Expect The Unexpected

Posted on Thu Jul 2nd, 2015 @ 4:24pm by Admiral Deela T'Lar & Lieutenant Colonel Jillian "Phoenix" Sullivan & Captain Jack Solomon & Lieutenant Zhao Quan & First Ramata`tar

1,727 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 88 - Memories Lost, Trouble Found
Location: Virimonde Surface
Timeline: MD5, 0800 hours
Tags: Solomon, T'Lar

Jack made his way out of the Starfleet Shelter that had been home for the past 11 hours and stretched as the sun rose over the horizon. The away team had on the planet surface since the previous night waiting for Talia to appear. Jack had received confirmation from her for the meeting before the Steadfast arrived in orbit and Phoenix, T'Lar and Ramata'tar had beamed down with him to the surface.

And yet whilst he wasn't alone, Jack still felt nervous. He knew she was a devious woman, but something deep down inside him wanted closure, if not to see her just one more time. But he was glad he wasn't alone too. He was beginning to feel at home on SB400 and this was helping having officers and friends with him.

Jack just wish he knew what was going to happen.

Ramata’tar had been awake all night, but that wasn't unusual, Jem’Hadar didn’t sleep. He’d kept him shrouded and to the side of the camp. Even though remaining shrouded so long meant he was using his supply of White quicker than normal, the situation called for it. He had another vial of White aboard the Steadfast, and knew Admiral T’Lar would give it to him when needed. For now though, his temper was calm as he continued to watch the area.

He saw Solomon emerge from the shelter and look around. Ramata’tar studied the Human for a moment, then turned his attention back to watching for movement, that’s when he saw something in the distance.

Ramata’tar made sure he was in the shadows and out of sight before unshrouding, “Lieutenant Solomon, there are five persons approaching from your two o'clock.” After the quick report, Ramata’tar shrouded again and took up a defensive position.

"I want ya looking directly at tha target. I'll down her first incase she might have an exit plan," Phoenix whispered over the comm from her cozy vantage point. "You ask her when's that last time ya spoke. That's when I fire."

Jack nodded slowly as he heard Phoenix give her instructions in his ear. Before he began walking towards Talia's party, to meet her and get things sorted out once and for all, Jack looked back at T'Lar one last time. Then he started on his way to meet Talia.

Deela watched as Solomon walked away. Her hand was on her weapon, ready for anything.


USS Steadfast

Quan was sitting nervously on the bridge of the Steadfast. Around him the rest of the crew were running the ship, leaving him to monitor the away team. So far it was all going to plan, but it wasn't over yet.


Virimonde

Jack started to make out the other figures walking with Talia as they closed on each other. She was surrounded by four Klingons and that was something he hadn't expected this time. He came to a halt in front of her and her companions. "Talia... Long time no see," he said.

Talia came to a halt, surrounded by her guards. She wished she could tell him the truth, she wished she could some how let him know that she was a prisoner herself but she couldn't...at least not right now. "Beloved... You look well... And unarmed. Thats a lot of trust," she commented.

Jack nodded to her. "That was also part of your terms, that I come here unarmed. So, lets get to the point. I believe you have something for me?" He asked her, wanting to get this done. He was feeling on edge.

"I do, beloved," she answered and she stepped forward, holding out a PADD in her hand. "This is everything that will prove your innocence," Talia explained.

Deela could sense fear from Talia but there was something else she was sensing from not only Talia but also from the Klingons. It was enough to send a red flag in her mind so she began to walk towards Solomon. She pulled her weapon and put it behind her so as to not alarm the Klingons.

What happened next took a few minutes to sink in later. As Jack took hold of the PADD, Talia pressed her thumb down and without warning a transporter beam activated. Seconds later, Jack found himself on a Klingon transporter pad, surrounded by a dampening field.

He looked across at Talia, who was also standing on the transporter pad. She looked sad and Jack could tell something was wrong, but his anger was building.

It all happened so fast that it took Ramata'tar, Phoenix and Deela by surprise. "Damn it!" Deela was pissed off. She stood there for a moment mentally kicking herself.

With Solomon, Talia, and the Klingons quickly beaming away, Ramata’tar rushed forward and unshrouded, but there was nothing he could do. He looked back in the direction of Sullivan, then to the Admiral. “We should return to the ship, they must have a vessel in orbit.”

Ramata’tar was angry, he should have been closer to Solomon, maybe he wouldn't have been such easy prey and beamed away.


Steadfast

Quan watched in horror as Jacks tracker disappeared from the planet surface. "Colonel, I've lost Lt. Solomon's tracker. I can't tell if he is being blocked or if he has been beamed out."

"Run a graviton sweep. Full spread. That'll decloak tha bastards an' give ya target lock," Phoenix spoke as she listened to the situation unfold.

"Hopefully, they do not take off with Solomon." Deela's voice was stressed, "Admiral T'Lar to Steadfast. They've taken Solomon hostage. See if you can locate him. Three to beam up."

Quan listened to the comm message then remotely activated the transporter. The system was already locked on to their trackers, so the beam up was instant. He turned slightly so he could watch them materialise on the bridge. As soon as the beaming was finished, he jumped in "Admiral, he was beamed on to a ship in orbit. There was a fraction of a second between beaming and them activating some form of damping field, but it was long enough for the computer to get a fix. If they haven't moved relative to us, they are 800 miles behind us in a matching orbit, and if you are prepared to fire a single torpedo on minimum yield at " he paused while he firmed up the readings, "these coordinates, you'll probably see them in the energy splash."

"Open a channel to that ship." Deela waited. "This is Admiral T'Lar of the USS Steadfast. You are detaining one of my men against their will. What are your intentions?"

As he had Jack and Talia brought to the bridge, their captor pressed the comm button on his chair console. "This is Captain Toral, of the IKS JaqHoq, Son of Duras and future ruler of the Klingon Empire. My intentions are simple, I mean to extract what information I need from Lieutenant Solomon and then I mean to kill him," he explained. "Now, take your puny starship on its way before I take offensive action against you!" Toral warned over the comm.

Deela wished that it was Bremer standing here where she was. He was much better equipped to deal with them. "I am afraid that I cannot allow that. Return Solomon and Talia and we will let you live."

Phoenix mouthed to the operations and engineers off screen about the status of the graviton sweep. For it was a good bet they had moved.

Toral laughed out loud as he heard the terms put before him. He had no intention of letting both of his prisoners go. "Your terms are useless to me, Admiral. I hold the winning cards and you hold nothing of interest to me! Now this is your last warning...leave this space, before I prove how much I outgun you by," He issued, nodding at his bridge officers to assume a battle ready stance.

Quan tapped a message straight to Phoenix's console, "Is it correct that they have to keep their shields down while cloaked? Graviton scan indicates.. Range 200 miles, bearing 10 degrees off our port bow, 2 degrees negative. I'm also getting sporadic readings from Lt Solomon's tracker, their cloak must be interfering with the damping field, also confirms ranges and bearing."

Ramata’tar had also received the message and was manually targeting the ship’s forward weapons arrays. He avoided a target lock so as not to give away the fact that the Klingon ship had weapons trained on its location. He looked over at the Admiral and gave a slight nod.

Deela knew the Klingon ship was bigger than the Steadfast but she needed to at least wound it a little to slow him down. And with Solomon being on that ship, she didn't want to get him killed. Her instincts told her that he was going to run. This would be the only chance she would get before he decloaked.

Deela gave Ramata'tar the signal to proceed.

IKS JaqHoq

On the bridge, Toral looked over at the helmsman before giving his orders.

"Helm, take us out of orbit and then plot a course out of the system. Tactical, drop the cloak, raise shields and bring weapons to bear on that starship. If they attempt pursuit, open fire on them," he ordered. He turned in his chair to face Jack and Talia.

"I take it you have a use for me? Otherwise this isn't my first time on a Klingon cruiser," Jack quipped. "Oh, by the way, The Steadfast will come after me... Just to make you aware. I'm not sure how you're involved in this, bu.."

"Silence!!! You have a use to me, human, one that the female will no doubt explain to you in due course. But if I have to kill you, be assured, I will," Toral warned.

"Thats fine with me," Jack answered, "You just made it to the top of my arse kicking list."

Toral laughed as he returned to watch the Tactical display on the viewscreen. "Take them away to a holding cell," he ordered. Four Klingon officers stepped forward and took Jack and Talia off the bridge.

Steadfast

Simultaneously, the ship began to decloak and the Steadfast's weapons discharged. Everyone on the bridge watched on...

tbc

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