SEASON 3: EPISODE 04

TO DELIGHT IN THE INHUMAN WORD: Part Fifteen

  Mon’kor silently watched as the Jem’Hadar and human captain disappear in a transporter haze.  He continued to lie on the floor as the ship around him shook and the sounds of explosions buffeted his ears.  He waited for death but it did not come.  No explosion vaporised his body.  The hull did not crack apart and he was not sucked into the black abyss of space.  There was nothing, only silence after a while and the smell of death.

  Mon’kor thanked Kahless he still lived.  He looked around him and saw the dead Starfleet marine, the Zaranite and Thopok.  He marvelled at his Klingon brother.  Where he had been struck with cowardly fear Thopok had not.  The Klingon who had lost in personal combat to a Ferengi should not have saved his life.  Thopok should have been cowered in a corner pissing himself.  Yet he had not, instead Thopok had launched into battle with a Jem’Hadar and saved Mon’kor’s life.  A no holds barred battle to the death and had defeated the powerful warrior.  Thopok had than been cut down in the most cowardly of fashions by a surprise attack while his back was turned.

  Mon’kor suddenly felt energy surge in him.  He would not let Thopok lay face down on the floor.  Thopok had earned his right to spend eternity fighting in Sto-vo-kor.  He would have a warrior’s farewell.

  Mon’kor crawled to Thopok.  He grabbed him and rolled him over onto his back so his face was pointed towards the heavens.  He then opened up Thopok’s eyes and roared towards the sky.  The warriors of Sto-vo-kor would know that a true warrior was coming and the enemies of the mighty would tremble in fear.

  “I appreciate the gesture, Mon’kor.  But traditionally it requires that I be dead.”

  Mon’kor looked down stunned at Thopok and saw his eyes follow him.

  “You live!” exclaimed Mon’kor.

  “I do, but your fingers in my eyes are not helping.”

  Mon’kor released Thopok’s eyes.

  “I saw you struck twice by the Jem’Hadar’s weapons.”

  “That Jem’Hadar is obviously not of the calibre of the one I killed.  He only succeeded in wounding me.”  Thopok raised his head and looked around them.  “Where is the captain?”

  Mon’kor dropped his head in shame.  “The Jem’Hadar took him.  To my shame I did not try to prevent it.  I am a fool and a coward.”  Mon’kor picked up Thopok’s d’k tahg and offered it back to Thopok.  “I request that you end my shame.  I do not deserve to live.”

  Thopok took his blade and looked at it.  “If I were to kill you there would be no one to patch my injuries.”

  “Then you will kill me?” Mon’kor asked hopefully.

  Thopok stared into Mon’kor’s eyes for several moments.  “Only if you do a poor job,” said Thopok with a hint of a toothy smile.  “I will not kill you, Mon’kor.  You will get a second chance to face the Jem’Hadar and prove yourself to be a Klingon warrior.”

  “You trust me to?  After I disgraced my House and ancestors by acting like a scared little child?”

  “I do.  Too long have you been part of a ship without honour, you behaved the way you did because you did not believe you can face a true warrior and be victorious.  You will face them and feel no fear because you have seen they can be killed,” explained Thopok.  “Before I might have granted your request without as much as a thought.  However, you have shown me that you have honour by preparing Sto-vo-kor for my arrival.  I might not be dead but this day is not over yet.  We both may die but our brothers in Sto-vo-kor have heard your call, they will be watching and we will show them that if we are to join them we are truly deserving.  The honoured dead will greet us with songs of our courage and the Jem’Hadar lucky to survive our fury will spread tales of the two fearsome Klingon warriors, Thopok and Mon’kor, whose blades were sharpened by death and souls hardened by righteous battle!”

  Thopok stretched out his hand to Mon’kor.

  “Qapla, brother.”  Mon’kor could not think of a time before when he had felt this.  Joy.  Pride.  Honour.  The righteous thirst for battle.  Mon’kor was a warrior in name only before this, now he would show that he was a true son of Kahless.  Mon’kor grasped Thopok’s wrist with force.  “We will teach these Jem’Hadar about death!”

  Tiki turned to Stark.  “What the hell just happened?”

  “I don’t know.  Masters’ team set off the explosives but it didn’t separate the nacelle.  They must not have completed setting up.”

  “They didn’t send a signal for us to beam them out,” said Tiki.  “Are you suggesting they might have accidentally set off their explosives?”

  Stark nodded.  “They might have.”

  “What about their life signs?”

  Stark gave Tiki a morose look.  “I haven’t been able to detect any in the pylon since the explosion.  The reinforced structural integrity fields might be masking them but...”

  “It is unlikely they would have survived.”  Tiki swore quietly.  “Then we failed.”

  “Actually, I don’t we have,” said Dyson.  “I’ve checked and we’re at impulse.”

  Tiki looked at the readings.  Dyson was correct.

  “We’ve dropped out of warp!” said Tiki with surprise.  “Why?”

  “Maybe the pylon is heavily damaged and the stress of travelling at warp is threatening to rip it free.  They could have also severed the main power junctions to the nacelles, preventing any power to the coils to create or maintain a warp field.  That would take some repairing.”

  “At least they didn’t die in vain,” said Stark.

  That was cold comfort to Tiki.  He knew he should never have let Masters lead one of the teams; he should have locked him in the rear of the runabout where he would be safe.  If they did get out of this there would be questions about that decision.

  “Someone is entering the shuttlebay,” said Stark.

  That snapped Tiki out of his remorse.  “What?  Take your positions,” he ordered.  “Where are they?  How many?”

  “I detected only one coming out of a Jefferies tube,” said Stark.

  “From the Jefferies tube, why would they be in the tube?  Where exactly?”

  “Forward of us to the left,” said Stark, pointing in the direction.

  Tiki looked out the runabout’s forward viewports.  “Isn't that Jim?” asked Lieutenant Lee as he spotted the intruder.

  “Looks like it.  He must have avoided the attack as well.  Lee, go out and get him in here immediately.”

  Lee grabbed another marine and was quickly out of the runabout.  They cautiously moved forward to a position where they could attract Cole’s attention.  They soon had the young ensign and were hurrying back to the runabout.

  “Colonel Tiki, am I glad to see you!” said Cole when he spotted Tiki.  “Jem'Hadar have boarded the ship!”

  “We know, Jim.  We thought they had taken down the rest of the crew, how did you escape?”

  “I was on the bridge when we were boarded.”

  “How many?”

  “I only saw one.  When we escaped they had Commander Core and Lieutenant Misi as prisoners, the rest were dead.  Core and Misi might still be alive.  They’ve taken the whole ship?” said Cole in shock.

  “Not really.  They disabled the crew and are only holding a small number of areas such as the bridge and engineering,” clarified Tiki.  “So you only saw one Jem’Hadar?”

  Cole nodded.  “I only saw one but who knows how many were on the Centaur?”

  Tiki gave Cole a confused look.

  “That’s how they got on board.  They were on a captured Starfleet ship and tricked us into beaming one of them over.  They could have dozens more on that ship.”

  “If that other ship is still around it could just drag us at warp with a tractor beam,” said Lee.  “We might only have bought a few minutes.”

  Cole gave Lee and Tiki a look.  “I take it that the ship feeling like it was about to shake itself apart was your doing?”

  Tiki nodded.  “We’ve disabled the ship’s ability to travel at warp under its own power.  At least for the moment.  The presence of another ship is not good.”

  “It depends on how much damage Masters’ team did to the pylon.”

  “The captain’s with you?” interrupted Cole.

  Tiki gestured for Dyson to continue.  “It might be impossible to travel at warp without the pylon ripping apart or at least it will limit the speed the other ship can travel with us in tow.”

  “What do we do another that other ship, assuming it is still around?” asked Stark.

  “If we could get control of one of the phaser arrays we could just blast it to hell,” suggested Lee.

  “What about using our transporter?”

  “We could send a team to try and take over the other ship.”

  “You have a transporter?” asked Cole over the voices of the discussing marines.

  “It would take them by surprise but I'm not sure if eight of us can do it,” said Tiki.

  “We took the IKS Hul’fa’c with twelve men and the Vor’cha class can carry nearly two thousand Klingons,” pointed out Lee

  “It is possibly but we'd need to be very lucky,” said Tiki.

  “What about beaming some torpedoes to the other ship?  Maybe one to the bridge?”

  “We’d need to hope their shields are down plus so far our sensors are limited to inside this ship.”

  “What if we...”

  “HEY!”

  Tiki and the other marines went silent as they turned to Ensign Cole.

  “Do you have a transporter?” asked Cole.

  “We’re using the transporter on the runabout to move around the ship,” said Tiki.

  A look of excited joy came to Cole’s face.  “WehavetosaveAutumn!  Wehavetohurryshewasbleeding...dyingwhenIleft...”

  Tiki raised his hands in a pacifying gesture.  “Slow down, Jim.  Where is she?”

  “Turbolift,” said Cole huffing and puffing still from his previous efforts.

  Tiki took Cole over to Stark for the ensign to indicate a more precise location.

  “I've got a lock.  Her life sign is very weak, but she’s alive.”

  Tiki looked to Cole and thought for a second the young ensign might faint from relief.

  “Beam her here, Stark,” ordered Tiki.

  Cole practically ran to the transporter pad as Stark beamed Bailey to the runabout.  Cole looked extremely impatient as the transporter slowly materialised Bailey on the pad.  He dropped to his knees beside her.  Tiki also standing nearby looked the female ensign over.  She appeared to be unconscious and he could easily spot the serious wound to her side.

  “She’s not breathing!  I don't think she’s breathing!  I think she’s dead!” cried Cole hysterically.

  “Sergeant Calith is a medic.  Let him check on her, Jim,” said Tiki as he lightly grabbed Cole’s shoulder and gently pulled him back from Bailey.

  Calith moved next to Bailey, a medical tricorder in his hand as he scanned her.  The corpsman fished for more equipment from his pack.

  “Her breathing is very shallow, but she's alive; barely,” Calith reported.  “She’s lost a lot of blood.  She’s need a transfusion or she’ll die.”

  “We need to beam her to sickbay.  Revive Doctor Murphy and have her treat her,” demanded Cole.  He quickly rounded on Tiki.  “You have to beam us to sickbay.”

  Tiki looked over to Calith for his opinion.

  “Jim’s right,” agreed Calith.  “She’ll die if we don’t do something major soon.  If you beam me to sickbay I should be able to find a doctor there and be able to revive them to treat her.”

  “Beam me with them.  I'm not going to leave her again,” said Cole with determination.

  Tiki knew he had little choice.  If he did nothing Bailey would die.

  “We have no idea if there are any hostiles in sickbay,” said Tiki.

  “I doubt there would be,” said Calith.  “It isn’t like they’ll be using it to treat their expendable Jem’Hadar or even members of the crew.  It should be deserted.”

  “I don’t think I can spare another marine to go with you, Calith.”

  The corpsman nodded.  “I understand.  Beam me in first and if I don’t report back you’ll know it isn’t safe.”

  “But if the Dominion gets you who’ll treat Autumn?” asked a worried Cole.

  Calith gave Cole a stoic look.  “If I’m captured that means sickbay is off limits and without the help of a doctor or proper medical facilities the best we can do for Ensign Bailey is to make her as comfortable as possible.  That can be done by anyone.”

  “Okay, we’ll beam you to sickbay, Calith.  When you report back we’ll send the two ensigns,” said Tiki.

  Calith acknowledged Tiki’s orders and stepped onto the transporter pad.  Tiki gave the order to Stark and the marine medic faded from existence.  It was an anxious wait for the group, in particular Ensign Cole as they waited for Calith to rematerialise and contact them.

  “Sickbay is clear.”

  Cole let out an audible sigh as Calith reported in.  Tiki ordered Stark to beam Bailey over and then Cole.

  Tiki turned back to Lee and Stark.  “Now that’s done we need to figure out how we’re going to take back this ship.”

  When Cole rematerialised he saw that Bailey was on a biobed.  Calith was kneeling over a Starfleet doctor who was lying unconscious on the floor.  It was not Dr Murphy, not that he was surprised given that the attack had occurred during the gamma shift.  Instead it was the Deltan doctor, Fe’hipat.

  “He should be conscious soon,” said Calith.  “I’ve set up the bio-monitors.  If you can just watch them and tell me if anything major changes.”

  “What about the Jem’Hadar?” asked Cole.

  “I’ve sealed the door.  That should keep them busy for a few minutes at least.”

  Cole sat next to the bed and watched the readouts of Bailey’s life-signs.  According to the readings they were low but at least they were stable.  He took her hand.

  “Hold on, Autumn,” Cole whispered.

  Cole heard a commotion behind him as the doctor regained consciousness.

  “I’m sorry I can’t explain what’s going on immediately but we need your help,” explained Calith.  “We have a Jem’Hadar disruptor wound that needs attention.”

  “O...Okay, can you help me to my feet,” said Fe’hipat.

  Calith helped the doctor to his feet and guided the still unsteady Deltan to the biobed with Bailey on it.  Fe’hipat steadied himself on the biobed as he analysed Bailey’s readings.

  “Severe internal injuries...blood pressure dangerously low...” mumbled the doctor.

  “Is she going to make it?” asked Cole.

  The doctor turned to him.  “Her injuries are very severe, Frank.  The fact she is still alive speaks to her spirit and hold on life.  She is going to need extensive surgery to repair her internal injuries, which I don’t think we’ll truly know the damage until we get in there.  I’m going to need some help.”

  “That might be a problem,” said Calith.  “We’ve got an unknown number of enemies wandering the ship.  At the moment I can’t let any of you leave this room, it’s just too dangerous.  I can revive the other personnel in this room and I have a bit of medical experience as a marine medic.”

  Fe’hipat looked around the room.  There were two other individuals unconscious in the room.

  “Another doctor would be my preference,” said Fe’hipat.  “But we’ll work with what we have.  Sorry, I don’t know your name,” said Fe’hipat to Calith.

  “Sergeant Calith.  Jerome Calith,” Calith introduced himself.

  “Well Jerome, if you can revive those two nurses we see what we can do to save this young ensign.”

  Cole squeezed Bailey’s hand.  “Just keep hanging on,” Cole said to Bailey.  “Help is here, you just need to just hanging on.”

  Masters slowly began to become more aware and as he did he felt an intense throbbing at the back of his head.  When the Jem’Hadar had beamed him away he had struggled with the Jem’Hadar.  When they materialised that earned him the butt of the Jem’Hadar’s rifle to the back of his head.  He still felt groggy and was not sure how long he had been out.  However, he did find that whatever he was lying on was very comfortable.

  “Welcome back, Captain Masters,” said a voice Masters recognised.

  “Jasis,” he moaned.  “I can’t say I'm thrilled to hear your voice.  How long have I been out?”

  He brought his hand to his head to rub the sore spot where he had been hit.  He was surprised that he was not restrained.  As Masters slowly opened his eyes and found he was staring up at a very familiar ceiling. 

  “Just under fifteen minutes.  I’m surprised you avoided the initial gas attack.  Obviously your group weren’t the only ones.  There’s no way you could have set off the explosions in the port pylon and get to the starboard one to set off another.”

  Masters suppressed a smile.  That meant his last action had at least worked.  He had at least damaged the pylon.  Masters hoped that it had been enough.

  “I’m not going to tell you anything,” stated Masters.

  “I didn’t expect you to.  However, the others don’t matter.  They might have disabled this ship for the moment but we’ll be back up and running soon.  I also have what I’ve come for...you,” said Jasis with obvious delight.

  “I can’t say I’m touched,” Masters said as he sat up.  Before him stood a very different Jasis from the one he remembered.  She had changed the colour of her hair and he had to admit she almost looked like a completely different person.  Just behind her was the Jem’Hadar he was sure was the one that had captured him.  “What the hell do you want with me?”

  “She’s after revenge.  Jasis has gone a bit batty.”

  Masters head spun around quickly and saw Daley seated, rather restrained to a chair.  He then realised that he was in his quarters.

  “I’d wave but I've a bit tied up,” joked Daley.

  “We’ve been enjoying a little chat,” said Jasis.  “She’s a very pleasant woman; I can see why you would be attracted to her.”

  That made Masters’ skin crawl.  He looked closely at Daley but could not see any obvious signs of torture, though he was aware that there were methods that did not leave any external signs of trauma to the victim.

  “She hasn’t tortured me, at least not physically,” said Daley reading Masters’ mind.  “However, she has tried to talk me to death.  Was her previous clone annoyingly chatty?”

  “Distractingly so,” said Masters.

  “I didn’t want you to miss out on any of the fun,” said Jasis.  She turned to the Jem’Hadar.  “Corhan’ital, you may resume your position at the door.”

  “He is not restrained.  Shall I secure him?” asked the Jem’Hadar Corhan’ital.

  “No.”

  Masters was not sure who was more surprised him or the Jem’Hadar.  “Rona’toran?”

  “Do as I order.  With the death of the first and third you are now second.  However, if you insist on questioning my orders I can promote another Jem’Hadar ahead of you.”

  The Jem’Hadar bowed to Jasis.  “I apologise for my lack of discipline, rona’toran.  It will not happen again.”

  Jasis regarded the Jem’Hadar coldly.  “I shall think not.  Now, to your position.  You may also inform the old second that he is now first.”

  The Jem’Hadar acknowledged Jasis’s order and went to leave.

  “And you will hear strange sounds from within this room after you leave, but unless I call for you, you are not to enter this room.  Clear?”

  “Your orders are clear, rona’toran,” said the Jem’Hadar before he exited the room.

  Masters glanced over to Daley who also looked as confused as him.  She shrugged to show she had no idea what was going on either.  It made no sense to Masters as to why Jasis would dismiss the Jem’Hadar without making sure he was restrained.  As things were now he was free to move and he could attack Jasis.  He had a height, reach and weight advantage over the Vorta and he was a trained Starfleet officer.  It seemed a stupid risk to leave herself vulnerable to attack by him.

  Masters slowly got to his feet.  “That doesn’t seem like a wise move to make.”

  “I’m armed,” said Jasis pointing out the disruptor pistol on her side.

  Masters advanced on Jasis.  With amazing reflexes Jasis pulled out her disruptor pistol and had it pointed at Daley before Masters had taken two steps.

  Jasis raised a finger and wagged it at Masters.  “Naughty.  We haven’t even had the chance to have a proper chat yet.”

  Masters slowly backed up and sat back down.  Jasis was smart.  If she had just pointed the disruptor at him he would not have hesitated to attack her and try to overpower her, but by immediately threatening Daley’s life she had stopped him in his tracks.  He could not even pretend that he would forfeit her life for his and Jasis would be well aware of that face.

  “Okay, you seem to have something on your mind,” Masters said.

  “Can’t you guess what it is?” asked Jasis.

  Masters nodded slowly.  “I assume this is about the fact I killed your previous clone.”

  “Yessss,” hissed Jasis as her features went dark.  “You murdered me on Caprius III.  You slaughtered me without as much as a second thought about it.  Do you know how I know?  Because I remember it,” said Jasis tapping a finger to the side of her head.  “I recall everything.  The feel of the knife slicing my flesh, the sticky wetness as my blood flowed freely over my body.  Do you know what I recall most of all?”  Masters shook his head.  Jasis strode towards Masters; her disruptor did not waver from targeting Daley.  She came up to Masters so that their faces were almost touching.  “Your face.”

  Masters briefly considered attacking her, but he could not be sure that he would be fast enough to prevent Jasis from killing Daley.  Jasis’s hot breath buffeted him.  Her purple eyes were cold and hard as she stared deeply into his.  Beyond them he was rage and hatred.  Tiki was right; this was very personal to Jasis.

  “I remember the way you looked as you drove that knife into my throat.  Your acceptance of your act as my blood splattered across your face.”  Jasis ran a hand down Masters’ cheek.  “The final look you gave me as we both lay on the ground.  You were glad, even proud of your bloody work.  Your callous disregard for my life.”

  “What do you want, Jasis?” asked Masters.  “For me to say I’m sorry?  If that’s it I’d sooner learn how to breathe in a vacuum.  You’re the enemy, Jasis!  Killing you is what I do.  If I had to repeat the situation the only thing I’d do different is I’d have killed you as soon as Sela captured you.”

  Jasis’s right eye twitched.  “I’d be careful what you say to me, Jonathan.  I’m considered unstable by my comrades.  If you think I won’t kill you because I’m a Vorta you will find that I can be every bit as brutal as you.”

  “Do you want the problem with you Vorta is?  You talk too much.  You yak and yak on about the glory of the Founders and how we’re all doomed but it’s all hot air.  You’re mouth pieces and middle men that can’t do anything for yourselves.  If you think all this ‘chatting’ is intimidating me, it isn’t.  It just reminds me how pathetic you are,” said Masters, leaning even closer to Jasis.

  Jasis backed up slightly and Masters took that cue to continue moving forward.  He slowly got to his feet, never taking his eyes off Jasis’s.

  “We’ll see who’s pathetic,” said Jasis.

  Masters stared down at her.  “There you go again.  Your threats are meaningless because I know you can’t back them up.  Do you want to teach me a lesson?  To make me suffer for killing you?  Then do it.  DO IT!” Masters bellowed.  Jasis reminded frozen in her place.  “If our roles were reserved right now you’d get to be the second Jasis I’ve had the pleasure of killing.”

  That last comment finally got Masters the reaction he wanted.  Jasis swung her hand with her disruptor towards his head.  Masters blocked the blow with his forearm and with his other arm he threw a punch towards Jasis’s ribs.  To Masters’ surprise his blow did not land.  He felt a hand wrap around his wrist that pulled him forward.  Jasis at the same time stepped away from the blow and then into Masters as she drop low.  The next thing Masters knew he was flipping through the air.  Masters crashed into the floor.

  “Surprised?” asked Jasis.

  Masters looked up at Jasis’s smiling face.  “I’d be lying if I said no.”  Masters got back to his feet.  “So are you going to shot me now?”

  Jasis let out a laugh.  “No, Jonathan.  I quite enjoyed that little rough housing.  How about we make this interesting?”  Jasis holstered her disruptor.  “I’m going to show you how pathetic you are.”

  Masters was wary.  Jasis had used a pretty basic throw on him, it might be a sign she had some combat training.  However, she was a Vorta and they were no stronger or faster than humans.  She did not appear to have any advantage, apart from being mad.  His obvious goal was to get the disruptor off her.  Once he had it their battle would be over.

  “Okay,” he agreed.  “I’m not going to go easy on you because you’re a woman.”

  Jasis’s smile widened that sent a chill down his spine.  “Excellent, because I have no intention of going easy on you.”