Where No One Has Gone Before Pt. 09

It was late in the shift when my communicator pinged. I saw it was Chet, and I hoped he had good news for me.

"Yes, Commander, what is it?" I asked.

"We just finished the final testing on the Gingravik hoods, Captain. We were able to print out a prototype that works as well as theirs," Chet said.

"That is good news, Commander," I said. "What about the shielding device?"

"They're still working on that one, Captain, but they've made good progress. We can't use it while the warp bubble is active, though," he said.

"I doubt we would need it with the warp bubble active anyway, would we?"

"Probably not," Chet said. "We're still working on it, though. The tech behind it is solid enough. We're just working to make sure it doesn't affect any of our other systems."

"Understand," I said. "How long do you think it will take to print out enough of those brain hoods for both crews?"

"With all of our printers, probably three or four days. Remember, it's not just the humans that'll be using these things. We had to develop something that would protect the Gingravik as well," Chet said.

"I see. Finish up your testing, Chet. We'll head back to the base first thing in the morning."

"Yes, sir," Chet said before we ended the call. I turned to the duty comm officer.

"Open a channel to the Tere, Lieutenant."

"Yes, sir," the comm officer replied as Ra'al came to my side. "Channel open, Captain. Commander Mishita is available."

"Thank you." I pressed the button on my console and saw Mishita's face on the small screen. Jim was right behind her.

"Commander Mishita here, Captain. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to let you know that we'll be heading to our base of operations right after we get both crews back where they belong, Commander," I said. "We'll be there about three or four days while Engineering prints enough hoods for both crews. I'd appreciate it if you joined us so we can equip everyone and plan our operation at T-107."

"How long would it take to reach this base, Captain?" Mishita asked.

"At our maximum speed, I'd say no more than two days," I told her, knowing that by now, she would understand our concept of time. I could see her making the conversion before nodding her head.

"I understand. We'll accompany you, then."

"Thank you," I responded before ending the comm. "By the way, could you provide me with all the information you have on T-107?"

"Of course, Captain," Mishita said. She sent the information over, including maps and photographs, and I began planning our attack. I felt this would require a more "hands-on" approach, so I involved Marco. As the commanding officer of the Marine detachment, I figured he should play a role in the on-site planning. That night, after I made my daily log entry, Kyra massaged my neck and shoulders.

"Oh, that feels so good," I moaned. "Don't ever stop doing that."

"I'll have to at some point," Kyra quipped. "I'd like to get some sleep tonight."

"Yeah, me too. So, how did your interview with Petty Officer Jenkins go?"

"Went well, actually," Kyra answered. "She thoroughly enjoyed her encounter with the Gingravik. Said it was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. No surprise, given they have 12 massive cocks."

"No kidding," I said.

"But as much as she enjoyed herself, she said she doesn't think she would want a steady diet of that. And she likes having skin-to-skin contact with her partner. But she did say she would like to get some of that love poetry he recited to her," Kyra said.

"Oh?"

"Yes. She said it was like hearing and seeing it in her mind all at the same time."

"Interesting," I said. "Maybe I can see if Ra'al can provide some. For the ship's library, of course."

"Of course," Kyra repeated. "Meanwhile, why don't you come to bed and recite some of your own love poetry," she added with a mischievous smile. How could I resist?

The following morning, we made the switch and jumped to light speed after ensuring that both crews were present and accounted for. The only Gingravik remaining on Enterprise were two engineers working with Chet to integrate the shielding technology.

They seemed to have no problems fitting in. However, I reminded myself that their species had regular contact with other alien species for quite some time. I made a mental note to find out more about other alien races. If the human species was going to be 'wandering around the galactic neighborhood,' it would be prudent to know about any local gangs.

We reached the "base" unit in just over 25 hours. After settling in, the engineers began transferring the material to make the hoods that would protect us from the Darnok brain waves. I called a meeting with Mishita, her command, and our section heads, including Marco.

I brought everyone up to speed on what I knew and laid out what I saw as the initial operational plan of attack. Everyone remained silent until I finished, and I looked at Mishita before continuing.

"What have your people found?" I asked.

"Our engineers have concluded that the navigation system of the Klagg was off by two degrees - enough to expose the ship to the Darnok. They believe it was done intentionally, but they require a component from the wreckage to confirm that," Mishita said. "I will have one of my engineers accompany your Marines to the surface to retrieve it if that is possible."

"I believe we can do that, right, Lieutenant?" I asked Marco, who was busy studying the map on my monitor, taking note of Klagg's location relative to the Darnok cluster.

"I believe we can do that, Captain. I'll assign Corporal Sampson and two Marines to their engineer. Just a thought, Captain. Why not just nuke them from orbit?" he asked. I had considered that option but didn't want it to be my first course of action.

"Nook?" K'ew asked. "What does this mean?"

"We take the targets out with tactical nuclear warheads. Nothing high-yield. Would be a lot faster, and a lot more efficient," Marco said.

"You have fission weapons on this ship, Captain?" K'ew asked. I could hear the shock in the voice that came through the speakers.

"Yes, K'ew, we do. Is that a problem?" I asked.

"You cannot use them on T-107," K'ew stated emphatically. "I urge you to not consider that course of action."

"Oh? Why?" I asked.

"First, the crust of T-107 is quite thin, and unstable. The quadrillium is formed under the crust and pushes its way to the surface as the crystals grow. There is another problem. The quadrillium absorbs and amplifies energy. The amount of energy in your fission weapons could spark a chain reaction that would ultimately destroy the planet," K'ew said.

I understood K'ew's objections and, in doing so, understood fully what Alan had told me earlier. And it horrified me. Anyone with even a tiny amount of this material would be able to create a "doomsday" device that could ultimately destroy Earth. A much smaller planet, like T-107, would be shattered, or possibly annihilated.

"Alright, we'll table the nuclear option. What about standard weaponry? Lasers, and cruise missiles? The lasers emit in the red-light frequencies of our visible spectrum, and the missiles have chemical explosive warheads, though pretty powerful. Will those create a chain reaction?" I asked. I knew the Gingravik scientist had been on Enterprise long enough to be aware of our standard weaponry. K'ew thought for a few moments before responding.

"I do not believe so, as long as they do not use fissionable material," K'ew said. "The extremely intense electromagnetic flux, what you refer to as x-rays and gamma rays, from an uncontrolled fission reaction is what would initiate a corresponding reaction in the quadrillium."

"Alright. So it looks like we do this the old-fashioned way. Which means you and your Marines are going to get your hands dirty, Marco. I hope you and your men are up on your low-gravity training," I said.

"Yes, sir, and we've been practicing our Grav Tac," Marco said.

"Good. From what Astro reports, the gravity on T-107 is about.7 G. The planet has an oxygen-nitrogen atmosphere, but it's quite thin, so you'll have to work in suits," I said. "Will that be a problem?"

"No, sir. We're Marines. We improvise, adapt, overcome," Marco said. His response had the slightest hint of being 'put out.' He worked his Marines hard all the time; 'not being ready' happened to other people and was unacceptable to Marines.

"Good. Then this is what we'll do." I put up a larger map with T-107 in the center. "We'll approach the system from two directions. Here, at Point Red, we'll don our protective gear," I said, pointing at a spot half a parsec away from the system.

"Commander Mishita, you and Tere will approach the system from the sunward side, since you're more familiar with the approach corridor than I. Enterprise will approach from the dark side. When we're in range, we'll open fire to distract the Darnok and soften the target for Lt. Ruiz and his Marines. They'll be on the Tere. When you're in position, send them down in three teams. Lieutenant?" I asked, indicating it was Marco's turn to brief the group.

"Gunny Sanders will lead one team from the north slope here," Marco said, using his pointer to indicate a bluff overlooking the Darnok cluster at the bottom of a gully. "I will lead another team from the southern slope. Meanwhile, Corporal Sampson will land here, close to the Klagg. Once the enemy has been neutralized and your equipment recovered, we'll return to the shuttles and fly back to the Tere."

"Remember, Lieutenant, you'll only have a few hours of air in your combat suits. And you'll need to be careful. Even though they're reinforced, and are self-sealing, those suits can still be torn if you encounter a sharp enough rock. Get in, do your business, then get the hell off that planet as fast as you can. Understand?" I asked.

"Yes, sir, I understand," Marco replied.

"Any questions?" I asked.

"What if we encounter a Mr'rk ship, Captain?" Mishita asked.

"Like Lt. Ruiz said, we improvise, adapt, and overcome," I replied, causing Marco to smile.

"Lieutenant, I hope you realize these Darnok are not like anything you have ever encountered. They are extremely swift, and quite vicious. They are not capable of reasoning and they know nothing of mercy," Mishita said.

"Yes, ma'am," Marco said. "I understand. We'll just have to be more swift and even more vicious than they are. Hopefully, Enterprise will have done sufficient damage so there won't be much left for us to do but mop up."

"I hope you are right, Lieutenant," Mishita said. "These creatures are sexual omnivores. Given half a chance, they will do horrific things to you and your men."

"Then I reckon we'll just have to give them a very hot lead-based enema, ma'am," Marco said with a slight smile. "They'll think twice before they mess with another U.S. Marine." Mishita chuckled at that.

"Are you sure you're not really a D'o'wr, Lieutenant?" she asked. "You sound very much like one."

"I don't know what that is, ma'am, but I'll take it as a compliment," Marco said, causing the rest to chuckle in response. Even K'ew seemed to get a kick out of that. I wrapped up the meeting, and we went our separate ways to prepare for the most challenging job we had ever taken on.

Life on the Enterprise was a blur over the next three days. Chet's engineers burned a lot of midnight oil printing protective hoods and integrating the Gingravik shields into our system. That turned out to be a bit more of a challenge than Chet initially thought. Still, he eventually figured it out with help from Mishita's scientists and engineers.

The Marines drilled for their job, all while wearing the bulky combat suits they would have to use on T-107. They even managed to integrate some Grav Tac practice while suited. I also had the weapons officer run drills to test the systems and hone his skills. His techs aligned the guidance systems of the cruise missiles to darn near absolute precision. And he augmented the cooling systems on the lasers.

I heard from Alan the night before our departure. Working with certain three-letter federal agencies and the Earth-based Gingravik security services, Senator Jacoby was arrested as he attempted to contact his Mr'rk overseer. His equipment, computers, and papers were confiscated. He now sat in a tiny cell in the D.C. Prison as grim-faced federal agents pored over his files and alien communication gear.

Our work at the base was finally done. Everyone on both vessels was equipped with a protective hood; everything had been tested and was ready to go. Marco and his Marines "saddled up" and prepared to transfer to the Tere. I gave them the usual speech to prepare them for what they would experience on the alien vessel, then sent them on their way.

Sitting in my command chair, I pressed the button to activate the ship-to-ship communication channel.

"Tere, this is Enterprise. Status."

"Enterprise, this is Tere. We are ready, Captain," Mishita said.

"Let's roll," I replied. I saw the confused look on my Gingravik counterpart's face and smiled. "My apologies, Commander. Let's go."

"No apologies necessary, Captain," Mishita said with a smile. "I am ready to go. Please watch over Jim for me."

"No problem. Your prince is in good hands, Commander," I told her.

"Thank you," she said. "Tere, out." We ended the link and jumped into light speed, going in our pre-determined vectors to T-107.

We reached Point Red in 36 hours, and I commanded everyone to don their protective hoods. Pulling the hood over my head, I hoped it would work, and I also expected the thing wouldn't be too uncomfortable. To my surprise, it wasn't too bad, which was a good thing, as we would be using these things for the next two days, at least.

We finally reached T-107 and dropped out of light speed close to the planet - perhaps a bit closer than I would have liked, but I wanted to ensure we had the element of surprise.

"Tere is in position, Captain," Elizabeth said.

"Thank you, Commander," I said. Showtime. I knew Mishita was monitoring our position and would move in as soon as I began firing, so there was no need to communicate. "Shields up," I told the engineering officer.

"Shields up, sir," the lieutenant replied. I turned to the duty weapons officer.

"Target your objective, Lieutenant. Fire at will. Maximum effect."

"Aye, aye, sir," the Lieutenant replied. I watched as streams of hot red laser fire leaped from the ship and pounded T-107, where the Darnok was. I could see the flashes as the cruise missiles struck their targets.

For a moment, I almost felt sorry for the beings on the planet below. Almost. And then, I recalled the images Mishita gave me of the horrific treatment the Darnok had meted out to the crew of the Klagg. Elizabeth's voice brought me out of my reverie a half-hour later.

"Captain, sensors are picking up another vessel," she said. I jumped out of my chair and looked at her monitor. I saw the dark shape gaining on the Tere.

"Any idea who that might be?" I asked. Elizabeth shook her head.

"No sir. The emission signature is slightly different from the Tere, so I don't think it's Gingravik."

"I think you're right," I told her. The vessel's shape was sharply angular, unlike the smooth and elegant curves of the Tere.

"Sir, it's dropping out of light speed," Elizabeth said. "It seems to be heading straight for the Tere." I returned to my chair and pressed the button activating the ship-to-ship communication.

"Tere, this is Enterprise. There's a vessel almost on top of you. We can't identify it."

"We see it, Enterprise," Mishita replied. "It's a Mr'rk vessel. We're taking a defensive posture. Tere, out."

"Captain, we have to do something," Jim pled. I agreed with him, but we also had a mission to accomplish.

"Ops, what is the status of our target?" Elizabeth consulted her monitors before responding.

"Target appears to be heavily damaged, sir," she replied. My next move was clear to me.

"Weps, cease fire. Helm, take us out of orbit. Put us right behind that Mr'rk ship's exhaust," I said. Both officers acknowledged my command, and I saw the planet shift in the front portal as we broke orbit. "Weapons, prepare to fire on my command."

"Aye, aye, sir," the weapons lieutenant said. We slowly made our way around the planet and saw the Tere, with the Mr'rk vessel nearby. I could see red flashes between the third ship and the Tere and knew Mishita had come under fire. I hoped her shields held long enough for us to get in place.

"Steady as she goes, helm. Put us right behind that Mr'rk ship," I said.

"Aye, aye, sir," the helm said.

"Weapons, target those nacelles. Fire on my command."

"Aye, aye, sir," the weapons officer said.

"Ops?"

"Their shields seem to be concentrated on their bow, sir. I don't believe they've spotted us yet." We inched closer to the two ships now locked in combat. The Tere's shields were quite effective at deflecting the Mr'rk fire. Still, it didn't appear that Mishita's defensive weapons had much impact, if any. I hoped to change that situation fast.

"Stand by, weapons," I said.

"Standing by. Aye, aye, sir," the weapons officer replied.

"We're almost right up their ass, Captain," Jim said.

"I agree, Number One. Weapons, unleash Hell. Now!"

"Unleashing Hell, aye, aye, sir," the weapons officer replied. Flashes of hot-red phased laser fire erupted from the Enterprise before becoming invisible as it reached the alien craft. It neatly sliced through the Mr'rk shields and devastated whatever it struck. Pieces of what I assumed were their engines broke away and tumbled into space. The weapons lieutenant glanced at me for further instructions.

"Keep firing, Lieutenant," I said.

"Yes, sir," the weapons officer replied. More pieces of the Mr'rk ship broke away, and I thought I saw bodies floating into open space. I saw the lights on the Mr'rk vessel flicker several times, then go out. The weapons fire it had been pouring on the Tere stopped.

"Sir, the Mr'rk vessel appears to be losing orbit, and it's heading for the planet," Elizabeth said. I looked, and sure enough, the Mr'rk ship had turned nose down toward the planet and appeared to be falling.

"Cease fire," I ordered.

"Aye, sir," the weapons officer replied. We watched as the Mr'rk vessel tumbled toward the planet, gaining speed as its gravity took hold and pulled it in. My communicator pinged, so I answered.

"Enterprise, this is Tere. We suffered minor damage, but are serviceable. No casualties. Thank you."

"My pleasure, Commander," I told her. Jim sighed in relief when he heard Mishita's message.

"We are not receiving any signals from the Darnok, Captain. It appears your orbital bombardment did the trick. However, we still need to collect our equipment from the Klagg, and I would like to see if we can rescue any survivors from the Mr'rk ship," Mishita said. I understood what she wanted - prisoners. Hopefully, someone could explain this whole mess.

"Very well, Commander. By all means, dispatch the Marines."

"Yes, Captain," Mishita replied. As we watched, four shuttles left the Tere and followed the Mr'rk ship to the surface. Fortunately, the vessel crash-landed not far from where the Darnok was located, so Marco would be somewhat familiar with the terrain, and it wasn't far from the wreckage of the Klagg.

I watched the four shuttles speed toward the planet below and anxiously awaited word from our expeditionary force. Then I turned to my first officer.

"Status, Number One?" I asked.

"All systems within normal operating parameters, Captain," Jim said as he received reports throughout the ship.

"Good, thank you," I said. "Why don't you go to Engineering and see how things are down there? I need to get my report ready for Admiral Simmons."