'Q & A', 2.6 - Season 2, Episode 6

"Well Cap'N'C, time for me to bid you farewell. Please, no tears."

Carlos offered none, surprisingly.

"Oh but Captain? I meant what I said back in your Ready Room. Your a unique bunch. Somewhat messed up even. There's more entertainment value on your ship than in all of Starfleet. I will be keeping an eye on your antics...........and I will be back."

Carlos held a poker face until Q and Roma had been fluttered off into whatever unknowns they were headed too. His face gave away nothing until he was sure they were utterly gone, where it then fell into the filthiest look one could imagine and grumbled under his breath.

"He turned me into a tranni. That's one 'antic' I'm never gonna forget. I'll need therapy for this."

"You and us all." Arman piped up in the background. "I close my eyes and I still see those fishnet stockings!!"

Annie was surprised as her aches and pains, including the visible signs of them, suddenly disappeared. She looked up at Q, watching him talk with Via Roma. Liskar's death had reversed his wrongs... If only that worked all the time for other such heinous acts. She smiled at Carlos.

"I'd have to say that the bustier and platform heels were definitely worse than the giant afro he had Corey give you on the Endeavour a few years ago," she said with a small chuckle. She got up, not feeling tired anymore.

Avakar stood with the rest of the Liberator's crew, listening to Q and his mumblings of superiority until he did finally disappear. Previous Starship Captains said he grated on their nerves, and Avakar's ever so short experiance in his presence could understand why.

But at the same time, without him being there, it felt like something was missing.

Cutting through the quips about Carlos and his Fishnet stockings, the Ensign picked up the discarded Dampener Cannon and gave it a checking over. It had taken a beating, metal panels bent and contorted like it'd been tossed around like a rag-doll. Considering what had happened up in the Mountain it wouldn't have been any surprise really.

"It's fried" Avakar remarked to himself in amusement, some of the circuitry being revealed by a fragile panel falling away. Looking at the power cell too, it was pretty much depleted and the firing chamber looked like it had been through hell and back. "One hundred percent, undeniably, fried."

He put the strap over his shoulder and clung onto the flailing pieces like his shopping bag was splitting.

And then he looked around, turning, seeing Charlie and Duo in a holding embrace. She said she had news, Charlie had said she would tell Avakar who the father of her child was once Liskar was over and done with.

That was now well and truely done with, and was now time for some answers.

Avakar discreetly walked behind the couple, into Charlie's line of sight. He looked her in the eye, concentrating as hard as he could to grab her attention.

'Charlie? The results...' he beckoned, not into all the telepathy-crap that went about the Liberator. But it was the only way he could know, right here and now, without potentially having his head kicked in by the Mighty Maxwell.

<TAG Charlie>

Before Charlie could answer Duo, Roma appeared and then Q went on talking about his plight, then as they disappeared Carlos and Peter were going on about the fish net stockings. She shook her head, smiling the whole time. She looked back at Duo to answer his question on whether she was alright and caught sight of David. She blinked and smiled as she heard him ask her

She knew David didn't like her talking in his head but she didn't think he would mind this time...

"You're free of all responsibility ... " was all she said, giving him a slight nod, then turned back to Duo.

"I'm fine... and according to Q the baby is fine as well..."

One minute she hurt...the next she was fine and not where she had been the moment before. Looking around she saw David and some other things that she thought she'd just leave as what they were.

She turned to walk over to the newly created ledge to the top of the mountain and looked down. Feeling a little out of place amongst the others. It wasn't the first time, probably wouldn't be the last either. But then again... Operations was a department known for having the unusual sorts in it.

Data... prime example. Not human, but wanted to be in the worse way. Yet often was more human then those around him. It had been is innocence as such that made him that way.

She was by no means a Data. She was a very flawed human and well aware of those odd flaws. From the scar on her leg to the need for thrills...

Shrugging it off, Mally found a place to be out of the way for now. Observing the milling crew and those left about.

Duo nodded.

"Good," he said, thinking her nod was in response to his question instead of whoever it was standing behind him. With the sudden crowd in the new crater, Duo didn't bother looking to see who it was since there were bound to be a ton of people wandering around at this point.

He pulled Charlie into a hug and just held her.

(( *giggles* Mighty Maxwell, huh? Nah... he's a big teddy bear once you get past the cocky exterior. ~_^ Just don't tell him I told you. *smirk* ))

A huge wave of relief swept over Avakar, his hands clenching in thorough happiness. Atlast, he could relax and get back on track without that added worry. With a skip in his step he bounded around the back of the ensemble of people, happy to leave Duo and Charlie to their thing.

He spotted Mally, standing by a newly-created ledge looking out over Narden.

Stepping up beside her, he put and arm around her shoulder looking out over the beautiful landscape "Saving all existance is becoming a regular task... Atleast it's over for another day huh?"

Her out-of-place feelings didn't quite register with the Ensign, until he looked her in the eyes and noticed something wasn't quite right.

"You tired?" Avakar presumed, giving her shoulder a squeeze.

<TAG Mally>

The Mighty Maxwell would have Avakar in a fight! Guaranteed! Security Officer or not! lol!

"Another day." She replied quietly not looking at David, not just yet. She was realizing part of why Xortha had been so curious to want to stay here. It was a pretty planet and had been worth the fight to save it. Finally looking at the Ensign who'd gotten close to offing her earlier during the fighting.

Ops kind of nodded. Avoiding any real answer by growling at hair that was in her face. Hastily pulling out of his grip to wind her hair back into it's holder. "What do you think we're going to be saving next?" Mally asked, lightening up to grin. "The Captain's bloomers from some intergalatic auction or something?"

As much as she counted David as a friend, there were somethings best left unsaid... That's when her stomach growled. Giving him a funny look. "You know... you'd think since we just got done with a gruesome battle that had been far from pleasant to view...the notion of food would just not be appealing, but..." Shaking her head at it and trailing off.

It was hard to forget at times the wonder and beauty around them. Just a few minutes ago, the crew of the Liberator had been thick in phaser fire or psionic energy bolts. Now they had the chance to stop and breath in their victory.

And take in the view.

The stars shone down from above, glittering specs of light from the heavens. The mountain top they were stood on gave them the most spectacular view. They may sail among the stars from day to day but this kind of outlook was still staggering all the same.

Talia took a deep breath, letting the air fill her lungs. They had defeated Liskar and beaten back the Vectari. A good day indeed. She almost felt like making a wish, since luck clearly seemed to be on their side. Maybe fate would give them another lucky break?

What the hell, it could hardly hurt.

She picked a star from the night sky, one close to a nearby pulsar. She was so deep in her thoughts that it took her a few moments to realise the star was actually moving. Not a shooting star either. It was moving right towards her.

She gasped as it screeched down from space and was revealed to be a ship. Clearly Vectari in design, it was a tiny scout craft that barely had enough room for it's sole pilot. It engines roaring so it could hover on the spot, powerful flashlights kicked in.

It blinded everyone gathered on the mountain top, their eyes straining under the intense white glare. Over the roar of the crafts engines, it was a mess of light and noise. Anything could have happened in the confusioned.

And not just anything in this case.

Everything.

Everything happened.

Talia cried out as she looked down towards her body. Energy was running across her, eating up her arms and legs. She was being spirited away by a transporter beam, whisked away in the blur of deconstructing energy fields.

She had just enough time to shout out to her friends. "Annie, Charlie!! Their taking me awa...................." And then she was gone, teleported away. The beautiful Esper girl and her purple hair just snatched away like she was never even there.

The main target secured, the Vectari craft began to back off. But they werent quite done yet. Some kind of communication device was activated by the pilot of the vessel, allowing his voice to be projected outside so everyone could hear.

"I've got the Esper. I know your probably already working on a rescue mission, some way to take her back. Thats what you always do. But you're not going to get that chance this time. You killed General Drex. He was a good man. The best."

A few buttons were pressed and a rack of missles slid out from underneath the ship. Primed and ready to go. The pilot continued. "He knew you would be a challenge. More than even he gambled I expect. But I'll finish what he started. He deserves that. And you.............all of you..................you deserve this."

The missles flew out in blast of flame and tore into the mountain side with savage force. Rock was shattered and cracked with such simple ease, snapped apart like brittle wood. The Vectari responsible for it was already long gone, shooting off into orbit.

His prisoner, Talia. She screamed in protest, knowing her friends were dying as protested in vain.

The mountain came apart under the strain of the missle attack and started to slide one way with a massive chunk now torn from it. Sliding downwards, everyone on it was flung off and sent falling. They were spared being clipped by the debris but that was hardly something to be thankful for.

They were now all in free fall, plummeting from the top of the mountain to their dooms. The ground was miles below but seemed to be just inches away with the speed of their fall. Dozens of people, brave men and woman of Starfleet counting the seconds until death....................


TO BE CONTINUED . . .