3rd POV
After Boimler accidentally exposed Mariner and Freeman related, the entire crew has been treating Mariner better respect. However, Mariner didn't seem to like it ever since. Right now, Tendi, Rutherford, and YN are at the hangar of the ship to meet the new recruits that are being transported to Cerritos.
Tendi: Ah! I can't believe I get to be orientation liaison for a new recruit. I'm going to show her so many ropes!
YN: I don't get it, why do I need to be tag along with you guys?
Tendi: Uh so you can meet the new recruit. Duh!
YN: I still think it'd be easier to get to know her in lunch. Back me up, Rutherford. Rutherford?
They both see Rutherford is playing with his cybernetic head side until Tendi interrupted him.
Tendi: Hello, Rutherford?
Rutherford: Sorry, guys. Just trying to adjust this little thingy on my implants attitude selector. Crazy about mariner and the captain, right? Oh, man, captain Freeman day is gonna be super awkward this year.
YN: Definitely not gonna be the same. No wonder she always does what she want in the Cerritos.
Tendi: (Excited.) Ah! There's the shuttle!
They see the shuttle coming in the hanger while Rutherford accidentally pull out a piece of his cybernetic, but reveals a button underneath it.
Rutherford: Huh, look at this new button.
YN: Wonder what does it do.
Rutherford: One way to find out.
When he push the button, his behavior changed.
Rutherford: Optimistic mode? This is going to be great! (Push again.) Sexy mode? Mmm, don't mind if I do.
YN: Interesting. It seem that your cybernetic can change your behavior reactions when every time you push that button.
Rutherford: I wonder what else I got.
YN: (Scoff.) I wonder if there's instructions on that.
While Rutherford is figuring out what else his implant has, the shuttle landed on the hanger as the new recruits exited until the last one revealing a small floating robot with a feminine voice.
Exocomp: Wow, its beautiful!
Tendi: (Smiles.) Ah, there she is!
YN: The little robot exocomp?
Tendi: Yes!
Exocomp: Oh my gosh. Hi, are you Ensign Tendi?
Tendi: Oh, my gosh. Yes, I am! And I'm so happy you're here!
Exocomp: I'm happy to be here. This is so exciting!
Rutherford: Ooh-wee! Howdy there.
YN: So now you're talking like a cowboy.
Exocomp: That was a weird thing to say!
Tendi: It sure was! These are my friends. Ensign Rutherford and Ensign YN.
YN: Hey.
Exocomp: Hi, its so nice to meet you guys. I'm so excited to get to know you all.
YN: As much as I like to, I have duty calls. But we can get to know each other more at lunch.
Tendi: Okay, see you at lunch.
YN: Cya.
YN POV
I left the hangar so that Tendi can show her new friend the ropes in the ship while Rutherford figures out his cybernetic implant. I was just about to head to meet with my security pals until I came across Boimler and Mariner who changed her appearance.
YN: Hey, guys. Looking good Mariner.
Mariner: Thank you, sir.
YN: Uh, okay....did I miss something?
Mariner: No, sir.
YN: Mariner, we're in same ranks.
Boimler: She's trying to get the promotion to the Sacramento so she can start a new.
YN: Sounds like she's trying to avoid attention.
Boimler: Exactly!
Mariner: Well, better get back to work. (Picks her tablet.) Ah. "Tips for Remaining starfleet uniform compliant."
Boimler: The Starfleet Manual? Who are you kidding? It is so messed up that you're trying to cheat me out of promotion.
Mariner: How am I cheating? You're always telling me to be like this.
Boimler: I meant to actually try sometimes! Not to profit off of nepotism.
Mariner: Nobody would know Freeman's my mom if you hadn't ratted me out. So why don't you go ahead and blame yourself?
YN: Uh, guys. Why don't we just take a breather for a moment-
Boimler: (Mariner.) No! I blame you!
Mariner: And I blame you back!
YN: (Snap.) Oh, will you guys just give it a rest!? You're the captains daughter, people knows, end of story. I'm surprise is that the entire crew didn't find out long after I did.
Mariner: Wait, you knew!?
YN: You gave it away long time ago!
Boimler: What exactly did she gave away?
YN: You and the captain were going at it to each other like family drama! Just admit it, deep down, you knew someone would find out and you're only getting the promotion so you can run away rather than facing your problems.
Mariner: I-
Just then we were interrupt by something hitting the ship.
Boimler: What was that!?
Mariner: Nothing good.
YN: Its worst, look!
They look to where I point at the window and we saw whats left of the USS Solvang. There was no doubt, whatever did this, its near and dangerous.
3rd POV
Meanwhile on the bridge deck. They try to stabilize the ship from the impacts of the scraps.
Shaxs: Collision alert. Impacts on deck 3, 15, and 20.
Freeman: My god! Is that the Solvang?
Ransom: I'm not reading any life signs. The whole crew, they've been wiped out!
Suddenly, a giant grappling snatches and pulls a scrap to a gigantic ship.
Freeman: They're harvesting the wreckage!
The ship activated its weapons and fires directly to the Cerritos.
Freeman: Evasive maneuvers!
The Cerritos evades any hit as much as possible but there was too much.
Shaxs: Shields at 50%!
Freeman: Send out a distress call, all frequency!
Ensign: They're jamming communications!
Just then the Cerritos is caught in the tractor beam before the gigantic ship release two grapplings to the Cerritos thrusters.
Shaxs: Captain, they've latched onto the port nacell with some sort of mining arm.
Ransom: Go to warp. Get us out of here!-
Freeman: No! Shut down engines!
Ransom: But we'll be sitting ducks!
Freeman: Dayton would have thought the same thing, and look what happened to them. Shut it down!
Just as ordered, they shut down the engine, but at the cost of the ship's thruster. Mariner, YN, and Boimler arrive at the bridge and saw the damage and Mariner notice her mom is injured.
Mariner: (Gasp.) Mom!
Freeman: (Groans.) I'm okay.
YN: Help me get her up.
YN and Marines support Freeman while Billups tries to stabilize the ship.
Billups: Auxiliary power back online.
YN: We got incoming hailing.
On screen, it reveal to be a pakled that's are in the ship.
Pakled Hahaha! I thought the Enterprise was strong. We are strong!
Freeman: This isn't the Enterprise. This is the Cerritos.
Pakled: We thought you were the Enterprise.
Freeman: Pakleds? What the hell do you want?
Pakled: We want your ship pieces to add to our ship pieces, so that we have all the ship pieces!
Freeman: Look, just stop this senseless attack and let's discuss-
Pakled: No! We are strong! We will cut your ship apart!
The Pakled cut of comms before they fire grappling at the Cerritos and pulls it closer to their ship.
Freeman: This doesn't make sense. The Pakleds aren't this powerful!
Ransom: I thought they were kind of a joke.
Boimler: Yeah, you guys weren't wrong.
Boimler, after scanning the ship, explains that the Pakleds fake distress calls and steal any technology from any ships they come across. And they have stole many from different races.
YN: They're leading us directly to their mouth one by one...!
Freeman: And it looks like they're not a joke anymore.
Once the Cerritos is close enough to the Pakleds ship, the Pakleds starts cutting the ship with its phasers.
Shaxs: They're phasering the hull!
Ransom: Carving us up like a 1st contact day salmon!
YN: We gotta do something before its too late!
Freeman: No Engine, no weapons, fighting an enemy we don't understand.
Ransom: We're out of options!
Freeman: (To Mariner.) Then I need someone to make me some.
Mariner: Me? What am I supposed to do!? I-I don't know these guys!
Freeman: Do what you do best. I need a dangerous, half-baked solution that breaks starfleet codes and totally pisses me off. That's an order.
Mariner nods before speaking to Boimler.
Mariner: Boimler, what kind of computer system do the Pakleds use?
Boimler: They steal components from other cultures, which means their code base would have to be wide open.
YN: If we can destroy their computer system, we can pull out a distress call.
Mariner: You catch that, Rutherford?
Rutherford: [We need a virus that takes advantage of trusting system!]
Mariner: Exactly- Wait, why are you so chipper?
YN: I'll explain later. We're still in the woods.
Mariner: (Nods.) They got us outgunned and they know it. But they taking their time. If we can plant a virus in their system, we can cripple their ship.
Ransom: Who here could whip up a code like that? They'd have to be some sort of morally bankrupt genius.
YN: Something tells me I'm not gonna like it. But either way, doesn't matter because this is our best chance for survival.
Suddenly the Pakleds begins to beam in but very slowly.
Ransom: Intruders beaming in!...very slowly beaming in.
Mariner: We've gotta go!
The crew in the bridge escape before the Pakleds are completely boarded and starts wrecking everything in their path while the the group runs.
Shaxs: We have to get to the armory!
YN: We got incoming!
More of the Pakleds are beaming in.
Ransom: Looks like we'll have to repel them the old fashioned way. (Smirk.) Setting my fist to stun and my kicks to kill.
Mariner scoffs and hits the wall and ceiling to have junks and weapons fall off for everybody to use.
Freeman: How much contraband have you hidden on my ship?
Mariner: I don't know. A lot.
The Pakleds completely boarded and see the group are preparing to fight.
With it, both sides clash in the fight.
Boimler: Mariner, in case we don't make it-
Mariner: We're making it.
Boimler: I wasn't mad that you were stealing the Sacramento promotion. I apply for those all the time. Nothing ever comes of it.
Mariner: What? Then why were you freaking out?
Boimler: Because you would have gotten it. And I'd...I'd miss you, okay? You're my best friend.
Mariner: Oh, haven't you shared enough secrets today?
A Pakled was about to hit them until YN knock him down before speaking.
YN: If you two are gonna keep talking like couple, then I strongly suggest we shut up and get out of this first!
Suddenly one of the Pakled strike the captain and Mariner became shock to see her mom is down. She act quickly and knocks the Pakled away.
Mariner: Mom!
She immediately help her up, but the captains bleeding. The Pakleds ship continue to cut the ship with phasers.
YN: She needs emergency medical, now!
Mariner: Ransom, get our backs!
Ransom: Way ahead of you!
Shaxs carry the captain for Mariner and they make their way to the medical room.
T'ana: Rowr- Sorry. I mean get the captain to the biobed, quick, quick!
Shaxs does as she said before T'ana get to work to help the captain.
Freeman: Did we save the Cerritos?
Mariner: Working on it.
Just then, Rutherford appears from the vents.
Rutherford: I got it. One illegal virus. But someone has to take it to the ship.
Mariner: But who's small into go undetected?
Boimler: And who could survive in space without a ship?
YN: Without risking everyones lives.
Tendi: Someone who can travel with the program safely stored in her hard drive. (Gasp.)
Everyone: Peanut Hamper!
YN: Wait, that's her name?
Tendi: You can load the code into their ship using your robotic abilities. Oh my gosh, Peanut Hamper, you're gonna save the day!
PH: ...Eh, I'm gonna pass.
Tendi: I'm sorry, what?
PH: All that stuff sounded way too scary.
Tendi: What about "the needs of the many"?
PH: I join starfleet to piss of my dad, not to be a virus bomb.
YN: Bruh, that's messed up for pissing your dad.
PH: Well I don't care.
Mariner: Peanut Hamper, this is not cool.
Boimler: We're all going to die!
Rutherford: Peanut Hamper! There are so many lives at stake!
PH: You know what? I'm just going to beam myself out of this whole sitch. Sucks to be organic. Enjoy having your guts fly out or whatever!
Tendi: You know what? Peanut Hamper is a stupid name!
PH beams off the ship and wanders in space.
T'ana: That little f-ck...
YN: Dam that cowardly machine. Never trust those machines.
While that was happening, Rutherford kept pushing the button until he's back to his original behavior.
Rutherford: Oh my gosh, I'm back! I just clicked myself back to normal. Let me just upload this. Whoa!
The moment he uploaded the virus in his cybernetic implant, he felt a huge headache.
Rutherford: Ugh, feels like an ice cream headache.
YN: Did you just implant that virus in your head!?
Rutherford: Yup, now I just need to get on that ship.
Tendi: Wait, no! Its too dangerous! You must be in a heroic bravery mode or something. Keep clicking your button! Let me click it! Click your button!
YN: Enough! We're running out of time and options. The Pakleds are wrecking everything and we need to act now.
Rutherford: Trust me, Tendi. This is normal me.
Tendi protest until YN convince her.
YN: I got his back Tendi, I'll make sure he gets out of this alive.
Rutherford: Yeah, we got this.
Shaxs: And I've got both of you!
Shaxs wasted no time and carry both of them over his shoulders before running off.
Tendi: RUTHERFORD, YN!
YN: Drop me. I'll cover you!
Shaxs nods and drops YN as he pulls out a long range phaser he found on the ground to clear a path from any Pakleds they come across. But they were cut off by a laser blocking their path.
YN: Follow me, there's another shuttle in the repair room!
They made their way to the repair room with the shuttle as YN checks if the shuttle is in good condition.
Rutherford: You know I can run on my own.
YN: Shuttles good, let's go!
Shaxs: Hang on!
Shaxs tosses Rutherford before they hop in and activate it. YN fires phasers at the wall to make an exit.
Shaxs fly their way to the ship as he laughs excitedly.
Shaxs: This is the best day of my life!
YN: Oh god, I think I'm gonna hurl...!
Rutherford: Not in the face!
Soon they crash inside the Pakled ship.
Without time to waste they got out and Rutherford starts Shaxs and YN guard the entrance.
Rutherford: Links up. Come on, come on.
YN: Here they come!
The Pakleds charge with their weapons and YN fires phaser with his rifle at a distance while Shaxs deals with the close ones to buy Rutherford time.
Rutherford: Virus downloaded. Yes, yes, yes, y- download slowing to a crawl? Wait why?
Just then, Badgey appears on the computer.
Badgey: Sorry, but no virus until after these guys kill you.
Rutherford: What, why!?
Badgey: Because you snapped my neck!
Shaxs: What's the holdup!?
Rutherford: Damn it, Badgey, we don't have time for this, okay? Do it now!
Badgey: You want me to disable their systems? Fine, I'll do it...explosively!
Badgey grins evilly and starts to charge up to explode.
Rutherford: He's gonna blow us up!
Shaxs: Not if I have something to scream about it!
YN: Go, I'll cover!
Shaxs nods before YN phasers is out of charge and uses it like a bat to hit the Pakled. Shaxs then rips off the cyber implant from Rutherfords face and carry him back to the shuttle.
Badgey: Stop it! He's mine!
Badgey push himself to make haste. YN was about to join, but the Pakled tackled him down as he tries to get out.
YN: Get off of me!
Shaxs: Baby bear!
YN: No time! Get Rutherford out of here!
No other choice, Shaxs wasted no time to toss unconscious Rutherford back to the shuttle. The thrusters of the shuttle isn't working and Shaxs had no choice but to push it out of the ship.
Shaxs: Hang in there baby bear!
Shaxs struggles to push the shuttle out until YN, who escaped from the Pakled, gives one dropkick to the shuttle and successfully got the shuttle out of the ship before Badgey successfully armed the bomb.
Badgey: Ah, there we go.
Shaxs quickly shield YN from the explosion and everything went to black.
YN POV
Everything became dark after the explosion. The last thing I remembered before, was Shaxs shielded me from the explosion. When I open my eyes, I find myself in a weird room where the floor is pattern in black and white like a chessboard. I stand up and look outside the window only to see a dark mountain covered in a storm.
When I turn my back, I spotted a weird koala glowing in blue and sitting where I was sitting.
YN: Uh, am I...dead?
Koala: .NL NY won emit ruoy ton si tI
The koala eyes flash and force me to close my eyes. Once it was gone, I slowly open my eyes only to see the ceiling.
YN: What...was that...
I was about to sit up and notice my left leg is covered in bandages. I was suddenly interrupted by a hug and I see it was Tendi.
YN: Tendi?
Tendi: Oh my gosh, I was so worried when they found you!
YN: What happened? Where are we?
Tendi: You're in the medical deck in a space station.
YN: The ship? Everyone? (Gasp.) Rutherford and Shaxs!?
Tendi: Hey, hey, easy there. You've been hit pretty hard. Everyone's safe thanks to USS Titan.
Flashback
Flashback ends
Tendi: After that, we found Rutherford and took him to the emergency medical room.
YN: And Shaxs...?
Tendi was silent and just shook her head before I look down with guilt.
YN: This is all my fault...
Tendi: YN, you did your best. At least he sacrificed to save both of you. His funeral is gonna start pretty soon.
YN: No way I'm gonna miss it.
I struggle to get up and Tendi helps me up before I grab and use one crutches to support me to move to the next room where we see Rutherford. Soon we notice he's starting to wake up.
Rutherford: (Groans.) What happened?
YN: (Smiles.) Rutherford!
Tendi: (Smiles.) You're awake! I knew you'd be okay!
I couldn't help but hug my friend, knowing that he's alive as Tendi join in.
Rutherford: Huh, what happened?
Tendi: You saved the Cerritos!
Rutherford: Oh, I did? Wow! That's pretty cool.
YN: You got me worried there, bro.
Rutherford: So are you two doctor and nurse?
Tendi: Nurse and doctor? (Laughs.) No, they just have been giving me time off so I could visit YN first before you.
Rutherford: Oh sweet, nice to meet you guys. I'm Rutherford.
Tendi and I look at each other with worried look before looking back at him.
YN: Rutherford, you don't know us?
Rutherford: Uh, sorry. I don't.
Tendi: Your implant. I-it must have damaged your long-term memory. You don't remember us at all.
Rutherford: Well, no. But don't take it personally, guys. I don't remember what I don't remember.
Tendi: (Saddened.) You know what this means, right...?
YN: Tendi, I'm so sorry-
Tendi: (Excited.) We get to become best friends all over again!
YN: Ayo, what the f-ck?
Time skip
After visiting Rutherford, the doctor said I was in good condition to leave the medical room, despite that I still need the crutches to walk. But it doesn't stop me from being in Shaxs funeral. We all took a moment of silent until captain Freeman speaks.
Freeman: We'll never forget Lieutenant Shaxs' sacrifice. He's with the Prophets now.
One by one, each member of the crew left until I was the last one standing. I walk towards Shaxs coffin to pay my respect.
YN: I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. I'll honor your name and one day, I'll eject the warp core for you. Rest in peace, sir.
Time skip, 3rd POV
After the funeral, everyone is at Cerritos bar to celebrate their victory after defeating the Pakleds where Mariner and Freeman enter the bar.
Tendi and YN shared their stories with Rutherford while Boimler and Mariner chat.
Boimler: I just wanted to say, I was wrong. I'm glad we followed our guts today. You are my mentor.
Mariner: Whatever, nerd. Come on, we can hang without being your mentor.
Boimler: I thought you wanted that.
Mariner: Eh, my target kind of moves.
Boimler: Well, from now on, no more being obsessed with rank. Time to start appreciating what I have right here.
Mariner: Hey, you know what? I like this new Boimler.
Riker then joins their conversations only to meet Boimler.
Riker: Good work today, Boomer. Ransom says you're one of his best.
Riker hands him the tablet and Boimler nervous stands up.
Boimler: (Nervous.) Thank you, Captain Riker, sir!
Riker: (To Mariner.) Hey, how bout you buy me a drink? You know, since we're even? Remember? The thing with the aliens where I saved your ass?
Mariner: We are not even and we don't use money. What's happened to you, man? You use to be sharp.
While they were having a conversation, Boimler read the tablet and to his surprise, he became more excited.
Time skip
Mariner: [Boimler, you backstabbing little weasel! Yeah, next time I see you, I'm gonna kick your f-cken ass! I cannot believe you took a promotion to the motherf-cken titan! Call me!]
Turns out Boimler has been promoted and is now recruited to the USS Titan. Mariner on the other hand, angrily kept sending voicemail straight to Boimler, but he kept ignoring her messages. Even in the middle of the night.
Mariner: Boimler! You can't keep ducking me forever! It is a really small galaxy out there. Sooner or later, I'm gonna run into you and I'm gonna feed you to an Armus! You hear me!?
Jennifer: Hey, psycho, keep it down. We're trying to sleep!
Mariner: Oh, shut up, Jen.
YN: Mariner, I swear to god, I will stun you if you don't shut the f-ck up!
Jennifer: Exactly!
YN: Shut the f-ck too!
Mariner: Why don't you!?-
Just then, YN shoots Mariner with his phaser without a second of hesitation before glaring at Jennifer who immediately stayed silent. After a moment of silent, YN went back to sleep peacefully.
-Book 1 end-
Meanwhile
After 3 Pakleds ships run away from the Titan in warp. Soon they exited the warp to repair the damages.
Pakled captain: I want this ship to be fix. Call someone to fix the ship.
2nd Pakled: Wait, I detect something coming here.
Pakled: Is it another Enterprise?
The Pakled couldn't identify its signature until rift open revealing a huge ship that's bigger than the pakled ship.
Pakled captain: That's not the Enterprise, shoot it!-
Before they could, another rift open the other ship and ambushed the 3rd pakled by ramming it through with force enough that it pierced their ship in half. The second pakled ship fire its grapples but as did the the ship while the other fires torpedoes at its thrusters before it does the same thing as the other ship did. Both of the unknown ships pull their grapples as its tearing off the pakled second ship.
Pakled captain: Fire back to that thing!
The 1st pakled ship fires at the closes one, but to move avail as it sends dozen of its troops to space which turns out they can fly.
They fires at the pakleds gunners to prevent any casualty on the flight trooper as they cut their way inside. Once they're inside, they fire any pakleds near the area to clear a path for the torpedo drill inside the ship, releasing the ground troops for reinforcement.
Pakled: Let us fight them!
The Pakleds charge at them and slay every trooper they come across with their melee weapons. They stood their ground, but they were overpowered with Pakleds brute strength as one of them killed the last one with an ax to the trooper shoulder before he falls on his knees and bleeds.
Pakled: (Laugh.) Hahaha! You are not tough like the Enterprise-
Just then the pakled notice the enemy grabs the ax before punching the pakled so strong that it knock him back. The trooper pulls the ax out of his shoulder and he cracks his neck like it was nothing. Soon the troopers that the pakled killed begins to rise up and hold their weapons before shooting the pakled while the one with the ax slowly approaches the one he punch. The pakled tries to crawl away as he sees the trooper is approaching him with the ax sliding on the floor.
Pakled: Wait, wait! We surrender, we surrender!
???: You are too dangerous...for that, your crew and your ship must be executed...
The trooper raise the ax and smashes the pakled skull. Leaving blood splatter across his face as he didn't even flinch before the captain arrive.
???: Orders, captain?
???: Kill them all...leave none alive...
The troops nods and continue to hunt down every pakled crew in the ship while the second was destroyed by the ships tearing it apart. No matter how much the pakled crew fought back, it was never enough. Not while the enemies rise over and over again...in other words...
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They are deathless.