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Shuttle Pilot
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 10
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Star Trek: UniVerse by Baxter Turnham
Naked Villiany
prologue
Stardate 0181.234
Beta Quadrant: Sector 006
1/2 light year outbound from Epsilon Sculptoris on course to Tau 1 Eridani.
Constitution Class Prototype NX-1701
USS Enterprise Captain Robert April Commanding.
The gray lady groaned under the phaser impact. "Shields are holding at 67%," the engineering Lt. called out.
Lt. Com. Intisaar Maqsood didn't look up from her weapons console, "Their shields are at 41% and also holding. Their warp field generator is off line."
"Well, they're not going anywhere. I want those shields down, Mr. Cartwright." Captain April looked at the repeater screen above tactical taking in everything he could, then snapped his eyes back to the main view screen and the battered little ship that was firing on him. The blockade runner had bolted out of the Epsilon Sculptoris system when Enterprise had warped in. They refused to answer hails and when Enterprise had forced them out of warp, opened fire. "Phasers at will." All things being equal that ship wouldn't be able to stand up for long against the sleek new Constitution Class Enterprise, but the gray lady had only been out of the shipyards for a month and the new systems couldn't seem to take the strain. It was April's job to shake the bugs out of the design, only problem was, Enterprise was infested.
"Half yield torpedo should do it." The Ops officer spoke his dark skin glowed in the low alert status lights of the bridge, his voice a low rumble.
"Do it," the Captain nodded to Ops, "but I want that ship in one piece, George."
"Half yield torpedo." Commander George Cartwright stepped to tactical and watched her key it in.
"Torpedo charging." She said firing on the blockade runner once more. Blue-white lances of raw power pounded into the blockade runner's shields casting strange shadows across her piece-meal hull.
"Boarding parties stand by." The old man punched the comm on the armrest. "Energize as soon as those shields are down."
"Their weapons are off line,” Cartwright said before his tactical officer could.
“Mr. Wells, order them to drop shields and prepare to be boarded.” the old man barked.
“Torpedo charged. Locked on target." She barked, her tan skin was warmed by the glow of her display.
“No response, Captain.”
"Fire!" April was on the edge of his seat, eyes glued on the view screen watching for the torpedo impact. "Fire!"
Maqsood punched the firing stud for the fourth time, Cartwright keyed a display. "Torpedo room one off line," she stated firmly.
"Phasers! Keep firing. Room two, charge another torpedo," April barked as he turned to the Engineering repeater screen. "Where are my torpedoes, Mr. Baxter?"
"I'm reading a fire in torpedo room one, Captain," the nervous Lt. said.
"If we rotate fifteen degrees to port we should be able to add the starboard phaser banks." Cartwright's voice rolled through the bridge.
"Mr. McDonald, rotate fifteen to port," The Captain ordered.
"Fifteen to port, aye," the dark haired helm officer leaned into her console as the gray lady side slipped.
"That's got it," Intisaar called out. A second phaser bank ignited and Enterprise poured four lances of phased plasma down on the battered ships protective shields, they held... but just. "Enemy shields down to 38%. Torpedo charged. Firing," the torpedo screamed from the launcher mounted at the base of the neck, her engines flared on the view screen and it slammed into the small ship's shields and exploded. The shock wave buffeted the gray lady and the battered ship lurched from the impact, her shields flickered and fell, debris showered away from the broken hulk. "Shields down!"
"Drop ours and energize!" April barked.
"Boarding parties... away." Mr. Baxter sang out keeping half an eye on the readings from the torpedo room.
"Shields up and hold your fire Mr. Maqsood." April sat back, now he waited as security and MACOs cut their way through the crew of the blockade runner. Gnawing on the side of his index finger was a bad habit he hadn't quite been able to break.
"Captain, Mr. z'Kquo reporting from the Tantavee, the ship is secure, sir." The communications officer reported with a smirk on his face and in his voice.
"Outstanding, Mr. Wells, my compliments to Mr. z'Kquo and his team. Mr. Catrwright, stand down to yellow alert and dock us with that ship. Where is Mr. Stev?" He turned to the engineering station.
"The Chief Engineer is in the torpedo room one, sir."
"That's where I'll be, you have the bridge, George," the Captain said as he bolted for the turbo-lift.
"Thank you, sir." The Ops officer sat in center seat as the lift doors closed.
The door to torpedo room one opened and the smell of burning metal and ozone met him instantly, he could hear the atmosphere processors working overtime. He looked at the room, the area around the launcher was blackened and engineering personnel stood and scanned with tricorders. He could see two sets of legs poking out from the launcher. He didn't see any medical personnel and that was good. He started down the ladder well. "Captain on deck," a fresh faced ensign cried out in a Scottish brogue. Captain April stepped up and tapped the ChEng's boots.
The lean Andorian slid out covered in grime, stood and pulled a rag from his pocket. "Strip it to the bulkheads, carefully," he calmly said to the nearest lieutenant then motioned for the Captain to step away. "The good news or the bad news?"
"Good news."
"The safety systems worked perfectly, no one got hurt," Stev said wiping off his face and antennai. "Bad news, we blew a 20 meter plume of flame out the torpedo launcher. We're going to have to redesign, rebuild all our launchers and we have a live half yield warhead welded in there." Stev looked at the Captain, the strain was evident on both their faces, "soon as I'm done talking to you, I have to contact Constitution."
"How close are we to heading back to dry dock?" The Captain asked looking at the ruin and thankful it wasn't worse.
"We can handle this." Stev reassured him, "the heat exchange did it. Every time we fired a torp, it slowly cooked and warped the works. I spoke to the designer three days ago and he assured me that it wouldn't expand any further. If he was here, I'd make him disarm that warhead."
The comm whistled so the old man stepped over and answered. "April."
"Captain, this is T'Prinn aboard the Tantavee. I have something here you need to see." The voice crackled slightly.
"Doctor, I'm a little busy, can it wait?" April rubbed his temple he could feel the headache starting.
"No. T'Prinn out." The comm went dead and Stev made whimpering noises to keep from laughing out loud.
"Commander, you'll have to excuse me, I've been summoned into the presence of Her Majesty the Ice Queen," he hit the comm again. "Bridge."
"Cartwright here."
"I'm headed to the Tantavee, where are we docked?"
"Port side, Captain."
"That's where I'll be, April out," April punched it again, turned and climbed the ladder well, the banging of his feet make very clear what he was thinking.
The Xindi reptilian waited at the hatch, phaser drawn. "Captain."
"Mr. z'Kquo. No book today?" He asked stepping through into captured ship. The Xindi tapped the small of his back. "The day your work slips off we're going to have to talk about that."
"Yes sir, this way."
"Have I told you lately what a good job I think you're doing?"
"No, sir."
"I'll get around to it, one of these days." The sight in the passageway almost stopped him short. The Chief Medical Officer stood flanked by female nurses carrying shoulder kits and tricorders and MACOs, who pinned a sweaty human to the bulkhead and one who had T'Prinn's robe draped over his arm. April realized that he had never seen T'Prinn without it on.
The elder woman stepped forward, "You need to see this Captain, before we move in."
April shot daggers at her with his eyes as she keyed the cargo bay door open. He turned and stepped into the gloom. As his eyes adjusted the odor of old sweat and human waste slapped him. Something cold twisted in his gut as he took in the nightmare around him. He was a starship captain and years of regimentation took over, his insides were as hard and cold as the hull of his gray lady, he performed a textbook about face and stepped out. "Mr. z'Kquo. Throw that thing and it's crew in the brig and I said throw. If he happens to bounce off a couple of bulkheads on the way... leave it out of your report," his voice had dropped to all business.
"Yes sir, thank you sir." z'Kquo grabbed the man's arm a little too tightly and yanked him down the passage.
April executed a tight quarter turn that Lt. Col. Johnsen noticed instantly and faced the Doctor, "I'm placing you in command here. Security and the MACOs answer to you. You have anything you need, don't ask, just say the word. Understood?"
"Yes sir," then softly, "thank you. Captain,” then she was all ice and fire again, "Colonel, once you escort the Captain out, this passage is off limits for all males. You will deal with me through a female liaison or over communicators. Tear this ship apart, I want every secret these people are hiding. Is that clear?"
The Colonel snapped to hard attention, "crystal. Sir."
April nodded to the Doctor, did an about face and stalked out, "communicator, Colonel," one was slapped into his open hand and he flipped it open, "Bridge."
"Cartwright here, sir."
"Commander T'Prinn is in command of Tantavee. I expect all department heads to give her their full and gracious assistance. I want you and the XO in my office when I get there and have Mr. Wells get me Admiral Jellico on a secure line. April out."
end prologue
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