Nineteen
Stardate 59437.1, Romulan Moon Lleiset, Children of the Wing Base
"Have you got him yet?" Keln asked impatiently.
"I'm not some Earth canine!" V'Riss said, keeping himself from shouting.
Keln grimaced and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I'm aware of that. But you were in Eridos' proximity more than any of us. I would have thought you were able to distinguish his scent by now."
"I don't know how they do things in your Star Navy, Starfleet personnel do not make a habit of sniffing one another. Least of all your Captain."
They way V'Riss had said the last word made Keln realize his slip into a familiar tone. He had done his best to avoid the habit; like when he and the others had first investigated the glade, but the hostage situation was making it difficult to maintain his composure.
"Gentlemen," Daro interrupted, "we can't stay stationary for long. If V'Riss is unable to locate the Captain via his scent, then we must make haste in checking each room until we find him. The distraction provided by Aegis will only garner their attention for so long, and the stimulants we were injected with are beginning to fade."
Keln looked to V'Riss who nodded in agreement.
"I'll take point." He said.
The hideout of the Wing dissidents reminded Keln of older mines that metals and ore were extracted from. The ceilings were supported by strong duranium stanchions, and oval lights were drilled directly into the walls.
"Hold." Daro said.
They all stopped and pressed themselves against a wall. Soon the footsteps of three individuals could be heard approaching.
"I'll distract them." Keln said, and his two team members nodded.
Keln listened as the footsteps got closer. When they were almost on them, he stepped out into the pathway and bumped into the Romulan on the outside of the group.
"Forgive me, I can't believe I was so clumsy." Keln stammered.
"It…is nothing." The guard said.
"Wait! It's you-" Another guard tried to say.
He never had the change to finish. V'Riss pounced from the dark in a blur of speed. He tucked himself into a ball and rolled forward, over the head of the guard. As he moved past, he stretched out a hand and caught the Romulan under his chin, digging his long razor-sharp claws into his neck and bringing his head back to the ground with a loud, sickly crunch.
The other two guards didn't know how to respond and were stunned for a moment. That was all the time Daro needed stand on his hands, and launch himself in an arc to catch another Romulan in a scissor hold between his legs. He seemed surprised at the Kelpien's strength, as his eyes bulged in pain until Daro grabbed him by his neck, and with a quick twist to the right, ended his suffering.
Keln took a more direct approach. He grabbed the guard in front of him by the throat and placed his other hand over his mouth. In a strong shove, he had the guard pinned against the stone, and smashed his head against the wall once.
"Where is the human Captain?!" Keln demanded in a hushed growled.
He lowered his hand from the guard's mouth. No words came out, and the moment Keln felt him start to take in air he smashed his head against the stone again. This time hard enough to hear a small crack.
"Stop it!" V'Riss said.
"We've been through this!" Keln said back. He moved his hand from the guard's neck and brought his other hand up so that each were on either side of his head. "He talks, or I crush his head!"
"Centurion!" Daro shouted.
Keln adjusted his hands to cup the frightened Romulan's head in his palms. His thumbs were starting to dig into his forehead where his eyebrows began, and the young guard started to whimper.
V'Riss reached out and grabbed Keln's throat, his claws fully extended.
"We agreed to do what needed to be done." V'Riss said. "But I will not allow you to torture or beat information out of anyone!"
"Nor will I." Daro said strongly.
Keln didn't move. He held the shaking Romulan for what seemed like hours. The voices of his team seemed distant as he waited for the information he needed.
"Keln!" V'Riss shouted.
Suddenly, Keln dropped the guard. He didn't say anything, and simply wiped his hands off before reaching down and picking up a small device from his belt.
"I know where the Captain is." He said.
"What?" Daro asked. "How is that possible?"
"We need to follow the lights until they turn green." Keln continued. "Grab weapons from them and help me stash them away."
Daro and V'Riss looked to one another, but complied. They picked up weapons and continued through the pathways. Avoiding more guards, but eventually having to eliminate several more pairs. They seemed to increase in patrols the more green lights they saw.
"Why are we following the green lights?" Daro asked when they ducked into another dark recess.
"They are indicators of level of security required." Keln said.
"Green for security?" V'Riss asked.
"Yes. An amber orange is the lowest, white mid-level, and green the highest."
"How informative." Daro said.
"Remember it." Keln said. "Like all humanoids, Romulans associate color notifications with their natural world. We were born of a desert world, and that is what comforts us. To see green reminds us of our blood and is our instinctual designation of danger. This knowledge will be most useful if we have to utilize any consoles in here."
daise Y'Borom, report to the command center. We have a situation.
All three members of the extraction team looked above them when they heard the message over the base internal speaker. A deep, droning klaxon began to blare, and soon the activity of the dissidents picked up as more started to move throughout the pathways.
"Have we been discovered?" Daro asked.
"Perhaps." Keln answered. "It matters not. With Aegis in orbit, there could be any number of reasons that-"
He tried to finish his sentence, but saw Y'Borom walk briskly by, right past the alcove they were hiding in. He was flanked by two heavily armed security guards, and no one seemed to notice them as they were too busy trying to get to their stations.
"I think we may have just gotten a small reprieve." Keln said.
"Agreed. I wouldn't put it past that arrogant bastard to prefer to do things himself." V'Riss said.
They waited for a lull in the foot traffic, and then ran down the path that Y'Borom had just come from. It was a straight path, not long, and eventually led to a large door with a complex locking mechanism.
"A door?" Daro asked.
"Makes sense if you're trying to hide and keep any and all power signatures from being detected." Keln said.
"Let me see." V'Riss said. "I think I can get into this, it shouldn't take long."
"No, it won't. Daro." Keln said.
V'Riss stepped back as Keln and Daro took up positions in front of the door. They took stances for leverage, and without words, kicked it simultaneously. It bowed in immediately and gave a loud groan. They did this several more times, until the hinges broke free from the wall. Keln then grabbed one side where a gap had formed and began to pry it loose.
"If you are trying to impress me with your strength, you're wasting your time." V'Riss said.
"Will you stop talking?!" Keln grunted.
"We have disruptors now," V'Riss said, "we could've done this with much less effort."
"In this case, the Centurion is correct." Daro said. "We need to use them in emergencies only. The power signature could be detected."
"Or, I don't want to risk shrapnel harming the Captain." Keln said. He gave one final grunt and tore the door from its frame, flinging it to the ground. "What now?" He asked from the way they were looking at him.
"…nothing that can't wait." V'Riss said.
Keln almost didn't give him time to finish. He was already moving into the room and saw that it was larger than it appeared from the outside. The first section was filled with instruments and tables that looked of a surgical nature.
"You don't think..."
"Keep searching, Corporal." Keln said.
They split up, checking small rooms and closets that produced nothing.
"In here!" Daro shouted.
Keln immediately sprinted over to his voice. He entered a back room to see Daro and V'Riss removing restraints from a slumped forward Theus. His uniform torn and tattered. Grime and sweat covered him that had soaked through his clothing.
"Doc?" Keln asked.
"…I'm not sure." Daro finally answered. "His pulse is weak and breathing erratic."
"What are those on his head?"
"Mind scanners!" Keln said. "Take them off."
"No!" Daro warned. "We don't know if they're still active. If we remove them without first know the extent to which they have penetrated his mind, we could cause severe damage or worse."
Keln walked up to them slowly. He patted the two on the shoulder and they moved back. In a swift motion, he grabbed the remaining restraints and ripped them from the wall. Theus fell down with a soft groan, and Keln caught him along with Daro before he went far.
"Captain? Captain can you hear me?" Keln asked.
He said nothing.
Keln looked to Daro with an impossibly serious face. "You're the strongest and fastest of the three of us. We're getting out of here, and whatever happens, you don't stop. Get him back to Aegis, Doc. Please."
Daro clicked a few times with confusion and looked about before saying, "You have my word."
"You shouldn't have said that." A voice from behind them said. "I almost feel remorseful that I will be the cause of you breaking your vow."
They all turned to see a full contingent of security personnel at the entrance to the room. The leader was smiling menacingly and had stepped forward while his subordinates waited behind.
"daise Y'Borom has ordered that you be captured alive. Do not make this more difficult by-"
His words caught in his throat. Mid-sentence, Keln had drawn a throwing blade and launched it with such precision and speed that it caught the guard leader in his left eye. The force he put into the throw knocked him back and onto the other guards. He raised the disruptor pistol he had acquired and fired a volley that killed the remaining contingent before they could react.
"Come!" Keln shouted.
Daro grabbed Theus and slung him over his shoulders.
V'Riss checked the charge on his disruptor and said, "It's too bad I'm going to have to arrest you once we get back aboard."
Romulan Moon Lleiset, Children of the Wing Base, Command Center
Y'Borom couldn't understand how this had happened. He had captured a Federation starship captain, was holding his very life in his hands, and yet the ship he commanded had still dared to defy him. He had gambled that they would not attack, and had only been partially right. His ultimate goal had been to exploit the laws of the Federation. They were a pesky government that preferred not to deal with the complexities of interstellar politics. So long as their trade and economies went unaffected, they could turn a blind eye and hide behind the guise that their Prime Directive prevented interference.
"daise, I have Commander R'Navta." An Uhlan reported.
"Open the channel." He ordered.
In the command center, Y'Borom looked upon a large, holographic window as it displayed the bridge of R'Navta's ship. It shuddered slightly, but she seemed to be in control of the situation.
"Report."
"Starfleet is nothing if not a tricky lot." She said. "They blinded our targeting scanners and dove for the planet to drop sensor probes."
"Why did you not go after them?!"
"They entered the atmosphere you idiot!" She shouted back. "Our ships could not follow, and what's more, we would never risk firing on them less we accidentally hit our own people."
"Sir!" A sub-lieutenant called. "A security patrol was found dead. Reports say no weapons were used."
"It's them!" Y'Borom shouted. "The probes were a distraction; their sensor beams masked the transport of a rescue team. Dispatch a detail to the interrogation room, make sure they know I want Eridos taken alive!"
"At once sir!" He said with a salute.
"It seems you have problems down there." R'Navta said sarcastically. "Should I beam down?"
"Focus on the Aegis! I don't care about it's capture anymore, destroy it if you have to!"
"Calm yourself," R'Navta said, "we are closing in on them now, they've just tried a tactic we've seen multiple times. In a moment, the ship will be…"
R'Navta turned her head to listen to a report. With the channel still open, he could hear her shout, "Emergency evasive! Target all incoming mines and fire!"
Her ship shuddered on screen. Y'Borom could her more reports. Shields were failing, multiple torpedoes were incoming. And then, the channel closed.
"Get them back!" Y'Borom demanded.
"Sir, detecting weapons fire in interrogation room." The Uhlan reported.
"Now what?!" He shouted. "Contact the security lead and put him through to me."
The Uhlan worked his console for a moment. He furrowed his brow, and tapped in more controls.
"What is it?"
"Sir, it's the guard. They aren't responding, none of them are."
Y'Borom had a sinking feeling, but had to ask. "Are you detecting any life signs in the room?"
"…None sir."
"Sound intruder alert!" Y'Borom shouted. "I want them found, immediately."
"I have a location sir, they're near the south entrance tunnel behind the fall."
"Good." Y'Borom said.
Romulan Moon Lleiset, Children of the Wing Base, South Entrance
"Almost there!" Keln shouted as disruptor fire flew past his head. "Keep moving!"
"But it's getting good." V'Riss said and fired off two more bolts of energy.
The rush to the extraction point had been much faster than locating their captain. They all had memorized the route they had taken in, and with them no longer being concerned with stealth, the team was all to ready to embrace the shoot first and ask questions later mentality.
"I can see the waterfall." Daro shouted.
"Go!" Keln ordered.
Daro charged forward with Theus over his shoulders. Several disruptor blasts flanked him, but the suppressive fire that V'Riss and Keln provided was continuous. He soon hit the edge of the water and was holding Theus above his chest while slowly stoked past the fall.
"Now you!" Keln said to V'Riss.
"I will not allow you to sacrifice yourself for me!" He said while continuing to fire.
"I'm not asking." Keln said.
"So, you commandeer a Federation starship, inject yourself and team with unknown medication, fight off a small army, and want to sacrifice yourself, all for a Starfleet Commander who is the Captain of a ship you are only on as a liaison?"
Keln was silent.
"I'm not sure who you are, Centurion, but unless you're feeling more forthright, you can't give me orders. We move together."
They started to fall back. There wasn't much cover in the entrance pathway, and they both had to sprint to an area where the walls naturally curved and obstructed the line of fire. When they both reached the edge of the water, they fell back and immediately swam through to the shore.
"Daro?" Keln said in confusion once he breached the surface.
Daro pointed, and Keln followed the direction until he saw what could have only been the entire contingent of Wing dissident security forces. All their weapons trained on them.