Star Traks: Banshee "The Lesser of Two Evils" By Brad Dusen "Oh yeah, shake it, baby!" Sorinak said, drooling as he watched the king-sized holovision in his throne room. He had just ordered a block of time on the adult entertainment channel. "That's the stuff, oh yeah!" "Warlord!" Teknav, Sorinak's assistant, shouted as he made his way into the throne room. "What?" Sorinak quickly deactivated the holovision and stood up. "We are getting a priority one message from Captain Jevon aboard the Sivax." "On viewer." Sorinak turned back to the holovision. "Warlord, I am sorry to disturb you, but I have news of the investigation you ordered." Jevon said. "What investigation?" "The one you authorized while intently watching an episode of Baywatch." Teknav said. "Oh..." Sorinak nodded. "What are the results." "The damage to the spacefaring and planetary communities is extensive. The warships Lexiv and Tristak confirmed the reports that we just got moments ago." "Which are!?" Sorinak demanded impatiently. "They're here, and they're pretty pissed off." Jevon said. The lights on the Sivax went red as frantic shouting was heard over the transmission. "The Sivax would appear to be under attack." Teknav said. "No fooling." Sorinak sneered. The transmission abruptly ended, replaced only by static. "What happened, were they jammed?" Teknav walked over to a wall console. "No sir. According to this, the Sivax has been destroyed." Sorinak felt a knot forming in his stomachs. "Contact the board of defense. Tell them that we have a situation." "Sir," Teknav paused as he walked out, "is this the end of the new order?" Sorinak paused, staring out the window that overlooked all the Voran Imperium had accomplished over the centuries. "Possibly." Sorinak said grimly. "And at the moment, I can't think of anyone who could save us." "Kill me now, please." Vorezze begged Axik as the two sat in the balcony of the Banshee's theater, listening to the crew's production the opera "Carmen." "It's not that bad." Axik said. "It's good for you to get a little culture." "Yeah, but if I wanted to see a fat woman in a dress, I'd go to my parent's house." Vorezze snapped. "It's not that I'm against the theater, but it just has to be some- thing interesting. Can't they do the Phantom of the Opera or Cats, or something like that." "Actually, it was found that the people who work on the production of Cats tend to lick themselves in private." Axik noted. "So it really wouldn't change them that much, then." Vorezze smiled. "Don't Betazoids have operas?" Axik asked. "No, our idea of theater is watching crazed monks beat at each other with old, wet fish." Axik started to laugh. "I was being serious." Vorezze noted. "Oh." She shut up. "Well Bajorans love the opera." "Well I'm not a Bajoran, now am I?" Vorezze noted, moving his finger up and down Axik's nose ridges. "Well I think you'd make a very cute one." Axik smiled. "And the ridges would help keep your glasses from falling off." The two embraced and began to kiss. "Excuse me!" One of the actors called out. "We're trying to do a play down here!" "I'm the captain, I can make out wherever I want!" Vorezze retorted. "Sorry sir, carry on!" The actor returned to his play. "Why don't we get out of here. I just found a holodeck simulation of the Trill hot springs that I'd love to take a dip in." Axik smiled. "Bitchin'." Vorezze said as the two left the theater balcony. "Captain, can I ask you a question?" Charlotte asked Velorn as the two sat on the bridge. "Don't you feel a little out-of-place here?" "Not particularly." The Vulcan responded. "Well how much experience do we need?" Charlotte continued. "Commander, why do I get the impression that you are trying to get rid of me?" Velorn asked. Charlotte paused. "No reason." "You make a horrible liar, Commander." Velorn responded emotionlessly. "Well I'm feeling useless as first officer, since Captain Vorezze always leaves you in command when he's not around." "And that upsets you?" Velorn asked. "Yeah!" "Too bad." Velorn smirked. "If you were a trustworthy officer, then maybe Captain Vorezze would leave you in command more often." Charlotte did not seem to appreciate that advice. "Wouldn't you rather be commanding the Gorgon again, instead of telling a Betazoid half your age what to do every time we are spotted by another Federation starship?" "I am content to remain here for as long as Admiral Newman and Captain Vorezze see fit. If that upsets you, put in for a transfer." Charlotte grumbled as Velorn turned back to the viewer, where Ben and Rayhan were playing a game of Pong. "Oh this is relaxing." Jad sighed as he and Axik sat in a pool of hot, bubbling water. "Not a care in the galaxy." "Burns to Vorezze." "Except one." Jad groaned, removing his communicator from his swimsuit pocket. "What is it, Commander?" "I need to talk to you about my place on the Banshee." "Your place is fine, now leave me alone, Vorezze out!" "But-" Click! The comm channel closed. "Computer, no communications into the holodeck unless the ship goes to red alert." The computer beeped a response. "Now where were we?" Jad asked as he and Axik drew closer. They kissed. Vorezze opened his eyes and saw another face. Twisted and alien, it was the face of a Voran. He jumped back, shaking his head. "What's wrong?" Axik asked. Vorezze looked back. Axik was her old self. "Just a sudden daydream." Jad said, bewildered. "For a moment there, I thought you were a Voran." Axik was insulted. "I have a much nicer body than a Voran!" Another vision entered his mind. He saw ships. Bioships against larger ships, Voran warships. The bioships were winning, punching through the lines of Voran warship. A face entered his mind again. It was a Voran, but it wasn't. It looked slightly different and was obviously asexual. It was one of Species 8472. "What's wrong?" Axik asked, seeing the look of terror on the Captain's face. "I think I might have another care." Jad said hauntingly. He got up. "Exit." A door appeared as the Captain walked off the holodeck. "Ooh, nice swimwear!" A woman shouted. Vorezze rushed back onto the holodeck, threw on his uniform and walked out. "Captain's log, stardate 52971.3: We are continuing scans for any sign of Voran or Species 8472 activiy and finding nothing, odd, since we at least pick up SOME activity from Voran. I have contacted Starfleet and, while sharing the same opinion that we should be worried, said that they were too heavily involved in a game of capture the flag at headquarters to bother looking into the matter further. This is what we get for staffing headquarters with former camp counselors." "Oh come on!" Charlotte pleaded. "Why don't you leave me in command just once?" "Do you remember the first time I left you in command?" Captain Vorezze asked from his ready room chair. "Stardate 51009.2. Why?" "Do you remember what happened when I left you in command?" "I didn't mean to attack that geriatric singles cruise liner, I thought it was a Cardassian warship!" "How could you mistake the S.S. Varicose Veins for a Cardassian ship, it was a Steamrunner-Class starship for god's sake!" "They look alike!" Charlotte protested. "No they don't! Cardassian ships look like big arrows, Steamrunner-Class ships look like big O's." "Well that was two years ago! I've become much more experienced." "Do you remember what happened the LAST time I left you in command?" "Yes." Charlotte looked down. "And what did you do that time?" Charlotte sighed. "I accidentally flew into an asteroid field and ended up taking one of the warp nacelles off." "I think I've made my case clear. I guess we were just lucky that we were close to a starbase with a spare Sovereign- Class warp nacelle laying around." Jad motioned to the exit. "Dismissed." "Our lines aren't holding." Teknav said as he walked into Sorinak's chambers. "The second fleet has fallen and we are yet to complete construction of the second Deomis." "Xasksta!" Sorinak screamed. "There is no hope. Begin evacuation of the planet. All available ships are to pack in as many people as possible. Have the Krovix standing by to beam me aboard." "Yes sir." Teknav turned and left. "Sir, just in case we don't ever meet again, I would just like to say that it has been a pleasure serving with you." "I wish I could say the same vice versa." Sorinak said as he turned out the window. Already transports were landing, evacuating the capital of Tirixa and the rest of Voran. "Somehow I doubt we'll even survive." "Nothing, Captain." Dr. Lang said as she show the captain the diagram of the Voran/Federation border. There was only a small chunk that bordered on the Federation, the rest bordered the Romulans, Klingons and Multeks. "What about grid 7b?" Vorezze asked. Liz tapped the Stellar Cartography controls and the wall of the circular chamber. "Nothing. No Voran warships are on their usual patrol routes." "That IS odd." Vorezze remarked, staring at the display. "The Vorans would never leave their territory so defenseless to Federation forces." "Captain, long range sensors are picking up something." Dr. Lang said. "A Torak-Class Voran warship on an intercept course for us. It looks like their leading a fleet of bio- ships." Dr. Lang said. "Hmm..." Vorezze said. "That might suggest that the Vorans are setting up for an inva- AHH!" He felt something climbing up his leg. "Get if off!" Liz reached down and grabbed the lump of hair. "It's just Zeke." She set the hamster down on the console. "Wait, according to this, the bioships are firing on the warship." "Firing on it?" "And winning." "Vorezze to bridge." "Velorn here, Captain." Velorn responded. "Back off, Vulcan, this one's mine!" Charlotte said over the comm. "Whoever! Cloak and set a course for the Voran warship just inside sensor range, warp 9." "Aye sir, engaging now." Velorn said. "No, I'm engaging!" Charlotte shouted. "Just do it! I'm on my way." Vorezze snapped. "Thank you, Dr. Lang." He walked out of Stellar Cartography. "The warship has been identified as the Krovix." Vince said as the captain settled into his command chair. "It has sustained heavy damage. At this rate, the power grid will overload in ten minutes." "Target the bioships and open fire." Vorezze said. "Red alert." Quantum torpedoes flew past the Voran warship on the viewer, smashing into the bioships. "No effect, captain." Vince said. "The bioships are coming after US now." "Drop the cloak and raise shields. Take the Krovix into a tractor beam and set course back to Federation space." "Tractor beam locked." "Maximum warp, engage." The Banshee, with the warship locked tightly in it's tractor beam, warped off. "Sir, we are getting a message from the Krovix. It's Warlord Sorinak." Axik said. Sorinak's face appeared on the viewscreen. "Starship Banshee, for the first time, I am happy to see you." "I'm not sure if I should say the same for you." Vorezze stood up. "What's going on." "May I beam aboard? I might have to explain a few things." "By all means." Sorinak sat in the observation lounge a few minutes later. "It all started over a millennium ago, in our home dimension; Fluidic Space. Our civilization thrived, but we knew about this universe, and some wanted to go off and explore it." Sorinak explained. "But many others said no, that we should remain in our own dimension, where it was safe. A group of us left anyway. After wandering the Beta Quadrant for a few years before finally settling down on a planet called Voran. Years passed and the thought of our people, who we came to call 'Homedwellers,' finding us quickly dwindled. Now they have, and they want to make us pay for leaving them." "Why?" Axik asked. "Because when we left, we took a signifigant portion of their bioship fleet with us. Now, they have evolved over the last millennium so taht they're stronger than us. Frighteningly so." Sorinak seemed somewhat morbid from his usual excited self. "What can we do to help?" Vorezze asked. "I don't think there is anything we can do." Sorinak said. "And I can't think of any force in the galaxy that could make a difference. We're all doomed." "Captain's log, supplemental: We have agreed to assist the Vorans with defending their territory, and ours. We, along with the Vorans, know very little about Species 8472, only that they're nearly unstoppable. To this end, we have decided to find the only people who can." "Two hours ago, starbase Waystation lost contact with a Yridian convoy headed for the Javiny System. It, and the Federation escort, have not been seen since." Velorn said, pointing to a chart on the bridge's viewer. "They are moving in on the Federation. Our own forces are far to weak to put up a fight." Sorinak said in a tone of despair. "It would seem logical that Species 8472 would attempt to isolate various Federation worlds from our patrol ships before, as you might say, blowing them to smithereens." Velorn added. "I would be forced to agree." Sorinak said. "The Homedwellers have had a bad experience with other Federation vessels, namely a ship called Voyager that assisted the Borg in a war they were waging two years ago. It stands to reason that they might hold a grudge against the Federation for what they did." Vorezze let that sink in for a moment. "Where are the majority of the Voran defensive patrols?" Sorinak snatched the PADD from Velorn. "What few of the Morixa-Class section of our fleet is defending Voran as I speak. "That might be their next target." Ben said. "No foolin'!" Sorinak snapped. "And Voran's last census estimated the planet's population at some- where between 9 and 10 billion." "That's a lot of people." Charlotte said. "Ben, set a course for Voran, warp nine." Jad said. "Course laid in." "Engage." Jad said. The Banshee let out the typical sound it made when jumping to warp. "Vince, I want you and Dave to work on our weapons systems to try and find a way to inflict damage on the Species 8472 bioships. Use technicians from the Krovix to assist you." "Yes sir." Vince said as he and Dave headed into the turbolift. Dr. Lang stood in the turbolift as it sped towards her primary lab, located on deck 17. The lift stopped as someone pressed the call button on deck 9. The doors opened and Liz cringed as she saw Sorinak and one of his guards standing in wait. "Hello, Doctor." Sorinak said. Liz felt a chill go up her spine as the Voran piled into the turbolift. "You're, uhh, looking well." She said nervously, fearing that the warlord might hold a slight grudge for her turning him down when he proposed to her earlier that year. "For as well as the man of a dying dynasty could be." Sorinak said, glaring at Liz with his cross shaped eyes. The lift stopped on deck 12, where Sorinak's quarters were. "Good day, Dr. Lang." Sorinak said as he got off the turbolift. "You're still using this technology?" One of the Voran technicians, a man named Cinak, laughed as he examined some of the equipment in engineering. "That's some of our most advanced technology!" Dave protested, walking over to Cinak, who was examining a series of isolinear chips. "They're primitive compared to the intraconnective chips used on Voran vessels." Cinak looked around. "Of course, this vessel is not fit to be a freighter in the Voran starfleet." Dave looked offended, but decided not to retaliate, since he needed Cinak's help in upgrading the weapons and defensive systems. "That's great." "How a ship like this destroyed the Deomis is beyond me." Cinak chuckled, causing his center neck to jiggle slightly. "Look, the Banshee is among the most powerful and advanced ships in Starfleet. It's no surprise that this 'hunk of junk' could kick the ass of any ship in your fleet." "How dare you insult the Voran Imperium!" Cinak screamed, knocking Dave halfway across engineering. Dan, who was standing nearby, quickly drew a phaser, setting it to the Omicron Frequency. "Don't move." Cinak looked like he was about to run until several more security guards arrived on the scene. "Damn!" "He was giving me this look." Liz said as she sat in the captain's ready room. "It was like he wanted to kill me." She shivered slightly. "A look like this one?" Jad narrowed his eyes and drew his lips into a rigid frown. "Yeah, that's the one." Liz nodded. "I give that to Charlotte all the time." Jad shrugged. Liz leaned back in her chair. "This whole thing is just freaking me out. I know that the Vorans were a pretty big danger to the Federation, but this is one that outweighs the Dominion, Klingons, Romulans and Vorans combined." "We somehow find a way to stay around. The Federation hasn't been destroyed yet, and I doubt it will be destroyed in the near future." Liz was about to say something when Commander Smith's voice interrupted them. "Smith to Vorezze, please report to the brig." "What happened?" The captain asked as he walked into the brig and found Cinak standing behind a forcefield with Dan and Sorinak standing over him. "He attacked Commander Riley in main engineering." Dan explained. "I am very dissapointed in your conduct." Sorinak said coldly. "But..?" Cinak stuttered. "Go back to the Krovix!" Sorinak bellowed. "And take the other repair crews with you!" "Yes, warlord." Cinak said. Dan dropped the forcefield and Cinak walked out. "I must apologize for that, Captain." Sorinak said with a genuine tone. "I cannot control the arrogance of my officers. We have, ever since our first encounter, seen ourselves as superior to all others." Sorinak almost laughed. "I guess we were wrong this time." Jad shook his head. "The same thing happened when we first allied ourselves to the Klingons. There were so many differences that we had to work out. I'm sure that we can do the same." Sorinak almost smiled. "At least one of us has hope." "Stupid Voran bastard, thinks he's better than us..." Dave muttered as he held an ice pack to his head, sitting in sickbay. "Well the good news is that you have no brain damage from the hit you took on the head." Brian said, walking out of his office. "Of course, there's not that much to damage." "Shut up, shorty!" Dave snapped. Brian froze. "Shorty? You called me shorty?" Dave paused, rethinking the mistake he'd just made. "Uh, Dr. Preston? Nurse Miyamoto? Could you come in here a second?" Dave asked nervously. Brian tackled the chief engineer and the two were rolling on the floor for a few moments when the red alert alarms went off. "All hands to battle station." The captain's voice said. "Excuse me." Dave got out from underneath Brian. "Same time tomorrow?" "Sure." "We're nearing Voran, captain, but none of the new weapons systems are online." Vince said from tactical. "Ship activities?" "There is a large fleet of Voran and Species 8472 bioships, but they don't appear to be engaged in combat." Vorezze suddenly became concerned. "Keep scanning, maybe the fleets are at a stalemate." Dr. Lang stood in her quarters when the door chime sounded. "Enter." Sorinak walked in with his bodyguard, holding a weapon. "If you'll come with me." He shot Dr. Lang on stun, then picked her up and headed for the nearest turbolift. "I'm detecting two Vernixin-Class Voran warships. One of them is identified as the Triaxis, which would probably be the replacement of the one destroyed last year." Vince said. "The other is... this can't be right. The other is the Sivax, but the Sivax was destroyed." "What's going on here?" Vorezze leaned back, glancing at Charlotte, then to Velorn. "Sir, unauthorized shuttle launch. It looks like the Mahr. Three lifesigns aboard. One human, two Voran. They're headed for the fleet." "The only Vorans left on board were Sorinak and his assistant, Teknav." Dan responded from the security console. "The human is identified as Dr. Lang." "Sir, they have been picked up by the Sivax." Axik said. There was a brief paused, then Vince said, "We're being hailed." "On screen." Vorezze stood up. "Hello, Banshee." Sorinak said demonically. "This hardly looks like a fleet in distress." Vorezze remarked. "Of course it isn't. There was no war being fought between our people and the Homedwellers. There was an alliance being forged. And you didn't know a thing because we re-enacted the events of a war so that you would see that in my memory." Everyone on the bridge felt a knot forming in their stomachs. "With this new alliance, we will do what no one else could. We will destroy the Federation!" Sorinak smiled. "Have a nice day." "What do we do now?" Axik asked. "Sir, the Voran fleet is mobilizing!" The Banshee rocked as the first wave of fighters sprayed weapons over their hulls. "Sir, we have to get out of here!" Ben shouted. "What about Dr. Lang?" Vorezze didn't know what to do. "Set a course back to the Federation, warp nine." The captain sighed. "Send a message to Starfleet command. Tell them that our concerns have just gone through the roof." The Banshee retreated back to the Federation. TO BE CONTINUED END OF SEASON ONE NEXT: With the alliance formed, the only hope to save the Federation from an invasion rests on the shoulders of a woman on the other side of the galaxy: Seven of Nine in "Dark Horizon."