Local time where you're at. ("Where you're at"?)

[SCENE:&#160 On the bridge of the New Republic cruiser Nebulon, in the Coruscant system.&#160 Captain Anakin Madine watches on their viewscreen as ISS Titanic&#160 of the Fourth Intergalactic Realm&#153 finishes rigging its tractor beam and towing ISS Phoenix&#160 out of the system towards home.&#160 On Madine’s face, a smug smirk tugs at the corners of his mouth.]

CAPT. MADINE:&#160 Did you make sure and plant the bomb so that they’ll not find it, Lieutenant?

LIEUTENANT:&#160 Yes, sir.&#160 It will take an extremely sophisticated sensor sweep for them to even catch a trace of it.&#160 Fortunately, their sensors don’t appear to be as good as ours.

CAPT. MADINE:&#160 And the charge will go off once they enter hyperspace, correct?

LIEUTENANT:&#160 Yes, sir.&#160 It’s set to go at lightspeed, and it’ll take both ships out on detonation.

CAPT. MADINE:&#160 Very good, Lieutenant.&#160 Carry on.

[Cut to the bridge of ISS Titanic.&#160 Lord Darth Venomous appears lost in thought while receiving reports from the senior staff on ISS Phoenix.]

KORRIOTH:&#160 Bulkheads sealed off around the various hull breaches, m’Lord.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Mm-hm.

OZY MCCOOL:&#160 Warp drive restored, Admiral, but don’t ask her to do Picard Manuevers just yet.&#160 Structural integrity fields in place, but not by much.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Mmm.

K’HADIBAK’H:&#160 Tractor beam stable, m’liege.&#160 We can go to warp anytime.

[This last report seems to snap Venomous out of his reverie – at least, just a bit.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 Oh, uh, thank you, gentlemen.&#160 Captain, continue to monitor ship’s status while we’re towing.&#160 Ozy, get a repair schedule written up for Phoenix&#160 and posted within the next 72 hours.

OZY MCCOOL:&#160 Aye, sir.

VENOMOUS:&#160 K’ha, half-impulse until…hmmmmmmm…until…

K’HADIBAK’H (quizically):&#160 Sir…?

[His Rudeness now clearly has a disconcerted look on his face.&#160 The eyes are glowing solid purple.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 …until further notice.&#160 Carry out your orders, Lieutenant.

K’HADIBAK’H:&#160 Yes, m’lord!

KORRIOTH:&#160 Admiral…?

VENOMOUS:&#160 Something doesn’t feel right, Kor.&#160 I can’t quite place it, but something’s definitely wrong.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Right – we’ve got a bird-of-prey blown halfway to Gre’thor.

VENOMOUS:&#160 No – it’s more than that.&#160 Much more.&#160 Captain, I want a Level 1 pinpoint scan done on Phoenix&#160 – every nook, cranny and bulkhead, inside and out.&#160 Get on it.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Admiral, that will take days.&#160 Maybe even weeks.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Well, then – seeing as we’re on half-impulse, I imagine you have plenty of time.&#160 That’s an order, Captain.

KORRIOTH:&#160 (sigh) Yes, m’lord.

[SCENE:&#160 ISS Titanic, main bridge, six days later.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 Report, Captain.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Phoenix&#160 is clean, Admiral.&#160 No unusual readings or anomalies.

[Venomous seems to accept this.&#160 However, his visage is still one of intense consternation, and has been ever since he gave the order for the Level 1 scan.&#160 At long last, his countenance clears, and he makes a decision.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 Helm, disengage tractor beam.&#160 Drop ship.

K’HADIBAK’H:&#160 Sir…?!

VENOMOUS:&#160 Now, Lieutenant.

K’HADIBAK’H:&#160 Aye, sir.&#160 (touches controls)&#160 Phoenix&#160 released and is moving on her own momentum now.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Move Titanic&#160 to one side and get out of her way, K’hadibak’h.&#160 Korrioth, tie into her main computer and gain access to her helm.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Admiral, what—

VENOMOUS:&#160 Do it, Captain.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Aye, sir.&#160 [He sets to work.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 And while you’re at it, bring her engines out of standby and get them on-line.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Yes, m’lord.&#160 [He works quickly, then turns back to the Admiral.]&#160 Ready.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Captain, send Phoenix&#160 ahead, warp factor two.

KORRIOTH:&#160 Warp factor two, Mr. K’hadibak’h.

[K’ha touches the appropriate controls.&#160 On the viewscreen, Phoenix&#160 elongates, then disappears as the ship shoots into warp.

No sooner does the ship disappear into the familiar flash of light than another, brigher light fills the viewscreen from the massive explosion dead ahead.&#160 Even though Phoenix&#160 was well ahead of Titanic&#160 when it exploded, the shock wave from the blast sends the great dreadnaught reeling more than just a bit.

After the inertial dampeners kick in and settle the ship down, Venomous looks at Korrioth.]

VENOMOUS:&#160 Well, well, well.&#160 What do you make of that, Captain?

KORRIOTH (rubbing chin):&#160 Most curious.&#160 It would appear that someone out there doesn’t like us.

VENOMOUS (nodding thoughtfully):&#160 Mmmm, yes.&#160 So it would seem.&#160 (turning to K’hadibak’h)&#160 Reverse course, helm.&#160 Take us back to Coruscant, warp two.

K’HADIBAK’H:&#160 Warp two, aye.

VENOMOUS:&#160 Mr. Korrioth, sound battle stations and charge primary weapons.&#160 Someone’s got a lotta ‘splainin to do.

KORRIOTH (wearing a wolfish grin):&#160 With pleasure, Admiral.

—

Denizens, the work machine’s gone belly-up again.

Last year, we converted the Big Box&#153 from SCSI to SATA.&#160 Time to repeat the process on the work machine.

Posting may or may not occur, depending on whether or not I can persuade the Vicar to post his sermon notes online for a bit.&#160 Watch this space.