The Peddler #6

Old Tactics

Salaam to all, here is the gist of my last little adventure. Well we were heading for Mara's mission, and I knew I had an important part of her mission. How was I to know I was the mission? Dear miss Mara whom I was very hospitable to considering we met at the end of each other's gun sights. But she was cleverer than I first perceived and, well, I was betrayed not only by her but also by my old buds from way long ago. Now I am on my own again, with Virgil and Logan as well, promising to make some promising adventures. Now I had to access a new source, for although I had deprived Zephyrus of all weapons, she had probably been re-armed with the best weapons they had. And If I was not mistaken, Mara was probably pissed enough to hunt me down. Well, at least I got to feel like the whale being hunted down by captain Ahab because she would never stop hunting me.

My new source however was much older than the mighty enforcers and of the same age as the obsidian order, I was getting the United Federation of Planets. Ordinarily they wouldn't help, some kind of prime directive thing not to interfere with others, but I had a friend in high places that owed me for that time where he lost to some ferengis and didn't have the latinum to pay up. I did what any good friend would do, got him to sign a contract that if I ever needed assistance he would help, all I had to do was reason with the ferengi loan sharks.

We were heading for the Starfleet headquarters on Elba 2, a former penal colony for the criminally insane. It had been quiet on the bridge ever since the betrayal; Logan had been very quiet which was strange coming from the most talkative barman in history. Suddenly the sensors went off, Logan looked excited that something had come to destroy the silence, his relief was gone when he learnt the news. I was particularly impatient and ordered " well spit it out Logan, what's happening"

Logan answered in distress " its Mara, she's nearing our location!"

This was indeed not the best way to break an awkward silence, I said, " The odds are she don't know we're here" pressing on the comm. System controls I said        "Virgil, shut down the entire ship, even life support" as he began to protest about the life support I emphasized " now! Even my coffee machines! Just turn it all off! Except for the cloaking devise" The lights suddenly went out, we were blanketed in total darkness. No more sounds of computers, it was as silent as a tomb. All that was left to do was to wait and hope she would keep on going.

The Zephyrus had been completely re-armed, with a new cloaking devise and the best sensors Mara was positive she could find the peddler and put an end to his freedom. They had detected a light power source from a ship unique to the wolf class types and had gone to investigate, but now that they had arrived it was gone. Mara turned to Salvatore that was at scanners and asked, " Where did the signal go? Are we at the right place?"

Salvatore checked once more and replied " we're at the right place al'right, either the little bugger somehow got away which is unlikely or he's still here, all powered down."

She pondered his words for a moment and then turned to Monroe at weapons station and said, " what if we launch syloid torpedoes[1] in random locations, we might just hit them and then we'd have them"

Monroe smiled, his sharp teeth glistening in the light and replied, " That might be the best idea I ever heard"

The Zephyrus had stopped which hadn't been part of my plans, she was now firing syloid torpedoes randomly, and they were bound to hit us. I contemplated the circumstances, Logan said out loud " damn were done for, she's gonna find us like vultures to a corpse."

Breathing in from my respirator, an idea suddenly struck me. I walked up to him, his face illuminated by the flashlight showed he was scared. I said, " We still have a chance, as I recall there is a Starfleet maneuver known as the Picard maneuver, it might just work for us too." I explained the strategy to him and he exclaimed " are you insane! That's gonna get us killed!"

I ignored him and activated my portable communication device (PCD) and said " Virgil, activate engines at 10%, move us within 9 million kilometers from Zephyrus, then return all power and on my order decloak" he obeyed the orders and the ship moved 9 million kilometers in front of the ship, the lights and computer returning to life. I ordered Logan " Now hail the Zephyrus with intents of surrender, and don't argue with me! Just do it!"

The torpedoes were proving useless but Mara knew the Peddler was finally cornered, suddenly Salvatore exclaimed in a surprised tone " The peddler's been detected, but he's signaling us with his surrender"

Mara was excited at the prospect of avoiding a battle but turned to Monroe and said, " were not dealing with just anyone here, who knows what the Peddler's got up his sleeve. Arm five syloid torpedoes and lock unto his co ordnance." She faced the screen and said " on screen"

Mara hadn't changed a bit, I said in my usual jolly voice " Hallo there Mara, dropped for a visit have ya, how very kind."

Mara was tired of my antics and said bluntly " enough of the chit chat, you will surrender unconditionally, decloak your ship and be ready to be boarded" the screen went out, I signaled to decloak the ship and the plan went into action.

The ship decloaked, Mara was surprised this was actually going off without a hitch; the ship wasn't even trying to get away. It simply stayed immobile, Mara turned to Monroe and ordered, " Organize a security team and go get me the Peddler, kill everyone else" As Monroe got up the ship shook under relentless attack. She turned to the screen and the peddler's ship hadn't moved. She walked to Sal and asked " who's shooting at us now?"

Sal answered in disbelief " it's the peddler, he's in two places at once"

She turned to Monroe who was back at his station and yelled " fire at both locations, now!"

Monroe pounded the armchair breaking it; he turned to Mara and said, " Our weapons and engines have been disabled, were nothing but sitting ducks"

Mara was pissed now; she yelled, " Well go fix it! Go fix the damn weapons now!"

Suddenly the peddler's ship was no longer there; suddenly Sal said out loud " we are being hailed by the peddler again"

The plan had worked, the Zephyrus was defenseless and this was the part where I gloated in front of her face. Since I had been driving the ship I turned to Logan and said, " Hail poor Mara"

Her face appeared on screen, I said, " hello my darling, you had me worried for a while. But then I remembered an old strategy and, well the results are quite clear."

She flustered in anger, barely able to control it. Subduing her feelings, she answered coolly " I suppose you will retreat now like the coward you are toward wherever it is you might want to go."

I shrugged and replied " yeah, but first things first" without bothering turning off the link I turned to Logan and ordered " target the Zephyrus's shields" He ran to the weapon's console and fired five torpedoes, disabling the shields. I then used the PCD and said " Virgil, transport their warp reactor as far as you can from their ship but within our weapons' range"

Virgil responded, seeing what I had in mind " Aye sir, ya sure got something between those ears of yours"

Mara in disbelief lost control of her emotions, she yelled, " what the blazes are you playing at now peddler?"

I smiled and replied " all comes to those who wait, now watch and learn my bonny lass" the warp reactor appeared out in space, I pulled Logan off the panel and said " let me have the honors", I fired a quantum torpedo at the warp reactor, blowing it up into oblivion"

I waved good buy and ordered for the signal to be cut. I pressed on the comm. and said " al'right, excellent job Virgil. Bring us at warp 9 on my mark" I sat at the navigation's console and turned the ship back toward Elba 2, turning to Logan I said, " you did awesome! If they have a bar on Elba 2 I am buying both you guys some drinks", then I said, " Blast off". The ship, which I had decided to name the peddler, disappeared from sight.

The Zephyrus was picked up by an Obsidian Subora class[2] war cruiser, on board Mara was sitting across from the Obsidian Order leader, Emperor Krale. He sat calmly, his pudgy fingers together in a reflective manner, he asked with over-exaggerated politeness " explain to me Mara, how the Peddler managed to defeat your superior ship in battle with his inferior wolf class ship. After all the weapons and upgrades I had given, explain this to me. I'm dying to hear an explanation"

Mara was the calmest she'd ever been in her life outwardly, but in the inside she was terrified. She replied coolly " after doing research we found out he used an old tactic known as the Picard maneuver, needless to say we were not anticipating such tactics, even from the Peddler"

Krale was still sitting calmly, he said " well Mara, I will give you some time off to reflect on your mistakes. I will send general Tang to capture the Peddler; if he should fail to capture or kill the Peddler you will be given another opportunity to prove yourself. You are dismissed" Mara saluted and left the office.

[1] A new type of torpedo with twenty times the yield as a quantum torpedo.

[2] This was a very powerful warship. With triple shielding, over 257 syloid toperdoes, over 500 quantum torpedoes and photon torpedoes and 500 disruptor banks. It was made for war, and war alone.