[A/N: I think I kind of got a little wordy in this bit. Let me know what you guys think.]
[Lieutenant Miles Chase's Personal Log, Stardate 48346.4
Upon a brief conversation with our new guest Darick Corvin, I can tell he and I are going to get along quite well.
A pilot from another galaxy shows up on our ship, with a craft none of us have ever seen before?
How can I resist learning all I can about him and his ship?]
"And then, two more TIE Fighters start breaking toward my wingman, just off my port wings." Corvin was moving his hands to show the relative positions of the fighters in the battle he was describing. He had a small gathering of the Orion's crew around him, Captain Garrett, Miles and several other crew members. He was regaling his audience with tales of a dogfight during an Imperial raid on a Rebel-held space station over a world called Malastare.
"This Empire really sends their pilots out in unshielded ships?" Tanya sipped a cup of coffee, leaning back in her chair.
"They do, indeed. The Empire prefers sheer numbers to overwhelm their enemies. Those TIEs can't take much punishment, but they're agile, and attack in groups." Corvin said between bites of his meal. "So, I kick my X-wing hard to port and I put myself in between the two TIEs, cutting off the trailing fighter from his own wingman. My own wingman Deek had lost most of his aft shields, so I managed to take away the second TIE's firing line on him." More hand motions accompanied his description.
Miles returned to the table, having gone back to the replicator to get himself a dessert. "Oh, this is the good part." He said as he sat back down.
"You've heard this story before?" Commander Palmer asked.
"Corvin graced the Captain and I with this little adventure before you guys showed up, ma'am. Sorry, Darick. Please continue."
"Right. So, anyway, R4 gives me the target lock tone, and I waste the lead eyeball- that's our pilot slang for them- meanwhile, the fighter behind me is still trying to get a tone on Deek, basically trying to shoot around me or force me out of the way."
"So, what happened?" Tanya asked.
"Well, he keeps breaking left and right behind me, trying to get his firing arc around me, so the next time he breaks to my portside, I shunt all power to my aft shields and slam on my rudder pedals, killing my engines. The TIE's starboard wing clips the aft-portside of my shield bubble, the wing shears off and he goes careening out of control. I got out with only minor damage, and Deek and I rejoin the battle. We mop up the Empire's forces, and save our station."
"A risky, yet impressive maneuver. Had you ever attempted such a feat before?" Varik asked, as he raised his cup of Vulcan tea.
"Never, but a friend of mine gave me the idea… Unfortunately, he never lived to see me do it. He died in the start of the Imperial raid." Corvin's expression sobered. "Blown to dust as his fighter was leaving the hangar. Never even had a chance to raise his shields."
Captain Garrett put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "I'm sorry. We all know what it's like to lose friends." Between constant threats of war with the Romulans, Cardassians and Borg, many of the crewmen aboard Orion had at least one person close to them with their name on an after-action report under KIA." As he settled back into his chair, he felt the medallion around his neck come back to rest against his chest, and he thought of his mother.
Corvin placed his face into his hands for a moment, then straightened up. "So, what is our next step, Captain? We have a heavily armed Imperial Star Destroyer wandering unchecked through a brand-new galaxy." He met eyes with Garrett. "And one pilot who wants to get back home and make sure his friends are alright."
The Captain sighed. "That may prove difficult. Our primary mission right now is tracking down one of our own missing starships. And in most instances, our Prime Directive prevents interference with other cultures." Corvin's heart sank.
"However," Garrett continued, "seeing as how a rogue warship could stand to interfere with my own society, I would say the Prime Directive is not applicable in this situation. The Captain smiled and patted Corvin on the back. "I'll do what I can to help you. I promise."
Corvin stood and took Captain Garrett's hand, shaking it feverishly. "Thank you, Captain."
Varik placed his teacup on the table and stood up. "There are several obstacles we must circumvent if we are to go hunting for Admiral Karath. The most glaring of these being we have no way to track his ship."
Commander Palmer patted the dome of the R4 unit sitting quietly in low-power mode. "Well, maybe our little friend here can help us with that."
Corvin nodded. "Absolutely. If my knowledge of Imperial frequencies is correct, I can get you their transponder signal."
Miles raised his hand. "Another big challenge is that Karath's ship laps us several times over when it comes to armaments, not to mention sheer size. We don't have the firepower to take that thing on ourselves. The Federation mostly arms their ships for defense, Corvin." He turned towards the Captain. "Maybe if we can convince Starfleet Command to loan us a Galaxy-class or two." He chuckled.
"The more ships you can get to help you, the better." Corvin said. "We never saw that wormhole close, and Admiral Karath's ship wasn't alone on my end."
Garrett stared at the pilot. "There were more ships? How many?"
"At least three more. Hammer of Dawn is the largest, but the fleet that intercepted my squadron was four ships total. Two Victory-class Star Destroyers, the Vanquisher and the Nova. And then there's Star Crusher, an Interdictor cruiser. The first of its kind, it has four projectors that can simulate the hyperspace shadow normally associated with a planetary body. A 'gravity well,' in simpler terms. It disrupts any ships traveling at lightspeed. They used her to drag us back into what we refer to as 'real space.'"
Garrett turned to his Operations officer. "Tanya, any chance that could interfere with warp travel?"
"Hard to tell, Captain. In theory, it's possible."
"I doubt you'd get the chance to find out anytime soon. Given that Admiral Karath has no knowledge of this galaxy, his fleet would have no idea where to find your ship." Corvin said. "The Interdictor relies on surprise ambushes. It simulates the gravity well of a planet, which is what disrupts hyperspace. They park themselves along hyperspace routes and run the generators. But as I said, they need to know where a ship is coming from to do that."
Captain Garrett nodded in agreement. "That could be our edge. But four enemy ships flying blind in an unfamiliar section of space can also be dangerous. Given how quick Karath was to fire on us fresh out of the wormhole, it's safe to assume he'd open fire on anything that stands in his way." Keying his combadge, he hailed Mendon, who was currently in command of the bridge. "Garrett to bridge."
"Mendon here, Captain. Is there a problem? I haven't noticed anything unusual, and the course I've plotted is quite adequate. Furthermore-"
"It's quite alright, Lieutenant. I just want you to monitor all subspace channels, keep a look out for anything relating to these 'Star Destroyers.' If there's anything, I can almost guarantee it will stick out like a sore thumb."
"Yes, sir. Bridge out." The comm died.
"I can promise you they haven't gone far. Making blind hyperspace jumps is suicide. Without precise calculations, you could end up buried in the broadside of a planet, or worse." Corvin leaned back in his chair, and took a drink before continuing. "Admiral Karath isn't stupid, he knows there's nowhere for him to go, unless he manages to get his hands on navigational charts, or a map of this sector of space."
"What do you think he would do, Darick?" Tanya asked him. "Would he just sit by the wormhole and wait for us to bring you back?"
Corvin laughed. "No. He knows that we're not stupid. My guess? His small fleet would proceed on a heading at sublight speed and attack the first planet, space station or vessel they come across." At that moment, Garrett's combadge beeped.
"Garrett here." Mendon was on the other end of the channel, and his voice sounded distressed.
"Captain, we are receiving a Priority One distress call from Starbase 138. Four unidentified ships dropped out of warp at an extremely close distance and opened fire on the station. One of the vessels collided with the USS Lucas and destroyed it. All their hails to the ships have gone unanswered."
Corvin placed his cup down and rose from his chair. "Speak of the devil…"
"How far out are we from the Starbase?"
"Approximately 6 hours, Captain."
Garrett cursed under his breath. Dammit, we traveled too far.
"Everyone to the bridge. Mendon, bring us up to yellow alert. Maintain communication with the Starbase for as long as you can."
As the crew dispersed from the mess hall, Garrett stopped Corvin in the corridor, two security officers were waiting for them. He held out a combadge to the younger man. "I've assigned you temporary quarters. These men will escort you there. Just tap this and ask for me if you need anything. But for now, we have a long flight ahead, you should probably get some rest."
Corvin took the badge, and pinned it onto the orange flight suit he still wore. Nodding to the Captain, he followed the two other men down the corridor. Garrett smoothed out his tunic, and proceeded to the turbolift.