The door to the briefing room slid open and the cluster of humans seated at the table shot to their feet. Kirk didn't smile. His usual mannerisms entering a non-combat briefing suddenly didn't seem appropriate. With the visitors involved, he felt like the atmosphere needed to be a little more formal. "As you were, everyone. Captain S'Kresh, please meet Lt. Commander Sulu, Ensign, I'm sorry, Lieutenant Chekov."
Chekov flushed a little but recovered quickly. "Quite all right, sir. It still sounds a bit strange to me, too."
Nodding, Kirk continued. "My chief of Security, Lt. Commander Endilev. And you've already met Commander Spock and Ambassador Nguyen." Both of whom somehow seemed less dust-covered and tidier than when he'd left them a few minutes before. Kirk wondered if he should have taken the time for a detour to his quarters to change at some point since beaming up.
"It is agreeable to meet you all." S'Kresh found an available seat with space to either side and lowered himself into it with some care. No creaking, but Kirk had a moment of worry that the design specs might have been exceeded.
And then he very deliberately picked a seat next to the Gorn captain. "Mr. Spock, if you wouldn't mind summarizing what you've learned so far."
Spock pressed a switch in the middle of the small bank in front of him, and the three-sided view screen in the centre of the table powered up to show a group of three triangular blocks. Viciously pointed warp nacelles perched at two vertices but there seemed to be nothing else to really distinguish the ship from the outside. No significant features, at least not at the captured resolution.
"Approximately 1 hour, 6 minutes ago, these three ships appeared just above the ground several thousand kilometres from the main colony and diplomatic outpost on Cestus 3. It seems likely they had been lying in wait for some time under cover and with stealth systems engaged."
Chekov cleared his throat. "As we broke orbit, the embassy security office transmitted the notification that they were sending teams to investigate the likely launch site."
"Indeed." Spock nodded. "Their course took a steep ascent through the atmosphere, surprising, and firing on, all of the vessels in orbit. Only the Enterprise and the Gorn ambassadorial transport Dahkreth were able to raise their shields in time. The other six vessels all sustained damage to their warp and impulse engines but few casualties. No fatalities reported so far. Targeting was quite precise." He flicked another switch and the view tightened to focus on one vessel, giving a little more detail. Kirk was able to make out some viewports that reminded him of arrow slits and a few cryptic markings. "After the barrage, the lead ship, protected by its companions, dropped its shields for eight-point-three seconds. All three vessels then went to warp directly out of orbit on a heading of 269 mark 52. We are tracking their warp signatures."
Ambassador Nguyen cleared her throat. "They dropped their shields to beam aboard the six primary Ambassadors, Federation and Gorn, plus their own extraction team. That team consisted of armoured Gorn soldiers, seen by Lieutenant Gareth and several other people present in the Treaty Hall." Her mouth pressed into a thin line, nostrils flared. "Apparently, there is a previously unheard-from Gorn faction that doesn't want the Treaty signed."
Politics. As long as there were sentient beings in the universe, Kirk was sure politics would get in their way. "Apparently, Ambassador. But our immediate concern is getting the rest of the ambassadors back. Both sets. It will be up to them to worry about the politics of things after the fact." He hoed. Kirk looked around the table, making quick eye contact with everyone, even S'Kresh though he couldn't read anything there. "For a change, the Enterprise is not the only ship in the quadrant, but it shouldn't surprise anyone that she's the only one able to give chase at the moment. Which brings me back to the, um, elephant in the room." Gods, he'd almost said giant lizard. "Rumours run even faster than official communications on this ship so you're all likely aware we have more than just one guest on board. Ambassador."
"It's a delicate political situation. There are a number of contributing factors, but primarily because of past events and because the Gorn Hegemony has as much interest in a positive resolution to this situation as we do, they've sent a contingent of soldiers to join us under the command of S'Kresh-Captain of the GHS Longtooth. You may—"
One thick hand curled into a fist and smacked his chest, effectively interrupting whatever Nguyen might have been about to point out, and S'Kresh almost stood, weight shifting forward alarmingly. "It is an honour to serve with the Enterprise crew, though I could wish circumstances to be different."
"As do we all, Captain." Switching his gaze to his chief of security, Kirk raised an eyebrow. "Commander Endilev."
The Andorian woman's expression didn't change beyond making eye contact. "Sir?"
"Reiterating our earlier conversation, commander, and so that everyone is clear, the visiting Gorn are to be accorded all the freedoms we would allow any guest from a non-allied power on our ship."
"Of course, Captain."
Damn, Andorians were hard to read when they wanted to be. "I'm also making it your job to ensure the crew is fully aware of the situation. We don't need some crewman sounding the alarm just because a couple of Captain S'Kresh's crew happen to show up on one of the Recreation Decks."
"That would certainly be appreciated." The translator gave the non-quite flat words a wry intonation. Dry humour coming through the translator? He never would have thought the Gorn had humour. It wouldn't even have occurred to him before now.
Endilev cleared her throat. "I issued the necessary communications before they came on board, Captain, and I will follow up with all department heads and supervisors. In the ordinary course of events, everyone should be clear by end of the shift, but I will ensure the communication happens more swiftly."
"Thank you, Commander. Mr. Sulu, what's your best estimate on an intercept time?"
"The vessels have pushed their speed to Warp 6 point 5. Assuming this is actually their maximum, without redlining our own engines we'll overhaul them in a little less than 84 hours."
Kirk nodded. "Mr. Scott has promised to squeeze a little more power out of his engines without shaking us apart, so we'll shave a bit off of that, I expect, but we've still got more than three days of planning time. What we need to know is what we're facing when we get there."
S'Kresh made a noise like a deep cough and his teeth clacked together, fairly effectively drawing the attention of everyone else in the room. He looked around the table. "The vessels are A'kess Class combat scouts. They have a crew compliment of 36 with minimal extra space and facilities so the Ambassadors will be packed in rather close quarters unless they are spread among the three ships. Possible, but unlikely. Armament consists of six mid-range blasters, two of which are rear-facing, and one torpedo launcher with six torpedoes available. Shielding is light compared to a cruiser-grade vessel, but excellent for its size. The chase may be slightly longer than estimated. They can attain Warp 7 for short periods, but it is not recommended."
Leaning forward, Chekov's eyes glittered, though not quite like a Gorn's. "Design flaws and weaknesses?"
It took a long moment for S'Kresh to respond. "This class of vessel is in service and a peace treaty, even if signed, is not an alliance. In spite of current circumstances, I will provide only tactical assistance, not technical."
"I understand." The mixture of disappointment and satisfaction on Chekov's face impressed Kirk a little. He thought about just how much the young man had matured during his time on the Enterprise.
But the Gorn wasn't finished yet, turning those glittering eyes on Kirk. "For the same reasons, Kirk-Captain, I will also strongly request that any vessels we disable be destroyed after all prisoners have been taken aboard."
"I think we can all respect that, Captain." Although he'd have to phrase the log entry carefully to satisfy whatever intel officers would eventually read it in that event. Not that it would be the first time.
The Gorn's entire upper body bobbed and Kirk chose to interpret the gesture as a nod instead of a bow. "Thank you. I will say, however, that I do not believe three to be a fair match for this vessel in true combat. There might be interesting moments, but I have no doubt the Enterprise would come out victorious."
"Probably a big part of why they're running." Sulu shrugged in the moment he became the centre of attention. "I hate to put motivations into things with so little data, but it doesn't look to me like they were after a fight, just a smash and grab."
Chekov nodded. "And we were supposed to be disabled as well."
"Thanks to your reflexes we're not though, Pavel." A false frown brought Sulu's eyebrows down, fighting with the smile.
"Leaving it to us to attempt the rescue, Lieutenant." Kirk slipped in the extra comment before Sulu's next observation could make it into the open. With only three of the small ships involved in the kidnapping, they couldn't have counted on disabling all of the ships in orbit. They had to have been hoping for confusion and slow reactions. The fact that they damaged all but two had to be counted as good fortune for the dissidents.
Chekov hadn't quite put that together yet, but even when he did, it wouldn't be a reflection on his reaction time, just analytical experience. If the shields had been down, the Enterprise would still be back in orbit. His eyes dropped to the table. "Thank you, sirs."
Letting the fresh Lieutenant enjoy the praise and embarrassment for a moment, Kirk turned his attention back to the rest of the table only to be interrupted by the bosun's call of the intercom and the tinny voice of Lieutenant Commander DeSalle. "Bridge to Captain Kirk."
Flicking a switch on the small panel in front of him, he tried not to sound irritated at the interruption. DeSalle knew better, so it wasn't going to be trivial. "Kirk here."
"Sir, two of the ships have changed course."
Spock's quiet voice interrupted Kirk's indrawn breath. "Captain, if I may."
"Go ahead, Mr. Spock."
Spock flicked another switch. "Spock here, Mr. DeSalle. The ship I have designated as Alpha is our primary target. Please adjust course as required to continue closing with that vessel."
"Understood, Commander. Adjusting to comply. DeSalle ou- Captain! I have three more on sensors! Just at the edge of our range and of probably identical configuration. They're... on an intercept course with Enterprise and the first two are definitely moving to join them. Time to close... estimate 27 minutes."
"Yellow alert, Mr. DeSalle. Keep us up to date. We'll be there shortly. Kirk out."
Chekov leaned over and spoke quietly to Sulu, though not quietly enough to avoid being overheard. "Yellow Alert?"
Clearly checking a grin, Sulu shook his head. "You want to wind everyone up on Red for half an hour before anything actually happens?"
"Good point."
Illustrating nicely the difference in experience between the two. "So much for the smash and grab, Mr. Sulu." Kirk looked at his Gorn counterpart. "You said three of the combat scouts aren't a match for the Enterprise. What about five?
"Five will be very interesting."
Pressing his mouth into a line, Kirk nodded. "It certainly will, Captain. I think now would be an excellent time for some of that tactical assistance. And the floor is open to suggestions, everyone."