Star Trek: Phoenix-X
Remnants
2364. Three Klingon Bird of Prey's, the Nechag, the Furt'gh, and the Rotog, swung around in space and continued to blast disrupter pulses into an attacking alien vessel. The Federation starship Blue Nose sits, a few hundred kilometres away, trying to recover from damage to their engines and hull.
Kyle: "Report!?"
Levis: "We just got aft shields back online to 22-percent! ...Decks 10 and 11 are reporting multiple hull breaches! ...Impulse engines are still inoperable!"
Kyle: "Darn those engines! Starfleet designs are so fragile and easily breakable. It’s a wonder how our ships leave Spacedock."
All of a sudden, the alien vessel blasts an energy burst onto the Blue Nose's shields, transforming the portion of the shield-bubble into a solid plate. Another blast shatters the plate, allowing a hole in the shields.
Pedro: "Intruder alert!"
The crew look over to see that five reptilian-like aliens have beamed onto the bridge, aiming rifles.
D'Car: "We are the Vendoth. You are lesser beings and will bow before our might!"
Pedro: "Rude, but straight to the point, sir."
Kyle: "Indeed. --Greetings. I am Captain Kyle of the U.S.S. Blue Nose, and I submit to you that your vessel isn't doing as well as ours either."
He points to the view-screen, showing parts of the Vendoth scout ship exploding from continual Klingon bombardments.
D'Car: "I accept your submission, but not the kind that you had intended!"
Pedro: "What about the failure of your vessel?"
D'Car: "I will not accept that because denial is my way of life."
The ship shakes again and exhaust vents explode.
Levis: "The warp core has been hit by a catastrophic power surge; a breech may be imminent!"
D'Car: "You see? Everything is going to be fine."
Kyle: "No it's not! If you don't let my Operations officer redirect power to Engineering, our ship will explode - and you will die along with us!"
D'Car: "If destruction comes, then we will not have access to your databases, as we have desired. --Very well. You may do what is needed."
With Vendoth rifles trained on the Bridge crew, Pedro is allowed to access a nearby console.
#Martha: "Engineering to Bridge. The warp core has been stabilized. Death has been avoided for at least the rest of the week."
Kyle: "Acknowledged. --You see, Vendoth? Humans and your kind can co-exist equally. How can a dominant culture as yours ignore the potential that lies in the beings that you consider 'lesser'?"
D'Car: "It is quite easy if you think about it."
All of a sudden, the Vendoth ship on the view-screen in the background explodes! The Klingon Bird of Prey's all take formation from heavy battle and begin repairs.
Levis: "Looks like you aren't having a good day."
D'Car: "Our days are efficient! That's all that matters to our kind. --But it would seem that had I not allowed you to stabilize your core, death would have become all of us; Just more proof that you are an inferior race; afraid to die recklessly."
Kyle: "We do what we can."
D'Car: "But still... Your kind is beginning to intrigue me. Show me more of what you have to offer, so that I may retain it before killing you. We are mighty!"
The Captain nods and leads the team of Vendoth into the turbolift. The crew of the Blue Nose sigh a moment of relief and begin repairs to the ship.
2384. The U.S.S. Phoenix-X treks through space. The senior staff take their seats in the Conference room.
Armond: "Captain. We are receiving a meeting communication request from Section 31."
Cell: "On screen, Lieutenant Commander. The suspense is driving me nuts!"
>Elena: "Well if it isn’t our illustrious crew of Starfleet officers."
Cell: "You guys again? Doesn't anyone else from Section 31 ever want to talk to us?"
>Nelkast: "We put Agent Wallace on your crew. You can talk to him for a sense of variety."
Wallace: "Hey, there's more to me than just a talking a head, you know. I'm a person inside."
Red: "For the love of sto-vo-kor... Not another meeting of only banter!? Just because we're Starfleet's special transwarp capable ship, doesn't mean we should be cocky about it."
>Elena: "Special 'failed' transwarp ship, may we remind you, Lieutenant Commander? Thanks to us, Starfleet thinks the X-Project is another haul for the garbage scows; when it really isn't."
Cell: "That's pretty much when you stepped in and recruited us for Section 31 missions."
>Nelkast: "Correct. And we have another, Captain."
>Elena: "You see, two weeks ago, the Klingon colony of Korvat was surprise-attacked by an alien fleet. The Klingons are sending their own fleet to intercept, but the aliens are heading on a course for Federation space."
Kayl: "That's odd. Do we know who these aliens are?"
>Nelkast: "As a matter of fact, yes, Lieutenant. That information is only classified with Starfleet Intelligence. It's so easy to access, that they're using it as teaching material in children's daycare classes."
>Elena: "We're sending you the co-ordinates of their fleet. You're to intercept and destroy them."
Cell: "For what cause?"
>Nelkast: "They're enemies of the Federation."
Meanwhile, the Federation shuttle Iroh heads through space at warp.
Seifer: "First officer's log, Stardate 61669-point-5. Doctor Lox and I are en-route back to the Phoenix-X after having spent two days on Moab IV in surgery. With a Doctor Torvin's help, we were able to reverse genetic alterations done to my Trill symbiont by aliens five years ago. --That, and I got my teeth straightened. It pretty much was a double-win situation."
He turns off the log recorder and returns his attention to the helm controls. Doctor Lox enters the cockpit with two mugs of raktajino.
Lox: "Care for some? It's pretty much all these shuttle replicators can make now."
Seifer: "No thanks. I had a bad experience with that Klingon coffee and the Klingon exchange officers aboard the Phoenix-X last week. We had a coffee drinking competition and they ended up drinking me over the table."
Lox: "Don't you mean, 'under the table'?"
Seifer: "No. Definitely 'over'; I was so caffeinated that I believed the floor was slowing me down."
Lox: "Pssh! Those Klingons think they're so good! Well, one day they'll get their comeuppance."
Seifer: "Hey now. Let's not go crazy with the damming of others. Save those for a select few, my friend."
Lox: "But people are always damming the Klingons. It's a regular pastime in some cultures."
Seifer: "That may be true, but we aren't like those cultures who think they're better than others. We see the value in all species... the latinum value, that is!"
Lox: "I think you're thinking of Ferengi."
Seifer: "Oh, right."
Just then, the console beeps incessantly.
Lox: "--Wait a second. We're getting a distress signal in the Rochani system. The Bajoran's dumped twenty cargo containers full of voles into that space a few years ago."
Seifer: "Damn; a distress signal? Let's alter our course while at warp speeds."
Lox: "But the course correction will fracture the hull!"
Seifer: "Pssh! What do Doctors know?"
The shuttle turns in space. Meanwhile, back aboard the Phoenix-X, the senior staff take their seats in the Conference room again.
Cell: "Greetings, everyone. As you all know, I have called you here again to talk about a threat to the Federation, known as the Borg. --Wait. Sorry; Force of habit. --Computer. Bring up the information on the view-screen?"
#Computer: "Warning. A situational access code from a Starfleet Captain is required to access this file."
Cell: "What? Oh right. I put a code on all the ship's files, due to possible vandalism. --My code is, Lambda-Rho-Kappa-Eta-Chi-Mu-9."
Kayl: "What kind of code is that?"
Cell: "I like to use the rarely taken Greek letters."
The data is suddenly displayed on the screen.
Cell: "...Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you - the Vendoth. A highly powerful race of reptilian-like creatures from a distant galaxy. They have a vendetta against the Federation, due to one of our ships, the U.S.S. Dragon, who crossed paths with them six years ago."
Red: "Why is it always Starfleet that triggers these massive alien invasions?"
Kugo: "I think the Bolians tried to provoke the Pakleds once; but that went nowhere fast."
Cell: "The point is, Lieutenant Commander, that these beings are relentless. Several vessels have encountered them in the past, and in all instances a greater show of firepower and defenses has been proven against us."
Wallace: "The worst part is that in order for their fleet to travel to our galaxy, they had to employ a warp-like vortex that was based on temporal mechanics. The vortex couldn't hold them all, so half their fleet were scattered across time and space."
Kayl: "Oh wait. I remember now! The Vendoth attacked Earth eight years ago, in one of the most horrific and violent battles in Federation history."
Cell: "Well, yeah. We were right there..."
2376. The Phoenix-X sits in space, a lightyear away from Earth's solar system, where an enormous fleet of Vendoth are entering. A channel is opened on all frequencies.
#The Roj Ch'Dak: "We are here to right the errors of your ways. No longer will you interfere in other's cultures as you did in ours. You will now humble yourselves before the might of Vendoth and learn subservience... or die!"
The channel is then closed, but goes unnoticed as a holographic Professor Moriarty has taken over the Phoenix-X. Moriarty's face appears on view-screens throughout the ship.
>Moriarty: "Who's the smart one now? HahahAHAhahahAHA!"
2384. The senior staff are sitting around the long table in the Conference room.
Cell: "Ugh. That is one memory I'm going to have mind-melded out."
Red: "So if the Vendoth used a form of space-travel that is temporal in nature, then that would mean their journey to our galaxy jumped them two years back in time."
Kayl: "And these new guys were jumped six years ahead in time. But why is our ship being sent to handle this?"
Wallace: "Since your time serving with Section 31, we've provided the Phoenix-X with powerful technology that isn't otherwise available to standard Starfleet vessels; your interphasic cloaking device, and your transphasic torpedoes for example."
Armond: "Not to mention Geordi's old VISOR; which has now been re-engineered to shoot laser beams."
Cell: "Uhh... yeah. Sufficed to say - we're well equipped. That being said, I still want all of you to familiarize yourselves with what we know of Vendoth defensive and offensive capabilities. I also want you to get to know their physical attributes."
Red: "I thought that was what this whole meeting was for?"
Cell: "It was. But I have to get back to the rest of the crew, to order around - because if they have too much independence, my ever dominating dictatorship over them will undoubtedly diminish."
The shuttlecraft Iroh drops warp to find that an Arkarian starship is firing on the Federation starship Crucial. Seifer and Lox watch as torpedoes are blasted into the forward shields of the U.S.S. Crucial.
Seifer: "This is Commander Seifer. Come in, Crucial."
>Menrow: "Crucial here. It's a good thing you arrived here in the nick of time, with your shuttle!"
Seifer: "We're a little picky today. Aren't we?"
>Menrow: "Sorry. It's just the stress of being in battle. Who knew that simply living would have become such a challenge?"
Lox: "Aren't you supposed to be escorting an Ambassador D'Car to a nearby colony?"
>Menrow: "That's exactly what we were doing, when the Arkarians suddenly confronted us. I mean, what is up with that? We don't 'suddenly' do anything to them. They could've been a little more considerate!"
The Crucial arch's around in space and bombards the Arkarian ship with photon torpedoes. The Akarian ship loses ventral shielding, but swings around, returning fire onto the Crucial's forward defenses. Both ships begin to get weaker and weaker.
#Jovel: "This is Captain Jovel of the Arkarian starship Partek. As you can see, you stand no chance against us."
Menrow: "Only because you surprise-attacked us when our shields were down! You said you wanted to come aboard and shake our hands..."
#Jovel: "You Humans fall for that specific bait all the time! Hahaha!"
Menrow: "But I thought our respective governments were ally's, Jovel?"
#Jovel: "Oh, yes; that. --Well, there is something you must know of our past, Captain Menrow. Our planet was once attacked by a Vendoth scout ship. Ever since then, we've been keeping an eye out for their kind."
Menrow: "Revenge is a dish best served lukewarm."
#Jovel: "It is not a matter of vengeance, Captain. The Vendoth are a relentless species who dominate no matter what your feelings are. We are simply attempting to control that element by extermination."
Menrow: "Some would say that you are a noble man, with the right idea... Not me though. I love my ship."
#Jovel: "The very same ship you will die in! HAHAhahaAHAHaha!! ...What? You must admit that's a little funny? Oh, you're no fun."
The Partek pumps out torpedo after torpedo, forcing Menrow to have the Crucial maneuver around. The Crucial returns fire, opening a hole in their shield grid. Suddenly, the shuttle swings in, between both ships, and fires a quantum torpedo onto the Arkarians' hull.
One whole side of the Arkarian ship begins to explode, as the Crucial and the Iroh fly out of there as fast as possible. Later, back aboard the Phoenix-X, Captain Cell goes through department reports in his Ready Room.
#Armond: "Bridge to Captain Cell. We're receiving a long-range communication from Commander Seifer."
Cell: "Put it through to here."
>Seifer, looking away: "...and that's the story of how I violated the Prime Directive--"
Cell: "You weren't just telling Lox about how you sold transparent aluminum to 21st century Earth, were you?"
>Seifer: "Uh, I have other Prime Directive violation stories, thank you very much."
Cell: "In that case, you may not be prepared for the oncoming encounter that deals with a violation of a different kind - The violation of our right to live."
>Seifer: "Explain this tacky, yet slick, bridging of topics, sir."
Cell: "You see, I've received a disturbing report from Section 31. The colony on Korvat was destroyed this morning. Long range sensors have picked up--"
>Seifer: "Yes, I know... the Borg."
Cell: "No. The Vendoth. We're to intercept the enemy immediately, and destroy them."
>Seifer: "Hmm. If that's true, then I guess you should know that Lox and I responded to a distress signal from the Crucial a few hours ago; they're carrying a Vendoth Ambassador that the Arkarians were adamant on killing."
Cell: "You mean there were space battles without me, and no one called?"
>Seifer: "Nope. But at least the Crucial still has that built-in underwater polo arena."
Cell: "Commander, you know I expect to be notified of all interstellar conflicts as or before they are happening!"
>Seifer: "Oh, right."
Cell: "The Arkarians' actions' can't really be put to blame. But why is the Crucial carrying a Vendoth Ambassador?"
>Seifer: "Hey, why are the Tellarites caught in a Temporal Cold Argument? We all have species-specific questions."
Cell: "See if you can find out what's going on aboard the Crucial. In the meantime, the Phoenix-X will deal with this Vendoth attack. It's time we did something about them."
>Seifer: "Understood. Oh, and watch your caboose, Dix."
Cell: "I intend to ignore that."
Meanwhile, two Vendoth battle cruisers and two scout ship's trek through space on a heading for Earth. The lead battle cruiser, the Th'ter'dek, suddenly increases speed.
Mur'Pel: "What is the meaning of such an action?"
Si'Xin: "The meaning is that I so choose it, VenQe' Mur'Pel."
Mur'Pel: "Yes, master. I will never question you again."
Si'Xin: "See that you don't! I am not one for questions while in command. It's counter-productive."
The lead Vendoth takes out a hand-disrupter and blasts an energy pulse into Mur'Pel's chest. He falls over, dead.
Na'Zhen: "VenQa' Si'Xin, you are much the trigger finger."
Si'Xin: "I abhor counter-productivity! Our last VenQa' expressed such a trait when he decided to attack the Korvat colony. We must focus on our goal - the punishment of this Federation."
Na'Zhen: "Does that mean I will become the VenQe' now?"
The lead Vendoth thinks about it for a second, but decides to pull the disrupter on Na'Zhen as well. He is hit with the energy pulse and knocked to the floor.
Si'Xin: "You were showing too much interest. That was your weakness! --You, helmsmen; you will become the new VenQe'."
Ke'Lau: "I will accept in favor of productivity."
Si'Xin: "That is more like it. Now, what does a Vendoth have to do to get her crew to lighten up a bit around here? This ship is a dreary vessel of melancholy."
Commander Seifer and Doctor Lox land the shuttle in the Crucial's shuttle bay. Captain Menrow makes his way down to meet them.
Menrow: "Gentlemen. I never got to thank you for your assistance earlier."
Lox: "We go where we're needed and appear where-ever trouble is afoot."
Menrow: "Unfortunately, you've encountered trouble of a different kind... Trouble within the self."
Seifer: "That is way too cryptic. But I'll accept it none-the-less."
Menrow: "Allow me to explain. You're a vessel privy to certain classified information, thanks to Section 31, are you not?"
Lox: "We are, good sir!"
Menrow: "Then may I ask, have you ever read of the Vendoth encounters of yonder yore? They tell many a tale, but none like the tale of an attack by a scout ship, three Klingon Birds of Prey and the Federation starship Blue Nose."
Seifer: "Pssh! I think the U.S.S. Excalibur's encounter beats any one out there."
Menrow: "Twenty years ago, the Blue Nose took on a team of Vendoth warriors after an encounter of epic proportions. Nowadays, it would be unheard of - but back then, teaching your enemy a new way was how things were done. Sufficed to say, at least one of the Vendoth, a VenQu' ranked warrior named D'Car, was spoken to on the subject of equality and the benefits thereof. He began to realize there was a lack of logic in his superior way of life."
Lox: "Wait a minute. I can live my life thinking I'm superior than others? I had no idea! Excuse me."
He runs away to test out his new philosophy.
Menrow: "Anyway... The other Vendoth in D'Car's team wouldn't have any of this brainwashing. They rose up against D'Car, but ultimately died fighting against Starfleet's armed forces. Since then, D'Car has been free to explore these thoughts of his with the help of Federation diplomats. It wasn't until that battle at Earth, eight years ago, that he decided he would bridge the gap between Vendoth and the Federation."
Seifer: "You mean, he became the Locutus of Starfleet? The Emissary of the Federation? The Janeway meddler of Kazon affairs, but in Starfleet and Federation context?"
Menrow: "Exactly. And now he's in a position that begs for a certain level of diplomatic skill, but he seems not able to grasp the basics. It seems years of oppressive culture has made it difficult to convey non-oppressive concepts."
Seifer: "That would be like asking an Ornaran to give a talk on opposing felicium. Words just can't describe the experience one would have to oppose."
Menrow: "I don't think you understand the situation at all."
Meanwhile, the Phoenix-X travels through a transwarp conduit towards the Vendoth attackers' co-ordinates.
Red: "Captain, our estimated time of arrival should be in less than three minutes."
Armond: "Speaking of arbitrary, last minute, conversation; but it seems this short time-span between the conceptual layout of the plan and the intended action has put me into a state of apprehension."
Kayl: "That's unnecessarily complicated."
Armond: "What I mean is, what if the plan fails and the Vendoth board the ship?"
Cell: "Luckily, we're a half Starfleet and half Klingon-exchange crew. With the warriors fighting for us, we stand a better chance at any possible boarding."
Wallace: "If I recall, the Klingons just stood aside as the Nausicaans boarded us last week. It was their way of reaping revenge after we denied them their kot'baval Festival only two days before."
Cell: "Screw them! Our first plan is genius and expertly crafted by my great tactician mind."
Kayl: "But what plan is that?"
Cell: "We're going to shoot them! ...And if that doesn't work, we'll ram the ship at them."
The Phoenix-X exits the transwarp conduit back out into normal space, right in front of the four Vendoth vessels. The lead battle cruiser, the Th'ter'dek, opens a channel.
Si'Xin: "Federation vessel. We are the Vendoth. You cannot defend against us. Resistance is shameful."
>Cell: "Did you just say Resistance is shameful?"
Si'Xin: "Precisely."
>Cell: "But you're just ripping off Resistance is futile."
Si'Xin: "Excellent, Captain. You're smarter than I expected. But unfortunately, you do not stand a chance against us; so your intelligence has been a complete waste of time. --VenQe'! Fire the weapons!"
The Th'ter'dek fires a torpedo onto the Phoenix-X's shield grid. A solidifying patch emerges on the infected spot. The Phoenix-X loads its transphasic torpedoes and fires one at the left flanking Vendoth scout ship. The scout ship is hit and part of it explodes in space.
>Ke'Lau: "We fired the weapons, VenQa'. But they are clearly over-armed. The Mun'Crik is burning to pieces."
>Si'Xin: "That is impossible!"
Cell: "Looks like you under-estimated the Federation. Our ship would have been here the last time your kind attacked, but we were indisposed by a hologram... Not to mention we were temporarily aligned with the Breen Confederacy."
He shakes his head.
Cell: "We were having identity issues."
>Si'Xin: "You will pay for your insolence, Captain! We are the ones you should be humbling yourselves to!"
Cell: "A little touchy today, aren't we? There is such thing as opponent-appreciation."
>Si'Xin: "I will not let you take this battle, you disrespectful creature. You know nothing of superiority and the right of which it is ours!"
The remaining three Vendoth ships turn in space, with the Th'ter'dek activating an array atop its hull. It begins to glow and send forth energy until opening a portal of greenish energy. With light dancing across the hulls of the three Vendoth ships, the Vendoth ships fly into it.
Cell: "Helm, follow the Vendoth ships. I don't want to get stuck repairing whatever damage they do."
The Phoenix-X turns and fly's into the portal after them.
Kayl: "We seem to be caught in a temporal choke."
Armond: "Captain... Earth! Nothing's wrong with it or anything; but they're sending out an unsynchronized chronometer reading. We've time-travelled to the past!"
2364. The Phoenix-X exits the portal, just in time to see the three Vendoth ships stretching off at warp-like speeds.
Red: "They're getting away!"
Armond: "Unfortunately, that vortex has thrown off all our transwarp and warp instruments. Main Engineering estimates two hours work; three at the most."
Cell: "Oh yeah? Tell Kugo she has five seconds to get the engines online."
Lieutenant Commander Armond taps at his controls, relaying the message to the lower decks. After a moment, his console beeps.
Armond: "Sir, she is... laughing?"
The Captain rolls his eyes and turns his attention back to the view-screen.
Cell: "Dammit. We were that close to destroying the threat. --Lieutenant, where are we in this time-frame? I wonder if we could ask ourselves for help."
Kayl: "I believe you were commanding the Kyushu, and I was on the Saratoga."
Red: "We were all in different places. Myself, I was serving on the Hegh'ta."
Cell: "Very well then. In that case, we'll avoid messing with the timeline. But I want long-range scans of the Vendoth ship's movements for as long as possible. They think they're all about superiority? Well they haven't seen superiority yet."
2384. Commander Seifer enters the 10-Forward aboard the Crucial. It is moderately busy, with low-level music playing in the background. He takes a seat at the bar.
Seifer: "What is this song?"
Torex: "It's from the group Subspace Domain's latest album, Amoebas of the Void."
Seifer: "Meh. I'm more of a Betelgeusean Rhapsody guy, myself."
All of a sudden, the Vendoth Ambassador, D'Car, takes a seat next to him.
D'Car: "There are many things in your Federation that compete with each other. In Vendoth culture, it is predetermined which is a cut above and which is substandard."
Seifer: "But you must admit the lack of realized potential in that way of thinking?"
D'Car: "Perhaps; but perhaps not. My way of thinking was predetermined when I was still living in Vendoth culture."
Seifer: "I wonder... Maybe there's a way you can continue to be open to new concepts while at the same time, keeping certain Vendoth values?"
D'Car: "Impossible! The two contradict each other like your galaxy's Cheron civilization."
Seifer: "Let's choose one quality that you may want to keep from your Vendoth origins... like your smug sense of ego. Now let's open your mind to new things, like equal rights."
D'Car: "...I reinforce these equal rights which in turn boosts my ego!"
Seifer: "Now you're getting it! ...It's just you won't be likable, is all. I mean, you really, really won't be likable. You can forget dating and casual sex."
D'Car: "Perhaps this form of compromise is something I can teach to the other Vendoth."
Seifer: "Other? I thought we killed them all-- err, I mean, I thought we cited all their places of existence...? Heh."
D'Car: "The Crucial is on course for a newly discovered Vendoth society, thriving on Rochani III. Two weeks ago, the Federation communication relay station in that area of space began transmitting signs of life from the nearby planet. Apparently the relay was partially damaged by space debris and just had recently fixed itself."
Seifer: "I'll bet you five slips of latinum that it was Klingon target shooting again."
D'Car: "Sufficed to say, some of my people have been living on that planet for quite a bit of time. We Vendoth are a strong and intelligent people, and I cannot allow us to go unknown."
Seifer: "Yeah but seeking out new civilizations? That's hardly Starfleet's mission. --Wait. Forget I said that."
2364. The Phoenix-X continues to sit in space, repairing its engines in an effort to fight justice. Meanwhile, Kugo and Wallace enter the Captain's Ready Room in search for him. They find a bucket on the floor, filled with liquid. After a few seconds, the liquid shape-shifts out and takes the form of Captain Cell.
Wallace: "Aren't you just plagiarizing Odo's bucket idea?"
Cell: "Not really. My bucket is 5 centimeters wider in diameter. Unfortunately, a Changeling does not have a tolerance for inferior small talk. So I expect you both to get to the point immediately."
Kugo: "Uh, I think this Vendoth thing has gone to your head. Besides, Starfleet demoted you when they found out you were lying to them about being Human. How more superior can you be?"
Cell: "Superior enough to shape-shift my hand into this phaser..."
Kugo: "Will that actually work? Never mind. I'll get to the point - You see, the engines are still out of sorts. The most we can get you for now is warp 2."
Cell: "Damn! If only Starfleet could have built a ship with a more advanced intergalactic warp capability."
Wallace: "They did. It was our ship, and, like, seven others. --But I believe I have an answer to our problem. About a parsec away from here is a vast subspace disturbance which multiplies the warp effect."
Cell: "You must be talking about Warp Region 6. Captain Kirk used it to reach the galactic barrier on several occasions, and ore ships traverse it to get to Delta Vega regularly."
Kugo: "A similar region leads to the Galactic core."
Wallace: "That's right. We can use it to catch up with the Vendoth and then strike them a deadly blow! We'll have to relive these years from this point on, but you get the idea."
Kugo: "The Borg, the Dominion, the Caretaker... we could warn everyone about what's to come."
Cell: "Perhaps we should mess with the timeline. We'd be making a difference by saving millions of lives."
Wallace: "Setting aside the possibility of even worse tragedies, the Temporal Prime Directive, any intervening 26th century Federation timeship, or an encounter with Q-- then, yes, we would be making a difference. But for the most part, we'd still be the same people."
Kugo: "Except that there would be two of each of us... So technically speaking, I can become a completely different person without any consequence to the other me."
The Th'ter'dek speeds through space with its two other ships following closely behind.
Si'Xin: "That incessant Captain! This was to be a straightforward lesson in Vendoth might. The very notion of anything contrary to that drives me to a brain haemorrhage!"
Ke'Lau: "Does that mean our plan to enslave the Earth is over?"
VenQa' Si'Xin takes out her weapon and fires it at Ke'Lau. He is killed instantly.
Si'Xin: "No true warrior would ever say that! ...But perhaps there is some truth in your words."
Heg'Cen: "Yes, master."
Si'Xin: "Take my log, new VenQe'. --This new weapon our adversary wields is so powerful that it defies our masterful defense systems. It is inconceivable that such weapon was the result of the Federation as a more advanced civilization - therefore I am left to conclude that they have ported their offence from some other source. Perhaps it came from the future, or some other cockamamie possibility."
She pauses to fire her disrupter at Heg'Cen for being too slow. Uv'Rek then takes his place.
Si'Xin: "Never-the-less, I will endeavor to move forward from this situation. No Vendoth warrior has ever waivered from their goal, or their way-- especially one of conquering for the Vendoth state. A warrior would rather die fighting, knowing defeat would come of her enemies in another time. Do I dare waiver...? If I will do it, I will do it only to find a way to overcome the enemy's weapon. Patience would be my sharp-edge, or prickly embedding."
2384. The U.S.S. Crucial drops warp and approaches Rochani III. Menrow, Seifer and D'Car beam down to a small village to meet with representatives. When they get there, they find that the village is a mixture of Vendoth and Human occupants.
Boh'Nic: "You have entered our society. The right of being welcomed has been given to you."
D'Car: "But it appears such a right has entered me into a society of mixed culture. It looks like you're living with Humans ...As equals!"
Boh'Nic: "It is true that we have steered from the Vendoth way. But, first, allow me to explain. --You see long ago, we weren't unlike yourself; a vicious tyrannical species, bent on universal domination - because, after all, we're better than it. Like you, we were part of the fleet that traversed the great galactic void and were lost in time upon arrival."
D'Car: "Inter-spacial travel never works the way we expect. We may as well travel randomly!"
Boh'Nic: "And, like you, we engaged in combat with those we encountered. But something different happened-- something... unimaginable - We were defeated in battle. Like our opponent, a Federation starship, we were forced to beam down to this planet in order to survive. Unfortunately, in doing so, our ships exploded from battle, and we lost all available technology to get us off it, or even send out a communication. Thus, we were forced to live and learn from each other in a short amount of time. Killing one another was an option, but we decided that peace would suffice until we could turn the tables unexpectedly."
D'Car: "And are you going to be murdering the Humans any time soon?"
Pelsley: "I'll fill that in. Hi, I'm one of the Humans. You see, the Vendoth have not attempted such an act yet. But we're always ready for them! In the meantime, we love to play parrises squares against each other on a bi-weekly basis. The fun is unparalleled!"
Boh'Nic: "Agreed."
Seifer: "Wait a minute... There are Humans living with Vendoth, peacefully, on this planet?"
Pelsley: "It's something that the Klingons and Romulans could never do. We sure showed them."
Seifer: "This is crazy! This place should have been known all along! Is Starfleet's exploratory division getting lazy or something?"
Menrow: "You know, there is always some job or mission of ours that goes unfinished for many different reasons, so I'm sure you've heard all the excuses."
Seifer: "When I get back to the Federation, I'm going to give them a piece of my mind. All these Vendoth could have been rehabilitated through a Federation neural neutralizer, brain-washing device, instead of roaming free and liberated on this planet. I hope I've made my frustrations clear."
Pelsley: "More than clear! Now who's up for some parrises squares? We have naked female Vendoth referees, which I'm sure more than interests some of you for learning further about their physiology!"
Seifer: "..............I'll pass."
2364. The Phoenix-X drops back into normal space, followed by the three Vendoth ships. Captain Cell enters the Bridge of the Phoenix-X.
Cell: "Now it's time kick some Vendoth aft."
Kayl: "Isn't there any way we can avoid a fight? We'll kill them all with our transphsic torpedoes!"
Red: "That is the whole point. These creatures have declared war against your planet. Do you not want to answer that declaration by meeting it with weapons armed?"
Kayl: "I'd rather rise above it, and make them see that there are more important issues at hand."
Red: "That just gives them the opportunity to shoot you again! They are a blood-thirsty enemy with their triggers emitting a tractor beam onto their fingers!"
All of a sudden, the Vendoth open fire. The ship shakes while parts of the shield-grid solidify.
Armond: "What is this? Their weapons are converting the energy in our shields into a solid matter..."
Wallace: "Aww. Like an egg shell? That's so cute."
Cell: "They did this last time. Weren't you paying attention?"
Armond: "I didn't even get to read up on who we're fighting; you ended that meeting so early this morning."
Ensign Dan: "--Captain, it is me, Ensign Dan, reporting for duty. I submit to you that my advanced intellect has an idea for our situation. You see, we can activate our interphasic cloaking device so we become invisible to them. This change in status will give us a tactical advantage, and their cloaking detection practices won't even pick us up!"
Captain Cell nods to Armond, signifying the activation of the cloak. The Phoenix-X suddenly disappears, leaving the Vendoth vessels to search intensely for cloaked ships. They then find their efforts are wasted.
Red: "These foolish creatures don't even know invisible when they see it!"
Kayl: "Hey, we could de-cloak inside their ships, and kill them all."
Wallace: "That would kill us too."
Kayl: "Oh, right."
The Phoenix-X then de-cloaks and opens fire from unexpected co-ordinates. As the ship re-appears and fires, it hits the side of the lead Vendoth ship. The Phoenix-X then rotates to accommodate an approaching Vendoth scout vessel, and fires on that. Part of the scout's hull explodes, with partial damage.
Cell: "MwahaHAHa! That will teach you to mess with the Federation. Only a select few have that privilege."
The Phoenix-X fires again, to finish them off-- but instead, the scout moves out of the way. The damaged Vendoth scout then turns and starts following the stray torpedo. The other larger two ships follow suit, but act as a cover for the scout.
Kayl: "It looks like they're scanning the transphasic torpedo... trying to study it..."
Cell: "What??"
He turns to Ensign Dan.
Cell: "This is all your fault. You're relieved!"
The Phoenix-X turns and follows after them at high impulse speeds. They fire transphasic torpedoes onto the second Vendoth battlecruiser, phasing through the shields and blowing a large portion of their hull. The lead Vendoth battlecruiser, the Th'ter'dek, activates its dorsal array and opens up the greenish portal off the port bow.
Cell: "What is going on here? There is no way the Vendoth will learn how to defend themselves from the transphasic torpedoes by just scanning one of them! The very idea is preposterous... and other such words of unbelievablity."
Wallace: "It may be possible that they carry the intellect needed to decipher something as complicated as transphasic energy. I would advise destroying the scout ship before it transmits its data to the other two ships."
The nearby console beeps.
Armond: "Too late."
Wallace: "Then I would advise firing like a mad man."
The Phoenix-X pumps out torpedo after torpedo, losing targeting accuracy as it nears the portal's magnetic interference. The three Vendoth ships turn in unison toward the portal, except that the scout, the F'Dhelk, and the second battlecruiser, the Cor'Mok, lose their course due to damaged impulse engines. The only ship's that pass through the portal are the Th'ter'dek and the Phoenix-X.
Meanwhile, the U.S.S. Blue Nose and the U.S.S. Dark Glory trek through space, nearby. Captain Korvin of the Dark Glory is called to the Bridge.
Chren: "Sir, we're picking up signs of two damaged alien vessels in the next sector. Both are heading in opposite directions."
Korvin: "Send the Blue Nose after the smaller one, and we'll take the big one. When Starfleet sees how daring I am, I'm sure to get that Councillor I've been waiting on."
Chren: "Yeah, we really need one of those on the crew. I've had this nervous tick for weeks, and I'm afraid it's somehow related to childhood anxieties!"
The two ships head off in separate directions. It isn't long until the Dark Glory finds itself in combat with the Cor'Mok. They exchange fire near a communication relay station, damaging it badly; but ultimately are forced to abandon their ships for a nearby planet.
2384. Ambassador D'Car enters the main square of the village, late afternoon. He watches as a Human female trips over an exposed patio stone, prompting a nearby Vendoth citizen to approach her and help her up.
Su'Jar: "Are you okay?"
Elaine: "Yes, thank you so much for the assistance."
D'Car: "--You two; It appears as if you are showing sympathy to each other."
Su'Jar: "It is so... but mostly the sympathy of mine to the Human. It is a formal exchange; one that capitalizes on a single event in order to create an interpersonal bond. But it's best not to complicate the explanation."
D'Car: "Is this what Vendoth have been reduced to? The helping of other species' ability to walk? We were once a strong and powerful race, to be reckoned with. We were feared and respected when we walked the streets of our cities! I once used a group of servant-class citizens as a staircase when the one I wanted to climb was out-of-order!!"
People begin to hear him, as he raises his voice. They crowd around to listen to what he has to say.
D'Car: "These Humans should be kneeling to us. They should be opening our automatic doors. When we want to have the tradition of Vendoth intercourse, they should be preparing our beds! Human children should be sold in local shops' window sills! Are we not Vendoth!?"
Everyone : " Yeah! "
D'Car: "Are we not the superior race!!?? "
Everyone : " Yeah!!! "
D'Car: "Then let's take what is ours and show these Humans who we really are!! WE ARE VENDOTH!!!!!"
Everyone : " YYyEAAH!!$%&*&@#%@*!!!!! "
The Vendoth start moving out and attacking the Humans. Meanwhile, aboard the Crucial, Captain Menrow and Commander Seifer get wind of the situation below.
Seifer: "Oh my gosh... It looks like D'Car has turned and is causing a riot down there. But there has to be an explanation for it. I had given him really good advice, earlier."
All of a sudden, a team of Vendoth, led by D'Car, beam onto the Bridge and confront Seifer and Menrow.
D'Car: "Yes, you did give me some good advice earlier; and I took that advice to heart... Keep with my ways, while incorporating new things. Well, I intend to incorporate the use of your inferior ship to accommodate my plans of reinvigorating the Vendoth civilization!"
Seifer: "How did you hear what I was saying before you even beamed in??"
D'Car: "You inferior species are so predictable; that I figured you were saying something of the sort of what you just said when you were verbalizing it."
All of a sudden, Doctor Lox enters the Bridge.
Lox: "Well, I tried getting away with the Vendoth philosophy, and man, did I pick up a lot. That whole way is like a female magnet; very useful, if you ask me. If I wasn't a morbid, unkempt, Doctor with a more focused interest in unethical medical practices, I would have been all over the Chief Engineer."
D'Car: "Perhaps you wouldn't mind working for us, Doctor? We Vendoth could use a slave in the medical branch of our new civilization."
Lox: "And get the opportunity to learn all your advanced and evil secrets? Yes please! ...But aren't you going to attack the Earth?"
D'Car: "Earth, Qo'noS; it's all the same. We Vendoth must reconvene and reset back to our most intellectually condescending values. I see your little planets as a representation of this entire galaxy. Any species we come across here should be subjected to our forceful might - and all civilizations in all the four Quadrants will learn subservience... or die!!!"
He turns to the crew.
D'Car: "Now we will take this ship as our own."
All of a sudden, the greenish portal opens up nearby, ejecting the Th'ter'dek, and then the Phoenix-X, before it closes in on itself.
Armond: "Captain, the portal has fused our torpedo launching system. It may have to do with the fact that we were trying to fire it while in that thing."
Cell: "Who would have thought that irrational action would lead to unfortunate circumstance?"
Suddenly, the Crucial takes notice of what is going on. But they are too late, because D'Car quickly transports himself onto the Th'ter'dek. It isn't long before large portions of Vendoth are transported onto the Th'ter'dek, one group at a time. Both the Phoenix-X and the Crucial open fire at the ship, but it is too late, as the Th'ter'dek jumps off into high warp speeds.
D'Car and Boh'Nic enter the Bridge of the Th'ter'dek, where they are met with the VenQa'.
Si'Xin: "I am your master, and my title is VenQa'. What has been going on here?"
Boh'Nic: "Twenty years was not enough time to change our ways. We are the same as ever."
Uv'Rek: "Hey! You two will learn respect and speak properly to your masters!"
Suddenly, D'Car grabs a disrupter off a nearby guard and fires it at Uv'Rek. He then falls over, dead.
Si'Xin: "I like your style..."
Later, both Doctor Lox and Commander Seifer have returned to the Phoenix-X. The senior staff meet in the Conference room, along with Menrow as a guest. Section 31 contacts them over an encrypted channel.
Armond: "We've been running long range scans, but we can't locate the Vendoth ship anywhere. They appear to have escaped into deep space."
>Elena: "This is not good. Even with the Vendoth going after other civilizations, we are the ones responsible for not killing them when we had them."
>Nelkast: "More like, you guys are responsible! The Arkarians had the right idea - all Vendoth must die."
Red: "Puh! Like you are mister and misses perfect? I'd like to see any one of you complete a mission using our ship, while under your own pressure, while balancing a baseball on your head."
Kayl: "Besides, the Arkarians only knew about D'Car. If you believed in them, why did you allow D'Car to live yourselves?"
>Elena: "Are you kidding? It was us who made sure that D'Car stayed on the Federation's side while he lived among the good guys in secret. There were many nights of subjecting him to the Tantalus colony neural neutralizer."
>Nelkast: "But then we realized we hadn't plugged it in, and his transformation was based on his own accord."
Seifer: "So you guys have that machine!"
>Elena: "Sufficed to say, we always were optimistic D'Car would stay on our side. If it wasn't for that infernal planet, Rochani III, we would have kept him too."
Menrow: "You mean, Section 31 didn't even know there was anyone living on that planet?"
>Nelkast: "In time, we realized atmospheric radiation on Rochani III allowed the read for life-signs only once every two months; and after Starfleet had earlier found the debris of the Dark Glory, we all assumed they were dead."
>Elena: "Where are those survivors now, anyway? One of them is a Section 31 operative who owes me some latinum."
Lox: "You guys use money??"
>Nelkast: "Of course! It's the Federation who is stupid enough to not use it."
Menrow: "Um, the survivors of the Dark Glory are on my ship, and will be brought back to Starbase 12. --And, might I add, I have always felt that Section 31 was a leech on the Federation's sweaty backside of impending doom."
>Elena: "Aww, thanks."
Menrow: "I meant that as an insult!"
>Nelkast: "But still, we took it our own way."
The screen suddenly clicks off.
Kayl: "Anyone else get the feeling, that thanks to the Dark Glory and the Vendoth, we just experienced some sort of predestination paradox?"
Cell: "No. Not really. Are you sure you're not feeling sick or something?"
Kayl: "Well now that you mention it, I am coming down with a stuffy nose... Thanks, Captain!"
She gets up and heads for Sickbay.
Cell: "Now. It's time we prepared for that sweet void of nothing-- between the end of a failed Section 31 mission, and the beginning of an accidentally provoked alien of the week."
Everyone gets up to leave, but the Captain decides to walk over to the window and stare out at the stars. Wallace walks over to check up on him.
Wallace: "It appears as if we won't be altering the timeline, as originally planned."
Cell: "We could have saved so many lives, and so many pains. I suppose the best thing to do now is block all the resulting emotional reactions to that."
Wallace: "But won't that just build up in our subconscious?"
Cell: "Yeah, but we'll be dead way long after it has any real affect on us."
Wallace: "I think you need stop giving psychological advice to people."
Cell: "Right. --You know, Wallace, for centuries, my people, the Founders, were Gods to many occupied races in the Gamma Quadrant. I think I had felt it was my place to take what was natural of my people and somehow embody it in myself in light of the situation with the Vendoth."
Wallace: "Hey, you gotta get your highs when the opportunity arises, right?"
Cell: "I felt what it was like to be a Founder again... superior-minded. But when the Vendoth started scanning that torpedo, I realized how helpless I really was."
Wallace: "Speaking of which. Do you think they'll find a way to defend against the transphasic torpedo from their scans?"
Cell: "As long as they don't find a way to recreate the torpedo; because they've now turned their attention to the rest of the Galaxy."
Wallace: "But... that would be... impossible-- right?"
Cell: "With twenty years to work out the details? It doesn't look too good."
They turn their gazes back out into space, as the stars warp by.
THE END