This is the retooling of the Aurora story glimpsed in "Search for Life"
This story begins on March 9, 2381, less than a month after the Caeliar ended the Borg threat, and ends on May 12, 2381, when President Bacco announces the formation of the Typhon Pact to Federation citizens.
Prologue
USS Fortuna
Beta Renner System
Stardate 58184.5 (March 9, 2381)
The disruptor bolts pounded the Ambassador-class starship again and again and the ship shuddered with each impact. Captain Tyrell Walker was trapped in his chair by the restraints, as was most of his command crew, but he knew for certain that unless they were able to score some hits against the Tholian battle cruiser the Selay would certainly perish, and that would not do for one of the races who had been members of the Federation for almost fifteen years now. They had escaped the wrath of the Borg because they were so far distant from the core worlds and now the Tholians were seemingly trying to do what the Borg had failed to.
Hundreds of Selay young had been killed when the Tholians destroyed their northern coastal hatching grounds and the Selay government had naturally been apoplectic and called for Starfleet assistance. The Fortuna had been orbiting Antica at the time dropping a few industrial replicators to help them recover from a little seismic activity on their volcanically active world and it took only a matter of minutes to reach Selay and engage the Tholians. However, the single Tholian battle cruiser outgunned the Fortuna in almost every way. It was one of their new Topaz-class cruisers, the largest yet built by the Tholian Assembly and for one seeming purpose, the annexation of Federation territory.
‘Return fire, all phasers,’ he yelled.
‘Captain, I found it!’ his tactical officer called out as the phasers hit the Tholian battle cruiser to no apparent effect.
‘What have you got, Mona?’ he asked the Andorian.
‘A directed spiral wave sonic pulse will make the Tholian cruiser shake itself apart.’
‘I’d rather not kill them if it can be helped,’ Walker replied. ‘Aim the pulse at the weapons first and see if it makes a dent in their shielding.’
‘Aye sir,’ she replied as she sent another phaser volley out. ‘Engineering is making the modifications to the deflector dish now.’
‘How many torpedoes do we have?’
‘Thirty seven, sir,’ zh’Nemik said.
‘Fire a volley; see if we can weaken their shields at all.’
‘Charging the deflector now,’ zh’Nemik said. ‘Torpedoes away.’
Walker watched as the battle cruiser attempted to evade the torpedoes to no effect. Each one impacted the shields and drained them a little. ‘Status of their shields.’
‘Their shields are down to fifty percent,’ the operations officer, Lieutenant Fej, added.
‘Deflector charged and ready.’
‘Fire!’
The effect was almost instantaneous. The invisible spiral wave pulse impacted the Tholian cruiser and the shields vanished as if they were never there. The silicon-based vessel began to visibly shake and the weapons pods slung under the primary hull suddenly exploded. Secondary explosions split the ship in two before a bright white glow of energy vaporized the Tholian vessel.
‘Must be a design flaw,’ zh’Nemik muttered unapologetically.
‘Contact the Selay and let them know the Tholians are gone. Ask them if they need any assistance and then contact Starbase 14 and inform them of the situation.’
‘Aye sir,’ the tactical officer replied and sent messages to both parties.
‘Helm, set a course for Starbase 14 and prepare to leave on my signal.’
‘Aye sir,’ Lieutenant Bernstein said and entered the relevant coordinates.
‘Ops, I want a list of damaged systems and injuries right now.’
‘We lost three people when the Tholians made a hole in our shields and blasted through the hull, seventeen others injured; four serious. The doctor is working on them now,’ the Ktarian operations officer replied. ‘Portside forward phaser array is damaged, and the shields are down to sixty-five percent.’
‘The Selay report that they need no further assistance from us,’ Commander Dennes stated from beside the tactical console. ‘They are filing a grievance with Starfleet Command for us neglecting our duty to them in favor of the Anticans.’
‘Old grudges die hard,’ Walker muttered.
‘Starbase 14 acknowledges our report and will forward up the chain of command,’ zh’Nemik said.
‘Helm, impulse till we clear the system and then go to warp six.’
‘Engineering recommends we do not exceed warp four,’ Bernstein answered. ‘We should be there tomorrow afternoon.’
‘Get engineering working on those engines then,’ Walker released the restraints. ‘I’ll be in my ready room.’
Starbase 14
Beta Renner Sector Command
Stardate 58184.6 (March 9, 2381)
Admiral Miranda Bentos stared out of the window in her office toward the distant Hetonas Cluster, just about visible during this time of the day. It was a dense collection of stars and about as well explored as any area outside of the Beta Renner sector, which is to say not at all. The nearest Federation outpost was Farpoint Station, which itself was over 35 light years away in a rimward direction. Coreward, the nearest Federation starbase was orbiting Bynaus, over a hundred light years distant. She was all alone in the night with a complement of one ageing Ambassador-class starship, four runabouts and a staff of 20 officers with 130 enlisted personnel and a similar number of civilians from the various inhabited planets in the sector.
She saw the energy burst of a starship coming out of warp and wondered if it was the Michelangelo or the Aurora. The Michelangelo should have finished assisting the Ligonians by now, and the Aurora was overdue by only a few hours to drop off supplies. The Fortuna was limping back from Selay after running into a Tholian cruiser, and she had already spoken to Command about it, though they seemed to have their hands full with a number of other things.
She touched a panel on her desk. ‘Commander, is that the Michelangelo?’
‘Yes ma’am; and they have good news. The Aurora reports that they will arrive within the hour,’ Lieutenant Commander Sarah Quentin replied.
‘Have the Michelangelo’s captain sent straight to my office,’ Bentos told her executive officer.
‘Yes ma’am, Quentin out.’
A few minutes later, Captain Donald Kaplan entered her office. She noticed the bags under his eyes and the stubble on his chin but elected to say nothing of it. Helping the Ligonians rebuild their capital city after it had been nearly demolished by an earthquake that should not have happened was no easy task and the crew of the Saber-class ship had been hard at it for almost a month.
‘First tell me what happened,’ Bentos asked him after had taken a seat.
‘I have no clue and neither does anyone else on my crew,’ Kaplan replied. ‘The city is thousands of kilometers from any of the major fault lines but the epicenter was directly in the center of the city. That is no coincidence. Our conclusion is a seismic weapon of some kind.’
‘Does anyone have that technology?’ she asked, knowing the likely answer.
‘Only one I can think of, Admiral. The Tholians.’
Bentos nodded and made a mental note to forward that piece of speculation to Command in her next communication with them. ‘What’s the good news you have?’
Kaplan sat up and a sparkle appeared in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. ‘In return for our assistance, the Ligonians have agreed to allow a Federation colony to be placed on the southern continental land mass.’
‘How many people?’
‘Two billion,’ Kaplan answered and Bentos believed she had just developed a hearing problem.
‘Did you say Two billion? As in, two thousand million?’
‘Yes ma’am, but it gets better.’
‘How?’
‘Another billion can be introduced over the next century.’
‘You have that in writing?’
Kaplan pulled a padd from inside his uniform jacket and handed it over. ‘It may look like they’re being generous, but there is a slight catch.’
‘There’s nothing in the treaty you had drawn up,’ she said as she glanced at the padd.
Kaplan smiled. ‘The southern continent is haunted and every Ligonian who has attempted to explore the region has vanished without a trace and never been seen since.’
Bentos couldn’t help laughing and Kaplan joined her. ‘Two billion and a few ghosts?’
‘Yes ma’am.’
‘Thank you, Captain. I think you deserve some shore leave after all your hard work. I’ll have the Aurora make a preliminary report for Command on the suitability of the area and then suggest to Command that they start the relocation proceedings.’
‘The Aurora? Is that still Denisar’s ship?’
Bentos nodded. ‘You know him?’
‘He was instrumental in saving the Antares system from falling to the Borg. We went to the Academy together.’
‘I see,’ she replied and marveled that even the armpit of space, there were officers who knew each other. ‘Well, I’ll give you two some time to catch up. You can give him the rundown on the situation on Ligon Two.’
‘It’ll be my pleasure, Admiral.’
‘Dismissed, Captain.’
***
This story begins on March 9, 2381, less than a month after the Caeliar ended the Borg threat, and ends on May 12, 2381, when President Bacco announces the formation of the Typhon Pact to Federation citizens.
***
Prologue
USS Fortuna
Beta Renner System
Stardate 58184.5 (March 9, 2381)
The disruptor bolts pounded the Ambassador-class starship again and again and the ship shuddered with each impact. Captain Tyrell Walker was trapped in his chair by the restraints, as was most of his command crew, but he knew for certain that unless they were able to score some hits against the Tholian battle cruiser the Selay would certainly perish, and that would not do for one of the races who had been members of the Federation for almost fifteen years now. They had escaped the wrath of the Borg because they were so far distant from the core worlds and now the Tholians were seemingly trying to do what the Borg had failed to.
Hundreds of Selay young had been killed when the Tholians destroyed their northern coastal hatching grounds and the Selay government had naturally been apoplectic and called for Starfleet assistance. The Fortuna had been orbiting Antica at the time dropping a few industrial replicators to help them recover from a little seismic activity on their volcanically active world and it took only a matter of minutes to reach Selay and engage the Tholians. However, the single Tholian battle cruiser outgunned the Fortuna in almost every way. It was one of their new Topaz-class cruisers, the largest yet built by the Tholian Assembly and for one seeming purpose, the annexation of Federation territory.
‘Return fire, all phasers,’ he yelled.
‘Captain, I found it!’ his tactical officer called out as the phasers hit the Tholian battle cruiser to no apparent effect.
‘What have you got, Mona?’ he asked the Andorian.
‘A directed spiral wave sonic pulse will make the Tholian cruiser shake itself apart.’
‘I’d rather not kill them if it can be helped,’ Walker replied. ‘Aim the pulse at the weapons first and see if it makes a dent in their shielding.’
‘Aye sir,’ she replied as she sent another phaser volley out. ‘Engineering is making the modifications to the deflector dish now.’
‘How many torpedoes do we have?’
‘Thirty seven, sir,’ zh’Nemik said.
‘Fire a volley; see if we can weaken their shields at all.’
‘Charging the deflector now,’ zh’Nemik said. ‘Torpedoes away.’
Walker watched as the battle cruiser attempted to evade the torpedoes to no effect. Each one impacted the shields and drained them a little. ‘Status of their shields.’
‘Their shields are down to fifty percent,’ the operations officer, Lieutenant Fej, added.
‘Deflector charged and ready.’
‘Fire!’
The effect was almost instantaneous. The invisible spiral wave pulse impacted the Tholian cruiser and the shields vanished as if they were never there. The silicon-based vessel began to visibly shake and the weapons pods slung under the primary hull suddenly exploded. Secondary explosions split the ship in two before a bright white glow of energy vaporized the Tholian vessel.
‘Must be a design flaw,’ zh’Nemik muttered unapologetically.
‘Contact the Selay and let them know the Tholians are gone. Ask them if they need any assistance and then contact Starbase 14 and inform them of the situation.’
‘Aye sir,’ the tactical officer replied and sent messages to both parties.
‘Helm, set a course for Starbase 14 and prepare to leave on my signal.’
‘Aye sir,’ Lieutenant Bernstein said and entered the relevant coordinates.
‘Ops, I want a list of damaged systems and injuries right now.’
‘We lost three people when the Tholians made a hole in our shields and blasted through the hull, seventeen others injured; four serious. The doctor is working on them now,’ the Ktarian operations officer replied. ‘Portside forward phaser array is damaged, and the shields are down to sixty-five percent.’
‘The Selay report that they need no further assistance from us,’ Commander Dennes stated from beside the tactical console. ‘They are filing a grievance with Starfleet Command for us neglecting our duty to them in favor of the Anticans.’
‘Old grudges die hard,’ Walker muttered.
‘Starbase 14 acknowledges our report and will forward up the chain of command,’ zh’Nemik said.
‘Helm, impulse till we clear the system and then go to warp six.’
‘Engineering recommends we do not exceed warp four,’ Bernstein answered. ‘We should be there tomorrow afternoon.’
‘Get engineering working on those engines then,’ Walker released the restraints. ‘I’ll be in my ready room.’
***
Starbase 14
Beta Renner Sector Command
Stardate 58184.6 (March 9, 2381)
Admiral Miranda Bentos stared out of the window in her office toward the distant Hetonas Cluster, just about visible during this time of the day. It was a dense collection of stars and about as well explored as any area outside of the Beta Renner sector, which is to say not at all. The nearest Federation outpost was Farpoint Station, which itself was over 35 light years away in a rimward direction. Coreward, the nearest Federation starbase was orbiting Bynaus, over a hundred light years distant. She was all alone in the night with a complement of one ageing Ambassador-class starship, four runabouts and a staff of 20 officers with 130 enlisted personnel and a similar number of civilians from the various inhabited planets in the sector.
She saw the energy burst of a starship coming out of warp and wondered if it was the Michelangelo or the Aurora. The Michelangelo should have finished assisting the Ligonians by now, and the Aurora was overdue by only a few hours to drop off supplies. The Fortuna was limping back from Selay after running into a Tholian cruiser, and she had already spoken to Command about it, though they seemed to have their hands full with a number of other things.
She touched a panel on her desk. ‘Commander, is that the Michelangelo?’
‘Yes ma’am; and they have good news. The Aurora reports that they will arrive within the hour,’ Lieutenant Commander Sarah Quentin replied.
‘Have the Michelangelo’s captain sent straight to my office,’ Bentos told her executive officer.
‘Yes ma’am, Quentin out.’
A few minutes later, Captain Donald Kaplan entered her office. She noticed the bags under his eyes and the stubble on his chin but elected to say nothing of it. Helping the Ligonians rebuild their capital city after it had been nearly demolished by an earthquake that should not have happened was no easy task and the crew of the Saber-class ship had been hard at it for almost a month.
‘First tell me what happened,’ Bentos asked him after had taken a seat.
‘I have no clue and neither does anyone else on my crew,’ Kaplan replied. ‘The city is thousands of kilometers from any of the major fault lines but the epicenter was directly in the center of the city. That is no coincidence. Our conclusion is a seismic weapon of some kind.’
‘Does anyone have that technology?’ she asked, knowing the likely answer.
‘Only one I can think of, Admiral. The Tholians.’
Bentos nodded and made a mental note to forward that piece of speculation to Command in her next communication with them. ‘What’s the good news you have?’
Kaplan sat up and a sparkle appeared in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. ‘In return for our assistance, the Ligonians have agreed to allow a Federation colony to be placed on the southern continental land mass.’
‘How many people?’
‘Two billion,’ Kaplan answered and Bentos believed she had just developed a hearing problem.
‘Did you say Two billion? As in, two thousand million?’
‘Yes ma’am, but it gets better.’
‘How?’
‘Another billion can be introduced over the next century.’
‘You have that in writing?’
Kaplan pulled a padd from inside his uniform jacket and handed it over. ‘It may look like they’re being generous, but there is a slight catch.’
‘There’s nothing in the treaty you had drawn up,’ she said as she glanced at the padd.
Kaplan smiled. ‘The southern continent is haunted and every Ligonian who has attempted to explore the region has vanished without a trace and never been seen since.’
Bentos couldn’t help laughing and Kaplan joined her. ‘Two billion and a few ghosts?’
‘Yes ma’am.’
‘Thank you, Captain. I think you deserve some shore leave after all your hard work. I’ll have the Aurora make a preliminary report for Command on the suitability of the area and then suggest to Command that they start the relocation proceedings.’
‘The Aurora? Is that still Denisar’s ship?’
Bentos nodded. ‘You know him?’
‘He was instrumental in saving the Antares system from falling to the Borg. We went to the Academy together.’
‘I see,’ she replied and marveled that even the armpit of space, there were officers who knew each other. ‘Well, I’ll give you two some time to catch up. You can give him the rundown on the situation on Ligon Two.’
‘It’ll be my pleasure, Admiral.’
‘Dismissed, Captain.’
