Taking the stairs to the upper command level two at a time Marcus ran to the Captains office.
Elizabeth Coren stood at the door to her office watching her crew remove the fallen support beam that lay across a work station. Underneath the beam they found a man, not moving. Coren leaned over the rail as one of the officers checked for a pulse, looked up called. “Alive, Captain.”
“Medics are on the way” she looked over the rest of the center. “Damage reports on the double.” Now she turned to Marcus who had finally reached her door. “And you….I need to know what you know.”
Before they could get in the office the Communications officer yelled up. “We’re being hailed by the Klingons”
Coren jerked around. “Put it on the main viewer.”
The image of the broken section of the station drifting away was replaced by the face of a Klingon Captain sitting on the bridge of one of the Battle Cruisers.
“Governors Station…You are ordered to surrender and prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply we will continue to slice away your station until there is nothing left.”
Marcus grabbed Corens arm. “Say nothing yet.” he whispered.
They watched in silence as the face of the Klingon grew more agitated.
“I say again Governors Station..Surrender now!”
Marcus whispered in her ear and she nodded. Taking a step toward the rail, ‘I have to consult with the President.”
The Klingon hesitated for just a moment and replied. “You have ten minutes… then we open fire and remove another piece of the station.” the channel closed , Coren and Marcus moving into the office.
“Did you see his eyes?” Marcus asked. “He looked off to his right. He’s not the one in charge.”
“Well, if he isn’t…who the hell is?”
“My guess…General Kreeg is standing right next to him.”
“Kregg? On that ship?”
“Kregg will leave the ground battle to others. He’ll want to be on the high ground.”
“So what does that buy us?”
Marcus paced the floor. “I buys us ten minutes.”
A row if monitors lined one wall of the Captains office, each on a different new channel. One caught Marcus eye. The image of Elora and Cherry Vasa being paraded by Klingon Guards in the city of Kalama.
“They’ve taken hostages.” He said pointing at the monitor.
Coren walked in front of the monitor and watched the details scroll across the bottom.
Turning to Marcus. “We have more serious problems here.”
“Maybe….” he discussed his plan and Captain Coren was skeptical to say the least.
“Well, when it’s the only card you hold.” she finally gave in.
They walked back out into the Command Center. “Open a channel!” she ordered.
The communications officer keyed the subspace frequency, certain of the Captains response.
The Klingon Captain appeared. “Lower your shields and prepare for boarding!”
Coren raised a hand. “Just a minute….I am authorized to relinquish control of the station only to….Admiral Kregg.”
The entire room turned around and looked up at Coren in disbelief.
“Unacceptable!” the Klingon shouted.
“Then you will have to destroy the station.”
The Klingon Captain looked off camera and shook his head at an unseen person. Then he turned back to Coren.
“We have your word. No subterfuge?”
“You have my word.” Coren nodded.
“Agreed then…. Lower your shields and we shall begin transport.”
“Admiral Kregg and staff first.” Coren said.
“Admiral Kregg and his guards Captain Coren.”
The transmission closed and Coren signaled for the operations officer to lower the shields. As he did Marcus ran down the steps and stood behind the man.
“As a precaution, I want everyone to have their phasers raised and ready to fire.” Coren said. “In case I’m wrong.”
The transporter beam began and in a minute Admiral Kregg and six body guards materialized on the Command Deck. The instant they finished materializing Marcus reached down and raised the station shields again. The officer nearly jumped out of his seat to attack him. Coren looked over and shouted. “Hold officer.”
Admiral Kregg looked around at a hundred phasers pointed at him and his guards.
“YOU LIED! You’ll be court martialed. A Star Fleet Captain cannot conduct negotiations in bad faith.”
“No I did not lie. You assumed.”
Kregg raised an eyebrow.
“I turned command of the Station over to Mr. Dinn just before I surrendered.”
Marcus walked up and took Admiral Kreggs phaser and knife, his face inches from the Klingon. “You see Admiral.. I’m not Star Fleet. I can do what ever the hell I want to do.” He turned to the security personnel. “Take them to the brig, bind and gag them!”
The group of Klingons were herded out of the control Center and Marcus walked over to Coren and handed over the Klingon phaser. “I return command of the Station to you Captain.”
Coren smiled. “Thank you Mr. Dinn. Let the record show as such.” She looked down at the Admirals Knife. “And that?”
“A souvenir if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. This won’t hold them for long you know.”
“Long enough…” He turned to the communications officer. “Be sure the station log of this is passed onto every news channel in colony.”
“Aye Sir..uh Mr. Dinn.”
The senior tactical officer called out. “Captian. Unidentified ships just dropped from warp above the planet!”
“Federation?”
“No Sir. I’ve never seen them before.”
Marcus looked at the tactical display and keyed the video feeds to the main viewer.
“Who the hell is that?” Captain Coren gaped.
“Help Captain. You may wish to open a channel, they are called Tritons and their Commander name is ….Barosa.
Off:
Marcus Dinn
Owner of RICKS and Oz
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
Captain Elizabeth Coren
Governors Station
Phoenix Federation
Admiral Kregg
Klingon Commander of Kalama
