Chapter 10

Saddle Up

Kirk leaned back in his chair as the senior staff filed into the Conference Room. As each officer took a seat, Kirk took note of their expressions. Scotty seemed to be his usual self, while Uhura remained respectfully silent. Chekov was looking a little like he had been sent to the principal's office, while Sulu just seemed casual about the whole thing. McCoy was looking over the data collected from his examination of the Youma again, and Spock... well... Spock was being Spock. After a few minutes, Serena and her team filed in as well. Sulu and Scotty seemed a bit confused as to why they were present as well, as they actually sat up when the girls entered.

Ami walked over by Spock and handed him a couple data chips before stepping back. Rene and Mina seemed nervous, while Lita and Serena looked ready to break and run the first chance they got, although Serena seemed to be doing a better job of hiding it.

"Alright... now that everyone is here... Spock... what did you find?" Kirk finally said. The Vulcan inserted one of the data chips into the terminal and keyed up some of the stored data. A map of the Tau Dewa Sector came up for everyone to see.

"After accessing the Atredes' main computer, Lt. Anderson and I were able to cross reference the Youma Star charts with our own. I am confident we have determined the source of the Youma attacks. Lieutenant?"

For a moment, Ami hesitated. She was caught off guard by the Commander passing the reigns to her. After regaining her composure, she stepped forward and manipulated the console herself, highlighting a specific area of the Sector map.

"Using the information we got about a 'Blue Nebula' and the star charts, we've figured out that the Youma have established a beachhead here, in the Azure Nebula. Its right along the border between Federation and Klingon space, and pretty close to the Romulan Neutral Zone as well. Also... based on the sensor logs from the Atredes, we figured out that the beachhead is not an outpost, but some sort of rift in space."

Ami then brought up the data on the Atredes herself.

"According to the Youma Computer, the Atredes is classified as a Jadeite class cruiser, Guardian variant. Apparently they have several variations of ship classes that fill specific roles. The Archon was a Striker variant. Each variant is differentiated by a different redundant subsystem that emulates Youma durability. Guardians have redundant shields, Strikers redundant propulsion... and so on. There is also mention of other classes in the database. One of which sounded ominous, the Metalia class. Unfortunately... there isn't much info on that."

Amy then brought up another image, this one of what appeared to be a human female wearing a strange purple dress and holding a scepter.

"And this... is the person responsible for the whole mess. Queen Beryl."

Everyone muttered a bit, taking in her appearance. This was the leader of the Dark Kingdom, and she did look menacing, but at the same time... oddly attractive. A disturbing combination. After a moment, Ami turned the floor over to Spock again. The Vulcan took a moment to consider his next words.

"As we have determined, it appears as though the recent attacks against the Federation were meant to be retaliatory for actions perceived to be perpetrated by the Federation in the past. Essentially, Queen Beryl has launched a campaign of revenge. However... the time table for this past defeat of her's clearly indicates that it was not in fact the Federation at all that was responsible."

"This 'Lunar Kingdom' the Youma keep mentioning?" Uhura asked.

"Precisely lieutenant," Spock replied. "Apparently thousands of years ago, the Sol System was the center of the Lunar Kingdom, and their capital was in fact... Earth's Moon."

As Spock continued with the pieced together history of the conflict between the Dark and Lunar Kingdoms, Serena fidgeted in her spot. Everything he was saying seemed to resonate with her for some reason, but the blonde couldn't put her finger on why. The information was a combination of what Admiral Meiou had told them and what they discovered in the Youma computer. Serena was pulled out of her train of thought when Spock finally started in on what she was nervous about.

"Apparently, each planet in the Sol System was assigned a... guardian, drawn from the various royal families across the System. These Guardians were meant to safeguard the Kingdom as well as fill specific roles."

"Wait... you don't actually mean the Senshi do you?" Sulu interrupted. "Its just a story."

"Some stories are known to have a basis in fact Mr. Sulu," Spock replied. "If you would..."

Sulu took a deep breath, not expecting to be put on the spot like that.

"Well... I don't remember much, but the stories I do remember say that the Senshi drew their power from the worlds they took their names from, and were, for lack of a better term, essentially super heroes who fought evil. Like the Commander said, there was one for each planet, except for Earth, who's guardian was a prince," he said. "But what do old stories have to do with all this? And why did the Youma Captain think we sent Senshi over to her ship?"

"Because Mr. Sulu... we did," Spock replied.

Serena bit her lip. It was almost time for the big reveal... and she was getting cold feet. The only one who wasn't quite as confused was Dr. McCoy, having seen Mina. Said Country Doctor mentioned what he saw, drawing confused looks from the others. Kirk just had a knowing smile on his face as he looked back at Serena. Closing her eyes, Serena stepped forward as Sulu continued to say that the Senshi were just stories. Her hand reached into the pouch on her belt and gripped her pen.

"Its... its true," she managed to say, drawing everyone's attention. "Its all true."

"Vat do you mean?" Chekov asked in confusion.

"She means... that Scouts were sent over to the Atredes," Rene spoke up, stepping up next to Serena. "And they are here right now... in this room."

McCoy's eyes locked onto Mina, who shrank back a bit. Uhura thought for a moment before piecing together something that seemed unlikely. The only ones they managed to beam over before the Atredes secondary shields came up was Serena's team...

Kirk stood up and put a reassuring hand on Serena's shoulder.

"Show them," he said, drawing more confused looks from the assembled officers. Serena closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Kirk stepped back as the blonde pulled the pen out and brandished it in her hand. After quietly saying the words, Serena was enveloped in golden light. Scotty actually threw a hand up to shield his eyes. A moment later the light faded, revealing a blonde woman with a unique "Meatball" hairstyle standing in Serena's place. Her outfit was predominantly white with red boots and bows as well as a blue collar and skirt. Two gold stripes broke up the white elbow length gloves, appearing to be in the same place the rank stripes were on a Starfleet uniform. Being the closest, Uhura also noted that the top had the same pattern as a Starfleet uniform. They were soon surprised by four more flashes of light, and soon the blonde was joined by others in similar outfits, each with their own color schemes, green and pink bows, orange and blue, two shades of blue, and red and purple. McCoy instantly recognized the orange one as Mina before the rest registered in his mind as Lt. Pike and the other young girls. For several minutes, silence permeated the Conference Room.

"Bloody Hell..." Scotty finally said. "Ye all look like cheerleaders!"

"Eh... remember when I said something was complicated Mr. Scott?" Jupiter asked.

"Aye..."

"Well... this is it."

"Well..." Scotty trailed off. "That's just great. Are there any more surprises? Should I expect a talkin' cat next?"

"You knew," McCoy confronted Kirk. "You knew this all along didn't you?"

"We were under orders not to reveal this information," Spock replied.

"Orders from who?"

"Admiral Meiou."

"Oh that's just great Jim, you just pissed off an admiral... again."

Kirk adjusted his uniform before planting his hands on the table and saying his hand was forced with the previous engagement, as not only had Commander Ashe revealed the Scouts were aboard her ship, McCoy had actually treated one for an injured leg after the ship was secured. He also said that everything they just saw was not to leave this room. The identity of the Scouts was to be considered classified information. He then motioned for the Scouts to identify themselves. After introductions were complete, Sulu was actually working through something in his head. He remembered there were supposed to be nine Senshi, yet... only five were present now. Shaking his head, he decided that now wasn't the time to bring that up. There were more important things to worry about, such as preventing a war.

"Ya know lass," Scotty finally said. "Ye and Lt. Anderson are kinda cute in those getups."

Mercury blushed at the compliment while Jupiter gave a nervous chuckle and scratched the back of her head.

"Um... thanks Mr. Scott," Jupiter replied.

"Alright... now if everyone is done drooling," Kirk said in a sarcastic tone before getting serious. "We still got work to do. I want the Enterprise ready for anything. As soon as the fleet arrives, we're going after the Youma. We don't know what they've held back, but you can be sure its probably bigger than what we've already faced. Dismissed."

"My Queen... preparations for our attack continue."

"Excellent. What of the prisoners?"

"The Klingon warrior is defiant as ever. The child... I don't understand what use she could be."

"The child is Romulan, and may be of use to us should we decide to turn our attention to the Star Empire once we're done with the Lunarians."

"Its been thousands of years..."

"You dare question me? Need I remind you of what happened to your predecessor?"

"No... my Queen... I meant no disrespect and... I should return to my duties."

"You are dismissed."

She watched as the Youma left, a lot more quickly than normal. Bringing up a live feed from the detention center, she observed the two captives. The Klingon was pacing back and forth, occasionally spouting what she assumed were obscenities at his captors. Words like petaQ, baktag, and Gre'thor. The Romulan child was curled up in a ball in the farthest corner of her cell. After a moment, she changed the feed to one outside the station with a wave of her hand over the orb, showing the gathering armada. And right in the center of it was the crown jewel of the Dark Kingdom. Her flagship. Named after the very being who gave her the power to challenge the Lunarians in the first place.

With an evil smile, Queen Beryl's thoughts turned to conquest and revenge.

As soon as the fleet arrived, Kirk advised them of the situation, and Admiral Meiou agreed that they would have to move on the rift. But there was a complication. Klingon ships were detected massing along the border, and there was even some movement along the Romulan Neutral Zone. While the Atredes was taken back to Sol System, the rest of the fleet was going to remain while the Enterprise proceeded to the Azure Nebula. Until they knew what the Klingons and Romulans intended to do, Admiral Meiou's hands were tied.

With a neutral expression, Setsuna watched as the Enterprise warped out of the system. It was up to them once again to beat the odds. She was brought out of her musing as a report of a Romulan ship approaching them rang out. Sitting up straight, she requested that they hail the intruder, only to get a report that the Romulans were hailing them.

"On screen," Setsuna said. An image of a male Romulan appeared on the viewscreen, but he wasn't wearing a uniform. In fact... it looked more like he was wearing something comparable to Vulcan Ambassadorial Robes.

"Federation vessel, this is Ambassador Dar of the Romulan Star Empire."

"Admiral Setsuna Meiou of Starfleet, commanding the USS Lexington. Your reputation precedes you Ambassador."

"I apologize for this violation of the Neutral Zone, however I felt it was necessary. My daughter is somewhere out here in Tau Dewa..."

"I am aware of your missing daughter Ambassador. And I would love to help find her, however we are dealing with a critical situation that threatens not only Federation security, but potentially the entire Quadrant."

The Ambassador seemed to consider what he would say next before nodding his head.

"If this situation is that dire... then perhaps in the interests of Galactic Peace... we should work together."

"I'd be honored to have you stand with us Ambassador. Consider your violation of Treaty overlooked. Now... we just need to figure out what the Klingons are doing..."

The blue clouds of the Azure Nebula were certainly a sight to behold. Consisting of oxygen and argon, with traces of fluorine, theta-xenon, and sirillium... the nebula, a class 11, was certainly worthy of its name. The clouds shifted as the massive white form of the Enterprise sailed through them, searching for something that didn't belong within.

Ami had her eyes glued to the sensors, looking for anything that seemed out of place in the nebula. Unlike the Mutara Nebula, the Azure Nebula didn't make sensors useless. Adjusting something on her console, she double checked some readings she was getting. Something seemed... off about these readings.

"Commander Spock," she called out. "Can you come take a look at these readings?"

The Vulcan approached her and inquired as to what she was referring to. After getting an explanation and allowing him to see for himself, Spock uttered the one word that usually meant something was interesting.

"Fascinating."

"Spock?"

"Captain, I believe Lt. Anderson may have discovered the Youma Rift," Spock replied to Kirk.

"Anderson?"

Ami went over her readings, and sure enough, there was a constant energy reading that didn't belong in a nebula.

"I think so sir. Relaying coordinates to the Helm now."

"Sulu, lets check it out."

Fifteen minutes later, the Enterprise was holding position near what appeared to be a tear in the fabric of space/time. The orange glow contrasted with the surrounding blue clouds, making it look almost like a Gate to Hell or something. Kirk was now pacing around the Bridge, trying to think of how they would seal it, as there appeared to be nothing on this side generating the rift.

"Captain," Serena spoke up, getting his attention. Kirk turned to face the young blonde woman. After a moment of hesitation, Serena volunteered to take a small team through the rift, stating that it was a risk to take the Enterprise in without any guarantee they'd return. Kirk did agree that it was a risk, but he was hesitant to send anyone without backup.

"Jim... something the size of a shuttle might get through undetected. But the Enterprise would be seen instantly," Serena countered. "We don't know what's on the other side, and if the Enterprise is destroyed, then there would be nothing to warn the fleet of what's coming."

Kirk bit his lip. Serena had a point. But at the same time...

"Alright," he finally said. "Take a team of volunteers... and be careful Lieutenant."

"I will sir," Serena replied. "Besides... I think this might be a situation the Scouts have to face alone."

Kirk nodded in response. He had to admit, it seemed like everything was centered around them. Serena called for Ami, then asked Uhura to summon Lita and Rene to the shuttlebay before entering the turbolift. Once the doors closed behind the pair of women, Kirk turned to face the viewscreen.

"I take it you have no intention of allowing Lt. Pike and her team to go alone?" Spock asked.

"Not exactly Spock," Kirk replied. "They may be some kind of heroes, but they're still members of my crew. I'll let them go, wait a while, then... then we go after them."

He turned to face his First Officer.

"I have no intention of letting them fight alone Spock."

By the time Serena and Ami arrived in the shuttlebay, Rene was finishing up loading a crate into the Artemis. Lita and Mina were double checking something, making sure everything was ready. When Serena approached the crate, Rene opened it and pulled out a Phaser Rifle.

"Figured we might need the extra firepower," the raven haired Security Officer replied. Serena took the rifle, looked it over herself, then put it down on the crate.

"Every little bit helps I guess," she said. "Lita, Mina, can you two come over for a sec?"

Everyone gathered around their team leader. Serena took a deep breath.

"I'm not going to lie to you. We might not come back from this. So if anyone wants to back out now..."

"You ain't leavin' me behind!" Lita chirped.

"You'll need help," Rene added, emphasizing her point by picking up the rifle.

"I'm not letting a friend go alone," Ami replied.

"Are we there yet?" Mina asked with a sideways smile.

Serena smiled. They were willing to see this through to the end.

"Then gear up. We're going in, and we are not holding anything back."

The shuttlebay doors opened, and the Artemis emerged. Swinging around the Enterprise, the small Moore type shuttle accelerated and shot into the rift.

Author's behind the scenes: This chapter was mostly for revealing the team to the crew of the Enterprise, and to set up for the next chapter. Also... the name of the Romulan Ambassador was not just a random choice. The reasoning will be revealed next chapter.

The comment from Scotty about a talking cat is a nod to Luna and Artemis, who in this story are not actually with the Scouts, but with Setsuna.