Naruto: Infinity Divide
The Void Asteroid Belt
Blanket Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Star Trek
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This chapter ran really long in order to prevent a cliffhanger. For the first time we get to see the Think Tank in real action. Enjoy!
Port = Left
Starboard = Right
[ ] Signifies a foreign language
~ ~ Signifies singing
….
For those of you keeping track, here is an updated timeline of the story:
Stardate/Year/Star Fleet Battles Timeline
Stardate 2230. = 2230 = Y120 Spock Born to Amanda Grayson & Sarek
Stardate 2233. = 2233 = Y123 James T. Kirk Born
Stardate 2336. = 2336 = Y126 Constitution Class Launched
Stardate 2248. = 2248 = Y138 Shizuka Nadeshiko Born
Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 NCC-1371 U.S.S. Republic (CA) Ensign James T. Kirk
Stardate 2254. = 2254 = Y144 Naruto Born to T'Ara and Sovar
Stardate 2263. = 2263 = Y153 Talok Born to T'Ara and Sovar
Stardate 2265.-2270 = 2265-2270 = Y155-Y160 NCC-1701 U.S.S. Enterprise (CA) 5 year Mission (TOS)
Stardate 2265. = 2265 = Y155 Naruto's kahs-wan
Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto enters the Vulcan Science Academy
Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Naruto and T'Lyra's koon-ut-la
Stardate 2267. = 2267 = Y157 Siegfried M'Fau Born
Stardate 2271. = 2271 = Y161 Naruto and T'Lyra enter Starfleet
Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 V'Ger Incident (Star Trek I)
Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 End of Naruto's first semester/Naruto and T'Lyra return to Vulcan
Stardate 2272. = 2272 = Y162 Subcommander Kurenai promoted to her first command, the RIS Scimitar (K5R)
Stardate 2273. = 2273 = Y163 Cadet Cruise aboard NCC-1802 U.S.S. Darwin (GSC)
Stardate 2273. = 2273 = Y163 Naruto graduates Starfleet Academy
Stardate 2274. = 2274 = Y164 Cruise aboard NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg (CB)
Stardate 2274. = 2274 = Y164 Siegfried M'Fau moves to Vulcan
Stardate 2274. = 2274 = Y164 Discovery of Ozari-Thul of the Tkon Empire
Stardate 2274. = 2274 = Y164 Location of Tkon Colony planet Rzom discovered (Planet Atra)
…
Last time:
Cartwright raised his eyebrows in surprise before frowning again. "Perhaps I misjudged you Sarutobi…It's just you are seeing the small picture. Let me give you the big picture…my picture as a flag officer. It is admirable that you wish to rescue the crew of the Oberth but I assure you that you are being excluded for security reasons. The U.S.S. Oberth was involved in some rather shady situations that we do not condone in Starfleet. When we rescue the crew of the Oberth they will be arrested for misusing a Federation Starship and illegally entering the Romulan Neutral Zone for unknown reasons. They could have started a war. That is why the Ark Royal will conduct the rescue mission alone and the Gettysburg will return to Planet Atra."
Asuma thought to himself, 'Something isn't right here…I'd better tread carefully.' "I understand Admiral Cartwright. That still leaves the question of what to do with the U.S.S. Oberth herself and the Romulan Officer that we picked up."
The Rear Admiral nodded. "That Romulan woman you have aboard? She's a spy working for the Federation. I'll transmit her codes so she can drop her 'Loyal Romulan officer' act. Even Captain Jiang and his crew didn't know about it. Both she and the U.S.S. Oberth need to be taken to Starbase 19."
"I'll get a skeleton crew together to take her and the Oberth to Starbase 19 then."
Admiral Cartwright shook his head. "I've had my security people do thorough background checks on your crew and have already chosen an appropriate group for the U.S.S. Oberth." Asuma hid his shock and nodded. "I'll send the crew data over immediately…"
…
Ten minutes later Asuma had completely reviewed the Oberth's assigned crew. His eyes widened. 'With the exception of a few enlisted and security; the crew is the entire Think Tank…Just what the hell is going on?!'
…
Chapter 48
Stardate 2274.316 Epimetheus Star Cluster, NCC-1728 U.S.S. Gettysburg
Lieutenant Naruto M'Fau had just beamed back over from the U.S.S. Oberth when he found himself summoned to the Captain's ready room. Captain Sarutobi bade him enter and said, "Welcome Lieutenant Naruto; I just got orders from above. You've been chosen to command U.S.S. Oberth on a transfer mission to Starbase 19. Congratulations on your first command." Asuma handed him a datapad with the crew list for the science ship and said, "This is your assigned crew."
Naruto raised an eyebrow as he quickly examined the list. He noticed Samui was his First Officer….as well as many other familiar faces. After looking things over for a moment, the blonde Vulcan said; "This is highly irregular Captain. Other than a small security contingent led by Lieutenant Shores the entire crew is made up of my graduating class from Starfleet Academy. We should have a senior watch officer in command rather than myself or Lieutenant Schrodinger. Is someone testing the Think Tank?"
Asuma smiled and said, "Your guess is as good as mine Naruto. Rear Admiral Cartwright made the crew listing, so I think it's safe to say he has some unusual interest in your little group." Seeing the questions in Naruto's azure eyes; the Captain said, "I honestly don't know what's going on but trust me when I say I am investigating it. Your job in this case is to follow orders and keep your nose clean. Just get the U.S.S. Oberth to Starbase 19 and keep all your people safe. I want you all safely back aboard the Gettysburg once this is all over and I'm relying on you to keep your team intact."
The blonde noticed that Lieutenant Wanda Hardy was originally assigned as well but had been removed by Captain Sarutobi. She was initially slated to be the Oberth's science officer -a slot that had been filled by Shar. Asuma simply said with a wink, "I was able to convince Cartwright that she was needed here…"
Naruto nodded. "Thank you, sir. That will save us all some trouble…"
…
Stardate 2274.317 Epimetheus Star Cluster, U.S.S. Oberth
The next day; the Oberth was underway with a very unusual skeleton crew of twenty-five. It was the twenty members of the Think Tank plus Lieutenant Edgar Shores of Security and four other security officers. Shores was Shizuka's right hand man and was a very experienced and competent security officer. He didn't hold the Think Tank in very high regard (unlike Shizuka) and figured he'd be babysitting a bunch of rowdy junior officers. The security officer couldn't wait to get the trip over with already…
As it was the voyage was routine and the members of the Think Tank were using their spare time to learn and study shipboard operations and work on personal projects given how much extra downtime as they had…
…
Stardate 2274.320, Argelius Sector, Edge of Star Desert*①, U.S.S. Oberth
"Ship's Log, Stardate 2274.320: Acting Captain Naruto M'Fau reporting. NCC-602 U.S.S. Oberth has departed the Epimetheus Star Cluster and is headed towards Starbase 19 per orders of Starfleet Command. Our trip has been uneventful so far. We are currently skirting the edge of the region known as the Star Desert in the Argelius Sector. The Oberth will not be cutting through the Star Desert due to previously logged reports of hazards in the area which we are incapable of dealing with. Going around rather than through the Star Desert will add approximately four days to our trip but I have deemed this delay acceptable given we are not on a strict timetable. Our current ETA to Starbase 19 is twelve days…"
The U.S.S. Oberth was clipping along at warp factor three and the Think Tank bridge crew was currently discussing their situation. Shar looked up from the sciences station and the Andorian said in a disgruntled tone, "It is a shame that we can't log the fact that we could take the Oberth to Starbase 7 on a much shorter and simpler course. I just don't get it."
"It's not very professional to complain so openly Ensign Shar." said Security Lieutenant (JG) Shores. 'What did I do to deserve this babysitting job…?'
The Andorian groused, "Understood sir…"
"Ours is not to wonder why; ours is just to do and die." quipped Rafi from the helm station. "It's an old Earth proverb I learned. Don't worry about it Shar. I'm sure there's an explanation why we have to travel twice the distance to get to Starbase 19 for no apparent reason." She grinned. "Besides, I'm enjoying having the old crew back together. The Think Tank is running like clockwork. What do you think, Samui? How are you liking this first officer gig?"
The blonde bombshell shrugged. "I'm cool with it. My job is to make sure everyone else does their job so it's easy. I could see it being really difficult if you had a lazy crew though." She glanced around and saw M'rella was very busy at the communications station. It was obvious the young Caitian woman was busy concentrating as her tail kinked back and forth in agitation.
Samui got up and checked on the amber eyed Caitian. "Is something wrong Ensign M'rella? You seem a bit preoccupied."
M'rella pivoted around to face Lieutenant Schrodinger and said, "Hmmmm. I've been picking up short burst transmissions for a while now from within the Star Desert. I told Captain Naruto about it, and he asked me to look into it further. He said we could never be too careful."
The young augment woman scratched her chin. "Sounds like we're being monitored…"
"That's what Naruto said." replied the beautiful Caitian.
Samui turned to Shar and said to the Andorian, "Ensign Shar, please turn the special sensor over to M'rella to boost communications to maximum. I have a feeling we're being watched…"
…
Star Desert, Romulan Imperial Ship Shikra
The R.I.S. Shikra and her squadron had been trailing the U.S.S. Oberth at maximum warp for days. The Shikra was an old War Eagle*② class cruiser and was leading three equally ancient Snipe-A*③ class frigates. They were the R.I.S. Cetus, Pavo and Grus. The antiquated but powerful squadron had a mission: Recover Ante-Tribune Thera Sorkalif from the U.S.S. Oberth at all costs…
Sub-Commander Ral Sorkalif was the Romulan squadron's commanding officer and flew his flag in the R.I.S. Shikra. He was aware his younger cousin Thera was alive and aboard the U.S.S. Oberth (True). He also suspected that she knew the secret to the breathtaking speeds the Federation starship had been travelling at (False). Since the R.I.S. Furtive broke up at similar speeds while she was aboard it was reasonable to assume this could be a huge technological gain for House Sorkalif and the Romulan Star Empire. Therefore, he had taken it upon himself to make a small incursion into Federation space and recover his cousin and hopefully take home the U.S.S. Oberth as a prize as well….
The Romulan squadron tracked down the wreckage of the scout R.I.S. Furtive several days ago and had been trailing the U.S.S. Oberth ever since. Aside of the fact the Oberth left the old Romulan squadron in the dust initially and they hadn't caught up until after the science ship parted company with the heavy cruiser U.S.S. Gettysburg, tracking the Federation science vessel had been no problem. The U.S.S. Oberth practically burned an ion trail several kilometers across as she broke every speed record the Romulans had ever heard of. As the Federation ship was now cruising at average warp speeds; the R.I.S. Shikra and her consorts could cut across the Star Desert and be lying in wait to ambush the science vessel as she curved around towards their apparent destination, the Argelius B System.
"Commander Ral; the planet Argelius II is the only star port in the sector we know of with any strategic value or Federation facilities in the area." explained Tal's planning officer. "The U.S.S. Oberth is on the wrong heading to go to Federation Starbase 7 and the only other base in the area is Federation Starbase 19 which is twice as far as Starbase 7. As unlikely as it seems; the Feds appear to be headed for shore leave."
Ral nodded as he looked over the star map. "It seems that whether they are headed to the planet Argelius II or Federation Starbase 19 is academic as it would put them loosely on the same course. Once they get around the Star Desert they will be at this point before the two courses make a clear divergence." He pointed to the very edge of the Star Desert where a large asteroid belt was labeled Void Asteroid Field. "We will reach these coordinates approximately two standards hours before the U.S.S. Oberth does. We will lay in wait there and spring our trap accordingly."
"It will be a classic ambush then." said Ral's first officer.
"Exactly." replied Ral. "This is a simple operation and there is no need to do anything fancy. In spite of all the possible variables, it is my experience that pragmatic planning is best in cases such as this."
The planning officer asked, "What if other Federation vessels show up?"
Commander Ral shook his head. "We will react as necessary, but it is my main intention to capture the Federation ship U.S.S. Oberth and run. We aren't here for a fight of any consequence. All that we are dealing with is a small science vessel after all…"
…
Argelius Sector, U.S.S. Oberth
An hour later the science ship Oberth rounded the edge of the Star Desert and set course for Starbase 19. The bridge crew was a bit on edge due to M'rella's report. They were all looking at their plotted course on screen. The lovely Caitian pointed to an empty system on screen that was surrounding a white dwarf star named A-113-C. It had a huge asteroid field at its edge that had been mined of all its precious ores a century ago….
"The Void Asteroid Field…sounds very scenic." said Shar sardonically. "This is where the burst transmissions came to an end M'rella?"
M'rella nodded. "Hmmmm. 67 minutes ago, all transmissions stopped. The transmissions had been a bit erratic up to that point, but the last four bursts were all in a specific series. It could be Orions signaling one another."
"…And being near an asteroid field would be an ideal place to ambush someone if you were a pirate…" mused Samui.
Naruto was looking at the screen and said, "Give me a tactical of our course through the A-113-C system."
Edgar Shores was monitoring things and couldn't stand it anymore. "Captain Naruto, everybody; I've been in the service a long time and I think you all might be getting excited over nothing. In my experience signals bounce all over the place all the time. The odds of us flying into the mouth of an Orion ambush are nil. They pick civilian targets. They don't like to tangle with military ones." 'Jesus, kids these days…'
The blonde Vulcan replied, "My instincts tell me otherwise Lieutenant Shores. It won't hurt us to be prepared. Besides, it may not be Orions."
Shores frowned. "Then what do you suggest Captain, Klingons? I've never known a Vulcan to rely on instincts over logic anyway."
"Your sarcasm is noted Mister Shores." replied Naruto. "I have found that a mix of instincts and logic serve me better than either one alone…As to your question; it seems more likely that the potential ambush would come from a Romulan source given we have a Romulan defector aboard. Bring Ante-Tribune Sorkalif to the bridge to have a look at these signals. If they are of Romulan origin; she should be able to at least identify them even if she cannot decode them."
Edgar threw up his hands. "Aye sir. I've said my bit. You are the Captain." 'What a waste of time…'
…
Ten minutes later the disgruntled Shores brought Thera Sorkalif to the bridge and said, "I've brought the Romulan here as ordered sir."
Naruto nodded and signed off on a form. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Please resume your post."
Thera smiled at Naruto and said saucily, "If you wanted to enjoy my charming company Captain, all you had to do was ask. The security officer wasn't necessary."
The blonde raised an eyebrow in his usual way and said, "You were a science officer who was very familiar was standard codes were you not; Anti-Tribune?"
She looked a bit surprised and replied, "Yes; I started out in communications. Why do you ask?"
Naruto looked over at M'rella and said, "Our Communications Officer picked up some transmissions from nearby. I would like to see if you can identify them."
The Romulan officer nodded and was led over to the communications console by M'rella. After a few minutes Thera looked up a bit pale and said, "It's a new Romulan code; I would guess it was from a command ship. The other signals are standard affirmatives in the old code."
Acting Captain Naruto drummed his fingers and said, "I see. You are correct Lieutenant Shores; it isn't Orions we're dealing with." The blonde Vulcan turned to Thera and said, "Your cooperation was most helpful. You may return to your quarters now."
The shaken Thera said, "I may be able to help decipher Romulan tactics in a combat situation Captain. I would be glad to help. They are probably after me as a defector."
Naruto nodded and said, "If you betray us I will kill you myself Officer Sorkalif." He pulled out a Romulan dagger and spun it once. Thera's gray eyes got huge when she saw it was a Tal Shiar commando's blade. "Several Romulan spies have already perished by my hand so keep that in mind in case you start questioning your loyalties. Am I understood?"
"Perfectly sir." said Thera in a frightened voice.
"…What is our ETA to the A-113-C System?" asked Naruto as he turned back to the viewscreen.
Samui replied, "We have six minutes till we cross the border. It's too late to turn back at this range."
"Then we are committed." said Naruto calmly. "All hands Red Alert! This is not a drill!"
…
A-113-C System, R.I.S. Shikra
"The science ship just entered the system sir. Their shields are going up sir!" said Ral's sensor officer. "It appears we have been detected!"
The Romulan Commander smiled and said, "It would appear so. Communications, alert the Pavo to proceed as planned. All ships, execute!"
…
U.S.S Oberth, bridge
The Snipe class frigate R.I.S. Pavo uncloaked directly in front of the Oberth and signaled the Federation ship. "Federation ship U.S.S. Oberth! This is the Romulan Star Empire ship R.I.S. Pavo. Surrender and prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply-"
Naruto looked at Shar who said, "Sensors show the R.I.S. Pavo is a Snipe-A. It has two phaser type ones and a G type*④ plasma torpedo. The torpedo is arming!"
The blonde Vulcan ordered, "Fire the photon torpedo and the phaser ones at the Pavo! Launch the suicide shuttle!"
The single photon torpedo and four phasers from the Oberth devastated the shields and armor of the little frigate but being hit with a shuttlecraft carrying a high yield antimatter bomb seconds later crippled the wrecked R.I.S. Pavo beyond any hope of repair. As the demolished frigate careened by there was no signs that anyone was still alive aboard her… Naruto didn't spare it a glance and said, "Helm 120 degrees to starboard. Head us towards that asteroid field. Be ready on the tractor beam."
By this time the other three Romulan ships had uncloaked, and the two frigates R.I.S. Cetus and R.I.S. Grus appeared behind the fleeing Oberth. The War Eagle Shikra was further away and launched her massive R type*⑤ plasma torpedo at range in order to cripple the science ship. The frigate Cetus was closing fast with her armed plasma G but was holding fire until the Shikra's torpedo did its job of wrecking the Federation science ship.
"The Cetus is right on top of us!" said Lieutenant Shores. "Shouldn't we fire?!"
"Negative." replied Naruto. "Samui, lock a tractor beam on the frigate R.I.S. Cetus. Rafi, begin docking procedures!"
Shores looked ready to faint and Thera looked terrified. 'This isn't how I wanted to die!' they thought as one.
Rafi smiled as the sweat ran down her brow and the two ships docked with a dull 'clunk' as the massive plasma R loomed in on both craft. Then Naruto commanded, "Disengage docking! Rafi, keep us in the shadow of that frigate!"
As the Federation science ship and the Romulan frigate disengaged from each other the plasma R ignored the Oberth and hit the R.I.S. Cetus full force. The Snipe was completely vaporized turning it into a miniature sun for a brief moment. The Oberth had no choice but to ride out the point-blank explosion and took some shield damage aft.
"That gamble paid off…." said Samui as the Federation ship rode out the explosion. "The number four shield is down 30% Captain Naruto. Docking to make the plasma lose its tracking was a great idea."
"We were fortunate." said Naruto. "The frigate R.I.S. Grus is still behind us though." The blonde Captain turned to the sciences station and asked, "Shar, what is the status of their torpedo loading?"
The Andorian said, "They launch in two seconds at a range of 20,000 kilometers."
"Fire any phasers we can bring to bear at the incoming plasma torpedo." said Naruto. "Everyone brace for impact!"
….The U.S.S. Oberth's rear shield was ripped through like tissue paper as two phasers and a plasma G torpedo plowed into her hull. The science ship was raked and scorched mainly on her rear port side as the damage reports flowed into the bridge via M'rella. The vengeful frigate Grus matched speed to stay back behind the damaged Oberth and continued to pummel the Federation ship from behind. The science ship shook from multiple explosions on board when the bridge got a particularly dire call from engineering…
"Engineer Kloene to bridge." said the big Orion over the comm.
"This is Captain Naruto; Kloene." replied the blonde in an even, controlled voice. "Go ahead."
Kloene sounded distressed. "I don't know how else to say this, but we have an eminent warp core breach in 120 seconds. The bulkheads weren't properly sealed flush to prevent damage."
M'rella's amber eyes got huge.
"Sounds like subpar detail construction work during the Oberth's assembly." said Naruto clinically.
"I agree." said the engineer in a disgruntled tone. "When I get to hell I'm going to ask who built this piece of junk."
Samui put her hand against her forehead. 'Damn engineers, we're going to die while they're debating.'
Edgar Shores was sweating a river. He said in a strangled tone, "Sir, if I may suggest-"
Naruto let out a barely audible sigh. "Very well. Eject the warp core with all due haste Kloene. We'll have to make do without warp power."
The Orion reacted almost conversationally. "Understood. Warp core ejection in twenty seconds. Engineering out."
Rafi sighed in relief…
"Bridge out." replied the blonde Captain.
'I have faith in Naruto, but I thought we were dead.' thought Shar….
Naruto frowned for a moment as the chakra crackled in his eyes. "Shunt our remaining battery power into the tractor beam and lock onto the R.I.S. Grus Samui. When our warp core ejects, we're going to drag that frigate right over it."
Samui regained her sense of reality and said, "Tractors at ready Naruto."
"Execute." replied the blonde Vulcan.
No one knew the thoughts of those on the R.I.S. Grus. When the highly unstable warp core of the U.S.S. Oberth ejected they made no efforts to avoid it. The tractor beam from the science ship latched on to the frigate just as the Grus started to veer to port apparently having recognized the danger. It was too late by then and the little Romulan frigate was obliterated in a colossal blast of an uncontrolled matter/antimatter explosion…
…
From his bridge on the R.I.S. Shikra, all Commander Ral Sorkalif could do was stare in dumbfounded disbelief as his frigate squadron was ripped to shreds before his eyes.
The Pavo…a flaming hulk of debris destroyed in a point-blank knife fight before she was ready…
The Cetus…blown away by the Shikra's own plasma torpedo and nothing but a ball of slag now…
The Grus…turned into cosmic dust in an antimatter holocaust…
…And the cursed U.S.S. Oberth…was gone…!
…
Stardate 2274.324, Void Asteroid Field, U.S.S. Oberth
Four days later; acting Captain Naruto was in his quarters filling out the ship's log entry…
"Ship's Log, Stardate 2274.324: Acting Captain Naruto M'Fau reporting. The U.S.S. Oberth's clash with the Romulan squadron has left us crippled and without warp power. We were able to slip away using sublight evasion*⑥ to hide our presence from the enemy. Currently we are hiding from our remaining pursuer, the Romulan War Eagle R.I.S. Shikra in the densely packed Void Asteroid Field. We were fortunate to find a large, partially mined out asteroid to conceal the Oberth within. It is presently impossible for us to send out a distress call without being detected by the Romulan ship so the crew is concentrating on repairing what we can. As we have no lifeboats and are undermanned with a skeleton crew, so our options are very limited. We have determined that we will be sticking with the Oberth to the end…"
Naruto looked over his dour report and thought to himself, 'On the positive side; by some miracle we have no serious casualties. If we had a full crew there probably would have been some deaths or at least serious injuries. As it is, there isn't much more than scratches and bruises. Now all we must do is figure a way out of this situation…'
Samui came in and asked, "A penny for your thoughts Naruto? We're well hidden. The Romulans will eventually have to leave due to lack of fuel. Of course, that could take weeks…"
The Vulcan looked up at the blonde bombshell and said, "There is an answer to our dilemma. We simply need to figure out what that answer is. There must be a variable we've overlooked."
"We were lucky to have found this abandoned old mining base to hide in." said Samui. "There's some relief that we are concealed."
"True." agreed Naruto. "Unfortunately, it blocks our passive sensors as well. Something in the rock is…" The acting Captain paused as his eyes started to crackle with chakra again. "Samui, have Shar and Ayasugi use the special sensor passively and scan this asteroid we're hiding in. Perhaps we can figure out what is blocking incoming signals."
Lieutenant Schrodinger raised her eyebrows. "Alright. We should be able to figure out this rock's composition without too much trouble."
…
R.I.S. Shikra
Commander Ral was fuming. "They evaded us via sublight after the Grus was destroyed and hid in the asteroid field. The Captain of that ship must be a demon! They can't hide forever but our scanners show nothing!" The Shikra had spent the last several days searching in vain for survivors from the three frigates that the U.S.S. Oberth destroyed. Alas, there were none. Now the old War Eagle was on a mission of vengeance. Commander Ral was determined to destroy the Federation science vessel at any cost…
'All I need is a sign…' thought the Romulan Commander darkly. '…A tiny signal to show me where the Federation ship is hiding. Then their fate will be sealed…'
…
U.S.S. Oberth
"Triceron.*⑦" said Shar to the bridge crew with a shudder. "We're parked on a mother lode of it."
"You mean the explosive compound they use for mining out moons?" asked Rafi.
The Andorian nodded. "That's the material. This asteroid is made up of 86% triceron deposits. It's basically a bomb waiting to go off and we are sitting right on top of it. The same can be said of the other rocks in the vicinity. I believe it would be prudent to move away from this potential disaster."
The gears in everyone's heads started turning rapidly and Samui asked, "Shar, if this rock we're hiding in blew up; what would be the explosion strength?"
"It would be in the multi-kiloton range." replied the blue-skinned philosopher of the group.
M'rella sighed. "That could easily destroy this ship…"
"All the more reason to get out of here." said Shores nervously.
The blonde Vulcan said. "Let's not be too hasty. An explosion of that strength could also easily destroy the Romulan War Eagle stalking us…I believe it's time to talk to our Romulan guest Officer Sorkalif again…"
…
Ante-Tribune Thera Sorkalif was surprised to hear knocking on her door but was happy to welcome Captain Naruto to her room. Once she got over her initial fear of him, Thera found herself very attracted to the blonde Vulcan…The lovely Romulan officer smiled warmly and said, "I welcome you, Captain Naruto; I'm glad you came to see me in private. Perhaps we can get to know one another better in the time we have left. I think you'll find that Romulan women are far more passionate than Vulcan ones…"
Naruto raised a blonde eyebrow and said, "Do not resign yourself to die so quickly Officer Sorkalif. I intend to overcome this situation."
Thera smiled and waved him over to her small table. "So formal; call me Thera. You seem very optimistic Captain Naruto. Do tell me how you intend to overcome an undamaged War Eagle like the R.I.S. Shikra with a crippled science ship. I'm no tactical genius but even I know when to admit defeat." She set a small pair of glasses of spiced tea on the table and said, "I wish I could offer you some proper Romulan Ale, but I've found this spiced tea to be palatable."
"What do you know about the Shikra's Captain?" asked Naruto. "Ensign M'rella indicated you know him from your conversations with her. I want to know his personality type."
She sighed. "Getting to know me would be much more interesting don't you think Captain Naruto?" Getting the same reaction she would have from a wall, Thera said dramatically, "Very well; what is it you want to know about my boorish cousin Ral Sorkalif?"
Naruto got a gleam in his eye and said, "Let's start with his style of command…"
She nodded. "Ral is a superb planner that prides himself in his foresight and professionalism." explained Thera. "He always expects his enemy to always follow the exact plans he has foreseen. If they don't, he gets flustered. Ral can't think on his feet and gets dumbfounded as a result. Typically, if his plans go awry he fumes, pouts and withdraws but in this case he's too committed and can't go back to the Empire empty handed." She took a sip of tea. "If he were to return to the Romulan Star Empire having lost his entire frigate squadron to a mere science ship he'd face disgrace at best and execution at worst. I can assure you he's furious and won't give up until the U.S.S. Oberth is destroyed."
"Does he keep a clear head when he's angry?" asked the blonde.
Thera shook her head. "Anything but. He'll lash out full force at the slightest provocation."
"How would he react if he caught a glimpse of the Oberth?" asked the Vulcan Captain.
The Romulan female shrugged. "If I know him he'll rush in point blank and fire that plasma R and everything else he has. He has no finesse at all when he's enraged. To be honest he's like a child that's had his favorite toy taken from him."
They discussed things for some time before Naruto thanked Thera for the tea and bid her goodnight. "I know a good man when I see one." said Thera. "If you pull this off and we survive I'll stay by your side. I have no more need for this spy business anyway…"
…
Naruto's quarters
'…What a forthcoming woman…' thought Naruto absentmindedly about Thera as he returned to his quarters. 'I'll have to inform the others of what I've found out tomorrow.' He unlocked his quarters and walked in; locking the door behind him. 'Now to think of a plan of action; I… –OH MY…!'
…There lay Samui Schrodinger on his bed in a golden Starfleet minidress uniform, boots and all…Her platinum blonde hair seemed to shimmer as she looked at him with lidded ice blue eyes that seemed to glow in the low light…
…And Naruto was weak in the knees. 'By the gods she's beautiful!" thought the blonde Vulcan with his mouth watering at the heavenly vision in front of him. Naruto saw how cool she looked laying there but then he noticed the nervousness in her eyes.
Samui said shakily, "H-hello Naruto. I wanted to see you tonight."
Naruto's Shinobi instincts were running haywire as he glided over to Samui and enveloped her in a passionate kiss that both thrilled her and took her breath away. The contact was electric, and the logical side of his mind was booted out without a second thought. He whispered heatedly, "I want you tonight Samui; will you be my mate?"
She looked up and their blue eyes locked. The beautiful augment woman saw the chakra crackling in his eyes and it felt like pure plasma energy was pumping through her veins. Samui felt what little hesitance she had get vaporized in the sheer intensity of the heat of his stare…
She returned his kiss savagely and whispered, "I want no regrets in my life…I love you Naruto M'Fau…"
"…And I love you Samui Schrodinger…" he replied.
No more words needed to be said as the two became one…
…
The next morning Naruto woke up with Samui fast asleep in his arms. She was sleeping peacefully on him with her head lying on his chest. The blonde Vulcan was thinking about last night and how amazing it had been. He wondered about how T'Lyra and Shizuka were going to react. Would they be angry? Shizuka always reacted emotionally instead of logically. The three of them had already sat down and discussed that Samui would more than likely join Naruto's harem someday. They already had little Siegfried after all. But someday had become now abruptly and Naruto was a bit worried at the suddenness.
After pondering for a bit Naruto decided that worrying about it at this point was not the logical thing to do. He had a ship and crew save and the needs of the many outweighed the needs of the few…
Samui woke up and blinked. She was disoriented for a split second before the memories of last night came flowing back to her and she smiled contentedly. She looked up with her ice blue eyes full of brightness and stared into Naruto's azure pools that were crackling with chakra. Her smile widened as he leaned in and greeted her with a warm, loving kiss.
"Good morning lover." greeted Samui quietly as they separated. "Last night was wonderful." she added with a smile.
"You are wonderful my mate." replied Naruto. "I-" He heard his chronometer alarm go off and mentally groaned. "It would appear that a new day has begun. Do you want to shower first?"
The blonde bombshell smiled and nodded. "I'd rather lie in bed all day, but I guess duty calls." She sat up and laughed at Naruto's glazed eyed look when he admired her voluptuous body. Feeling rather empowered; she leaned in and kissed him again before dashing off to the shower…
…
Bridge
Later that morning the Think Tank was having a formal staff meeting and Naruto presented his plan to eliminate the Shikra from the playing field…
The blonde Vulcan explained, "The general idea is we will plant explosives on the triceron asteroid and detonate it in order to destroy the War Eagle once and for all. We will send out a tight beamed SOS which will draw the attention of the R.I.S. Shikra and lead them here. By the time the Romulans get here we will be clear of the area and can set off the explosives remotely."
"It sounds good on paper but what's going to keep the Romulans close by to let themselves get conveniently blown up?" asked Lieutenant Shores. "They could just scan the asteroid; realize we're not there and leave the vicinity."
Kloene grinned. "Have you ever heard of a simulator shuttle Lieutenant Shores?"
Edgar replied, "Only rumors…"
"We're going to arm our remaining shuttle as a simulator type to draw the enemy's attention close while he's here." explained Naruto. "The illusion that we are still here will only need to act for a minute to make them investigate the situation."
Rafi clapped once. "Then we spring our trap!"
"…And anything left we can finish off with our phasers." added Samui.
"Exactly." replied Naruto. "Does that answer your question Mister Shores?"
Shores nodded. 'If this works it will make these kids legends…Maybe Lieutenant Nadeshiko is right about them…'
…
The Oberth slowly emerged from her hiding place in the mining base two hours later and transmitted at tight beam distress call before going silent again. Left behind in the Federation ship's place was a simulator shuttle that appeared to be the crippled science vessel. The Think Tank had laid their trap; now all they could do was wait and hope…
…
R.I.S. Shikra, bridge
"We've picked up a tight beam signal Commander. It appears to be an SOS from the Federation ship!" said the communications officer excitedly.
"Did you get a lock?!" asked Ral.
The Centurion nodded with a smile. "Affirmative sir."
Commander Ral smiled grimly and said, "Well done Centurion! Transmit the coordinates to navigation." 'I have you now Federation scum!'
…
The R.I.S. Shikra was soon winging its way through the asteroid field on a direct course for the signal's point of origin. It didn't take long to spot the large asteroid that the Oberth had been hidden in for days. As the War Eagle crested the asteroid, they saw the battered science ship's nose sticking out of the hollowed-out area of the asteroid. The Shikra turned and faced the trapped Oberth at point blank range, blocking any hope of escape. "How the mighty have fallen." said Ral sarcastically as he began to transmit on an open channel:
"Federation starship Oberth; this is Commander Ral Sorkalif of the Romulan Imperial ship Shikra and you are hereby ordered to surrender and prepare to be boarded. Any attempts at resistance will result in a swift and merciless death. You have one standard minute to make your decision before we open fire. This is your first and last chance, so I advise you take it."
…
U.S.S. Oberth, bridge
"Pompous, isn't he?" asked Rafi rhetorically as they all listened to Commander Ral's speech.
"How far is the Shikra from the triceron asteroid Shar?" asked Naruto.
"They are at 2000 kilometers Captain." answered the Andorian. "It's more than close enough."
Samui asked, "…And our location?"
Shar replied, "We're 50,000 kilometers from ground zero."
"Transmit the self-destruct signal M'rella." ordered Naruto.
M'rella nodded. "Transmitting signal now Naruto."
…
R.I.S. Shikra, bridge
The Centurion at the communication station was panicking with wide eyes, "We're picking up a Federation transmission from directly behind us sir!"
"Range? Give me the range Centurion!" bellowed Ral.
"Approximately 50,000 kilometers sir!" replied the communications officer.
The helm officer asked, "What should we do sir? We've been pincered!"
Ral froze up. 'What should we do?! What should-'
"You order sir?" asked the first officer.
"Fire all weapons on the science ship!" yelled Commander Ral. "Finish off the Oberth!"
Four phaser ones and a plasma R were unleashed hit the simulator shuttle at point blank range and simply vaporized it. The illusion was dispelled in an instant. "W-w-what?!" yelled Ral.
Then the Romulan weapons hit the triceron deposits at the same time the Federation explosives detonated.
…The result was cataclysmic.
The Romulan War Eagle R.I.S. Shikra was completely consumed in the massive triceron chain reaction explosion that rocked even the U.S.S. Oberth at 50,000 kilometers away. At least twenty large asteroids were blown into dust surrounding the initial explosion. Commander Ral and his crew didn't even have time to scream as they were reduced to atoms in the triceron inferno…
…
Stardate 2274.325, Argelius Sector, U.S.S. Oberth
"Ship's Log, Stardate 2274.325: Acting Captain Naruto M'Fau reporting. The U.S.S. Oberth is travelling at impulse power towards the closest star port, Argellius II. Our crew is in high spirits and despite the damage we are travelling without any issues. We have sent out a distress call to Starfleet Command and to any Federation vessels in the area but so far have not received a reply. Given the Oberth would be easy prey for pirates we are taking the prudent course of keeping our electronic signature low in case we need to conceal ourselves again…"
Naruto clicked of the data recorder and glanced over at Samui who smiled at him for a split second before turning back to her post. The two agreed to keep their relationship hidden from the crew for now but he was sure that at least Rafi knew given she and Samui were best friends. 'This trip turned out to be far more eventful than I ever imagined.' thought the blonde Vulcan. 'It will all be resolved back aboard the Gettysburg when we get home.'
Shar looked up from the science station and said, "Special sensor indicates a vessel approaching dead ahead sir. I estimate it to be cruiser class."
Everyone got a bit tense except M'rella whose ears perked up happily. "Captain Naruto, we are receiving an incoming hail. It's Commodore Mei Terumi of the U.S.S. Darwin!"
"Thank god." said Rafi as she relaxed. "A friendly face at last…"
Everyone had a collective sigh of relief and Naruto said, "On screen M'rella."
On screen was the lovely face of Commodore Mei Terumi. The redhead smiled in her usual way. "Oh, my Lieutenant Naruto; It's good to see your handsome face again but it seems that the little Oberth is quite a mess. Could we offer you a tow?"
The bridge crew of the Think Tank collectively thought, 'I see she hasn't changed.' as they saw their former Captain for the first time in years.
Naruto said, "Your assistance would be greatly appreciated Commodore. We are in your debt."
Mei replied, "Think nothing of it. Our ETA to you is seven minutes. U.S.S. Darwin out."
"U.S.S. Oberth out." replied Naruto. The blonde Vulcan thought to himself, '…It seems the first part of our long voyage is over…'
…
POSTSCRIPT:
*①: Star Desert: The region known as the Star Desert is an area of space known to have zero density and no change in gravimetric readings. It is approximately 900 light years from Earth and contains some powerful entities that may be of the 'Q' continuum. See: TOS episode "Squire of Gothos."
*②: War Eagle: The Romulan War Eagle is a 100 year old sublight design converted to use warp power. It is generally classified as a cruiser despite its small size. (See Memory Beta: Romulan bird-of-prey)
*③: Snipe-A: The Romulan Snipe-A frigate is the smaller stable mate to the War Eagle and started out as a sublight design. (See Memory Beta: Romulan Snipe Frigate)
*④: G Type Plasma Torpedo: A plasma torpedo is a ball of matter on the brink of being converted into total energy. It is extremely powerful and comes in several warhead strengths. The G type is in the middle of the strength field and can easily blow down most shields at close range.
*⑤: R Type Plasma Torpedo: The R type is the most powerful plasma torpedo. It is over twice the strength of a G type and can cripple or destroy smaller vessels.
*⑥: Sublight Evasion: A ship that has "dropped" its warp engines and no longer has the capability of creating a warp field has a much lower energy signature and can sometimes evade pursuit at sublight speeds by keeping transmissions and energy outputs to a minimum. Your author has assumed that ejecting a warp core qualifies for these purposes.
*⑦: Triceron: Triceron is a type of explosive compound used primarily for the excavation of planetary surfaces such as mining and terraforming. It is used by many races including the Klingons, Tholians and Romulans.
This chapter flowed pretty well though the love scene with Samui wasn't originally planned as written. As it is, it fit very well and seemed to be a natural progression of their relationship, so I was pleased by the result. So, the Think Tank has survived their trial by fire only to meet up with an old friend -Commodore Mei Terumi of the U.S.S. Darwin. What will happen next? See you next time. Blue out. 10/2/23