Well, after finishing the first chapter of the story of Vreem Zarell, I thought I'd post something new. The artwork isn't, though. My new laptop is good, but I have to get a graphics card so I can run DS. Then I'll start creating new images. So, without further ado, I give you Contact pt1. "Captain?" Excalibur's commander, Janice Mackie turned to her Executive Officer, Gavin Mitchell. The man stood at the sciences console, the science officer at his side. "Scans show we are coming to the wormhole's exit." "Any estimates on how far we've travelled?" She asked, dreading the answer. "We're not sure, Captain," Lt Leedo told her as silence then fell over the bridge. "We've never encountered a wormhole this long. But if I were to make a guess, I'd say it's at least sixty million lightyears, at least. Maybe as much as eighty." "I guess we'll find out soon enough," Admiral Janith Solana said as she stepped away from the turbolift doors. "How much time will we have before General Gond's ships exit the wormhole?" "About ninty seconds, maybe two minutes," Mitchell told her. "Shields are now back online, same for weapons. But our warp drive is still out." "Captain," Ensign Kendy Dunstin, the ship's navigator cut in. "We are exiting the wormhole." "Go to battle stations then," Mackie ordered. "As soon as we exit, raise shields." Stars flashed on the viewscreen, a large nebula covering most of the sky. All about the bridge, Excalibur's crew readied for battle. Mitchell turned to his commander quickly. "Captain?" The man had a sound of shock in his voice. "We have a ship twenty kilometers to port, uknown configuration, and no markings. I'm scanning it," After several seconds he nodded. "It's a freighter. Twenty life forms aboard. It has what appears to be ten single seat winged craft in the hold. Fighters maybe. Power readings are off the scale, though!" "Captain," The comm officer spoke up, interrupting Mitchell. "I think they're trying to hail us. But their comm system is unlike anything I've ever seen. I'm going to run it through the computer and see if their are any records of a system like this." "Do so, Ensign Reed," Mackie said as she sat back into her chair. "Let's see who can establish communications first." "Captain," Commander Mitchell cut in. "This ship has no warp drive. As far as we can tell, it has no faster than light drive. It might be in distress." "As we are about to be, Gavin," Excalibur's captain muttered. "The first Klingon ship has exited the wormhole, Captain," The tactical officer said calmly. "And time for round two, " Admiral Janith Solana said as she stepped away from the turbolift where she'd been watching Mackie's crew with satisfaction. "What's the damage so far, Jan?" "Eighty dead, and around two hundred injured, Admiral," Excalibur's Captain said as she read the damage report. "And it's about to get worse." "All of General Gond's ships have exited the wormhole, Captain," Mitchell chimed in. "He's hailing us. Lieutenant Lani Rishman ran through the hatch onto the bridge of Easy Hauler, a Republic naval freighter. Her First Officer, Adnon Kilver stood behind the navigator, Ashton Miller, both deep in conversation. Adnon turned and waved his commander over when he heard the hatch open. Lani though, was now staring out the viewport at a massive energy vortex dead ahead. "Why have we dropped out of hyperspace?" She demanded. "Did that thing do it? Because we should have another half hour until we reach Helvish Station." "Yes Captain, we were pulled out by this spacial anomaly," Adnon said as he smiled. "It's a space tunnel!" "You mean, like the Short Cut?" She asked, tearing herself away from the swirling display of energy. "With a rather large difference," The Twi'lek replied. "The Short Cut is about one kilometer in diameter. This thing is about two-hundred kilometers in diameter." "What?" Rishman asked, stunned. "How the hell has this thing never been detected? Our ships have been going through this area of space for the last ten years and never noticed it!" "No idea, Ma'am," Adnon said as he turned to watch the view. "But I have a feeling that this thing goes deeper into the universe than the fifty lightyears covered by the Short Cut." "Captain!" Miller cut in, still staring at his monitor. "We have a ship exiting the anomaly!" With a flash of light, a ship appeared before them. They watched as it drifted slowly through space. It was of no design Rishman was familiar with. The same with the ship's markings. But what was known was that the ship had seen combat recently. It's hull was scarred by burns and explosions. Glancing over at the sensor station, the captain read what the sensors had found. "A kilometer, stem to stern," She muttered to Kilver. "Moderate power levels from it's reactor," Lani then chuckled briefly. "They're using some kind of matter, anti-matter reactor!" "How quaint," The Twi'lek said as he peered over her shoulder. "Miller?" Lani said quickly. "Run that ship's markings through the computer, see if you can identify them. I am unfamiliar with them." She then turned to her communications station. "Comm?" Rishman said as she crossed her arms. "Hail that ship. Ask them if they need assistance." "I can't raise them, Captain," The communications technician said after a few attempts. "I think they're trying to contact us too, because I'm detecting some kind of signal, but it's unlike anything I've ever come across." "Ranzi?" She asked the woman who sat at her station, trying to make sense of the signals they were recieving. "Get a signal out to Khatta. Tell them what's happened here." "Yes, Captain!" Jill Ranzi returned as she set about her task. Rishman then began hailing the ship herself. But her attempts were ended when Miller spoke up again. "More ships are exiting the tunnel!" He said, excitedly. "Five of them!" All watched as more ships popped into view, all unlike the first. Where the first was stocky with a large saucer like foward hull, the new ships were sleek and graceful. Three of the ships were small, not much larger than the Hauler. But the other two were much larger. The five all bore signs of a recent battle. The largest was missing what appeared to be one of it's ship's drives. "Captain?" Ranzi spoke up from her station. "One of the newer ships is trying to hail the first. And I can tap into their audio. They're using a very old comm system. That's why I had trouble raising them." "Then do so!" Rishman said as she raised the Easy Haulers shields. She had a feeling things were about to get ugly. "Damn it, Mackie!" A deep male voice rang out over the bridges speakers. "Just surrender Lord Kirk! I've already lost three ships and you lost your two escorts! This battle need not continue!" "We can't do that, Gond," A woman's voice replied. "We have our orders, return Ambassador Kirk to Earth for trial." "What?" the man said, a tone of confusion in his voice. "Is that you Admiral Solana? Are you part of this insanity?" "Yes, Gond. I was ordered to personally bring the Ambassador home." "Did your orders also involve the arrest of Kirk's daughter?" Gond asked angrily. "What?" Yet another woman's voice cut in quickly. "Why would the President order the arrest of my eight year old cousin?" "Who knows, Ami Lynne!" Gond, shot back. "But she did! Kurga took fifty of my warriors and invaded the Federation Embassy and rescued her and Morris Kilpatrick. He was the one who called the Emperor, telling him of the order." "That is an act of war!" Solana shouted. "So is kidnapping the head of a Great House of the Klingon Empire!" Gond roared back. "But he's also our Ambassador!" Solana shouted back. "Captain?" Miller tapped Rishman on the arm, then pointed at his monitor. "We should put a stop to this now. Sensors show all six ships powering up their weapons." "Chief," She said, impatiently, pointing at the screen again. "You might not have noticed, but they are all larger than we are." "Captain?" He said with a chuckle. "Scanners show that they have nothing that can penetrate our shields." "Captain," Ranzi interrupted the two. "I have Admiral Munn on the line. He says he has been listening in on the conversation, and that the Defiance's Battle Group is several minutes out. Try to stall those ships." "Tell him I'll do my best," The Hauler's commander said with a nod. "Does the fact that we can listen in on them mean that we can contact them now?" "Yes," Ranzi said. "Audio and now visual." "Then let's have a talk, shall we?" Lani turned to the main viewer as a seated Humanoid male flashed onto the left hand side, while a beautiful Human woman, also seated, was on the right. Both appeared shocked at the sight of the Human. "Attention," She began. "This is the Republic Navy medium freighter, Easy Hauler. I am Lt Lani Rishman, her captain. And I have been ordered to tell you to hold your fire. We will not tolerate outsiders bringing their wars here." "Ha!" The male laughed harshly. "No freighter is going to stop the finest ships of the Klingon Empire!" "You are not being given a choice," Rishman replied, irritated at this man's arrogance. "The Defiance's battle group will be on scene shortly. They will stop you." "We'll see!" Gond said before cutting communications. "They are attacking that first ship, Captain," Kilver said. The bridge crew stood in open mouthed amazement as the six ships accellerated and began maneuvering about. "Kilver, will you look at that?" Rishman said numbly. "Those things are almost as nimble as an X-Wing! Even the big ones!" "Captain?" The Twi'lek said as he gestured at the battle. "That first ship is taking a pounding." "Well let's see what our ion guns will do to the finest ships of this Klingon Empire," Rishman said angrily. Thirty seconds later, the bridge crew was laughing as the five ships drifted through space, powerless. "That was pretty damned easy! Ranzi, open communications with that first ship again. Let's hope they are more reasonable." "Aye, Captain!"