Nowhere to Run

Posted on 14 Dec 2018 @ 11:11pm by Commander Rhyan

1,594 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Empty Creche
Location: Shuttlecraft Aries
Timeline: ED1 2100

The Aries’ lights flickered for the fourth time in fifteen minutes. Rhyan knew that he was putting a severe strain on the shuttlecraft’s engines, but he wanted to put as much distance between themselves and the Wolf system as possible; it would not take the Andorians long to work out that they had escaped their trap and had resumed their course to Earth. As careful as he had been to drift the Aries to the edge of the solar system before engaging the warp engines, Shrell and her Confederacy subordinates would soon be able to detect their warp signature and find them again.

Rhyan’s only hope was that by the time the Andorians caught up to himself and Aeryn, they would be close enough to Earth that Starfleet could defend them against attack. By now, he was sure, Starfleet Command were aware of the Aoraki’s destruction and would be sending a number of ships to search for survivors; with any luck, one of them would intercept their position before the Andorians did.

“Commander,” Aeryn’s voice called out over the background din of the protesting warp core.

The Vulcan looked down at his computer display to see that their speed had dropped from warp 7.8 to 7.6. “I see it,” he responded, inputting commands into his computer interface in an attempt to avoid any further loss of speed. Unfortunately the age of the Aries was working against the Vulcan at every turn; the vessel was nearly thirty years old after all.

Another problem with the Aries was that the shuttle’s shields were only able to power up to twenty percent, far below the levels necessary to survive an onslaught from the Confederacy of the Underdark. The ship’s phaser array was also non-functional, partly due to Rhyan’s modifications to boost speed. If Shrell caught up to them, a few quantum torpedoes would finish them off in no time.

No defence. No offence.

“I wasn’t referring to the engines,” Aeryn said as she pursed her lips and blew a puff of condensing air out into the shuttle’s cabin. “I have a suspicion that we are losing life support.”

“Life support is the least of my worries,” Rhyan quipped as he realised that he had lost complete feeling in his bare feet resting against the icy cold deck plating of the shuttle. What he wouldn’t give for the Starfleet duty boots that he had left behind on the Aoraki before it was prematurely destroyed. “Besides, lieutenant, if you have ever been to Vulcan you will understand that the drop in temperature will affect me long before it affects you.”

“Oh, you think so?” Aeryn said back to him, sarcastically.

“When your mother and grandmother drag you to the Forge on Vulcan for a retreat every year of your childhood, you get accustomed to the heat.” Rhyan thought back to those hateful excursions with his family, and for the first time in his life ached to be under the baking heat of the Vulcan sun.

Without warning the Aries lurched violently and dropped out of warp, throwing Rhyan back into his seat. Klaxons immediately began to sound and proximity sensors alerted them to an approaching ship. As another violent eruption hit the shuttlecraft, Rhyan didn’t have to question as to who was approaching them.

“Computer,” he announced, “shields to maximum.”

“Shields at thirteen percent,” responded the artificial, female voice of the Aries’ computer. Rhyan had underestimated the reserves in the shield emitters.

“We are being hailed,” Aeryn shouted as they both caught a glimpse of a Confederacy vessel approaching them at impulse.

Rhyan had no doubt who was haling them. “On screen,” he said as he angled his chair to face the small viewscreen embedded into the shuttle’s bulkhead. With a sense of calm taking over his body, Rhyan realised that the Aries was no match for the significantly superior Confederacy vessel; there was no point in running or fighting. He would give Shrell her moment of victory, and then they would most likely die.

The screen flickered to life and the familiar features of a female Andorian commander appeared in front of Rhyan. Shrell looked angry, but at the same time deeply satisfied that their game of cat and mouse had finally come to an end. “Why do you refuse to die, Rhyan,” she said, coldly across the comm channel.

“Because,” he said, calmly, “you don’t ever seem capable of doing a single job properly. How many times is it now you have tried?”

Aeryn cut Rhyan a look that said ‘don’t antagonise the scary woman pointing all her weapons in our direction’. He chose to ignore it, instead focusing on the woman who had killed President G’ath all those years ago.

“From where I am sitting, Commander, it looks as if I am about to successfully end another mission.” Shrell remained still, poised to make the order that would destroy the Aries. The history between them was the only thing that was keeping Rhyan alive; Shrell wanted her moment to gloat. “Tarran shall be avenged,” she added, her eyes narrowing the slightest at the mention of Tarran’s name.

“Tarran was a traitor,” Rhyan said, goading the Andorian further. Although he didn’t break eye contact with the Andorian, Rhyan could see out of the corner of his eye that the Aries’ proximity sensors were once again alarming. At first he thought it was a torpedo launch from Shrell’s vessel, but the trajectory was completely wrong; something else was approaching them fast.

Rhyan grinned at Shrell and caught a glimpse of her looking uncomfortable at the gesture. It was at that moment that he turned to Aeryn and ordered her to drop the Aries’ shields, or what was left of them.

“Are you a nut job,” he heard her reply before he repeated his order.

On the viewscreen he could see a flurry of activity taking place on the bridge of Shrell’s vessel. The Andorian female started to bark orders at her crew, one of which was to launch a full volley of torpedoes at the Aries. At the same moment four shimmering spheres of energy left the Confederacy vessel, Rhyan caught sight of no fewer than five Starfleet vessels drop out of warp around them. The cavalry had arrived.

For the second time that day, Rhyan felt himself being transported off a vessel exploding around him.

*

“Welcome on board the Nova, Sir,” said the transporter technician once dematerialisation was complete. His expression told Rhyan everything he needed to know; he and Aeryn looked like they had been to hell and back. He sure felt that way.

“Thank you, Chief,” Rhyan responded, resisting the urge to remind him that he had once been the Nova’s commanding officer and had been on board before. He glanced at Aeryn and gestured for her to step off the transporter pad ahead of him. She considered him for a moment and then complied.

“You know, I really did mean it,” she said angrily.

“Mean what?” Rhyan asked tentatively.

“That you are a certifiable nut job. You nearly got us killed. Again.” Although her voice hinted at anger, the corners of Aeryn’s mouth curled up in a slight grin. She appeared surprised, even perhaps impressed, that they had survived a second encounter with the Confederacy of the Underdark.

Just as Rhyan stepped off the transporter pad himself, the doors to the transporter room parted and a Bajoran officer dressed in Starfleet gold stepped through the threshold. Rhyan instantly recognised him as Li Tomin, the Nova’s chief of security. “It’s good to see you again, lieutenant,” Rhyan said as he approached the security officer.

“Actually,” Tomin said, raising a finger to right side of his gold turtleneck, “it’s lieutenant commander now. And I see you have been promoted too…”

Aeryn immediately cut Tomin off. “Seriously, boys, is this really the time? A crazy Andorian terrorist just tried to kill us. Twice. Can we focus on what’s important?” The young trill woman walked right past Lieutenant Commander Li and stepped out into the corridor. “Can someone show me where I can get a hot shower and a clean uniform?”

Before he had a chance to respond to the lieutenant the Nova rocked violently, a sensation that was becoming all-too-familiar to Rhyan. It appeared that the Nova was engaging Shrell’s ship. The Vulcan first looked at Aeryn and then turned to face Tomin. “Shrell clearly knows we are on board.”

“I wouldn’t worry about the Andorians, Sir,” Tomin said, ushering both of the science officers from the transporter room to a nearby turbolift. “The Nova is only one of fives ships that were sent to search for survivors from your runabout. They won’t be sticking around for much longer, believe me.”

The ship rocked again. “Are you sure about that?” Aeryn commented sarcastically. Nobody answered the comment.

All three officers stepped into the turbolift. Commander Li ordered it to take them to the bridge, which was the last place that Rhyan expected to be taken, then contacted one of his security officers, after eyeing the science officers’ feet, to round up some spare uniform tunics and boots and meet them there.

“Do I want to know?” He asked after eyeing up their feet for a second time.

“No,” Rhyan and Aeryn both said in unison.

OFF: I'll leave things there for now. Maybe they will actually make it to Earth now!

 

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