Everything was in motion. Every plan was accounted for, every phaser was set to the highest setting—all of it accounted for.

Jetta took a deep inhale as she stood in the deep bellows of engineering, with Velau nearby and PADD ready. She took a deep inhale and looked at the ensign, then back at the door.

”JEEEETTAAAA DOOWWWEEEE!” Screamed Yuven, the doors to engineering being blasted open. She nodded to Ensign Prias, and with the flip of a switch, the hologram turned on. “How DARE you!”

“how dare I what?” Jetta asked, feigning innocence. Her smirk was more than enough to enrage Yuven and harm his ego.

”You kill my finest officer—you let your PETS loose,” It’s abundantly clear the rest of the crew is with their captain, as he whips out his bladed baton. “Then you harm ME,”

”Dawh, I’m sorry.” She gave a fake frown, before snickering. “Did she hit the ground hard, at least?”

Some of the men raised their rifles, but he simply raised his hand in response. “No. She’s mine. Go and surround her.”

Plimmitt held his breath as he saw the whole Vaadwaur crew start to flood in, starting to type away on a monitor.

“Do you know how hard we fought to get here?! How many times it took to evade the empire—to LIE to half of this crew so we can be free?!” He snapped, taking a few more steps forward.

”I do.” Jetta smiles. “We fought harder and killed half your crew. What’s your excuse?”

”SHUT UP!” Yuven screamed as he thrusted the blade forward. . .but it went right through the hologram.

”NOW!” Jetta screamed. Plimmitt pressed down on the monitor and scrambled out from the darkness, barreling into the open deck of engineering. Everyone else came running out, shooting at the Vaadwaur as the protective blast door slammed down.

”Wh-“ Yuven looked around, before letting out a laugh. “Is this your idea of stopping us? Trapping us all in one room?”

”No.” Jetta says as she walks out into the open. Everyone else alive is behind her—besides Runt and Sylvester. “It’s to get a headcount.”

“A head count? Why??” He narrowed his eyes. “You-“

”We win by four.” Plimmitt speaks up, smirking.

“Wh-“ Yuven paused, taking a mental count, before looking over at Jetta with such an angry look he might as well be Satan himself. “YOU.”

”Me what?” Jetta crossed her arms. “You lost.”

”not—We—We didn’t—“ He started to sputter, trying to speak; but his ego was far too damaged.

They had lost. The Vaadwaur Captain had lost, and now he was faced with the reality of losing everything.

”So now you have to follow through.” She put her hands on her hips, walking forward, with a dangerous look in her eyes. “Grab that PADD and send out a message to your superiors.”

“Uh.” Yuven tensed up. “Uh—hey, hey. No. I’m perfectly fine with what I have. I won’t…do that.”

”Then I will.” Plimmitt suddenly snapped, coming into view with his PADD and typing away at it. Truthfully, he wasn’t actually—but the intent was to convince Yuven he was. If she could instill the same terror he did to everyone else, she’d be satisifed.

”AYE! No, nononono!” He screamed, slamming on the doors window. “PLEASE. Jetta, you don’t believe in cruel and unusual punishment, right?? Don’t do this to us. Please.”

”You did this to yourself.” She simply states, nodding to Plimmitt, as he pressed one final button. “And…sent.”

”NO!” He screamed, as the rest of his crew—besides few—looked around confused.

“Captain…? What’s going on?” One of the crew asked.

“You IDIOTS! I tried to give us a better life, I—“ He grabbed out his phaser, backing up, eyes trailed on the warp core. “—but they’re COMING FOR US! I—I—I WON’T LET THEM TAKE US!”

Before anyone could process what was about to happen, Yuven turned and pointed at the warp core, shooting directly at a cracked spot in the glass.

–

Up at the bridge, Runt let out a yelp as he was flung forward, the ship bellowing out an explosion and rocking to the side.

“Mister M’Harak, what is your status? We’re standing by to help in any way possible.” The voice called from the hail.

“The Morro Bay is flying to you!” Runt screamed. “I think our warp core combusted!”

Runt looked anxiously around, Sylvester still weakly laying against the chair, pointed at one of the consoles. “Tracking…” He coughed. “Beam…”

Runt dashed forward, scrambling for the panel. “Tracking beam?! Are you crazy?? That’ll grab the Brawley, and. . .” runt trailed off. “…loop us around, like a lasso! Sylvester, you’re a genius!”

”Don’t…forget it…” He barely was able to smile and give a wink.

Runt slammed his fingers down into the console, sending out a small prayer to the moons, and yanking their fingers one way. The push from the console was shocking resilient as Runt could feel the whole ship turn and flip on it’s side, causing the Caitian to nearly flip onto his side.

But as soon as it happened, the Morro Bay flipped around the Brawley like a lasso, slowly coming to a stop in front of it. Damaged, half exploded, barely clinging on:

But it was still standing, and so was the remaining crew.

Runt let out a heavy, heavy sigh, hailing the Brawley, and smiling weakly at the screen.

“This is Acting Captain M’Harak speaking. We’re alive….” he glanced at Sylvester. “….and we may need some assistance.”