Moves and Counter moves

Posted on 14 Jun 2016 @ 11:46pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal

1,399 words; about a 7 minute read

::Alternate Universe::

[Bridge - ISS Achilles]

Col. Means stepped out on the bridge and approached the command dais. "Captain, deflector repairs are complete and tested to flight tolerance. We're ready."

Stone looked up with a grin on his face Means had completed the repairs just under his eight hour deadline. Now he prepared to implement the first step in his plan.

"Helm, take us away from the rift. Bring us about to 193, mark two zero at full impulse for one hour then come to a full stop and activate the Dimensional drive, targeting our reality. Once a portal is open, eject all damaged components from the repairs.

After all the debris has been ejected, deactivate the drive and lay in a reciprocal course. Colonel Means, you have the bridge." Stone stepped off the command platform and into his ready room, leaving his people to carry out their instructions.

Everyone on the bridge was puzzled at the order and there were puzzled glances between several but none dared question him. Means notices the helm officer's glance and came down on him immediately."

"Mind your display and carry out your instructions!"

"Yes sir!"

The helmsman obeyed and the massive ship slowly came about and once they had reach the coordinates others began to transport the damaged components from the ships repairs, from the encounter with the Borg in another reality as well as the damage done by the ship they had captured...before it had escaped this is. Once the debris was in place the portal was opened and the debris, from charred carpet to the dead, was pulled in and vanished. Why were they sending junk back home and not just heading back themselves?

[Deck 23]

Lauren watched out the window as the debris had materialized and then vanished through the portal their dimensions drive had created. In the midst of that debris had been her recording of the Captain's plans, with her comments carefully edited of course. She was playing a dangerous game but revealing a traitor would get her further than Stone's temper and paranoia would ever allow her. With a grin of smug satisfaction she made her way to the nearest lift to take her place on the bridge.

[Bridge]

Their task nearly complete Means broke the relative quiet. "Disengage the drive and return us to the rift."

"Aye sir..."

It wasn't long at all and the rift loomed large before them. On the other side were not only their comrades but their quarry as well. "All Stop. Captain to the Bridge."

[Ready Room]

Stone had once again held up the data card that had been delivered to him. His initial rage on hear its contents had been nearly blinding; but after the initial shock, of the extent of the betrayal had worn off he began to scheme. ~This could work to my benefit. How to play this....~ His thoughts interrupted as the hail came over the comm.

Taking a final pull from his drink, he tucked the chip his pocket and head towards the door.

[Bridge]

Stone scanned the bridge as he left his ready room and his glance paused briefly on Lt. L'Vor briefly before grinning and moving up onto the command platform. "Report Colonel Means."

"Your orders have been carried out to the letter sir. The ships debris and dead have been returned to our time and reality and we are now back in position to enter the rift. The ship is at full readiness; your orders."

"First; I need to address the crew...more treachery has come to light." Stepping to the forward edge of the platform he turned to face the bridge crew. He scanned their faces, as he did so his gaze returned to the upper lever on the two security guards that where now near Lt. L'Vor. "SEIZE HER! BRING HER OVER HERE!"

The guards did as instructed and they grabbed her by the arms and began dragging her to the Captain. AS they did she put up quite a fight for someone her size.

"I HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING...DON'T YOU KNOW HE'S CRAZY...HE'S GOING TO GET US ALL KILLED!!!"

Stone looked to Means. "Silence her!"

With a smirking not the first blow doubled her over as he knocked the wind out of her. The second blow came as she tried to regain her footing and broke her jaw. With her now only semi-conscious the guards took her up again and lifted her to her feet.

Pointing to the Ops officer. "Ship wide broadcast all stations and terminals."

As the all call piped through the ship Stone began. "Brave crew of the Achilles. We have all been betrayed. As you all know the former Chief Engineer and several of his people had concealed the abilities of the ship we had captured. At first this was thought to have been only the work of some overly ambitious officers. However I have found that their conspiracy went much further. Not only was that ships abilities kept from us but so was the finding on the area space we are now in.

"You see several Fleet Admirals, those charged with crafting this mission never intended for us to succeed...officially. If we died trying, so be it. If we failed we would be executed upon our return. If we succeed we would be silence...our ship and findings seized and those Admirals would use what we found for their own purposes."

Casting a hand to L'Vor he continued. "Given an unforeseen turn of events Lt. L'Vor, one of the conspirators, tried to convince me to being their work for them. This is why we sent the debris back you our reality. To make everyone think that we had died in a jump attempt, to convince everyone that the drive DIDN'T work!

"Hidden within that debris was supposed to have been THIS; a data chip with a full report on the area, our condition, and how to get to this reality! Why, you are all asking yourselves. Because in this reality there is no Empires, no Alliance, not even a Federation...never has been. This entire area is ripe for conquering... Even now with their more advanced weaponry this area could be taken and in our time even more so. And that is what we were sent out here to find. To find a realm ripe for the picking...we all knew this. What we didn't know was that it wasn't for the Empire...but for the cowardly traitors that sent us here."

L'Vor listened as he began to layout a complete set of lies that would destroy her and leave him supreme with everything...

"Our choices are limited. We can return and try and fight our way to Earth and hope we can convince the Emperor of the traitors in his midst; OR we can turn their own plans against them! We will pass through this rift before us...retrieve our comrades and our quarry where they may be. Then we will return here. Conquer what we need, expand where we will, build fleets of our own equipped with technology unknown to the Empire and when we are done...We will return to destroy those that set us up to die! FOR THE GLORY OF THE EMPIRE!"

The bridge and the entire ship erupted; he could care less that it was all lies. He would be Emperor; those loyal to him would be Governors, Prefects, Admirals, and Generals. Slowly he turned, "...but first things first."

Taking an agonizer from the guard’s belt the guards stepped back at his gesture and he placed the device on her chest as he leaned in and whispered..."Thanks for the idea..." Activating the device, set on maximum, he took his seat in the command chair and everyone resumed their stations, all of them ignoring her spasms and screams.

It wasn't long before the bridge fell quiet and the scent of charred flesh began to rise. Stone smirk slightly as he thought, ~too bad...but there are others~. Waving to the sentries to deal with the body; "Get that out of here. Colonel Means if you would."

"With Pleasure Sir! Tactical Arm all weapons. We don't know what is on the other side of that rift."

"AYE SIR! Weapons Ready!"

"Activate dimensional shielding."

"Dimensional drive shields are forming....35%...60%...83%...Dimensional shields at 100% and stable!"

"Helm. Take us in!"

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