by Commander Salvek
Stardate: 80222.2300
Time: After Confrontation
-=Bridge of the Serendipity=-
Stardate: 80222.2300
Time: After Confrontation
-=Bridge of the Serendipity=-
"Captain the Executor has taken heavy damage. They're not going to make it." Blakeslee warned from tactical.
"What is the status of the Gauntlet?" Salvek asked.
"Minor damage. They are coming about, setting a course for our position." Blakeslee announced.
Tenney's console beeped, indicating an incoming hail from the Gauntlet. "On screen." Zanh said, before Tenney could even announce the hail. She surrendered the helm back to the young Ensign and stood in the center of the bridge.
[Quite the little maneuver there. I'm not surprised, I'd expect nothing less from TC Blane. Well played, Captain. But I am afraid my orders, and yours, are clear. Lower your shields and surrender the Alchemy.]
"Bite me.” Zander thought he heard Zanh mutter under her breath, only he was having a hard time believing it.
“I'll do no such thing." She declared loudly and clearly for all to hear.
[Let's see just how committed you are to that, Captain.] Spangler's image disappeared from the screen.
The doors to the bridge slid open and TC Blane entered with Dengar and Cristiane in tow, and proceeded immediately to his operations console. Zanh simply nodded to him, as there was no time to exchange pleasantries.
"The ship is secure. Terasha is taking the wounded to sickbay."
Both Salvek and Dabin Reece could not help but notice that their loved ones did not accompany Blane to the bridge, which meant they had likely gone to the medical bay with Terasha.
"Sir they are preparing to fire!" Blakeslee emphatically called from tactical.
"Evasive maneuvers!" Zanh yelled.
The Serendipity leapt into motion but the phaser fire never came.
"What happened?" Salvek asked, turning towards Blakeslee.
Blakeslee sighed, then delivered the bad news. "They didn't fire on us. They fired on the Executor."
Rada piped up from the engineering console. "Sir that hit took out their power distribution network. They have no propulsion left, not even thrusters."
"They're being pulled towards the star now Captain, their hull will collapse in less than five minutes." Reece announced.
"We must use the tractor beam, Captain." Salvek said.
"Move us into position Ensign." Zanh ordered.
The Sera closed the gap between themselves and Vox’s ship and locked on their tractor beam. The mass of the Executor proved too great however and they continued to move, slowly, towards Beta-626.
"This is why I hate huge ships." Zanh growled. "Full reverse."
"We are barely holding them in place Captain. It's taking almost all our power just to maintain the tractor beam. We won't be able to pull them out." Rada explained.
"Anyone want to tell me any good news?" Zanh asked.
Dabin Reece raised his hand sheepishly. "I have news. But it’s not good."
"Pile it on!" Zanh requested.
"The gravimetric distortions are continuing to increase. We've got maybe an hour before we have to release Vox's ship, or be pulled in with them."
"I am afraid Captain, the only logical course at this time is to lower our shields and transport the Executor crew aboard our ship." Salvek advised. The voice of reason as usual, she knew he was right. She simply could not sacrifice the Executor's crew just to deny Spangler his prize. He knew it, and that's why Spangler had sent the Executor careening towards Beta-626.
Zanh Liis took up the Command chair. She resisted the urge to tear the arm rests off as she laid her hands upon them, and spoke as calmly as she could through gritted teeth.
"Mr. Blakeslee. Lower the shields. Blane get every transporter we have staffed. That includes the shuttle craft."
"Aye Captain." Blane began issuing orders from Ops.
"What is the Gauntlet doing?" Salvek asked.
"They are approaching us from the aft sir. Their shields are up, minimal power to their weapons."
"Aft view." Salvek ordered.
On the viewscreen that watched as the Gauntlet swooped into view, then reduced speed. The ship glided slowly ever closer to the Sera and soon all they could see on the viewscreen was the bottom of the Gauntlet's saucer section as it loomed menacingly above the Sera just meters away.
"Is he trying to intimidate me? I'm not impressed." Zanh said.
"Captain they are preparing to fire again."
"Damn it! Are they crazy?! Open a channel!"
"Channel open." Cristiane said, sounding, Salvek noted, actually interested in the situation.
"Spangler if you fire you are going to destroy both our ships! Stand down!" Zanh demanded. She watched the screen, as the Gauntlet activated their main phaser array and fired at the Sera. Salvek braced himself, prepared for the jolt, which never came. This ship shook only slightly, but on the viewscreen the phaser beam continued.
>Warning, decompression on Deck 10, Alchemy bay.< the computer alerted them.
"Captain," Blakeslee spoke up, "The phaser has minimal power, and an extremely narrow beam." He examined the target of the phaser fire and his jaw squared with anger as he realized what they were doing. "Sir they are cutting through the door to the Alchemy bay."
Zanh resisted the urge to curse. "Helm, move us..."
"NO!" Rada leapt up from his seat. He took two steps towards the Captain then froze. Suddenly he realized how loudly he has snapped at the Captain, and felt rather embarrassed. "I'm sorry Captain."
"It's ok Mr. Dengar. Please, just make it quick."
"Sir if we even engage our thrusters we are going to disrupt the tractor beam and lose the Executor."
"I am afraid Captain, we have no choice but to allow the Gauntlet to proceed." Salvek said.
They watched helplessly as the bay door was cut out with surgical precision. Once free the door flew off harmlessly towards the star. Blane was monitoring the evacuation, and indicated he needed at lead another forty minutes to get all of the Executor's crew off of their dying ship.
The Gauntlet punctured the emergency force field, then terminated its phasers. The Sera crew could only watch in silence as the Gauntlet's tractor beam reached into their own bay, tore the Alchemy from its moorings, and guided it out into open space. Once Spangler freed the Alchemy, he backed off slowly. The Gauntlet began to come about, setting a course away from Beta-626.
"Can we destroy the Alchemy?" Zanh asked dejectedly.
"Sorry, they have extended their shields. We don't have enough phaser power to be able to do any damage."
The Gauntlet completed its turn, and engaged its impulse engines. Salvek watched as the ship began to shrink in size on the viewscreen.
"Incoming message." Cristiane broke the silence. "From Admiral Spangler."
"What the hell does he want?" Zanh asked. "On screen."
[Very entertaining Captain. You almost had me worried. Almost. But....] Spangler shook his head and chuckled. [Let's face it, Zanh Liis, you are way out of your league.]
Spangler cut the link. Zanh Liis felt as if her blood would boil in her veins, as in the distance she saw the white flash of the Gauntlet leaping to warp.
"Where are they going?" Salvek asked.
"They have set a course for Earth."
TC Blane stood up from OPS, and walked to the center of the bridge. He gazed at the star field on the screen, then back at the Captain.
"Misdirection is a common tactic. As soon as they are out of our sensor range they will change course to their actual destination. I'm sorry Captain, but," Blane looked again back to the screen "They're gone."
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Commander Salvek
First Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012
Commander Salvek
First Officer
USS Serendipity NCC-2012