Firebird returning to Eden

The Firebird flew at high warp towards the star system for several minutes when Mrrin M'ata's tactical board beeped. To everyone's questioning stare, the tall felinoid woman answered addressing Joshua Riker.

"It appears to be a probe, Commander... one of ours, class IV... it altered it's trajectory out from the solar system and is now moving on an interception course at warp 6. ETA three minutes."

"That's a multivector stellar survey probe," reminded them science officer Hunter, her antennae twitching nervously over her short-cropped white mane. "It's sensor suite is designed to detect energy particles and analyse stellar gases and radiation fluxes. Why would it  be attracted to us?"

On Elisha Leone's console, a series of blips announced that the probe was hailing them on a standard subspace channel that it was ready to transmit data.

"A hail?" Riker asked.

"Standarrd trransmission rreadiness signal, Sirr," Mrrin M'ata specified from her own tactical readout. "It detected us and veerred off courrse frrom out of the Eden system to interrcept us at warp 6... and I detect that it's impulse drrive is completely burned out."

"Must have it's computer core full of  data," Science officer Hunter added from her own scans. " It's energy level is quite high. It must have been through hell to be in this kind of shape."

"Answer it, let's see what it has to say."

Glancing over to tactical Riker continued.

"Be ready to shoot it down."

As soon as the channel was open, violent red anfd blue discharges of lightning spurted out from the comm panel to jump at every person on board, starting with Leone, Hunter and M'ata sitting right in front of their consoles.

As the lightning and light creatures began to flow from the panel towards the crew, Riker jumped over to the panel next to him, mashing a few keys quickly. In a blue shower of light, Leone, M'ata and Hunter disappeared from their chairs and materialized slightly behind Riker surrounded by a security forcefield. Tapping another set of buttons, the hum of forcefields filled the room as the panels, bridge section and cargo area were all now covered in a zig zag maze of forcefields. While his actions saved the crew, Riker felt a sense of failure as he noticed the glowing red eyes coming from Hunter behind the forcefield.

Riker activated the transporter again, beaming the remaining crewman from the bridge section into the cargo and crew area. Glancing over, he looked to Ensign Tolo, as the chief shuttle mechanic was on every Firebird mission.

"Tolo, rumor has it these things don't like Bolians."

"I don't like them either, Sir."

With a soft smile, Riker pointed to the helm controls.

"I am going to need you to fly this thing, You're the only one here who can't be controlled."

Nodding slightly, Tolo sighed as the force field in front of him dropped and he slid past the stations as the red creatures swarmed him and several entered his head. Tolo dropped to one knee and shook before letting out a gurgling belch and the two red creatures exited through his mouth. Shaking his head, the Bolian stood back up and sat at the helm's chair. Looking around the cockpit, Tolo glanced back at Commander Riker and only shook his head again.

"I can't fly this thing myself, Sir."

Glancing to his crew and knowing they had to be protected, Riker simply smiled.

"You won't have to."

With a soft smile, Riker dropped the force field in front of him and, before anyone could say anything, he lunged towards two of the blue creatures, appearing to grab them. Grabbing at his eyes in pain, Riker opened them to reveal a strong blue glow. 

"Joshua! What are you doing?" Doctor Gray exclaimed.

"Saving your skin, old friend," Riker responded in a voice that was not quite his own.

Before the Doctor could say anything else, Riker had ripped an engineering kit off the floor and began to work with his holstered phaser pistol. A few buttons and sparks later and, in what felt like only a few seconds, the Commander pointed his weapon towards the swirling red colors and fired several bolts. Each bolt struck a red energy being and vaporized it before the pistol sparked and exploded in Riker's hand.

Glancing down at his burning and bloody hand, he smiled and looked back at the crew.

"Three down."

As if talking to himself, Riker glanced at the damaged pistol laying on the ground at his feet.

"My father gave me that..."

"Could you at least tell me what you did?" the EMH asked.

"No, it is the only one... Like I said, my father... Rifles, tricorders... damn, nothing else,"

Walking over to the tactical panel, Riker charged the weapons of the Captain's Yacht.

"Are the rest still there?" Riker said again as if talking to himself in a voice not quite his own. "Good."

With that Riker activated the phasers on the Firebird and, with two short blasts, the probe was destroyed. Powering down the tactical panel, Riker leaned over Tolo.

"We have to communicate with the Draxx now before..."

"Before what, Sir?" Tolo inquired.

"Before they kill us all," Riker said softly, gesturing towards the ships around them. "They are going to..."

Before Riker could finish his sentence, the entire crew was surrounded by a blue humming light and dematerialized. In an instant, the entire Firebird was empty.