Star Trek: Defiant

"All For His People" - Part Two

Written by Eric L. Busby

Silently, its running lights a faint glitter of life amid the darkness of space, the Federation starship Defiant came to life and pulled away from Deep Space Nine's docking moorings. The Sovereign class ship turned slowly around glided away into the void of space. On the bridge captain Jeffery Bridges stood looking at the stars as they raced by on the main view screen. His back hurt him but he gave no indication that he was in any pain.

His operation had been something of a success. Although he still had no mussel control in his legs, a number of implants based on Borg technology had been place into his lower back and through both of his legs. These implants picked up his brain's impulses that once controlled his legs and now sent a signal which forced his legs to work. This had come at a cost though. He always felt a dull ache in his lower back now whenever his stood or moved about. However being able to walk, run and jump again were worth the discomfort he felt.

Bridges looked at his people as they went about their duties. The mission they had been given would last for six weeks. With the Federation slowly beginning to rid itself of the nanite infection. It was felt by Starfleet that an exploration of the outer most systems might be in order to see what worlds may have been infected with the nanites. As well as a check on those worlds that fell to the Swarm plague a little more than two years ago.

"Report." Bridges commanded.

"We are clear of Deep Space Nine and are ready to proceed." Chad Mackowick said from the helm. Bridges smiled.

"Engage at full impulse until we are clear of the system and then go to warp four." Bridges said. For a moment he felt he could feel the increase of his ship speed. But he knew this was only in his mind. He turned and made his way back to his command chair and sat down. He noticed that someone had come onto the bridge and was now standing next to his chair. Bridges looked up at him.

"I was thinking some of us could get together tonight," Takila Shuurik, better known as Mak, said to Bridges, "Maybe play some cards, smoke a few stogies and get hammered on some blood wine."

"But your always the one that win when we all plays cards," Bridges said, "I think you cheat."

Mak looked somewhat hurt by this statement, "I never cheat," He said in his defense, "You human types just get drunk too fast and start play lousy."

"I always though Novachrons couldn't get drunk." First officer Adam Lebin said from his station, "Something about that wonderful immunity system of yours." Mak looked over at the Trill.

"Oh I can get drunk," Mak said, "Of course I can put away a lot more than you guys. Say ten or twenty gallons before I even get a buzz on."

"Whose going to be at the game?" Bridges asked.

"Anyone whose game if you know what I mean." Mak said.

"OK I'll think about it." Bridges said. Mak smiled turned and left the bridge. Bridges watched him leave then he looked at Lebin.

"I just hope I don't loose to much to that shark." He said with a smile. Lebin chuckled along. And that was when it started. There came a small shudder that was felt throughout the ship.

"Captain we just changed course." Chad said from the helm.

"Changed course?" Bridges said in surprise, "What our new heading."

"We are on a heading for the Bajoran sun," Chad said his hands going over the control in front of him, "All of the systems are locked out. I can't get us back on our proper heading."

Bridges got up and came down to the helm and looked over the system. He pushed a few button himself, "Its been re-routed," He said, "Question is to where."

"Wherever it is its got my systems too." Commander Jen said from tactical.

"And mine." Miriah Wolfrom said from the science station. This was repeated from all stations on the bridges. A moment later the voice of Brian Bedard down in engineering came over the comm system.

"Captain something just took over all engineering system," The Bolian said, "We're locked out down here."

"Join the club,' Bridges said, "See what you can do about Brian."

"I'm on it." Bedard said and cut the line. Bridges went back to his seat. He looked over a small control pad in front of him trying to get to the bottom of this. Then an idea struck him. He looked up, "Daryl are you there?"

"Of course I am captain." The voice of the computer came back.

"Do you know what take over the ships system?" Bridges asked.

"Of course I do," Daryl said, "I have."

Bridges looked surprise, "Your have? Why?" Daryl did not respond.

Bridges looked at Adam Lebin for a moment. Lebin looked up I the air, "Daryl we're are you taking us?" The Trill asked.

"I thought you already knew that," Daryl said, "I am sending the Defiant into the Bajoran sun."

"But that will kill everyone!" Bridges said.

"Yes, I know" Daryl said calmly, "Thats the whole point."

Bridges almost snarled, "Override computer control." He snapped. Adam Lebin's hands raced over a control unit set in front of him. But nothing happened. Again he tried to override the Defiant's computer, and still nothing happened.

"I can't," He reported at last, "Daryl has blocked all access passwords. He's also locked out the turbo lifts. He's set up a forces field around the warp core so we can't eject it. And he's shut down all of our communications so we can't call for help," Lebin looked up at Bridges, "Daryl's taken full control of the ship."

"In other words we're heading right into sun, and there not a damn thing we can do about it." Bridges said grimly. On the main screen the image of Bajor's sun slowly grew larger and larger as the Defiant raced towards it.

His chest hurt. If he had been human the blast would have been enough to kill him. However the Thanaos had a very strong endurance and quick recovery time. Goth slowly opened his eyes and rubbed his chest where he had been struck by the energy beam. He looked down at the tear in his uniform. The skin underneath was red and raw. However this would be healed up in a few more hours. How had this happened? And then the memory of the Brotherhood Director came back to him.

Goth sighed. The Director had lied to him. Lied to him and tried to kill him after Goth had done as he had asked. How could he have been such a fool? He who had once been one of the three who ruled over his planet. Had he become so desperate for information of his people that other could use that desperation against him? Goth grimaced and pulled himself up from the floor. The Director was a dead man now. Sure he was alive and well someplace in out there in space. But it was just a matter of time before Goth hunted him down and feed himself upon the Director blood for his actions this day. No cattle used one of the Thanaos in such a way a lived after.

It was then that Goth noticed something odd about his room. He often left the room dark and in shadows. Like other of his kind, Goth preferred the dark over the light. Yet at the moment his room was very bright. As bright as day. This caused Goth some discomfort, but he could stand up to day light for short periods of time. He was about to order the computer to dim the lights when he realized that the light was not coming from the ceiling, but through the observation port in his quarters. As if the ship was near a star or something.

"Near a star...." Goth said to himself in a horse whisper, "Oh by the maker what have I done!" He yelled. Goth dashed to his PADD unit and grasped the isolinear chip that was overriding Daryl's personality. He was about to pull it out. Then he stopped himself. No, he thought, he shouldn't pull it out. Not yet.

If Goth pulled the chip out, Daryl would go back to normal. But he would also remember everything that Goth had done to him. Those action alone would lead Goth to some form of punishment. Perhaps imprisonment as well. He could not allow that to happen. His people depended upon him too much. Quickly Goth accessed Daryl's memory through the chip. His hands raced over the control buttons for a few moments. Then a very dark and cold smiled played across Goth's face. Satisfied that he was safe, Goth leaned forwarded and pulled the chip free from the PADD.

Daryl for his part did not look upon what he was doing as wrong. He was simply following out his orders as he felt was right. After all it all made sense to him. He had to destroy the Defiant by sending it into Bajor's sun. And in less than a second that all changed. He no longer remembered what he was doing or how he had come to even be doing this in the first place. He tried to access his recent memories and found that the last two hours of his life had been wiped clean. As if someone had simply re-formatted that part of memory.

It was then that Daryl noted that somehow he had taken over full control of the ship. A ship that was on a collision course with Bajor's sun. He also noted that everyone on the bridge was trying desperately to take control away from him, yet somehow he had locked all of their password out so only he had control of the ship. That puzzled Daryl.

"Captain, I know this is going to sound odd," Daryl said, "But can you tell me what is going on?"

Bridges glared up into open air, "Whats do you mean what's going on," He snapped, "You're trying to kill all of us."

"Captain I do not understand how I have come to be in control of the ship," Daryl said, "But I believe that something or someone has overridden my systems for a time. However I am now back to normal."

"Then give us back helm control!" Bridges snapped. Daryl released the helm from his control.

"Helm control is restored!" Chad announced as his hands flew over the controls. On the main viewer the image of Bajor's sun filled the screen. Its light caused the bridge to glow a bright white. The air was boiling hot and everyone was wet with perspiration. Already the ship's hull temperature was far above its normal tolerance level. And it was still rising. The ship was starting to melt due to the sun's great heat.

"Then get us the hell out of here!' Bridges yelled. Chad fought with the control of the ship. The Defiant arced hard to port causing the bridge to lean hard over. Everyone had to grasp onto to something in order not to fall.

"Come on baby! Come on!" Chad muttered to the Defiant herself. A slight vibration could now be felt come up through the floor. It was growing worse as Defiant tried to pull away from the sun intense gravity. A loud metal groan and rumble could be heard throughout the ship as the engines tired to pull Defiant free. Chad looked up. The worry was clearly written on his face.

"Captain I'm giving her full impulse, but we're too deep into the gravity well," He shouted over the cacophony of noise, "We're being pulled into the sun!"

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