Star Trek: Ranma's Story18 - By DS Wynne

Disclaimer: Ibid.

Note: Ibid.

Special note: This is part of BOOK II of the Ranma saga.

Eighteen months later...

While the Enterprise-A was having its systems updated, Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy went camping near the base of "El Capitan", which was a hotspot for rock climbers. The three wanted to get to know each other again away from work.

Unfortunately, someone literally dropped in on them…

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH-!"

One of the newest "extreme sports" game in recent years involved jumping out of a space ship at sub-orbital speeds, "surf" the ionic sphere, and parachute safely back to Earth. One of the earliest pioneers of this sport was none other than Usagi Tsukino, who accidentally invented the sport. At the time, during her first tour under Kirk, she jury-rigged a system where she surfaced back to the planet in order to escape the destruction of her shuttle. Apparently, she was a target by the Orions, a race of space pirates, for her part in making it nearly impossible to take advantage of the lesser races, thanks to the founding of the Federation. Orions have long memories, so once word got out that Usagi was still around 100 years later, a bounty was placed on her head. Thankfully, her extensive exploration experience allowed Usagi to cobble together a way to escape the death trap set by the Orions. How that situation fared is, of course, another story.

Spock, who was "spotting" Kirk, who was rock climbing, saw someone coming down fast.

Of course, the scream gave it away.

"Captain, if you don't mind-?"

"Sure, Spock. Go!"

Spock used his rocket boots to fly up to Usagi, who had not yet used her parachute.

"I got you!"

"Spock?" Usagi asked through her helmet.

"Yes, I'm here."

"Um, you do know that I already know how to fly, right?"

Before Spock could respond, Kirk had managed to slip from his perch.

"Jim!"

"Captain!"

As Kirk fell, a second figure swooped down to intercept Kirk.

"I got you, Captain!" Ranma yelled, as he grabbed Kirk. Usagi was teaching Ranma how to sky surf.

"Thanks, for the save, Commander," Kirk said, as he was lowered to the ground.

Once everyone was down…

"I thought that you were going to work on the modifications?" Kirk asked.

"It's done," Usagi replied, as she fried up some veggies in a pan. "So, I gave most of the crew time off. Scotty is in charge."

"Why Scotty?"

"Remember the shore-leave incident?"

"Good point," Kirk replied, as he recalled how Captain Montgomery ("Scotty") Scott ballooned in size from his last extensive shore-leave.

A few days later, the Enterprise was called to deal with a hostage crisis on the planet Nimbus III. The planet was one of the failed attempts at a joint venture between the Romulans, the Klingons and Federation. According to reports, some guru and his followers had taken the ambassadors from each of the territories hostage, and were demanding a direct response by the Federation.

So, Kirk called in a rescue mission.

"Usagi, you and Ranma sneak into the compound from the North, while the rest of us take the South."

"Aye, Captain!"

So far, the covert activity was a success, until the "hostages" turned on the rescuers!

"Why are you doing this?" Usagi asked, as she and the command crew were surrounded. And then one, long-haired Vulcan appeared.

"Why, we want your ship, Moon Princess!" said Sybok.

Apparently, a Vulcan named Sybok sought to use his emotional release techniques to free people of their inner pain. Unfortunately, it turned out that Sybok is Spock's half-brother, and that he was banished from spreading radical ideas.

However, Usagi, who has lived on Vulcan for many years, knew the truth: Sybok wanted to force everyone to give up their logical center.

"Why do you want our ship?" asked Kirk.

"To meet the Creator!" Sybok replied.

Meanwhile, a Klingon named Klaa was sent to "rescue" the Klingon ambassador. Of course, the way the Ambassador was to be rescued, was to execute him for still being alive. So, from that point on, Klaa was going to do his best to harass Kirk and company, who were being held hostage by Sybok and HIS followers.

Over time, Sybok tried to use his radical mental discipline to get the Enterprise crew to follow him. Kirk was resistant to this idea, as did Usagi. Ranma, who was still adjusting to his new self, wanted to be release of the guilt he had for not trying hard enough to return to Akane.

"We must go to the planet Sha-Ka-Ree, in the center of the galaxy!" Sybok declared.

Usagi looked at Sybok for a minute. Now, as a seasoned trans-dimensional traveler, Usagi has met many being claiming to be gods...as well as the gods themselves. And it is from that experience that she was wary of anyone claiming to be "the Creator"

"I really think you shouldn't," Usagi said.

"And why not?"

"The Creator exists everywhere! Why would s/he be in one place?"

"Perhaps the Creator wishes to create a new Eden?"

"Perhaps."

After Sybok modifies the warp drive, the Enterprise manages to pierce the barrier that surrounded the center of the galaxy. Sybok, along with Kirk, Spock and McCoy goes down to the planet in the hope of finding God. Meanwhile, Usagi sneaks off the ship, and surfs down to the planet. That way, she would remain undetectable to sensors. At any rate, she was able to use her SELMA (a anthromorphic computer that could project a holographic image of a friendly female figure, and hack into any computer network) unit to compile all the data that Sybok had so generously provided Usagi. Over the years, Sybok, in his pursuit of the Creator, scoured the galaxy for information. What Usagi deduced was the opposite of what Sybok deduced. So, while Ranma and the rest of the command crew dealt with Sybok's followers and Captain Klaa, Usagi had to warn Sybok of what he was about to discover…

On the planet below, Sybok and the others find a "node", which is what a place of power is called. There, a powerful entity appeared.

"I AM THE CREATOR!"

"We are honored to meet you, Great One," Sybok replied.

"THE HONOR IS MINE. NOW THAT YOU ARE HERE, YOU CAN GIVE ME YOUR SHIP FOR MY NEW HOUSE OF WORSHIP."

Kirk, being Kirk, intervened.

"Excuse me, but if you are the Creator of 'All', why would you need a ship?"

"WHAT?"

"I said, if you are GOD, why would GOD need a ship to leave this planet?"

"HOW DARE YOU!"

ZAP!

Just as the energy bolt from "God" was about to zap Kirk, Sailor Moon appeared. She slapped the bolt away.

"Sybok that thing is not God!"

"You think?!?" Dr. McCoy replied sarcastically.

"I…I don't understand…" Sybok began.

"This THING is an entity imprisoned here."

"YOU KNOW NOTHING!"

With that, the entity unleashed a steady stream of energy.

Sailor Moon merely smirked, as she took off her tiara.

"Moon Tiara MAGIC!"

Using her simplest attack on a stupid creature, Moon destroyed it.

"I…am…lost," Sybok said with defeat. "Everything that I believed in was a lie."

Moon placed her hand on Sybok's shoulder.

"No, it wasn't all a lie. Captain, I'm sure that the Federation authorities can wait just a little bit, right?"

Kirk looked at his officer, then at Spock, who nodded his head, and then back at Moon.

"Sybok's in your custody until your return."

"Thank you, sir."

A short time later, Usagi, Sybok and Tho-Ohki (her pet half-cat/half rabbit that could transform into both a battle-bot and a starship) were on a world that did not need a star to have both daylight and life.

"Where are we?" Sybok.

"This, Sybok, is Heaven. Or, an aspect of it."

"Will we meet the Creator?"

"I'll show you something BETTER…"

In the center of the biggest land mass, there was a huge tree. It seemed to extend far beyond the farthest star, and whose roots extended in the deepest pits of the universe.

"What is this?"

"This is the World Tree," Usagi replied, as she touched the tree's bark. "It is the metaphysical representation of all of Creation."

Sybok touched the World Tree, and was floored by a fundamental truth:

Everyone and everything were connected as a part of a great Cosmic mind, and that mind was "The One".

Sybok smiled, as tears of joy streamed down his face.

"When we do good, when we are just, we are reflections of the will of the Creator," Usagi said. "In other words, we are in truly made in the One's image."

And with that, Sybok could rest in his quest, for he knew his place in the Universe.

Fin.

Author's note: This chapter is less Ranma-centric. For that, I apologize. However, the next update will have more Ranma in it, and the chapters will be in order. And just to pique your interest, here is something to ponder in an upcoming chapter (which will detail the transistion between the Kirk-era and the Picard-era)...

"You are familiar with the situation. This planet is a...black mark in the annals of Federation politics."

"A failed colony, I see," Ranma Saotome said, as he continued to check his equipment. "You brought me out of retirement...for this?"

"Mr. Saotome, as a former starship captain, you have certain obligations."

"Gee, I thought that you threatening to hold up my re-entrance into the Starfleet Academy was the reason for this mission."

"Well, um..."

"Never mind. I knowAmbassador Dax. He's a good man. I just wish that you guys had tried to open up the peace negotiations between the factions in the open."

"You know how delicate these things are."

"Whatever. I'm ready."

"Here is your data pad. Good luck, Mr. Saotome."

"Thanks."

Ranma puts on his helmut, which was part of a suit designed to allow atmospheric insertion from sub-orbit. Taking a shuttle craft would alert the people below of an outsider's presence. So it was up to Ranma, former starship captain, to sneak down to the planet, and retrieve the Federation Ambassador before his capture makes news.

Once fully suited, Ranma gives the thumbs up sign, closed the air-lock behind him, and leaps out into space. Using his "chi", he flew towards the planet below, and began to slip into the atmosphere...

(A/N: This portion would feature how Ranma met Tasha Yar.)

Ja ne!