Stardate: 74537.95

Time: 0528 hours

Location: Gamma Quadrant – A Tkon outpost

USS Heracles

—Situation Room—

Vausees, Thý’ella, Debrah, and Cody all stood around a newly scanned holographic layout of the outpost. Glowing in a light blue hue was the compound and all of the buildings, most of which had been explored to its fullest, accessible, extent. The only building in the outpost that had not been fully explored was the building that was the center of their problem. Even the Command center which had been the first indication of the outpost having an interior defence had been carefully explored, which also had no new information that the Heracles already didn’t have in its memory core.

The building in question was mostly hollow, due to the ship’s scanners and sensors being unable to penetrate the core portion of the building; only hallways and the chambers around the core of the building were showing up on the layout. All of which had been explored thoroughly, just like the rest of the outpost.

“I sure would like to know what the hell is inside that part of that building,” Vausees said in a frustrated manner. 

The rest of the group also agreed. The only reason that they had not already transported down to the surface of the planet was that Zozzak, the ships Chief Science Officer had informed them, along with Cody, that it might not be a good idea, and probably a waste of time if they transported down if they could not keep a lock on the person that was wearing the device if they were able to gain access and penetrate the core of the building. This caused the four people around the holographic table to try and come up with a way to keep a transporter lock on the wearer.

Debrah turned toward the bridge and the backside of Jonton as he stood there. “Lieutenant Jonton, would you come here please,” she requested as she looked at the man.

Jonton turned about and walked over quickly, each step seemed to stretch out as he walked. When he arrived in the situation room and came to a stop next to Debrah. “What can I do for you Commander?” He asked as he looked at the holographic image that floated above the table.

Looking back at the layout she asked him to simulate the current signal in regards to a person being able to penetrate the core. As he did as she requested, the signal disappeared as soon as the signal of the simulated person entered the core.

“Try boosting the signal by half on the lower band frequency,” she requested, “while I slowly increase it on the upper band.”

Jonton inputted the request as she slowly increased the upper band. For a mere second the signal appeared and then just as quickly it disappeared. Debrah stopped the increase and slowly decreased the upper band boost. The signal returned and she looked at what the bandwidths were set at. A smile crossed her lips as she looked up from the information, “I think we might have something here, Captain,” she stated as she stepped aside and both Vausees and Thý’ella; who both had been in a conversation on what to do, moved to the console. They looked at the steady signal on the simulation. Vausees looked at Jonton, “Lieutenant.”

He nodded and moved back to his station and input the new signal data into his console. He then looked back at them and nodded, “Signal’s are boosted, ready when you are Captain.”

Vausees nodded and she and the rest of the team headed for the lift. As the door closed the group in Vausees looked at them.

“I know that I shouldn’t be the one to take this risk, and,” she looked at Thý’ella, “this being the only device that you have,” she stated as she continued,” and since we all are aware that this device will imprint itself on me. I must say one thing.”

Thý’ella lifted a hand to stop her, “This is the only operational device. I never stated that it was the only device that we have,” she stated as she smiled slyly. “Beside Captain, I am honored for you to use it. And furthermore, if it works for you my people will know and more will be activated for our military forces,” she stated boldly as she leaned back against the lift.

Vausees suddenly felt betrayed in thinking that this was the only device. As fast as the emotion came it fled. 

As the lift slowly came to a stop a few decks down and the doors parted the group exited and headed for the transporter room. Reaching up she tapped her ComBadge.

“Transporter Room to Jonton.”

Jonton heard the voice of his Captain and pressed the bridge’s intercom, “Go ahead, Captain.”

“Jonton I am beaming down to the outpost, keep a lock on my ComBadge, Lieutenant.”

“ComBadge signal locked on, Captain.”

Vausees nodded as she looked at Debrah, she leaned over and kissed her, in front of the group. Debrah returned the kiss knowing all too well that it could be the last time that she felt her lips on hers, but prayed that it wasn’t. As their lips parted Vausees stepped onto the transporter pad and looked at Cody; who had taken over the controls and dismissed the transporter crew member prior to the actions that the Captain had just displayed.

Looking up at Vausees, “Good luck, Captain,” he said just before he energized the system and engaged it. 

—Tkon Outpost—

A bright light suddenly appeared just outside of the building; hues of light blue lights materialized into a solid form as Vausees appeared on the planet’s surface.

“Lieutenant, how’s my signal looking?”

Jonton replied that it was perfect and clear. Vausees then continued forward into the building, and Jonton followed her from his console. The sound of the bridge’s lift door opening was heard, but that did not distract Jonton as he kept his eyes on his Captain’s signal.

The group arrived back on the bridge, led by Cody, as Jonton put the signal up on the main viewscreen. The viewer showed Vausees Com-signal as she moved through the hallways and into the main chamber that held the energy source.

“So far so good, Captain,” Jonton said, “Your signal is still strong.

Vausees nodded as she approached the glowing device that was partially uncovered from the first attempt to retrieve it. She reached out and touched the stone wall that surrounded the rest of it. When nothing happened she slowly started to remove the rest of the wall, and when she had finished with that she stood there in amazement as she looked upon a spherical, and semi-transparent object. 

“Jonton I am going in.”

Jonton nodded as he looked back down at his console. Vausees took a step forward, and the object suddenly split along its center into two equal parts. Standing between them the two halves move back toward each other, encapsulating her. Suddenly Vausees signal disappeared only to reappear in the jungle of the planet on the other side of the planet. 

The sudden disappearance of the Captains signal caused Jonton to panic for a moment before the Computer reorientated itself on the Captain signal, on the night side of the planet, it also indicated that the Captain was below the surface of the planet. Jonton took a deep breath and relaxed. He looked back at Debrah who had her eyes fixated on the viewscreen, she appeared to not blink as she watched. Realizing that he didn’t need to say anything Jonton returned his attention back to his console.

“Captain, we lost you there for a moment,” he stated.

Vausees nodded as she stepped out of the object; that a moment ago had been inside of the wall of the chamber that she had been in. The chamber that she had entered started to light up as it detected the device that sat next to her ComBadge on her chest. A pathway dimly illuminated away from the object toward another object that sat on a pedestal in the center of the room. 

Moving toward it, carefully looking about the now dimly lit chamber, Vausees stopped at what looked like a console just before the object. 

“I am not sure what I am looking at here,” she said as she looked down at the console.

Reaching out she gently touched the console with the tip of her fingers and it suddenly came to life as if it had been in some sort of a sleep mode. Her face appeared to be illuminated by the console as Tkon lettering flowed over the console. Reaching down she brought up her tricorder and began to translate the information on the console. Her eyes widened as she read what the tricorder could translate. 

“Debrah, Thý’ella, I need you two to head to my ready room now,” she ordered as she realized that this pertain to the Omega Directive and they were the only two that had clearance for this information, Thý’ella because of her close relations to the Tkon, and Debrah because of her former security clearance prior to her becoming part of the Heracles crew.

The two women left the bridge and entered the ready room. Debrah realized suddenly why the order had been given and secured the door.

“Computer transfer the Captain’s ComBadge transmission’s to the Captain’s Ready Room.” A soft beep confirmed her request.

The viewscreen suddenly changed from the Captain’s signal to the Omega Signal and locked out the bridge. Jonton threw up his hands in frustration as he had seen this image once before when Zazzuit had been the XO. With the bridge locked out and the two women in the ready room Cody placed a hand on Jonton and looked at the bridge crew.

“Remain at your posts and alert,” he said as he gave the Chief’s shoulder a squeeze in a reassuring manner. “I am sure that the Captain is fine,” he said to Jonton before releasing the man’s shoulder and walking down to the Command chair.

Debrah moved over to Vausees seat as Thý’ella took to the seat across from her. “Room secured Vausees,” Debrah stated.

Vausees nodded, “Good, Debbie, Thý’ella. I believe that I have found what Starfleet is calling a Tkon Beacon,” she said as she looked up from the console and at the spherical object. “This beacon appears to be offline from what I can tell.”

Thý’ella’s eyes widened with excitement when she heard Vausees state that she had found a Tkon Beacon. Then they suddenly changed to worry when she heard that the beacon was offline and looked at Debrah with confusion. Debrah looked back and explained what Vausees meant. Thý’ella blinked a couple of times and then stood up and paced as she began to think about the beacon and all of the text and data that she had read about the device. Suddenly she stopped and looked at Debrah. 

“We need to get to the other side of the planet.”

Debrah cocked her head to the side at the sudden request from Thý’ella. “Why?” She asked her.

“I think that we can reactivate the device from orbit.”

Debrah nodded, “Vausees.”

Vausees had been listening to the conversation that the two had had and nodded, “Do it Debbie.”

Tapping on the holographic monitor on the desk she brought up Vausees ComBadge signal and then pulled back to where the planet was displaying the Heracles in orbit of the planet, but on the opposite side. Rotating the planet to show the signal she brought up the Heracles navigation controls and input the signals coordinates.

The Heracles suddenly began to move which caused Trever to become confused and he tried to stop the Heracles. When he realized that the order had been given from the Captain’s Ready Room and turned and looked at Cody, who lifted a hand to reassure him that everything was under control, when he himself was unsure, but did not show it.

Back in the ready room Debrah informed Vausees and Thý’ella that the ship was en route to the coordinates that Vausees ComBadge gave. Thý’ella was amazed that Debrah was able to do this from within the room. 

Vausees, back in the chamber on the planet, nodded as she heard what Debrah had done, “Good work.”

A few moments later the Heracles slowed into a geo synchronized orbit above Vausees Com-signal.

“We’re in orbit Vausees,” Debrah said as she looked at the monitor.

Thý’ella looked over Debrah’s shoulder and nodded, “Captain, you might want to move away from that console, just in case.”

“In case what?” Vausees asked.

Thý’ella explained how the ship’s deflector shield could be used to transfer a moderate amount of energy into a pillar that should be located right above the chamber she was in. She informed Vausees that the pillar was a transmitter used to broadcast the signal that the beacon was supposed to be broadcasting. Vausees nodded and stepped back to where the transporter object was and turned back toward the beacon, in its dead state. 

“Ready when you are,” she announced as she watched the beacon.

Debrah listened as Thý’ella told her what she needed to do. As Thý’ella gave the information to Debrah; who was inputting the data into the computer, a warning came up on the holographic monitor. 

“Vausees our deflector array is going to be fried when we do this, and the computer is also saying that we will lose navigation and warp engine controls.”

Vausees nodded and told her to do it, as well as inform Chief Tanner to evacuate the Engine Room. Debrah nodded and informed Charles before she override the safety protocol’s and activated the deflector array.

The Heracles rotated its orientation to match a pillar that was partially buried in a hill that was covered by jungle. The deflector array suddenly began to glow as a beam of light shot out of it and impacted into the pillar.

An area around the pillar suddenly exploded, incinerating the foliage and trees around it as the pillar started to glow. The Tkon lettering on its surface took the energy that the Heracles sent along the beam from its deflector array and sent it along a conduit and directly into the pedestal that the beacon was resting on. 

Vausees had to throw up her arms and slam shut her eyes as the beacon suddenly came to life and the etched in lettering glowed and began to spin and generate a bright light around itself.

On the bridge the console in front of Trever suddenly exploded, which sent him flying backward out of seat. He landed with a hard thud on his back which knocked the air out of lungs, and caused him to become unconscious. Cody rushed to his side and tapped his ComBadge, “Medical Team to the bridge.”

Charles watched from the safety of the other side of the force field and protective tripoly aluminum glass that had sealed off the area around the warp core, as the console around the warp core exploded in a sudden fury of sparks and wild electrical currents as the warp core suddenly went dark as it powered down and became silent. A sigh left his lips as he placed his hands on the railing just outside of the Engineering room. His head fell forward as he realized what had happened and knew that the core was dead. ‘What the fuck did they just do to my ship.’, he thought to himself as he looked up at the core and the darkness that was inside of a once bright blue and swirling of antimatter and dilithium. 

When the brightness in the chamber subsided to a tolerable brightness Vausees cracked her eyes and looked at a device that was emanating light in arc’s over its surface.

“Thý’ella, what next?” She asked as she lowered her arms and fully opened her eyes.

Thý’ella thought for a moment and then instructed Vausees to move to the console. Vausees looked at the arcing lights that danced over the spinning orb that was now floating over the pedestal that it had a few moments ago been resting on.

“Are you sure that it is safe, Thý’ella,” she said as she watched one of the arc’s narrowly miss where the console stood.

Thý’ella nodded, “Yes, the arcing lights that you are more than likely seeing are harmless,” she stated as she began to explain what was happening.

Vausees nodded as she stepped toward the console just as an arc of light caressed her skin. It felt cold and warm at the same time. Reaching down she placed her hands on the console and began to read off what the tricorder translated. Thý’ella listened as Vausees read what was on the console. She then instructed her on what she needed to do to align the beacon with what she called the Simeío ekmideníseos, which the holographic monitor translated and displayed as “Vanishing Point”.

Vausees did as Thý’ella had instructed and for a brief moment when she looked up at the beacon saw another, much larger device, beacon. That disappeared as soon as she tapped activate on the console. 

“Huh,” she said in an inquisitive tone as soon as the image disappeared. “Looks like everything is working over here,” she informed the two women. 

Thý’ella looked at Debrah, “See if you can detect a broadcasting signal coming from the pillar that we just transferred energy to,” she asked her.

Debrah nodded as she tapped on a couple of holographic icons and the monitor showed the signal. “It is.”

Thý’ella smiled as she sighed and fell back into her chair. “It’s working again.”

Debrah’s brows furled as she looked at Thý’ella, “Again?”

Thý’ella just smiled at Debrah and left it at that. 

Vausees watched as the arcing lights suddenly smoothed out along the surface of the orb and only arced when the light connected with a conduit near the upper and lower poles of the spinning orb. She then turned and started for the transportation device when her body was suddenly covered in a light blue hue as the Heracles transporter suddenly came to life on its own. Vausees suddenly appeared in the main transporter room with the Transporter specialist, who had a confused look on his face as he saw her suddenly there. 

“Specialist,” she said as she stepped off of the pad and looked at him as she headed from the lift to the bridge.

Entering the bridge she looked at Cody and moved toward the secured Ready Room door. After she entered her authorization code and entered into the room she looked at Debrah as the door closed behind her. Her field of vision then took in Thý’ella and she placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder before she realized Debrah had a confused look on her face.

“Did I miss something Debbie?” She asked her baby when she suddenly realized that she was looking at Thý’ella. Adjusting her gaze she turned her attention to Thý’ella. “Thý’ella?”

Thý’ella just kept smiling and sat back in the chair.

Vausees looked back at Debrah, “Commander?”

Debrah looked from Thý’ella to Vausees, “Not to be rude or disrespectful but I think Thý’ella knew that the beacon was down.”

Vausees looked at Thý’ella, who had nodded, “She is right Captain, the only thing was that we didn’t know where it was located, well directly that is,” she stated as she stood up. “The Angelikós Zilotís thank you and are honored that you have located the Tkon Beacon and reactivated it.”

Suddenly her body was engulfed in a ring of light as she was transported off the Heracles and back to the Boulóni Día. Both Vausees and Debrah rushed out of the Ready Room. Vausees moved toward the Command Chair as Cody stood up and quickly moved out of her way. Entering in her authorization code the viewscreen changed from the Omega symbol to the Boulóni Día as a wormhole suddenly appeared behind it.

“Hail them,” Vausees ordered.

Jonton went to comply when the  Boulóni Día slipped into the wormhole and it dissipated. Anger rose over Vausees as she slammed her closed hand against the arm rest knowing all too well that it would take them a week to reach Angelikós under impulse.

“Mister Nief, set a course for Angelikós, maximum impulse,” she ordered after sighing.

It was then that Trever realized that the Warp Engines were offline and that there was no power coming from the core at all. Pulling up Angelikós he set the route and engaged the impulse drive. “Course set and impulse drive at max, Captain.”