S4: E9 - The Sheriff of Gothos

[Jettis Jyur]

[Outside and Inside Gothos City - Rogue Planet - Larn System]

[Behind Jail - Gothos City - Rogue Planet - Larn System]

Ian bolted to his feet when he heard the unknown whisper at the window. Looking out, he was surprised to see a Romulan was the source, but saw Jettis with him and figured that this had to be Kyle's doing.

"Good timin' Lads. I was nae lookin' ta me neck stretched. How many bullets do you have? You can use the excess ta make a crude explosive. Black powder woulna be enough ta damage the bars, but should be able ta jar them free of the plaster holdin' them in place."

[Gothos City - Rogue Planet]

As the team made their way past Trelane and the distraction, he lead them to the jail, where Ian was held. As the Captain suggested a small explosion to displace the window bars, he nodded and unholstered his gun, before turning to the Romulans. It wouldn't have been too much of a feat for him, as a Science officer, but hopefully the Romulans would co-operate without putting up a fuss.

Pulling out the pouch that originally contained their coins, he made a small explosive, and placed it at the observably weakest point. Hopefully the commotion outside was enough to distract Trelane from the noise, but that was very unlikely.

"We need to move quickly - I doubt Commander Briggs can distract him for too long, so we'll have a fight ahead of us." Jettis hoped they hadn't used every single bullet. Who knows what this Demigod would conjure up to fight them with?

[Ruth Sigurdsdottir]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

When Krassus responded, there was no hiding the sardonic tone of his voice.

"A chemical bomb, how delightfully crude. Our plan is to eject a probe pneumatically and then induce a static electrical discharge between it and the particles by firing the probe's thrusters. However, your method, crude though it may be would also be effective. We are ready to break free now. Our escape vector is 147 mark 25. Is five Earth minutes sufficient time for you to be ready for me to initiate our escape plan?"

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ruth rolled her eyes laboriously in Lahr's direction when Krassus responded.  She didn't like him already and decided that the truce was most definitely a means to an end.

~"Petty Officer, Ensign, lay in a course parallel to that please, and be ready."~

Putting on her sweetest smile and hoping that translated to 'sickly sweet, dripping with honey' over the lip reading program, she addressed the Romulan.

Crude, but effective and easy to assemble in the time frame.  Things don't have to be overly complicated to work.  Five minutes will be perfect, Commander.  We're on your mark!

She sent a message to Thane to rip the insides out of a standard torpedo with the instructions to take it, manually if necessary to the closest torpedo launcher and wait for the 2 scientists to turn up.

To the Scientists she sent a message:  REPLICATE IN TORPEDO BAY AND CARRY SEPARATELY - 2kg Calcium Hypochlorite, 500ml Ethylene Glycols, add Ca(ClO)â,, first (solids) then slowly add the C2H6O2 and seal, JETTISON IMMEDIATELY. Will take 2 mins 24 secs to detonate. Note: BIG EEEPING **KABOOM** Find something to hold onto, pass it on.

She got a quick message back 2 mins later that they were ready and they were ready to pour in the Ethylene Glycols.

Commander Krakkus, My science crew are ready to form the reaction and jettison on your mark, it will take 2 mins 20 seconds to detonate... Hence our holding off until we were 100% certain we were all ready, oh and 10 seconds to seal and launch.  Ready when you are.

She wasn't sure if Romulan and Starfleet Commanders were equal but she wasn't going to back down and be deferential more than working together to get the Challenger Crew back was concerned.

~"Ensign Cupid, be ready to punch it!"~

[OOC: Think this... but like million times bigger

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ruth rolled her eyes laboriously in Lahr's direction when Krassus responded.  She didn't like him already and decided that the truce was most definitely a means to an end.

~"Petty Officer, Ensign, lay in a course parallel to that please, and be ready."~

Putting on her sweetest smile and hoping that translated to 'sickly sweet, dripping with honey' over the lip reading program, she addressed the Romulan.

Crude, but effective and easy to assemble in the time frame.  Things don't have to be overly complicated to work.  Five minutes will be perfect, Commander.  We're on your mark!

She sent a message to Thane to rip the insides out of a standard torpedo with the instructions to take it, manually if necessary to the closest torpedo launcher and wait for the 2 scientists to turn up.

To the Scientists she sent a message:  REPLICATE IN TORPEDO BAY AND CARRY SEPARATELY - 2kg Calcium Hypochlorite, 500ml Ethylene Glycols, add Ca(ClO)â,, first (solids) then slowly add the C2H6O2 and seal, JETTISON IMMEDIATELY. Will take 2 mins 24 secs to detonate. Note: BIG EEEPING **KABOOM** Find something to hold onto, pass it on.

She got a quick message back 2 mins later that they were ready and they were ready to pour in the Ethylene Glycols.

Commander Krakkus, My science crew are ready to form the reaction and jettison on your mark, it will take 2 mins 20 seconds to detonate... Hence our holding off until we were 100% certain we were all ready, oh and 10 seconds to seal and launch.  Ready when you are.

She wasn't sure if Romulan and Starfleet Commanders were equal but she wasn't going to back down and be deferential more than working together to get the Challenger Crew back was concerned.

~"Ensign Cupid, be ready to punch it!"~

[OOC: Think this... but like million times bigger

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Krassus replied immediately, this time sounding amused as he did so.

"Surprisingly efficient Commander. We make our move in ten seconds from my mark... Mark!"

The short countdown passed quickly and the two ships went to warp on a parallel course. A second after doing so, the two clouds of metreon particles detonated with a violence that staggered both ships as if they were being shaken by some monstrous hand. The reason for the K'tara's course selection suddenly became obvious as the Romulan ship skimmed the atmosphere of the Rogue planet, some fifty thousand kilometers ahead of the Challenger. As the huge warship made its lightning quick pass, sensors aboard the Challenger detected transporter activity before the K'tara accelerated to maximum warp on a course for Romulan space.

On the planet, just as Jettis placed his crude explosive and Kyle was being battered by Sub-Lieutenant Vekiron, he, along with all the other Romulans disappeared, snared by the angular confinement beams of the K'tara's transporters. This left Kyle standing alone in the middle of the street of Gothos City, while Jettis, Wessex, Mondo, Vizetti, and Sims were left in the alley behind the jail staring at where the rest of the Romulan away team had stood. Before Kyle to do more than also stare at the vacant spot Vekiron had occupied, Trelane suddenly exploded into an angry tirade.

"Not fair! Not fair! NOT FAIR!"

He shouted into the sky impotently. He then wheeled on Kyle with an accusatory glare.

"You did this on purpose! You let the Romulans escape my game!"

Before Kyle could respond, the explosive placed on Ian's cell detonated.

"You're CHEATING!"

Trelane screamed and drew his pistol, firing at Kyle wildly. Fortunately, Trelane was so angry, he didn't take time to aim, so his first two shots missed, giving Kyle time to dive for cover behind a long wooden water filled object outside the general store where the fight with Vekiron had ended up.

[Kyle Briggs]

[Inside Gothos City - Rogue Planet - Larn System]

Kyle knew this was all just meant to be a distraction but he was getting pissed at the pummeling he was receiving. He only seemed to land one blow to Vekiron's four or five. He was in position to take another swing at the Romulan's jaw and when he did, it whiffed through the air. Vekiron had been whisked away in the wave of a transporter beam. This sent Trelane into a tirade that he decided to take out on Kyle. He began shouting before drawing his weapon. Off in the distant, Kyle heard a small explosion. That would have been Jettis and the others rescuing Ian. His attention was brought back to their captor when he started shooting at him. Kyle jumped behind a large wooden box that contained water for cover. He was breathing heavy while Trelane continued his temper tantrum.

"I really need to get back into the gym." he muttered to himself.

Kyle reached for his own weapon and began firing wildly at Trelane. He had taken stock of his gun and knew it only had six rounds but in the melee, he had noticed that Trelane had fired way more and was continuing the barrage.

"And he's yelling at us about cheating?" Kyle asked sarcastically.

Kyle wasn't sure what was going on behind the jail but he was really hoping that they were getting Ian out of their and were on the way to help him.

[Ian Galloway]

[Inside Gothos City - Rogue Planet - Larn System]

Kyle knew this was all just meant to be a distraction but he was getting pissed at the pummeling he was receiving. He only seemed to land one blow to Vekiron's four or five. He was in position to take another swing at the Romulan's jaw and when he did, it whiffed through the air. Vekiron had been whisked away in the wave of a transporter beam. This sent Trelane into a tirade that he decided to take out on Kyle. He began shouting before drawing his weapon. Off in the distant, Kyle heard a small explosion. That would have been Jettis and the others rescuing Ian. His attention was brought back to their captor when he started shooting at him. Kyle jumped behind a large wooden box that contained water for cover. He was breathing heavy while Trelane continued his temper tantrum.

"I really need to get back into the gym." he muttered to himself.

Kyle reached for his own weapon and began firing wildly at Trelane. He had taken stock of his gun and knew it only had six rounds but in the melee, he had noticed that Trelane had fired way more and was continuing the barrage.

"And he's yelling at us about cheating?" Kyle asked sarcastically.

Kyle wasn't sure what was going on behind the jail but he was really hoping that they were getting Ian out of their and were on the way to help him.

[Gothos City - Rogue Planet - Larn System]

The small black powder charge hadn't been large enough to blow out the bars of the jail, if it had been, it most likely would have killed Ian instantly, but it was large enough to damage the plaster that held the bars, which was exactly what he had hoped. Jumping to is feet while the smoke was still in the air causing him to cough, he began twisting the loosened bars to pull one free. It probably would have taken him a long time had he been alone, but quickly, Mondo and the rest of the away team began twisting the bar as well and it soon pulled free.

Ian climbed into the gap and started to squeeze through the opening, he might have gotten stuck, but again, Mondo came to the rescue and tugged him free of the cell. As his feet hit the ground outside the cell, he could hear rapid gunfire and he said.

"I'm certain Kyle needs our help. Draw your weapons, but hold your fire. I doubt these bloody things can harm him anyway."

Ian then peaked around the corner and could see Trelane blazing merrily away at a horse trough in front of the general store. As the trough itself was unlikely to be Trelane's target, Ian called out.

"Okay Trelane. Game is over. You lost, deal was the crew had ta break me out in less than an hour. They did, so how about we call this one done?"

Trelane wheeled toward Ian, but didn't shoot. He was red faced with anger and shouted.

"It's not over until I say it's over!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Once the ship had rode out the shock wave of metreon particle explosion, the Challenger seemed fully operational. Lahr had time to track the K'tara as it went to warp, but there was no hope of stopping them before they escaped. That left the Challenger in orbit of the rogue planet with the previously provided images on the viewscreen no longer being shown.

[Vasilisa Belmont]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

After conducting physicals on transfers like Casey and filling out the subsequent paperwork, Lisa spent the time biting her lip and then her nails, (despite it being a bad habit) as a continuous report about the away team came in. She was grateful that this seemed to be only a simulation, but terrified that it could easily be changed by this Trelane person who she vaguely recalled from history. She had long since made sure that all her patients were supplied with power when they'd initially powered down, so playing the waiting game was the only thing she could do. The news about Kyle being shot had her heart racing, and after she'd found out it was fake she took up a medkit and called to Jessica to man the sickbay while she headed for the turbolift. Now she was on the Bridge with the others as the science-minded people dealt with the Romulans and worked tirelessly to bring their people home. She had seen a few images on the viewscreen of the away team and had played along with the hangman charade, but now that the business with the metreon particles had played out and the viewscreen was blank it felt like they were back at square one. What was Trelane going to do now? 

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Deck One - Bridge]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ruth contemplated. ~ "Give me a minute with the Romulans..."~ she mouthed then normally said "I'll have my usual, this one is cold now."

Ruth's eyebrows shot into her hairline, at the slight to her Science knowledge but to be honest she had missed it.

Commander Krassus, this is Commander Ruth Sigurdsdottir of the USS Challenger. Nominally in charge since our Captain and First Officer are both planetside, Trelane abducted our Captain after we'd already sent the First Officer down there in case you're thinking this was as incompetent as you seem to think the Science Officer, which happens to be me, is.  I fully admit to missing the metreon particles however so thanks for the heads up on that one, I've been pulling double duty since we lost the Captain as well as trying to devise methods for the retrieval of the crew, and hiding the fact that we're communicating between ourselves and you from Trelane.  Not letting him have wind of this is paramount.  As for being able to execute the manouevre, I have full confidence in our crew, and we can co-ordinate this with your break out.  What method are you using, we were advocating a chemical bomb...

She looked over at Lahr and gave him a wink... it was a good idea, she'd just have to figure which chemicals were the best to do so.

...to ignite in lieu of having anything mechanical.  We'll be ready on your mark.  Beyond that, once we're free... Hopefully then our systems will be back and we can yank our crewmembers out of there, and hopefully locate this mirror device so we can destroy it so he can't do this to others. We can go on your mark once we're all prepared. Please send the heading your will be using to go to warp so we can co-ordinate and not get in each other's way.

She turned to Lahr, ~"Chemical bomb perfect, but wait on work from the Romulans as to what they're using, their method may be more efficient... I want the exact location of the K'Tara, any information you have on it.  Once we have the heading from them Ensign Cupid I want you to follow a similar heading but 4 clicks west of them so we have them in range but aren't going to hit them.  On Commander Krassus's mark we are to go to full warp, 1 sec before the metreons ignite.  Lahr you can sort out a countdown please.  And have shields set to maximum just in case Trelane or anyone tries anything. I would say 'Go to Amber Alert' but we can't exactly!"~

Lahr grinned a hearing that Ruth had decided to go ahead with his idea about the chemical bombs.  He felt like he'd actually done something to help.  Well, that's if it worked.

[Outside and Inside Gothos City - Rogue Planet - Larn System]

Kyle's punch caught Vekiron by surprise and this made him stumble into the street as Kyle had hoped. The Romulan's eyes flashed for a moment in pure rage, but then he tamped that down as he went on the attack.The strength and agility of Vulcans along their Romulan cousins was well known, but Kyle was surprised to find out first hand exactly how outclassed he was by Vekiron despite his long years of service and experience with hand to hand combat.

The only saving grace was that it was clear that Vekiron was pulling his punches otherwise, it would have been unlikely that Kyle would have survived the whirling buzz-saw of punches he was taking. Despite the pummeling, the fight was having the desired effect as Kyle could see Trelane watching the fight with his hands clapped together against his wildly grinning lips.

Looking to the view screen, Lahr watched the Away Team's progress.   Kyle and Romulans were fist-fighting in the streets.   Ha! So 'John Wayne'.  The Andorian had to admit, the fight was rather engrossing, though the former Security crewman could see the Romulan was holding back.  For which Lahr, and no doubt Kyle, was grateful for.

But Lahr noted that while Kyle scrapped, Jettis and the others on the away team backed away and slipped into an alley.

Lahr's attention on the fight and on where the others were headed was interrupted by the incoming comm from the Romulan ship.  The Andorian put it straight through to the ear-bud system.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]
When Krassus responded, there was no hiding the sardonic tone of his voice.

"A chemical bomb, how delightfully crude. Our plan is to eject a probe pneumatically and then induce a static electrical discharge between it and the particles by firing the probe's thrusters. However, your method, crude though it may be would also be effective. We are ready to break free now. Our escape vector is 147 mark 25. Is five Earth minutes sufficient time for you to be ready for me to initiate our escape plan?"

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ruth rolled her eyes laboriously in Lahr's direction when Krassus responded.  She didn't like him already and decided that the truce was most definitely a means to an end.

~"Petty Officer, Ensign, lay in a course parallel to that please, and be ready."~

Putting on her sweetest smile and hoping that translated to 'sickly sweet, dripping with honey' over the lip reading program, she addressed the Romulan.

Crude, but effective and easy to assemble in the time frame.  Things don't have to be overly complicated to work.  Five minutes will be perfect, Commander.  We're on your mark!

Lahr grimaced at the mocking attitude of the Romulan Commander.  ~ "What an a.. roozh phuph" ~  the Andorian muttered in his native language.  Normally such near silent side comments made by him would never be picked up by the microphone of the comm system but with the reading lips program, Lahr's comment was not only picked up also transmitted.

She sent a message to Thane to rip the insides out of a standard torpedo with the instructions to take it, manually if necessary to the closest torpedo launcher and wait for the 2 scientists to turn up.

To the Scientists she sent a message:  REPLICATE IN TORPEDO BAY AND CARRY SEPARATELY - 2kg Calcium Hypochlorite, 500ml Ethylene Glycols, add Ca(ClO)â,, first (solids) then slowly add the C2H6O2 and seal, JETTISON IMMEDIATELY. Will take 2 mins 24 secs to detonate. Note: BIG EEEPING **KABOOM** Find something to hold onto, pass it on.

She got a quick message back 2 mins later that they were ready and they were ready to pour in the Ethylene Glycols.

Commander Krakkus, My science crew are ready to form the reaction and jettison on your mark, it will take 2 mins 20 seconds to detonate... Hence our holding off until we were 100% certain we were all ready, oh and 10 seconds to seal and launch.  Ready when you are.

She wasn't sure if Romulan and Starfleet Commanders were equal but she wasn't going to back down and be deferential more than working together to get the Challenger Crew back was concerned.

~"Ensign Cupid, be ready to punch it!"~

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Krassus replied immediately, this time sounding amused as he did so.

"Surprisingly efficient Commander. We make our move in ten seconds from my mark... Mark!"

Time seemed to crawl waiting on the science personnel and the Dr. Thane of all people to gut the torpedo. Lahr wondered if it was just Thane or did all medics have the skills needed to disassemble a torpedo?

Despite the dragging time, the countdown eventually came to an end.

The short countdown passed quickly and the two ships went to warp on a parallel course. A second after doing so, the two clouds of metreon particles detonated with a violence that staggered both ships as if they were being shaken by some monstrous hand. The reason for the K'tara's course selection suddenly became obvious as the Romulan ship skimmed the atmosphere of the Rogue planet, some fifty thousand kilometers ahead of the Challenger. As the huge warship made its lightning quick pass, sensors aboard the Challenger detected transporter activity before the K'tara accelerated to maximum warp on a course for Romulan space.

On the planet, just as Jettis placed his crude explosive and Kyle was being battered by Sub-Lieutenant Vekiron, he, along with all the other Romulans disappeared, snared by the angular confinement beams of the K'tara's transporters. This left Kyle standing alone in the middle of the street of Gothos City, while Jettis, Wessex, Mondo, Vizetti, and Sims were left in the alley behind the jail staring at where the rest of the Romulan away team had stood. Before Kyle to do more than also stare at the vacant spot Vekiron had occupied, Trelane suddenly exploded into an angry tirade.

"Not fair! Not fair! NOT FAIR!"

He shouted into the sky impotently. He then wheeled on Kyle with an accusatory glare.

"You did this on purpose! You let the Romulans escape my game!"

Before Kyle could respond, the explosive placed on Ian's cell detonated.

"You're CHEATING!"

Trelane screamed and drew his pistol, firing at Kyle wildly. Fortunately, Trelane was so angry, he didn't take time to aim, so his first two shots missed, giving Kyle time to dive for cover behind a long wooden water filled object outside the general store where the fight with Vekiron had ended up.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Once the ship had rode out the shock wave of metreon particle explosion, the Challenger seemed fully operational. Lahr had time to track the K'tara as it went to warp, but there was no hope of stopping them before they escaped. That left the Challenger in orbit of the rogue planet with the previously provided images on the viewscreen no longer being shown.

Lahr, at noting the Romulan transporter signal, tried his best to get a bio signal lock on the away team but without their badges it was easier said than done.  On the viewscreen he could hear Trelane taking a fit then suddenly the screen went blank seconds after the man began firing at Commander Briggs.

Roozh!
"I'm having trouble establishing a lock on their bio signals without their comm badges.  We can either send down their comms for them to pick up and signal up for beam out... or maybe beam down some pattern enhancers around the town to give me better signal resolution." he called out to Ruth openly.  No need for subterfuge now.

[Ruth Sigurdsdottir]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

After conducting physicals on transfers like Casey and filling out the subsequent paperwork, Lisa spent the time biting her lip and then her nails, (despite it being a bad habit) as a continuous report about the away team came in. She was grateful that this seemed to be only a simulation, but terrified that it could easily be changed by this Trelane person who she vaguely recalled from history. She had long since made sure that all her patients were supplied with power when they'd initially powered down, so playing the waiting game was the only thing she could do. The news about Kyle being shot had her heart racing, and after she'd found out it was fake she took up a medkit and called to Jessica to man the sickbay while she headed for the turbolift. Now she was on the Bridge with the others as the science-minded people dealt with the Romulans and worked tirelessly to bring their people home. She had seen a few images on the viewscreen of the away team and had played along with the hangman charade, but now that the business with the metreon particles had played out and the viewscreen was blank it felt like they were back at square one. What was Trelane going to do now?

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ruth looked up and smiled at Lisa as she arrived on the Bridge.  "Ah Doctor... do you have anything for a small headache... the big one down there called Trelane has manifest itself as a niggling physical one!"

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Deck One - Bridge]

Lahr grinned a hearing that Ruth had decided to go ahead with his idea about the chemical bombs.  He felt like he'd actually done something to help.  Well, that's if it worked.

Looking to the view screen, Lahr watched the Away Team's progress.   Kyle and Romulans were fist-fighting in the streets.   Ha! So 'John Wayne'.  The Andorian had to admit, the fight was rather engrossing, though the former Security crewman could see the Romulan was holding back.  For which Lahr, and no doubt Kyle, was grateful for.

But Lahr noted that while Kyle scrapped, Jettis and the others on the away team backed away and slipped into an alley.

Lahr's attention on the fight and on where the others were headed was interrupted by the incoming comm from the Romulan ship.  The Andorian put it straight through to the ear-bud system.

Lahr grimaced at the mocking attitude of the Romulan Commander.  ~ "What an a.. roozh phuph" ~  the Andorian muttered in his native language.  Normally such near silent side comments made by him would never be picked up by the microphone of the comm system but with the reading lips program, Lahr's comment was not only picked up also transmitted.

Time seemed to crawl waiting on the science personnel and the Dr. Thane of all people to gut the torpedo. Lahr wondered if it was just Thane or did all medics have the skills needed to disassemble a torpedo?

Despite the dragging time, the countdown eventually came to an end.

Lahr, at noting the Romulan transporter signal, tried his best to get a bio signal lock on the away team but without their badges it was easier said than done.  On the viewscreen he could hear Trelane taking a fit then suddenly the screen went blank seconds after the man began firing at Commander Briggs.

Roozh!
"I'm having trouble establishing a lock on their bio signals without their comm badges.  We can either send down their comms for them to pick up and signal up for beam out... or maybe beam down some pattern enhancers around the town to give me better signal resolution." he called out to Ruth openly.  No need for subterfuge now.

"Both!" Ruth eventually decided, "They'll be able to communicate with us and with one another, and thus if Captain Galloway has specific orders, he can give them, plus soon as we have the comms with them, you can get their bio signals better witht the pattern enhancers and yank them out if we have to make that call, I'd rather go overkill than not do enough.  I have a gut feeling... and you know all about them, that the Captain will want to destroy Trelane's little toy to make sure he can't trap anymore people with his games."

[Ian Galloway]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Deck One - Bridge]

Lahr grinned a hearing that Ruth had decided to go ahead with his idea about the chemical bombs.  He felt like he'd actually done something to help.  Well, that's if it worked.

Looking to the view screen, Lahr watched the Away Team's progress.   Kyle and Romulans were fist-fighting in the streets.   Ha! So 'John Wayne'.  The Andorian had to admit, the fight was rather engrossing, though the former Security crewman could see the Romulan was holding back.  For which Lahr, and no doubt Kyle, was grateful for.

But Lahr noted that while Kyle scrapped, Jettis and the others on the away team backed away and slipped into an alley.

Lahr's attention on the fight and on where the others were headed was interrupted by the incoming comm from the Romulan ship.  The Andorian put it straight through to the ear-bud system.

Lahr grimaced at the mocking attitude of the Romulan Commander.  ~ "What an a.. roozh phuph" ~  the Andorian muttered in his native language.  Normally such near silent side comments made by him would never be picked up by the microphone of the comm system but with the reading lips program, Lahr's comment was not only picked up also transmitted.

Time seemed to crawl waiting on the science personnel and the Dr. Thane of all people to gut the torpedo. Lahr wondered if it was just Thane or did all medics have the skills needed to disassemble a torpedo?

Despite the dragging time, the countdown eventually came to an end.

Lahr, at noting the Romulan transporter signal, tried his best to get a bio signal lock on the away team but without their badges it was easier said than done.  On the viewscreen he could hear Trelane taking a fit then suddenly the screen went blank seconds after the man began firing at Commander Briggs.

Roozh!
"I'm having trouble establishing a lock on their bio signals without their comm badges.  We can either send down their comms for them to pick up and signal up for beam out... or maybe beam down some pattern enhancers around the town to give me better signal resolution." he called out to Ruth openly.  No need for subterfuge now.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ruth looked up and smiled at Lisa as she arrived on the Bridge.  "Ah Doctor... do you have anything for a small headache... the big one down there called Trelane has manifest itself as a niggling physical one!"

"Both!" Ruth eventually decided, "They'll be able to communicate with us and with one another, and thus if Captain Galloway has specific orders, he can give them, plus soon as we have the comms with them, you can get their bio signals better with the pattern enhancers and yank them out if we have to make that call, I'd rather go overkill than not do enough.  I have a gut feeling... and you know all about them, that the Captain will want to destroy Trelane's little toy to make sure he can't trap anymore people with his games."

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ensign Cupid brought the ship to a halt over the small habitable region of the rogue planet and the transporter chief reported to the bridge that the combadges and pattern enhancers were successfully transported to the planet. Unfortunately, without a solid lock on the away team, he could not say with certainty how close the equipment was to them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Gothos City - Rogue Planet - Larn System]

Trelane paced back in forth in the middle of the street, clearly agitated as he muttered repeatedly.

"Not fair. Not fair. Not fair. Not fair."

After several moments of this, he stopped abruptly and shouted at the away team.

"Why do you keep cheating? This is supposed to be a fun game, but you won't play right! Those sneaky Romulans ran away before I was finished with them and you humans won't play fair! I only just got my planet back after the last time with that Kirk toy. You get me in trouble again and I'll never get my planet back!"

As Trelane ranted, Kyle caught a shimmering out of the corner of his eye as he peaked over the water trough. He could see several combadges and pattern enhancers deposited in the middle of the street about ten meters behind Trelane.

[Kyle Briggs]

[Gothos City - Rogue Planet - Larn System]

The shooting stopped and Kyle heard Ian's voice call out to Trelane. Then he heard Trelane start in on another rant about them cheating. Kyle took a second and peaked over the top of the water container. Sure enough, Ian was standing just at the corner of the jail and yelling back at Trelane. The distraction from Ian had caused their abductor to drop his pocket watch and Kyle could see it hanging from his hip. At the same moment, a shimmer effect also caught Kyle's attention as several comm badges and transporter pattern enhancers appeared in the road way a few meters behind Trelane. Kyle stood and slowly made his way toward the equipment and the jail. His mind went back and forth on his first target. He decided to go for the pocket watch first. The equipment did them no good if Trelane still had his powers and just snapped him out of existence. He continued sneaking up as Ian distracted the enemy. Like a stubborn child that wasn't getting his way, Trelane didn't notice Kyle until he reached out and snatched the pocket watch from it's chain.

"GOT IT!" yelled Kyle.

[ShranLahr ch'Verret]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Deck One - Bridge]

The Andorian tracked the flight path of the K'Tara.  "It looks like the Romulan's are 'bugging out'.  They are on route towards Romulan space at max warp."

Lahr would have called them cowards except for that he'd rather be high-tailing it away from the planet himself if he could.  So, it would have been a shot at himself.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

"Both!" Ruth eventually decided, "They'll be able to communicate with us and with one another, and thus if Captain Galloway has specific orders, he can give them, plus soon as we have the comms with them, you can get their bio signals better with the pattern enhancers and yank them out if we have to make that call, I'd rather go overkill than not do enough.  I have a gut feeling... and you know all about them, that the Captain will want to destroy Trelane's little toy to make sure he can't trap anymore people with his games."

Lahr nodded at Ruth's answer and a moment later, after coordinating with personnel down in Transporter Room One, the items were beamed down.   "Transporters are working.  Items have been beamed down, Commander. " the Ops petty officer announced.

The blank viewscreen was replaced with a view of the planet, just because it made him feel more connected to the Away Team.  Now, once again, they waited.

[Ruth Sigurdsdottir]

PO1 ShranLahr ch'Verret
[USS Challenger - Deck One - Bridge]

The Andorian tracked the flight path of the K'Tara.  "It looks like the Romulan's are 'bugging out'.  They are on route towards Romulan space at max warp."

Lahr would have called them cowards except for that he'd rather be high-tailing it away from the planet himself if he could.  So, it would have been a shot at himself.

Lahr nodded at Ruth's answer and a moment later, after coordinating with personnel down in Transporter Room One, the items were beamed down.   "Transporters are working.  Items have been beamed down, Commander. " the Ops petty officer announced.

The blank viewscreen was replaced with a view of the planet, just because it made him feel more connected to the Away Team.  Now, once again, they waited.

[Challenger - Bridge]

"Thank you Petty Officer, good news for a switch! Once you can, see if you can raise the Captain... and see what assistance he requires.  In the meantime if anyone needs or wants some refreshments... feel free.  DJ Lahr, you may play some music, at ambient volume, but stand by to yank them out at a moment's notice once we know they have their commbadges.  I'm wondering if it might be an idea to beam them down some weapons."  Ruth said.  "Or hop down myself with the axes!" she put in with a bemused look on her face, but she was only kidding and grinning she knew Lahr would understand that.  She couldn't afford to get stuck down there.  Resourceful as the crew of the Challenger was, it would be highly irresponsible to have both the CO, and the XO then the highest ranking officer/CSO down there too.

She was pretty sure they had Trelane on the back foot now but it wasn't a sure fire thing that they were going to have it easy from now on.

"Two things... first, make sure we get a record of the warp trail of the smarmy bar-steward, I'd like a chat with him about 'efficiency' and 'crudeness' one day... I might sharpen my axes as well as my tongue for the exchange.  We have more important things to be doing rather than chasing after him right now.  Second, how are our scanners? Can we start looking for that device from this end?"

[Ian Galloway]

[Gothos City - Rogue Planet - Larn System]

The shooting stopped and Kyle heard Ian's voice call out to Trelane. Then he heard Trelane start in on another rant about them cheating. Kyle took a second and peaked over the top of the water container. Sure enough, Ian was standing just at the corner of the jail and yelling back at Trelane. The distraction from Ian had caused their abductor to drop his pocket watch and Kyle could see it hanging from his hip. At the same moment, a shimmer effect also caught Kyle's attention as several comm badges and transporter pattern enhancers appeared in the road way a few meters behind Trelane. Kyle stood and slowly made his way toward the equipment and the jail. His mind went back and forth on his first target. He decided to go for the pocket watch first. The equipment did them no good if Trelane still had his powers and just snapped him out of existence. He continued sneaking up as Ian distracted the enemy. Like a stubborn child that wasn't getting his way, Trelane didn't notice Kyle until he reached out and snatched the pocket watch from it's chain.

"GOT IT!" yelled Kyle.

[Gothos City - Rogue Planet - Larn System]

Distracted by Ian, Trelane failed to notice Kyle until it was too late to prevent the loss of his watch. At this point, the already angry Trelane became incandescent with rage. He swung his hand and Kyle went flying, end over end, to land hard enough to knock the wind out of him. Before he could regain his feet, Trelane stormed in the fallen first officer's direction ranting.

"Kirk broke my remote last time and I won't let you do it this time."

Witnessing the attack and the danger to Kyle, Ian ran up behind Trelane and tackled him.

"That's enough ya misbegotten little git!"

This attack surprised Trelane enough that Ian was able to land two solid punches before he swung his hand again sending Ian flying to land just as hard, but with a bit of foreknowledge, he wasn't as winded by the impact with the unpaved street.

At this point, Mondo, Wessex, Vizetti, and Sims all swarmed in pummeling Trelane with an unrelenting storm of punches, chops, and kicks. When Ian got to his feet, the corner of Trelane's mouth was bleeding and, for once, he looked scared.

"That's enough!"

Ian shouted and the security team ceased their attack, leaving a gasping Trelane sagging in Mondo's and Sim's grasp.

"Y-y-you h-hit me!"

Trelane wailed in frustration and fear.

"Y-you c-can't hit m-me! That's n-not fair!"

Despite being angry at the cavalier way Trelane had treated him and his crew, at this point, Ian's tone softened as he realized he was talking to the true Trelane, the little boy and not the Sheriff of Gothos.

"Nothing about this game has been fair Lad. We're not toys. We are sentient beings and we will do anything ta survive and protect each other from harm."

"B-but it's just a game!"

"It may be to you, but to us, it is our lives. We're not immortal or immune to injury and what is a simply playin' ta you is dangerous ta us."

Before Ian could continue, a pair of disembodied, hovering glowing green lights appeared.

"I see you've managed to get yourself in trouble again Trelane."

A woman's voice spoke.

"And you know what we said would happen if you got in trouble again."

A man's voice added.

"NO!" Trelane shouted. "Don't take my planet away again!"

"That's enough Trelane." The male voice replied sternly. "You knew the rules when we gave you a chance to play with this world again and now that you've misbehaved again, it's time to come in now."

"But they hit me!"

"Seems like that is your own fault Trelane, we are leaving."

Trelane and one of the disembodied lights disappeared. The one that remained spoke and there was no hiding the exasperated tone in the feminine voice.

"I am sorry Captain. I can promise you, Trelane will not interfere with your kind again. Please accept my apologies."

The light then faded, leaving the away team a bit stunned by the sudden turn of events. On the Challenger, Lahr noted that the habitable region of the rogue planet was starting to collapse in on itself and immediately contacted the transporter room to beam up the away team.

A few moments later, Ian and the rest of the away team found themselves in the transporter room, none the worst for wear from their encounter.

"Looks like the lad will be goin' ta bed without supper tonight."

[Kyle Briggs]

Transporter Room

Between the beating he took form the Romulan and Trelane sending him flying through the air, Kyle was no worse for wear but decided to get checked out.

"I'm heading for Sickbay, Captain. I'll be up to the Bridge as soon as I'm done, sir." he said to Ian.

[Ian Galloway]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

After acknowledging Kyle, Ian went to the bridge to relieve Ruth. As he took his seat, he addressed the bridge.

"Good work everyone. I look forward to your after action reports on what happened up here while I was away. It seems like there was some very outstanding initiative and creativity to break free of Trelane's grasp.

"I don't know if you got to see how the 'game' played out, but after Commander Briggs got what we suspect was Trelane's control device, the security detachment gave him an old fashioned curb stomping. At that point, the little git's parents showed up and took away his toys. His mother implied we, that is the Federation, will not be seeing him again. So, again, well done everyone."

Ian then spoke to the new ensign at the helm.

"Ensign, lay in a course to our original destination, the Romulan border."

The Challenger then gathered herself and as Ian noted the change of vibration in the deck plates, she went to warp.