blink. The panel sparked and fused as they vanished.

“NO!” Shouted Carl. “NOOOO!”

<Tag Carl, Ship Party>

PART 2 COMING SOON!
<<<>>>

[Carl Torek]

"What the hell is that for ?" demanded Carl as he stood on the bridge about to confirm departure with Captain Thomson. He was shocked to see Watson and the Gandai.

"They seem to be heading for transporter room three Admir ....." Harry began, but Carl was already in the turbo-lift.

~~~~~

Snatching a phaser off one of the Security personnel outside the door, he entered:

"Explain yourself Commander !" he said, trying hard to hold the weapon on his friend and First Officer. As the man spoke calmly and seemingly rationally. He had hesitated he had under estimated, and could hear the whine of a transport build-up. He raised the phaser, but Alex and the Gandai vanished from sight. He punched his comm badge:

=^= BRIDGE .. Get a lock on Watson's location and beam him back here ... NOW ! =^=

=^= Sorry Admiral .. We're trying .... But there is nothing to lock on to .. Commander Watson's bio-signs vanished when he departed the Raven =^= Calli said from beside the Security Chief.

Carl gripped the phaser in frustration, burning a meter wide hole in the deck-plates before the ship's defense system de-activated the weapon. He threw the phaser to the floor and ran back to the turbo-lift, and the Bridge ....

"Contact the Hiniori. Inform Admiral Tetsutaro of developments ... I'm beaming down to the surfa ......"

Admiral, if I may have a word ?" Callli said, standing in front of him, "We will contact Sato, and Thomson. But there is nowhere to beam TO ! ... We have to trust Alex had reason for his actions, maybe something we missed, something the Gandai told him ?"

"Admiral." Harry said, making both Torek and Valenti turn to face him, "I've scanned for the Commander. He's not here. I scanned every vessel in orbit out to our maximum range. I also scanned the surface ... Nothing. There are only two possibilities Sir."

"He hasn't beamed into open space ?" Calli insisted, as Commander Blakus entered the Bridge.

"No, there would be residual traces this soon ... He's either transported 'outside' our sensor range, or ... Or he's beamed 'into' the planet."

"Into, just how would that work ? ..... The complex has been totally destroyed, there's nowhere he 'could' have beamed into, is there !" Calli insisted.

"With all due respect Commander, we have 'ZERO' idea what the Gandai have below the surface. They could have facilities well beyond our range to detect. Or a hidden vessel submerged in one of the sea's. Who knows." Wedlerson said, frustrated.

"Sir. Captain Thomson is insisting we prepare for departure immediately." the Comm Officer interrupted.

"Ignore him." Carl said, "I want every sensor we have locked on the surface. Every Comm channel is to be kept open. If we get anything I want to hear about it." he finished, heading for his ready room ..........

[Andae Blakus]

Blakus was glad to return to engineering and was looking forward to the resumption of some form of normality. The throb of the core, the thrum of the engines, the chatter of his engineering crew... It was home from home. No, it really was home. And having Bligh here made it even more so, although that made it an odd sort of homeliness. Bligh had been a junior officer under him on the Victory-C, so his presence melded nostalgia for the familiarity of that vessel's engine room with the comfort of his current abode on the Raven.

The room was a hive of activity, fuller than usual as the crew made preparations for their departure, which was now in just under eight hours. Thomson of the Songacha wanted them out of here now, but the Admiral had been quite clear. Milyanov was still being checked out in sickbay, along with the stricken Taylor, meaning Andae had Tinsley as his temporary assistant chief. Bligh was there simply to meddle and joke.

Just as Andae accessed the master console to ready the main coil-constrictors-core system to activate - warming it for the Raven's inevitable outbound trajectory - earsplitting alarms sounded throughout the room and, Andae suspected, the whole ship. "Tinsley, you're in charge. I'm bridge bound again."

"It never ends," Tinsley replied, turning to the master console while Bligh watched Blakus leave strangely.

The bridge officers were in heated discussion as Andae stepped out of the turbolift. He looked about with interest, descending to the lower level, then back up to the engineering console. Stunned would not be the word for it. Watson's actions were inexplicable, if he'd had a choice in the matter even. It was heroic or foolish depending entirely upon what he was doing.

"Despite the apparent non-destination, I might be able to trace the direction of the transporter beam," Blakus said from the engineering console. Moments later he had the result. "Wedlerson's right. Alex has beamed into the planet... Somehow. Alive I can't tell... As you've discerned, there was no point of materialisation. According to our instruments, he reached no form of destination."

"Admiral Torek." Wedlerson said, staring at the viewscreen. All turned to look. An illuminated arc of the planet was visible, the rest of it cast in shadow towards the bottom of the screen. Tropospheric weather patterns roiled across the dayside but left enough visibility for the crew to espy the surface. The surface had entered a crazed, chaotic state. Rippling, tortured as it sheared against itself. "The tectonic plates are on the verge of cracking," Wedlerson reported.

<Tag Alex> <All>

[Carl Torek]

Carl had sat in his ready room for ninety seconds, isolated from the crew, the ship. Running through every scenario his mind could come up with. Re-entering the Bridge he received reports on their progress, or distinct 'lack' thereof.

His Executive Officer had gone with the Gandai. They had beamed 'into' the planet. Not into a chamber, not into any working structure, but 'into' the planet itself. Carl couldn't accept that ...

"Admiral Torek." Wedlerson said, "The tectonic plates are on the verge of cracking."

"So we didn't stop this after all. Kamat may have got his wish." he said, almost to himself. "Commander Blakus you have the ship." he said, heading towards the turbo-lift.

"Where are you going ?" Calli asked, concern in every word.

"I'm going down there, where ever Alex went."

"I can't allow that." Calli said, stepping into his path, "Admiral, we have 'NO' idea what unique attributes the Gandai possess. But one things for sure, 'YOU' don't have them, and beaming into solid rock isn't going to help anyone, least of all, you ... Please Admiral, think about what you plan to do." she finished, pleadingly looking into his eyes.

"Calli ......" Carl whispered.

"I'll have you relieved, and you know I will." Calli said in a hushed tone, trying not to alarm the Bridge crew watching them, "This is insane ... You are needed here, and if Commander Wedlerson is correct about the plates, we can assume the planet is going to break up. I doubt even the Gandai could prevent that from happening." Carl held eye contact for a long moment, before realizing she was right. He turned back to face the view-screen:

"How long Commander ?"

"Impossible to say accurately Admiral. But going off the readings, and what Geophysics can confirm, Two hours before the planet reaches the point of no return."

"Do we know how many are still on the surface ?"

"Best guess Admiral ...... One point three million .... Plus or minus twenty percent." Harry informed him.

"Open a Comm to every vessel in orbit and any approaching." Carl said, sitting down. Harry nodded the Comm was open:

=^= This is Admiral Torek .. 'ALL' vessels are ordered to begin transporting people off the surface immediately .. Every vessel must transport the maximum and fill their ship to capacity .. The planet is breaking up .. A sub-space distress signal will be transmitted after this announcement .. Hopefully we'll get help soon but for now we need to do all we can to save all we can .. Torek out ! =^=

"Do we have anything on Commander Watson yet ?" Calli asked.

"No Sir."

"Ninety minutes ..... We get all we can off the surface in ninety minutes, then everyone get's out of this system." Carl said defiantly, "If that planet goes while we're in orbit we'll be going with it ... Set the clock." The chronometer above the view-screen went blank for a few seconds, then it sprang to life ...

... 01:29:59 ...

[Calli Valente]

She activated the door chime and waited. Seconds later the whirlwind that was Bethan Torek opened the door ...

"Calli." she said, grabbing her hand before almost dragging her into the appartment. Carl was laying the table ready to eat, "Oh, sorry I thought you may have eaten by now. I'll come back."

"No, you can have something too." Bethan said, happily seating Calli.

Two hours later:

On the Bridge, Admiral Torek was insisting he transport down to the co-ordinates Commander Watson and the Gandai had gone to, but that wasn't going to happen ... Finally, Carl realized the futility of his idea, and set to work. Calli in turn headed for one of the vacant consoles behind the Command area ...

"Admiral, with the empty residential area's and the cargo bays on decks thirty eight and nine, we can hold approximately six hundred, give or take." she said.

"Give or take what, stacking them six high." Harry said, checking through cargo manifests, "We're only capable of transporting two hundred Commander."

"We only need to get them off the surface, not wine and dine them Commander." Calli said, checking for other area's throughout the ship that could be utilized as refugee open ground, "Is there anything in the main cargo bays that are 'must-keep' essentials ?"

"Plenty." Harry said, "But there is a lot of stuff we could dump." he finished, looking between Calli and the Admiral.

"OK. Begin dumping all non-essential cargo. Beam it into space, or flush the cargo bay ..." Calli ordered, "What about the Gymnasium, let's clear that too, and deactivate the holo-suits, begin replicating cots and camp beds, we'll need a lot ! ... Right, that should allow us to hold six hundred. The children will need attention, so put the call out. Anyone that can spare the room can take in a child or two. Thankfully it won't be for more than a day or so as vessels are arriving by the hour now, and we'll transfer our refugee's off as priority. I want 'ALL' medically trained personnel, regardless of what training, to be available when needed."

She turned to the Admiral, who nodded to show his approval of her organization of the situation.

~~~~~

Tons of cargo was now forming a drifting island, like flotsam and jetsam from a seafaring ship disaster, almost a kilometer below the Raven. Carl and Calli could see that other vessels were following suit, each dumping their non-essential cargo. As quickly as it could be dumped, it was replaced by the living, by the survivors from a world soon to no longer exist ...... Calli looked at the chronometer ...

... 01:13:25 ...

[Andae Blakus]

Andae observed the transportation of refugees into the cargo bays and other open areas of the Raven from the sanctuary of the engineering console. "We don't need to materialise all of them as they come aboard," Blakus suggested, twisting to face the other bridge crew. "We could store a few in the pattern buffers, long enough to find space for them here or on other ships in the fleet, or until it's safe for them to return to the surface."

<Tag Carl/Calli>

But only if Alex achieves... whatever he's trying to achieve, Andae thought. Maybe he was making a last ditch effort to save the planet from total annihilation. It was tremendously courageous, and had an element of sense to it. If the crew were to entertain the possibility that the Gandai weapon was still active, then the whole sector or more could be at risk, if Q was to be believed.

At this Blakus was reminded of the time he'd defied his previous CO, Captain Nikaila Cir'Kem of the Victory, to try and save an entire system's population from star death. He'd succeeded. But the rightful plaudits - and the reward with time in the brig - had gone to Tiberian Wong, the Victory's SMO. Andae fiddled with the engineering console, seeing how the continents were emptying in swathes as surviving members of the populace beamed up to the visitor-cum-lifeboats meandering in low orbit. Somehow, he believed that Alex would succeed.

"Still nothing from the surface regarding Watson or the Gandai?" he commed across to Peers. The activity and volume on the bridge was so great that it was easier to talk via console communication than actual verbal address. Peers responded negative.

"So no signal, commbadge, biosign of distant Cordovin ancestor, no anything..." Andae murmured. "I could do with a gin."

"Picking up something. A transponder signal..." Wedlerson reported above the frenzied hubbub. "It's coming from within the wreckage of the Cordovin Battlecruiser! It seems one of the fragments has survived, although it's beginning to break up in low orbit."

"We're being hailed..." Peers reported. "Audio only."

"Patch it through..."

Breathing like sandpaper filled the intercom, scratching its way around the bridge and forcing all hairs on end. A croaky sharp intake of breath burst through the static, "USS Raven. You've searched long and hard for me. In a way you have found me, cornered me at the start of my conquest, yet your attempt at the destruction of my ship wasn't sufficient to extinguish me from the galaxy. Even when we first met on Cordovin IV, Admiral Torek, I saw the potential in you, as a pawn in my emergent empire, in Cordovin Prime's emergent empire..."

Andae looked about, wondering if each of the bridge crew were as stunned as he was by the voice. Was that really El-Kamat?

"... And even now you remain just such pawns." The voice broke into coughing; a rasping, retching cry that virtually signified the Cordovin rebel was near death, amongst the wreckage of his flagship. Or was he laughing? "You've all failed! My weapon is still in activation sequence. The primary firing mechanism was destroyed but the weapon itself remains. The planet and surrounding sectors will be destroyed, triggering other... things I had planned to use to build Cordovin's future. Don't forget, my physiology is tied to the weapon. If I perish, the weapon's user interface locks out, and the whole thing detonates instantly. My last gift to you, 'Admiral' Torek..."

The intercom cut off, leaving the previously vocal bridge crew in silence.

<Tag ALL>

00:44:39

[Carl Torek]

" ..... things I had planned to use to build Cordovin's future. Don't forget, my physiology is tied to the weapon. If I perish, the weapon's user interface locks out, and the whole thing detonates instantly. My last gift to you ... 'Admiral' Torek ..."

Carl watched the screen in silence.

"Sir, I have a visual on the section the transmission came from." T'Brel informed them.

"On screen." Andae ordered.

The view changed to show a dilapidated section of the Cordovin ship. Carl couldn't believe anyone could still be alive on there given the damage, but alive El-Kamat seemed to be. He looked at the chronometer, realizing they had less than forty five minutes ...

"Can we get a lock on him ?" Calli asked as Peers worked feverishly to check before shaking his head, "There's way too much residual radiation from the ruptured core .... The man shouldn't be able to survive."

"Tractor beam ?" she said, knowing she was grasping.

"Not a chance. The thing is barely holding together, and that's going to deteriorate as it falls deeper into the atmosphere." the Tactical Officer confirmed, "The section would break up the second we attempted to establish a lock."

"How long as it got ?" Carl asked Andae, who had been running structural integrity scans almost continuously since the transmission.

"Impossible to say ...." he said, looking at his console again, "Hell, it shouldn't even exist after that explosion. It could break up in the next thirty seconds, skip off the atmosphere, or hold together until it buried itself into the ground."

"Sir, there is almost zero atmosphere inside the section, so Kamat must be close to comatose, if he hasn't collapsed already." T'Brel said, "There must be oxygen entering the section from the upper atmosphere that could help keep him alive, but the temperature is building, and rapidly."

"How close would we need to be to get a positive transporter lock on Kamat ?" Calli asked T'Brel.

"I'd say less than fifty meters, and even then any lock will be tentative at best ... That thing is bouncing around like a cork in a fountain, even with the Lieutenant's skills, we'd never get the Raven close enough without risking running right over the top of the section and crushing it."

"What about the Piper ?" she asked.

"The Medical Shuttle ?" Marionette asked, realizing it was a viable option.

"Commander Blakus, Commander Valenti, Lieutenant Marionette ... Take the Piper ... Once you get El-Kamat I want him in a stasis chamber. 'DEEP DEEP' stasis, I don't want him even 'thinking' about thinking. Hell, just keep him alive, understand ... You have twenty minutes, although, I imagine if he dies of oxygen deprivation before you get to him, that time-frame will be moot, given no-one will be around to realize it." Carl ordered, shrugging noncommittally. As the three left the Bridge he glanced at the chronometer above the view-screen:

... 00:38:52 ...

< tag : Shuttle Team / Alex >

[Alex Watson]

As Alex materialised with the Gandai deep within the planet, he almost instantly fell to his knees, screaming in pain at the pressure that existed this deep in the core. By rights, he should have been crushed like an egg the second he materialised, but he suspected that some sort of engineering kept the place at a habitable, if barely, pressure index. He felt a hand on his head, and felt the slow tendrils of telekinetic power radiate from the fingertips into his skull, easing his pain slowly. When it was finished, the Gandai looked at him, seeming a little abashed.

“I apologise, my friend. I forgot that your species is not well adapted to high-pressure atmospheres. We engineered this place to be at our limit of maximum comfortable tolerance – it was as good as we could achieve.”

“That’s…that’s ok…” Alex sputtered, blood dripping freely from his nose and the corners of his eyes, but more slowly now and seeming to stop. Alex took his handkerchief from his pocket and blew – its white turned to bright scarlet in his hand. “How do we stop this thing, then?” he asked as he rose to his feet. “I mean, it’s got to be…be…” his speech trailed off as he saw what was in front of him.

He was standing on a platform that was part of a walkway that ran around the edge of…Alex couldn’t even begin to describe it. There was no word Alex had ever come across to give it any sort of scale. It was a hollow sphere, and within it was a glowing, pulsating ball of matter and energy – at least Alex presumed that it was a hollow sphere and a ball. The size was such that it seemed to go straight up and down and side to side from where they were standing. As he watched, the core flashed a dark, angry crimson and the whole structure shook.

“We are running out of time, my friend. Come – to the primary control room.” Alex limped after him, the Gandai moving with the grace Alex had come to associate with him. The walk seemed like forever, though it could not have been more than about twenty five minutes. They reached a vast complex that seemed to house computer banks – row upon row of computers, all whirring at maximum, all dangerously close to overheating and fusing into solid metal. The sound of them all together was deafening.

“We need to alter the settings – come, I will show you.” The Gandai reached out his hand and touched Alex’s forehead. Into his mind sprang the details, the method, the KNOWLEDGE of what he had to do. Alex reeled back – the computer systems were insanely complex, more so than anything that any known race had ever even dreamed of – but with the knowledge came the UNDERSTANDING of the systems: he realised as he dropped to his knees, his head ringing, that the Gandai had imparted scientific theory that would make him revered, a genius, a pioneer even beyond the compare of Einstein, Hawking, even the giants of the true space-age. He gasped for breath, then steadied and steeled himself. He knew what he had to do.

<<<Ninety Minute Time Gap: Tag All>>>

“That’s the last one!” Alex shouted to the Gandai as he reconfigured the last bank of consoles.

“Good!” came the reply. “Meet me by the primary console.”

Alex limped forward. He could feel his body starting to fail him. The trauma, mental and physical, that he had been through had taken its toll and, as he had not lingered to receive proper medical care to compensate, his organs and systems were beginning to shut down as a response. He was convinced that his kidneys had failed, as he felt a burning pain in the small of his back – a pain that Alex suspected was caused by the slow build-up of toxins in his system. However, that would take much longer to kill him than he needed for what he was about to do. He coughed violently as he struggled forwards, bringing up a gout of blood. He shook his head almost negligently, gasping for breath as he reached the console next to the Gandai, having to use it as support – otherwise he would have fallen over, and that would have been disastrous, as he would probably not have been able to stand again. The Gandai looked at him with something that was unmistakeably pride.

“You are brave, my friend. You have shown yourself worthy.”

“Worthy?” Alex managed to choke out.

“For this.” The Gandai drew the blade on his back. Superficially it resembled an ancient Terran katana, the sword of the Samurai, but the blade was almost a metre long, and the handle over a foot. Alex looked at it apprehensively. The Gandai smiled.

“These blades were forged long ago. This one was tens of thousands of years old even when it came into my possession. They were totems of our people – symbols, if you will. They were known as the Ka’ga-in: the Shields of the Weak. They were given not to those who had sought out and achieved great glory and victory on the battlefield, nor to those who led our government or designed our science. They were reserved for those who had shown the courage of legends, fighting against impossible odds in the defence of those who could not defend themselves. Those who bore them were known as Ka’gwan – Shield Bearers – and were revered by my people as heroes beyond compare. They passed from hand to hand, each Ka’gwa choosing his successor and passing on the blade. I received this from my mentor and teacher for my acts that secured this station from our enemies and bound it in what we thought was eternal safety. I now pass it on to you, the being that has finished our work. I name you the final Ka’gwa of the Gandai race.” He passed the sword into Alex’s hand.

It felt light, almost absurdly so, given its size. Alex’s hand tightened around the hilt, and he felt a warm glow spread through his body. He felt some of his strength return, but he knew that it was an illusion, an artificial strength.

“I…I am honoured,” was all he managed to say. The Gandai merely nodded, smiling.

“This station can only be activated by two personnel with appropriate clearance. I needed to make sure that you were a worthy choice, my friend. I am one such person, but there is no one else. However, a Ka’gwa can act as the second authoriser, allowing us to achieve our goal.”

“I see…” Alex said weakly.

“This was not just a symbolic gift, my friend. This was not just pragmatism. You deserve this honour.”

Alex could only nod as he moved forward sluggishly towards the console with the alien. It pressed its hand to one of the panels, tapping in a release code and an over-ride. One of the consoles glowed green – the first lock was disengaged. A slot slid open on the central console – a slot the size and shape of the cross-section of the sword. Alex and the Gandai’s eyes met, and they nodded, their resolve steeled. Alex stepped forward, sliding the sword into the console to its hilt. As it clicked, fully inserted, the console glowed a ferocious orange, then it too started to pulse green.

“It is time, my friend.”

Alex smiled wistfully. He’d never thought that it would end like this. He’d imagined himself growing old, having his own ship, maybe even having a family. None of that mattered now. The only woman that he’d ever had strong feelings for was back on board the Raven in the science department, probably engaged in some other duty relating to the current mission. Alex hoped that Jenny would mourn for him, at least. He had saved her from the parallel universe on his first mission, but he had never told her how he felt. He suspected that she might know, but if she did she had hidden it well. It was her face now that swam in front of his eyes. Then it was Calli’s, another woman he had cared for. He’d realised straight away that he had no chance, but some small part of him had always thought…then it was Andae, loyal and solid, dependable all the way into hell and back…then it was Peers, their new Vulcan security officer. Alex wished that he’d had the chance to get to know him a little better…next was Marionette, the fascinating android that had so captured Alex’s scientific imagination…finally came his CO. Carl’s face seemed to frown, as if he disapproved of what Alex was doing, but he saw there might just have been a hint of pride there as well…

Carl was the only one that he had said good-bye to at all, and that was hardly what you would call a heartfelt and tearful farewell. Without realising it, Alex began to cry. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he sought to calm the swell of emotion and overcome that most fundamental of human instincts – to live. When he came to it, he realised that this wasn’t going to be so easy after all. He felt the Gandai’s hand on his shoulder.

“Among our people, we had a saying: the most glorious life is one lived in the service of others, and the most glorious death is one received willingly in the same way.”

Alex smiled weakly, tears still staining a path through the dirt on his cheeks.

“One of our ancient poets said something similar. He asked: how can a man die better, than facing fearful odds for the ashes of his fathers and the temples of his gods?” He laughed. “We don’t have any gods any more, but I think the message was the same – it’s best to die for something that is important to you – to save something that is important for the future.”

“I agree.”

“Another wise man once said that the bitterest tears that we shed over graves are for words unsaid and deeds left unperformed.”

“I agree with that also, my friend. I have found that to be the case.”

“How long?”

“Seconds.”

Alex nodded. He placed his hand onto the console and watched as it accepted his bio-signature, linked to the sword. He gripped the hilt tightly with both hands, as much to steady himself and anything else. He looked to the Gandai, who nodded, preparing to press his own button.

Alex gritted his teeth, then howled one final battle-cry, the cry of the damned.

“AAAARRRRRRRRRRGH!”

He twisted the sword in the slot, he saw a light on the end of the hilt flash red, then the core pulsed, arced, and everything went white.

00:01


<<<Tag All for any last second moments>>>

“Sir, the planet’s going to blow any second!” screamed the helm officer, frantically trying to manoeuvre the Raven between the blasted sections of rubble in the area to reach a point where they could warp. Carl turned his eyes to the countdown clock, he watched it tick down to three, to two, to one…

Everything went dark for a second, but it wasn’t death, it was the lights on the ship that had flashed off.

“What was…” Carl began to ask, but the question died on his lips as he looked at the viewscreen.

A huge electric shockwave was spreading from the planet, preceeded by what could only have been a huge magnetic fluctuation a few seconds earlier.

“BRACE, BRACE, BRACE!” Carl shouted, the Red Alert klaxons blaring around the ship as the energy wave engulfed it. Electricity arced everywhere, across the walls, through the instruments, through everything. Then, just as soon as it had come, it was gone.

“Damage report!” shouted Carl, hoping against hope that it was not too severe. “What’s the status of the planet?”

The science officer checked his console, then flicked at a few keys and looked at it again. He took his glasses off, rubbed his eyes, and stared at the screen with wide eyes.

“Report, officer!”

“It…it’s impossible, sir. The planet is…stable. There is still seismic activity going on on a huge scale, but the core has stabilised, we read a true…a true planet core, sir. The planet it stabilising around it.”

Carl took a moment for the words to sink in. A true planet core – that meant that it had been converted into a ball of molten iron and other elements…and Alex…

He sank into the centre seat, his mind spinning…

<Tag Carl>

[Marionette]

As soon as they exited the turbolift, the trio all but sprinted down the halls to shuttlebay 2. The Piper was already prepped for launch, and hot on the short runway-pad. Marionette, Calli, and Andae wasted no time boarding, and with the hatch sealing up, they were off into the black.

Plotting their course, Marionette boosted the ship to maximum impulse, whipping around other ships and within inches of floating junk piles as she hard-charged the shuttle just short of going into low warp. Andae and Calli exchanged glances as to their mutual worry at Marionetes skin-of-their-teeth flying, but said nothing.

Clearing the majority of orbiting vessels, she punched up the speed again, causing the engines to whine in mild protest. "Are you sure we should be going this fast, Lieutenant ?"

"Expediency is required, as we are on the clock at 32 minutes, and 7 seconds. Not including any time which may be required to retrieve Commander Watson, should the opportunity present itself." Marionette said, her gauntleted hands dancing over the lighted console of the shuttle. "Also, as Chief Engineer, i must inform you that due to events in this mission, i will need maintenance ahead of schedule."

= - = - = - =

The sensors bleeped, and Valenti spoke "Whatever broke on the Cordovin ship is leaking plasmic radiation. I can't get transporters to lock onto him. The closest i can get is a corridor just outside of the bridge."

Marionette spoke, "I am largely invulnerable to most forms of Radiation. I will retrieve Kamat. Blakus, please take over helm." and she stepped onto the cargo transporter. Calli touched the controls, and Marionette beamed away -

To re-materialize just outside the bridge, where a dying Kamat was. She did not need to punch open anything, as the place was falling apart to begin with. Striding to the Captains Podium of the bridge, She declared an ultimatum to his now-frail form, the still proud (supervillain ?) clinging to the railings of the platform. "Tahl El Kamat, You Will come with Me."

Kamat slow looked at her, a look of mortal dread oozing its way onto his pale, bloodied face. "No."

Marionette tilted her head, and then enacted plan B. Grabbing him by the shoulder, she forcibly made him walk, much to his physical agony as much as his willful resistance. Kamat started screaming 'No' repeatedly, and desperately clinging to stuff like a child protesting going somewhere. The gynoid didn't give him a choice.

All. The. Way. Down. The. Hall.

Mustering up one last bout of strength, Kamat balled up a fist, as the pair was beamed back to The Piper -

= - = - = - =

And on the cargo-transporter deck, gave Marionette the best hook-jab he could give. It only broke his hand more, as her face pinged and jerked her head to the side. Kamat ranted on and on most uncooperative as Marionette and Calli escorted him to the med-bay to the rear, where the gynoid all but tossed him like a tennis ball into the cryo-tube.

The Piper was on its way back to the Raven, when the planet discharged a massive shockwave. Anae tried his best to outrun it, going even faster than Marionette did on the way there, but to no avail. The shockwave hit and the small craft surfed it like a boogie-board in a tsunami wave, ending up on the outer fringes of the system.

Circuits blew out, consoles exploded, Isolinear chips melted, and when the shockwave dissipated, the medical shuttle was dead in the water. Also, Marionette was damaged and off-line, her being a positronic gynoid and all.

< tag; Andae and Calli >

[Calli Valente]

As the Medical Shuttle darted between pieces of broken ship and those trying hard to leave orbit without crashing on their way out, Calli and Andae sat in the rear seats gripping the arm rests and trying hard to look as if they weren't ...

"...... I can't get transporters to lock onto him. The closest I can get is a corridor just outside of the bridge."

"I am largely invulnerable to most forms of Radiation. I will retrieve Kamat. Blakus, please take over helm." the Android said, vacating her seat without waiting for the Engineers' reply ... Andae jumped out of his seat and into the pilot's chair, barely in time to prevent their headlong run into a large piece of detritus.

Calli double-checked her lock on the corridor and nodded to Marionette. A second later she vanished from sight .....

~~~~~

"How long can we hold this position ?" she asked.

"Four, maybe five minutes, then we'll have trouble maneuvering away from all this junk." Andae replied, motioning to the sections of hull that were tracking them into the atmosphere, "Then, as if to reinforce his comment, he flung the shuttle to the right as a massive piece of burning hull shot between them and the section they were running parallel to !

Inching back into position he wiped the sweat from his brow ... Calli saw the recall signal from Marionette's Comm badge and locked onto two people .....

~~~~~

As the materialization finished, Calli was shocked, and somewhat amused, to see Kamat land a wild left hook on the Android, who rode the punch like a pro before increasing her grip on the man's shoulder. Kamat dropped almost to his knees as Calli grabbed his other arm ...

"Get us out of here Andae !" she said.

As Marionette 'threw'the despot into the cryo-tube, Calli reached in and injected 100 cc's of neuro-toxin into the man, making his whole body relax instantly:

"Sweet dreams ... It's all you have now." she said as she closed the chamber and activated the mag-lock, receiving a look of confusion from her companion, "Better safe than sorry. ...." Calli began, then the lights went out !

~~~~~~~~~~

Calli opened her eyes ..... Darkness ..... As her training kicked in, she took a moment to assess her condition, then once satisfied, she began to feel around her. Kneeling, she could now see stars outside the plexi-glass cockpit windows. They were lazily rotating clockwise. Artificial gravity was still on-line, and thankfully, inertial dampers had remained in operation. Otherwise they would be smears of gunk on the bulkheads when the shuttle was picked up.

She got to her feet and looked at Marionette, deciding the Android could wait. She moved to the pilot seats and pulled the unconscious Blakus out of his seat and onto the deck ... Checking his pulse, thankful it was strong, she ran her hands over his limbs to check for breaks, and again she was lucky:

"Andae ... Can you hear me ?" she asked, gently shaking the engineer by the shoulders, breathing a sigh of relief as Andae opened his eyes.

"Didn't see 'that' coming." he said as he got to a sitting position, "What about those two ?"

Calli got to her feet and overrode the emergency lighting. The fact it hadn't come on automatically caused her concern, and the worry the shuttle was more damaged than they knew ... She went to Marionette. The Android seemed to be 'switched off' for want of a better description. She would come back to her, she decided. The cryo-chamber was seemingly off-line, that scared her, but thankfully she could see the small auxiliary read-out screen showing the chamber was running on internal battery back-up. The countdown timer shower three hours eight minutes before total failure .....

"Where are we ?" she asked Andae, who had been working on prioritizing power restoration to systems throughout the shuttle.

"Well ..... If 'that' is the Proximian Sun ....." he said, pointing at the small ball of yellow orange fire out the window, "Then we're almost at the outer edge of the system."

Calli couldn't believe they had been thrown millions of miles. Hell, if the Piper was way out here, then what had happened. The planet must still be intact, or a semblance of intact. But what of the Raven, the Hiniori, and the countless other rescue vessel's in orbit around Proxima Prime ? ..........



< tag : Andae / Marionette / All >

[Carl Torek]

... 00:11:51 ...

He watched the Piper as it matched trajectories with the falling section of the Cordovin vessel. 'Marionette is earning her pay' he thought as the shuttle dodged jagged shards of metal in her bid to get El-Kamat. Minutes later the shuttle broke formation and began a slow climb back towards the ship.

"Sir, there's a MASSIVE build-up within the planet's core." Wedlerson said suddenly.

"Detonation ?" Carl asked, watching the shuttle as it climbed into space.

"I'm not sure Sir, but there's a defi ......" Wedlerson didn't finish the sentence as time seemed to slow. The whole sphere of the planet began to shrink in size. No-one could believe their eye's as billions on tonnes of earth collapsed inwards toward the core. Carl knew all to well what was coming:

"Shields ... Order all vessels to leave orbi ....." he began.

"TOO LATE !" T'Brel shouted.

Carl looked at the view-screen. The planet seemed to bulge outwards, An enormous shock-wave radiated from the core, expanding so quickly it was impossible to avoid.

"BRACE BRACE BRACE !" Torek shouted, a mere second before the wave slammed into the Galaxy Class Vessel ... The ship was thrown away and into open space, fighting against the forces trying to rip her apart. Inertial dampers couldn't cope and for a micro-second lost their hold on the artificial gravity of the ship. It was enough to throw over a thousand crew off their feet, he hoped and preyed that Vanessa and Bethan were safe and unhurt, but he couldn't go to them until the ship was safe, he knew that .....

Gradually the Raven began to win the fight. She slowed the erratic end over end spinning, then started to control the corkscrew rotation before slowing the ship until stabilized. Lighting began to return, replacing the red emergency lighting. People picked themselves up and take their stations.

"Harry, get someone to my quarters." Carl said through blurred vision.

"I'll go down myself Admiral." Wedlerson said, pointing to one of the Marines to take his station.

"Report Mister Peers."

"It ... It's impossible, Sir ... The planet is ... Stable. There is still seismic activity going on on a huge scale, but the core is stabilizing the planet around it. I'm picking up life-signs ... Millions of them ...." his mind spinning, Carl sank into the Command seat ....

"The Piper ?" Carl asked, fearing the worst.

"Unknown Admiral. Scanning now." T'Brel informed him.

"Admiral, we're receiving distress signals from numerous vessels. The Hiniori is requesting our status." .......

One hour later:

"We have the Piper on long-range scanners now. She's adrift ... We're picking up life-signs."

"Good. What's the status of the planet now ?" Carl asked.

"Seven hundred kilometer winds were traversing the whole planet, but subsiding rapidly. Atmosphere should be stable within the hour. I'm reading life-signs on all continents. Sea levels have returned to nominal ... Sunny with a chance of light rain, if I had to hazard a guess." Peers said, almost shrugging in disbelief.

Wedlerson returned to the Bridge and informed Carl that his Children were a little shaken up, but otherwise fine. Chloe had a broken arm but Medic's were treating that. He thanked the Commander and pointed to the Ops station.

"OK. Set a course to pick up the Piper ... Contact Admiral Tetsutaro and inform him of our intentions." Carl said, forcing himself out of his seat painfully, "Commander Wedlerson you have the Conn, I will be in my quarters." he said, heading for the turbo-lift.

"Aye Sir." Harry said, checking their progress towards the Piper.

~~~~~

Entering his quarters, Carl was almost knocked off his feet by Vanessa and Bethan. He was bombarded with questions and suddenly realized how exhausted her really was. The Medic finished repairing Chloe's broken radius bone and turned to Carl. She waited patiently for all of three seconds before asking the Children to move out of the way ... Despite Carl's protestations she was going to make sure he was well.

Once the Medic left, Carl sat on the sofa, Vanessa and Bethan on either side. Chloe sat on the arm of the sofa and realized that Carl was looking directly at her. Taking his arm from around an already sleeping Bethan, he held his hand out. Chloe took it and tears began to run down her face. Vanessa watched this and leaned forward to kiss her adopted Father on the cheek.

"About time." she whispered, sinking back onto Carl's chest happily ..........

[Andae Blakus]

Andae fell into the pilot's chair just in time to manoeuvre the Piper to avoid a massive chunk of sparking debris. He cursed under his breath as more slices of Kamat's vessel loomed out of the darkness, like whales from the deep sliding by in silence. When he manipulated the Piper's thrusters to bring the battlecruiser's fragments between him and the planet, they were thrown into sharp contrast against the roiling kaleidoscope swirls layering Proxima Oralix's atmosphere.

In the following minutes, he established a basic holding pattern with the chief fragment where Kamat was located. "How long must she take?" he murmured, peering out of the Piper's forward window at the dark shapes moving across the dayside's heavens.

Minutes later...

Andae felt as if he was cocooned in the shuttle simulator at a hundred times speed. He was having to work furiously to avoid the debris materialising before his eyes; in normal time he would have just managed to navigate all of the pieces safely, but in this crazed state of acceleration he was barely keeping the Piper tens of metres away from destruction. "Damn basic piloting credits..."

He checked the sensor display again. The shockwave was gaining, but if he accelerated the Piper's small impulse engine any harder he, Calli, Marionette and El-Kamat would all likely end up dead regardless of whether or not it overtook them. He glanced back at Marionette, "I think that -"

The next thing he knew Calli was kneeling over him. Shaking off the daze, they ascertained the Piper's position and the state of the Proxima system. All seemed stable, too stable in fact. They ran precursory scans in system but picked out only vague details, given the tiny targeting area and the Piper's limited sensor package.

"I think I'm registering vessels of capital ship tonnage. Comparable to the Raven, but nothing smaller." It seemed all small craft had been destroyed or swept out of the system. It was like throwing grains of sand into a hurricane, while the islands of the Raven and Hinoiri stood firmly in place, chained to the ocean floor as pillars of resistance. The mood seemed right to mourn no matter what, though. Even if the Raven and all her crew had survived... Andae didn't wish to contemplate what had happened to Watson.

The Piper was adrift and powerless, spinning untethered in the outer system. Andae let Calli take the helm and set about making repairs, managing to rewire the EPS relays to return a semblance of power, enough at least to bring the Piper's relative rotation to zero. He also attempted to reboot Marionette, using his limited knowledge of purely positronic systems. Her eyes flickered open long enough to indicate he was doing something right.

"About that maintenance ahead of schedule..." he smiled wryly as he ran a tricorder over her. As her systems seemed to begin rectifying themselves, he heard an ominous metallic clanking from the door. Someone was moving about in the rear compartment...

---

Raven Engineering

"Bridge to engineering. We're approaching the Piper. Prepare to divert power to the tractor beam system."

The Raven was stretched to the limit in its demand for power given the failures in the EPS grid, so each system was having to use its energy as sparely as possible. To give power to the tractor beam they would have to take one system offline.

"Life support. Decks 40 through 42," Bligh, the Hinoiri CEO, shouted from the upper level.

"Good idea..." Lieutenant Tinsley muttered bitterly, setting about the task. He was barely maintaining control here. He wished Milyanov would get discharged from sickbay, or better yet the Raven's own CEO returned to the vessel.

"The Piper's being brought in now, sir," he was informed. "Touching down in Shuttlebay 1..."

"Ok... Restore life support to decks 40 through 42."

<Tag All>

[Carl Torek]

Carl had time to put the girls to bed before the Comm chirped to life in the living area ... It was the Bridge informing him that they were about to tractor the Piper into the shuttle bay one. He informed them he was on his way .....

~~~~~

"Piper is secured Admiral." Wedlerson said.

"OK, get teams down there." Carl ordered.

"Sir, Communication from Admiral Tetsutaro."

"In my ready room Harry." Carl said getting up, "See to those teams. You have the Conn."

~~~~~

=^= What's your status Carl ? =^=

Torek updated the Admiral on their condition. The Raven would begin her return trip to Proxima Oralix, but with only partial impulse power, it could take some time. During his summation, Carl could see Sato watching him closely, but also seemingly listening to someone off-screen. When he had finished his report, he asked the man he look upon like a Father if there was a problem ... Sato took his time answering .....

=^= The Songacha is en-route to you .. She will assist in any way she can to facilitate you're return to Proxima. You are to hold off entering orbit and rendezvous with the modified cargo vessel Galipoli .. You are to transfer all refugees to the Galipoli and then make ready to return to earth with the Songacha .... I am sorry Carl .. But these orders come direct from the Chief of Operations herself =^=

=^= We can help with the rescue efforts .. Surely they can't expect us to just abandon those on the surface .. Hell .. Not to mention who knows how many in orbit when ...... Sato .. Commander Watson is still inside the surface with the Gandai .. We need time to recover him before we can leave =^=

Sato was shaking his head.

=^= It is out of my hands Carl .. If you are unwilling ........ =^= he said, lowering his eyes, unable to complete the sentence.

=^= Yes ? =^= Torek asked, too defensively.

=^= This is not about you anymore my Son .. Please .. Do as the Council ask .. The planet is almost fully restored to it's former self .. Unbelievable indeed but there we have it .. You will have the time it takes to transfer the refugees to the Galipoli then you must depart the system .. One more thing you should know .. Captain Barton has been authorized to assume full Command of the Raven should you defy the Council's orders this time .. I need not stress how that will reflect on your crew or .. Yourself =^=

After allowing time for the comment to sink in, Carl replied:

=^= Inform the Galipoli and the Songacha we will make for the rendezvous point at best possible speed .... Torek out =^=

Bridge:

"Helm. You should have received a set of co-ordinates from the Hiniori ?" Carl asked as he took his seat. The Lieutenant nodded confirmation, "Set course, engage at best possible speed."

"Sir, the USS Songacha is making a wide turn and will fall into formation with us in thirty seconds. They have made no attempt to contact us." Wedlerson said, a frown forming.

"Don't worry about it Harry." Carl said, watching the stars, "How are we doing with the Piper ?"

"There seems to be a delay in the crew exiting the shuttle Admiral. The Piper has undergone all decontamination procedures and is clear. We are waiting for further information regarding occupants. Commander Blakus has requested we wait as there is a minor issue they may need to deal with prior to departing the erm, shuttle, Admiral." Wedlerson informed him.

"Issue. He didn't say anything more ?" Carl asked, receiving a shrug from the Commander, "I'll be in Shuttle Bay One. You have the Conn !" Carl said ..........

[Andae Blakus]

The engines sighed for the last time as the Piper perched itself atop the landing pad in Shuttlebay 1, flashing amber lights indicating the room was still in vacuum. The bay doors closed and the forcefield deactivated, air released into the chamber as if the filters had been holding their breath. The shuttle sat still in deathly silence while medical and security personnel filtered into the room.

"There it is again," Andae said, eyes darting towards Calli and away again to the still recuperating android, prone on the floor beside him. The metallic knocking from beyond the door had grown more persistent, needling at them like a surgeon's device used to artificially inseminate eggs.

"Touchdown confirmed," Calli said. "Let's get the hell out of here."

"We'll have to pass through the rear compartment," Andae warned, his eyes dark. "No matter what, we need to find out what's happening back there, how he got out of stasis."

"There was a power failure. The cryo-chamber may have lost power long enough -"

"No," Andae said curtly. "The backup generators would've kicked in as soon as emergency power was established. Besides, you had the thing locked mechanically. Even with whatever modifications he could've made to his body, Kamat could not have broken out of that chamber. He must've found another way."

"There are alternatives..." Calli trailed off quietly. But they are not contemplatable, Andae finished in his head.

They entered the rear compartment, treading carefully. All seemed normal; chilly, quiet, the thrum of the power reserve generators the only sound there to pierce the silence. Kamat's cryo chamber lay near the centre of this med-bay room. A pale cerulean glow emanated from its top part. Tentatively Andae approached while Calli and the just functioning Marionette surveyed the rest of the room, phasers at the ready. He came to the ethereal glow near the end of the cryo chamber, within which lay the Cordovin's face. Frost layered every surface of the chamber interior; its perspex window, Kamat's face and the padding around him. The man remained in deep stasis.

"Commander Blakus? Sir, we're at the rear door." It was the voice of the assistant tactical officer, presumably ready with a throng of personnel ready to tend to the wounded.

"Standby, Lieutenant," Andae whispered, "We have a security risk. Unaccounted for presence in the Piper. Run a full scan and see what you can detect. Our tricorders can find nothing here except the four of us."

He moved past Kamat - encased in his cryo chamber - and treaded towards the rear exit. His feet's padding on the Piper's deck were all he could hear besides the thrum of reserve power. The chamber seemed malevolent behind him, holding an evil that wanted to permeate its confines and spread its tendrils throughout the room. It seemed real, fully tangible.

"Sir," the Lieutenant again. "We detect nothing on our scans. And no chance of contagion, sir, we can find no foreign bodies in the Piper's air... May we open the rear door, sir?"

Andae was ruminating, searching out the dark places in the recesses where the walls met the ceiling. There were racks, stashed with equipment: medical, engineering tools etc. Things didn't seem right. "Affirmative, Lieutenant. Open it up."

There was surprise all round when they exited the shuttle. Half a dozen security and only half that number of medics filed forwards to the shuttle officers, scanning them over, some peering beyond at the eerie glow cast by Kamat's cryo chamber. At the centre of all those personnel, before the shuttle crew, was Admiral Torek himself.

"Sir - Carl."

"How are you, Andae? I've resumed command of the Raven with the resolution of this. We're en route back to Proxima Oralix and rendezvous with the Songacha."

"Glad to back aboard..." As they all stepped away from the Piper, Andae kept one suspicious eye on the open rear hatch. "I'd like to run a full baryonic scan on the Piper once El-Kamat has been brought off her," he said. "And before we hand Kamat over to the loyal Cordovin authorities, if any remain in orbit." Carl nodded. Andae swallowed, "And, what about Commander Watson?"

<Tag Carl / All>

[Carl Torek]

Carl headed straight for shuttle bay one. He was met by numerous Security personnel along with Medics ... They stood tentatively waiting for the all-clear to enter the Piper, but had to wait as Commander Blakus thought there could be a problem. Minutes later the rear hatch lowered and the crew stepped out:

"..... and before we hand Kamat over to the loyal Cordovin authorities, if any remain in orbit." Carl nodded. Andae swallowed, "What about Commander Watson ?"

They were walking behind the Medics ferrying the cryo-chamber to sick-bay, and where Andae and Calli could undergo brief examinations.

"Still missing." Carl said, slowing his pace so they could talk, "We've been ordered back to Earth. The Songacha is shadowing us to meet up with a converted freight-carrier at the median between Proxima Oralix and the furthest moon. We'll transfer all refugees over to the freighter without making orbit, then we'll head back home." he finished, trying hard not to shrug.

"We've been ordered back before." Calli said defiantly.

"Well ....." he hesitated, not wanting to repeat what he had been informed, "This time, Captain Barton, who apparently was contacted via the Songacha, has been ordered to take full Command should I, or anyone else, try to delay our departure of the Proxima System, and before you point out the startlingly obvious ... These mean nothing." he said, pointing at the Admirals' bars on his collar.

The conversation fell silent as they entered Sick-bay.

"Think he'll be able to drag the Raven into warp ... Let's hope so, otherwise it's going to be a long long trip home." Blakus said, employing his best 'poker face' for the group, "We've no warp engines, and are barely making way on what impulse power we have. Until I can get down there I have absolutely no idea how long repairs could take." He finished, before being led away by a nurse for his check-up.

"The Songacha could tractor us." Calli said.

"Not while I have a pulse." Carl grinned, "I flew this ship out of space-dock, and I'll be damned if I won't fly her home. Even if it 'IS' the last thing I do as her Commanding Officer, and they will have to drag me off the Bridge if they think I'm leaving while my Exec' is missing with some ancient alien !" he said as Calli was taken away for her check-up.

"Maybe you should give 'him' a sedative ?" she said to the nurse, who politely grinned.

"Lieutenant, what is your status ?" Carl asked Marionette.

< tag : Marionette >

"Then I suggest you make your way to Engineering."

"Yes Admiral." the Android said, turning to leave.

"Doctor, how's our friend ?" he asked, nodding toward El-Kamat's cryo.

"Stasis is holding. Bio-signs show he is in a deep induced coma and will remain so indefinitely. I still need to determine if there was an serious damage due to the oxygen deprivation, but scans show only minor inconsistencies against nominal. The issue would be removing him from stasis to run the thorough tests, and going off your expression Admiral, I'm guessing that's is not about to happen."

"No ..... It isn't !" Carl replied, looking toward the side room that held the cryo-chamber, "In fact, I want a few things done. Firstly, I want you to deepen the comatose state to the maximum that will not cause any further, if any, damage. Then I want the cryo-chamber moved to the Morgue."

"Morgue ?" the Doctor asked, confused, "He's in as deep a coma as he can be to retain mental function on wakening, and I don't see the point in mov ....."

"The Morgue Doctor. I want him placed in one of the chambers and sealed in. I'll have an Engineer come down and weld the door shut if that helps."

"That will not be necessary Admiral. Rather bizarrely, the doors have locks."

"Then I'll keep you no longer, Doctor." Torek said, effectively dismissing the man.

Andae and Calli joined him. They had been stood off to one side while he spoke to the Doctor, but had heard the conversation in full. Neither commented as they left Sick-bay ... Carl told Andae that Marionette was waiting in Engineering, and that he and Calli would be on the Bridge. Andae nodded and left the duo.

~~~~~

Wedlerson stood from the Command seat as the two entered the Bridge. Carl waved him back down, glancing at the Songacha ahead and in close formation with them. He asked Harry to request Captain Barton's presence then entered his ready room, Calli behind him ....

"Help yourself to a drink Captain." Carl said as Barton was shown in, "I believe you have been instructed to take Command of the Raven should I decide not to play ball ... So to speak."

"Yes." Barton replied neutrally as he sat with his chosen drink.

"That isn't going to happen ......" Calli began, but Carl held up a hand to stop her using her 'position or actual rank' to overrule the Captain.

"Admiral. I'm sorry we have all been put in this position, but we cannot defy an order from Star Fleet Command ! ... If it were my call, I would be asking what I could do to help, but it isn't ... The Chief of Fleet Operations herself has issued these orders. I think 'non-negotiable' is the term I'm looking for. Things are happening that we can't know of Admiral, the Galactic implications and ramifications could scar the Federation for decades."

Carl sat in silence for a few moments, before getting up to refill his glass.

"You know ........" he began, looking at Calli, then Barton, "I have never doubted my role in the larger scheme of things. Oh yes, I did fancy we were, I was, making a difference, albeit a minute one, though in reality I think we all must do that to some extent ... But for the first time, since entering the Academy, I find myself 'questioning' the Federation's directives. It makes me wonder if I still have the will, the drive, the confidence of my peers, to sit in that chair."

The ready room fell silent as Carl downed the last of his cognac and went to the replicator. At their present speed it would take something i the region of nine hours to reach their rendezvous point, so bugger it, he'd enjoy another drink ..........

[Andae Blakus]

Alex still unaccounted for... Andae mused, striding back to engineering. There was a slight wobble in his walk, the corridor's curving path uncertain before him, a route that had previously been straightforward no longer making any sense to his motor control or brain functions. Something had gone wrong, but he wasn't sure what.

As he'd been told, Marionette was waiting for him in engineering. She was largely non-functional, her neural net having been partially fried by the electric discharge that'd ripped through the shuttle Piper. She lay on a raised platform - a biobed for androids and other such beings. "Can you hear me, Lieutenant." His hands spread over the console, analysing her positronic brain's functions. Most of the processes and subprocesses were working, but a few crucial links were missing.

He spun at a tap on his shoulder. "Good to have you back, sir..." Tinsley said.

"Good to be back, at last. Thought I was long gone." Andae said curtly and walked around the platform, scrutinising the PADD in his hand. Something didn't seem right.

Tinsley followed him, coughing. "Lieutenant Bligh has reported back to the Songacha, Commander. He said he regretted that he couldn't stay longer." Tinsley studied his chief, "But I suppose he'll be with us while the Songacha escorts us back to Earth."

Andae froze, dropping the PADD. His expression was neutral, but his face was white drained of colour like a bleached ghost. His eyes were like sable pearls, hands shaking as they fumbled for the PADD stylus in his uniform pocket. "Continue the work for me, Tinsley," he indicated the inert android and headed for the exit. Tinsley sighed, bowing his head.


Engineering's doors shot open as if they sensed they were admitting some volatile creature. The engineer jogged down the corridor, back towards sickbay. He stared blankly at the medical assistant. "Admiral Torek?" She stared back, blinking and telling Blakus he'd headed for the bridge with Valenti.

"Admiral?" Andae stood at the ready room door. Strangely it'd been locked, not opening when he stepped into its sensor range as it normally would. He tapped his commbadge, "Blakus to Torek. You in there?" The bridge crew were watching him, most of them anyway he thought. As if it took nerve to do what he was doing.

The door slid back; a slightly bedraggled Carl Torek was stood there. "Admiral, you look as worse as I feel."

"I could return the sentiment, Commander. Come in," Carl turned away, taking his ready room chair again. Valenti was also present Andae realised. She sat in the corner, watching both men with what seemed like concern. "Andae, you should report back to sickbay. You don't look well..."

His face was as white as a sheet, the blackness of the stars reflected there making him pale like an apparition. "Sir. I must object to the holding of El-Kamat in deep stasis in the morgue. Having him in such deep freeze means his brain may not function properly when we next wake him. Besides, I could do with..."

Carl leant forward in his chair, a glass of whisky, brandy or similar swirling in one hand. "What, Andae."

"His assistance in engineering or navigational deflector control. Or his mind, that holds secrets. Death and nightmares..." Andae trailed off, finding his way to the ready room couch. He put his head in his hands, rubbing his eyes, trying to order his thoughts, for he was aware his words weren't making sense. "Carl. Is it time we accepted the possibility that Alex may well be dead?"


At the Ops console on the bridge, manned by Wedlerson, an alarm was sounding hard, flashing wildly. Sensors were detecting some signal being emitted from beyond the furthest moon (at the opposite end to Proxima Oralix between which was the rendezvous point with the freighter). Ensign Darwin at the engineering console detected it too. "Some transmission, tremendous energy, on subspace frequency... Same as detected in Proxima Oralix's core prior to the detonation and shockwave...!"

The whole ship seemed to be vibrating out of its chassis. Captain Barton stepped on to the bridge and headed towards the command chair, demanding to know what was happening.

<Tag Alex, Carl>

[Carl Torek]

"What ... Andae ?" Carl asked, his head throbbing from the alcohol.

"His assistance in engineering or navigational deflector control. Or his mind, that holds secrets. Death and nightmares ..." Blakus said, confusion crossing his face, "Carl. Is it time we accepted the possibility that Alex may well be dead ?"

"I'm not letting that maniac out of deep freeze." he said, almost glaring at his Engineer, "As for Alex ......"

He had worked hard on 'not' thinking along those lines, but trust his friend to hit the nail, so to speak. There was every possibility that the Gandai had taken Alex for his own purposes, there was the distinct chance he had perished, but then, there was that little spark of hope that his Exec' was still alive. How, where, he didn't have the answers for. All he knew was they had a deadline, and this time he couldn't work around it ... He stood, about to refresh his glass once more, when he felt the first vibrations resonating through the deck-plating under the carpet. Within seconds it was causing concern ... He quickly replicated a hypo-spray containing a de-toxin solution and shot a dosage into his neck, throwing the hypo' to Andae, before entering the Bridge:

"Report." he asked. Calmly listening to the information while ignoring the fact that the J.A.G Officer was stood in front of his seat, Do we have a target destination for the transmission yet ?"

"Sir ... Given the power level, I would say it was directed outside the galactic rim, but ...." Harry hesitated.

"But ?" Calli asked.

"Well, there's is something in the way." Harry informed them, putting a tactical plot on the view-screen. It clearly showed the origin point of the transmission, the line travelling off the edge of the screen, but there, flashing a bright green, was the converted freighter awaiting their arrival.

"Sir, the Songacha has just informed us that they have been in contact with the freighter. They are suffering no adverse effects from the transmission passing through the vessel, and are holding position pending further orders. Captain Thompson is going ahead to rendezvous with the Freighter ... He, trusts you will comply with standing orders, Sir." Harry said, embarrassed at having to convey the message to the Admiral.

"Andae." Carl said, turning to his Engineer, "I need the warp core on-line as soon as. Get someone on that transmission too."

"I could do it qui ...."

"No." Carl snapped, making Calli and Benson look at him with concern. Andae nodded and left the Bridge, Calli watched Carl closely as he slowly lowered himself into his seat, he looked at Barton, "Helm, increase speed to maximum impulse."

Six hours later:

Calli had persuaded Carl to go to his quarters and get some rest, or at least see Bethan and Vanessa, and to take a much-needed 'shower' before coming back to the Bridge. Reluctantly, he had done as asked, and now, refreshed, and in a clean uniform he entered the Bridge ..... Captain Barton was sat in his seat. It didn't go un-noticed that he took several seconds to rise as he saw Carl moving down to the lower level:

"Don't get up, Captain." Carl said, waving the man down as Calli and Harry entered the Bridge from the forward turbo-lift, "You two working for J.A.G now or something ?" he asked, a wry grin forming as he glanced at the still standing Barton, "OK ... Where are we ?"

"No change in the transmission." Harry said, taking Ops from the duty Officer, "The Songacha is on station, they are ready to receive the refugees from the Raven when we are in position ... We still have no information on the Exec' Admiral."

"Bring us alongside the freighter and begin transporting people over please Harry." Carl said, "Where's Commander Blakus ?"

"He's in Engineering." Calli informed him from the exec's seat, "He hasn't taken a break yet. He's struggling but thinks he could have the core on-line in two hours. We'll only get warp one, 'IF' we can form a static warp field at all, Sir."

"Then it is going to be a long trip to Earth." Carl said, sarcasm in every word, "I want every effort made to locate Commander Watson while we're transferring personnel ... Inform Captain Thompson of our status."

~~~~~

Harry caught Calli's eye and she casually walked to Ops. They spoke for several minutes before Calli returned to her seat:

"Well ?" Carl asked, eyes locked on the view-screen and the freighter as it turned and began it's return to Proxima Oralix.

"The Hiniori has been recalled to Earth. Admiral Tetsutaro was instructed to depart three hours ago. All refugees have been transferred and Captain Thompson is standing by for your confirmation on departure."

"We'll leave when I'm ready."

"Carl !" she whispered, flicking her eye's to Captain Barton, "He will relieve you, and me, and Andae if need be ... Don't give him the satisfaction." Carl looked at her for a long moment then tapped the Comm link in the arm of his seat:

=^= Torek to Blakus =^=

=^= Blakus =^= the tired voice replied.

=^= What's our status Commander ? =^=

=^= The core is on-line .. But for how long is anyone's guess .. We can make warp one point five 'IF' the field holds but again there's no guarantee =^=

=^= The transmission ? =^=

=^= No change and no way to decipher it's content =^=

=^= Thank you Commander =^= he said.

Closing the Comm. he focused on the small rotating orb that was Oralix, a mere half a million kilometers away. 'A minuscule distance in the scheme of things' he thought, as he wondered if Alex was on that small sphere somewhere, hoping for rescue, hoping the Raven would come for him. Or if his friend had perished when the Gandai took him from his family ... Carl could see the Songacha, slowly inching ahead of them on screen. He closed his eyes and felt the touch of Calli's hand for a second before it was removed ... This was his decision to make ...

"Helm ....... Plot a course for Earth." he said, eyes still closed, aware of what he was contemplating.

"Course locked-in Admiral."

"Commander Wedlerson. Any word on our scans ?" he asked.

"No Sir .... Nothing."

He looked at the planet, at the stars surrounding them, and finally accepted he needed to do not what was right, but what his years of service as a Star Fleet Officer, and as a Commanding Officer had taught him:

"Helm .... Engage." ..........

Carl watched as the massive Galaxy Class Vessel, his home, and his Command, turned away from the life-giving planet so close. He couldn't, or wouldn't accept that Alex was lost, nor would he ever be persuaded otherwise. As he watched the planet, then the System far far far behind them, he struggled to hold back the tears he so so wanted to flow ... He had his life, he had his Children, he had Chloe. Hopefully, he would still have his role in Star Fleet once the inevitable inquiry was concluded ......

He couldn't help reflect on the last three years, the trials the crew had undergone, the losses, the triumphs, the small victories. But also on the real sacrifice's people around him had made. People had died, that was an occupational hazard, but these people had died for him, to ensure the successful completion of their mission ... And still he would not believe Alex was lost, the Gandai may have plans, or even the inimitable 'Q' may interfere.

Who could know ...

Who could know ..........