Chapter 10: Training Cruise Disaster
As the family was on a shuttlecraft, Asuna looked over to Kirito, "Hey, something's been bugging me. How are Klein, Liz and everyone here? I thought this was like some tutorial stage." She asked.
Kirito hummed, "To be honest, I've been wondering the same thing. I guess the creators decided to let players experience the tutorial together so they can have a teamwork plan right from the start or something." He said just before glancing over at Yui, noticing that she looks a little off, "You ok Yui? You seem distracted, or something." He asked.
And he was right. She had been worrying about that bad feeling she had back on the turbo-lift. She looked over to Kirito, "Uh…I'm ok…" She said unconvincingly.
Asuna and Kirito shared a glance before setting the shuttle on auto pilot and turning to face their daughter, "Yui, what's going on?" Asuna asked.
Yui sighed, "I'm not sure why, but I've been getting this weird feeling. Like it's some kind of warning. And it's scaring me." She said.
Kirito went over to her and placed her in his lap, "How long has this been going?" He asks. "Since we got in that elevator." She answered.
Asuna placed a hand on Yui's shoulder, "Why didn't you say anything?" She asked.
Yui looked over to her mother, "You and Daddy have been having so much fun, I didn't want to ruin it."
Asuna smiled and kissed the little girl's forehead, "You are such a little sweetie." She said, bringing a smile to Yui's face, "But the next time you get worried about something, you tell either me, or your father right away. Ok?"
Yui nodded, "Ok. I'm sorry Mommy."
Kirito looked behind him, "We're closing in on the Aincrad. Get ready to board."
As soon as they got aboard, they went to the duty officer and signed in, "Ensign Asuna, acting Chief medical officer." She said.
After Asuna took Yui with her, Kirito walked up, "Ensign Kirito, acting First Officer." The officer entered his name, "The captain is waiting for you on the bridge." Kirito nodded and used the turbo-lift to the bridge.
When Kirito arrived, he was greeted by Captain Taggart, "Welcome to the bridge Number One." He said. Kirito tilted his head slightly in confusion, "Number One?" He echoed. Taggart smiled, "Early in my career, I served with a captain who called his first officer that. I always liked it. As my Number One, I expect you to ensure my orders are carried out, and to advise me on the best course of action in any situation. But first, we need to get out of dry dock."
Taggart was about to issue orders when Kirito raised his hand slightly, "Allow me, Captain." Taggart grinned and gave him a confirming nod. Kirito looked over to see Keiko sitting at the con, the screen name "Fennel" floating overhead, "Fennel, get clearance from traffic control for the Aincrad to leave the Gantry." He ordered. After a moment, Fennel glanced back at her acting CO, "We're clear to depart, sir." She said. Kirito nodded and looked over to Klein, "Send the signal to close shuttle bay doors." Klein pushed a few buttons before looking back to him, "Shuttle bay doors are closed, sir." Taggart smiled, "Very good Number One." Kirito nodded, "Rosha," He said, pointing to a girl, whom he instantly recognized as Sugu, "wait for me to disable the tractor moorings."
After disabling the moorings, Kirito took his seat in the first officer chair, "Rosha," The Captain said, "Take us out, one quarter impulse."
Not even needing to refer to his prompts, he looked over to Captain Taggart, "Captain, may I remind you that Starfleet regulations specify thrusters only while in the vicinity of space dock?" He warned. Taggart grinned, "Just checking to see if you were paying attention, Number One. Rosha, take us out, maximum thrusters."
As the ship was flying, the bridge received a message, "Sick bay to bridge, I need Commander Kirito down here." Asuna said over the comm. Kirito tapped his combadge, "On my way." He said as he emerged from his chair and headed towards the turbolift, "What could be going on? We just set out."
When he arrived, he saw Yui sitting on one of the medical beds. He hurried over to her, "Yui? What's wrong?" He asked. Yui said nothing as she had both her eyes shut, grasping her head, making Kirito grow extremely worried, "This is just like when she got that headache before."
Asuna walked up to the two, "That bad feeling she mentioned earlier has somehow evolved into a headache. She keeps saying she can see brown people. I've been trying everything, but nothing has made it better!" She said, starting to panic.
Kirito put both of his hands on her shoulders, "Asuna! Take a deep breath! Panicking isn't going to help Yui, it's probably making it worse." He told her.
Asuna took a deep breath, "You're right. Thank you Kirito." She then looked over to their daughter, "Yui, it's going to be ok. I promise." Yui, shaking in fear, looked up to them, "I-I-I'm scared." She said quietly. Asuna took her into her arms, "You'll be fine, baby. Come on, let's get you back to our quarters." She turned to look at Kirito, "I'll have the ship's counselor keep an eye on her."
Kirito smiled and nodded, "Alright. I'm gonna head back to the bridge. Love you." He told her, Asuna smiled, "Love you too."
Kirito returned to the bridge, "Everything alright, Number One?" Taggart asked. Kirito nodded, "Yes sir, just a minor family issue." He replied.
Taggart turned his attention back to the ship, "Right, let's get on our way. Helm, set course for Vulcan. Warp two." Rosha typed away on her console, "Course laid in, sir. Warp factor two standing by." Taggart pointed forward, "Engage."
Three minutes after hitting warp, an officer at the communications spoke up, "Captain. The freighter S.S. Break Even is hailing us. Audio only." She said. Taggart glanced back at the officer, "Put it through." He told her.
"This is the S.S. Break Even." Said the Ferengi on the freighter, "Our Warp Core has been damaged, and we are in need of assistance." Kirito listened on with suspicion, "Strange. He didn't sound like he was in any real danger." He thought.
"Take us out of Warp and get us moving towards that freighter." Taggart said as he looked towards Kirito, "Number 1, you heard the distress call. What do you think we should do?" He asked.
Kirito thought for a minute, "It's strange that the warp core transmission was audio only. A warp core emergency shouldn't affect communications." Taggart hummed with a nod, "Good. What do you advise?" Kirito concentrated before considering the possibility of an ambush, "I recommend shields up sir. Better safe than sorry. In case of a trap." Taggart nodded, "Agreed. Rosha, raise shields. Number 1, get down to the Transporter room. You'll see to the rescue effort from there." He commanded. Kirito nodded, "Alright, Otar, have an officer meet me in the transporter room." He then tapped his combadge, "Kirito to sick-bay, Asuna, meet me in transporter room three to inspect survivors." He said. "On my way, Commander."
Asuna grabbed a first aid kit and prepared to head out, "Yui, you stay here." She told her daughter, still sitting on the same med bed.
She had refused to leave her mother's side.
Yui looked over to Asuna, "Is everything alright, Mommy?" She asked, still shaken by her bad feeling.
Asuna turned to face Yui with a smile, "Everything's fine baby. Daddy just needs me to help with some people that are coming to the ship." Asuna ushered one of the nurses to come over, "Keep an eye on her, please?" She asked. The nurse smiled, "Of course." Asuna nodded, "Thanks. Now Yui, you be a good girl. Love you!" She said as she rushed out the door way.
Kirito was standing in the turbo-lift, he tapped his combadge, "Raak, do you have them?" He asked.
"Working on it, Commander, I'm getting some weird readings. Trying to compensate. There's a lot of interference, this isn't like the training simulators. Almost…I got them…. Klingons!"
Kirito began to panic, "Raak? Come in! Raak!" He yelled. When his combadge was activated again, he was not happy with what he heard.
"This ship is under the property of Captain Kadek, of the I.K.S. Chot!"
"Hold it, Klingons!" The second voice he heard was one of the last people he wanted to hear, "Asuna! Computer, increase turbo-lift speed!"
Then, the overhead in the turbo-lift came on, "Stop!" Taggart commanded, "Security is reporting disruptor fire in the transporter room and Klingon transporter signatures are showing up all over the ship. They're boarding us."
Kirito's eyes widened again, "No…Yui!" "Captain we need a security team around sick bay at once!" He said.
"Already done. But your focus should be on the whole ship! Now listen. You have the command codes to unlock an armory near your position. Arm yourself and any security officers you find."
Kirito nodded, "Ok, but what about the enemy ship, sir?" He asked, putting the ship above his personal fear for Yui and Asuna.
"We still have weapons. I'll do what I can. For now, I need you to concentrate on getting those Klingons off my ship! Taggart out."
Kirito wasted no time, dashing to the armory, "Everyone grab a rifle!" He told the three security officers nearby. When he picked up the phaser rifle, he made sure to pick up a second one to go into his inventory, "I hope she notices it. It might be the only way they'll survive until I get there." Once everyone was fully armed, Kirito rallied the troops, "Alright. This is our ship, and I think I speak for all of us when I say that we will not tolerate these things trying to take it from us, now let's go!"
Meanwhile, Asuna was crouched behind the transporter console, along with Raak, and one security officer, as four Klingons had them pinned, and intended to keep it that way, "We have to take these guys down!" Asuna said.
"How?" The security officer asked, "They're too much for our pistols! We don't have enough firepower!"
Asuna then spotted a notifier above her inventory. She inspected it and smiled, "Fortunately, my husband's got my back!" She said as she equipped the phaser rifle, "Now let's take back the transporters!" She then proceeded to fire at the Klingons with new determination, "Thank you, Kirito."
Kirito and the officers took quickly took down the Klingons blocking their way to the transporter room. When they arrived, they saw the battle was still being waged. Kirito wasted no time flanking the Klingons. Hitting one in the back as he engaged another. Once the room was cleared, he rushed to Asuna, "Are you alright?" He asked.
She smiled and nodded, "I am. Thanks to you." She said as she raised her rifle. "There are Klingons all over the ship, get back to sick-bay and help them fight off any who would get in there."
Asuna nodded, knowing that Yui was still in there, no doubt feeling terrified. "You should come with me too. She needs both of us."
Kirito shook his head, "The ship is still under attack, I'm needed in the battle." He told her as he prepared to leave.
Asuna stopped him by grabbing his arm tightly, "You're also needed by your daughter! Or is that not as important to you?" She asked in rage.
Kirito shook his arm free of Asuna's grip, "OF COURSE NOT!" He screamed, "I want, with every fiber in my being, to go find Yui and make sure she's ok! But I'm the first officer! Next to Taggart, I have access to more of the ship than anyone! Without me, we may not win this! I have to go!" And with that, he ordered the security officers to follow him out as he left.
On his way through the halls, he noticed a Klingon and fired a shot, but it went right through his body, allowing him to realize who it was, "Otar!" He called out.
Otar grinned, "Hey Kirito, I wondered who tried to shoot me." He joked.
Kirito glared, "Well it's your fault for choosing to be a Klingon." He retorted sternly. Otar noticed his attitude, but deemed it was not the time to discuss it. Just then, Taggart's voice came in through Kirito's combadge, "Number 1. We're doing our best to cripple this Klingon marauder, but I need your help. Time to show off that academy training." Kirito thought for a moment.
Back when he was waiting for the game to load, he was researching all the different abilities that the different classes had. That's when he had an idea.
He tapped his combadge, "Kirito to engineering. Nurma, improve the ships structural integrity field." He told her, "Kirito to sick-bay. Asuna I need you to reinforce the ships shields. Captain, Otar and I know how to improve the ships weapons." He looked over to Otar who gave him a nod.
In engineering, Nurma was working hard, "Boosting the output…There! Alright. Engineering to bridge. Captain, our containment field should have more than enough power now."
Asuna was angrily typing away on the console, "I'm only doing this because I need to keep Yui safe from those Klingons. NOT because of Kirito." She said to herself.
Meanwhile, Yui was watching Asuna with concern in her eyes, "Is Mommy…mad at Daddy?" She thought to herself.
Kirito and Otar were each working on different consoles, "Aft weapons at maximum." Otar said.
"Same goes for the Fore weapons and Photon Torpedoes." Kirito added. Then, Taggart came on through Kirito's combadge, "Number 1, we've got injured up here and the Klingons could send a boarding party at any time. I need you on the bridge."
Kirito looked over to Otar who nodded, "Go see to the bridge. We'll secure this area." Kirito nodded, "On my way Captain."
When Kirito arrived on the bridge, he saw that all but a few players were dead (waiting for the respawn countdown to finish), those that weren't dead, were too injured to fight back. The only officer standing was Klein, but not by much.
Kirito grabbed his rifle and got ready to fight back. But before he could, he was flanked on both sides by Klingons. Before the Klingons that had flanked him could finish him, Klein rushed in, "Kirito!" He called as he used his rifle as a type of bat'leth against them while Kirito provided cover fire.
After a brief battle, the bridge had been made Klingon free, "Thanks Klein." He said.
Klein smiled, "Nah, it's nothing. I owed ya one. Remember?" He told him. Kirito looked around, "Alright, let's get this bridge revived or we'll never take down that marauder." Klein nodded, "Aye sir."
It didn't take long to apply hypos to the injured and to revive the defeated. When they were all back at their positions, Rosha noticed something, "Broth-I mean Commander, incoming transmission from the Klingons!" She told him.
Kirito stood in the center of the bridge, "Onscreen."
The front viewer revealed a middle-aged Klingon, "This is Captain Kadek, of the I.K.S. Chot! You may have forced my boarding parties off your decks, but our ship remains cloaked! You have no hope of finding us or defeating us! Your choice is simple: Surrender, or we will kill your Captain and then destroy your ship!"
Kirito scowled at the Klingon, "Never."
Kadek smirked, "Perhaps your Captain, will Change your mind!" He told them before disappearing from view. "What's he talking about?" Klein asked.
That's when Kirito went wide eyed as he realized, "The Captain's not on the bridge…"
Not a moment later, Captain Taggart appeared on the screen, "Number 1…. You…. are now captain…. your orders… are…Your orders are to lock onto my combadge and fire!" The Klingon captain cursed in his native language before stabbing Taggart. Taggart weakly looked up, "Make… me… proud…." Taggart then lied on the floor dead.
Klein located the signature from the dead captain's combadge, "We… we have target lock, sir."
Kirito shut his eyes, steeling himself enough to say, "Fire. Fire everything." A barrage of Photon torpedoes and an array of phaser beams launched from the Aincrad to the cloaked Klingon Vessel. After three minutes, the Klingon ship was destroyed and every player was given the reward pop-up for clearing the tutorial quest. It was a universal decision throughout the whole ship to log out immediately.
(A/N: Yeah I know, I know that's not what happens in the game, but OH MY GOD! Writing this chapter has been such a royal pain in the ass! So I had to change things up. Also, for the record, Star Trek Online was not my first choice. Also, if anyone has any quest ideas for Kazuto and Asuna to do in ALO, I would appreciate it for future reference. If I choose yours, you will receive credit. Anyways, love it? Hate it? Somewhere in the middle? Send me a review to let me know.)