Star Trek: Daedalus
Mirror Universe Episode
We come to see a lush, green-beige meadow on a sunny day. The weather is beautiful. a gentle wind rustles the grass and trees.
The Words "August 12, 2189" appear on the screen, in plain, grey font like in the 60s.
The wind continues to blow, and soon, an old-style grey-white shuttlecraft with glowing golden side windows descends from the sky and slowly, gently comes in for a landing.
A lanky, tall, pointed-earred humanoid native, similar to Rankin-Bass's version of the Tolkien Elves, comes in and sees the shuttle, looking taken aback, he runs off.
He returns to his village, and tells the Elder of this strange flying thing. The Elder talks of possible "sky travellers" and "steel chariots", and the village talk of how to deal with this visitor.
In a short while, a landing party, led by a scarred Randy Tyne and smirking Ronald Maxwell Fielding come in, carrying Laser Rifles and wearing black leather jumpsuits, with armored jackets and bandoliers. They ask the Village a few initial questions, then sneer, aiming their rifles.
The Star Trek Daedalus Theme then plays, with Makoto Takashi's voice saying "The Frontier is quite vast, which we, the Terran Empire, are sworn to conquer!!!"
Then we see a ravaged village, and the words "Star Trek" appear ominously over it in plain grey letters, and then disappear.
Soon, Ronald and Randy return, Randy having a big smile. "Whoo, this Acquisition was fun!!! and all before noon!"
"It's evening. Around 6:00 PM", Ronald pointed out, having kept track of flora, fauna, and the time, and a great many things since his initial trip into space.
"Oh yeah, differences in different planets". Randy stretched out. "I'm not sure I'll get used to that, like you have, my techno-whiz. But we sure have expanded the Empire quite well."
"Yeah, my Mom, Dad and Sister are on the next Colony Ship to Izar. They've set up a new metropolis there, named for the Geneticist Veng Yang" Ronald said. "I've left a message for them at Starbase 14 that I've made Commander, and supervised development of Power Plants on three worlds."
"They're taking well to life on worlds other than the motherland!!!" Randy's massive grin revealed two teeth broken in brawls.
"Yeah. I've finally convinced them that the future is to spread across space. Either we grow and expand, or we contract and die. And I'm proud to have helped build the foundation for the future empire."
Randy's face took on a slightly deranged and uneasy expression. "Those Romulans, I don't get them at all. They're chaotic and unpredictable. They don't want to expand and follow their ambitions, like a true empire. The Tholians are kinda the same; - they're too alien,too mysterious. I'd at least keep an eye on them, if the admiralty and emperor don't want us to take it to their homeworlds."
Ronald shrugged. "We have time, and resources. With Decades of carefully building up out Military and Empire, and careful strategic planning, then we can begin to close in on them."
Randy bumped Ronald's shoulder aggressively. "Sez the God-damned young buck who accelerated our M/AM Warp 5 ships and brags he'll outlive me by a HUNDRED YEARS?!?"
Ronald gave a dangerous smirk at him; - not unlike a Romulan himself, although neither of them had ever seen a Romulan.
"Ambition is how one gets ahead. And I have gigatons to spare."
-------
As Leslie watched over the remaining villagers toiling to mine and begin a new base for Starfleet, Arinda stood sneering.
"This new batch are being very obedient, and efficient."
"Yes. You've been fast in deciphering them; - even for you."
"This was exciting!"
"I know. We'll get a hold of those Kzinti yet!!!"
"Yes, and they've given in to our... requests quite quickly. Not like those beings of L-009 and L-022."
"I so want the "Go-Ahead" from Captain Macintyre."
-------
Daniel sat in his command Chair, the brown, Ovular fuzzy back oddly soothing to him. Not the bare-bones Grey-Black Metal and Metal-Leather chairs he had to endure, and that Majoto Takashi and Kelly Johnson had had to endure...
He gave a few commands to ensign Rather and Lieutenant Commander Chang Lee, and then had Lieutenant Goodson contact Arinda. "Asephas. We're ready to transport more troops and supplies, return in the Whettestone. We will proceed to the planet's moon in two hours."
"Very good, Captain. I will begin". Came her usually bright, confident voice. Very cheery, and eager. Too eager... He was going to have to scold her is she wasn't going to get killed, or betray ruin their objectives for the seventh time...
"The reports are coming in" Goodson said. She was rerouting to the Library Computer, and Daniel smiled. She was being fast and efficient, hopefully she, Stallone, Herone, Grafa, Melbonit and Cusack would become Great officers on his next ship.
The Daedalus was a pretty decent ship, but he hated how it had to be very small and cramped, and everyone had to share a single coffeepot. The Nutrient Paste was what he had gotten used to since his Cadet Cruise, and the Daedalus's Plunders led to some great foods, most of which could be stored in unused Stasis Booths, a useful tech for an Exploration Ship.
He had hoped to get a much bigger Cruiser, or Frigate, but he wanted something that would go out into the frontier, and not be pathetic like those weak slablike Uranus-Class and Macpherson- and Gagarin-Class ships... Preferably something with FL-2s and longer-ranged Atomic Missiles...
He made a routine comment, laced with bland, generic descriptions and some glowing remarks of successful resources and subjugation, just so that Internal Security would be placated. He *ALWAYS* remembered to do that, since Takashi and Ronald were interrogated ruthlessly twice after getting careless, in 2164 and 2169, and he was proud to always keep up with the rest of the ship.
Chang piped up, raising his shoulders, making him look like a very tired, grumpy eagle. "Course ready for travel to C-091's moon, Speed .4c. We will arrive in an hour."
Daniel thumped his armrest, narrowly avoiding the two comm buttons. "Good, Commander. We will be loaded up in 2 hours, and arrive at the moon on the third."
"There are two small Asteroids that are going to be in the way."
"Well then Commander, allocate power to Navigational Deflecter, and have the Crewmen ready the Laser Cannons, just in case. They are not a problem of any kind."
Two Hours later, the Daedalus was loaded up, and turned to Starboard for flight to Ghuzuo, the moon of C-091, or Yava, as it's natives had called it, and for an hour and a half, time passed uneventfully, the asteroids being deflected easily, but soon Chang Lee called out "Captain! There's a small vessel, NE, around 25,000 kms away, making rapid maneuvers!"
Daniel stared at the viewscreen, not seeing anything, nor wishing terribly to miss anything. "Can you get readings?"
"It appears to be Kzinti. A 0Xe Frigate. They appear to be trying to donfuse us, possibly to ambush us from behind."
"Turn to intercept them, but don't totally change course. Goodson, tell Laser Control to prepare to fire."
"Aye, sir."
The Daedalus began to move towards a small, veering pointed boxy red object off in the distance.
The Daedalus closed in on the ship. "Hostile is a Kzinti YFF. It appears to be trying to take the Vida Core. Or at least stop us from taking it."
Daniel swung his hand, eyes tracking the now somewhat visible tiny red boxy ship with an angular command pod. "Intercept it. Fire Lasers. Over and over."
The Daedalus exchanged Laser Fire, with some form of strange, Laser/Particle Beam-Like Reddish-Pink Beam, possibly with Phase-Transitional Properties from the Kzinti Ship, finally inflicting some significant damage, and causing it to flee.
"It might come back with reinforcements, Captain Macintyre."
"Good, well, the 2nd Fleet is a little over a light-year from here. Hopefully, they'll notice and intercept them. Take us to the moon, slightly higher Impulse. Divert Power to Impulse and Sensors."
The Daedalus swung around and arrived at the moon 39 minutes later, Lieutenant Goodson, and in the Science Labs, Lieutenant JGs Munson and Thrala, extensively examine it, soon finding the Vida Core.
Then, Daniel ordered the Lasers to drill an estimated path to the Vida Core, and for Ronald, Thrallen and Randy to prepare the Class C "Bachman" to travel to it.
Thrallen declared things to be going well, and two more Natives were put to death, and some problematic rocks were knocked aside, thus getting to the Vida Core.