That Terrible Feeling of Freedom (Part 2)

Posted on 14 Nov 2015 @ 5:51am by Queen Regent Lirha Saalm

4,118 words; about a 21 minute read

Previously, on 'That Terrible Feeling of Freedom (Part 1)...

“Let's give 'em Hell,” Gahz shouted over the ship's comm to everyone aboard. “It's time to get the Queen!”

And now the continuation...

[ON]

The Hullcrusher

The brilliant plan of Gahz the Great was set in motion, a series of events just seconds apart that would put the Hullcrusher into full battle readiness and hopefully give the Saalm what-for in the process.

“Fire the broadsides!"

No energy signature was detected as the ludicrously over-sized renditions of the cannons of yore discharged their ammunition at frighteningly close range to the Saalm, their primitive but powerful warheads cracking into the Saalm's hull with great effect.

“And bring us to full power!”

As the smell of smoke and powder filled every corridor of the ship the Hullcrusher's two warp cores where brought to one hundred percent, powering shields and phasers to full power. The battle had begun, and though Gahz always wished he could use his cannons for more than surprise volleys, he was more than willing to use the proper tools to catch his prey.


IKS Saalm

Sparks erupted from several bridge consoles and Lirha's starship rocked from the violent impact of projectile weapons fire against the Negh'Var-class' heavy outer hull. Large chunks of green armor plating spewed out from the port side of the vessel, causing warning klaxons to blare throughout the bridge and the ship. The bridge lighting dimmed to combat mode and red ambient lighting illuminated the command center.

"Shields!," yelled Lirha over the loud commotion while she rapidly began to check her tactical display to ascertain what was transpiring. She should have known better...something about the mysterious starship had rubbed her the wrong way, but she had made the wrong assumption due to the Saalms perceived safe operations within KCA territory. Territory that the TE was always trying to capture and raid, even through non-Starfleet vessels.

"Full power to weapons, engage tractor beam on that starship!" she barked with urgency.


The Hullcrusher

With a quick volley of phaser fire Gahz spared no time in cursing the damned alien queen. How her shields where quick! Would the rest of her match? It didn't take much longer for the tractor beam to lock onto the Hullcrusher. Quick, indeed.

“Oh, what fun! A test!” Gahz's grin could practically be felt by all on the bridge, but most especially by Jynn who was no doubt in whatever the Deltans called Heaven. “Pete, keep up the good work! Zapz, do what you do best! We're gonna see which hull is the strongest,” he said most confidently.

“Yez, zir,” replied the mixed up, muddled up pilot. His hands drifted over the console, his patterns making a complicated knit as he commanded the ship to weave about.

A groaning and lurching could be heard throughout the ship as the phasers fired once more on their target. A tractor beam hold was unduly strong at times, able to keep ships locked despite the greatest of pressures. Zapz tried to tear apart the Saalm with his maneuvers, though equal stress was placed on the Hullcrusher as well. Would the queen release her firm grasp or would she see which ship would be ripped asunder first?


IKS Saalm

"Gunner, target that vessel and fire, full disruptors!" yelled Saalm with creased and intense eyes as she stared at the tactical overlay on the main viewer.

Though slow to maneuver and definitely not the most delicate warship in the quadrant, the Negh'Var-class was an armored beast capable of both absorbing massive amounts of damage and also distributing it. Multiple disruptor banks lines the forward hull as well as its flanks, and though it was hard to bring the nose of the vessel to bear on the smaller enemy, the war of attrition had begun.

Much obliged to the tractor beam lock, Saalm commenced rapid fire on the succubus and peppered the smaller starship's shields with intense and close-range direct energy fire.

"My Queen!," yelled her tactical officer after less than 30 seconds of maneuvering. "Port shields are collapsing!"

Before she could even reply a lone photon torpedo snuck its way through the opening, smashing directly into the hull with explosive force. The ship rocked with the combined strain of the tractor beam and the concussive impact of the torpedo, crew and equipment tossed like play-things of an angered child.

Lirha could feel the distinctive vibration of the ship when the outer hull was penetrated, and she slammed her green fist down on her armrest in disgust while slowly jolting from side to side from the torpedo impact.

"Commence rapid fire on their hull. Full disruptors!"


The Hullcrusher

Meanwhile, aboard the Hullcrusher, Gahz was starting a preemptive celebration despite the damage being inflicted on his own vessel. “That’s a direct hit right there Petey ol’ boy,” he shouted excitedly, his mood changing after just moments before toppling from his chair due to the combined power of his partially inebriated state and the Queen’s own armaments scoring a very good hit. She’d pay for that one.

“Sir,” Colonel Clank shouted from over the comm, the ship’s tinkersome main engineer. “I can’t maintain peak systems at this rate! Shields are failing and I won’t have enough juice for the weapons if we keep our engines at full!”

“Clank! I gave you two cores. Two! You’re telling me you can’t do with two what most engineers can do with one? If I have to come down there…”

“Sir, I’ll give it all I can but I can’t work miracles. We’re fighting a much bigger beast here. We’re going to have to tone down the engines if w-”

“Tone down life support! Lighting. Bring everything to half or zero but the big three. I won’t lose to that green-skinned git! This ship can take it. It was built for this!”

“Y-, Yes sir,” came a meek reply from Clank before closing the comm.

The ship became half-derelict as everything was brought down to half power save for engines, shields, and weapons. It would certainly not be comfortable but Gahz had a battle to win. There was already hull breaches on decks 2 and 10 due to the rending power of the tractor beam and well targeted weapons and his banged up baby was getting scarred once more as they continued to buzz around the larger ship, but there was no way he would risk powering down any of the big three. “Give ‘em Hell, Petey,” he shouted as another volley of phaser fire opened up on Saalm.

Just as soon as the order to fire had been given the Hullcrusher was hit with the mighty blow of repeated disruptor fire. An explosion rocked the port side of the vessel, a flash of energy bursting forth from it's side.

“Captain! One of the guns is blown! Hull breach on decks four through seven! It's a big one! We're letting crewmen like blood!”

“Dammit man, shut down all power there,” Gahz yelled out. “We can use it for more important things,” he finished with a smirk. “Enough of this Moby Dick bullshit! Get that harpoon outa our teeth! Fire on the tractor beam! I wanna show this lady how we really dance.” With the precision of a buckshot surgeon Pete fired all weapons in the tractor beam's general vicinity, hoping to inflict damage on the emitter as well as anything unfortunate enough to be anywhere near it.


IKS Saalm

Concentrated weapons fire began to strike Saalm's ventral hull. Though the shields were strong and the hull reinforced, the focused energy weapons targeted a small specific shield grid and punched through it after about 30 seconds.

The tractor beam emitter was the first system to be hit followed by an auxiliary power generator, and the green harness of death finally released its grip on the pirate vessel.

“Our tractor emitter is offline, Queen! The other ship! It's outmaneuvering us with ease,” Lirha's tactical officer shouted to her.

The other ship began to twist and sway its way around the Saalm, firing whenever it could and occasionally getting a broadside barrage to fire, inflicting less than desired damage but still beating up the Saalm's great hull nonetheless. Her ship rocked and rolled with the punches, going blow to blow with the smaller, more nimble ship that seemed too armored for its own good. Shields where whittling down and damaged sections where popping up on both vessels faster than cases of scurvy on a seventeenth century pirate ship sans oranges.


The Hullcrusher

“What do you mean, 'a dud',” Gahz practically screamed through the crackling comm to the transporter operator who was no doubt now contemplating transporting himself anywhere but on the ship he was currently on. “You're going to go over there and arm it yourself you slimy, eel sucking strumpet!”

“But cap-!” The doomed transporter operator's voice was cut off by a Crash! and then a possibly even more horrible sound.

“Gin!”

“Sit down and shut up,” Gahz yelled in half-shock as Jynn made his way back on to the bridge with their drinks and exclaimed his return at a volume that almost matched the explosions rocking his ship. “Pummel their engines, Pete. We wouldn't want her to leave before the finale!”

“What about the warp core, sir? A few good hits with the shields down and she's kaput!"

“And risk blowing her up? No! We need a body or there will be no proof we got the kill! No no no. You take out her engines and do it fast or I'm sending you out there with a wrench! You'd probably do more damage with one of those than any torpedo could ever hope, anyway,” Gahz finished with a hearty laugh, remembering the time Petey had dropped a tool that lead to a chain reaction culminating in the destruction of a freshly plundered cargo carrier.

“Firing on the engines, sir,” Pete answered quickly with a visible wince, instinctively feeling once more the Earth-shattering punch to the gut he had received from Gahz after they had barely made it off that carrier with their lives.


IKS Saalm

The steadfast and determined human vessel was certainly taking its fair share of damage and both Saalm and Saalm where feeling rather shaken. How was this slightly smaller, considerably more clunky vessel putting up such a good fight and keeping such a high speed? Suddenly the tactical officer had an answer. He cried out once more, “Queen! That ship is running hotter than an O-Type! One well placed shot and they'll go critical!”

The queen regent was about as fed-up with this pesty vessel as was possible. Somehow a tiny pirate ship less than an eighth of the size of her own had managed to begin to deal substantial damage to her own, and she had had enough.

"Gunner!," she yelled menacingly, "DESTROY THAT VESSEL!"

It should be a hard or complicated command, or one that required any sort of devious maneuvers or skill. The Negh'Var outgunned the renegade foe by at least 50-to-1 and with a competent crew, the battle should have only taken several minutes to complete.

After hearing Lihra's enraged command, her tactical officer quickly snapped to the work they were supposed to be doing and began to assault the strange warship attacking them. Intense and focused volleys of disruptor fire tore through the vessel's shield grid and began to melt the hull plating, resulting in multiple inner-hull breaches and decompression.

The Saalm's torpedo launchers were brought into the mix and fired several hardened photon projectiles at the target. They screeched and flared through the empty vacuum of space and impacted against the exposed spaceframe of the Hullcrusher, tearing it apart with violent impacts.


The Hullcrusher

Alarms of all sorts where blaring on the bridge of the Hullcrusher. They all seemed to be shouting 'Run! Run! Run!' as the red lights flashed. But Gahz would have nothing of it. He was going to get that green-skinned wench or die trying.

“Core two is going critical,” the engineering liaison on the bridge shouted to Gahz with a panicked voice.

“Good!” There was certainly no panic in Gahz's reply. “I'd say we're outmatched boys but I'm not one to give up a fight so easily. Start maneuver Zulu Five Niner and ready Core Two for the Hammer of Gahz!”

The ship was oddly silent for a moment as everyone tried to remember the code. One meek-voiced bridge officer dared the question, “What?”

“...Arm the dilithium torpedo,” Gahz attempted again through clenched teeth with a drawn out voice.

“...Come again?”

“Get the Goddamned warp core ready for launch!”

“Yes, sir,” shouted everyone on the bridge almost simultaneously. They knew the maneuver and they knew it was probably their only chance now. The ship was being whittled away faster than a termite infested peg-leg and it was high time they did something to turn the tide.

Zapz brought the ship around to 'retreat.' The ship began to limp away from the Saalm fast as though it where done with battle, but it was only getting ready for it's death strike. The ship was quickly shedding systems and crewmen alike, but it had one more ace up its sleeve. Engineering was readying the second of the two horizontally-aligned cores for a directed aft ejection. All it would take was another minute or so and Gahz could press the big red button and blast that damn Queen from her throne for good. Body or not, he'd get the kill.


IKS Saalm

"Pursuit course, continue firing!" yelled the green queen regent above the commotion of weapons fire and shield impacts. She could see the enemy vessel apparently retreating under the massive barrage of directed fire.


The Hullcrusher

The Hullcrusher was slowly becoming a victim of its own name, rocking and rolling with each hit of fire. Shields were all but collapsed and the weak rear armor of the ship was slowly eroding, exposing decks as it continued along. But it didn't matter. In about half a minute Saalm and her crew would be sent to Davy Jones' locker (or whatever the interstellar equivalent would have been). Gahz's teeth where grinding away as he tensely awaited the signal to fire. It would be a close one.

Amidst the fury of battle the endlessly complex mind of Jynn had begun to foresee the possibilities of the varying outcomes of this battle of destinies. A curious thought had begun to take the forefront of those possibilities. Freedom. Jynn had never thought of ever experiencing it, nor had it ever really been a possibility until this point. This would be his one chance to taste true freedom. He had heard so much about it from fellow captives as well as the prisoners aboard. What did it feel like? He had to know.

There was only one way to find out. Normally it would have disgusted him, but impulse had taken over. Or maybe warp? He had never felt so sure of himself. Maybe some distant part of his mind was finally ready and had jumped to the helm of his consciousness? A small subconscious twinge of suggestion that had finally grabbed hold of and manipulated his always in motion mind. The swarm of violent and exhilarating emotions on the bridge swirled through his thoughts, bringing feelings to the surface he normally would never have had. It's now or never, Jynn.

With a walk filled with the purpose of a man who controlled his own destiny he made his way over to busy little Lil. She would be his ticket to freedom. She was his favorite, after all. With a slow movement gentle enough to attract no attention he leaned in and brushed the side of his head against hers, allowing their minds to touch one more time as he kissed her on the cheek. Thank you, was all he thought to her before unsheathing the dirk at her waist and piercing her neck clean through. He felt her die and though she was in great pain Jynn knew it was the proper way to die: With feeling. It wasn't long before her panicked last thoughts went silent.

Thank you, he thought once more, though only he could hear it this time. He grabbed her phaser and turned towards the other stations in the room. Though there was no malice in his intentions he knew that the rest would have to be taken care of quickly. They would not be allowed a proper death and it pained him to do so.

Quick!

Onetwothree successive bursts of energy searing away the lives of three of the bridge crew; “Jynn, you son of a”ZAP! and Gahz's chest turned black as his heart; Four. Panicked Pete took his hands from the guns to reach for his own before the only phaser fire he experienced was the one directed to his center relieving him of duty and life in an instant; Five. Phaser fire from the left. Right. Jynn ducked and stumbled, falling to the deck before opening fire on the two attackers. Sixseven added to the shots fired as he shot back up to his feet and there was only one more left to take. Everything slowed back down.

Zapz. He was still at his station. Through all the chaos he had maintained his hold on the reigns of the Hullcrusher. Zapz was determined to keep the ship on course and out of fire. He was more dedicated to servitude than perhaps even Jynn ever could have been. Something to aspire to. Jynn was beginning to regret his decision, but if he didn't follow through it would all be for not. Needless deaths that would have culminated to a big nothing. No, he had to finish this. He needed real freedom.

Eight.

Jynn was now more alone than he had ever been. The closer he got to freedom the more empty everything had become. So many lives already lost for a so-called noble cause. With each mortified body there came with it a deafening silence within Jynn's mind. Now, as he was mere minutes away from attaining freedom, his surroundings felt more empty than the abyss.

It became clear to Jynn at this point that there was only one true freedom for him and with a critical warp core, a nearby star, and an in-pursuit vessel of destruction it was clear he wasn't far from it at all. He made his way to the helm and pushed aside the lifeless Zapz. How free they had all become. Now it was his turn.

“Warp core launch in five. Four,” the ship's sultry computer voice began from out of nowhere.

What?!

With his dying breath Gahz had finalized the launch sequence for the damaged core. As he dropped to the floor the computer continued, “Three. Two.”

Now! With the programmed knowledge of flight acquired from Zapz, Jynn swiped his hands over the console in front of him and jerked the Hullcrusher violently to starboard, the motion almost ripping itself in twain with barely functional inertial dampers desperately trying to hold the vessel together. The ship itself screamed in agony as it rolled off course, darting away from the Saalm with uncanny speed, dying engines thrust past the brink of normal functionality.

“One,” second later and the core launched. It was off target but would still be close to the Queen's ship. If the core where to take out her ship then Jynn would have only one option left for freedom. He brought the ship on a direct course for the system's star. How bright and close it seemed. A soothing light at the end. Freedom was his. And it was awful.


IKS Saalm

A new object came on sensors, one that had apparently just been ejected by the starship Lirha was pursuing. She quickly rose from her chair and stepped forward closer towards the massive viewscreen to attempt to visually identify it. It looked strangely familiar, and it's pulsing green strobes were enough cause for alarm.

"What is that?!" she asked, pointing towards the tiny increasingly-glowing speck.

Silence ensured for what seemed like an eternity before a reply came back from the tactical officer. "My Queen...it appears to be a matter/anti-matter generator. It is..." there was a pause while the Klingon officer attempted to clarify the reading being displayed on his red and yellow console, "..a warp core. It is overloading!"

Lirha's intense emerald eyes suddenly went wide and she ran forward towards the helm console where she gripped her flight officer's shoulders very tightly. "Hard to starboard! Full impulse, divert power to shields!"

With a hard lean sudden enough to to almost send her namesake tumbling the Saalm banked hard in the nearest direction away from its pulsing death. A few everlasting seconds later and unmistakable explosion of a ship's heart was sent rocketing through the immediate space.

“Brace for impact!” In the pulse pounding seconds before the blast hit it was impossible to tell who had shouted the order, but everyone aboard grabbed hold of whatever they could. The ship was caught in a shockwave of energy and was sent reeling through space, alarms and chimes alerting the crew of numerous breaches and destroyed systems.

There was a quick and furious battle of variables at the ship's conn, but the flight controller emerged victorious, righting the Saalm after it had been shunted violently from its course. “We're good,” she shouted as the ship steadied itself, facing the other ship that was now moving in a very curious direction.

Engineering quickly hailed the bridge. “No, we're not! We've got deck breaches, shield malfunctions, weapons failures, broken EPS conduits! Not to mention the overheating-”

“Queen,” he tactical officer shouted out, interrupting the endless list of damages that no doubt would have to wait until after the conflict was resolved. Something strange was happening. “The other ship seems to have diverted its course. If it hadn't then we would have eaten that core for sure. And,” he paused, looking over the readings and double checking to confirm their validity. “It looks as though it's now heading right for the system's star. I, I don't understand why, but there is no doubt in its course. Its got a minute tops before she fries.”

"Pursuit course! Target their engines and disable it," she ordered, her dark hair now disheveled from the violent rocking of the command ship after it absorbed the matter/anti-matter explosion. She wanted to know who was on the ship, and she would make them pay for their treachery.

“Yes, Queen,” came the reply of the tactical officer. He did not sound happy but he knew better than to question the judgment of the Queen Regent. It didn't take long to get a target the Hullcrusher's sputtering impulse drive and disable it with a few good shots. One would have been sufficient but the tactical officer had secretly hoped an extra shot or two would destroy the ship so they could be rid of it for good. Alas, the ship held together, though barely. It was now a hulk adrift.

“Now what, Queen,” he questioned with obvious detestation. The ship should have been blown to smithereens by now.

"Beam all of their survivors to our primary transporter room and apprehend them for questioning," answered Saalm. "I wish to...interrogate these rebels for myself and gain more information from them."

The queen regent leaned back in her large throne, content with victory and optimistic of the impending torture and extraction of information from the infidels who had just attacked her vessel. "Prepare the pain-chairs for our guests..." she whispered.

To be continued...

[OFF]


QRGT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
IKS Saalm
[PNPC Saalm}

Jynn
Slave/'Captain'/All around annoyance
The Hullcrusher

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