Part Six
If there was one
thing that Chris Larabee hated to be, it was wrong.
He hated it because being
wrong meant that he was fallible and not as in control of his life as he wished
to be. A starship captain could not afford to be wrong; too many lives depended
on his ability to have all the answers despite the situation. The nature of
things required him to always have alternatives, to foresee every possibility,
no matter how remote and devise a solution to counter it, should it suddenly
rear its ugly head to threaten any of them. When he had received the call from
Ezra Standish informing him of what had taken place within
As Chris made his way to
Alexandra Styles' quarters where he had ordered her confined for the duration,
with guards posted at her door to ensure she remain there, he still did know
whether or not he had been wrong in keeping her on duty. Of course, his guilt
could be easily absolved by arguing that no one could have possibly foreseen
this set of circumstances coming to bear. Unfortunately as he turned down the
corridor and saw the two men playing sentry outside of Alex's quarters, he
realised that absolution would do him little good.
What he needed now was an
answer, which he did not have.
A part of him could hear
Josiah now, telling him that he had precipitated this situation by keeping Alex
on active duty but Chris still failed to see what good it would have done
taking her work away from her. No one could have possibly imagined that Gul
Lemar was once a warder of a Cardassian Gulag, where the rape camps they had
spoken of with such disgust was under his authority to maintain. Unfortunately,
because the Gul took a very hand on approach to his work, Chris was now faced
with a crisis he could not possibly imagine. The more he closed the gap between
his inevitable meeting with Alex, he found himself forced to make a choice
between his duty to the Federation and upholding the honor of a friend who had
suffered more than she ought, by any standards.
He had a feeling he was
going to feel bad no matter which way this went.
Upon reaching the doors,
the two security men who were taking up flank immediately snapped to attention
and greeted the master of the vessel. Chris paused long enough to offer them a
nod of acknowledgement before activating the panel that announced his presence.
He waited for a moment to be invited in but no answer was forthcoming.
Glancing at Lieutenant
Katovit, Chris found himself asking. "I'm hoping she's in there." He
responded, unashamed of using just enough stern authority in his voice to
indicate that if she had gotten past them, there would be hell to pay.
"She is Sir."
Katovit nodded. "She's probably worn herself out." The lieutenant
said uncomfortably, feeling awkward about having to reveal that snippet of
information but it was necessary.
"Worn herself
out?" Chris was almost afraid to ask.
"There was a lot of
noise a while ago." The security officer responded, not needing to elaborate
further because the captain would be able to see evidence of it when he walked
into the room.
Chris took a deep breath
and decided this was never meant to be easy before pushing down on the button
that opened the door, choosing to enter even if Alex did not want company.
Unfortunately, her actions in
When he stepped inside the
room, what he saw astonished him.
It appeared as if a tornado
had run through the room, anything that was breakable was, everything
else was upended. The room that was normally Spartan in its appearance now
looked like the aftermath of a war zone. His shock was apparent as he stared at
the upturned furniture, the smashed breakables on the carpeted floor, a
creating a pattern where shattered ceramic had spread out upon impact. He
treaded carefully, unavoidably stepping on some broken fragments of glass as he
advanced into the room.
The lights were low, giving
just enough illumination for him to see the destruction but little else.
Shadows loomed and he could not see Alex, even though he could hear a soft,
scraping sound that resembled metal against metal. Despite himself, he felt a
little hint of fear, not for himself but for the state of mind that could have
lashed out with such violence. For the first time, Chris wondered if Josiah had
been right. That keeping her on duty had pushed her over the edge into an abyss
without return, an abyss that could have been avoided if he had just listened
to the Counselor.
"Increase radiance of
illumination by 25 per cent." Chris ordered the ever obedient and vigilant
ship's computer that immediately responded by flooding the room with light that
filled out of the corners of the darkened space in a matter of seconds.
Chris found himself a few
feet from Alex.
She was sitting at the base
of the opposite wall, still clad in her uniform except she had discarded the
blazer and turtleneck, having opted to wear only her gray singlet on her upper
torso. Alex was seated cross-legged as she ran a sharpening stone against the
blade of what appeared to be the ceremonial dagger carried by every Klingon who
called himself a warrior. It took no feat of genius to guess why she was doing
this now. Her eyes were still puffy and red from the tears that Mary had
reported she wept when Vin had finally torn her away from the Cardassian but
everything else about her face was a hard as the sharpening stone in her hands.
"Alex." Chris
spoke first, wondering whether or not she was even aware that he was present.
She had not given any indication that proved otherwise.
She did not answer and
continued to sharpen the blade even faster.
"I thought you had to
be a warrior to have one of those." Chris remarked, deciding to take a
different tact.
"You do," Alex
said coldly. "It was given to me by an old friend. It was returned to her
with honor when her husband died in battle. She gave it to me because she had
no children of her own. I suppose it was a compliment."
It was actually, Chris
thought to himself. An extremely good one. Such weapons were considered
heirlooms and those passed on by one who had gone to Sto-Vo-Kor were especially
prized. Whomever this old friend had been to Alex, there was a great deal of
affection behind the presentation of such a valuable gift.
"I think its sharp
enough." Chris added, feeling his unease grow with each stroke of her
blade against that stone.
"It's never going to
be sharp enough." She said in a low voice.
"Alex, think about
this." He spoke, trying to make her see reason, not to mention make some
kind of argument against using that knife that she was readying for a purpose
that was obvious to all. "You can't just kill him."
Her eyes raised to meet
his. The look in them was menacing and he knew that he had better be ready for
an attack because her body was poised to strike. Suddenly, he had the strangest
feeling that killing herself was not on the agenda and that Josiah had been
wrong about assuming such. Chris was happy to say that he had always thought
Alex too strong to take that route but now as he saw the maniacal rage in her
eyes, he realised that she was strong enough to take another path, equally
damning.
"Watch me." She
said simply.
"I won't let you kill
him." Chris said just as simply. "I won't let you throw away your
freedom, your career and everyone who cares about you because of revenge.
Nothing is worth that."
"HOW WOULD YOU
KNOW?" She screamed at him suddenly, her voice so sharp she almost made
him jump as she rose to her feet, holding the blade up as if she were more than
ready to start carving something up, starting with him.
Chris felt silent and
rebuked himself for those choice of words. "I meant...."
"I know what you
meant!" She barked. "I know exactly what you meant and I can tell you
exactly what I mean and then we will understand each other." She
began to pace, every muscle in her body tense as she glared at him and spoke.
"I am going to kill
him. I am going to kill him slowly and enjoy every fucking minute of it and if
that means that I get locked up in Federation prison for the rest of my natural
life at least I'll finally get some sleep and not wake up screaming every night
because of the dreams that bastard has put in my head!"
Chris could not blame her
for wanting revenge as fiercely as she did. No human being could endure what
she had and not. He was not so hypocritical as to make the mistake of saying
that he knew how she felt either. He did not and Chris had the feeling he would
never be able to either. However, Chris was not about to let her go either.
Perhaps he did not know about hate but he knew enough about experiencing agony
almost as overwhelming as the physical trauma she had endured as a Cardassian
prisoner.
"I won't let you do it
Alex." Chris stared at her firmly, not as a captain or a Starfleet officer
but as her friend. "You mean too much to all of us for me to let you do
that."
"It's not your
choice." She retorted.
"It is if I throw you
in the brig until he leaves." Chris replied coolly. "I am willing to
do that Commander, don't ever make the mistake of thinking my affections for
you will keep me from doing my job. As disgusting as it may be for me to
tolerate that son of bitch in my SickBay,
getting treated by my Chief Medical Officer after what he did to you, I have to
swallow it. I have to because that man is all that stands between us and the
Dominion taking the Alpha Quadrant. When I faced with the slavery of billions,
you have to understand that I can make that choice."
Alex had stopped pacing and
she stared at him for a long while, aware that what he had said to her came not
from the man who was her captain but who had given her every consideration
since she had come on board the Maverick. "Do you have any idea what it
was like?" She asked after a moment.
"No," Chris shook
his head. "I can't even stomach it, let alone try to imagine
it."
"The day after you get
there, after they strip you down and leave you naked, they put this device on
your chest," she said lowering the knife and softening a little as her
mind went somewhere she had not gone in three years. "Its small and its
surgically implanted right over your heart. It has more than enough charge to
kill you and its control by remote. When you don't play their game, they turn
it on and it sends a power surge straight to your heart that stops it skipping
a beat or two. It doesn't hurt then but it makes you pay attention."
Chris let her speak, having
the impression that she had told no one this before and would not likely to
after this, so he listened carefully because he cared and because she needed
him to.
"The more you
misbehave, the more they use it until you feel like your heart's going to burst
in your chest. They use it very frequently that first week, just to condition
you to become used to the thing, used to obeying their rules. The rape begins
the second week. Three times a day, every day." She looked at him. There
were no tears in her eyes and yet Chris could sense the anguish. Inwardly, he
wished she would weep because seeing that pain was much worse then hearing her
tears.
"Sometimes, three of them, sometimes four. Sometimes he would give the
order, other times he do it himself. He liked to see pain and that's what it
was for me for six months. Pain, three times a day, breakfast, lunch and
dinner. I was always tied up, hands across my back, around the ankles on my
knees where I couldn't fight. He'd have one of his men keep an eye on the
remote for the charge device, so that if I struggled too hard or fought too
much, he'd be able to pull me in line. That is when using me a punching bag
wasn't effective enough. Do you know what its like to smell his stink on you
after he'd taken everything that mattered and then know that it was going to
start the next day all over again until you died or he killed you?"
"God," he
whispered.
"There is no
God," Alex said ruefully. "I actually prayed to God to stop it, to
make it end. I begged and I whimpered for God to help me but he never
did." She paused a moment and regained her composure, nearly breaking down
at certain junctures of her tale but managing to keep control somehow. "I
knew I was pregnant the moment it started becoming harder to keep my strength
up. The whole aim of that place was to demoralize the enemy by striking at
their women so I was not going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that
they had won, that they had planted their seed." Her lips curled in open
hatred as she made that admission.
"I mad a decision
Captain," she let out a deep breath. "I could either die in that
place or I could leave. In the end, the choice became that
easy."
"How did you do
it?" Chris asked, wondering how she had managed it when that insidious
device had been attached to her heart, keeping her submissive for so
long.
"Can't you
guess?" She met his gaze.
It dawned upon him what she
was trying to say and realised that this more than anything was the part she
could not speak out loud because it had been too horrifying to think that any
being could be pushed so far as to use that to their advantage.
"You started
pretending to like it."
"Yes," Alex
nodded. "That animal was so arrogant to think that what he did to me was
actually pleasurable that he believed me when I pretended to enjoy his touching
me. Each time, I did for him what none of the others would do, it made me sick
to my stomach but it also allowed him to take that fucking thing off me. The
minute I was free, I headed to the station's engineering deck and built myself
a beautifully simple but ultimately lethal surprise by dropping the containment
field around their antimatter core. Then I got in an escape pod and saw the
fire works from space. I assumed he had died there but I'm guessing the reason
why he was stripped of his command recalled to Cardassia Prime as a paper
shuffler has got a lot to do with that."
When she stopped speaking,
silence ensued and for a long while neither of them spoke. The quiet lingered
in the room, with only their breathing offering any discernible signs of life
or reaction. Chris watched her as she was lost in that far away place, trying
to imagine what it was to have endured what she had and could understand why
she chose to tell him and not Vin. He could handle such horror, Vin would not.
There was too much passion inside of Vin for Alex to hear it as she was telling
to Chris now. The Vulcan would react in extreme and probably kill Lemar
himself. Alex would not ruin Vin with the knowledge of what had happened to
her.
"I still can't let you
kill him Alex." Chris repeated himself softly.
Alex had dropped to her
haunches again and looked at the blade in her hand before dropping it on the
floor, making a soft thud as it landed. "I know." She sighed dropping
her gaze and letting out a deep breath as she admitted it.
"We have a
problem." The captain decided to be honest with her since she had offered
him the same courtesy. "We need him Alex, as unfair and outrageous as that
might seem to you right now, we need him to help us find this planet with what
he knows. If the Dominion wins this war, it means the Cardassian wins too and
what happened to you will have to every woman that a Cardassian occupying force
takes a liking to, you know that."
"I won't let that
happen," she responded softly, hating that fact more than any other, even
more than her revenge, that someone else, someone like Mary or Julia or god
forbid, someone like Casey might have to endure the hell she had been through.
In the face of that, her revenge felt like ash in her mouth.
"The thing is,"
Chris looked at her, waiting for her reaction when he made his next confession.
"I need you too."
Alex raised her eyes with
gentle surprise.
"You're the best damn
science officer I have ever served with Commander Styles," Chris declared
sincerely. "You work so much on instinct that I am absolutely sure that
you are almost as vital to our chances of finding this planet as that animal we
got down in
"Your way?" Alex
asked, giving credence to his words only because of his earnest statement.
"My way is that we
ride this out. You do not lay one finger on him or go anywhere near him. If we
survive this mission, I will have him in the brig so fast his head will
spin." Chris assured her and meant it completely. "I'm guessing that
he's counted on no one knowing about what he did when he came over to the other
side. We'll make nice with him because we are allies but the moment the mission
is over, I will arrest him on the charge of war crimes. He won't have any
choice but to submit because going to a Federation prison is a lot more
merciful than what will happen to him if he returns to the Dominion when his
bridges are so well and truly burnt."
"Jail?" Alex
stared at him. "You want to lock him up?"
"Yes," Chris said
firmly. "That's as good as its going to get Alex. Now I know that does not
seem fair to you under any circumstances and I'm not going to even begin to
guess what is a suitable punishment for a man like this but I don't care about
him, I care about you. You get to walk out of this with your life and
your career intact. You escaped that prison because you made a choice to
survive. Now you're going to have to make the same choice to live. "
"He deserve to die!" She hissed angrily but her rage was more at
herself because he was right, she had a lot to live for. There were friends
now, some measure of peace in their company that had been lost for so long. After
three years wandering through the wreckage of her life, some semblance of the
person she had been was making a resurgence and Alex did not want to lose that,
no matter how angry she was, no matter how terrible the memories. More than
anything, she wanted this to be over with, to move on so that she could sleep
without waking up screaming, without recoiling from every man who smiled her
way and wanted to touch her.
Like Vin.
She cared about him,
suspected that he was the threshold of something truly wonderful if only she
dared to feel enough to let him inside her. He wanted in so badly, she could
sense it. Alex was not blind to how he felt about her and as adamant as she was
about how she felt for Vin Tanner, she knew that there was a part of her that was
terrified of bringing down those walls and letting him warm the cold embers of
her tortured soul.
"I am not arguing with
you there but that's the deal." Chris returned, sensing she was very near
to agreement and drawing upon all the power he had inside to say the words that
would force her see reason. "I don't want you to throw your life away
because of this bastard. He's already killed the person you were before you
wound up in his prison. I am not letting him kill the person you are too."
Alex closed her eyes and
wrestled with her conflicting emotions. She knew what she wanted. She wanted to
take her dagger and sink it in Lemar's loins as far as she could bury it and
watch him bleed to death in a visceral expression of agony but Chris was right,
it was not going to happen, even if Ezra's security was lapse enough to permit
it. However, the captain was right about something else. Three years ago, she
had decided to survive and the consequence of that decision had allowed her to
escape and regain some sense of self that was almost totally destroyed inside
that prison. Now she had to make another choice, just as equally important. She
had to move on because until she let her go of her hate and accepted justice as
it stood, she would be forever trapped.
Trapped in the dark, afraid to dream.
"All right," she
answered reluctantly, feeling as if the words had to be torn from her lips
before she could believe that she was saying it. "We'll do it your
way."
"Good," Chris
replied, letting out a sigh of relief. There was a moment there when he was not
sure that she would accept his terms. He was grateful that she had for he had
no wish to pass judgment on her if she had carried out her threat and killed
Lemar. "Now, I'm giving you a day off duty for you to sort yourself
out." Instinctively, he glanced at the demolished room. "I suggest
you stay out of his way and even if you still have the urge to kill him, Ezra
has a security detail posted to him, to make sure that neither of you get
within ten feet of each other."
"I can work from
astrometics." Alex said softly, unable to meet his gaze. "I'll stay
out of his way and you keep him out of mine. I'm doing this for you Captain and
for me as well but I'm fighting a lot of instincts to do it. I wouldn't tempt
fate by putting him in my sights."
Chris approached her for
the first time and placed his hand on her face, raising her chin so that he
would look at him. "This is the for the best Alex,' Chris responded.
"I know it's hard for you to appreciate that but trust, this way is better
for you."
Alex nodded and found
herself saying. "I hope you're right Captain, I really do."
And to her surprise, Alex
realised she really meant it.
Part Seven
"How is he?"
Chris whispered in Mary's ear as he came up alongside of her where she was
keeping watch on the Gul receiving treatment at the skilled hands of Nathan
Jackson, following the treatment of her own injuries.
"He's better."
Mary replied, meeting his gaze. "He was pretty badly beaten but there was
no critical injuries, although you wouldn't know it from the way he's been
complaining." She gave the Gul a look of pure contempt before turning back
to Chris again. "How's Alex?" She asked with concern. Despite the
injury Alex had inflicted upon her, Mary was not mad. Considering what Vin had
revealed to her about what had set Alex off, she could appreciate why the
science officer had reacted as she had.
"Reasonable."
Chris answered. "I manage to convince her that there were other avenues
besides tearing a new one."
Mary found a little smile
crossing her face at the choice of his words and gave him a look of deep
affection, far more than two officers serving together might display but the
lovers they would someday be. "Unfortunately, I don't think he is going to
be that sensible." She sighed facing the Gul once again. "Ever since
Nathan's put him back together enough to talk, he's been screaming bloody
murder for Alex's hide. I don't know if we can pacify him as easily as we have
Alex."
"We'll manage."
Chris replied with a hard edge to his voice that told Mary a great deal. He was
tolerating this man on this ship by the barest fraction of patience and if Gul
Lemar knew what was good for him, he would carry out the mission and put this
incident behind him because Chris Larabee was not a man to be made an enemy out
of.
"You okay?" He
asked with a hint of tenderness, touching her chin as he examined her soft skin
for any signs of injury after running into Alex.
"I'm fine." Mary
reached for his hand and laced her fingers between his long enough for him to
know that she was grateful that he had asked. "It was just a
scratch."
Chris nodded with a
relieved expression on his face before he took a deep breath and took a step
forward, allowed Mary to fall into stride with him as they both advanced upon
Nathan and Lemar. Mary slipped flawlessly into the persona of Lieutenant
Travis, Protocol Officer and prepared to make the opening introductions that
would continue the rest of the dialogue between Captain and Gul.
Nathan was standing by the
treatment bed, running over a dermal regenerator over the skin of the Gul
Lemar, miraculously mending broken skin with the aide of 24th
century medical technology. While all of the Cardassian's injuries had yet to
be repaired, for most part the former Gul appeared healthier than he was when
he had first been carried into SickBay. The man was lying prone on the bed,
apparent in his dislike about being in the care of the human before him and
judging by the thinly veiled scowl on his face, Chris could tell Nathan was
nearing the end of his patience.
"He should be around
in no time," Nathan announced, preempting the captain's question with a
more detailed report than what he had probably received from Mary. "A
couple of broken ribs which have been taken care of, some extensive facial
injuries that I've been able to eradicate with the dermal regenerator. I don't
recommend that he run a marathon but he's well enough to leave
What Nathan did not add but
seemed rather obvious was his unspoken desire to say 'good riddance' by those
who knew him enough to read his expression. Chris wondered if that annoyance
was due to the Gul's arrogance and ambivalence towards the physician or because
Nathan had learnt about why the man had been attacked and was loathed to have
to treat such a monster. If that were the case, Chris could appreciate Nathan's
feelings because he was no happier about having the man on his ship either. As
it is, he was fighting the instinct to throw the man in the brig for what he
had done to Alex for the next millennia and was most chagrined that
circumstances required him to treat the man like a guest instead of the filth
he was.
"Gul Lemar," Mary
said politely, "this is Captain Chris Larabee."
"It is about time you
made an appearance," the Gul retorted promptly, sitting up in the bed and
giving Chris a once over that clearly indicated he was not impressed with what
he saw. "Considering how warm a reception I received at the hands of your
crew, I would have though that it was your first priority to come here and
explain yourself."
Both Nathan and Mary
immediately looked at Chris, wondering what kind of reaction that response
would garner from the captain. However the captain did not make any vitriolic
remark. Instead his eyes narrowed with a completely unreadable expression on
his face that neither Nathan nor Mary could read before the captain deigned to
answer.
"Gul Lemar,
circumstances have forced me to accept that we need you for the mission
ahead." Chris said quietly. "I accept that and while you on board the
Maverick, nothing of the like which happened in Four Corners will take place
again. Those two men," Chris glanced at the entrance to
"Your word?" The
Gul said derisively. "And what of that lunatic that almost killed me? Are
you going to throw her into the brig or not?"
"I have spoken to
Commander Styles," Chris answered with what he considered to be an amazing
amount of restraint. Inwardly, he braced himself to hear much protest when he
revealed his solution to the Gul in regards to how he had resolved the
situation with Alexandra Styles. However, in all truth, Chris did not care and
he meant what he had said when he promised Alex that he would put his command
on the life for her. "She assures me that no further incident will take
place. I have confined her to duty in astrometics and have ordered her to give
you a wide berth."
Judging from the glowering
darkness that fell across the man's face, Chris and the others in the room
immediately guessed that Chris' actions was not at all satisfactory. "You
consider than an adequate punishment?" The man exclaimed in outrage.
"She could have killed me with your assault and you return her to duty as
if nothing had happened?"
"She gave me her word
that she would not harm you." Chris' jaw clenched and he had to remind
himself that spacing a man was illegal as he kept that indifferent mask in
place. "That's good enough for me."
"Well that is not good
enough for me!" Lemar shouted. "I want her thrown in the brig for the
duration of my stay on this ship. I make this request most strongly!" He
demanded.
Uh Oh, Mary thought to herself as she saw that
glimmer in Chris' eyes that meant something had just snapped.
The captain stared at the
Gul and said very calmly. "Doctor, Lieutenant, I should like a moment with
Gul Lemar if you please. Take the security men with you."
No one was about to question
the captain when he used that tone of voice and very soon, everyone was
vacating the room, leaving Chris alone with the Gul. The Cardassian's
expression was one of smug satisfaction as he saw the others leaving the room,
assuming rather in his arrogance that the reason for Chris' dismissal had to do
with his saving face in front of his crew as he made a submissive gesture
towards Lemar.
When the others had gone,
Chris finally faced front again and said rather coolly. "Now let's get one
thing straight, Gul Lemar of the Ninth Order. You are on my ship and on my ship
I say what goes. If I chose to ignore this matter then that is how it's going
to be. Don't give me an excuse to make a ship wide statement about the real
reason Commander Styles attacked you and then rescind my security protection
when the hordes of outraged Starfleet officers come hunting for you and trust
me, rape tends to do that to people."
Lemar's face turned a shade
paler Chris noticed, as he was clearly unprepared for Chris making a threat of
that nature. However, he was not a man about to allow another the upper hand,
especially another who was not of Cardassian extraction as he was. "You do
not scare me Captain," Lemar said after he had composed himself enough to respond.
"We both know that at this moment, I am in a position to demand quite a
bit since I hold considerably important information regarding the mission. I am
certain Starfleet will induce you to give me whatever I demand. If I require
your protocol officer served to me on a platter for my evening's pleasure, you
will have no choice but to comply if you wish my cooperation."
Chris grabbed him by the
throat and shoved him against the treatment bed before the Gul could even think
to attack. Glaring at him with calculating eyes, Chris kept his grip firm as
his fingers tightened around the man's neck despite Lemar's best efforts to pry
his digits loose.
"Don't over estimate
your importance to the mission," Chris said with perfect calm that belied
his present actions. "A planet with Ketracel White tends to stick out and
we know this area of space pretty well while you have only guesses as to where
it might be. As for my protocol officer, if you so much as look at her cross
eyed, I will break every bone in your body. Do we understand each other Gul
Lemar?"
"Perfectly," the
man scowled, unable to do much else in the face of such a threat.
The captain let him go and
stepped away from Lemar who sat up, rubbing his throat in discomfort, giving
Chris a hate filled glare as he withdrew. Chris had no doubt in his mind that
Lemar wanted to kill him, would have done so if not for the fact for the
circumstances they presently found themselves in. However, there was something
deeper at work here, something that alerted Chris' instincts to trouble even
though he could not imagine in what shape that peril might have appeared.
Lemar's eyes were not just filled with anger and restraint but also calculation
that made the captain somewhat anxious even though he did not know why.
"When you are ready to
leave," Chris turned away and started towards the door of sick bay,
wishing this creature out of his sight for the moment. "I'll have
Lieutenant Travis show you to your quarters and for your safety, I've assigned
two security men who will accompany you everywhere. You have free run of my
ship Gul but I expect you will feel safer if my men kept an eye on you."
Lemar swallowed hard,
obviously disliking the fact that this inferior had put him very properly in
his place human. However, he had one card to play and he was going to do so
with relish. Before Chris could get out of earshot, Lemar suddenly spoke.
"She was very
enjoyable you know," Lemar spoke up with a cruel derision in his voice.
"Of all my charges at that rape camp as you called it, Styles was my special
project. I enjoyed taking her repeatedly. There is nothing more satisfying than
allowing yourself the pleasure of thrusting into hot, tight flesh, especially
when it's begging you to stop. It only made the thrill all the more worthwhile."
Chris paused for a second
and knew that Lemar was saying this just to get some measure of revenge upon
him for their earlier confrontation. Forcing the emotions of outrage away as he
listen to this sick bastard describe in such vivid detail the pleasure he had
wrought from Alex at the expense of her sanity and her self respect, he knew he
was not to about to be baited. Ignoring the words, Chris continued his journey
out of the room, reminding himself that when this was all over, he could derive
similar pleasure when he threw the son of a bitch in the brig and left him to
rot.
**********
There was only one place
that Vin Tanner wanted to go after his shift had ended and that was to see
Alex. He had spent what was possibly the longest tour of duty on the bridge,
thinking of nothing else but how the woman he cared for so deeply was faring.
The ship was buzzing with rumors about Alex's outburst and while only the
senior command crew had some idea of the truth, Vin was sure that not even they
had the real truth about what Alex had endured. While he himself had no idea
about the specifics, there was not a shred of doubt in his mind that Alex had
been brutally assaulted while she had been trapped in that Cardassian prison.
He only needed to hear her speak about the camps to know that she was telling
her tale from experience.
Chris had been devoid from
the bridge most of the time that Vin had been at the Con, probably because the
captain was forced to deal with the fallout of what had happened. Buck seemed
to shift uncomfortably in the command chair as if he was just as anxious as Vin
to know what was happening. As first officer, Buck worked most closely with
Alex and though he constantly complained that she had not succumb to his
charms, everyone on the bridge knew that Buck enjoyed his friendship with Alex
specifically because it was not sexual. On occasion Buck would come up to Vin
and ask in a low voice if Alex was all right when Vin he had left the science
officers in her quarters.
It felt like his shift
would never end as the tension of worry ran through the bridge for the next
several hours, considerably lengthened by Chris and Josiah's discussion a short
time before Vin's duty was to end. Judging by the stern expression on the Counselor's
face, Vin guessed the man was upset about Alex's behavior. As it was, the rest
of the bridge was expecting Chris to make the announcement that Alex would be
relieved of duty and while all of them hated the idea, there could be no other
alternative for the captain. However, the announcement had not eventuated which
only served to deepen their curiosity.
Josiah and Chris who had
always been on good relations with each other seemed openly at odds over
something and whatever it was Vin was certain that Alex was at the heart of it.
The helmsman left the bridge at the end of his shift, not even bothering to
return to his own quarters, making a beeline for Alex's. Chris had ordered that
security guards kept her in her quarters after Vin had deposited her there,
following her attack of Gul Lemar in
When he reached her
quarters, he noted that the security men had gone which only added to his
confusion. He was certain that Chris would have kept the guard there and
decided he did not care one way or another as long as Alex was all right.
Reaching for the door panel, the soft chiming that followed swiftly engendered
a response.
"Go away."
Vin was not about to do
that.
"Alex's it me."
He spoke out.
There was a moment of
hesitation before he heard her answer again. "Come in."
Letting out a sigh of
relief and having the sense to know that it was an invitation that only he was
privileged enough to receive, Vin did not waste any time entering through the
doors as soon as they slid open to receive him. He stepped into dimly lit room
and could not hide his surprise at the destruction that had similarly
astonished Chris Larabee a short time ago. Vin's eyes swept over the destroyed
belongings and furniture in the room and to his surprise had to confess to
seeing a similar scene to this when he had once lost his temper and went on a
rampage of equal intensity.
"Holy shit." He
exclaimed.
"I know, I know,"
Alex sighed and immediately drew his attention to her when he followed her
voice and gazed upon her as she lay on her bed, hugging a pillow close to her.
"I lost my temper."
Vin approached the edge of
the bed and looked down at her. "No kidding." He said as he sat down
on the edge surveying the destruction before him. Despite himself, Vin had to
admire her ability to be extremely thorough and thought only he had been
capable of such chaos when his Vulcan passions got the better of him.
"You okay?" He
turned his gaze away from the wreckage and looked at her.
"Yeah," she
nodded. "I decided not to kill him." She said in a small voice and
did not sound like a Starfleet officer at all but like a little girl making a
rather troubling confession.
Vin nodded and responded
with a smile, becoming accustomed with the idea of seeing her so vulnerable. It
was usually the other way around and the nature of their relationship always
had her being his moral support. "That's good to know. What changed
your mind?"
"The captain."
Alex whispered softly, wiping the tears from her eyes since she had been
obviously crying. "He told me that I had too much to live to sacrifice my
life because of that bastard."
Wherever he was, Vin
offered a silent note of thanks to the captain, saving him of the trouble of
trying to use that same argument as was his intention when he had sought Alex
out. Chris Larabee could be a hard nosed son of a bitch but Vin could say with
absolute confidence that as a friend capable of coming to one's aid when it was
needed, there was no one who could be more reliable than the Captain of the
Maverick. Vin was glad that Chris was able to convince Alex to consider another
path and reminded himself to see him later to thank the captain personally.
"He's right," Vin
remarked and moved further up the bed so that he could see her face to face.
Alex did not seem to mind his presence as Vin nestled next to her and they lay
side by side staring each other. "You do have a lot to live for. I
couldn't imagine this ship without you."
"I close my eyes and I
see him sometimes," Alex said softly, blinking tears away as she explained.
"I have dreams that make me so scared I don't know what to do and I
thought that if I killed him, it would make it all go away."
"It doesn't," Vin
shook his head slowly. "Just makes it stay with you longer except you got
another set of dreams to go with the ones you already have. I don't want that
for you."
Alex reached for him and
let her palm caress his cheek gently. "You make things so clear for me
sometimes, how do you that?" She asked.
Vin held her hand against
his skin, savoring the silkiness of her palm and thinking that he was at his
best when he was with her. Somehow, all the insecurities of his life seemed to
fade when he was with Alex. Before her, only Chris Larabee and the rest of the
seven had made him feel so apart of something special. Vin had the inkling that
with Alex he was always forming another bond that ran just as deep as his
camaraderie with the men he served with and called his friends. He did not know
why his heart felt so alive inside his chest when he was with her, aware only
it did and each time she smiled at him and touched him, his soul seem to soar
as magnificently as the ship he flew through the infinity of space.
"Because you make it
clear for me." He replied and saw her eyes melt with emotion.
"I won't ever let him
hurt you Alex." Vin held her hand tighter, intermingling his fingers
between hers as he held her hand. "You have no reason to feel bad because
of what he did. I know that doesn't take away the pain or the hell you've been
through since but it's the truth. You're the victim and you have the right to
feel pain. No one said you have to be that strong and no one said you had to do
it alone." He paused a moment as he summed up the courage to say the right
words. "You never have to worry about being alone, darling. Ever."
Alex smiled a little.
"Darling?" She pointed out. "You only call me that when we're in
that silly holoprogram."
"Yeah," his eyes
lit up with the same amusement. "Just like you call me cowboy." He
said with a dry chuckle.
Suddenly Alex reached over
and kissed him, cutting off anything else he was going to say with what sharp
intake of breath. For a moment Vin had no idea what to do as he felt her lips
brushing against his, her lips parting as her tongue gently slipped into his
mouth. He had no idea what to do and could say little in protest until he felt
her running her fingers through his hair as she pulled him closer. The scent of
her body had changed, it felt electric somehow and seemed to fill all his
senses. She became his entire world as he felt her lips exploring his
tentatively and felt something extremely satisfying about feeling her so
closely.
Just as suddenly as it had
began, Alex pulled away and was mortified by her behavior. "Oh God Vin I'm
sorry." She gasped, unable to believe that she had put him in such an
awkward position not to mention embarrassing. It was just at that moment, she
needed to feel him close, needed to feel his strong arms around her and that
train of thought had led her to this wholly unacceptable situation. "I don't
know what came over me," she rolled over, her cheeks burning with
humiliation and Alex wondered if it was possible for things to get any worse.
For an instant, she had
allowed herself to succumb to the needs of her physical body, to the deep
cravings that been ignored during the past three years each time she though of
making physical contact with a man and then revisited by memories of her
ordeal. Vin was the first man who had been able to make her forget enough to do
something about it and yet it seemed so terribly wrong to force him into this
position when he could not reciprocate. Had not Lemar taken enough from her
that she was so disconnected sometimes she felt almost nothing but the torture
of memory, for him to rob her of any chance to make herself forget with someone
else?
"I am so sorry."
She started to weep and rolled away, unable to face him.
Vin felt bewildered but he
was not angry. He was chagrined that he could not respond in the way she needed
because feeling her so close was something he always enjoyed and Vin wanted to
make her feel good. He never wanted her to turn away from him and reacted the
only way he could think of to make things better. Sliding his arm around her
waist, he pulled her close to him and wrapped his arms around her as they
spooned comfortably against each other. It surprised him how well she seemed to
mould against him and as he buried his face in her hair and started to whisper
softly in her ear, Vin marveled at how right it all felt.
"Its okay," he
said softly, amazed by his own ability at knowing what to do. "I didn't
mind." He answered and it was the truth. He always liked it when she
touched him and although a human male would be reduced to gibberish by now at
the attentions of such a beautiful woman, Vin's inability to experience
sexuality, allowed him to appreciate the intimacy of the moment, beyond the
physical act. It truly was a melding of souls.
"I didn't mean to make
you uncomfortable."
"You didn't," he
shook his head gently. "You made me feel privileged and honored that you
chose me."
Alex leaned into his body,
enjoying how he felt against her and feeling her apprehension and embarrassment
melt away as she felt his arm draped over her waist. "Don't you know I
love you, you jerk," she said with a little smile. "I wouldn't chose
anyone else." She let out a deep sigh and felt the weariness in her bones
starting to catch up with her now that she was in such a safe and warm place.
Vin continued to hold her
in his arms, allowing her to fall asleep in his embrace. When she finally
drifted into slumber, he remained at her side for most of the night, holding
her and delighting in heat of her body pressed up against his and realizing
that heaven must be a place where he could fall asleep with her scent in his
lungs. Vin also knew that he would never again know another night where he
would lie in his bed without wanting to Alex lying there next to him, just as
she was now.
Alex knew nothing of this
except that she was safe and that for the first time in too long, she did not
dream.
Part Eight
The first briefing where
Gul Lemar was required to make his appearance was one of great consternation to
those who were present. Even though Chris had told Alex she was not required to
be here, the Science Officer had stated quite firmly that there were some
things she had to stomach while the Cardassian was on board and it appeared
this was one of those. As she sat in her customary position at the table with
both Vin Tanner and Buck Wilmington flanking her almost as if they were both
ready to run to her defense at a moment’s notice, she did not meet her
tormentor in the eye. If anything, she looked everywhere else but at the Gul.
The mood was somber with
everyone at the table being aware of what the man had been to Alex and could
view him as nothing else, not even an ally when the imagery of rape camps and
brutality was so prevalent in their thoughts. Chris recalled what Lemar had
said about Mary and kept the protocol officer in reach at all times. Even
though logic dictated that there was no possibility of the man making an
attempt to harm Mary before an entire room full of people, the manner in which
he had requested Mary be made an offering remained imprinted in Chris’ mind.
"You’re all aware of
the present situation," Chris began the meeting, deciding to get down to
business. Despite their personal feelings to the Cardassian, there was still a
mission ahead of them, one of great importance that could not be viewed with
anything but their complete attention. "The Dominion believes that there
is a planet in the frontier that produces Ketracel White. Unless we find it
first and protect it from the Dominion, the Founders will have an unlimited
supply of white to feed their Jem Haddar warriors. This information come to us
courtesy of Gul Lemar whom I have requested be present at this meeting so that
we can fully assess the danger we will be facing." Chris glanced in the
Cardassian’s direction and gestured for him to begin.
"Thank you Captain
Larabee," Lemar said smoothly, keeping his eye trained on Alex most of all
because he knew his presence bothered her and he enjoyed making her
uncomfortable, even now. "As you know, I was stationed on Cardassia Prime
following my government's alliance with the Dominion. Since I was one of the
few who publicly opposed the idea of such move on the part of Cardassia, I was
given a low level posting and watched carefully by the Obsidian Order."
"The Obsidian Order no
longer exists," Ezra Standish spoke up immediately. He did not trust this
man not simply because he found the Cardassian to be personally offensive but
his manner gave the security chief reason to be concerned.
Like Section 31 of the
Federation and the Tall Shya of the Romulan Empire, the Obsidian Order was the Cardassian
version of covert intelligence. Unlike Section 31 whose existence was still a
rumor that no one could substantiate, there was no denying the fearsome
presence of the Obsidian Order during its time. Its ability to strike terror
into the hearts of those who came into its sphere of influence was unparalleled
just as anyone who encountered the Order had reason to regret if, they had
lived long enough.
"According to my
sources on DS9," Ezra continued. "The bulk of Obsidian Order was
wiped out when they joined forces with Tall Shya
and attempted to lead an attack against the Dominion before the alliance was
struck." The security chief wore a mask of iron as he made that statement,
allowing no one save perhaps those closest to him to have any idea that he was
doing any more than just his job.
Lemar who was not so
foolish as to know that he was being suspected of a good deal more than just
defection, side stepped the question easily enough. "There are some still
left. Gul Dukat our illustrious leader still does not quite trust the Founders
completely and the issue of my loyalty in an internal matter that has nothing
to do with the Dominion alliance."
"I stand
corrected," Ezra said with a little smile but knew that the thought had
been planted into the minds of those around the table and from now on, they
would be viewing the man with more than just revulsion but also caution.
"Please continue."
"Thank you,"
Lemar gave him a look that was next to murderous. "As I was saying, I knew
the Obsidian Order was watching me closely so I could not make my move. The
alliance between the Cardassian people and the Dominion is not really an
alliance as Dukat had liked most of us to believe in the beginning. Even now as
we pushed nearer to the end of the war, it appears that we are their foot
soldiers nothing more."
"Tell us about the
documentation." Chris urged, not wishing to hear a tirade about the once
glorious reign of Cardassian Empire. Besides, he did not want this meeting to
drag on longer than usual. Already, he could see Alex trying very hard not too
look at the man and considering how their last meeting had gone, he had to
confess she was doing a rather admirable job of holding her temper in check.
Still Chris had no intention of tempting fate. "You said that you
discovered documentation that indicates the Dominion believes there to be
Ketracel White in this sector."
"Yes," Lemar
nodded. "Those documents are in the hands of your Federation where they
have been authenticated already so you do not need to question their
validity." He made that statement looking Ezra right in the eye. "The
information supposedly came from Founder spies who claim that a stray report to
the space registry from one of the ships traveling in this area scanned a
planet that had geological traits similar to that of one which is capable of
producing the white."
"It is possible,"
Alex made herself heard because this was her area of expertise and while she
would rather be raked over coals than to agree with this bastard, she also
remembered what Chris Larabee had asked of her when she had been prepared to
throw her entire life away. Chris had kept her from making that disastrous
reason and for that alone; she would not shirk her duty.
Besides, there was another
reason she was not admitting to just yet even though it had most to do with her
ability to remain focus even though the man before her was the stuff of
nightmares. Last night she had slept the most peaceful night of life since her
ordeal as Cardassian prisoner, she had done so because Vin had held her for
most of it, with his strong arms keeping her safe from the demons inside her
mind. This morning she had woken up and found him still there, looking just as
contented as she must have been when she slept and some how Alex had become stronger
for it. The memory of how safe it felt within his embrace had empowered her
with a renewed interest in life.
"Since we've been
here," Alex continued to speak, ignoring the expression of mild surprise
on Lemar's face as she corroborated this part of the story. The rest of the
senior staff were relieved that the man's presence was not doing Alex any
further harm as the Science Officer returned to some semblance of her former
self. "We've kept this part of the sector relatively safe by patrolling what
was previously uncharted space. Commercial ships can now move freely through
the area without having to worry about getting into trouble when a galaxy class
warship is guarding the main space lanes."
"As a result,"
Buck chimed in. "More territories are being charted, even without the
official cartography that we're undertaking."
"Exactly," Alex
continued her momentum building as she explained, almost to the point of
forgetting for an instant who was in the room with her. "It is possible
that one of these ships while registering their flight plans and log entries as
it required by the spacing guild for private and commercial star travel, might
have discovered this planet that the Founders are searching."
"So does this mean
we're going to have to go through all these records?" Mary asked.
"Afraid so," Alex
replied. "I've got double shifts on a rotating basis searching through the
data we've accumulated since we've been out there. So far nothing yet but
there's still a lot of ground to cover. It would help if we had more specific
information."
"Yeah," Buck
reaffirmed his support of that observation. "You got any more tricks to
bring to the party Gul Lemar?"
"I brought you what I
know," he said stiffly, disliking being questioned especially by someone
who was a former prisoner of his and whom by her actions had done irrevocable
harm to his career in the Ninth Order. When she had first attacked him, he had
not remembered who she was. Understandable of course, since his memories of her
from that time were a stark contrast to the reality of the moment, though not
necessarily for the better. "The Dominion plans to launch a strike here,
perhaps as early as in the next seven days. They intend to establish a foothold
in one of the planets in the sector before beginning the search for the
white."
"Is it true they will
be coming with cloaked ships?" Julia Pemberton inquired because she was
working with Ezra to formulate some kind of defensive perimeter that would
alert them to the presence of such ships."
"I believe so."
Lemar answered studying the redhead with interest and finding like the rest of
the women at the table, she was just as pleasing. However, it was Styles he
wanted and when the time came, perhaps even the Captain's woman. "There
were rumors of a warbird being taken during one of the battles. The ship was
intact and I believed Vorta scientists were eager to examine its cloak.
Considering how fast they work, it would not be unreasonable to assume that
they might have installed the feature in several Jem Haddar warships for this
engagement."
"Makes sense,"
Vin added. "If they go on silent running, they can move an entire fleet
through Federation space without anyone having the least idea of them being
there until they got to us."
"Yeah but we're still
talking about a planet that is supposed to exist in theory." JD pointed
out that fact and Chris had to admire the youth for doing so because until the
location of this world was determined, their plans for defense would be disjointed.
"I seriously doubt
that the Dominion would launch an expedition like this, through enemy territory
in order to chase a phantom." Ezra declared. "The Jem Haddar are
formidable and they are not stupid."
"Perhaps desperate is
the correct word." Josiah Sanchez remarked. The Counselor had remained
silent most of this time, wishing to be present even though he could not offer
much to a Council of war as this meeting was. He was here for Alex and while he
disagreed with Chris' assertions, he could not find himself to abandon a
crewmember who might still need his assistance. While he chose to be a
counselor to Alex Styles from a distance, he was still nonetheless watching
over her welfare like a hawk. "They must be running low on their supplies
of white. If they've turned to the Breen for assistance and are preparing to
make a run through Federation space on the basis on a ship's log, then their
strength isn't what we originally thought."
"Josiah's right,"
Nathan agreed. "When they first showed up, they didn't need any one's
help. When Ben Sisko caused the aliens to shut down the wormhole and they lost
access to the white, suddenly they were needing allies. First the Cardassians
and then they launched a non aggression pact with the Romulans and when that collapsed,
quickly found new allies in the Breen."
"I would not
underestimate the Dominion," Lemar spoke up. He apparently did not like
the idea of thinking that the Dominion had come to Cardassia only to use them
as a substitute for the lack of white. The notion was outrageous. The Cardassian Empire was not the replacement for a
drug. "Desperate or not, they have established a foothold in your
territories."
"True," Chris
agreed, not about to deny that but not allow the Cardassian to drag the
Federation through the mud when his own race's record with the Dominion was no
less stellar. "However, a foothold in Federation space is better than the
chokehold they have around Cardassia Prime."
Lemar's eyes narrowed in
barely concealed hatred and suddenly Chris saw the same thing that Ezra did but
with greater accuracy. Suddenly, Lemar reminded him of a cobra waiting in its
basket, dancing the tune of the snake charmer when required but all the while
waiting in the shadows to strike. Suddenly, Chris wondered if there was reason
to worry about the danger out there when there was very good reason to fear the
one within, more specifically at the table with them.
Mary who was used to
pregnant pauses when two opposing factions had come to a stone wall such at
this, immediately spoke up as it was her duty to do as protocol officers.
"Gentlemen, we are here for a reason and time is short," she reminded
them both gently as both Chris and Lemar continued to stare at each other.
"Right," Chris
cleared his throat and continued to stare at Lemar.
The Cardassian was not
about to jeopardize his standing on the ship just yet and broke contact first.
"As usual Lieutenant," he smiled at her with sickly sweet charm.
"You are right. We have a long way to go before we can ever be considered
allies but for the moment, let us cooperate in the spirit of mutual need."
Alex noticed the way that
he was looking at Mary and immediately felt her skin crawl. For a moment the
look of him was so familiar, Alex though she was going to be sick. She thanked
god her coloring made it difficult to see that she was ashen with disgust and
closed her eyes ever so slightly as she swallowed the bile that crawled up her
throat. How many times had he looked at her the same way before he....
She felt Vin's hand tighten
over hers under the table and looked up at him.
While everyone else was
watching the furious eye contact between Gul and Captain, only Vin had noticed
how much she was struggling to rein in her emotions. Vin was so proud of Alex,
at how she had managed to stay centered on the mission instead of letting the
trauma of Lemar's presence hurt her any more than it already had. He himself
looked across the table and found it difficult to keep his own anger in check.
Each time, Vin thought of this animal touching Alex, using her in the way that
he had, destroying everything about her that was could feel with his brutality,
Vin wanted to tear him apart. However, he had to force himself to keep control
because if Alex could, then so could he.
"Alright," Chris
decided that he had just about enough of this for the time being and the
tension levels in the room was escalating beyond acceptable limits and he
wanted Lemar to be out of his sight and that of Alex before things reached
breaking point. "Let's call it a day. I want a status briefing tomorrow
morning for a progress report on the state of our operational readiness to face
the Dominion. Alex, Starfleet had downloaded the Gul's entire report into the
main computer, so you will be able to peruse the subject."
"Thank you Sir."
Alex replied, always keeping her eyes trained on anywhere but on Lemar. Chris
had the feeling that she was maintaining her control because of her
determination to do that. He would not make it any more difficult for her than
necessary.
With that Chris dismissed
the meeting and took it as a sign of good timing because Alex was the first one
to leave the room.
*********
"You okay?" Vin
asked as he caught up with her a little further down the corridor from the
briefing room. Alex paused and waited for him to catch up with her, taking a
moment to catch her breath as he approached. Her heart was pounding as if she
had been running a marathon and although she still was shaken, Alex had
surprised herself by her ability to remain calm. For the first time since Chris
had offered her his solution to the problem of Gul Lemar being on the ship,
Alex felt as if she might be able to abide by it and get through this nightmare
for as long as it lasted.
"Yeah," she
nodded somewhat surprised by her answer. "I think I am."
"Good," Vin said
with a little smile. "You know I'm ain't gonna be too far if you need me
right?" He looked into her eyes as he made that statement. Suddenly, he
thought of how she had looked when she had slept in his arms and knew that he
wanted all her nights to be like that.
"Alex, how are you
holding up?" Julia Pemberton's voice broke through the tender moment and
the chief engineer walked up to them, her radiant features full of concern.
"I'm okay," Alex
responded once again, able to see now what Chris had been so determined that
she understand. She had friends who would help her through this, even if she
did not want their help. It was good to know that she was not a lone. "As
long as he stays away from me, I won't have the urge to kill him."
"Poor Mary has to put
up with that jerk," Julia muttered glancing down the corridor where Mary
and Ezra were engaged in conversation with Lemar while Josiah seemed to staying
close by as if he was observing Lemar like the Gul was some kind of specimen
the Counselor had never seen before.
"Just make sure she's
not alone with him." Alex found herself saying as she turned her gaze away
from Lemar, unable to keep looking at him. The sight of him made her skin crawl
and the notion that Mary would have to grease the wheels of diplomacy between
the Gul and the captain was one task that Alex would not have wished upon
anyone.
Both Julia and Vin
stiffened at the suggestion because the thought had never occurred to them that
Mary might be in danger, even though now that they considered if more deeply,
they realised that the Captain had foreseen the possibility even if they did
not. It explained why Ezra was remaining close to Mary during her dealings with
Lemar and when he was not personally able to attend the situation himself,
assigned security officers to take his place.
"He wouldn't
dare." Vin said after a moment but he did not sound as sure as he liked.
"I need to get down to
astrometics," Alex declared after a moment, deciding that she needed to
limit as much time as she could in Gul Lemar's presence and besides, the job at
hand gave her mind something to think about other than dismembering him limb
from limb. "I have miles of data to go through to find this planet we're
searching for."
"I know what you mean,"
Julia who was also head of her own department could sympathize. "I've been
working late shifts trying to boost power to the deflector shields, to the
phasers, everything. I hope that its gonna be enough."
"Won't matter much
anyway," Vin remarked believing that when the Jem Haddar came, it would be
in numbers. Even though he did not like to consider himself a pessimist, the
helmsman was realistic. When the enemy arrived, it would be in force and all
the preparations they were making now would be do little in defense against
that threat. The only way the Maverick was going to survive an encounter with a
Jem Haddar fleet was to find the planet in question and start screaming at
Starfleet for all the reinforcements that could be sent after them. However, Vin
did not voice that to either Julia or Alex who were more than aware of what
could happen to them if they fell into enemy hands. "We're gonna find the
planet before we ever run into the Dominion." He said with a smile of
confidence he was unaware Alex could see straight through by now.
However, Vin need not have
worried about that because he was soon confronted with a larger problem, once
the captain and the rest of the senior staff had dispersed, only Lemar, Mary
and Ezra was still in the hallway. During his conversation with Alex and Julia,
the Gul had gotten it into his head to approach them. Mary was two steps behind
him while Ezra held back and did nothing which somewhat surprised the Vulcan
because Ezra was just aware of the history between Alex and Lemar as the rest
of them. However, Ezra had been in quiet observation of the Gul throughout the
briefing and when time permitted, Vin was going to ask him why. For the moment
however, he had bigger problems.
"Commander
Styles." Lemar's sickly voice penetrated Alex's consciousness as she
looked up and saw him staring inches from her. Instinct tore her in two
directions, the first being the need to step away and the second to react
violently to his hated face before her.
"She ain't got nothing
to say to you," Vin said immediately, placing an arm on the Gul's shoulder
to drag him away if the man did not take the hint to go away.
Lemar was not afraid and he
was not about to let her escape the sin of casting aspersions on his story
during the briefing either. "Oh I'm sure that's not true. There was a time
when we were very close indeed, weren't we Alex?"
Alex felt her stomach
clench in rage as she whirled around and glared at him, almost speechless with
his audacity to say what he had. "If you call being close, fucking me
while I was tied up like an animal, I suppose we were." She managed to
say, her breathing harsh and strained. A red haze was descending over her
senses as she saw that damn leer on his face.
"Okay we're going," Julia took her arm and started towing her away
before the situation escalated any further. The engineer would have personally
liked to stick the man in her warp core but at the moment, she was more
concerned about Alex's state of mind. Allowing Vin to handle the Cardassian and
taking note of Ezra's approach in the background, Julia forced Alex to turn
away and began ushering her down the corridor hastily.
"Come now," Lemar
called after her with triumph. "You weren't always tied up and towards the
end, you were rather enjoying it!
"That's it," Vin
dragged him off in a different direction with the Cardassian being able to do
very little to prevent his forced removal against Vulcan strength that was
almost trebled his own. "Mary, help Julia get Alex out of here
please?" He ordered her and the blond protocol officer could only nod.
Alex's expression had been
ashen when Julia had forced her around and Vin could imagine the horror and
humiliation she must have endured at the hands of this bastard and the same
nightmare she was going through now. Lemar's words had very little effect on
Vin's opinion about Alex's incarceration because he had been into her mind once
and knew that nothing experienced was at all enjoyable. She was broken into a
thousand pieces because of what this Cardassian had done to her and no vile
words spoken by the man could ever convince Vin otherwise.
"Vin don't hurt
him." Mary pleaded up even though she felt the man richly deserved it.
However, there were bigger issues at stake at the moment. The safety of the
Federation depended on this soulless creature who had loyalties to no one
except himself she was sure.
"I won't hurt
him." Vin said sharply, still glaring at the Cardassian who appeared very
unrepentant as the Vulcan urged Mary to go after Alex and Julia who were almost
to the turbo lift. He wanted Alex away from this animal as Ezra finally reached
them and grabbed the Gul's other arm and aided Vin in keeping the man restraint
at least until Alex was gone. Unfortunately, their guest was not done with his
barbs yet.
"Maybe you can look me
up while I'm on board Commander," he threw Vin a nasty grin as he was
hauled in the other direction. "I'm sure we can get better
reacquainted." He made that remark with a loud snigger as the turbo lift
opened and he saw Mary and Julia driving Alex into the small space. The woman
was staring at him with nothing less than agony and dismay and he had achieved
some measure of vindication even though it was not nearly enough as far as he
was concerned. However, such tallies could be left for the moment until it was
time to make the final accounting.
"I would suggest that
you remain silent about now Gul." Ezra retorted as Vin dragged him back to
the briefing room and shoved him inside. "My friend is not as restrained
as the rest of us." In truth, despite his words of support at Vin's desire
for a little privacy, Ezra was keeping a close eye on the situation. Despite
the Captain's threats to him, the Gul knew he was in a position of advantage
because the Federation needed him and it was apparent he was going to take
great pleasure in tormenting Alex as he had once done in that hellish
Cardassian prison. Ezra was duty bound to protect the man but he was also under
the same obligation with Alex and truth be known, Ezra was somewhat curious as
to what the helmsman had in mind.
Once they were alone in the
briefing room, Vin released the Gul and Ezra took his cue to do the same. The
Gul seemed unafraid, perfectly aware that they would not violate Chris' order
that he was not be harmed. The smug expression on his face as he stared
directly at Vin however, amused Ezra to no end because all it would serve to do
was force the helmsman to become more creative in his pursuit of satisfaction
while at the same time, keeping faith with the Captain's standing policy.
"When you had your
fill of her," the Gul continued to say, so certain of how Starfleet
officers comported themselves, that he was willing to derive some sadistic
pleasure in his taunts. "You will understand." He said looking Vin
straight in the eye, having guessed that Vin's interest was personal.
"Sorry," Vin
shrugged. "I don't have the equipment for it." The Vulcan said with
an expression so neutral, it almost did Ezra proud. The security officer had
chose to remain out of the way for the moment, allowing Vin to deal with the
Gul in his own way. "What I do have is none of the Vulcan restraint and
all their telepathic abilities so when I tell you that you will stay away from
Alex, I mean it. You go one foot near her and I swear, you'll be regretting it
until the day you die." The threat in Vin's voice was clear and one that
not even the Gul could feign away as male posturing.
"You people need me,
so let's not kid ourselves shall we, Lieutenant Tanner?" Lemar looked at
Vin with a cold sneer.
Suddenly, Vin's hand was
clenched under the man's cheekbones and Lemar let out a startled gasp. For a
moment Ezra was not certain what was happening as Vin closed his eyes and let
the man feel the invasion in his mind. Vin was not probing for deep thoughts,
just causing enough unpleasantness for the Cardassian to know that a telepathic
link had been established. As the Gul's knees started to buckle under him, Ezra
debated getting involved but held back because he knew Vin would not hurt him,
at least Ezra thought he would not anyway.
"Listen to me Gul
Lemar," Vin lowered his lips to the Gul's ear. "I don't have any of
the disciplines that Vulcans do, so when I go roaming around your head, I don't
necessarily know what I am doing, I could tear you inside out, leave you a gibbering
wreck. The possibility is unlimited really of how much damage I can do to your
mind so now that I got your attention and you can feel me in there, you'll
understand this clearly." Vin paused and glanced at Ezra long enough to
give the security chief a little smile as well as assurance that while Gul
Lemar would not be hurt by this experience, it would have a profound effect on
how he regarded Alex for the duration of this mission.
"If you go near her, I will find you and I will go into your
mind and shred every thought, every memory and everything that
makes you a sentient being. By the time I am finished with you, what's left
won't even have the motor skills to know which way is up or down, let alone be
a Cardassian Gul of the Ninth Order. You made Alex beg to die because of what
you did to her but I'm telling you, when I'm done with you, you won't even know
what that word means."
With that, he released
Lemar who dropped to the floor, gasping out loud from the words that had been
sent straight to his mind and showed him how real the intent had been to visit
such a living death upon him. Vin straightened up and looked at Ezra. "You
better take the Gul back to his quarters, Ez." Vin said with a cold smile.
"He don't look too well."
Ezra stared at the Gul who
was trying to pick himself up, saliva dribbling from his mouth and looking most
disheveled after the bout of mind torture he had received. With a smirk that
was typical Ezra Standish smugness, the security man looked at the Vulcan and
said with a grin. "I am certain a Gul of the Ninth Order will
recover."
"I'm sure he
will." Vin added as he made his way towards the door. "At least until
the next time."
Part Nine
There was something wrong.
Alex could not put her
finger on it but she could sense it as she examined the reports from the ship
that had found the planets upon which the Dominion had based their entire
invasion of the frontier. While the facts surrounding the routine mission of the
ship called Morning Star could not be disputed, the vessel had indeed
made a trading run through a sector of space not very far from here and had
conducted some preliminary scans, the information it had garnered was very non
specific. While all the characteristics of a supposedly White producing planet
was possible in the information the Morning Star had gathered, there was
no conclusive evidence that would justify the Dominion launching an attack of
the magnitude they were planning.
For the first time since
Gul Lemar had come on board the Maverick, Alex was worried about something else
other than tearing the Cardassian defector a new one and she had a bad feeling
that this time, it was more than just her personal feelings that were suspect. Putting
down the data pads she had been examining with such deep scrutiny for most of
the day, Alex eased back into her chair and glanced at the chronometer on the
edge of her workbench. She had spent most of the day at this table following
the briefing inside astrometics, trying to find this elusive world Gul Lemar
had send them in search of.
In the floor of the
astrometics lab, she could see other officer engaged in the same activity as
she was, studying the data they had accumulated over their entire time on the
Frontier, trying to sift through all the information to find one planet. It was
almost like a needle in a haystack. How the Dominion had come to the same
conclusion with such scant information was beyond Alex's comprehension. Her
mind started to drift into what scientific assumptions must have been reached
to make their deductions. Where did they find time and fight a war as well?
Suddenly her ruminations reached a place that she had not expected to go and
her eyes widened in horror.
"Oh shit!" She exclaimed
and more or less jumped out of her chair and hurried down the steps from her
work area that lead to the main floor of the lab.
"Everyone!" She
hollered loudly, capturing their attention as her voice sliced abruptly to
their concentration and caught her attention immediately. "Stop what you
are doing immediately."
Lieutenant Charlotte
Richmond with whom Alex was never on very good terms with anyway, even thought
the woman was one of the best officers under her command in stellar cartography
which was an extension of the Science Department, was the first to speak.
"Commander, we have been working on this for hours, we've nearing an
answer."
"I know that,"
Alex said pushing her personal feelings about
With that Alex hurried out
of the lab immediately, certain that much would be said after she had departed
but not really caring. There was only one thing on her mind as she made her way
towards the turbo lift at the end of the corridor and that was getting to the bridge.
Her mind was whirling with possibilities, thinking how elegantly manipulative
the Founders were capable of being and in doing so could appreciate why the
Dominion had been so successful in its desires for conquest over the Alpha
quadrant.
It did not take her long
after her abrupt departure from the astrometics lab before she arrived on the
bridge. Chris Larabee would be at his command chair and at this time of the
day, almost all the senior staff would be present. Good, she thought to
herself, if what she suspected was true then having them all present when she
arrived would save a great deal of time. When the doors to the turbo lift slid
open, Alex quickly stepped out and saw that she was right. Almost everyone was
on the bridge Alex noticed upon stepping out of it. Instinctively, all eyes
turned to her as she made her appearance, which was hardly surprising, since
she had been somewhat scarce since the Gul had arrived on board the Maverick.
This time however, Alex
hardly gave it a second thought as she emerged from the turbo lift and walked
towards Chris who looked at her with concern, wondering what was so important
that it warranted her presence on the bridge personally. Alex was not about to
leave anyone in suspense, especially if she was right. If she was right, then
there were in more trouble than they could possibly imagine.
"What is it
Alex?" Buck asked first.
"We need to stop
searching for this planet immediately." Alex declared and with that one
statement captured the undivided attention of everyone present as all eyes
turned to her.
"Why?" Mary
exclaimed while Chris was more interested in hearing the science officer out
because she would not make such a statement without very good reason.
"Because there is no
planet." Alex paused in front of Chris and saw the skepticism in all their
eyes as she made her astonishing statement. The only ones who did not look at
her as if she was insane was Chris and Vin mostly because they knew how much in
control she was despite the Gul's presence on board playing havoc with her
insides.
"How can there be no
planet?" Mary declared. "The Gul..."
"Has probably been
lied to like all of us." Alex said firmly and stared at Chris as she began
to explain because he would be perceptive enough to grasp the conclusion she
was attempting to bring them all to gradually. "At first, I couldn't
understand how they could find a planet with the White when we couldn't. I mean
we're out here and on the other side of the Alpha quadrant, it seemed
improbable."
"That might simply means
that we weren't searching for it as hard as they were. Founder infiltrators had
been found in Starfleet Headquarters, it's not unreasonable to assume they've
been monitoring our log entries." Buck retorted, always quick to present
alternatives. As First Officer, he could do nothing else.
"I agree," Alex
replied not about to dismiss Buck out of hand but aware that Chris was
listening closely to both sides. Thus, she had to make her explanation of why
Buck's suggestion could not be so that everyone would understand just how much
trouble the Maverick was in at this moment. "However, we've charted
literally hundreds of worlds since we've been in the frontier and not one of
them showed a planet producing the White. Suddenly, on the basis of one man's
word and some documents, we're expected to believe that all the data we've
accumulated is wrong, that we've missed something. Now we're turning every
corner of this part space inside out looking for what we've never previously
encountered."
"I don't
understand." Mary stared at her blankly. "If we're not wrong then how
could this ship have found what it did?"
"I've scanned the
data, the report about the Morning Star's reports are not
extraordinary," Alex countered, having thought this out deeply before
arriving here on the bridge to make her claim. "In fact, as a scientist, I
find them rather generic. It could be a description of any planet that was rich
in ore deposits; there is nothing that indicates that there is reason to
believe that Ketracel White can be found in great abundance. It just looks like
a possibility, something that might sweeten the pot."
"Sweeten the
pot?" Suddenly Buck had an idea what Alex was trying to say and he did not
like one damn bit what that revelation was leading to.
Chris caught on even faster
than his first officer and remained neutral even when he swore out loud.
"Oh hell!" Alex's word began to have greater impact than just some
phantom planet, it made their situation at this moment extremely hazardous.
"Ezra, put us on yellow alert now!"
The security chief groaned
out loud as he too grasp Alex's meaning. He knew something was wrong! The
minute that Gul came on board and Ezra stared into the man's eyes, he knew that
there was something amiss with the whole situation. No sooner than the captain
had issued the order, the ship was screaming with klaxons that indicated that
the situation on the Maverick had suddenly become critical.
"Will someone tell me
what's happening?" Mary demanded, not familiar enough with military
tactics to see the cleverly built cage that they had been tricked into
entering.
"They don't need to
find the planet Mary," Vin took the liberty of explaining to his some
times teacher. "They just need to follow us until we do."
"Oh my god." The
protocol officer exclaimed and stared at the officers around her and realised
that was why they were so panic and that amber lights were flashing all over
the bridge to indicate the status of yellow alert.
"You mean the Gul came
here to trick us into finding a planet with terrace white for us?" JD
exclaimed. The ensign was still too new to appreciate their predicament and as
he made his cry of understanding that was almost a hint of outrage in his
voice.
"Why not?" Chris
responded for those who still had their doubts. "We all know that the
Dominion is getting cornered on all sides now that the Romulans are in the war
with the Federation and Klingons. The Cardassians have been used as cannon
fodder ever since the alliance and their strength is not what it used to be, if
anything their numbers is rapidly dwindling. The Breen are powerful but so are
the Klingons and the Federation and the Founders cannot create more Jem Haddar
warriors unless there is a supply of white to keep them hungry."
"It makes sense."
Vin agreed immediately because Alex's deductions were tactically sound.
"They can't come this far into Federation space without us knowing what
they are looking for. Even with a cloak ship, they're looking for a needle in a
haystack and they can assume that even on silent running we won't pick them on
sensors."
"But what about
Lemar?" Mary asked. "Is he apart of it?" The Gul seemed so
sincere in his belief that what came past his desk was genuine. Even though he
was an odious creature to say the least, did his complicity extend so deep?
"I don't know,"
Alex shrugged. "Odds are he's not. It would be more convincing to us
actually if he truly believed he was defecting to the other side with valuable
information."
"All they would have to do then," Buck explained and this was the
part that scared the hell out of him and had made him sound the yellow alert.
"Is to track him while he's on board the Maverick. If there's a planet out
here with terrace white, then he'll be leading the Dominion straight to it."
"Its not that
simple," Chris responded, now that they knew what they might be up
against. "We don't have to lead them to it. We have all the available data
on board the Maverick for the Dominion to find this planet if it exists,
themselves. Remember that no one else has charted this part of space in almost
twenty years. If there is a planet containing terrace white in this sector, all
they have to do is to get their hands on all the information we've
accumulated."
"But the only way they
could do that...." Buck started to say when it dawned on him. "Oh
Jesus."
"Is if they take the
ship." Vin concluded and suddenly, no one on the bridge could breathe
easily. For an instant, the silence was so pervading that the sound of a pin
dropping could have been heard if not for the screaming of klaxon across the
ship that indicated yellow alert.
"We don't have days or
weeks before they come after us," Chris continued to say. "Chances
are, they're here already."
*********
The small fleet of
Jem Haddar ships had been following the Maverick for some days now.
They sat in the darkness of
space, concealed within an illusion of refracted light and duranium fields. The
cloak was odd to them but the Jem Haddar were used to adapting quickly to new
situations and this was no different than any other. As a race, they had no
history. No songs that were sung. No tales spoken around the campfires by those
who came before. They had only religion and for that they would kill and be
killed because dying for the god could not be a terrible death. The Founders
were their gods, the ones who gave them life and if that life required them to
live as a soulless race without heart except in the spirit of the kill, then so
be it.
For the Jem Haddar had been
bred to be nothing else.
"Sir," the Jem
Haddar warrior who had been manning the sensor array broke the silence on board
the bridge of the Romulan warbird
Tasleem as he addressed the Vorta commander
who presided over the small invasion fleet that had been keeping the Maverick
under surveillance for days now. "The Maverick just switched to yellow
alert.
The Vorta considered the
news. Starships did not move to yellow alert without very good reason. "Do
they appear to be in any eminent danger?"
"No Sir," the Jem
Haddar shook his head in response. "All operations were nominal until a
few seconds ago. They switch to yellow alert for no discernible reason that we
can tell."
"It is possible they
might have discovered us," the Vorta said unhappily.
"We have been careful
to remain out of their extreme sensor range," the warrior countered. He
did not believing that it was possible that they might have made some
navigational error that allowed the Maverick to detect the presence of the
small fleet of Jem Haddar and Cardassian warships being led by a Romulan
warbird. "There is no reason for them to suspect we are here."
The Vorta did not speak for
a few seconds, aware of the duplicity that was known to be employed by some
starship captains. After almost two years fighting the forces of the Alpha
Quadrant, the Dominion had come to understand that one did not at any point,
underestimate a starship captain. Such mistakes were costly. Those who wore
captain's gold were a special breed and were the most formidable commanders on
the field of the Dominion War. Unlike the Klingons who were brualizers or the
Romulans whose ruthlessness often lacked imagination, the human commander of a
starship was never predictable and the intelligence regarding one Chris Larabee
gave the Vorta reason to be cautious. Possessing a brilliant tactical mind, the
Captain of the Maverick was not only ruthless but also imaginative and brutal
if required. He was a man of great flexibility therefore when the expedition to
take Chris Larabee's ship had been mounted; the Vorta had opted to proceed with
extreme caution.
The need for terrace white
had made failure a non-issue. Unless more Jem Haddar warriors could be created,
there was an astonishing possibility the Dominion might be defeated and to the
Vorta, that seemed like an act of sacrilege. They had searched far and wide for
some evidence of the White in this sector of space and so far, none had been
produced. They were becoming desperate and the frontier that faced the distant
space of the Delta Quadrant seemed like the last hope for finding the white. No
other ship in the Federation had the information contained in the Maverick and
the only other way to acquire it would be to launch a full-scale attack on
Earth, which was obviously impossible.
For the moment anyway.
In the meantime, the Maverick
was the Dominion's last chance of replenishing its dwindling supplies of the
white. Without it, the Jem Haddar would go insane and turn upon themselves in
an expression of genocide of, which there were no words to describe. Without
the Jem Haddar, the Dominion had no army and there would be no war. The plan to
take the Maverick was desperate but then desperation of the plan had just
enough insanity in its methodology to work.
"Get me Gul
Kumaris." The Vorta ordered the warrior once again.
"Yes Sir." The
Jem Haddar answered obediently even though the Vorta was a species as
subservient to the Founders as they were. Where the Jem Haddar had been created
to fight, the Vorta had been cloned to serve the Founders as its commanders.
After a few seconds, the harsh
looking face of a Cardassian Gul appeared on the screen before the Vorta,
looking impatient as all Cardassians did with any race other than their own.
However, the Cardassians had learnt much about humility lately and were perfect
for the needs of the Dominion as foot soldiers, although they seemed to be
under the misconception they were equals. Still, that particular error in
judgment would be corrected at the proper time in the future after the Dominion
had taken the Alpha quadrant.
"I gather you have
noticed that the Maverick is now on yellow alert." The Gul said not
expecting the Vorta to discuss anything else.
"Yes I have," the
Vorta remarked. "What do you make of it?"
"I think we have been
discovered," the Gul guessed accurately. "There is no reason for them
to go to yellow alert. There are no indications of any kind of spacial
phenomenon and there is no other ship in the area that might have provoked them
into this action."
"I was afraid of
that," the Vorta sighed. "Well it matters little anyway. It is a
little sooner than I expected but not completely disastrous."
"Hardly," the Gul
agreed with the Vorta wholeheartedly on this point. "We outnumber them ten
to one and the nearest starship is almost two days away. By the time a distress
signal reaches Starfleet, we would have done what we set out to do."
"My feelings
exactly," the Vorta conceded. "Drop your cloak and order your ships
to intercept on my mark. We shall take the Maverick now."
"Drop the cloak?"
The Cardassian said uneasily. "They'll see us."
The Vorta raised his eyes
to meet the Gul's with a little smile. "So?"
**********
"Perimeter
alert!" Ezra Standish exclaimed the minute the console before him started
flashing in angry red colors. On the previously benign screen a moment ago, at
least ten different energy signatures had appeared out of extreme sensor range
and was closing in rapidly on the Maverick. What had been a theoretical
discussion only a few minutes before about the presence of the enemy lying in
wait for them had suddenly become a terrifying reality. It was a suspicion no
one was happy to see prove right.
"How many ships?"
Chris Larabee asked coolly, a stark contrast to the security chief's excited
voice. In the background, Chris heard Buck ordering the ship to red alert while
the rest of the senior staff immediately hurried to their stations if they were
not there already.
Ezra studied the console
screen before him and took a deep breath before responding. "Ten
ships."
The air went silent with
that statement. Everyone did not speak for a few seconds as the announcement
hung over them before it registered in its entirety. Once it was absorbed
however, the bridge of the Maverick moved into action with amazing speed as
officers began preparations from every station for what was going to be coming
at them.
"What are we talking
about here?" Buck asked as the red alert klaxons began flashing across the
bridge, signaling the Maverick's escalation in alert status. Alex had hurried
to her position by the science station while JD began sending out the customary
distress signal to Starfleet Command. Whether or not those signals would do
them any good was something they would not know until after the battle was
done.
"One Romulan Warbird -
Raptor class." Ezra began the inventory of ships converging upon the
Maverick like a carrion on a carcass.
Raptor class. Chris took it
in silently. The Romulans had built those vessels to take on galaxy class
starships. "What else?"
"Four Jem Haddar
warships." Ezra continued, hiding the tension in his voice though everyone
who knew him with any depth knew it was there. "Five Cardassian heavy
battle cruisers."
"Jesus." Vin
whispered under his breath.
"How long until intercept range?" Chris said not looking at anyone.
He was seated on his command chair, his palms pressed together and bouncing
lightly off his lips as if contemplating the options before them. His crew
needed to know he had them or else this was not going to be a battle but a
slaughter. He did not need to look at the faces around him to know that there
was real fear in the air but fear in the air did not translate to blood in the
water. They were not done yet, not by a long shot because one thing was for
certain and on this point Chris was absolute and intractable.
No one was taking his ship.
"Ten minutes."
Ezra answered. "They will intercept us in ten minutes."
Chris tapped his com badge
so that he could address the entire ship with his next statement, not just the
bridge officers in the room with him. He glanced at Mary and offered her a
silent promise she could see in his eyes, that he would not allow any harm to
come to her. Mary reached for his hand on the armrest and squeezed it warmly
before she took a deep breath and nodded for him to continue.
"All hands,"
Chris spoke up, paralyzing everyone on the ship with his voice. "Battle
stations."