Lt Cmdr Naledi - It's Yours Now

[Naledi]

((Bridge, USS Invicta, Holosuite 4, Deck 5, USS Thor))

 

They stood from their chair, realising they were sitting and raising in a manner and amplitude that would have made any onlookers wonder if Naledi had ants in their pants. Or for that matter if Naledi wore even pants, which they didn’t.

Self-conscious seating arrangements aside, they had to succeed in capturing the nursery. To fail would be a failure of the USS Invicta’s mission statement.

The ship violently shuddered in the space once again.

 

DeVeau: Trying to compensate!

Naledi: Pew Pop Snap Crack… Use everything in your power.

DeVeau: We need more power!

 

Naledi approached the rear of Ensign DeVeau’s seating, pressing their palp onto their shoulder in a manner they had seen many a captain perform. They believed the gesture was supposed to infer support into the other officer, they hoped that it was working.

 

Naledi: Crick Chirp Snap Pop Hiss… Steady, you’ve done this before, you can do it again.

Tito: Have Engineering push the engines harder.

DeVeau: I’m losing it!

 

The ship shook once again, the Badlands being as unforgiving as they’d ever been. The severity of the situation was not lost on Naledi. Despite any personal goals they may have had, their primary goal as any captain had was to protect their ship and their crew.

If that meant disengaging, that was just how it had to be.

But not yet. They had to hold on just a little bit longer. They could, right?

The ship shook once again outside, there was a storm brewing. However, this storm had little to do with the Badlands.

Tito: We can’t lose it Ensign… Please…

 

Whilst the bridge crew was focused on retrieving the hatchery, the Xindi ship was shielded in static, undergoing a major metamorphosis. It’s arms sliding off and floating into the abyss as the primary hull roared forwards like a stretched needle-like bullet.

A bullet that would eventually pierce it’s victim – The USS Invicta. It’s shields down for transport of the Xindi.

The hull surrounding the side of portside deck seven crippled under the pressure of the Xindi ship.

On the bridge, red lighting snapped into place, sparks flew from the ceiling as the cordry rocks fell to the floor.

 

Computer: Hull breach on Deck Seven. Emergency forcefields are in place.

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop… Report!

Tito: Captain we were hit and are being boarded.

 

oO They have no honour, No principles. They’ve lost any respect I had for them Oo

 

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss Crack… Lower temperatures to freezing everywhere except the bridge, and disperse a 50% gaseous ethanol solution from as many replicators as possible.

Tito: Aye Captain…
DeVeau: I don’t understand. 

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss Chirp… Xindi-Insectoid are extremely vulnerable to cool temperatures and alcohol. They were given the edge with their surprising attack, our security teams can counter them, but levelling the field hurts nobody except them.

Tito: Security teams being deployed. Trying to block them, but some force fields aren’t working.

 

They supposed that made sense. Either it was the age of the Cardiff-Class starship showing, or they were damaged in the crash.

 

DeVeau: No, they rammed us.  If they asked for help, why did they ram us?  What do they hope to gain? 

 

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss… Perhaps the sacrifice wasn’t as willing as they made it seem.

Tito: We can’t be sure. We can scan it and learn more, but my gut feeling is that it's a genuine Nursery.

 

Agreed, but it was good to be sure. Naledi nodded at Tito, giving the confirmation to investigate. It was rare that they took it upon themselves to use a humanoid gesture, should it be lost in translation, but if there was only one trait that needed to be contained in a Starfleet captain, it was adaptability.

 

DeVeau: Do they want to take the ship so they can have it for their young? 

 

It was possible, but Naledi felt there was slightly more to it than that. However, no theories immediately sprang to mind.

By the movement of Lieutenant Tito’s shoulders, Naledi could only surmise they felt the same as themselves.

Tito: No idea

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss…  It feels like there’s more than we cannot see.

DeVeau: The Federation and the Xindi are allies.  This just doesn’t make sense.  

 

On paper. There were always factions that wouldn’t accept treaties. Perhaps this was one such faction that either didn’t benefit from an alliance or their beliefs didn’t align. Naledi also had to consider what they knew here. These were not real Xindi-Insectoid, they were the holodecks rendition of their species. Their true motives may not be accurate to how they really acted in the real world. Terms and conditions may apply, not applicable in the Delphic Expanse.

 

Tito: It makes to them. ::Tito walked around the bridge looking for the weapons locker.:: Secure Engineering and all essential control areas.

Naledi: Pew Snap Pop Hiss… They will not take this ship.

 

As the internal struggles continued inside the ship, the Badlands outside continued its vicious swirling. The crash had slowed them to a crawl. The plasma storms outside would surely cut off any communications being sent to other Federation ships.

 

DeVeau: They’re diving deeper…heading to main engineering!

 

Hopefully, with the environmental adjustments Naledi had ordered, they would not find it as easy as they had initially planned. As Ensign DeVeaus console bleeped, Naledi recalled their experience as station security just before the siege of DS33. Although the bleep could have meant anything, it specifically triggered that memory. It was yet another reminder of their current situation.

 

DeVeau: A small number have entered a turbolift and it’s heading for the bridge.  The rest are still heading to engineering. 

 

Lieutenant Tito dispensed phasers to various members of the crew.

Tito: We will need to defend ourselves.

Naledi: Crick Snap… Yes, we will. Pew Snap Pop Hiss… Ensign, discreetly send a probe to the edge of the borderlands emitting a distress call only when it leaves weapons range of the USS Invicta.

DeVeau: Response

 

It was in that moment Lieutenant Tito offered Naledi a phaser of their own, which they accepted promptly.


Tito: Captain, anything else we can use against the boarders?

Naledi: Pew Snap Pop Hiss… Yes, Computer

The computer chirped.

Naledi: Pew Chirp Snap Pop Hiss… Transfer command authorisation to First Officer, Lieutenant Tito. Authorisation Naledi-Siera-Yankee-Romeo-Echo-X-Ray.

Computer: Code Accepted. Authorisation Transferred.

DeVeau: Response

Naledi: Pew Pop Snap Crick Chirp Hiss… Cricking and Snapping sounds similar between it and them. This is our defence. If they torture it trying to get the USS Invicta. You will have the real keys to the ship.

 

Just as Naledi’s translator finished it’s translation, both turbolifts to the bridge opened up, Xindi clambered from each lift until they had the bridge crew in good coverage. They were glad that the Tito held the real power and DeVeau was instructed to send off a probe communicating their distress.

It was all below the table, and hopefully out of the awareness of the boarding parties.

Standing slowly from their chair. Naledi turned to face the Xindi who appeared to be the ringleader. Their phaser was firmly in their palp.

Tito: Surrender now or we will defend ourselves.

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss… Don’t think we will not destroy the ship to prevent you from taking it. Pew Snap… It does not negotiate with Terrorists.

Tito/DeVeau/Ch'zila: Response

Computer: Incoming transmission.

Naledi: Pew Crick Snap Pop… Onscreen.

The main viewer lit up with the display of main engineering. Although the picture was distorted. Xindi bodies clearly laid on the ground. Hopefully only stunned, despite what they’d done, they didn’t deserve to die. Nobody did. In the center of the frame stood a gold-shirted Bolian.

Tito/DeVeau/Ch'zila: Response

Chief Engineer: Main engineering is secure Captain, Emergency bulkheads have been sealed. No more Xindi are going to be getting in here.

Naledi: Pew Crack Snap… Thank you, Lieutenant.

As the transmission faded away, they stopped facing the screen, turning back to the leader Xindi.

Naledi: Crick Snap Pop Hiss Chirp… It assumes that you needed Main engineering. Sorry to hear about your ruined plans.

Tito/DeVeau/Ch'zila: Response

 

 

TBC

 

Lieutenant Commander Naledi

Director of Strategic Operations

USS Thor (NCC-85852)

R240107AS3