Deep Space Guardian: Season III-Episode 42

[Ziona]

DSG, OPS

Ziona blinked once, then again but didn't question Ian's words. A simple nod on her part was her answer but her eyes said so much more. A look of fear rippled across them but it was quickly stamped out by something more like determination. She was determined not to let it come to that.

"Yes, Captain." She spoke quickly before turning on her heel and heading towards the other side of OPS to ready the sequence in case all of the planning went for nothing.

[Founder]

-DSG, Ops-

As Ian awaited a response from T'Sa, Kiris reported from the shuttle on his status. It seemed like he was in place and this operation could finally begin.

"Acknowledged, lieutenant." Ian replied.

He waited for Kiris to complete his task and hopefully get them out of their predicament...

[Spellbinder Marik]

-Shuttlecraft, DSG, Shuttle bay-

�Sir, radiation levels are rising exponentially. 20 minutes until fatal exposure.� One of the officers in Kiris�s shuttle announced. Kiris watched the readout. He was about to comment when the com opened.
�Cyan to Expedition, we�re getting readings from outside. Recommend we push through the opening.� This creature would die. They couldn�t help it now.
�Do it.�

-Space, Elerra Prime Orbit-

For several minutes the outside patch of a rather large creature was discoloring and breaking apart. Pieces of the creature were being eaten by an unseen force. Suddenly an opening appeared and 10 Starfleet type 9 shuttles poured out.

-IRW Ferex, Bridge-

N�Tran was slightly concerned as to why the Federation vessel had not responded. He was about to order another hail when an officer began speaking.
�Admiral Ditex, an opening has appeared on the creature.� N�Tran motioned to the view screen.
�Show me.� The viewer snapped on and showed several Starfleet shuttle crafts pouring out.
�How did they get out?� The officer checked his panel.
�Sensors are detecting high levels of Ionizing radiation. It appears to have served as a corrosive agent and eaten through the side of the creature.�

�Hail the lead shuttle.� The officer tapped another control. The console made a sound indicating channel open.
�Federation shuttle craft, this is Admiral Ditex aboard the Warbird Ferex. Can we render assistance?� There was a short pause and then he heard Kiris�s voice.
�Warbird Ferex, this is Chief Engineer Kiris Ditex. Request that you reconfigure your deflectors to emit Ionizing radiation. We have discovered it will vaporize the creatures flesh.� N�Tran turned to the Ops officer.
�Do it.� He turned back to the screen.
�Signal us when ready. Ditex out.� N�Tran felt proud of Kiris. He was taking charge and focusing on the work.

-Shuttle Expedition, Cockpit-

Kiris had just closed the channel with his father. It was good to hear his voice but he had work to do at the moment.
�Sir�
Kiris heard as the officer beside him fell over. The man was now unconscious. Kiris wanted to help the man but he couldn�t. He looked to the pilot.
�How are you holding up?� Kiris could see the man was starting to suffer the effects.
�I�ll be fine sir. Lets end this.� Kiris nodded. He began by decreasing the radiation output by 20% and widened the beam.

He signaled the other shuttles to do the same. They began to make strafing runs on the creature while emitting the radiation. The creature was beginning to feel it now. No doubt they were feeling the equivalency of an upset stomach on the inside. The Ferex had joined them now. Warbird deflectors were more powerful than those of the shuttles. They were able to cover a greater area but not move as fast as the shuttles.

-Space, Elerra Prime Orbit-

Several shuttles and a Romulan Warbird had converged on the coordinates of the creature and were emitting beams of hazardous radiation. They were killing it. Pieces of it were falling away with frequency now. Parts of DSG�s hull were becoming visible again. Had they been able to hear it the creature let out a deafening cry of pain. The station occupants probably did hear it.

-Shuttle Expedition, Cockpit-

Kiris watched out the window. He wanted to end this. He didn�t know why the creature had swallowed the station but he knew his friends and comrades were inside. He wouldn�t sacrifice them just to have a chance to study this thing.
�Sir, it looks like the bottom half is falling off.� Kiris looked closer. Indeed the bottom part of the creature was falling away from the body. The bottom part of DSG was visible again.

Kiris signaled the other shuttles to increase speed. He was already feeling bad about this. He didn�t want to drag it out. The computer began speaking.
�Warning, lethal radiation levels in 4 minutes 12 seconds.� Kiris was beginning to get a headache. He didn�t know if it was the guilt or the radiation.

The top half of the creature that shelled DSG was breaking apart. It suddenly burst like a glass bowl hitting a hard floor. The pieces began drifting apart. Kiris opened a channel to the station.
�Ditex to DSG� it�s done. We need medical attention immediately.� Kiris turned to the officer that had fallen behind him. Kiris scanned the body with a tricorder. He was dead. Kiris closed the tricorder and felt a shiver travel down his spine. Kiris hoped this had been the only death. He wouldn�t know if anyone else had died until he was back on the station.

[ILoveHarry]

-DSG, Sickbay-

Callie rushed to the Governor's side with a bright smile.

"Sir! It's good to see you awake. You were knocked unconscience. Presumably from the jolt the station suffered when the creature... swallowed...us."

She pressed a hypo to his nek.

"How are you feeling?"

[Sam Kenobi]

-DSG, Brig-

Derek woke up on a floor, which after a few moments of looking around, he realized was a cell in the brig. He tried to get up, but his head ached suddenly, as if it'd been injured for a while but he had just noticed it. He vaguely remembered the station being hit by something, maybe his head hurst from that. But why would he be in the brig?

Someone in a Starfleet uniform walked by. "Excuse me," he said quietly, noting that even the small noise hurt his head. He closed his eyes briefly, but noticed the man still walking away, so he struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall next to the forcefield that he knew was active.

"Hey," he said louder this time, trying to ignore the pounding pain in his head. "What am I doing in here?"

The uniformed man turned around and came up close on the other side of the force field. "Hey, you wanna shut up? Do you? You got no place to be talking."

"I just want to know..." Derek returned meekly. "I don't think I belong..."

"Do you want to know? Or can you just not remember all those lives you had a part in taking? Your little meeting with the enemy, your helping kidnap that woman and then try to find her like you're some hero... what kind of sick bastard are you that 'you don't belong in this brig'?"

"What?" He asked, seriously trying o back track in his mind to think if he had done anything wrong.

"You can sit in here and think about it a bit, huh? We'll be out here trying to muddle through this next disaster you probably had a hand in helping us into." The guard walked off. Derek didn't reply, though he knew he should have. He didn't have the guts, or the clear head. He moved to go lie on the bench and soon passed into sleep from the pain in his head.

[Founder]

(I'm going to have to do some godmodding here, but it will be very mild.)

A day later after the terrible debacle with the alien beast, Deep Space Guardian, had been returned to its usual orbit around Elerra Prime. The station was damaged, but nothing beyond what the engineering crew could handle. On the topic of engineering, it was Kiris Ditex, chief engineer, who had discovered how to defeat this terrible abomination. He had to be rushed to sickbay to ensure his survival as he had been exposed to a high level dose of radiation. At least one officer that had accompanied him on the mission had died...

Blake Robitaille had found Kopok and stopped him from going on a rampage against the opposing Klingons. He was swfitly arrested and placed in the brig, where he remains now until K'Vagh claims him. The other ambassadors had survived the ordeal, with little scarring. Derek was also in the brig for some powerful charges. Until he can be proven innocent, he will remain in the brig.

Governor Al-Firdos, thanks to Sophia Xavier, had been taken to sickbay and cared for by the head nurse, Callie, Dr. Icarus Nagasaki has left for the USS Current, citing that after this experiance, he was not cut out for this type of life.

Several vessels had attempted to save the station while inside the animal. N'Tran had attempted to save the station once more, as did T'Sa aboard her new vessel, the Amargosa. T'Sa was forced to rescue a Klingon ship after it stupidly ignored her warnings. Thankfully, all the vessels had survived the ordeal without too much damage.

Starfleet sent a few ships to the Elerran system to pick up the remains of the beast for study. Xavier was all too glad to see it gone. As things slowly settled down, Juliana came to the station, after having been on Elerra Prime during the ordeal. She told Ian her experiances down below and even mentioned somethat disturbed him. During her search of the now-destroyed ruins, she found a dying alien with glowing blue eyes. A large piece of debris had severed his body and he was slowly dying. As Juliana approached him, he whispered something into her ears that she had passed onto Xavier. He whispered...

"We're coming for you..."

-END EPISODE-