Chapter 7 - The Force Shall Free Me

For the next week or so things seemed to continue as Diederick teaching Petra how to interpret her emotions and he would get a brief history lesson on Starfleet and how they got to where they are today. Diederick would then torment the security forces for the rest of the day and put them through his version of 'basic training'. To his surprise they were showing improvement after the fourth day. The crew were still hesitant to interact with the two force users, though they did prefer to talk to Diederick via Petra if they could help it. After much persuasion from Petra, the Sith even managed to wear something other than his Sith Battle Armour. He was now wearing a bright red shirt and smart dark grey trousers, much to the entertainment of Petra. His lightsabre was now hooked to back of his belt strap. Although now casually dressed, he still intimidated anyone who looked at him but at least he didn't look like he was about to rip them in two... on first appearance anyway.

"Morning Petra." Diederick glanced up from his data pad and greeted.

"Morning boss" She greeted back as she walked out of her room.

"Good to see you on your feet." The Sith smiled "We can finally start training. We've got to be on the bridge this morning, but we should be able to work in some training afterwards"

"Great. Want me to work on anything whilst your scaring people?" Petra asked.

"Try gathering the force onto one leg then move it from one leg to the other, this will help with control later. Don't worry, I'll keep tabs on you, so you don't put a hole in the ship" he teased.

"I wasn't thinking I was going to do that anyway. I've been a lot happier recently" She argued back.

Diederick scanned her again with the force and it did seem she was happier but that was a thin veil that was holding back a torrent of anger, rage and sadness. This was the time-bomb that he was talking about. With no outlet she will explode; the question was just when. He needed to start training her as soon as possible. He smiled at her, finished his drink and stood to leave "Let's get going then."

<Bridge>

"Morning all" Diederick and Petra greeted the officers on the bridge and made their way to the security stations.

Janeway was about to speak to them but before she could say anything Harry spoke.

"Captain, I'm picking up a Federation transmission about four light-years away."

"Federation?" Janeway asked

"How can a transmission get all the way out here?" Chakotay asked.

"It seems to be coming from a probe" Harry reported

"The carrier signal does seem to be Federation origin Captain." Tuvok reported "Even the carrier codes for encryption match"

"Mr Paris, set a course for the source of that signal" Janeway ordered.

"Aye Captain" Paris replied.

The ship increased speed and altered it's course, looking at the view screen they were now heading towards a nebula. Diederick felt out to the force and felt that there was a little more than a probe out there. "Tuvok, can this ships scanner detect anything in that nebula?" He asked.

"No, they can't. That particular nebula has ionised hydrogen partials that's causing too much interference" He replied.

"I suggest you raise your defences Captain, there's something in that cloud that you can't scan." Diederick warned.

"OK, go to yellow alert" Janeway ordered her crew.

Voyager came out of warp and proceeded towards the beacon. "Find anything Mr Kim?" Janeway asked.

"Yes Captain, it seems to be coming from inside the nebula." Harry reported.

"Anything else on scanners Tuvok?" Janeway asked

"No Captain. Still nothing on sensors" he replied.

"OK, I'm not flying this ship into that nebula. Get a tractor beam on that probe and bring it into sensor range, if it is Federation then we may have a way home." She ordered excitedly. Diederick too had a smile on his face however, it was for a very different reason.

"Tractor beam locked" Tuvok reported. The ship suddenly violently shook, and condition red activated.

"Report" Janeway commanded.

"We're taking fire from something inside the nebula. Shields down to 95%" Tuvok reported.

"Source?"

"Unknown"

"Battle stations" Janeway ordered. Diederick and Petra stood at the security console that was situated at the back of the bridge looking at the view screen. "You knew something was going to happen?" Petra quietly asked the Sith. "Most likely Kazon. We're seen as the ones that destroyed their newly claimed space installation that can drag people from across the galaxy." Diederick theorised. The rate of fire from the nebula was increasing and seemed to be focused on a part of the shields. "Source confirmed as Kazon Captain. Their fire is being concentrated on one location on the shield grid, a hole is appearing" Tuvok reported.

"Hail them Mr Kim" Janeway ordered

"No response" He replied

"Mr Tuvok, keep scrambling the shield frequencies. Mr Paris, get us to warp as soon as possible" Chakotay ordered. The ship rumbled as the warp field charged but was then disrupted.

"Captain, that last shot stalled the warp engines" Paris reported.

"Return fire Mr Tuvok and Mr Paris evasive manoeuvres, get us some distance from them, maximum impulse"

"Captain, we now have a six-metre hole in our shields." Tuvok reported

"How are they doing that, it's almost like they're in our systems looking at the frequencies!" Chakotay exclaimed. Diederick wondered about that too, this was too efficient for luck. He smelt a rat. A savage grin appeared on his face, eyes deepening. "Petra, seems like we're going to be boarded soon. Stay behind me, this will be a showcase on how to use the force in times of need and how to use your emotions as fuel."

"Captain, there's a smaller Kazon ship approaching, they're on a collision course aiming for the hole in the shields" Tuvok reported.

"Tuvok, based on their trajectory where will they hit the ship?" Diederick asked.

"Cargo bay two" he replied.

"Let's go Petra, this will be a learning experience for you" The Sith casually said as if none of this concerned him and walked to the cargo bay.

"Can you not stop that ship from hitting us?" Janeway asked

"I could. But this is a good excuse to do a practical demonstration on a willing participant." Diederick explained.

"A ship is going to ram into us!" She said outraged

"Yes? Your warp engines have failed to start. Your defences have been thwarted so why not board and try and take your stuff? Let's see what they're trying to get first, deny them of it,then kick them back out to space. That way they'll think twice the next time when trying to board your ship." He smiled carelessly and explained. The turbolift doors shut on an exasperated looking Janeway.

"It's no wonder no one really likes you" Petra commentated.

"That's their problem, not mine." Diederick stated and folded his arms.

When the turbolift doors opened the whole ship violently shook and several consoles threw out sparks into the hallway. "Well, that'll be our guests." Diederick said humorously and proceeded towards the cargo bay. When the bay doors opened Diederick saw the front end the mangled ship lodged in the middle of the wall, dust and debris were everywhere. "OK Petra, what we're going to do is back out of the room. Keep the door open and watch where they go. To be fair... the only other notable thing on this deck is the transporter room. I suggest we go wait in there." He explained. Petra nodded but looked very unnerved seeing that a starship had rammed into this one. They backed out quickly and waited in the transporter room.

After a few minutes of what could only sound like a war zone on the other side of the doors, two Kazon officers piled into the room where Diederick was waiting. "Morning gents." Diederick said and held out a hand. Both men were pinned to the walls. "OK Petra, try to feel out to the force with your mind, observe what's going on around me and these two" Diederick turned his attention to the woman standing behind him. "I can feel it" She replied.

"Good, now watch as I change the nature of it" His eyes turned a deeper shade of red and the Kazon men started to moan in pain. To Petra, she was startled by what she felt in the force. It was if a tap had been opened slightly and what came out could only be described as the feeling of rage pouring out. It then concentrated into a form of a hand that gripped the two men and squeezed them. The men started to scream in pain "As you can see, emotions have a profound effect on how we can utilise the force" Diederick talked over the men in pain as if it was nothing to do with him "You're only limited by your imagination on what you can do." Petra nodded and then noticed the hand starting to vibrate and the energy turned into plasma. The lightning danced around the men's bodies inflicting even more pain to them "I think this will do" Diederick smiled and the men started to float back towards the door which they came through only moments before. They floated out to the hallway and back towards the cargo bay when Diederick walked out of the transporter room he found a frightened Tuvok and security officers frozen in place by the cargo bay doors. They were looking at the two Kazon men who were bobbing up and down, still screaming in agony. "Hi fellas, can you move please?" Diederick asked and they slowly moved out of the way, eyes still like saucers "Thanks" he said as he walked past. Once in the cargo bay he thrust his hand forward and the men now looked like they were shot out of a cannon and flew into the ship. "Hey Tuvok!" the Sith shouted "Tell Janeway that the shuttle is going to be leaving the ship, she'll want someone to put up a containment field round this cargo bay!" He then turned to Petra "Unless we want to be going with them, I'd suggest we get to the other side of that door" he smiled and walked back. Once out of the room he then thrust his open palm forward again and the shuttle, with the landing door still open was wrenched out of the hole, back into space. A few seconds later a force field appeared, apart from the alarm siren blaring out, everyone was quiet and looking at the Sith with horror.

Diederick and Petra returned to the bridge to find an angry looking Janeway. "Why did you rip that ship out of the hull?!" She shouted.

"I told you exactly what I was going to do?" Diederick raised an eyebrow

"We've lost a cargo bay because of it!"

"You would've lost it anyway and possibly even more" the Sith argued back

"What do you mean?"

"They were here for your transporter technology. That's why they targeted that section in your shields." He said coolly.

"How did they even know in the first place?" Chakotay asked

"I smell a rat on your ship Captain, don't be surprised they come back with more numbers and try something more outrageous." Diederick smiled at the frowning Captain. Janeway eyed the Sith but before she could say anything else Harry spoke up "Captain, the Kazon ship is starting to charge their warp engines!"

"Stop them! Concentrate fire on their engines" Janeway refocused her anger onto the fleeing ship. Diederick smiled at Harry then looked at Chakotay "Commander, I'm going to need one of your shuttles." Diederick asked

"Why?" Chakotay asked taken aback by the sudden request.

"I'm going to go to that ship and find our rat and bring it back" Diederick gave a sinister smile.

"Take a couple of security officers with you." Chakotay said.

"OK" he replied and walked to the turbolift.

Upon entering the shuttle, he saw two red uniformed officers. "So, you're our chaperones? I feel safer already..." Diederick said humorously. Petra rolled her eyes and shook the hands of the officers "What're your names?" she asked.

"Crewman James Sharp" One said

"Ensign Aidan Cross"

"You're about to enter into a fire fight where you will be out gunned and outnumbered. Have you prepared yourselves?" Diederick asked solemnly

"We have" Both had a stoic on their faces, turned then entered the shuttle. The Sith smiled and followed with Petra in tow looking around the shuttle bay in wonder. Once all were aboard the shuttle rumbled into life and they exited Voyager.

Leaving the safety of Voyager, the shuttle weaved its way through the phaser beams towards the hulking Kazon vessel. "Sir" Cross called out "They're still charging their warp engines and their shields are holding at 70%"

"Shit" Diederick cursed and slowly turned to Petra "Want to be useful?"

"What do you want me to do?" She wasn't too sure of that look in his eye.

"Stand here and hold your palm out in front of you" Diederick ordered. She did as she was told and stood at the front of the shuttle with her palm outstretched.

"Gents, you're going to want to put some space gear on, just for safety..." He smiled apologetically to the officers flying the ship. After a few moments everyone was ready for whatever was going to happen.

"Petra, remember the feeling from earlier." He started to instruct his apprentice "Open that tap and punch a hole in their shields" He carefully said. Petra closed her eyes and recalled the feelings she felt before. She tried to imagine the tap that would be attached to her emotions. She then tried to open that tap. She felt something, something powerful, something immeasurable, something dark. Her distraction caused her to open the tap fully and the anger she had been repressing for so long came raging out of her. Diederick saw this, a savage smile was plastered on his face as he watched Petra scream, ball her hand into a fist and threw a punch towards the Kazon ship. It was as if a 50-meter fist had punched the ship in front of them as its shields collapsed and it lurched unnaturally to one side. "Ha ha ha ha!" The Sith laughed maniacally "Good first effort my apprentice! Good effort!" He said excitedly "Well Mr Cross, their shields should be down and the Kazon will be thoroughly confused. Let's go pay them a visit." Diederick hummed.

"Aye sir..." Cross said absentmindedly.