Enterprise raced across pace at Warp 7, responding to a distress call. When she finally arrived at the specified coordinates, she was shocked at what she found. Drifting helplessly in front of her was another starship. Her eyes were closed, her breathing shallow and labored. She was barely alive.
As Enterprise got closer she could read the other ship's registration numbers. NCC-1071. "It's Constellation." Kirk whispered.
"Enterprise's older sister was in absolutely pitiful condition. Her warp core had been disengaged and she had no antimatter at all. It was a wonder that she hadn't blown up by now.
"Constellation?" Enterprise whispered. "Constellation, can you hear me?" She asked again. Constellation groaned. With effort, she opened her eyes and raised her head. "Yes I can hear you Enterprise." Se replied. "Are you alright?" Enterprise asked. Constellation laughed. "Do I look like I'm alright?" She asked. "No." Enterprise replied. "What happened here?" She asked. "A giant planet-eating monster. I tried to stop it but it defeated me and killed my crew. Only Decker survived." Constellation replied. She coughed and Enterprise was alarmed to se blood stain her lips.
"Easy." She murmured. "Don't strain yourself." She moved in close alongside. "us your tractor beam to latch onto me. I'll get us to the nearest star base." "Thank you Enterprise." Constellation sighed. Before they could move anywhere, a loud roar was heard. Enterprise stiffened. "What was that?" She asked. The robot appeared.
In an automated voice it began to speak. "I am Ramsi, born of the Iconian Race, destroyer of all enemies who oppose me. Prepare to be annihilated." Enterprise swallowed. "I think now might be a good time to perfect that maneuver that us Constitutions are famous for." She said, speaking of a sudden jump to warp. Very handy in a situation like this.
"Not a chance." Chief Engineer Montgomery Scott or "Scotty" growled as he tinkered with Constellation's warp core. "It'll be hard enough for Constellation to move at all without blowing to bits, let along traveling at warp speed and there's no way you can tow her at that pace." He said. "He is right." Constellation sighed. "I wouldn't last a minute." "Then what do you suggest we do?" Enterprise asked. "You're asking me?" Constellation tipped her head to one side. "You're the older one here." Enterprise replied. "But you're flagship." Constellation retorted. "And you have more experience with this thing. Any insight you have would be extremely helpful right about now." Enterprise continued as she watched Ramsi draw ever closer.
"Well, I can say for certain that it has a certain gravitational force. Get to close and it'll suck you right in." Enterprise nodded. "Go on." She promoted. "Forget the weapons, En. It's outer plating is neutronium, the hardest substance known. You'll never break through it." Constellation replied.
Rami turned towards them. "Damn, well do, do, do we're dead." Enterprise said in a sing song voice. She ignored Constellation's death glare. "Not funny!" She snapped. Enterprise frowned. "I wasn't trying to be funny now be quiet, I'm trying to concentrate." She hissed. Constellation fell silent, waiting. Enterprise watched the beast for a time before speaking once more.
"I think the weakness may lie in its mouth." She mused. Suddenly, Constellation gave a cry. Enterprise turned around alarmed. "Constellation what is it?!" She asked. "It's Decker, he's going to drive your shuttle right into that thing." Constellation shrieked. Enterprise turned in time to see Decker vanish inside the monster's mouth. "Oh, god." She whispered.
As Ramsi turned to face her, it opened its mouth, locking her in place. "Enterprise!" Constellation shoved against her sister, trying to make her move. "Go Constellation." Enterprise ordered quietly. "What, no!" Constellation cried. Enterprise couldn't so much as turn her head to look at her sister but her bioluminescent blue eyes flickered over to Constellation. "I'll be fine, get back to base and warn Starfleet Command of the danger. That thing is heading straight for earth. We must be prepared to stop it is that clear?" Constellation just glared back defiantly. "Is that clear, USS Constellation?" Enterprise asked again, this time more firmly. Constellation blinked, sighing "Perfectly, USS Enterprise." She replied. She turned around. "I will return to base," She paused, looking back at Enterprise with a smug look on her face. "After I get you out of here."
Enterprise groaned. Her sister was as bad as she was at the art of insubordination. "Why did I ever teach you that to be insubordinate was a good thing?" She groaned. Constellation grinned. "So, I can stay?" She asked excitedly. "I will court-martial you for this Constellation." Enterprise growled. "YAY!" Constellation cheered, happy that Enterprise wouldn't send her back.
"What do we do?" Enterprise asked. "Ill distract it, when it turns its attention on me you take off." Constellation replied. Enterprise nodded. "Go." She ordered. Constellation took off towards Ramsi. "Hey, ugly over here!" She shouted, giving Ramsi a trio of torpedoes to the head. Ramsi roared and turned on Constellation, who retreated a short distance taking up a defensive stance. Enterprise found she could move again and charged at Ramsi before the beast could harm her sister. "Behind you!" She shouted, firing her own weapons. Ramsi turned his head towards her. "Take this you creep!" Constellation shouted. "Here slimy slug." Enterprise taunted. "No here!" Constellation retorted.
Despite the dangerous situation, the two sisters couldn't help but enjoy themselves. "Everybody look to the left!" Constellation sang, firing her phasers. "Everybody look to the right." Enterprise sang, firing her torpedoes.
It seemed that Ramsi had had enough. He turned on Constellation with a vengeance and gave a loud roar, freezing the starship in place. Enterprise fired repeatedly at the monster's side, barely avoiding a deadly tail whip. She swerved out of the way, backing to a safer position, panting. "Constellation fall back, you are no match for Ramsi's strength!" Se ordered. "Believe me, falling back is the only thing I want to do right now, Enterprise." Constellation groaned.
It was then that Kirk got an idea. He'd noticed a brief drop in the energy reading when Decker's craft had exploded inside Ramsi. He asked Spock what would happen if he flew a starship into there. Every the logical first officer Spock replied that such an attempt could be feasible but very, very risky. Kirk only seemed to hear the first part of Spock's reply. He and Scotty set to work at once on Constellation.
At first Enterprise didn't understand what was going on, then she knew. "No!" She cried. "Constellation don't do it!" Constellation met Enterprise' gaze with a grim expression. "I must. Earth is in danger and it is my duty to protect our homeworld." She said. "But not like this, Constellation. We'll find another way." Enterprise moaned. "There is no other way." Constellation retorted. "Unless you want to see Earth destroyed, I suggest you get your afterburners back to headquarters. I can handle Ramsi." Constellation growled. 'But!" Enterprise began again. "You have to let me go. Just let me go, En." Constellation whispered. Still Enterprise hesitated. "You're my sister Constellation, I can't just watch you get killed." She hissed. "There's an old saying, a captain always goes down with his ship. Why shouldn't the sip return the favor sometimes?" Constellation asked. "Do you understand?
Enterprise looked at Kirk, seated calmly but proudly in Constellation's captain's chair, a certain fondness lighting her eyes. "Yes, I do." She replied. She nuzzled Constellation. "May the wind always be at your back Enterprise." Constellation whispered. As Enterprise pulled back, she charged Ramsi with a fierce battle cry. "For Starfleet!" She yowled. Kirk and Scotty, having set the detonator in place, beamed back aboard Enterprise just as Constellation disappeared inside Ramsi's mouth. "Farewell Enterprise." The elder starship whispered. She disappeared in a column of flame, dying instantly. It was virtually painless but that was of little solace to Enterprise. The proud Federation flagship was reduced o a sobbing, crying mess. She practically staggered home, her grief consuming her.
Enterprise jumped, wincing at the well-deserved nip she'd just received from Constitution. It'd been a few earth months since she'd returned bearing the news of Constellation' death. Enterprise had come down to the surface in a cornfield outside a small town in Pennsylvania and refused to budge. The nip was well deserved according to Constitution who was hovering just above her. "Get up sleepyhead and let's go!" She ordered. Enterprise sighed, resting her head on Earth's cool soil. "No thank you, Constitution. You co on ahead." She said. "I wasn't asking." Constitution growled and using her tractor beam. She attached Enterprise's hull to hers. It became a tug-o-war after that. Constitution, puling upwards and trying to get her flagship up in the stars again. Enterprise, being the stubborn, strong-willed ship that she was, infuriated by her sibling's nerve, did all she could to resist. Constitution dragged her across the field, trying to get her airborne and eventually prevailed.
"No fair!" Enterprise wailed. "Come on, you can court-martial me for this later." She said. "I don't want to fly." Enterprise snapped, pulling furiously against Constitution's tractor beam. "Surely you do. You just won't admit it yet." Constitution replied. "Once around the planet?" She begged, giving Enterprise "the face". Enterprise sighed, softening a little at that. "Fine." She agreed. Constitution grinned and Enterprise felt her heart drop, she knew that look. "Constitution?" She asked. Constitution took off running at warp 9 with Enterprise in tow. 'Whoa!" Enterprise yowled. "You said onnncccee arrounnd the planneettt!" Enterprise yowled. Constitution grinned. "I lied." She said simply.
After about 5 passes to the sun, at least a dozen orbits around Jupiter and 30 good sized scrapes from Saturn's rings, Constitution slowed to a halt. "Well," She said, hardly even out of breath. "That was fun." Enterprise glared at her. Although gasping air from her self sustained atmosphere, she managed to say "USS Constitution, you are dead." "You'll have to catch me first." Her eldest sister squealed and took off running again. Enterprise tore after her.
They raced around the solar system, passing close the McKinley Space Station where Excelsior and Farragut were standing guard. "What was that?" Excelsior wondered as Constitution roared by with Enterprise hot on her trail. "Beats me." Farragut replied with a smile. They looked behind them at the troublesome twins Reliant and Defiant. They were playing a game of nip and tug with each other's reflector dishes but on Excelsior's command they straightened up. "It wasn't us." They said innocently.
Enterprise eventually managed to catch Constitution before pinning her down underneath her. "Gotcha!" She laughed. "So you did." Constitution agreed as Enterprise gave her a friendly nuzzle. Constitution nibbled at the edge of Enterprise's sense disk, earning a small gasp of surprise from her fellow starship. "Come on Enterprise, we should get back." Constitution ordered. Enterprise smiled. "But I don't want to go back. Leave Earth's surface to the humans." She replied. "I don't wan to go back. Leave Earth's surface to the humans?" She replied. She rolled off Constitution and settled nicely beside her. "All that I want is right here." Constitution smiled. Her leader could be so stubborn at times but she loved her. They were more tan just sisters, comrades in arms, they were of the same class, the same design, a dozen hearts joined together as one.
"Enterprise, look." Constitution whispered. Some nearby stars appeared to be rearranging themselves. "It looks like, a starship." Enterprise said. Humans call it a Constellation." Constitution said. "A Constellation." Enterprise repeated and smiled, perhaps the first since losing her sister.
As she settled in beside Constitution she smiled and she could've sworn she saw the stars smile back.