Wanderers (Pt. V)



by Darrin Colbourne



The enemy ships swarmed like locusts as Enterprise rushed for the ring at full thruster. The bridge crew tried hard to follow the Captain's example, ignoring the energy blasts that rained into the polarized hull, causing small explosions and fires everywhere. Mayweather barely flinched when part of the helm console sparked and buttons flew.

It was a short, exciting trip, but the ship was soon sailing into the center of the large ring. "Navigate the inner edge!" Archer said. "Best Speed!"

"Aye, sir!" Mayweather said, then steered Enterprise to the inner edge of the ring. He pulled up deftly just a few meters away from the alien hull, and soon the Earth ship was transiting along the surface as fast as the Ensign could fly her and maintain control. For a few seconds the aim of the attackers was thrown off, and several of the incoming bolts resulted in what the military used to call "red-on-red" damage. Reed tried to capitalize on the confusion by firing a barrage of pulse bolts in all directions, scoring several hits.

"Reed! Forget the attackers! Blast the ring with the cannons!" Archer said.

"Aye, sir!" Reed said, and soon a stream of pulse blasts preceded Enterprise around the ring. The explosions rattled the ship in its path, but the proximity of the attack defeated the polarization of the ring's hull. Debris flew off in all directions, further confusing the aim of the attack ships.

"So much for exploring it!" Sato called out.

"In this situation, I don't mind exploring a wreck!" Archer said.





"They're using the base for cover!" The controller said. "It's being destroyed as they maneuver!"

Seebok frowned. "I'd hate to lose the Armory as well as the sector, but we'll just have to replace what we can. Press the attack."





"T'Pol! Can you find the power source in this thing?" Archer asked.

"At this distance, yes!" T'Pol said.

"Are you still in control of the probe?"

"Yes, I am!"

"How precisely can you guide it?"

Understanding showed in T'Pol's face. "As precisely as necessary, Captain!"

"Then I have one more job for it!"





The crew of Watcher Zee-Kon maneuvered their attack ship wildly in an effort to get a clear shot at the alien vessel while avoiding debris and the fire of their compatriots. They had to coordinate some kind of massive attack, and fast! Enterprise was causing more and more damage with each lap around the ring.

"There's a small object approaching at high speed!" One of the crew called out. The commander checked his scope.

"Is it a missile?" He said as he checked its course. It was headed right for the station.

"Doubtful. It appears to be the robot probe that the alien ship launched."

The commander checked the speed of the object. The alien ship was already right on top of the station. What did they need to see so badly that they needed to barrel the probe in like...?

As the answer came to him his blood ran cold. "Break off to intercept the probe!"

"Commander...?" The pilot said.

"Now, you fool!" The commander said. Soon he felt the attack craft lunge as it sped away from the battle, swinging into a loop that the pilot was sure would intercept the probe's track.

He was too late. By the time the craft was in a position to attack the probe it was already completing its run. It had burned out its impulse engines to get to the station, and one final burst of power sent it slamming through the hull. It buried itself three decks deep before it exploded, sending explosive shockwaves through the interior of the ring, rupturing the power core in the process.

Enterprise broke away from the ring just before the core blew, exploding the ring from within. The shockwaves reached out through the Null Zone, shattering any vessel directly in their path. Most of the attackers were destroyed or heavily damaged, while the rest fled as fast as they could. Debris was propelled all over, damaging everything not lost in the blast.





"The construct is destroyed," T'Pol reported when the shockwaves died down. "All but ten of the attackers are destroyed or dead in space."

"Be ready for anything." Archer said.





"The Armory is destroyed, viiratu'chann." The controller said.

"Order a retreat." Seebok Choi said. "The mission there is unsalvageable."





"They're leaving!" Reed said. The ten attack ships remaining veered away and headed for where the entry point was.

"Follow them!" Archer said. "I want to know what's going on and they have all the answers!"

"We must exit quickly, Captain." T'Pol said. "My readings indicate that the Null Zone is collapsing in on itself. The construct must have been maintaining it."

"Full Impulse, Mr. Mayweather!" Archer said. The ship leaped forward as Archer thought. The enemy ships were keeping ahead of the ship. They wouldn't overtake any of them before they got out of the zone. "We need to tag one. Reed, try to use a missile to deal one a glancing blow."

"On it." Reed said, and a minute later he had the targeting done. He fired a missile, which streaked away and detonated near one of the trailing ships just before it exited the Zone. "Got him! He's trailing debris from one of his Warp nacelles."

"Good shooting!" Archer said.





Enterprise was out of the Zone minutes later. It appeared that all the attack ships had vanished, but Archer assumed they had gone into stealth mode, and the one he wanted was still trailing debris. The crew took the time to make quick repairs and reset the inertial dampening fields.

The damaged enemy ship was leaving a ragged Warp signature. "Probably due to the damage to his nacelle." "Trip" said when they were ready to take up the pursuit. He had come to the Bridge and was running Engineering from a bridge console. "He's not doing much better than Warp 1.7."

"He can't get very far at that speed." Archer said.

"True, but with the damage to our nacelle we can't do better than Warp 3. Until we make more complete repairs..."

"No time. Warp 3 will have to do. T'Pol, any idea where he might be headed?"

"There is a small system approximately 0.95 light-years from here. A small sun and three planets, one Earth-type. His Warp signature indicates he is headed there."

"Then let's plan a warm welcome. Mr. Mayweather, set course for that system. Warp 3."







Later, Enterprise was hidden behind the small moon of one of the gas giants in the system. Her crew was making major repairs while they awaited the arrival of the attacker. When the alien ship entered the system Archer halted all repairs and brought his ship to Red Alert. Enterprise stayed where she was, and they watched as the ship landed on the Earth-type planet.

"They probably went down to affect repairs." Archer said. "'Trip', get a shuttlepod ready. I'm going down there to have a word with our 'new friends'."





TBC...