Impossible Escape

“What did you do ?” Jack asked Quinn, who had just told him the Starbase was about to explode.

“Well I had originally planned to rig the power core to overload, the Starbase needed to be destroyed or they will hunt me and my people down, which now includes you and your ship. But just before you docked, we detected another vessel entering the sector. It’s the *USS Mumbai*, an experimental ship. So I beamed down some high-yield torpedoes to the power core to give it a little kick.” Quinn replied. “They’ll be no trace left of the base at all.”

“Along with anything within a fifty million mile radius.” Harper remarked. “Which includes us might I add.”

“Can we outrun that cruiser ?” Jack enquired.

“In this ship, I doubt it.” Quinn remarked. “It’s designed to emit distortions that disrupt subspace and prevent any vessels jumping to warp. It then sends out its squadron of advanced fighters to pick at the vessel. The explosions should take care of the ship, but it’s those fighters you have to worry about. We can’t outrun them and its no use attempting to shoot at them, they can out manoeuvre any weapon sensor grid.”

Jack was quiet for a moment, then he suddenly came up with an idea.

“Dylan, set a course for this systems sun.” Jack ordered. “We’re going to do the same as we did at Proxima.”

“You’ve got to be kidding.” Harper remarked. “We nearly didn’t make it from Proxima and we all had radiation burns for weeks.”

“But we did survive and if we don’t do anything, we’ll be dead in about…..” Jack continued, looking over at Quinn.

“The torpedoes were set to detonate twenty minutes after they were set.” Quinn replied. “That gives us about seven minutes.”

“I’m picking up six small vessels in pursuit.” Trance announced. “They’re gaining on us. The cruiser is heading towards the Starbase.”

“Raise shields and power up the disruptors.” Jack ordered. “Scan the debris field, see if there’s anything we can’t use.”

“Dylan, I need you to bank twenty degrees left.” Trance suggested. “As soon as I fire, turn back on our original heading and push the impulse engines to maximum.”

The *Firefly* turned to port and Trance fired with both disruptors and torpedoes. The ship lurched back onto its original course and everyone could hear the hull plating creak as the ship was pushed to it’s limited.

Seconds later, the ship was rocked by an explosion as the warp core Trance had targeted exploded, the shockwave sending debris in all directions.

“We’ve lost two of the fighters,” Trance announced. “Looks like a third is damaged and dropping out of the pursuit.”

“Trance, how long ?” Jack asked.

“Three minutes, this is going to be close.” Trance reported.

The *Firefly* continued to push closer and closer to the sun, with three fighters still in pursuit.

“Shields are at ninety percent.” Trance reported as the ship was rocked by phaser fire and micro torpedoes. “If they drop below eighty, we’ll never survive the solar radiation.”

“Beka, prepare to drop one of Harper’s little toys from the aft cargo bay.” Jack ordered. “Secure the cargo bay and open the bay doors on by mark. Dylan reduce speed to two third at the same time and as soon as the container is released, hit full impulse.”

“Cargo bay is ready for decompression.” Beka reported. “Ready to open doors.”

“Now.” Jack shouted.

There was a slight jolt as the ship slowed down. Beka activated the cargo runners, sending a cargo container slowly out behind the ship.

“The cargo is clear of the ship.” Beka announced.

“Hit it Dylan.” Jack ordered. “Trance, detonate the container.”

The ship lurched forward once more, just as the fighters came into optimum weapons range. Trance activated the explosives that had been hidden in the container, creating a blinding explosion. The three pursuing fighters all broke off in different directions, it was just enough to allow the *Firefly* to reach the outer corona of the Sun.

As they rounded the far side of the sun, they saw a massive explosion where the Starbase was located, which also rocked the cruiser which had been very close.

“Shockwave.” Trance announced, loudly. “Ten seconds.”

“Everyone hold on.” Jack stated. “This could be rough.”

The *Firefly* was hit by the leading edge of the shockwave, just as they rounded the sun. The ship continued around the sun, using it as a massive shield.

“Shields are at fifty percent, aft shields are close to buckling.” Trance reported. “ Hull temperature is 1,500 degrees and rising.”

“How long until the shockwave dissipates ?” Jack asked.

“Estimated five minutes.” Trance announced. “But we’ll be fried in three.”

“Divert all spare power to the shields, we must hold out.” Jack replied.

Four minutes later, things were looking bad.

“We’re losing shields.” Trance reported. “ Hull temperature is 3,500 degrees, internal temperature is 50 degrees and rising.”

“Status on the shockwave.” Jack requested.

“Still another fifty seconds until it dissipates fully.” Trance replied.

“Dylan, take us out of the system and take us back to the wormhole.” Jack ordered. “Trance, divert all power to the aft shields as soon as we’re clear of the corona. We’ll have to risk some rough weather.”

The *Firefly* moved around the sun and headed out of the system, unseen by the heavily damaged cruiser. As soon as they moved out of the protective shadow of the sun, the shockwave hit the ship like a mule.

“Structural integrity is at twenty five percent and falling.” Trance announced. “Twenty seconds until the shockwave dissipates.”

“How long until we can jump to warp ?” Jack asked.

“We’ll not be able to jump until the shockwave dissipates and sub-space settles back to normal.” Dylan reported. “We should be on our way in about ten minutes.”

“Harper, get down to engineering and get that cloaking device working ASAP. Jack requested. “Let me know as soon as it’s installed.”

“OK boss. “Harper replied, heading off the command deck.

“Shockwave is dissipating.” Trance finally confirmed. “ Hull integrity at twenty percent, shields at fifteen. Hull temperature is at 3,000 degrees and falling, we’ve lost some plating from the aft hull, but we’re still in one piece.”

“What’s the status of that cruiser ?” Jack enquired.

“Looks like they took heavy damage from the explosion.” Trance replied. “They appear to be adrift, but not destroyed. Sensor readings are erratic, the explosion has shattered sub-space.”

“Did they get a clear scan of the ship ?” Jack asked. “Did they identify us ?”

“Negative.” Trance reported. “There was just too much interference to get a sensor lock and they didn’t get close enough for a visual identity. If we’re lucky, they’ll assume that it was the *Northern Star*, after all we were using their transponder codes.”

“Well it looks like we’ve had a lucky escape….” Jack remarked. “….Dylan as soon as sub-space calms down, jump to warp and head back to the Alpha quadrant.”