30 Worlds: Megaforce, Episode XVIII: "Golden Voyagers"
CHAPTER SIX
Historian's Note: This chapter will follow the crew of the Enterprise NX-01, who will have arrived in the Kelvin Timeline just before the events of her final mission, as depicted in the series finale of Star Trek: Enterprise, "These Are the Voyages."
Aboard ESS Enterprise NX-01
Archer sat in his office just off the Bridge, petting pet beagle Porthos and talking to him about the impending decommissioning of the Enterprise. "I know you're gonna miss being here on Enterprise, boy, but I'm sure we're going to be all right," Archer said.
Porthos leaped up and began to lick Archer on the face. "I'm glad you feel that way," Archer said. A chime sounded on the desk monitor. "Bridge to Captain Archer," T'Pol said.
"Go ahead," Archer said after tapping a control. "We're approaching the sector we were assigned by Prince William," T'Pol said. "On my way," Archer said as he put Porthos in his doggie bed. "Be right back, Porthos."
T'Pol stood from the command chair and made her way to her Science station as Archer walked onto the Bridge. "Full stop, Travis," Archer commanded.
"Aye, sir," Lieutenant Travis Mayweather said before sliding his engine control lever downward. "Malcolm, take us to Yellow Alert," Archer said. "We don't know what we're heading into." "Aye, sir," armory officer Lieutenant Malcolm Reed said.
On Enterprise's viewscreen, the rainbow lines of a ship at warp speed slowly reverted to normal pinpricks of light. "Sir, we're picking up a vessel approaching at full impulse," Reed said. "Its configuration does not appear to match that of any vessel used by the Army of Inter-Universal Chaos."
"Hoshi, hail that ship. All language forms and frequencies," Archer said. Lieutenant Hoshi Sato nodded, then set to work. "Unknown vessel, this is Captain Jonathan Archer of the Coalition of Planets starship Enterprise. What is your business in this sector?" Archer asked.
"Captain Archer, I am Captain Peter Taggart of the Scarlett Army starship NSEA Protector," the unknown vessel's commander said on the viewscreen. "We have been sent by Queen Scarlett to assist you in your search mission."
"Thank you for your offer of assistance, Captain. Just let me confirm your assignment with our home base. Stand by," Archer said before gesturing for Hoshi to terminate the channel. "Hoshi, transmit the record of our contact with the Protector to Prince William on the Amidala," Archer said. "Have him confirm with Queen Scarlett the Protector's assignment to assist us." "Aye, sir," Hoshi said.
A few minutes later, Hoshi turned to Archer. "Message from the Amidala, Captain. It reads as follows: 'Queen Scarlett confirms: Scarlett Army Dimensional Defense Vessel designated NSEA Protector has been assigned to assist ESS Enterprise NX-01 in their investigations of Sector 365. Proceed as ordered. Prince William,'" Hoshi read.
Archer gestured for Hoshi to re-open the channel to the Protector. "Captain Taggart, we have confirmed your assignment. I invite you and your second-in-command to come aboard the Enterprise to discuss our assignment," Archer said. "A docking port is being readied as we speak for your shuttle."
"Thank you, Captain Archer," Taggart said. "Protector, out."
Fifteen minutes later, Hoshi escorted Taggart and his second into the briefing room, where Archer and T'Pol waited. "Welcome aboard, Captain Taggart," Archer said before shaking Taggart's hand. "This is my exec, Commander T'Pol." T'Pol gave Taggart the Vulcan salute in silent greeting.
Taggart gestured to the unknown alien standing next to him. "This is my second-in-command, Dr. Lazarus," he said in introduction. T'Pol repeated the Vulcan salute, which Lazarus reciprocated. "Dr. Lazarus, please tell Captain Archer and Commander T'Pol what you told me back on the Protector."
Lazarus moved over to a nearby monitor screen and tapped a few buttons. "While we were waiting for Prince William's confirmation of our assignment, my sensors on the Protector detected an anomalous energy surge coming from this sector of your domain, Captain Archer," Lazarus said.
The map of known space moved away from the Enterprise and Protector's positions to a region of space marked "B'ha'vel." "It is a G-type star known as B'ha'vel. It supports 14 planets, one of which is a Minshara-class planet known as Bajor," Lazarus said.
"Before we departed for Enterprise, we received a coded transmission from Queen Scarlett, which noted what the NCC-1701 Enterprise found in orbit of the same planet," Taggart said. "We can only assume that in this case, all roads lead to Bajor."
Archer stood from his chair and made his way to a nearby wall-mounted comm terminal. "Archer to Bridge," he said. "Go ahead, sir," Reed said. "Malcolm, make preparations to return to Starbase Yorktown as soon as Captain Taggart and Dr. Lazarus return to the Protector," Archer ordered. "Aye, sir," Reed said.
Archer turned back to face Taggart and Lazarus. "I presume you'll want to join us in seeing this through to the end," he said to Taggart. "Exactly," Taggart said.
Fifteen minutes later, Archer strode back onto the Bridge of the Enterprise as a voice came on the comm. "Protector to Enterprise. Captain Taggart and Dr. Lazarus are safely back aboard. We will follow your every move en route back to your base," the voice from the Protector said.
"Acknowledged, Protector," Hoshi said. "Enterprise, out." Archer smiled as he sat down in the command chair. "Travis, set course back for Starbase Yorktown," he said. "Aye, sir," Travis said. As Enterprise angled away from the Protector, Archer turned to Hoshi. "Hoshi, send the following as a coded message to Prince William on the Amidala," Archer said as he handed a display pad to Hoshi.
Next time, we return to the Amidala as we catch up with Prince William's own investigation...
::TBC::
