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I've been playing around with one of those AI art generator things, generating images for some of the old Anglo-Force characters in a ...

Wednesday 1 December 2021

Renegades - Civil War Chapter Thirty-One

    For the first time in weeks Michael Garibaldi was sitting upright, for the first time since the shooting. Still slightly dazed and very confused he was nonetheless pleased to see Sheridan, Ivanova and Winters enter MedLab. Sheridan was the first to shake his hand.
    “How are you doing Chief?” he asked.
    “I’m still a little woozy, and confused about several things. The Doc told me that some strange guy brought me back? Who was he?”
    “That we are still trying to find out.” replied Ivanova.
    “What about the shooting?” asked Winters. “Do you remember anything about that?”
    “No. That’s why I asked you here. I want you to scan me, to try and unearth some memory, something that can tell me who did this to me.”
    “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” asked Sheridan. “You might still be too weak.”
    “I want this done Captain.” said Garibaldi. “I have to know who did this to me.”
    Sheridan looked at Winters. He could tell that she was feeling uneasy about the whole situation.
    “Alright, I’ll do it.” she said. “Now lie back.”
    Doing as he was told Garibaldi lay back on the bed and tried to relax. Winters removed one of her black leather gloves and placed her hand on Garibaldi’s forehead.
    The next thing she saw was an event that seemed to happen a lifetime ago, during the reign of President James Watt, just after Jeffrey Sinclair had transferred to the Lohengrin as their new C.O.
    It was in one of the cargo holds, and Garibaldi had just found out that the man named Deveraux was planning to kill the President. Garibaldi ran down the corridor until he saw the man he was looking for. He stopped in his tracks. Garibaldi called out a warning but Winters could not hear this. Then she saw Garibaldi turn around and saw the face of the man who had tried to kill Garibaldi. She felt shock when she saw the man’s face, and the mind link was stopped when Garibaldi suddenly leapt up.
    “I don’t believe it!” Garibaldi said. “It was Burton! It was Burton!”
    “Your second?” Sheridan queried. “Are you sure?”
    “It was Burton.” said Winters. “I saw his face.”
    “I’ll have him picked up straight away.” said Sheridan.
    A plan was conceived and quickly put into operation. One of the other security guards ran into the main office, where Burton was seated eating a snack. The guard seemed excited about something.
    “Hey! You should come and see this!”
    “Not now!” Burton snapped. “I’m too busy for your games!”
    “But you’ve got to see it to believe it! Come on!”
    Putting his plate down on the desk Burton reluctantly followed him out of the room. As soon as he stepped into the corridor he found a phaser pointed to his head. He knew instantly what was happening.
    “Burton, you’re under arrest. And please try to resist because it will make it all the more enjoyable!”
    A short time later Garibaldi, with the aid of a walking stick, and Sheridan walked into the main security office. Sheridan tried to stop Garibaldi entering the cell area.
    “You’re not up to this!” he said.
    “I need to do this!” said Garibaldi. “I need to know who gave him his orders!”
    “Michael, you’ve just come out of a coma and you’re still very weak! Let me handle this!”
    “This is something I’ve got to do Captain!”
    Garibaldi was soon in a darkened cell walking around the seated Burton. Suddenly he leapt forward and slammed his fist into the table.
    “Why did you do this?” Garibaldi snapped. “I’ve know you for years, but I never thought you were capable of anything like this!”
    Burton looked up at his former superior officer and just stared at him.
    “You were getting in too deep! Something had to be done! I’m just sad I didn’t get to finish the job!”
    Garibaldi blew his top. Only Sheridan’s intervention stopped him from ripping Burton’s head off.
    “Michael! Stop this!”
    Sheridan pulled his security chief away. Burton smiled at both of them.
    “You don’t know what you’re letting yourself in for. This is too big for you, for all of you! I’ll be out of this cell and off this station quicker than you can say jack rabbit!”
    This time Sheridan was the one who snapped.
    “Who gave you the order?” Sheridan shouted, slamming into the table. “Who is your superior?”
    Once again Burton smiled.
    “I believe I have the right to remain silent, so I choose that right! No matter what you do I will not talk!”
    Sheridan knew he was fighting a lost cause. He knew he could get nothing more.

    Magus sat in his quarters aboard the Pegasus station. For the past ninety minutes he had watched Roj Blake’s transmission time and again, the message telling him that he wished to speak with him, to give him information that would be vital in his effort to combat the ever-growing threat from Servalan. As he watched the recording his door buzzer sounded. He was so engrossed in the recording he paid no heed to it. His attention was only pulled away from the recording when Pendragon entered, having gained access to the quarters using his security override code. Pendragon was still dressed in his red and black Starfleet uniform, even though technically he was no longer a member of that esteemed organisation.
    Pendragon noticed the image of Blake on the view screen. He was about to speak when Magus stopped him.
    “I have spent well over an hour reviewing this recording.” he said. “I believe that this man nay hold the key to our success, if we are to implicate Servalan in James’ death.”
    “You mean the information he claims to have? If he does, and if he is being followed by the Federation, which he most probably is, then that could post a great danger not only to this station but to the Time as well. This station may be operational but it is far from it’s fighting peak.”
    “I think I know what you are suggesting.” said Magus. “I will take the Scotsman and rendezvous with Commander Blake and his ‘Liberator’.”
    “You may not be, especially if Servalan has sent someone after Blake. You may be one of the most powerful forces in the known universe but you are not an experienced Starfleet officer.”
    “Then I will turn command of the Scotsman over to you, Captain.”
    “I accept command, Doctor.”
    Pendragon then activated his communicator.
    “Colonel Greenleaf and Doctor Pulaski, please report to Docking Bay Three.”
    “Why those two?”
    “You know as well as I do that Archer is good in a fight, and we’ll need a good M.O.”
    A short time later Pendragon and Magus entered the Bridge of the Scotsman. With Drathro in his navigation chair and Winthorn in the Ops seat Greenleaf took the tactical station, while Pendragon and Magus approached the centre chair. Pendragon frowned when he saw the old-style rocking chair.
    “I’m not sure this is going to work.” Pendragon said.
    Magus waved his hand across the chair. Seconds later it took on the appearance of a traditional Starfleet command chair. Pendragon then seated himself in the chair while Magus sat in the seat normally occupied by the science officer. When Magus seated himself the chair changed, looking, looking like the rocking chair.
    “Pegasus, this is the U.S.S. Flying Scotsman.” said Pendragon. “Request permission to depart.”
    In Ops Sevrina Maris, now in command of the station, looked out of the view port.
    “Flying Scotsman, this is Pegasus. Request granted, and Captain…good luck!”
    A smile appeared on Pendragon’s face. He had not know Maris long but knew she meant what she said.
    In Ops Maris watched as the Scotsman flew off into space. As she watched she hoped that hew new found position as Federation renegade would not bring the attention of her former comrades in Enigma Force.




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