<USS Avalon> The Better Side

The Better Side

by Lieutenant Commander Anthony Manson

Romulans are not accustomed to showing fear or doubt. It is a weakness in 
character that Romulan society never had use for, nor understood. However, fear 
and doubt surfaced, drowning in his cold black eyes, and for the first time 
T?Pex realized that this all was a mistake. A mistake that should have never 
come to happen. His work, his livelihood, his recent actions. None of it should 
have happened. 

But it was not as if the Star Empire cared about what he thought. Obedience was 
taught, forced, and instilled with fear. Who would dare rise up?

Looking through the badly damaged viewscreen of a ship he managed to escape on, 
a Romulan warship launched another volley of deadly disruptor fire. T?Pex would 
only have a fraction of a second to react. But he reacted too late. 

The small ship was hit, losing shields and propulsion. He worked frantically as 
he tried to bring back engines. At least he could still escape and dodge some 
of the Warbird?s fire. But he was no pilot, or engineer. He was a scientist. 
His last sensor decoy was launched, but Romulans are not fools, and T?Pex had 
underestimated their Commander. Especially a Commander who worked for the Tal 
Shiar.

The ship rumbled, coming to a drift. System after system was failing. Weapons, 
engines, shields, communications and sensors, even life support was failing. 
Checking his prototype equipment, he found them to be safe. The Warbird was 
looming over his small vessel as the viewscreen flickered. Its green hull 
filled the screen, and T?Pex knew he couldn?t let the prototypes fall into the 
hands of the Tal Shiar. The devastation it could cause...he refused to be part 
of it. 

The ship shuddered again and T?Pex thought he was still being fired upon. To 
his unnecessary reaction, it was a tractor beam. He should?ve known the Tal 
Shiar wouldn?t kill him. Yet. The ultimate act of betrayal would be exacted 
after they forced him to finish his work. 

He looked around. While he saved this prototype, T?Pex knew he had to destroy 
it. And kill himself. Looking around, he found a disruptor at the far corner of 
the torn bridge. Taking it, he looked at the viewscreen, the hull of the 
Warbird closer with every second that passed. 

It was now or never. He would be a fool to preserve himself for the use of the 
Empire and their hideous plans. He set the weapon to vaporize. And pointed it 
at the prototype.

Suddenly the ship was let loose violently, sending T?Pex flying. Why would the 
Tal Shiar destroy him in it? The screen flickered, but T?Pex saw the various 
damaging holes within the Warbird?s hull. It was backing away. T?Pex got up, 
heading for a working console, hoping there was enough power to see what was 
happening. 

Two Ferengi Marauders swooped in, firing deadly torpedoes as they advanced on 
T?Pex's attackers. The Warbird?s shields were failing, taking several blows 
along its hull and a direct hit to its weapons systems. It veered off, quickly 
warping out of the system. 

"Life support failure in twenty seconds," the computer blandly stated.

T?Pex worked quickly. The Tal Shiar may have let him live, but the Ferengi 
would kill him if they saw no profit in the man. Encrypting his prototype and 
all the information stored in its memory banks, he ignored the countdown. Ten 
seconds to go.

His body dissolved, but he had managed to get the prototype encrypted. Looking 
around, he wasn?t surprise to see himself surrounded by Ferengi. A Ferengi 
stepped up, plasma whip ready.

"Welcome to the Monopoly, Romulan."


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