Character Tournament
Enterprise vs. SDF-1
by Stoff
This story is part of Stoff's Character Tournament. For information on how you can participate, go to the forums on at Misc/X-overs/Character Tournament
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With a flash of light, the newly remodeled starship Enterprise, NCC-1701, decelerated from warp speed at the edge of the slight gravity well of the Mutara Nebula.
On the bridge, Admiral James T Kirk surveyed the swirling expanse of gases. He knew that on the other side of this phenomenon was a dangerous vessel; one which he would probably have no chance but to destroy. "Analysis, Spock?" he asked his Science Officer and First Officer, seated behind him at the sciences console.
Spock busied himself with studying his console, but spoke as if he knew most of the information already, which he in fact did. "The nebula primarily consists of Kralon gas, a gas which will cause several malfunctions in most of the ship's systems should we enter it. As a result, we are unable to detect the vessel on the other side."
"But they are undoubtedly there." Kirk mused. "Do we gain any advantage from entering the nebula?"
"No, Captain," Spock replied. "Perhaps if we were damaged, and were fighting a fully functional opponent, the nebula would serve to 'even the odds.' However, at this time, there is no reason we should accept the loss of tactical systems."
"I agree Mr. Spock," Kirk said, as he turned to the helm, situated in front of him on the Enterprise's bridge. "Chief Defalco, plot a parabolic course around the nebula to bring us to other side. Mr. Sulu, ahead full impulse. Mr. Spock, full sensor scan. I want to know the minute we can fix our opponent's position."
"Aye, sir," the navigator and helmsman responded, as they busily carried out the captain's orders. Mr. Spock said nothing as he continued to scan his console. Kirk knew that he was probably already running a full sensor scan, searching space for information that could help them in this encounter.
Responding to Mr. Sulu's controls, the Enterprise glided into flight, skirting the edge of the nebula, and searching for their quarry.
---
On the other side of the nebula, the immense ship known as the Super Dimensional Fortress brushed with the outermost tendrils of gas emanating from the nebula. Long and flat, it almost resembled a twentieth century Earth aircraft carrier, except that it stretched 1200 meters long. Indeed, two former aircraft carriers, the Daedalus and Prometheus, lay alongside the hull of the SDF-1, permanently grafted and adapted to become part of the interstellar spacecraft. Unfortunately their hangars were now empty, and the SDF-1 was without her veritech fighters.
On the surprisingly cramped bridge, Captain Henry Gloval, formerly of the Russian Navy, watched the nebula through the glass viewport with the same reflection as his counterpart. Busily working at their consoles were the five female officers who made up the bridge crew which had successfully brought him through their confrontation with the Zentradi.
Lisa Hayes, Gloval's First Officer, and the SDF-1's Fighter Control Officer, stood at her console in front of the Captain's chair. "The other vessel is almost certainly on the other side of this nebula, Captain," she reported.
"I see," Gloval said. "What of the nebula, itself."
"Made up mostly of Kralon gas, Captain," Vanessa reported from behind him, "which could disrupt our radar and targeting systems. The pinpoint barrier also would probably not function."
"Thank you, Vanessa," Gloval told her. "We should stay outside of the nebula rather than lose our systems," he said to himself. "And we have but one enemy. Will our main gun be able to destroy it?"
"Our main gun has destroyed pretty much everything we could get a clear shot at," Officer Claudia Grant said from her station beside Lisa's. "Why should this ship be any different?"
"Claudia's right, sir," Lisa said, "Our best chance is to destroy them with one shot."
"I agree," the captain said. "Full stop. When he comes to find us, we will be ready for him."
"Aye, sir," said the chorus of female voices around him.
---
The Enterprise rocketed through space, curving around the nebula. After what seemed like an eternity, Spock spoke up. "Captain, we are detecting the other ship. Its position is shown on tactical."
Kirk glanced at the viewscreen, which now showed a graphical depiction of the Enterprise's position in relation to their opponent. "Mr. Sulu, adjust our course for an attack pattern."
"Aye, sir," the helmsman said as he adjusted the ship's course a few degrees.
"The ship measures over four time our length and size," Spock reported, reading his scanners.
"Open hailing frequencies, Uhura."
"Frequencies open," replied the woman sitting behind Kirk.
Kirk stood as unconscious preparation for addressing the other ship. "To unidentified vessel. This is the Federation Starship Enterprise. We have orders to stop you. We do not wish further bloodshed. If you surrender now, we will show you full diplomatic consideration." He stood several moments in silence waiting for a reply.
"No response, sir," Uhura reported.
---
"Enemy vessel detected circling the nebula, sir," Sammy sang out as her screen issued her a report. "Approximately 300 meters long. It doesn't match any known Human or Zentradi designs."
"Fire the main gun!" Gloval barked.
Lisa toggled several controls on her console, starting the process of firing the SDF-1's mammoth primary weapon. As the ship rotated to face the oncoming vessel head-on, the forward third of the ship split in half and slid outward to form the two booms which comprised the "barrel" of the weapon. Energy began to arc between the two booms as the gun charged up.
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"Captain," Spock said, "I am reading a buildup of huge amounts of energy on the other vessel. I believe it is preparing to fire a weapon at us which is one of the most powerful we have ever encountered. If this weapon were to hit us, it's doubtful we would survive."
Kirk knew what Spock was urging without him having to say it. "Sulu, evasive maneuvers," he said urgently.
The Enterprise suddenly changed course, turning to fly almost perpendicular to the other ship, the inertial dampers keeping the crew from feeling most of the movement.
A beam of energy erupted from the front of the SDF-1; a beam so wide it could easily encompass the Enterprise. The weapon narrowly missed the smaller ship as it dashed out of the way. The beam lasted several seconds, but as soon as the Enterprise was clear, Sulu piloted the ship back towards the vessel, which could now rightly be called an enemy.
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"The main gun missed, sir," Lisa reported. "The other ship was able to maneuver out of the way. It is now approaching us at high speed."
"Ready pinpoint barrier system!" Gloval ordered.
In a separate control room on board the SDF-1, three barrier operators had been standing by. Now they placed their hands on the modified trackball controls which sent commands to the system which protected the ship from damage, but only in small areas at a time. Watching their readouts, they prepared to intercept any weapons coming from the other ship.
On the bridge, Gloval issued his next order. "Fire secondary cannons!" The eight beam weapons fired at the Enterprise swooped towards them, but the smaller ship, executing evasive maneuvers, was able to avoid damage.
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At the same time, Kirk ordered his own crew to attack. "Phasers! Torpedoes!" The Enterprise crew responded, Sulu firing phasers from the helm console, and Lieutenant Chekov firing torpedoes from the weapons console.
As the lances of light and small packets of destructive energy shot forth from the Enterprise, glowing pinpoints on the SDF-1 moved to intercept each weapon, which harmlessly impacted against the small barriers.
The Enterprise passed its closest point of approach to the larger ship, and fired a final phaser volley. A pinpoint barrier raced across the hull of the SDF-1 to intercept, but it was too late. The beam impacted amidships.
The bridge of the SDF-1, far from the impact, barely shook. "We've been hit, sir," Kim reported. "Heavy damage to fighter bay 3." Captain Gloval reflected that with no fighters, the damage had little consequence, but it demonstrated what would happen if the pinpoint barrier failed to intercept any other attacks.
---
The Enterprise passed the SDF-1. One of the larger cannons on the larger ship firing back towards it, this time catching the ship. The Enterprise's bridge did shake as the vessel headed away from its opponent at top speed.
"Scotty, damage report," Kirk said, punching the intercom button on his command chair armrest.
"Minor damage, sir," the engineer's voice came back. "Shields holding."
"Captain," Spock said, "Their damage is also minimal. Their primary weapon is recharging, and is almost ready to fire. We cannot continue the battle like this."
"Into the nebula, Sulu!"
"Aye, sir," Sulu responded, turning the ship to duck into the concealing gas.
"Sensors inoperable, Captain," Spock reported.
"Viewer astern, Mr. Sulu," Kirk ordered. "We have to see if they're following us."
The image on the viewscreen changed, showing the receding image of the enemy through increasing static, but for the moment it didn't seem to be following them. "Keep going, Sulu. Then randomly change our course. We don't want them to find us until we're ready."
Sulu nodded, grinning smugly.
Kirk rose from his chair and went back to the science station. "Analysis, Spock?"
The Vulcan had collected as much data as possible during the short pass against the opposing ship. "The technology of our opponent is most interesting, Captain. Some systems show a technology which has never before been encountered."
"Like that primary weapon," Kirk said.
Spock nodded. "We have encountered weapons of that magnitude, but not that precise signature. Other systems, however, are significantly less advanced. In fact, the signature is consistent with twentieth century Earth technology."
"Earth?" Kirk asked incredulously.
"Yes," Spock said. "In fact components like the ship's primitive scanners precisely match twentieth century radar units which are in the library computer. This also explains why they did not respond to our subspace hails. It appears that the enemy does not have subspace capability, but instead is equipped with outdated radio communications."
"That's odd," Kirk said.
"Indeed," the science officer agreed. "The enemy's shielding is quite fascinating. It provides perfect protection; our weapons did not penetrate at all. However, their shield seems only able to cover small areas of the ship at once. One of our phaser blasts made it through the defenses, and damaged the enemy as if it were striking unarmored hull."
Kirk nodded. "Recommendations?"
Spock steepled his fingers in front of him as he thought on the tactical problem. "If we were able to defeat the enemy's shields, we should be able to deal enough damage to disable or destroy them."
"If they entered the nebula, their shields would be disabled," Kirk surmised.
Spock nodded again. "Indeed. However, they realize this fact as well as we, and would be unlikely to enter the nebula unless they had no choice." With this, both men stood in thought, considering the problem.
Finally Spock spoke. "However, it may not be necessary to lure them into the nebula to achieve the same affect."
"Explain," Kirk commanded.
"It could be possible to collect a quantity of Kralon gas in the ram scoop. We could then approach the enemy and eject the gas close enough to disable the enemy shield at a certain point. If we then targeted our weapons on that point, each weapon should penetrate the hull in a relatively short amount of time."
Kirk smiled. "Good idea, Spock. Mr. Sulu, start collecting gas."
"Aye, Captain."
---
Gloval watched through the viewport as the enemy ship disappeared into the nebula. "How badly are they damaged?" he asked.
Officer Grant spoke up. "Our cannon had a minimal effect, sir," she said. "They appear to have a type of barrier system in operation."
"That's not good," Gloval said. "How can we defeat them?"
"Sir," Lisa said. "Their barrier is not impenetrable. The Daedalus maneuver has working for us before. There's no reason to believe it won't work on them."
"Hmmm," Gloval responded. The Daedalus maneuver took advantage of the impregnable pinpoint barrier system by focusing it into the bow of the Daedalus, which was rammed into an enemy ship. Once the aircraft carrier penetrated the enemy hull, its landing ramp was lowered, and hundreds of missile launchers were fired into the interior of an opposing ship. This attack almost always resulted in the destruction of the enemy.
"Yes," Gloval agreed. "And the main gun is ready to fire?"
"Yes, sir," Kim reported.
"Good," the Captain said. "We'll wait for them here. If they avoid the main gun again, they should come close enough for us to use the Daedalus maneuver. In order to use it, we will have to initiate a modular transformation."
"Yes, sir," Lisa said.
Gloval paused before giving the order. "Initiate."
Lisa threw the appropriate switches, then spoke into the ship's intercom. "Attention. Initiating modular transformation. All personnel brace."
Outside of the ship, the transformation was remarkable to behold. Whole areas of the immense vessel began to move in relation to the rest of the ship, rotating silently through space. When the transformation was finally complete, the SDF-1 no longer resembled an immense aircraft carrier, but now a giant robotic warrior, with the two aircraft carriers forming its "arms," and the two booms of the main gun now extended on either side of its "head," which was comprised of the ship's bridge and command center.
"Transformation complete, Captain," Lisa reported.
"Good," Gloval said. "Now we wait."
---
The Enterprise sped towards the last known position of its enemy. "Approaching the edge of the nebula," Lieutenant Sulu reported.
Kirk squinted at the viewscreen, desperate to pick out the enemy on the clouded visual display. Soon, he was able to pick out the behemoth spacecraft. "There," he said, pointing. Most of the bridge crew glanced at the visual display, also seeing their foe. "Hold your fire until after we eject the gas," he reminded his crew.
As the Enterprise zeroed in on the SDF-1, the twin booms of the fortress's main gun lowered perpendicular to the main axis of the humanoid ship. Energy once more built up between the two booms, preparing to fire.
"Their primary weapon is preparing to fire!" Spock reported on the Enterprise bridge.
"Sulu!" Kirk commanded, but he had no need, the helmsman had already piloted the starship in an evasive course, and as the deadly weapon fired, the Enterprise once again narrowly avoided being vaporized.
---
"The enemy has avoided our fire," Lisa reported. "They're now approaching us at high speed in an identical profile to their first attack."
"Commence firing with secondary guns," Gloval said. "Ready the Daedalus."
"Aye, sir," Lisa said, as the SDF-1's considerable secondary armament began firing on the incoming ship. With Lisa at the controls, the giant android's right arm almost imperceptibly moved backwards, in preparation for the forward punch that would hopefully destroy the enemy.
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The Enterprise closed, attempting to dodge incoming fire from the SDF-1, but this time ctaching several hits on her shields.
"Report!" Kirk yelled as a pipe burst on the bridge, spewing steam into the ship's control center.
"Shields at 60 percent," Scotty said over the intercom.
"Keep this course," Kirk said. "Get us as close as you can."
---
"Enemy continues to close. They will be in range of our Daedalus attack in approximately three seconds," Lisa said.
Speechless, the bridge crew watched as the enemy grew closer in their viewport.
"Execute Daedalus attack!" Gloval ordered.
The SDF-1's right arm shot forward in a mammoth punch. At the controls of the Enterprise, Sulu saw the other ship's maneuver and expertly reacted, piloting the ship around the unconventional attack, and for the second time in a matter of seconds avoiding destruction.
In the blink of an eye the Enterprise was meters away from the SDF-1's command complex, where they would be the most vulnerable. "Eject gas!" Kirk ordered. With this command, the red-orange gas was flushed from the Enterprise's nacelles, creating a small cloud around the head of the enemy ship. In a matter of seconds the Enterprise was clear of the enemy.
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"Daedalus attack failed, Captain," Lisa said, frustration evident in her voice.
"Captain, there is a cloud of gas around the command center," Vanessa reported. "It looks like the same kind of gas from the nebula, sir." The bridge crew looked at each other with puzzled glances.
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"Fire!" Kirk ordered. The Enterprise had begun a starboard turn back toward their enemy, and phasers lashed out from the starboard bank. The beam streaked toward the SDF-1, and the glowing spots of the pinpoint barrier moved to intercept, but as they entered the cloud of gas, they disappeared.
The double beam of phasers hit the SDF-1 precisely where they were aimed, creating a spectacular explosion uncommon with shielded vessels.
---
With a flash of light, the bridge of the SDF-1 began to fill with poisonous gas, causing the bridge crew to choke.
"Shut off that pipe!" Gloval yelled, ducking to the floor to avoid the noxious fume. Officer Grant moved to throw the appropriate switch, shutting off the gas vent, and leaving the bridge bathed in the glow of emergency lights.
The command crew of the SDF-1 still gathered themselves as the next attack came.
---
"All weapons, focus on that gas cloud. Fire!" Kirk said. The Enterprise had completed her turn, and was moving back towards the SDF-1. Phasers and photon torpedoes left the ship, finding their mark on the enemy, and causing damage readily evident from this distance.
The second phaser blast destroyed the SDF-1's bridge, killing everyone on it. Each succeeding shot compromised the hull deeper, until a surge of protoculture energy was released, coursing the entire length of the ship. Unable to withstand the power, the middle of the SDF-1 exploded, splitting the vessel in two. Each half of the erupting battleship was propelled away from the explosion, but were soon taken by secondary explosions, until not a trace was left.
The bridge crew of the Enterprise was silent as they sped away from the spectacular explosion. Somehow they knew they would be back. Perhaps to win again; perhaps to die.