The Romulans Take The Enterprise
"Captain's log, stardate 2259.76.
"The Enterprise is on its last day of patrolling the Romulan Neutral Zone. I'm looking forward to R&R on Starbase Twelve in three days time."
There was a relaxed atmosphere on the Bridge of the Enterprise. However, it was over in a moment.
"Captain, two Romulan ships decloaking directly ahead," Ensign Chekov said as two large ships appeared on the viewscreen.
Kirk stood up dramatically. "Hail them," he said, waving a finger vaguely.
"They're coming onscreen," Uhura said.
A Romulan came on the viewscreen. He was a man with a bowl cut and a v-shaped ridge on his forehead. His face was heavy and grim.
"This is Commander Tarkin of the Romulan Star Empire," he said. "You are now entering Romulan space. Remove yourselves or be destroyed."
"Commander, under the Romulan Neutral Zone treaty, this is our territory," Kirk said.
Commander Tarkin went offscreen.
"They're firing phasers," Sulu said.
"Red alert," Kirk said. "Raise shields and brace for impact."
A red alert siren went off in the background. Suddenly, everyone flew around as some disrupter fire hit the Enterprise. Kirk was knocked back into his chair. He tried standing up again, but then sat back down.
"Captain!" Spock exclaimed. "Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine babe," Kirk said. Spock almost smiled.
"But Sulu, my man," Kirk continued. "Lieutenant Sulu, evasive action delta four."
"Aye sir," Sulu said. "Evasive action delta four."
"Fire phasers when ready," Kirk said.
"Firing phasers."
On the viewscreen, several bursts of phaser fire were hitting the Romulan warbirds. The Romulan ships continued to fire their disrupters, but many of their hits missed the Enterprise. The Starfleet ship had the greatest defense of them all: a thick set of plot armour.
Suddenly, one of the Romulan warbirds fired its plasma weapon.
"What the fuck's that?" Kirk asked.
"Some kind of torpedo," Chekov said. "I'm engaging full impulse."
The Enterprise shifted left. The plasma torpedo still came ever closer to the ship.
"Sensors indicate it could be some kind of plasma weapon," Spock said. "It appears to lose potency the further it travels."
"Can we outrun it?"
The plasma weapon hit the Enterprise.
"Not that time," Sulu said. "Shields down to twenty-three percent."
"Fuck," Kirk said. "Alright, fire a full spread of torpedoes. Get 'em."
"Aye sir, firing torpedoes."
The Enterprise fired a full spread of photon torpedoes. They hit the Romulan warbirds directly on the shields. This didn't matter though as both warbirds fired their plasma torpedoes back.
"Full speed ahead," Kirk said. "Give us warp one."
"Aye captain," Chekov said. "Full speed, preparing for warp."
The first of the plasma torpedoes hit. Consoles burst all over the bridge; sending smoke and sparks all over the place. 'Twas chaos.
"Shields are down," Sulu said.
"Can we still get to warp?" Kirk shouted over the exploding consoles.
The second plasma torpedo hit. The Enterprise was shaking up and down like it was the kid on the bed in The Exorcist.
"No," Chekov said. "Engines are down." He paused for a moment and then shouted, "Sir, we're getting reports that the Romulans are beaming in all over
"Sir, Commander Tarkin is hailing us again," Uhura said.
Kirk rolled his eyes. "Fucking alright, okay?" he said. "I get it. He's taken the Enterprise and he wants to gloat."
"Sir, I don't think he's gonna let you ignore him."
"Alright, put him up."
Tarkin appeared on the viewscreen. "My soldiers have taken over your ship, Captain, and now we're going to drag you back to Romulus," he said. "And believe me, my soldiers won't mind killing you or your crew in the process. I'd suggest you cooperate."
"Fuck you, Commander," Kirk said. He signaled for Uhura to take him off the viewer. A moment later, he was gone.
"Engineering reports being taken by the Romulans," Uhura said. "So does Sickbay. Hold on, sir, all the main sections report being taken by the Romulans."
"Lieutenant, are we the only place on this ship not taken by the Romulans?"
"Reports indicate so, sir."
At that point, two Romulans stormed onto the bridge with their disruptors drawn.
"You will set course for Romulus," the lead Romulan said.
Kirk nodded. Chekov and Sulu set a course and engaged it.
The lead Romulan walked up to Spock. "Commander Tarkin wants an audience with you, Vulcan," he said. "He will be beaming over within the hour."
Spock looked at Kirk.
"Sorry babe," Kirk said. "I think you're gonna have to deal with him."
"Will the Commander be expecting anything resembling the human custom known as a gobby?" Spock asked.
"A gobby?" the Romulan replied.
"Trust me, he's good at them," Kirk said. "I know. But Mister Spock, if Tarkin's a gentleman, he won't ask you for that straight away."
"Captain, Engineering reports two fatalities in their section," Uhura reported. "Two ensigns tried to overpower a Romulan centurion."
"Lieutenant, tell all decks not to resist the Romulans until further notice," Kirk said.
Half an hour later, Spock stood in the Enterprise's briefing room. Commander Tarkin was on the other side of the table. The Romulan Commander had offered Spock a very alcoholic drink of Romulan extraction, but Spock had refused.
"You fascinate me, Vulcan," Tarkin said. "Are you aware you're the only one of your kind on the Enterprise?"
"I am aware," Spock said.
Tarkin turned dramatically and looked Spock directly in the eye. "And your affair with the communications officer, Lieutenant Uhura?" he inquired. "Do you not think it strange?"
"The only strange thing here is that you think Uhura is the one I'm with," Spock said. "Everyone knows Kirk's my one true love. But no, it's not so strange to be with a human. Rare, perhaps, but not strange. You forget that I myself am half human."
"But you're also half Vulcan," Tarkin said. "You certainly act like one."
"Through choice, Commander. My Vulcan side has always been dominant."
"Mister Spock, on Romulus, you would be treated like scum for being a half breed."
"To be treated differently on the basis of being of differing parentage is most illogical."
"Is it? Can a half human, half Vulcan be held to the same standards as one of pure blood? Of pure lineage, undivided loyalties?"
"One can only be expected to the best of their abilities, Commander. Nothing more, nothing less."
"The Senate has provided very specific standards as to what is to be expected of a Romulan soldier. Are you telling me the Federation has no such standards for Starfleet officers?"
"If you speak of the duties a Starfleet officer is expected to perform, the Federation has such standards."
"I meant a sharp intelligence rise in a matter of months," Tarkin said. "The result of genetic engineering."
Spock raised his eyebrow. "Commander, genetic engineering has been illegal on most Federation worlds for over a century."
Tarkin took a sip of his drink, and then another. He then nodded. "Yes, of course. You don't want the best of the best for Starfleet; you don't see yourselves as soldiers. That's why when the new war comes, we will conquer you all."
"Many officers already have high IQs on joining the Academy, Commander, and it does provide a large amount of physical training."
"A mass injustice, Mister Spock. You could be so much more powerful if you'd just engineer your officers."
"I'm forced to wonder if such a policy is truly ethical. How would one properly judge a person's abilities if everyone is engineered?"
"Yes, I suppose. You've given me much to think about, Mister Spock. Fuck off back to your quarters or something, yeah?"
And so Spock left.
Captain Kirk was in his quarters when he heard Spock's recount of his encounter with Tarkin. McCoy was there too, and gave the Vulcan a grim look.
"Damn it, Spock, I'm a doctor, not a detective!" McCoy said. "What's genetic engineering got to do with this?"
"Doctor, genetic engineering may be the source of the Romulans' sense of universal superiority," Spock said. "Whatever real gains they might have in speed and strength could be lost if they don't see us as an actual threat."
"Spock, could we use this to our advantage to retake the Enterprise?" Kirk asked.
"Their overconfidence could allow us to cause a distraction," Spock replied. "A very temporary distraction."
"You pointy eared bastard! You're not seriously suggesting a full on assault?" McCoy said.
"I was thinking more of a surgical strike."
Kirk smiled and interlaced his fingers. "I want you to provide this distraction in the next few hours. Do you think that's possible, darling?"
"Yes sir," Spock said.
One hour and forty-five minutes later, Spock entered the briefing room again. Tarkin was still there, now drunker than ever before. Spock sat down and poured himself a drink.
"So you've come back, Mister Spock," Tarkin said. "And I see you're being more fun this time, yeah?"
"Indeed," Mister Spock said, taking a sip of the drink. "I found myself fascinated by your mention of military grade genetic engineering. Such things have not been practiced on Vulcan for many hundreds of years."
"Of course they haven't," Tarkin said. "We're the offshoot who liked that stuff, aren't we?"
"Perhaps you could tell me more about it," Spock said. "The science behind it must be quite interesting, and I am a scientist."
"That's classified information, Vulcan," Tarkin said.
"I doubt I'll be able to write a report about it to Starfleet," Spock replied.
Tarkin skulled the rest of his drink. "Fuck it, why not?" he said. "But you better not tell anyone, alright?"
Kirk and Scotty entered main engineering fifteen minutes later. Their phasers were drawn. The chief shot two guards as he approached a systems monitor.
"I'm taking the impulse engines offline, Captain," Scotty said. "We'll be dead in the water before we even enter the Neutral Zone."
Kirk shot a Romulan who entered a nearby corridor. "Inform Lieutenant Uhura," Kirk said.
Tarkin stumbled onto the bridge. "Report!" he screamed.
"The impulse engines have gone offline, Commander!" a Romulan centurion replied.
"Signal the warbirds," he said. "Tell them to double back and guard us."
Spock now entered the bridge.
"You did this, didn't you?" Tarkin said.
"That's a most illogical assumption," Spock said. "I've been drinking with you for the last twenty minutes."
Sulu and Chekov entered the bridge with their phasers drawn. The moment the turbolift doors closed behind them, they opened fire.
Tarkin reached for his disruptor, turning his back to Spock. The Vulcan took the opportunity and nerve pinched the Romulan Commander.
Chekov pressed the intercom. "Captain, the Bridge is secure," he said.
"Very good," Kirk replied. "Place the Commander under arrest and set a course for Starbase Twelve. Signal any nearby Starfleet ships for assistance." He paused for a moment and said, "Sulu, my man, go to red alert as well, yeah?"
The Starfleet crew started mashing buttons. The red alert klaxons went off as the Enterprise reentered impulse speed.
Captain Kirk entered the bridge and took his chair.
"The Romulan warbirds are closing fast," Sulu said.
"Do we have warp speed again?"
"No sir, not for another three hours."
Chekov pointed at something dropping out of warp on the screen. "Look sir, the fleet's come," he said.
Indeed, it was the fleet. Four ships had dropped out of warp and had opened fire on the warbirds.
"The warbirds are backing off," Sulu said.
"Incoming message from the Farragut, sir," Spock said. "They're saying they'll drag us to starbase."
"Send them our thanks, Mister Spock."