Chapter Twenty: Over the Falls

 "Computer, cancel destruct." D'arko commanded to the ship.

"Unable to comply."

"Cancel Reichenbach protocols!"

Moriarty's voice came from the computer once more, "No, Captain. you were warned."

"Grozit! D'arko to Engineering! Can you shut this down?"

"I'm trying Captain, but the controls are locked out pretty tight, "Crad's voice was desperate, though determined.

"Keep on it, Chief. D'arko to Torgas! Do you have any patients who can't walk away right now?"

"GC Townshend and Falow are still unconscious, but stable." was the Doctor's report.

"Prepare to emergency transport your patients and yourself to Maelstrom. Attention, all hands, Senior officers to emergency stations, all other hands... abandon ship." The pounding of D'arko's heart, he was sure, was audible over the ship wide.

The bridge crew, to their credit, maintained professionalism, even in the face of what was happening. If he'd had the time, the captain would have been extremely proud of them.

"We have 3 minutes, people. If we haven't gotten this shut down by then, you are all to report to the runabouts and tractor the escape pods to the Serenity. That's an order."

A general murmur of affirmation came as response.

"Captain, " T'Upok spoke up, "We're receiving reports that the escape pod release bolts are not responding."

"Which pod?"

"All of them!"

D'arko's antennae swept back. Of course Moriarty would have seen to this. His whole purpose was mutually assured destruction.

D'arko punched the ship wide control on his chair.

"Senior staff, report to runabouts for evacuation. Begin emergency beam out off your staffs, then plot a course to the Serenity. D'arko to Torgas, begin emergency beam to Maelstrom, " he turned to Lieutenant Song. "Lieutenant, report to the Maelstrom. As soon as the doctor and her patients are on board, launch and plot a course to DS9. "

"Sir?" She questioned.

"As soon as I'm sure the rest of the crew is safe, I'll beam over. Now go!"

The bridge crew immediately jumped to action. Da'mi'en touched the panel sequence to launch the ship's logs in a message buoy, It was at this moment, he realized the anger fully rising within him, and, given the opportunity, he would cause as painful a demise as possible to the ersatz professor, if pain was even a possibility for such a being.

"Captain!" Song's voice came over his combadge with a hint of panic.

"Here."

"Captain, the hangar bay doors are not responding!"

"FLERZH! Senior officers, report!"

"Evacuation to runabouts is 95% complete." Korotho responded.

"D'arko to Maelstrom, emergency beam out! Energize!"

The familiar icy tingle of the transporter beam enveloped the Andorian captain as his surrounding changed from the bridge of the Akira-class starship to the transporter alcove of the Maelstrom. He launched himself to the tactical station.

"Maelstrom to all ships: Shields to maximum!"

With that, D'arko targeted the hangar bay doors and fired off a volley of phaser bolts and micro-torpedoes, blasting them into oblivion..

"All ships: Launch! Launch! Launch!"

The runabout compliment of the U.S.S. Pendragon began to stream out of the former hangar bay, entering warp speed in a surpisingly orderly manner. The Maelstrom was the last to launch, heading in the direction of the Bajoran wormhole.

Immediately before entering warp, the runabout's entire view was filled with the blinding white-orange flash of the U.S.S. Pendragon's death rattle.

In the deepest corners or Da'mi'en D'arko's soul, to whatever gods may exist, he swore he would see Moriarty pay for this.

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