Ensign Vedic Koleth - Captain Proton Will Get You By Tonight
Colin Fendrick
(( Bridge of Captain Proton’s Rocket Ship aka Holodeck 4 – USS Artemis ))
He sent over a course to Nefaria’s ship, as well as one to Lorana, that would navigate through the two opposing ships, drawing their fire and allowing them to rendezvous.
Nefaria: =/\= If we survive this, Proton… Don’t forget – this does not make us friends. =/\=
The imager went dark. His periscope showed that Nefaria was changing course, moving along the course he had plotted.
Vedic: ::to Lorana:: The helm is yours ::smiling:: Busty.
Lorana: :: smiles in return :: Yes, Captain. Do you know my minor at the academy was helm. I'm not as skilled as Kader but I can steer a ship.
oO Did they teach you about steering with a giant nautical wheel? Oo He was just glad someone who seemed slightly less terrified than himself was driving. She followed the planned route, pulling at the wheel and spinning it around rapidly, the Rocket Ship moved along with her. She looked every inch the Busty Kincaid, intrepid adventurer. Kole was jealous of how well she played the part.
Lorana: Not far now!
He was distracted, watching this Ensign be every part of Starfleet he always admired. He shook his head to focus.
Vedic: Nice uh… nice job, Ensign.
Lorana: We're at the rendezvous point now!
He looked at the navigation chart and saw they had arrived. He went to stand next to Luxa and took a deep breath, trying to regain his Captain Proton demeanor. It helped.
Vedic: Good job, Busty. You’ll get your own ship yet. Now, time for the fun part.
He made his way to the shuttlecraft, managing to not look back.
(( Short while later - Flagship “Kiss of Death”, Somewhere In Space aka Holodeck 4 – USS Artemis ))
The shuttle flight over had been a tricky bit of piloting, but Lorana had managed to not get them shot out of the sky as they swerved between the Cardassian warship and Borg Cube. They made it to the Kiss of Death.
They were met by two Deckhands and Tantra, the second in command, who escorted them to the bridge. Vailani was ecstatic to see them both.
Vailani: :: approaches :: I've never been so happy to see a living breathing person in my life!
Lorana: Are you okay?
Vedic: It does my American heart some good to see you safe, Goodheart.
Lorana and Vailani both looked at him. oO Might be lying it on a bit thick. Oo
Nefaria: Enough of this prattle! ::Stepping forward, towards Proton, her cape flowing:: You and I have business to settle…
She gave a knowing look to Goodheart.
Vailani: We have established an alliance. I adjusted Nefaria's programme, she's aware at a basic level who the Borg and Cardassians are. The original programme was designed to end with a fight here with Nefaria and Captain Proton, where he would rescue Goodheart and Kincaid. The programme has been compensating, adjusting the narrative with each new element it's been provided with due to the degradation of the holodeck isolinear circuitry. Instead of the finale with Nefaria, I think we, or more accurately Captain Proton, needs to fight Gul Jirrad until he either escapes or dies.
Vedic: ::nervously:: Like a baking contest, maybe a dance off?
Lorana: :: Places a paw on his shoulder:: You can do this.
Kole nodded.
Vailani: I've adjusted the parameters for the Kiss Of Death, meaning that we can beam Jirrad back here. I can't alter his character though. Which means he's likely to be armed and as ruthless as his original programming.
He felt nauseous as he looked at Nefaria. She gave him a mischievous smile.
Nefaria: Looks like we’re forced to work together again, Captain… If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you wanted to get on my good side. ::Scoff:: Not that that will ever happen.
Vedic: ::finding his footing:: Don’t flatter yourself Commodore. Pirates aren’t my type.
Nefaria: We’re prepared to teleport this “Gul Jirrad” aboard any moment, for the two of you to face off like men. ::Glancing at her cutlass:: Of course, if you should fail, and he kills you, I’ll be more than happy to avenge your untimely death – after all, if anyone’s to kill you aboard the Kiss of Death, it ought to be me.
Vedic: ::sarcastically:: Comforting.
He looked to the two other Starfleet officers for reassurance.
Lorana/Vailani: Response?
Nefaria: Tantra – bring him aboard.
Tantra: Aye, Captain! ::Turning knobs, cranking levers:: Bringing him aboard now!
With a whirr of sound and a wobbly flash of light, the Cardassian appeared before them, caged. He looked about in shock, evidently not expecting to be teleported – let alone barred.
Jirrad: ::Outraged:: What is the meaning of this?!
Nefaria: ::Grinning:: Do you like it? ::Brushing her fingers along the bars:: I designed it myself. I call it the Teleprison – consider it a private room, designed for the nastiest scum the galaxy has to offer. ::Turning to Vedic:: Captain Proton, the honour is yours… Shall I release him?
He looked at his fellow Starfleet officers nervously and shrugged. He stepped forward.
Vedic: Nefaria, release the villain.
Lorana/Vailani: Response?
The cage opened and Gul Jirrad, his full color programming contrasting against the black-and-white set, ran out. Koleth fell back on his basic hand to hand training from the Academy days.
He had expected a bull rush, and the Cardassian didn’t disappoint. Gul Jirrad charged him for a tackle. At the last second, Kole stepped to the side, trying to trip him. Jirrad anticipated it but couldn’t get out of the way fully. He wrapped an arm around Vedic’s torso even as Vedic’s leg caught his, sending them spiraling down to the ground together.
Lorana/Vailani: Response
Kole got on top of the prone Cardassian and punched him, channeling his Bajoran rage and fear. The punch connected with the Cardassian’s face and pain shot through his hand. He pulled it back, grabbing at his wrist. Gul Jirrad laughed, his teeth covered in dark blood, and pushed Koleth hard. Kole fell backwards but managed to roll to his feet as Gul Jirrad stood up.
Vedic: I’d call round one a draw.
He was finding his swagger now and squared up with Jirrad, who looked confident. He had six inches and maybe a hundred pounds of Kole, and he planned on using it. He jabbed, feinted left and went in with a right hook. Kole ducked and rolled his shoulder but caught it glancing and felt pain shoot through his left arm. He took the momentum and came around and kicked Jirrad in the knee, buckling his leg. As the Cardassian fell he sent a right hook at his temple but the shot lost some momentum as Jirrad rounded out, regaining his footing.
oO Still a good shot. Oo
A cheer went up from the Ensigns. The Gul shook his head and came back on, more measured this time. As he took another step though, the ship rocked. Both combatants stopped and looked around.
Tantra: Captain, the alien’s ship has been destroyed by the Cuboid Menaces. Aargh, they’re turning their attention to us!
Gul Jirrad looked stunned.
Jirrad: My ship ::wistfully:: the Borg took my ship. ::turning to Nefaria, angrily:: You, you did this!
Before anyone could react Gul Jirrad bull rushed Nefaria, tackled her to the ground and wrestled her cutlass from her. He hoisted her up by her blonde hair and held the cutlass at her throat.
Jirrad: This ship is mine, now. We’re getting out of here, back to Cardassia.
Vailani, Lorana, Vedic, Tantra, and a couple of deckhands all stood unexpectedly around, waiting for the next move.
Alarms blared as Borg drones beamed into the bridge. Nefaria used the distraction to elbow Jirrad in the stomach and break away, rounding on him as he swung her cutlass at her.
Tantra: Captain, no!
Tantra, Nefaria’s trusty deckhand, jumped up to push her out of the way. The cutlass fell, striking her in the collarbone. She fell to the floor, bleeding black-and-white blood.
Jirrad, his attention distracted, hadn’t noticed Koleth maneuvering to put Jirrad between him and the Borg. As his cutlass stroke descended, Kole rushed forward, pushing the momentarily distracted Jirrad. He tumbled forward and was caught, almost lovingly, by a Borg drone, who did not hesitate to inject him with nanoprobes. Jirrad, tensed, as the assimilation took place.
Koleth felt a relief, expecting the simulation to be over. But instead of the bridge of Nefaria’s ship dematerializing, he still saw the Borg drones, contrasted in full color, coming closer.
Vedic: ::to Vailani and Lorana:: I guess that didn’t count.
He looked at the Borg drones encroaching on them, to Nefaria, now mourning her fallen comrade and preparing to fight these new invaders, and to his fellow Starfleet officers. He saw Gul Jirrad, now left on the floor, skin mottling into Borg green, cutlass left unattended beside him. He rushed into the throng of drones, yelling.
Lorana/Vailani: Response
Vedic headed for Jirrad, rolling underneath a Borg’s outstretched arm and pushing away another. As he got close he fell to a slide, picking up the fallen sword. He went up onto one knee to jam the sword into the Cardassian. As his arm went up, a Borg drone grabbed it and, holding him in place like iron, drove its assimilation tubules into Koleth’s neck.
Lorana/Vailani: Response
He felt his muscles tense, no longer under his control. Idly he wondered what would happen if you got assimilated on a holodeck. He looked down and saw Gul Jirrad suffering the same fate. The Borg drones moved on to the remainder of the crew.
On Bajor, as a child just after the occupation, he had been taught to hate and fear the Cardassians in equal measure. They were monsters bent on murdering and enslaving every Bajoran. Looking down at Jirrad now he couldn’t help but feel sympathy. Gul Jirrad’s eyes were the only thing left under his control. They stared up at Koleth with fear and desperation.
From behind him he heard a familiar prayer. The suscipe, a prayer which invokes both denial and acceptance in equal measure. Vailani might have been saying her last words. He couldn’t turn his head to see.
He summoned all his strength, all his might, all his rage and fear and pity for the Cardassians, and managed to feel the nerves in his arm. He regained a measure of control and grabbed the cutlass and, with a last desperate strength, shoved it under Gul Jirrad’s arm, into his heart.
Abruptly the simulation vanished.
Kole felt control come back into his muscles as whatever passed for holographic nanoprobes left his body. He fell on his back on the familiar yellow and black striped floor.
Vailani and Lorana rushed over to him. He was pleased to see they were again in full color.
Lorana/Vailani: Response
Vedic: ::smiling weakly:: No, I’m pretty far from ok.
They helped him up. His legs felt shaky, as if he hadn’t used them in days.
Vedic: ::to Lorana:: So, good first time in a Captain Proton sim?
Lorana: Response
Vedic: I don’t know about you two but I need a drink. Oh and let’s not tell Lieutenant Yellir about this.
The three of them left the holodeck, Vedic still wobbly and leaning on the other two. Under his breath he started to sing, to the tune of How do You Solve a Problem Like Maria:
How do you fix an isolinear circuit…
TAG // END SCENE for Vedic
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Engineering Officer
USS Artemis-A
A240004VK4