"What do you think of 'The Fun House'? Ah? Ah?" Dweezle demanded.
"It sounds a bit superfluous, don't you think?" answered a skeptical Lazarus Kox.
"Well, it's your bar. I just tend it. I think you should decide."
"But you're more creative."
"Nonsense. I'm an idiot. You know me!"
"You're right." Kox paused. "What about 'Ten Forward'?"
"Very unoriginal. Another Federation ship had a similarly named bar: the USS Enterprise-D. Try again, Laz."
"How about 'The Flat Planet'?"
"It's a bit 'flat'. When to people come here more?"
"At the...Day's End! Great thinking!"
"The Day's End Bar."
"Better yet: The Day's End Lounge."
"We make a great team, Laz."
"Oh yeah. Well, me should inform the captain of our decision."
"I'll leave that to you." Dweezle went to pour some drinks.
Maruu was smiling. "Jon, what do you think of the Mess Hall's new name. The Day's End Lounge."
Lataro chuckled. "Well, it's creative."
"What if we all call it the DEL? You think Lazarus would mind?"
"Nah. He's a compromising person. He'll understand."
A few minutes later, Lt. Garek Loran entered the bridge. "Captain, we have a problem."
Maruu became serious. "In my ready room."
The two officers entered the ready room. Loran began, "Sir, yesterday, the photon burst we used to counteract the Kelvan attack cost us a lot of power. Well, sir, today we ran scans of the dilithium matrix and found it almost completely depleted. We have shut down replicators, holodecks, the sonic showers, and other such systems to compensate for the loss in power. The focal point of this is that, if we don't find some dilithium soon, we'll be stranded in space, light years from the nearest planet. We won't even have impulse!"
Maruu's eyes widened. "Do what you must. Reroute power from weapons and shields if you have to, but be prepared to give us warp if we need it."
Loran nodded. "Yes, sir." He left the ready room.
Maruu left his ready room and stood in front of tactical. "Lt. Wallace, do you see a solar system anywhere on long-range sensors?"
Wallace announced, "Yes, sir. I've got a binary star system at 105 mark two."
"Scan for the presence of dilithium on the planet."
Wallace smiled. "The planet is rich with dilithium."
"Good." Maruu looked at Lt. K'Lara, whose belly had begun to show. She had officially been given maternity leave, but she was welcome to pilot whenever she got bored. "Commander K'Lara, set a course. Maximum warp."
"It's an M Class planet. Rich in dilithium, iron, gold, and other minerals. In many ways, it's a lot like Earth," explained Valdago.
"All right. K'Lara, set us up at a standard orbit of the planet." Maruu tapped his com badge. "Garek, prepare to transport a team..."
Loran stopped him. "Sir, we don't have the power to transport."
"Well, then take a shuttle or runabout."
"We've already used the dilithium in the shuttles and runabouts to power the Virgo."
"Damn." Maruu paused. "Can we land."
"That we can do."
Maruu smiled. "Okay, Valdago, are there any life signs on the planet?"
"None."
"Good."
K'Lara looked at the captain. "Uh, sir, I've never landed a starship on a planet before."
Maruu paused. "Well, I'm sure you can handle. You are a superb pilot. Besides, It's not much harder than landing a runabout." Maruu spoke to the computer. "Blue alert."
The corridor lights began to flash blue.
"Crew of the Virgo prepare to land on an M Class planet. We might be there for a while so get ready for some shore leave." Maruu smiled. "Commander, take us down."
The Virgo carefully made its way into the planet's atmosphere. Suddenly, a blast shook the Virgo.
Wallace yelled, "There's some sort of energy shield surrounding the planet! We broke through but we're coming in too fast!"
The Virgo moved quickly through the planet's dense atmosphere.
K'Lara yelled, "Thrusters are disabled! I can't steer the ship!"
Maruu called Engineering. "Garek, can you get thrusters back online?"
[Give me a minute! I'm trying!]
The Virgo continued to fall. The ground began to become visible. There was a type of forest below. After a few moments, Loran managed to get thrusters back online. The Virgo began to slow minutely as it impacted and skied over the forest cushion. The trees hit the hull hard. Con panels blew. Officers flew. An ensign at one science station crashed face first into his con panel. He died immediately. The Virgo began to slow as it neared the end of the forest which led into a clearing.
Benton lifted himself off the floor. "What is that structure ahead?"
Lataro looked at it from his position on the ground. "I think it's a sentry! Hell, it's an entire camp! We're going to crash into it!
A small humanoid figure jumped out of the sentry just in time to avoid having the Virgo run him over. The Virgo was now only moving at 35 miles per hour, but with its momentum, that was enough to crush anything in its path. The massive vessel ran over a large quantity of huts and shacks. People were running frantically for cover. The lower deck of the ship and deflector shield blew in a few places.
The Virgo was approaching a rock wall that, if it were to hit at its current speed, would destroy half the ship and kill everyone in the first ten decks.
Five people were in a hut surrounding a small baby. An elder priest was praying. "Oh, humble Kalmar, accept this child in homage to your good will. May he make his clan strong and win the Great War for you." He dipped his finger in a clay bowl. Then, he removed his finger and painted a red image on the child's forehead. It resembled a triangle with two semi circles crossing the two alternate sides at their midpoints and crossing the base at the same place at its midpoint.
Suddenly, a warrior poked his head in the hut. "We have to go! The gods have sent a large, silver fireball from the sky to punish us!"
The priest walked outside and saw the Virgo approaching fast. "Oh, Kalmar! Do not allow this to destroy your faithful people."
A wave of strength came over the old man. He heard a voice speak to him. ~I have not caused this, but I will give you the power to stop it.~ The old man lifted his hands at the Virgo. Immediately, a surge of energy came from his palms that created a sort of "energy cushion" in front of the Virgo. The ship came to a halt after having dragged its belly through nine miles of forest and dirt. It stopped just inches from trampling the old man and the hut, and just feet from having crashed into the rock wall.
Suddenly, a group of warriors assembled around the old man, swords drawn. The young man leading them spoke. "Let us find out who has caused the destruction of our camp." They approached the heavily-damaged Virgo.