Episode 37: "Slade's surprise"

Life in Starfleet was about expecting the unexpected... and Captain McMillan and the Gibraltar crew had already experienced the unexpected many times. Clones of themselves, dinosaurs, timetravellers... but nothing compared to the person who was now pointing some sort of gun at them. As McMillan and the rest of the away team stood in OPS, wondering if and when they'd get shot, the Gibraltar Captain couldn't help but think that he should have seen this coming. Their assailant, after all, was none other than the notorious Demeter Slade, a woman who seemed to take some sort of perverse pleasure in getting what she wanted by making their lives a living hell.

Demeter Slade...

The last time they had met Slade, she destroyed a space station just to let them know that they shouldn't cross her. McMillan hoped that she wouldn't do that now: the Gibraltar had come here to help repair DS19 after what seemed to be a powerful attack, not cause it's destruction. Although it was clear now that the DS19 crew hadn't sent the distress call: it'd been Slade.

"What do you want, Slade?" McMillan asked, as Ensigns Johnson and Debbydo prepared to fire their weapons. Not that it would have any effect: Slade seemed to be showing a hologram of herself. That didn't mean that her weapon wouldn't kill, though... With Slade, you never know.

"It's not really a question of what I want," Slade responded, giving the smile that caused a shiver to run down McMillan's spine, "It's more a question of what I've got."

It was exactly these kinds of games that put McMillan's patience to the test. His and the entire crew's, that was. "Alright then," McMillan stated, trying his best not to let her get on his nerves, "What do you have then?"

The crew, talking to Slade

Slade didn't answer immediately. When she did though, she continued to treat the crew as a bunch of kids. Or 'boyscouts', as she called them. "I spy with my little eye, something beginning with... J." And with that, she beamed away. Or rather, she terminated the transmission.

The Gibraltar crew glanced at each other. What could Slade possibly mean? Anything Slade did, was potentially dangerous. But then again, she could also just be playing with the crew. Still, Slade probably wanted the crew to play these rediculous games... and McMillan wasn't about to let her get her way that easily. "We'll figure out what that means later. Right now, we need to warn the Gibraltar of Slade's presence."

Ready as always.

Slade never did anything without a reason. She was a dangerous individual, capable of destroying worlds, if she wanted to. Whenever she showed up, trouble would follow. There was a reason why she had attacked DS19, and why she had caused the Gibraltar to come here. If they would only think of what that reason was...

"It's a diversion." Ensign Johnson suddenly realised, as she sat down next to the sole remaining crewmember of DS19, Mr. Mathy. He seemed to be shaken up, and McMillan wasn't surprised. Anyone who would survive an attack like Slade could pull off, would probably be traumatised for quite a while.

A traumatised Mr. Mathy, with Ensign Johnson taking care of him.

"A diversion..." McMillan repeated, and then shook his head. Of course, it was so obvious. Why didn't he see this before? None of DS19's supplies were missing, so Slade hadn't been after that. Instead, she had lured the Gibraltar here, which only meant that they couldn't do somewhere else... she had effectively taken the Gibraltar out of the picture. "Damnit. Mr. Humbridge, what's the status of the comm systems?"

Mr. Humbridge, Engineer.

The Andorian Engineer looked up from the pit here at OPS. "Only short range communications are possible, I'm afraid. But it should be enough to reach the Gibraltar."

"Then open a channel." The Gibraltar had to contact Starfleet Command, and tell them to send extra ships to this area of space.

Unfortunately though, when the channel opened, there was only static. It didn't take the crew long to figure out what was wrong. "A jamming device..." Something that started with a J indeed...

At that moment, Slade re-appeared, laughing. "Well done, my little boyscouts!" she spoke up. "You figured it out."

"So it is a diversion..." McMillan stated, walking closer to the hologram of Slade, while Johnson and Debbydo once again took their firing positions. "You lured us here to get something else. Something the Gibraltar would otherwise have picked up."

Slade smiled. "My dear Captain, you do amuse me sometimes!" She paused for a moment, but then turned her attention back to the Gibraltar crew. "Now, if you would excuse me, holographic communication is so difficult to sustain when you drop out of warp. Until next time, Captain!" And with that, she disappeared... leaving the Gibraltar crew stranded on DS19, unable to prevent whatever it was Slade was planning...

Slade disappeared once again...

McMillan sighed for just a moment. They had fallen for Slade's trap, once again. He had fallen for her trap once again. No matter what they did, no matter how good a crew this was... Slade always seemed to be a few steps ahead of them. Well, not anymore. They would get out of here, they would find Slade, and they would bring her to justice... or die trying.

"Let's get to work, people..." McMillan finally spoke up. "We have a jamming device to disable."