round 5 MNPC Umas & Ensign Mancuso - Redemption, Retribution and Judgment

[S'Acul Aveunallliv]

((Mountain Top – Signal Booster))

:: He entered the clearing and stopped looking around until his eyes settled on the all too familiar face. A look of contempt crossed his face.::

Mancuso: Umas.

:: That voice. That irritating voice. Umas knew it well. Mancuso, the traitor. Mancuso, the spineless, wretched worm that had double-crossed him. This day would truly be filled with multiple victories. It was exciting.::

Umas: Hello, Jackie. Quite a trip. Still climbing mountains, I see. Still trying to earn the Captain’s trust.

Mancuso: And you’re still stealing your best ideas from everyone else. :: His voice was venomous and sarcastic.::

:: A condescending smile spread across Umas’s lips.::

Umas: Well, when you just leave them lying around for anyone to see, what do you expect? Can’t turn a blind eye to genius, Jackie. Wasting your talents is what you’re doing. See, I’m actually helping you realize your potential. You should be thanking me.

:: His words were meant to toy with Mancuso, to poke him, provoke him, make him squirm. Umas gestured smugly at the signal booster and the intricate device attached to it.::

Umas: Had to make a few last minute adjustments, but we’re just a button-push away from rescue. I thought I’d wait for you to arrive so that we could both have a front row seat when I fire it up.

Mancuso: :: Shaking his head.:: You....idiot. You’d kill yourself ….everyone else....just for your revenge?

Umas: Revenge? ::scoffing:: No. That would be wrong. Our gods would disapprove. But justice? Oh, yes. *That* is worth the self-sacrifice, don’t you think?

:: He leaned a shoulder against the signal booster and folded his arms confidently. After ten years of work and patience he deserved to be a smug jackass.::

Mancuso: :: Laughing.:: Right. Is that what you tell yourself? Is that what makes it all ok?

Umas: No! None of this is “okay”, but you brought this on yourselves! ::calming:: I don’t expect an unfaithful, unbeliever to understand. ::nodding back the machine:: This is your work, Jackie. You should be proud. It’s going to fix everything you and your kind have defiled, and destroyed, and murdered.

Mancuso: ::With a smirk, he laughed.:: Your child, your wife...your gods even.....everybody but you. This isn’t about anyone but you. A pathetic man who can’t accept that things are his OWN fault. :: He looked at him with contempt.:: You chose to bring your family along. Their blood is as much on your hands as it is on the Captains. You made your choice, same as I did.

Umas: Yes. ::calmly:: And I’ll pay for my share of the crimes along with the rest of you. I have no delusions of escaping punishment for what I’ve done. But I do look forward to your judgment, and the Captain’s, and everybody else who played a part in the deaths of the innocent.

:: Reaching out a hand, he held his finger over the button.::

Umas: So, shall we?

Mancuso: ::His eyes darted around.:: Oh...and you really think I’ll just sit back and let you?

:: Umas whistled, and from behind emerged about thirty savages, armed to the teeth, and even their teeth were quite sharp.::

Umas: As I see it, you don’t have choice.

:: He quickly turned and slapped the button. Immediately, the device began to power up, and a loud, low hum began to churn in the air.::

Mancuso: :: He tossed his phaser from his hip behind him towards the natives.::: There is always a choice.

:: He darted ahead, as the phaser overloaded behind him, throwing some of the natives back, and sending a few of the lesser encouraged ones running. He stood and tackled Umas to the ground.::

Mancuso: And to think....I actually took mercy on you.

:: Jack threw a hard punch that connected against Umas chin. He was thrown backwards by Umas next move, but ran at him again, tenacious. He threw an elbow against the side of Umas head.::

Mancuso: You ….are...one mistake.....that I intend to remedy.

::: He pulled a knife from his boot. Umas fought hard, but Jack fought harder. He pushed his weight against him, and threw his knee into Umas side. :::

Mancuso: Whatever happens.....:::He hissed through clenched teeth.::: You won’t live to see it.

:: He pushed with all his weight, feeling the knife slide in slowly. He looked in Umas eyes as he pushed further. He felt no satisfaction. No justice. No sense of peace. All he felt was burning rage.::

:: Umas’s eyes began to tear-up in pain. He glanced at Jack and blinked a few times. Shock twitched across his face. He couldn’t believe Jack had killed him. He couldn’t believe the man had won.::

:: A final exhale of air escaped Umas’s lungs and his eyes rolled back in his head.::

:: A bright, blinding white pulse surged from the mini-deflector dish and raced up toward the sky. The remaining natives shielded their eyes and flinched in fear. After ten years of patience, Umas’s prayers would finally be answered.::

:: Mancuso stood and looked skyward. Blood streaked across his face, and he shook his head, knowing that it was too late. All Jack could do now was watch. It would be quick for him. He knew it. Directed up as it was, the beacon would light the sky ablaze like napalm, and the world would be an empty husk. He fell to his knees as the wave of energy blasted outward and upward, and the last thought as Jack looked upward and saw the hole in the clouds ,passed through his mind only a millisecond before his entire being was turned to atoms.::

oO Look at all the stars.....beautiful isn’t it? Oo

:: The pulse quickly reached the atmosphere, and instantly set it ablaze. The white light then surged outward, sending ripples across the sky, much like what had caused the Avandar to crash on the planet years ago. Clouds blew apart, and suddenly the cold winds sucked back in one direction, and then ignited with a turbulent heat in the opposite direction, blasting across the face of the planet like a tsunami of flames.::

:: The final seconds of life unravel across the planet in a violent, quick extinction, and in an instant, everything was devoured. All that remained was the barren husk of a lost world.::

A JP from

Ensign Jack Mancuso

Engineer

USS Avandar

&

MPNPC Koltar Umas

Rebel Leader

simmed by T’Lea