Marionette Doll
Posted on Mon Aug 21, 2017 @ 9:20pm by Civilian Melvyn Raddon & Civilian Hydel Turvan & Civilian 'Key Holder' Yolanthe Ibalin
1,982 words; about a 10 minute read
Mission:
Rumours
Location: Wei-Tarod Nebula - Warship Hardesh
Timeline: MD 8 - 0830
[Raddon Corp - Starship Matthias]
"Enter" Melvyn said softly from behind his desk as he reviewed the latest quarterly earnings report from the Dilithium Chamber. It appeared that business had picked up significantly since the Ferengi Ambassador's death in front of The Box of Delights. Evidently, people were not comfortable eating and associating at a location where death and violence were so pervasive.
"It's done." Raymond said as he placed the padd on his father's desk and sat down in the chair across from him. "I was able to relay the information to our friends. They assured me that the information would make it to the necessary parties." Raymond said as he leaned back in the chair. "Are you certain that this will work? Stringing them along like marionette dolls?" He asked.
Melvyn smiled earnestly. "By the time the information gets to the Cardassians they'll respond in the exact fashion you'd expect from such a paranoid race." He replied. "More importantly, it will get send a message that I believe Starfleet needs to hear." He said seriously.
[Wei-Tarod Nebula, outside Federation space]
"Sir, we're picking up a small craft on short range sensors. It is a Valdorn-Class transport vessel, minimum armament." The Cardassian Tactical officer reported.
Gul Talvur nodded as he received the report on his console. He studied the vessel and determined that it matched the information he was given regarding a series of smugglers that would attempt to cross through the area. His intel indicated that a group of smugglers would use the cover of a civilian transport to smuggle industrial strength Cobalt Diselenide. The chemical was highly toxic to Cardassians and could be used as a weapon against various outer-lying colonies.
The 127th Tactical Wing was the closest Cardassian unit to the area that was capable of responding to the threat. He stood to his feet, his eyes focused on the main viewer.
"Tactical, begin charging forward beams, open a channel with the vessel, on screen." He ordered.
The screen revealed a tellerite, leaning to one side of her captain's chair, hairs around the snout turning grey. "I am captain Vargas of the Grasshik. What can I do for you..." there was a pause as the Tellerite waited for an introduction from the Cardassian hailing her ship.
"I am Gul Talvur of the Warship Hardesh of the Cardassian Empire. We have received reliable information that your vessel contains dangerous contraband. Stand down and prepare to be boarded for a minimally invasive search." He said in an authoritative tone.
A humanoid man leaned into shot, and whispered something into the Tellerite's ear. "Gul Talvur, I don't know where you get your information from, but we are carryng self-sealing stem bolts from the Dyson Yards at Deep Space Five out to Deep Space Nine. We have no contraband here."
Irritation flashed across his face as he listened to the woman respond. Her mentioning of the Federation Starbase drew a huff from him. It was obvious that eve if they were aware of this threat they would not lift a finger to protect Cardassia if it meant admitting that they were unknowingly a part of a nefarious plot to kill others.
"Our intelligence comes from several reliable and consistent sources. As I stated before stand down and prepare to be board and be searched." He repeated. "Compliance is not optional." He said firmly.
The Tellerite's snout flared, and she crooked a finger at the human for a brief exchange. "As I said, we have no contraband. Your information is faulty, and this is international space. You have no authority here. Any attempt to board us will be an act of piracy."
"Very well." Gul Talvur said in a cold and detached tone. "End transmission." He said as he took a seat in the Command chair.
"Tactical, disable their engines. Perhaps that will help them see the error of their ways." He ordered.
Two torpedoes streaked across the void, and the small cargo hauler shook with impact. On the bridge of the Grasshik alarms blared. "Shields at 12%" screamed one the bridge crew. "Portside Manoeuvring thrusters offline!" Yelled another.
Vargas glanced at her XO. "Send an SOS to DS5. Then get us out of-"
Another blast made the bridge shake. "Antimatter controls are damaged," reported the ops officer. "We cant get to warp."
Vargas swore. "Call the Cardassians." She couldn't last in a firefight against a war ship, but she had a trick or two left. She just needed time."
--------
"Ignore their hail, continue to fire." The Cardassian responded. "They need to learn that Cardassia will not tolerate acts of terrorism against its people." He added. "Wait until their shields have completely failed, then respond." He said as he continued to watch the main viewer.
---------
"They're not answering!" Her XO called out.
"Keep trying." Vargas opened her shipwide channel. "Everyone not on the bridge get to the lifeboat and prrp for launch." She'd let the cardassians on the Grasshik and blow it up with them on before she willingly surrendered to a blatent act of piracy. "Anything from DS5?"
"No," said the XO. "Ive put a beacon on repeat, but..."
Vargas nodded her snout. Who knew if anyone would pick it up in time or if the Cardies were jamming it.
The ship rocked hard, Vargas was thrown from her chair. "Shields?" She asked as she crawled back into it.
"Gone," her XO confirmed.
The Tellerite looked back at the view screen filled with the image of the warship. " Everyone to the life boat. And hail the spoonheads again before you leave." She smoothed her ruffled fur, tried to compose herself. "Pick up, you bastards."
The viewscreen activated, showing the calm and unbothered face of Gul Talvur. "Speak." he said coldly. From the Cardassian's viewscreen, he could see the smoke billowing from the bridge consoles. In the background, Talvur could see various crewmen running to either put out the fires or to effect emergency repairs to vital systems.
"I'm assuming that you've had the chance to re-consider your decision?" Gul Talvur said with a slight smirk as his eyes went from the chaotic bridge to the Tellerite's eyes. The Gul wanted to prove a point. He wanted the Tellerite to admit that he was wrong for opposing Cardassia. He could easily have destroyed the vessel; however, the Tellerite would never recognize how foolish he was for going against the Cardassian State in the first place.
"I may not like you, Cardassian, but I don't want to see my crew blown out of the stars either," Vargas admitted. "Can we start again?"
"You will stand down." Gul Talvur said, refusing to engage in a back and forth with the defeated Freighter Captain. "A Security Contingent will transport over and begin inspecting your cargo. Any interference by you or your crew will not be tolerated." He said solemnly.
"As you wish," Vargas agreed, teeth grinding. "You're wasting my time and your own, and I'm only agreeing under protest. I still view this as piracy." Vargas growled.
"Sir, before we were able to jam their communications, they sent a distress signal towards the Federation station, Deep Space 5." The Comm Officer stated in a lower tone so only Gul Talvur could hear him.
"Damnit. . .we'll deal with that later. For the time being, I want that ship searched from top to stern." He ordered. He knew the Federation would dispatch a response unit; however, by the time they arrived Talvur would have found what he was looking for.
Vargas cut the channel, and turned to her command panel. "XO, get to the life boat. I'm setting the auto destruct for three minutes after they beam aboard. They want this ship so badly, they can have it. In pieces. We've got no contraband, and even if we did, this isn't their space. Maybe we can make them think twice about bullying the little guys huh?"
Her XO looked at her. "I'll hold for you."
Vargas squared her small furry shoulders. "Don't be dumb, I'll be right behind you. Just don't wait for me, or we'll all be dust." Then she took the turbo lift to the cargo bay, to wait for her unwelcome guests.
[Cargo Bay]
Glinn Trau led the small detachment into the Cargo Bay and had already began to conduct the investigative search just as the Captain arrived.
"Where is your cargo from Deep Space 5." Glinn Trau said in a assertive tone, indicating that he was not asking. As he spoke he made sure to keep his hand near his holster. Although the crew had been ordered to stand down, he still did not trust the various aliens onboard the freighter.
She pointed at several forty meter crates stacked at the back of the bay. "Its all in there." She was calculating her escape. The lifeboat was just opposite the cargo bay access doors. A hundred feet. She could run that far. Let the spoon heads get settled on sorting through stem bolts.
Glinn Trau nodded to the other Cardassians to begin removing the lid from the containers and begin search. "Our intelligence believes that your temporary stop at Deep Space Five may have involved the receipt of industrial strength items necessary to manufacture Cobalt Diselenide." The Glinn stated as he began to assist his team in beginning to search through the cargo.
The cardassians were far more interested in her cargo containers than the tellerite. She began to amble away. When no one noticed her moving, she turned and run, dashing through the cargo bay doors, across the corridor and into the lifeboat.
"Stop. . ." Glinn Trau ordered his team. "We'll radio to the Hardesh to destroy her escape pod as soon as it clears the vessel. She's too far to reach Federation space anyhow." He said nonchalantly as he went back to searching the cargo. "Let the coward run as fast as her little legs will carry her." He laughed.
"Go!" she shouted as the XO slapped the launch button. There was a rush of acceleration, and then the pod was flying free in space, and gravity melted away. She looked back on the ever decreasing speck of her ship. "Enjoy your searching, spoonheads." She looked at the self-destruct countdown on the panel. "Everyone, brace for impact."
The count down ticked. Three. Two. One. Zero
"Captain! I'm reading a massive explosion from the Freig----" The Cardassian Weapons Officer tried to announce before the bridge of the Hardesh was thrown into disarray and darkness. The explosion from the vessel caused a cascade effect that rippled outward and caught the Hardesh while its shields were still lowered.
It was not until several minutes had gone by that Gul Talvur was able to regain his vision and stagger back to his feet in the dimly lit bridge. All around him, emergency lights flickered on and off as sparks flew from consoles that had suffered surges.
"Report!" Gul Talvur bellowed.
The Weapons Officer waited for his console to finish compiling the information before he responded. "Sir, the Freighter mustive self-destructed. We were far enough away to avoid the bulk of the blast, but our shields were down and we suffered damaged throughout the aft and dorsal portion of the ship. Repair teams are in route." He replied.
"Signs from the Boarding Party!?" The Gul said with concern in his voice.
"N-no...no sir, none!" Came back the response.
"Hail the Warship Nuvor, inform them that we were attacked by terrorists while we were following a lead from Deep Space 5." Gul Talvur said as he staggered back to his command chair and tried to sort through the chaos that had transpired.
"Aye, sir." the Weapons Officer responded.
Vargas and the crew of the Grasshik
NPCs by Yolanthe
Gul Talvur
Warship Hardesh
127th Tactical Wing
RSS Feed