"Emergency evasive!" Pike called grabbing his tightly. Anakin's hands clenched, hating not being the one piloting the ship.
"On it sir!" Sulu said as he dipped the Enterprise fast and hard, the spinning debris managing just to scratch the ship. As the ships straightens out, they notice the giant ship hovering over the planer. Soon after an alarm goes off.
"Captain, they're locking torpedoes!" Spock said, looking over the console.
Not missing a beat, Pike called out, "full reverse, come about Starboard ninety degrees! Drop us down underneath them! Prepare to fire all weapons!"
In that instant, the large ship fired and in a wild move the Enterprise dropped and tumbled, the separating torpedo passes right between the nacelles, a small piece of the weapon managed to hit the ship's deflectors dish. The damage is minimal, but Anakin and Obi-wan feel the lives lost.
"Shields at thirty-two percent!" Sulu called out; his hand never leaving the controls. "Their weapons are powerful, sir, we can't take another hit like that!"
Pike frowned, "get me Starfleet Command!"
Anakin having had enough of just sitting by and doing nothing, sprinted forward and stood in front of the captain. "What defensive measures does this ship have?"
The captain looked up at the kid and sighed, Kirk was wondering what the unknown man was talking about. "Photon lasers and torpedoes."
Anakin's frowned deepened, "don't you have fighter crafts or anything of the type?"
Unsure of what he was talking about, but guessing that he was asking if they had anything similar to their space crafts, the Captain shook his head. "No."
Anakin clenched his teeth and turned back to stare at the larger ship, he was murmuring a string of curses in Huttese. Even Uhura had to stop for a second, her curiosity getting the best of her, she had never heard a language such as that.
Kirk stared at the young man intently, something about them just didn't add up.
"Captain, the Romulan ship has lowered some kind of high energy pulse device into the Vulcan atmosphere. Its signal appears to be blocking our communications and transporter abilities." Spock informed.
Pike grimaced things were just going from bad to worse. "All power to the forward shields, prepare to fire all weapons! Divert auxiliary power from port nacelle to the shields…"
The captain trailed off as an image appeared on the bridge's screen.
"Captain, we're being hailed!" Uhura said, the captain nodded and Uhura with swift hands patched the call through. The eldest stranger, Kirk believes Pike addressed him as Knight Kenobi slid closer to his younger companion and placed a hand on his shoulder, calming the young man down.
'Be patient, my young Padawan, lets see who are enemy is.' Obi-wan instructed.
Anakin released a breath and his posture visibly relaxed, 'yes Master. It's just so much pain… so many lives….'
His Master nodded, 'I understand Padawan, but recklessness will not get us anywhere. Our unfamiliarity with this galaxy gives us a great disadvantage, Padawan, we must gather information before we decide to act.'
Anakin sighed, he knew his master was right… patience just wasn't one of his strongest virtues. He turned and looked at the man who was conversing with the captain. Anakin wasn't buying the act one bit, the talk of peace was just a set up, and as he propped the people around him, none of them were believing this Nero guy.
The transmission ended and everybody looked at the captain with grave anticipation. Instantly, Kirk and Spock confronted the Captain.
"He'll kill you, you know that Captain, we gain nothing by diplomacy, going over to that ship is a mistake."
"Your survival is unlikely, I too, suggest you rethink this strategy."
Obi-wan sighed and stepped up behind the Captain, Anakin close by his heel. Both of them could tell that the Captain was set on his path. They both simultaneously agreed to assist the captain in this endeavor.
"I understand that," Pike replied firmly and turned to the rest of the bridge. The presence of the Jedi somehow soothing his nerves. "I need officers who have been trained in advance hand-to-hand combat!"
The pilot's hand immediately went up, "I have training, sir."
Pike nodded and turned to the cadet, "then come with me, Kirk you too, you're not suppose to be here anyway. Radio the engine room, have Chief Engineer Olsen meet us at Shuttle Bay Five." He finished instructing the Russian whiz kid.
"Aye, Keptin," the kid replied, comming the engineer.
Pike turned and headed off the bridge, "let's go." He ordered. The group of six exited at a fast pace. Kirk's eyes flickered towards the two strangers, unsure why they were walking with them. At no time did the Captain address them and now that he looked at them closer. He would bet that they were some type of monks.
"Without transporters, we can't beam off the ship, can't assist Vulcan, can't do our job." Pike said ignoring their tag-alongs. "I'm creating an opportunity: Mr. Kirk, Mr. Sulu and Mr. Olsen will space-jump from the shuttle. You'll have chutes, you'll land on that machine they've lowered into the atmosphere that's scrambling our gear. You'll get inside, disable that thing than beam back to the ship."
Anakin didn't understand half of that plan, being unfamiliar with the terms was a great annoyance. Through the bond, he could tell that his master felt similar.
"Knight Kenobi?" the Captain inquired.
Obi-wan scratched his beard, thinking over the situation. He was confused, he wasn't going to deny that, but he has trust in the Captain. At the least, he understands the idea behind the 'Space-Jump'… falling from great heights wasn't anything new to him, unfortunately.
"I will go with you," Obi-wan stated, with a look stopping Anakin's predictable objection to his plan. "My Padawan will remain on the ship and assist in anyway he deems possible."
Anakin bowed, realizing the freedom that his master was giving him. "Yes, Master."
Kirk stared at the eldest of the two with apprehension, "okay," he said slowly.
"Mr. Spock, I'm leaving you in command of the ship. Once we have transport capability and communications back up, you'll contact Starfleet and report what the hell's happening here." Pike added, accepting the Jedi's aid. Unlike the rest of the group he had some idea of what these men were capable of.
"Something you've got only precious few minutes to figure out. If all else fails, fall back and rendezvous with the fleet in the Laurentian System." Pike continued, ignoring his second in command's freaked out expression, however hidden it was. "Kirk, I'm promoting you to First Officer."
"What?!" said cadet exclaimed in utter shock.
"Captain…?" Spock asked, confused.
"While I'm gone we need to keep the chain of command, and you two make a swell team." Pike explained, in his way teaching the two of them a lesson. He just wasn't in the mood to listen to their arguing.
"Captain, please," Spock said. "I apologize, but the complexities of human pranks escape me."
Anakin and Obi-wan shared a look doing their best to hide their mirth.
"It's not a prank, Spock," Pike countered, "and I'm not the Captain. You are." He finished and walked off.
Obi-wan bowed to Anakin, "may the Force be with you, Padawan."
"And with you, Master," he replied returning the bow.
The strange exchange helped Kirk shake the shock of his promotion. Spock and Anakin changed direction, heading back towards the bridge. Anakin didn't know why, but he has a bad feeling.
Kirk turns to Pike, "once we knock out that machine… sir, what happens to you?"
His mentor shrugged, "I guess you'll have to come get me."
Kirk raised his eyebrows in surprise, not believing the Captain's courage. At the same time earning his men respect, they will do whatever possible to complete their mission. Pike smirks at the three of them, "suit up gentlemen."
Obi-wan looked down at the suits and with careful hands separates the oxygen helmet and life support with the adjusting straps. Kirk turns to the man questioningly.
"What are you doing?" he asked, putting on a blue suit.
"The suit is too restricting," he answered simply offering nothing more on the matter. Yet, Kirk wasn't ready to see this man launch himself to his death.
"Without the suit, you'll die from the pressure and if not from that then the entry into the planet's atmosphere." Kirk argued.
Oni-wan smiled, "do not worry I will be protected." He chuckled at the cadet's befuddled expression. "What is your name cadet? I'm afraid I did not catch it, during all the arguing and shouting."
"Kirk, James T. Kirk," he introduced, finishing up strapping his suit. The clocked man already had the life support system on. The helmet held firmly by one hand.
"Jedi Knight Obi-wan Kenobi," he said giving the cadet a small bow.
Kirk was unsure how to respond. It was not every day that somebody bowed to him. However, he has the suspicion that it is part of the man's culture and with slight awkwardness returned it.
"Forgive the question, umm Kenobi, but what is a Jedi Knight?" Kirk asked as they waited for the Captain and their other two companions.
Obi-wan chuckles, "you're the first one to ask us that." Kirk looks at the man confused, missing out on the joke. "In all honesty, it is a long and complicated tale, and if we survive this adventure I will share it with you."
Kirk grinned, "sounds like a plan Kenobi, I can't wait to hear it."
The Jedi smirked, "yes it is quite a tale, and call me Obi-wan. I'm not a fan for formalities."
Kirk arched an eyebrow, from what he had seen… he wouldn't have guessed. "Very well, as long as you call me Jim."
Obi-wan nodded and not second later the rest of their party came towards the shuttle. With the pilot, there was another man who had a crazed grin on his face. He could feel the man's excitement for the upcoming mission. Seeing the state of Kenobi, Pike arched an eyebrow, the party quickly got on the ship, Obi-wan purposely ignored the chute pack and avoided the questioning stares. He wasn't in the mood to answer them anyway.
-o-o-o-
At the other side of the ship, in the bridge, Anakin and Spock entered. The eyes of the crew turning to them and with a calmness that Anakin has learned to expect from the Vulcan took the command chair and hit a button on the intercom. Anakin took his spot behind the Commander, keeping his eyes firmly on the screen and on the enemy ship.
"Dr. Puri, report…" Spock orders.
A voice that Anakin recognized, answered the call.
"It's McCoy, Dr. Puri was on Deck 6, he's dead."
After a beat of silence, Spock speaks into the intercom, "Then you have just inherited his responsibility as Chief Medical Officer."
McCoy snorted, "tell me something I don't know," he answered and cut the communication short.
-o-o-o-
In the shuttle, they took their seats facing each other, the engineer was grinning none stop.
"I am pumped to kick some Romulan ass! No joke, bring it on!" he declared.
Obi-wan shook his head, "it is not wise to expect a fight where one is not needed."
Sulu and Kirk silently agreeing with Kenobi, and in an effort to change the subject Kirk turned to his other companions.
"So what kind of combat training do you have?"
Sulu answers proudly, "fencing."
Kirk's confidence on the mission dropsped a few notches.
Obi-wan feeling the cadet's disappointment shook his head. "Being proficient with a blade is a useful skill to have. One that requires hours of dedication and training."
The younger man grimaced, forgetting that the man that was with them could feel his emotions. It was unnerving, to say the least. They feel the shuttle leave the dock, with Kirk not meeting Obi-wan's eyes.
Sulu watched the man with curious eyes, "I have never heard your accent before, where are you from?"
Kenobi resisted the urge to roll his eyes and turned to look at the Captain and the planet that they were descending on. "That isn't important at the moment."
Well Chapter seven is up and out, kind decided to do it today, kind of celebrating the fact that I am finishing up semester and vacations could get here fast enough.
I kind of decided to play around a little with physic and I am not even sure if what I am saying about Obi-wan and the Force and the jump are even possible. I mean we have seen him jump out of stupidly dangerous heights and I get the feeling he wouldn't be thrill in using foreign technology. Plus it's just cooler this way. Jejeje
So review and I'll be back before the year ends, Jaja that's just evil... don't worry the wait won't be that long.
Some of you have been making comments about one grammar error or another and I have fixed them, and if you find one tell me... this story is without a beta. So somethings do get through the cracks. Thanks to all have pointed out the mistakes.