ENTERPRISE

Part 5 of 7

Rising to his feet Hikaru Sulu stepped forwards to face the daleks his face proud and back straight, he was a warrior from a family of warriors and hid his fear well.

When Pavel Chekov moved to join him, Sulu waved the Russian back. He was senior helm officer and this was his duty.

"Kill me if you must," he said his voice lacking any tremor, "But let the others go."

The three daleks regarded Sulu then the cruel electronic voice filled the air.

Request refused you will all be exterminated.

Events on the bridge were beamed directly to the main screen in the tardis and Kirk felt his stomach clench with impotent fury; he could not allow this and he wouldn't.

Handing the dalek gun to Scotty he said, "Keep our tin friend covered, I'm going down there."

The engineer blinked in surprise, "What can you do Captain without a weapon," he asked?

Going to the two daleks he'd destroyed Kirk studied them, the upper casings were totally destroyed but the weapon was one was intact, seizing this he tugged with all his strength until it came free then he held it up like King Arthur wielding Excalibur.

Then with a smile he fled the time craft as fast as his legs would carry him. The people at risk weren't just colleagues they were trusted friends, he'd been through a lot with them and he owed them more than empty words at a wake.

"Almost there," the mind of the Doctor told Spock, "A few more seconds."

To which the Vulcan replied, "Something within the dalek saucer caused me to pass out, a mind of such immense power I could not withstand it."

"Yeah I know, there's something vital on that saucer. Towards the end of the time war when the saucers were crashing into the citadel kamikaze style this one ship pulled away. I followed it to find out why."

Spock's mind felt the Doctor's pain, "Your people and planet destroyed, everything lost."

Pausing for a moment to contemplate this the time lord replied, "Okay we're done, no time for a trial run let's just do it."

With a banshee cry Sulu threw himself on the nearest dalek, clinging to its upper casing he launched karate kicks at the other two knocking them aside. Chekov joined the fray, hurling himself on a dalek with a Cossack war cry.

Uhura picked up a heavy tool from under her work station to join the battle herself, but in that instant the lift doors pinged open and there was the captain. She always wept with relief to see him as Sulu and Pavel were thrown clear by the daleks who turned to kill them.

Kirk fired and a burst of super white light cremated one of the alien machines. He fired again and the top of another exploded into a burst of golden flames.

The last dalek wheeled around and fired at Kirk, who dove over a railing to avoid the lethal blast which turned a white wall into a blistered black ruin.

Rolling Kirk came up and squeezed his weapon control – nothing happened, he tried again, but the gun was useless.

The last dalek bore down on him and he knew he was finished; it wouldn't miss a second time.

Then a huge arc of blue electrical power erupted from the skirt of the machine being sucked into the hull plating, it was soon joined by another and a third as energy was torn out of the dalek's vital control systems causing it to scream, spin around and billow thick black smoke.

Soon it was inert, a smoking smutty ruin part of its shell buckled and melted, eyestick down Kirk couldn't believe it, he went over and kicked the thing but there was no response.

"It seems," he said, "We have the bridge back," his smile was radiant soon to be joined by other smiles and sighs of relief.

"Quickly get the dalek guns and follow me, our job is far from done," Kirk felt that old excitement in his bones he knew the tide had turned now he was going to purge enterprise of this vile cancer.

Eyes popping open the Doctor first sat up then swung his legs to the floor, he regarded the black dalek with distaste. Unlike its fellows it was safe inside the tardis; its static charge unaffected.

"Bring him with us," said the time lord to three astonished faces.

"Who the blue blazes are you," McCoy demanded.

"No time for chat," said the man in brown leather, "Let's go to the dalek saucer."

The others were fine about this all except Scotty who looked around in wonder and envy, "Aye lad I could spend the rest of my life in this box of wonders."

The Doctor grinned, "Maybe later," he said gently, "Let's finish this shall we and get the dalek ship off the enterprise."

"I'll second that," said McCoy.

Christine was frowning, "We can't go out there, what about the other daleks?"

"Caput," the Doctor replied, "Drained of static charge, me and Spock shorted them out."

At the sound of Spock's name Christine's cheeks flushed, "How is Mr Spock," she asked? Going over to her and lowering his voice to a whisper the Doctor said,

"Missing you I think," and the blush deepened.

Dead, inert and still – all of them – not a single dalek was functioning Kirk was delighted to see as he and his small group made their way to the main cargo bay where the saucer still stood.

Outside it a familiar figure was waiting for them and Kirk felt his face crease with delight, "Spock," never had he been happier to see anyone, "Is this your handiwork," he said pushing a dead dalek aside?

"Aided by the Doctor," Spock was his usual cool self, "He is the last of his kind, the last of the time lords," was that emotion in the icy voice, regret?

Sorry though he was to hear this Kirk stayed focused, "I'd like to see the last of these dalek things," he raged, "We need to get their craft out of the bay."

Spock was nodding, "It contains something of great importance to them captain."

"Like what," Jim asked?

"I am not sure but I suspect the Doctor knows," just then a jaunty figure stepped into view, his walk a swagger and his face beaming with delight. Patting the dome of the dead dalek he regarded Spock.

"Nice melding with you," he said.

"Indeed," the reply was cool but not unfriendly.

"I'm going into the saucer," the Doctor told Kirk who was astonished.

"What for, we can just eject it and use photon torpedoes?"

"They might not work, dalek saucers are tough old boots; anyway I want to see what they went to so much trouble to protect."

Then a voice boomed out of the bay it came from the saucer Doctor, it was alien but not a dalek voice not quite, similar but sibilant, slurping almost organic.

The moment he heard it the time lord lost his smile and nodded like this was something he had expected, "Yes of course," he said turning to the still open saucer, "I'm coming in," he told the voice which responded.

I have been waiting a long time to meet you again Doctor.

NEXT EPISODE...MUTANTS