I don't need your stupid companies! I'll make my own movie empire. Purple Emu productions…
Don't own any of these characters, except for Tess Burke; my own creation. COPYRIGHT!
Seven: Stowaway"Picard to brig, bring Ratchet and Clank to Shuttlebay 2. Their transport is ready."
The officer guarding them de-activated the forcefield and led the prisoners out into the corridor. Ratchet and Clank marched on ahead of their escort silently, stubbornly refusing to look at each other. Crewmen stared at the strange sight of a security officer pointing a phaser at a furry, cat-like alien and a small robot.
They entered the shuttlebay, where Captain Picard and Riker were waiting by one of the shuttles.
"We wish you a safe trip to wherever you're headed," Riker told them. "And… watch your backs."
"Thanks Commander." Ratchet shook his hand and turned to Picard, who stood tensely, waiting for them to depart.
"Captain… I just want to apologize for all the trouble we've caused." Picard relaxed slightly.
"Apology accepted. And I thank you for aiding us with the Dominion ships."
Ratchet smiled and shook his hand. All things considered, he would not forget this meeting with the Enterprise. Commanders LaForge and Data emerged from the shuttlecraft, holding repair cases.
"Everything's set, Captain." LaForge reported. "All of their gear's on board. They can go whenever they're ready."
Ratchet nodded his thanks to them and he and Clank went into the craft.
"Farewell." Data called out to them as the door of the shuttlecraft closed.
"Wow." Clank commented as they took their seats at the consoles. "Roomy."
The doors of the shuttlebay opened ahead of them, and Ratchet smoothly piloted the ship out. He moved them away from the ship, and looked back as the Enterprise propelled itself forward and disappeared in a flash of light.
"Well, then. Where to now?" Clank asked.
Ratchet was about to suggest the forest moon of Galafrey, when he was suddenly knocked out of his seat. He sprang to his feet, and found himself facing a young girl, with bushy brown air and fire in her eyes.
"Murderer!" She screamed, and threw another punch at him. Ratchet ducked and rolled to the back of the ship, grabbing one of the guns out of the bag Geordie had prepared for them. The girl stopped her approach towards him, but she was still livid with anger.
"You killed my brother!" She yelled, glaring with madness at Ratchet. "You killed him! I know it! You killed him during the fight with the Dominion!"
"Whoa, what are you talking about?" Ratchet asked, confused.
"Richard!" She screamed. "You don't even remember him! He saved your live and you don't even have the decency to remember his name!"
"Now, miss," Clank tried to reason with her. "The death of Ensign Burke was entirely unanticipated. We are as grieved as…" He stopped, due to the fact that the girl had flung him into a bulkhead.
"Hey! You leave him alone!" Ratchet, still pointing the gun at her, went over to Clank. "Are you alright?"
Clank sat up, dizzy, but "Operating within normal parameters."
"Now, girly," Ratchet turned his attention back to the vengeful stowaway. "We're going to take you back to the Enterprise, and return you to your family."
"No!" She was suddenly fearful. "You can't take me back there! They'll send me back to Earth with my aunt and uncle! I came to the Enterprise with Richard to get away from them!"
"I'm sorry, but you have to go back." Ratchet said, sympathetically. "We can't take you with us. It's too dangerous for children."
"I can take care of myself!" She replied, defiantly.
"We know that much." Clank muttered, rubbing his head.
"Just give me one of your phasers and I'll be fine." She continued. "Besides, I can help you. I heard you were looking for a thief. I'm the best at Gondola's Quest in my class, I could help you find him."
"No, I'm sorry, but I have to return you to Enterprise. We've already sabotaged their ship, what'll Picard think when he finds out we've kidnapped one of his crew? He'll come after us all guns blazing!"
The lively young teenager sat down on one of the benches. Ratchet put his gun in his buffer, and knelt down next to her. "Now then," He said, comfortingly. "What's your name?"
"Tess." She muttered. "Tess Burke."
"Well then Tess, you stay back here and we'll take us back to Enterprise." So saying, Ratchet stood up and returned to his console and set a course to follow Picard's ship.
The journey to the wormhole took hours. "It would've been useful if they'd let us some of those warp engines." Ratchet thought. Clank tried in vain to interest Tess in a logic game, but she sat sulkily in the back, ignoring all attempts at conversation.
When they finally arrived at the wormhole, Tess was trying one final tactic.
"Please don't make me go back there! I'll do anything! Just don't make me go back to Earth!"
"Look, if you just talk to Captain Picard I'm sure he'll be able to arrange something with your family. If you really don't want to go back with them I'm sure he won't let you."
"You don't understand. My aunt and uncle would do anything to get their hands on me. You see…" She leaned in near Ratchet as if afraid of being overheard on the small craft. "They work for a criminal organization. They used to get me to sneak into places for them to steal stuff. Computer memory, data chips, you name it. They even got me to hack into a Bolian's account from inside his quarters once!"
"Well then, report them."
"I can't do that! They'll get me back before I even opened my mouth. They won't let me see daylight again. Please, listen to me!"
"Look," Ratchet looked at her sternly. "I understand this could be hard for you, but you need to sort this out with Captain Picard. We can't help you." His voice softened slightly. "I'm sorry."
Tess looked at him for a while, and then wrapped her arms around Ratchet and began to sob. Ratchet held her for a while until she lifted her head off his shoulder to look at him.
"N-now Richard's gone and I h-have to go back t-to them it's all g-gone wrong!" Ratchet hugged her again, and they stayed there for a few minutes, Clank concentrating on flying the shuttlecraft. Ratchet lifted her head up and looked at her, sympathetically.
"Now, listen to me. I am going to come with you to speak to Captain Picard. I'm going to stay with you until this whole episode has sorted itself out. I will take care of you."
"Uh… Ratchet?" Clank coughed. "What about our mission? We have to find the thief."
"I'm sure Mr Fizzwidget will understand. After all, she needs us." He turned back to Tess and smiled at her. She wiped away a tear and squeezed his hand.
"Thank you." She whispered.
The shuttlecraft rocked slightly as they entered the wormhole. Ratchet went back to his console and Tess stood behind his chair.
"Shields stable?" Ratchet asked.
"Check." Clank replied.
"Engines running?"
"Smoothly."
"It's so beautiful." Tess breathed, looking out at the inside of the wormhole through the view screen. The spheres and swirls, white and faded blue, Ratchet expertly piloting through towards the distant end at the other side. She stared in wonder at the sight, startled at the reality of it. For the few minutes they flew in silence, awed at the wonders around them. They were almost disappointed to exit at the other end, when the opening burst outward, like a flower.
As they floated through into normal space, they were greeted with a strange sight. Three large ships were positioned around the wormhole, yellow and blocky, shaped slightly like a snake. The screen flickered and an alien face appeared, roughly humanoid, but with pale scaly skin, and ridged arches connecting the shoulders to the top of his neck. His greasy hair was pulled back so far you could see all of his forehead, which was marked with a strange oval dip in the centre.
"This is the Cardassian ship Shadok. We order you to identify yourself!"
Ratchet gulped and turned to Tess, whose eyes were wide in fear.
"Our meeting with the Enterprise might have to wait."