Disclaimer: Paramount owns anyone and anything recognizable. I have no idea where planets and Starbases are placed, so I randomly assigned a base to planet. Don't sue me, I own nothing but my name, and even that was a gift.
Kefalaio EnasCaptain's log: Stardate 3986.7. The Enterprise has just left orbit around Janus VI after completing negotiations between the miners and recently discovered Horta. We are currently on route to—
"Captain!"
James Kirk immediately cut of recording the ship's log at the urgency in Lt. Uhura's voice.
"What is it, Lieutenant?" It was very rare when the normally calm Uhura spoke in that tone of voice, and when she did it usually precluded something disastrous.
"I'm receiving a Priority-1 signal on general channel." She touched her ear-piece momentarily before continuing. "All ships in this vicinity are to report to Starbase 4 immediately."
"Go to yellow alert. Mr. Sulu—."
"Course already laid in, sir. Speed, sir?" Kirk almost smiled at the foresight of his helmsman.
"Warp eight." He slammed a communication button. "Kirk to engineering." The familiar Scottish brogue came back over the speaker.
"Aye, Captain, Scott here."
"Scotty, we've got a Priority-1 at Starbase 12 on our hands. How long can we last at Warp eight and still be battle ready?" There was a slight pause.
"Ah can give ye up t' eight point nine an' she'll still be fine, sirr." Kirk did smile this time. Scotty could work wonders with the engines of the Enterprise no matter what the situation.
"We won't need that, but I'm glad to know that we have it. Kirk out. Lt. Uhura, inform Starbase 4 that we'll be there in less than an hour and ask for their situation." The Enterprise was practically humming with the raw power racing through her; her crew moving quickly to their battle ready stations. Kirk heard Uhura repeatedly call to the base for their situation.
"It's no use, sir, they're only giving the signal. No other information." Kirk nodded composedly, but his mind was racing. Was it a recorded signal? Had the base been attacked so badly that they couldn't receive any calls? What if—
"Captain?" Spock had turned from his station with a slightly quizzical look on his face.
"What is it, Mr. Spock?"
"Starbase 4 is relatively close to Vulcan. I find it…odd that a Priority-1 signal would emanate from it."
"It's outside the bounds of Alpha quadrant, Spock. It's possible that something might have happened." The Vulcan merely turned back to his station. Kirk was about to pursue the conversation, as Spock being perturbed at anything was almost frightening, but was stopped. McCoy walked forcefully on the bridge and immediately zeroed in on the captain.
"Jim, what the hell's goin' on?" Leonard McCoy was perhaps the best surgeon in the fleet, but he hated it when the Enterprise went into alert status and no one notified him.
"We've gotten a Priority-1 from Starbase 4 and are on route." Kirk replied with a calm that he didn't exactly feel. But long practice had taught him that the only way to get the Irish Southerner to calm down was to be calm himself.
"Priority…Starbase 4? But that's near Vulcan." Far from working, Kirk's words had nearly aggravated McCoy's mood and then changed it to one of heightened concern.
"Astutely observed, Doctor." Spock commented dryly without looking up from the long-range scanners. McCoy glared daggers at the Vulcan's back but said nothing. He was about to ask another question when Spock spoke again.
"Long range scanners are picking up the base's signature."
"Damage?" At the possibility of new information, Kirk's mind kicked into overdrive, forming, reforming, and countering plans in his head.
"Inconclusive at this range, sir. However, I am also detecting two constitution class starships." He paused. "Identified as the USS Yorktown and USS Lexington." Kirk almost eased. Having both the Yorktown and Lexington onsite dramatically increased the odds of victory over whatever they were facing.
"Slow to half impulse. Lt. Uhura, open hailing frequencies."
"Half impulse, aye."
"Frequencies open, sir."
"Commodore Wesley, Captain Dumas, glad to see you're here." The viewscreen split between pictures of the Commodore's stately head and Dumas's grinning face.
"Yeah, wish it were under different circumstances, though." Dumas answered. He wasfour years Kirk's senior, with coal black hair and eyes and the toothiest smile humanly possible, and treated everyone as an equal.
"Do you know what's going on, Jim?" Wesley asked quietly. He had iron gray hair and sharply piercing eyes. Wesley was an excellent tactician and bore his rank with determination. Everyone was certain that he would be the next admiral, when a position opened.
"No sir. I was hoping that you did. We received the signal a little under an hour ago and have been unable to raise Starbase 4 since." Kirk was careful to keep the worry and suspicion out of his voice.
"I was hoping that I was the only person with that problem." Wesley sighed. "Are you prepared to form an attack squadron and coordinate through the Lexington?" Kirk and Dumas immediately answered with affirmatives and Wesley nodded. "Right. Standard formation Delta-3, red alert and stay sharp." Visual cut off the viewscreen as the Enterprise moved into her position.
"Captain," Spock said softly as he moved down to the command chair. "I have completed a sensor analysis of the Starbase." His face took that puzzled expression again. "There is no evidence of any damage, combat or otherwise to the base's structure or shields. There seems to be nothing wrong." Kirk's eyes narrowed slightly as he tried to process this. Why would a base issue a Priority-1 signal if there was no distress? He nodded to Spock and addressed Wesley.
"Commodore, our scanners are detecting no damage to Starbase 4."
"Yes, I am receiving similar readings. Remain in position util it is confirmed."
"Aye, sir." Kirk looked over at Spock and said quietly, "Begin a long range sweep for any ship or any trace of any ship in this area." Spock nodded and returned to his station.
The Enterprise, Lexington, and Yorktown approached the Starbase at impulse in a close triangle. All three ships were on red alert, all three commanders were mentally running through the thousands of situations that could happen, all three crews were tense and ready to act in a moment's notice. The Starbase loomed before them as silent and beautiful as the stars that circled it. The silence and the signal were at odds with one another, a seeming contradiction.
"We are within hailing range, Captain," Uhura said softly. Kirk nodded but did nothing. It was Wesley's prerogative to hail first, due to his seniority and rank as "squadron" leader. Sure enough, Wesley's hail soon came over the comm.
"Starbase 4 this is the USS Lexington speaking for the USS Enterprise and USS Yorktown. We are responding to your Priority-1 signal. Please state the nature of your distress." Silence followed. Kirk exchanged glances with both Spock and McCoy. Something was not right. "Starbase 4 this is the USS Lexington. Please state the nature of your distress." Still nothing. Kirk was about to ask Spock to do a scan for lifeforms on the base when another voice was heard over the comm.
"USS Lexington, this is Commander Richard Murray of Starbase 4. Sorry to keep you gentlemen waiting, but we had to authenticate you."
"What exactly is going on here, Commander?"
"Well sir, I am not at liberty to say over this channel. It would be best if you come over here, sir. Oh and please ask Captain Kirk and Doctor McCoy to come as well." Kirk looked inquisitively at McCoy, who shrugged his ignorance. Neither man had any idea what was going on.
"Affirmed. Wesley out." There was a pause before Wesley and Dumas appeared on the screen again. "You catch all that, Jim?"
"Yes, sir. Though I'm at a loss why they would want me and McCoy." Wesley seemed to be deep in thought.
"Right. Break formation and stand down to yellow alert. Do not dock with the base until we ascertain the situation. Jim, bring your doctor and first officer; Dumas, you do the same. We'll meet and try to get to the bottom of this." Kirk and Dumas assented and communication was terminated. Kirk seemed lost in thought for a moment before turning.
"Right, Spock, Bones, let's get over there." He hit the comm button. "Scotty, get up to the bridge. You have command until I'm back."
"Aye, sir," came the firm reply. The threesome moved into the turbolift down to the transporter rooms.
DXVJKE
Another ST story to pour my musings in...bonus points to anyone who can figure out what the title and chapters mean...later,
DarkX