SIRIUS ASCENDANT PART VII of VIII (typo in the last post it was supposed to be 6 of 8)
"Helm, Keep us between 9 to 12 kelikams from the target. Standard stalking posture." Dogmatix roared.
"Yes, General!" the young officer acknowledged.
"Sir, port disruptors and all phaser banks are fully charged." the Tactical Officer advised.
Dogmatix stood and walked quickly to the area just behind the helmsman. His leather cape trailing out behind him due to the swiftness of his stride. He stopped behind the helmsman's left shoulder and bent at the waist just slightly.
"Learn well child." He said to the helmsman. Ironically, the helmsman, while young, was a large warrior standing over 2 meters tall. "Our target will be their weakened front and port shields. The maximum effective range of their torpedoes, when overloaded as they most certainly are, is eight kelikams. Effective offensive phaser ranger is eight point nine kelikams. A very thin margin, indeed." Dogmatix lectured.
"Yes sir!" the Helmsman responded.
"Tighten our arc radius by 10 degress!" Dogmatix ordered. "Tactical, give me a range to target flow report!"
The Stormbringer started to turn slightly sharper towards the Crazy Horse. The ships starting to pass abeam on their port sides.
"Ten kelikams, 9.5, 9.4, 9.3 . . . .
ABOARD THE U.S.S. CRAZY HORSE
"Weapons ready sir" the Tactical Officer reported. The Stormbringer is continuing to circle us, closing tighter now sir, angling to our port quarter."
Captain Vaughn knew exactly what Dogmatix was doing. It would now come down to timing.
"Helm, as soon as that ship fires, and not a moment before, you are to steer hard to port and go to flank speed. Dump ECM power into propulsion but bring ECCM to optimal." Vaughn ordered. "Tactical, you know what to do." Vaughn completed.
ABOARD THE I.K.V. STORMBRINGER
"8.9 kelikams!" the Tactical Officer stated.
"Fire all weapons!" Dogmatix roared.
The Stormbringer's disruptors and phasers tore into the Crazy Horse's port shields. For a moment they held but the onslaught was too much. After absorbing huge amounts of energy, they failed. The remaining energy slammed into the Crazy Horse's hull causing minor damage. Significantly however, the Crazy Horse's port shielding was now just a memory.
"Hard to starboard! Flank speed! Evasive maneuvers! Excess power to ECM!" Dogmatix yelled in his famous staccato rhythm.
"Sir, the target is coming hard to port and is accelerating. She is closing on us, 8.5 kelikams, 8.1 kelikams!"
Dogmatix yelled a Klingon curse as he thought about killing the head of Klingon Intelligence. Apparently, the data on this new Earther ship was incorrect. Her maximum acceleration was somewhat higher than reported.
"Erratic maneuvers! Launch drones, full spread." He ordered just before the overloaded photon torpedoes leap from the Crazy Horse's tubes. In that fraction of a second he saved his ship.
ABOARD THE U.S.S. CRAZY HORSE
"FIRE!" Vaughn ordered.
He then watched his ship's phasers slash through space and slam into the notoriously weak Klingon rear shield. The area in space behind the Klingon warship glowed a bright rear marking the location of the electromagnetic shielding protecting the ship's aft hull. Four red points of light flew toward the red glow marking the drive systems of the photon torpedoes. Due to the Stormbringer's combination of Electromagnetic Counter Measures as well as her helmsman's throwing the ship into hull integrity challenging erratic maneuvers, three of the torpedoes went wide. The forth however, slammed into the red glow with a terrific explosion. The rear of the Stormbringer visibility pitched upward due to the blast as her rear shields failed completely and one of her impulse drives exploded leaving a bright trail of glowing plasma exhaust.
"Sir, we have destroyed their rear shields and severely damaged their impulse drive. I am reading moderate damage to her secondary hull. That and it seems . . . ." the Tactical Officer paused as an alert on his panel started to flash along with the hum of an emergency alert buzzer.
"Vampire, vampire, vampire!" he yelled.
"Stay your course helm!" Vaughn ordered hoping that his defensive phasers would deal with the threat. "Keep on her six at all costs. Bring torpedoes to standard load."
"Missiles destroyed sir but out defensive banks are depleted." Tactical advised.
"Keep on her helm." Vaughn ordered.
"Shuttle launch from the Strombringer! Sir."
"Damn Klingon!" Vaughn hissed under his breath. It was exactly what Vaughn would have done. With the Crazy Horse's weapons systems recharging and the defensive phasers expended and recharging as well there was simply nothing left to do but use a transporter mine or veer off. In order to use a transporter mine he would have to drop his forward shield due to the angle of appraoch. Beyond his forward shield, however, was a very angry Klingon warship. There was only one the to do. Veer off and away from the Stormbringer's six. Exactly, what the Klingon wished.
"Dammit! Hard to port." Vaughn growled.
The missiles erupted from the scatter pack shuttle, but the Crazy Horse was turning away from them at a high rate of speed. They would never catch her, but that had never been the point.
At that point in time something unusual happened. A key moment in time. One of those periods of time where the destiny of billions would be effected by the choices of a few.
ABOARD THE I.K.V. STORMBRINGER
Several systems on the bridge were belching smoke and damage control teams were flooding the bridge. Dogmatix was shouting orders and bringing his ship hard to starboard in order to protect her wounded stern. Suddenly he heard the last voice he expected above the din. His Communications Officer.
The Officer's voice was filled with dread for he knew that his interruption at this point could result in his immediate execution.
"General!" he said pensively "incoming transmission from the High Counsel. Top Priority."
"What do they want!" Dogmatix roared.
"General, it is a secure transmission. Your eyes only, sir!" the comms officer responded.
"I am in battle! Inform that I do not have time for their messages." he spat.
"Sir, they insist." The Comms Officer stammered.
"Close the channel!" Dogmatix ordered over his shoulder as he helped the helmsman enter in a new erratic maneuvers protocol.
"But sir, it is the High Council," the Comms Officer said. "They are now ordering you to return to Qo'Nos.
Dogmatic spun about and drew his sidearm. Pointing the disruptor directly at the Comms Officer's chest. "Close the channel now!" he growled.
"Sir! Yes, sir!" the shaken officer responded.
ABOARD THE I.K.V. WENDOL: location, the far side of T'Chack I in relation to the Stormbringer. Condition: Battle 2.
"Status." the commanding officer requested.
"Repairs are proceeding sir. We should be battle ready within ten minutes." the Operations Officer reported.
"Sir." the Comms Officer stated. "Incoming transmission from the High Counsel. Top priority. Coded for command eyes only."
The Klingon Captain thought for a moment. He was in battle. Rightfully he could ignore the message for now. But it was the High Council. And why was it he being contacted instead of the Stormbringer. Curious.
"Patch it through to my war room." The Captain ordered as he walked to the doorway to his war room just off the bridge and exited.
"Wendol reporting!" he stated to the old Klingon warrior on his screen. "What do you want?!"
"Captain Sok'Fot," The elder Klingon stated. "The Chancellor is dead."
"How?" Sok'Fot asked.
"He died well along with an entire Earther Starbase." the old man responded.
Sok'Fot became irritated. He was in battle. He simply could not believe he was being bothered with a news cast.
"What do you want?" he said tersely.
"General Dogmatix has been elected Chancellor by the High Council." the elder Klingon stated. "He is needed on Qo'Nos immediately. Unfortunately, he is refusing to respond to our hails and therefore he is unaware of this."
"Elected?" Sok'Fot began. That was highly unusual he thought.
The elder Klingon became angry. "What is your duty?!"
Sok'Fot straightened. "I serve the Empire!" He stated formally.
"Then quit talking and do so," the warrior shot back. "Your orders are as follows. The fate of the Empire is in your hands. You are to immediately . . . .
STARBASE 7 - Location Federation space, Gorn sector.
Within each Federation Starbase is a massive Strategic Operations Room. From this room Fleet Admirals monitor ship movements, battles, and intelligence reports.
Fleet Admiral Bobby Salzer stood in the SOR of Starbase 7 staring at the huge plasma screen before him. Upon it was a map of the entire Federation-Gorn border. Several indicators on the map denoted the position and status of several ships. Each marker provided basic ship identification, it's vector and weapons status, as well as the appropriate time delay.
Admiral Salzer could not help but notice the lack of information from the western portion of the front due to the recent destruction of their sister Starbase. Over a thousand men and women lost he thought.
However, the telemetry from the ongoing battle near Kahless' Pride was coming in strong. Assets of the Gorn Confederation and the Klingon Empire where fighting tooth and nail with three full Federation Fleets. Every now and then he glanced to the eastern edge of the map where he saw a few indicators in an empty sea of space. A Science Station had been destroyed by what was now known as three Klingon warships. The Klingon escort had been destroyed, but it appeared the Enterprise, Crazy Horse and Taos where engaged with two Klingon battlecruisers. The time delay was significant, a factor that gave all Admirals heartburn. The telemetry regarding the Taos only made the fire worse.
Normally given the magnitude of the war, this skirmish would not be given much thought. However, one piece of data kept nagging at the Admiral. He glaceed again at the red indicator representing a Klingon ship. The data being fed from the Federation ships in the system. The text next to it read "STORMBRINGER."
"Why are you way over there?" The Admiral murmured to himself.
"Sir!" a Rear Admiral from the Intelligence Division interrupted. "There is something you should see, sir. Immediately."
The word "immediately" in military circles takes on a somewhat more urgent meaning. To a Starfleet Officer the word "immediately" means "right the hell now" and is not to be used lightly.
The two Admirals headed over to the Intel Comms Station. As they approached they saw the Comms Officer hunched intently over his station madly entering commands into his counsel.
"Condor Three this is Bird Nest. Condor Three respond. Your last message garbled." the officer pleaded.
"What do you have?" Admiral Salzer asked as he came to a stop at the station.
"Sir," the Comms Officer began, "one of our deep cover operatives has been compromised. He is leaving Klingon space under heavy fire. The Klingons are trying to jam all communications but I think I can . . . ." The Officer adjusted a few more settings and the screen before him began to show a grainy image of an Orion male. The Orion was obviously at the helm of a small Orion craft. The picture faded in and out and at times went completely black. It was clear however that the tiny ship was under assault.
"Condor Three report!" Admiral Salzer ordered.
"Skrreeecchhhh. Bird Nest, I have been discovered. Three Klingon Birds of sckkeerchh. They are closing. Report is as follows:" the Orion yelled as his ship was rocked by weapons fire and the transmission faded.
"Get him back!" Admiral Salzer yelled.
"The Comms Officer made some more adjustments and the Orion's image, albeit degraded, returned.
"Black Dragon down! Repeat, Black Dragon down. Sirius is ascendant." The Orion yelled.
"Confirm," the Comms Officer stated, "Black Dragon Down. Sirius is Ascendant."
"Confirmation correct." the Orion responded. "Bird Nest you must intercept . . . ." A bright flash of light filled the screen as the warp core of the Orion's ship lost containment.
"Damn." the Comms Officer said with a sigh. He then turned to the Admiral with a smile.
"Sir, I do not know what Sirius is all about but Black Dragon down. The Klingon Chancellor is dead. Great news!" He said with noticeable relief.
"No son." the Admiral said slowly. "I'm afraid it is not."
Admiral Salzer then turned and walked back to the map. The Intelligence Division Rear Admiral remained and looked down at the young Comms Officer.
"Sirius, the Dog Star, is our code name for General Dogmatix." he said slowly. "This war just got a hell of a lot worse."
"Oh [censored]." the Comms Officer exclaimed.
"Oh [censored] indeed" the Admiral responded.
Standing near the great map Admiral Salzer stood and stared at the indicator marking the location of the Stormbringer. Not another Federation ship within striking distance except for Kirk, Hubbard and Vaughn.
"Dammit!" he exclaimed.
"Sir" a Commander shouted from a tracking station and pointed to the area around Kahless' Pride. "Look!
A Klingon battle group had just gone to warp, vectoring away from Kahless' Pride.
"Course plot estimate!" the Admiral ordered.
Per the Admiral's order a graphic of the most likely flight path, given the available data, was plotted on the map. The T'Chack system lay right in the middle of the gold swath the computer painted.
"Sir," the Commander stated, "why would those ships leave? Without them we now have a numerical advantage in that theater."
"They have something more important to do." Salzer said slowly.
He then gazed at the map some more. His eyes landing on a lone Hydran Deep Space outpost relatively close to T'Chack..
"Comms," he belowed, "patch me through to Hydran Deep Space Command!"
Topic: SIRIUS ASCENDANT (an AoTK Story) (Read 11992 times)