Star Trek: Pytheas - 106 - The Art of War

[BrotherBenny]

USS PYTHEAS

Part of the United Trek universe



1x06
“The Art of War”​

Historian’s Note: This story takes place from early to mid June 2378; beginning one day after the events of Fragments of Control.​

Prologue

Transport vessel Beowulf
Kolari VII
Stardate 55431.1 (June 7, 2378)

The wind whipped his long hair and he tried vainly to keep it clear of his face while he watched the last of the cargo crates being loaded onto his ship. In the distance, the ruins of the ancient Kolari civilisation could still just about be seen but the coming storm would soon shield them from view. Though he hated plundering these dusty sites for rich patrons, he knew that one day he might find some technology and that kept him going, just. The deck hands saluted him in their bizarre way and then hurried back to the Federation archaeology site which had been temporarily abandoned due to some supposed threat.

'Gene, are you there?' a female voice squawked over the comm.

'I'm here,' the freighter's grizzled captain replied. 'The last of the crates are loaded and secured. Let's get the hell off this rock.'

'That might be a problem. I'm picking up unusual energy signatures in orbit.'

'Do they match anything in the pathetic database we have?'

'That's the problem, they match the alien energy signatures we were told to be on the lookout for by the Starbase a few days ago.'

'Can we send a message out?'

'Not at the moment, the storm has ionised the atmosphere. We'll have to be in low orbit before we can send any kind of signal out.'

'Start the pre-launch sequence, I'll be there in a minute.'

'I'm on it, Kelly out.'

Gene joined his co-pilot in the cockpit a moment later and took his seat in the centre of the cramped area. He glanced quickly at the readouts on the circular console surrounding three quarters of the chair and grunted. The storm was the largest he'd ever seen on a planetary scale, covering approximately a third of the total surface area.

'We need to get out of here, now. If that front gets any closer, we'll never clear the planet.'

'We're ready.'

'Punch it, straight up.'

'You sure the cargo is secured?'

'I'm sure, we need to leave.'

'All right, engaging atmospheric thrusters.'

The Beowulf shuddered as it lifted off, shedding a few external hull fragments as it hurtled through the air, away from the encroaching storm.

'This is gonna get bumpy,' Kelly said as the transport hit the lower atmosphere.

Gene held on as the ship broke through the atmosphere, and almost collided with the largest vessel he'd ever seen. 'Evasive!'

'Damn! That was close,' Kelly muttered as she pitched upward and over the hull of the orbiting vessel.

'Go to warp, now. We have to warn Starbase 535.'

'The ship is following us,' Kelly replied as the Beowulf jumped to warp.

'Increase speed, can we get a signal out.'

'Maybe, try it.'

'This is the Transport Beowulf to Starbase 535, you're attack is about to begin. Repeat, this is the Transport Beowulf to any Federation ship or outpost.'

'We're being jammed, I'm not sure if you got through.'

'Screw the patron, set a course for the starbase, maximum warp.'

'We won't get far at warp five.'

'It'll do the job, I hope.'

'They're gaining, warp seven and increasing.'

Gene sighed. 'Can we get anything more out of the engines?'

'Not in this bucket,' his co-pilot replied sourly. 'And before you suggest it, we can't fight either.'

'I wasn't going to,' Gene said with a wry grin.

'Uh huh.'

A klaxon sounded suddenly and the ship shuddered violently, more than it had ever done before. 'I have no idea what they're doing but our warp field is collapsing. I'm trying to recalibrate, but this isn't a Starfleet ship. We don't have the same capabilities,' she added to forestall his questions.

'Any idea what we can do?'

Kelly turned to him. 'How do you want to die? On their terms or ours?'

'Ours,' he said grimly. 'What did you have in mind?'

'I was planning to fly straight into the nearest star and detonate the warp core. It'll either create a solar flare or do nothing.'

'And if they're close enough the flare will destroy them as well. I like it. Have we got any of those torpedo casings left?'

'One or two, why?'

'I suggest we send a message to the Starbase while we still can.'

'You'll have to prep it.'

'I already configured one for a messenger capsule. Tube one.'

'Is it ready to launch?'

'Two seconds...now!'

The torpedo raced away at warp and went completely unnoticed, or ignored, by the alien ship. 'Adjust course, take us back to the Kolari system. That's the nearest star.'

'I've activated the self-destruct mechanism, all I have to do is input a final code and it will detonate instantly. We'll never know what happens.'

'How far are we from the star?'

'Three minutes.'

'I'm dumping the cargo,' Gene said. 'Increase to five point three.'

'Increasing speed. Time to star, one minute and three seconds.'

'Transfer detonation sequence to my console.'

'Gene?'

'Do it!'

'Done. Time to star, thirty seconds. The ship is still pursuing.'

'Drop out of warp in eight seconds, right in the corona.'

'On my mark,' she replied. 'It's been nice working with you, boss.'

'You too, Squawk,' Gene said. 'Mark.'

The Beowulf dropped out of warp and they both shielded their eyes from view as the brightness overwhelmed the polarisation in the monitors. An aft image showed the alien vessel had also slowed but was now trying to manoeuvre away from the star.

'It's too big to get out the way fast enough, go to full impulse.'

'Solar surface in fifteen seconds.'

Gene input the detonation code.

'Nine seconds.'

'I hope to God this works.'

The Beowulf's warp core exploded just as the transport's bow hit the surface and vaporised. The resulting solar flare lit up the entire system with radiation and took the alien vessel by surprise. Every living thing aboard was killed in minutes and the ship itself was pulled into the star by the gravitational forces of same.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I bet you the Cha'lav weren't expecting a civilian ship with only warp 5 capabilities to show guts like THAT!

Heck, I wasn't either...very sad that they had to die, but my goodness, what a heroic way to go! I sure hope that Starfleet gets the message, though!

 

[CaptainSarine]

Hi BrotherBenny!

Haven't read any of your other stories before now, but when I saw this, the title really grabbed me. And wow! What a beginning. You managed to paint two really interesting, likeable characters in a few short brush strokes before killing them cruelly! I love it!

I will definitely be having a look at the rest of your stories. Do you think I will be able to follow this one on its own, or should I start at the beginning?

Thanks for a great intro,

Joel

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I'm not BrotherBenny, but I recommend going back and reading the other stories--they tend to be very interconnected. And I think you'll really like it.

 

[Mistral]

I'm not BrotherBenny, but I recommend going back and reading the other stories--they tend to be very interconnected. And I think you'll really like it.

I second both thoughts. This is a great opening. Would have liked to see more of Beowulf but, alas, it just wasn't meant to be. Great start, can't say that enough.

 

[BrotherBenny]

CaptainSarine, I recommend you read the others, but I'm biased. You'll find the first four stories under the thread Pytheas Repost, and the fifth as Fragments of Control.

Yes, the Beowulf could have been great, but this is meant to be a war. Perhaps you might have guessed, but both Gene and Kelly were former Starfleet officers. Maybe a vignette will give a backstory, who knows.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

GENE--KELLY?!

I just now got that! Man, I'm slow!

 

[BrotherBenny]

GENE--KELLY?!

I just now got that! Man, I'm slow!

 

[CeJay]

I fgured Gene ... Kelly must have been Starfleet officers. That's not the kind of stuff you expect from civilian boomers. They went out with a bang though. Nicely done.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Chapter One

Starbase 535
Kursican Sector
Stardate 55431.8 (June 7, 2378)

Captain Lionel Logan entered the conference room to find everyone already seated. Captains Dhrex, Aurelia, Astar and Vikagh were on the left with Subcommander Sokal, Commander Madden and General Allak seated on the right. These people represented all that Starfleet had amassed, or was able to, to combat the imminent Cha'lav attack. He caught a glance of himself in the reflective surface of the table as he sat down and realised he looked haggard. Sleep had not come easy to him for the last week and a half. He leaned back in his chair and spoke to his assembled guests.

'I've asked you here because we no longer have time to waste. A distress signal was picked up in the Kolari system six hours ago from the Beowulf, a freelance transport ship. Along with the audio call, we picked up detailed sensor logs. They were being chased by a large vessel which is Cha'lav in origin. It is almost twice as large as the control ship sitting outside the system. It will be here in less than a day.'

Vikagh stood up. 'Then we shall be ready to send the Cha'lav to their choice of afterlife.'

The others followed suit. 'We'll be ready for them,' Aurelia added.

'All right, you'll receive your combat assignments within the hour, dismissed. Captain Astar, if you could remain a moment, please.'

She nodded as the others filed out and Logan could see that she had been expecting this.

'I assume you are relieving me of duty?' she asked.

'That is what Starfleet wants me to do, yes. However, considering the fact that you and your crew have had more interaction with the Cha'lav than anyone else, I was able to grant you a temporary reprieve. You will remain in command until the current crisis is resolved, provided you survive of course, and then you will be relieved pending the results of a general court-martial. Lieutenant Commander Gonzales will take over as acting Captain until a replacement executive officer can be found.'

'She is quite capable of performing that duty.'

'I agree, however she only holds the rank of Lieutenant Commander and the billet of tactical officer because you swapped roles and ranks with Lieutenant Parker. Command wasn't exactly happy with that decision but Admiral Ranar pulled strings to keep the status quo. He won't be batting for you on this occasion as he believes, as I do, that you violated General Order 283 while in the mirror universe and possibly the Prime Directive in this one.'

'I did what I had to do to get my crew home, and the others from this universe trapped in that one. I stand by my decisions.'

Logan stood up. 'I would expect no less from a fellow Captain. The court-martial may even agree with your decisions, but that will not matter if your mental state is called into question. I know everything about you, Leza, and I hope to God that things work out for you because Starfleet can ill afford to lose commanding officers of your calibre. Things should be fine if your crew stand by you.'

'If that's all, Captain?' she asked through clenched teeth.

'Almost all, Captain. I'd like to see Cadet Snowcroft please, immediately; dismissed.'

Astar strode from the room and he sighed, throwing himself back into his chair. He hated giving orders like that but she did have it coming. As her immediate superior, he'd been responsible for making the decision as to whether a court-martial should be convened and the simple fact of the matter was that she had wilfully ignored standing Starfleet orders by assisting the Terran rebellion. He had passed her logs and his recommendation up the chain of command and they had agreed.

What she did completely changed the balance of power in that universe and could even have consequences for theirs. Command had only given him his orders for her just before the meeting, hence his being late for it. He should have relieved her regardless of the situation, but he was here and the admirals were there, so he believed he had a little leeway in that regard. What he told her was the truth. He needed her in command until after the battle.

The door chimed. 'Come.'

Cadet Maria Snowcroft entered the room and stood just inside the door. 'You wanted to see me, sir?'

'I did,' Logan replied. 'I've had my chief medical officer look over your genetic make-up and at first glance it does appear to be human. Since I'm sure you knew that entering “unknown” for your father's species would have raised red flags and plenty of questions, I understand why you put human. The question now remains what to do with you.'

The young woman squared her shoulders. 'I lied on my admission form, sir. I will accept whatever disciplinary action is deemed necessary.'

Logan smiled. 'Your situation is unique, Cadet. As far as my CMO can determine, there has never before been a time when a parent was of unknown species. Since it is unknown, it is therefore deemed non-hostile. As you know, we accept candidates from a variety of worlds, many of them former enemies. It is therefore my decision that you be returned to duty with no reprimand entered into your file.'

'Thank you, sir.'

'I will inform Captain Astar of my decision and you will report for duty at your next scheduled duty shift, dismissed.'

'Aye sir.' Snowcroft tipped her head in salute, turned and exited.

Logan stood up and left the conference room. At least of Astar's decisions was unwarranted, he just hoped that none of her more serious ones were. There still remained the logs of her other senior staff to go through, but he decided most of them could wait, at least for a little while. The chief engineer was a Romulan and he still didn't trust them, especially considering his most recent experience with them. As he walked to his office, he considered his own heritage, and wondered how many races there were in the galaxy who had such turbulent histories.

 

[CeJay]

Wow, Snowcroft got off lightly. But I guess the fact that she lied on her application form about her father's origin isn't such a big deal. They might want to look at her again though once they find out what she was up to in the mirror universe.

As for Astar, all she needs to do now is pull off a Kirk to make Starfleet forget her indiscretions. Returning to the past and save Earth by bringing back a pair of humpback whales is probably not going to happen. How about saving the universe from the Cha'lav, though?

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I agree--Snowcroft got off VERY lightly indeed. Which is strange: isn't Norah Satie currently the president of the UT Federation? I wonder if she would've treated Snowcroft quite so well?

As for Astar--I'm wondering, isn't she going to have to go through her zhian'tara at some point? (Dunno if that could be done during her leave-of-absence for the court martial...)

 

[BrotherBenny]

I agree--Snowcroft got off VERY lightly indeed. Which is strange: isn't Norah Satie currently the president of the UT Federation? I wonder if she would've treated Snowcroft quite so well?

It would be unethical for the Federation President to get involved in a single officer's career like that, though by her reaction in the Drumhead, you may think differently. But the Romulans are hostile to the Federation, and this unknown isn't unless proven otherwise.

-----------------------------------------------

Chapter Two

USS Pytheas
Starbase 535
Stardate 55433.8 (June 8, 2378)

Lieutenant Commander Sheena Gonzales entered the bridge to find that the rest of the alpha shift were already there. She had intended to meet the captain before her shift started but a message had come in from Earth which had delayed her. Astar looked up from the console her chair and beckoned the acting first officer over. Gonzales sat down beside the captain after seeing Snowcroft at tactical.

'What do we have?'

'You can see the tactical plot here,' Astar replied. 'Any suggestions?'

'Make every shot count,' the Betazoid replied. 'Parker finally cracked a few hours ago and provided us with shield and weapons modifications which should punch through their defences, but we won't know for sure until we engage them.'

'Is there anything I should know?'

'The Cha'lav have small fighter-like craft and they can do significant damage because of their size and manoeuvrability. I was going to ask for permission to have all the shuttles from all the ships break off and go after fighters which the Cha'lav launch against us. That way, we can concentrate on the capital ships.'

Astar nodded. 'I want our best pilots on those shuttles. Larson stays here though, I need him at the helm.'

'It's all organised, I was just waiting on your order.'

'Planning ahead?'

'Contingency plans,' Gonzales replied. 'There are far too many ships, even with the Ynelavii contingent on our side. We do have an advantage though, and I plan to utilise it myself.'

'Go on.'

'The Eeroth missiles. We didn't give them back. They're still in our shuttlebay. They're capable of independent action. With that many Cha'lav vessels, there will be no lack of targets for them.'

'One of them needs to be manned, and it could be suicide,' Astar replied, lowering her voice.

'Captain, I'll have an emergency transporter beacon on me. Those missiles may be enough to turn the fight to our favour.'

'Who'll be at tactical?'

'Parker, she knows the Cha'lav better than any of us.'

Astar couldn't fault that selection but was wary of it at the same time. 'We're just waiting for word from Logan before we deploy. I want you ready to leave at a moment's notice.'

'I am,' Gonzales said. 'I have a site to site transport waiting for me on the primary missile.'

'Captain, incoming message from the Cha'lav on all local subspace frequencies.'

'On screen.'

It was an old Cha'lav-Reptilian that appeared on screen. A scar crossed through his right eye and he leaned forward. 'This is a message for all Federation and allied forces in this sector. Your galaxy has been selected for conquest by the Cha'lav Hegemony and you have chosen to fight back against a clearly superior force. In order to prevent rebellion being fomented, you will be destroyed unless you surrender immediately. There are no terms. Your surrender must be unconditional.'

'I wonder what Captain Logan's response will be,' Gonzales muttered to her commanding officer.

'Something along the lines of “go to hell.”'

'This is Captain Logan of Starbase 535. I speak for all Federation forces in this region. You have committed numerous acts of aggression against the Federation, its allies and protectorates. Any and all of these can be considered an act of war. Withdraw immediately or you will suffer the consequences. There will be no further warning.'

'So I see,' Gonzales replied.

'Then the battle is joined,' the Reptilian stated and the communication ended.

'Incoming from the Starbase, Captain,' Snowcroft said. 'We're being ordered to our position. Cha'lav forces are on the move. First wave of vessels is entering the system. They'll be in weapons range in eleven minutes.'

'Larson, take us out. Gonzales, as soon as we're in position, launch the shuttles and keep the missiles on standby,' Astar said. 'Red alert. All hands to battle stations.'

'Aye sir,' they replied in unison.

The turbolift opened and Parker entered the bridge to relieve Snowcroft. The cadet stepped to one side but did not leave her post. Astar had replacements for all senior officers on the bridge, ready to take over if any of her alpha shift were injured and thus far, Snowcroft had been found to have a singular talent for tactical solutions.

'Captain, all stations report battle stations readiness.'

'Excellent, as soon as we're in position, deploy the SPRA network across the front lines.'

'Aye sir.'

The Pytheas moved into position proximate to the Oxelus and the Independence. The Weisskopf was closer to the starbase with the Everest and the other Ynelavii ships arrayed spatially above and below the main battle group. The Gilded Talon and Ditagh were cloaked and would be used when needed.

'Lieutenant, what weapons are the larger vessels likely to possess?'

'The large control ships have phasers and disruptors, plasma torpedoes and singularity cascades.'

'I've never heard of that.'

'You wouldn't have. Subspace weapons were banned by the second Khitomer Accords.'

Astar turned to face her chief of security. 'That introduces a problem. If they were to use one, we'd have no defence against it.'

'Neither would they, Captain. The weapon is used only as a last resort.'

'How do you know that?' Gonzales asked. 'How do you know any of this?'

'Now is not the time,' Astar replied.

'Captain, I think it is as good a time as any,' Parker replied. 'I come from what you know as the thirtieth century, where the Cha'lav had all but defeated the Federation and its allies. They had overrun most of the galaxy and the Federation made its final desperate assault at the Battle of Rura Penthe. We lost that battle but several officers were sent back through time to provide information about the Cha'lav at points we know they in our galaxy testing our weapons capability.'

The entire bridge crew looked at her. 'When was their earliest known entrance into our galaxy?'

'The 2150s, a period that was the final years of the Temporal Cold War.'

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

I agree--Snowcroft got off VERY lightly indeed. Which is strange: isn't Norah Satie currently the president of the UT Federation? I wonder if she would've treated Snowcroft quite so well?

It would be unethical for the Federation President to get involved in a single officer's career like that, though by her reaction in the Drumhead, you may think differently. But the Romulans are hostile to the Federation, and this unknown isn't unless proven otherwise.

Unethical, perhaps, but such things can and do happen. I would rather not debate on examples, but it does indeed happen. Has your version of Norah Satie changed significantly from the person we saw in "The Drumhead"?

And I really hope we get to get more background on how the Cha'lav (or the future Starfleet?) were involved in the Temporal Cold War. If you've got a way to tie up that whole dropped plot-arc from ENT, I would LOVE to see it!

 

[BrotherBenny]

^I do have a few ideas, but I have a lot on my plate at the moment so it might be a while.

 

[Nerys Ghemor]

Look forward to it whenever you get the chance!

BTW, I'm gonna PM you about something...

 

[BrotherBenny]

Chapter Three

USS Pytheas
Kursican system
Stardate 55433.9 (June 8, 2378)

'That explains why Captain Archer was never able to find out who the future factions were. It was probably all the Cha'lav playing sides off one another,' Gonzales said.

'No, the Federation was involved, as was the Vulcan Alliance.'

'The who?'

'A loose alliance of Vulcanoid peoples including the Vulcans, Romulus, the Watraii and the Mintakans.'

'The Vulcans seceded from the Federation?'

'We're in position, Captain,' Larson said and then joined the rapt crew.

'In 2698, in order to complete the Reunification which Ambassador Spock and his family had worked so hard for. The Alliance mustered as many Vulcanoid peoples as they could find to defeat the Cha'lav attack on Romulus. They were only partially successful. It was then that the Cha'lav started the Temporal Cold War in order to destabilise the quadrant by creating a Klingon civil war which would drag the other powers in, leaving them primed for an invasion.'

'Three minutes to weapons range,' Snowcroft informed them.

'Make final checks to all systems,' Astar ordered.

'Suffice it to say, I have been fighting the Cha'lav for a long time and I know a great many of their weaknesses, including their tactical errors.'

'Such as?'

'Their reliance on set tactics. They're not a very imaginative bunch.'

'If we're so much better, how did they beat us?'

'Sheer numbers. By the end of the war, ships kept pouring in through hundreds of spatial rifts and we had no way of closing them. We were completely outnumbered.'

'Weapons range in one minute.'

'Stations people,' Astar ordered.

'The shuttles are in position,' Gonzales said.

'This is Captain Logan to all vessels, do not open fire until they have. I will not be responsible for starting this incident.'

'Acknowledge the message and lock weapons on the largest target. Prepare a full spread of photon torpedoes, target weapons and engines,' Astar ordered.

'Weapons and engines target locked,' Parker replied. 'The Cha'lav are now in weapons range.'

The seconds seemed to take forever to pass as the Cha'lav ships manoeuvred into attack positions. The large control ship which was the fleet's point vessel remained outside the system. Four cruisers, four destroyers and three fighter frigates entered weapons range, a third of the Cha'lav fleet in the area. The destroyers broke formation and headed for the Weisskopf, the Independence and the Everest, the smallest ships and easiest targets. They opened fire first and three of the Cha'lav fighters were blown away instantly by the Everest's phasers. The Defiant-class ships were small and mean.

'Wait until that control ship attacks.'

'Incoming!' Parker yelled as Astar saw another large vessel, a destroyer, moved into their line of fire.

The blast rocked the Pytheas but did little damage.

'Change target and fire!' Astar ordered and half a dozen photon torpedoes hurtles toward the destroyer.

It was too big to manoeuvre quickly and the torpedoes all impacted the shields over the fuselage. The shields flickered and died and without asking, Parker followed the barrage with a phaser volley. The destroyer's engines crumpled and the ship imploded.

'Damn, I was afraid of that,' the security chief muttered.

'What?' Astar asked.

'Some of those vessels are using singularity drives, more powerful ones than what the Romulans use, and easily capable of creating a black hole if we're not careful.'

'How big could the black hole get?'

'Big enough to swallow the system if enough of them merge.'

Astar and Gonzales shared a look. 'Is there a way to destroy the ships without the singularities imploding them?'

'No, there isn't. Most of the black holes that form will be too small to sustain themselves. But there is a danger that some will be.'

'We'll have to take that risk. Continue firing.'

'Sir, the Weisskopf has taken damage to its port nacelle. They're venting plasma.'

'Can we give them any backup?' Astar asked as the ship shuddered. 'What was that?'

'We're pinned down by three Cha'lav cruisers.'

'How are the shuttles?'

'Holding their own and taking out the fighters.'

Astar turned to her acting exec. 'Be ready to launch the missiles.'

Gonzales nodded. 'Larson, now would be a good time for one of your fancy tricks. Parker, as soon as you get clear shots, take them.'

'Aye sir,' the helmsman answered without turning round.

'My pleasure,' the hybrid Klingon added.

The Pytheas dived in a barrel roll on the z axis, taking it below the three attacking cruisers while avoiding every shot from disruptor or torpedo alike, and giving Parker a clear shot at the engines of all three. She used the SPRA network to attack the shields and engines of one ship, phasers on another and torpedoes on the third. All three veered off to avoid the strikes but Parker gave them no edge and highlighted one particular target. The lead attack cruiser was vaporised in flame as the SPRA network made concentrated bursts of fire at the engines.

'One of the probes has been destroyed,' Talen stated. 'The Independence and the Oxelus are taking on the remaining destroyers.'

'What about our friends?' Astar asked after the Klingon and Romulan ships.

'They have not yet joined the fight.'

'There's a surprise,' Gonzales muttered. 'Where's the Weisskopf?'

'Captain Dhrex is leading the shuttle contingent in taking out the fighters.'

'Seems like we're winning out against the first wave,' Gonzales said. 'Not going to be so easy with the second.'

'The control ship is hailing us, Captain,' Parker said.

'Keep firing at those cruisers. On screen.'

The ship rocked as they were blasted from two sides but the Reptilian seemed to care not a jot. 'I want to keep your ship in one piece. You have something I want. Surrender and I will let you all live.'

Astar sneered at him. 'How little you know us. We will die before surrendering to you.'

'I want that half-breed wretch,' the Reptilian spat. 'Hand her over and we will leave this sector.'

'Not a chance,' Astar replied and terminated the conversation.

'Why is she so important?' Gonzales mused aloud.

'Because I am hunting someone who is important to them,' Parker replied. 'Prani has clearly been manipulating events and I don't like it.'

'None of us do,' Astar replied as the Pytheas bucked suddenly.

'Hull breach on deck seven, forcefields in place and control teams responding,' Talen stated calmly as he looked at the evolving tactical plot on his console.

 

[Mistral]

Very vivid battle scene. Should Parker have blown her cover? I don't know. Need to know is a strong military tradition and maybe could have been used to keep her knowledge source under wraps. On the other hand, Parker is there to change history-not preserve it.

 

[BrotherBenny]

Chapter Four

USS Weisskopf
Kursican system
Stardate 55433.9 (June 8, 2378)

Captain Dhrex grabbed the armrests with both hands as the Nova-class ship shuddered again. The lights dimmed and then came back on at less than a third of their standard level. Several consoles were dark, cracked but not shattered, and a quick glance around him showed that none of his bridge officers were dead.

'Damage report?' he ordered.

'Shields are down to seventy percent,' Lieutenant Commander Kareni Renn answered, the first to return to her station from the deck. 'Hull breaches on decks six and seven, aft torpedo launchers are down, internal communication and warp engines too. That hit to the port nacelle took the wind out our sails. We're venting drive plasma.'

'Let's just hope that Johnson can fix it all. I need you to concentrate on that fight.'

'Aye sir,' Renn replied. 'May I suggest that in our weakened condition we take command of the shuttlecraft contingent and take out the Cha'lav fighters?'

'Signal the shuttles and have them form up around us in two wings. As soon as they have locked a target, tell them to break and fire, we'll hold the rest off.'

'Aye sir.'

'Captain, incoming cruiser,' Ensign sh'Felen said from the helm even as she went into evasive manoeuvres. 'Epsilon-nine,' she added for the Denobulan's benefit.

Dhrex smiled thinly. 'Just make sure we're not hit. Fire all dorsal phasers and then roll over to hit them the ventral phasers. Follow it up with a volley of torpedoes. We have to protect the shuttles.'

'Aye sir,' sh'Felen and Renn replied, coordinating their manoeuvres.

The Weisskopf lurched forward as the Cha'lav cruiser fired and then let loose the phaser barrages and torpedo volley. The intensity of the attack was too much for the cruiser and the torpedoes all impacted the unprotected hull, destroying the ship.

'Seven fighters destroyed, the remainder are focussing their fire on the allied ships, not ours.'

'Order the shuttles to pursue and destroy, we cannot let the Cha'lav get through our lines.'

'Aye sir, they're responding. The Jarvis, Scobee and Babylon are going after most of the fighters. The Giza and the Onizuka are trying to prevent the others from fleeing back to their lines,' Renn said. 'The allied ships, the Everest and the Independence have taken out the last of the destroyers. The cruisers are trying to pincer the Independence and the Everest has been damaged and fallen back.'

'Where are the shuttles?'

'Still rounding up the fighters,' Banks answered as he looked down at his console.

'All right, let's give them some help, find one of the fighter frigates and fire.'

'Captain, one of the cruisers is now headed our way!' sh'Felen yelled. 'They're on a collision course.'

'Evasive!' Dhrex called out.

Sh'Felen pushed the Weisskopf into a loop and the cruiser passed harmlessly below the shield envelope but then came around for another pass, firing it's beams at almost point blank range. The Nova-class ship bucked and shuddered as the cruiser pounded it.

'We're losing attitude control,' Lieutenant sh'Freen, the operations officer called out over the din of the alarms. 'Hull breaches on all decks, life support failing. Damage control teams are responding.'

Banks jumped up to the tactical station. 'Renn's dead, sir. We've lost weapons.'

Dhrex cursed as he felt himself rise from his chair even though he was secured by the straps. 'Gravity too,' he muttered.

'Helm's out,' sh'Felen added.

The ship shook harder than ever before and several crewmembers were thrown from their stations.

'Report.'

'That was the starboard nacelle being sheared off,' Banks said calmly.

'Do we have the tractor beam?' Dhrex asked.

'Just about.'

'Send it to the Cha'lav, a gift from us.'

Banks smiled. 'My pleasure, sir. Shame we can't wrap it.'

'Bridge to engineering.'

'Johnson here, sir.'

'I need weapons, fast.'

'I can give you the aft launcher in a few seconds,' the chief engineer replied.

Dhrex looked at Banks who nodded. 'That's great, we only need one shot.'

'That's all you're likely to get.'

'Incoming!' sh'Felen yelled and everyone grabbed on.

As the Weisskopf shook violently, Dhrex closed his eyes and muttered a prayer to an ancient deity that most of his people had forgotten. 'I suppose that was the port nacelle? ' he asked.

'Yes sir,' his tactical officer answered. 'We have the aft launcher.'

'Is the cruiser still in range?'

'Yes sir.'

'Lock on to the nacelles and drop them in front of the cruiser, then fire a torpedo.'

'Sir, you are aware that at this range, and with our shields as weak as they are, we'll likely be badly hit.'

'I'm aware of that, Andy. Prepare to fire.'

'Aye sir.'

Dhrex activated the intra-ship comm. 'This is the Captain. As you all know we've been badly hit by the Cha'lav and we're about to try a dangerous manoeuvre to destroy the enemy ship. Even if it works we will likely be destroyed so I want all non-essential personnel to get to escape pods. They've been preprogrammed to make landfall on Kursica, where I hope you will be relatively safe. It has been an honour serving with you. That is all.'

'Ready sir, they're coming around...for a final pass.'

'Euhena, I'll take the helm. The rest of you get to your escape pods,' Dhrex said as the evacuation alarm sounded and he stepped down to take her place.

She looked at him and wiped away a tear. 'Aye sir.'

Banks waited for a few seconds. 'Escape pods are away, we can't wait any longer, sir.'

Dhrex narrowed his eyes at the main viewscreen. 'Do it.'

As twin tractor beams latched onto the drifting nacelles and pushed them in front of the oncoming Cha'lav cruiser, Dhrex turned the Weisskopf around so the working launcher was facing the enemy. It tried to avoid them by making its own evasive manoeuvres but Banks was too fast and the single torpedo detonated on impact what had been the starboard nacelle. The explosion took out the port nacelle as well and the conflagration crippled the Cha'lav cruiser.

'Coolant leak in engineering, sir,' Banks said as the Weisskopf was buffeted by the shockwave. 'With no one to stop it we're headed for a breach.'

'I know, get to an escape pod and save yourself. I'm going to ram the cruiser.'

'Sir!'

'Warning, warp core breach in two minutes.'

'Go!' Dhrex ordered. 'I'm going to take them out.'

Banks stood for only a moment longer. 'It's been an honour, sir.'

Once his first officer was gone, Dhrex loosed the log buoy before aiming his ship at the Cha'lav.

'Warning, warp core breach in one minute.'

 

[DavidFalkayn]

Just caught up with this story and boy, what a way to leave the audience hanging. Very nice! The Cha'lav are excellent villains and you've done a wonderful job on your character development.