Chapter 8 - Taking Flight
Jack walked out to the balcony of the apartment where he found Mei-Wan drinking a glass of wine.
"Sorry it took me so long," he said.
"I was a little worried," she said. "Anything wrong?"
Jack took a deep breath as he watched the cool night breeze blow Mei-Wan's hair about.
"The starship Burbank detected what appears to be a G'voda vessel about fifteen light years from Izar. Dad's taken the Third Fleet out to investigate," Jack said.
"But why would a ship from the Kel-j'na Region be that deep into Federation territory?"
Jack shook his head. "We haven't been able to figure that out yet. I just hope an appearance by the G'voda doesn't mean the Borg are on their way."
Mei-Wan stood silently and took a sip of her wine as Jack walked to the railing and looked out at the star filled night sky.
"We should know more in a couple of hours. The Burbank was going in for a closer look," Jack stated.
Mei-Wan watched her husband closely. She wanted to say something to him about the way he acted towards Kyle at the reception, but she knew it would probably lead to an argument and that was the last thing she wanted now. She just wanted a day or two to relax before she had to decide about going on the expedition back to Hel'yra.
Jack stood looking up into the sky. "I've been thinking about some things, Mei," he started. "I know I've avoided talking about you going on the expedition."
FOr once Mei-Wan was the one who didn't want to talk about the subject he had avoided for more than a month. "Jack, I know I've been insisting we talk this out, but…"
He interrupted her. "Mei, please. I really need to say this."
She turned to look at him. "Okay."
"After watching you address the Conference today and seeing you at the reception I think I finally realized how much something like this really means to you."
She smiled softly and took a step closer to him.
He took a deep breath. "And while I can't stand the idea of being apart for a year or more I don't think I can be the one to stand in your way. So…"
He turned to her and forced a smile to his face. "I want you to go on the expedition."
Mei-Wan watched every nuance in his face looking for some indication about why he was saying this now. She looked down into her wine glass. "Is that how you really feel about it, Jack?"
He thought for several moments. "I think you know how I feel about it, but I don't want you basing your decision on my feelings. This is the best thing for your career and I think for you."
She turned to look out at the city with its tall metal buildings. Part of her was happy he had realized how much the expedition meant to her, but another part of her was suspicious he was trying to manipulate her--- trying to make her feel guilty for wanting to go. She wondered if it had anything to do with how Kyle acted towards her at the reception. Though perhaps there was something else.
She started to feel that there was a sense of resignation in his attitude. Was he giving up trying to influence her decision or was he giving up on their relationship as a whole?
Mei-Wan closed her eyes to try to fight back the thoughts she had struggled with for the last three days. Those thoughts had made her consider the possibility that it was time for her and Jack to go their separate ways. Before the last month the very idea would never have occurred to her, but more and more she questioned things about their relationship, and about what she wanted out of her life.
She turned to Jack and fought back the tears wanting to erupt. She took a deep breath and struggled against the conflicting emotions in her heart.
"Jack, perhaps we should…"
Her words stopped as a bright flash of light forced her eyes closed.
Jack looked out at the city and watched as a ball of expanding gases rose into the air toward the outskirts of Sylvanus.
"What the hell was that?"
Mei-Wan looked the same direction. "Is that the power station?"
Her question was answered as all the lights in the surrounding buildings and their own apartment joined the darkness of the night.
"There's almost nothing that could cause a power station to explode like that," Jack stated.
Finally the sound of the explosion reached them and caused the floor to shudder.
Mei-Wan looked up into the sky. "Look Jack."
He followed her gaze up and saw several small lights moving down from above. "I don't like the look of this."
The small lights became larger and after a few moments became recognizable to Jack McCall. "Damn. Skorr fighters. It's an attack!"
Seven of the craft cruised downward to the city and pulled up only at the last moment sailing over the tops of the city of Sylvanus' now darkened buildings. They fired bright blue bursts of expanding energy that struck certain structures but did not cause explosions. The energy blasts caused their targets to glow for a moment, but quickly dissipated.
Jack and Mei-Wan watched the attack as twelve more fighters came down from the starry sky and then were followed by forty more not longer than ten seconds later. Bright blue flashes illuminated their faces as the attack continued.
"They're using some form of energy disruptor," Jack said as Mei-Wan edged closer to him.
He looked into her eyes. "Get to the most interior room of the apartment."
Mei-Wan moved without question as Jack walked up to the large Comm unit on the living room wall and tried to activate it, but it remained dark. "Damn," Jack said as he tried the unit again.
Mei-Wan walked back into the room. "I tried the Comm unit in the bedroom, it's dead."
"So's this one," Jack said as the room shook from a fighter that flew only twenty feet away from their balcony. Jack ran back to the window and stopped as he watched more than fifty Skorr fighters descend from the sky. Mei-Wan ran up to him and held onto his arm.
"What's happening?" she asked with a tremor in her soft voice.
Jack frowned. "Janus Osmand."
***
In the Captain's Ready Room of the U.S.S. Chamberlain, Melissa Vargas and Kristy Bishop walked toward the forward windows and saw wave after wave of fighters fly past and down toward the planet.
"What the hell is this?" Bishop asked.
"Skorr fighter craft," Vargas stated. She tapped her Comm badge. "Bridge, get me Sylvanus Spaceport."
The voice of a young male Ensign came over the intercom. "Lieutenant Commander, I'm not getting anything from Sylvanus. Sensors indicate that the primary power station just exploded."
"An attack?!" Bishop asked.
Melissa took a deep breath and turned to the ship's Chief Engineer. "Please tell me we at least have impulse engines."
Bishop shook her head. "They've been offline for three days. It would take more than an hour to power them up."
The intercom came to life again. "Commander Vargas, I'm receiving a signal from the Captain."
"Pipe it up here," Melissa said.
After a few moments of static Jack's voice came over the intercom. "Ms. Vargas get a signal to any operational starship in orbit and have them engage those fighters."
Melissa took a deep breath. "Sir, outside of a few science vessels there are no operational starships up here. They all left two hours ago with the Third Fleet."
"Commander, we are under attack down here! Can you launch fighters?!"
"I'm afraid not, Captain. All the fighter craft as well as the main bay itself are undergoing extensive maintenance. We can't even launch a shuttlecraft in our current condition."
More static came over the intercom. "Then start powering up the impulse engines. I'll try and find a way to get back to the ship. If I don't, I want you to use any and all means to stop those fighters!"
"Aye, sir."
The intercom went dead and Kristy Bishop turned and walked toward the exit. "I better get to engineering."
Vargas shook her head. "This will be over before we can get the engines operational, Kristy."
Bishop shrugged her shoulders as she continued down the stairs, but after getting halfway she stopped and turned back to Vargas. "Melissa, the Yacht."
Vargas' eyes widened as a smile came to her face. "I can power it up in ten minutes."
Bishop smiled as well. "And it has phasers and torpedoes."
Melissa walked towards the exit herself and tapped her Comm badge. "Bridge, start the power up procedures on the Captain's Yacht."
***
Back on the surface, Jack pulled out connections running from the back of a PADD to the active wall unit display. A moment later the screen went dark. He walked over to Mei-Wan, who stood near the window, and watched as now more than two hundred Skorr fighters filled the sky over Sylvanus. The frightened screams of people down on the streets permeated the air as they watched the attack continue.
Jack's eyes narrowed. "They're using energy distruptors on the city's sensors and defense systems."
"Why not just use phasers?" Mei-Wan asked.
Jack smiled. "Because they aren't interested in damaging anything. They're generating a distraction to keep everyone occupied."
He turned and looked in the direction toward the Federation Security Station.
"See, those five craft?" he asked his wife.
"What's the large one?"
Jack frowned. "A transport. They're breaking Janus Osmand out of the lockup."
Jack ran back inside and toward the front door. Mei-Wan followed and grabbed his arm stopping him. He turned to face her.
"Mei, I have to go. If I can get there soon enough I might be able to stop them."
"Without a weapon?"
He grinned. "I'll figure out something."
She looked into his eyes and knew she couldn't stop him. Rushing into danger like this was part of who Jack McCall was. He considered it his duty to try to stop the Skorr.
Mei-Wan released his arm. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he said.
She nodded.
Jack stopped and turned to her. He hesitated briefly before leaning toward Mei-Wan and gently kissing her.
A moment later he was gone.
***
Inside the Federation Security Building where Janus Osmand was being held thirty Skorr warriors fired large rifles at the Security Personnel striking them with bright flashes of energy. The Guards once hit, fell to the floor. After two minutes time all the Federation Sentries were unconscious.
Five of the tall creatures ran into the central area where more than forty holding cells were located. They moved toward a specific one and blasted away at the door controls. A moment later Janus Osmand walked into the hallway.
He approached one of the Skorr. "Are you certain no one has been killed in the operation?"
The Skorr warrior nodded to the much shorter human. "Yes, Janus. The power station showed no life signs when we fired the torpedo. For everything else we have only used disruptors at stun setting."
Janus nodded and walked up to the Skorr and patted him on the back. "Well done, brother. This day will bring the people of the Federation closer to an understanding of the truth."
He walked past the Skorr and down the hallway. The winged golden creatures followed him.
In the courtyard in front of the Security Building four fighters and the larger transport hovered more than fifty feet in the air. Jack McCall hid behind a corner of the building and looked up.
"Come on, guys, land," he whispered to himself. He pulled out a small hand phaser unit from a weapons' belt he had picked up from a guard at the Starfleet Building a few blocks distant on the way to his present location.
Out of the front of the Security Building Jack saw Osmand and the Skorr walk into the Courtyard. Then all of the Skorr spread their wings and took flight.
"Damn. I forgot. The Skorr can fly."
He came from around the corner and took aim at Osmand as several Skorr moved toward their leader, but one of their number turned and saw Jack. The Golden creature moved quickly as Jack's phaser fired its energy and caught the stun blast intended for Osmand.
The other Skorr warriors rushed in toward Osmand and picked him up. Jack took aim, but didn't fire. If he hit them even with a stun phaser blast they'd fall and probably die from the impact. Jack watched helplessly as Osmand looked down at him and smiled before being flown into the open rear door of the transport craft.
Jack grinned and readjusted his phaser. "Nothing says I can't damage your ship, Osmand."
He took aim and a more intense phaser blast struck the port nacelle on the transport sending a shower of sparks into the air as the craft rocked back and forth.
Jack took aim again, but stopped and ran behind the corner of the building just before several disruptor blasts struck the ground he had stood on moments before.
He peered back around the corner as the fighters and transport moved up and away from Jack's location.
"Damn."
Ten seconds later, twenty Starfleet Security Officers ran up to Jack's location with weapons in hand. Jack turned to them.
"You're a little late guys."
***
Aboard the Captain's Yacht on the Chamberlain, Melissa Vargas sat at the controls as the systems of the craft came alive. She touched a control for the intercom.
"Bridge, I'm ready to go."
"You have clearance to depart, Commander," a voice said from the intercom.
The Yacht shuddered as it disengaged from its moorings and fell from the Chamberlain into space. Melissa looked out the forward viewport and saw the Skorr fighters sailing away from the planet Gamala.
"Not so fast," she said as she activated the Yacht's targeting systems.
She touched another control and the Yacht's impulse engines came to life and the craft moved toward the escaping fighters which were now joined by a larger transport craft.
Vargas leaned over the sensor display and smiled. "I'd guess that's the ship that I really need to stop."
A loud chirping came from the sensor display as another ship showed up on the field of view. Melissa touched a control and a set of text and numbers appeared next to the new arrival.
She activated the Yacht's communications. "Starship Ariel, this is the Yacht Bucephalus. I didn't know there was anyone else up here."
"Ariel here, Bucephalus. We were supposed to go out with the Third Fleet, but had some engine difficulties. We were just about to go to warp before we got the Chamberlain's distress call," the male voice said. "What's the situation?"
"About two hundred Skorr fighters attacked Sylvanus and are now leaving. There's a transport vessel with them."
"That's probably the ship we want," said the voice from the Ariel. "We'll try clearing a path through the fighters for you. Get that transport."
Melissa touched the Comm control and increased the Yacht's velocity.
Aboard the transport vessel Janus Osmand stood behind two Skorr at the vessel's controls. One of them pointed to a display.
"Scanners indicate two vessels approaching at impulse velocity. One is an Ambassador Class starship," the winged creature said.
Another Skorr walked up next to Osmand. "Should we turn and attack?"
Janus' eyes went wide. "No. We shall not harm our brothers. I will surrender before attacking with lethal force." He leaned down to one of the Skorr at the controls. "Signal everyone. We move now."
The creature nodded as Janus turned back to the eight foot tall Skorr standing at his side. "Now we find out if our Romulan brothers were successful with their work."
Melissa Vargas armed her weapons as her sensor display showed she was mere seconds from coming into range to attack. She frowned as she noticed the fighters had stayed in tight formation about the transport. She would have thought that a few would have dropped back to attempt to slow her and the Ariel down.
The display indicated the Yacht's phasers were locked onto the engines of the transport. Another five seconds and the Ariel would begin attacking the fighters.
Melissa took a deep breath and glanced over at a display which indicated her shields were at full power. A loud alarm made her head snap back to look at the tactical display.. Her eyes widened as she saw that all of the contacts were gone except that of the starship Ariel.
"What the hell happened?"
She immediately ran a quick diagnostic of the sensors, but it indicated everything was in perfect order. The Comm system chimed. She suspected she knew who it was.
"Ariel to Bucephalus. Please tell me those ships didn't just cloak."
Melissa sighed and leaned back in her seat. By now the cloaked vessels would have dispersed and probably gone to warp.
"I'm afraid so, Ariel," she said as she touched the drive controls. "I'm heading back to the Chamberlain."
