Star Trek Hunter Episode 18: World on Fire

[Robert Bruce Scott]

ontinued from Episode 17: Terms of Surrender

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 18: World on Fire

Episode 18 – World on Fire​

“Hate and fear are powerful tools. Entire populations will reinvent worlds, traverse impossible distances, invent new technologies in response to hate and fear. They will meet and exceed their fondest peacetime dreams in the furtherance of war. It is the difference between wanting to do a thing and needing to do a thing. With hate and fear, the weak become strong. Without hate and fear, the strong grow weak. The hope, goodwill, inspiration and genius of a people must always be supplemented with hate and fear. But a leader can never succumb to these emotions. The leader’s job is to help people transcend hate and fear, not just by overcoming it, but by strategically transferring it to the next antagonist.” ​

Pomm Irons - Introduction to Bajor Set Free: The Bajoran Resistance, The Maquis Rebellion, The Dominion War and the Fall of the Cardassian Empire.​

Crew of the U.S.S. Hunter: (Ship's Interactive Holographic Avatar - Hunter).

At-Large Appellate Justice, Captain Minerva Irons.
Chief Executive Officer - Commander David Pepper.
Chief Operations Officer - Lieutenant Commander Mlady.
.
Medical Director - Commander Tali Shae.

Assistant Medical Director - Lieutenant Jazz Sam Sinder.
Epidemiologist - Lieutenant Napoleon Boles.

Ensign Chrissiana Trei.

Forensic Specialist - Midshipman Sif.
Emergency Medical Hologram - Dr. Raj.
Tactical Medical Hologram - Dr. Kim.​

.
Director of Flight Operations - Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Dolphin.

Assistant Flight Director - 2nd Lieutenant Gaia Gamor.

Navigator Johanna Imex.
Navigator Eli Strahl.​

Ensign Ethan Phillips.

Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth (last name rhymes with Booth).
Chief Flight Specialist Thyssi zh’Qaoleq (last name rhymes with Chocolate).
Flight Specialist Dih Terri.
Flight Specialist Winnifreid Salazaar.​

.
Director of Ground Operations - Lieutenant Tauk.

Assistant Ground Ops Director - 2nd Lieutenant T’Lon.

Investigator Buttans Ngumbo.
Special Agent Anana Lynarr, Trantor Police Intelligence Division (temporary assignment).​

Ensign Tolon Reeves.

Chief Tactical Specialist Rumi Grace.
Tactical Specialist Dasare Eba (rhymes with Cabaret Nina).
Tactical Specialist Veri Geki.
Tactical Specialist Ranni Neivi.​

.
Director of Engineering - Lieutenant Moon Sun Salek.

Assistant Engineering Director - 2nd Lieutenant Sun Ho Hui.

Midshipman Tammy Brazil.

Transporter Engineer K'rok.​

Ensign Geoffrey Horatio Alstars.

Flight Engineer Yolanda Thomas.
Flight Engineer Thomas Hobbs.
Flight Engineer Tomos
Flight Engineer Kerry Gibbon​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

I thought it might be fun to include a bibliography of the (mostly fictitious) sources for the quotes at the beginning of each episode of Star Trek Hunter:

• The Morality of Hybridizing Intelligent Species; Kenneth Dolphin, Ph.D.
• The Impact of Humanity on Pon Farr - the Vulcan Mating Cycle; Dr. Kenny Dolphin.
• Fundamentals of Federation Ethics; Dr. Kenny Dolphin.
• Subspace Radio Ivonovic, Broadcast #32; Dr. Kenny Dolphin, Governor Emory Ivonovic.
• Fish Out Of Water - A Book About My Father; Starlight Dolphin.
• Notes on the Fifth Federation-Mediated Succession of the Andorian Emperor; Ambassador Sarek.
• Introduction to Legends of the Sisco, 4th Edition; Kai Kila Xijiana.
• Introduction to The Great Klingon Poets, Volume 19, The Late Neo-Mystic Tradition; Dr. David Pepper.
• Inscription on the Statue of Wesley Crusher on the grounds of Star Fleet Academy; (attributed to Wesley Crusher).
• The Human Time Bomb; Pomm Irons.
• Bajor Set Free - the Bajoran Resistance, the Maquis Rebellion, the Dominion War, and the Fall of the Cardassian Empire; Pomm Irons.
• Editorial in the Good News of New Hope; Radovan Ivonovic.
• Speech Before the Federation Council; Emperor Sin IV of Andoria.
• The Ethics of Temporal Mechanics; Dr. Tali Shae.
• Klingon Proverb.
• Ethical Sentient Predation - a Predator's Guide to the Ethical Hunting, Husbandry, and Harvesting of Intelligent Prey Animals; Dr. Mlady.
• Star Fleet Informational Memorandum #56910.2, Vol. 28, Item 42; At-Large Appellate Justice Captain Minerva Irons, Ph.D.
• Bhagavad-Gita, Chapter 11, Verse 32.
• Statement on Witnessing the Successful Detonation of the First Atomic Bomb; J. Robert Oppenheimer, Manhattan Project Director.
• Words of My Father from The Forge; Alexander Rozhinko.
• The Returned: Life After the Collective; Admiral Katherine Janeway.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 18: World on Fire
Scene 1: Operation Hermit Crab

18.1
Operation Hermit Crab​

“If I weren’t frightened out of my wits, I would have to say this is exactly why I signed up,” said Ensign Geoffrey Horatio Alstars in his bristly Oxford accent. He lifted a tool that looked like a cross between an oversize phaser rifle and a fire hose. It had a homespun look to it of a newly invented gadget made from parts that were never designed to be assembled in that way or actually put together into the same contraption at all. Alstars was in a full EVA suit, standing in the rear hatch of the wagon.


A bulkhead sealed the flight booth of the wagon, allowing the rear compartment to be evacuated of air and opened to space. Alstars was harnessed inside the back compartment as he aimed the hose end toward an asteroid. A broad matter stream flowed from the asteroid into the open end of the hose. The hose curled in a broad loop and snaked back out the aft port of the wagon up over the rear hatch door onto the top of the wagon where Lt. Napoleon Boles stood - also clad in an EVA suit, his magnetized boots clamped firmly to the top of the wagon. Boles was holding the other end of the hose, a particle stream spewing out of an appliance that looked similar but not identical to the one Alstars was using.


“I like this thing,” Boles replied, using his end of the hose to sculpt a large structure onto the asteroid. “So in addition to being a math whiz, looks like you’re quite the tinker.”


The wagon was slowly pulling away from the asteroid and rotating slowly on its longitudinal axis as Alstars continued dematerializing rock and sucking it into his homemade device and Boles, standing atop the wagon, spewed rematerialized rock out the other end and used it to construct a large, open structure, reinforcing various segments with a variety of struts and buttresses. The structure was already quite large.


“Okay, Tauk,” said Boles, “it should be big enough - can you confirm with your readings?”

“Confirmed,” came the voice of the U.S.S. Hunter’s director of ground operations. “But it looks a little smooth on the outside.”

“Let’s get you in there first, then I’ll pretty up the outside. We’ll pick up some rock from the other end,” Boles responded.


Lt. Tauk was standing at the tactical/communications station at the back of the bridge of the Hunter. “Going to be a tight fit.”

“Just what the doctor ordered,” replied Commander David Pepper, seated in the captain’s chair. “Wayne, get out of there. Kenny, get us parked.”

“Aye sir,” came the voice of Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth from the flight booth on the wagon.


On the viewscreen on the Hunter’s bridge, the bridge crew watched as the wagon, with Lt. Napoleon Boles still standing atop it, came out of the large structure and flew off to the other end of one of the larger asteroids in the system. The opening could be seen on the viewscreen along with a portion of the back end of the Hunter’s main nacelle. Lt. Commander Kenny Dolphin, at the pilot’s station, pulled the control stick out from under the panel, rotated it 90 degrees into the upright operating position and used the stick to carefully back the Hunter into the structure that Boles and Alstars had built.

Once the Hunter was parked inside this hastily constructed hangar, the two interceptors pulled in and instead of trying to re-enter their bays, clamped carefully to the top of the front of the nacelle just below the saucer section. The wagon followed them in. Boles used the tool Alstars had created to partially close the opening, leaving clear lines of fire open for the Hunter’s forward phaser cannons and torpedo tubes but concealing the majority of the front of the small, Prowler class starship.

Guth carefully landed the wagon upside down on the bottom of the saucer section, anchoring the large, uparmored shuttlecraft magnetically to the underside of the Hunter’s primary hull. Alstars untethered himself from the inside of the wagon and using magnetized boots, stepped out of the open rear hatch of the wagon onto the Hunter’s hull, carrying his end of the firehose-like tool. Boles, carrying the other end, walked along the top of the wagon, then down the side of it and onto the Hunter’s hull. They slowly made their way toward the port hatch, the long hose-like tool stretched out between them.


The Hunter lurked in dark mode.


“One hour, 27 minutes to complete Operation Hermit Crab. If there had been a ship in this system, we wouldn’t have had a chance,” said Pep.

Napoleon Boles and Geoff Alstars were on the bridge.

“As it is, it may be just enough time,” said Dolphin. “That thing was big - and fast.”

“Warp 9.97,” Tauk said. “But we don’t know whether they were running flat out after us or just cruising.”

“What are the chances they saw us?” Pep asked.

“We should operate under the assumption they did,” said Tauk. “And if so, they should be able to sniff us out here if they go looking for thruster emissions. Given the capabilities and staffing of a ship that large, they might sniff those emissions out even if they’re not looking for us.”

“Can they trace us to this asteroid?” asked Pep.

“We jetted around several asteroids while Geoff and Napoleon were building this structure and I don’t think they will be looking for a structure like this. Unless they hover just outside our door here, they shouldn’t be able to read us as long as we stay in dark mode,” Tauk replied.

“I think I can reconfigure the reconfigurator to handle about four times the flow,” said Alstars. “But handling the other end - this is a manual process - Napoleon, could you manage that kind of an increase in volume?”

“Bring it on,” Boles responded.

“With that kind of modification, how quickly could we replicate Operation Hermit Crab?” asked Pep.

Alstars ran his fingers through his thick mane of grey hair, causing it to fluff out, making him look somewhat like a lanky, elderly lion. He looked over at Boles. “Depending on the composition of the asteroid, 20-40 minutes?”

Boles ran a blue hand over his hairless, blue scalp, squeezed the back of his neck. “You have to take practice into account. Now that I’ve built one of these, with the improvement Geoff is talking about, I could have built this garage in 15 minutes.”


“That romulan battlegod is entering the system now,” said Tauk. “It has diverted to the asteroid belt.”

“On screen,” said Pep.

The viewscreen changed to display an image of the new romulan ship moving slowly in relation to an asteroid that was about 1/3 the size of the battlegod.

“That asteroid is just a little smaller than the U.S.S. Milky Way,” said Tauk.



Everyone on the bridge just looked silently at the ship the romulans were calling a battlegod. It was similar in design to the romulan warbird, with the beak pointed more forward than downward and a much larger wing structure supporting enormous twin nacelles on either side.


“That thing is a monster,” Dolphin observed. “The warbird is bigger than the Galaxy class, but that thing is much, much bigger than the Milky Way. The romulans just have to do everything bigger.”

“Wait till they see the U.S.S. Ark,” said Pep. He turned toward Ensign Alstars and Lt. Boles, who were staring, slack-jawed, watching the romulan behemoth on the viewscreen. “What are you two doing on the bridge? Get down to engineering and reconfigure that - whatever you called it. We may need it soon if Goliath here sniffs us out.”


Boles and Alstars exchanged glances, then hurried off the bridge.

18.1 (of 10)​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 18: World on Fire
Scene 2: The Slaves of Saketh

18.2
The Slaves of Saketh​

Ensign Tolon Reeves was just beginning his day. He had enjoyed a slow, sleepy awakening next to Midshipman Sif, who, despite her slight build, had a tendency to snore. She swore that he snored as well, so it seemed fair enough. He was shrugging on his uniform when Chief Tactical Specialist Rumi Grace contacted him telepathically. There was a politeness to the way that the betazoids reached out to him - except in the field, they generally left all such communication to Rumi and she only reached out to him telepathically when it was important. Even then, unless it was desperately important, she would leave a slight touch in his mind, like a hand on his shoulder, and wait for him to acknowledge it. Even as he was combing his scant hair and patting down his comb-over, he could tell she had waited until he was fully awake and had left Sif’s sleeping/escape pod.


Go ahead, Rumi, Reeves thought.

That romulan battlegod out there is called the I.R.W. Fero. Telepathic contact with Rumi was very much like hearing her voice in his mind - only a little faster. We opened to sense if there were any telepaths aboard. The romulans are not telepathic, at least not unless you touch them. But there are almost 90,000 slaves of a species we have not encountered before. One of them gave Ranni a lot of information. I think you should hear it. I think everyone should hear it.

Tell her to prepare to report verbally. Reeves almost had to speak aloud - just short of it to think the words he needed for Rumi to hear. He was grateful she did not reach any further into his mind than just the surface. He was equally grateful the betazoids had somehow turned out to be a society dedicated to non-violence. The idea of a conquering race of powerful telepaths was nothing short of terrifying.


Fifteen minutes later, the senior staff with the exceptions of Commander Pepper, Lt. Cmdr. Dolphin and Lt. Tauk, who were still on the bridge, were gathered in the executive conference room, along with 2nd Lt. T’Lon, and the remainder of the Ground Operations Department. The room was dimly lit by the luminescent wall panels and the doors were open. The antique teak table, actually a holographic projection, was missing as the ship was in dark mode. The chairs were physical items that were stored in this room.

“There are nearly 90,000 slaves aboard the I.R.W. Fero,” said Tactical Specialist Ranni Neivi. She was seated at one end of where the conference table usually was, between Ensign Tolon and Chief Grace. Justice Minerva Irons was seated at the other end, along with Dr. Tali Shae, Lt. Cmdr. Mlady and Lt. Moon Sun Salek. The two other betazoid tactical specialists, Veri Geki and Dasare Eba were seated around the room as well as Investigator Buttans Ngumbo and Special Agent Anana Lynarr.

“They are almost indistinguishable from humans and betazoids in looks and very highly educated. They have a different form of telepathy - one of them noticed me when I was testing for telepaths and transferred a vast amount of his memories to me. But this is a kind of death-bed process. They cannot normally communicate telepathically - when they do, it quite literally kills them.”

“So was he dying when he, um, noticed you?” asked Special Agent Lynarr. Unlike Dr. Boles, Lynarr was completely bolian. Her skin was the lighter, powder blue most commonly seen among her people. The vertical bifurcating ridge that ran from her forehead to her chin was more pronounced than that of the half-bolian epidemiologist.

“He wanted to,” Ranni replied. “Physically he was fine, but he had been singled out because of his looks and had been repeatedly raped. Romulans are not kind to their slaves. He realized that I was not one of his kind and he wanted to let me know about his people. They’re from Saketh, but that is not their homeworld. They call themselves the Hemra. They came to Saketh on a generational ship traveling close to the speed of light. Their homeworld is in the Dead Zone - it was sterilized long ago by the gamma radiation. They had built up a population into the hundreds of millions on Saketh. Set – that was his name – believed they might have been within a century of developing warp technology when the romulans enslaved them. Apparently the remans were nearly wiped out in the Hobus event and many of the survivors scattered. The romulans needed a new slave population to replace the remans.”

“I didn’t realize the romulans were so dependent on slaves,” said Agent Lynarr.

“Not just on the slaves from Saketh,” said Ranni. “They’re dependent on Saketh itself. Saketh is a very fertile world. There are nearly a billion romulans settled there along with the Hemra. That planet supports several billion romulans in this part of their empire. And the romulans have found a gamma wave front about 300 light years from that planet. So in 300 years, Saketh will be a dead world.”

“Do you think Dr. Carrera can get the Hulk working in time to save it?” asked Lynarr.

“It’s already too late,” said Dr. Moon. “That gamma wave front has already passed through the Hulk. Saketh is a doomed world. As is Gamorlan.”

“Was he able to tell you where that ship is going?” asked Justice Irons.

“He did not know the name, but he had heard some of the guards talking about it,” Ranni replied. “From his description, it pretty much has to be Gamorlan. Volcanoes, endless lightning storms, what’s left of the forests are dying. And a gamma wave is approaching. It will engulf the planet and kill whatever is left in 32 years.

“David,” said Irons, “where is that battlegod?”

Pep’s voice came through the open doorway that led into the bridge: “It’s right at our doorstep…”

18.2 (of 10)​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 18: World on Fire
Scene 3: The Imperial Romulan Warship Fero

18.3
The Imperial Romulan Warship Fero​

All eyes on the bridge of the U.S.S. Hunter were glued to the window, which offered the only view out of the makeshift hanger. All systems on the Hunter were off with the exception of basic life support and even that was relegated to medical, where all non-essential crew, including the Ground Operations Department, were now gathered. Interior lights were off, leaving only the dim blue glow of luminescent wall panels that allowed the crew enough illumination to find their way from one room to the next. All doors were open to allow passive air movement so that life support could be minimized.

Outside of the hastily crafted cavern, those on the bridge could see first the monstrous nose of the I.R.W. Fero, about 1,500 meters from the opening, eclipsing much of the open space behind it that was visible to the Hunter’s crew. Then the massive split wing structure, then, only about a hundred meters outside the cavern, only details of the enormous dual nacelle on the port side of the ship. It was already moving extremely slowly, then slowed to a stop.


Commander David Pepper was still in the captain’s chair. Justice Minerva Irons was standing just to his left, her hand on his massive shoulder. “Steady,” she said, very softly. In front of them, they could see the rivets on the plates of the port dual nacelle and part of the gas chamber, revealed by transparent aluminum, glowing green, pulsing with the hydrogen intermix that helped translate monstrous amounts of power into a warp field. Gradually, the gasses brightened, glowing brighter and brighter.

Suddenly, the battlegod pivoted, bringing the nose to point almost directly at the U.S.S. Hunter in its hiding place. Everyone on the bridge gasped - poised to take action at Pep’s order. “Steady,” Pep said softly. The crew was frozen, barely daring to breathe. Gradually, the nose raised higher, exposing several disruptor cannon banks, then a huge bank of torpedo tubes, then, gradually, the underside of the massive I.R.W. Fero.

Lt. Cmdr. Mlady, now standing at the tactical/communications station, said, very quietly, “Rock quake. Something is causing this asteroid to vibrate. This hangar is about to come apart around us.”


“Standby for navigation screens on my mark,” Pep said. “Not until I say…”


The tremors were now visible, cracks appearing in the hangar around the Hunter. The cavern shook hard suddenly. The monstrous romulan battlegod seemed to elongate as it warped out of the system. Large chunks of the rough-hewn hangar came loose.

“Mark!” Pep shouted. The Hunter’s navigation screens came up, just in time to protect the hull from large chunks of rock - the cavern ripped apart by the close contact with the Fero’s warp field.

“Kenny, minimum power, thrusters only, get us clear,” Pep said.

Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth Dolphin swiftly and deftly maneuvered the Hunter free from the storm of shattered rock, into the space the I.R.W. Fero had just vacated and brought the Hunter around to face the direction the Fero had taken.

Next to Dolphin, 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor checked her navigational screen. She turned to look at Pep: “They are headed straight to Gamorlan.”

18.3 (of 10)​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 18: World on Fire
Scene 4: Signals

18.4
Signals​

Gamorlan was the sixth planet out from its star, a star system nestled precariously near the border of romulan space with the Dead Zone and the Klingon Empire. Since the Dead Zone was invading romulan space, the great machine known as the Hulk had already drifted into position between this star system and the distant Gamma Gun Galaxy that had produced the deadly gamma wave fronts nearly two billion years previously. The romulans had charted a gamma wave that had made it through the no longer effective protective barrier of the Hulk and would, moving at light speed, reach the Gamorlan system and sterilize everything in it within 32 years.

Two large dwarf planets that had been in close orbits had collided with each other sometime during the past two hundred years, filling the system with astonishing amounts of rocky debris. The U.S.S. Hunter caught a ride on a large asteroid on the other side of the Gamorlan star from the planet and traveling back inward toward the Gamorlan star. It took Ensign Geoff Alstars and Lt. Napoleon Boles only 20 minutes to construct a hanger out of the native asteroid rock in which to hide the Hunter. This time the wagon and the two interceptors had separate access ports.


“So the Saketh star system is about 270 light years from here,” mused Justice Minerva Irons, massaging her neck.

“Almost due +90 degrees absolute z,” replied 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor. “Almost the mean center of the galactic disk at this distance from the galactic center. The gamma wave that will sterilize this system in about 30 years is the same wave that will kill Saketh in about 300 years – moving at the speed of light.”

The senior staff was again assembled in the executive conference room, along with 2nd Lt. Gamor and Special Agent Anana Lynarr.


“It turns out that Special Agent Lynarr is a signals expert,” said Lt. Tauk, the U.S.S. Hunter’s Director of Ground Operations. “With my authorization, she installed a program designed to identify and collect intelligent use of radio frequencies. Over the past three days of travel we passed through and collected the entire radio wave broadcast of the pre-warp Gamorlan culture – a period of broadcasting that lasted 223 earth years and ended a little over 170 years ago. Apparently, none of the indigenous people of Gamorlan are still alive. Their last automated radio signal ended well over 150 years ago. Lynarr will provide more detail.”

The young bolian special agent from the Trantor Police Intelligence Division stepped to the end of the conference table where presenters usually stood. “As with most cultures using radio signals for communication, the Gamorlan culture started with binary code, then more complicated code. It took them about 20 years to begin to send audio signals…” As she spoke, the holographic display used traditional representations of coded radio signals to provide a visual aid. “…finally graduating to full color audio-visual transmissions within 40 years after learning how to use radio signals.”

“Did they have space travel?” asked Justice Irons.

“Slow and local,” Lynarr replied. “They never went any farther than low orbit of their planet with anything except robots. Never sent anything out of their solar system that I saw any record of. This is a fair sample of what they looked like - Hunter?


While no one actually cooed, Rumi Grace and her other betazoid squad members could hear and feel everyone else in the room suppressing that reaction. There was something about the people of Gamorlan that was desperately, unbearably… cute. Big eyes, soft, heart-shaped faces with a fine covering of downy fur.


“They developed space flight within 10 years of being able to transmit monochrome audio-video,” Lynarr continued. “They had about 40 major political divisions world-wide, claiming territory, speaking slightly different languages, and following variations of a single, world-wide religion. Which lead to ferocious wars that would put them back a few decades, then one territory or another would re-start their space program from scratch.”

“They had known for hundreds of years that the 4th and 5th planets in the system were on a collision course. They calculated it down to the hour and were well aware that it would be devastating to Gamorlan - wiping out their culture and probably their species. A coalition of territories came up with a plan - a good one. They had the technology to gradually pull both planets into different orbits. But with all the wars and having to restart their space programs over and over, they missed their window.”

Dr. Tali Shae leaned forward, her antennae focusing on the holographic representation of an unbelievably cute alien. “So planets 4 and 5 collided on schedule and destroyed all the life on the 6th planet?”

“Not all life. Most of it,” Lynarr replied. “But the Gamorlan species became extinct more than 80 years before the collision. Another war. Biological weapons - 100% effective. They wiped themselves out. They had missed dozens of opportunities to save their world and killed each other off in a massive world war before their solar system could do it for them.”

“What were all these wars over,” asked Lt. Moon Sun Salek, “resources?”

“It doesn’t seem so,” Lynarr responded. “Actually, Gamorlan was one of those rare super planets, like Romulus, Bajor, and Earth - abundant with life and natural resources. From what I can tell, there was one primary religion worldwide that had a few dozen different regional variations. It seems they were fighting over slight doctrinal differences - the correct substitution for sacrifice of their firstborn children, which hour of the day the main prayers were to be said… Probably most importantly, which of about four or six lineages from the first prophets was the ‘true’ lineage and had a divine right to set dogma…”


The bolian special agent from Trantor gestured toward the holographic projection of the unbearably cute aliens. “These people exterminated their entire species at the behest of their religious leaders.”

18.4 (of 10)​

 

[Bynar0110]

I enjoyed this chapter. Is the Hulk and Gamma Gun Galaxy, a reference to the Incredible Hulk?

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

I enjoyed this chapter. Is the Hulk and Gamma Gun Galaxy, a reference to the Incredible Hulk?

Glad you're enjoying! I put a lot of teases into the series that it might be some sort of crossover, but it never is - it stays firmly rooted in the Trek-verse (despite the Trantor Police Department, surfing in Numinor, a project in Pern, the Hulk, and a late breaking invasion of Sauron's orcs...) The Hulk is simply the name given to a mysterious, enormous machine designed to protect life in the Milky Way from a wavefront of warp-embedded gamma waves generated by a small galaxy consisting largely of black holes (dubbed the Gamma Gun Galaxy.)

These were introduced in Episode 10: The Philosopher and is the looming environmental disaster that drives the plot of the series, especially in Year 3 (the final year of the series.) Episode 10 also reveals that the race that constructed the Hulk was....

Spoiler: Spoiler from Episode 10

the Borg - in fact, this is the reason the Borg were created - to build and maintain the Hulk and protect all life in the Milky Way. They kind of lost the thread a few hundred thousand years ago and went off and did something else. Their assimilation kick is relatively quite recent - only the past fifteen hundred years or so.

Thanks!! rbs

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 18: World on Fire
Scene 5: Flare Up

18.5
Flare Up​

The U.S.S. Hunter remained in dark mode for four days, slowly moving past the 8th planet, hidden inside a rocky asteroid, tracking traffic patterns around Gamorlan and throughout the planetary system. Until the destruction of Romulus and the need for food aid to be provided, only a very few in the Federation had ever seen a romulan freighter. There had been four of these slow, ponderous ships in the Gamorlan system when the Hunter was building its rocky cocoon. The battlegod I.R.W. Fero spent nearly an entire day in the system, most of that time in close orbit of Gamorlan. Its presence helped provide scale for the freighters – they were also very large.

During the day that the Fero was present in the system, eight freighters arrived and two of the initial four left. Seven freighters left the system shortly after the Fero left and another two left the next day. The remaining freighter was parked in geosynchronous orbit. At this point, the Hunter and its asteroidal camouflage had passed through the orbits of the 7th planet and Gamorlan’s orbit and were en-route to the very active asteroid belt that was all that was left of the 4th and 5th planets in the system.


“The only way to mask our approach to the planet from the romulans currently in orbit is to surf a solar flare,” said Dr. Moon Sun Salek, the U.S.S. Hunter’s Director of Engineering. Justice Minerva Irons and Lt. Cmdr. Mlady were in the engineering conference room, along with Lt. Cmdr. Kenneth Dolphin, Director of Flight Operations, his assistant director, 2nd Lt. Gaia Gamor, Assistant Engineering Director, 2nd Lt. Sun Ho Hui, Ensign Geoffrey Horatio Alstars and navigators Johanna Imex and Eli Strahl.

“Using recursive warp, we should be able to enter near solar orbit, keeping this system’s star between us and Gamorlan. This star, like most stars, rotates on its axis. If we modify a photon torpedo, transforming it into a deflector shield emitter, that can be used to generate a powerful magnetic field, which will spark a large solar flare, which we can aim directly toward Gamorlan. Dr. Alstars has already worked out the math:” Moon gestured to a clearboard, covered with arcane equations.

“The math is fairly simple…” Alstars started.

“The math is fairly simple for Dr. Alstars,” Moon corrected. She gestured toward Gamor, Imex and Strahl. “And has been verified by your navigation team. We use the moment of the magnetic burst in the star’s corona to come around in close orbit from behind the star and take position just in front of the solar flare. Then engage recursive warp at warp factor one so that we travel in front of the flare and with it at the speed of light. Since the romulans have little experience with recursive warp, our warp signature should appear to be just a feature of the solar flare. We have set up a window so that we can arrive on the opposite side of Gamorlan from that romulan freighter, enter the atmosphere masked by the solar flare, send out the wagon and the interceptors and employ operation Hermit Crab to hide the Hunter on the surface of Gamorlan for the duration of the mission.”

“Salek, when will your operational window open next?” Irons asked.

“In 2 hours, 27 minutes,” Dr. Moon replied. “And the next opportunity will occur 29 hours after that. If we miss both windows, we will need a different plan – it will be over a month before we get this opportunity again.”

Irons squeezed the back of her head. “And our exit strategy?”

“Break out of hiding, get to an altitude of 6 meters, dock the interceptors and the wagon and jump to warp 9 in standard configuration, then switch recursive warp at factor 12 as soon as we clear the atmosphere,” said Dr. Moon.

“Going to high warp that close to the surface would be very dangerous, and possibly rather destructive to the planet’s surface,” Dolphin observed.

"Very dangerous for most starships," Dr. Moon replied. "But the same design features that make the Hunter naturally stealthy, along with its compact size, make it able to slip through strong tidal forces with little or no damage."

“As for the planet, that is part of the plan,” 2nd Lt. Sun added. “We will be parked in the middle of a hotspot for a massive caldera. The presence of a factor 9 warp shell within 6 meters of the crust will bring more than a million tons of magma through the surface, setting off a supervolcano larger than all the volcanos currently active on the planet. It should keep the romulans occupied while we escape and destroy any remaining gamorlan bio-technology on the planet.”

Justice Irons stood up. “Approved. Kenneth, we need to meet with the Ground Operations Department and your flight team to go over what the mission actually entails.”

18.5 (of 10)​

 

[Bynar0110]

Another fun chapter RBS.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Another fun chapter RBS.

Thanks for the kind words - glad you're enjoying!! rbs

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 18: World on Fire
Scene 6: Gamorlan Ground Mission

18.6
Gamorlan Ground Mission​

Special Agent Anana Lynarr sat at her station (that had previously been assigned to Lynhart Shran). Her eyes were glued to her viewscreens. She ran a blue hand over her hairless blue scalp and squeezed the back of her neck, then returned her hand to her station controls, constantly making tiny adjustments. With her other hand she occasionally adjusted something that looked like an oversized licorice stick protruding from her mouth, which she gnawed on ceaselessly, staining her lips and tongue black. Whatever this food or snack was, it was evidently pungent – when Lt. Tauk walked by, his eyes immediately started watering. The little ferengi was coughing hard by the time he got to his desk. He opened a cabinet, retrieved a breather and strapped it firmly to his mouth and nose before going to work at his station. He and Lynarr were the only people left in ground ops. The rest of the team was on assignment.

Lynarr had been studying the sensor network the romulans had installed in orbit of Gamorlan. The powerful solar flare caused these sensors to shut down for a few seconds to protect themselves from damage. When they reactivated, a significant amount of new software loaded into their operating systems, allowing Lynarr not only to receive their feed, but also to use a cascade of sensor loops to disguise the progress of the interceptors and the wagon across the surface of the violent and ruined world. This would have been impossible on a peaceful planet, but the clouds of volcanic ash and static from ongoing volcanic eruptions planetwide provided an abundance of cover to mask the progress of these small vessels close to the violent surface of the planet.


In the operation staging booth in the back of the wagon, Commander David Pepper was going over a few details with the strike force, consisting of himself, Lt. Cmdr. Mlady, 2nd Lt. T’Lon, Ensign Tolon Reeves, Investigator Buttans Ngumbo, and Tolon’s squad of betazoid tactical specialists: Chief Rumi Grace, Ranni Neivi, Veri Geki and Dasare Eba. An unexpected addition to this group was the vulcan flight engineer, Tomos.

“Our purpose here is to deny the romulans – or anyone else – access to the gamorlans’ biological weapon,” Pep said. “But first we must ascertain how much of this research has already been moved off-world and if so, where. While everyone here, with the exception of Tomos, is a trained fighter, we have essentially two functional groups – telepaths and their protectors.”

The wagon bucked hard, giving everyone a jolt as it travelled at low altitude over an active volcano. Pep continued: “Given the difference in the way telepathy works for betazoids and vulcans, we will separate into two teams. Reeves here will take his squad, who can establish and break telepathic contact without requiring physical contact and therefore can protect one another effectively.”

Ensign Tolon Reeves spoke up. “This is the sort of mission that Rumi selected and trained her team for. Romulans are very resistant to telepathy, but we may be able to obtain information from their slaves. Physically, romulans are as strong as vulcans, far stronger than klingons or humans or the rest of us. If we get into hand-to-hand combat, remember their strength. Do not try to block their blows. Evade, evade, evade, evade. Unless you want a broken arm.”

“Because Tomos and T’Lon have to use mind-melds,” Pep continued, “their telepathic contact will take longer and be far more dangerous. But those forms of telepathy will be far more effective with romulans than what our betazoid squad members can do. Mlady is our most effective telepath – not really a telepathic ability – she can hook directly into a romulan’s nervous system, but she has to either claw or bite them to do so. Ngumbo and I will provide primary protection for these three. We have identified two facilities, so one team for each facility.”

“Special Agent Lynarr identified two separate operations from romulan transmissions and our telemetry of this planet,” said T’Lon. “The romulans are removing tons of soil from this planet, which is why that freighter is parked in near orbit. It is actually an off-world soil processing center. It remains in geosynchronous orbit above the primary harvesting operation.”

The wagon shook briefly as it traveled close over a chain of active volcanoes. Lt. Cmdr. Mlady continued the briefing. “The biological research stations are located in one of the best preserved of the Gamorlan cities. Apparently, the romulans simply took over and modified the gamorlan research facilities. The gamorlans were a small people – I would be a giant among them. So the romulans have probably built passageways that are useful for them. Smaller passageways that we cannot easily walk upright in are probably unused. These might make good hiding places but they would also be easy to become trapped in.”

“How do we have so much detailed information about their architecture?” asked Tomos.

“Special Agent Lynarr is very thorough,” T’Lon answered. “We obtained a great amount of their languages, so your universal translators have been programmed with the gamorlan languages as well. Since they’re extinct, we won’t encounter any live specimens, but they may have left behind recorded messages that could be helpful to this mission.”

“We are two minutes from landing,” said Pep. “Set your phasers to heavy stun. Romulan soldiers wear ablative armor, so a hit on the stun setting won’t do much to them. Switch to the deadly force setting if you encounter armored romulans.”

18.6 (of10)​

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter

Episode 18: World on Fire
Scene 7: The Little Folk

18.7
The Little Folk​

The city was similar to human cities, but on a small scale. The architecture was finished largely with indigenous granite. Commander David Pepper, at about 7’ tall, was able to peer into the bottom of 2nd story windows. While this city was unusually well preserved because of its distance from any active volcanos, there was a fine layer of reddish ash everywhere that the strike teams’ boots kicked up. The air was thick with ash, requiring everyone to wear breathers. Occasional breezes whipped up the ash, making the miniature city appear a hazy red. The sun could barely be seen overhead through the thick, dark clouds.

After the two teams had walked past a few pint-sized city blocks from the aircraft landing facility in which the wagon and two interceptors were parked, they parted ways. Ensign Tolon Reeves’ team headed along a side street while Commander Pepper’s team stuck to the main boulevard.


Ensign Tolon’s team arrived at their target facility first – a low, isolated building at the bottom of a ravine, through which a river of thick, muddy water pushed its way in grim waves filled with grit and ash. It was clear this building had been modified to accommodate people taller than its original builders – the front door had been replaced by a full-size door. It was equally clear that something was amiss – the door had been kicked in and was hanging by one hinge.

Tolon and his four tall female tactical specialists split into two groups and quickly approached the broken door. Immediately inside the door, lying in crumpled poses that only the dead could find comfortable, were two romulan soldiers with holes burned through their armor and straight through their chests. Wisps of steam rising from their wounds testified that these kills were less than an hour old.

“Klingon disrupter,” Tolon said. Veri Geki verified it with a tricorder.

“You know it by the burn pattern?” asked Chief Rumi Grace.

“I was a medical forensics examiner for nearly 25 years,” Tolon replied. “The burn patterns are very distinctive to the trained eye.”

Tactical Specialist Dasare Eba closed her eyes for a moment. “There is a klingon in there. He has a romulan prisoner. He is very excited. Also just a little frightened. No other living romulans. I can sense some very strange minds – there could be living gamorlans inside as well.”

“Okay – let’s go in,” said Tolon, “but be very careful. Klingons are our allies… Up to a point. Apparently we are running separate covert operations here, which is an item not covered in the Khitomer Accords. They don’t have to play nice here.”


Chief Tactical Specialist Rumi Grace led the way, phaser rifle in hand, along a central corridor that had been built for people roughly half her size. All four women were more than 6’ tall and had to crouch to keep from bumping their heads on the ceiling. Only Tolon, about a foot shorter, was able to walk upright. Rumi pointed to large gouges in the ceiling and the walls.

“So our klingon is tall, has really big shoulders and is wearing armor,” said Tolon.

“And carrying a bat’leth,” Dasare Eba observed, pointing to what looked like a claw-mark in the wall.

“Klingon warrior,” said Tolon.

“That’s a good thing,” said Rumi. “It means he is driven by honor. Klingon pirates are far worse. No self-respect.”

“I most heartily agree, Star Fleet” came an enormous voice from down the hall.


An enormous klingon – far larger than this hall could possibly manage – crouched out into the hall, having to bend nearly in half, a terrified looking romulan held in front of him. “This Ha’DIbaH* has kept our new minuscule friends prisoner, kept them alive, extracting their blood to make bioweapons with!”

Tolon looked in wonder. “Krull?”

The giant warrior turned the romulan in his arms to face him: “ghe’torDaq IuSpet ‘oH DaqlIj’e’!**” He effortlessly snapped the romulan’s neck and cast his newly dead body aside as if he were handling filth. He then turned his attention back to Tolon’s team.

“You are shipmates of my friend, Doctor Pepper! Come, look at what these filthy petaQ*** had been keeping here…”


Tolon and his team advanced cautiously. Krull crowded back into the room he had emerged from. Two more romulans lay dead crumpled on the floor. In a cage, were five evidently elderly but still devastatingly cute aliens. They looked up at Tolon and his team with big, sad eyes.

“I thought the gamorlans were extinct!” exclaimed Dasare Eba. She closed her eyes for a second, then said, “They’re clones? Clones!”

Behind them, Krull carefully backed out of the room – then closed and locked the door. Dasare Eba turned and tried the door. It was an airlock door and was tightly sealed. A second later, the familiar whine of a transporter beam could be heard in the room as the five, unbelievably cute elderly alien clones were beamed out.

• Ha’DIbaH (meat)
• ghe’torDaq IuSpet ‘oH DaqlIj’e’! (You are not worthy to join the honored dead!)
• petaQ (misfit or deviant)

18.7 (of 10)​

 

[Bynar0110]

Good chapter I enjoyed it.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 18: World on Fire
Scene 8: Grilled Possum-Chicken

18.8
Grilled Possum-Chicken​

“I was horrified… These were not the ships I had asked for,” said Rear-Admiral Serge Mykel Chekov.


Testimony was being held in one of the large committee chambers in the Federation Council Building in Nairobi before the 30 members of the Commission on the Role of Star Fleet and Other Parties in the Fall and Surrender of Vulcan (or as it was more commonly called, the Ivonovic Commission). As chairman, Councilmember Emory Ivonovic had chosen the decor in the room. The chairs and table were black. The rest of the room was painted white with white curtains. The monochrome was a bit trying for the bolians and andorians in the room, largely because they were the only ones who could distinguish among the chaotic mismatched colors of black.

Ivonovic was also dressed in monochrome - which a few others on the committee had copied, again to the dismay of the bolians and andorians, to whom the insane mismatch of black threads and materials was painful to the eye and in terrible taste.

Rear Admiral Chekov, clad in the red uniform, was seated at a witness table, flanked by lawyers who were also Star Fleet officers - dressed in the black JAG uniforms with red piping, denoting command.


“You have the readings from the U.S.S. Milky Way,” Chekov continued. “Our computers showed us the ships I had requested from the 1st and 9th fleets. It wasn’t until I saw the vulcan squadron that I knew something was wrong. Then we started getting reports in from the captains - all the wrong captains. I left the bare minimum of ships needed to consolidate our hold on the Nausicaans and we made best speed to Vulcan. We had barely left the 110 Piscium system when we got the news that Vice Admiral Senvol had scuttled Starbase 18 and Vulcan had fallen.”

“You said you were headed toward Vulcan, Rear Admiral,” said Ivonovic. “But you and the 6th Fleet never arrived. Why?”

“We were ordered to stand down.”

“We?”

“I was ordered to stand down,” Chekov corrected.

“There was more to that order, wasn’t there?” Ivonovic asked.

“I received two separate orders,” Chekov replied. “The first came from Admiral Jamaal El Fadil, Star Fleet Chief of Staff. He temporarily placed the 6th Fleet under my command. The second order was the order to stand down.”

“And whom did that order come from, Rear Admiral?”

“Mr. Chairman, the order to stand down came from Star Fleet Executive Director of Fleet Operations, Fleet Admiral Miriam Stewart.”

Ivonovic leaned back in his chair. Steepled his fingers. “Did you discuss the order with Fleet Admiral Stewart?”

“It was a one-way communique, Mr. Chairman,” said Chekov. “There was no way we could discuss it in real time. In this situation I had to assume that she was giving me all the information she could give me and that more information would be forthcoming.”

“And what information ultimately was forthcoming?” Ivonovic asked.

“We were informed that Vice Admiral Senvol ordered the surrender of Vulcan and the destruction of all Star Fleet assets immediately when the Romulan Senate Praetorian Guard decloaked. We were also, later informed that it was Vice Admiral Senvol who arranged for the 6th Fleet to be redirected to 110 Piscium, along with the vulcan interceptors.”

“Wait a minute…” Ivonovic sat up, alert. “Weren’t the vulcan interceptors homeworld assets? Those were under the control of the Vulcan High Command. Under what authority did Vice Admiral Senvol send them anywhere?”

Chekov took a deep breath. “I wish I knew, Mr. Chairman. But I am in Fleet Operations, not Star Fleet Intelligence. I am not authorized to investigate such matters and I did not begin such an investigation…”


A few hours later, Ivonovic caught up with Chekov, guided him into a side hall. Chekov waved his lawyers off.

“Rear Admiral, this is a personal request and I will not speak of it with anyone else,” Ivonovic said. “Do you know the location of the U.S.S. Hunter?”

“On secret assignment - that’s all I know,” Chekov responded. “While the Hunter and its crew are Star Fleet, they currently detailed to the Federation Tribunal - not Star Fleet Operations or even Star Fleet Office of Judge Advocate General.”

18.8 (of 10)​

 

[Bynar0110]

Another excellent chapter. Is Rear Adm. Chekov any relation to Pavel Chekov?

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Another excellent chapter. Is Rear Adm. Chekov any relation to Pavel Chekov?

Thanks for the kind words! Yes - Serge Mykel Chekov is Pavel's grandson.

He's about 64, short, stocky, with a pockmarked face, heavy lidded eyes and an unflattering comb-over. He has an abrasive personality and is not an easy man to like. He is highly respected for bringing his people home alive, and his ships home in one piece. Over the past few months he has won decisive victories over the Orion Syndicate and the Nausicaan Collective.

Thanks!! rbs

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

Star Trek Hunter
Episode 18: World on Fire
Scene 9: Krull the Magnificent

18.9
Krull the Magnificent​

One of the advantages of having not just one but four betazoid tactical specialists was the ability to conduct ground operations with radio silence. If Tolon had used his communicator to report the unexpected presence of Krull (by many accounts - especially his own - the greatest klingon warrior since QeyliS), the romulans in orbit would have picked up the transmission and the research stations would soon be crawling with romulan soldiers.
Using a system they had devised en-route to their mission, Chief Tactical Specialist Rumi Grace updated Commander David Pepper about the presence of Krull, how the giant klingon had trapped Tolon and his team and beamed out the five living, elderly, unbelievably cute gamorlan clones with their big, sad eyes.

Veri Geki provided a similar update to Chief Flight Specialist Dewayne Guth, who was piloting the wagon. Ranni Neivi provided the same update to Lt. Cmdr. Kenny Dolphin, who was piloting Interceptor 1.A and Dasare Eba updated Chief Flight Specialist Thyssi zh’Qaoleq, who was piloting Interceptor 2.A. They were similarly able to distribute Pep’s orders, which were, to the pilots: Stay put. Look for klingon bird of prey, probably cloaked. And to Tolon: Get out of that trap and get here! Maintain radio silence.



The door to the laboratory was impenetrable, impervious to phaser fire. So Tolon had his team cut through the wall to get out. Running through the ash toward Pep’s position was treacherous: the clouds of ash made it difficult to see, difficult to run through, difficult to breathe, clogging their breathers with fluffy particles of ash.

The other laboratory was atop a hill. “Go on ahead!” Tolon managed, wheezing as his four tall, long-legged female tactical specialists easily outpaced him running uphill in this bog of layers of ash.

At the top of the hill, phaser and disruptor fire was being traded around the entrance of a much larger building than the one Tolon and his team had left. Pep had a phaser rifle in each hand and, along with T’Lon, Tomos and Investigator Buttans Ngumbo, was firing at the building while they retreated, covering the retreat of Krull, who was carrying a romulan with Lt. Cmdr. Mlady attached to its neck by her fangs.


Evidently, Lt. Cmdr. Dolphin had been monitoring the scene. First Interceptor 1.A, then Interceptor 2.A appeared from behind the hill and with their phaser cannon, swiftly and thoroughly demolished the building Pep’s team had retreated out of, then flew off. At this point, Rumi and her team were closer to Krull than Pep and the rest of his team.

The giant klingon warrior set Mlady down, along with the romulan - a female civilian - Mlady’s fangs still firmly embedded in her neck. Krull took two steps away from Mlady and her victim and pulled out a communicator: “jol ylchu’!” He tossed the communicator at Mlady. It landed between her and her romulan victim.


Lt. Cmdr. Mlady and her romulan victim disappeared in a haze of a transporter beam.


“KKRRRRUUUUUUULLLLL!!!” bellowed Commander Pepper.


Chief Rumi Grace and her three companions were closer to the giant klingon at this point and attacked him first with phasers. Krull’s armor absorbed the phaser fire. The four women closed and attacked in a perfectly synchronized sequence - using their phaser rifles as truncheons.

Even through Rumi and her team were each more than 6’ tall, they looked like gangling children next to Krull. Despite all their training and abilities, they simply did not have the mass to pose any threat to him. He caught Rumi’s arm and a handful of Ranni’s uniform and used their bodies to bowl Dasare and Veri over, sending all four of them tumbling back down the hill toward Tolon, knocking him down just as he arrived.


“Stand aside!!” Krull shouted. “This fight is not for you! This fight is between Krull, the Magnificent and the legendary Doctor Pepper!”

“Krull! Send Mlady back!!” Pep shouted.

The giant klingon warrior raised his enormous hands, did a pirouette. “Even if I wanted to, I could not. No communicator!” He swept an oversized bat’leth from his back - saluted Pep with the oversized, curved klingon sword. “But I told you long ago, my friend, that the day would come when we would meet on the field of battle! Today is a good day to die, my friend!”


To Tolon and his team the scene was like something from an ancient legend - or perhaps some ancient Japanese painting - two giant warriors at the top of a hill - silhouetted against a giant red, angry sun, setting behind them - the air a smoky haze of reddish ash. The enormous Krull - far larger than even the giant David Pepper - racing toward him - bat’leth raised over his head.

Time seemed to move slowly - a series of still images - each moment recorded indelibly in their minds.


“I don’t have time for this Krull!!” Pep fired both his phasers at the giant warrior, keeping pencil thin cutting beams focused on the center of Krull’s chest plate. Smoke rose from the klingon’s armor as it ablated. The gradual destruction of his armor did not slow Krull down at all.


Then Kenny Dolphin, piloting Interceptor 1.A, emerged from behind a hill and targeted the great klingon warrior with the Interceptor’s phaser cannon. With a single, short blast, the klingon and his armor were obliterated.

Pep broke radio silence: “Kenny, get down here and dismount! I need your bird…”


Dolphin landed the interceptor near the scant remains of history’s self-proclaimed 2nd greatest klingon warrior, popped the canopy and hopped down out of the craft. Pep ran toward him at full speed.

“Step aside, Kenny!”

Dolphin dutifully stepped aside as Pep vaulted into the interceptor’s pilot seat - his sudden weight causing the craft to bounce on its landing gear.

“Get everyone back to the Hunter and get out of here. NOW!” Pep shouted down at Dolphin, then lowered the canopy.

Dolphin ran and tumbled downhill to avoid backwash from the thrusters as Pep launched the interceptor skyward. He came to his feet and shouted, “Dewayne - beam us up and get us airborne! Thyssi - follow Pep - he might need you up there!”


Chief Flight Specialist Thyssi zh’Qaoleq, in Interceptor 2.A, took off skyward, following Pep.


Dolphin, Tolon and the remainder of the strike team dissolved into the transporter beam. As soon as they were onboard the wagon, Dolphin took a seat next to Guth and called to the Hunter. “Minerva! Change of plans! We’re going to have to dock in orbit - let’s make that in orbit of G7. Dewayne - make that your course. Get us off this wretched planet…”



* jol ylchu’! (activate transporter)

18.9 (of 10)

​

 

[Bynar0110]

When I read Four betazoid tactical specialists. I quickly thought of code talkers from World War Two and the betazoids using telepathy to carry out there plans.

 

[Robert Bruce Scott]

When I read Four betazoid tactical specialists. I quickly thought of code talkers from World War Two and the betazoids using telepathy to carry out there plans.

Wish I had thought of that reference... Telepathy is a horrible can of worms to open up and the Franchise used it primarily for humor. The idea of a conquering race of powerful telepaths is rather terrifying, but the temptation to use them, whenever possible, as spies, assassins and special forces would be intense. The Franchise side-stepped that nightmare by portraying all of the telepathic races as pacifists.

Thanks!! rbs