STAR TREK

TONarian Sabotage

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By: Derek Kestner

 

Based on Star Trek™ created by Gene Roddenberry

            Captain’s Log, Stardate: 51711.3.  The TONarians have requested that they meet with a Federation Ambassador to begin talking about becoming allies with the Federation.  The U.S.S. Cobalt has ordered to the Raxon system, near the TONarian boarder, as they are now calling that area of space, with a Federation Ambassador to begin talks with the TONarians.  The talks will be held on the Cobalt.  End of Log Entry.

 

            Captain Brandon Blankenship, commander of the U.S.S. Cobalt, walked into the transporter room and found that his officers had arrived before him.  He smiled and greeted them.  He then turned to face the transporter pad.  Behind him the transporter chief said, “Captain, the Venus says that Ambassador T’ral is ready for transport.”

            Blankenship nodded and said, “Very well.  Energize.”

            All eyes cast toward the transporter pad.  The transporter effect quickly faded, and in its place stood a young Vulcan female, with very defined pointed ears.  Her ambassadorial robes reached down to the floor.  Blankenship inclined his head and said, “Ambassador T’ral, I am Captain Brandon Blankenship, welcome to the U.S.S. Cobalt.”

            Ambassador T’ral raised her hand in the traditional Vulcan salute and said, “Live long and prosper, Captain Blankenship, and thank you.”  She stepped down off the transporter pad and faced Blankenship.

            Blankenship then motioned toward his officers and said, “These are my officers.  Commander Heather Turner, Lieutenant Commander Derek Kestner, Lieutenant Commander Brad Foreman, Lieutenant Ashley Rickman, and Lieutenant Michael Sheffield.”

            One-by-one Ambassador T’ral greeted each of Blankenship’s officers.  She then said, “How long will it take us to reach the Raxon system, Captain?”

            Blankenship turned to Foreman, and Foreman said, “At warp six it will take us ten hours, Ambassador.”

            Ambassador T’ral nodded.  Blankenship said, “Very well.  I will show you to your quarters.  My officers will be going on duty soon and should begin their way up to the bridge.” 

            The bridge crew waited until Blankenship and Ambassador T’ral were out of the transporter room.  They then walked through the door and made their way to the nearest turbolift.

 

            Commander Za’lor walked briskly toward the Volshin Navy Intelligence Building on his homeworld of Volsha.  He showed his I.D. to a guard at the door and continued up through the building to Admiral Zo’haun, chief of Volshin Intelligence.  He showed his I.D. once more to a guard standing outside of Admiral Zo’haun’s office.  The guard nodded and pressed a panel on the wall, which alerted Admiral Zo’haun that he had a visitor.

            After a few moments a voice inside said, “Come.”

            The door to the Admiral’s office slid open and admitted Commander Za’lor.  Admiral Zo’haun was sitting behind his desk, which was piled up with undone paperwork.  Commander Za’lor saluted Admiral Zo’haun and said, “Commander Za’lor reporting as ordered, sir.”

            Admiral Zo’haun looked up at Commander Za’lor and returned his salute.  He stood and said, “What I am about to tell you, Commander, is classified.  No one must know of this, or you die.  Do you understand?”

            Commander Za’lor inclined his head and said, “I understand, my lord.”

            Admiral Zo’haun nodded and said, “Very good.” Admiral Zo’haun then offered Commander Za’lor a seat across from his desk.  Once they had both sat down Admiral Zo’haun began, “Five weeks ago the Federation made first conduct with our sworn enemies, the TONarians.  The TONarians and the Federation have many things in common, as we know, but the most important is that they are both our enemies. 

            “Since we came into contact with the Federation, our greatest fear was that they would find out about the TONarians and ally themselves with the Federation.  It seems that our fears are about to come true.”  At this Admiral Zo’haun paused for a moment.  He then went on, “Our latest intelligence reports indicate that the Federation and the TONarians are meeting near the Raxon system, aboard the Federation starship Cobalt.”

            The mention of the Cobalt quickly got the interest of Commander Za’lor and he asked, “Isn’t the Cobalt the ship with our spy aboard?”

            Admiral Zo’haun nodded and said, “How do you think we got this intelligence?  We put the spy there when the Cobalt first set sail.  A week ago he contacted our office and told us about the Federation-TONarian meeting.  We sent him back orders to sabotage their engineering section and make it look like the TONarians.  Hopefully this will put any doubts of making friends with the TONarians in the Federations minds to rest.”

            Commander Za’lor smiled and said, “A very good idea, my lord, but why tell me?”

            Admiral did not jump to answer his question.  He said, “When we had him in our possession, we equipped his comm. badge a small camera so that if we feel the need, but we have not yet found a need to use it. 

            “Your ship is the only ship left in the fleet with a working cloaking device that was stolen from the Klingons.  You will go to the Raxon system, cloaked.  We will send you the transmission from his comm. badge.  If something should happen and his mission fails or he his discovered, you are to destroy the Cobalt.  The Ambassadors on that ship must not survive.  Do you have any questions?”

            Commander Za’lor thought for a moment.  No questions came to mind, so he said, “I have no questions, my lord.”

            “Very good, Commander.  Remember, you must destroy the Cobalt if our operative fails.”

            “Understood, my lord.”  Commander Za’lor stood and saluted Admiral Zo’haun.  “For the good of the Empire.”  He then turned and walked out of Admiral Zo’haun’s office.

 

            “Captain, we’ll be arriving at the Raxon system in one hour,” Foreman reported from the helm station.

            “Good,” Blankenship said.  “Mr. Kestner, is the TONarian ship we are supposed to meet on sensors?”

            Kestner looked at the sensor readouts then said, “Negative, they have not yet entered our long-range sensors, Captain.”

            For some unknown reason, this troubled Blankenship.  He had a weird feeling that something was going to happen that would be horrible, but he didn’t know what.  He calmly pushed the feeling aside and stood.  He turned to Turner and said, “Commander, you have the bridge.  Alert me when we arrive at the Raxon system.”  He then turned and walked toward his ready room.

 

            Commander Za’lor walked quickly through the corridors of Spacestation 3.  He passed junior officers who immediately saluted him, but he paid them no mind.  He had to get to the stations transporter room to take him to his ship; he had a mission, which needed to begin as soon a possible.  He turned a corner and found himself standing in front of the transporter room doors.  He pressed a panel beside the doors, and they slid open for him and admitted him. 

            The transporter chief immediately recognized that he was a superior and saluted him. Commander Za’lor halfway returned it and stepped up onto the transporter pad.  He told him which ship he wanted to go to.  He then waited patiently as the small sense of pain passed through him, telling him the transporter effect had started. 

            Moments later he was standing on the transporter pad of his own ship.  He was finally home.  It was here that he was in control, he was in charge.  As soon as he materialized, the transporter chief raised his hand in the Volshin salute.  Commander Za’lor returned the salute then stepped down off the transporter pad and walked through the door. 

            He walked as quickly as possible to the nearest turbolift and entered it.  He then ordered it to take him to the bridge.  Moments later the turbolift doors opened, and he found himself looking out at his bridge.  Someone on the bridge announced, “Commander on bridge.”

            Everyone on the bridge suddenly stood up in respect for him as he walked through the doors.  Once he was on the bridge, his officers once again seated themselves.  His executive officer, Captain Zorach, walked over to him and said, “My lord, has command finally given us a mission worthy of Volshin men?”

            Commander Za’lor smiled and nodded.  “They have, Captain, they have indeed.  Prepare a course for the Raxon system.  This could be the mission we have been waiting on for so long.”

 

            “Captain, the TONarian ship has entered our long-range sensors,” Kestner reported.  “They’re hailing us.”

            “On screen,” Blankenship ordered.

            The image of the viewscreen of the stars in warp flicked off and was replaced by the bridge of the TONarian ship.  Standing in the center of the screen was a blue-skinned TONarian woman.  She smiled and said, “I am Ambassador TlayON representing the TONarian government.  Our government wishes to form an alliance with your government.”

            Captain Blankenship said, “I am Captain Brandon Blankenship, commander of the U.S.S. Cobalt.  I believe that you will have to talk with our ambassador about that.  We are ready for your beam over at any time.”

            Ambassador TlayON smiled and said, “I understand completely, Captain.  Let us set the beam over time for thirty of your minutes.”

            “Very well.  Everything will be ready for your arrival.  Cobalt out.”  With those last two words, the screen switched back to the stars at warp.

 

            Commander Za’lor sat in the center chair on his bridge.  He looked around at all the fine officers sitting around him.  They were hand picked, the best in the Volshin fleet.  He hoped that none of his officers would feel the urge to turn on him; it would be…unfortunate…for them.

            His navigator turned and said, “We are coming up on the Raxon system, my lord.”

            “The cloaking device?” he asked.

            His weapons officer answered, “The cloaking device is working at one-hundred percent, my lord.”

            “Very good.  Slow to full impulse power.  Scan the area for the Cobalt,” Commander Za’lor ordered.

            His weapons officer looked over the senor readouts and then reported, “A Federation Galaxy-class starship and a TONarian battle-cruiser.”

            “Good.  Take us on a parallel course with them and slow to one-half impulse power.  The operation should begin in four hours, when most of them are asleep.”

 

            Lieutenant Michael Sheffield tossed and turned in his bed.  For some reason, he could not get to sleep.  With the TONarians staying on the ship, he had a bad feeling that something was about to happen.  Ambassador T’ral had told the crew earlier that the opening talks with the TONarians had gone well and they hoped to become fast allies, but even through that, something did not feel right. 

            An alarm suddenly went off throughout the entire ship and the computer said, “Security breech on deck 36 engineering section.”

            At this Michael bolted out of bed and hurriedly pulled his uniform on, completing it by snapping his comm. badge into place.  He walked out of his room and walked toward the nearest turbolift, which took him to deck 36.

            He stepped out and walked down the corridor to engineering.  He found a security team outside the door, waiting on him.  He pulled out his phaser and said, “Set phasers to stun.”  He watched as the security team set their phasers to stun.  When he was finished, he led them toward the door. 

            It slid open for them, and he cautiously led them inside.  When he got to the ladder leading to the upper deck he directed two officers to check out things upstairs, while the searched the lower deck.  As they began searching the engine room, an officer suddenly shouted, “Lieutenant, all of the crew on duty is lying unconscious over here.”

            Sheffield sheathed his phaser and ran over to where the officer called.  He saw thirteen bodies lying on the floor.  He pulled out a tricorder and found that they did have some minor injuries.  He tapped his comm. badge and said, “Med team to the engine room.  Captain Blankenship.”

            “Blankenship here.  What is the security alert?”

            “Well, Captain, it seems that someone broke into the engine room and rendered the crew on duty unconscious.  We will need Lieutenant Commander Joey Odum down here to see if anything is wrong with the engines,” Sheffield said.

            “Very well.  Mr. Odum and I will be down in a moment.  Have you called for a med team for the unconscious crewmembers?” Blankenship asked.

            “Yes, sir.  They should be down at any moment,” Sheffield said.

            “Good.  We’ll be down in a moment.  Blankenship out.”

            The security team secured the engine room and allowed no one with proper access to enter the engine room.  Five minutes after Sheffield had made the call asking for a med team, they had arrived and began stabilizing the unconscious crewmembers and taking them to sickbay. 

            Blankenship, Odum, Foreman, and Kestner arrived ten minutes after the med team.  Blankenship and his party walked over to where the med team was still taking care of the men.  Blankenship asked, “Is this were you found them, Mr. Sheffield?”

            Sheffield nodded and said, “Yes, Captain.  They have been moved some to allow for the med team access, but this is the general area that they were found.  We suspect that they were dragged here in order to keep them out of the way of whatever else was going on at the time.”

            Blankenship nodded.  “Mr. Odum, you, Mr. Foreman, and Mr. Kestner find out if they damaged the engines.  Mr. Sheffield, you and I are going to go over the computers visual records and see if we can find out who did this.”

            The four of them said, “Aye, sir.”  The five of them turned and went to work as their captain ordered.

 

            Commander Za’lor sat watching on the viewscreen as he saw the inside of the Cobalt’s engine room.  He had to hand it to Admiral Zo’haun and his people at the intelligence office; they did their work well.  He watched as his spy dragged the unconscious crewmembers to a corner of the engine room. 

            Thirty minutes later, the job was done, and Commander Za’lor smiled.  He turned to Captain Zorach and said, “A part of me hopes that the first mission will fail, that way we can destroy both the Federation and TONarian dogs.”

            “My lord, it would be a great victory if you were to destroy a Federation Galaxy-class starship,” Captain Zorach said.

            “Incase something should happen, prepare to divert all power to weapons at my command,” Commander Za’lor said.

 

            Odum, Foreman, and Kestner sat in front of a computer terminal in engineering.  They were running a full diagnostic check on the engines.  The three of them looked closely and the engine lay out trying to find what the problem.  Odum finally said, “Ah ha, there’s the problem, and it looks like a bad one.”

            “What is it?” Foreman asked.

            “It seems to be a break in the power transfer conduits.  We have lost warp capability, and our speed is down to half impulse power.  We will lose impulse in about one hour, and if nothing is done about it, we could lose main power in the next three hours,” Odum explained.  “We’ve gotta tell the Captain.”

            The stood and walked over to where Blankenship and Sheffield was looking at another computer terminal.  Odum calmly told Blankenship of the problem.  Blankenship took the news with ease then asked, “How long will it take you to get on the problem?”

            Odum thought for a moment then said, “Well, the transfer conduits are hard to get to, and I need to check with the Quartermaster and see if we have the parts in stock.  I think maybe three hours, at the least.”

            “By then we’ll lose main power,” Kestner said.

            Odum nodded and said, “I know.  And it will take even longer if we don’t have the parts in stock, we might have to ask the TONarians for parts.”

            At this Sheffield, who had been staring at the computer terminal the entire time, said, “Uh…I’m not so sure that’s such a good idea.”

            Blankenship turned to Sheffield and said, “What are you talking about?”

            Sheffield turned back to the computer terminal and said, “Computer, play back from point-eight-three.”

            The computer played the tape back from the point Sheffield said.  On the screen three of the TONarians on the ship were pulling the bodies of the unconscious crewmembers over into the corner.  Blankenship said, “Pause playback.”

            The screen froze, and a clear view of their faces was on the screen, and one of them was the TONarian ambassador.  Sheffield looked up at Blankenship.  Blankenship nodded and said, “Find the TONarian ambassador and her two comrades and put them in the brig.  Hold them with sabotage of a Federation starship.”

            Sheffield nodded.  “Aye, sir.”  He then looked up the quarters each of the three was staying in.  He then led his three best officers toward the turbolift.  When the doors slid open, they saw Ambassador T’ral standing there.

            She said, “I heard the alarm.  I was just coming down to see what was wrong.”

            “The situation is under control, Ambassador.  We are here to tie up a couple of lose ends,” Sheffield said.

            He then led his security officer’s and Ambassador T’ral down the corridor.  The first door they came too was Ambassador TlayON’s.  Sheffield pressed a panel beside the door, which announced his presence inside.  Minutes later the door slid open revealing Ambassador T’ral.  She asked, “What is going on?”

            Sheffield said, “I am putting you under arrest for sabotaging the U.S.S. Cobalt’s engine room.  There is strong evidence to suggest that you pulled this crime so I suggest you come along quietly.”

            “What evidence do you have against me,” Ambassador T’ral asked.

            Sheffield did not immediately answer the question.  He then said, “We have visual evidence to suggest that you and two of your staff broke into the engine room, rendered all of the crew here unconscious, then damaged a major system inside the engine room.  If you do not come quietly, we will be forced to use force.”

            Ambassador T’ral was silent for a moment; she then willingly gave herself up to the security team.  They then went and gathered up the other three on the tape and immediately took them to the brig.

           

            “Captain, the Ambassador and her friend are in the brig,” Sheffield announced as he walked into the engine room.

            “Good.  You and I will interrogate them in an hour, just as soon as Mr. Odum confirms our problem,” Blankenship said.

            “Uh, Captain, may I make a suggestion?” Kestner asked.

            “Go ahead, I could use all the suggestions that anyone can give me at the present time,” Blankenship said.

            “Well, sir, with all due respect, perhaps you should take Lieutenant Rickman with you into the interrogation, she can see into the TONarians minds and see if they are lying or not.  If they say they did not do it, and they are telling the truth, she can tell us.  If they did not sabotage the engines, it will hurt our relationship with the TONarians if we keep them any longer,” Kestner said.

            “Good point, Mr. Kestner, however, why would you think they didn’t do it?  We have visual evidence to support that the TONarians sabotaged the engine room,” Blankenship said.

            “Well, sir, while the security team was gone…well, sir, just listen to this,” Kestner said.  “The crime happened at twenty-three hundred hours.  Computer: What was the location of all of the TONarian party at exactly twenty-three hundred hours?”

            The female voice of the computer replied, “All of the TONarian party was in their quarters at twenty-three hundred hours.”

            When the computer was finished, everyone looked at Kestner.  Blankenship said, “Then how can we have visual of them sabotaging the engines?” Blankenship asked.

            “Well, sir, one of the computers is lying.  Either someone sabotaged the engines, then programmed the computer to make us think it was the TONarians, or it was the TONarians, and they programmed the computers to show that they were in the their quarters at the time,” Kestner explained.

            There was silence around the room.  Kestner continued, “That’s why we’ve got to interrogate them with Counselor Rickman, so she can find out if they are telling the truth, or if they are lying.”

            At this Blankenship nodded, “Good work, Mr. Kestner.  I will call down Counselor Rickman and we’ll interrogate them.  If it proves that they are telling the truth, and they did not sabotage our engines, then we will need to find out who sabotaged our engines.”

            Blankenship turned and pressed his comm. badge.  He then said, “Blankenship to Counselor Rickman.”

            A sleepy voice answered, “Rickman here.”

            “Counselor, meet me in the observation lounge.  It seems that someone has broken into the engine room and has sabotaged our engines.  All the visual evidence points to the TONarians, however, Mr. Kestner has provided new evidence in the TONarians defense that says they might be innocent.  You and I are going to interrogate the TONarian ambassador and find out if they really did it or not,” Blankenship explained.

            “Aye, sir.  I will be in the observation lounge in ten minutes,” Rickman said.

            “Very good.  Blankenship out.”  The comm. link disconnected.  He then turned and said, “Mr. Sheffield, bring Ambassador T’ral to the observation lounge.”    

            “Aye, sir,” Sheffield said.  He then told two security officers to follow him, then turned and walked out of the engine room.

            Blankenship then turned back to Kestner and asked, “Alright Mr. Kestner, so good so far, however, if the TONarians do prove to be innocent, how are you going to figure out who did try to sabotage?”

            “I don’t know yet sir, but we will find them, just give Brad and I some time in here and we may find the culprit is,” Kestner replied.

            Blankenship thought for a moment.  He finally said, “Alright, you have three hours, find out who did this.”

 

            Blankenship, Rickman, and Ambassador T’ral sat in the observation lounge.  Rickman remained silent as Blankenship said, “Ambassador T’ral, you will have to excuse us for being like this, but someone has sabotaged our engine room, and all visual evidence points to you and your three collogues.  One of my officers, however, Lieutenant Commander Kestner, has come up with some evidence in your defense. 

            “We have brought you here for interrogation, and I only have one question for you: did you sabotage our engine room?”

            Ambassador T’ral was silent for a moment, she then said, “Although this has been an inconvenience in what was supposed to be a mission of peace, I can understand need to protect your ship.  However, I can say with great encouragement the neither I, nor any of my party sabotaged your engine room.”

            Blankenship stood and said, “Thank you.  Counselor?”

            At this, Rickman stood and walked with him just outside of the door.  She said, “Captain, she was telling the truth, the TONarians did not sabotage our engines.”

            “Then who did?” Blankenship asked.

            Rickman shrugged.  Blankenship walked back into the room and said, “I am sorry, Ambassador, for keeping you like this.  You and your collogues are free to return to your quarters.”

            She looked at him with a puzzled expression on her face, but stood and walked out the door.  When she was gone Blankenship tapped his comm. badge and said, “Blankenship to Kestner.”

            Kestner said, “Kestner here.”

            Blankenship said, “The TONarians were not lying, they did not sabotage our engines.  You must find out who did.”

            “Aye, sir,” Kestner said.  “We are trying.  Kestner out.”

 

            Kestner sat at a computer consol beside Foreman in engineering.  They had watched the security visual fifty times already, and each time, they had come up with nothing.  Kestner was about to restart his tape again, when Lindsey walked into engineering.  She walked over to where Kestner was sitting and kissed him.  She asked, “Have you found anything?”

            Kestner shook his head.  “Nope, not yet…”

            “Hey, Derek, look at frame one-point-five-three,” Foreman said.

            Kestner pressed a few prompts on his consol, which changed the screen to what seemed to be an empty frame.  Foreman said, “Look up at the door.” 

            Kestner looked and there saw the faint image of a face.  Kestner said, “Computer: enhance the face on the screen.”

            On his screen, the face became larger and filled the screen.  Kestner then said, “Computer: check the crew list and find a match.”

            The computer went through 1,012 bios of crewmembers in seconds.  It finally stopped on the bio of Ensign Randy Gates.  Kestner asked, “Computer: what is the location of Ensign Randy Gates?”

            The feminine voice of the computer answered, “Ensign Randy Gates is now located in the officers lounge.”

            Kestner tapped his comm. badge and said, “Kestner to Blankenship.”

            “Blankenship here.”

            “Captain, I have no time to explain now, but have a security team meet us outside of the officers lounge.  We’ve found the saboteur,” Kestner said.

            “We’ll be right there,” Blankenship said.

            “Kestner out.”  Kestner, Foreman, and Lindsey stood and ran toward the nearest turbolift.

 

Blankenship, Kestner, Foreman, and Lindsey, accompanied by a security team, met just outside the officer’s lounge.  Blankenship said, “Ok, now, who is the saboteur?”

            “His name is Ensign Randy Gates.  He’s in the security division,” Kestner said.

            One of the security officers spoke up and said, “I know who he is.”

            “Well, he’s in there now.  Let’s try to go in, get him, and get out without trying to cause a ruckus,” Blankenship said.  They then walked up to the doors and entered the lounge.

            Gates was sitting back in the corner and immediately saw the security team and knew that they were coming for him.  He pulled a phaser from his belt and pointed it at the party entering the door and began firing.  Everyone except for Lindsey jumped away.  The energy beam from the phaser hit her in the chest. 

Kestner had landed and turned to look at her as she hit the floor.  Everything around him began spinning.  He no longer heard anything around him.  He crawled over to Lindsey and found her lying unconscious.  He immediately noticed that she was not breathing.  He pressed his fingers to her throat and found no pulse.  He cried out, “Medic!”

            Seconds turned into hours for him.  He wanted to cry, wanted to hold her in his arms, but he couldn’t cry.  He felt numb as he held her body in his arms.  Rage suddenly crept into his mind.  Anger fueled his body.  He grabbed a phaser from the floor where one of the security officers had dropped it.  He saw Gates crouched behind a overturned table, firing phaser blasts at the security team behind the bar. 

Kestner crept toward Gates, making sure Gates didn’t know what was coming.  The beam shot out of Derek’s phaser, hitting Gates in the chest. He fell to the floor, not dead.  Kestner suddenly realized his phaser was only set to stun.  Darkness suddenly engulfed the lounge as a stray phaser blast hit the main power conduit in the lounge.

Kestner ran in the darkness to where Gates was getting up.  He will pay, Kestner thought in rage.  He must pay.  He slammed into Gates with all his might, knocking him back down.  Kestner found Gates’ face in the darkness, and began pounding him heavily.  Kestner didn’t let up, despite light returning to the lounge.  His fists were like iron as he continued to beat Gates.

As Kestner continued his relentless assault, he felt two sets of strong hands pulling him away from Gates.

            In his rage, he fought the hands, trying to give Gates one more punch, but the hands overpowered him.  He heard Brad in a far away voice say, “Derek.       Derek!”

            Kestner suddenly came back to reality and looked up at Brad, who said, “It’s alright, I think you got him.”

            Kestner returned to his senses, and ran over to where Hayter was crouched beside Lindsey.  He took her hand as his eyes became misty. 

The Doctor glanced from his tricorder to his diagnostic tool and said, “I’m sorry, Derek, there was nothing I could do.”

            Kestner could feel the tears welling up in his eyes.  It was as if his universe had suddenly collapsed around him.  Suddenly time stood still, and all Kestner could think was she’s gone.  He barely noticed the medical unit entering the lounge, barely moved as they put her on the stretcher, barely blinked when they moved past him out of the room.  He just stood there, in total shock at what was happening around him.  He hardly even realized Brad guiding him out of the lounge toward his quarters.

 

            Blankenship could only stand and watch as Foreman guided Kestner out of the lounge.  He knew that with Foreman there, Kestner could get through it all right.  Just as Kestner and Foreman was leaving the lounge, Sheffield stepped in holding a phaser.  “What happened?” Sheffield asked.

            “Well, to make a long story short, we got the real saboteur.  Someone wanted us to think it was the TONarians,” Blankenship said.

            “I see, but who would want us to think that the TONarians would sabotage our engines?” Sheffield asked.

            “I don’t know, but I intended to find out.  Do you have a tricorder with you?” Blankenship asked.

            “No, sir, but I can get one,” Sheffield said.  He stood and walked over to one of the walls in the lounge.  He removed one of the panels from the wall and took a tricorder, then replaced the panel.  He walked back over to Blankenship and asked, “Why do we need this?”

            “I want a full search of his person, tell me what you find.  Doctor?”

            “Yes, Captain?” Hayter asked.

            “Will be unconscious for awhile?” Blankenship asked.

            “Yes, for another hour or so,” Hayter said.

            “Very well.  Mr. Sheffield, get to it,” Blankenship ordered.

            “Aye, sir.”

 

            Commander Za’lor sat in the center chair and stared at the visual being sent from Ensign Gates’ comm. badge.  He watched as the redheaded officer shot Gates with a phaser, then continued to attack Gates with his fists.  He smiled, amazing the emotions that a human can exempt because their mate was killed.  If it had been him, he would have just killed the killer, then searched for another mate.

            He knew his orders and said, “Prepare to divert power to the weapons.  Helm, bring us in closer to the target.”

 

            “Captain, look at this,” Sheffield said handing Blankenship the tricorder.  “It seems he has an alien device within his comm. badge.”

            Blankenship handed Sheffield back the tricorder.  Sheffield looked at the readings more closely.  Blankenship asked, “What kind of device is it?”

            “I’m not sure, sir, but it’s of Volshin design,” Sheffield said.

            Blankenship stared at Sheffield in amazement, then looked at Gates lying on the floor.  “He must me a Volshins spy.” 

            The floor under them suddenly shook and Blankenship was sent to the floor.  Alarms suddenly blared throughout the ship.  Blankenship stood and shouted, “We gotta get up to the bridge!”

            Although the floor continued to rock, Blankenship and Sheffield stumbled to the turbolift, which took them to the bridge.  When the doors parted, Sheffield went to his station and reported, “Captain, a Volshin ship is attacking us.  Our shields were not up when they first attacked, and they go the shield generator with the first hit, shields are offline.”

            Blankenship had reached the lower level of the bridge and asked, “Are our weapons still online?”

            Sheffield looked back at his consol then reported, “Yes, sir.”

            “Then target them and prepare to fire,” Blankenship asked.

            The turbolift doors opened and Foreman and Kestner walked out.  Blankenship asked, “Mr. Kestner, are you sure you should be up here right now?”

            “Don’t worry, sir, the ship is my first priority,” Kestner said.  He and Foreman then sat down at their stations.  Kestner turned to Blankenship and said, “Captain, they’re hailing us.”

            “On screen,” Blankenship ordered.

            On the screen appeared the green face of the Volshin commander.  He said, “Cobalt, I am Commander Za’lor.  Prepare to be…destroyed!”

 

 

To Be Continued…