Summary: Heading deeper into the Delphic Expanse, the crew of the Enterprise find a Xindi weapons platform. Captain Archer decides to destroy it. Will everyone come back safe and sound and will the Xindi have their weapon done in time or will they be behind schedule? Rated T
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Star Trek franchise. If I did then the Enterprise series would be still running and it would have a movie. I'm just a fan writing fanfiction.
Font Key
*warp drive* - Normal
*warp drive* - Thinking
Mission: Infiltrate and Destroy
Late summer of 2154
Unknown location in the Delphic Expanse
Enterprise NX-01 E-Deck
He had been in the gym all morning trying to work off some stress. It was a good thing that Captain Archer had given him the morning off. Sweat dripping off of him and grunting as he lifted a bar of weights up, Travis Mayweather continued to work out. He had been thinking about how Earth had gotten into the mess that they are in now, the Xindi war. He then got up from the bench and packed up his things and walked out into the corridor. I have just enough time to shower and change before my afternoon shift starts. Travis continued walking down the corridor heading to his quarters. He was trying to put the memory of when Earth got attacked away, but the painful memory kept coming back to the front of his mind.
*Flashback*
He was on the bridge talking to Ensign Hoshi Sato, when Captain Archer called all senior officers to his ready-room. Captain Archer had then told us of the bad news.
"Earth has just been attacked by an unknown alien weapon. Unfortunately Enterprise has been ordered to return to Earth."
When the first images of the weapon using an energy beam to cut a path through Florida and Cuba were shown, he couldn't quite get a grip on what he was feeling. He was sad, angry, and stunned all at the same time. Looking around he could see that all of the other officers were going through the same as him. After the brief, but terrible meeting we were dismissed. He made his way back to his station and carried out the new orders that Captain Archer had given him, which was to head a course back to Earth at warp four.
*Flashback End*
After Travis had showered and changed, he headed off to the bridge for his shift. He was outside the turbolift doors when Corporal Chang walked up from behind.
"Hey, how are the Starfleet squids doing?"
"What do you want Corporal?" questioned an irritated Travis.
"Nothing, I'm heading off to the gym. I just got done with target practice, you should try it." said Chang.
"I've already done target practice and now I have to be on the bridge." replied Travis angrily.
"Well whatever." said Chang as he walked off down the corridor.
He took a short ride on the turbolift and then stepped onto the bridge. Then he made his way over to Hoshi who was working at her station.
"Hey, Hoshi can I talk to you later tonight?" he whispered.
"Sure but why?" whispered Hoshi.
Travis smiled at her but did not answer her question. Then he turned and went to his own station.
Xindi Homeworld
Xindi Council Inner Sanctum
Degra was sitting in the dimly lit inner sanctum at a huge council table where the representatives of the three Xindi land species sat. Near them the two wall-sized seawater tanks held the two Xindi aquatic species. They had been sitting there for hours listening to Commander Guruk Dolim, who was representing the Xindi reptilians, talk about how they should speed up their plans on destroying the human homeworld. Degra sensing were this topic was going stood up and stated to the whole council that they were a tad behind, but they would still be able to release the new and improved weapon onto the human homeworld on time. Resting his case he sat back down in his seat.
"Now that has been settled so far, we now have to get onto our next topic. We have a weapons platform that has to be finished." said Shresht, representing the Xindi insectoids. "We also can't have that one lone human ship that is roaming around stumble into it.
"I suggest that we should speed up the building process on the weapons platform and then when it is finished we then should move in the workers and a few troops to guard from attacks. I'm just saying because the weapon has been planned to be move there for the tests." informed Degra.
Words of agreement could be heard as Degra sat back down and he looked to see that Commander Dolim had now stood up to address the council.
"If we all agree, then that is what is going to happen, now then this council is dismissed." grunted Commander Dolim.
Enterprise NX-01 Bridge
Sub-Commander T'Pol's instruments broke the unusual quite silence when they started beeping their alarms. T'Pol took a quick look at them, a frown would have formed on her face if she was not a Vulcan, turning the alarms off she then pushed the comm button on her station.
"T'Pol to Captain Archer."
"Archer here."
"You should come to the bridge. We picked up what looks like a warp trail that belongs to the Xindi." replied T'Pol.
"I'll be right there." said Archer.
Captain Quarters E-Deck
After telling his first officer that he'll be on his way to the bridge he shut off the comm unit and went back to finish what he was doing.
"Sorry, Admiral it seems that we have found a warp trail I'll send you the rest of my full report as soon as I can."
With that Archer turned off the computer and turned to leave petting his dog Porthos as he walked out.
Bridge
The bridge was quiet when Captain Archer strolled in and sat down in his command chair. Taking a quick look around him, he then turned to T'Pol.
"Report Sub-Commander." He ordered.
"As I said before we picked up signs of a Xindi warp trail, but the trail goes through some pretty heavy anomalies." replied T'Pol looking at her instruments and then looking up at Captain Archer.
Archer sat there listening to the usual noises of the ships' many stations and instruments thinking about what he should plan to do next. Should we follow that trail knowing that danger could be at the end or we keep searching for the Xindi homeworld another way? Pulling himself out of his thoughts, finally making his decision he then orders Ensign Mayweather.
"Ensign change our heading to match that of the warp trail."
"Course set in Captain." replied Travis Mayweather as he entered a few coordinates.
"Good now take us to warp three." ordered Archer.
Ensign Mayweather pushed on the throttles on the helm controls and the crew felt the slight shift of the starship as it went from impulse power to warp speed.
(*cough*Time *cough* Warp)
It did not take long to get to the end of the trail. They were just all sitting there ether taking softly among each other or just glaring at the main bridge viewer. But time flied and soon Malcolm Reed alerted the bridge crew.
"Captain, the sensors are showing a large complex about 15 minutes ahead from where we are now." said Lieutenant Malcolm Reed.
"Full stop, Ensign Mayweather." ordered Archer, I wonder what it could be?
T'Pol who was studying it with her instruments looked at Archer and told, "The complex ahead looks like what could be a half built weapons platform."
"We could destroy it and deal a heavy blow to the Xindi. That could be dangerous because sensors also picked up a Xindi ship docked to it. I would not recommend doing anything that could get us caught or worse." explained Lieutenant Reed.
"Your recommendation is noted lieutenant. Now T'Pol, Travis, Malcolm would you please follow me to my ready-room." said Archer.
They all got up and follow Captain Archer and by the time that everyone got in they found that Archer had already token his seat. Archer motioned for his crew members to sit in the available chairs that were in the room. Travis and Malcolm sat down, but T'Pol kept standing where she stood.
"So do any of you guys have any ideas?" asked Archer as he looked around at them. He was hoping they would give out some more ideas on what to do in this situation. He did not want to send them out into a trap or some other kind of thing that the Xindi could think off.
"Captain I'll take a crew out and destroy the Xindi weapons platform." said Travis. I'll also make sure that nothing goes wrong.
"Fine, you and Malcolm and two MACOs will go. Take Shuttlepod One." ordered Archer.
Travis and Malcolm nodded and then stood up to leave, but before they could even take on step Captain Archer added, "You have two hours to figure out a plan."
Nodding once again both Travis and Malcolm then left the room to get ready for their mission.
"T'Pol I want you to help them out with their plan and getting the shuttlepod ready. Then I need you back on the bridge." explained Archer as he got up and walked onto the bridge.
"Yes, sir I will go now." replied T'Pol as she walked into the turbolift with Archer right behind her.
Destroying this Xindi weapons platform is going to be another dangerous mission and I don't like putting Enterprise and her crew in danger, he thought as he rode the turbolift to deck E.
(*cough* Time *cough* Warp)
Shuttlepod One
Travis and his team where five minutes away from their destination and as they got closer the half built weapons platform got larger. Travis could make out every last detail of the weapons platform from where he was sitting. To keep hidden from the Xindi's sensors, Malcolm had the shuttlepod's systems all shut downed, all except the life support systems which were at minimal. The shuttlepod also was on a controlled drift toward the platform.
"Ensign that looks like a good place to touch down." said Corporal Chang, who was pointing to the back end of the platform.
Travis as pilot of the shuttlecraft steered towards the spot that was chosen. Once there Travis moved the shuttlepod into position and landed the craft down. Meanwhile Malcolm, Chang, and Major Hayes were getting their EVA suits on and getting all the Tri-Thermite charges ready. Travis got his EVA suit on after he had made sure that they were still hidden from enemy sensors.
"Ok, Corporal Chang and I will be in one group, while Travis and Major Hayes will be in another." Malcolm told everyone as they divided up the charges, each person taking five.
"As soon as everyone gets the Tri- Thermite charges in place, head back to the shuttlepod and from here on out its comm silence unless it is an emergency." explaned Major Hayes.
Malcolm opened the shuttle hatch and went out then Travis followed behind him. The MACOs were out last. The weapons platform was huge even though it was half built. By what the Starfleet and MACO crew could see that the platform was made out of some type of durable metal. The two groups nodded and went in two different directions.
"Hmmm… Let's see we'll start off right here and we'll spread the charges a few meters away from each other." Said Malcolm, as he knelt down and stuck on the charges onto the hull of the platform.
"Fine by me." Chang replied as he measured out a few meters and then placed the next charge.
Overall it had taken them 30 minutes to place all the charges. Now they were waiting in the shuttlepod for Travis's group to come back. 40 minutes later Travis and Major Hayes finally made it back and climbed into the shuttlepod. The shuttlepod took off and headed back to Enterprise, behind the shuttle a huge explosion could be seen where the weapons platform use to be, leaving streaks of ionized gas and pieces of metal in its place.
Xindi Homeworld
Xindi Council Inner Sanctum
"We just received a subspace message from an incoming insectoid ship," Commander Dolim "It seems that the weapons platform that we were going to send the weapon to for testing has been destroyed."
Degra and the other representatives have just gotten into their seats when they heard Commander Dolim explain the bad news.
"What was the cause of this destruction?" asked Shresht, who knew the answer all ready.
"It was the human starship that blew up our weapons platform." Commander Dolim informed the council.
After that the council went into a huge debate on what they were going to do and how this attack will affect the process on the weapon. Hours later the council was dismissed until it was needed again. Unfortunately the weapon that the Xindi planned to use against was going to be behind a few days.
Enterprise NX-01 Bridge
Shuttlepod One had returned to Enterprise to bring Captain Archer good news. The Xindi weapons platform was now destroyed and everyone that was on the mission is alright.
I hope that this will buy us enough time to find the weapon and destroy it before the Xindi deploy it against Earth. thought Archer, who was then brought out of his thoughts when his friend and chief engineer Trip asked him a question.
"Where are we heading to next Captain?"
Shaking his head slightly Archer replied "If we have to we'll visit every planet till we find the Xindi. That is where we are heading to, Trip."
Archer then sat down into his seat and ordered as he looked at the main viewscreen and pointed to a planet in distant space "Ensign Mayweather make a course to…. that planet at warp three."
Ensign Mayweather imputed the coordinates in and soon the Enterprise was off. Heading even deeper into the Delphic Expanse, hoping to find the Xindi's.
R and R :)