Playing To Win........

[Dayton3]

"Of course," Noran continued "the key to the battle was Admiral Tower's effective destruction of the Borg fleet"

"For nearly two years, the Borg had pushed their way through the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. The Romulan and Klingon homeworlds, Ferenginar, Risa, Tamar...all invaded, occupied and put to use by the Borg." Notan stated almost sadly as though those long ago battles were yesterday.

"Only a last ditch effort by Admiral Tower saved Vulcan. Tellar and Andor had been invaded and were hanging on by a thread. The Borg had crushed their way halfway across the Federation and in October of 2413 they made their way to Earth."

"They would go no further"

"One hundred and forty two Borg ships of various types invaded the home system of humanity and capital world of the Federation." Notan said continuing.

"Less than six hours later, only three greviously damaged Borg ships would manage to flee the Terran system..."

 

[Mistral]

Oh, really? How did they pull that off?

 

[USS Fardell]

This is interesting so far. I like to see where you are going with this.

 

[Dayton3]

"Sir?" said one of the assembled students said as he rose, "Hasn't it been a well established fact that Admiral Tower was only part of the team of officers who stopped the Borg? That his contribution while major was not decisive?"

Noran smiled. He always received this question and it never failed to amaze him just how little history people actually studied.

"In a word NO!" Noran said losing his smile completely. "While it might be a 'well established fact' it is in fact still false. Take Admiral Tower out of the equation and Earth is conquered by the Borg and the remainder of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants of the galaxy fall within three years tops. With the resources of the Alpha, Beta, and Delta Quadrants the Borg would then have swept through the Gamma Quadrant and all remaining pockets of opposition very quickly."

"Why then does the Federation downplay Tower's importance to the victory?" a second student said as she rose.

"Because the Federation has always hated to admit that the fate of the galaxy hinges on just one person." Noran said. "And especially in the case of Admiral Tower. To put it bluntly, a lot of people did not like him. I did not like him. He was a difficult man even in the best of times."

"Why was he so difficult to like?" an older student asked.

"For one thing because Admiral Tower was pretty much completely and utterly against what many felt Starfleet to be" Noran continued as he got more and more into the lesson.

"Tower wasn't an explorer. He wasn't a diplomat. Nor was he the least bit interested in either role. Aside from exploring to find new weapons or negotiating to find new allies. He was attracted to Starfleet for the soldiering aspect of it and he quickly proved to be not only a great soldier, but to relish that life."

"Tower even had the saying:

Battle and bed, that's where I perform best!"

The students laughed softly at such sentiments being openly expressed by a top officer.

"In addition to those sentiments which he wasn't shy about expressing, Tower was a very hard man. He had no regret whatsoever about sending people under his command out to die while protecting his own life.

"Unlike most Starfleet officers who prefer to lead 'from the front', Tower had a very calculating and cold blooded opinion of his own self worth. He honestly believed that due to his experience and abilities that his life was worth far more than that of a nameless security guard or navigator serving under his command. "

"And though this alienated many in Starfleet, Tower was probably correct. His experience was a valuable resource that Starfleet needed. So his interest in keeping himself safe and living was actually in the best interests of Starfleet and the Federation".

"But that never stopped the grumbling from other officers."

 

[Dayton3]

"Sir?" yet another of the students said as he stood. "You seem very familar with Admiral Tower personally though it is my understanding that you never served with him for any length of time."

The student had obviously come prepared.

"How is it that you know Admiral Tower so well despite this?" he said finishing.

"A good question." Noran said thoughtfully. "But although I never served with Admiral Tower I did encounter him a vast number of times over the long years."

"In fact, I can tell you about our first meeting. It was peacetime, though definitely on a field of battle................

........the Pirate offense broke the huddle and jogged to the line of scrimmage. Tower, at left defensive tackle, stared at the opposing linemen from his position on one knee and quickly considered the proper tactic.

The Wolverines had come out on fire and jumped out to a 14-0 lead over the formidable Pirate team but after halftime the Pirates had come out with guns blazing. They had driven fifty five yards for a touchdown after a short Wolverine punt to close the score to 14-7. Now after a sustained drive had fallen short, the Pirates took over on downs and were driving again with consecutive first downs.

But the Wolverine defense was up to the challenge and threw the Pirates back for a loss of three yards on two running plays. Now the Pirates faced third and thirteen from their own forty three yard line.

An obvious passing situation, Tower moved into a three point stance and glanced at the ball in the centers' hand. He planned a full on power rush past the Pirate right guard, Markinson, while at the same time Tony at left end rushed hard inside the Pirate right tackle.

A flicker of motion in the corner of his vision alerted Tower to the snap. He lunged forward as low and as hard as possible as though the offensive guard wasn't even in the way.

But he was.

The rock hard collision of helmet and shoulder pads sent Tower reeling back. Markinson had anticipated this pass rush and met him with a massive rising blow of his own rather than try to fend him off with hands and arms. A clever tactic that Tower used himself.

As Tower staggered back from the collision, a tall lanky player brushed into him from the left. It was Tony. The massive Pirate right tackle had simply grabbed him and thrown him down inside like a doll.

And Tower suddenly saw his opening.

In turning to throw Tony aside, Clovell the right tackle had left his outside exposed. Plus, by turning inside he was inadvertently screening Tower from any further blocks by Markinson.

Tower had a direct path on the outside to the quarterback. After two steps he was already at full speed and went roaring by the offensive line completely untouched. Clovell and Markinson both saw what he was doing but could only lunge ineffectually at him.

Tower was now roaring down on the Pirate quarterback.

Noran

Noran meanwhile had locked on to his primary receiver, had the ball up and was poised to pass in just over a second. But Tower would get there first.

Noran sensed more than saw Tower closing on him. He instinctively tried to pull the ball down and safe it but was too late. Tower instinctively flinched at the moment of impact. This was not a form tackle. Noran was too short for that. This was going to be a full on collision at chest and head level that might maim both of them.

Tower plowed into Noran and drove him into the ground in a collision that knocked both of them off their feet.

Tower sensed Noran drop the football but with pain roaring through his head and upper body he could do little about it. But Wolverine linebacker Rick Anderton, who had been guarding against a draw or dump off in the flat scurried in and scooped the ball off the ground one handed and turned toward the goal line. Markinson and Clovell both gave spirited pursuit but Anderton knew how to run and no mere offensive lineman was going to catch him from behind.

Tower heard the fans on the Wolverine side roar as Anderton sliced past the goal line for the touchdown. The fan roar almost, but not quite, muted out the moans and grumbling from the Pirate side.

Meanwhile on the ground, Tower and Noran stared at each other for a couple of long seconds. Then Tower and Noran both extended a hand and helped the other to his feet.......

 

[Dayton3]

"Let me get this straight sir?" yet another student said standing. "You met John Tower in a football game? I was under the impression there was a considerable age difference between the two of you?"

"Only two years" said Noran. "But John Tower entered the academy some six years before I did. As you might remember, I chose to take a shot at the academic world before Starfleet. It turned out that I was about five decades too early. I completed my half century in the fleet before returning to academics.".

"At any rate, that six year gap in entering the academy meant that Tower was a far higher ranking officer than I for the time period we are discussing."

The students stirred a bit. None of them seemed to be able to follow just which way this lecture was going.

 

[Dayton3]

One of the students near the back tuned out Noran's lecture for the moment.
He had been doing research on Admiral Tower and happened upon a decades old memory chip that contained a fascinating entry...

...Tower stared at the Klingon D-7 cruiser hanging above the hay field. He stared until a Constitution class heavy cruiser arrived and hit the Klingon ship with three quick shots from the forward phaser banks.

The Klingon cruiser fired a single disruptor burst then turned sharply back to the east, disappearing over the neighboring hay field.

Two weeks later.

John Tower slowly backed the big manure spreader down through the now empty poultry house. The John Deere tractor he was driving was sleek and new. They passed by the Montana tractor with a front end loader. Cleaning out the massive poultry houses was a rare treat. Done this thoroughly only about three times a year. There was great satisfaction in all the highly detailed tractor work. Including maneuvering inside in very close quarters. And working in the shade was always a plus.

As he rolled the spreader and tractor over the mounds of chicken litter, Tower pulled the steering wheel hard to starboard. As a result, the spreader jerked hard to port and angled about eighty degrees to the tractor before Tower clutched and halted the machine.

Now he was ready for the really fun part.

 

[Dayton3]

Ensign Worthen stared anxiously into the campfire. He then cursed himself for risking his night vision and pulled his phaser rifle closer. He scanned the treeline some 50 meters away with worried glances. Six of his men were out there getting a quick survey of the local area while his two engineers were working feverishly on the damaged engine of the shuttle.

Ensign Collins ran his medical tricorder over the still form laying under the blankets on the ground. It was still warm even though the the planets sun had already set. But the temperature was supposed to drop to near freezing in just a couple of hours. And the howling winds that were supposed to be part of the local weather would force them all back inside.

Right now the engineers needed the extra space to get their work done.

Worthen was running over the events of the last four hours. Hearing and feeling that the command bridge of the ship was hit along with nearly everything else. Piling the people he needed into the shuttle and flying around the drifting hulk of the flagship even as the Borg fleet closed in. Using the shuttles phasers to cut into the damaged bridge. Being horrified when he saw that the shuttle phasers had cut the conn officer in half and that the poor guy was certainly still alive when it happened.

The desperate escape with their prize. No way the Borg should've known about their passenger but three ships came howling in pursuit. Fortunately, Worthen knew of a trick one could do while in warp drive to evade pursuers. Unfortunately, that trick had trashed the drive and they had to set down on the nearest halfway habitable rock.

Now Worthen watched as Collins scanned the figure lying on the makeshift stretcher.

"How is he?" Worthen finally asked after not being able to restrain himself any longer.

"Bad enough", said Collins. "Massive internal injuries. It's a miracle I was able to stabilize him. If we don't get to a starbase hospital. A very advanced starbase hospital within the next 72 hours then all of this will be for nothing".

"We'll make it, somehow" Worthen said with conviction that he didn't feel as he stared down at the very still form of Fleet Admiral John Tower...

 

[Dayton3]

Two thousand, four hundred and twelve starships closed rapidly on the nebula where the Borg fleet was massed.

Commander Townsend counted down the time until probable contact before reporting.

"The enemy force should be detectable anytime now Admiral" she reported.

"Thank you commander" Admiral Tower replied. "Signal all ships to continue as planned. Inform me of any changes."

"Nothing unusual sir. Looks like everything is going as plan---" Townsend's voice cut off as the long range sensors picked up something emerging from the nebula.

"Borg vessel sighted!" she reported. But before she could analyze it another Borg vessel emerged. Then another. Then two. Then five. Then dozens.

In awe she watched as a seemingly unending stream of Borg ships emerged from the nebula. The entire plan had been based on encountering two hundred Borg vessels. At least that many had appeared already and still the stream continued. Finally Commander Marsden broke the silence.

"I make it at approximately 320 Borg ships Admiral." he announced to the shocked crew.

And the Borg ships were not just moving. They were emerging in assault formations. Each ship covering its companions. "Admiral Carstairs scout fleet must have been detected after all" Collins, the fleet intelligence officer said.

Townsend couldn't believe it. Her finger poised above the control to send the prearranged abort signal to the fleet. They had barely a 5% chance of survival against a fleet of that size without the advantage of surprise. Against the fleet they had prepared for, caught unawares in the nebula, they had enjoyed a nearly 40% chance of survival and mission success.

But Admiral Tower hadn't given the abort signal. Nor was he even giving an indication of considering it.

A great turning point approached and then passed. The fleet was now committed to battle one way or the other. Townsend released the breath she had been holding now that the decision had been made.

"Signal all ships we will be using fire plan Baker-Three with Retrograde movement number 2 by fleet elements 4 through 9. Go for the heavies!!"
Admiral Tower ordered. Such a simple sentence yet it threw seven weeks of training and planning out the window.

The fleet surged toward the massive Borg force. Enterprise led a force of smaller ships, mainly Galaxy, Nebula, Valkryie, and Sovereign class vessels toward the heart of the Borg formation, but the larger Fortress, Oceana, Dauntless and Liberator class vessels held back. Their weapons continued to track the Borg though. Tracking and waiting.

Admiral Tower stared at the tactical display intently and then spoke without emotion.

"Fire"

With eruptions that seemed to bend space, the larger warships that were trailing cut lose on the right flank of the Borg fleet. Walking their fire toward the center. Then switching their fire to the left flank before the Borg could react.

Townsend watched with awe as some of the Borg ships actually disappeared from the display. Moments later, the Enterprise cut lose with her own barrage of beams, torpedos, and exotic weapons. A barrage that equaled that of the Starfleet ships already firing striking on its own at the center of the Borg fleet.

Every ship was now firing. And every enemy answering. Vessels from both sides exploded and were lost though fewer now than later...

 

[Mistral]

Cool-its making a bit more sense...

 

[Dayton3]

Seeing the Borg flanks in disarray, Tower upped the ante.

"Small boys, attack!" he ordered.

More than forty Defiant type starships broke away from the main body of starships and plunged toward the Borg ships in the heart of the formation on suicide runs.

The ships were still called "Defiant types" due to their small relative size and massive firepower, though the original Defiant class had not been in service for years.

Four streams of ten starships each aimed themselves at a Borg ship. Shedding lifeboats and escape pods, the ships made their final runs under computer control.

The first small starship was blasted apart by Borg energy beams. The second suffered the same fate but managed to get closer. The third was closer still. The fourth sideslipped past the explosion and rammed into the Borg shields and detonated with staggering force. The Borg shields overloaded.

The fifth ship plunged a hundred meters deep into the leading face of the Borg ship and blew up. Ripping a half kilometer hole into the side of the giant cube. The sixth ship reached all the way to the very heart of the Borg vessel, its explosion splitting the giant in half.

The seventh ship was following too closely behind to be retargeted, so its net effect was in reducing the Borg ship to ever smaller fragments.

The ninth and tenth ships veered pasted the destroyed Borg vessel to assist the others in hunting down other prey.

Admiral Tower smiled with grim satisfaction as he watched the Defiant suicide squad take out five Borg assimilation cubes. Even as he watched, the follow on Borg vessels surged past the ashes of their comrades. In moments they had overtaken the escape pods and lifeboats.

The pods and lifeboats exploded in deadly sequence engulfing six Borg vessels in a series of antimatter explosions. The Borg had anticipated a suicide attack. They had not predicted a double suicide attack. The crews of the forty starships having evacuated via long range transporters while the pods and lifeboats were packed with antimatter charges.

The charges didn't destroy the massive cubes outright. But they stripped the Borg of their shields and blinded their sensors. Before they could react, the Enterprise and a phalanx of Fortress class ships opened fire on the six Borg vessels with their massive hyperphaser systems along with antiproton beams.

 

[Mistral]

Now that's an exciting battle scene!

 

[Dayton3]

As Tower was taking it all in, the bridge was rocked by a crushing impact! Tower wasn't secured in his command chair. He was thrown violently to the deck. His last memory being the curious taste of blood in his mouth...

... Fleet Admiral John Tower stood on the balcony of the hotel in Montreal. He was impatient. Sylvia should be here by now. He couldn't help thinking that her tardiness was one more way of gaining the emotional upper hand. Stringing him along to gain some advantage.

Tower pushed his anger aside. If this had any chance of working, he couldn't let his anger show.

"Sorry I'm late. As you assumed, it was totally deliberate." Tower heard her say before he could turn from the balcony.

"You don't have to resort to tricks like that with me." He said carefully. "We're not enemies Syv."

"I would not call us friends either Tower." She replied, deliberately using his last name instead of his first. Syv loved to play up the emotional distance she claimed she felt.

"Do you have to call me that?" he replied with an edge creeping back in to his voice. "We were married for 13 years. Hell, we're still married legally. I haven't signed the papers."

"Another month and it won't matter what you sign. Don't think I don't know why you asked to see me." Sylvia replied. An edge creeping into her own voice.

Tower moved very slightly toward her at an angle. If he stepped directly toward her he was worried she might clam up and simply leave.

"Is it that wrong to want to save our marriage? Tower said softly. He wanted Sylvia to be the one doing most of the talking. Despite the distance between them, he knew that Sylvia was better off if she talked herself around to his side. It had worked before.

Not this time.

"Not our marriage Tower. YOUR marriage. It stopped being ours years ago. Even before those two years in that Dominion prison camp. You changed then and you know it. But the man I married had already changed and I wouldn't have stayed married to you anyway. Face it. We've been holding on for the last four years hoping things would be back to the way they were but those days are gone forever."

It was the longest statement she had made to him since she left last year.

She wasn't through.

"I married a man. A heroic, brave, intelligent man but still just a man. Not someone that planets are building memorials too and naming schools after. How can a wife compete with that?

"Things wil change." Tower began, "When the war is over-"

"WHICH WAR!!" Sylvia finally shouted, her reserve cracking. "This war? The next war? The war after that? Whichever war you happen to be fighting? You are a warrior. Probably the best Starfleet has ever had or will have."

"Be honest with me! Can you ever really just walk away from it? Can you avoid your duty while people you know are out there dying? I thought not." Sylvia concluded.

"You were Starfleet Security." Tower replied with questions in his voice. "Surely it occurred to you that part of your job might involve actually fighting. Are you saying turning your back on your duty was that easy?"

"I walked away while I still had a chance and some measure of sanity John" finally relenting and using his first name. "I joined Starfleet thinking I would spend my years protecting scientists on some far flung world. Or guarding diplomats at some conference."

"I never figured to be fighting brutal hand to hand combat with an unending stream of Borg."

A tear suddenly appeared in the corner of Syv's eye.

"We had a big wedding John. Only thirteen years ago.

Do you have any idea how many members of our wedding party are still alive?"

Not the question Tower anticipated at all. He thought quickly.

No, that bridesmaid died when Risa was obliterated. His candlelighter? Died defending Starfleet Academy in the ground portion of the invasion.

Finally he said simply "No".

"My niece. One of the servers at the reception. And she lost both legs and is assigned a desk job on Starbase 171."

"I hadn't realized." Tower said quiety.

"Of course you wouldn't." Syv said with a hint of bitterness. "Individuals in a time of a major war are just numbers. You're an admiral. Why should you spend time obsessing over a handful of people?

"But that handful meant everything to me John. I finally decided that I wasn't going to continue serving until I became just another number on a PADD that you sign off on"

"Why didn't you ever ask me to join you?" Tower began "Don't bother answering. We both know the answer. You had to walk away and I never could. Once we, hell once I win this war you're right. I'll just spend my life preparing for the next".

She had her chance to speak, now I'll take mine Tower thought.

"Good luck Sylvia. Go and enjoy the happiness and peace of mind that I'm out there purchasing with my blood and those I command. Maybe you're right. I'm a warrior always looking for the next war. But just remember that I fight so that people like you won't have to and might one day have a future."

"I've been willing to sacrifice a lot of things to win this war. You're right. I do see the big picture. Sacrificing a marriage doesn't seem like that big a deal when you look at it that way."

"I just hope you remember our time together and have some happy thoughts" he concluded.

Then Sylvia did the completely unexpected. She lunged toward him, hugged him tightly and after what seemed like a moment that is both timeless and unbearably brief let go with a kiss on his cheek.

"Take care of yourself John Tower." she said almost smiling. "Perhaps when you remember that I'm one of things back home you're fighting for will give you the edge you need."

 

[Dayton3]

.....blood.....Borg.....Sylvia.....blood.....Sylvia.....blood.....more blood....awareness flooded back to Admiral Tower. He was on the deck with the taste of blood in his mouth...

...."Admiral! Are you alright!....Speak to me sir!..." Tower could now make out the youthful form of the Enterprise Conn officer leaning down over him.

"Just what the hell was he doing not manning his station" was all Tower could think. Then not waiting for a response, the young officer grabbed Tower and hauled him off the deck, sitting him upright in the command chair.

"Don't they teach these kids anything about basic first aid" Tower thought. "Who in his right mind moves an injured, nonresponsive person?"

"My god I can't feel a thing!" was the next thought Tower had.

At least the young Conn officer, Hampton had the common sense to lock the restraints over Tower in the command chair saving the admiral from the embarrassment of sliding helplessly back to the deck.

"Admiral! Can you hear me? How do you feel? Hampton continued to yell at the stunned John Tower.

Tower still couldn't feel anything. He managed to rasp out a barely audible "fine".

With gathering awareness Tower noticed that all three tactical officers were unconscious on one side of the bridge while Townsend was battling a fire at the aft consoles.

Tower had to get control of the situation again. Gathering all the air he could muster in his lungs he blurted out in a rush,

"Man your station ensign! Resume firing!".

Hampton seemed relieved to receive orders he was trained for.

"All weapons systems controls feed through Conn and Ops! Shut down all consoles not manned! Target nearest Borg vessels and commence fire!" Hampton ordered with a voice of authority that was beyond his years.

Silent in the command chair, Tower had become a spectator in this battle for the moment.

But only for the moment. He could breathe better now and feeling was returning to rest of his body. Just a couple of minutes more and he could probably get back in the game.

As he watched Hampton lead the attack in the meantime Tower was swept by a warm feeling of pride.

"I trained him well" he thought as the slightest hint of a smile crossed his face.

 

[Gibraltar]

This is an interesting story so far, but I've got to say, your character's paranoia about his religion is a significant turn-off to this particular reader.

A Starfleet officer who is a practicing Christian would be interesting to read about, but painting the Federation as being anti-religious goes against my personal interpretation of what the Federation's all about. A Starfleet officer would have absolute freedom to practice any religion they so chose, so long as practicing that faith was not dangerous to the health and safety of others.

Is this an alternate universe, or has something happened to the Federation since the time of the Enterprise-E that fundamentally altered the personal freedoms enjoyed by it's citizens?

 

[Mistral]

I'm thinking religion would be more in vogue with an "unending stream of Borg" attacking the Federation. After all, there are no atheists in a foxhole. That said-I didn't understand this at the beginning but I've really enjoyed the last four-five installments.

 

[Dayton3]

Admiral Tower was finally back in command. He still couldn't feel his legs completely but above the waist he was okay.

Senior Tactical Officer Hadley was back at his console and had taken over the shooting from Hampton. Allowing Hampton to get back to his evasive patterns. The two other tac officers were being attended by a med tech and Townsend had won her battle with the fire near the rear of the bridge. She and Collins were working with whatever consoles left to get Tower a better understanding of how the battle was going.

Three additional viewscreens next to the main sprang to life. Tower instantly saw something.

A Borg ship some distance away moving laterally, apparently trying to work its way around the Enterprise and attack from behind. Half a dozen virtually destroyed starships trailed in its wake. Including one of his massive Fortress class ships (it was too damaged for Tower to tell which one) and a Bastion class warship that was firing a single pathetic phaser beam at the Borg cube which now ignored it.

But his crews had not died in vain Tower realized. They had taken a chunk out of the trailing side of the Borg ship. A huge battle wound that one could fly a Galaxy class vessel through.

And apparently, the Borg didn't realize Enterprise was tracking them because the damage was fully exposed to her weapons.

"HADLEY!!" Tower yelled incredibly loudly! Half the crew jumped as they hadn't heard the admiral say anything for several minutes.

"I see it Admiral! I see it! Primary weapons arrays are recharging and reloading. Forty seconds before I can deliver an Alpha strike. Wait for it."

The seconds crawled by. How long before the Borg ship realized the danger they were in or repaired enough of the damage?

"Seven seconds admiral! Keep us lined up Hampton!"

"Five!"

"Four!"

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One! And firing!!" Hadley announced at last.

More than ninety torpedos of all types launched first. Just as they were about to strike the Borg ship, a dozen of the highest strength beams that Federation science could produce lashed out from the Enterprise.

Every last weapon fired struck the Borg ship in the battle damaged area.

For a moment nothing seemed to happend as explosions seemed to engulf the cube but it appeared intact.

Then four of the beams slicing into the cube....emerged from the other side!

The crew watching the monitors were transfixed by the Borg cube being run through by the Enterprise weapons.

Only the titanic explosion of the cube less than a second later broke their attention.

 

[Mistral]

Brief but exciting-it would be neat to read the entire battle as a single piece.

 

[Dayton3]

The Enterprise crews elation was short lived. Between Hadley's shooting and Hampton's flying, not to mention the exploding Borg vessels, the remaining Borg ships finally recognized Enterprise for the supreme threat she was.

"Six Borg ships closing from dead ahead Admiral" Collins announced. "Three more closing from the forward port quarter!"

"Reverse course Mr. Hampton. Get us some distance." Tower ordered.

"Sir! A wing of Patton class destroyers are vectoring in to cover our withdrawal!" Townsend announced from the rear deck.

"Oh God" Tower mumbled to himself. "Please don't let this happen again."

The Patton class destroyers were technically "Borgbusters" like the Enterprise. Ships specifically built to fight the Borg.

Technically.

In reality, the Patton class ships were made of off the shelf technology that could be slapped together as quickly and as cheaply as possible. They featured downsized Galaxy type warp engines, engineering hulls that looked much like the front half of an Excelsior class , and primary hull saucers that were variants of the old Constitution class.

Fast, manuverable, relatively few but fairly strong weapons. Decent shields. And most importantly, a crew of only 81. Meaning expendable.

Expendable...

 

[Mistral]

what I said last time....