A/N: Hi all! Sorry it's been a while. Kind of crazy busy but here's chapter 6! Enjoy and please review! Remember I don't own anything but Sophie and Pike's family! Enjoy!
USS Enterprise – The Bridge
Uponentering the Bridge Sophie stood there not moving but taking in the view. She had never seen anything quite like it and knew without a doubt that she wished Jim were there to share it with her.
"Lieutenant Pace." Captain Pike said bring Sophie out of her thoughts. "Welcome aboard. Normally I would show you around the ship and bridge but time is against us. So let's get you settled."
Captain Pike showed Sophie her station, which consisted of the control of the ships phasers, torpedoes and has access to communication controls as well and the ships long-range sensors. It was then that she realized she was the new tactical officer for the USS Enterprise along with duties as a communication officer it seemed.
"Once this is done I'll go over your duties with you but for now just go with whatever is asked. Understood Lieutenant?" Pike asked.
"Yes sir."
"Good get settled and take a look around the panel. We'll be heading out in a few minutes." He said before walking away leaving her to get comfortable with her panel.
"Mr. Spock." Captain said a few minutes later as Spock entered and sat down at his station.
"Captain. Engineering reports. Ready for launch." Spock told him.
"Thank you." Pike replied before walking around and standing in front of his seat. "Ladies and Gentlemen, The maiden voyage of our newest flagship deserves more pomp and circumstance than we can afford today, but her christening will have to be our reward for a safe return. Carry on."
Pike then took a seat in his captain seat and hit the intercom button to talk to the rest of the crew.
"All decks this is Captain Pike. Prepare for immediate departure. Helms thrusters."
Sophie was too concentrated on her panel to hear the Helmsman reply to the Captain but when the ship disconnected from the station she turned in her seat to watch, feeling confident that she knew the panel and buttons.
"The fleets cleared the space dock Captain. All ships ready for warp." The Helmsman replied.
"Set course for Vulcan." Pike told him.
"Aye Captain. Course laid in." he said after punching a few buttons.
"Maximum warp. Punch it."
Sophie instinctively gripped her necklace that she wore under her uniform, the necklace Jim had given her. She watched as the other ships went into warp leaving theirs behind, not in warp.
"Lieutenant. Where's Helmsman McHana?" Pike asked his chin resting on his fist.
"He has lungworm sir, he couldn't report to his post. I'm Hikaru Sulu." Sulu replied.
"And you are a pilot right?"
"Very much so sir." He replied before turning around to face his panel. "I'm not quite sure what's wrong here."
"Is the um…parking break on?"
"Ah no. I'll figure it…"
"Have you disengaged inertial Dampener?" Spock asked from his seat.
Sophie saw Sulu sigh and she knew that's what it was. He pushed a few buttons before addressing the Captain again.
"Ready for warp sir."
"Let's punch it." Pike replied chuckling a little.
She watched as Sulu pushed the lever forward and watched in amazement as the ship went into warp and wished Jim was up here to see it, along with Bones.
"Engines at maximum warp sir." Sulu reported.
" Russian whiz kid- what's your name again? Chanko? Cherpov?" Pike asked the Russian kid next to Sulu at the front.
"Ensign Chekov, Pavel H., Sir." He replied turning around to face the Captain.
"Fine, Chekov, Pavel H.: begin ship wide mission broadcast."
"Yes sir, happy to." he replied in his heavy Russian accent turning in his seat to broadcast. "Ensign authorization code: Nine-Five-Wictor Wictor-Two -"
"AUTHORIZATION NOT RECOGNIZED." The computer replied.
Chekov sighed, "Nine-Five-Victor-Victor-Two."
"Access granted." The computer replied.
Sophie turned back to her panel as Chekov started the board cast. She found she was in charge of shields, the torpedoes and other weapons. Sophie took a deep breath and chanted in her head that she could do this, she had wanted this for 4 years and now she had it, she wasn't going to blow it. She had been looking things over and making sure everything was in order and how she wanted it when she heard the doors to the Bridge slide open. Spinning around she found Jim running in with Uhura and Bones right behind him.
"Captain Pike- Sir, we have to stop ship." Jim said coming to a halt in front of Pike.
"Kirk! How the hell did you get on board the Enterprise?" Pike asked getting up from his seat.
"This man is under the influence of a severe reaction to a vaccine. He is delusional and I take full responsibility for -" Bones started to say holding Jim back with on hand as he tried to get Bones to stop.
Jim glanced at Sophie before looking back at Pike. "Vulcan isn't experiencing a natural disaster, it's being attacked by Romulans."
"Romulans? Cadet Kirk, I think you've had enough attention for one day. McCoy, take him back to medical, we'll have words later."
"Aye Captain." Bones replied trying to get Jim to leave but he refused.
"Sir that same anomaly…" Jim tried.
"Captain, Cadet Kirk is not cleared to be board this vessel. By Starfleet regulations, that makes him a stowaway…" Spock started as Jim was talking at the same time.
"Yeah, I get it you're a better arguer, I'd love to do it again with you too." Jim said.
"I can remove the cadet from the bridge sir…"
"Try it! This cadet is trying to save the bridge!" Jim exclaimed finally gaining the attention.
"By recommending a full stop in trans-warp in the midst of a rescue mission?" Spock inquired.
"It's not a rescue mission. Listen to me," Jim said to Pike. "It's an attack."
"Based on what facts?" Spock asked.
"That same anomaly, a lighting storm in space, that we saw today also occurred on the day of my birth, before a Romulan ship attacked the U.S.S. Kelvin. You know that sir I read your dissertation." He told Pike before continuing. "That ship, which had formidable and advanced weaponry, was never seen or heard from again. The Kelvin attack took place on the edge of Klingon space and at 23 hundred hours last night there was an attack 47 Klingon Warbirds destroyed by Romulans sir. It was reported that the Romulans were in one ship, one massive ship."
"And you know of this Klingon attack how?" Pike demanded.
Jim looked to his left at Uhura who was standing there. Uhura took a deep breath before talking, " Sir, I intercepted and translated the message myself. Kirk's report is accurate."
"We're warping into a trap, there are Romulans waiting for us, I promise you that." Jim told Captain Pike.
"The cadet's logic is sound. And Lieutenant Uhura is unmatched in xenolinguistics, we would be wise to accept her conclusion." Spock concluded.
Pike looked at Jim to his Communications officer, "Scan Vulcan space, and check if any transmissions are being made in Romulan."
"Sir, I'm- not sure I could distinguish the Romulan language from Vulcan." The communications officer there replied.
"How about you…you speak Romulan, Cadet...?" Pike turned to Uhura and asked.
"Uhura sir. All three dialects."
"Uhura, relieve the Lieutenant. Pace hail the U.S.S. Truman." Pike ordered making Sophie turn in her seat and try to get the USS Truman online.
"The other ships are out of warp and have arrived at Vulcan, Sir- but we seem to have lost all contact." Sophie told Pike.
"Captain, I pick up no Romulan transmissions or transmissions of any kind in the area. There seems to be something jamming all communication around Vulcan." Uhura replied.
"It's because they're being attacked." Jim answered.
Pike turned around thinking, the wheels turning his head trying to connect the pieces of this puzzle before walking forward and taking a seat.
"Shields up, Red Alert." Pike told them as he hit the red alert button causing the sirens to go off.
"Arrival at Vulcan in five seconds! Four... three... two…" Sulu announced.
The ship pulled out of warp to find it was indeed a war zone, parts of ships everywhere.
"Emergency evasive!" Pike shouts to Sulu who was trying to duck and weave the ship around as it gets hit. Everyone on bridge was shouting and talking at the same time, reporting damages and status of their panels and stations.
"Full reverse, come about Starboard ninety degrees! Drop us down underneath them Sulu." Commanded Pike.
Sulu did as he was told before a massive ship, bigger than anything anyone has seen came into view of the screen.
"Captain they're locking torpedoes." Spock informed him.
"Derive auxiliary from port to forward shields." Pike said.
"Pace status report." Pike asked.
"Shields at thirty-two percent! Their weapons are powerful, sir we can't take another hit like that!" Sophie reported.
"Get me Starfleet command."
"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." Said Spock.
"All power to forward shields, prepare to fire all weapons!"
"Captain we're being hailed!" Uhura reported to Pike.
"Hello." The Romulan said on screen making Sophie glance at Jim who was looking at her before they both looked back at the screen.
"I'm Captain Christopher Pike, to whom am I speaking?"
"Hi Christopher, I'm Nero."