The Reuniting of Past Loves

SSS Sniper : Captain's Office - June 8, 2383

*My cover, at least where Captain Devore is concerned, is now blown.* Thought now a perplexed Lieutenant Rashad. *... Should I transfer to Starfleet Intelligence ?...* Suddenly, the answer came to her... and she knew that for her it was the right one... "May I speak freely, Admiral ?"

"Of course." Admiral McCaffee said nodding.

"Actually, ma'am, if the Section regulations permit this and Captain Devore has no objections, I would like to remain with Section 31 and, at the same time, continue serving as an Intelligence Officer on USS Leviathan."

Admiral McCaffee looked at Captain Devore who stood there and smiled at Rashad. "Marc ? Is there any objections ?"

"Absolutely not. She is a fine officer. I would be honoured to have keep her aboard. On one condition," Devore said.

"Sir ?" Rashad said her eyebrow raised in her questioning fashion.

"As long as there are no more attempts or espionage activities." Devore said with a smile.

"Yes sir."

SSS Sniper : Bridge - June 9, 2383

Charlie sat at the Tactical station as Admiral McCaffee sat in the command chair. The Bridge of the Sniper was set up similar to a Defiant class ship, which made Devore sort of uncomfortable. Counsellor Devore had for some reason was spending a lot of time with her new prodigy. Marc couldn't understand why other than the fact that they were going to be spending a lot of time together, so he assumed that they were just trying to get to know one another.

The minimal crew of the Hellcat were busy repairing the small attack vessel so that they can return to the Leviathan. Captain Devore wanted to be on his ship. He missed her, he just hoped that it was still in one piece. Lieutenant Commander Toran approached Captain Devore from behind and softly tapped him on the shoulder. "Captain ?"

Slightly startled, Captain Devore turned around as did Admiral McCaffee from the command chair. "Yes old man."

"Repairs on the Hellcat are almost completed. We should be ready to be underway in about six hours."

"Good. Start assembling the crew and relocate them from the Sniper to the Hellcat."

"Aye sir." Toran said as he left the Bridge.

"Efficient crew." McCaffee interjected.

"Best in Starfleet." Devore said with a smile.

McCaffee said nothing but returned her attention to the viewscreen. She looked as if she was pondering something, took a deep breath and returned her view to the Captain. "Marc. I want to give you something."

"Admiral ?"

"It is a prototype weapon system that is not acknowledged by the Federation. It is far more powerful than a Romulan or Klingon disrupter system and damn more effective. It is what Section 31 calls the 'Shatter Pulse."

"Shatter Pulse ?"

"Admiral !" Charlie said turning around from Tactical.

"It is okay, Charlie. Considering what the Leviathan is up against out here in the Beta Quadrant, I think that it is prudent to assume that they could use it." Her attention returned to Captain Devore. "The Shatter Pulse is a highly focused Tachyon pulse designed to overload the shield emitters of a targeted ship. Using a series of pulses, the tachyons transverse the area of the shield and destroy the ship's shield emitters. Once it does, the shields are gone and it is left vulnerable. The only disadvantage to it is that it can be used only once in a twenty-four hour period. It takes that long for the pulses' generator to recharge. I think that you saw it once in action."

"Yes. I did. Quite impressive."

"So Charlie. Begin download of the Shatter Pulse schematic to the Hellcat's computer."

"Aye sir." Charlie acknowledged with a slight discontent in his voice. He didn't like giving that technology away, but it was for the best interest of Starfleet.

SSS Sniper : Starboard Docking Port

The Hellcat was preparing to leave the Sniper. However, one last piece of business still remained.

"Mother !" Brayden said through tears. He held Admiral McCaffee close as Counsellor Devore looked on from the Hellcat's airlock doors. She felt something at the sight of the heart-wrenching moment, similar to something before.

"Don't worry son. This is a unique opportunity for you. Just make sure that you take advantage of this." Kyrie McCaffee said through her own tears.

"I will."

"Um.. Admiral. It is time we go." Counsellor Devore said hesitantly.

"Of course. You just take good care of my son, Sierra."

The pain in Devore's heart increased slightly. "You have my word. I will watch over Brayden as if he was my own."

"Good. After all, I don't know what I would do if anything happened to him."

"Don't worry."

"I have to Lieutenant." McCaffee snapped back. It took Sierra by surprise. "I am sorry."

"None needed."

"Go on before I change my mind."

"Come on Brayden," Sierra said as she guided him into the Hellcat. Brayden turned around as the doors shut, cutting him off the view of his mother. He silently turned around and followed Lieutenant Devore to his temporary quarters. Once there he laid down on the mattress and quietly sobbed.

USS Hellcat : Bridge

"Bring the engines on line," Captain Devore said sitting in the command chair. "Commander Toran you have the helm seeing that we are down a helmsman."

"Aye sir," Toran said quietly. He still wasn't sure what was to become of him seeing that he disobeyed Harris' orders. Right now it seemed all is good, but as soon as they get back to the Leviathan, Harris would sure enough throw him in the Brig. Toran hoped the in this case the ends justifies the means.

"All systems report ready Captain." Shaka said with a slight smile. Even though she and the Captain had gotten off to bad start, they had developed a mutual respect for one another and she was happy to see him back where he belonged, with the crew.

"Release docking clamps and prepare to move away." Devore ordered. "Set manoeuvring thrusters at 1/3 and take us away slowly, old man."

"Aye sir."

The Hellcat was shook slightly as the small vessel unhooked itself from the larger vessel, and slowly moved away from the Sniper.

"We are cleared the Sniper." Rashad informed the Captain.

"Very well. Set a course back to the last known position of the Leviathan, Warp 4."

"Captain. I recommend that we don't go any faster than Warp 2. The engines took quite a beating."

"Very well.... engage at war......."

"Captain we are being hailed." Toran interrupted. "It is the Sniper."

"On screen."

[Captain.] Admiral McCaffee came on the screen. Her eyes were red and puffy. She obviously had been crying.

"Yes ma'am."

[Promise me that you will take care of my son.]

"I promise."

[Good. Then godspeed to you. McCaffee out.]

"That is one obsessed woman." Toran said as soon as her image disappeared.

"Well Commander, if you were letting your only son go out in to the unknown, wouldn't you feel the same ?" Rashad said.

"Maybe."

"Okay.. That is enough. Engage Warp 2," Captain Devore ordered.

The Hellcat sped away.

USS Leviathan : Bridge - June 10, 2383

"All right. Let's begin collecting anything we can salvage or use. Keep on the lookout for enemy or friendly ships." Jon then paused, before speaking up again. "Let me make this clear everyone. We've already lost our XO and I'll be damned to the far reaches of Hell if we're going to loose the Captain as well. Failure here is not an option. Let's make sure we get the Captain and the Hellcat crew back." Jon then sat solemnly in the command chair, as everyone went to work.

USS Leviathan : Cargo Bay Two

The salvage crews worked constantly bringing in what they thought was debris from a Federation ship. However in actuality the debris was littered with some small pieces of ablative armour, but mostly the debris field was that of Barien ships and torpedo casings. The mystery of the Hellcat was getting to be more and more that.. a mystery. What happened to the Hellcat ?

"Lieutenant Hansen, I think I have found something." Lieutenant Taline said from the engineering console. He'd been monitoring the transport of debris into cargo bay two and attempting to reconstructing the debris. Hansen rushed over to Taline's side to see what he had found. He was a new one onboard who at first was assigned to obscure sections of engineering, but certain expertise started to show through, noticed by the late Commander Harris and he was reassigned to assistant engineer. Now Taline was showing a greater amount of job knowledge in this investigation. "Lieutenant. The blast pattern on this section is not familiar to me."

"Isn't this the shield generator ?"

"It looks like it but not from one of our ships and look at this..." Taline said pointing to the emitters. "...it looks like the controlling mechanisms have been fused."

"What kind of weapon could have done that ?"

"I don't know sir, but it couldn't be Federation. We don't have anything like that."

Suddenly the Leviathan shook.

[Red Alert. All hands to battle stations.] Captain Phanan said. over the intership com system over the klaxon.

USS Leviathan : Bridge

"Where did that ship come from ?" Phanan bellowed. "Where are my shields ?"

"They are up !" Lieutenant Baran yelled from tactical.

On the viewscreen, a Barien scout ship was turning around to make another run on the Leviathan. It continuously fired its phasers.

"Shields down to 75%."

"Take out that ship ! Target its Bridge. Screw the weapons and engines."

"Aye sir. Target locked."

"Squash that mosquito ! Fire !"

The Leviathan's phaser array fired but just as the blast was to hit the ship, it rolled and banked causing the Leviathan to overshoot.

"I don't believe it !" Phanan said. "Target !"

Suddenly from the small ship, a torpedo was launched. It was slightly larger than most, but the torpedo flew towards the Leviathan.

"I have a torpedo on course, impact in 10 seconds." Baran yelled.

"Evasive makeovers, gamma three."

The huge hulk of ship, dived and banked port, but the torpedo was not misled. It headed for the ship and continued.

"Impact six seconds."

"Give me warp 4."

"Five !"

"Warp engines are off line."

"Four !"

"Shield Strength ?"

"Three !"

"70%"

"Two !"

"Brace for impact !"

"One !"

The torpedo hit the shields and began its relentless bumping on to the shields. With every hit the the shield were drained of vital energy.

"Commander Loris ! Suggestions. How can we get that Decrum Torpedo off of us ?" Phanan yelled.

"I am sorry Captain. But the only way now is to destroy it before it destroys us."

"Well I don't have any way of doing it."

"Shield strength weakening. Down to 45%" Mason said from Ops.

"Suggestion ? Anyone !"

"35%"

The Bridge crew shrugged their shoulders, but a look of horror over took them as they realised that the power of their shield was to be their undoing.

"20%"

"Oh shut up, Ensign !"

Suddenly there was a few quick rumbles and explosions as the shields in their weaken state absorbed a new vector of attack.

"What was that ?"

[Leviathan This is the Hellcat, looks like you could use some help.]

"Captain Devore ! Is that you ?" Phanan yelled happily.

[That is an affirmative. Where is Harris ?]

"Dead Captain. I will explain later."

[Very well standby.]

Suddenly as the shields lowered to 3%, there was an even bigger explosion as the torpedo detonated. The shock wave of the explosion rippled through the Leviathan.

[Phanan, damage report.]

"Hold on Captain. They are still coming in."

USS Hellcat : Bridge

"Captain, that torpedo had absorbed so much energy that its detonation caused as much damage as if it actually hit." Rashad said.

"I see that Lieutenant. Damn it ! Find me that other ship. We need to take care of that bad boy."

The other ship was far to the rear of the Leviathan and now the Hellcat was on it. She moved right on to the Barien ship's six 'o clock and opened fire. The pulse phasers overshot the Barien, but another volley connected. The small ship was rattled with phaser fire and exploded in a blaze of glory.

[Captain. We have taken major damage. Warp core off line, weapons off-line and hull breaches on decks 5-10 sections A thru G.]

"Captain...." Toran whispered. "...that is the entire front of the ship."

"I know commander. I know." Devore said rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Captain Phanan. Set a course back to Nuan space and prepare the hanger bay for our arrival.

[Aye sir], Phanan said. [And Captain. It is good to have you back.]

The two ships now became one and the command crew was back onboard. Commander Loris politely made arrangements for the Leviathan to use their space dock to put the ship in repairs for which the Captain was grateful.