A Nod to Scotty

The Hellcat's sleek hull cut through the stars in it's quest for the Lynx. Toran was being quite brave, taking the Hellcat, an untested prototype with only half the firepower of a Defiant class vessel, into a possible combat situation with a ship that outgunned it at least 2 to 1. Then again, Toran never had taken the easy way out.

*Things are going too well.* Toran thought. *The crew still has not been able to bring the Leviathan back online. The Nuans must be getting tired of their guests.*

Toran still could not believe that Harris would put his own interests ahead of those of the Leviathan, those of the Captain. But that was apparently what happened. Harris had not made a conscious effort to find the Captain, at least not in the eyes of most of the crew. The problem was, Toran did not know if he had enough support from the crew to relieve Harris of command. Even if he had, how would Toran explain locking Rashad up. No, Toran needed Rashad right here, where he could keep an eye on her, and where the four of them would have to depend on one another for their very lives.

Shaka was getting suspicious though. Toran had been able to keep her at bay for a while, but there was no telling how long it would be until she figured out that the Hellcat was generating it's own communications "from" the Leviathan.

Then there was Ambrose, a man with an enlisted background. Toran felt a strange bond with this man. Like Toran, Ambrose had served as a Warrant Officer. And like Toran, Ambrose had earned a commission. Now Ambrose was an Ensign and far too old to hold that rank. Thus far he had proven to be a competent officer. A man worthy of Toran's respect. Toran wondered if Ambrose would respect him when they returned.

Toran wondered if any of them would respect him. Secrecy was not Starfleet's way. Toran had taken these people, against the will of their CO, on a mission that may well get them all killed. How could they respect or even trust him after that betrayal.

Even more important, what would the Captain think ? That was the most important thing. Without the Captain's support, Toran was a dead man.

"Tactical sensors picking something up ahead." Rashad said from the Tactical station. "Also we are getting a faint warp signature bearing 045 mark 3. I think its the Lynx."

"What is it that the sensors are picking up, Lieutenant Shaka ?" Toran asked keeping an eye on the warp trail.

"It's a transporter buffer." Shaka said in disbelief."And it looks as if there is something being held inside it."

"You're joking." Rashad said in disbelief. "What's powering it ?"

"It looks like a phaser power cell." Shaka replied. "But it doesn't have much energy left."

"Mr. Ambrose, bring us within tractor beam range." Toran ordered.

"Aye sir." Ambrose replied.

"This will be tough." Toran began."We'll have to tractor it into an airlock without damaging it."

"We could go out after it," Ambrose suggested.

"The power cell is weak..." Shaka interjected."....we might not make it."

"Then the tractor beam appears to be our best option." Rashad said.

"Can you handle it Mr. Ambrose." Toran asked.

"You take the beam." Ambrose replied, "I'll fly the ship."

"I thought so." Toran replied smiling.

Suddenly, a com signal appeared on sensors. A stunned Lieutenant T'Kul finally addressed Commander Toran. "Commander, we are being hailed,........ but there are no ships within sensor range."

Toran thought for awhile *We don't have time for this!*

"Respond to the com signal. Let's see what this is about."

Charlie's face appeared on the view screen. [Hello, USS Hellcat. We were very anxious to see what type of ship the Leviathan's crew had created. You have done an excellent job.]

"Who are you ? Your uniforms are not Federation."

[We are Federation, but that is all we will say. You cannot defeat the Lynx alone. We will help.]

"Excuse me ? You *will* help ? Who said we needed your help ?"

Charlie only smiled on the Bridge of the SSS Sniper at Toran's defiance..

"I am not ready to discuss this. We are trying to salvage a transporter buffer."

[Please proceed. Sniper out.] The view screen went blank.

"What is all that about ?" Ambrose asked.

"I don't know, Ensign. But I don't like it." Toran responded.

Rashad was quiet as she thought about Charlie and the Sniper. Many things she recognised like the uniforms, but she could not nor would not reveal the revelation to Toran.

"Initiate tractor beam. Mr. Ambrose, steady as she goes." Toran ordered.

Moments later, Shaka was attaching the transporter buffer assembly to the Hellcat's power systems.

"Do you know what is in there ?" Toran asked.

"It appears to be organic, but I can't determine for sure." Shaka said."I'm not an engineer you know."

Toran had wondered where Shaka's 'bite' had disappeared to for the past day or so. Luckily it was not completely gone.

"Phasers everyone." Toran ordered, "Mr. Shaka, rematerialize the item."

The four surrounded the pad with phasers in their hand as a woman's body rematerialized on the pad.

[Now commander can we proceed with the search and des...... rescue mission ?] Charlie asked through Toran's communicator.

"We don't need your assistance we can do it on our own."

[Your approval is not required. We are in pursuit of a person onboard the Lynx who will be apprehended as soon as possible. He is Admiral Thomas Beard.]

Toran and the rest of the crew became open mouthed. "What will you do to him once you catch him ?"

[That is irrelevant. Your ship cannot travel fast enough to catch up with the Lynx. We will create a tesseract large enough to engulf both our ships. Then, we will be there.]

"A tesseract? What are you...?"

His question was cut off by the appearance of a ship on sensors. Without wasting any time, the SSS Sniper "landed" on top of the Hellcat. Then, both ships crumpled up like pieces of paper and disappeared.