<USS Avalon> "My Heart Leads Me Astray" Pt. 7

?My Heart Leads Me Astray? ? Part Seven
by Ensign Evan Benevente



It had been three months since Evan had been on his first raid. He?d adapted well to fitting into the Maquis, so much so that Garen had promoted him to be his second in command. Evan had lost the feeling of Starfleet entirely and even found himself killing off Cardassians just because the young man felt like it. Evan also lost the feeling of loss towards Michelle. If Gul Surak had her, he?d find her, but right now he had to focus on the bigger goals at hand.

Evan walked along the corridors of the ship, scanning the walls and the crewmen curiously. He entered the bridge; Garen was at his command chair as normal and he sat beside him. Evan noticed his chronometer and addressed him. ?Garen, it?s been three months. I wish to contact my family to let them know that I?m OK and well.?

?Evan, you know better than anyone that we have to be on a raid for you to establish contact with Starfleet. We haven?t had a raid in nearly three weeks. When we get to one I?ll let you, but right now we have to make a plan of attack.?

Evan nodded in agreement, he understood his position and he understood that if he contacted from the ship that the signal could be triangulated and they could be discovered. So, Evan took it with a grain of salt and retired back down the hallway. Laura, the brash, young, and feisty girl that Evan had met on his first day, stepped in front of him with a giant smile. ?What?s up stud??

?Nothing, Laura, and yourself??

?Nothing, feeling a little excited.?

Evan perked an eyebrow at her, ?Why? Wait, don?t tell me, the Santini brothers were fighting again, right??

?No, silly, whenever I?m around you I just want to rip off your clothes.?

?What??

She pressed her lips against his and kissed him, her tongues snaked into his mouth. They got the top, bottom, and sides of his mouth ? royal treatment. Without realizing it, Evan returned the favor. She pulled away and motioned down the corridor. ?My quarters are around the corner, come on.? Evan let her lead him down the hallway and around the corner. She entered her code and her door opened; the two entered and went back to kissing.

She pulled his shirt off over his head and her hands ran down over his chest and around his stomach. She kissed Evan more passionately and he found his hands traveling up under her shirt. She removed her shirt and they found themselves heading towards the bed. The next thing Evan realized ? after somehow managing to pull his head out of the cloud of ecstasy he?d descended into ? was the fact the duo was naked and under the covers having their ways with each other. It went on and on, not seeming to end even after hours of rolling around with only the intent to please. Evan was surprised when he accepted the fact that it was one of the greatest experiences that he?d ever had in his entire life. They went until the dark of night and then they stopped, exhausted, and then they feel asleep in each other?s arms.


**************


The next morning Evan dressed in haste and left, leaving Laura sleeping on the bed. He wondered the corridors, managing to find some food and ate it furiously. He found himself in the crew lounge, which was just a small supply closet for about five people. Isidor, Kellin, and Powers were there, eating breakfast. Evan sidled down beside them and initiated civil conversation ? he needed social companionship.

?So, what are you guys??

?How was she?? Kellin asked, not even looking up from his bowl of unidentified goo. After swallowing the obviously bitter substance, his eyes shifted to meet Evan?s. There was no question on his face, no bewilderment, he knew that it was Even and he knew what he was asking.

Evan blinked several times, ?I beg your pardon??

?You heard me, how was she? Laura, I mean.? The other two followed suit: Evan was being stared at by a trio of interrogators.

?I really don?t think that is any of your business.?

?Come on, half the ship has gotten a piece of her. She eventually sleeps with all the new people. Especially those that are in command; can?t count the times we?ve heard of her and Garen going at it. God, she?s such a whore.? Kellin was unmoving.

Even shrugged, trying to downplay it as much as possible, ?She was great.?

The conversation, thankfully, was cut short by a war notice. The four scampered down the hallways to their stations. Evan headed for the bridge and saw a luminous figure up ahead, a Keldon-Class War Cruiser. It was basically a Keldon-Class cruiser upgraded to be better than most other ships.

?What is that??

?Gul Surak?s ship, at least that is what our sensors are telling us.? Garen stared blankly at the viewscreen.

?Well, aren?t we going to do something??

?We are cloaked, they can?t see us. We?re going to follow them to wherever their port of dock is, then devise a way to infiltrate their base and destroy them.?

Evan remembered Michelle, ?Do you think that Michelle is going to be there??

?Who??

?Michelle, my wife, the one that you said was taken by Gul Surak.?

?Oh, her, she?s probably there.?

?Probably??

Garen moved across the room and studied a console. He walked back to his seat and began directing people around. ?Set a course with the Cardassian ship, match their course and speed. Keep cloak to full power. Make sure life support is at maximum. Engage.?

Within seconds they were in hot pursuit of the Cardassian ship, cruising at warp six. They had drifted in behind the warp engines, so even if their cloak failed they would just end up being a built-up EM signature in the Cardassian?s aft scanners. This was maintained until the Cardassians altered direction and headed back the way they came. Evan was on the bridge when it happened.

Muln turned, ?They altered their direction, report!?

?They have altered course, bearing 411 point 12 mark 7.? The helmsmen turned around to address his Captain.

?Match their course, helm. Science, scan in their general direction, any systems or planets that are colonized?? Garen rotated his chair around to face his display on the arm of his chair.

The Science Officer messed with his console, pressing buttons and then nodded. ?Poic.?

I turned, ?Poic??

Garen answered, ?It?s a Cardassian supply facility. That?s where they get weapons and everything; they should, according to procedures, create a team and beam down. The Captain at least will make the trip.?

Evan started for the turbolift, ?Captain, permission to go down and have a chat with our friend Surak?? He smiled.

Garen turned to Evan, raised and eyebrow in his direction, ?Yes, you may. And Evan? Make sure you contact your family, I?m sure they are worried about you and they probably want to hear from you. Make sure you contact us when you want to be beamed back here.?

?Aye, sir.? Evan nodded and entered the turbolift. The ride to the transporter room was quite uncomfortable; Evan wasn?t having any back up. It was going to be him and that scum bag Surak. Not like he cared, the fact is that he was after him for one thing, Michelle. Evan hadn?t thought of her in sometime, and was beginning to lose hope that he?d ever find her. Three months was such a long time and they hadn?t found her, or heard from her. Evan would finally grapple with the truth.


***************


Evan beamed into the compound, their lack of security was easy to bypass and no one knew that he was lurking around. The compression phaser rifle he carried over his shoulder was a sturdy reminder that he?d have to be careful, but Evan strapped a Photon Torpedo Launcher to his back in case he needed added explosives.

He meandered down the corridor, stopping sharply at every corner to check for hostile Cardassians. When his tricorder, stolen from the shuttle that Evan had initially used to escape, led him down into the cargo hold his blood began to pump. Gul Surak, surrounded by several Cardassian guards with Disrupter Rifles, was checking inventory or that?s what he appeared to be doing to Evan.

Silently opening his communicator, Evan called in his status, ?Benevente to Muln, I?ve found him. I need another fifteen minutes or so to isolate him and get him talking.? Evan closed the communicator and worked his way around the catwalk, above all six of the guards. Raising his rifle, Evan took out one guard and rolled to the right to hide behind a cargo container.

The Cardassians scrambled around and dived for cover. The Gul and tried to leave the bay, but Evan had already jammed the doors jammed their communications to the outside. Evan saw this time as simple target practice. They shielded Surak into a corner, and the young rebel took out another one ? leaving three guards. Surak ordered them up to the catwalk and it was time to roll. Evan pushed a box out of the way as a guard scrambled up the ladder. Evan fired and the Cardassian fell down to the lower level, dead.

?Come on, you?re the last one!? Gul Surak sounded hesitant and scared. He scrambled to the door panel, but Evan blew it out before he had a chance to open the door. The last guard knocked the rifle out of Evan?s hands since he wasn?t paying attention to his climbing up the ladder. Evan managed to shake him loose and sent him falling over the banister and onto the hard metal flooring below with a sickening thud. Obviously, from the snap, crackle, and pop, the neck of the spoonhead was completely annihilated.

Evan climbed down the ladder and Gul Surak stepped out in front of him, grasping in his hands Evan?s fallen phaser rifle. ?I have the right mind to kill you right now!?

?You should, you bastard!?

He looked at Evan in confusion, ?What the hell are you talking about? This is the first time that I?ve seen you. This is the first time I?ve had any contact with you. I have no idea who you are.?

Evan secretly tapped a message into his communicator on his belt as he walked around the room, ?Ockum III, does that mean anything to you??

?Ockum III?? Surak pondered this for a moment while staring at his new prisoner, ?That was a Federation Colony that we raided almost three months ago, what?s it to you??

?My wife was taken by you.?

?I have no idea what you?re talking about. We didn?t take any prisoners during that raid. As a matter or fact the last time we took hostages of any kind was almost a year ago; they are too costly and can revolt ? bad for business.?

He quirked an eyebrow, unsure of whether or not to believe the Cardassian Gul, but there was sincerity in his eyes and Evan liked to think that he could pick up on such things. Waiting a moment more, Evan accepted his position. ?With your permission, I apologize for this disruption, but can I use a communication terminal??

?Are you joking?? He stared at Evan incredulously, ?After killing five of my men, you want to use a communication terminal??

?Yes.?

?Very well, it?s over there in the corner, do not do anything foolish.?

Evan walked over to the terminal, activated it and then sent a power surge through it to send it malfunctioning. ?Ah, this thing isn't working.? Evan stifled a smirk and turned to face Surak, and he frowned.

?Damned third rate equipment,? Surak checked the system, ?Oh, a system power surge, could you hand me the electrical stabilizer behind you on that crate, and then you can contact whoever you want.?

?Sure.? Evan reached back, and unhooked the Torpedo Launcher from his back. He raised it to eye level, aimed and pulled the trigger. The flash blinded him and Evan heard a scream. His eyes adjusted and he saw nothing; the panel with the surge of power had been damaged, but not seriously. ?Sucker, burn in hell!?

Evan rushed over to the console and worked the stabilizer and the panel shuddered back to life and started beeping simultaneously. He tapped the console, opening a secure channel to Federation directories.

?Please state receiver of this message.? The computer beeped.

?Mr. and Mrs. Tyler Benevente. North America.?

The transmission connection seemed to take forever, but eventually the Starfleet symbol emblazoned across the screen and taunted Evan and his lost destiny. His father flickered up on the screen and gasped and his mother entered the picture as well and almost broke into tears on the spot.

?Evan, you?re alive!? Evan?s mother exclaimed, muffling her excitement with her hand over her mouth.

?Son, where are you?? His father, Tyler, asked.

?A Cardassian freighter, I?m apart of the Maquis now. I?m looking for the person who took Michelle from Ockum III.?

Evan?s father and his mother exchanged worried glances and then gazed back in his direction. Tyler took an obvious breath followed by an even more apparent swallow and addressed his son, ?Son, I don?t know how to tell you this, but Michelle was found in a collapsed bunker about a day after you submitted your resignation to Captain McGregor. I?m sorry, she didn?t make it, son.?

Evan looked at them and fought to keep his jaw from plummeting through the deck plating, ?Are you sure it was Michelle?? Evan didn?t, couldn?t, believe it.

Elyse looked at him, ?Evan, try to understand and not get upset. The DNA has been confirmed.?

He fought the uncontrollable urge to turn off the monitor, ?Listen, I?ll be back to Earth as soon as I can. I will be in touch with Starfleet Command and their Intelligence agency. Tell no one that I called, got it? Evan out, I love you guys.? With that, he cut the transmission. He picked up his weapons and opened up his communicator. Now pissed as hell, Evan began his road to recovery, ?Benevente to Muln, beam me straight to my quarters, and meet me there.?

Evan waited and everything went pale blue.

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