Jonas Mallory looked rather smug as he was let out of his cell in the station's brig. His lawyer, Lee Cochrane, had arrived from Earth. Cochrane would cost him quite a bit of money but having the best defense attorney in the Federation was worth it.
"I demand that you release my client from this cell at once! How dare he be placed in such inhumane conditions?" Cochrane berated K'Tag, who was acting Security Chief.
"Your client is being treated in accordance with Starfleet security procedures!" K'Tag snarled back. The Klingon was not one with whom to be trifled. "Unless you have posted bond, he's not going anywhere!"
Cochrane handed K'Tag the PADD containing Mallory's release bond. K'Tag scowled, then gave the command that opened the cell.
"K'Tag to Captain Mallory... I've got some bad news for you...," he said.
Jonas and Cochrane next requested an audience. Because of the conflict of interest, Garek Loran stepped in to act on Kitty's behalf.
"So, in brief, you claim that there can be no impartial panel aboard this station, given Captain Mallory's prejudicial conduct toward your client," Garek stated bluntly.
"In brief, Commander, that is exactly what I am stating!"
"Forward your request to the Judge Advocate General's office. We're not going to remand custody of him to another Starfleet facility without first getting orders from Command. He's too dangerous!"
"Your attitude is exactly why I made such a request this morning!" Cochrane stormed. "Everyone is already predisposed that my client is dangerous! Would this poor man pose a threat to anyone?" he asked, indicating the battered and bruised Mallory. That Mallory's bumps and bruises came at the hands of a Nausicaan pirate captain whom he'd disappointed was unstated.
Hmmm... let's see... he was found aboard a slaver after faking his own death, his own children in the slaver's hold. Doesn't that qualify as dangerous? Garek thought.
"Incoming message from Starfleet Command, sir," someone interrupted Garek.
"Pipe it through, Ensign."
An older Andorian male appeared on the screen. [Captain Najal, Starfleet Judge Advocate General's Office. You are hereby ordered to remand Jonas Mallory to Starbase 304 for trial by a competent and impartial panel. His attorney should arrive at some point today. Mallory is to be transported under guard aboard a Starfleet vessel. Inform Captain Mallory that statements may be required from her and her children as part of the prosecution's case. That is all.]
Cochrane and Jonas both looked smug. The screen flicked off. Garek sighed. "All right, you got your wish." He began calling the appropriate people. "Garek to K'Tag, send a five-man detail to Shuttle Bay 4. I'll need them for roughly a week. Mr. Deveraux, report to the Command Deck for piloting assignment."
"Don't you think this is a bit excessive?" Cochrane said, blanching.
"Najal said I had to get them to Starbase 304 under guard. It is entirely at the station command's discretion just how much of a guard to provide. I'd love to send both Tarik and K'Tag with phasers at Mallory's head the entire way, but he's not worth that much attention. So. What can you do?" Garek leaned back, smiling. "Get down to Bay 4 before we decide to make you walk the next 300 light-years."
Two days into the three-day trip, boredom had begun to set in. Deveraux's piloting duties were at a minimum so he spent most of his time with the Security detail. Mallory and Cochrane were confined alone in a rear compartment of the runabout.
"Zo, dere I was on Az'reel, surrounded by Mulluran troops," Deveraux was telling the bored Security officers for the fifth time when the proximity alarm went off. "Ah -- ze proximity alert! Someone must be close!" he said as he left for the flight deck. The Security officers breathed a sigh of relief.
Paul looked at his control board and noticed a rather large freighter within 1000 kilometers of his position. It was of Nausicaan registry. Paul hailed the vessel. "Attention Nausicaan vessel. Zhis eez ze Federation runabout 'Shannon' en route to Starbase 304. Please check your course and heading."
No response from the Nausicaan.
"I say again, Nausicaan vessel. Please check your course and heading!"
Something detached from the freighter and ignited engines.
"Computer, identify zhat vessel!"
<Type V Nausicaan commerce raider, carrying full armament load.>
"Tabernac!" he yelled as he pulled the runabout up into an Immelman. The runabout came up and over the raider, which had just brought its weapons to bear. The phasers missed the runabout narrowly.
"Zo, you want to play with ze great Paul Deveraux, eh?" Paul said aloud as he adjusted his targeting sensors. A phaser beam from the runabout caught the raider square in the engine compartment. "Hah! Let's see you try to get out of that! Computer, resume course to Starbase 304, maximum warp! Starbase 304 flight control, zhis eez Lieutenant Paul Deveraux aboard the runabout 'Shannon,' en route from SB901. We are under attack by Nausicaan raiders! Pleez send assistance immediately!"
A phaser cannon erupted from the freighter. <Warning. Shields at 80 percent.>
Deveraux said nothing as he made his run for the starbase. [Runabout 'Shannon,' this is Starbase 304 flight control, Ensign Schneider speaking. We have dispatched a flight of Banshee fighters to assist you. ETA is nine minutes.]
"Merci beaucoup, mon amis!" Deveraux said out loud. Meanwhile, the Nausicaan freighter began to bear down on the runabout, a second phaser cannon joining the first in assailing the 'Shannon's shields. <Warning. Shields at 35 percent.>
"Computer, initiate evasion maneuver Alpha 9!" Deveraux ordered. The runabout made an about face and ran directly at the freighter, zig zagging all the way. Deveraux fired his own phasers, which splashed against the hull of the freighter. Bright red spots marked where the phaser blasts had penetrated the freighter's shields.
Suddenly the runabout began to spin out of control. <Warning. Engines and life support offline. Shields at 0 percent.> One of the freighter's phaser cannon had completely knocked out the runabout's critical systems.
"Ah! Shaddap! Don' tell me what I already know!" Paul shouted. He heard a transporter whine in the passenger compartment. Deveraux turned around and saw eight Nausicaan pirates who had beamed into the runabout.
The fight, if it could be called that, took seconds. Four of the security officers lay dead, and Jonas and Cochrane (both now armed) had been grabbed by the pirates before Deveraux could get out his own phaser. He aimed for Jonas and fired... and missed, hitting Cochrane instead. The lawyer disintegrated completely. One of the Nausicaans turned and fired at Deveraux. A shot intended for Paul's chest instead hit him in the shoulder as he ducked away.
By the time the Banshees had arrived from Starbase 304, Paul was barely conscious. And Jonas was free.
"I want to thank you for freeing me," Jonas addressed the Nausicaan captain. "For a moment I thought I was done for!"
"Do not thank me, human. I had to free you to keep our operation safeguarded. Had you gone to trial our attempt to revive our trade in this sector would have been fatally compromised!" the captain glowered.
Jonas looked crestfallen. "Did you think there would be no price for our services? Freeing you cost us one of our best attorneys! Not to mention a Type V raider! There will be payment, and it will be dear, Mr. Mallory!"
"How soon do you want the transwarp design?" he asked.
Kitty was in her office when she got the news. Four of her officers dead... Paul was alive. That was something, she thought as she held onto that fact... But Jonas had escaped... He has sold his soul to the devil, she thought, if he had one to sell... Garek walked in and took one look at her and his eyes widened with surprise. She looked pale, as if she had just seen a ghost.
"Captain?" he asked.
"I want the senior staff assembled. I need to brief them... Jonas Mallory has escaped," she replied, almost devoid of feeling.
She half thought of having Security provide temporary protection for her children as visions of their abduction played through her mind.