Warning: No tickling in this chapter.
Part 36
There was a hiss as the double doors of the Gate swung open, revealing the chamber beyond. Mara Jade, blaster rifle slung over her shoulder, stepped in first. Behind her came Seven, a utility belt tightened around her narrow waist, sporting a hand blaster, their jamming unit, and a few miscellaneous odds and ends to adapt to changing circumstances - after all, it was what Borg did best. Following her was Starbuck, doing one last inspection of her blaster rifle before resetting the system; she still had it at the ready, a soldier through and through. Last was Lara Croft, a pair of heavy blaster pistols at her hips and the typical swagger in her step. Of all of them, she seemed the most confident, though she had the least experience with advanced technology. Lara had dealt with the incredible in all its forms so often that not even massive space stations, unstoppable cyborgs, and crossing dimensions could phase her for long. The quartet stood together inside the Gate, and the door hissed shut.
Ms. Danoob stood in the center of the massive room housing the machinery, arms folded as she looked at the machine that she had forged. She wore a headset; she spoke into it now. "Command to all operations, I want a Go/No Go for jump. Operations?"
"Go, Command."
"Navigation?"
"Go, Command."
"Reactor?"
"Go, Command."
"Sensors?"
"Go, Command."
"Medical?"
"Go, Command."
"Damage Control?"
"Go, Command."
"Team Leader?"
"Go, Command," Mara said, glancing up at the other three women with her.
"We are Go for jump," Ms. Danoob said. "Operations, begin countdown."
A mid-range male voice was heard in every headset and echoed across the cavernous room. "Jump in ten... nine... eight..."
"Must they really do this every time?" Lara asked.
"Would you prefer your arms and legs arriving in separate dimensions?" Seven asked.
"Enough," Mara said quietly, her stomach tightening. She unslung her blaster rifle and held it at the ready.
"...one. Jump."
The only thing that ever came with the jump was a mild feeling in the pit of the stomach like you were on a rollercoaster, but it only lasted a fraction of a second. But otherwise, nothing. It seemed wrong in some ways, given the enormity of what they were doing. Seven said that transporter technology back where she came from usually was an energy cascade of one kind or another, sometimes with a sound attached to it. That was better, this was just... too eerie, as if it was all just in her head.
But still, they had arrived, no question. The smooth curving walls inside the Gate had given way to the expanse of a space station just like the one they'd been on the day before, though thousands of light-years away. "Weapons on stun," she reminded them, and they went through the halls with the same care as before - previous success didn't mean they could afford to be sloppy. They passed the cameras without incident, eliminated two guards as they had the day before, and soon found themselves in the storage area.
Seven stepped forward and dealt with the security computer, answering questions and quoting regulations. They used a different ID code this time, in case someone had put the pieces together. It worked like a charm, the door hissed open, and the four of them went in to collect the prize.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Ms. Danoob paced a little in the expanse before the gate, mulling things over. Her thoughts were interrupted. "Command, Sensors," came the voice. "I have indication the Terran Imperials are mobilizing."
"Double-check your readings," she said quickly. "Mara?"
"Ma'am?" Mara said, standing watch while the other three were attaching the beacons.
"There may be a security alert."
"Oh great," Mara said, and headed back out into the main room to watch for any approaching guards or robots. "No, sign of-" she stopped as a nasty squeal came from her communicator before it shut itself down. They were being jammed; it was a trap all right!
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Scrub the mission," Ms. Danoob said. "Operations, jump them back."
"Command, Navigations," came another voice. "There's heavy jamming in the area; we can't lock on for a jump."
"Stand by," Ms. Danoob said. "They'll find a way to deal with it; lock on and jump the moment they do."
--------------------------------------------------------------
It was Starbuck who first saw the door closing. "Out, now!" she shouted, running through. Lara, who'd run into countless situations like this in tombs over the years, dove through afterwards, narrowly making it past before it sealed.
On the other side, Mara turned back from the hallway at the door, and did the quick mental arithmetic. "Seven?" she said, but there was still too much jamming. Mara went over to examine the door, but there was no visible way to open it. She turned to the holographic interface. "Open it," she growled.
"I'm afraid I can't do that," the hologram replied. Mara pointed her blaster rifle at it. "You realize that I'm not physically present, and cannot be threatened. Mara offered another growl, then switched off the stun setting, turned, and shot at the door. It sparked, but it remained sealed. "The storage areas are quite durable; your weapon cannot penetrate."
"Shut up!" Mara shouted, firing again and again, but although the door deformed a little, it didn't look ready to give.
Meanwhile, Lara and Starbuck had already engaged a squad of guards and robots that were coming up the hall. Unlike the Borg, they didn't want to get shot and were being careful. "Mara!" Starbuck shouted. "Mara, we're compromised! We have to withdraw!"
"As soon as this door is open!" Mara shouted back, firing a few more shots.
"Mara, there's not enough energy in the packs to take that door down!" Starbuck shouted.
"Then we'll blow it!"
Starbuck slipped over and grabbed Mara's shoulder, whirling her around. "Use your head! Any bomb that can take that door down will kill anyone on the other side! We withdraw and eliminate the source of the jamming and jump her out; that's the protocol you wrote!"
"Shut up and help me!" Mara said, yanking herself from Starbuck's grip.
"I am, sir," Starbuck said, grabbing the end of Mara's rifle. "Let's move."
The Emperor's Hand appeared at Starbuck's shoulder. "Are you going to let her do this?" she asked Mara. "Let her run away and leave poor Seven behind?"
"We have to open this door!" Mara said, ignoring the Emperor's Hand.
"She's not listening," The Emperor's Hand said. "No one listens... except me. I can help you..." She leaned forward and whispered soothingly into Mara's ear. "I want to help you. Just let me out, Mara, and I'll save her."
Mara's breath trembled in frustration and grief. "How?" she squeaked.
"Oh, it's sooo easy," The Emperor's Hand cooed. "Just kill Kara. Then Seven will be safe."
"Mara," Starbuck said, "we have to go, now, or we'll be completely surrounded!"
"She'll never see it coming," The Emperor's Hand said. "Just one pull of the trigger, and you can have the power." Mara's jaw trembled as she stared into Starbuck's face.
"Mara, please!" Starbuck said with frustration.
"Someone has to die," The Emperor's Hand said. "Will it be Seven, or Kara? You decide, Mara. Pull the trigger, or do nothing... and lose her forever."
"I-" Mara began. "I can't-"
"Do it!" The Emperor's Hand shouted. "Now! Kill her, or kill Seven!" Tears ran down Mara’s cheeks as she stared into Starbuck’s eyes. “Pull the trigger!”
The sound of the blaster shot rang out; even amidst the firefight it was unmistakable, and Starbuck's eyes went wide in shock.
Mara dropped to the floor like a stone; Lara was still pointing the blaster pistol where she'd stood. She caught Starbuck's look. "She needed some extra persuasion," Lara explained. "You carry her, I'll cover us."
"Thanks for giving me the easy part," Starbuck grumbled, shouldering her rifle first, and then the unconscious Mara. With the help of some smoke and stun grenades and a little of Lara's specialized insanity, they overran one of the small forces and got into the corridors of the station. The facility wasn't made with bottlenecking in mind - few ever tried something so reckless because of the tight security here - so they were able to keep several steps ahead of their pursuers, until finally they reached a hangar. Starbuck had familiarized herself with their flight technology so she was able to blast their way out and beyond the jamming field. As soon as they were clear, they jumped back to Crossroads Facility, but without the prize. And while four had gone in, only three came out.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The marble floor of the station echoed under the boots of Ronald Tetz as he made his way to the security center. He'd been alerted the moment the trap had sprung and had been on a shuttle in minutes. It was unfortunate that most of the thieves had escaped, but the one held in the storage room would hopefully lead to the rest.
She hadn't been easy to deal with; they'd anesthetized her with gas, but even that had taken the better part of an hour before she'd passed out, and they'd had to use restraints normally reserved for the larger aliens they encountered despite her appearance. At the moment she'd regained consciousness and was seated in a chair, arms and legs secured firmly to it. She glowered at everyone she saw, including Ronald when he walked in. He took a seat opposite and regarded her for a brief time, giving her the chance to realize the enormity of this.
"If you're uncertain who I am, I'm the Senior Security Chief of the Division of Weights and Standards. I don't normally deal with every detainee." He steepled his fingers. "But this situation is hardly normal."
"Release me," Seven said with a voice like a vibrosaw.
"Oh, there's no chance of that," Ronald said. "Entering a restricted area without clearance, impersonating an Imperial officer, grand larceny... you're in deep, my dear. You were instructed as to the penalty: you'll be mentally reprogrammed and sold on the slave market as an asset of the Terran Empire."
"I am aware," Seven said. "Your people possess advanced technology, yet you are social barbarians."
"Big talk coming from a common thief."
"And your insults are hypocritical, considering this ore was seized from alien civilizations through a treaty signed at gunpoint."
"Ah, so you're a modern day Robin Hood?" Ronald asked. "But if so, why steal platinum? I don't understand that. Surely there are more valuable targets, yet you settled for one of the least valuable items in the vault."
"I will say nothing more."
"And these devices you strapped onto the ore," Ronald continued. "An anachronism. They use a very primitive construction, yet they do seem to operate on principles my people have never heard of. You also had one on your person, I noticed." Seven didn't reply. "Is this how you got in and out?"
"I said I will say nothing more," Seven said.
"Everyone says that," Ronald said with a sigh, "and everyone changes their mind. We took a scan of your mind when you were unconscious. It can't read much, but it can help identify weaknesses." He snapped his fingers and a readout was placed in his hand; a bemused look passed over his face. "Really? How interesting." He glanced up at Seven and noticed the look of undisguised malice. "It seems you're rather... ticklish."
Part 36
There was a hiss as the double doors of the Gate swung open, revealing the chamber beyond. Mara Jade, blaster rifle slung over her shoulder, stepped in first. Behind her came Seven, a utility belt tightened around her narrow waist, sporting a hand blaster, their jamming unit, and a few miscellaneous odds and ends to adapt to changing circumstances - after all, it was what Borg did best. Following her was Starbuck, doing one last inspection of her blaster rifle before resetting the system; she still had it at the ready, a soldier through and through. Last was Lara Croft, a pair of heavy blaster pistols at her hips and the typical swagger in her step. Of all of them, she seemed the most confident, though she had the least experience with advanced technology. Lara had dealt with the incredible in all its forms so often that not even massive space stations, unstoppable cyborgs, and crossing dimensions could phase her for long. The quartet stood together inside the Gate, and the door hissed shut.
Ms. Danoob stood in the center of the massive room housing the machinery, arms folded as she looked at the machine that she had forged. She wore a headset; she spoke into it now. "Command to all operations, I want a Go/No Go for jump. Operations?"
"Go, Command."
"Navigation?"
"Go, Command."
"Reactor?"
"Go, Command."
"Sensors?"
"Go, Command."
"Medical?"
"Go, Command."
"Damage Control?"
"Go, Command."
"Team Leader?"
"Go, Command," Mara said, glancing up at the other three women with her.
"We are Go for jump," Ms. Danoob said. "Operations, begin countdown."
A mid-range male voice was heard in every headset and echoed across the cavernous room. "Jump in ten... nine... eight..."
"Must they really do this every time?" Lara asked.
"Would you prefer your arms and legs arriving in separate dimensions?" Seven asked.
"Enough," Mara said quietly, her stomach tightening. She unslung her blaster rifle and held it at the ready.
"...one. Jump."
The only thing that ever came with the jump was a mild feeling in the pit of the stomach like you were on a rollercoaster, but it only lasted a fraction of a second. But otherwise, nothing. It seemed wrong in some ways, given the enormity of what they were doing. Seven said that transporter technology back where she came from usually was an energy cascade of one kind or another, sometimes with a sound attached to it. That was better, this was just... too eerie, as if it was all just in her head.
But still, they had arrived, no question. The smooth curving walls inside the Gate had given way to the expanse of a space station just like the one they'd been on the day before, though thousands of light-years away. "Weapons on stun," she reminded them, and they went through the halls with the same care as before - previous success didn't mean they could afford to be sloppy. They passed the cameras without incident, eliminated two guards as they had the day before, and soon found themselves in the storage area.
Seven stepped forward and dealt with the security computer, answering questions and quoting regulations. They used a different ID code this time, in case someone had put the pieces together. It worked like a charm, the door hissed open, and the four of them went in to collect the prize.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Ms. Danoob paced a little in the expanse before the gate, mulling things over. Her thoughts were interrupted. "Command, Sensors," came the voice. "I have indication the Terran Imperials are mobilizing."
"Double-check your readings," she said quickly. "Mara?"
"Ma'am?" Mara said, standing watch while the other three were attaching the beacons.
"There may be a security alert."
"Oh great," Mara said, and headed back out into the main room to watch for any approaching guards or robots. "No, sign of-" she stopped as a nasty squeal came from her communicator before it shut itself down. They were being jammed; it was a trap all right!
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Scrub the mission," Ms. Danoob said. "Operations, jump them back."
"Command, Navigations," came another voice. "There's heavy jamming in the area; we can't lock on for a jump."
"Stand by," Ms. Danoob said. "They'll find a way to deal with it; lock on and jump the moment they do."
--------------------------------------------------------------
It was Starbuck who first saw the door closing. "Out, now!" she shouted, running through. Lara, who'd run into countless situations like this in tombs over the years, dove through afterwards, narrowly making it past before it sealed.
On the other side, Mara turned back from the hallway at the door, and did the quick mental arithmetic. "Seven?" she said, but there was still too much jamming. Mara went over to examine the door, but there was no visible way to open it. She turned to the holographic interface. "Open it," she growled.
"I'm afraid I can't do that," the hologram replied. Mara pointed her blaster rifle at it. "You realize that I'm not physically present, and cannot be threatened. Mara offered another growl, then switched off the stun setting, turned, and shot at the door. It sparked, but it remained sealed. "The storage areas are quite durable; your weapon cannot penetrate."
"Shut up!" Mara shouted, firing again and again, but although the door deformed a little, it didn't look ready to give.
Meanwhile, Lara and Starbuck had already engaged a squad of guards and robots that were coming up the hall. Unlike the Borg, they didn't want to get shot and were being careful. "Mara!" Starbuck shouted. "Mara, we're compromised! We have to withdraw!"
"As soon as this door is open!" Mara shouted back, firing a few more shots.
"Mara, there's not enough energy in the packs to take that door down!" Starbuck shouted.
"Then we'll blow it!"
Starbuck slipped over and grabbed Mara's shoulder, whirling her around. "Use your head! Any bomb that can take that door down will kill anyone on the other side! We withdraw and eliminate the source of the jamming and jump her out; that's the protocol you wrote!"
"Shut up and help me!" Mara said, yanking herself from Starbuck's grip.
"I am, sir," Starbuck said, grabbing the end of Mara's rifle. "Let's move."
The Emperor's Hand appeared at Starbuck's shoulder. "Are you going to let her do this?" she asked Mara. "Let her run away and leave poor Seven behind?"
"We have to open this door!" Mara said, ignoring the Emperor's Hand.
"She's not listening," The Emperor's Hand said. "No one listens... except me. I can help you..." She leaned forward and whispered soothingly into Mara's ear. "I want to help you. Just let me out, Mara, and I'll save her."
Mara's breath trembled in frustration and grief. "How?" she squeaked.
"Oh, it's sooo easy," The Emperor's Hand cooed. "Just kill Kara. Then Seven will be safe."
"Mara," Starbuck said, "we have to go, now, or we'll be completely surrounded!"
"She'll never see it coming," The Emperor's Hand said. "Just one pull of the trigger, and you can have the power." Mara's jaw trembled as she stared into Starbuck's face.
"Mara, please!" Starbuck said with frustration.
"Someone has to die," The Emperor's Hand said. "Will it be Seven, or Kara? You decide, Mara. Pull the trigger, or do nothing... and lose her forever."
"I-" Mara began. "I can't-"
"Do it!" The Emperor's Hand shouted. "Now! Kill her, or kill Seven!" Tears ran down Mara’s cheeks as she stared into Starbuck’s eyes. “Pull the trigger!”
The sound of the blaster shot rang out; even amidst the firefight it was unmistakable, and Starbuck's eyes went wide in shock.
Mara dropped to the floor like a stone; Lara was still pointing the blaster pistol where she'd stood. She caught Starbuck's look. "She needed some extra persuasion," Lara explained. "You carry her, I'll cover us."
"Thanks for giving me the easy part," Starbuck grumbled, shouldering her rifle first, and then the unconscious Mara. With the help of some smoke and stun grenades and a little of Lara's specialized insanity, they overran one of the small forces and got into the corridors of the station. The facility wasn't made with bottlenecking in mind - few ever tried something so reckless because of the tight security here - so they were able to keep several steps ahead of their pursuers, until finally they reached a hangar. Starbuck had familiarized herself with their flight technology so she was able to blast their way out and beyond the jamming field. As soon as they were clear, they jumped back to Crossroads Facility, but without the prize. And while four had gone in, only three came out.
--------------------------------------------------------------
The marble floor of the station echoed under the boots of Ronald Tetz as he made his way to the security center. He'd been alerted the moment the trap had sprung and had been on a shuttle in minutes. It was unfortunate that most of the thieves had escaped, but the one held in the storage room would hopefully lead to the rest.
She hadn't been easy to deal with; they'd anesthetized her with gas, but even that had taken the better part of an hour before she'd passed out, and they'd had to use restraints normally reserved for the larger aliens they encountered despite her appearance. At the moment she'd regained consciousness and was seated in a chair, arms and legs secured firmly to it. She glowered at everyone she saw, including Ronald when he walked in. He took a seat opposite and regarded her for a brief time, giving her the chance to realize the enormity of this.
"If you're uncertain who I am, I'm the Senior Security Chief of the Division of Weights and Standards. I don't normally deal with every detainee." He steepled his fingers. "But this situation is hardly normal."
"Release me," Seven said with a voice like a vibrosaw.
"Oh, there's no chance of that," Ronald said. "Entering a restricted area without clearance, impersonating an Imperial officer, grand larceny... you're in deep, my dear. You were instructed as to the penalty: you'll be mentally reprogrammed and sold on the slave market as an asset of the Terran Empire."
"I am aware," Seven said. "Your people possess advanced technology, yet you are social barbarians."
"Big talk coming from a common thief."
"And your insults are hypocritical, considering this ore was seized from alien civilizations through a treaty signed at gunpoint."
"Ah, so you're a modern day Robin Hood?" Ronald asked. "But if so, why steal platinum? I don't understand that. Surely there are more valuable targets, yet you settled for one of the least valuable items in the vault."
"I will say nothing more."
"And these devices you strapped onto the ore," Ronald continued. "An anachronism. They use a very primitive construction, yet they do seem to operate on principles my people have never heard of. You also had one on your person, I noticed." Seven didn't reply. "Is this how you got in and out?"
"I said I will say nothing more," Seven said.
"Everyone says that," Ronald said with a sigh, "and everyone changes their mind. We took a scan of your mind when you were unconscious. It can't read much, but it can help identify weaknesses." He snapped his fingers and a readout was placed in his hand; a bemused look passed over his face. "Really? How interesting." He glanced up at Seven and noticed the look of undisguised malice. "It seems you're rather... ticklish."
