Stardate: 60702.1740
Title: A Handful of Quantum Rocks
Author: Captain Khavok
Time: After "Stage Management"
Scene: Bridge, Aerowing Bay, space near the Relentless


[Captain, Engineering reports ready to roll Sir.] Lieutenant Vilmer reported.

"Very good, Ops what's the status?" Captain Khavok asked tapping his Combadge.

[We are ready at your command sir, the older shuttles were outfitted according to engineering's recommendations and the 'Last Dance' is primed and waiting.] Ensign Levi responded.

"Excellent," Khavok said stretching, and looking over the bridge.

Abby noticed that peculiar look in his eye, the look he had when he was up to something and looking for a victim.

The Captain's eyes lit up as he found a likely subject, "McGee, you have the bridge, Abby you're with me."

"Y-yes Sir," McGee replied.

"McGee, relax, nothing can happen, have some fun and don't hit any large objects," the Captain said smiling.

The young Ensign did his best to quell his anxiety. Khavok and his first officer exited the bridge. When the turbo lift doors shut, Commander Winters turned to the Captain.

"Where are we going?"

"To stretch my wings," Khavok said contentedly, "Aerowing deck," he commanded the computer.

When the Captain and XO reached the Aerowing bay they found it to be a hive of activity as the flight crew made finally preparations. By the time that Abby and Alex had taken their seats in the 'Last Dance' Ensign Levi was sounding the all clear. Pre flight was concluded and the bay was sealed. A second too late Abby saw what the lunatic in the seat next to her was doing.

With an explosive hiss the atmosphere in the aerowing's bay was loosed into the cold vacuum of space. At the same time the docking clamps holding the 'Last Dance' in place were blown clear and the XO left her stomach on the Relentless. Abby didn't have a whole lot of time to watch and see where her stomach was as Khavok rolled the shuttle over and slammed the engines to full impulse. The pair slammed too and fro in their seats as Alex pushed the little craft through her paces. The computer gave its obligatory warnings here and there but the warnings fell on deaf ears. When Khavok felt the ship structure groaning he backed off. Wearing his little boy smile he looked over at a decidedly green Abby Winters. For her part Abby was glad she hadn't had time for lunch. She kicked him then, but as usual he just laughed.

"Any particular reason you had to do that?" She asked.

"I've got a two duty shift bet with the air boss, that I can make him sick, I intend to win," Khavok stated smugly.

"Why didn't you take him then?"

"What and have you miss all the fun?" Alex said as he armed the 'Dance's' quantum torpedo launcher.

It took Abby only a second to contemplate what the Captain meant and she decided not to kick him again. She began to lay in firing solutions on the Relentless. This would be much more fun than kicking him.

On the bridge McGee gave the orders to engage the ships ablative armor generators. The armor materialized and Captain Khavok began strafing runs on the Relentless with Commander Winters firing at will. McGee in a rare insight burst of genius ordered phaser fire on the nimble little shuttle. Fortunately for all concerned he had the presence of mind to make sure that power was scaled down to the point of it all being a light show.

Commander Winters began to score hits on the Relentless followed up by low yield phaser scoring by the older shuttles. Maxine reported that even their own sensors would have a hard time distinguishing the truth of what happened and then they would only be able to do it because they were looking.

No one noticed the failure of one of the armor generators. Robbins' sabotage had disabled the warning alarms for the computer and instituted protocols to fool ships systems into thinking that all was well with her impregnable armor. As far as anyone could tell everything was green.

Back onboard the Captain congratulated his crew for a job well done and gave the order to go into orbit around Parsus. The Relentless broadcast her intentions to anyone on the planet stopping just short of using an actual distress signal. The Relentless received no reply and no ships rose from the planet to challenge them. An uneasy quiet began to settle over the bridge crew.

"Maxine," the Captain ordered, "scan the planet, I want carnal knowledge of what's on the surface and who if anyone is down there."

"Yes sir."

"Alex, what are you looking for?" Abby asked sensing his tension, "do you know what we'll find?"

"Yes." Khavok replied, "I've been here before."

It was then that Abby noticed something different about her Captain. There was none of his usual boyishness or happy go lucky manner about him. The man was all business and it was a little frightening to her, she looked at Alex and had no doubt that he could and would without hesitation issue any and all orders necessary to complete a mission. She also noticed that replacing his customary cockiness was an intense alertness.

"Are you worried about what we'll find on the planet?"

"No, I am a bit worried about the lack of response from the planet however."

Commander Winters nodded, "the ship and crew are as ready as they can be."

Alex nodded accepting what comfort Abby could give.

"Sir, detail scans are in," Maxine reported, "This place sure took a beating. Looks like some very unpleasant things were done to the planets surface. The battle must have been amazing."

"Horrifying actually, Lieutenant," the Captain replied vividly remembering it.

"There is a lot of dust and debris in the atmosphere, cloud cover is intense and it looks like it's going to be cold. The planet's surface is littered with wreckage and ships of all kinds. I'm reading no power signatures of any kind. The only thing that really stands out are the buildings, they're ancient and made of materials similar to those found in other progenitor sites." Lieutenant Jenna concluded.

Khavok nodded, "all hands prepare for planetary landing. Helm set us down near the large complex on the planets southernmost continent."

All hands complied with the Captain's orders and the USS Relentless made a turbulent if uneventful landing where her Captain ordered.


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Captain Alexander Khavok
Commanding Officer
USS Relentless
NCC-11966
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