Voyage into the Nebula

The Enterprise searches a nebula for a Romulan Warbird, and finds a
Wormhole.

Takes place after ‘First Contact’

The Enterprise was on its way to Starbase 412. Rest and shore leave
awaited them. Picard was happy that they had made it. After the recent
mission against the Borg, he was ready for it. The dark circles under
his eyes showed that he was tired. He leaned back in his chair, and
watched as the stars slowly streaked by. They might still be eight hours
away, but the smiles on the face of the crew, showed that they were
happy to just be heading for the starbase. Picard smiled at that to.
He looked around the bridge of the Enterprise-E. It was a fine ship,
with a fine crew. Once again they had saved earth. Crew replacements
would be made at the starbase. Picard looked at the helm station. Ensign
T’Ripo was at the helm, replacing Lieutenant Hawke, who had been killed
while fighting the borg. Inside Picard mourned the loss of all of his
crew. But he wouldn’t let it show. He couldn’t he had to be strong, to
give the crew strength.
Commander William T. Riker sat in his chair. He looked around the
bridge. The normal compliment. He still whished he had the center seat
though. One day, one day he would, and the Enterprise would be his ship.
Lt.Commander Data, Chief Operations officer of the U.S.S. Enterprise-
E
sat at his station. Geordi had replaced his missing skin, and he was
back to normal. It felt good to. He had turned the emotion chip back on,
and was now just like a normal human. His station beeped letting him
know something was on sensors. What he found, gave him a little bit of a
shock.
Deanna Troi walked onto the bridge. Her hair flowed down her head, as
she took her seat. She smiled. The crew was in better spirits. She liked
that. She pulled on the turtle neck of her uniform. She couldn’t
understand why Starfleet wanted to change the uniforms again. They had
only been changed a few years ago, and now they had been changed again.
Next thing anybody knew, the commbadges would change.
“Captain, you might want to take a look at this,” Data said, turning in
his chair, to face the Captain.
“What is it Mr.Data?” Picard asked, walking over to the androids
station.
“This nebula just appeared on sensors, I am picking up a warp trail
leading through it,” Data replied.
“What kind of warp signature?” Picard asked.
“I would judge, that it is, Romulan sir,” Data said.
“Romulans, in Federation space.” Picard said.
He pondered this over in his mind.
“Helm, lay in a course, and engage at Warp 6.”
“Aye sir,” Ensign T’Ripo replied. The Vulcans hands danced across the
console, and the course of the Enterprise shifted, and the ship went to
Warp 6, from Warp 4.
Picard settled back down in his chair. Shore Leave would have to be put
on hold.
Geordi La Forge, looked around Engineering. Most of his crew was
missing, repairing the last of the damage to the ship. All of the Borg
technology had been removed from the ship. He sighed, as he handed the
Data PADD he was holding back to Lieutenant Gomez. Geordi had know the
Lieutenant for years. She had come aboard the Enterprise-D as an Ensign,
fresh out of the Academy. He remembered the day she spilt hot chocolate
all over the Captain. On the inside he had been laughing. The scene had
been funny.
Now she was a little more seasoned. She was now a full Lieutenant,
having been promoted from Lieutenant Junior Grade, only four months ago.
She smiled, and thanking him for his time, went off to do her duties.
Lieutenant Commander Worf scowled. He sat on the shattered bridge of
the Defiant. She was still in dock around earth. He watched the
viewscreen. Weapons had been restored, but the engines were still acting
up. But the engineers said that the ship would be ready in a few days.
Worf was looking forward to returning to Deep Space Nine although he had
enjoyed his time back on the Enterprise. Sometimes he whished he was
still on the ship. Even if it was a new Enterprise it still had all of
his old friends aboard, although Chief O’Brien was on Deep Space Nine.
Worf remembered coming aboard the space station. The only person he had
known had been O’Brien. Now he knew the entire crew, and they were now
family. Right now Worf wanted to return to his family. Being at Starbase
1, wasn’t very fun.
The Enterprise was now only an hour away from the Nebula. Picard
leaned
back in his chair. He was a little nervous. He never really liked the
Romulans. If they were in Federation space, then their would be trouble.
He was not looking forward to it.
Riker watched the viewscreen. Things could get ugly.
“Now approaching the nebula,” Data called.
“Red Alert,” Riker said promptly. The Red Alert sirens screamed to
life.
“Shut up that noise!” Picard shouted.
The sirens stopped, but the lights had dimmed, and the red bars, around
the bridge still flashed.
Dr.Beverly Crusher was a little alarmed at the sound of the red alert
sirens. She quickly recovered, and her medical staff went to work,
preparing sickbay, incase of a battle, and incase wounded were brought
in. She looked around, everyone was ready.
The Nebula was a swirling mist of orange, pink, blue, and purple. It
was a sight to see. Picard leaned back in his chair, and watched the
nebula.
“Report?” he asked.
Riker tapped at his computer console.
“A slight Romulan warp-trail is going through the nebula. However,
they
must be under cloak, and there is no way to track it.” he said.
“Mr. Data, I want you to work with Commander La Forge, to find a
way to
track the warptrail,” Picard said.
“Aye sir,” Data said.
He stood up, and walked over to the turbolift. He called out Main
Engineering before the doors hissed shut, and he was gone.
On board the Romulan Warbird, Demtra, Commander Sela watched as
they
moved slowly through the nebula.
“Commander, Federation Starship on sensors,” the tactical officer
hissed.
“On screen,” she said, leaning back in her chair.
The Enterprise leapt into the viewscreen.
“Its one of those new Sovereign Class Starships,” Sela said, looking
the ship over.
“Magnify. Lets see which ship it is,” she added.
The image enhanced. Sela said the ship name outloud.
“NCC-1701-E U.S.S. Enterprise,” Sela said. This did not make her
happy.
If the Enterprise was here, her ship and crew could be doomed. They
wouldn’t complete the mission. She scowled and sat back down in her
chair. “All stop,” she called.
The Demtra came to a full stop. Sela watched the Enterprise. She had
been defeated by the Enterprise before. She wouldn’t let it happen
again. She smiled at the thought. Soon, very soon, the Enterprise, would
be destroyed. She was tempted to laugh at this.
Deanna Troi looked around the bridge. They looked nervous, as they
should. A bead of sweat trickled down her face. She wiped it away and
looked at the Captain.
Picard’s face was set. His eyes foucused on the screen, not moving,
just watching. He was ready for battle.
Data looked over the sensor display in main engineering. Geordi had
been called away for a few minuets to help with the warp core. Data
turned his head to the side. That looked really weird. He continued to
watch. Then it hit him. He tapped his commbadge.
“Data to bridge, I have an answer,” he said.
“Meet me in the conference room,” Picard replied, through the badge.
Picard sat alone in the conference room, a glass of Earl Gray in front
of him. He looked up when Data entered.
“Yes Mr.Data, show me,” Picard said.
Data set down a Data PADD, and then activated the display screen,
towards the forward section of the room. Picard turned in his chair, to
watch. The Nebula appeared, with a line going through it, that got
brighter at the nebula’s center.
“This line is the Romulan warp-trail,” Data said, pointing to the
yellow line that went through the nebula. “As it reaches the center, it
gets brighter, which means, that the Romulan ship is prone, to the gas
in the nebula. The center has the greatest deposit of it, therefore,
that is why the trail becomes stronger. We can use this to our
advantage, by sending out an anti-proton beam. It will search for the
gasses, and then heighten them. The engine trail, should then become
more easy to read, and we could track the ship,” Data said.
“Very good, get to work on the anti-proton beam,” Picard said.
“Yes sir,” Data said, leaving.
Data took his seat at ops. Riker looked up from the command chair. He
was tired. He needed sleep, and now the Romulans. How was he ever going
to get sleep with the Romulans waiting in the dark.
Sela watched the Enterprise. What were they doing. They just seemed to
be sitting in the same spot. Maybe they didn’t know the Romulans where
there. If that was the case, then maybe they could get out of Federation
space, without getting caught. But the mission.
“Ready weapons,” she said. “Battlestations.”
The Anti-Proton beam was almost ready when the Romulan Warbird
decloaked. The sirens on the Enterprise shrieked to life.
“Standby phasers,” Riker said.
Captain Picard strode onto the bridge. He took his seat, and looked at
the viewscreen. The Romulan Warbird hung dead silent in space. Its
weapons pointed at the Enterprise.
“Hail them,” Picard said.
“Commander Sela on screen,” Riker said, a little surprised that it was
Sela.
The screen flicked to life, and Commander Sela’s face filled the
screen.
“Captain Picard, so good to see you again.” she said, in a bitter tone.
Picard bit his lip, before answering.
Lieutenant Junior Grade Erickson stood at tactical. His hands hovered
over the controls, ready to fire if the Romulans decided to attack.
“You are in Federation space!” Picard shouted.
“You are dead!” Sela shouted at him.
The screen flicked off. Picard watched as a Plasma Torpedo streaked
towards the Enterprise.
“Fire!” he shouted.
Twin beams of phaser fire streaked away from the Enterprise and
struck
the Romulan Warbird in its engines. The bridge shook under the pound of
the Romulan weapons.
The Enterprise did a little twist, moving behind the Romulan Warbird,
and firing its torpedoes. Picard watched with satisfaction, as the
Romulan ship couldn’t move. Then a bright flash of light.
Picard shook his head. He was on the bridge of the Enterprise but they
were no longer in the nebula. The stars were normal. Picard looked
around. The rest of his crew was beginning to wake up. Even Data had
been de-activated somehow.
Data looked at his sensors.
“Captain, we are now in the Delta Quadrant.” he announced.
“What?” Picard gasped.
“A wormhole,” Riker whispered.
“Could be,” Data said.
Picard pondered this over in his mind. They were in an unexplored
region of space. If it was a wormhole and it was stable, then maybe they
could explore this region of space a little. Send a report to starfleet.
The Enterprise would get praised on its work. He smiled at this thought.
“Mr. Data, if you find out that it was a wormhole, then see if it’s
stable, if it is, we are going to explore this region of space a little.
If not then we’ll go through, and get our butts home,”
“Aye sir,” Data replied, turning around in his chair.
He began to tap at his console. The sensor sweep located the wormhole.
“Launching probe.” Riker called.
Picard settled into his seat. On the viewscreen, the probe streaked
away from the Enterprise. It arced, and then was swallowed up. As if
space had just opened up, and taken it.
“Receiving a picture Captain,” Data said.
“On screen,” Picard replied.
The image on the screen changed. To show a nebula.
“Data?”
“It is the same nebula we where at before Captain,” The android
replied, as if reading the Captain’s mind.
Picard settled into his chair.
“Helm, plot a course. Data leave behind a beacon, so we know where to
go,”
“Aye sir,” Data replied. “Launching beacon.
“Course plotted,” helm announced.
“Engage, full impulse,” Picard said.
The Enterprise lurched forward at impulse. Picard watched the stars
move slowly by. The next thing Data said, amazed Picard.
“Captain, sensors are picking up a faint warp trail…its federation.”
Data said.
Picard took a deep breath, and slowly let it out.
“How old is the trail?” he asked.
“Two years old Captain,” Data replied.
“Two years…” Riker said.
“Can you identify?” Picard asked.
“No Captain. Their is no way to reach the ship, it is long gone.” Data
said.
“But how could they miss this wormhole?” Picard asked.
“Perhaps it formed, after they had left the area,” Data said.
“Continue sensor sweeps,” Picard said.
He wondered what ship it had been. If only he knew. If only…
The Enterprise moved into another system. Once there, they were
greeted
by a warrior race, the Kazon.
After a brief fire fight, the Enterprise returned to the wormhole. The
Enterprise went back through the wormhole.
The Romulan Warbird greeted them on the other side.
“Fire!” Picard said.
The Warbird had fired on the Enterprise again. He would not take
anymore of this. The torpedoes struck the Romulan ship, taking out its
engines. The next torpedo from the Warbird missed the Enterprise. It
crashed into the wormhole.
The wormhole, collapsed in a array of colors. Pain entered Picard heart
at this. He had wanted to see more of the Delta Quadrant.
“Helm, get us out of here!” Picard ordered.
The Enterprise leapt away at impulse. Leaving the crippled Romulan
Warbird behind. Let them work it out, Picard thought.
Things slowly returned to normal on the Enterprise. A new Chief
Helmsmen, Lieutenant Kane had arrived. All repairs had been made, and
reports sent to Starfleet.
Picard now found himself at a party on the Enterprise. Counselor Troi
had thrown it, as a way to lift up the spirits of the crew. It was
working….