-- CHAPTER 1 --
Disclaimer
Star Trek created by Gene Roddenberry and owned by Paramount Pictures. Star Wars created by George Lucas and owned by Twentieth Century Fox and Lucas film Ltd. I own the story and any original characters/species. No copyright infringement is intended.
[Scene changes to a small mess hall]
In the background you see a small group of scientists excitedly discussing the prospects of the approaching mission. In the foreground you see a couple ensigns discussing the mission from another perspective.
Nameless Ensign 1: I heard that the Hubble might not make it.
Nameless Ensign 2: You worry too much, that's why we got the shield upgrade.
Nameless Ensign 1: But still, this ship is nearly a century old. Why can't the Marcus go instead?
Nameless Ensign 2: If it were really all that dangerous, the Marcus would be going in. *jokingly* You scared?
Nameless Ensign 1: *short laugh* Nah, this is a good ship, I just...
[Camera moves on to the captain and first officer, also in lounge.]
Captain Tweblek: *quietly furious* Damn Starfleet, what do they think they're doing, sending an old ship like this into that maelstrom. Yes, we have the new shields and a crew that specializes in singularities, but there's no margin of error. The smallest problem and we're dead.
Commander Belcher: I agree, we should be out here monitoring while the Marcus goes in. They're new; they have all the latest shielding, the latest equipment, and are designed to handle harsh conditions. With those overpowered systems of theirs, they would be able to handle this mission without much trouble.
Tweblek: Keep this quiet for now, but the Hubble is going to be decommissioned shortly after our return, this will be one of her last missions.
Belcher: So since she's going to be decommissioned, some admiral decided we were expendable, is that it?
Tweblek: *shaking head* No, it's not that bad. Sure, it'll be dangerous, but the admiral probably thought he was doing us a favor by giving us one last big mission. In a way, I agree, but this mission really should be done by a stronger ship. .... On a better note, a little bird told me that the entire crew will be transferred to one of the new Nova class ships soon, with you in command.
Belcher: *surprised* Well, um, thank you sir. *big smile* But, what about you? Where will you be going?
Tweblek: I've been offered a position as commander of the Twess research station. It won't be quite as interesting as commanding the Hubble of course, but my wife has been begging me to settle down for years, and this will be a good opportunity to do just that. Besides, everyone has to do a tour of shore duty some time or another.
Belcher: You'll be driving a desk? I know that shore duty is an important rung on the promotion ladder, but still...
Tweblek: I'm not a young man anymore, as much as I love this life, *strongly* and I do, *mellows* I'm a scientist at heart. This should be an opportunity to get some real research done, and publish papers in my own name. I'll be on a ship again one day, but I could use a break.
Anonymous voice over combadge: Captain, the Marcus has arrived.
Tweblek: Thank you *taps combadge off* Lets get the show on the road.
[Scene changes to the bridge of the Hubble with the full command crew present]
Crew woman: Sir, the Marcus is hailing us.
Tweblek: On screen
Captain Hornbuckle: *broad smile* Mikal! It's good to see you again. How is that lovely wife of yours? Still trying to get you to settle down?
Tweblek: Just fine thank you, and yes, I've been offered a position as the commander of Twess station. And how is your daughter, fifteen isn't she?
Hornbuckle: *laugh* She's a teenager, what more can I say? She doesn't even have a flitter license yet and already she's pressing me to get her a flitter of her of her own. A sports model no less!
Tweblek: She always did love speed. .... On a more serious note, we have completed our preparations for the mission and are ready to enter the wormhole. Our readings indicate that the wormhole is on a one month cycle, with one week per month being safe enough to permit safe transit; the terminus of the wormhole should also be stable. Are you configured to relay the messages we will be beaming through the wormhole?
Hornbuckle: Yes, we are. You may begin the transit at your convenience.
Tweblek: Very well. Helm, lay in a course for waypoint alpha, full impulse... engage.
Hornbuckle: Godspeed Hubble, and good luck. Marcus out.
[Scene changes to an external view of the Hubble and the Marcus proceeding to waypoint one, high above the accretiation disk.]
Voice transmission: Beginning our run, Hubble out.
[We watch as the Hubble jumps into warp, shoots towards a giant pillar of energy, rolling upside down, barely slipping through two rapidly rotating bands of energy and makes a sharp turn down the central shaft, and dropping back to impulse power.]
[Scene changes back to the bridge of the Hubble, red alert bands flashing.]
Tweblek: Report!
Crewman 1: Shields at 95%
Crewwoman: Engineering reports the warp engine was overstressed during the last turn and has been taken offline for repairs; the impulse engine has also taken damage. We have 87% impulse power available.
Tweblek: That's not enough to make it, tell them they have three minutes to get the warp drive online.
Crewwoman: Yes sir!
Crewman 2: Sickbay reports one burn case from impulse engineering, no other casualties.
[Cut to Hubble racing down a tunnel of helical energy bands at impulse power.]
[Cut back to bridge]
Crewwoman: Warp drive back online.
Tweblek: Best speed for the wormhole. Engineering, redirect warp power to shields as needed, reserve power for a short warp two run.
Helmswoman: Distortion wave!
*bridge shakes hard and short*
Helmswoman: We're off course! Correcting.
Tweblek: Science, can you anticipate these waves?
Science: Sorry sir, our sensors are blinded, I can only give you three second's warning.
Ops: Approaching waypoint gamma.
[Cut to Hubble racing down the tunnel, sharply bumping side to side as it hits increasingly severe distortion waves. Through the gaps in the tunnel, you can see the accretiation disk is much closer.]
[Cut back to bridge.]
Tweblek: Prepare to engage warp drive, factor two
*bridge shakes very hard, lights blink off for a second, a low booming sound is heard and so is the sound of overstressed metal shearing apart, smoke curls along the ceiling*
Crewman 1: Shields at 40%
Tweblek: Engineering! We're going to be crushed, get those shields back up NOW!
Engineering: Aye sir! .... Transferring power.... shields back to 69%, that's all I can give you sir.
Tweblek: That's still not enough. Science, can we break off?
Science: No sir, we'd be vaporized if we tried; our only chance is to increase speed.
Tweblek: Warp Two Now!
[Cut to Hubble racing down the tunnel, jumping into warp, vibrating madly and spitting sparks. After a couple seconds you see an explosion on the port nacelle and large amounts of warp plasma gush out. The lower hull starts breaking up and rips off. The command section weaves wildly and a nacelle is seen separating right as it plunges through the wormhole.]
Cut to bridge of the Marcus. The crew is standing and silent in shock. The captain sits down heavily, grief plain on his face.
Hornbuckle: *quietly* Report.
Science: Sir, the Hubble has been largely destroyed. However, the command section is mostly intact; they may have survived if conditions on the far side of the wormhole are not violent.
Hornbuckle: Send a probe to investigate.
Science: I'm sorry sir, a probe would not survive, and nothing less than a starship would.
Hornbuckle: *heavily* Very well, prepare and send a report to Starfleet Command detailing today's events, the possible loss of the Hubble, and a request to go in and search for survivors. I'm going below, Mr. Wing, you have the conn.
[Scene cuts to Hornbuckle's cabin. Captain Hornbuckle is sitting at his desk looking through pictures of his family and Tweblek's together sharing a vacation in the deep woods of Alpha Centauri. Behind him, a woman in command red and three pips on her collar walks in.]
Commander Hawkins: Sir... my condolences, I know Captain Tweblek was a good friend
Hornbuckle: He was my best man at our wedding, did you know that? I'm his daughter's godfather, her mother is ten years gone, and now she has no father. *voice cracks* Rachael, how am I supposed to stand before her and tell her that I stood by, doing nothing, as I watched her father die?
Hawkins: Sir, there was nothing that could have been done. Even had we been in the tunnel with them, there would be nothing that we could have done.
Hornbuckle: DAMN HIM!
Hawkins: Who sir?
Hornbuckle: That admiral who sent a century old ship into that monstrosity! Even with the refitted shields she barely stood a chance. He damn near killed them; just as if he had used phasers on them. That should have been us in that tunnel, making the transit. The Marcus is designed to survive battle conditions; we could have handled the transit. *silent sob* Mikal would still be alive.
Hawkins: David, we don't know he's dead. The command section was still mostly intact when it passed through the wormhole. They could well still be alive. Don't write them off yet sir, we still have a rescue mission ahead of us.
Hornbuckle: *sigh* I pray you're right. Notify me when Starfleet responds to our message, I'm going to get some rest. I'll need it for tomorrow.