The Retreat : Duality

The Captain awoke in a small room. At first it was very dark, but as his eyes grew accustomed to the darkness, he could make out banks of monitors and controls. He stood up and started to walk towards the monitors, but was prevented by some kind of force field. Just then the lights came up and blinded the Captain once more. He'd experienced this intense light before, when he and Miko had turned a corner. He couldn't remember what happened next, he couldn't remember anything until he woke up in this room.

"So how are you feeling now Captain ?" Darwin asked.

Devore's sight slowly returned he saw the figure of Darwin stood in the centre of the room. Devore now saw the room for what it was. Unlike everything else in this holographic recreation, this was modern, almost futuristic. The walls were indeed covered in banks of monitors, flicking from image to image. Darwin's attention was totally focused on the screens. Each image showed an area of the castle, it was almost as if Darwin was searching for something, probably the rest of the crew. It looked as if the crew had managed to evade Darwin's camera's.

"Darwin.. I don't have time to be playing this game of yours !" Devore yelled trying to sit up. He was tied down to the table.

"Now now, Captain Devore. You have all the time I am about to depart to you."

Bridge

"Lieutenant Shale... I don't know how they did it but we have restored power." Gordon yelled from Ops.

"Good then. Let's get power back on line to the engines." Shale yelled.

"Aye sir."

Shale tapped his combadge, "Shale to Taline."

[Go ahead Lieutenant.] Taline said breathing heavily.

"Commander Taline.. Good job. We have power back."

[Rick... I haven't done anything. We just now got access to the Jeffries tubes 4 through 12.]

"I don't understand."

[Some how the power has been reinstated on their own.]

"What about warp power ?"

[That will take a bit. You'll have impulse power in about 5 minutes.]

"Great. Keep me informed.

Holodeck One : Darwin's Lair

Devore began to beat his head against the table that he was tied to. He watched Darwin as he punched something on his console. Devore's weapons were propped up against the far wall and there was no way he could conventionally reached them. "Darwin. If you really want to beat me I think it is time that we stopped this stupid game and take care of it. I am getting really tired."

"You know something Captain. I really don't care. You ship will be crushed in moments, the rest of your crew is getting ready to die, and you are in no position to ask for anything."

"Even a fight to the death ?" Devore said with a sinister, menacing smile which surprised the troll.

"I'm listening."

"You and me fight it out in mortal combat. The rest of my crew goes free."

Darwin spun himself around in the chair at the monitors and rubbed his chin like Devore does ever so often. "Why should I ?"

"Well you don't have anything against them, just me. So let's just settle this once and for all."

"Let me think..... um...okay." Darwin closed his eyes and suddenly everything that was around them disappeared.

Devore quickly looked around and he saw his crew, Phanan, Rashad, Morriden and all stood around in a circle as if fending off an attack. Instantly, stone walls rose out of the air, crowds of people jeered and yelled as Devore was no longer laying flat on a table but standing up right armed with a sword and arm shield. Phanan sat up on the wall alongside the others and noticed the Captain in the middle of the massive arena. "I recognise this !"

"What are you talking about ?" Rashad asked.

"This setting, this is a time in Earth's history, around the Roman empire. This is a sport that they played and it looks like the Captain is the gladiator."

"Gladiator ?" Dakul asked unsure what to make of this.

"It is a fight to the death. The gladiator, in this case it looks like the Captain, is going to fight someone or something. The gladiator would usually be pitted in terrible odds like 1 against 5 lions, legionaries, or something like that and would have to fight.. ... all in the name of good clean entertainment."

"We can't let the Captain fight like this."

Gladiator Arena

Devore looked out into the crowd and quickly tried to find his crewmates. He span around and saw Dakul who stood up and yelled. Devore noticed that Phanan was trying to crawl over the wall, but Devore yelled. "NO !"

The crew looked at Devore and the crowd's jeers started to quiet down.

"I am here to fight Darwin. This will settle whatever it is he has against me or my crew. I am tired of playing to his little game and now is the time to settle this." Devore yelled.

A large echoing noise was heard from behind the wall, "And thus we shall end it all."

From the behind the wall a large dragon appeared. The massive wing span forced air down to the crowd as it flew over head. It dove and swooped as it finally came to rest about 100 yards away, the dust blinded the Captain as he landed. Mythical creatures once roamed the Earth and now Devore a man from the future must fight a creature of the past.

"We end it all here and now." Devore yelled making sure Darwin heard him.

"Yes I know."

Phanan and Dakul sat in the cement chairs helpless to aid their Captain. An unknown force secured them to the cold stone. Rashad and S'qeurei trying to break free from their invisible bonds to no avail. Morriden however just sat looking into the enormous pit where the Captain now was faced with the large mythical creature.

The dragon, or Darwin, reared back on its hind legs, his tail creating a third point of contact. Easily it stood about 55 feet and as a bear rear back to make itself look immense, Darwin did the same. His wings were fully outstretched covering over 100 feet.

"Captain Devore !" Darwin said his serpentine eye squinted and bore into the minuscule of the captain. "Are you ready to meet your maker ?"

Devore said nothing. He gracefully reached behind him and pulled out his boomerang. It slid from its sheath with a metallic ring, the autumn sun's rays bounced off the massive flying blade. Devore's hand was protected by the sestis which also added to the immensity and complexity of the weapon.

"The only one to meet their maker will be you to hell !" Devore spun taking a step forward, the boomerang circling over head, and launched her to the dragon. Seconds from its release, it turned to a ball of energy flying towards Darwin. Darwin flapped his wings a few times and came up off the ground barely missing the ball of plasma energy.

"Ha ! Is that all you have ?" Darwin yelled puffing his chest out defiantly. As his cheeks begin to fill with something, the thin membrane which creates the wings just under his right arm shone brightly. The light began to concentrate at a certain point and just like a blade cutting through butter, the membrane splint open. Darwin's head arched back and screamed in agony, a high pitched squelched that called Morriden and the others scrunch in pain.

Devore's energy boomerang, missing Darwin the first time, had hit him on the return trip slicing the membrane in two. Darwin fell 25 feet to the ground, the stadium shaking as he fell. The boomerang found her way to Devore who barely was able to catch it with the ground shaking as it did. As the ball of energy hit the sestis, it returned to the familiar bladed boomerang.

Devore smiled. "I think that might be enough !"

Slowly Darwin rose to his massive feet. "If you did then that is completely gullible." His massive clawed hand swung a large arc.

Devore didn't see it coming and was hit by the hand sending him 15 to 20 feet through the air landing on the ground. Fortunately the soft sand that lined the pit absorbed some of the impact, but the actual hit from the hand knocked the air out of him. A sharp pain inflamed on the side of his ribs. Devore grabbed it and groaned writhing in the pain. He shut his eyes tightly trying to refocus the pain.

"Captain !" Rashad yelled loudly over the jeering crowd. "Get up !"

Devore tried to get up but the pain was tremendous. Darwin on the other hand was on his feet and slowly walked over to the fallen officer. Finally the pain was tolerable, Devore focusing worked, and he got up. Darwin was now on all fours approaching the captain. Devore realised that he didn't have his boomerang and Darwin was now between him and his destructive weapon.

*Oh boy!* Devore thought.

The hissing and the forked tongue made an intimidating sight and sounds as Devore reached under his jerkin. In the inner pockets he reached for a few shakens, or throwing spikes, and quickly aimed at the approaching lizard. As fast as he could he threw the spikes finding their home in the tough hide of the now even closer dragon. Darwin said nothing but continued the advance.

"Do you realllllly thinkkkkk thattttt thossssssse ssssssticksssssss are going to do anythhhhingggggg ? My turn !" Darwin's nose started to vent steam, his cheeks begin to swell.

"I don't like the looks of this." Devore said to himself and quickly ran away. In an instant the very spot where he had been standing was covered in a bluish green ooze where vapour rose. The sand seem to dissolve under the ooze. With Darwin's attention focused at the spot, Devore jumped on the back of the dragon holding on for dear life. Stunned and surprised, Darwin began to thrash wildly.

"Go for the eyes !" Phanan yelled from his bonds.

Devore reached and found a tanto. With a quick and burdened blow, Devore plunged the small bladed knife into the eye of the serpent. With another blood-curdling scream, Darwin yelled his thrashing now faster and more jerking. Devore couldn't hold on much longer, but managed to switch hands and plunge the knife in the other eye. The thrashing was now too much. Devore was thrown off and soar through the air landing again on the sand. The massive dragon was now screaming and blowing the grotesque acid from his mouth in every direction hitting some of the bystanders around the stadium. They screamed as the ooze hit them and dissolved parts if not their entire body instantly.

Without his eyes Darwin was helpless and could not maintain control. The invisible force that held the crew was now gone and they were free. Barker jumped up and threw the Captain his sword.

"Captain ! Use the sword !" He yelled.

The sword flew straight and tumbled slowly through the air. It fell and stuck 3 feet from the warrior who grabbed it and smiled. The dragon thrashing was now diminishing and an aura formed around it. Instantly the familiar figure of Darwin lie there, his eyes gouged out. His breathing was deep and methodic as Devore approached the sinister being.

"Devore. You may kill me, but you will never know the secret." Darwin said almost pitifully.

Devore looked down at the now helpless being. He grasped the sword tightly. For the passed few days, this one creature has caused so much and now he just wants revenge. His Sierra has honed those skills and brought out the goodness in him, but Devore has now resorted to those feeling of instinct and vengeance. He remembered Brayden who as far as he knows is dead, endangered his life and his crew, the ship.

Anger began to swell inside and the sword was now raised over his head. The stadium was now cleared but for the crew and the remains of those unfortunates who was hit by the ooze, and Darwin. "StarFleet officer or not, I don't care !"

The blade came down and hit the evil elf. The electromagnetic pulse of the sword sent an immense bolt of lightning that engulfed Darwin. In an instant after the spectacular light show, Darwin disappeared as did the program. Now all that remained was the crew, Devore and the familiar yellow grids surrounding the holodeck. The crew approached the Captain who still held on to the sword.

"Captain.... sir...." Morriden said putting his hand on Devore's shoulder. "It's over."

Devore turned and looked at the Ensign. He grabbed the young man's lapels and forced him against the wall. "You little bastard. You did this, you created all this for what ? For what purpose did you have to cause this much trouble."

Morriden said nothing and looked down. "You will have my explanation later, but for now...."

[Captain Devore.] Shale's voice said over the combadge.

"Go ahead Lieutenant !" Devore said releasing Morriden.

[Captain. It is good to hear your voice. We have established full power to all ship's system but we are being sucked into the black hole.]

"We are on our way ! Devore out." Devore turned and looked at the crew. "Come on. Don't worry about changing we need to save the ship."

The crew ran out of the holodeck and ran to their appropriate stations.

Bridge

Devore stepped off the turbolift and on to the Bridge. He smiled looking over the Bridge. Everybody quickly took their appropriate stations except for S'qeurei who just stood to the side. The rest of the crew who did not see him/her in the holodeck knew nothing of her but since she was with Captain they felt nothing.

"Lieutenant Shale you have been doing a great job, but I am back. Thank you," Devore said with a small smile.

"No problem sir." Shale responded.

"We are beginning to move closer to the black hole," Dakul said from Tactical.

"Confirmed Captain." Gordon said.

"At what rate ?"

"Approximately 10000 km per second." Dakul said.

Shale turned in his seat. "Captain I have been buying the ship some time by turning away from the hole using impulse to create a status quo."

"Very well. Do it."

"Captain....!" Barker said from the Science station. "Impulse isn't going to be enough. I recommend a higher input. Recommend going to warp one."

"Mister Taline."

[Aye sir.]

"Can I have warp power."

[Yes sir. Ever since the power came back up we are good to go.]

"Mister Shale if you would be so kind."

Shale pushed a few buttons on his console and the warp engines engaged themselves. No longer was the massive Akira heading for the hole but remained stationary at a point just outside of the ship.

"Good work everyone. How is Brayden ?" Devore said worriedly.

"No one knows as of now," Gordon replied.

Devore tapped his combadge. "Captain Devore to Counsellor Devore."

[Marc.. Where are you ?]

"Counsellor" Devore said with a smile. ".....I am on the Bridge. How is my son ?"

[Captain......] Sierra said sarcastically. [....he is resting doing fine.]

"I don't know about you but I am ready for a shower and a clean uniform."

[So am I. I will meet you back home.]

"Sounds good to me, Devore out." Devore said turning to the crew. " Well I think I need a shower. "

"You said it." Barker said with a smile.

"Lieutenant Shale. You have been doing such a great job, why don't you continue till I come back. You have the con. Oh and see what we can do for S'qeurei. Get her quarters and some fresh clothes."

"Yes sir," Shale said with a smile.

With that Devore disappeared into the turbolift.