QM/N: So voting isn't really attracting much interest and really, this is overall a narrative event, so I'll just push the event until we're done and release updates as I go.
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"So what did you find?" you ask, leaning forward over your desk.
"My ship," calls out the unfamiliar Rear Admiral. "USS Enterprise, NCC-1002. Not as illustrious as some of the other Enterprises, but we played our part." He leans forward and shakes your hand. "Rear Admiral Babajide, Admiral, at your service."
"Always pleased to meet a former Explorer Corps skipper," you reply, shaking his hand. "What year was it for you?"
"It was 2232," says the Rear Admiral with a nod. "My first year of command. It was quite an experience."
You give him a smile. "I'll bet."
"The other ship was the NX-01," explains Sulu.
The news straightens you up, and your eyes go wide as you stare at Sulu. "The NX-01 as in former Federation President Jonathon Archer's NX-01? To go with Kirk's Enterprise?"
"The very same."
"Did we ever discover a reason why there were so many Enterprises involved?" you ask in exasperation.
Sulu spreads his hands and shrugs. "To be honest, I have never discovered such an explanation. It is still a mystery to me."
"Right," you say with a sigh. "Well, what happened next?"
-
"-of United Earth Starfleet. Tell me, what are the Andorians doing up here? More conflict with Vulcan High Command?"
The number of instances wherein either Kirk or ka'Sharren could be considered dumbstruck could probably be counted on one hand. But another finger was locking into place now, as the two officers stare dumbly at the viewscreen. Between the pair of them they exchange a glance, and then turn back to Captain Archer.
"Captain, you may have noticed that the anomaly you passed through was temporal in nature, so to be honest, I'm not sure how much I can say here," says Nash slowly.
"You need to give me something, Captain," replies Archer sternly.
"I am Commodore Nash ka'Sharren of the Starfleet vessel USS Enterprise, of the United Federation of Planets."
Archer is still and silent as a statue for many long seconds, until he finally says, "Perhaps you should beam aboard so we can talk privately."
-
Seeing Archer stare off into the passing stars as they hare off after the Blank Slate makes Nash think uncomfortably of her encounter with Thalisar the Last. How she seemed to have stirred the drive to succeed and forge a new future in them, perhaps paving the way to the future that led her to change the past in some manner that ... well, frankly gave her a migraine. Has their meeting here led to Jonathon Archer rise? Is he already on this course? Were they in some interminable way creating ...
It really doesn't bear thinking about. What is worth thinking about, is their plan for what will happen when they catch up with the Blank Slate. She is aboard the NX-01, with the Columbia refit engines almost screaming. The Ranger-class Enterprise is keeping pace easily, travelling in the wake of the damaged Blank Slate. Somewhere Kirk's Enterprise is making field repairs, soon to catch up to them at their normal Warp 8. A soup of tachyons and chronitons marks the way, a clear path to follow. But of course, following a clear path also means that Mentat Betarre has a very good idea of exactly where they are coming from.
-
The expect ambush comes after days of pursuit in the Alpha Centauri system. Kirk's Enterprise is an hour away, and the Blank Slate has just stopped emitting a trail as if it turned a switch.
Looking over the shoulder of T'Pol at a science station, ka'Sharren's response is immediate. She turns and her arm snaps out as she points across the bridge, "Evasive manoeuvres! Pattern Theta, both ships!"
Mayweather at helm looks back shaking his head. "We don't have a patt-"
"Fly up!"
The Blank Slate drops out of warp behind them, having performed a slingshot around a gas giant in the system so reckless it nearly counted as having made a slingshot through the gas giant. Torpedoes race out at the outdated NX-01, where only the fact it is already straining its frame with a high impulse burn saves it from immolation. The more reasonably protected Ranger-class Enterprise is slower to react, but is tough enough to endure the blows meant for it. That doesn't mean that the NX-01 is in the clear, however. Beams reach out and scour the polarised hull plating of the NX-01 even though the torpedoes miss.
"This isn't the fight we want, Commodore," says Archer.
"You're right," replies ka'Sharren. "Send word to Captain Babajide, take his ship out of the system for the moment. Captain, take this ship into the gas giant, there are eddies I think we can throw off their targeting. We need to delay them long enough for Kirk to get here."
"Agreed," replies Archer. "Mayweather, take us in."
Mayweather grimaces at his station as he hauls the ship over. "I only get the easy jobs here," he grumbles.
-
"We're surrounded and being stalked by the Blank Slate as she tries to find and eliminate us," states ka'Sharren. "Good, that simplifies things nicely."
T'Pol stirs at the science station. "I am having difficulty following your logic there, Commodore."
"The last thing we want is for the Blank Slate to get away," replies ka'Sharren. "If she's fixed on us, then all we need to do to find out where she is is pop up ourselves."
The Vulcan folds her arms and frowns. "At which point we will be destroyed."
Nash shoots her a patented grin. "Which is why we don't pop up until we have a plan."
"Right, there are some vulnerabilities we have discovered," says Archer.
"That ship is a high-powered engineer's nightmare on the inside from what our logs have been able to tell," says Nash. "There's a lot of instability we can play with. If we can coordinate with Kirk, we can drop their power for a brief window by using a barrage of phased theta radiation."
"That leaves us the question of how to coordinate with Kirk," replies Archer. "But I think I have an idea for that."
