This Is Some Rescue: Part One
71216.21
by TC Blane and Lair Kellyn
Following "In Plain Sight Part Two"
--=Aboard the USS Alchemy=--
71216.21
by TC Blane and Lair Kellyn
Following "In Plain Sight Part Two"
--=Aboard the USS Alchemy=--
The away team materialized on the transporter pad along with the stasis chamber containing the captain. It seemed that everyone made it out without any major injuries.
Salvek and TC made their way over to Jariel and the stasis chamber.
TC gazed through the glass at the still form of the captain. She seemed so frail, so helpless to him. An image that he did not care for, she deserved better.
"How is she?" He asked.
Salvek knelt beside the chamber and read the information on the small display.
He sighed, an uncommon characteristic for a Vulcan before he stood. "She is alive and in perfect hibernation."
[Is everyone alright down there?] Samson's voice chimed over the comm.
"We are fine, lieutenant. We need however to get the captain to sickbay. Please transport her and Vedek Jariel directly." Salvek ordered.
[Aye sir. Transporting now. Also, sir, you had better get up here to the bridge. It seems that one of the Romulan ships is taking this seriously.]
With a quick glance back at the captain as their only momentary hesitation, the remainder of the away team sprinted for the bridge.
"Status." Salvek inquired upon arrival.
"Sir, we are caught in a tractor beam." Micah advised. "That ship, I've never seen one like it before."
Reece slid into his chair and brought up the ship in question on screen. It had decloaked, and hovered just off their port bow.
TC snickered. "Confident aren’t they." He made his way to tactical.
"That's not a Warbird," Reece remarked, "But it is Romulan. Ugly bastard, too."
Salvek took a step closer to the viewscreen, staring at the ship blankly. He recognized the name emblazoned on its hull.
"Aehallh?" Lair Kellyn said, taking her place beside him.
"Nightmare." Salvek replied softly. Kellyn's puzzled expression prompted him to continue. "Aehallh is the Romulan word meaning 'nightmare'. That is," he wondered a moment if he should tell her- this ship's name had come up before in conversations he had with Zanh about potential future events.
Since they were staring it straight in the face now, he saw no need to withhold this detail any longer. "It is Taris' ship."
"Taris?" Kellyn gasped. "It can't be."
*Who is Taris?* February thought to Dabin, and he quickly thought a reply back to her as he scrambled to decipher all the conflicting sensor information he was getting at his station.
*You don't want to know.*
"Mr. Blane, target their tractor beam emitter and fire." Salvek instructed.
"Firing," Blane locked in the coordinates and launched a full spread of phaser fire. "No effect. Their shields barely took a dent."
"It got their attention though. We're being hailed," Micah moved to the communications console and then glanced back at Salvek. "Sir?"
"If we can use the transphasic shielding to confuse the targeting sensors on their beam emitter, " Kellyn suggested, "We may be able to break free."
"Try." Salvek agreed, and Kellyn began working her station furiously.
"Sir, the hail is continuing," Samson said nervously.
"Let her wait."
The ship appeared to phase in and out of its surroundings, and for an instant the Romulans lost their lock. They quickly reestablished it, however, and they were right back where they started.
"Damn!" Kellyn smacked the panel with her fist. "Reece, anything you can do to help me out here?"
"Give me a minute."
"Incoming phaser fire, brace for impact!" TC warned. The crew was jostled around as the blow impacted their forward shields. "Shields down twenty percent. Apparently she doesn't like our hold music."
"Status of shield adjustments?" Salvek demanded.
"Keep your underoos on!" Reece replied, still working on it. "That's my new favorite word, by the way," The Trill murmured in the direction of Blane as he worked. "Underoos. . ."
TC had no time to laugh, though, as he prepared to return fire on the Aehallh.
"Weapons at the ready, Commander," he watched as Salvek stared at the ship before him, almost in a trance. "Sir?"
"Hold your fire, Mr. Blane." Salvek instructed, drawing looks from everyone around him. "Samson, open the channel."
"He's going to try to stall," Kellyn whispered, as she and Reece worked on a way to shake the ship loose of the Aehallh's tractor beam.
An all too familiar face appeared before Salvek now. Older, thinner, more angular. But he remembered those eyes, burning with hatred every time they looked at him.
"Hello, little one." Taris sneered. "It looks like today will be historic for the Romulan Empire in more ways than one. First, we will obtain Zanh Liis and all the information she carries, and then, we will eliminate you, as I should have done all those years ago."
"You cannot win, Taris." Salvek replied. "Even if you kill us all today, the technology is already a reality. Our work is established. You cannot prevent it from continuing. You would have to wipe out the entire Federation." He locked eyes on her, showing no fear or emotion of any kind. "You are too late."
"Prepare to be boarded," Taris replied, "I look forward to renewing our acquaintance."
The screen flashed back to darkness, and everyone on the bridge stood in silence.
Salvek and TC made their way over to Jariel and the stasis chamber.
TC gazed through the glass at the still form of the captain. She seemed so frail, so helpless to him. An image that he did not care for, she deserved better.
"How is she?" He asked.
Salvek knelt beside the chamber and read the information on the small display.
He sighed, an uncommon characteristic for a Vulcan before he stood. "She is alive and in perfect hibernation."
[Is everyone alright down there?] Samson's voice chimed over the comm.
"We are fine, lieutenant. We need however to get the captain to sickbay. Please transport her and Vedek Jariel directly." Salvek ordered.
[Aye sir. Transporting now. Also, sir, you had better get up here to the bridge. It seems that one of the Romulan ships is taking this seriously.]
With a quick glance back at the captain as their only momentary hesitation, the remainder of the away team sprinted for the bridge.
"Status." Salvek inquired upon arrival.
"Sir, we are caught in a tractor beam." Micah advised. "That ship, I've never seen one like it before."
Reece slid into his chair and brought up the ship in question on screen. It had decloaked, and hovered just off their port bow.
TC snickered. "Confident aren’t they." He made his way to tactical.
"That's not a Warbird," Reece remarked, "But it is Romulan. Ugly bastard, too."
Salvek took a step closer to the viewscreen, staring at the ship blankly. He recognized the name emblazoned on its hull.
"Aehallh?" Lair Kellyn said, taking her place beside him.
"Nightmare." Salvek replied softly. Kellyn's puzzled expression prompted him to continue. "Aehallh is the Romulan word meaning 'nightmare'. That is," he wondered a moment if he should tell her- this ship's name had come up before in conversations he had with Zanh about potential future events.
Since they were staring it straight in the face now, he saw no need to withhold this detail any longer. "It is Taris' ship."
"Taris?" Kellyn gasped. "It can't be."
*Who is Taris?* February thought to Dabin, and he quickly thought a reply back to her as he scrambled to decipher all the conflicting sensor information he was getting at his station.
*You don't want to know.*
"Mr. Blane, target their tractor beam emitter and fire." Salvek instructed.
"Firing," Blane locked in the coordinates and launched a full spread of phaser fire. "No effect. Their shields barely took a dent."
"It got their attention though. We're being hailed," Micah moved to the communications console and then glanced back at Salvek. "Sir?"
"If we can use the transphasic shielding to confuse the targeting sensors on their beam emitter, " Kellyn suggested, "We may be able to break free."
"Try." Salvek agreed, and Kellyn began working her station furiously.
"Sir, the hail is continuing," Samson said nervously.
"Let her wait."
The ship appeared to phase in and out of its surroundings, and for an instant the Romulans lost their lock. They quickly reestablished it, however, and they were right back where they started.
"Damn!" Kellyn smacked the panel with her fist. "Reece, anything you can do to help me out here?"
"Give me a minute."
"Incoming phaser fire, brace for impact!" TC warned. The crew was jostled around as the blow impacted their forward shields. "Shields down twenty percent. Apparently she doesn't like our hold music."
"Status of shield adjustments?" Salvek demanded.
"Keep your underoos on!" Reece replied, still working on it. "That's my new favorite word, by the way," The Trill murmured in the direction of Blane as he worked. "Underoos. . ."
TC had no time to laugh, though, as he prepared to return fire on the Aehallh.
"Weapons at the ready, Commander," he watched as Salvek stared at the ship before him, almost in a trance. "Sir?"
"Hold your fire, Mr. Blane." Salvek instructed, drawing looks from everyone around him. "Samson, open the channel."
"He's going to try to stall," Kellyn whispered, as she and Reece worked on a way to shake the ship loose of the Aehallh's tractor beam.
An all too familiar face appeared before Salvek now. Older, thinner, more angular. But he remembered those eyes, burning with hatred every time they looked at him.
"Hello, little one." Taris sneered. "It looks like today will be historic for the Romulan Empire in more ways than one. First, we will obtain Zanh Liis and all the information she carries, and then, we will eliminate you, as I should have done all those years ago."
"You cannot win, Taris." Salvek replied. "Even if you kill us all today, the technology is already a reality. Our work is established. You cannot prevent it from continuing. You would have to wipe out the entire Federation." He locked eyes on her, showing no fear or emotion of any kind. "You are too late."
"Prepare to be boarded," Taris replied, "I look forward to renewing our acquaintance."
The screen flashed back to darkness, and everyone on the bridge stood in silence.
----------------------
Lt. Commander TC Blane
and Lt. Commander Lair Kellyn
USS Alchemy NX-53099
Lt. Commander TC Blane
and Lt. Commander Lair Kellyn
USS Alchemy NX-53099