Red lights flashed and Kes heard shouts of alarm. She dropped her padd to the table before her and moved to the door of the small cafe she sat at. The Occampan Community was in chaos and she heard phaser fire. She was shocked to see Tuvok lead a group of Crewman down the hallway, pursued by gold shouldered starfleet officers.
"Commander, stand down, you are endangering civillians!" One of the pursuants shouted, Kes saw that it was Sito Jaxa. Kes shrank into her doorway as the fugitives took coverage accross from her door.
"Lay down suppressing fire, and retreat by twos, I will cover for you." Tuvok ordered.
"We should get to the runabout!" The crewman beside him shouted.
"We must not let this ship fall into Cardassian hands." Tuvok told the others. "If we can disable it, we can contact our allies and return with greater numbers."
"Commander Data locked us out of the computer, we can't evade them forever!" One of the crewman argued as his companions laid down fire to slow Jaco's advance.
"This settlement has incomplete security systems, we can take refuge, long enough to access resources we need." Tuvok told him. He spotted Kes. "Kes, you must return to your quarters, it is not safe here."
"What's going on?" Kes demanded, "Are my people in danger?" Tuvok nodded.
"Control of the Enterprise has been taken by Seska." He reported, "She has compromised the captain, and Commander Data is no doubt following his orders. Until order can be restored, you must return to your quarters."
"I'll go to sickbay." Kes replied as a phaser blast passed between them, "The moment it's safe enough to do so."
Tuvok nodded and with a few blast of his own phaser, followed his men. Kes watched tensely as the security team advanced, Jaxa moved to her.
"Are you alright?" She asked, Kes nodded.
"He said you're being controlled by Seska and the Cardassians" Kes said fearfully, "What's going on?"
"We're allies with the Cardassians, but he's been brainwashed by the Maquis." Jaxa said. "The Captain and Commander Chakotay left on a mission, while in command, Tuvok implemented a ship wide security lockdown, and changed course at maximum warp. The lockdown didn't work down here, but the whole section was sealed off. Commander Data outranks him and locked him out of the computer, but we are still travelling at high warp.l and we don't have full control. He sent a fleet wide alert that all Maquis personell were to be detained for medical examination." Jaxa told her. "I can't tell you more until we can take Tuvok and the Maquis into custody and examine them."
"I'll head to sickbay." Kes told her, " The doctor will need me." Jaxa nodded. "This feels wrong." She said to the young Bajoran, "We shouldn't be fighting eachother." Sito looked grim.
"The Maquis have chosen their side." She answered, "If they can't respect the peace then we'll have to subdue them to restore order." She moved onwards, following her team. Kes frowned, and then started moving.
"Red alert." Laforge heard as he strode onto the bridge from his ready room. He noted that his alpha shift bridge crew was replacing Occampans training over Gamma shift, and he noted Neelix arrive anxiously from the aft turbolift.
"Report." He ordered Tsu as she relinquished the con. She moved to her tactical station to one side as a crew member relinquished it, answering,
"Fleet wide alert has been issued. Commander Data has been able to regain navigational control of the Enterprise, and has averted warp core ejection, but sustained heavy damage over taxing their warp engines. They travelled approximately six light years." she replied, Neelix had joined her at her tactical station, and interjected.
"Captain, they've flown straight into Vidian space." Neelix pointed out.
"Security has detained all former Maquis, serving with us," Tsu continued, " Lieutenant Ohawa is examining them. Enterprise reports they are attempting to apprehend the Lieutenant and seven others. Caretaker station reports no disrupted operations. Captain Picard and Commander Chakotay's shuttle is still missing."
"What about the Equinox and the Val Jean?" Laforge demanded. Tsu shook her head.
"We haven't heard from either." She advised. Laforge frowned.
"Enterprise is closest, we can't leave her crippled in Vidian space." He decided, "Set course to intercept, maximum warp. prepare teams for search and rescue as well and when we are close enough we will start searching for Captain Picard."
'Captain, if I may make a suggestion..." Neelix was literally raising his hand. Geordie inclined his head, "With respect, you are forgetting you have friends out here." He moved down the ramp and confronted Laforge. "Whatever dastardly plan is at work, they clearly intended to send a crippled Enterprise into danger, but scavengers won't attack a pack."
"Right." Geordie realized, "Right, Neelix, that's it! Try to get a message out, request mutual aid for the Enterprise, Talaxians, Haakonians, whoever, and request help in the search for captain Picard. We need to figure out what's going on."
* * *
"You traitorous ptak!" Bellanna snarled, as she struggled, "I should have let the damn missile kill you all." Two Kaizons shoved her forward into the small crowd of officers gathered in the small mess hall of the Equinox. Seska stood with Lieutenant Burke flanked by Kaizon and Cardassian soldiers.
"I seem to recall the last minute use of some particularly classified Cardassian command codes to save your ship, and your life." Seska observed "Or were you so busy mooning over our holographic Chakotay to realize how close you were to death."
"I'm.. so sorry." Reg moaned. He was sporting a black eye and a cut on his forehead from particularly brutal Kaizon treatment. Ensign Gilmore tried to soothe him. "I had no idea she intended to use my emergency command program for that."
"What did you do to the real Chakotay?" Torres snarled, "Did you brainwash him, like you did Ro?"
"Oh I'm afraid you're only just beginning to catch on, and I don't feel a pressing need to inform you of the details. Why don't you worry about what's happening on this ship before you confuse yourself." Seska told her.
"Word is she's crippled the Enterprise, after sending her into Vidian space. Chakotay and Picard are missing, and the Hera has it's hands full trying to respond to both. Smart" Paris commented, he glanced at the Kaizons, "That seems to work out for you, too. Without Picard, all these alliances fall apart, their crews will waste time and resources looking for them, they'll be forced to retreat to Occampan space, and in time, this sector will return to the way it was."
"Contain your admiration Paris, we should never have rescued that Cardassian circus, let alone join our fleet." Bellanna spat.
"Why then, we'd never be able to manage the sympathetic warp bubbles that will get us where we need to, in time to get home." Seska answered "You see my contacts found evidence of a wormhole to the Beta Quadrant that Captain Picard were perfectly aware of, but declined to pursue. It seems they had more important mission advancing federation interests in this Quadrant."
"He didn't bother to tell us Rudy." Max interjected, "There's a way home calling out name, Laforge found it months ago, but Picard was too busy playing savior to the galaxy."
"Reconstituting hundreds of thousands of lives." Torres snapped.
"They were in no hurry." Burke scoffed. "No one reconstituted" all the shipmates we lost. You:d think Laforge would be mindful of that, given whose chair it is, he is sitting in."
"And need I remind you it was Captain Laforge's decision to rescue us," Seska added, "and Captain Picard who both freed me, and assumed responsibility to his grand alliance for our fate." She shrugged, "Ironic, that."
"She's right BLT." Burke told her, "Jonas worked out where the wormhole is, but it's unstable now and the only way to get to it, in time, is for us to cooperate. Picard has had us spread all over this sector running every errand but getting home. It's time to take action."
"And those actions include mutiny, Max?" Ransom demanded, He stood beside Torres, and a dozen Equinox crew. "Conspiring with the enemy?" He nodded to the Kaizon who stood beside Seska. "You're going to leave hundreds of Starfleet officers to them?"
"We only want you gone from our space." The Kaizon told him. "And fair compensation for the damage you have done."
"The Cardassians can spare the dreadnaught when we're done with it, and Starfleet was never gonna miss that Maquis rust bucket." Burke told him. "It's a fair enough offer, and with our contacts aboard the Enterprise disabling her warp engines, the Kaizons won't have to worry about her returning to their space."
"They'll be sitting ducks, for anyone like the Vidians who wants to go shopping." Ransom snarled.
"In fairness, they've been sitting ducks for the last several months." Paris interjected, "unless you count shuttling around running errands for the Talaxians, the Occampa, or anyone else who comes knocking." Burke chuckled.
"You still mad about the nurse Tom?" He asked Paris rolled his eyes. "He's right though." Burke turned to Ransom, "Picard's been too busy playing diplomat and nation builder, he'd rather just keep launching probes and hoping for miracles." He shook his head, "If he wants to get home at all."
"He's been making allies, gathering supplies, and scouting." Ransom replied, "Without giving away our technology, or making deals with criminals." He glared at Seska. "and traitors." He looked back at Burke.
"Is that a fact?" Burke replied hotly, "Well Captain Picard handed an entire station.full of advanced technology over to a bunch of seven year olds, and he let two thirds of the Hera's crew abandon their ship to help them use it. He's given key leadership positions to Maquis- no offense-" He told Seska, and nodded at Torres, "Transferring his misfits and yes men to other ships while passing over good officers. We're not going home like this." He scoffed, "we'll be lucky to make it a quarter if the way accross the Quadrant in our lifetime. Enough is enough." Burke drew himself up.
"Captain, you have been relieved of duty for dereliction of duty to your crew and to your ship. As acting Captain, I will use any and all means to get this ship, and it's allies, " He nodded to Seska, "home." He spoke louder, to the dozen or so gathered crewman. "Now I've already got key people running things, but I know a few of you are just as eager as I am, to get home." He paused as Paris immediately crossed to his side. He nodded at the man. "I know some of you are new here," He nodded at Dalby, Chell, and Gerron, "Maybe not so happy about working with our Cardassian friends, but your fight is in the Alpha Quadrant, isn't it. You give us a hand with what needs to be done, and when we're back on the right side of the galaxy, you can take a shuttle, and your chances." The others glanced at eachother and crossed over as well. Ensign Lessing and Gilmore looked hesitant but stayed with Ransom, as did a quartet of officers Torres knew to be from the Enterprise. Reg looked terrified to move at all.
"You're all fools if you think the Cardassians will pass up on a top of the line, federation ship, once they are within hailing range of their cronies." Ransom said loudly, "Or that Starfleet will overlook mutiny."
"Starfleet will believe what we tell them." Max scoffed, "backed by the word of our new friends, who have a great deal to say about Captain Picard's actions, and by the word of our current allies." He nodded to Seska. "So you have a choice to make. Take the initiative and get home before any one else gets killed."
"And if we refuse to help?" Torres demanded, "Reg and I know more about warp drive than anyone, you can't do this without us."
"Bellanna," Paris warned, "Don't do this, it makes sense to go along with them."
"Of course we can." Seska interjected, "That was the point of our little training exercise, here, anyway. " She crossed her arms, "and I don't intend to let either of you near a warp engine with any ideas about being a hero."
She thought for a moment, and then stepped towards Torres, "Pagh t'em far, B'tanay."
Torres blinked. "Is that.. Bajoran?" Seska frowned.
"Pity." She said, "I suppose you haven't seen Mr Tuvok for some time. It could be useful to fill our recent openings," She turned to Burke. "give me the two engineers and the Captain, I'll keep them on my ship until we cross through the wormhole."
"Done." Burke replied, he turned to the Kaizon, "Your ships have taken up station at the coordinates we gave you?" The Kaizon nodded. "Alright, we'll meet your people there, and transfer our people from the Val Jean here. Once we are through the wormhole, she's all yours, and you can have the missile too. Paris, join me on the bridge, we've got a journey to finish."
"I guess we'll have to postpone those dinner plans." Paris said to Bellanna as he followed. The doors closed on her response.
"Cogito ergo sum." The man mused as he looked down at himself. " I Redii."
"Why here? Why him?" Jonas hissed at Tuvok. "You stole the Doctor's mobile platform just for this?"
"We have lost control of the ship and Commander Data will not permit us to escape. This holodeck program has repeatedly defeated Commander Data and seized control of this ship, and it's computer, therefore, it is our best chance to thwart Commander Data." Tuvok answered. "The experimental mobile platform can sustain his program independently of a holodeck, and provide much needed versatility."
"Mobile platform?" The man arched an eyebrow then his face darkened. "I see. So the Captain and Mr. Data succeeded, but not for me." He flexed his hands into fists, "Never for me."
"Sir, we have never met, but your reputation precedes you." Tuvok stated, "My name is Tuvok, I fight for the Maquis resistance. Your enemy, Captain Picard has been psychologically programmed as a Cardassian agent, but Commander Data is presently in command of this vessel. If you seek revenge, I submit, that we are your best bet."
"I am not a weapon to be directed." Moriarty replied, "My motivations are my own. What of the Countess?"
"Her program is intact, but you will require another platform." Tuvok informed him, "The Maquis can aid you in constructing one, but we will need to obtain a runabout and escape the Enterprise to reunite with our compatriots. only then, will we be able to restore the Countess. Will you aid us?"
"I will do what I must." The man declared, "And mister Data will come to regret the day he ever crossed paths with Professor James Moriarty."