Star Trek Online: Darkness Rising

by Admiral Wyatt Stone

Chapter III: A Traitor's Call

Starbase K-13, Science Lab

1400 Hours (3 hours after arrival)

The good Doctor and his companion were in a bit of a fix as they tried to fix up the large lab they were in, the room was a bit small for the main section, seeming to have a hexagonal shape with how the walls were set up while two of those wall sections had doors that led to two other rooms that contained various technology and probes, including the infamous Nomad probe, or at least replicas of it. The main room had a few tables that had small scratches and broken bits, as well as being covered in dust, which was being cleaned off as they started to repair them. Several containers filled with equipment and liquids were spread out around the room, the right side of the room was where Derpy and the Doctor stood, fixing one of the tables as they worked.

Doctor Hooves wiped the sweat off of his forehead and used his repair kit to fix the table as he spoke to his assistant. "I'm surprised that this place hasn't turned to dust yet, lasting ever since being brought into the 1500s is quite a record."

Derpy smiled as she replied back to the Doctor while holding a broken section of the table. "Well, these space stations weren't made out of bricks, I think one of the engineers told me that they built these places out of duranium, some kind of alloy that they mine on asteroids and planets."

"Very true, I heard it lasts much longer than most alloys of the 21st Century, I think we shouldn't have to worry over anything breaking apart for a bit."

"Yeah, and that bar looks to be quite nice, and after this I'm thinking about trying to fix that up too." Derpy said as the Doctor gave a concerned look to her.

"Two places on the station today? You'll need some help if you're going to do that, I'd be happy to oblige." Derpy gave a slight chuckle before she responded.

"I was hoping you'd say that, I know we have a lot of time to go out, but I think it'd be fun doing it here." The mailmare said as a few officers gave the two surprised and happy looks, the two equines had become more and more close after all of the adventures they had with their friends, and Derpy was hoping to get Turner to go out with her for a while, but as always, duty got in the way, and she had to hold back on the chance. The Doctor blushed a little as he was about to answer the mare, but a loud cracking noise sounded and the pair looked to the ceiling right above them, a section of it was recently replaced with a newer slate of metal, but now it was quickly starting to break apart and would very shortly collapse on them if they didn't move.

"Muffin, get down!" The Doctor said before he threw himself at Derpy and the two shot across the room and impacted the wall, the section of the ceiling finally becoming loose and falling down on the table where they once were. The room was filled with coughs from the two ponies and the officers as the dust spread and dissipated before an engineering officer spoke up.

"Is anyone hurt?" Everyone simply gave nods after looking at themselves and around the room before the officer ordered, "I want someone down here to fix that ceiling... and I also need the officer who did so previously to see me immediately." A security officer, who was wearing a red 23rd Century Starfleet uniform nodded before turning to the door and leaving as the doors closed behind him.

The Doctor looked at Derpy, who was wiping some of the dust off of herself as he spoke to her. "Are you alright?"

"Just a little dirty, nothing bad."

"Oh, good, let me see if I can get a wat-" He stopped as a noise sounded over the intercoms before a voice followed after.

"Attention, senior staff of starships Amarillo, Equestria, and Vinyl, please report to the briefing room immediately."

The two looked to each other before they stood up and looked to the officers, one of them looking around before speaking to the Doctor. "Don't worry about the lab you two, we'll handle it."

The pair nodded before making their way out the door and to the turbolift nearby, the Doctor then looked to Derpy as he asked her, "So, about that date, after our next job sound good?"

"Yeah, I'd love that." The two then stepped inside the turbolift upon the doors opening, then closing as they stood inside, waiting as they made their way to the upper levels of the station...

~K-13 Briefing Room~

The doors of the turbolift opened to reveal a room in front of the pair as they walked inside, the room had a large table with around 16 chairs around it, all but three filled by the already gathered officers. The remaining details of the room consisted of old pictures of starbases, nebulas, and starships on certain parts of the walls. The Doctor sat in one of the empty chairs alongside Derpy as they looked to Wyatt, who was sitting near Twilight as he started. "I know that we just got here and this briefing may seem a bit rushed, but unfortunately duty has called us once more."

Most of the group gave each other curious looks as they looked to Miolii as she spoke up. "A few moments ago, Commander Nelen sent me a transmission sent from an unexplored area of space, from what he said, it seems to be a distress signal." Miolii then tapped a button on the built-in console in the table, a static noise briefly sounded before a voice spoke through the distorted white noise.

"This is Aarn Tzen-Terrak of the Tzenkethi starship Fearless, we send this transmission in the hope of finding allies near our space. We were recently ordered to use a prototype weapon of ours to decimate the surface of an innocent world, but my crew and I have seen the truth of our empire's ways, and have deserted our comrades in an attempt to warn the Federation and its allies of the wrongdoings made across the quadrant. If anyone is hearing this signal, we ask that you send a ship to rescue ours as we've been attacked by enemy forces, if a fleet is needed, do so, we don't have much time, hurry as soon as you can." The signal cut out and Twilight then started as the group looked to her.

"It seems that we've got a runaway trying to meet with us, what do you think, Wyatt?"

Wyatt gave a concerned look as he answered. "I believe so, while there is a possibility that it could be a trap, I believe we can risk such a venture into that sector. Any ideas?"

Trixie gave a smile as he answered the Admiral. "Well, I believe that I can get our task force set up quickly, I'd gotten a minute on break with Starlight when I checked the maps on a nearby console, I had found a fleet of 18 ships patrolling this sector of space to keep an eye out for any of Madran's lackeys. Since we're getting some of our old ships from way back when over here, I think we can get them to come with us."

Wyatt then gave a smile as he responded to the magician. "Good idea, besides, we've gotten a few of those old Federation class ships over here, so that won't be a problem, Twilight?" The mare in question looked to him before speaking.

"My friends and I don't have an issue on that, I just hope we don't lose anyone while we're there."

Vinyl then raised a hoof before she spoke up. "Hey Admiral, is it a problem if my team and I help out? I heard those engineering teams have gotten some of the ship fixed up to the point where she can put up a fight."

Wyatt gave a smile as he answered her. "Just don't get hurt over there." Vinyl nodded before the Admiral finished. "Now, I want everyone to get themselves ready, who knows what could happen over there. Miolii, tell our crew to get ready for departure, and Trixie, could you contact the task fleet and get them to meet us at the transmission's coordinates?"

"Not a problem." Trixie answered before Wyatt continued.

"Good, now let's get ourselves ready. Dismissed." The group then stood out of their seats and made their way to the four turbolifts in the room, the doors closing as they stood in them.

Twilight then looked to Rainbow Dash as she asked her, "Dash, when we went to the academy, you said you took just about all of the different drills for varying races we've seen, correct?"

"Sure did Twi, if you need any hints or something, don't be afraid to ask me!" The Princess smiled but then gave a worried expression as she asked another question.

"Another thing, I heard we we're taking some civilians from Equestria on a tour of the ship, and I heard that your parents were apart of it. Do you think that'll be a problem?"

No, if you don't mind, can we have them on the bridge?" Twilight nodded before Dash responded. "Great, they can watch me fly this thing like how I do in the Wonderbolts squadrons!" Dash gave a cocky grin as she and her friends stood in the turbolift, waiting for the lift to reach the deck they were previously on..

~U.S.S. Equestria Bridge~

The bridge was hot with busy officers operating the consoles as the two turbolifts opened, 8 ponies coming from them as they trotted to their stations. Twilight, Flash, and Spike sat in their chairs as the Princess looked to the viewscreen to see a ship docked near the starbase, it resembled an Olympic class medical ship, with a spherical section that was held by two connected cylindrical sections, which held a pair of pylons attached to nacelles similar to the Amarillo's. The front of the ship had a small line of text that read, "U.S.S. Columbus, NCC-621". Twilight then looked to Pinkie Pie, who was at the comms station as she spoke to her. "Pinkie, pull up the coordinates we got from Wyatt, I want to see where this planet is located." Pinkie then tapped her console a few times before the screen changed to show a map of the Alpha Quadrant, above the area that held the Draconis system within it was a sector about two sectors away that contained nothing but a yellow circle that indicated the signal's origin. Twilight then heard a beep from her console and she tapped it to answer.

"Stone here, Twilight, I've gotten word from the fleet that they'll be right alongside us when we head out, so we'll be ready for them once we get there, are you all set?"

Twilight looked to her friends, who all gave confirming nods before she answered her mentor. "Everything's up and ready, just give the word."

"Good, we'll be waiting for you to give the word, Stone out." The channel cut out as the turbolift doors opened to show two ponies entering the room, Rainbow gave a smile as she saw them. Both of the pegasi were blue, but the stallion had a darker shade of it, with a rainbow colored mane and tail like his daughter, he had gold eyes and a green jacket on him as well. The other had pink eyes, a yellow shirt and a mane and tail that sported the colors of light and dark orange.

"Mom, Dad, glad you're here, I was hoping to get you to meet my crewmates eventually!" Dash said as Bow Hothoof replied to her.

"Not only that, but our little girl's going to be flying this big ship Princess Twilight has, if I heard it right!"

Scootaloo then chimed in. "Yep, but you might want to keep yourselves ready for trouble, I think you won't just be seeing Dash flying the ship today, we're headin' into unknown space and we might get attacked." The two parents gave worried looks as Dash calmed them down.

"Don't worry, I'm sure we'll all be able to handle it, besides, a nearby fleet is going to help us out, so there shouldn't be a problem."

"I hope so, I don't want my daughter to get hurt today, not when we're on a tour." Windy Whistles said as her daughter replied.

"Meh, happens everyday." She said before she and Scootaloo laughed a little, Windy and Bow giving weak ones before Dash looked to Twilight. "The ship's all set for warp Twi, just give the word!"

Twilight smiled as she answered the speedster pegasus. "Engage." Upon her order, Dash tapped the console and the Equestria's nacelles glowed a bright blue, the engines roaring along with the Amarillo's before the two ships zapped away towards the sea of space, a bright white flash appearing as the sector was once again silent.

Twilight then turned to Starlight, who was standing next to the three officers as she asked her, "Starlight, you don't have a problem sticking with Trixie for this, do you? She's been quite worried about you when it comes to handling tasks like this."

"Not a problem Twilight, I don't intend to get killed a second time, I don't think Trixie could take it. I just hope she doesn't get hurt trying to protect me." Starlight replied as the two then looked to the viewscreen, stars passing by the two ships as they sailed towards the signal's origin.