From: Anton_Sanderfoot@qms1.life.uiuc.edu (Anton Sanderfoot)
Subject: STORY: Wisdom of the Ancients 9
Followup-To: alt.startrek.creative
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1992 22:33:48 GMT

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Wisdom of the Ancients, part 9

Open with Gregarious traveling at warp. Pan through bridge with usual
complement as Riker voices over the log entry

Riker: [vo] Captain's Log, stardate 46996.3. Plans have been arranged to
assault the Zenrabi vessel. Forty volunteers have been arranged from the
crew, the names of which I have appended to the log entry. Their chances on
board the Zenrabi vessel are even at best, but we could be the last line of
defense before the whole of the Federation falls. Our visitor, Qiti, has
arranged a plan of assault based on the success of his people's attacks in
the past. I think his presence will be a great help in this attack. Still,
following procedure, at the completion of this log a buoy containing all
the information we have gathered will be dispatched to Star Fleet in the
hopes that they could be more successful if we fail.

Cut to bridge, Riker enters from Ready Room.

Riker: Mr. Mirok, launch the log buoy.

Mirok: We are 10 minutes out of Pulchara. Sensors indicate that Zenrabi
vessel is already there. It has not yet begun to fire on any of the
planets. The colonists of Pulchara 14 have been informed and have taken to
hardened shelters.

Riker: [hitting key on panel, hailing whistle sounds] Attention all crew.
We are about to begin our attack on the Zenrabi vessel. Everyone to battle
stations. Boarding crews report to transporters.

Fade to hallway. Worf, Qiti, Wesley and Rild are walking to their
Transporter Room. They are dressed in a full pressure suit (a
tightly-fitting grey rubberish suit) and carrying a full face helmet. Each
is wearing two phasers and assorted other armaments.

Qiti: These suits are really impressive.

Worf: Klingon battle armor would be better, yet, I agree. These suits are
quite safe even in zero-gee and allow a full range of motion.

Rild: [smiling] Quite fashionable also...

Worf and Qiti turn to give Rild a stern look. The smiles on Rild's and
Wesley's faces disappear. They drop back a bit as Worf and Qiti move ahead.

Rild: They're a bit serious today.

Wesley: I think now is the time to be serious. [pause] Nervous?

Rild: No....Yes. You?

Wesley: Petrified.

They catch up with Worf and Qiti as they enter the Transporter Room. Cut to
Bridge.

Mirok: Picking up two major energy sources, as well as thousands of smaller
ones.

Riker: Relay those coordinates to the Transporters. Put Worf and Rild near
one, and Qiti and Crusher near the other. Spread the remainder about the
vessel. [to Ensign at Helm] Prepare to execute the maneuvering sequence as
planned. [to Thomas at Bridge Engineering station] Ms. Thomas, are we ready
for your little tricks?

Thomas: Yes, we're all set.

Riker: [to ceiling] Bridge to boarding parties. [pausing] Coordinates have
been sent for your boarding. Remember, this is not a sight seeing tour.
Keep on the move. Avoid contact with Zenrabi and destroy anything that
appears even slightly important. Also remember, there are 40 of you on that
vessel. The helmet transponders should allow you to identify each other,
yet don't get trigger happy. Keep your heads. Don't do anything stupid.
[Riker smiles at having passed on duJour's advice] Get ready, we go in 2
minutes.

Cut to space. The Zenrabi vessel is languishing in the midst of the
Pulchara system. From behind the systems star comes the Gregarious. It
makes a high speed pass across the length of the vessel, carving troughs
with phasers and making craters with photon torpedoes. On screen on the
bridge comes Malqi's face.

Malqi: [from screen] You'll have to do much better than that.

Riker: We haven't even started [Riker signals to cut transmission, then
turns to Mirok] Are the teams down?

Malqi: Yes, all teams have been placed.

Cut to interior of Zenrabi vessel. Worf and Rild materialize. They look
around then run off in the direction indicated by their tricorder. In a
different hall Qiti and Wesley materialize then take off running. As they
move along, they turn a corner and come across a Zenrabi. The alien raises
an arm and fires a bolt at Qiti before he can duck. Qiti raises his hand
which is struck by the Zenrabi bolt. Qiti somehow dissipates the energy
then fires on the Zenrabi knocking it back. Qiti then fires at a panel on
the wall and a bulkhead door slams between the two and the alien. Qiti sits
on the ground, and begins to remove his helmet.

Wesley: Wait! The atmosphere is unbreathable for humans!

Qiti removes his helmet, then smiles at Wesley.

Qiti: You forget that I'm not as human as I look.

Wesley: How did you stop that bolt?

Qiti: I don't have time to explain, just don't you try it. This helmet was
scrambling my signals. I should have known that Zenrabi was there. Well,
let's go.

They move along. Cut to the Gregarious Bridge.

Riker: Things seem to be progressing well...

Mirok: I am reading minor explosions throughout the vessel. Power levels
have dropped 5%

Thomas: I'm surprised they haven't fired upon us yet...

Thomas' words are cut short as the ship is rocked by Zenrabi fire.

Riker: Evasive action! Pattern delta 5. Ms. Thomas prepare your tricks.

The Gregarious loops around to avoid the projectile fire from the Zenrabi.

Riker: Ensign, keep our speed up, we don't want to get nailed by their
energy beams.

The Gregarious moves over the cloud of projectiles and scoops up several
with a combination of shields and tractor beams. Swooping down onto the
Zenrabi vessel it deposits them back from where they came in a burst of
explosions.

Riker: Bravo, Ms. Thomas! Look alive, Ensign. They're likely to be a bit
more determined now. Be ready to make another pass if they give us the
opportunity.

Cut back to the Zenrabi vessel. Wesley and Qiti are moving quickly towards
their objective.

Wesley: I'm getting reports in from other members. Things are progressing
well. There's even reports of Zenrabi moving away to let them pass. Mr.
Worf feels that they may be setting us up for a trap.

Qiti: Mr. Worf is probably right. It would be consistent with...

Qiti stops in mid sentence as he sees a Zenrabi approaching from ahead.
Qiti raises his phaser and fires. The Zenrabi is knocked back, but returns
to standing with it's arms raised. Qiti is about to fire when Wesley grabs
his arm.

Wesley: Wait, something is up! It looks like it's surrendering.

Qiti stops to take a deep breath with his eyes closed, then looks at the
Zenrabi who slowly lowers his arms. Qiti smiles then looks at Wesley.

Qiti: I was right. I did feel despair from the Zenrabi. They don't want to
be Malqi's slaves. And, yes. They wish to die, as I thought. Well, most of
them anyway. There are some directly under Malqi's control who will fight
for him.

Wesley: What do we do now?

Qiti: We get to Malqi, once we get him out of the way the Zenrabi will
leave us alone. It says Malqi is this way, on the Bridge.

Wesley and Qiti move ahead to a large doorway.

Qiti: Get ready, we're going in.

The door opens. Behind it are over twenty Zenrabi flanking Malqi. Wesley
and Qiti turn to see more Zenrabi blocking their retreat.

Malqi: Your such a silly, sentimental fool, Qiti. It's unfortunate. I had
hoped to keep you around to see my empire. But, you've already forced my
hand. And now, you must die...

END PART 9