The Return : Sierra's Escape

Devore's swollen eye prevented him from seeing too much, but his desire for escape and revenge drove his endurance higher. For a highly advanced people, he couldn't understand why Lighter and Beard bound his hands with rope. The ropes were tight around Devore's wrists, but yet he pulled and wiggled, grinding away making around beef of them. Finally after a quarter of an inch of skin had been torn off and the blood from the wounds had soaked into his bindings, Devore was able to free a hand. Working quickly, he freed his other hand and feet.

Rubbing his now raw wrists, Devore got up from his space-cold chair and put back on his tunic. His combadge, however, was not there and he wondered just where it was. Oh well! I will just have to get another one. Quickly searching the small room, he found an undershirt from someone's uniform and started to rip it into strips, which he used to make temporary bandages for his wrist. Once he had wrapped his blooded wrists, he moved onto the next task.

*Now, where is Sierra ?* Devore thought.

He headed out the room into the hall, where he ran down a few feet. To his surprise there was no one around until he came to the armoury. There was posted a guard aimed with a Type-3 phaser rifle. He also had a Type -2 phaser in its holster on his waist. From around the corner, Devore sized-up his opponent and determined a sustained hand-to-hand fight would not be in his best interest. So for his own sake quick and to the point was choice.

The guard , a medium sized man, stood with his back to the armoury. Unfortunately, he also was facing the wall, the wall corner whereby Devore was to emerge. Devore took a deep breath and shook out the butterflies in his stomach. For it had been quite some time since he has had to fight like this. Finally gathering up his senses, Devore ran out from behind the corner. The guard was startled by the charging Captain and as he tried to bear the rifle down on to Devore, Devore quickly kicked the barrel of the weapon away. The phaser blast hit the far wall and left a blast mark. Following through with his kick, Devore shifted his weight and executed a spinning back kick which connected to the guard's temple sending the guard four feet, face first into the deck. The guard didn't know what happened and now lays motionless- out cold. Devore grabbed both the rifle and the pistol and fired at the armoury door. He was not trying to get in, but keep all out ! As soon as he figured that was enough he headed for Deck 12 - The Brig !

In the Brig, Sierra sat on the bunk legs pulled up to her chest. The swollen lip and bruised jaw made it difficult for her to eat, so in the corner sat a tray of food. The security guard sat at his desk looking at Lieutenant Devore with lustful, wanting eyes. Even as her face was slightly distorted by the blow of Lighter's assault, she was still quite beautiful.

"You know! I can help you ?" The guard said walking to the force field.

"Really. How can you help me ?." Devore said with contempt.

"You are a pretty girl, and I am a man." He said lowering the force field.

"Not on your best day !" Sierra yelled angrily. "Stay away from me !"

"I heard that you got around. I just want my share." Kensington said coming closer.

"Stay away from me." Sierra said now slightly frightened. She got up and ran to the far corner.

"Come on ! Devore."

"Stay away from me !!"

Kensington lunged forward and grabbed her, but Sierra resisted him. She balled her fist and struck him in the throat, which caught him off guard. He staggered back grasping his throat.

"You little slut !!" He said gasping for air. "I am going to kill you." Kensington again lunged for her, but just as he got about two feet, he was shot in the back.

"I believe she said to leave her alone." Captain Devore said.

"Marc !" Sierra said running and embracing him.

"Sierra ! Thank God you're safe. I thou......" He began to say, but stopped as she pulled away. "What happened to you ? Did Lighter hit you ?"

"It's okay, Marc !" Sierra said happy to see him. "Can we just get off this ship ?"

"I am going to kill him !" Devore yelled. He now had an agenda - - -to kill Lighter, unbeknownst to him that someone all ready beat him to it.

"Marc. Forget it. We just need to get out of here." Sierra said.

"Fine !" He said still angry, but he knew she was right. They needed to get out of there and they had to do it quickly. "Come on. I have an idea."

In the transporter room, Sierra stood on the transporter pad. She was extremely nervous, but she trusted her husband. "Okay, tell me again ?"

"Listen, I have Jerry-rigged the transporter pattern buffer to be in a self-sustaining loop. Your pattern will remain in the buffer forever as long as there is a power source and that is when the phaser comes in. The Sarium Krellide power cell will keep the cycle going until it is broken by the rematerialization sequence."

"You sure ?"

"Yes Sierra."

"Can't I just use the shuttle or something ?"

"They will destroy it in a matter of seconds. The pattern buffer is too small to be detected by sensors, so you will evade capture until the Leviathan picks you up."

"You're not coming with me ?"

"I can't. I have to stop Beard."

"I am not leaving you again."

"Yes lieutenant, you are ! Besides, I need you to give a message to Harris."

"But Marc."

"No buts. Tell Harris the co-ordinates of the Lynx and if I am not on board the Leviathan then to engage and destroy the Lynx. Beard has gone crazy and we must stop him. Understood ?"

Sierra started to cry.

"Understood Lieutenant ?"

"Yes sir."

"Sierra!! I love you." Devore said as she energised into the pattern buffer.

The buffer assembly rematerilized 10,000 km off the port bow and remained there motionless, waiting for the power reserve to die.

* Please come back to me.* The incoherent thought of Sierra scattered within the buffer.

"Now, it is time to take care of business !" Devore said heading to Engineering.