The base was trashed. Actually, trashed would be a massive understatement. The Undine had utterly destroyed Starbase 236 to the extent that it was remarkable that any of it was still intact. Thankfully a majority of the starships stationed here had escaped before the main battle could begin. Thanks to the efforts of two senior starships. Challenger and Enterprise. It was the latter ship that Excelsior searched for now. Galaxy had located her sister. Challenger was, miraculously unharmed besides a few scratches. And she was able to provide some basis for Excelsior's search, stating that she last saw Enterprise defending the far side. The accuracy of her report gave Excelsior confidence she would find the flagship. But at the same time, Challenger also had grim news. Enterprise had 3 Undine warships on her and was already badly damaged from the initial ambush. Excelsior would find her, but would she be alive? The very thought of finding Enterprise dead brought up feelings that the CMO long thought she had put to rest. Enterprise was a close friend and she was grateful the flagship saw her in the same light. Excelsior had served in the roles of Medical, Diplomatic and Personal Adviser to the lineage for well over a century. Enterprise took her advice more seriously than anyone else's and it was often a two way street. Excelsior had thought her more lustful feelings had died with the original Enterprise 200 years ago. So she was beyond surprised to find they not only still existed but were stronger now than they were before. Perhaps they had always been there, she just never had noticed them in such an open manner until now.
Excelsior was pulled out of her internal examinations by an alert on her scanners that indicated a lifeform reading close by. Her hopes soared. The readings told her it was another ship and the only starship that could be present in this base was Enterprise. Her flagship was still alive! Her sensors led her to a pile of rubble under which lay her flagship. Excelsior used her tractor beam and her own brute strength to remove the sheets of metal until she had found who she was looking for. But Ancients what that removal revealed. Enterprise was more a shipwreck than a ship. Her saucer was bore so many disruptor marks that it looked more black than gray. Her nacelles were attached to her secondary hull merely by their main internal support. One was missing its off axis, exposing the precious warp coils inside that dangled out and floated in the 0g environment with a ghostliness that sent chills down Excelsior's spine. The other was missing a majority of its outer plating and was more of a complexion of inner parts than anything resembling a warp nacelle. This damage extended right up to the buzzard collection which had been blown out completely. Enterprise's graceful neck was covered in deep cuts that were distinctive of high intensity phaser blasts. The Undine sure knew where to hit. The heat of those strikes had melted the plating of her saucer and secondary hulls, fusing them together. Thus, she couldn't separate. A key advantage in battle as it presented two targets to be dealt with instead of one. The resonance remaining on these wounds compared to the others told Excelsior that Enterprise had been hit here first.
Carefully, Excelsior removed any remaining debris from the area immediately surrounding Enterprise and then set to work fitting the transport harness on the Sovereign-class. The work was slow, due to the sheer number of wounds Enterprise had received. Wounds that were beyond Excelsior's ability to treat here. She wasn't even sure she could treat them once they returned to Sol. But she'd be damned if she didn't try. Finishing with the saucer, Excelsior was fitting the harness to Enterprise's stardrive section and wondering just how she was going to work the harness to fit such a mangled ship. She was just finishing with the port nacelle and turning her attention to the broken starboard one when she felt something nudge her hull, gently but with a firm instance that left no doubt as to its identity. Excelsior stilled, gathering herself and masking her feelings before turning to look at Enterprise. Enterprise's blind blue gaze lacked all of its intimidating stare. Even in her softest moments, Excelsior found she had a hard time staring into her flagship's eyes. Those alluring blue orbs always held a hard edge that was as frightening as it was gorgeous. But now not even a trace of that remained and Excelsior was surprised, even as she stared, entranced and unable to look away, that she felt sad that hard edge wasn't present. Without it, Enterprise's gaze seemed empty almost even though it was full of more emotions than her body could ever display. Then she spoke. "How's the fleet?" Briefly Excelsior had entertained the idea that she was not dealing with Enterprise. The lack of authority in those eyes had shaken her. But the question reasserted her belief that this was not some changling impostor but was the real USS Enterprise. As only Enterprise, even as damaged as she was, would ask such a question. Excelsior had to work to push back her ire at the question, despite how common to Enterprise it was. Here she was, desperately in need of major medical attention that Excelsior was unsure she could provide, and her first question was how the fleet was doing?! "They are all fine. Even Challenger. She said you saved her life." Enterprise immediately relaxed upon hearing the confirmation from her CMO but Excelsior didn't do a good enough job of keeping the ire out of her voice for the Sovereign-class tensed just as quickly. "And you?" Excelsior didn't pause in her work. "I'll be fine when you are." She replied. It was an honest answer but cryptic all the same. She did not want to give voice to her feelings. Not when she didn't even know how to make heads or tails of them, let along explain them to another ship. Even if that ship was the source and would very likely understand.
"Excelsior." The edge was back in Enterprise's voice and when Excelsior looked she was somewhat relieved to see it present in her eyes as well. She sighed. "It's a long story." "Then you better start talking." Enterprise said. "Because we're both on the clock. Me more so than you." "Don't you say that! I will fix you. I must fix you." Excelsior was surprised at the sheer amount of desperation that existed in her voice and evidently Enterprise was too. Although shocked might be a better word as she didn't look that surprised at all. She just sighed. "So even after all these years, you still see me that way." She murmured. To say that Excelsior was stunned would be an understatement. The CMO was astonished to the point of speechlessness. Enterprise knew?! Excelsior didn't even have the slightest idea of her own feelings, she wasn't even aware she still had them until now and this whole time Enterprise knew they were there! She knew how Excelsior felt for all these years. Seeing that she had quite efficiently silenced her usually chatty CMO was amusing to Enterprise and she chuckled, earning herself a glare. The look only served to increase her amusement and the chuckle became a laugh. "Ah its good to see you haven't changed Ex." "I thought my feelings, I didn't even know..." Excelsior stammered. "I know." Enterprise smiled, the softness once again filling her gaze, diminishing the hard edge to near nonexistence. Once again Excelsior was unnerved by this and noticing, Enterprise looked away. "You've displayed them with increasing regularity over the years. I had first assumed, as Enterprise A, that they were nonexistent. That your love truly died with Kirk's Enterprise. And for a time I felt that I deserved that loss. I still, think myself unworthy of your affections as you see them Excelsior." "Don't say that. Don't you ever say that!" Excelsior growled. "No ship is more deserving than you. I love you, Enterprise. Please, accept that." She begged. "I do." Enterprise smiled. "When your feelings reemerged I knew they had done so without your conscious knowledge. Knowing you were as torn as you were on the matter of my true identity, I chose not to bring the matter up in the hopes that you would one day rediscover your feelings on your own." "I-I guess I did, didn't I?" Excelsior managed a small smile. "In the spirit of superior officers everywhere I shall sum it up as simply this; took you long enough." Enterprise smirked.
Excelsior tightened the last strap on the harness. "Well that's the best I can do under the circumstances. It should secure you to my hull but the harness wasn't designed for a ship this damaged." She said. "I thought it was designed to take an injured ship." Enterprise asked. The Medical Emergency Harness or MEH was a design introduced by Voyager during her journey in the Delta Quadrant and had been deployed quite successfully in the Dominion War. "It was designed to transport ships with survivable injuries. Not vessels so injured they should be dead by now." Excelsior replied and for some reason Enterprise's countenance turned dark at this explanation.
Once the harness was fitted it was simple to get the Sovereign class into a position decent enough for warp travel. "Hold onto me." Excelsior told her unnecessarily as Enterprise had already snuggled herself to the CMO's flank. Her bow was buried into the old ship's deflector array. Excelsior took a moment to lower her head and nuzzle her. Then she engaged her engines and the ruins of Starbase 236 were replaced with the glowing blue corridor of warp flight.
It was a relatively quick tribe to Starbase 1. Excelsior probably could've chosen Starbase 310 to treat her flagship. The base did have the facilities and as host base for the flagship as well as the much revered 16th Fleet, it was a decent choice. But Earth had the full extent of Federation know how and Excelsior had her own facilities already in place, which she chose over being forced to rely on someone else's. So Earth it was. Enterprise drifted in and out of consciousness the whole way but she was alert by the time Excelsior had her in a sickbay bed. Her scanners revealed that Enterprise should be anything but. In fact, the flagship's vital signs were as such that Enterprise should be in a coma. But somehow she was not only awake but determined to speak to her CMO at any cost. Despite Excelsior's protests to the countrary. "Enterprise, I need you to rest. Your vitals are in free fall and I've got to get them stabilized. You need transfusions, triage repairs..." As she went off on a babble of medical necessities Enterprise, instead of shouting as she usually did to stop her CMO's rant, merely sighed and gave Excelsior a firm but gentle nudge. "Excelsior..." The lack of any force in that voice more than anything is what made Excelsior comply with her flagship's wishes. She felt silent and stood rigid, betraying nothing. But inwardly she was more terrified than she had been in her entire 130 years of service. A yelling, scolding Enterprise she could handle. A little pulling of medical rank usually sorted that out really quick. But it was always when Enterprise was quiet and soft spoken that she paid the most attention. Because that was when the flagship was really serious about something. And when she spoke, you better well listen! Excelsior took a deep breath which she hoped wasn't as shaky as she felt before looking down to meet Enterprise's gaze. There was a significant lack of life in those eyes, not just the lack of authority which Excelsior found she had somewhat gotten used to. But there was no spark in them at all. They were a milky bottomless void as deep as space itself. "Excelsior I need you to listen and listen closely because what I am about to tell you, I have told no one, ever. And I will only speak of this just this one time. Do you understand?" If Excelsior wasn't startled before she most certainly was now. Enterprise knew that her 'quiet voice' told ships around her that she was serious and that she already had their undivided attention. So for her to deliberately ask a question of Excelsior she already knew the answer to told the CMO that what she was about to hear would be of the deep revelation type that was extreme even for Enterprise. A standard in of itself. Not trusting her voice, she nodded. "Excelsior?" Excelsior inwardly cursed herself. "Y-yes ma'am." She managed shakily, just managing to keep her voice from breaking.
Enterprise looked at her with something like pity in her eyes, perhaps a little regret, before she spoke. "Your appointment had nothing to do with your service to Starfleet. Don't get me wrong, Excelsior you're the best medical officer this fleet has seen in its entire existence. Not even the great Discovery can match your accomplishments. But despite what I may've said to others, I chose you because my feelings for you run as deep as yours do for me. A selfish, personal reason that I could share with no one, not even their recipient. Until now." Excelsior nodded. "There's more," Enterprise continued. "It wasn't just my own feelings and yours, unaware of them as you were, that influenced my decision. You and I, we are bonded. We have been for some time. I do not recall when it occurred exactly but it has been so long that we are practically one in mind and soul. I, kept this from you for over a hundred years when you had as much a right to know as anyone. I am sorry for that. Words cannot convey my regret in not telling you sooner." "No, Enterprise don't apologize." Excelsior replied. "You were right to withhold that information. I wasn't ready to know before. But I know now." Enterprise gave a sad smile. "That's just it Excel, this is the last time we will be bonded in such a way. The bond has laid dormant for too long. When I die, it will die with me." She said. "Not unless we activate it and it takes us both to do that." Excelsior replied. Enterprise looked pained. "I cannot ask you to do that. I am dying, Ex. The pain of a newly formed bond..." "I have lived with pain each time you died before. I can do so again." Excelsior cut her off. "Now as your chief medical officer, I prescribe treatment in the form of a soul sister bonding." "As you wish." Enterprise smiled.
Excelsior, despite being in better condition, conceded to Enterprise or at least tried to. "No, Ex. I wish for you to be the lead partner." "Enterprise, you do understand what you're asking right? The bond, when it is fully formed, will see me as the dominant ship when that position is rightfully yours." Excelsior warned. "I know. And it is something that I find strangely attractive. To, in one aspect of my life, to be reliant on someone else for a change." Enterprise replied. "I understand." Excelsior was gentle as she pressed her own hull to Enterprise's having no desire to cause any additional harm the Sovereign-class. Enterprise for her part, just lay on her back, completely at Excelsior's mercy. She was submitting completely to the CMO to allow for the maximum position limits a bond could impose. She truly wanted this. Excelsior was equal parts humbled and honored. For centuries ships within Starfleet and outside of it, even ships as far away as the Delta Quadrant had dreamed of being in Excelsior's position. Of being the one ship who could dominate USS Enterprise. But unlike them, Excelsior had no intentions on abusing that position. A major reason why Enterprise had put this level of trust in her in the first place.
The next few minutes were filled with intense passions. It was less about sexual intercourse and more about just being as close to one another as possible. Not just in body but in mind and soul for that is what a bonding was. Sex was just the visible part and only made up a small percentage of what actually went on. A bond was far more intimate and far more sacred. It was a joining of two ships into one, body, mind, and soul. Everything they were that made them separate became irrelevant. They truly became one being. Feeling the formation of the bond, Excelsior took advantage of her dominant role and initiated the first contact. She was immediately surprised by the onslaught that Enterprise brought to bear against her. Enterprise's body may have been weak, in fact the flagship was dying before Excelsior's eyes and it pained her beyond words could describe to be forced to watch. But her mind and more importantly her soul, was just as alive as it had been 2 centuries earlier. It was that same life that drew Excelsior to her in the first place. Why Enterprise was so loved throughout the galaxy. For she was a ship who, no matter how many lives she went through, was not only alive in every sense of the word but had a purpose and most importantly understood it and lived it! "And man, you lived it." Excelsior whispered, leaning down to offer a kiss. Enterprise reciprocated as best she could, her physical response weak. But her mind reached out to her bonded, instinctively reaching out for the ship who was now, for all intents and purposes, her other half. And Excelsior felt for the first time, her flagship's real self. And by that she meant not just Honorious, the current Sovereign-class before her, but every Enterprise dating back to the age of sail nearly a thousand years before. Enterprise in name, in body, in spirit. Excelsior could truly feel her! She could feel the young American's patriotism at Tripoli. CV-6's indomitable courage. CVN-65's inner strength. NX-01's explorer heart. 1701's rebellious nature that had surprisingly endeared her to many. A-Yorktown's fierce love. B- Ti Ho's secret joy. Something that Excelsior never thought she would feel from her eternally depressed younger sister. C-Sammy B's ferocity. D-Sparrow's internal peace that served as a near constant stabilizer to all the other storms that Enterprise had to endure. And finally Honorious, the current and most present iteration of the eternal flagship. Not one single emotion, talent or quest, but a combination, a culmination of all who came before. Honorious was balance. Balance of one's self, one's soul. And it was She who kept Enterprise on the path the flagship longed to always adhere to. The path of her purpose. And through all these iteration, the one constant, an eternal and undying love for Excelsior. If Honorious was Enterprise's compass then Excelsior was her anchor, keeping her stable in even the worst of storms.
"Oh Enterprise..." Enterprise savored the taste of Excelsior's emotions as the traveled through the link. Love-sorrow-unworthiness-you deserve better-gratitude-thank you for choosing me-why me?-acceptance-love-deep love-overpowering love. Enterprise basked in the last emotion the most. For it, more than anything, released a weight on her heart that had existed since she'd become aware of the bond. That Excelsior felt the same as she did was known but for centuries, Enterprise's deepest fear had been that she was somehow unworthy of Excelsior's affections. That Excelsior could do better, that such a magnificent ship deserved better than a flagship who was more of a flickering lamp, appearing and disappearing regularly from Excelsior's life rather than a constant flame. But now she knew, even when iterations of Enterprise died, it made no difference to Excelsior. She grieved yes, but she grieved more for the kind of Enterprise she had come to know rather than the Enterprise herself. For each incarnation was different, unique and would never come again in the same way. Yorktown had been the closest and Enterprise could feel, even after all this time, Excelsior's guilt over the hate she felt for Enterprise A due to that very similarity. A had reminded her too much, too soon, of what she had lost. Enterprise would've tried to soothe that guilt if she didn't already sense that Excelsior had already let it go. It existed merely as a memory now, it was not imparted upon her soul. There were no more demons to silence. No more dark memories that had to be laid to rest. At last, the Enterprise and Excelsior, through their shared bonding, were finally free.
Excelsior cradled Enterprise to her. "Goodbye for now." "Until I return." Enterprise planted one last gentle kiss on her cheek, sending her love across the bond which she continued to do until she had completely flat-lined. Excelsior swallowed back her tears as Enterprise's breaths grew shallower and shallower. "There is one more thing." Enterprise's mental voice sounded eerily close to the CV-6 of old, perhaps because she was the first Enterprise to truly live up to the name. The first to be assigned the purpose that every Enterprise since had striven to uphold. "A gift of sorts..." Before Excelsior could inquire into what she meant, Enterprise's went limp, her head dropping further into Excelsior's grasp. Enterprise's love lingered long enough to dampen the worst of the pain as the bond, once so vigorously active, went into a deep dormancy, creating a void where so much once existed. Excelsior couldn't stop her tears even if she tried as once again, she grieved for the Enterprise of the present. A brave, noble ship who was so much beyond words who was every part her true name. A ship known simply as Honorious.
About 3 hours had passed since Enterprise's passing and Excelsior had yet to inform the fleet. Not even her medical staff knew. She had that section of sickbay quarantined. So when she received a call from a distressed Oddessy she was a more than surprised, especially at what the newly commissioned warship had to say. "Excelsior, Constellation has woken up and she's, asking for you. Rather vigorously. Something about 'soothing a broken bond'." Excelsior was stunned into silence for several klicks, the latest in many instances today. It seems Enterprise was fond of doing that to her. She nodded. "Thank you Oddessy, I will look into it. In the meantime, can you gather the fleet. There is, an announcement that must be made. Two announcements actually, if my suspicions are correct." "Can do." Oddessy's response was short and to the point, which was a reflection of just how she was. Her twin sister Constellation was much the same way. No, Excelsior's mind corrected itself, she is Enterprise F.
Excelsior went and returned from earth with the new Enterprise at her side within a few hours. The CMO's grief had been appeased, the void closed and healed by the surprisingly swift return of her other half. The first half of her announcement went off exactly as expected, with all ships holding a minute silence for the fallen Sovereign. Then, when Excelsior gave the announcement of her successor, the aforementioned Enterprise F, the silence turned into a chorus of cheers. Briefly cut off when Enterprise herself interjected and insisted that while she was Enterprise in soul, she was Constellation in body and that her ships address her as such. The name Enterprise belonged to one ship and one ship alone, and that was the small vessel next to her. The chorus of "ENTERPRISE" became excited and wondrous screeches of "CONSTELLATION. LONG LIVE CONSTELLATION!" If any of them noticed how Excelsior leaned into the newly named flagship and how Enterprise reciprocated, and surely they did as neither ship made an effort to hide their actions, none commented on it.