Hanging Onto Hope
Part 2
Fleet Admiral Steffen Arnell stood in the glass-enclosed control room and stared out into the frantic activity of the docking bay. The alien craft had been stored there so the Techs could immediately report to him on what kind of technology the Bancarden were using. Normally the techs would have just entered the ship, find out what was need and then leave. Only with the imperative of their mission, they brought the small craft on broad to analyze it on the go. The Admiral frowned at the other reason they needed to bring it here.
An older woman with brownish-gray hair and dark brown eyes entered the room and stood beside him. She had narrow features and a long, almost graceful neck. Dressed in all black she looked like any other commanding officer until she turned her authoritative gaze on you. Enya Keitha was of the High Council, she watched the progress of the techs working on Bancarden craft.
"Tell me, Admiral Arnell, have your people found a way of opening the door yet?" she asked causally.
Arnell was more then used to the ways of the Council members, he caught the undertone of amusement and irritation in her voice. Never one to waste words he simply answered. "No."
She cut a glance at him. "Has your command found where the Leviathan, Moya is?"
"Yes," he again answered simply.
"Do you still think it prudent to send the other Command Carrier traversing at a parallel course?"
Admiral Arnell looked over at the Councilor. His instincts were warning him this one wasn't to be patronized. Turning his full attention to her, he question.
"Ma'am?"
"Don't play wantwit with me, Arnell. You know how import this mission is. If these Bancardens get to the..."
"They want, Councilor. That is why I have the other Command Carrier parallel our vector. There is a larger Bancarden Trekker out there looking for Moya and her crew. We can use that to ..." The Admiral tried to explain in simple terminology.
"Arnell, I understand your strategy. What you haven't told me is how you are able to track them when your people can't even get the door open on the ship you have captured," Councilor Keitha retorted.
Growing infuriated his voiced dropped in tone. "They may have devised away to shroud their ship from our scanners, but on a lower range of our scan, we have detected faint traces of their engines signature."
The Councilor gave the Admiral a tight-lipped smile. "Now that didn't hurt to reveal that information did it, Arnell. You must remember why we are here. You may think of this person as your prize." She turned to face him and stared him directly in the eye. "HE is the reason we are here on this mission. Do what you must to track him down and keep them all safe, and then when we do find them... I will take over. Comprehend?"
"Yes, Councilor," he acknowledged reluctantly.
Looking back at the Bancarden craft, she said with some sarcasm. "Do let me know if you figure out the door mechanism, I would like to see the inside of it."
Stiffly he kept his eyes on the techs working around the small craft. Now he remembered one thing about his position he hated and that was dealing politicians.
Two solar days later:
Admiral Arnell stood at attention in middle of the command, with his hands behind him, surveying the activity on the forward viewer screen. He could feel the tension building; they were on the brink of closing in on the prize.
"Captain, has the reconnaissance intercepted either of the targets?"
"Yes, Admiral. The marauder crew has transmitted their location..." the Captain abruptly broke off. As the Peacekeeper Lieutenant approached them and waited for acknowledgment. Arnell transferred his attention to the officer.
"Sirs, Captain Randella reports that the Bancarden Trekker's energy path leads directly to another ship that has just left the Leviathan."
"And?"
The Captain placed his hand up to his ear listening to the report. Raising his eyes to the Admiral, a frown mired his face. "Sir, it's the Leviathan's pod."
Coldness settled in the Admirals eyes. "Our time to intercept?"
"A hundred microts, sir," The Captain announced.
Arnell's voice pitch dropped to a lower, a fridged tone. "Who is abroad that pod?"
"The Human with two Bancardens."
The Admiral scowled, though so slightly that none the rest of the crew in command took notice. This was not the report he wanted to hear. If the Bancardens had been on the Leviathan then they might be too late. He turned back to his second.
"Captain, I want us there now," he barked out his order. He looked back over the awaiting Lieutenant. "Have Captain Randella to destroy the Bancarden Trekker now. I do not want it near that Pod."
"Sir."
Admiral Arnell moved down a step toward one of the consoles. Pressing a control then another, he ordered while he studied the readouts. "Captain, I want the Leviathan disabled but not harmed."
As the Admiral's Command Carrier came upon the pursuing battle, everyone went to full battle action.
"Weapon's control full charge." The Captain ordered.
Looking up from the console, Admiral Arnell stared at the forward viewer. His stance was rigid, his face expressionless, as the other Carrier fired on the now revealed Bancarden Trekker. The Peacekeeper Carrier had done so at extreme range. They missed, as the Trekker banked sharply to the left. The Bancarden managing to place themselves over the Pod as the Carrier started to fire again. Both ships vanished.
Command grew deathly quiet as if waiting for an Admiral explosion. In a tight, control voice the Arnell ordered, "Captain, execute Deka Roma."
"Sir." The Captain acknowledge as he glanced over at his Lieutenant. Arnell swept his cold steely-gray eyes around command, then back to the viewer. The Bancardens would die for taking his prize.
It was his mission to capture the Peacekeeper's greatest embarrassments; he would succeed. John Crichton and his crew on Moya would be his, alive, but his.
On Moya:
"Get us out of here, Pilot," D'Argo had ordered.
Still shaking her head, Aeryn almost screamed out, "No, we can't leave John..."
"They're firing on us!" Pilot shouted.
"Frell!" D'Argo snarled, running out the bay area.
As Aeryn climbed out of her Prowler to join D'Argo, she snapped at Chiana as she passed her. "Get to Nyka, Chi."
Before Chiana could carry out the order, the giant ship shuddered. Pilot's voice carried through the corridors as he shouted. "They've hit us with an immobilizing pulse..."
Abruptly, Pilot's broke off screaming in pain. The next thing the crew found themselves on the deck. Silence rang out through the great ship...
Part 2
Fleet Admiral Steffen Arnell stood in the glass-enclosed control room and stared out into the frantic activity of the docking bay. The alien craft had been stored there so the Techs could immediately report to him on what kind of technology the Bancarden were using. Normally the techs would have just entered the ship, find out what was need and then leave. Only with the imperative of their mission, they brought the small craft on broad to analyze it on the go. The Admiral frowned at the other reason they needed to bring it here.
An older woman with brownish-gray hair and dark brown eyes entered the room and stood beside him. She had narrow features and a long, almost graceful neck. Dressed in all black she looked like any other commanding officer until she turned her authoritative gaze on you. Enya Keitha was of the High Council, she watched the progress of the techs working on Bancarden craft.
"Tell me, Admiral Arnell, have your people found a way of opening the door yet?" she asked causally.
Arnell was more then used to the ways of the Council members, he caught the undertone of amusement and irritation in her voice. Never one to waste words he simply answered. "No."
She cut a glance at him. "Has your command found where the Leviathan, Moya is?"
"Yes," he again answered simply.
"Do you still think it prudent to send the other Command Carrier traversing at a parallel course?"
Admiral Arnell looked over at the Councilor. His instincts were warning him this one wasn't to be patronized. Turning his full attention to her, he question.
"Ma'am?"
"Don't play wantwit with me, Arnell. You know how import this mission is. If these Bancardens get to the..."
"They want, Councilor. That is why I have the other Command Carrier parallel our vector. There is a larger Bancarden Trekker out there looking for Moya and her crew. We can use that to ..." The Admiral tried to explain in simple terminology.
"Arnell, I understand your strategy. What you haven't told me is how you are able to track them when your people can't even get the door open on the ship you have captured," Councilor Keitha retorted.
Growing infuriated his voiced dropped in tone. "They may have devised away to shroud their ship from our scanners, but on a lower range of our scan, we have detected faint traces of their engines signature."
The Councilor gave the Admiral a tight-lipped smile. "Now that didn't hurt to reveal that information did it, Arnell. You must remember why we are here. You may think of this person as your prize." She turned to face him and stared him directly in the eye. "HE is the reason we are here on this mission. Do what you must to track him down and keep them all safe, and then when we do find them... I will take over. Comprehend?"
"Yes, Councilor," he acknowledged reluctantly.
Looking back at the Bancarden craft, she said with some sarcasm. "Do let me know if you figure out the door mechanism, I would like to see the inside of it."
Stiffly he kept his eyes on the techs working around the small craft. Now he remembered one thing about his position he hated and that was dealing politicians.
Two solar days later:
Admiral Arnell stood at attention in middle of the command, with his hands behind him, surveying the activity on the forward viewer screen. He could feel the tension building; they were on the brink of closing in on the prize.
"Captain, has the reconnaissance intercepted either of the targets?"
"Yes, Admiral. The marauder crew has transmitted their location..." the Captain abruptly broke off. As the Peacekeeper Lieutenant approached them and waited for acknowledgment. Arnell transferred his attention to the officer.
"Sirs, Captain Randella reports that the Bancarden Trekker's energy path leads directly to another ship that has just left the Leviathan."
"And?"
The Captain placed his hand up to his ear listening to the report. Raising his eyes to the Admiral, a frown mired his face. "Sir, it's the Leviathan's pod."
Coldness settled in the Admirals eyes. "Our time to intercept?"
"A hundred microts, sir," The Captain announced.
Arnell's voice pitch dropped to a lower, a fridged tone. "Who is abroad that pod?"
"The Human with two Bancardens."
The Admiral scowled, though so slightly that none the rest of the crew in command took notice. This was not the report he wanted to hear. If the Bancardens had been on the Leviathan then they might be too late. He turned back to his second.
"Captain, I want us there now," he barked out his order. He looked back over the awaiting Lieutenant. "Have Captain Randella to destroy the Bancarden Trekker now. I do not want it near that Pod."
"Sir."
Admiral Arnell moved down a step toward one of the consoles. Pressing a control then another, he ordered while he studied the readouts. "Captain, I want the Leviathan disabled but not harmed."
As the Admiral's Command Carrier came upon the pursuing battle, everyone went to full battle action.
"Weapon's control full charge." The Captain ordered.
Looking up from the console, Admiral Arnell stared at the forward viewer. His stance was rigid, his face expressionless, as the other Carrier fired on the now revealed Bancarden Trekker. The Peacekeeper Carrier had done so at extreme range. They missed, as the Trekker banked sharply to the left. The Bancarden managing to place themselves over the Pod as the Carrier started to fire again. Both ships vanished.
Command grew deathly quiet as if waiting for an Admiral explosion. In a tight, control voice the Arnell ordered, "Captain, execute Deka Roma."
"Sir." The Captain acknowledge as he glanced over at his Lieutenant. Arnell swept his cold steely-gray eyes around command, then back to the viewer. The Bancardens would die for taking his prize.
It was his mission to capture the Peacekeeper's greatest embarrassments; he would succeed. John Crichton and his crew on Moya would be his, alive, but his.
On Moya:
"Get us out of here, Pilot," D'Argo had ordered.
Still shaking her head, Aeryn almost screamed out, "No, we can't leave John..."
"They're firing on us!" Pilot shouted.
"Frell!" D'Argo snarled, running out the bay area.
As Aeryn climbed out of her Prowler to join D'Argo, she snapped at Chiana as she passed her. "Get to Nyka, Chi."
Before Chiana could carry out the order, the giant ship shuddered. Pilot's voice carried through the corridors as he shouted. "They've hit us with an immobilizing pulse..."
Abruptly, Pilot's broke off screaming in pain. The next thing the crew found themselves on the deck. Silence rang out through the great ship...
