USS Thyanis

There was a tense few moments after LT Garcia fired her warning shot across the bow of the Ferengi Marauder. The course of action was rather brazen but in the absence of any ability to communicate ship to ship, maritime law did permit the Thyanis to perform such a maneuver. It was universally understood as a signal to alter course or follow instructions.

As the helmsman positioned the ship across the bow of the Ferengi vessel, all eyes were on the view screen watching for any sign of a retaliatory response.

“Cheif!” Wallace said, prompting Martin Catterick to hurry up in restoring communications.

“Im working on it, standby sir!” Chief Carterick replied as he worked frantically to program his algorithm.

Seconds later an audio channel opened – signalled by an audible chirp. “Channel open sir!” Martin stated with a sigh of relief.

“Ferengi vessel, This is the Federation Starship Thyanis, do not attempt to transport to the station, repeat do not attempt transport… Please respond! Your away team may be–” Wallace was suddenly interrupted mid-sentence by his Tactical officer. 

“Sir, They closed the channel!”

“Try to get them back!” Wallace ordered desperately.

“I’m trying but they aren’t responding!” Garcia replied, looking concerned as she ran out of options to try and communicate.

Wallace stared at the view screen for a moment, he too was running out of options. They had already fired a warning shot, and for now, the Ferengi didn’t seem interested in picking up a fight. He knew that he couldn’t in good conscience follow up with a further act of aggression or risk starting an engagement for which they were woefully outmatched. 

“Sir, I think I can get their attention again with a couple of high-speed passes across their bow!” Said the ensign at the helm.

Wallace immediately liked the idea, it was far more likely to give off a message of danger than aggression and it would make the Ferengi think twice about approaching any closer, or risk a collision. “Perfect!, Do it Ensign!” Wallace ordered.

Engaging full impulse power the young helmsman started Thyanis on a collision course with the Ferengi’s bow, pulling hard into the vertical at the last moment and putting all her nimbleness to good use as he swung the ship around to line up with the marauder’s port side and hit the gas a second time to fly directly across her bow – port to starboard. He repeated this display of aerobatics a second time and a third but still, there was no response from the Ferengi vessel. 

Meanwhile – Ferengi Vessel

Daimon Tal watched the Thyanis dance around his view screen like an annoying insect, but while the rest of his crew flinched every time she burst past the bow of the ship; he remained resolute and unimpressed.

“What are they doing?” he stated rhetorically. 

“I think they are trying to get us to alter course Daimon!” piped up a junior officer, unfamiliar with the Daimon’s sarcastic tone.

“I grow tired of this! The Hew-mons want a fight, let’s give them a fight! Target their engines! Cripple them!” Tal ordered slamming his fist down onto the arm of his chair.

A second or two passed as his tactical officer hesitated. Tal scowled from across the room.

“Tactical!” He screeched. “Are your lobes filled with wax? Open fire!” 

“B..but Daimon…” the nervous Ferengi pleaded as he was reluctant to carry out the order.

In a display of gratuitous anger, Tal leaped from his chair and stormed across the bridge, shoving his tactical officer out of the way to man the console himself. He obtained a lock and let fly; a barrage of phaser fire aimed directly at the Thyanis

Several shots missed their mark by so far, it could have been suggested the Ferengi were blind. But eventually, Tal got lucky and landed a crushing blow to Thyanis’s starboard nacelle. The shock of the Impact must have startled the human pilot, as he misjudged his trajectory and scrapped along the face of a nearby asteroid that was cloaked in the veil of the Lagrange dust cloud. 

A couple more lucky hits collapsed the shields of the little federation corvette and routed them into a retreat. 

Tal smiled at his victory, with any luck he could claim to have destroyed the ship to his employer, and by the time they repaired themselves; he would be counting his Latinum.

The rest of Tal’s crew were stunned and in a state of shock. They were not privy to the exact instructions Tal had received, nor were they amenable to attacking an allied ship. Tal’s sudden display of violence both scared them and also enraged them, but not one of them had the fortitude to challenge their superior. Notwithstanding their feelings, they all remained silent and tried to forget what just happened.

“Now, bring us back into the transporter range and have a landing party meet me in the transporter room…” Tal said as he left the bridge. 

He was very good at acting like his actions were justified and showed little to no remorse in front of his colleagues, but as he approached the door, he found himself again playing with his lobe. As soon as he was out of sight of his comrades he dropped the act and began to take in the reality of the crime he had just committed. His only comfort was the thought that his sizable stake in this endeavor would purchase him some remote moon, far away from the federation; where he could live out the remainder of his days in peace with an entourage of barely clothed Orion slave girls.

Moments later – USS Thyanis

“Damage report!” Wallace demanded as he punched a piece of conduit that was venting steam out of his face.

“We took a bit of a beating, shields are off-line, and there is a hull breach in deck 1 Aft…Emergency force fields are active.” Martin reported, using his sleeve to quickly wipe some of the soot from his console.

“Casualties?” Wallace asked.

“Reports coming in now sir… five wounded, minor injuries…just a few bumps and grazes sir!” Said Garcia, breathing a sigh of relief. After the battle with the Breen, she feared the worst as she waited for the reports to load into her console.

“Helm. keep us tight, let’s use the debris and dust pockets for cover while we lick our wounds.” Wallace said, saying a brief prayer of thanks for their fortune in avoiding anything more serious.

“Garcia, Stand down to Yellow alert, but keep an eye on our Ferengi friends… If they want to beam onto the station, it’s their funeral…” He added, standing from his chair and making an approach to his ready room.  “Chief, with me please.”

Martin handed his console over to a nearby technician who took over coordinating the damage control efforts. He made his way across the room and joined the C.O. in private.

“Chief, I’m turning to you because you’ve probably got more service under your belt than any of us… And with my X.O. off-ship, I need someone to bounce some ideas off of.” Wallace said humbly.

“I’m flattered sir, but Lieutenant Garcia is the next most senior officer…” Martin pointed out, feeling slightly uncomfortable about the position that was being thrust upon him.

“I don’t give a damn about seniority or rank Martin!, I need experience, someone who’s been around the block a few times… who won’t quote me the rule book or give me a starfleet academy answer.” said Wallace, aggressively trying to cut to the chase.

“Don’t get me wrong, she’s a fine officer. But she’s barely got two tours, this is my first command…with a ship that’s woefully outmatched and I feel like I’m making all the wrong decisions!” Wallace admitted begrudgingly.

Martin took a moment to think, he hadn’t witnessed enough of the Commander’s command to draw a conclusion yet, but he knew what he needed to say, even if it might not be what his Commanding officer wanted to hear. 

“May I speak freely sir?” Martin respectfully requested which was met by a nodding gesture from Wallace that was about to green-light Martin’s assessment of the situation. 

“I’ve seen plenty of captains do a far worse job…Ultimately you’ve been dealt a bad hand, and you’re only acting with the mission and the crew in mind. If you don’t mind me saying sir, I think you need to stop worrying about making the wrong decision and start trusting yourself to make the right ones…you’re only human sir.” Martin said frankly, feeling his limbs turn to jelly as he departed from a lifetime of keeping his mouth shut to speak his mind finally.

As Wallace listened to his Chief engineer expand and conclude his statement, he felt emboldened to carry on leading his crew, he guessed that he just needed someone with the balls to give him a straight answer. 

“Thanks, Chief…I–” Before Wallace could continue speaking, he was interrupted by Lt Garcia over the comm system 

‘Bridge to Commander Jones, we are receiving a transmission from the away team”

“On my way!” Wallace replied, gesturing for Martin to lead them back onto the bridge.

Oppenheimer Station – Singularity Core.

“Daimon Tal!” Harris said as he lowered his phaser, “What the hell do you want!” he demanded to know. 

“Ah, Commander. How delightful that we should meet again.” Tal greeted with a sinister grin.

Harris didn’t believe in coincidence. He had his doubts about the Ferengi’s involvement during their first meeting a week ago, while he wasn’t entirely surprised to be staring at Tal’s substantial lobes again, he was both enraged and suspicious that he would appear just as he was unable to contact the Thyanis.

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t shake you’re hand this time Tal.” Harris retorted.

“Spare me the witty Hew-mon banter Commander and step away from the scientist… slowly” Tal brought his phaser to bare in Harris’s direction, subtly threatening the use of force if the Commander failed to comply. 

There was no opportunity for heroics, the Ferengi had the upper hand, Harris gestured for his colleagues to step back. “Are you out of your mind Tal? You cant expect the Federation to let you get away with kidnapping one of its citizens!” 

As the Thyanis away team stepped back one of the Ferengi escorts approached the incapacitated scientist and performed his own scan. Alarms began sounding from his own tricorder, indicating that the scientist’s health was declining rapidly. The Ferengi turned to look back at his leader and gave a slight shake of his head to signal his findings.

“Take the Trill too… She’s a doctor, she can stabilise him en route!” Tal Barked, prompting his escorts to approach Molly and attempt to seize her.

“NO!” yelled Harris in defiance. He placed himself between the Ferengi and Molly in a chivalrous attempt to protect her. The situation escalated quickly as Harris struck the nearest Ferengi with an open palm strike before embracing Molly and trying to escort her to safety.

The away team security officers reacted quickly, drawing their phasers and exchanging fire with the Ferengi.

Tal had little patience left, he set his phaser to the maximum setting and fired at one of the young security officers, hitting him square in the chest. The beam of energy violently coursed through the young officer’s body, first igniting his uniform and then tearing apart his molecules. The officer let out a brief but blood-curdling scream of pain before being completely vaporised by the blast.

The show of force stopped everyone in their tracks, Starfleet and Ferengi alike. The Ferengi were again shocked by their Daimon’s violence, the away team was horrified having just watched one of their colleagues die most horribly.

“Enough!, I’ll go!” Shouted Molly, unable to bare the responsibility for more bloodshed. 

“Out of the question Lieutenant!” Harris ordered.

Molly turned to the Commander and stared him directly in the eyes, “Commander just trust me, I’ll be fine!” she said softly as she took hold of Harris’s hand for a moment, squeezing it in a personal gesture of affection.

Harris was speechless, his emotions were confusing him and overwhelming him. He felt a brewing anger toward Daimon Tal, and had to restrain himself from further aggression. At the same time, he felt his heart being torn apart by the prospect that Molly was about to be taken from him and he could do nothing to protect her. 

Molly stepped up to the tips of her toes and threw her arms around Harris, planting a brief but meaningful kiss on his cheek before bringing her mouth close to his ear and whispering a set of instructions. She discreetly slipped her tricorder into his hand before ending their embrace and surrendering unconditionally to her captors. 

Harris gave a gesture to stand down to the remaining away team members as they watched Molly be escorted at phaser point to the opposite side of the room. 

Tal grinned fiendishly as he signalled for his team to collect their prize. After setting up an array of pattern enhancers around the core, Tal contacted his ship and initiated the transport. 

As the Ferengi, Molly, and the scientist all began to dematerialise, followed a moment later by the apparatus at the centre of the room.

Harris locked eyes with Molly one final time, trying his best to remain calm as he watched her pattern fade away.

Meanwhile – USS Thyanis Bridge

“Sir, The Ferengi ship is powering its engines, they are making for the edge of the Lagrange cloud!” reported Lt Garcia as she maintained her sensor scans.

“What about the dampening field? Can we try the away team again?” Wallace asked, desperate for some good news 

Garcia tried to open a channel again and was relieved when a connection was established. “Channel open sir!” 

“Wallace to Away team! Please respond!” 

There was a brief moment of silence where everyone was on edge, waiting patiently for a return transmission.

“Tan here sir! No time to explain, you beam us up and get after Tal’s ship!”

The entire bridge was clearly relieved to hear the commander’s voice but Wallace wasted no time instructing his crew to carry out his first officer’s instructions.

“Helm, lay in a pursuit course, and engage as soon as the away team is aboard!” Wallace commanded, taking his chair again as he waited for confirmation.

“Transporter room to bridge, we have them!”

“Sir, the Ferengi ship has gone to warp!” reported the ensign at the helm.

Wallace remained focused and did not allow himself a moment to celebrate. “Now ensign, Maximum warp…Engage!”