Timing was essential, Star understood this.
They had to beam off the Sacajawea without anybody taking notice, quickly secure the freighter and prep it for immediate launch. It was an operation which needed careful planning which was difficult considering the time restraint. Mahoney would surely raise all kinds of alarms once he had recovered from his drug-induced stupor which meant that she had to be off the ship by then.
Of course taking off in the freighter would not go unnoticed by the three Starfleet ships surrounding it. Thankfully Tazla Star had once made a living out of improvising on the spot, her life had depended on it.
There was just one variable in her plan. One element she couldn’t control.
She couldn’t go through with what she had set out to do by herself. She needed assistance, at the very least for the beginning stages of the plan. And she wasn’t entirely sure if she could depend on those she had enlisted for help. But it was a risk she had to take. She had long since learned that no plan was ever perfect.
Lieutenant N’ek’too awaited her with five other security troopers in the cargo transporter. The reptilian Ariolo and his men wore black and featureless outfits and were heavily armed.
Star herself wore a similar outfit and carried a simple gray briefcase.
The security chief handed her a phaser rifle as she stepped up to him and Star quickly inspected the weapon before looking over the five additional men. They looked young and eager. But mostly young. She hated herself for dragging them into this.
“Can you vouch for your people?” She spoke softly and without looking at the Ariolo.
“They will follow my orders without question. They are dependable.”
Star nodded. “Good. You know what to do?”
The security chief tilted his head slightly. Star had learned that this was what passed for a nod among his people. He gave his men short instruction and the captain was surprised to find that they moved as if they had been training for this mission all week.
One of them rushed over to the transporter console while the rest lined up on the large dais, readying their weapons.
Star and N’ek’too joined them.
“I take it nobody will detect the beam out.”
“We used your command codes as you requested. The bridge will not be alarmed.”
Star shot the man a sidelong glance trying to judge his words, trying to find some sort of inkling that the security chief was not playing on her side. She could find none but then again without much of any facial features to speak of, an Ariolo was difficult to read. She discreetly checked that the spring blade hidden inside her left shirt sleeve was ready for use.
The man operating the console finished and swiftly lined up next to his comrades. “Set to voice command. We’re ready to proceed.”
N’ek’too looked at Star. “Whenever you are ready.”
She suppressed a sigh. She was not by any means ready for what they were about to do. “Phasers on stun?”
“Of course.”
“Computer, energize.”
The seven figures dematerialized instantly.
The Corvallen freighter was manned by a small, skeleton crew consisting out of half a dozen civilians who had agreed to stay on board and operate the vessel after it had been drafted into service by Captain Akinola a few days earlier.
They were unarmed and completely unprepared for the stealth assault. The Starfleet detail secured the ship within five minutes, firing exactly seven shots and rendering every single crewmember immediately unconscious.
The security team remained efficient even after securing the ship. Two headed for engineering and quickly began to prepare the warp drive while the rest took up positions at the control stations around the small bridge.
“All systems secured, warp and impulse engines standing by,” one of the troopers reported.
“Set a course for Eteron and engage on my mark.” Star took a knee and opened the briefcase-sized package she had brought from the Sacajawea. It contained what looked like the interior workings of a miniature torpedo.
The Ariolo looked over her shoulder as she manipulated the circuitry.
She felt his cold eyes upon her without having to look at him. “It’s a modified rat-trap mine. It will momentarily blind sensors of all vessels within a 100,000 miles radius. A handy distraction.”
“You do not wish to be pursued.”
“This will buy us some time and create a bit of confusion in our wake.” She made a final adjustment and stood. “They’ll find out what happened eventually but if Schwarzkopf has any sense he won’t rush head-on after us.”
“And if he does not?”
She sighed. “Listen, the less you know the better. You are following my orders here and that’s all you need to know. Unless you had a change of heart.” Star stared right into those dark eyes which mirrored her own face. She was prepared to implement a backup plan if the security officer was going to stand in her way now. It was not a plan she was particularly fond of.
N’ek’too looked back at her with a facial expression devoid of the slightest movement. He didn’t speak straight away as if he himself tried to judge the Trill woman before her. “An Ariolo does not change his mind easily.”
She cracked a tiny smile. “You gotta love a man with principles.” She stepped over to a nearby console. “Helm, have you plotted a course? Are we ready to engage?”
The young man there nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Star activated the controls and the mine shimmered into oblivion. “Don’t look directly at the screen.” She hit the trigger.
A bright flash erupted just a few thousand miles off the ship’s bow. It lasted less than a second but its intensity could have rivaled that of a supernova.
“Sensors are down.”
Star nodded. “Take us to warp.”