The Viper XI personal shuttle speed up the Covington River at just above treetop level. The quarter moon was covered with clouds and the sky was as black as the hole at the center of the galaxy. Marcus was pushing the craft to its limits, fearing time was running out.
He ran the conversation with Commander Deivan through his mind over and over. After an exhaustive study of Vorta’Romes plans, down to every service crawlway in the administration building Marcus had come up empty on a way to get to Commodore Surul. In a last ditch effort he risked a communication with the Yang, now on its way to a salvage operation.
Deivan was upset to say the least to be drawn into the upcoming conflict, but after minutes of intense conversation, came up with the answer Marcus so desperately needed. T’Ros had a back door.
Coming up on the river branch Deivan had instructed Marcus change course to the north and soon entered a narrow valley. The entrance to T’Ros hideaway was camouflaged with a holographic field and Deivan could provide the exact location. Scanning the mountain sides for the unique power signature Deivan did have, Marcus started to get just a little nervous. If he got it wrong by even a couple of meters, he could well fly right into the side of a mountain.
The sensors started showing the target and Marcus began to slow the craft down for the first time in an hour. The readouts confirmed the location of the hidden tunnel but his eyes told him he was about to die a quick and painless death.
The trees and brush instantly melted into the dimly lit entrance and in seconds Marcus was touching down in the large bay holding T’Ros personal yacht.
Just as Deivan had described, Marcus found the door to the office / sleeping quarters and the bank of monitors for surveillance of her office in Vorta’ Rome. Running across the room he started snapping on screen after screen. Then pulling up a chair he studied the controls for communication and operation of the Transporter that was connected to the hidden room off the office.
Presently Commodore Surul entered the office and Marcus turned up the volume.
“I want all field Commanders in my office in the next thirty minutes.” He barked into the intercom with his assistant in the outside foyer.
Marcus could not believe his luck. Jumping from his chair he ran back to the Viper and gathered up four phaser power packs and as quickly ran back to the transporter pad. Then he ran back to the bay and stopped to look. He found what he was searching for after a minute and dragged the heavy sheet of Vorisham to the transporter and placed it against the back wall. Then he place the four power packs in front of them, checking the tiny control surfaces of each.
Returning to the monitors he began typing furiously, sending reports to the basement maintaince room a request to investigate a strange whine coming from the wall in Suruls room. As he typed the last keystroke the Field commanders filed into Suruls office.
“What is your status on the defensive emplacements?” Surul barked.
“All is ready Sir.” The most anxious man snapped. “I can’t believe the Caitains would attempt such a thing with mere civilian weapons.”
Marcus smiled. “You guys have no idea what you’re about to be hit with” he whispered to himself.
Surul pounded the desk with his fist. “When this over, I want T’Ros head on a pole.”
“Sir!”
Surul came around the desk and got in the Commanders face. “I’m not speaking metaphorically. I want her head on a pole in the courtyard by weeks end. Or I promise you, it will be yours!”
Marcus got up and went to the transporter and pressed each of the powerpacks for overload. The distinctive low whine started. He made careful note of the pitch as he sat back down at the controls and started engaging the pattern buffer. As the whine became a painful screech he energized the transporter and the package of death disappeared.
Seconds later the image on the monitor went black. On the adjacent screen was an image of the outside of the building. It seemed the entire corner of the top floor exploded out, the blast whiting out the screen for a second.
The sheet of Vorisham had done its job, directing the blast out of the building, limiting the collateral damage.
Quickly Marcus shut down all the systems and then for good measure pulled a phaser from his pocket and blasted the pattern buffer in the tiny one person transporter. T’Ros would just have to replace it one day with a new one, but he was not going to chance anyone being able to trace the package.
With the power shut down through out the small base Marcus climbed back into the Viper and shot out of the tunnel and headed West. He would travel to the West coast of the continent and then make a long loop up and around back to Omega Prime.
In his mind five more voices joined the chorus of screams he lived with every day, and he dutifully welcomed them to his personal nightmare.
In the field 5 divisions of Romulan ground troops were left without direction as the heavily armed Caitains advanced.
Off:
Marcus Dinn
Owner of RICKS
Commodore Surul
Leader of Vorta’Rome (NPC)
