USS McKenzie: The Nebula

The USS McKenzie approached the outer rim of the Paulson nebula in as best an area as they could calculate the subspace distress call originated. The Paulson nebula itself was relatively unremarkable, as far as space nebula go. Sensors showed a typical space expanse with high levels of background radiation and heavy concentrations of stardust. The concentrations of stardust in the nebula made warp speed impossible. At any speed faster than light, the friction of all that material would destroy even the heartiest of vessels. While unremarkable on the surface, the nebula would still interfere with all standard ships systems. Approaching the nebula the crew of the McKenzie knew that once inside shields would be useless, sensors would be limited and, if the need arose, a weapons lock would be impossible to achieve.

The mission at hand was important, and speed was of the essence. Other than systems being affected, prolonged time in the nebula would clog manifolds and the exhaust ports for the thrusters. If the McKenzie spent too much time in the nebula, she would become just as stuck as the ship that originally sent that distress call. Sensors around the bridge beeped as the McKenzie approached the region of the nebula the distress call appeared to originate from.  

“We should be approaching the nebula momentarily Captain.” Simmons stated turning slightly from his ops station.

“Very good. Once we get positioned outside the nebula we will begin a large sensor sweep of the area. During this time we can launch shuttles and coordinate the sensor sweep of the area outside the nebula. That should give us our best chance to find anything and what point we should enter the nebula itself.”

As Captain Riker gave his instructions to the bridge a sensor beep emanated from the ops station.

“Captain I am picking up a communications signal at the edge of the nebula.” Simmons reported.

“Are we being hailed, our missing ship perhaps?” Riker questioned.

“Negative Captain. It is a signal, subspace, coming from a disaster beacon.”

Turning to Simmons in surprise, Riker inquired.

“A disaster beacon? They would have dropped that at the exact point of entry.”

"Or it comes directly from the sship hersself if sshe is sseverely damaged... and no one aboard able to respond," his XO pointed out.

"Good point number one."

Turning to Commander Schaell, Riker continued.

“We may not need those shuttles after all."

"Bridge to sshuttlebay; sshuttle crews, ssusspend launch proceedings and sstandby." the Saurian ordered through ship comm.

“Helm, bring us to point on that beacon. Ops begin a sensor sweep of that region of the nebula, look for signs of any debris, material or anything that could help us find that ship. Maintain yellow alert.”

As Riker finished his orders to the bridge crew the McKenzie came around to the point of the nebula right outside the beacon. The hums of sensor scans and data feeds filled the bridge.

As the McKenzie came about the blare of an alert filled the bridge.

 "Captain, Romulan ships decloaking. Three to port, starboard and aft. They are charging weapons" Yelled Argyle.

"Red al..."

The call for red alert was interrupted as the Romulan ships opened fire. The bridge shook and sparks flew from several shorted console panels. The McKenzie was at yellow alert and thus had her shields were up, a precaution that had just saved the lives of the entire crew.

"Get us out of here, evasive maneuvers pattern alpha two”

"Alpha 2, aye!" answered Leône as her finger activated the pre-programmed defensive trajectory.

"D'Deridex class battleships, Sir!" Lieutenant Argyle specified as the image of the huge, bird-headed warships filled their viewer.

"Sir! I can fly and stay in-close between them to hamper their firepower! the Orion woman offered from the helm she was deftly manning. "Our smaller size with make us hard to hit safely if we are too close to any of them!"

"Like... insside the hollowed hull of one of them!" boldly suggested the Saurian XO. "Think you could get us in there, Lieutenant?"

Just say the word, Captain," Elisha answered Schaell but at the same time glancing at Riker.

"Do it!" Ordered Captain Riker

As the McKenzie rolled away, the Romulan ships fired again, with most blasts missing the now evading ship.

“Report.” Riker demanded

“Shields at thirty four percent.” Reported Argyle.

“Captain, sensor scans show those Romulan ships are suffering extensive damage. Whatever battle they were just in left them worse for wear.” Reported Simmons.

"Offering our help might be a way to convince them to desisst," Schaell said. "Elsse they will not sstop until we or all three of them are desstroyed. Romulans don't take prisonners nor allow themsselves to be captured. If they ssensse defeat, they will blow themsselves up... and uss with them."

Nodding, Riker agreed.

"Hail them."

"Sseems their comm ssysstem has been damaged and they can't jam all frequencies. We have found one open. You may addresss them at your convenience... wether they like it or not."

"This is Captain Joshua Riker of the USS McKenzie." The captain addressed the unfamiliar Romulan crew.

"We received a distress call from a Federation ship and are here to investigate, your actions are..."

A crackled and angry voice came back through the comms channel.

"You were in violation of any treaty long before we fired upon you. The federation has broken more rules than I can count and your presence here, a warship of all things, is just more proof that such acts were deliberate."

"We received a distress call and are here peaceful..." Riker attempted a response, but was cut off again.

"The Federation has made a deal with whatever devil you believe in Captain. Clearly you are planning the destruction of the Romulan Empire and could be on the path to destroy all life as we know it."

Before Riker could respond the channel cut out and the Romulan ships fired on the McKenzie again. Dodging through the blasts the McKenzie weaved in between two of the Romulan ships as their fire crossed paths they damaged each other.

"Scan those ships, find the one with the most damage and lock phaser cannons."

"Locked in sir, ship to port." Argyle reported.

"Fire!"

As the McKenzie weaved between the ships the roar of phaser cannons filled the bridge. The barrage struck the Romulan ship across her port bow and nacel, which exploded.

"Hold fire, report!"

"Breach imminent on the ship sir, the other two are moving to intercept. Perhaps to beam out survivors." Argyle reported.

The two Romulan ships conveyed on the third and sensors indicated numerous transporter signals. Within moments the ships sparked and then exploded before its fire was extinguished by the vacuum of space. The moment was broken by the comms indicator.

"Put them through." ordered Captain Riker.

"You have destroyed a Romulan vessel. This is an act of war." The crackling voice was beyond angry.

"Well I hardly fired first did I?" Riker responded.

"The Federation has committed an act of war, you and the monster within the nebula. You have made your deal with the devil, and I hope it destroys you all!"

Before Riker could speak the communication shut off and on the viewscreen the Romulan ships turned, cloaked and were gone as fast as they appeared. Riker sat back in his chair and let out a sigh.

"They clearly know something we don't. Deal with the devil, wonder what he meant by that? What kind of ship is the Federation building in there?"

"Never heard of a Sstarfleet vesssel refered to as a monsster before," Schaell commented. "Until the launch of the Horizon classs barely a year ago, we didn't even had anything that was more than two-thirds of these old Romulan warbirds of theirs."

Riker shook his head slowly.

"I have a really bad feeling about this number one. The Federation has never been about building monstrous warships. The Defiant, Prometheus and even the Excelsior with all her battle upgrades were built for the reasons of better preserving peace."

"I've searched Starfleet's data base," Elisha Leône then said, " but I still can't find any ship other than ours with a logged flight plan in this area, aside of a few freighters and science vessels; none of which could hope to stand against a Romulan D'Deridex, let alone three."

The Saurian first officer thought outloud as he turned to face his commanding officer.

"An illogical narrrow-band encoded disstresss call... an unregisstered sstarship flying near the Neutral Zone... one capable of fighting off an entire Romulan heavy ssquadron and sscare the daylightss out of them... Captain, I ssee it more and more obviouss that  we have inadvertently sstumbled upon ssomething that was not meant to be known. At thiss point, I recommend extreme caution. We sshould clear the interference area of the nebula and contact Sstarfleet about thiss... but by the time we do and we receive an ansswer, the crew of thiss myssteriouss vessel will posssibly be dead; esspecially if the Romulans find them before we do. Their hosstile intents are quite clear. I ssee no alternative but to continue the ssearch and offer asssissstance as quickly as posssible... and recommend that you officially log the entire incident as we go, in case someone would want to sshift any blame on uss; be it the Romulan Sstar Empire... or Sstarfleet."

With a sigh the Captain sounded angry, teetering on the point of rage.

"Whatever is out there is not something that Starfleet stands for. We are looking for a ship with the firepower and intimidation to turn even the most hardened soldiers into fearful men. Starfleet is not, and has never been, about winning wars. We are certainly not about building vessels of death and keeping them a secret to the point of starting wars and costing innocent lives. This entire situation is wrong, and I will be damned if those responsible are not brought to light."

Sitting upright the Captain continued.

"Ops, tactical, helm, I want you to log every second of this mission with the kind of detail you would find in a Farengi contract. We came here to save lives, and we are going to enter this nebula and do just that. Whatever monster awaits us, whatever evil secrets we have unearthed we are still Starfleet officers. We are going to do everything we can to save those lives, if the ship they are on happens to not make it... well these things happen."

"Aye, Captain," the Saurian first officer said with a bland expression on his reptilian face that belied the decisiveness of his acknowledgement to his captain's words. 

As a race, Saurians were basically incapable of any emotion at all; not just repressed like Vulcans, truly nonexistent... in their primary, conscious brain. It was completely the opposite with their larger, secondary brain in their pelvis, incapable of anything else but basic, animalistic instincts; and something in this situation almost stirred it up despite the overpowering influence of his cranial brain.

Sighing through his nostrils, he went by his XO duties with reinforced determination.

"Ssenssor report."

"We have an echo from the sonar, Sir," the science officer reported. "But it is strangely dispersed within the nebula; it's a duranium alloy signature consistent with Starfleet building materials... but is covers about nine cubic kilometers at the heart of the cloud. The sonar pulse must be refracted by the particles... although it is supposed to compensate for that."

"Unless the ship was destroyed and we are detecting the expanding debris field," Argyle offered as an explanation.

"We still receive the disaster beacon signal," Simmons then said. 

"The transmitter is made to function wether the ship is stranded or destroyed," the tactical Lieutenant pointed out.

"Helm; can you plot a coursse towards this signal?" asked Schaell.

"Plotted and laid in, Sir," Leône replied after a few seconds. "It will bring us right at the center of the sonar signal. ETA fifty-three minutes at full impulse."