"We're what
"We're what?" Rin asked again with a tone of slight alarm.
"We're being held in place by an unknown force," Spock repeated and Callista smiled.
"Force," she whispered, obviously amused.
"Yes," he Vulcan agreed. "A force."
"No," she corrected. "The Force."
"Captain," Uhura calmly spoke before Spock could question Callista, "we're being hailed."
"On screen."
A human woman with long brown hair was peering down at the Bridge. Her face was cold and stern and her voice was the same. "Forgive me fro halting your ship in such a manner, but I believe you have on of my companions on board my ship."
Kirk glanced back at Rin as Callista pushed her way to the front. "Revan, Revan," she laughed, "I'm fine! They saved me, actually."
Revan's look softened a tad and she smiled as well. "I've always got to keep taps on you, with the bounty and all." She cast a wary eye over all the faces on the Bridge.
"Now wait a second there, my friend," Callista began, "these are no bounty hunters. Otherwise, I don't think she'd be here."
Revan had missed Rin's face before and she stared in half surprise. "Forgive me for doubting you, Captain," she apologized. "But after recent events, it has become extremely difficult to trust anyone. With as high priced as our bounties have become, one must always be on edge."
"Our?" Rin asked with a raised eyebrow.
Revan shrugged with a wide smile and explained, "It's impossible to go from Lord of the Sith to Jedi Master without someone getting mad."
"You're traveling with an ex- Sith Lord?" Rin asked Callista in surprise and she nodded.
"Revan saved my life once," Callista explained. "When I heard she was on the run for her life, I thought I owed her my help. So, until these bounties are gone, we're manning the Ebon Hawk with a few of her other friends."
"Davik's flagship?" Rin asked in awe. "But… I thought the ship was destroyed when the Sith demolished Taris."
"We nearly were. We flew out just as the city came crashing down." Callista had a sort of spaced look on her face as she said it. "But I'll tell you about it later."
Suddenly Scotty shouted from his position on the Bridge," Cap'n! A Bird of Prey just de-cloaked and is charging weapons!"
"Shields!" Kirk shouted but not fast enough. A torpedo smashed into the hull of the ship, ruining the engines powering the shields.
Revan was screaming commands to those aboard the Ebon Hawk, doing whatever possible to rescue the Federation Cruiser. Callista let out a roar when her ship was struck.
"Arm torpedoes…" Kirk ordered, and a moment later he shouted, "Fire!"
At the same time, Revan was manning the turbolasers to the best of her ability, hoping against fate that the shields would hold out.
The Enterprise took another severe hit and the Captain was nearly thrown across the Bridge. "Cap'n! She's been hit hard," Scotty informed. "We've been reduced to impulse power."
"Shields have priority! Get them back online!"
"Working, Cap'n."
"Captain!" Sulu called from his post. "The Ebon Hawk has just taken fire to her hull. She's spinning out of control!"
"Revan!" Callista was calling into her communicator. "Revan, what's going on over there?" There was static. "Revan!"
The static decreased a bit and a voice came over the frequency. "We've been hit…" the voice said. "…trying… restore… life support…" There was silence for a brief moment, and then, "…everything is… offline… no response… hyperdrive is useless…"
A Klingon face appeared onscreen. "If you wish to live," it began, "hand over the Aurelians and the human female known as Revan."
Rin and Callista were hiding behind the Captain's chair when the face appeared. Rin transformed into human form and rose. From previous experiences, she had taught herself to act and took advantage of it now. She made herself look to be very nervous; she was shaking all over. "B-But…" she stuttered, "they are in med-bay recovering. "Please let us treat them!" She looked to be on the verge of tears now.
The Klingon was silent for a moment and shouted something to one of his crewmembers in his native tongue. He turned back to the screen and threatened, "I warn you Captain, if you attempt anything, you will be annihilated." The channel closed without another word and Rin changed back to her normal self.
"Captain, the Klingon told his men to prepare for boarding the Enterprise," she translated. "They will be materializing in the Transporter Room momentarily."
"Security," Kirk said into the intercom in his armchair, "send a dispatch of men to the Transporter Room. We are expecting… unwanted company."
"Not to sound burdensome, but do you suppose you could beam me over to my ship?" Callista asked Kirk once he had ended communication.
"I believe that could be arranged," he responded and he turned back to his chair once more.
"Captain, we are holding the Klingons prisoner in the Transporter Room."
"Thank you, Ensign. Place them under heavy surveillance in the brig until further notice. Kirk out."
Rin placed a talon on the shoulder of her sister and whispered, "Don't worry. I'm sure everything will be fine." Callista said nothing in response. "Come on. I'll come with you, and beam us aboard your ship."
She nodded and followed her off the Bridge. Before beaming over, they were each handed a life-support-belt and a few extras to help those aboard the small ship.
--
The Ebon Hawk was in ruins. All power seemed to be out all over the ship. Callista ran all over finding her fellow crewmembers and equipping them with the belts. Injuries were remarkably minimal: there were cuts and bruises all over and one of the older men was unconscious, they were pretty much all right. Fortunately they had arrived just before there was a strain for oxygen, but the ship was in poor shape. It could be repaired eventually, but for now it would be impossible to fly it.
"Callista, are they alright?" Rin asked in a concerned tone as she saw the shaken appearance of the men and women on board.
"I believe they will be once they settle down again," she responded as she heaved a sigh. "Cuts and scratches are nothing, but torpedoes to the hull of a ship… devastating."
A little astro-droid rolled up out of no where and began making an assortment of different sounds to communicate… something. Callista seemed to be able to understand all the beeps and whoops and whirrs emanating from the little robot.
"So you're all right, then, T3?"
He made a noise that sounded like an "Uh-huh".
"Well, at least you are. And what about HK-47?"
A positive sound, once more.
"Run a diagnostic on the ship, please," she requested. "Take everything into account. I want to know the full extent of the damage, and estimated time and cost for repair."
He beeped twice and sped away to carry out his orders. Rin followed him with her eyes and asked, "Who is HK-47?"
"Oh, him," she muttered in a strange tone. "Well… we picked him up on Tatooine awhile back. He seemed to be uneasy on the planet, for a droid, and was desperate to be purchased. After some probing and haggling, Revan was able to buy him, but it turns out he worked for her many years ago as an assassin droid of some sort."
"Never a dull moment, is there?" Rin asked in an amused manner.
"You've no idea," she responded with a chuckle.
A large furry creature walked into the main hold of the small vessel with the intention of speaking to Callista but he was silent when his eyes found Rin. He appeared to be flabbergasted.
Rin smiled at him and rose to her hind legs. She was approximately half a foot shorter than he was, but it made no difference. His face was the same as from when she had first met him.
"Why, don't you remember me, Zaalbar?"
It took him a moment to register what she had said and eventually responded, "Is it truly you?"
She nodded and reintroduced herself. "It's Rinsaku. From Kashyyyk all those years ago, remember?"
"You're the chick that the Klingons attempted to sell to Czerka Corp., aren't you?" He looked her over and when he recognized the unique black spot atop her brown ear there was no denying it, and he smiled a wide toothy grin. "Where have you been for all these past years from the bounty? How have you managed to survive?"
"Apparently all Klingon bounties are off once you enter Federation space, unless they were the ones who put it on you in the first place," she informed with a smile. "Why are you here anyway?" she asked. "Why aren't you back on Kashyyyk?"
Zaalbar made a face at the name and quietly responded, "I have been titled as a Mad Claw and was exiled for defying Czerka, and my brother." He looked away and grumbled, "Revan saved my life from slavers on Taris, and I have sworn a Life-Debt to her."
Rin was about to speak but Callista jumped into the conversation. "Sorry to stop you two, but we have things to tend to. Once things are settled and there is nothing more we can do, I'm sure you can catch up later."
T3 returned to the main hold at that moment. He was speaking very slowly now, and between words there was a strange fluctuating sound, almost as if he were nervous.
"Have you completed your task?"
Affirmative.
"And…?"
He was silent now, and his words came even slower, almost as if trying to prevent Callista from exploding all over him. She was listening intently to the beeps and hums, but her face was growing whiter and whiter with anger each passing second. (Keep in mind, this creature of mine is not what you expect. Her race has silver blood, so in a means, she is 'getting red in the face' but she's going silver in the face. Get it?)
"And… the total cost?"
He began to speak, but the first few words were enough. Rin cut him off before he could detonate her sister and suggested he move along and attempt some of the repairs himself.
"I may as well chop off my head and turn it in for the bounty, and even then it wouldn't be enough!" she exclaimed in pure frustration.
Rin puzzled a moment over the situation and then requested a moment to suggest something to her Captain. A few moments later she returned and stated, "I have an idea for this problem. I can understand very well how attached people can become to their vessels over time." She smiled as she thought of the Enterprise. "What the Captain is willing to do is tow the Ebon Hawk back into Federation space and get it repaired. It's not too terribly far, but the Federation will make the Klingon Empire pay for the damage done to your ship and it should be good as new."
Callista thought it over for a moment and explained it all to Revan when she entered the room.
"Well," she began, "if we could get it fixed, I think we could stand the wait. Couldn't we, Callista?"
"We could lodge you aboard the Enterprise," Rin continued. "There's room enough for all of you."
Callista was reluctant to accept, but Revan said she would have no problem with such a generous request.
"Very well then," Callista said when she finally gave in. "But at least give me some time to set some things right here before you beam me up."
Rin was hesitant. The Bird of Prey, although completely empty left her uneasy. So they had scanned the ship and there was nothing alive on it. Its mere presence was bothersome, along with the fact that there were less than thirty aboard the cruiser.
"Alright, Callista," she eventually agreed. "But make it quick." She opened her communicator and requested, "Scotty, beam us up."