Writing Contest: Fables of Betrayals!
T'Cael sighed deeply. This patrol couldn't end soon enough. Unlike previous ones, it had no emergencies, no world-ending crisis, and no hope at all of relieving the crushing tedium piling up day after too long day. The lift doors opened and he entered the Command Deck of Fai'col Ryakna.
"Fair morning, Riov. My report is ready and awaits your command."
"Thank you, Subcommander, and the same to you. Please conduct your end of watch report at once."
"Fai'col Ryakna is sound on all decks, compartments and stations, Riov. No crew are injured or sick. We are currently on schedule and enroute to the next control point of our patrol. The warbird we are to rendezvous with there, Hakeev's Pain, reported at mid watch they are on schedule as well. So our personnel and supplies transfer should occur on time. No unexplained or enemy contacts are within range of our sensors. No distress calls recieved. In short, a quiet watch. For which I am grateful, Riov. This was a pleasant alternative to our usual excitement."
T'Cael could not quite keep the quirk of annoyance off his face.
"Anything else before I relieve you of the conn, Subcommander?"
"Yes, Riov. I nearly forgot. About two hours into my watch, there was a series of subspace comm bursts near Fai'col Ryakna. They were on a very low frequency which the Fleet seldom uses except at very short range. They lasted for approximately one minute, eighteen seconds. They did not repeat nor reoccur. A recording of them detected no pattern. They were gibberish, Riov. After two hours, I directed Signals to discontinue analysis and log them as background static normal to this part of NearSpace."
"Why was I not notified at once, Subcommander? There are standing instructions in the Watch Log about such things, as I recall."
"Because Riov, Signals and I determined the subspace emanation originated from Quasar 36-Y-18Beta."
"Explain further."
"Riov my Academy Scholia and training are Science. Quasars are known to emit regular bursts of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum and across subspace as well. Upon looking at the readings recorded by Signals, I determined the signal was part of the normal 'chatter' produced by a quasar. I judged you would not take kindly to being awakened simply because a failing star decided to speak to us as we passed by."
The relief on the Subcommander's face was obvious as a bright bubble of laughter burst forth from T'Cael. "I need some shore leave and soon", T'Cael thought. "When I am about to put a junior member of my Command Team on report for something like this, I have been away from Mol'Rihan too long. And if I've been away too long, what does this say for my soldiers?"
"Very well, Subcommander. You judged correctly, or got lucky in this case. Please remember this incident some day when you are the commander of a Republic War-" The Alert horns began their shrill scream. Sensors shouted across the command deck.
"Riov! Contact decloaking off starboard! Its weapons and targeting sensors are hot and active! Threat profile identifies it as, as Tal'shiar!"
"I have the conn! Helm, port two five mark plus thirty, execute! All soldiers, this is T'Cael! Action Stations! First Officer, to Combat Control! Weapons, bring our cannons and torpedo launchers online at once! Stand by for my command to engage! Flight, launch Ready Fives! All others as soon as possible! Signals, send a contact report to Fleet!" The quick chorus of confirmation responses was interrupted by Signals.
"Hostile is jamming subspace, Riov! Unable to get off a contact report to Fleet at this time!" There was a pause and Signals spoke again, "The Tal'shiar warbird is hailing us!"
"Onscreen."
"Rebel trash! Stop all engines! Power down your weapons and shields! Prepare to be boarded! You are hereby arrested for treason against the rightful government of the Romulan people! All Warbirds, cease cloaking!"
Two more Tal'shiar vessels shimmered into view, their weapons pods bright with barely contained energies.
"This is T'Cael. All stop! Power down weapons and shields! Tal'shiar commander, Fai'col Ryakna and her soldiers await your instructions."
"What?! Those ancient scows are no match for us, Riov!"
"But there are enough of them to kill or injure some of you. They currently have the advantage over us. So wasting lives to return to even stakes is not something I choose. Stand down."
"As ordered, Riov."
A transporter effect whined at the aft end of the command deck. As it ceased, the Tal'shiar officer from the hail and several soldiers appeared.
"You are in charge of this pitiful collection of traitors and cowards?"
"I am."
"Your day cabin. We will go there now. No one other than you and I."
"By your order."
Several minutes later. T'Cael and the commander were in T'Cael's day cabin. T'Cael observed the Imperial's body language unobtrusively. The man was tense and his eyes were restless. He moved at odd moments and in unexpected ways.
"I have no idea how to say this except as directly as possible. I desire to leave the Tal'shiar and join the Republic. Along with my crew. The past few cycles have been difficult. We have done terrible things in the name of the Empress and the Empire. Innocents have died or been punished for things they...they did not do. The leadership no longer protects the Declared. Instead they desperately cling to whatever power they have and only seek to gain more. By any means possible. No scrap of control is left lying unused. No task is too bloody. No life standing between them and whatever power they crave currently is safe. And I, I have had enough. More than enough. I am tired of killing Rihannsu to protect the masters I serve currently."
"You have three ships to my one. Their weapons are online and ready. You ordered us to take our weapons and shields offline. Obviously, not all of your soldiers are willing to follow you in joining the Republic or we would not be having this conversation. Equally obviously, you have a solution to the impasse we are currently at. What is it?"
"My warbird will put a towing beam on yours with my other two warbirds taking up escort positions. I will transport the soldiers loyal to me aboard your ship to act as guards. At the appropriate moment, the towing beam will fail due to an unexpained EPS conduit power feedback into my ship's primary power circuits and both of our ships will be pulled from warp before the others realize. In the minutes before they return, my remaining loyal soldiers will beam aboard your warbird. Which will then destroy my vessel and make an escape."
"It is a bold plan. You have thought about this a great deal. It is also the only plan you have. So like it or not, I will go along with it. Is there any sort of cover along your route where a search for Fai'col Ryakna would be difficult?"
"There is a nebula along the course back to the Empire which is about a day and a half's travel time from here at low warp. That will be the place where we act. Thank you, Riov. I will rest easier tonight knowing the evil I have done will soon be behind me. It will always be with me. But it will not continue."
***
A gentle tug downward and to starboard indicated the Tal'shiar towing beam had locked onto Fai'col Ryakna. T'Cael reached for the comm button to instruct Varama to assign some of her engineering soldiers to inspect the inertial dampeners and then thought better of it.
"Riov, we are being hailed by the Tal'shiar commander."
"Answer him."
The viewer showed the commander comfortably seated on the command deck of his warbird. It also showed the nasty smirk splayed across his features.
"Ah. Hello again, Riov. I am comming you to express my delight at how trusting and simple minded you were during our conversation. I am not leaving the Tal'shiar. Nor am I joining the Republic. Instead, you and you soldiers will stand trial for treason and then be executed. Your fine warbird will be repurposed to serve the guardians of the Empire and the Declared. The gullability of Republic soldiers when they hear one of us wants to defect is my favorite quality of you fools. And all of you seem to have it in abundance. Have you any words on this unforseen and unknowable change of affairs?"
"No. Not really. Except for these. This is T'Cael. Close the trap. The serpents have eaten the bait."
Five plasma torpedoes, angry and red, appeared. They hit the escorts very nearly simultaneously. Unshielded, their hulls melted under the barrage as the plasma scorched its way through deck after deck. Fires guttered into open space from open decks until the oxygen ran out. Clouds of debris, gaseous at first and solidifying quickly in the absolute cold, spun away in slow arcs from the now destroyed warbirds. The look on the Tal'shiar commander's face went from assured to wild panic instantly.
"Wait! Wait! Riov! This can still be resolved simply! What we discussed can happen as I said it would! Stop and think before you do something rash!"
As the trio of Republic warbirds swung about onto a firing vector towards the now solitary Tal'shiar vessel, T'Cael spoke.
"Using the quasar to hide ships is a clever tactic, is it not? Quite a few Republic ships have disappeared near here over the past few months. You never expected us to figure it out, did you? And now, now you are willing to remove your fangs and join us. After it appears you have no other choice. How convenient for you. The problem with removing the fangs of a serpent? They always grow back. This is T'Cael. All ships, fire."
"Fair morning, Riov. My report is ready and awaits your command."
"Thank you, Subcommander, and the same to you. Please conduct your end of watch report at once."
"Fai'col Ryakna is sound on all decks, compartments and stations, Riov. No crew are injured or sick. We are currently on schedule and enroute to the next control point of our patrol. The warbird we are to rendezvous with there, Hakeev's Pain, reported at mid watch they are on schedule as well. So our personnel and supplies transfer should occur on time. No unexplained or enemy contacts are within range of our sensors. No distress calls recieved. In short, a quiet watch. For which I am grateful, Riov. This was a pleasant alternative to our usual excitement."
T'Cael could not quite keep the quirk of annoyance off his face.
"Anything else before I relieve you of the conn, Subcommander?"
"Yes, Riov. I nearly forgot. About two hours into my watch, there was a series of subspace comm bursts near Fai'col Ryakna. They were on a very low frequency which the Fleet seldom uses except at very short range. They lasted for approximately one minute, eighteen seconds. They did not repeat nor reoccur. A recording of them detected no pattern. They were gibberish, Riov. After two hours, I directed Signals to discontinue analysis and log them as background static normal to this part of NearSpace."
"Why was I not notified at once, Subcommander? There are standing instructions in the Watch Log about such things, as I recall."
"Because Riov, Signals and I determined the subspace emanation originated from Quasar 36-Y-18Beta."
"Explain further."
"Riov my Academy Scholia and training are Science. Quasars are known to emit regular bursts of energy across the electromagnetic spectrum and across subspace as well. Upon looking at the readings recorded by Signals, I determined the signal was part of the normal 'chatter' produced by a quasar. I judged you would not take kindly to being awakened simply because a failing star decided to speak to us as we passed by."
The relief on the Subcommander's face was obvious as a bright bubble of laughter burst forth from T'Cael. "I need some shore leave and soon", T'Cael thought. "When I am about to put a junior member of my Command Team on report for something like this, I have been away from Mol'Rihan too long. And if I've been away too long, what does this say for my soldiers?"
"Very well, Subcommander. You judged correctly, or got lucky in this case. Please remember this incident some day when you are the commander of a Republic War-" The Alert horns began their shrill scream. Sensors shouted across the command deck.
"Riov! Contact decloaking off starboard! Its weapons and targeting sensors are hot and active! Threat profile identifies it as, as Tal'shiar!"
"I have the conn! Helm, port two five mark plus thirty, execute! All soldiers, this is T'Cael! Action Stations! First Officer, to Combat Control! Weapons, bring our cannons and torpedo launchers online at once! Stand by for my command to engage! Flight, launch Ready Fives! All others as soon as possible! Signals, send a contact report to Fleet!" The quick chorus of confirmation responses was interrupted by Signals.
"Hostile is jamming subspace, Riov! Unable to get off a contact report to Fleet at this time!" There was a pause and Signals spoke again, "The Tal'shiar warbird is hailing us!"
"Onscreen."
"Rebel trash! Stop all engines! Power down your weapons and shields! Prepare to be boarded! You are hereby arrested for treason against the rightful government of the Romulan people! All Warbirds, cease cloaking!"
Two more Tal'shiar vessels shimmered into view, their weapons pods bright with barely contained energies.
"This is T'Cael. All stop! Power down weapons and shields! Tal'shiar commander, Fai'col Ryakna and her soldiers await your instructions."
"What?! Those ancient scows are no match for us, Riov!"
"But there are enough of them to kill or injure some of you. They currently have the advantage over us. So wasting lives to return to even stakes is not something I choose. Stand down."
"As ordered, Riov."
A transporter effect whined at the aft end of the command deck. As it ceased, the Tal'shiar officer from the hail and several soldiers appeared.
"You are in charge of this pitiful collection of traitors and cowards?"
"I am."
"Your day cabin. We will go there now. No one other than you and I."
"By your order."
Several minutes later. T'Cael and the commander were in T'Cael's day cabin. T'Cael observed the Imperial's body language unobtrusively. The man was tense and his eyes were restless. He moved at odd moments and in unexpected ways.
"I have no idea how to say this except as directly as possible. I desire to leave the Tal'shiar and join the Republic. Along with my crew. The past few cycles have been difficult. We have done terrible things in the name of the Empress and the Empire. Innocents have died or been punished for things they...they did not do. The leadership no longer protects the Declared. Instead they desperately cling to whatever power they have and only seek to gain more. By any means possible. No scrap of control is left lying unused. No task is too bloody. No life standing between them and whatever power they crave currently is safe. And I, I have had enough. More than enough. I am tired of killing Rihannsu to protect the masters I serve currently."
"You have three ships to my one. Their weapons are online and ready. You ordered us to take our weapons and shields offline. Obviously, not all of your soldiers are willing to follow you in joining the Republic or we would not be having this conversation. Equally obviously, you have a solution to the impasse we are currently at. What is it?"
"My warbird will put a towing beam on yours with my other two warbirds taking up escort positions. I will transport the soldiers loyal to me aboard your ship to act as guards. At the appropriate moment, the towing beam will fail due to an unexpained EPS conduit power feedback into my ship's primary power circuits and both of our ships will be pulled from warp before the others realize. In the minutes before they return, my remaining loyal soldiers will beam aboard your warbird. Which will then destroy my vessel and make an escape."
"It is a bold plan. You have thought about this a great deal. It is also the only plan you have. So like it or not, I will go along with it. Is there any sort of cover along your route where a search for Fai'col Ryakna would be difficult?"
"There is a nebula along the course back to the Empire which is about a day and a half's travel time from here at low warp. That will be the place where we act. Thank you, Riov. I will rest easier tonight knowing the evil I have done will soon be behind me. It will always be with me. But it will not continue."
***
A gentle tug downward and to starboard indicated the Tal'shiar towing beam had locked onto Fai'col Ryakna. T'Cael reached for the comm button to instruct Varama to assign some of her engineering soldiers to inspect the inertial dampeners and then thought better of it.
"Riov, we are being hailed by the Tal'shiar commander."
"Answer him."
The viewer showed the commander comfortably seated on the command deck of his warbird. It also showed the nasty smirk splayed across his features.
"Ah. Hello again, Riov. I am comming you to express my delight at how trusting and simple minded you were during our conversation. I am not leaving the Tal'shiar. Nor am I joining the Republic. Instead, you and you soldiers will stand trial for treason and then be executed. Your fine warbird will be repurposed to serve the guardians of the Empire and the Declared. The gullability of Republic soldiers when they hear one of us wants to defect is my favorite quality of you fools. And all of you seem to have it in abundance. Have you any words on this unforseen and unknowable change of affairs?"
"No. Not really. Except for these. This is T'Cael. Close the trap. The serpents have eaten the bait."
Five plasma torpedoes, angry and red, appeared. They hit the escorts very nearly simultaneously. Unshielded, their hulls melted under the barrage as the plasma scorched its way through deck after deck. Fires guttered into open space from open decks until the oxygen ran out. Clouds of debris, gaseous at first and solidifying quickly in the absolute cold, spun away in slow arcs from the now destroyed warbirds. The look on the Tal'shiar commander's face went from assured to wild panic instantly.
"Wait! Wait! Riov! This can still be resolved simply! What we discussed can happen as I said it would! Stop and think before you do something rash!"
As the trio of Republic warbirds swung about onto a firing vector towards the now solitary Tal'shiar vessel, T'Cael spoke.
"Using the quasar to hide ships is a clever tactic, is it not? Quite a few Republic ships have disappeared near here over the past few months. You never expected us to figure it out, did you? And now, now you are willing to remove your fangs and join us. After it appears you have no other choice. How convenient for you. The problem with removing the fangs of a serpent? They always grow back. This is T'Cael. All ships, fire."
![BanaqH [TA]](http://stonewallgamingnet.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/public/n135045/com_people/avatars/square744af4676ebc3b51770942fbbf0e3b9b.png){kind=avatar}
