The view of the runabout appeared
as Tyran emerged from the transporter beam. He slumped in the niche where the
transporter was located, but Dinara cought him and helped him into the back
compartment. Doctor Jin was already there with her equipment set out and a bed
ready for Tyran. Tyran was lain on the bed as doctor jin went over him with
her tri-corder.
"Broken ribs, fractured nose, fractured ankle, large amounts of cuts and
bruising... we should get him to the station for treatment as soon as possible.
I can make him feel a bit better here, but it will only be a temporary fix,
we need to get him to the station to properly repair the damage."
"Dinara," Tyran croaked, "Let Commander Bentara know that we are to get back to the station as soon as possible.
"Ensign, I can understand you want to be with Tyran right now, but i think it would be better if you were to wait with the rest of the crew while I do my job" said the doctor.
Dinara looked at Tyran who nodded, so she left. Over the next hour, doctor Jin applied all kinds of treatments to Tyran and injected him with what seemed like tens of different hyposprays.
"What were you thinking of? Taking on Tyran (D) in your state. These ribs have only recently beenr repaired. You must have been in pain while walking even"
"Doc, I don't tell you how to do your job, don't tell me how to do mine. I had to get to you before they could take you. Who knows what would have happened if you'd all gone with them. Besides, that Tyran we have now would never treat Dinara the same way as I would. I couldn't let her take her."
"I admire your bravery and determination a great deal Commander but if Commander Bentara wasn't with you, you would have been killed."
"Good job she was with me then wasn't it doc?" Jin was lost for words. "May I go now?"
"Ok, but take it easy."
Tyran stepped out into the cock pit where Commander Bentara and Chief Talsmin sat at the helm. Dinara was sitting at the communications station. The rest of the crew were int he back compartments.
"Tyran!" Dinara shouted as she jumped up and hugged him.
"Oww" said Tyran and Dinara backed off realising what she had done.
"Whats our status chief?"
"We made a clean break from the planet Commander. We used a sensor jamming beam to confuse them and used the main deflector to project another runabout leaving on the opposite side of the planet. Without you or Lieutenatn Fenris aboard, I doubt they will realise what has happened until to late."
"Well done Cheif." Tyran sat down on the seat at tactical. He wanted to thank Karissa for what she did on the planet but couldn't find th words.
~It's ok Tyran, anytime~ came Karissas voice in his mind as she turned and gave a little smile to Tyran
Dinara caught this look and immediately got up dragging Tyran into the back compartments not caring anymore about how much pain he was in.
"What the hell is going on with you and that woman?!" she demanded as the door shut behind them
"Nothing, I don't know what you're talking about hun"
"I saw the way she looked at you just then! And how you looked at each other on the planet!"
Tyran smiled and realised what was going on. "Dinara, baby, believe me, theres nothing going on between me and Karissa"
"Ohh so your on a first name basis already?" she said shaking off his hand that he'd placed on her knee.
"Dinara, you know it's nothing like that" he said standing up and putting his arm around her. "You're just over reacting again. If you must know, she's a telepath. She can read my mind and also speak to me through my mind. On the planet she was reminding me that we should leave quickly before any more duplicates show up. Just now, I was thinking how to thank her for saving my life, and she acknowledged that with a smile."
Dinara shrugged off Niges arm and stood staring out the window at the space quickly flashing by. Tyran suddenly remembered the necklace that he had bought for her a few days back with Kira, before the Borg. He still had it in his pocket. He just hoped it wasn't broken. He pulled it out and fortuanately it was still intact.
*Flimsy? pah!* Tyran thought
He approached Dinara again and put it round her neck. She looked at herself in the reflection in the window and smiled.
"You can't just buy me back with jewelry you know" she said.
"Dinara, your the one I love. You always have been and will be until the day that every single star in this galaxy has flickered it's last and died." She turned and looked into his eyes. She could tell now that he was sincere. "Until the day that love itself dies. Dinara," said Tyran getting down on one knee and taking her hand. He looked up into her eyse that were quickly filling with tears. "Dinara, will you marry me?"
"Of course I will" she said bursting out into tears and wrapping her arms around his neck "I love you so much"
"I love you too" said Tyran as their lips met.
Meanwhile... In the cockpit...
"Commander, are you alright?" asked Talsmin. He had noticed Karissa had begun to cry.
"Yes, yes I'm fine" she said realising suddenly that she wasn't alone.
"Something is surely wrong... your crying Commander."
"It's Tyran... he's just asked Dinara to marry him" she said joyfully. Talsmin looked at her puzzeled. "I'm a telepath, Tyran doesn't hide his thoughts from me and I am free to read them. Just act surprised when they tell you" she said.
Back in the rear compartment...
Tyran and Dinara had moved onto the bed and were busy confirming their love for each other.
"Tyran, should we be doing this hear?" asked Dinara as Tyran unzipped her tunic.
"Why not?" he smiled as she undid his.
"It's just.. all these people... they may hear us"
"And if they do?" said Tyran grinning widely
Dinara smiled and they kissed again. As their lips met, the lights in the compartment went out.
[Commander Tyran, Ensign Jin to the cockpit]
"Damn!" They both said as they got dressed again
Dinara headed out as Tyran limped out behind her.
"Whats the problem Commander?"
"The Ronin, Tyran, it's back and their trying to disrupt our shields with tachyon pulses."
"Chief, is there anything you can do?"
"Commander, I'm not sure that it's going to make any difference anymore... Our shields just went down and our warp core just went offline. Their completely drained of power." said Talsmin worriedly
"Kira" said Tyran as he pounded his fist against the wall.
"This is the end. Isn't it?" said Dinara as she took Tyrans arm and cuddled up toward him.
"Not while we still have Tyran (D) He is to valuable to Kira (D) to let die. He needs Tyran (D) and thats why he hasn't just blasted us out of the sky yet. As Tyran spoke, Kira (D) materialised behind them.
"Well, well, well Tyran." he said getting their attention. "Quite an impressive fight you and Miss Bentara put up on the surface.
Talsmin grabbed a phaser and fired at Kira, but he put up a shield of energy and the weapons effect disapated around him.
"I'm going to be brief with you Tyran. Nobody onboard here deserves to die. No one but you were onboard the Ronin when we were duplicated and when your ship left us to drift, you were unconscious. You had no say in the decision, but those deserters on your ship must die!"
"I don't want to kill you, but if you don't give up Tyran (D) Then I may be forced to do something."
The crew stood staring at Kira wondering what Tyran was going to say.
~ I don't see that there's any choice ~ said Karissa
*Nor do I* replied Tyran
~ Do you think he would kill us if we were to hand your duplicate over? ~
* I believe him that he won't kill us. Our Kira is about as honourable and decent as you can get, and somehow I think that even though turned evil, this Kira may still retain some of the compassion of ours. *
~ So we're agreed? ~
*We are*
"You can take him" spoke Tyran
"You have my thanks" said Kira as he headed into the back compartment to get Tyrans unconscious duplicate. Tyran followed.
Once in the back compartment, Tyran took Kira by the arm and turned him towards him so they stood face to face.
"I know you Kira and have known you for years! You aren't going to kill those people. You kow it's not right."
"I have to do it. They deserted us.. Left us to die!
"Kira, your a doctor! You save lives, not take them. Remember that will you?"
"I propose this to you Tyran. If you can get to Kira and get himself to willingly hand himself over to us, then I will kill no one. However, if he will not give himself up, then you shall all die. One more thing Tyran. Fenris (D) and McQueen (D) will be avenged!
"How do you mean?"
"Two to beam out said Kira" who promptly disappeared form the runabout with Tyrans duplicate.
