The maintenance shaft ended and Uhura and Faaren slipped silently out into the hallways.

No one seemed to be alerted to their presence as they made their way through the darkened passage and entered into a large equipment room. Faaren took cover behind a metal crate. Uhura did the same.

Three guards paced across the room, the grated metal floor creaking beneath their boots.

Faaren peered quickly over the top of the crate before ducking back down. "We need to get to the far door," He whispered urgently.

Uhura nodded and moved away from the crate. Keeping low to the ground, she began to skirt around the edges of the room, being careful that her movements did not catch the attention of the guards. Even towards the edge of the room, a large expanse of empty space still separated her from the door.

One of the guards walked towards where she was crouched. Empty eyes stared out from beneath the helmet as the guard came to a stop. Uhura stared at the ground, waiting. The guard turned and was about to head back when Uhura stood from her cover and vaulted over the crate. She grabbed the guard around the neck, pulling him to the ground and slammed the back of the weapon into the side of its head until the guard was still.

The two other guards across the room saw what happened and they struggled for their weapons but Faaren was already behind them. Uhura stood and was going to assist the him when she caught just the slightest flicker of movement from the corner of her vision. She instinctively ducked just as a fist swiped through the air above her head. Uhura stood and spun, laying a powerful kick at the side of the alien's neck. The alien staggered and fell. Uhura turned, her fists raised for another attack when she saw that it was Faaren who stood behind her.

"That was very impressive, Nyota." He remarked with a smug grin.

"It's Uhura," She told him just as the alien behind her groaned and attempted to drag itself to its feet. Uhura quickly knocked him out. "Lieutenant Uhura, to you," She turned back around, glaring at the man.

"It's through here," The man told her, heading to the console on the side of the wall. He typed in a code and the door activated. The dark metal panel slid away, revealing the room from before. The room with the tall humanoid.

The tall figure knelt in the middle of the space, his elongated head upturned to the ceiling and his long pale hands resting palm upward on his knees.

Uhura wanted to scream at Faaren. He had lied to her. He had brought them back there. They entered the room and the panel slid shut behind them. The humanoid not move. Uhura raised her weapon, keeping it aimed at the vile creature as she moved away from the door.

Faaren stepped slightly closer. His grip tightened on the weapon, his finger about to pull the trigger when the humanoid's eyes opened. Faaren fired, but it was at empty space. There was a smear of white and the humanoid was beside him, ripping the weapon from his hand and throwing him against one of the empty display screens. Uhura tried to fire, but it was too fast and she felt herself lifted off her feet and flying through the air. Her back slammed into the far wall, a vase shattering beside her. Stars danced in front of her eyes and the air rushed out of her lungs.

The tall humanoid returned to the center of the room, standing regally there as if nothing had just transpired. "I was wondering when you would come."

Faaren groaned, struggling to his feet.

The humanoid shook its head slightly. "Please don't."

With a cry, Faaren rushed forward, but no sooner had he taken his first step did he find himself tumbling across the third ground. He dragged himself along the floor, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "You'll pay for everything you've done."

The tall figure looked almost curiously at the man. A small smile played at the edges of his lips. "I've killed millions. Your family was no different. I kept you alive because you served a purpose, for whatever short amount of time."

Uhura's hand wrapped around a jagged shard of a broken vase. With a groan, she climbed painfully to her feet. The tall figure bent over Faaren, holding his head up with long pale grey fingers. "Now you too, are no longer any use to me."

Uhura attacked the tall figure from behind, slamming a jagged shard into the alien's neck. With an almost bored sigh, the alien climbed to its feet and turned to face her. Its long fingers wrapped around the shard and pulled it out. There was no blood. There was nothing but an empty gash in the chalky surface of skin. It closed its hand, the shard crumbling to dust between its fingers. Uhura backed away.

"You believe this would stop me?" The humanoid asked, the dust falling to the floor.

"Go to hell," Was all Uhura could think to say.

It almost grinned. "Oh, I will. And you'll accompany me."

The door at the front of the room slid open and a guard entered. His shocked gaze swept around the room before coming to rest on the humanoid standing in the middle of the room.

"Everything is ready, your greatness," The guard said with a curt bowing motion.

"Good," The tall figure replied, walked towards the guard. "They will be joining us. Make certain they are properly accommodated." He stopped for a moment. "Inform my brothers that they will be coming with us also."

Thank you so much for reading this chapter of Star Trek Oblivion!

Live long and prosper,

↠ Ellie