Star Trek: The Nara-Maru Files
Akagi-Maru Incident
Explosions filled the large control room as Romulan Torpedoes and disrupter blasts begun to tunnel through the rock high above them. With each strike, the explosions became more powerful as Kaila stood at her mother's side in fear while the young man she was speaking with held Asami's left arm with a look of terror and surprise on his face.
"Forgive me Ma'am, but time is short now. I wish… I wish I had time to speak with you… but you must go, now!" He said with a gentle smile.
"Kaila, I can't just leave you here!" Asami yelled. "Come with me…"
"The power balance is only set for one mother, if this works… It won't matter. None of this will ever have happened in the first place. Just make me one promise?"
"Anything Kaila!" Asami yelled over the sounds of the explosions.
"Live your life… and remember me?"
"Always!" Asami replied while debris fell from the ceiling and smashed consoles around her.
"Then, this was not for nothing. Beginning transport sequence… I love you mother" Said Kaila as she smiled slightly.
"I am… proud of you! And I will see you in… twenty-five years"
A feeling of her body being torn apart echoed through her while the image of the exploding room faded as Kaila turned towards the young man she only knew as Jarrod and held his hands while explosions ripped through the facility and debris fell around them.
Seemingly stuck in darkness, Asami could not breath nor move as the transport cycle continued for what seemed like an eternity until her vision cleared as voices began to grow in volume until a face appeared before her, for a brief moment it appeared to be distorted as pain once again ripped through her body as the voices continued.
"I had no idea you felt this way. I tell you what, once this… whatever it is, is over. We'll sit down and talk about it, but first… we have a job to do. Once Starfleet shows up, we can leave" Teela said as she held her shaking hands gently. "And why do I get a feeling that there is something else, you're afraid…"
"What? What?…Where… I made it!" Asami laughed.
"Made what?" Teela laughed slightly.
Alarm klaxons rang through the ship as the both instantly turned towards the nearest active console and looked at the display and what they both saw shocked them instantly as large shockwave screamed through space towards them. Sitting in the nearest seats they held on tight as they alerted their guest to do the same before Teela called out.
"The shockwave is disrupting subspace The cloak has failed and its collapsing warp field, we're slowing to one-third impulse"
"Not enough time… I'm diverting all available power to Aft-Ventral shields, bring us around, 90degrees to port. We're going to ride it like a wave"
"That's impossible, our shields aren't strong enough" Teela yelled as she leapt away from her console.
"Hold on, here it comes!"
Slamming instantly into the Aft of the Akagi-Maru, the modified shields pushing the ship forwards along with the wave itself as sparks flew in all directions and consoles around the bridge exploded while deck plating seemed to fly up and slam into the ceiling itself as the two women where thrown forwards along with the wave itself until the wave passed over the ship and it tumbled through space. With blood dripping from a large open wound above her left eye, Teela scrambled to her feet as she yelled Asami's name whilst trying to find her through the thick smoke which filled the bridge itself. Throwing debris aside, Teela began to scream Asami's name as she used everything she could to move the large piece of debris which had fallen from the ceiling and landed where her wife once sat until a voice called out from behind her while coughing.
"It's okay… I'm here!" Asami said as she ran towards Teela and hugged her. "I'm going nowhere, I promise"
"I thought, I thought that… how did you…?"
"Sweet-heart, calm down. I'm… going nowhere. Let's just say that I had an angel on my shoulder, or… It's A Kind of Magic…"
"NO! you are not singing… my ears can't take that!" Teela laughed.
"Anything you want Teela. So much for the Akagi's first run right?"
Akagi-Maru Journal.
We've managed to stabilise the Akagi-Maru and brought her remaining warp engines on-line. With some… creative engineering, we've shut down the damaged nacelles and managed to create a stable warp field with only two nacelles. We've rescued the passengers and crew of three stricken vessels and have rendezvoused with the Federation Starship Enterprise for medical assistance…
Secured Entry… Thank you… Kaila, I'll see you soon, My Daughter!
Sat on a bio-bed in the Sick-bay of the USS Enterprise, Doctor Beverly Crusher examined Asami Hirayama with her medical Tricorder as she spoke with a smile on her face which seemed to light up the room itself.
"Well I must say Asami, you are in near perfect health for someone who had narrowly avoided being crushed by debris"
"I was lucky Doctor, that's all" Asami said with a smile.
"As lucky as those you saved, some of them wouldn't have survived for much longer, one of them… is a Starfleet Admiral. He's asking to speak with the one who saved him"
"Doctor, forgive me for saying so. But I know who he is and I have no reason too speak with that creature. He destroyed my Starfleet career, on the other hand… it led me here. Tell the Admiral to avoid me, if I see him… I will kill him, slowly and painfully"
"Asami?" Crusher said with shock.
"If there is nothing else Doctor, I have a date too keep…" Asami said as she leapt off of the Bio-bed.
"Actually, there is one more thing. According to my scans and from your last visit, you seem to be at least two inches taller then the last time" Crusher said with confusion.
"Faulty readings Doctor, nothing more… Now if you'll excuse me, Captain Picard has allowed me to use one of your holo-suites for the next three days where I intend to be with my wife, on Risa's south shore. Good day, Doctor"
Returning home from the assignment of delivering Ambassador Worf to his homeworld onboard an Iolian Cruiser, Teela and Asami Hirayama concluded the business of selling their remaining contracts and leaving the freighter business for the final time before purchasing the design company on what had become their homeworld of Iolia. Nine months after the final plans where approved, the first 'Archer-Nara Class Freighter' had been delivered before finally launching more vessels based upon the same design, minus several pieces of advanced technology which had been handed over to the Iolian expeditionary fleet. After two years, a new and improved 'A-N Mk II' vessel had been launched alongside the original design, although the new design boasted greater technology and 20% larger then the original design it still maintained an identical top speed of Warp 8.2 making the vessel a favourite of freighter companies until on the fifth anniversary of the launch of the first starship, the 'A-N Mk III and IV' vessels where launched, the Mark III vessel was now more then 50% larger and boasted a top speed of Warp 8.5 making it possibly one of the fastest production line freighters known to exist along with the newly designed 'Civilian-Transport Mk IV' ship of identical size and capabilities.
Although her experiences with what she had come to call 'The Alternate Time-Line' had changed her dramatically as those around her had seen a darker part of the woman they all knew and loved, she seemed to have access to newer designs almost on a year by year basis, designs which advanced their Naval Fleet almost to a point where they could be more then a match for any larger fleet, especially the Federation Starfleet, the main reason Asami became the leading voice in the continued expansion of their naval forces itself almost to the point where the company originally bought by the two began to experiment with Military Starship designs before supplying the Iolian Forces with the latest in Starship technologies as she still say the Federation as an emerging threat.
As time passed and their company grew, it had eventually been decided that their life now needed more as eventually after nine years of owning one of the largest companies in the sector, D.N.A samples had been taken of both Teela and Asami Hirayama and three weeks later, a cloned daughter had been created by the medical staff in accordance with Iolian laws and traditions as no biological child could be born. Instantly named Kaila Mayu Hirayama, she had been released from the medical facility into the home of her new parents with the physical age and mental capabilities of a three year old Iolian child.
Although she kept her memories and knowledge of the young woman she once met secret as promised until the day fast approached, the day Asami had been dreading for the last twenty-five years of her life. The day when she must come clean and inform her wife and daughter of what she knew, how she knew it and more importantly, how it had all changed her life forever and that time was due to arrive within the next three days and coincided with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the purchase of their Company which eventually had been renamed 'AsTeel-DelCorp Design'. As apart of the celebrations, the Federation News Corporation had been allowed unprecedented access too AsTeel-DelCorp for an in-depth look at the company itself as well as several high ranking officials within the company and, what had become most unusual interviews with the owners themselves at their own private residence, deep in the mountains and outside of the Iolian Capital City.
With several private satellites in orbit of the world which relayed a transporter signal, the family could transport anywhere on the planet from their home and return via their own private transporter system, along with their sixteen year old daughter, they lived the life of luxury they had always dreamed of while still working on personal projects of designing newer systems as what shocked people the most, was the fact that Asami still worked in the Research and Development Centre as one of her ordinary workers when not needed elsewhere while Teela continued with the Day-to-Day running of the company itself. After the majority of the interviews had been completed and before the final edit, it was the turn of the family of owners to record their interviews as Teela and Asami sat in the large office in their home as a human woman sat before them with a small camera hovering over her head as she spoke.
"Thank you both for granting me this… opportunity for this interview"
"Not a problem Miss Tucker" Asami said with a smile.
"You have a very beautiful home. I thought that your daughter would be joining us for this interview?"
"Kaila is… busy, she may join us later. She has been working with the R&D on a new engine design"
"Impressive for a sixteen year old" Miss Tucker Replied.
"She is an impressive young woman. From an early age Kaila has always shown a keen interest in Engineering, in fact… her knowledge could far exceed many Starship Engineers. I remember one time, when she was ten years old, she built an impulse engine using spare parts found around the hanger…" Asami laughed with pride in her daughter.
"Very impressive. So, Asami Hirayama, a former Starfleet Lieutenant? For my viewers who do not know you, please… tell them about yourself?"
"Of course. My full name is Kamiko Asami Hirayama, I was born on Earth in Okinawa, Japan to a human Starfleet Admiral named Mayu Hirayama and a Betazoid Starfleet Engineer named Lon Delara. I was raised primarily in San Francisco, but spent a lot of time at my family's ancestral home in Japan, from an early age I was trained by my mother and her parents in the family legacy… martial arts along with my father's heritage. From the age of four years old, I knew that I wanted to be an engineer when I grew up, and with my parent's blessing, I was also taught engineering… and as soon as I was of age, I entered Starfleet Academy and on the fast track to Engineering. After an… incident, at Starfleet Academy, I lost several credit points and graduated seventh in my class…"
"An incident?" Tucker said with interest as Teela laughed slightly.
"It is… on my Starfleet record, but I can't say what it was, sorry" Asami smiled as she spoke.
"No need to apologise, please continue"
"Thank you, after graduating a year early, I ended up being assigned to a Starship as Junior engineer and very quickly gained promotions to the point of Senior Lieutenant and Chief Engineer…" Asami said with pride.
"You where… one of the youngest chief engineers in fleet history?"
"Something like Miss Tucker, for a short time at least. After yet another… incident, I resigned from Starfleet and eventually, after three months, I purchased an old Starfleet ship from a junk yard, left Federation space and started my career as a freighter operator. A few months later, I met Teela and we formed a partnership with her…"
"A partnership which had led you both to one of the most… well known freighter operators in the sector. Miss Teela, would you care to explain your… brief story?"
"Certainly. My name is… difficult to pronounce vocally…"
"God knows, I've tried. I still can't get past the first half of her name." Asami said with embarrassment.
"I was born into the noble house of the Regent here on Iolia, I spent several years in the military and also trained as an Engineer, at the age of 75, Earth years… I began my operations as a freighter commander. After loosing my vessel due to unpaid docking fees… I hired Asami too take me home for a family get together and our friendship began almost instantly. She was instantly accepted by my family to the point of two years later, practically adopted as family herself and granted the unheard of status of permanent residence on our world"
"Unheard of status?" Tucker said as she looked back over her files before her.
"Although not a Xenophobic species, my people rarely trusted what they used to call… 'Off-Landers' but Asami had a way that put even our most stern of citizens at ease. It didn't take long before I began to assist her with her telepathic abilities and our friendship grew ever closer and we allowed the first formal contact with the United Federation of Planets… the Enterprise 1701-D under Captain Picard…"
"I read from Captain Picard's person log entries on that first meeting…" Tucker said slowly. "Upon our arrival at the planet Iolia, myself and my crew where almost overwhelmed by the beauty and majesty of this culture. A race of telepaths working and living in harmony. A culture dedicated to poetry, sciences, music and the arts. The purest of beauty of this planet can not be spoken of with justice…"
"Sounds about right" Asami laughed. "I'd never seen a planet so… beautiful in my life…"
"Although at first, we where greeted with some trepidation, that quickly passed and we where granted an audience with the regent himself, and I have recently learned, this he is Infact the older brother of Miss Teela herself…" Tucker read aloud, almost imitating Picard's vocal inflections.
"My mother, at the end of her career, had been granted the… status of Federation Ambassador to the Iolian people and was even granted quarters within the Royal Court itself for the purpose of negotiating an Alliance between the Federation and my new Iolian home, upon her death… not long after, I took up that position at the Regent's request and formalised the now long standing Alliance itself" Asami with a slight sadness and pride.
"The Alliance was formalised on Stardate 54243.3, along with what we now know as the day both you Asami and Teela where joined in marriage?" Tucker said, with a slight discomfort in her voice.
"Yes… as the Representative of the Federation and Teela acting upon her brother's behalf, we where married to formalise the Alliance…" Asami said with a slight anger in her voice. "My mother knew and approved of this union and as such, our relationship has flourished and like many relationships, we have… had our arguments…"
"Although she always seems to be right" Teela laughed.
"Of course, forgive me?" Tucker said slowly as Asami nodded slightly. "So, when the Alliance was formed, what happened next?"
"Well, we continued with our business for awhile until we bought what was then called Del-Corp, and we built a whole new line of vessels based on the Nara-Maru design" Teela said.
"If I may ask you Asami, once you had been living on this world, how did the planet itself effect you?" Tucker said, almost faking interest.
"At first? And being honest, badly. This planet has a revolution of thirty two earth hours per day, it took me months to adjust to the new daily cycle, I began to drink what is loosely… known as coffee here… Cana'Ra. At first it was great, I was awake for a long time and then, it hit me like a nebula explosion and I spent was it… two days asleep?"
"I think it was almost three" Teela said with a deep laughter.
"Really? Then I was out for three days. Eventually and six months later, I adjusted…" Asami said as she turned a deep shade of red.
"Cana'Ra? A drink which has become a favourite on Earth in recent years, and I understand the downfall, personally"
"Really Miss Tucker? It was during those first few days that I came up with some… interesting designs for the Nara-Maru, they where carried over into the new class of ship we later began to build. I once read a profile on Captain Janeway that said she swore by coffee during her many dealings with the Borg. Think of what she could've done with that in her system?"
"… And not to mention the many technologies that came from your company has greatly enhanced not only your wealth, but Iolia and the Federation itself… any comment on the many… theories which have surfaced in the past?"
"Yes…" Asami said with deep laughter. "I've heard many of the… Conspiracy theories, my favourite is this one, which surfaced two years ago… We redesigned the Nara-Maru with a temporal drive. Shortly after, we leapt into the future… I think they said 100 years, and in doing so, we negotiated for technology with the head of our company, Kaila… we brought them back and rebuilt them here. The simple truth is, we have a vast R&D program which is working on new technologies, even now… some are years away from deployment, but the same could be said for Starfleet and their new designs"
"Could you… tell us about any of them?"
Standing slowly, Teela walked around the room slightly as Asami leaned backwards in her seat and smiled slightly while the reporter watched Teela with interest as she spoke.
"We are… actually working on a new propulsion system which in theory could make Warp-Drive obsolete…"
"Are you serious?" Tucker said with a large smile on her face.
"It's a… new design which could propel something as small as a probe or as large as a Starbase and everything in-between into the Delta-Quadrant to… continue the voyages of the USS Voyager, we hope to have it operational by next year for preliminary testing" Asami said with a stern voice. "Once we complete the first jump, an engineering vessel can build the replica on the other side of the galaxy…"
"WOW! You heard it hear first folks! The first trans-Quadrant propulsion system…" Tucker said into the camera drone.
"YES!" Teela smiled. "All we are missing in forty-two strong men or women and 100 bicycles to power the new system"
Laughing out loud, the Teela and Asami looked at the reporter as she turned a deep shade of red as she laughed herself before replying.
"I get it, they're classified… right?"
"I'm sorry Miss Tucker, we knew you'd ask that question. We really can't tell you what we're working on. However, what we can say is that in two months, we will be making an announcement about a new Impulse Drive that we have been working on… I can't say much, only that it is 50% smaller and 50% more efficient" Teela said with a large smile on her face.
Lasting for almost half of the day, the interview had moved on from the main-living area in their home, through the home itself and finally into the large hanger bay below the home as they gave a guided tour of the Nara-Maru itself.
As night-time fell upon the world, the reporter had left for her assigned living quarters in the Federation Embassy for the night, it was this moment above all else that Asami had dreaded for the last twenty five years as she had called for Teela and Kaila to join her in the main living area of their home to reveal the secret that she had kept for so very long, a secret that had been eating away at her for many years, the secret of the past, future and what was now, the present.
Pacing the room with her fingers almost rolling around themselves with anticipation and fear of possibly loosing her family over what she had kept hidden for many years, she stopped near the exit as she took a deep breath before looking at the ceiling and exhaling slowly as she spoke after what seemed like an eternity of silence.
"I need to say this, I have to say this… I've been holding something back for so long and it's only fare that you know what I know"
"What is it mother?" Kaila said with a gentle smile.
"This… will be difficult to hear for you both, but… you must hear this"
"Sam, what is it? What's wrong?" Teela said slowly, sensing her agitation.
"I… have been hiding something, for twenty five years. Hiding a secret about everything, about… me… and… where you came from Kaila"
"Me?" She said slowly.
"Yes my dear, You!"