Part 1 - Fires of Revolution

Chapter 8 - Enterprise

Miles and Gwen both landed at their destination clumsily, falling over and hitting the ground hard. Yet it wasn't solid concrete, but metal.

"I hope I didn't just crack my ribs again." Grumbled Miles as he got to his feet and helped Gwen do the same.

Suddenly, a voice to their left told them they weren't alone.

"Transporter room one to bridge, intruder alert."

A klaxon began to sound throughout the room, and beyond. Red light bars flashed in the walls.

"Hands up!" Shouted the person, pointing some sort of weapon at the pair.

The two spider people did as they were told.

A few minutes later, the door to 'transporter room one' hissed open. A bald man entered, holding the same type of weapon. He was followed by a pair of officers, one in red like the bald man, and one in yellow. Miles recognised the three new arrivals immediately. They stopped and faced the pair.

"Who are you and what are you doing on my ship?" Demanded the bald man.

Gwen was about to speak but Miles got there first.

"My name is Miles. This is Gwen. We were supposed to be in New York, but this doesn't look like New York."

"No. You're well over a lightyear from your destination, and getting further away. Why were you going to New York?"

"We were looking for safety. Passage off the planet, specifically. Captain...am I right in saying your name is Jean-Luc Picard?"

The bald man raised his eyebrows and looked between his two officers.

"How do you know my name?"

"You're in movies in my universe. And Gwen's."

"Your universe?"

"It's complicated." Gwen replied.

"I think you two had better come with me. Number One, return to the bridge. Mr Worf, with me to the briefing room."

"Aye sir." Replied 'Number One', or Riker as Miles recognised him.

"Aye." Replied Worf, taking up a position behind the teenagers.

Picard guided them out of the transporter room through long corridors.

"Gwen. I think we should take our masks off." Miles whispered.

Worf looked between them suspiciously. Gwen nodded, removed hers and stuffed it in her pocket. Miles did the same.

After a couple of minutes of walking, the pair were shown into a room with a long table.

"Please. Sit." Said Picard.

The pair did as they were told. Worf took up a position by the door.

"So, your names are Miles and Gwen, you say?" Picard began.

"Yes." Miles confirmed.

"And you claim to be from alternate universes?"

"Yes."

"The question is, how did you end up aboard the Enterprise instead of in New York?"

Miles thought for a moment, then came up with an idea.

"Is it possible the Enterprise went to warp just as we arrived here, and that pulled us here instead?"

Picard looked thoughtful for a moment.

"It is the only possibility we can see so far." He tapped his Starfleet badge. "Picard to La Forge, could you come to the briefing room."

"On my way, Captain."

Picard noticed the strange watches on their wrists.

"Are those how you travelled here?" He asked.

"Yes." Replied Gwen.

"Would it be possible for my chief engineer to take a look at them?"

Miles shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. If we take them off we'll start glitching."

"Glitching?"

"When someone travels to a dimension they don't belong in they start to glitch. It hurts. Badly." Gwen explained.

There was a beep from the door.

"Come."

A man with a yellow shirt entered.

"You wished to see me, Captain?"

La Forge eyed the two spider people curiously.

"How much do you know about temporal mechanics, Mr La Forge?"

"Well it isn't in the academy course, sir. But I know a little."

"Would a warp bubble interfere with a temporal jump?"

"It may do, sir. But the science is extremely experimental."

"Understood."

"Sir, if I may. These two resemble an old fictional Earth superhero called Spiderman."

"Thank you, Mr La Forge. You can return to engineering now."

"Yes sir."

La Forge turned and left. Picard looked thoughtful again for a few more moments, before turning back to them.

"You said something about looking for safety, and transport away from Earth." He said slowly.

"We're being pursued through worlds by an immortal mad man. I have a theory that he can't jump outside of Earth." Replied Gwen.

"Ah. Would this immortal mad man go by the name 'Conall'?"

Miles' eyes narrowed. Was this one of Conall's ambassadors?

"Yes. Do you work for him?"

"No. I've had some run-ins with him. Usually to do with encounters with Q."

"That's a relief. Captain, we need protection from him. We think he's trying to kill us."

Picard sighed.

"I can offer you both asylum here in the Federation. You can stay aboard the Enterprise until she returns to Earth in a couple of month's time."

"That would be brilliant. Thank you, Captain."

"Mr Worf, have we any spare quarters?"

"A couple of rooms, sir."

"We can share to save room." Offered Gwen.

"If you are both comfortable with that, then we'll go with that arrangement. Mr Worf, have this all sorted."

"Aye sir."

A couple of hours later, having eaten a filling meal, Miles and Gwen were sitting in their quarters together. Both wore a com badge, as was the protocol.

"How did we get here?" Gwen muttered, resting her head on Miles' shoulder.

"Warp bubbles and scientific stuff, I guess."

"Rhetorical."

"Sorry."

Miles wrapped his arm around her and stared out into the void of space. The ship was making a stop at Vulcan to pick up a scientist.

"You know, I think we're going to be OK." He said.

"I'm not sure. Maybe for the few months we're on Enterprise. But afterwards we'll be back on Earth and Conall will be able to get us."

"Does it really matter if Conall get's us in the end? After all, we're together. If death is coming, then I guess it'll make us appreciate the time we have left together even more."

Gwen raised her head and looked at him.

"I didn't know you were a wise guy."

"Just something that came to my mind."

Gwen smiled and kissed Miles on the cheek.

"I'm going to sleep. Goodnight."

"Yeah. G'night."

A few days later, the USS Enterprise was well on its way to its destination. Picard was sitting in the captain's chair, thinking about the two teenagers he had picked up as they left Earth. Suddenly, the ship began to shake.

"Commander Data, report."

"We appear to be caught in some kind of interdiction beam. We are dropping out of warp."

"Red alert. Shields up."

The klaxon began to sound again, and the red light bars began to flash. The ship came to a complete stop.

"Anything on scanners?"

"I am reading a ship. Its signature is Starfleet. However, it is a model that was retired almost forty years ago, and only saw service with Section 31."

"If it was Section 31 we have no idea what is happening. It may still be in service."

"Captain, they are hailing us." Worf reported.

"On screen."

The front view screen changed to an image of a man with brown hair. His uniform was dark blue with golden stripes.

"This is Captain Lorca of the Federation star ship Discovery. I am informed you are harbouring two temporal fugitives."

Picard stood up.

"It seems we have two different stories. I'm told they went on the run by choice."

"And in doing so made themselves fugitives. Hand them over or we can settle this guns blazing."

"Your ship is over forty years out of date. I don't see how you can believe that is a fight you can win."

"This ship belongs to Section 31. It jumped here using technology that is still classified. It will fight you in the same way. You cannot win."

I don't take kindly to threats."

"You have one hour to think this through."

The transmission ended, turning the screen back into a view out the window. Picard sat down again as Commander Riker walked onto the bridge.

"Ah, a bit late Number One."

"Apologies captain."

"Well, good thing you're here now. We have a problem on our hands."

"What sort of problem?"

"Something to do with those kids we picked up when we left Earth."

"Has somebody come for them, sir?"

"Apparently Section 31."

"You said one of the kids mentioned seeing us in movies. Perhaps he knows a way to defeat them?"

"Good idea." Picard tapped his com badge. "Miles and Gwen to the bridge."

A few minutes later, the turbolift doors hissed open.

"Captain?"

"Miles, you mentioned something about films containing us. Did any of them talk about Section 31, and a star ship called Discovery?"

"There was a TV show called Star Trek Discovery. But I never watched it. I just watched a couple of the films. Can I ask why, Captain?"

"It seems your friend has caught up with us."

Miles and Gwen exchanged worried looks. Gwen spotted the image of the USS Discovery on the view screen.

"Maybe there's something about the ship in the computer?" Picard aimed the question at Data.

"I'm afraid not, sir. The record states that the USS Discovery was destroyed in the year 2258."

"Understood. Then it looks like we have to make a stand."

"Is it possible we could warp away, sir?"

"No, Number One. They pulled us out of warp with an interdictor beam."

Picard stared at the ship on the screen.

"All hands, this is the captain. Battle stations." He turned to Gwen and Miles. "I would advise you to take a seat. Things may be about to get rough."

They nodded and sat down. Gwen took the spare chair on the left of the captain's whilst Miles sat on the floor next to her.

"Mr Worf, hail them."

"Channel open."

Lorca appeared on the screen.

"Captain Lorca. We have made our decision. We will not hand over the fugitives."

Lorca sighed. Suddenly, a familiar face walked into view.

"Captain Picard. Long time no see."

"Conall. I see no reason for this. What have they done to you?"

"They violated every rule I plainly laid out for them. And my trust." Conall replied with a gaze that could have made most people cower in fear.

Yet Picard showed no fear.

"They are children! Maybe I shouldn't be asking what they did to you, but what you did to them!"

"I made a deal. They broke their end of it."

"And you're going to kill them for it?"

"What happens is none of your concern."

"It is now. They have claimed asylum with the United Federation of Planets, and I have granted that."

Conall rolled his eyes.

"Your Federation has no concern with temporal affairs."

The screen returned to the image of Discovery.

"Mr Worf, phasers. Target their engines."

"Aye."

A series of orange bursts of energy struck Discovery. As an eighth, perhaps ninth shot was fired, Discovery suddenly spun and seemed to disappear.

"Mr Data, report."

"The ship appears to have transported off our stern."

"Mr Worf, maintain fire."

The ship shook as Discovery returned the bombardment, before performing another leap as Worf attempted to lock on again. It hurled another barrage of energy bursts at the Enterprise, before performing yet another leap. The Enterprise-E surged forwards, attempting to manoeuvre in a way which would make it harder for Discovery to hit its target. Discovery jumped in behind and began to pursue, matching every turn of the larger ship. The Enterprise fired another round of phaser blasts, each of which struck various points on the Discovery.

"Shields are at fifty percent." Worf announced.

"Data, what's their status."

"Their shields are at ninety percent, sir. The ship has taken no damage to its hull."

"Mr Worf, quantum torpedoes. Fire."

Two balls of blue light burst from the rear launchers on the Enterprise. Discovery leapt out of the way with little care, before appearing off the side of the ship and hurling energy into its starboard nacelle. The Enterprise shook violently as plasma began to pour out of it.

"Our starboard nacelle has been ruptured. Captain, I do not believe we can win this fight."

"I agree. Transmit a distress call to any Starfleet vessels in range, and maintain fire."

A few more phaser shots struck home, but most missed.

"Captain, I'm receiving a transmission from the USS Voyager. They are a few minutes out."

"Thank you, Mr Worf. What's our status?"

"Shields at thirty percent. Apart from the nacelle our hull has taken minor damage."

"We have to keep the shields up, or they'll transport these two away. Transfer all available power to the shields. Take it from life support if you have to. Just keep those shields up until Voyager arrives."

"Aye sir."

"Captain, if I may."

"What is it, Data?"

"Each time they jump, I'm reading an energy pulse. That same energy pulse appears moments before the ship re-appears."

"Would it be possible to get the computer to change the weapons lock to target those energy bursts?"

"Yes sir."

"Do it."

Discovery jumped directly in front of the Enterprise and unleashed a torrent of energy shots at the saucer section. Enterprise unleashed a single red ball of light, a torpedo, at the ship. However, Discovery did not jump this time. The torpedo struck its saucer section, followed very closely by a barrage of phaser shots.

"Their shields are down to fifty percent."

"Keep firing."

"USS Voyager has arrived."

There was a bleep as an audio transmission began.

"This is Captain Tuvok of the Federation star ship Voyager."

Picard gave a quick explanation of the situation as Voyager emerged from warp. It immediately opened fire on Discovery, but only manged to hit a small number of times with phaser shots. Discovery did a spin, then did one final jump away from the battle leaving Voyager and Enterprise alone. Picard took a sharp breath.

"Well that's the end of that." He said.

Miles stood up.

"I don't think so. Conall is persistent. He'll never give up."

Picard nodded thoughtfully.

"We can discuss this later. Right now there are more pressing matters. Picard to engineering: set repair crews to work immediately."

A day after the battle, Miles, Gwen, Picard and Riker were sitting in Picard's ready room.

"I'm going to be honest. I have no idea how to proceed." Picard began.

"I think it's obvious what the problem, and solution is." Gwen replied.

Picard nodded.

"The problem is that if Conall is going to continually attack the Enterprise, she will be unable to complete any missions. As it is she will already have to return to the nearest star base for repairs. If she is unable to complete any missions she becomes a drain on Starfleet resources, and will be seen as useless." He explained, confirming Gwen's theory.

"The solution is obvious. When we dock at the nearest star base, me and Gwen return to Earth and go to a different dimension." Replied Miles.

"Except it isn't as easy as that. You are under the protection of the Federation, now that you have claimed asylum. We are obliged to provide that protection."

"Then withdraw our asylum. We can't put your ship and crew in any more danger." Pressed Gwen.

Picard put his head in his hands.

"Any ideas, Number One?"

"I'm afraid not, sir."

"Then since that is the only idea we have, we shall have to go along with it. I am truly sorry, both of you. I have failed in my duty to protect you."

Gwen shook her head.

"Your ship put up a good fight. You've done everything you can do."

Picard nodded and looked at Riker.

"Number One, set a course for the nearest star base."

"Aye sir."

A week later, Miles and Gwen were standing on the Golden Gate Bridge, staring out over San Francisco Bay towards the city. Gwen turned to Miles.

"How many people do you think were on that ship?"

"No idea. A few hundred at least."

"We almost got a few hundred people killed. Miles, we're spider people. We aren't supposed to be the ones who cower behind others. We're the ones who are supposed to be there for others to cower behind. We can't do that again."

"Gwen, we didn't mean to get on that ship. It happened because of a malfunction in the watches."

"I know. I just...feel really guilty about it."

"I understand."

Miles placed his hand on her shoulder.

"We'll find a way."

Gwen turned to him.

"I know we will. Because I don't know what we'll do if we don't."

Miles pulled her into a hug and closed his eyes, all too aware that Conall could appear at any moment and kill them.

Crossovers in this Chapter

- Star Trek