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Star Trek Chapter 19
"What else do we know about Tatooine?" Carly asked.
"There are six major planets in the system, this one's the only Class M. We should be able to see them with the passive scanners."
He made some adjustments to the array and the computer developed a schematic map of the system.
"Looks like we're coming in close to the south magnetic pole of the primary. All the planets and the secondary are close to the ecliptic. That one should be Tatooine." He pointed to one of the symbols on the screen. "Don't see any subspace emitters so we ought to be able to take a closer look in a couple of minutes."
Justin made a minor adjustment to the course to bring them to the planet. "OK, looks clear, let's try a scan." He typed in a few commands on the keyboard and almost instantly the sensor screen lit up with dozens of returns.
"Shit!" he said as he slowed the ship, then brought on the cloak.
"Wow," Carly said. "Look at those two, they're enormous!"
The sensors had identified two very large ships in orbit along with at least a dozen smaller ships in addition to several satellites.
"Can you get a closer look?" Carly asked.
"Not until we drop out of warp," Justin replied. "We'd better keep the cloak on."
"No subspace signals," Carly commented as she looked at a different screen.
"Yeah, that probably means they don't have warp. They must still be using jump points."
He made a couple of adjustments on the controls. "Problem is, I don't see any jump gates."
"Maybe all their ships can make their own."
"Yeah, maybe," Justin responded. "Kind of strange though. Jump gate tech isn't that far from warp-if all their ships can jump. Means no one out here's developed warp."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, like with Earth. We learned about jump gates when the Manbari sent interstellar probes into the Sol system. The early Alliance was centered around that tech, only a few ships could make their own jumps, until the Shadow Wars. Then we learned about warp by seeing the Shadows (the fucking Vorlons had kept it secret from us) and, well, the rest's history. Looks like these people have gone beyond using jump gates but never developed warp."
Carly nodded.
"Anyway, time to drop out of warp and take a closer look."
There was the strange "bending" feeling as the warp field around Revenge collapsed and the ship became part of "normal" space again, no longer traveling at FTL. They were still going 0.1C so the stars ahead were blue-shifted into the ultra-violet and those behind into the infrared. The scanner displays automatically corrected for this so Justin and Carly could see the sky as it really appeared. Then, as the sensors regained their orientation, icons indicating the planets, asteroids, ships and satellites were displayed.
"We're about 20 minutes out," Justin said. "I'll have to use the warp engines for braking."
The several thousand Gs of inertial energy that would have crushed the ship was compensated for by a small wave created by the warp field generators. At lower speeds the artificial gravity would deal with inertia. Justin aimed for a 45 degree tilted retrograde orbit at 2000 kilometers above the planet. This would allow them to scan most of the surface in only a couple of hours. The scan wouldn't be thorough but it would allow them to see most of the population centers and identify most of what was in orbit. This was a normal operation when prospecting an unknown world.
"So far, no one's noticed us," Justin said as they approached.
Over the next ten minutes the courses, orbits and maneuvers of the various ships in orbit were plotted and displayed.
"Wow, look at that," Carly said, pointing to a swarm of small ships that appeared to be pursuing a slightly larger one. "Looks like there's a fight going on."
Justin slewed the close in array and switched the output to the right main screen. Sketchy images evolved into a sharp rendering of the scene. A group of small ships, egg shaped pods held between two large panels which appeared to be some sort of electro-magnetic drive field emitters were chasing a larger ship made up of two large nacelles, obviously fusion- reaction engines, on either side of a smaller cylindrical hull. The smaller craft were firing plasma pulse cannons, somewhat inaccurately, at the larger ship which was returning fire from two mounted cannon, also firing plasma pulses.
For the moment, it looked like the larger craft was having the better time of it as two of the smaller ships disintegrated after a bright green flash. But, as Justin and Carly watched, a well placed shot from one of the pursuers tore a hole in the larger ship's starboard engine and the blue glow from its nozzle flickered, then went out.
Whoever was piloting the ship did not cut the thrust from the other engine, or did not vector its thrust properly and the entire ship started to spin to the right, pushing it into an uncontrollable cork screw coarse that bent down toward the planet. As they watched, an escape pod blasted away from the ship.
The pursuers broke off and dove toward the pod as it gained orientation, then vectored rockets to send it down to the planet. The fighters fired at the pod, missing.
"Well shit, that ain't right," Justin said as he took manual control of Revenge and steered to intercept. He reached up to the weapons console and started charging the disruptors.
"What are you doing?" Carly asked.
"That's not a battle, its murder," he replied as Revenge jumped ahead, again warping space to cover the distance of 200K klics in ten seconds.
Another pursuer fired, making a glancing hit, and the pod spun out of control.
"What about the prime..." Carly started.
"I'm a civilian, Prime Directive don't apply to me," Justin said as he adjusted the disruptors to 5%, dropped the cloak and fired.
Both the fighters were caught in the field. One was pushed sideways into the other and they both disintegrated into smaller parts. Justin then slewed to the right and took out the two fighters that were busily cutting up the ship. One erupted in a flash of blue plasma while the other spun away, firing reaction jets to regain control.
Justin turned to the pod which was entering the upper atmosphere.
"Can you use that tractor beam?" he asked Carly, pointing at a panel to her right.
"I can try," she responded.
It took her three tries to capture the pod. Justin was about to get up to help when it suddenly changed course, jerked out of its death spiral into the planet, and came into a parallel course with Revenge.
Justin typed a quick command into the guidance computer that would use the impulse engines to put them in a safe orbit (he really didn't care what). "Steer it into the hanger, then bring the cloak back up when I tell you."
He looked at the scanners. One of the large ships was turning toward them. "And be quick about it."
Carly just nodded and grunted, she was concentrating on the tractor beam controls.
Justin ran to the cargo bay and opened the doors. Standing there he could see the pod coming up behind Revenge and, in the distance, a white wedge was turning and accelerating toward them.
The pod moved smoothly up behind, then approached. When it was just a ship's length behind the two smaller beams on either side of the doors took over and the broader beam coming from the top of the ship disappeared. The pod settled onto the deck and Justin closed the doors as the stars shimmered from the cloak coming back on.
Justin was walking around the pod, wondering if any of the smoke rising from it was dangerous, when Carly came in.
"I changed our orbit," she said. "Just in case those guys figure out where we were going."
"Good idea," Justin said.
It was egg shaped, an egg standing on end, maybe two meters tall. The thrusters were pointing up. "Looks like it's upside down," he said. "Can't see any doors and the ports are covered."
"Think the door's on the top?" Carly asked.
"Maybe," he said. "Better get whoever's in there out, it's pretty badly damaged."
He jumped to the side when Carly gave it a shove and it fell over.
It rocked back and forth twice, then three legs sprouted from the end and it rolled into what must have been an upright orientation. Next came a 'POP' and a circular port fell off the end. Vapor billowed out and disappeared.
Both Carly and Justin walked around and peered inside. There was something, or someone, in there but all they could see was the top of a green head with two pointed ears and sparse white hair.
"Me, out of here help...hmmmm..." it said in a high voice.
The two looked at each other-Justin shrugged with a smile-and they both reached in and grasped an arm.
It stood only a meter tall, had large yellow eyes, a small mouth and only two slits in place of a nose.
"Other escape pod, rescue did you?"
It looked at Justin. Then, with a slight shake of its head turned to Carly.
Suddenly her eyes got huge and she stiffened. "Shit!" she said and ran toward the flight deck.
The creature began to follow, walking with a slight limp.
"Way- wait..." Justin ran after it. "Who are you and how....how do you know...how to talk to us?"
Without turning the creature said, "Derived from English the Federation Common tongue is. An ancient Earth language English is. Studied many languages I have. Visited Earth 437 years ago I did. Hmmmm."
When they entered the command deck Carly was staring into the scanners. "I think I've found it," she said over her shoulder. She pointed to a dim return on the screen. "It matched the characteristics of your pod."
The creature walked up behind her. "Correct you are." Then it turned to Justin.
"Approach the pod and turn the ship. The rest, do will I."
Justin shrugged at Carly, then sat down. It only took a minute and the ship was station keeping 50 meters ahead of the pod. Justin had been concentrating on piloting and hadn't noticed that their guest had walked back to the cargo bay.
When they got back there, the creature was standing near the open bay doors. It had its arm up and eyes closed in concentration. As he slowly waved his arm the second pod floated in through the containment field and settled next to the first. Then it walked over to the pod and touched it. The port popped off and clanked on the deck.
"Safe now we are Leia," it said into the pod.
Justin and Carly watched as a little girl crawled to the portal. She looked around with some fear-large brown eyes and disheveled hair. There was a smudge of soot on her cheek and the fabric of her cloak looked singed on one side. One of the sleeves was stained with blood.
"Where are we Yoda?" she asked.
"On a vessel we are. Empire can detect not. Safe we are...for now."
She held out her hand and the green creature helped the child out. She stood and looked around, still quite dazed.
Carly walked up and took the smaller girl's hand. "Hi, I'm Carly. What's your name?"
"Leia," she responded.
"With Human-Vulcan girl go," Yoda said. "Clean your cuts she will."
Carly looked at the Yoda, then at Leia. "Sure, come on," she said.
"Things I have to discuss with Commander Cooper," it said.
"How do you know who I am?" Justin asked as he followed the little creature onto the command deck.
"Know many things I do," Yoda responded.
As they passed the galley, Cooper saw Carly lifting the soiled dress off the girl. She had the proportions of a five-year-old. She was just over a meter tall (taller than Yoda). She had been naked underneath the dress and Cooper had to admire her cute rounded ass.
"Leave this system we must," Yoda said. "Failed our plans have. With her family, Leia may not grow up. Return to Alderaan is only option."
"Wait,...wait...wait...little guy," Justin said, holding up a hand. "Exactly what is going on here?"
"Future leader of a rebellion against the Empire, Leia is. Determined her future is, nothing to change it now..." Yoda said as he stood over the guidance computer and started punching keys.
"What are you doing?" Justin stepped up. He almost grabbed the creature's hand but for some reason stopped.
"Incomplete your star charts are," Yoda said, "but will suffice." He (at least, Justin had decided it was a "he") stabbed one of his stubby fingers at the screen. "There is where me you shall take, then Leia you must take on to Alderaan."
Justin looked down at the display. It indicated a type F3 star with a distant red dwarf companion at a distance of 520 a.u. It was in the general direction of Ferengi space but not a direct path.
"Wait Yoda. I don't have enough fuel to get back to Federation space as it is. I can't be taking much in the way of detours."
Yoda turned and looked up at him. "What fuel type do you require?"
"Dilithum antimatter."
Yoda's eyes got big and he inhaled with surprise. "Antimatter? And dilithum! Ohhhh,....hmmm,....very rare it is and very dangerous."
"Yeah, but, unless I can find around 10 grams we aren't going far."
"But this ship," he looked around, "not that large it is. For what propulsion should it require antimatter?"
"It powers the warp field generators."
Again Yoda pulled in his breath in shock. "Warp Drive! Into the Empire's hands this ship must not fall! Disaster it would be."
"I noticed your ships use FTL jump drive systems. Kind of slow and dangerous if you don't know exactly where you're going."
"Warp drive our scientist have been working on but little success with," Yoda said. "Still, in luck you are. Very large cyclotron Aldaraan has. Much research of antimatter they do."
Justin leaned over and looked at where Yoda wanted to go, then punched in the commands for the nav computer to lay in the course. "So we're going to this Alderaan?"
"Me first you will take to Dagobah. Too dangerous to the princess am I to be with."
The ship's impulse engines kicked in and the planet started to shift on the scanner as Revenge gathered way and left orbit.
"What's there?"
"Hiding place," was all Yoda said.
The indicators flashed green, the ship was ready to go to warp. Justin dialed in Warp 2 and pressed the engage button. For an instant they felt strange feeling of the warp field passing through the ship, then the stars stretched into long straight rainbows but, unlike with an FTL jump, they did not disappear, instead they moved out on the scanners.
"Remarkable that is," Yoda commented. "To be faster than light in normal space."
"Better to see where you're going," Justin replied.
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