No Turning Back
Posted on Tue Oct 4th, 2016 @ 10:43pm by Captain Li Hawke
Mission:
Further Challenges
Location: Krenim - Present Time
* Krenim Homeworld - Present Time *
“He did….what?!?” Lortan slammed his hands on the desk and rose to his feet. Rage flare hot behind his eyes. The man across from him was lucky he didn’t have a weapon handy.
Nevros took a step back, putting a little more distance between him and Lortan. “Bren shifted out just before the station exploded in 2390. Some of the hidden crew got into the lab, stabilized the sphere, and then caused an overload in the power relays in the science area. That overload caused cascading overloads in related systems and it spread throughout the station.” He took a deep breath, waiting for the inevitable question.
“How many of our forces were lost?” Lortan’s voice was dangerously hard now.
Nevros licked his lips, then replied, “Almost two thousand.”
“Almost two thousand,” Lortan repeated. “Two thousand! On a station I was assured was under control. Who was responsible?”
“Ensign Madhava, Ensign Sarkozi, Ensign Bren, Lt. Kendrick, a civilian named Sam, and Lt. Rutheridge,” Nevros answered.
“And now Bren is back in the present time you say….knowing what is to happen, likely telling them all about it and what they need to do.” Lortan studied Nevros intently as he sat back down behind the desk. “I have some more questions. What of the redhead? I trust you were convincing?”
Nevros nodded, a little relieved that something was going right today. “She gave me the sphere and it’s now down in your lab being checked over. That’s why I have returned here.”
“I see.” Lortan smiled suddenly. “It’s amazing what people will do when you threaten their offspring and their lovers. Does she know about the Brenari?”
Nevros shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. Are you sure about leaving him alive? Just because I made a promise to her doesn’t mean I need to keep my word. I can jump in, kill him, and get back without issue.”
“No, they are watching too closely now. He served his purpose and if he is removed now, it will disrupt a whole host of things we don’t want disrupted.” Lortan fell silent as he studied Nevros. When the man fidgeted, he pounced. “What else aren’t you telling me?”
“The Kohana has been found. It suddenly reappeared on our sensors along with a Klingon ship and a Borg cube.”
“Just...appeared...out of nowhere?” Lortan laughed unexpectedly. “It came back through a rift, Nevros. It seems they’ve picked up the Borg as an ally. They will reach the station before we do and our Intel reports that there are more vessels approaching 900 from a variety of directions. But we have the sphere so perhaps it would be wise to recall our ship, hmm? To congratulate you on a job well done and get back to work?”
“I believe it would be the most prudent course, yes.” Nevros visibly relaxed, smiled even.
Lortan’s terminal beeped and he touched the panel. A man’s face appeared and he didn’t look happy.
“President Lortan.”
“Hello Perro. What do you have for me?”
“Bad news I’m afraid. The sphere that was brought to us is a fake. It will do little more than be an interesting conversation piece,” Perro answered. “I thought you’d want to know immediately.”
“More than you know. Thank you.” Lortan touched the panel on his desk once more, locking the door behind Nevros, then closed the channel. He turned to face the man before him once more. “Well?”
“There has to be a mistake! I watched her enter the lab! They couldn’t possibly have made another!” Nevros was shouting now but he fell silent instantly as Lortan raised his hand.
“Perhaps not, but the lab in 2390 could have. You vastly underestimated both Bren and the admiral’s wife. Perhaps you let her turn your head, hmm? Become distracted? This means they still have the sphere that was stolen in this time and perhaps the one from 2390. There is no way to be sure, which means we will have to continue on to 900. You, however, will not. Remove your device and your weapons.”
“But--”
“Now, Nevros.”
Nevros approached the desk and removed his wrist band with the travel device and laid it before Lortan. Then he added several weapons.
“That’s all of it.”
“Very well then. It’s a pity really. You were good once.” Lortan tapped his desk panel again. “I am sure you’ll find the 1200’s on Enara interesting. Pre-warp, by the way. Outsiders were burned as witches. Goodbye Nevros.” He tapped the panel and Nevros vanished in a flash of white.
Silence fell in the room and Lortan sat, his fingers steepled together as he pondered one Ensign Ian Bren. Finally, he roused himself from his thoughts and sent a series of orders to the ship enroute to Starbase 900.
**************
President Lortan
A Man Of Action
Nevros
A Man Lost
