Eighteen
Stardate 59437.1, USS Aegis, in orbit of Romulan Moon Lleiset
"Anything?" zhNon asked.
"If I had anything, don't you think I would've said something by now?" Bloss asked sounding genuinely frustrated.
After Keln had initiated his program, the bridge officers had responded in a typically predictable fashion. They threatened him, tried to work around his program, and eventually brought him down to Main Engineering. The Chief worked for a bit before admitting that he wasn't sure what was going on. With security still around him, he waited until they had confirmed for themselves that his program was indeed impenetrable.
"That's it." Bloss said.
"You've broken though his program?" zhNon asked.
"No, I've identified the algorithms he's using to lock us out. They're poly-fractal and generating random cypher keys every minute. I should be able to break through in about a month."
"A month?!"
"Give or take a week if you give me the entire engineering and science divisions." He said.
Keln was expecting it when zhNon strolled up to him and grabbed him by the throat and said, "Unlock our systems, or we send you down to your people."
He didn't respond in kind. Instead, using his greater strength he slowly, but steadily removed her hand.
"I've planned for at least an hour of this distraction, but we are wasting time." He said. "The sooner we rescue Eri…the captain, the sooner we can leave this system."
"We're not going anywhere!" zhNon shouted. "I will have you sedated for the rest of this mission and wait the month to decrypt your codes before I ever allow you control of this ship."
"I already have control." Keln said in a neutral tone. "Besides, it won't be long before they start taking shots at us. Releasing plasma, anything to try and antagonize us. Not taking evasive or appropriate counter measures will show them that something is not right."
"Then I'll use the shuttle. Tow us away from here."
"There's also the buildup in the warp core." He said.
Bloss ran over to check a systems display and said, "He's bluffing, nothing's wrong with the core."
Keln rolled his eyes said, "Computer, show update of anti-matter containment, authorization Keln 2218 beta."
The computer chimed and updated. The look on Bloss' face told Keln that the engineer did believe him.
"Ma'am, anti-matter containment has been opened too high. We need to jettison or regain containment or we're through. None of that can happen without his command codes."
Keln stepped forward from the guards and up to zhNon. "Report to the bridge, I'll need you coordinating flight and weapons if we're to pull this off. Have V'Riss and Daro meet me in transporter room one in stealth gear." He walked over to a console and input some commands. "Also have Doctor Utan meet us with this compound synthesized."
He left before any of them could answer.
Romulan Moon Lleiset, Location Unknown
"Report." Y'Borom said while walking into the room with Theus and his technician.
"Sir, I'm not sure what's going on, but he's resisting." The technician said.
"That much is obvious because I don't have the information that I want!" He yelled. "What is the problem?"
"T-that's just it sir. Nothing is wrong with equipment. I've turned the settings up several times, but somehow he is still able to resist."
Y'Borom shot a sour face at Theus. Restrained against the wall he was bloodied and haggard. He didn't seem to have the ability to hold himself up, let alone withstand a mental probe from their mind scanner.
"Give me the control!" Y'Borom demanded.
Immediately he turned the controls to a higher setting. Theus writhed and strained against his metal binds, but could not break free. Y'Borom looked harder, and saw how hard his teeth grit. Noticed the irregular rise and fall of his chest. Everything was as it should be for someone who was being interrogated in such a manner. And that was the problem.
"You fool," he said to the technician, "can't you see he's acting?"
"Acting? How is that possible, sir?"
"Do you think Romulans are the only ones who go through survival and resistance training?"
Y'Borom walked over and grabbed Theus by the burn on his chin. He winced slightly, but when Y'Borom looked into his eyes, he saw recognition. And what's more, defiance.
"It seems you're not as meek as your species comes off, Captain!"
"Take these restraints off, and I'll show you meek. Or maybe R'Navta could show me. She's obvious in charge since you're too afraid to face C'Ulos yourself."
Y'Borom squeezed the wound where he had burned Theus. He heard him grunt, but still no shouts or screams of pain. He was toying with him, and Y'Borom had no more time to waste. With a hard snap, he let go of Theus.
"Turn the settings up to maximum!" He ordered.
"Sir, he's not a Ferengi. At that setting on a human brain, it could make him vegetative or kill him before we extract any meaningful information."
"Then he'll just have to stop fighting and let it happen. Or die." He said. "Do it!"
The technician complied, and for the first time Y'Borom heard an authentic screech of pain. Theus wailed in pure agony as the mind scanner tore at all his mental defenses. And Y'Borom couldn't help but smile.
USS Aegis, in orbit of Romulan Moon Lleiset
"Are we ready?" zhNon asked
"As we'll ever be." Goritan said. "Torpedo pattern loaded and ready."
"All decks report condition blue." Carver reported.
"zhNon to transporter room, Keln is your team ready?"
"Just get us down there, Commander. We'll do the rest." He said.
zhNon closed the channel. She took in a deep breath and surveyed the bridge. It was important that they saw her calm, her strength as they were being thrown into action not of their own will.
"Fire." She said.
Goritan tapped in the command and two photon torpedoes streaked toward the Romulan Warbirds. When they were less than 2000 kilometers from impact, they both detonated in a blinding flash. Instead of a high yield warhead, both were modified with chaff and high intensity signals that bombarded the sensor arrays of each vessel.
"Go!"
"Heading for the moon ma'am." Mok said.
The Aegis dove in between both vessels straight for the planet. With no one to obstruct their path, they hit the outer atmosphere in seconds.
"Engaging atmospheric thrusters."
"Ops, deploy sensor buoys." zhNon ordered.
As the ship flew down toward the city, it released multiple small sensor probes. They came to life flashing brightly, while scanning the terrain. The rush of atmosphere was strong, and Aegis had to correct its course several time in order to stay on a straight path.
"Buoys away." Carver reported.
"The Romulans have recovered, they're launching shuttles after us and taking up position for an orbital strike." Goritan said.
"30 seconds to target coordinates." Mok said.
"zhNon to Keln, you're clear for transport."
Transporter Room
Keln entered the transporter room to see V'Riss and Daro waiting. Both leered at him hard, and didn't say a word when he nodded to them.
"We're getting the captain back, that's all that matters." He said.
Daro let out a few annoyed clicks and went to stand on a transporter pad. V'Riss did the same, and began to adjust his bandoleer. The stealth uniforms they wore were a flat black. Meant to absorb light and to be extremely form fitting. No one had any weapons, save for a few blades and throwing objects, and that was just what Keln needed.
"When this is over, you're going to have to see me." V'Riss said when Keln stepped onto the platform.
"I'll bet."
The doors to the transporter room opened and Doctor Utan came in with a hypospray and 3 vials.
"Is that the medication?" Keln asked.
Utan gave him a cold gaze and said, "If you weren't holding this ship hostage then I wouldn't give this to you." She said. To V'Riss and Daro she said, "I scanned the compound he requested, he's right that it will help you to complete your mission."
She walked up to each of them and administered the hypo. After each small hiss, she had to change the cartridge as the entire vial went into each of them.
"W-What…what is this?!" V'Riss practically howled, sounding very excited.
Daro was clicking extremely fast and fidgeting in the alcove while Keln closed his eyes and let the effects of the medication take hold.
"zhNon to Keln, you're clear for transport."
Keln tapped his commbadge. "Remember, as soon as we transport, full control will be restored to you. We just need 10 minutes, Commander. Energize."
The transporter room fell away and when the world rematerialized the three members of the extraction team were falling several meters from the sky. They had chosen one of the densest areas of the forest canopy to make their drop, and the tree tops were quickly approaching.
They all broke through. V'Riss, with his incredible agility caught one of the branches. He leapt between several trees, bouncing off each until he made his way lower and landed on the ground. Daro was also nimble. He swung on a branch doing several rotations before letting go to tumble to the deck like a gymnast. Keln was not so graceful. He grabbed hold of a branch and let gravity and his momentum take him to the ground, being slowed by the branch until he let go and it snapped back. He rolled to the ground and immediately stood up.
"Are you good?" Keln asked both of them.
"Better." Daro said.
"Let's move." He said.
They all took off. Keln was leading and started in a full sprint. He had chosen Daro because of the Kelpien's ability to cover great distances in little time, and his strength was on par with his own. V'Riss was a natural predator. His ability to adapt to multiple situations physically was unparalleled.
Keln increased his speed. He imagined that without his injection his lungs would be burning right now. As it was, he felt he had ample reserves of energy to burn off. He looked to Daro, who seemed to be smiling at the opportunity to test his physical abilities to the limit. V'Riss had gone practically feral, leaping onto his hands and running on all four like his great ancestors used to for hunts.
"Are we sure it's here?" Daro asked.
"Contreras wasn't able to give us a 100 percent yes, but he's confident this is the location of the mortar launches." Keln said.
While preparing for transport, Contreras had pointed out that the transport inhibitors only covered the city. It was too tempting a target that would have required they focus all their attention and resources on breaking through. He had widened the search, and with help from C'Ulos, targeted and area they had already visited.
"Time?" Keln asked.
V'Riss looked at a wrist chronometer and said, "Three minutes, ten seconds."
"That's the fastest 5 kilometers I've run in a while."
"I am curious as to how fast I could've gone without you two holding me back." Daro said.
"We need to hurry." Keln said.
They were at the glade where they had encountered the large bulbous plant and body earlier. Keln immediate dove into the small lake and scanned the murky water as best he could. The water stung, but his inner eye lids allowed him to identify his target. He swam up, and breached the surface.
"It's behind the waterfall." He said.
V'Riss and Daro follow him in. They swam a few meters until passing behind the water fall to a small opening in in the rocks; the overgrown moss and vegetation masking its presence greatly. Once at the bank, Keln deftly pulled himself out of the water and helped his team onto the ledge.
"They have our Captain." He said. "We go in, we get him, we leave. We're on the clock now, Aegis can't keep them busy for long."
"I'm not calling you sir." V'Riss said.
"I don't need you to. But make no mistake, this is not the time to flinch. Do not pull your punches, do not try to stun. Any obstacle that impedes our goal of rescuing the Captain is to be eliminated. If you cannot do that, now is the time to let me know."
"We are MACOs." Daro said. "This is exactly what Starfleet calls upon us for."
Keln was satisfied and said, "Move out."
USS Aegis
"Incoming torpedo!" Goritan shouted.
"I see it!" Mok said.
"Come about to course 732 mark 9." zhNon shouted. "Target the lead Warbird's shield generator and fire twin phasers!"
In orbit, the Aegis gave as good as she got. Taking on one Warbird was challenging, but with another working in tandem to support the lead vessel and reinforce its shields, they had to work twice as hard to inflict any damage.
"The second Warbird is targeting our port shields." Goritan said.
"Give them our back, and reroute auxiliary power."
The disruptor blast scored direct hits. True to zhNon's suspicions, R'Navta was a much more capable ship commander than she let on. Aegis rocked from the impacts, and several screens started to flicker.
"Power overloads on deck 3." Carver reported.
"Shut down non-critical systems."
"Captain," Goritan said, "we can't win in a head-to-head fight against two Warbirds. The other is preventing us making any remarkable damage."
zhNon frowned because she knew he was right. It would be easy for them to outrun the two vessels, but that would leave the landing team without any support on the moon.
"The moon…" zhNon said quietly. "Helm, prepare to re-enter the upper atmosphere."
"Ma'am we're nimble, but we can't continuously switch between atmospheric and space flight." Mok said.
zhNon was typing into the arm panel of the command chair and said, "Just the upper ionosphere will do. Lt. Goritan, prepare to launch on my command."
"Yes ma'am."
Aegis began its descent. They avoided several more disruptor blast from the Romulans and suddenly the rate of fire increased. One hit directly striking their rear.
"Aft shields down to 9%, we can't take another hit." Goritan said.
"Hull breach on deck 4, rerouting emergency power to internal force fields." Carver said.
"They don't want us going too low since they can't follow." zhNon said. "Bridge to Engineering, I need you to vent plasma from the starboard nacelle. Make it look like we're in trouble."
"That won't be hard, seeing as it's not entirely untrue!" Bloss said.
"Mok, take us up, and make sure the pattern is erratic."
"Aye ma'am."
They started to climb in an unpredictable manner. With as blue cloud of plasma trailing behind them, the Romulans started to close in.
"Now, Goritan."
From the aft of their ship, all the chaff canisters erupted. The shot out in all directions from the ship, trailing bright lights that looked like streamers. The Romulans had fell for this tactic one time too many, so they took evasive action to climb above and below the field of distortion.
"Here they come." Goritan said.
"Good…detonate."
In space, five bright lights flashed. They were in a formation of a box, with one addition point of light in the center. The targeting sensors of the devices activated, and they locked on to the nearest energy signature. This was followed by another set of lights. And another. And still another. In total, 30 bright lights flashed; the propulsion, and ordnance systems being masked by the chaff as the quantum tracking mine homed in on the Romulan vessels.
"Mines have a positive lock." Contreras said. "But they're targeting them for destruction."
"Better them than us, Lt. Mok, Lt. Goritan, weapons free." zhNon said.