108
The main shuttlebay's flight crew vacated the Corsair's interior and the external crew finished their inspection of the runabout's warp nacelles, phaser banks, shield emitters and microtorpedo launchers. Satisfied that his personnel had done their job, the crew chief gave Riker a thumbs up. Riker approached the runabout's main hatch and patted the Corsair's hull.
"Thanks, Chief." Riker acknowledged her crew's efforts, "I'll try and bring her back in one piece."
"Just bring the Captain and the rest back and I'll call it even." the Chief told him.
Riker tapped his comm badge, "Riker to Grace."
"Grace here."
"Is Rhiann with you?"
"As requested." Grace replied, "Our shuttles just passed their inspections and we're boarding them now."
"Good. I'm boarding the Corsair now. I'll be ready to launch in a few minutes." Riker informed Grace, "Launch as soon as you get clearance from your bay controller."
"See you out there." Grace signed off.
Riker shook his head as he boarded the Corsair. Grace was an enigma he decided. Now that she was partially rehabilitated, she was transforming herself into a vibrant young woman. In fact, in many ways she reminded Riker of Jamie Kirk.
As he sat down at the CONN he shook himself. That wasn't a train of thought that he wanted to pursue. Jamie's death was still an open wound with him. Time was dulling the sharpness of the pain but he knew that he would always miss her.
The flight crew had activated all of the Corsair's systems. Riker merely needed to pilot the craft out of the shuttlebay. He activated the comm channel linked to bay control and waited for permission to disembark. The comm chatter indicated that the auxiliary bay was set to launch first so Riker sat back and awaited his turn.
Grace eagerly watched as the shuttle bay door opened. She rested her hand on the shuttle's flight and speed controls. Grace was flying the Eclipse while Rhiann helmed the Equinox. The rear blast shield rose behind the Eclipse and locked into place.
Grace received the preflight authorisation and she activated the antigrav and the shuttle floated above the deck. Next she received the launch orders and she pushed the impulse speed controls to maximum. Like a crossbow bolt the Eclipse launched out of the bay once she was released.
The forward blast shield descended back into the deck even as the rear blast shield lifted behind the Equinox. Rhiann followed the same process as Grace and achieved the same results. The Equinox roared out of the bay.
Riker tensed as the bay doors opened in the main shuttlebay. Without waiting for orders, he lifted the corsair off the deck. Riker waited for the blast shield to rise into place. The bay controller authorised the launch and Riker pushed the runabout for all it was worth.
The Corsair leapt into space and proceeded to the orbital position the two shuttles had assumed when the Obsidian's Tactical 2nd commed the planetbound flight, "Be advised Rescue Group, the Valdore has launched two Scorpion-class fighters. They are headed for the planet and will arrive ahead of you if you proceed with a normal reentry sequence."
Riker toggled the comm, "Thank you Obsidian, we stand advised." Riker shifted subspace frequencies and commed the two shuttles while he worked up a flightplan, "Riker to Rescue Two and Rescue Three. I'm transmitting a new flightplan. Be prepared to implement it in one minute."
"Rescue One, be advised, we'll have to use our shields or we'll burn up in the reentry. Even then, we'll overload the shields halfway through." Grace expressed her concerns.
"I'm aware of that. I'm also aware that the Romulans know we're coming. The circuit breakers on our shields will reset before the Scorpions reach us, so we won't be unprotected." Riker replied, "If you have any more objections, note them in your log later. For now, this is a direct order. Implement the revised flightplan…now!"
The three ships dove into the atmosphere as one. They were aimed directly at the planet's surface. Within seconds, a ball of flame enveloped the support craft. They continued like this for several minutes before the computer advised the pilots that their shields were collapsing. Riker maintained his course, with the shuttles in tow, for several more minutes. As the shields neared catastrophic failure, Riker commed the two shuttles.
"Adjust 45 degrees on the y-axis"
The three ships trimmed out just as their shields collapsed. They flew through balls of superheated gases and soon their hulls began to glow and fire began to lick at the leading edges of the vessels. Despite the environmental settings of the Federation craft automatically cooling the interior of the runabout and the shuttles, the temperatures rose until all three pilots were basked in a sheen of sweat.
Grace was having the time of her life. She loved plummeting descents. This is why she enjoyed orbital skydiving. The thrill of teetering on the very edge of being out of control was alluring to her.
Her earlier expression of concern had been for Riker and Rhiann's sake. Although Riker was reputed to be an excellent pilot, she'd never seen him in action. On the other hand, she knew Rhiann's capabilities. The Andorian was a competent starship pilot but she wasn't spectacular. Her performance in a shuttle was even less inspiring.
Without being boastful, Grace knew she was easily among a handful of the best pilots in the Federation. Her enhanced reflexes and paranormal hand-eye coordination left most pilots feeling inadequate in comparison. It wasn't pride or an overinflated ego that spawned Grace's confidence in her abilities. Hard won experience drove Grace's faith in herself.
The three Federation vehicles were swiftly approaching the treetop canopy of the jungle. Riker ordered another adjustment of their course and the craft trimmed out and flew a level course. According to their sensors the Scorpions were several hundred kilometres behind them. They were, however, closing the distance.
"Rescue One," Grace transmitted, "Requesting permission for Rescue Three and myself to detach and run interference."
"Permission granted." Riker responded, "Happy hunting and remember, no casualties."
"Roger." Grace replied, "Good luck with the extraction."
"I won't need it." Riker commented, "The Romulans will."
Grace smiled and signalled Rhiann. They tied their comms together and as the Scorpions closed to one hundred kilometres they fired their braking thrusters. The two craft slowed and the Corsair left them behind. As the Romulan fighters neared, Grace and Rhiann began accelerating. Although they'd doubled their speed the attack craft passed them and kept in pursuit of the runabout.
Grace and Rhiann went to maximum impulse and began to slowly close the distance between themselves and the two racing fighter craft. The two Scorpions were more manoeuvrable but the Type-9 shuttles were faster. Unfortunately, the fighters were more heavily armed and shielded. In an engagement, the Romulan fighters held all the trump cards except speed.
Grace commed Rhiann, "Rescue Three, prepare to fire. Follow my lead and commence with a warning shot."
"Acknowledged Rescue Two." came the Andorian's reply.
Grace fired a beam ten metres above her target. At first there was no response, then the dorsal mounted disruptor cannon swung around and locked on. The other fighter followed his comrade's example despite the fact that Rhiann hadn't fired yet. Grace dove underneath the fighter, clear of the cannon's weapons.
The Scorpion fighter wasn't a Romulan design. It had been designed, developed and deployed by the Remans. In a gesture of reconciliation following Shinzon's coup d'état, the new Romulan Praetor had opened the Romulan fleet to Reman recruits. Although racial tensions remained, the doors of equality were slowly opening.
The Remans though had an even more heightened warrior code than their Romulan cousins. Despite their orders to the contrary the slightest provocation was interpreted as an attack. No Reman worthy of his name would allow a threatening challenge to remain unanswered.
Rhiann followed Grace and took up position underneath the Reman craft. Grace commed Macen, "Captain, this is Grace. We have been engaged by the Romulan attack craft. Requesting permission to return fire!"
Macen winced as Grace's voice came over his comm badge's speaker, "Permission granted. Hannah, try to bring them down intact."
"Roger that." Grace replied and cut the circuit.
"Damn it." Macen said to T'Kir, "This is what I've been trying to avoid."
"Too late now." T'Kir shrugged, "We'd better evacuate this tent though. We stand a better chance if we're in the open and moving between the tents."
"Good thinking." Macen agreed, "Get the others ready to move. We'll leave in another few minutes."
"Right." T'Kir replied and bustled off.
Macen tapped his comm badge, "Rab, do you read me?"
"Loud and clear." Daggit said. In the background, explosions could be heard.
"Hannah just engaged the Romulans' air support." Macen informed him, "Expect a reprisal."
"Permission to engage?"
"Stun as many as you'd like." Macen conceded.
"About time." Daggit remarked and closed the circuit.
No sooner had Daggit closed the comm line then Riker hailed Macen, "Brin, I'm coming in and I'm coming in hot."
"Good." Macen replied, "We'll be standing by. And if you could, do something about a small horde of Romulans encroaching on our position."
"Consider it done."
As the circuit went dead, Macen considered that Daggit might be upset that his "fun" was cut short but Macen considered the risk worth the reward. He opened the comm beacon's access panel, revealing the computerised "brain" of the unit and pulled his phaser free of its holster. Macen took aim and then fired into the isolinear innards of the comm array's control panels, frequency regulators and encryption ciphers. The shattered and irreparable fragments of the isolinear chips fell to the base of the unit.
Satisfied, Macen closed the hatch and turned towards the computers lying about, "T'Kir, wipe their network and individual memories clean."
"No problem." she said and cracked her knuckles. Sitting down before one of the terminals, she perused the local network and secured the doorway to Starfleet's mainframes. With this done, she began composing line code.
"I hope you've backed everything up with Starfleet's xenoarchaeology department." Macen said to Dorik.
"Of course we have." Dorik replied without any trace of pride or indignation.
Vulcans. Macen mentally sighed and then turned to check on his rather more volatile Vulcan, "Are you almost done?"
With a flourish, she inputted a final series of commands, "You betcha."
All the screens of the various computers scattered across the work areas of the tent went dark. Smoke began to issue forth from the cases and the mainframe server billowed smoke. The entire area smelled of burnt circuitry and fused isolinear crystals.
"Yeeesss!" T'Kir closed her fist and swept her elbow in towards her hip, "I not only managed to erase the individual and collective memories, I also initiated a feedback loop that fried the internal workings, including the subspace transceivers.
Macen walked over to T'Kir and gave her a peck on the forehead, "Good work. Now its time to leave."
Dorik watched this exchange and remarked, "Decadence."
"Wait till we're aboard ship." T'Kir laughed, "Then I'll show you decadence."
Dorik refrained from comment and instead directed the recently arrived archaeologists to take hold of the grav sleds and to follow Macen and his team. Danan was still out of her mind with inverted pain. T'Kir took her by the arm and led her out of the tent. Macen followed, keeping close to the captured relics and the Vulcan scientists.
P'ris received a hail from the Reman pilots of the Romulan fighter craft, "What is it?" she shouted to be heard above Daggit's grenades detonating. Suddenly there was a lull in the Federation forces' barrage.
"Mistress, we have come under attack." The Reman flight leader reported, "We have engaged the enemy."
P'ris cut the connection and violently swore. She pulled her disruptor free and began issuing orders to her troops.
"Prepare to engage the Federation forces." she held her voice level despite the torrent of emotions coursing through her, "Try to refrain from killing any of them. I want living prisoners."
The assorted Romulans drew their pistols or unslung their rifles. In their fervour, they failed to notice that Daggit and Radil were now prone or down on one knee. Daggit had cast his grenade launcher aside and had unslung his phaser rifle. From a prone position, he began sniping at the Romulan line.
Radil fired one volley after another at the assembled Romulans. The Romulan line fell apart. Romulan soldiers scattered across the field and began returning fire. The conscious members of the first rank dropped to the ground and fought Daggit and Radil on their own terms.
A group of six Romulans skirted past Radil and hurriedly began searching the tent city erected by the Vulcans. Their acute hearing honed in on the infrequent whispers of Macen's group. The Romulans emerged from the tents directly in front of the Federation forces' way.
Wearing a daredevil smile, T'Kir released Danan's elbow and charged the Romulans. The Romulans, all male, grinned indulgently at this futile effort. Their smug expressions lasted until T'Kir delivered a backspin kick to a Romulan head. He hit the ground unconscious.
Another Romulan threw a punch at T'Kir. She deftly blocked it and then punched him in the throat. He went down, gagging as his airway rapidly closed.
A third Romulan grabbed T'Kir from behind. A fourth Romulan Strode forward the strike her. She kicked him underneath the chin. As he staggered backwards, T'Kir swung her leg backwards, reaching over her back, and kicked the third Romulan in the back of his head.
"Shouldn't you assist her?" Dorik asked Macen.
Macen shook his head, wearing a broad smile, "Nah. It'd just break her rhythm."
"Madness." Dorik commented.
"If only you knew the half of it." Macen retorted.
Dorik subsided as T'Kir delivered another kick to the fourth Romulan's head, knocking him out. As yet another Romulan tried to grab T'Kir from behind, she threw and elbow jab into his nose. Green blood spurted forth from the injured members. T'Kir turned and delivered an open palm strike to the man's nose. He went down in a snivelling heap.
T'Kir whirled and faced the remaining Romulan. He looked nervous. T'Kir wore a wild expression and motioned for him to come forward. He broke and ran back towards the Romulan line.
"Impressive, eh?" Macen asked Dorik.
"I must reluctantly admit that the display hearkened back to the days of Vulcan's martial past." Dorik's reply was met with a sceptical look from Macen, "I readily admit that I am also impressed by her unarmed defensive skills."
T'Kir returned to the group absolutely beaming. Macen returned her smile and then ordered the group to move out. In the distance, the rumble of an impulse engine in an atmospheric environment could be heard.
The Corsair appeared on the horizon and rapidly closed on the ziggurat. She visibly began slowing and eventually ended up in a hover between the Federation and Romulan forces. The runabout's twin phasers fired and carved a trench between the Imperial troops and the Starfleet personnel. Riker turned the ship and landed her with the primary hatch pointed away from the Romulans.
Daggit and Radil went to opposite lengthways ends of the Runabout and began laying down cover fire. Macen and the others emerged from the maze of tents. Urged onward by Macen, the Vulcans double-timed it to the Corsair. T'Kir brought up the rear, leading Danan. The Trill's pleasure centres had reached a saturation point and she was once again beginning to feel the natural effects of her burns.
The runabout's phasers had bisected the clearing and the Romulans were forced to leap into the trench in order to advance. While climbing out of the micro-chasm, the Romulan soldiers were easy prey for Daggit and Radil. A few of the Romulans had remained behind to lay down suppressive fire. Unfortunately, they had swiftly fallen to Radil's wide beam stun blasts.
Once the Vulcans, T'Kir and Danan were aboard and the relics stowed away, Macen called out to Daggit and Radil to cease fire and join the others aboard the runabout. As Radil and Daggit began running for the boarding hatch, a sound of high speed wind scraping metal began screaming overhead. In a near blink of an eye, the two Scorpion fighters and the Type-9 shuttles raced by overhead. The fighters were rolling, trying to acquire a shot at the shuttles. The shuttles rolled with the fighters and constantly fired at the Scorpions' underbellies.
This acrobatic feat required Grace and Rhiann to fly inverted in relation to the Romulan ships. The opposing fighters tried to shoot their partner's tormentor as they passed in and out of sight. On several occasions, the Reman gunners missed the shuttles entirely and struck their own brethren. The blows to the Romulan shields served the Federation shuttles' needs.
Grace fired yet another salvo at the Scorpion's underbelly and she watched as the ventral shields collapsed. Wearing a feral smile, Grace fired one phaser burst after another at the fighter's drive section. A small explosion erupted out of the rear of the craft and it began to descend. It swiftly began to spiral and the fighter's attitude thrusters began to fire. Soon it trimmed out and continued it's descent into the jungle.
Grace shifted her focus to Rhiann's opponent. Rhiann had been shot several more times than Grace and her shields were threatening to fail. Grace flew up behind Rhiann's shuttle and she instructed the other pilot to ascend as swiftly as she could manage. As Rhiann broke and climbed, the Remans levelled out their craft and began to fire at the fleeing shuttle.
Grace began her assault on the remaining Scorpion and the Remans ceased firing on Rhiann's shuttle. The Reman pilot tried to pull a Crazy Ivan. He cut his primary drive and used his manoeuvring thrusters to swing around. Unfortunately for the Reman, Grace had anticipated such a move for some time now.
Grace cut her impulse engine and fired her thrusters. She brought her nose straight up and fired at point blank range at the fighter's ventral section. As the Romulan ship reversed course rolled over and followed them, inverted, as they accelerated in the opposite direction. Next, the fighter trimmed out with the fighter "upright' and the Federation shuttle "upside down" and underneath. The Remans began to descend, trying to force Grace into the jungle canopy.
Fortunately for Grace, the Scorpion's ventral shields failed halfway to the tree line. Once again, she exacted a savage toll from the Remans' engines. The Romulan fighter's descent accelerated and Grace fell behind and started her ascent towards orbit.
Back at the ziggurat, the Corsair began its ascent. The Romulans on the ground fired in futility at the runabout trying penetrate its shields and bring it down. Riker manned the helm. T'Kir had OPS. Macen covered the Sciences station. Daggit worked Tactical. Radil was in the runabout's Medical modules tending to Danan's injuries.
Despite Radil's extensive knowledge of how to treat battlefield wounds, her expertise regarding plasma burns was limited. She stabilised Danan and prayed that would suffice. She then went to the cockpit and sprayed a salve across Macen's burns.
"Thanks Jenrya." Macen said gratefully, "Could you check on our Vulcan guests?"
"Do I have to?" Radil grumped.
"They don't bite." Macen scolded.
"No, they just bore you to tears." Radil replied with a sigh and trudged off towards the crew's lounge. The relics were stored in the runabout's detention cell. The Vulcan Starfleet officers placidly sat by in the lounge awaiting their ultimate fate.
The runabout swiftly achieved orbit. Once in orbit, Riker guided the miniature starship towards the Obsidian. Rhiann had already been tractored into the auxiliary bay and Grace was halfway into the bay. As per standard procedure, she was being tractored in backwards in order to facilitate a rapid launch.
Riker brought the Corsair about while the auxiliary bay closed. The primary bay doors opened and the bay's tractor beam took hold of the runabout and began dragging it in. As they were being brought into the starship's bosom, Macen reported the results of his sensor sweep.
"The Valdore's shields are up and her weapons are hot."
Riker swivelled his chair around to face Macen, "Will Donatra fire?"
"She will if she's provoked." Macen confirmed, "So we have to figure out a way to break orbit without engaging a Romulan Warbird."
"I have faith in you." Riker remarked with a grin, "You'll think of something."
Macen's right eyebrow rose, "I could make it your call."
Riker shook his head, "But you won't."
The bay had cycled the air back into the space and the bay controller signalled the runabout's CONN that it was safe to disembark. Riker released the primary hatch and Kort and two medtechs rushed into the runabout. One of the medtechs carried a collapsible litter.
"Who the hell called Sickbay?" Macen wondered.
"I did." Radil announced as she entered the cockpit. She placed her fists on her hips, "Did I do wrong?"
Macen shook his head, "Of course not. I just wish I'd done it sooner rather than waiting for us to dock."
"You've been preoccupied." Radil shrugged, "Despite your own expectations, you can't manage to do everything."
T'Kir shot him an expectant look and Macen broke into a sheepish grin, "Thanks Jenrya."
"Anytime, Boss."
Kort and the medtechs exited the infirmary carrying Danan on the litter. Kort cast a lingering glance Radil's way and she coloured slightly. T'Kir grinned.
"That looks like an interesting future conversation. I didn't even read his mind and I can tell reconciliation is on his mind."
Although Radil's heart beat a little faster, she maintained her gruff expression. Macen rose from his position and stepped through the hatch. The cockpit crew joined him in the shuttlebay.
"Jenrya, escort the Vulcans to the science labs." Macen ordered, "Rab, Tom and T'Kir, you're with me." As Macen ran out of the shuttlebay, he tapped his comm badge, "Macen to Forger."
"Forger here." she replied, "I don't know what you did down there but the Romulans are pissed."
"So am I." Macen remarked, "They'll get over it."
"Yeah, but…"
"I need you to break orbit and get the ship moving in a slingshot manoeuvre around the planet." Macen instructed.
"Yeah, but…"
"We'll be in the bridge in under five minutes. Have the ship moving by then." Macen ordered.
"Yeah, but…"
"Macen out."
As the quartet stepped into the turbolift, Riker turned to Macen, "Shannon sounds seriously rattled."
"She'd better get over it." Macen replied sternly, "She's the ship's XO. She needs to get used to acting on her own in my absence."
"Is this an ongoing problem?"
"More of an ongoing tendency." Macen explained, "Shannon feels overwhelmed by her recent promotion. I've been hoping she'd grow into the job but the plain truth is that she may not be seasoned enough for her position."
Riker seemed to mull this over as the turbolift doors opened. The bridge was in chaos. Grace was at the helm with Rhiann standing by next to her. The various Gamma shift officers were in a full fledged panic and Forger was standing amidst it all, staring vacantly at the viewscreen's image of a Romulan Warbird.
"Well, this is going to be fun." Macen muttered in disgust.
