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PostPosted: Sun August 5th, 2012 3:46 pm 
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Previously on Star Trek: Valkyrie...

Horatio Black was assimilated by the Borg and used by a terrorist known as Voronin to plan a temporal incursion of the Alpha Quadrant for the group to take control and rebuild it in their image. Voronin attempted to prevent the USS Valkyrie rescuing him by going onboard as an expert on the Borg and friend to Horatio Black to keep them off course. Horatio was rescued, the plan foiled and the group known as the Omega Committee appeared to go into darkness.

Horatio, as a result of the Borg implants, became addicted to painkillers and spiralled out of control while in command of the USS Valkyrie. He realised, after completion of the Mirrior Universe assignment, he needed help. He sought refuge in a rehabilitation facility. He received treatment for the addiction, however, was then arrested by Admiral Virok and Temporal Investigations, the department he worked for. He was discredited, exiled and stripped of rank for temporal crimes.

Locked in a hidden, secure temporal crimes prison he remained until Ambassador Lock and the crew of the USS Valkyrie broke him out so he could assist with the Hur'Q problem. Horatio used this new found freedom to gather more information about the Omega Committee and build on the information he did have. He used Sarah Quiller and her contacts to gain information on a Federation Security Council member who was linked to the Omega Committee. With information in place, resources gathered and the Valkyrie assignment over, he was granted amnesty and a military rank on Bajor by Ambassador Lock and given the freedom to clear his name once and for all...


The following events take place between Season 4 and Season 5 of the 12th RP USS Valkyrie. This is the cummilation of a three season sub-plot.

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Horatio "Ghost" Black

"It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required"

Horatio "Ghost" Black's BIO | "Corruption in the Shadows" | "Dum Spiro Spero"

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PostPosted: Sun August 5th, 2012 3:46 pm 
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Since leaving the Valkyrie Horatio had been busy. Gathering equipment and weapons from whatever sources he could find. He couldn’t risk using Bajoran Militia kit, he couldn’t allow the delicate relationship between Starfleet and the Militia fragment anymore. Ever since the second Dominion War begun things had been tense between the Starfleet personnel on Deep Space Nine and the Bajorans who did not want their homeworld ransacked like it had been before. Horatio, while not in Starfleet had felt that tension.

It was because of this that he needed more… unorthodox equipment that was untraceable. He had a contact in the underworld of New Tokyo that had secured him an old Omega Force combat suit while his own cunning had acquired the drugs he needed from the Valkyrie. A shady Ferengi had met him in the freezing wastelands of Andoria to sell him some unmarked, clean phasers. He was a man on the edge, pretending to hold it together as his world collapsed around him. Now he was going to war.

He checked his weapon one last time before bringing the shuttle out of orbit and down over the San Francisco bay area. The sleek, unregistered shuttle had been heavily modified to utilise some older Temporal Investigations technology which had found its way onto the black market following an overhaul of the department when Admiral Virok took over. Horatio had always suspected the calculating Vulcan of being responsible for that tarnished blot on the department’s rap sheet.

The shuttle swooped in low and silent as it approached Starfleet Academy. On campus was a cadet with a dark secret. Horatio had managed to uncover a roster of junior Omega Committee members as part of his research into the group that had destroyed his life. It had come from Alpha Prime, a seemingly innocent research facility which supplied Omega Committee members with mission objectives sent through data packets disguised as research data. Horatio had learnt of the facility when he assimilated Voronin, before killing him and being detached from the collective. He had followed one of these data packets to a shop keeper on campus. It appeared the elderly man was a handler, probably believed it was Starfleet Intelligence running him. The shop keeper had slipped up, left the shop unattended allowing Horatio to copy the data packet and leave unseen. He had spent months trying to crack the encryption, eventually outsourcing to a friend he had in Starfleet Communications. The information that came back was a list of names. These were people all over the Federation that showed the far reaching extent of the group. The man Horatio was now about to visit, Cadet Joseph Norman, was a sophomore who seemed to assist recruit new committee members directly from the Academy and ensure by the time they are stationed, they are firmly Omega Committee operatives.

He landed the shuttle swiftly and silently a few clicks outside the main campus. It was the middle of the night so sneaking through the grounds to the residential block where his target was would be easy enough. Campus security had never been that tight. A few drunken cadets stumbled past his hiding location as he weaved through the grounds of the campus and into the building. Taking the stairs, he climbed the floors to his destination. The corridor was empty. He walked slowly to the room. A well placed false communication message earlier ensures that the roommate was out of the way. Using a black market hacking device he unlocked the door and slipped inside.

The room was dark; a breeze was blowing through the open window. The cadet rolled over in his bed, oblivious Horatio was standing there above him. Reaching into a pocket, he produced a hypospray loaded with a paralytic chemical. The chemical was bio-engineered, it paralysed the body, but the recipient was still able to feel everything. It was crude, but it would be effective. Horatio reached forwards and injected the cadet placing his hand over his mouth to stifle the yells. Within moments the cadet lay motionless, breathing heavy and a look of fear in his eyes.

Horatio moved the cadet into a chair and tied his hands and feet to it with cord. The cadet was breathing rapidly and blinking with panic. “You’re a disgrace to that uniform you wear day in, day out” Horatio said walking round behind the cadet to disorient him. “Helping a group of terrorists recruit Starfleet’s new and impressionable minds… you thought you could get away with it? You thought no one would eventually find out and stop you”. He paused before slamming his palm in the elbow of the cadet as a loud snap echoed. The cadet muffled a moan and breathed heavier still. “Now this is very simple… give me what I want, and you won’t be caused any harm. Don’t give me what I want… you will suffer”. Horatio took a power cell from his pack and two nodes. He rammed the nodes into the thigh muscle of the cadet who muffled another yell. “I think you’re bright enough to know what will happen if I activate this power cell” Horatio said coldly. “But just in case you aren’t…” Horatio pressed a button and sent a charge through the cadet’s body. Sweat poured from the cadet’s head as his whole body shook. Horatio switched off the device and watched as the cadet panted heavily. “I know you faked your way into Starfleet… I know you were hired by the Omega Committee to recruit cadets. I’m going to end the paralysis now… and you’re going to give me the name of who you send fresh recruits to”.

Horatio stepped forwards and injected another dose into the man’s neck. He groaned in pain and tried to break free. “I won’t tell you anything! They’ll kill me if I do!” he called out. Horatio smiled to himself. “Look at your present situation… you don’t think I wont kill you?” “No!” the cadet called out. Horatio stuffed a sports shirt from the floor into the man’s mouth and flipped the switch again shocking him. The muffled yells of agony were far more intense as his whole body shook.

“Quiet down! I’ve got a mid-term in the morning and the last thing I need is to hear you training or whatever you’re doing!” a small female voice called through the wall.

“The longer you don’t tell me something the more I know you’re hiding something really big. What’s the name?” Horatio said. The cadet breathed heavily and looked at Horatio. Panic in his eyes. “I never wanted to do this! I flunked out of school and I was approached by an Admiral… he said if I got him special recruits for a top secret project I would get into Starfleet… like my dad! It’s all I’ve wanted! I’ve made him so proud just being here… please… please don’t hurt me or tell anyone…” the cadet pleaded with Horatio, sheer panic and pain all over his face. Horatio nodded, he could see the cadet for what he really was. A scared boy promised the earth and now in too deep. “Ok… I can protect you” he said slowly as he pulled the nodes out of the Cadet’s leg. Getting a hypospray he gave the cadet painkillers and used a dermal regenerator on the wounds. “The name…” “His name is K’Lamu, a Ferengi merchant who hangs about a dive bar in San Francisco. He’s a cell leader, I’ve been sending recruits to him recently…” “Thank you Cadet, now you’ve repented for your sins, you may just make a fine Starfleet officer – like your dad. Now we have a deal. I will leave you out of all of this when it comes falling down and this visit never happened” “Deal”. Horatio gave the Cadet a reassuring smile before injecting him one last time with a strong sedative. He couldn’t risk his operation.

Seven hours later…

Horatio was dressed in civilian clothing. He was sitting in the dive bar, unshaved, rugged and not in any way out of place among the other patrons. The Ferengi named K’Lamu walked in with an Orion woman on one arm and a thuggish looking Bolian slightly behind him. Horatio smiled into his glass as they walked past. He didn’t expect it to be easy, and by the size of the Bolian, it wasn’t going to be.

Horatio waited patiently. Several people visited the Ferengi at his corner booth; Horatio could only assume it was to conduct whatever nefarious business he was into when he wasn’t busy running a terror cell inside the Federation. Horatio also assumed that most of the actual work was left to the Bolian who doubled as a bodyguard. Ferengi were cunning, he would never be caught doing the dirty work himself.

Horatio waited until the bar was virtually empty and the last business meeting had ended before he got up and went and sat at the Ferengi’s table. “Quite bold sitting there… this better be profitable, or I will have you killed” the Ferengi said grinning at Horatio.

Horatio smiled and brought his hand out of his jacket pocket. “This” he said calmly “is a thermo-detonation charge” he said slowly. “If you move, or do anything that makes me take my finger off the button… it will detonate. Now we have the niceties out of the way, you can dispose of the hired help and the girl”. Horatio stared out the Ferengi who squirmed in his seat and shooed off the Orion and Bolian. “What do you want?!” He squealed at Horatio, trying to stay as quiet as possible so as to avoid attention. “The next Omega Committee plot… what is it?” Horatio asked calmly. “Ahh you must be Horatio Black… yes… Virok said to expect you at some point” the Ferengi paused and laughed. “You’re doing well for a broken man… we took everything away from you and manipulated you into doing our bidding… you are our puppet Mr Black. You should go back to Bajor and watch as your beloved Federation burns to the ground”. The Ferengi smiled again, that sickening grimace. Horatio toyed with the detonation device, watching the Ferengi look at it with panic every time it looked as if he would release the trigger. “I am indeed a broken man. A broken man with absolutely nothing to loose. You, on the other hand, have your entire empire. You may not have been informed yet, but I’ve decided that you no longer need your wealth. I’ve… liberated your ill-gotten funds and distributed it to a number of more charitable organisations. In addition, the Grand Negus has received a personal message from yourself detailing how… unprofitable your organisation is. I believe he wasn’t too happy with your character assessment either… word is, you’re a wanted Ferengi.”

K’Lamu looked furious and probably would have had Horatio shot had he not been holding an explosive device. “Now… tell me what I need to know and I will give you 500 bars of gold pressed latinum, and get you back in the good books of the Grand Negus”. Horatio watched with a deadpan expression on his face, one expert poker player looking directly into the eyes of another, waiting to see if a bluff would be called or a hand would be won. “Fine. The operation is the brainchild of Admiral Virok… it involves the assassination of the Federation President using temporal technology. Virok plans to frame you Black… it seems that you annoyed him when you killed Voronin and stopped their attempt to use the Borg to take over the Federation. It seems they don’t like it upstairs when their plans are foiled. Now… give me my money!” The Ferengi said angrily drawing the attention of his bodyguard and the barkeeper. “Sure… I’m going to walk out of here and your money is in this bag” Horatio said dumping a bag on the table. Horatio stood up and walked slowly backwards out of the bar brandishing the detonator to ensure no-one followed him outside. The Ferengi hurriedly opened the bag to find fake latinum inside and shrieked in anger. “Kill him!” he shouted. The Bolian rose from the chair and headed outside to be met by a team from Starfleet Security holding phaser rifles. “Your boss inside?” one of the officers said indicating for the Bolian to go back into the bar. “K’Lamu, you and your associates are under arrest for the handling of stolen goods, possession of counterfeit currency with intent to distribute… Ah what do we have here? Evidence?” the officer grinned as he carried out the arrest.

Horatio smiled from his vantage point. One well-placed tip-off call ensured that the Ferengi was out of the way. Horatio was, however, deeply concerned. A plot to murder the Federation President which if successful would bring about the downfall of the fragile political system made even more fractious due to the second Dominion War. If Virok was going for the President, Horatio knew where to head next. The seat of the Federation government. The Palais de la Concorde.

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Horatio "Ghost" Black

"It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required"

Horatio "Ghost" Black's BIO | "Corruption in the Shadows" | "Dum Spiro Spero"

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PostPosted: Sun August 5th, 2012 3:47 pm 
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Horatio stepped off the transport dressed as a tourist, wearing a cap low on his brow so as to avoid security patrols and cameras. Simple covert operation techniques he had picked up over nearly two decades of covert temporal investigations. Subtly altering the timeline or rebuilding it after tampering of those less versed in time travel dynamics. Walking through the square Horatio kept to the crowds, using his camera to zoom in at various weak spots of the Palais perimeter.

There was a door, guarded by one man which led inside. Horatio guessed that’s where the cell was going to enter, if they hadn’t already. It was a service entrance which meant they would need a cover; cleaners, engineers, something of that nature. Horatio’s mind raced as he used the camera to look around the square attempting to spot anyone out of place. After listening to an FNN broadcast earlier in the day he knew the President was meeting with the Security Council to discuss the concerns of Dominion advancement into the Alpha Quadrant. It was a big worry at the moment and despite the continental sun shining down on a square full of happy relaxed tourists, there was still an air of nervousness. Fear that at any second Jem’Hadar strike teams would appear and terrorise them.

A low orbit shuttle skimmed across the square and pulled up outside the gate. The side read ‘Clean-Co – Professional Full Service Cleaning’. This was it. Horatio zoomed in on the van and begun taking photos. The guard cleared them and a large gate to the left of the door slid open mechanically as the shuttle slowly entered the compound. If that was the cell, they had got in effortlessly Horatio thought to himself as he crossed the square making sure to avoid the patrols of security teams. He approached the guard at the door. “Tour?” “No, not today, the Palais is closed for operational business” the security guard replied. “No, No, told to come here… tour!” Horatio said again more loudly. “Look sir, I’m sorry you’ve come all this way, but we’re closed today. Back off, or I will arrest you” the guard replied. “No! I demand tour!” Horatio called out. “Right, that’s it sir, you’re coming with me!” The security officer tapped his commbadge to inform someone that he was bringing a tourist down to the detention cells for public disturbance, and that he could be released after the meeting. With that, Horatio was pushed up against the wall and cuffed before being dragged through the gate and into the Palais de la Concorde.

Horatio was pushed into a large detention cell and the forcefield flickered up. The guard from the gate left the room and Horatio slumped down onto a bench and looked around. A Rigelian, Bolian and another human were also sitting in the cell in silence. Eyes locked on him, the newcomer. There was only one guard in the room with them and a camera pointing at the cell and another at the door. Thankfully, due to the high priority of ensuring the council members and the President are secure the searching of Horatio, a harmless tourist cited on civil disobedience charges, went mostly overlooked. They had taken his camera, and communicator, but that was about it. Horatio reached down into his shoe and pulled out a small metal cylinder. He leaned back in his seat hiding the device and pressed the button. The camera shutter went off and at the same time the security cameras had their feeds looped on a continuous cycle. The guard turned to look at the camera monitors and then back to his PADD when he realised all was fine. Horatio nodded at his fellow inmates. Covertly, he twisted the top of the cylinder and without warning fired three darts into the legs of his fellow inmates. Before they could react, they passed out, unconscious in their seats. Horatio couldn’t risk letting them out of the cell, but more importantly couldn’t risk them sounding the alarm.

He got up slowly and silently, making sure that the guard didn’t look up from his PADD. Using the same device, he turned it the other way and pressed the button again. A small laser began frying the forcefield emitter. As soon as it sparked the field lowered and Horatio charged at the guard who ran round the desk to confront him. Horatio slammed his fist into the man’s face before placing an elbow in his stomach causing the guard to double over. Horatio finished the fight off with a knee to the guard’s head; seconds later he fell backwards onto the floor. Horatio shook off the pain in his fist; he wasn’t used to this fighting thing. The nanites in his body immediately begun repairing the tissue inside which caused some further pain and discomfort. Despite the nightmare that assimilation had caused him, he had to admit there were benefits. He felt a sharp pain in his head and closed his eyes.

The world felt like it was standing still around him, he could hear a faint whisper calling him. There was a dark cloud preventing him seeing what was out there but he knew immediately, the flickering lasers appeared from the shadows accompanied by a familiar mechanical walk. “Tempus… resistance is futile” that voice… those drones all speaking as one disembodied voice in the darkness. It was them. The Borg. He opened his eyes and let out a deep breath and mopped sweat from his brow. He couldn’t afford to be sidetracked by whatever that was; he assumed it was some side effect of the remaining implants in his body. An echo or memory. He made a mental note to have a doctor check it out. For now, he needed to bring his A-game to ensure this cell did not succeed. Quickly changing into the security officer’s uniform he propped the guard up inside the cell to make it look like everyone was accounted for. Restoring the forcefield and switching off his camera the room returned to peaceful normality. He was in and able to move about far more freely. It was strange, wearing a Starfleet uniform again. Especially one that was not his own.

Exiting the detention cells he lowered the guards cap and nodded to the patrol. “Goin’ on my break” he said and shuffled past them. “We’ll watch them – have a good lunch, I hear they’ve got lamb shanks today” one of the men said. “Finally decent food, the President has a meeting and the canteen goes up a level”. The guards and Horatio laughed and he moved away from them to the nearest turbolift. He needed to find out where the cell had gone, that meant going to the camera monitoring room in the security section of the building. Walking straight into the lion’s den, but it was the only way to prevent disaster. The turbolift whirred to a stop and Horatio stepped out into the security wing. Thankfully, due to his previous line of work, he mostly knew his way around the building. Walking down the labyrinth of corridors he nodded to various officers and saluted when senior officers walked past to maintain the cover he had created.

Horatio stepped into the control centre, the central security hub for the Palais. “Got word from the service gate, a cleaning company entered the facility; he only went and forgot to check their credentials. Need to get their signatures on a PADD before the chief notices and has our heads on a plate. He is wound up tight with the President here” Horatio explained to a junior officer monitoring the camera feeds. The officer smiled “I know right! He came in here earlier, just to observe – got us sweeping for bugs and Dominion agents left right and centre… this one chef was furious when he dragged her out of the kitchen for testing… something about ruining the lamb” Horatio laughed and shook his head. “I will be thankful when this shift is over… do you think you could find out where they are for me?” Horatio asked. “Sure” the officer replied as he tapped on the LCARS console searching the camera feeds for the cleaning crew. “Got em!” the officer said rather excitedly. “Third floor, conference room 12” the officer replied. “Cheers, I’ll get this signed and back up here as quick as I can… if the chief comes looking, cover me yeah?” “Sure thing”. Horatio left the room and breathed deeply as he headed to his destination. He was thankful that the security staff in this place was so vast he blended in easily. He now had to hope he didn’t run into anyone that would recognise who he really was. So far the cap had prevented cameras getting a facial recognition on him which had prevented the intruder alarms sounding. He didn’t know how long he could keep that up without someone noticing.

He slipped past some civilian administrators and into the turbolift. He needed to get to the conference room. From what he had seen there had been three people in the shuttle, but there could have been more. Horatio knew he would have to use a weapon, he could only hope his cover would stay intact long enough to get away with firing a weapon inside the building. The turbolift came to a halt and the doors slid open. Horatio stepped out and took a phaser out the nearby weapons locker and holstered it. Stepping into the conference room he could see two men looking as if they were cleaning, a third and fourth were crouched down by the air vent. One of those pretending to clean looked up. “Can we help?” he said gruffly walking towards Horatio. “Sure, Virok wants to know everything is going to plan and on time… pretend you’re signing this” he said handing over the PADD and not taking eye contact off the man. “Everything’s fine… wait I recognise you… Black!” he called out. Horatio drew his phaser and fired at the man’s chest sending him to the floor before diving behind a bench to take cover. The other three stopped what they were doing and took out concealed disrupters hidden amongst the cleaning materials and begun shooting at the bench. Horatio tapped the comm. badge “Security teams to conference room 12 on the third floor – we have a security breach!” Horatio attempted to take pot shots from his location.

A red alert klaxon sounded as security teams beamed in and begun shooting at the three men remaining from the cell. The fire-fight seemed endless. Hortatio managed to get another successful shot off as the last member dropped to the floor. Starfleet casualties were minimum; the security officers hurt were taken to medical being carried by colleagues. This left three security officers securing the room, the chief himself and Horatio. Horatio stood up from his position and holstered the weapon. “I think that was all of them…” he said as he walked to the chief, hoping he wouldn’t be recognised. “Good work lieutenant, I want a full report in the next hour – I need to inform the President that the meeting is secure and they don’t need to be relocated. “Wait…” Horatio said as he moved to the vent and pulled off the grate. Inside was a crude looking photon-compressed charge. “It’s a bomb… we have about 57 seconds until detonation… from the looks of it, it will take out the entire building”. Horatio said, a look of panic on his face as his eyes met the chief’s. “My god… we can’t get the President out in time” the elderly officer responded. Horatio knew it was worse than that; the bomb probably had a failsafe and other countermeasures. This was the Omega Committee after all. Without warning a bomb exploded from outside the Palais. “Their van, it must be a diversion” Horatio said as he studied the device. The chief tapped his comm. badge instructing officers to go inspect what was happening.

Horatio used the tools the cell has been using to pull off the main control panel and look at the isolinear compound chips inside. “33 seconds” the chief muttered wishing he’d taken the week off as his wife had suggested this morning. Horatio let out a deep sigh, he had only dealt with devices like this once before. He pulled out the control chip and immediately the clock sped up. Horatio rammed it back in and the clock slowed again. They had revered the chips to make defusing it harder. “17 seconds”. The timer chip then was probably the core; Horatio pulled it out, followed by the power pack underneath. He used his phaser on a low setting to fuse the circuits and the clock stopped and flashed… 00:03. He let out a huge sigh of relief and fell backwards onto the floor looking up at the ceiling. “It’s ok… get your engineers to remove the combustible element and the thing will be totally harmless” Horatio explained to a very happy chief. “Well done! I’ll make sure you get a promotion for this!” he exclaimed. Horatio feigned a smile and got up from the floor. “I should clean up and write up my report sir…” he said “yes, yes, I’ll get a clean up team down here and let the President know. Report to my office later” he said as the chief exited the room. Horatio left the room and was immediately spotted by a camera. Another klaxon sounded as he was recognised by the security systems.

Horatio broke into a run and headed for the nearest exit. He knew the teams would be converging on his position. He managed to get out the Palais without running into a security team, but they wouldn’t stop at the exit – he needed to get out of Paris. He turned a corner as he fled the square and without warning was hit with a phaser blast. He groaned as he fell to the floor stunned by the orange beam. As he drifted out of consciousness he could hear a voice “Virok wants to see you… he’s not too happy”.

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Horatio "Ghost" Black

"It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required"

Horatio "Ghost" Black's BIO | "Corruption in the Shadows" | "Dum Spiro Spero"

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PostPosted: Sun August 5th, 2012 3:48 pm 
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The world seemed to be spinning as Horatio had his head plunged into ice water again. He struggled to breathe as he fought to return to the surface and take a breath. His ribs were broken, his body battered but that was nothing compared to the pain of the ice against his face. He yelled out underwater as he choked. He was pulled up out the water and gasped for breath as he regained his senses. He looked around as best he could. He was being held by two Klingons and there he was. Virok. Still wearing his Starfleet uniform. A traitor. Horatio couldn’t tell if it was because he was disorientated or if this was really happening; Virok appeared to be smiling. He frowned as he struggled to fully regain his senses. He was breathing heavily. It was not a hallucination; however, Virok… the corrupt Vulcan Starfleet admiral… was smiling.

“I’m sorry Black but I’ve been keeping up appearances far too long and I’m enjoying this far too much to hide emotion.” Virok said, still smiling. “R… Romulan” Horatio coughed; water still in his airways. “Even after torture you’re still astute in the minute details. “I’ll give you credit, you’ve kept it well hidden for so many years. Someone in Starfleet Medical helping you?” “Well done Mr Black… another arm to our impressive organisation worked out”.

Virok paused and indicated for Horatio to be forced back into the water. Horatio let out a yell as the Klingon guard forced his head back into the water tank. It felt like the world was slowing down. He was slowly drowning on the water and being caused agony by the severe cold. He closed his eyes for a moment and heard it again; a faint whisper from nowhere calling to him. “Unimatrix 934, Alpha Node A is under attack. No threat found. Tempus of Borg will assimilate Species 98883”.

He was pulled out the water gasping for breath and choking. “What do you want!” he yelled. Virok laughed “your demise Mr Black. You have been a thorn in the Omega Committee’s side for far too long. I need to put a stop to that if we want our future operations to be a success. The Omega Committee was formed from… like minded individuals from every major government in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Our mission is simple, create one, single, unified government under our control. We will destroy all weakness and be the premier force in the universe. Our own individual governments are weak, arguing amongst themselves. We aren’t protected from the Borg, 8472, the Tholians, even the Dominion are getting the better of us! We can’t allow that!” Virok explained.

“So… you protect us… through tyranny” Horatio said calmly. “Oh… that’s so narrow minded; it’s far more poetic than that Mr Black. We could have achieved such greatness; we had the Borg under our control through you! YOU ruined that! Decades of planning gone! Since that moment where you killed Voronin the Committee were decided. You had to be destroyed. Now, you could have overdosed on those painkillers you became hooked on, but you got help. You could have stayed in that cell but Lock had to break you out. You could have retired in exile but oh no! That’s not good enough for Horatio Black. Always having to do the right thing. Well look where that has got you… a slow, painful death while knowing you cannot stop what is coming. You cannot stop what is inevitable”.

Horatio shook his head as best he could, he was feeling weak but he couldn’t give up now. He was so close. “So you… you were going to kill the President”. “Yes… it was a beautifully simple plan. Our man inside the Security Council was going to get him to sign a special decree giving the military extraordinary powers. The President would have then been killed and using your beloved Starfleet we were going to enact martial law, take over the Federation. Similar coups had been planned on other key worlds had this one worked. You were going to be framed for the assassination, two birds with one stone I believe the expression is”. Virok explained proud of what he had dreamed up. “Typically, however, you came along and stopped that. Did you think that was it? Did you think we didn’t have a back-up plan to kill the President? You’ll be framed of course and then found dead, suicide”.

“I… turned your recruiter. I took care of your cell leader. I wiped out that cell. Oh… I also passed all the names and data I could find to some friends of mine… it’s over Virok. You can kill me, but it is all over for you” Horatio spoke calmly and coldly. Virok looked shocked by this news. He clearly hadn’t been too well versed in what Horatio had been up to. “No matter… I will verify this and if it’s true… I will kill you myself Black. Either way, the committee will live on and you will die tonight”.

Virok signalled for the Klingons to take Horatio back to his cell. The door of the darkened, empty room slid open and Horatio was dragged out. He yelled in agony as he was dragged through non-descript corridors and thrown into a cell. He heard the door locking behind him. He breathed deeply trying to subside the pain he felt from being broken and bruised. That was nothing, however, compared to the nanites working inside his body. Horatio groaned and passed out on the cold metal floor of the cell he had been locked inside...

...It could have been minutes, or hours, Horatio had no way of knowing. The ringing in his ears from the explosion had certainly woken him up. The ringing in his ears disorientated him as red laser sights flickered through the darkness. For a brief moment he thought it was the Borg coming for him and scrabbled to back into a corner; but then he noticed their movements were different. Human.

“Ghost!” a familiar voice called out, it was French. It was Saint. The armoured man crouched down next to him and tapped a button raising the helmet visor. “Dramont” Horatio said weakly. You got the chip… the President?” “President is fine; McCabe pulled him out of the meeting and to a secure bunker. The rest of his unit rounded up the Security Council member and others working with him for the backup plan. The President has been fully briefed, as has Starfleet Command. Your information is in the right hands. It’s over, the Omega Committee has fallen apart and its members are being arrested” Horatio sighed as he was injected with a painkiller to ease the pain of the torture and broken bones.

“Virok… we need to stop him” Horatio explained picking himself up. Dramont handed him a phaser rifle and signalled for his team to secure the perrimiter. “He will be destroying everything, severing his link and trying to stay in position. He’s a Romulan”. Horatio explained as they headed down the corridor, sweeping for the last of the security teams.

Guards banked round the corner and immediately started firing at Horatio and the unit. Horatio ducked into an alcove for cover as shots were exchanged down the narrow corridor. Horatio leaned out and fired off a few shots sending two guards to the floor. He ducked back as a shot narrowly missed him and hit one of the unit members. “We need to advance before Virok destroys all the information!” Horatio called over to Dramont who had taken cover behind the alcove on the other side of the corridor to him. Dramont nodded and unclipped a flashbang grenade before throwing it down the corridor. It exploded with a blinding light and both Horatio and Dramont swung out from their hiding places and opened fire sending the remaining guards to the floor. They moved down the corridor in formation, heading into the room at the end, the main control room.

Horatio saw him as they entered, Virok, standing at a terminal and tapping away at it frantically. “Trying to get home are we?” Horatio said. “Step away, slowly from the console and turn around. We’re taking you into custody” he said slowly moving towards him. Horatio switched the weapon to stun but before he could fire, Virok hit a button on the LCARS console and an alarm started blaring out. “I will destroy this facility and with my superior rebuild the Omega Committee! You may have stopped us this time Black, but you won’t again!” Virok yelled over the alarm. Horatio fired and stunned Virok who fell to the floor. Dramont signalled for his team to extract the Admiral to a Starfleet Intelligence detention facility.

Horatio ran over to the console and ditched the rifle. He began tapping on the console. “He’s activated a flooding sequence; he’s going to destroy the base!” Horatio called out. “Where are we?” he asked. “Directly underneath Angel Island… the traitor built up a base right under our noses” Dramont said. “How did you find me?” “The device you acquired, one of ours – the unit supplied most of your kit one way or another, we always believed your innocence and we put in some contingencies just in case” he explained. Horatio nodded as he tapped on the computer, he couldn’t let the evidence be destroyed. “I’ve managed to download the data… but I can’t prevent the flooding. We need to get out – now!” Horatio said as water started pouring into the room from all sides. “OUT NOW!” Dramont called to his team. The group started running, water splashing up around them as they raced against the clock to the exit lift.

The water gushed around them, with each passing second making the run more difficult. They got to the lift at the end of the corridor, the water from the San Francisco Bay now knee high, preventing the doors from opening. Dramont signalled for them to be breached. They would have to climb out. “Do you need more painkillers for this climb?” Dramont asked. Horatio shook his head, part of him did want them, it would subside the pain but it was more than that. He felt like he… needed them. No. He didn’t. He would do it without it. “No” he replied simply. The doors blew inwards and floated away, the water, now waist height, gushed into the turbolift and slapped against the wall. “You first, we’ll follow you up” Dramont said to Horatio who nodded took a deep breath and jumped up to the open hatch. He yelled in pain as he grabbed hold of the metal and was helped up by an operative below. He was in absolute agony but he knew he had to get out. He began the climb up the emergency ladder to freedom. To the end of this nightmare. Each step, each rung higher was agony. Seconds seemed like hours, Horatio could hear the deafening sound of water filling up the facility below them.

Horatio eventually pulled himself out and prised open the doors to the lift. He fell onto the floor and crawled through what appeared to be a gardener’s shed to a wooden door. He pushed it open and squinted at the light, natural beautiful light of home. The remaining unit members pulled themselves out and placed a charge. Once they were all a safe distance outside in the national park, the charge blew, destroying the shed and sealing the facility below. It was over. Horatio lay on the grass, ignoring the pain and breathing heavily. Such a weight off his shoulders after so long. He felt at peace.

Starfleet security teams had surrounded the area to prevent civilians or the media getting too much footage. Dramont and the unit were loading up their runabout to return to the shadows they operated in. He stood above Horatio silhouted by the light. “Take care Ghost” he said informally saluting his friend. “You too Saint… You saved my life. Thank you” Horatio replied. “We stopped more corrupt officers destroying the Federation we love… we need to stop making a habit of this… perhaps we can just meet for food and wine next time?” the Frenchman chuckled as he walked off to his troops. Horatio laughed to himself as he picked himself up off the ground and looked around. He couldn’t believe it, that it was really all over. A man in a suit walked towards him holding a PADD in his hand. “Mr Black… this comes direct from the President. Horatio looked surprised and shooed away the doctors that had come over to him so he could read in peace.

Mr Black

I cannot thank you enough for saving my life and bringing to light a corruption so embedded into this government that it threatened the very sanctity of the office I hold and ideals I represent that this Federation was built upon. You have done an incredible service, despite all odds, and with the weight of exile hanging over your head. You did not need to act, to return, but you did and I speak for the entire Federation when I say we are forever in your debt. Had Virok, Voronin and the Omega Committee succeeded… I dread to think what would have happened to our lives, our liberty and our moral compass.

The Federation will always need men like you. Willing to sacrifice everything to defend it. By a small token of my appreciation I hereby clear you of any and all charges that were falsely made against you and reinstate your Federation citizenship in full. There will be no record held against you. I have also spoken with Starfleet Command to ensure your reinstatement to active duty. In these dark times I know you will continue to be invaluable to the Federation. While I cannot formally recognise the achievements of your friends in the Unit, I have ensured that they are rewarded through less obvious channels. For you, however, I bestow the honorary award of Freedom of the Federation. It comes with my eternal thanks.

Yours in Service

Office of the Federation President


Horatio sighed and let the doctors carry out their treatments. It was over. He was home. He closed his eyes briefly, feeling the warm San Francisco sun on his face. He opened his eyes to find the suited man had been replaced by a far prettier female lieutenant. “Can I help?” Horatio said smiling at her. “Starfleet Command sir, you’re wanted right away” she said smiling back. “No rest for the wicked” he commented as the pair walked off engaged in conversation to the nearest shuttle.

[END]

_________________
Horatio "Ghost" Black

"It's not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what's required"

Horatio "Ghost" Black's BIO | "Corruption in the Shadows" | "Dum Spiro Spero"

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