"The Hunt Begins"
(Previous Post: Tiffany's 'One Step Forward...')
====================================
Setting: Shuttlecraft leaving SURIAL III
Stardate: 60325.1352
"Idiots" Gul Zulot exclaimed as he sat in the co-pilot's chair of the shuttlecraft, "all of them." As he glanced at his closest associate.
"Sir... we're being followed." Lu'Met said.
"By whom?"
"Unknown. This... whatever it is started tracking us as we climbed into the atmosphere. And its gaining."
"How long before we break through the ionesphere?"
"Current speed... 2 minutes... and to answer your next question, the craft pursuing is 2 minutes 10 seconds behind."
"Scan for the ABSOLUTE VICTORY."
The Cardassian pilot activated the shuttles scanners and smiled.
"They're dropping out of warp."
====================================
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 60325.1400
"Shields are at maximum Captain. Forward phaser banks charged and both quantum and photon torpedos ready." Ensign Eva reported from tactical. Sabrina nodded.
"Standy by. We don't want to appear too..." and the ANUBIS was buffetted.
"Eager?!" David exclaimed as he drifted to the aux tactical station, "Computer, transfer engineering to this station"
"Orders Captain?" Eva said.
"Helm, take us out of orbit course 113 mark 200. Eva target their weapons and shield generators..." the ANUBIS was rocked again sending the bridge crew to the deck. Sabrina was the only one who didn't tumble to the deck.
"Report" the CO hissed.
"Damage to decks 10, 12-15" Eva as David tapped commands into his console.
"Captain, AAGs offline... dammit!" David exclaimed as his hands moved as fast as the ANUBIS at high warp.
Elan's hands moved in a similar manner as the Oltharian quickly piloted the ANUBIS out of harm's way. The whine of the SIF could tell the ANUBIS was straining on her course heading to escape the onslaught of the Cardassian warship.
====================================
Setting: ABSOULTE VICTORY, Bridge
Stardate: 60325.1410
As Zulot entered the bridge, he smiled at his associates.
"Not much longer my friends before we achieve *all* our dreams and desires," and he looked to the two tactical officers, "my finest bottle of K'Narr *and* their wildest fantasy come to life for the first one to bring me the hull of that starship..."
The Cardassian ship was buffeted from torpedo fire... and cannon fire from the attacking shuttle.
"Report!" Zulot barked as Lu'Met spoke from his side.
"The shuttle that followed... has attacked as well as the opposing starship. Shields holding but we have a breech on decks 7-9"
"Helm, initiate Zulot Beta 2 and fire at will!" as he looked at Lu'Met, "my insurance policy if you please."
Lu'Met smiled and nodded as he left the bridge.
====================================
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 60325.1415
David continued sending information to Ensign Eva from the aux tactical station and to navigation whenever Sabrina gave a course change. With the ablative armour down, he took it upon himself to channel whatever power he could for the shields to protect the weakend area the Cardassians caused from their inital collision. Eva looked up.
"Captain, a coded message coming in from VIPER 1"
"Put her on" Sabrina said as the screen shimmered to the image of Commander Enaii.
[/\] I thought the idea was to *keep* the ABUBIS out of a firefight![/\] the ILO hissed.
"When *you* become the captain Commander then you can decide the fate of this ship! And what do you think you're doing attacking that..."
[/\]Buying *you* time to get the ANUBIS out of harm's way.[/\]
"You don't have the other VIPERs at your disposal Commander. The ruse worked once. Return to the planet surface. We'll take care..."
The ILOs ice blue eyes narrowed. "*That's* an order Commander" Sabrina said with finality as the image of her wife disappeared and returned to the Cardassian vessel. They could see VIPER-1 break off and head back to SURIAL III. Sabrina ran her hands through her hair. She didn't mean to snap at her life's mate, but *she* was in command... and she decided to do just that. She looked to the CEO.
"Feel like playing a game Lieutenant?"
David glared at her. "As *long* as it means I don't have to do more patchwork to this bucket of bolts that I *already* will be doing."
Sabrina smiled wickedly. "Now would *I* do that?"
====================================
Setting: USS ANUBIS, Bridge
Stardate: 60325.1405
"Captain... a message from the SPHINX... coded frequency" Ensign Eva said.
"Patch them through" Sabrina said from the aux tactical station standing next to David.
=/\=Captain... we are starting to load the MERCURY survivors,=/\= Commander Serenna said.
"Good job number one... stand by" and the channel was closed.
====================================
Setting: SURIAL III, Underground Compound
Stardate: 60325.1410
As Lea moved the crew forward, from the darkness a figure watched her... waiting.
"Step lively Doctor" Pravat said as he made his way to the ladder, "I don't think the captain wi'll be too happy if I loose our CMO."
"I'm coming Lieutenant" the CMO said as she assisted the last of the MERCURYs crew up the ladder and as the MERCURYs crew thinned out the figure made its move. Wrapping his hands around her mouth, Lea tried to scream and free herself. The figure struggled to pull her into the darkness as the CMO fought with all her might then applied a hypo to her neck. The cooling hiss took the struggle out of her as she succumbed to the darkness of unconsciouness...
====================================
Julian Knight (d_dawson_1@yahoo.com)
as
Lieutenant David Dawson
Chief Engineer
USS ANUBIS NCC 18501
"A Starfleet officer... that's all I am and that's all I'll ever be." 2005 post #356
- Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko,
Commanding Officer of the Federation Spacestation Deep Space 9
