Preserving The Past (Part 2)
Posted on Tue Sep 30th, 2025 @ 1:29pm by Captain Taiga Aisaka & Petty Officer 1st Class Yoshika Miyafuji & Commander Thomas Johnson & Commander Jennifer Daxer & Commander Chisato Nishikigi & Lieutenant Commander Casey Washburn & Lieutenant Commander Talia Johnson & Lieutenant Jasad Yuvek & Lieutenant Nezuko & Lieutenant Teneca Quinn & Lieutenant Nyxala Valentine & Lieutenant Ralen Trellis & Lieutenant Takina Inoue & Lieutenant Mizuki Nakahara & Lieutenant JG Connor Carey
Edited on on Tue Sep 30th, 2025 @ 1:49pm
1,665 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Preserving The Past
Location: January 26th 2397
Previously on Star Trek Tokyo:
"While I'm probably going to hate myself for the rest of eternity," Chisato reluctantly conceded, "If it's what you wish, then it's not our position to force you into anything you're not keen on doing. All I will say is..."
She moved over and pulled the Preserver into a hug.
"Thank you again for everything," she expressed. "And I promise that we won't forget this."
The preserver remained still and didn't move. He didn't say anything in response, just stood there with a blank look on his face.
With that, Chisato broke the hug and looked over at Takina. "We've done all we can here, Takina-Chan; let's move."
Takina stole one last glance at the preserver, but nonetheless heeded Chisato's orders and began making her way towards the exit.
And now the continuation...
[Amerind Village]
"Commander!" Yoshika called out. Their comm badges also calling out the alert from Taiga.
Pausing, the village would definately be decimated, no man woman or child would be left alive.
The Trill's mind raced through the implications. The villagers had just left them alone to "speak with the sky gods" using Thomas's improvised explanation about special herbs. To them, the away team were simply travelers who had come from beyond the mountains, not visitors from the stars with advanced technology.
Ralen's spotted hands moved instinctively toward his gear as Jaret's military training kicked in, but his counselor's mind was already working on the larger problem. The Elder and his people had no concept of starships, orbital vessels, or emergency extractions. If they suddenly vanished without explanation after promising to help find Tahuna, it would shatter any trust they'd built.
"Commander," Ralen said quietly, his voice tense with controlled urgency, "we have a significant diplomatic crisis developing. The villagers believe we're land-bound travelers who communicate with sky spirits through herbs. If we simply disappear now..."
He gestured toward the tent opening where the Elder had just departed. "They're counting on us to help find Tahuna - the same girl who's apparently aboard the Tokyo. Our sudden vanishing will either be seen as abandonment or, worse, as evidence that we somehow caused her disappearance."
"Captain, we can't leave these people here to die, they are from Earth, whether they were brought here centuries ago or not, we can't let the innocent die." Thomas replied as he turned to the group. "Lock onto the villagers, and transport them to cargo bay four."
"That'll take time..." Taiga's response came. "We'll try our best, but I can't guarantee that we can save them if the Iconians attack."
[USS Tokyo]
"Jased, get us as close to the away teams as you can without us falling out of orbit." Taiga ordered. "The lower we are the better chances we have at beaming them up from underground."
"Understood, Ma'am," Lieutenant Yuvek replied crisply, his training taking over as he began executing multiple maneuvers simultaneously.
His hands moved swiftly across his console as he opened a channel. =/\="Tokyo to Fighter Wing Alpha Leader - immediate recall to ship. Code Red emergency extraction. All fighters return to bay immediately" =/\=
Without waiting for a response, he switched to another frequency. =/\= "USS Tokyo to USS Kanna - we are moving to low orbital extraction position. Recommend coordinated descent pattern to avoid interference with transporter operations." =/\=
A vessel this size... over 500 meters of hull plating and superstructure... the mass distribution alone... Yuvek's thoughts raced as he calculated vectors.
Low orbit means deeper in the gravity well. Escape velocity calculations... if we drop to 200 kilometers, we'll need sustained impulse burn for nearly a minute to clear the magnetosphere. But transporter efficiency increases exponentially the lower we go...
"Beginning controlled descent..." he reported aloud while his mind continued working. The Herald vessel's approach vector... if they close while we're committed to the gravity well, our maneuverability drops to almost nothing. A ship this massive can't execute evasive patterns in deep orbit like a smaller vessel...
His fingers adjusted the descent rate as he monitored multiple displays. Optimal balance point... 180 kilometers gives us transporter penetration while maintaining rapid departure capability. Any lower and we're committed to a forty-five second burn minimum...
"Descent rate steady, Ma'am. We'll be in optimal extraction position in 90 seconds," he reported, his calculations complete but his mind still racing through contingency scenarios should the Herald vessel accelerate its approach.
Meanwhile, the USS Kanna was doing the same. Starting to head downwards towards the planet surface. Taiga watched as it fell below the bottom of the Tokyo's viewscreen. "Follow the Kanna down. Looks like they're trying the same. I imagine they'll be extracting their crew as planned."
Nezuko reached the bridge and her station just in time for the maneuvers to start.
[USS Tokyo - Counsellors Quarters]
In her quarters Talia was keeping Tahuna entertained until the alert klaxon sounded. “I need to find out what’s happening” she tapped her comm badge. “Johnson to Bridge, what’s happening Captain?”
"Herald ships are inbound Counsellor," Taiga's response came quickly. "I need you to keep Tahuna safe until we can assure her safe return." The channel cut off as quickly as it opened.
"The skies speak..." Tahuna said. "Yet the words are that of your Captain..."
“Not the skies Tahuna, just our communications.” Talia offered a smile. “We need to head to the Lounge, it’s a safe space for the crew and passengers. We’ll be safer there.” She held her hand out for Tahuna to hold.
The Tokyo shook causing Tahuna to let out a scared yelp. "Why does the ground of your sky boat shake?" she cried out.
“Were under attack” Talia offered the truth. “But you’re safe here with me, I won’t let anything happen to you I promise.”
Tahuna nodded, yet she clung to the nearest chair as the ship shook again.
[Preserver Cave]
Suddenly before the Starfleet Officers in the cave could get to the exit, purple gateways opened all around them. Several strange alien soldiers stepped out. The Tokyo crew had seen these strange beings before. Heralds.
They raised their staff's and purple anti-proton beams erupted from them. One of the science officers belonging to the Kanna took a direct hit. She screamed in pain as she was vaporised from the point of impact out to the very edge of her fingers and toes.
"Take cover! Return fire!" Shauna shouted as she dived out of the way of a purple beam, narrowly avoiding instant death.
Electing to go on the offensive, Takina quickly ducked behind a nearby pillar to activate her shield before retrieving her staff and lunging for a pair of Heralds that were closing in on Shauna's position. The first one was taken by surprise and had no time to react as Takina shoved the firing mechanism in its face and squeezed the trigger, vaporizing it in a violaceous cloud of dust. Its companion stumbled back momentarily, but, regaining its footing, it retrieved its own staff and initiated a spar, the two of them swinging wildly and matching each other beat-for-beat, with the hope being that one staff would give before the other's and give them the decisive advantage over their opponent.
A few brave souls quickly took after Takina's example, shooting down the Heralds as they emerged before quickly retrieving the staves and fighting back, hand-to-hand, one-on-one.
Shauna had managed to find cover behind a large boulder along with a few of her officers. Orange phaser fire erupted from her type two hand phaser as she shot at the Heralds. However their phaser fire simply bounced off, it was like firing on Borg Drones. Once they discovered your weapons frequency that was it, you had no chance on causing any damage.
A purple beam from one of the Herald soldiers narrowly missed her, striking the young officer in gold next to her. He let out a long ear piercing scream as he slowly and painfully vaporised, fire spreading out from the center of his body where he had been struck. In a few long seconds nothing was left apart from the smell of burning flesh and clothing.
Shauna swore outloud as she ducked behind the boulder. "Keep down, if they hit you. Its a painful way to whatever afterlife you believe in!" she told her people. "Although..." she managed to peep up and get a few more shots in towards one of the Heralds. "At this rate, we'll all end up that way regardless!"
Anton stayed hidden behind his own boulder, trying to muster the courage to turn around and take a shot. Failing miserably. Whatever bravery he might have just wasn’t coming to the forefront.
The Heralds, returned fire. Not taking any prisoners. The cave was filled with screams as several of the scientists were vaporised. However, the Heralds didn't seem to aim at the Preserver who was still stood there, quietly observing the fight. He didn't flinch, he didn't seem concerned, he just stood there with his hands behind his back watching.
After what seemed like ages, the Heralds finally stopped firing. But kept their weapons trained on the Starfleet.
"They have us cornered..." Shauna said. She had taken a stumble during the fight and a small trickle of blood ran down her face. "Why have they stopped firing? They could just finish us off!"
It was then that she recieved her answer. Another gateway opened directly in the center of the cave.
Out a strange creature floated. It was over ten feet tall, made up of purple energy and pearly white armour which protected its limbs. In its hand it carried a huge spear, tipped with purple and pink. Six red slits in the alien's 'head' glowed red as it looked around slowly. It hovered only a few feet above the ground, its long spindly fingers grasping its deadly spear as it floated towards the preserver.
T'Ket.
To be continued...
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