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Scene 1[]

The year was 2466 Anno Domini; a Klingon armada made up of twelve starships sat idly in orbit of planet Narendra III. Captain K'tag of the lead Negh'var class battleship, IKS Qa'pla, sat in his command chair on the bridge. His left fist was on his cheek, and his left elbow was on the left armrest. K'tag and his female first officer, Commander Torres, looked at the viewscreen in front of them. They saw twelve khaki, pill-shaped ships also sitting idly in orbit of the planet. The khaki ships were all identical save the lead ship, which was more elaborate than the others. The Klingons were waiting for them to make the first move.


"Commander Torres, how long have we been waiting?" K'tag asked.


"We have been waiting approximately four hours, sir." Torres answered.


"You must be joking." K'tag said.


"No, sir. If I have been reading the chronometer above the viewscreen correctly, we arrived here at fourteen hundred hours, and now, it is eighteen hundred hours." Torres said.


K'tag rolled his eyes. "We have been waiting four hours, yet those strange ships have done nothing. Is this a ruse? Is someone trying to make a fool of me? I know the Klingon High Council does not like me, but sheesh. Commander, do you surmise that perhaps maybe the High Council had these ships built just to make me the laughing stock of the entire Klingon Empire?" He asked.


Torres sighed. "I would not doubt it, Captain. Perhaps you are right, and we should just leave." She said.


"Captain! The IKS Ban'tel is targeting us!" The young, rough-voiced, tactical officer said from behind.


"What? Hail them! I want an explanation!" K'tag ordered. However, before that could be done, the Ban'tel, a K'tinga class battlecruiser, turned toward the Qa'pla, and she fired a tricobalt torpedo at her. The torpedo destroyed the front of the bridge, and it gave the vacuum of space access to the Klingon souls. Captain K'tag was the first to fall victim to it, and he was blown out into space. The rest of them held onto their consoles, chairs, or whatever they could to avoid the same fate.


Commander Torres held onto the command chair with all her might. The Ban'tel fired a disruptor beam, which destroyed the Qa'pla's port (left) warp nacelle. The violent quaking caused by this caused Torres to lose her grip on the command chair, and she was conquered by the vacuum as well. Finally, a forcefield activated itself, which ceased the vacuum's feed.


Lieutenant Commander B'teh, the second and tactical officer, was now the captain of the Qa'pla. Suddenly, his console beeped, and he saw that the tricobalt torpedos and disruptors were being armed, and he saw the Qa'pla was making a targeting solution on the Ban'tel without him even touching the console. It was as if the Qa'pla was alive. He also saw that the rest of the armada was targeting the Qa'pla and Ban'tel.


"Lieutenant Balrog, open a channel to Federation Starbase zero-zero-one." B'teh ordered the communications officer.

Scene 2[]

The Piriss were a race of black and purple shroud beings shaped either like male or female humanoids. Master Orad and Submaster Nal of the Piriss, Orad's female first officer, stood on the bridge of the lead khaki ship since there was no command chair nor a chair for the first officer. Nal stood beside Orad. The other officers had consoles and chairs. Orad and Nal watched from the viewscreen in front of them as the entire Klingon armada destroyed itself.


"Well, now that those pesky beings are out of our way, we can destroy this planet." Orad said.


"It took you long enough to have them destroy each other." Nal said.


"Well, Nal, it takes four hours for our planet-decimating energy cannon to charge after it is turned on. During that time, our starship-controlling capabilities are rendered inert." Orad said.


"I am not stupid, Orad, I know, but this is so illogical." Nal said.


"Why?" Orad asked.


"We are trying to expand our territory. There is no logic in destroying planets." Nal answered.


"Nal, it is not like I destroyed every planet in each galaxy we've conquered. You are such a square. Don't you see the fun in watching planets explode?" Orad asked.


"Do you take expansion of territory so lightly?" Nal asked.


Orad just ignored Nal this time, looked to his right, and nodded to an officer at a console with a blue and gold button on it. The officer pressed the blue button. The front of Orad's ship opened, and a giant cannon emerged from it. The officer pressed the gold button, and a yellow ball of light formed on the tip of the barrell. The yellow ball of light transformed into a yellow beam of light that stretched until it hit the surface of the planet. The planet cracked and exploded with asteroids scattering everywhere. The Piriss ships were unaffected by the explosion, and the giant rocks that were once a planet bounced off of them.


Scene 3[]

Within the circular starship berth of Starbase 001 in orbit of Earth, there was the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G). She was a North Carolina class, Fort Bragg subclass dreadnought-explorer. She had forty-five decks, and she was one kilometer in length. She had two dark gray hulls. The primary hull was the saucer section at the fore (front). The secondary hull was the longest and largest part of the ship. It contained most of the engineering sections and two saffron-glowing warp wings. At the dorsal (top) was the bridge, and behind the bridge, and somewhat hidden within the saucer, were the red impulse engines. At the ventral (bottom) was the saffron navigational deflector. At the very aft (rear) of the secondary hull were the main shuttle bay and aft torpedo launcher.


Within the starbase's mess hall at a table near a window with a view of Earth, there sat Captain William Holliday of the Enterprise. Across from him at the same table was his first officer, chief science officer, and brother, Commander James Holliday. They were looking out the window at Earth, where they could also see a rib-cage-like structure, called a drydock, in orbit with a Nova class starship in it.


"What a pretty planet." James commented.


"Yes, it is very pretty." William said and sighed.


"Something wrong dearest brother?" James asked.


"Oh, I am just nervous about the wedding." William answered.


"Don't worry, I am sure everything will be fine." James assured.


"I hope so. What starship are they refitting in that drydock over there?" William asked.


"Oh, that's the USS Kristofferson." James answered.


"That was my first assignment after I graduated from the academy." William said.


"Oh, really? Well, I have something to tell you. They are repairing it; they are not refitting it." James said.


"Repairing? What happened?" William asked.


"While she was out in the Gamma Quadrant studying the ice asteroid belt, she was attacked by a Miranda class starship." James said.


"The Federation Renegades are at it again, eh? Didn't they break off from the Maquis?" William asked.


"Oh, no, no. Although the way they view the Federation is the same as the Maquis, the Federation Renegades have no ties to them. In fact, the Maquis hate them because the Renegades sometimes attack their colonies." James answered.


"But how do the Renegades gain access to Federation starships?" William asked.


"Rebel shipyards." A beautiful, Asian woman answered. She wore a navy blue uniform similar to the ones James and William were wearing.


"Admiral Mi-na Hoko, what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" James asked.


"I just thought I'd visit and see how you boys were doing." Mi-na answered.


"Why, thank you." James said and smiled. "I am doing well; however, I don't know about William.


"I am well; I am just nervous." William said.


"About the wedding?" Mi-na asked.


"How'd you know about it?" William asked.


"You told me, remember? You told me yesterday morning when we were having coffee." Mi-na said.


"Oh, yes, now I remember. I must've been half-asleep yesterday morning." William said.


Suddenly, Mi-na's combadge chirped, and she tapped it. "Admiral Hoko here." She said.


"This is Ensign Tabelhoff, Admiral. Could you come to the lookout?" A young, male voice asked through the combadge.


"On my way." Mi-na said.


"Could you bring Captain and Commander Holliday with you?" Tabelhoff asked.


"All right." Mi-na tapped her combadge again.


"Come along, boys, Ensign Tabelhoff needs us at the lookout." Mi-na said.


"Wonder what this is all about." William said. James and William followed Mi-na out of the mess hall.

Scene 4[]

The lookout was a room with windows. It was within the starship berth, where whoever occupied it could monitor incoming and departing starships. Ensign Ivo Tabelhoff, who wore a green mohawk haircut and saffron uniform, sat at his console, which had a screen on it. Admiral Hoko and the Hollidays came in, and Tabelhoff stood up. James saw the Enterprise out of the side windows, which was docked near this lookout.


"Hey look, William, it's the Enterprise." James said.


Tabelhoff greeted Admiral Hoko warmly. "Hello, Admiral." He said.


"Hello, Ensign Tabelhoff." Mi-na said returning the gesture.


"Hello, Captain and Commander Holliday." Tabelhoff greeted.


"Hello, Ensign." William and James said simultaneously.


"So, Ensign, why are we here?" Mi-na asked.


"We just got a day-old distress signal." Tabelhoff answered.


"Let's hear it." Mi-na said.


Tabelhoff sat back down, and he pressed a button beside the screen on his console. Lieutenant Commander B'teh's face appeared onscreen.


"Hey! That's Lieutenant Commander B'teh of the IKS Qa'pla." William said. "I knew him."


"This is Lieutenant Commander B'teh of the IKS Qa'pla. We have lost the captain and first officer. We are being attacked by our own, and we are also attacking them, but we are doing nothing to cause this. William, if you are there, we need your aid." B'teh said, and the screen went into white noise.


"Oh, my gosh. K'tag is dead." William said.


"Oh, this is terrible, we have known K'tag for forever. He was our best friend. We used to play and work together on Titan, where me and William were born." James said.


"B'teh was my best friend." A feminine voice said from behind. The voice emanated from a woman, who wore a navy blue uniform like William's and James's.


"Ah, Lieutenant Commander Olivia Lung." Mi-na said. "The inventor of isodimensional warp drive, which is still in the testing stages, and member of the Fern Neck Church of Christ based on Deimos." Mi-na said.


"She is also my second officer and navigator." William said.


"What's the deal with the elaborate introduction?" Olivia chuckled.


"Nice to meet you, Commander." Tabelhoff said.


"Ivo has wanted to meet you for quite sometime." Mi-na said.


"Oh, well, hello, Ensign." Olivia and Tabelhoff shook hands.


"I don't mean to get off-subject, but why was that distress signal so late?" William asked.


"There is a worm in one of the communications buoys." Olivia said. "But don't pan--"


"Oh, no! This is bad! A worm in the communications! Who planted it? Was it those Renegades? I'll rend them limb from limb!" Mi-na said.


"Admiral, I wasn't finished." Olivia said.


"Oh, sorry." Mi-na apologized.


"This is not your average computer worm. The biologists who helped me get the message out surmise it may be a lifeform. They say that because we noticed that the worm kept going from the computer to the electrical system. We looked at a magnified view of the electrical system, and we saw a small line of electricity that appeared to be breathing." Olivia explained.


"That doesn't mean the lifeform isn't malicious." William said.


"For all we know it could cause some sort of cataclysm." James said. "You know, I like that word, cataclysm."


"I do too." Tabelhoff said.


"Anyway, I want to get back to that distress signal. They did not give us a location--"


"Narendra three." William said before Mi-na could finish. "The IKS Qa'pla and an armada of eleven other Klingon ships were dispatched there. There were reports of a fleet of khaki, pill-shaped ships in orbit of the planet, and they registered as hostile."


"All right, Captain William Holliday, I order you to proceed to Narendra three, and I want you to investigate what happened. I will send the USS Orichalcum with you." Mi-na said.


"That tiny little bucket of bolts?" William said jokingly.


"You better be glad Captain Taria wasn't in here when you said that." Mi-na chuckled.


"All right, Mi-na, I shalt go to the specified destination." William said.


"Who did you just call me?" Mi-na asked.


"He called you 'Mi-na,' Admiral." James said.


"Well, isn't that yer name, lass?" William asked in a scottish burr.


Mi-na laughed. "William, follow your orders before I demote you." She said.


Scene 5[]

The bridge of the Enterprise had two stories, and the bridge glowed saffron. The command chair was in front of the staircase that lead from the second story, where the turbolifts were, to the first story. The turbolift doors behind the staircase opened, and Captain William Holliday, Commander James Holliday, and Lieutenant Commander Olivia Lung, came onto the bridge. William, James, and Olivia descended the stairs; William sat in his command chair. James sat at the science console behind William. Olivia sat at one of the two consoles shaped like the letter "J," which was the navigation console, closest to the very large viewscreen. The helm console was to the left of Olivia, and Ensign Hal Tatapolus sat at it. On the second story, a turbolift door to the left of the one behind the staircase opened. A man with glasses, gray hair, and a gray beard, emerged from it. He wore a saffron uniform. He was Lieutenant David McNiel, ship's chief of security and tactical officer, and his console was on the second story. The console was to William's left.


"Captain Holliday, we are being hailed by the Orichalcum." Lieutenant Buck Yager, who was the communications officer and who was beside James, said.


"Onscreen." William said.


A black woman's face appeared onscreen; she was Captain Taria. "Hello, Captain." She said.


"Hello." William said.


"Well, shall we get this show on the road?" Taria asked.


"Let's." William answered. The screen switched back to the view of the lookout, where Tabelhoff was.


"Mr. Yager, open a channel to the commander of the starbase." William ordered. There was a small chirp. "Commander Gregory, permission to depart Starbase zero-zero-one?" William asked.


"Permission granted Enterprise, and good luck." Commander Gregory said. The chirp sounded again.


"All right, clear umbilical attachment." William ordered.


"Aye, sir." Ensign Tatapolus said.


The USS Orichalcum (NCC-91990), an Oberth class starship, was beside the Enterprise. She was very, very tiny compared to her. At the same time a tube connected to the Enterprise's hull retracted, a tube connected to the Orichalcum retracted as well. The tube, or umbilical attachment, was a corridor that allowed travel from the starbase to the starship and vice versa.


"Ready thrusters." William ordered.


"Thrusters at station keeping, sir." Ensign Tatapolus said.


"Take us out." William said.


The Enterprise and Orichalcum began to back out of the starbase. Ensign Tabelhoff watched from his lookout as they departed. When the ships got close enough to the starbase doors, Ensign Tabelhoff opened them, and the Enterprise and Orichalcum safely departed the starbase. The ships turned round.


"Commander Lung, set course for Narendra three. Mr. Tatapolus, warp five-point-five." William ordered.


"Course for Narendra three set." Olivia said.


"Warp wings ready for warp five-point-five." Tatapolus said.


"Engage." William said.


The Enterprise's warp wings flashed saffron, and she sped off into warp speed. The Orichalcum followed.

Scene 6[]

William and Olivia stood over James's shoulder at his science console. James was monitoring the worm. The computer said the worm had been destroyed, but that was only because it had moved into the electrical system.


"There it goes again." James said and switched the image on his screen to a magnification of the electrical system. "This worm will not make up its mind whether it wants to be in the computer or the electrical system."


"I surmise that this worm is sleeping, and that it going from the computer to the electrical system is like rolling in bed to get comfortable." Olivia said.


"For all we know, Commander, you may be correct." William said.


"Captain Holliday, I am getting audio." Yager said in his bluegrass accent.


"Patch it through." William ordered.


"Mmm, that was a good sleep, but I have no time to lose; I have to stop the Piriss." Something said.


"Who said that?" William asked. "Was it the worm?"


"I think so." James said. Then, there was a bright, blue flash of light that came from James's computer screen. After the flash, the worm was gone.


"Oh, dear, the worm is gone." James said.


"Where did it go?" William asked.


"I don't know." James said.


"It just said it had to stop the Piriss. What's a Piriss anyway?" Olivia asked.


"I don't know that either." James answered.


"Do you think that maybe the Piriss were those khaki ships in orbit of Narendra three?" William asked.


"That sounds like a working theory." James said.


"Captain, we are entering a warp seven zone." Ensign Tatapolus said.


"Increase speed to warp seven." William ordered. "We'll discuss this later." William said to James and Olivia.


William went back to his command chair, and Olivia went back to her console. Then, there was a small chirp.


"Captain Holliday, this is Bartender Kal'gris, some juvenile miscreants have taken over the mess hall, and they are having a rave party!" Said a male voice.


"Lieutenant McNiel, please accompany me to the mess hall, and bring your top security people." William ordered.


"Aye, sir." McNiel said. "McNiel to Ensigns Torko, Lexington, and Gregor, meet me and Captain Holliday at the mess hall."


McNiel approached the turbolift behind the staircase first, but he allowed William to go in it before him.


"Thank you, Mr. McNiel." William said.


"You're welcome." McNiel said.


McNiel went in behind William, and the turbolift doors closed.


"Deck ten, mess hall." William told the computer, and the drone of the turbolift began.


"Oh, Mr. McNiel, there are times when I wish we did not allow civilians onboard." William said.


"I agree, Captain. These adolescents are so disrespectful." McNiel said.


"But there are some good boys and girls onboard." William said and sighed.


"Something wrong, Captain?" McNiel asked.


William remained silent for a moment. "I am getting married in twenty-four-sixty-eight, and I am worried because now I am scared my kids are going to end up like the ones in the mess hall." He said.


McNiel nodded his head in understanding. William and McNiel remained silent for the duration of their turbolift trip.


The turbolift doors opened, and William and McNiel went down the corridor to the doors that led into the mess hall. Bartender Kal'gris, a Yrondan with a black arrow on his forehead, stood in front of the doors.


"So I hear, Mr. Kal'gris, that you're having problems." William said.


"Yes, Captain. These no-good adolescents threw me out of the mess hall." Kal'gris said.


Three men in saffron uniforms arrived: Ensigns Torko, Lexington, and Gregor. Torko was Yrondan, Lexington was half-Klingon, half-human, and Gregor was quarter-human, quarter-Vulcan, half-Romulan.


"Are the mess hall doors locked?" McNiel asked.


"No," Kal'gris answered.


McNiel, Torko, Lexington, and Gregor, stormed into the mess hall to confront the obnoxious teenagers.


"Hey! Stop ruinin' our party!" Hollered a Klingon boy, and fired a phaser beam that hit William, and he was knocked to the ground.


"Captain!" Kal'gris kneeled.


"I am all right, Bartender." William said. Eventually, the rave party was ceased, and the teenagers were carried to the brig whilst William went to sickbay.

Scene 7[]

Dr. Whitney L'Amour used her tricorder to check over William. Dr. L'Amour's assistant, Nurse Crystal Holliday, William's and James's sister, was there beside her.


"There is no major damage to your body, Captain." Whitney said. "The phaser must've been set on stun."


"Thank you, Doctor." William said.


"You're welcome." Whitney said.


"Well, William, how does it feel to have had some ne'er-do-well Klingon teenager shoot you?" Crystal asked.


"It reminds me of my voyages aboard the Kristofferson." William said.


"Mmm," Whitney said in remembrance.


"Whitney and I were part of the Kristofferson's hazard team. I was second-in-command, and Whitney was a medical specialist. We were both part of Rho squad." William said.


"Those were the glory days." Whitney smiled.


"Captain, we are approaching Narendra three." Olivia said through the intercom.


"Slow to impulse. I am on my way." William said.


"May I accompany you to the bridge, Captain?" Whitney asked.


"Of course." William said and allowed Whitney to exit sickbay before him.


"So, Captain, are you nervous?" Whitney asked.


"About what?" William asked.


"The wedding," Whitney said.


William chuckled. "You people and the wedding. Yes, I am nervous about it." He said.


"I hope all goes well." Whitney said.


"Thank you." William said.


"You know, I am one of the bridesmaids." Whitney said.


"Really? Well, I am glad; it is good to have one of my best friends supporting me." William said.


Scene 8[]

Whitney and William came onto the bridge, and Whitney accompanied William downstairs.


"Computer, activate seat number two." William said, and a chair emerged from the floor beside William's.


"Thank you, Captain." Whitney said and sat down. William watched onscreen as a field of asteroids and debris came closer. When they got close enough, William ordered: "All stop." He stood up. James came up beside William.


"Oh, my gosh. Narendra three has been obliterated." William shook his head.


James closed his eyes and bowed his head.


"Hey! It's those khaki ships. They must've destroyed the planet." Olivia said.


"Hail the leader!" William ordered.


"No need." Said a masculine voice, and Orad of the Piriss along with his first officer, Nal, appeared on the bridge.


"Who-- What are you?" William asked.


"I am Orad of the Piriss, and this is my first officer, Nal of the Piriss. We hail from a galaxy nine hundred thousand lightyears away. We have conquered many galaxies, including our own, and our most recent prize was Galaxy M-171." Orad said.


"Let me guess, now, you intend to take over the Milky Way?" William asked.


"Milky Way?" Orad asked.


"I think, Orad, he's referring to this galaxy." Nal said.


"That does not matter; there is no hope. Why don't you just surrender?" Orad said.


"Hmm, let's see, no." William said.


Orad jumped back in shock. He was expecting William to grovel like other races had done.


"This galaxy might not be so easy to conquer, Orad." Nal said.


Orad looked at Nal with disdain. "Why have I not gotten rid of you?" He asked.


"Because you like my curves." Nal said.


"Besides that." Orad said.


"Because if it wasn't for me, we wouldn't have gotten this far." Nal said.


"Why did you destroy Narendra three and the Klingons?" William asked.


"Orad finds it 'fun' to watch planets explode." Nal answered. "I, and several other Piriss crewmembers, find it illogical." She said. "We have the ability to control other starships, that is how we destroyed the Klingons, by making them destroy each other, but we cannot control ships when our planet-decimating energy cannon is charging.


"There were people on that planet and on those ships." James said.


"We are here to conquer the Wikly May--"


"Milky Way," Nal corrected Orad.


"Nal! Go back to the ship! I'll handle this!" Orad said, and Nal shook her head and disappeared.


"As I was saying, we are here to conquer the Wikly May--"


"Milky Way," William corrected Orad.


"Whatever! We are not here to concern ourselves with this galaxy's beings. Now, dare to follow us to our next destination." Orad said and disappeared. The Piriss ships warped away.


"Track their course!" William said.


"They are headed for Romulan space." Olivia said.


Scene 9[]

Orad stood on his bridge, and Nal stood beside him.


"Master, we are being pursued!" The Piriss helmsman said.


"What? Reverse view!" Orad ordered.


The helmsman switched the view, and Orad saw the USS Enterprise and USS Orichalcum.


"Those fools! They have come to their demise!" Orad bellowed.


"Fascinating, the other races we've encountered mounted armadas before they even thought of pursuing us." Nal said.


"Fire a shadow missile at the largest starship!" Orad ordered.


"Belay that order!" Nal said.


"Excuse me?" Orad said.


"Orad of the Piriss, I hereby relieve you of duty on the grounds that I believe that your illogic will lose us this galaxy." Nal said.


"I've fired shadow missiles before and you didn't do this. Why now?" Orad asked.


"Do you notice that this Holliday character had us pursued in an instant? Something tells me that this galaxy may be very hard to conquer, and we don't need an illogical being as Master." Nal said. "Now, leave the bridge!" She ordered.


Orad left the bridge without a word.


"Activate the starship-controller." Nal ordered. "Use it on the smaller vessel."


Scene 10[]

"Captain, the Orichalcum is targeting us." McNiel warned.


"Lieutenant Yager, hail Captain Taria." William ordered.


"No need Cap; she is hailing us." Yager said.


"Onscreen." William ordered.


"Captain, we have targeted you, but we know not how. The ship is arming itself." Taria said.


"It must be the Piriss." William said.


"Were those the khaki ships?" Taria asked.


"Yes, now, prepare for transport." William said. "Transporter rooms one through ten, beam the Orichalcum crew here; however, beam Captain Taria directly to the bridge." He ordered.


Onscreen, Taria disappeared in a beam of light, then, she reappeared on the bridge in the same manner.


"Captain, she is a modified Oberth class starship; she is equipped with quantum phasers." Taria said.


"Please tell me you're joking." William said.


"No!" Taria said.


"Quantum phasers will do severe damage to this ship." William said.


"Don't you have secondary shields?" Taria asked.


"They won't be installed until next Tuesday; it's the Enterprise-B all over again." William said.


"The Orichalcum is charging her quantum phaser array." McNiel warned. "We have fifteen seconds before she fires." He said.


The Enterprise and Orichalcum were at Warp 9.985 at this time. "Increase speed to Warp ten-point-five." William ordered. In recent years, the warp scale was revamped.


"Captain, that speed is dangerous." Tatapolus said.


"I know." William said. "But do it." He ordered.


The Enterprise accelerated away from the Orichalcum, and in the process, she passed several Piriss ships. The Enterprise fired her Photon Torpedo cannons atop her warp wings. She destroyed four Piriss ships in rapid succession.


Nal received word of the devastation just moments later. "I think it's about time we got out of here," she muttered to herself.


Just then, the worm infiltrated the Piriss system, streaking around from the computer to the electrical systems, unremovable.


"All right! All Piriss ships retreat!"


Completed

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