K’Taul frowned again…then hesitantly nodded.  “All right…we’ll try to help you…but we can’t harm them unless absolutely necessary.”

“That is understandable…” Mourdan hesitated again…  “However, we do not have long.  Our best estimate gives us six days…before it’s too late.”

K’Taul nodded.  “Very well, we’ll drop off the components we obtain, then head to this hostile planet.  Please send us any information you can about the destinations you send us.”

Mourdan somehow displayed gratitude on his face.  “Thank you…we’ll forever be in your debt.”

With that, the screen flickered and returned to the view of the planet.  K’Taul moved back to his chair and sat down.  “Vendar, as soon as we receive the files, transfer the course heading for the first planet.  Helm, once you receive them…engage at maximum warp.”

“Aye, sir,” James replied, quickly keying in the commands.

Captain’s Log, Stardate 55165.9

            It has been about two days since we made first contact with the Lauss.  We have collected samples from five other planets, one of which were inhabited by a post-industrial society, which we avoided contact with.  We’ve left those five samples with the Lauss and are now on route to a planet controlled by a species called the Vrol…the hostile species.  For the past two days while traveling to all of these systems and searching the planets, I’ve analyzed the limited information we have collected on the Vrol.  This particular planet is protected by two large ships and four smaller ships…and we know that they are tactically intelligent.  We’re approaching the planet now…and hopefully we’ll leave in one piece.

“We’ve entered the system,” James stated.  “At present speed, we’ll be there in fifteen seconds.”

K’Taul stood up and moved forward some, ready to command them…  “Very well…drop us out of warp at the range I told you.  Battle stations, raise shields.”

The bridge darkened as some bulkheads took on a red hue.  The alert klaxon immediately sounded.  The streaking stars on the view screen suddenly stopped streaking by to reveal the planet looming ahead.  The two large ships were already approaching the Dragon…and K’Taul knew the other ships weren’t far behind.

“We’re being hailed,” Vendar stated.  “Audio only.”

“Let’s hear it.”

A gruff, humanoid voice suddenly came to life.  “I am Virandal of the Vrol…you are approaching our planet.  You are to stop or turn around at once or we will fire upon you.”

“I’m sorry for sneaking up on you so quickly, Virandal,” K’Taul began.  “We are in desperate need of a genetic sample from this planet.  Not of your species, just from something from you planet, anything.  Will you allow us to locate and transport a sample?”

“I repeat, you must break off your approach now or be destroyed.”

“I can’t do that, Virandal,” K’Taul maintained.  “We need those samples to create a genetic cure for a genetic defect…”

“Immaterial,” he stated.  “This is your last warning, disengage, leave, and never return again.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”

There was a pause on the other end…but a short lived one.  “Then you will die.”

“The channel was closed,” Vendar replied.  “They’re targeting us.”

K’Taul quickly moved back to his chair and sat down.  “Full impulse, evasive maneuvers!” he stated.

The ship suddenly lurched twice in succession, but the hits ended there.

“Shields at ninety six percent,” Ada reported.

K’Taul’s stomach turned as James began a series of dramatic maneuvers.  He’d never felt maneuvers that were too extreme for the inertial dampers…James must be crazy!  On screen, he saw the Dragon maneuver between the two large ships, which fired…but missed and hit each other.

“They’ve hit each other, but only caused minor damage!” Ada added to her report.  “They’re coming about…and the smaller ships are in weapons range!”

James couldn’t out-maneuver all of the weapons fire…and as such, the ship started taking hits.  The planet ahead was growing quickly, but K’Taul noted that some of the weapons fire was coming from that direction.  Four small ships that had to be leaving the outer atmosphere became visible.

“James, you know what to do!” K’Taul stated.  “Ada…target their weapons, but do not do any more damage than that…and remember only to concentrate on the smaller ships.  We want to aggravate them as little as possible!”

“We’re entering the outer atmosphere,” James reported.  The four ships flew by the Dragon at amazing speed, phaser fire hitting them hard.  That, however, didn’t stop the weapons impact totally.  The ship lurched…but that was added to as she screamed towards the planet at full impulse.  The shields started to light up from friction-generated heat.

“Hull temperature is increasing rapidly, Captain,” Vendar reported.  “We will, however, be able to make it to the surface without problems…it’ll just be warm in the forward sections.”

“Two ships’ weapons are disabled,” Ada added.  “The other two are being uncooperative about that subject.”

“Status of the larger ships?” Chris asked, apparently concentrating on the smaller vessels instead of the larger ones.

“They’re already breaking off pursuit and are entering orbit…but they are still firing on us.”

A huge lurch to the side confirmed her report.  “James, continue evasive maneuvers.”  He looked over to Tom.  “Commander Halkrat…what’s your status?”

“I’ve analyzed the DNA of twenty four species and counting,” he replied from the science station on the side.  “So far nothing.”

The ship lurched hard again.  “Shields down to eighty two percent!”

“We’re entering the troposphere!” James shouted above the roar of the friction-generated heat.

“Level us out, James!” K’Taul ordered.  “You know what to do,” he repeated…hoping he was as good a pilot as Chris and everyone else claimed…

With that, the ground that was rushing at them suddenly disappeared…and they were between tall hills and mountains, racing across the surface, maneuvering between them.  James was forced to slow the ship down…but he didn’t do it by much.

“Tom!” Chris shouted after another severe impact.

“Two hundred fifty three, nothing yet!”

“There could very well be over a million species on this planet,” he mentioned to K’Taul.

“I’m aware of that!” he replied, gripping his chair after another impact.

“Shields down to seventy two percent!” Ada stated.

“Reroute auxiliary power to the shields!” K’Taul ordered.

“Got it!” Tom shouted.

“Energize!” Chris added.

“Lowering shields and transporting…”

Bad luck, K’Taul realized, when the ship lurched harder than usual.  For a moment, a mountain peak loomed directly ahead, the ship forced on a new heading straight for it.  James quickly recovered in his seat and keyed in a command.  A moment later, the mountain was below them…

“James, get us out of here, now!” K’Taul shouted above a ruptured conduit.  “Jump to maximum warp the moment we can!”

“The impulse engines were hit,” he replied.  “We’re gonna have to gain momentum in order to get out of here.”

“Then do it!”

The horizon came into view as the Dragon accelerated again.  A few weapons bursts flew past the Dragon’s bow…while others hit and caused the Dragon to lurch to the side.

“We’ll be able to break out of the atmosphere in ten seconds!” James reported.  He was limited in maneuverability…because maneuvering would mean slowing the ship down.  As a result, several weapons blasts were impacting on the Dragon.

“Shields down to forty percent!” Ada shouted.  “We can’t stand this for very long!”

In that moment, the horizon disappeared and was replaced with blue sky…a moment later, it was replaced with a dark skyscape.

“We don’t have enough momentum!” James stated, confirming what K’Taul’s console told him.  The ship was drastically slowing down…

“Prepare to engage warp engines!” he ordered.

“But sir, if we engage warp engines this low…”

“I know what’ll happen, Lieutenant Trikal!”  There will be a massive shockwave in the air, causing much damage in the surrounding area.  The higher they were, though, the less damage…

He waited for the right moment, he wanted to wait till the last second…  If he did do it too early, the warp field could also immediately destabilize, causing possibly serious damage…even a power feedback and a resulting warp core breach.  Timing…was everything.

And the time was now!  “Now!”

Suddenly, the stars leaped into motion, elongating into rainbow colored streaks…and the ship itself started to shudder.

“The warp field is fluctuating!” James shouted above the shuddering.  “I’m attempting to stabilize!”

The shuddering didn’t improve…it instead became worse and worse, until K’Taul was certain it would completely destabilize.  Fear gripped him…

Then, as if it never had happened, the shuddering stopped.  Ahead, the warp field was flying by the ship faster than ever.

“Warp field has been stabilized,” he stated, sighing very hard and sitting back in his chair.  “We made it…”

“Set a course for the Lauss home world, maximum warp!”

“Altering course and engaging…”

Captain’s log, supplemental

            We were successful in delivering the genetic structures…and we’ve received word that the Lauss will survive.  We’ve contacted Starfleet and they are sending an Ambassador to negotiate a treaty with the Lauss.  Because they have renounced space travel, they most likely won’t become Federation members…but they still wish to form a treaty.

Thankfully, Starfleet is not going to court martial me for my decision to aid them, even when it meant attacking another species…but they definitely were not pleased…

Chris paused at the entrance to the Captain’s Ready Room.  He wished it was his…but he had gotten over his demotion weeks ago.  Right now…he was going to apologize to the Captain…and that was something he hadn’t had to do since probably over two years ago…one time that he could recall in the Kalium galaxy.

Finally, he worked up the courage and pressed the door chime on the panel.  Immediately, K’Taul’s gruff voice replied, “Come!”

He stepped forward, the doors whispering apart for him, and entered.  This was the first time he had actually been in the ready room since the Dragon launched two weeks ago…it was impressive.  He didn’t, however…like it as much as his old ready room.  Nothing could compare to that!

“Captain,” he said, nodding as he moved to his desk.  He was hard at work writing a report…

“What can I do for you, Commander,” he replied, concentrating on his report and not even bothering to look at Chris.  There was still definite tension…

“I came…to apologize.”  This caught his attention.  He looked up from the report with surprise ever-present on his face.  “My outburst on the bridge wasn’t called for…”

K’Taul frowned in confusion, then shrugged.  “Perhaps not…but then again, you’ve encountered many losses.  Its not surprising that seven hundred deaths would cause such a reaction…”

“Even still…there is no place for such outbursts on the bridge,” Chris said.

K’Taul smiled slightly and shook his head.  “No, there isn’t…”

“I’ll try to make sure it never happens again.”

He nodded in reply.  “That’s good.”  He stood up and walked around his desk.  He walked up to Chris and extended a hand.

Chris looked at it apprehensively…but finally decided to take the offered hand.  Firmly, they shook hands.

“Commander, it’s going to be a real…intriguing experience serving with you.”

Chris smiled a very wide smile.  “Likewise, sir.”

With that, their hands parted.  “I’ll see you around.  Dismissed.”

Chris nodded before turning around, then headed out the exit.  Things had worked out…  He knew there would likely be some more tension between the two…but for now, things were just fine.

It wasn’t his Dragon…but it was still home…and he was glad that things had worked out…