Star Trek: Phoenix-X
"Spider Agencies, Part II"
Somewhere on Qo’noS, sits Helenia in a cold and sterile prison cell. One of the guards approaches and taps at a console next to the force field.
Jagh: "You have an incoming transmission from... ‘a friend’."
Helenia: "I have no friends, petaQ! I do not want any transmission!! Do not feed me food!!!!!"
Jagh: "Ugh. I hope those in your House aren’t as angry as you."
He activates the screen in the cell, which brings up Red.
>Red: "Cousin."
Helenia: "Red? I haven’t spoken to you for years!"
>Red: "The word on the street is that you killed Dorwin without honour."
Helenia: "Lies!!!! All lies!!!!!!!"
>Red: "Then what happened?"
Helenia: "I do not know. I was never near Dorwin. I don’t even know who he is! We just happened to be at the same Bar one day, and he fell over with a knife in his chest. But it wasn’t me. I would never dishonour our House like that. Never!!!!!!!!!!!"
>Red: "Uggh. I forgot how much the women of our House yelled."
Helenia: "My vocal chords can reach high-pitched yells that only those on Ferenginar can hear."
>Red: "Continue the yelling. In the meantime, I will look into this. The guard tells me you do not accept anything, even food. You must accept food!"
Helenia: "I will accept nothing, petaQs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU ARE ALL PETAqS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Red rolls his eyes and deactivates the transmission.
On the Gorkon, Red, accompanied by Lox re-meet up with Trant.
Trant: "Your situation only brings to mind one man who can be doing all this."
Lox: "Who? Tell us man!! Tell us!!"
Trant: "I know, because I have butted heads with this man at Imperial Intelligence long ago. When you came to kill me, I assumed the worst... that he wanted to use you to take me out."
Red: "I ask in repeat mode-- who?"
Trant: "General Verticon."
Red: "So this has all been a pawn game for your death!"
Trant: "Hardly. My death was most likely an afterthought. The true focus is on Dorwin’s House... the House he comes from."
Red: "The House of Duras."
Trant: "Right. Verticon is trying to pull favour for that House."
Lox: "Who the heck would favour that House??"
Trant: "I do not know. If you are looking for answers, I suggest you speak to Verticon yourself. I can give you his location-- that petaQ!"
The Shark speeds through space at incredible speeds!!! Meanwhile, Lieutenant Commander Armond stands before the Captain’s desk in the Ready Room.
Armond: "Look. I’m not going to tell you anything, because there isn’t anything to tell about the Phoenix-X! It’s just some ship with people inside of it."
Jet: "You’ll talk. You’ll talk soon!!!"
Armond, rolls eyes: "In the meantime, there’s a deadly anomaly I’m picking up on sensors. It is located near Klingon space."
Jet: "I will have to clear it with Starfleet. We have our own missions to attend to, you know!"
Armond: "If we don’t get to this thing soon, and fill it with tachyon particles, it could erupt and destroy half of Klingon space! Not to mention we are the closest vessel to do anything about it."
Jet: "Very well. Tell the helm to set a course and engage. This could brand me a hero. Heh, heh."
Armond: "Your delusionment reminds me of a Captain I once served under long ago... Heh. Old times."
Jet: "There will be no reminiscing of the Phoenix-X on my ship! Leave at once!"
The U.S.S. Shark alters course and heads for the Archanis Sector. Armond receives sensor readings of the Adelphi’s and the Gorkon’s presence but refrains from reporting it. In fact, he falsifies readings fed into the helm, so that no one else will notice it.
Armond: "Heh, heh, heh. I am good."
Tyler, turns around: "What was that, Lieutenant Commander?"
Armond: "Err, nothing. I was just umm reminiscing. Yeah."
Tyler: "The Captain has direct orders not to ever reminisce on this ship."
Armond: "Can’t you even think about the last ship you worked on?"
Tyler: "My last vessel was the Enterprise, and I’m not allowed to think about it at any point in the day aboard the Shark. There were many fond memories, but I had them all erased to comply with the Captain’s orders."
Just then, Captain Jet walks out onto the Bridge.
Jet: "What is going on here? Talking? On my ship!?!?"
Armond: "Yes."
Jet: "Oh hell! Why don’t you just find a woman and have sex with her on the Bridge!? --Enough of this banter. What is the status of those two vessels?"
Tyler: "Vessels?"
Jet: "I saw a Federation ship and a Klingon ship outside my window. What are the status of them??"
Tyler: "Armond never reported any ships!"
Jet: "What!? On-screen!"
The screen clicks on, showing the two ships.
Jet: "That looks like the Adelphi!"
Tyler: "The Adelphi is supposed to be assisting in the Consideration Talks. One of the Federation's most important meetings."
Jet: "They’re happening here!?!? There’s only one explanation... Armond brought us here because he intends on sabotaging those talks!!!! Guards!!! Apprehend him!!!!!!!!"
Armond, smiles: "Sorry, Captain. Looks like you’re too big for this ride!"
He taps at the control panel until he is transported out of there. The guards bump into each-other at where Armond once was.
Lieutenant Commander Armond beams aboard the Bridge of the Phoenix-X, where Cell, Kugo and RaeLuna are standing.
Kugo: "What the...? It’s Armond!"
Cell: "Armond! What are you doing here?"
Armond: "Captain. The only way I could get in contact with you, was to resign from the Tech-Team and transfer to the Shark."
Cell: "Ugh. You were on Captain Jet’s ship? That must’ve been like hell."
Armond: "You have no idea."
RaeLuna: "Why would someone go to great lengths just to speak with us?"
Armond: "I have horrible news. Section 31 intends on using these talks as a channel to legalize their organization."
Kugo: "You mean, make themselves known? For good?"
Armond: "Exactly. Since the talks are for specifically altering the Federation state, they would use those alterations to include Section 31... in fact, if done right, they could give themselves a considerable amount of power."
Cell: "But how??"
Armond: "Through the bills. Once those are passed, it’s nearly impossible to go back on them. It is just like the Treaty’s we have with many races."
Kugo: "Then we know what Theseus’ next move is going to be. He’s going to insert his changes during the next meeting with the President."
RaeLuna: "Why wait until then?"
Armond: "Because the changes on the padds will be recorded in real-time. What ever is suggested then, may be taken into consideration... and I know there are Section 31 supporters within the political government."
Cell: "This is all very political. But one thing remains; that if Section 31 gets into power, a people definitely undeserving, then they’ll bring on killings like the Klingons bring on murdering people."
Armond: "I think that’s the same thing."
Cell: "Enough of this contradiction! I’m going to lead an Away Team to the Adelphi."
He turns and leaves. Meanwhile, in Engineering, Amp, Lox and Red start to use the replicators in there to manufacture weapons.
Amp: "This knife is an exact replica of the one that killed Dorwin. We can apply Verticon’s DNA sample on the handle, to prove that he held it."
Lox: "But the only way we can do that is to get to Verticon himself, or someone in his family."
Red: "Hologram, why do you help me? I thought we were enemies."
Amp: "We were... but then I sabotaged your laptop and satisfied my revenge."
Red: "Hah! Revenge! You are more Klingon than you appear to be."
Amp: "My appearance is an exact copy of Armond... since the Tech-Team created me in his image."
Red: "That is not what I meant and you know it."
Commander Seifer enters the Bridge, a bit weary, and a with his hair and clothes a bit ruffled. Red and Amp walk over.
Seifer: "Ugh..."
Amp: "Commander, you’re back?"
Seifer: "The Adelphi’s interrogation techniques are not to be looked forward to. Let’s just say they enjoy their floggings..."
Red: "I take it, they accepted your cover story?"
Seifer: "Yep. In the past four years, our cover story’s have begun to include a fictional race called Elves. For some reason story’s involving them work every time...?"
Red: "Uhhh, anyway. I must get to Qo’noS, so I can clear my family’s name."
Seifer: "Amp gave me the heads up, and I’ve already cleared it with the Captain. As long as we’re cloaked, there won’t be anything to worry about. ---Helm! Set a course for the Klingon Homeworld."
Amp and Red just stand there.
Seifer: "I hate to tell you this... but you’re both pilots."
They then fight each other for the helm, taking the brawl to the floor.
Five minutes later, the U.S.S. Phoenix-X speeds through space at unbelievable velocities!!!! Red has taken the helm and Amp has taken the Tactical & Ops station.
Another cloaked Negh'Var warship, going by the registry, I.K.S. Kleckogunam, picks up a strange reading on their sensors.
Yeetagh: "This distortion may be a cloaked Klingon ship. Luckily our technology is slightly more advanced than the normal Klingon vessel, so that we could pick this up."
Verticon: "Hmmm. Fire on the ship, and force it out of cloak... and uncloak us when they do."
A torpedo bursts out of mid-space and hits the Phoenix-X. The hit blows a part of the hull, and knocks the ship off cloak. They become visible, and are forced to drop Warp. The Kleckogunam also decloaks to confront them.
Seifer: "What is the meaning of this??"
>Verticon: "Phoenix-X. I had a feeling it was you. Your the only Starfleet ship with a Klingon cloaking device. Let me guess? You found out that I was responsible for framing Red’s family and you came to kill me?"
Seifer: "You’re wrong!"
He checks his padd for the mission briefing.
Seifer: "Oh wait, you’re right. But you’re also dealing in deception, a rather dishonourable practice!"
>Verticon: "Who are you to accuse me? Your ship deals with deception everyday!!"
Amp: "What are you’re orders, Commander?"
Seifer: "Open fire, and disable their shields!! His points of argument are oblivious to me!"
The Phoenix-X begins pumping torpedoes into the Kleckogunam’s shields, breaking open a momentary hole. In that moment, an Away Team is beamed aboard that begins infiltrating the Klingon ship. Among the infiltrators is Red.
He runs through a corridor, blasting phasers at Klingon after Klingon! One Klingon comes running for him from the left, but Red jumps up into the air to spin a kick in a change of direction. The kick knocks the Klingon back and into two more Klingon’s. Red blows open the doors to the Bridge and runs in.
Verticon: "Heh, heh, heh. If it isn’t Red!"
Red, aims weapon: "Don’t move! You were responsible for dishonouring my family. I should kill you right now!"
Meanwhile, the tactical and helm operators continue to use the ship to bash the Phoenix-X.
Verticon: "Are you forgetting? I’m part of Imperial Intelligence! It was me who allowed the Klingon Exchange Program that let half of the B’Chnah’s crew to serve aboard the Phoenix-X."
Red: "That means nothing to me. You did this for yourself... you did this to hurt me!"
Verticon: "Wrong. I did this for my organization. My organization within the Imperial Intelligence!"
Back with the Gorkon and the Adelphi, the U.S.S. Shark is far enough out to receive a sudden blip of readings in the distant area beyond the Sector.
Ritaen: "Sir, I may have picked up signs of Federation and Klingon weapons fire... but the signal is too far out."
Jet: "Could it be? Perhaps it is the Phoenix-X. Something under-handed is going on here, and I intend on finding out!!!!"
Ritaen: "Get a life, Captain."
Jet: "I was bound to hear that. Engage!"
Out the window of the room the Consideration Meetings are taking place, the Shark goes un-noticed as it warps away.
Bacco: "Thank you all, for agreeing to meet again. I believe these talks have been... well, brutally honest."
Gukorom: "I agree. Sometimes I wonder if my head will explode due to all this brutal honesty. It is more than a flogging at times."
Down in Engineering, Theseus opens a document on one of the control panels. He downloads the information on to his padd, preparing to implement them into the talks. But before he can do anything, Captain Cell steps around from the corner to confront him.
Cell: "Well, well, well."
Theseus: "Ah, the good Captain. Your crew gave me quite the chase earlier."
Cell: "I hope you’re ready for more."
Theseus: "You know, Section 31 said I’d be transferring to one of their ships as soon as I was finished. But then it turned out to be you!"
Cell: "Admiral, why all the malevolence? We used to take orders from you... even sympathize with you! --Well sort of."
Theseus: "It’s you who should be answering the questions around here! Why do you endeavour to work against Section 31 when they are the ones who support your ship!?"
Cell: "Section 31 is inherently evil! We just go along with the missions because we have some level of hope that you actually are going to do something good for the Federation. Perhaps it is a false hope!"
Theseus: "No, Captain. I believe the only reason you go along with all the missions is because the Phoenix-X is the only place where you, the only Starfleet Changeling, can fit in! In fact, without Section 31 supporting you behind the scenes, you’d be kicked out of Starfleet for good. We’re the reason you were never approached by the Federation during the Dominion Wars. We protect you!"
Cell grinds his teeth and runs for Theseus. But Theseus is super-fast, and leaps around the Warp Core. Armond comes around the side and blasts a phaser beam at Theseus. But Theseus ducks it and runs behind one of the many computer-stations and objects in the room.
Cell: "Argghh!"
Armond: "Captain! It’s too bad you lost your omni-powers. You could use them to take Theseus out."
Cell: "Actually, I got them back two years ago."
Armond: "Oh. Well then. I’ve certainly been out of the loop."
Cell powers up his omni-energy and blasts a surge at Theseus. The Admiral runs out, ducking it and jumping over more surges that Cell continues blasting. Theseus ducks behind the Warp core, when it is hit by a surge. A big explosion comes from out the base of the Core, prompting everyone to dive to the floor!
Theseus: "Stupid Captain!!"
Cell: "Stupid Section 31!!!"
Admiral Theseus runs out of there, from another exit, while Armond and Cell get up to chase. But Armond holds Cell back, because of the flames being emitted from the Warp core.
The Bridge gets heed to this situation, and calls in the Captain.
Merk: "Sir! Main Engineering is reporting a Warp core breech!"
Edwell: "What!? Damn! It’s whomever is against those talks. Seal the place! We have to evacuate to the Gorkon!"
Merk: "Yay Klingons!"
Edwell: "No, that’s bad."
Merk: "Maybe in your world."
Red runs up to Verticon and stabs a reverse-hypo spray into his arm, taking out a blood sample.
Verticon: "Heh. Whatever you’re planning, Red; it is merely inconsequential to the greater scheme of things!"
Red: "Which are?"
Verticon: "The beginning of my secret Section within Imperial Intelligence. Gukorom was supposed to gain sympathy for the Duras family by the killing of Dorwin. Getting the Duras family in, would have gained support for my organization. To make them a legal one!"
Red: "So that was what this was all about. My family was a mere pawn! ...Well, no longer."
He blasts the phaser into Verticon, knocking him over a chair. Red then runs out the Bridge to rendezvous with the rest of the Team.
The Phoenix-X is damaged badly by another disrupter blast from the Kleckogunam.
Amp: "Commander, it looks like the Shark is heading in our direction. They will be in full sensor’s range within twenty seconds!!"
Seifer: "Meh. That’s enough time... Doo too doo too doo too dooo!"
Amp: "Umm. Commander?"
Seifer: "Oh yeah. Is the Away Team back?"
Amp: "Yes."
Seifer: "Cloak the Phoenix-X and set a course for Qo’noS!"
The ship disappears, as well as does the Kleckogunam. The Shark suddenly arrives there to find nobody.
Jet: "There’s nothing here. Are you deceiving me, a-la Armond!??!?"
Ritaen: "No Captain!"
Jet: "You will be shot out of the torpedo tube!"
Later, the Phoenix-X sits in orbit of Qo’noS, while Red and Seifer have transported down to the surface. They secretly replace Verticon’s evidence, and Red enter’s the Great Hall to force the High Council to look at the evidence again.
Martok: "Gah! Just review the evidence again. I do not want to deal with this Klingon foulness no longer!"
One of his protégé’s nods and runs off.
Further testing proves that Verticon’s family is responsible for the killing of Dorwin dishourably. Verticon’s cousin, Geishona is then jailed for dishonour.
Seifer: "Man. They jail you for being dishonourable here??"
Red: "It is a new law... These experimental laws never last, although this one is very good so far."
They approach Helenia’s cell and let her out.
Helenia: "WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG!?!? AAAAGGGGHH!!!"
Red: "Silence! I let you free, cousin. Now let’s go drink blood wine on the Phoenix-X. They have giant mugs."
Meanwhile, the debris of the Adelphi spread outwards in space, like a blooming flower of doom. It had previously exploded, but not before everyone on board was transferred to the Gorkon.
Bacco: "Is everyone alright?"
Klag: "The crews seem to be fine. But perhaps these new ‘talks’ are a little too controversial for some."
Bacco: "You may be right."
Nikorgeth: "It may be necessary for our peoples to put the Consideration Talks to a more long-term rest. It may be too soon for our people to accept an honesty and truth on this level of politic."
Bacco: "I’m afraid I have to agree. It is now obvious that people aren’t ready for our governments to act this way."
K’Tal: "Yet we are constantly dogged on about changes that must be made to the state, and are presented to their ideas in the most brutal and honest way. How ironic that now we attempt such a level that there are those who cannot accept it."
Klag: "Enough of this. Either we drink blood-wine, or we transfer everyone to the Shark so that my crew can have more blood-wine."
Bacco, smells some blood-wine: "Ugh! ...Uhh, we’ll just be heading back now."
Gukorom: "Very well. Thank you Madam President."
As the U.S.S. Shark returns, all the Starfleet Officers are transported to the ship. Captain Jet walks through the corridors of his ship, that are packed with people. He suddenly bumps into Armond.
Jet: "Aha!!"
Armond: "Oh man. Hey, uhh... Captain... Esh. I can’t even say that with a straight face."
Jet: "You’re coming with me, Lieutenant Commander. You were responsible for the destruction of the Adelphi. Those ships don’t come cheap, you know!"
He shakes his head.
Jet: "I never would have thought that you of all people would detest the Consideration Talks. They were thing of goodness! But I suppose it was your service on the Phoenix-X that tainted you."
Cell: "Hey!"
Jet: "Captain Cell??? I knew the Phoenix-X was in the area! You lied to me Armond. Lies!! Lies!!!!!!!!"
Armond: "Oh great. Now how are we going to fix this, Captain? He knows that we we're here, and I’m probably going to get Court Marshaled."
Cell: "Easy. --Oh, Doctor Lox?"
Lox, comes over: "You rang?"
Cell: "Give our friend here and nice little memory erase."
Lox: "No problemo."
Armond: "Oh. I guess it was easier than I thought."
He and Lox grab onto Jet’s arms.
Jet: "What are you doing to me? Let go! Let go of me!!!!!"
The Away Team, including Captain Jet beams out.
Four hours later, Jet is returned to his Ready Room in a droned state. Commander Tyler enters in a frantic pace.
Tyler: "Oh Captain! I’ve been looking for you everywhere! You know I can’t operate this vessel without your orders. I’m not that independent! ...That is why my mother lives in my Quarters."
Jet: "Uhhhhh... Huh? What? Where am I?"
Tyler: "On the Shark of course. You were telling me that you wanted to find Armond and Court Marshall him, right?"
Jet: "Court Marshall him!? We need to praise him!! He saved us from destruction, before that sabotager could have gotten to our engines!"
Tyler: "If you say so, sir."
Jet: "Now let’s go drink blood-wine!"
Tyler: "But--"
Jet: "I said, we are all going to drink blood-wine. That’s an order, Commander..."
Armond and Red enter the Bridge of the Phoenix-X. The ship has Transwarped to a distant Sector where they would not be detected.
Armond: "Now that we’ve finished with Section 31, are you planning on continuing to take missions from them?"
Cell: "I guess. We seem to be in a good position to do something, if they do attempt a plan more dangerous. You can assume we are waiting for that day."
Seifer: "What do we do with Armond and Red? Armond can’t return to his Tech-Team. They would never accept a retuner, and the Shark is like a hell-hole... filled with blood-wine."
Kugo: "Well, we had Armond transferred to the Phoenix-X in the Federation databanks. He can continue to serve with us now."
Seifer: "Excellent!"
Armond: "That is very flattering. But what about RaeLuna?"
RaeLuna: "I have been moved to the night-shift. It is just as well. There will be more time for my personal endeavours."
She pulls out a finger-trap and starts playing with it.
Seifer: "But what about Red? He’s no longer in the Klingon military?"
Lox: "Oh we fixed that too. We had him re-registered in the system. A little hacking job that any technician could do."
Seifer: "But you’re a Doctor."
Lox: "Yes... well.... I must go now."
He runs away.
Seifer: "At least we stopped Section 31 from taking over."
Kugo: "Yeah. They could have gained political power in the Federation... perhaps that is their primary goal now?"
Cell: "If it is... we’ll be ready for them. This is the last time I sit idly by and let Section 31 get away with a scheme this big right under our noses. ---As for thier other big schemes, I umm don't know about them."
Elsewhere on the ship, Section 31 is viewed on-screen in a back-room.
Ensign Dan: "Can I help you?"
Nelkast: "Where is your Captain? We want to talk to him, not you!"
Ensign Dan: "Well he’s busy at the moment. I was vacuuming this room when you called."
Elena: "We just received your report on the Consideration Meetings. Apparently, instead of staying and watching to make sure everything was okay, your ship left for Qo’noS and allowed the Adelphi to explode!!!!"
Ensign Dan: "That ship had it coming. Besides, wasn’t there some Section 31 Op that was meant to board the Phoenix-X?"
Nelkast: "Even if there was, he found his own transportation away! Not something you could handle!"
Ensign Dan: "Hey, you guys seen that new Invader Krim holo-movie yet!?!?"
Elena: "We are not your friends to talk about ‘stuff’ with!"
Nelkast: "Yeah, you’re relieved of duty!!"
Ensign Dan: "Fine. But you haven’t seen it. I can tell."
General Verticon sits in a darkened office somewhere in Klingon space.
>Yeetagh: "Everything okay, General?"
Verticon: "Not exactly. My family has been burned bad by this incident. It will take some time for me to recover."
>Yeetagh: "You might as well kill Commander Red now, for what he’s done. Or at least recall the Exchange Program aboard the Phoenix-X. You have that power."
Verticon: "No. In fact, Red has earned my respect... I didn’t think he could pull something like this off, but he has. No my darling. We will allow the Phoenix-X to continue on with its Klingon crew, and... Red."
He scratches the beard on his chin.
Verticon: "Red could be more useful as an ally, than an enemy-- and his House could be the one to support my Intelligence Section one day. I will never relinquish the thought. Verticon out!!!!"
THE END
