Thursday 18 November 2021

Renegades - Civil War Chapter Twenty

    The next few days were spent planning how they should take over the Valkyrie’s computer. They were planning their attempt so well that the guards had no idea they were hatching any kind of plot.
    It was during one night, when security was at it’s minimum, that Avon set to work. Moving over to the replicator he looked around to see that no one was watching. He was lucky because no one was. He then began to slowly moved the wall panel, revealing the circuits underneath. To an expert like Avon the system looked relatively easy. He then began to study the circuits, imprinting the circuit layouts to his memory.

    It was early the next morning when Watt returned to the Battle Bridge. He hadn’t been able to get much sleep the past few nights, the thought of having five criminals on his ship disturbing him somewhat. As he took his seat he began to feel slightly uncomfortable. The command chair on the Battle Bridge didn’t have the same feeling as his more familiar chair on the main Bridge. He looked around to see Sutek seated in the chair normally occupied by Tompkins, who was far behind them having taken command of the saucer section. However, the other officers were in their usual positions, with O’Rourke quickly settling into her new assignment. The only one missing was Counsellor Trospheo, who had chosen to remain on the saucer section.
    At the tactical station Amarus sat making his usual security checks, making sure everything was alright with the guests in the Brig. Shortly after finishing these checks his sensor panel suddenly came to life. The sound of this panel attracted Watt’s attention and he got to his feet.
    “What is it?” he asked.
    “Long range sensors are picking up some sort of shockwave.” reported Amarus.
    “Now being picked up on the short range sensors.” Sutek reported. “Heading directly for us.”
    “Raise shields!” Watt ordered.
    “I don’t think out shields will be much good.” said Sutek.
    The Vulcan was correct. Before they could brace for impact the shockwave hit the ship, sending it shuddering violently. In the Brig this suddenly brought the prisoners to life.
    “Now!” said Avon. “Now is the time!”
    Blake agreed with him. Springing to his feet he landed a punch on one of the guard’s jaw, sending him flying and his phaser flying into the air. Jenna connected with a kick to another’s midsection while Avon favoured a karate-style shop. Vila resorted to fisticuffs, while Gan’s mere physical presence ‘persuaded’ the final guard to surrender and hand over his phaser to him. Then just as the prisoners began to regain their composure another shockwave hit the ship sending them crashing to the deck.
    On the Bridge a red alert was called as another shockwave hit the ship, causing a power loss to some of the systems.
    “Captain!” shouted Amarus above the klaxons. “Power failure in Engineering. We’ve lost the force field around the Brig! I can’t re-establish it!”
    “Watt to Engineering! We need power to the force field!”
    Lom’s voice was mixed with the sound of static.
    “The junctions are fused Captain! If another shock hits us we’ll lose all power!”
    Sutek worked quickly at his station. Soon the inertial dampeners were activated. The ship was stabilised.
    “No casualties.” Amarus reported.
    “Watt to Security. How are our prisoners?”
    Watt’s question was greeted with silence.
    “Watt to Security.”
    Again, the same response - nothing. He turned to Amarus.
    “Take a full team down to the Brig armed with phasers set on stun.”
    Leaving his station Amarus soon left the Battle Bridge.
    In the Brig Avon crouched low to the ground as he tried to break into the ship’s computer.
    “Can you shit down the scanners?” asked Blake. “With them down we’ll be able to get to Engineering undetected.”
    “I am trying my best.” replied Avon.
    Suddenly there was a whirring sound.
    “And my best is good enough!” he continued. “The scanners are down!”
    “Can you fly the ship from Engineering?” Blake asked Jenna.
    “There is a control panel there. It shouldn’t be that difficult.”
    “Then let’s go.”
    “What about Gan and me?” asked Vila. “You expected us just to twiddle our thumbs?”
    “I expect you to find the armoury and get as many phasers as you can. Then meet us in Engineering. Avon should have control of the computer by then.”
    “I will have control of the computer by then.” Avon added.
    “Good.” said Blake. “Then let’s go.”
    Pressing the computer panel by the side of the door the guards outside were quickly met by two stun blasts from Blake and Avon’s phasers. They fell to the deck unconscious but not badly injured.
    “Let’s get to Engineering!”
    “Captain, internal sensors are down.” Sutek reported. “They been shut off from…the Brig.”
    Watt activated his communicator.
    “Watt to Amarus! The prisoners have escaped. Set phasers to maximum stun!”
    Watt then approached Sutek at his station.
    “Commander, shut down all the turbo-lifts in the Brig area. We need to make sure they don’t get that far!”
    In the turbo-lift Avon quickly worked the computer panel as Blake and Jenna looked uneasy.
    “They are trying to disable the turbo-lifts.” said Avon.
    “Try to stop them.” said Blake.
    Avon stared at Blake as if to tell him that he was not that stupid. A rye smile then appeared on Avon’s face.
    “He’s good! Very good!”
    On the Bridge if Sutek could have shown any emotion he would have had a look of annoyance on his face.
    “I am unable to stop any of the turbo-lifts.” the Vulcan reported.
    The turbo-lift reached Engineering. As soon as the door opened Avon and Jenna fired their phasers, stunning two of the engineers. Lom tried to stop them from entering his section but soon found himself on the end of a blow from Blake, a blow that sent him flying. Another phaser blast from Avon took care of the remaining officers. Quickly he went over to the main engineering panel.
    “I’m locking the rest of the ship out of the computer net.” he said. “It should give us full control of the ship’s computer.”
    Avon soon accomplished this, as was soon found out on the Bridge.
    “Captain, I’ve lost helm control!” O’Rourke reported. “Somehow control has been rerouted to Engineering!”
    “Cannot re-establish control.” Sutek said.
    “Try!” said Watt. “Get me back my ship!”
    In Engineering Lom began to stir. Adjusting the setting on his phaser Avon walked over to the Insectoid and was about to fire when Blake stopped him.
    “No! I want no killing here!”
    “He poses a threat to us!” said Avon.
    “There is a way.” said Blake. “Can you access the transporter controls?”
    “Why?”
    “Transport them to another part of the ship, to Sickbay perhaps.”
    “I would rather we kill them.”
    “Do it!”
    Avon then went back to the main panel and accessed the transporter controls. A short time later the entire engineering staff were beamed into Sickbay.

    Vila and Gan ran down the corridor, phasers in hand, as fast as they could. As they approached a turbo-lift the doorway suddenly opened. They stopped in their tracks when they saw a full security team led by Amarus standing before them. Coming to an abrupt halt they turned around and ran way in the opposite direction as fast as they could.
    “Stop!” shouted Amarus. “Or I will fire!”
    Vila and Gan did not listen. Amarus then raised his phaser, and with intricate aim fired his phaser so it just missed Vila’s shoulder. The thief stopped in his tracks. Another phaser blast was aimed just in front of Gan’s left foot. He stopped also.
    “Drop you weapons!” Amarus ordered.
    They realised they had no choice. Throwing their phasers to the floor they turned to face Amarus.
    “Put your hands where I can see them.”
    Vila and Gan raised their arms.
    “Good.”
    Amarus activated his communicator.
    “Amarus to Bridge. Captain, we have two of the prisoners.”
    “What about the others?”
    “They’ve taken Engineering. I don’t know if there’s anything I can do.”
    On the Bridge Watt turned to Sutek.
    “Kerr Avon is an expert on computers. He probably knows far more than anyone in this room.”
    “I don’t care.” said Watt. “I want my ship back.”
    Sutek’s sensor panel then came to life again.
    “Captain, long-range sensors are picking up another shockwave. This one is far more powerful than the previous ones. Without computer control we’ll be ripped apart.”




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