Come Fly With Me
Posted on Wed Oct 3rd, 2018 @ 10:10am by
Edited on on Wed Oct 17th, 2018 @ 1:40am
2,080 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Episode 4 - The Sum of Our Parts
Location: Rura Penthe & I.K.S. K'Pew
Timeline: MD002 1300 hrs
"Just get us off this rock." Darf grumbled having a hard time looking at the Klingon without lunging at her in rage. "I will prepare the others going so we can over power the guards once we have left."
Varaldyr nodded and gave him his ear back. "Here, this is yours. We'll leave in two hours. Take only people you can trust, if you've found out who that is. We need no more surprises."
May 29 2394 1300 hrs (relative time)
When the Bird of Prey arrived Varaldyr confidently strode out into the prisoners' area and called out to Darf. "It is time. Come with me." She had researched the way they'd have to take to leave the transporter blocks behind and get beamed up onto their ship, and now led the parade of him and some alibi workers that way.
Darf had picked those to go on the mission and they followed Varaldyr as they made their way out. He had not told them what was going on only that they had a very important mission and it could help their people in the long run.
"There is a storm outside, your ship cannot land", one of the guards told Varaldyr as she approached.
"I know. We are moving past the transporter scramblers", Varaldyr told him. "I have no intention of staying here a minute longer than I have to." Her tone made it clear she had nothing but disdain for this place, and having to live and work here.
Varaldyr stepped into a lift and turned around to face her prisoners. "Get in here!" Barking orders, she figured, would help avoid suspicion.
Darf looked on and wasn't sure if barking orders was Varaldyr's normal demeanor or if they where getting too used to this timeline. "Come on, keep moving." He said to the stragglers.
The lift ride took them up onto a tower that overlooked the latest stretch of asteroid that was currently being mined for an assortment of valuable materials, not just dilithium. But most importantly, the top of the tower contained Rura Penthe's only transporter room.
Varaldyr tapped her wrist-communicator. "Beam us up now." The group soon found itself in a small transporter platform, on the bridge of a small Bird of Prey, a scout ship. It had a standard crew of twelve but the war had left many positions vacant, so only five were aboard.
"You will tell us which course to set", Varaldyr told Darf. She hoped he understood they had to get underway first, before a plan could be carried out to take over control of the ship.
Darf made his way over to the navigation system and prepared to enter in some coordinates. First he thought to send them to where the Pioneer was last seen in Cardassian space. Then he looked around at the Klingon crew that he didn't know. He put in the coordinates for a planet in his home system. "Course set." He said as he turned to Varaldyr.
Varaldyr took the seat in the centre, staring down the man who had commanded the ship on the way here. She expected no trouble from him. He was her younger brother. Or rather, the younger brother of her alternate ego in this reality. She felt the leather of the armrests against her palms, warm and smooth. "Go there", she ordered. In command of a ship, she felt much more at home than on that asteroid. She swivelled around with her chair to look at the gunner, a station that needed not be manned at that point. "This one stays here, take the other prisoners below decks. Don't hurt them, we need them."
As the gunner followed orders after a quick glance at Varaldyr's brother, followed by a glare similar to the one she had previously given him, authority was established. So far, so good. As soon as the doors had closed behind the other Brikari, Varaldyr said, "Listen up. This is Darf Krackden. He has been an asset with Klingon Intelligence for some time. You will treat him as an ally." She tossed the gravity control remote over to Darf.
Darf caught on to what was happening just in time to catch the controller and put in in a pocket he had on in his pants. "Thank you Honored Warrior. I serve at your mercy." He said as he waited to see what the next play would be.
"We will take some of that dilithium", Varaldyr informed him. This ship will need a stockpile. And then we'll track down the source of our troubles." On a Klingon ship, the crew needed not be informed. In fact, Varaldyr considered it an advantage if they did not know, as that was an additional safeguard against being challenged for command of the vessel. If the others did not know the mission, they could not carry it out once she was gone, and they would have to return home having failed. Not the most honourable move in a Klingon commander's arsenal, but it worked.
Since tension between Brikarians and Klingons had been going on for centuries one thing every Brikar was familiar with the Klingon language and their ships' systems. They were taught at an early age about Klingon systems as to better prepare them for this constant struggle between the two species. This made maneuvering around the ship's systems a plus to Darf. He sat at his console and set up a secure link to the command chair. He sent a message in Federation standard to Varaldyr. 'Once we are clear of the system what is the plan to get back to out reality?'
'Time travel', Varaldyr typed back in truncated sentences. 'Thus more dilithium needed, degrades during slingshot. Then find point of origin, travel back through it.' That was her plan, anyway. Whether it would work there was no telling. At least they'd know more by that point.
Darf read over the plan and while he wasn't sure of its effectiveness he was just glad there was a plan. He checked his heading and made sure it was headed to the asteroid cluster that he knew in his time frame was very rich in dilithium.
"I hope we'll be finding refined dilithium as an emergency stockpile", Varaldyr said out loud. "It would add to our production capacity immediately. If now, we'll have to round up more miners."
There was a quiet uneasiness as they made their flight through the expanse of space. Then a ding on the console Darf turned to the center chair. He could not believe what he was seeing as they enter the system. It was completely devastated. "My whole system has been ravaged like savages came through and pillaged everything." He said to no-one in particular.
"Some Ferengi have been through here after the battle, pick off some free loot", Varaldyr mused. "Now, where were those emergency reserves located? Think, man."
Darf was having an issue to focus seeing all of the damage that was scattered in the system. He heard Varaldyr but did not respond right away. He just looked all around and after a while he snapped himself out. He punched in some coordinates and the viewscreen zoomed in on a asteroid cluster. "It's right there."
"Helm, go there!" Varaldyr ordered. Unlike Starfleet vessels, where the skipper always decided course and speed, and all other kinds of details, on Klingon vessels it was usually enough to tell the helmsman where you wanted to go, and then it would be carried out effectively. Only when strategising was required, where different paths and speeds mattered, would Varaldyr issue more detailed orders. She looked at the exact coordinate and memorized the details. Once back in her own universe, they might become useful.
The Klingon vessel arrived at the coordinates and luck seemed to be on their side. The reserves were there and they were intact. It seemed that when everything got destroyed the crates containing the reserves drifted into an asteroid. Once they were found it took all matter of decorum to keep Darf and Varaldyr from smiling. The dilithium reserves were sent to Engineering and the next most crucial part of the plan sprang into action.
Once all of the technical aspects were set and the new reserves set to automatically refuel the reactor Varaldyr pointed to the star of the Birkar system. "Helm set a course for that star at maximum warp." The helmsman turned to face her with an astonished look upon his face. But the look of the ship's master hushed any word that he might have had. In response to her glare the helmsman simply turned back to his console and engaged the course and speed as ordered.
The Klingon Bird of Prey sped toward the star the helmsman calling out the speed as it steadily increased. These ships were built hearty but not well. The sound of metal could be heard throughout the ship as the bulkheads groaned and squealed under the stress of the speed. The consoles on the bridge began to rattle, a few bolts even came loose and shot across the room.
Darf watched the angle of approach as the ship came toward the star if this was going to work the timing had to be impeccable, and it fell to him to make sure that it was. "Raise metaphasic shields on my mark... three... two... one... MARK!" He shouted over the now din of sounds. "Helm prepare to slow to warp 3 while going hard to starboard, as soon as the maneuver is completed increase speed to warp 9.99. Do not make it gradual slam the speed. Stand by on the inertial dampeners." The years of training that had led him to becoming an XO was evident as he guided this ship through something that had only ever been done once before in all of history. "Helm engage maneuver..." Darf shouted again.
The K'Pew turned hard to starboard as the ship grazed the corona of the star. The temperature in the vessel had reached critical. "If this does not work we will all simply fry." Varaldyr muttered. Just as she finished speaking the helm kicked the speed up to warp 9.99, and it was like someone hit everyone on that ship with a hammer.
For Darf he heard the Klingons on the ship shouting but could not make out what they were saying, the same with Varaldyr. He could not see anything as a large white light filled his field of vision. For one agonizing moment he would have sworn that he felt the cold sting of open space on his body. He realized that he was still alive although floating in open space. Dark also felt that the mechanisms that he wears on his ankles had snapped and he could not move. That was the last thing he knew, as everything went black.
Just as his consciousness wondered if he was alive his eyes fluttered open. He was laying flat on his back in a cargo bay of a starfleet vessel. A bald broad shouldered human male who wore Starfleet Marine issue field fatigues stood over him. "Hey bruddah, I am Sergeant Schiano welcome aboard the Williamette. Today is October 15 2395 and it is 0800 hours. They uh, told me to say that to all the new arrivals. 'Ere lemme help youze up?" The Marine extended his hand.
"Thanks for the welcome Sarge." Darf smiled and was about to take the man's hand when he realized his anklets were gone. "Before I can get up I need you to access my personnel file and replicate the anklets. The specifications for which are in the file." He said as he chocked back laughter from his own predicament and from the fact that he was so happy to be home.
"Aye sir!" Schiano responded and turned on his heel to head to a replicator. "Gunny Wilson we got another one. Dis time it's da Pioneer's number 2 guy." The Marine shouted to the woman in charge.
In the interim Darf was content laying on the floor, safe in the knowledge that he was home and that his people were home too.
Lieutenant Commander Darf Krakden
Executive Officer, USS Pioneer
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