"Hard to port Ensign! Get us the out'a their sensor range!" The Enterprise, having been on a trade expedition, was now fleeing bounty hunters. It wasn't the first time this had happened, in fact, it seemed that wherever they went, the Romulans had been their first. It was a seriously fucked up situation.
Lucky for them, however, this ship was at a serious disadvantage when it came to speed. "Helm, warp four, on my mark, NOW!" Trip knew the sounds of a warp engine, he could always tell how this baby was feelin, and right now, it wasn't feelin too good. He slapped the comm, the ship was getting closer on the viewscreen. "Hess, we need those engines now."
"Just one sec".
"Dammit Hess! We don't have a second!"
"Got it Cap'n,"
Trip turned back to the viewer just as they were hit.
"Captain! Hull plating at 56 percent!"
"Warp four Ensign, engage!"
The Enterprise flashed through the stars, just evading another shot.
Trip breathed a sigh of relief, that was a close one. The Romulans seemed to have influence everywhere, even in the space they hadn't conquered. "Hoshi, send out a secure broadcast, tell all human ships to rendezvous at these coordinates."
"Yes Captain".
She wasn't even shaking, Trip realized. None of them were, they had gotten to the point where this was considered normal. At one time, an encounter like that would have left a line outside the counselor's office. But not anymore, and he didn't want to think about which one was better…
"Romulan forces have been established here," Captain Hernandez pointed to the coordinates on a star chart. The red pins, signifying Romulans, had basically taken over the entire space. "As well as here, here, and here."
Trip translated: We're screwed, we're screwed, and we're triply screwed.
Captain Hernandez was previously the commanding officer on a cargo ship. She had had ample practice in evading law enforcement, quite frequently in fact. That was what voted her into doing the reconnaissance missions, that and the fact that no one really gave a shit what happened to her.
After all, she was just a criminal, not fit for life with civilized man. But what the others didn't seem to get was, they were no longer civilized men. None of them were, and yet they would discriminate her, perhaps looking to feel more important, better than the worthless scum from the gutter.
Hernandez, for her part, didn't care what all those bastards thought of her. She was trying to save her race, and if she became the new scapegoat, so be it.
The gathered humans looked at the map, the ever present depression and wariness glued on their faces.
"We need to leave, get out of this area of space before its too late!"
The ensuing chaos was deafening, the yells of everyone trying to make themselves heard rebounded off the walls of the makeshift conference room.
Trip himself did not partake, he merely sat there, glaring at anyone unlucky enough to make eye contact with him.
Eventually the din died down, leaving the assorted humans to stare ashamedly, any point in the room would do, as long as it wasn't Captain Tucker's face.
Trip was furious, a time like this, and all anybody can think about is who's right and who's wrong. These people were still living in the past, it was like they hadn't excepted the fact that they were an endangered species. And thus cooperation was still back in the days of politics, squabbling like a bunch of ambassadors or some shit.
He stood, not drawing himself to his full height, but rather slouching. Trip had no pride in himself, no achievements under his belt, and so he didn't stand erect, as many would. He didn't deserve to be cocky, and so he wasn't. He opted to declare his mistakes, because any human, at least of those who were left, did make mistakes. He was not be proud of being a human, their flame had shone, and was now left in the melted remains of the wax. But he'd be damned if he didn't try, at least try, to get them back on track.
It was time to try something new, his race was running out of time, and it was a fast clock. "As some of you may have heard." He paused, making sure everyone's attention was on him. "The Romulans do have an enemy, an enemy actually powerful enough that it has been in a state of on off war for about 20 years. The Xindi."
The collected gasps around the room were matched by the shocked expressions, etched on every face present.
"But, Captain, the Xindi are ruthless killers." That was followed by several nods and murmurs of agreement.
"They've even attacked some of our colonies in the past". Again, more approval.
Trip inwardly sighed, he'd known this was gonna come up. "Despite their history, the Xindi are our only possible hope of combatting the Romulans."
Another Captain spoke up, an aged man who couldn't have been a day less than 75.
"And why do you presume they'll help us? Whats to stop them from just slaughtering us?"
Trip set his jaw, a determined look in the depths of his eyes. "Because we have information they need."