Earn your name

Two flashes of light blotted out the brightness of the stars as the ovoid shape of the Nebula class USS Wisconsin and the more classic shape of the New Olreans class USS Pittsburgh dropped out of warp. The comparatively slow speed of their impulse propulsion sent them swooping together gracefully and solemnly from the dark star-studded field of stars towards what seemed to be utter empty space.

Then, before them, space itself seemed to ripple like troubled water, then tore apart as a flaming light erupted as if to devour all the starlight of the heavens. Before both starships now burned accross the entire field of stars a large fiery sphere of light and fire. The immense sun-like ball of seering white light surrounded by golden-orange tongues of fire was so overwhelming that, for a moment, no one on the bridges of both ships could do anything but stand in awe at its brute elemental power and vastness. To the eyes of all, the Azimuth Horizon anomaly pulsed almost like a living, malevolent thing from some hellish nightmare.

Even at this distance, the pulsing anomaly shook slightly the frame of both ships as it emerged into normal space, reverberating all the way to their bridge. It's low, deep growl echoed in the voice of the towering three meters tall felinoid sitting in the overlarge command chair of the USS Pittsburgh.

"Assume planned position for the operation and make sure we do not draw this thing to us," ordered Captain Speaker-Of-Names, his slitted eyes blinking at the cosmic inferno on the main viewer.

"We are at five billion kilometers from the anomaly's corona's estimated position by the end of the planned confinement operation," confirmed the helmsman. "Moving into flight grid One to commence operation."

"Pel sensor system active; we will avoid sudden eruptions automatically in case our mass draw this thing closer to us," reported the chief of science from his station.

"Syntron deflector system active; ready to locate and suture subspace fractures met on our planned trajectory," now confirmed the woman sitting at the ops console.

"Matter-antimatter power drain registering within acceptable limits," then notified the chief engineer. "Depolarization of impulse drive also within acceptable predicted parameters. Thrusters fully operational. batteries isolated from the anomaly's effect."

"No other ship in the area, Sir," added the tactical officer. "We have lost contact with Starbase 10 due to heavy subspace interference from the anomaly; contact with the Wisconsin is difficult but stable."

"Captain Onia is confirming the Wisconsin in position at the planned coordinates," finally said the Pittsburgh's exec. "At warp 6 to maximize trench effect, we should meet halfway through the confinement operation in twenty-two hours."

The Kzinti captain nodded.

"Confirm our own readiness to the Wisconsin. Implement engine misalignement and begin immediately. Time to put the fire out."

As the bridge crew started issuing orders and activating systems to implement the cosmic-scaled operation they had prepared for, the science chief trned to address his commanding officer.

"Captain; just before launch we received research material from Starbase 10 for a second phase of the operation. It has been theorized that we could smother the anomaly's plasma deflagration with probes modified as trilithium emitters. While we go through the confinement work, I would like my team to conduct further study and simulations on this theory to confirm its validity and feasability."

Speaker-Of-Names turned a concerned face towards the man.

"Trilithium? Isn't that what was used to turn a star into a supernova years back?"

"Yes, Captain; as the warhead charge of a torpedo. The proposal here is to instead use minute quantity in a controlled fashion to bring the plasma reaction in the anomaly back to an inert gaseous state, slowly and from multiple points, instead of a sudden localized explosion as in the case of a star collapsing."

"Well, make sure your studies are thorough and your simulations cancels out any potential risk before doing anything," growled the commanding officer of the Pittsburgh. "We don't need to precipitate this catastrophy any faster than it already is spreading. If, ifyou are certain that it would work, have engineering help you start modifying every probe you need to implement it... but wait for further orders."

He then turned towards his executive officer.

"Try to transmit this to the Wisconsin so that they can work on this as well. We will discuss and decide on this once we meet tomorrow."

"Aye, Sir."

"We're ready, Captain," then confirmed the chief engineer.

"Alright crew. Let's get this show on the road. "

The upswept warp nacelles of the starship flared up and, in a flash of light that for a moment rivaled the brightness of the monstrous cosmic blaze nearby, the USS Pittsburgh went to warp, starting to disrupt subspace by leaving in its wake a subspace fracture that , once met by another flaring out of the anomaly, forced it to plunge into it to be drowned and swallowed.

"Trench is working, Sir," reported the tactical officer from his own sensor readouts. "nearby fractures are drawn into it and their extension channeled as predicted."

"Wisconsin reporting the same from their own end," added the First officer after ending his ordered communication with Captain Onia's ship.

"Let's hope it goes as well for the others out there," growled the Kzinti. "Time for us all to earn our name."

He knew that they were the only ones not threatened directly by some enemy intent on sabotaging their efforts to save this universe. His warrior' spirit raged at being left out of a possible fight, but his Starfleet discipline reigned it in with the tought that he could rush to their help if need be... but the fight he was locked in now, against a mindless cosmic monster, was even more important than clawing at a few deluded cultists, some bullying Klingons or even treacherous Romulans.

And so, he followed his orders... but his claws kept coming in and out of his huge paws following the same rythm as of his heart.