Captain Potter and the Romulan Cloak of Invisibility
(This story takes place toward the series finale of Voyager and before the events in Nemesis.
Disclaimer: Harry Potter is written by J. K. Rowling and is a trademark of Warner Brothers. Star Trek is a trademark of Paramount Pictures.)
Year 2377 A.D.Captain Harold James Potter, a six-foot man in his mid-30s and one of the youngest captains to serve aboard a starship, stood on the bridge of his ship as the Akira-class USS Gryffindor soared into space at warp speed. Potter faced a large viewscreen that displayed the image of an elderly man, Admiral Albus Dumbledore.
"The Romulan scout ship Rovazek awaits you in the Neutral Zone," said the elderly Dumbledore. "I trust you've already received the coordinates I sent you. As you can see, Captain, this mission is of a purely diplomatic nature."
Potter's first officer, Commander Ronald Weasley, who was standing next to his superior officer, nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, Admiral," said Potter. "This is apparently one of a series of historic steps to promoting peace between the Romulan Empire and the Federation. We look forward to escorting Senator Voldemok and his party back to Earth."
Captain Potter momentarily glanced at Ronald and shifted his back to the admiral.
"I must bid you farewell for now, Captain, Commander," said Dumbledore. "Give my regards to Dr. Granger. I'm quite certain she's busy down in Sickbay, eh?"
"And say hello to Mr. Hagrid, sir, if you run into him at the Academy," replied Commander Weasley with a smile.
"Will do. Starfleet Out."
Harry Potter and his best friends and colleagues--Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger--had known each other and had been serving together for many years. They all had graduated from Hogwarts, a prestigious school in the British Isles, prior to enlisting in Starfleet.
As the transmission was cut off and the image on the screen was replaced by that of a field of stars, Commander Weasley turned to his captain and said, "I thought Captain Malfoy's ship, the Slytherin, was closer to the Neutral Zone than ours. Isn't he on a survey mission in the Beta Miranda System?"
"Number One, I'd like to see you alone in my Ready Room. Lt. Shaymus," said Potter to his Vulcan tactical officer, "you have the Bridge."
"Aye, sir," said the young Vulcan as he strode down from Tactical/Security station to the area of the captain's chair.
"Lt. Chang, set a course for the Neutral Zone, maximum warp. Engage," ordered the captain. "Mr. Shaymus, advise me when we have arrived at our destination. I'll be in the Ready Room with Commander Weasley."
The doors slid automatically behind them as Potter and Weasley entered the Ready Room.
"Computer, tea, chamomile, hot," said Harry as he approached the replicator. "Can I get you anything, Ron?"
"None for me, Harry, thanks," he said as he sat in front of his captain's desk. "What's on your mind?"
"I was just going to inform you about a message I had received from Starfleet Command an hour ago before we got that call from Admiral Dumbledore."
"What's the message about?"
"Well, as Dumbledore said, we're supposed to escort Romulan senator Voldemok to Earth to meet with the Federation Council to continue 'dialogues' between the two governments. There's more to that, actually," said Potter, sitting behind his desk and taking a sip of the chamomile tea.
"Oh?" Ronald prompted, listening attentively.
"Tell me, when you think about the starship Defiant, what's the first thing that comes to your mind?"
"It's the only starship in the fleet equipped with an 'invisibility cloak,' a device loaned by the Romulan government," replied Ronald in a matter-of- fact tone.
"Correct. You already know that in 2371 the Romulans decided to share cloaking technology with the Federation. The Federation signed a treaty with the Empire, and a contract was made for the temporary use of the cloaking device on a Starfleet vessel."
"Ah, yes, I remember that. Benjamin Sisko was in command of the Defiant at the time," said the first officer. "There were certain restrictions, though. Provisions, if you will. The Federation would not be allowed to use the cloaking device in the Alpha or Beta Quadrant. It was meant to be used only in expeditionary missions to the Gamma Quadrant through the Bajoran wormhole. As I recall, this was done in exchange for any information Starfleet gathered pertaining to the Gamma Quadrant-- information that the Romulans coveted."
"Right. Now as I was saying," continued Captain Potter, "I had received a private subspace transmission from Admiral Dumbledore about an hour ago before he even contacted us. As you know, since the Dominion War ended, the Federation and the Romulan Empire, amongst a dozen other interstellar governments, have been trying to establish diplomatic ties with each other. The bottom line is, I have just learned from Starfleet Command that the Romulans are willing to permanently allow cloaking technology aboard Federation starships. In other words, there is talk about installing Romulan-based cloaking devices on all starships in the fleet. We're talking about unlimited use in the Alpha Quadrant. No limitations, no provisions."
"Wicked!" exclaimed Ronald. "That would give the Federation an added incentive ... a tactical advantage!"
"Yes, that's why it's extremely important for both governments to continue talks and establish diplomatic relations."
"Just think, this time next year, invisibility cloaks could be standard equipment aboard Federation starships," added Ronald with an excited smile.
"I don't know, Ron. I feel quite uneasy about this."
"Why do you say that? Is there something wrong?"
"It's hard to say. I can't explain it. It seems I'm getting these somewhat negative vibrations, for lack of a better description, about this mission. Do you sense it, too?"
"No, I can't say I do. Sorry, but then again, you're the one with this 'third-eye' vision."
"Well, I'm not Betazoid. I'm certainly not telepathic."
"C'mon, Harry. You know what I mean. You have this special ability, like a sixth sense, a precognitive ability of sorts. You know, it's almost like magic."
"Ron, magic is the stuff you read about in children's fairy tales. Let's be a little more objective, shall we? After all, we're scientists and explorers."
Commander Weasley just shrugged at his superior officer's comment.
Potter's communicator chirped.
"Bridge to Captain Potter."
The captain tapped his badge and said, "Go on, Mr. Shaymus."
"We are approaching the coordinates, sir. ETA, two minutes."
"I'm on my way. Potter out," he replied. "Come on, Ron, let's go."
Moments later the Gryffindor arrived on the Federation side of the Neutral Zone, roughly a light-year away from the Romulan side.
"Take us out of warp, Lt. Chang," Potter ordered, who was back on the bridge. "All stop."
"Captain, the scout ship Rovazek is holding position at coordinates 271 Mark 5," reported Shaymus.
"Open hailing frequencies. This is Captain Harry Potter of the Federation starship Gryffindor. We have arrived to meet Senator Voldemok and his party and escort them through Federation space."
Moments later two Romulan figures appeared on the viewscreen.
"I am Captain Serix of the Rovazek," said the female officer.
"And I ... am Senator Voldemok," said the elderly politician. "Captain Potter, the Rovazek will be accompanying me in my journey to the Federation."
"Understood, Senator. You have been authorized by the Federation to proceed. We welcome you to beam aboard our ship later."
"I look forward to our meeting, Captain Potter. My party and I will see you in a few minutes. Rovazek out."
Meanwhile, on the Romulan ship, Senator Voldemok smiled and thought, "At last I shall have my revenge, Captain Potter! I have waited seven long years for this!"
Voldemok turned to face Captain Serix and said, "Are the Warbirds ready?"
"Yes, my lord. The Metrel and the Zovok are holding position and awaiting further instructions," answered the commanding officer of the Rovazek.
"Good," said Voldemok with satisfaction. "Those Federation fools suspect nothing; neither does the Romulan government. At last I shall avenge Tomriddek's death. What's even more important is that what we're about to do here today will sour the relations between the two governments. The stupidity of the Romulan Senate is going to cost the Empire its sovereignty in the galaxy!"
"That is what the New Rihannsu Army is hoping to prevent, my lord," said Serix. "We do not wish to have any diplomatic or any other ties with those humans and their inferior allies like the Klingons."
"Captain Serix, I commend you for your great work and your cooperation."
"It has been my pleasure to serve with you, Senator."
"Likewise. Let us proceed with the plan."
Back on the Gryffindor, the Vulcan tactical/security officer tapped his console and noted some unusual readings.
"Captain," said Shaymus, "sensors detect two Warbirds decloaking. They are proceeding towards the Neutral Zone along with the Rovazek."
"What?!"
"Open a channel to the Rovazek," said Captain Potter.
"No response, sir. The Warbirds are on an intercept course towards our position. They are charging weapons. Intercept in less than 30 seconds," reported Shaymus.
"Bloody hell!" exclaimed the first officer.
"Raise the shields and go to Red Alert! All hands to battle stations!" snapped Captain Potter. The Red Alert klaxon sounded off.
Moments later the three Romulan vessels, led by the Rovazek, approached and fired upon the Gryffindor.
"Evasive maneuver pattern Potter Alpha-7!"
Lt. Chang tapped the helm and maneuvered the Gryffindor gracefully against enemy fire. A volley of disruptor blasts still hit the Akira-class Federation ship.
"What the devil are they doing?!" asked Commander Weasley in shock.
"I don't know, Ron. Mr. Shaymus, try hailing the Rovazek again. And send a subspace message to Starfleet informing them of our situation," Potter said. "This is Captain Potter speaking. You have launched an unprovoked attack against our ship. You're in violation of the Treaty of Bajor of 2375."
The face of Senator Voldemok appeared on the viewscreen again. With an angry look on his face, the Romulan addressed Captain Potter.
"You, Captain Potter, will die, and your entire crew will suffer the same fate!"
"Why are you attacking us?"
The bridge shuddered at the impact of each disruptor blast. A plasma conduit overloaded and exploded in one of the science stations behind Tactical, causing an ensign to fly across the room.
"Aaaahhh!"
Weasley rushed to his aid as Lt. Shaymus quickly moved to extinguish the flames.
"Why? How dare you ask why! You ... murdered my son! My only son-- Tomriddek!" replied the senator.
"Shields down to 67%!" said Shaymus, addressing Commander Weasley. "Warp drive is off-line!"
"Target lead vessel and return fire!" said the captain.
Captain Potter, who was overwhelmed with confusion and a host of other feelings, was preoccupied in a verbal confrontation with the Romulan senator. He stood in front of the viewscreen, asking himself why the Romulans were attacking them and why he was being accused of killing Voldemok's son.
"I don't understand," Harry uttered.
Weasley, on the other hand, gripped the armrests of his seat with every blast that bombarded the ship.
Weasley tapped his communicator and said, "Bridge to Engineering! Commander Longbottom, report!"
"Major systems are off-line! Transporters, warp drive, main power, you name it, sir!" exclaimed Lt. Cmdr. Longbottom, Chief Engineer, who was scurrying back and forth from one computer console to another and barking out orders.
"Neville, we need more power to the shields. And work on getting the warp drive back on-line!"
"I'll see what I can do, Commander. Longbottom out!"
"Harry!" Ronald called out to his friend and captain. He noticed that Potter's attention was focused on the Romulan. "What are your orders?"
"I don't understand what you're talking about, Senator. I know nothing about your son!" he replied.
"The incident at Kandara III, 2370! You got into a confrontation with my people, including my son!"
It was all coming back to Captain Potter. Seven years ago on an Away Team survey mission, when Potter was still the first officer, he and his fellow officers were ambushed by a group of Romulans. The attack was unprovoked. Two of Potter's officers died in the mission. Simply put, the Romulans did not want the Federation's presence on a disputed planet along the border of the Neutral Zone. A battle ensued, claiming several casualties on both sides.
"Captain, please!" Ronald exclaimed as he grabbed Harry's shoulder. "Your crew needs you right now!"
As if waking up from a dream, Captain Potter shifted his attention to his first officer and then back to the senator.
"You're making a big mistake, Senator," said Potter. "I might have killed your son in battle many years ago, but it was not my intention to take a life. I acted only in self-defense. We were ambushed while on a survey mission, and we had to defend ourselves. We were attacked without provocation ... the way you're attacking us right now!"
"Don't be a fool. This is not just a personal vendetta!" said Voldemok. "Some of my people are reluctant about sharing cloaking technology with the Federation. Understand that not every Romulan citizen supports the idea of a peaceful negotiation with your people. I'm as much opposed to the idea as I am angered by your barbarity!"
"I've had enough of this! Cut the transmission now!" snapped Captain Potter.
"Good!" interjected Weasley. "Welcome back."
"Sorry about the minor distraction. Target their weapons and fire at will!" the captain ordered.
A volley of quantum torpedoes and phaser blasts pummeled the Rovazek and the two Warbirds.
"Helm control is not responding. I'm switching to man--"
Before Lt. Chang could finish her sentence, the helm console exploded and she was thrown off her seat. She landed on the floor, unconscious.
Harry and Ronald rushed to her side. Ensign Patill, a Betazoid operations officer, quickly transferred navigation controls over to her station.
"Bridge to Sickbay!" said Captain Potter as he tapped his communicator. "Dr. Granger, Lt. Chang is injured. Could you send a medic to the bridge immediately?"
"Lt. Chang is not the only one injured, I can assure you. We've got our hands full at the moment. I'll see what I can do. Granger out," said the feisty but efficient CMO. She walked from one biobed to another, administering treatments and medications for a dozen injured crewmembers.
"Shields down to 22%," reported Shaymus from Tactical dispassionately. "We have disabled the Rovazek; however, the Metrel and Zovok are still attacking us."
"Mr. Longbottom," said Potter as he tapped his communicator, "either give us the warp drive right now or transfer all warp power to the shields!"
"Warp drive won't be available in another 12 minutes!"
"I'm detecting another vessel," said Ensign Patill from Ops. "Federation signature, Ship registry NCC-1219-D. It's the Slytherin, sir!"
"They're hailing us!"
"On screen."
"Captain Potter, I see you could use some assistance from an ally," said Captain Draco Malfoy, commander of the Galaxy-class Slytherin, and ironically he was Potter's old rival at Starfleet Academy. Malfoy and Potter did not get along very well. Simply put, they were not too fond of each other. Malfoy was jealous of Captain Potter, who was far more intelligent than he and who had outdone him in every aspect of academics. Harry thought Draco was cocky and disrespectful just because his father, Lucius, was the head of Starfleet Security.
"Indeed, Captain. I thank you for your timely arrival," said Potter.
The enormous Galaxy-class starship arrived and started firing on the two Romulans Warbirds. Minutes later the Metrel and Zovok were disabled along with the derelict Rovazek, but instead of withdrawing back to the Romulan side of the Neutral Zone, all three vessels exploded in a massive spectacle of light.
"The Slytherin couldn't have hit them that hard!" exclaimed Weasley.
"It appears that they have activated the self-destruct mechanisms aboard their ships," said Shaymus.
"It's starting to make sense," said Potter to himself.
The Slytherin safely towed the Gryffindor back into Federation space. A few hours later the two ships proceeded to Starbase 274, where the Gryffindor was to undergo major repairs. Potter thanked his rival Malfoy and the Slytherin's crew for their assistance.
"There is hope for you yet, Harry," joked Dr. Granger. She and her two friends were in the Captain's Ready Room, drinking Saurian brandy and having a conversation while the ship was docked at the starbase.
"This ... animosity between me and Malfoy ... it's personal," said Harry.
"So, did the Romulans deceive us? I take it we won't be getting the cloak of invisibility then."
"Well, according to Admiral Dumbledore, Starfleet Intelligence has gathered that Voldemok and his cohorts belonged to a radical group called the New Rihannsu Army. They were opposed to the idea of a peaceful relationship between the Romulan Empire and the Federation. The Romulan government has disavowed Voldemok's actions," said Captain Potter.
"Doesn't this incident remind you of an incident in Federation history?" said Dr. Granger.
"What are you referring to, Doctor?" asked Weasley.
"2287? Khitomer? Klingons? Captain James T. Kirk and the Enterprise? Need I say more?"
"Oh, that," Ronald replied. "I guess it's going to take some more time before the two governments finally achieve peace."
"On a side note, Voldemok's plan was also fueled with hatred and revenge," said Potter glumly. "I didn't even realize he was the father of the Romulan soldier I ... encountered in battle at Kandara III."
"I remember that incident, Harry, but you haven't really discussed it with me or Hermione in detail."
"Yeah, do tell us more about it, Harry ... that is, if you're willing," said Dr. Granger in agreement.
"Well, if you say so," Harry began. "It happened seven years ago. As I recall, Hermione wasn't even on the Gryffindor at that time. She was at Starbase 220. And you, Ron, were on shore leave on Risa ..."
And so another day had passed in the lives of Captain Potter, Commander Weasley, and Doctor Granger. They all shared a special bond--of friendship and togetherness--that transcended their Starfleet careers.
THE END