Ok ok, I know it has been FOREVER since I last updated. But I will spare you my pathetic excuses and the suchlike. Thanks to a few death threats (or tear threats. Those work better) and you know who you are. I finally committed myself to just sit down and work until I had a new chapter for you all to read. So here it is. I worked on this most of the day and I feel quite happy about it. Unfortunately, Meryl, Millie and Rem will show up not as much over the next few chapters. I can't justify putting them in the next few situations. But there is quite a bit of Vash (well duh) and Knives (because how else would I do so many cruel things.) Anyway, a note to my readers who left me a review.
Asteria: I already mentioned your review for last chapter in an updated last chapter, but per usual I will thank you again for pointing out my mistakes.
Godofwar5000: Glad you approve. I was so nervous about staring this fic in the first place fretting over of any would even want to read it.
X-Over: While your ideas got me thinking about a great many things, I am trying to keep to an almost set storyline that is roaming in my head at the moment. While I want to write so of those encounters as well, it just doesn't fall into this one. Perhaps a sequel or another Star Trek series will make it. But that is for later.
JoJo the Jellyfish: and how could I forget you my death threat sending fan. My apologies for not updating sooner. I hope this result is interesting. And thank you for deciding it works ore in live action. It was hurting my head when I thought about it. Side note: there was a character in TNG and DS9 named Vash. SHE was the woman Picard met on Risa and had a few adventures with. But that doesn't really matter anyway.
Now that that is done. ON TO THE FIC!!!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knives felt groggy. The last thing he could remember was talking to his brother on some ship named the Enterprise. But that sounded ludicrous. No ship still worked. He rationalized everything as some dream he had been having. As he began opening his eyes, he could make nothing out that was familiar. His vision still blurry, he once again thought that perhaps he had been drinking.
'Why I subject myself to that I will not understand.' He thought. He had been drunk once or twice in the last few years, but it was never like this. He didn't feel hung-over. His vision was just blurry. Then he realized he was actually standing up. He was trying to rationalize sleeping while standing, but it was a bit harder to do. He tried to move his arms but something was holding them to the wall. He tried next to move his legs, but felt shackles on his ankles. His vision started to clear and he could barely see anything in the room.
What he could make out started to increase his heart rate. In the darkened room he could see a small table with a barely recognizable chair behind it. He couldn't see anything else in the room. He closed his eyes again. 'This is just a bad dream. I will wake up. Millie is probably fixing breakfast now.' He thought. Trying to keep calm became increasingly difficult. When he made a sudden movement with his arm trying to free it, the sharp and cold metal cut into his wrist. He could feel his blood trickle down his arm slowly.
'It isn't a dream. The last thing I remember was talking to Vash on the Enterprise. Then that light and, and...nothing.' His mind started racing to come up with an explanation of what had happened to him. But the more he searched the further from an answer he got.
He heard a door slide open in the far corner. As he squinted to see who, or what, it was multiple bright lights flashed on blinding him. He was squeezing his eyes shut, but the blinding white light burned his retina anyway. He looked down, and chanced opening his eyes for a brief moment. When he did, he saw that he was hanging with no shirt on.
As his eyes adjusted to the new light, he began looking up to try and survey the room. After his eyes had adjusted, he realized that the light was only marginally brighter than the light from the twin suns on Gunsmoke. While the direction of the light still obscured whoever was sitting behind that desk, he could see his black revolver lying on the desk. Its silhouette was unmistakable.
"I hope you have found your sleep comfortable." The voice was loud; and it rang in Knives ears. "But since you are up, we want to ask you a few questions."
Knives looked up, but the light still blocked his view of the people keeping him prisoner. "What questions could I possibly answer that you wouldn't already know the answer to?" His vocal chords felt raw. It was like he hadn't spoken in months. 'What did they do to me?' he thought.
"Judging by your voice, you still haven't fully recovered from your exposure. I will come back in a few hours, and we will continue our discussion." The man stood up. For a moment, Knives could see him quite clearly. His skin was pale, and his face was hideous. As he took in all the features, he remembered the species from the Enterprise computers. He was looking at a Nausicaan. 'Why do they...' his thoughts drifted off as a small phaser beam struck him in the chest. The setting knocked Knives unconscious again.
The Nausicaan tapped a communications button on the desk. "He still is not ready to undergo the procedure. Perhaps in a few hours."
An angry voice came over the system. "I hired you people to get me this. If you don't provide your services like you were supposed to, I will find someone else to do it." The system shut down, leaving the man standing there staring at knives hanging from the wall. His sight trailed off ad feel on the black revolver. "How can this primitive thing be a useful weapon? Meh." He shut the lights off and walked through the door. "Wipe his memory of the last few minutes again. I want to make sure he is as disoriented as possible when we do question him. And give him another dose of the antidote. His body still hasn't recovered from the poison we used to knock him out. I don't want to do this a twelfth time."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Enterprise met the Midway Island. Both ships hung in space as they went over the plan for getting Knives back.
"We have approximately 17 systems on this course that could be where they are going. These systems are the only ones with habitable planets." Picard said in the conference room. Picard, Vash, and Captain Kevlar were the only ones in the room. "Data has provided us with an analysis of the best route that will cover the most area in the least time..."
"Captain, what happens when we can't find him?" Vash asked. "I found him by wandering a planet and it took over a hundred years. How the hell do you expect to find him in 17 systems?" Vash's concern for his brother was beginning to consume him.
"Mr. Vash, we are going to everything within our power to locate your brother." Captain Kevlar stated. "But Starfleet did leave orders to abandon the search should it take longer than 14 days."
"14 DAYS!!!" Vash yelled. "17 systems in 14 days you are lunatics. There is no way we could possibly find him in that amount of time." Vash slumped back down in his seat. Tears welling up in his eyes and frustration burned in his heart. 'And I can't do anything to help.' He thought. For once in his life, he was truly useless in the situation. Nothing he could do could save Knives.
"Vash," Picard started in a sympathetic tone. "That is more than enough time to search those systems, along with several others. Given that you and your brother are rather unique in your biological pattern; our long range sensors should be able to pick it up from 6 light years."
Vash slumped further into his chair. '6 light years may as well be 600 light years.'
The doors slide open and Data walked into the room. Given that he was an android, he looked like he was in a good mood. "Captain, I believe I have found something that will be useful." He stated.
"Go on Data," Picard's order sounded like a request with as gentle as it was.
"In surveying the information of the sensor logs from all of the incidents involving those ships, I have found that each one leaves a very distinct radiation trail. Further analysis has allowed us to calibrate the sensors to follow the ship that abducted Mr. Knives."
"Why didn't you come across this before Data?" Captain Kevlar stated.
"As I said," Data responded. "It is a radiation trail that is cleverly designed to appear as background radiation. The main sensor systems in processing the information overlooked it and classified it as background radiation."
"What made you think to look at that data, Data?" Vash hardly noticed that he sounded like he had a stutter at the end of the sentence.
But the android missed it. Both captains chuckled lightly. "I was attempting to analysis sensor information on the ships for a tactical purpose."
"So in other words, you happened to trip over it accidentally." Vash said slightly annoyed.
"I do not recall tripping over any information. Nor is there any record of such an event." Data responded. He had spent over thirty years among humans and still did not comprehend many of the figures of speech.
"Data, how soon until the sensors are ready?" Picard asked. Deciding it was time to get back onto track.
"The sensors have already been programmed. We are able to follow the ship to exactly where it went."
"Set a course and engage at the Midway Island's maximum warp." Picard ordered.
"I'll head back to my ship. We will prepare a few ground teams to assist in finding Mr. Knives when we get to this place." Captain Kevlar stood up and shook Picard's hand before leaving the room.
"Captain," Vash spoke up nervously. He had long since stood up. "What happens if they start shooting at us again?"
Data responded first. "It is unlikely that their ships will be able to mount a successful strike against two starships that are prepared for them. All we have experienced from them thus far is hit and run tactics."
"We will deal with that when the situation arises. Right now my primary concern is to get your brother back." Picard spoke confidently. 'If they do attack again, we'll be ready this time.' He thought.
The Enterprise and the midway island both turned in space and accelerated to warp 9.6.
As Picard, Data and Vash entered the main bridge; they watched the streaks of material hit the deflector shield and flash. Data walked to his position and sat down. His fingers ran quickly across the controls and he spoke without turning his head.
"Captain, Long range sensors have detected the path of the ship. Estimated time of arrival is 6 hours."
"That means we were closer than we thought. Inform the Island. We will raise shields and ready weapons one hour before we arrive." Picard ordered.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knives drifted back into consciousness again. He first noticed he was lying on his back strapped to a table. He clenched his teeth and attempted to remember what had happened to him. The last thing he could remember was talking to Vash.
'That just doesn't feel right,' he thought. 'I know there is something else.' His memory of the last tie he was awake slowly reconstructed itself. He could remember the dark, the blinding light, and a quick view of his tormentor.
"Dammit," he shouted to no one in particular. He attempted to lift his head and arms but found they were strapped down. His head was held stationary by some contraption he could only see the end of. He heard footsteps echoing through the room. But couldn't tell what the room was.
Out side the door, two Nausicaans had stopped another one.
"Our guest has awakened again. It seems as though the neurotoxin has worn off." The first commented.
"Ahh, good. That means I can discover this weapon he holds the key to. Go and get the truth serums. I will begin the process of controlling him." He walked through the doors. The room was quite large, and roughly circular. The lights were kept off so as to add to his prisoner's confusion. He walked over to the table and looked down on him. 'How could this man be any more powerful than a human?' He thought. "I am glad you have finally come around. Now before I begin, I would like to know about your weapon."
Knives opened his eyes. His bluff at still being asleep hadn't worked. So he decided to try and outwit the ugly beast. "You have already looked at it. It is nothing that you could find useful."
"That is the same thing I have learned from it. But my employer seems to think otherwise." He voice was harsh, but seemed characteristically uninterested in what he was doing.
"So let your employer come down to interrogate me." Knives could barely think. His head still hurt from everything he knew had happened and how much he didn't know he could only guess at.
"I think not. He is only interested if you are worth selling. He doesn't care about this procedure."
'If I'm worth selling? What the...?' Knives thought. This situation only seemed to get stranger as time passed.
Another one of the ugly beasts burst into the room. His voice was frantic but barely audible. Knives could only pick out a few words.
"Two Starfleet ships are headed this way Commander." The guard spoke. "One Sovereign-class and one Oshiana-class. They seem to be following our radiation trail."
"Damn," the Commander said. "Take all three ships and set up an ambush. Inform our allies on the Enterprise to work some of their magic. Tell them that their share will double if they succeed."
"Yes sir." The guard ran back out the door. And the commander turned back around.
"It seems your friends are going to attempt a rescue. It seems I will have to speed up my process a bit." He walked over to the control panel on one wall and started hitting switches. The screens displayed various items. As he finished working the controls, the machine around Knives head began contracting. From it, several small protrusions began approaching his head. When they pierced his skin, Knives let out a painful scream that could be heard throughout the entire base.
"One hour to destination sir." The helmsman called out.
"Raise shields and go to red alert." Picard ordered. The bridge was partially lit by the red glow from the many signals.
Vash looked at the screen and kept counting down the time until he could get his brother back. Captain Picard had told him to remain on the Bridge. He could barely keep up with everything the officers around him were doing. Worf was running a tactical analysis, data was following the sensor readings, and Riker was working at one of the back stations doing something Vash couldn't even comprehend. Then there was all the other people ash didn't know. Moments after Red alert had been called, a security detail came onto the bridge and began passing out hand phasers to everyone. Vash recognized one of them from before in his quarters.
"All decks and sections reporting ready. Ground teams are prepared and waiting in transporter room 2, 3, and 4." Worf called out.
"Once we clear out any orbital threat, I want you and Riker to join those teams." Picard started. He turned towards Vash. "And I want you to go with them."
Vash blinked. "Me? What can I do?"
"You have experience fighting in those situations. It is your brother. You should be there to meet him when they find him." Picard calmly said.
"Is that really wise sir? A ground firefight is not the best place to send him." Riker called out from his spot at the back of the bridge.
"It is his choice to go or not. I'm just giving..."Picard was cut off by Vash.
"Of course I'm going down there. I'm the only one that can stop the angel arm."
"Do you really think he will use it against us?" Riker stood up and walked towards Picard and Vash.
"I don't know. But you are ready for everything but the angel arm. I'm not sure exactly how good your shields are, but I put a hole in the fifth moon and destroyed one city with it." Vash started.
"Given that information, it is likely that the Enterprise would be unable to withstand a hit from such a weapon." Data commented.
The Bridge went silent suddenly. Picard was the first to speak after the brief moments of relative silence. "Then it seems our lives may rest in your hands Mr. Vash."
"Yeah, Pain likes me so much it brought friends."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The guard burst in the door again. The commander was quite annoyed with the interruption again. "What is it you want?" He bellowed.
"The Starfleet ships are 45 minutes away sir." The guard responded.
"Inform the ships to attack immediately. I am nearly finished."
"Yes sir."
He turned back to his work. Knives had stopped screaming several hours ago. He had passed out from the pain. This was to be expected. The Nausicaan was implanting several devices to try to control him. But his mind was proving more advanced than their information let on. And with the Federation almost on top of them, he had to rush this together.
"I hope my new weapon will be ready for them when they arrive." The voice of his employer startled him. The man was able to sneak around rather well.
"I do not know if you will be able to keep full control of him. His mind is harder to deal with than I thought." He turned around to face the man. But got the same idea of what he was from before. The cloak and face mask effectively hid what species he was.
"Make sure I have enough control to deal with these ships. After that, we can take as long as we want."
"When do we receive payment?" The Commander asked.
"Once the Starfleet ships are gone and my ship comes to get me, you will receive your 2000 bars of gold pressed latinum."
"Just make sure of it. When not paid, we have a habit of turning on our employer." The Commander turned around and resumed his work. The other man left as quietly as he had come in. After he was gone, the Commander spoke quietly to himself. "If this weapon works as it is claimed then we will take it anyway."
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Sir three ships coming in on course 115 mark 229." Worf called out from his position.
"We are still 23 minutes from the planet." Data called out immediately after.
"Distance to targets?" Riker ordered.
"Range is 30 billion kilometers. Firing range in 45 seconds." Worf returned. "They have dropped to impulse power."
"Bring us in range then drop to full impulse. Inform the Island of our plan. Authorization to shoot on sight ad fire at will." Picard called out.
"Midway Island acknowledges command." Data chimed in.
The five ships approached each other quickly and dropped to the same speed. The three fighters were the first to fire but their shots went wide completely missing both Starfleet ships. The Midway Island rolled to her starboard and began launching torpedoes from its forward bays. The six main torpedo bays lit up frantically as the torpedoes acquired their target. She continued to roll while the small craft attempted to escape. Its maneuver was insufficient and 4 of the torpedoes struck its shields.
The Enterprise began chasing its first target. When it was right at the stern of the4 smaller craft she fired her main dorsal phaser array. The shot lanced out striking the shields. That shot was followed by another one, and another one. The Enterprise banked off to begin chase on the third target. While the Midway Island had been coming around for a second pass, the third ship attacked her port side. It began a run with a collision course for the Enterprise.
"Prepare to o a 180 degree x axis roll to starboard. Standby ventral phaser arrays. Target life support and engines." Picard called out.
"You shouldn't kill them!" Vash hollered. "Please don't kill them!"
Everyone one the bridge looked at the seemingly mad Vash. Then most of them resumed their tasks.
"Correction Mr. Worf, Target engines and weapons systems." Picard ordered. The Klingon was about to object but a stern look kept him quiet.
The Enterprise began her roll when there were only a few kilometers between both ships. When she fired, it was from less than a hundred meters and the blast devastated the smaller ship. As the Enterprise came out of her roll, the smaller ship had already started to drift.
"One down," commented Riker.
"Apparently none to go, look." The helmsman said as he directed the attention to the view screen.
The Midway Island Had let lose another volley of torpedoes towards the first ship. The second was being attack by phaser fire from all directions by the Midway Island. Moments after the torpedoes hit the first ship; it began to buckle and finally detonated. The second ship had watched both of the others torn apart and began running from the scene.
"Did they have to kill the people on that ship?" Vash began trying to choke back his feelings.
"Resume course and speed for the planet. Assess and repair any damage done." Picard ordered. He then turned to Vash. "While I took your advice and showed those people some compassion, I doubt the Captain Kevlar would have. He had been in the Dominion War. He is used to fighting more aggressively."
"That doesn't give them the right to take another life." Vash was still holding himself in check.
"I suppose not. I will not try to justify it." Picard commented. 'How can he think that way when his brother was kidnapped by these people?' He thought.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"It is finished." The Commander called out. His employer would be happy to her the results.
"Good. Now give me control of him. The Starfleet ships are almost here." The cloaked man said.
"Stop sneaking up on me. I may kill you inadvertently." The Commander was becoming ill tempered at this man. "You can control him by telling him what to do. It should work a few times. But his mind is very resilient."
"I will keep that in mind Commander." The cloaked man raised his left hand. The cloak covering it, a bolt of energy flew from the end. Killing the Commander on site. "It appears I have no need of you anymore." He replaced his disruptor in its concealed holster. He walked up to Knives and released the locks on his arms, legs, and head.
"Follow me my precious weapon. We have some starships to destroy as a demonstration."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Coming into the planets orbit now, sir." The helmsman called out.
"Data can you get a fix on Knives bio-signs?" Picard asked. Vash was just as anxious about that information as well.
"Yes sir, but it is hard to get an exact location. It appears that the area has dampening field in place. It will prevent beam in or accurate locating."
"So we have to look the old fashioned way?" Riker commented.
"It appears so." Data responded.
"Then let's get going," Vash said as he stood up.
"Data get beam coordinates and transfer them to the transporter rooms. Have medical staff on standby." Picard ordered.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knives walked outside. He was thinking for himself, but couldn't control his body for some unknown reason. What he could tell was that he was walking and he hand the black revolver in his right hand. He looked to the side and saw a man in a cloak directing him.
"Ok we are outside." The man said. He pulled out a small data PADD and began using its information. "I want you to aim your weapon at this point in the sky." He indicated it on the pad and pointed to the faint objects moving.
Knives' arm began to lift. He didn't want it to. But something was making him do it. Then it began to happen. The casing on the top portion of the revolver popped the small bolts and separated. The light inside began to glow wildly.
"I want you to kill them all with your weapon!!" The cloaked man called out.
Knives grasped the situation. He was about to shoot something in orbit with the angel arm. Then it hit him. The Enterprise was probably in orbit.
He began screaming in his head. But his body would not respond to anything. He could only watch the horror of what was about to happen.
'Vash, Meryl, Millie, Rem, everyone, please forgive me. I can't stop.' He would have shed tears, but he was denied that as well.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Sir, there is an odd energy buildup on the planet's surface," Data informed.
Vash turned his head and looked at the view screen. He could feel his brother's thoughts. But he could not make any of them out from so far away.
"You have to get away NOW!!" Vash yelled. He did not know how he knew it, but he had a very bad feeling.
"What is ..." Picard's voice stopped when the blinding white light began to engulf the planet below.
The size of the hemisphere was quite visible from space. It would most likely need no magnification from their orbit to see very clearly. And just as suddenly as the light had appeared on the surface, a beam shot into space. The width of it was enough to consume most anything. Then it hit everyone on the ship.
"Evasive maneuvers!" Picard ordered, but he hardly had to even say it. The helmsman had already done so.
"The Midway Island is directly in the path of the beam!" Worf called out. The view screen switched to the other Starfleet vessel.
The Midway Island had been orbiting with full shields and full power. When the angel arm beam struck her broad side, the shields flared violently. She lasted until the beam completely consumed the ship. Then her shields buckled, collapsed, ad the hull took the full force. Within moments, there was nothing visible of the ship.
The people on the bridge of the Enterprise watched in horror. Ad the beam died down, they began to see what it had done exactly. The Midway Island was no longer there. There were a few signs of floating debris. But the 555 meter ship had been obliterated.
Since the dawn of the federation, no ship has ever been completely destroyed in a single hit from an energy weapon. The crew of the Enterprise witnessed something that would go in the history books, but it had cost 550 people their lives.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok ok , I know it is kind of a hard place to stop and ponder about. BUT LIVE WITH IT. It took me all day to turn this out. But this time it is much longer than before. Please send comments feedback death threats and such to me. I think you all know where to find me by now. And hopefully it no longer takes so fricken long for me to update.