"But I have an idea," Two of Three began walking to a console, "We can hold the Captain in Transporter Suspension until we can safely retrieve the Praxas Symbiote. The captain can remain in suspension as long as you need to get Praxas back, without any further serious mental and physical degradation. Without this option, you have less than one hour before, like all unjoined Trills, Anzyl, the host, dies."
Neil nodded, "Do it," and turned to Veirik, "We have a Symbiote to find," as he and Veirik headed to the bridge.
Two of Three initiated a teleport on Anzyl, who was still writhing in agony. A flash of white, and he was gone.
---
Neil and Veirik teleported onto the bridge, determined and purposeful.
"Communications, scan the sector for any non-Bajoran ship." Neil commanded sitting in the Captain's chair.
"Sir, I have a Gorn Hegemony vessel at full impulse attempting to go to warp," Heluna reported, pressing buttons on her console.
"Helm!" Neil called out, "Full impulse, after them!"
"On it, sir!" Lusaalli acknowledged as the USS Nexus's massive impulse engines flared up. The gargantuan vessel slowly crept forward and turned, the torque and inertia required for such a massive movement evident.
"Sir, we are losing them!" Heluna cried out. The green blip on her screen sped away from the Nexus silhouette.
"We can catch them in the Alliant!" Veirik suggested, "while the Nexus catches up later."
Neil nodded, "As the First Officer and acting Captain, I must stay with the Nexus. Veirik, you're number 3; the Alliant is yours to command."
Veirik nodded and headed off the Bridge, "Chief Tactical Officer to Alliant Crew, report for duty. We leave immediately!" He commanded as he dematerialized on the transport pad.
---
From the large rear shuttle bay of the USS Nexus, the Defiant-class USS Alliant shot out at high speeds. The small vessel was nimble, agile, and fast.
"Helm, set pursuit course," Veirik commanded from the Captain's seat of the small Alliant bridge, "Full impulse. Engineering, reroute power from auxiliary and shields to engines. Catch that ship!"
The Alliant zoomed away from the Nexus, just under the speed of light.
As the Alliant sped through space towards the Gorn ship, closer and closer, the Gorn ship flashed with a long bright light and disappeared.
"Sir, the Gorn vessel has cleared Bajor's warp threshold and has gone to warp," the communications officer reported.
"Keep track of them on long-range sensors," Veirik commanded, "Once we cross the Bajor sector line, go to maximum warp! We cannot lose them!"
The Alliant sped toward some flashing beacons near Bajor, marking the border for "faster than light" warp travel permissions. The moment it crossed the beacon barrier, it ignited in light, accelerating to warp 9.6.
Navigating through subspace at 2,000 times the speed of light, the Alliant's hull and flooring rattled and shook from the immense speeds.
"We are rapidly closing in on them, sir," the helm officer reported. "It appears they are heading towards the Vlugta Asteroid Mining Field."
---
An endless sea of floating rocks and asteroids covered the horizon, remnants of two rogue planets that violently crashed into each other millennia ago. Two radiant specks of light flashed as the Gorn pirate vessel and the USS Alliant exited warp subspace, halting in the asteroid field.
"Scan for other ships in the area?" Veirik instructed.
"I am picking up the Gorn vessel and one other ship; it seems to be…" the helm officer looked confused, "A Risian Luxury Cruiser... What in the galaxy is a luxury cruise liner doing out here in the Vlugta Mining field?"
Veirik's face grew hot and bitter, "A very wealthy person who wants a 400-year-old slug."
"Sir, the two vessels just beamed something onto each other," the Tactical officer reported.
"Delivery and payment..." Veirik scowled, turning to the helm officer, "Helm, bring us within hailing range of the Cruiser. Comms, open a hail to them; the Gorn are done and over with their role."
"Hailing frequencies open, sir."
"This is the USS Alliant to Risian vessel. You have something that belongs to us, and we want it back." Veirik's voice was not diplomatic or open but angry and out of patience, "This is not a request."
The captain of the Risian cruise vessel came on screen; it was a lavishly dressed Ferengi, dripping with gold-pressed platinum jewelry and precious stones. He was surrounded by a harem of women from all over the galaxy.
"This is DaiMon Gopum of the Ferengi pleasure cruise 'Full Consortium'. You'll have to be more specific, Starfleet; I carry a lot of…" He smiled widely, sharp gold teeth lined his grin, "things, and if you feel it belongs to you, I am always willing to make a deal. For the right price, of course."
Veirik stood up and glared at the Ferengi, "As you can see, I am not Starfleet and am not bound by their code of conduct when dealing with Ferengi thieves."
The DaiMon gulped.
Veirik continued, "Now return the Praxas Symbiote to me immediately, or I will tear your ship apart and retrieve it from your cold, frozen corpse."
Then the Ferengi grew a smile, "Rule of Acquisition #1, Starfleet, 'Once you have their money, never give it back.'"
Veirik smirked, "Tactical, arm all photon torpedoes and charge all phaser cannons," maintaining eye contact with the DaiMon, "Rule of Acquisition #3, Ferengi: 'Never spend more on an acquisition than you have to.' Are you willing to pay the price for your new acquisition of mine?"
The DaiMon laughed and laughed, "Do you really think you're the first person to come to me, asking for a recent acquisition of mine? Do your worst, Starfleet," calling Veirik's bluff, "I have the best shields and weapons money can buy…" The DaiMon's screen shook and fizzled out.
The USS Alliant flew by, unleashing an onslaught of phaser cannons, blasts, and torpedoes.
"The cruiser's forward shields are at 85%!" The Tactical officer cried out.
"Fly around for another pass, let them see we mean business, and not the Latinum kind," Veirik called out, sitting in the captain's seat.
The Alliant flew over the cruise ship and circled back at the front, releasing another volley of red phaser cannons and torpedoes.
The DaiMon did, however, tell the truth, and the luxury cruise ship was armed—very well armed. Large turrets rose from the teal ship's hull and began firing a rainfall of energy bullets at the smaller vessel. The Ferengi sat on his throne in the lavish bridge, while a scantily clad woman served him a glass of wine, another fanned him with a large leaf, and another fed him tube grubs. "That ship is too fast; slow it down already, will ya?!" He barked orders at his all-female crew.
The large teal cruise liner fired a ball of pitch-black energy, which erupted into an explosion of twisting distortions, opening up a small black hole.
The bridge of the Alliant shook violently.
"Report!" Veirik yelled out, holding onto the captain's chair.
"The Ferengi opened up a Quantum singularity!" The science officer called out. "It's pulling and drawing in all the asteroids and debris in the area!"
"Is that a Transphasic detonation?!" The helm cried.
"Sure was, get us the hell away from that thing!" Veirik called out. "Those things are illegal for a reason!"
The black hole sucked in asteroids like a giant vacuum hose, then paused, began to shine bright, and violently exploded, sending all the absorbed matter out like a shockwave of destruction. Shards and shrapnel of asteroids fired like shotgun shells in all directions, crashing into the smaller and frailer USS Alliant. The ship, designed to be a "Glass Cannon," was showing its "Glass" side more than its "Cannon."
The bridge of the small ship rocked and shook horrendously, hurling all crewmates over their seats as consoles exploded in sparks and flames.
Crawling to his seat, with ash and blood covering his face, Veirik yelled out, "Damage report!"
"Shields at 8%!" The tactical officer exclaimed, "Auxiliary and Weapons offline, Engines at 22%! We can't withstand another hit like that, sir!"
"SIR! We won't have to!" The communications officer called out, "Incoming Torpedoes!"
Veirik gripped his chair, preparing for the impact, "All hands! BRACE FOR IMPACT!"