Topic: Star Trek XI

[Lieutenant_Q]

We are near the end of this, one more act with chat'I and Serilla, four or five more with everyone else, and then one or two more to wrap everything up.  So that being said, here's a preview of a new one that I want to do after this is all done.

Constitution Class Starship flying slowly directly towards the screen, registry NCC-1705 USS Exaclibur.
Stardate: 5030.9 (Less than a week before "The Enterprise Incident")

"...I still can't get over how fast they put this ship back together, those boys at Altair are fast little devils."  Lieutenant Micheal Roberts, sitting at the Helm station.  He glanced over to Commander William Clarke, manning the Tactical station.  One of the many modifications that set this Command Cruiser apart from the standard Heavy Cruiser was the detachment of the tactical station from the Helm and Navigation station.  The Tactical station sat where the Engineering station would have sat on a ship like the Enterprise.  It also sat in that section like a cockpit, a self contained station, this allowed the tactical officer, also the XO in this case, to be able to glance at the main viewscreen without turning away from his station.

"What the...Captain! Incoming Photon Torpedo!"  Clarke shouted from his station as he scrambled to get the shields and weapons online.  The alert klaxon blared as crew scrambled to get to their stations.  The torpedo impact threw the ship hard to starboard, the lights went out, only the constant flashing of the alert filled the bridge with any illumination.  As the lights came up slowly, Clarke spat out, "Hull Breach, Engineering Hull, deck sixteen, section twelve."

"Get those shields up Clarke!" Captain James Atkinson spat out as he climbed back into his chair.

"I can't get enough power, I have three Klingon ships surrounding us sir, two E3s and an F5."

"The F5 is hailing us sir." Ensign Pavel Larionov intoned from the Communications station.

"On Screen."

"Captain Atkinson, How are you my old friend?  You're looking well."

"Commander Klank, You're not looking too bad your self, the ridges look nice on you, get to the plastic surgeon lately?"

"Indeed, I was wondering the same thing about you, it's been what now, six years, and you haven't changed a bit."

Atkinson smiles back, "You realize, of course, that you are violating Federation Space, I know you've always had trouble reading star maps, but this is quite a mistake on your part, drinking too much last night perhaps?"

"No troubles reading a map this time James, I had heard you got a new ship.  I came to congratulate you."

"Well thank you kindly Klank, now I hate to be rude but you had best be leaving before I have to call this in."

"Oh I wouldn't worry too much about that James, you see...I'm here for your ship...surrender it, and I'll spare your lives."

"I see..." Atkinson glances over to Clarke, who simply nods, "I'm sorry Klank, but the answer is no... Mr. Clarke, Fire."

Four Photon Torpedoes leap from the launchers, striking the E3 in front of the Excalibur, the E3 explodes.  Four Phaser lances lash out at the E3 off the starboard, and two more lance out at the F5, both ships take the hits in stride.  But the distraction is enough time for the Excalibur to get her shields up before a Photon comes from the E3 and a pair of disruptor bolts from the F5.

"This isn't over James."

"I'll be waiting Klank."

"The remaining two ships are turning away, and cloaking."

"Damage report."

"Engineering reports a power loss of 20%, other than that, and the hull breach, we're in good shape."

"Cloaking Devices...Photon Torpedoes...where the hell did the Klingons get a hold of those?"

More to come, roughly one month following the conclusion of Star Trek XI
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all
(The Title is, of course, subject to change)

[Lieutenant_Q]

Qo'nos, Martok standing over Toral's decapitated body.

Martok: "Hear me Warriors!  The Time of Glory is at hand, we have a bold task ahead of us, and it has fallen upon us to claim the right to this task!  Our task will not be easy, in front of us, lies over four hundred Federation Starships!  Not a one of them can be considered a friend!  Our glorious mission is to carve our way through those Federation ships and sieze the Federation Government, Starfleet Command, and any others that dare resist us!  Fighting alongside us, are brave warriors, those few Federation Ships that realized the cancer that was growing within the Federation, they will fight with us, and because of this, we must make sure that they have a home to return to!  We cannot burn Earth, for if we do, the Romulans will take advantage of the Federation's Destruction!  We have the opportunity to become the dominant power in the Quadrant again, but only IF the Federation survives, for if the Federation Falls, the Romulans will sieze dozens of star systems, and tip the balance of power in their favor!  We cannot allow cowards and jackels to obtain power through our bloodshed!  Any power that comes from the Fall of the Federation MUST BE OURS!!!"

USS Titan:
Riker: "Are we sure hes on our side?"
Ross: "Of course Will, you trust Worf don't you?"
Riker: "Yes, but Worf never made a speech like that."
Ross: "The speech was Worf's idea."

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A:
Donatra:  "Amazing that this ship was once considered top of the line."
Picard: "We have come a long way haven't we?"
Donatra: "How long will you need to get it operational?"
Picard: "Bridge to Engineering, status?"
Scotty: "Just a moment sir, we're still picking up the pieces down here."
Donatra: "I shall return to my ship, let me know when you have a time frame."
Scotty: "Engineering to Bridge, Twelve hours."
Picard: "Twelve hours then Scotty."

USS Defiant:
Sisko: "The plan is simple, we are the center, attacking from Deep Space Nine.  The Klingons will come in on the left, while the Romulans come in on the right.  We do as little damage as possible to the Federation Ships, the Klingons and Romulans won't be so discriminating, so our actions will determine just how much of the Starfleet is left after this.  However, if it comes down to us or them, it has to be them.  We all will lose someone we know in this upcoming battle, but we must remember, that they will not just turn over and surrender because we asked them too.  The FedComNet is bustling with propaganda, claiming the parasite invasion is a hoax perpertrated by us to sieze control of the Federation.  Most of them will not believe us unless shown evidence to the contrary.  Unfortunately, they wont lower their shields to accept the evidence.  The orders are, disable only, unless attempting to do so puts an allied ship at risk.  Good luck, and may the prophets guide all of us.  Sisko to Kira, status?"
Kira: "All available ships are forming up, I still don't like this flagship Ben."
Sisko: "Something wrong with the USS Winn, Nerys?"
Kira: "Not the ship, just...oh forget it."
Bashir: "I really hate to be the one to mention this, but did anyone notice how laughable our little fleet looks?"
Sisko: "What's laughable about it Doctor?"
Bashir: "Seventeen Federation Starships, twenty-three Bajoran Warp ships, two Galor Class WarShips, and sixteen Dominion Attack ships."
Dax: "We're waiting on a point Julian."
Bashir: "Six years ago all of these ships would have been shooting at one another."
O'Brien: "That was six years ago Julian, I'm sure Captain Kirk would have said the same thing about our battle fleets in the Dominion War."
Sisko: "Ensign Tenmei, set your course for the Terran system, warp eight."
Tenmei: "Aye sir."

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A:
Picard: "We're ready Commander."
Dontra: "Acknowledged, Captain,  All ships, target and disable the shipyard's defenses."
Dozens of Romulan Warbirds decloak around the defense perimeter of the Altair shipyards, disrupter fire lances out at various defensive satellites, knocking most of them offline, but a few actually explode.
Spock: "The Romulans have disabled thirty percent of the defense network, we can make a run for it."
Picard: "And thats exactly what we're going to do..." 
Picard slams his hands down on the Impulse controls.  Enterprise leaps foreward, as her running lights engage.  Rapidly she clears the defense perimeter and forms up with the Romulans.
Picard: "Setting course for the Terran System, Warp Seven."

USS Titan:
Data: "All ships are in formation, we have Fifty-three Federation Starships and sixty Klingon WarShips. Expecting to link up with another sixty-three vessels enroute, we are the largest fleet we are fielding.  Should we not be the center?"
Ross: "No, we will be the left, we'll have to deal with Space dock and the Utopia defense fleet from the left.  All Ben has to do is tie down those ships, there's a reason why he's got a number of fast and manueverable ships."
Riker: "That being said, I wonder just how big of a shock to them Picard and the Enterprise will be."
Ross: "Probably not a big one, they most likely already know the Enterprise has been stolen.  It's theft was more of a statement of the Enterprise will never die."
Data: "If you want to make that statement, the Enterprise B is sitting in a mothball yard just outside the Terran system.
Riker: "We may just do that too...all ships, set course for the Terran system, Warp Nine!"

USS Defiant:
Dax: "We're approaching the Terran system, Captain.  I have the Enterprise on long range sensors, coming up on our right.  No sign of the Titan and her fleet.  Reading...over six hundred ships directly ahead, most of them are Federation ships, a few Klingon ships that are Duras loyal, and...one hundred and fifty Bioships."
Bashir: "That means the entire fleet, including the Klingons, are infested.
Sisko: "Slow to Impulse, wait for the Titan."
Tenmei: "Aye Sir."
Dax: "Kira is holding her fleet behind us, outside of sensor range.  The Enterprise is dropping out of warp, but the Romulans are probably continuing ahead.
Sisko: "We wait until the Klingons arrive."

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A:
Picard: "Slowing to one half Impulse, Ambassador?"
Spock: "Nothing on scanners as of yet, I have Captain Kira's Fleet on Long range sensors, I can only assume that the Defiant is further ahead.  I have no signal from Kira yet that would indicate that the Titan's fleet has arrived."
Picard: "So we sit and wait."

USS Titan:
Ross: "We're late."
Riker: "I know Admiral, Sloane get that bioship off our tail!"
Data: "Sheilds are down to thirty percent."
Sloane: "Got him, locking on to a new target, theres only four...make that three...left."
Data: "All Bioships destroyed.  Serious damage reported on five ships, they are requesting permission to return to DS9."
Ross: "They aren't going to be doing any good if they stay."
Janeway: "Voyager to Titan,  My wing is in good shape, lets get this show on the road."
Martok: "Rotarran to Titan, We lost six Warships, but we are ready to go."
Ross: "All Ships, best speed for the Terran System."

End Act XXVI
(Thank you Jimmy Doohan, you shall be missed)

[Lieutenant_Q]

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A

Spock: "Captain, picking up a vessel approaching from the Terran system, Excelsior Class."
Picard: "On Screen."
Spock: "Make that several dozen vessels, the Excelsior is the lead ship."
Picard: "Is that?"
Spock: "Apparently so...Hull registry NCC-1701-B."
Picard: "Red Alert."
Spock: "They are locking weapons."
Picard: "Sheilds up, signal the Romulans to standby."
Barclay: "They're ah hailing us sir."
Picard: "On Screen."
Necheyev: "Captain Picard.  We find it curious that you are out here all by yourself.  What did you intend to accomplish with that obsolete ship?"
Picard: "The Enterprise will not die because of some bug that decides that it wants to rule the galaxy."
Necheyev: "Picard, you place too much importance on a ship, we didn't care what ship you were on, we just wanted you.  A ship is a ship."
Picard: "That's where you're wrong, a ship just isn't a ship, it's a symbol, an essence, a being if you will.  People look to the Enterprise and they see hope, they see everything that is right and good in the Federation.  As long as the Enterprise is alive, the Federation will live!  This I garauntee to you, with the last ounce of strength, the last scrap of resolve in my body, the Federation WILL be free!"
Necheyev: "The Federation will live Picard, because the Federation is too important in the galaxy to simply disassemble.  But you cling to your notions of self-determination and freedom like a drowning man clings to a raft.  Your Intellects are simply no match for ours, but you are stronger than us.  It is a perfect symbiosis.  The Trill had this same reaction when they first encountered their symbionts, but they accepted them.  Yet you would reject us, why?  Change is difficult, but change can also be for the good of your species, and ours.  To use your archaic cliches, this is our destiny, why fight it?"
Picard: "Because our freedom of choice is what defines us, it makes us who we are, and that is not something that can be taken by force."


RIS Pheonix

Serilla: "According to the Enterprise log of the intial incident, the Parasites were linked somehow to their... "mother"...  Obviously they were not telepathically linked or else they would have detected Riker's deception."
chat'I: "This is pointless, let us just bomb the planet to Gre'thor and be done with it."
Serilla: "I have a better idea Fleet Captain, have your ships exit the system."
chat'I: "There is still an enemy to destroy down there Commander!"
Serilla: "Indeed, and they will be destroyed.  Helm, take us into a solar orbit."
chat'I: "What are you doing Commander?!"
Serilla: "One of your renegade houses raided an outpost of ours before the Dominion War, they stole a small amount of Trilithium.  We attempted to retrieve the Trilithium, but were forced to withdraw when Enterprise responded to the research station's distress call.  We did however, closely monitor the situation.  It appears that an El-Aurian scientist by the name of Dr. Soron was developing a weapon of mass destruction.  The Tal Shiar believed that the Federation was, in violation of the Tomed Treaty, developing and maintaining a stockpile of weapons of mass destruction.  So we responded by building a few of our own.  After the Dominion War, it became clear that the Federation did not, in fact, build any such weapons, so we decommissioned our stockpile...except for one."
chat'I: "This...one...weapon, just happens to be aboard your ship, doesn't it?"
Serilla: "Indeed.  When the weapon is fired, a shockwave will eminate from the collapsing star.  The wave will propagate at the speed of light, eventually destroying everything in this system.  For your safety, I recommend that you withdraw from the system, the shockwave will only affect a radius of approximetely three light-days."
chat'I: "Very well."
Serilla: "Initiate firing protocols, deploy on my order."
Tribune: "Yes Commander."

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B

Necheyev: "I am not here to argue with you or your sensibilities Picard.  You will surrender and prepare to be boarded.  Failure to comply will force me to destroy that...quaint vessel of yours."
Chekov(whispering): "Admiral, destruction of the Enterprise will not be necessary, that Enterprise took serious structural damage that was never repaired completely.  A direct phaser hit here and here will disable them."
Necheyev: "Picard, I await your response."
Chekov: "Admiral...did you feel that?"
Necheyev: "Close channel.  Something's wrong."
Chekov(passing out): "I feel...strange..."

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A

Spock: "Fascinating..."
Picard: "What is it, Ambassador?"
Spock: "The Parasite bioreadings aboard the Enterprise B are fluctuating."
Picard: "Fluctuating, how?"
Spock: "I cannot determine how at this point Captain.  Each reading is acting differently."
Picard: "What could be causing it?"
Spock: "Unknown."

USS Titan

Ross: "All ships, your targets are marked, and logged.  Engage at will.  Signal Kira and Picard the cavalry has arrived."
Data: "I have the Enterprise on long range sensors, actually I have both Enterprises on sensors.
Sloane: "Captain, there seems to be some confusion in the enemy fleet, some are engaging, some are moving off...and some are actually firing on each other."
Riker: "Lets see it."
Data: "Confirmed, all Bioships are engaging the fleet, as are the Klingon ships.  The Federation ships are behaving erratically.  At this time, it is impossible to determine what Federation Ships are friend or foe."
Riker: "Titan to Rotarran.  Chancellor, there seems to be a problem with the Federation ships, advise that we ignore them until they fire on an allied ship."
Martok: "Your recommendation has been noted, Captain."

USS Voyager

Kim: "We've broken through the Enemy Line.  Theres nothing between us and the Terran Defense Network."
Janeway: "Signal the rest of our wing, showtime."
Tuvok: "Three Bioships are breaking formation and persuing us."
Chakotay: "Ignore them, Tom, best speed for Spacedock."
Kim: "Ships decloaking! Romulans."
Tuvok: "They are targeting the Bioships."
Chakotay: "Then we are clear, Tuvok, prepare the Torpedoes."
Tuvok: "Torpedoes ready."
Paris: "Let's hope this works..."
Janeway: "Fire."
Tuvok: "Torpedoes away.  Impact in four seconds."
Kim: "The torpedoes have penetrated the Spacedock's shields, they've detontated."
Tuvok: "No discernable effect."
Seven: "I believe the term is...wait for it."
Tuvok: "The Starbase is firing, direct hit...foreward shields are down to thirty percent. Foreward shields are failing."
Kim: "Hull breaches on decks four, five, and seven. Emergency forcefields are in place.
Chakotay: "Tom...hard to port."
Tuvok: "The Starbase has ceased firing, and it's shields are dropping."
Janeway: "Voyager to wing, you may fire."
Kim: "The Cardassian ships have slipped through the lines and are heading this way.
Chakotay: "Tom, take us to a safe distance, until the Planetary defense network shuts down, then take us into orbit.  We have some people to cure."

[Lieutenant_Q]

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-B: Sickbay

Pulaski: "Mr. Chekov...Mr. Chekov...wake up..."
Chekov: "Vhat is going on?"
Pulaski: "The Enterprise is getting blown apart by Romulans, your Parasite is dead, we've got to get out of here."
Chekov: "Vhat about de other Enterprise."
Pulaski: "She's hanging tough, helps when theres fifty Romulan Warbirds supporting you."
Chekov: "Ve've got to get to de Transporter Room."
Pulaski: "I was thinking more of the Shuttle Bay."
Chekov: "In de middle of a combat zone?!  Ve can beam to de other Enterprise."
Pulaski: "Fine...but just so you know...I hate Transporters."
Chekov: "Are you related to Leonard McCoy?"
Pulaski: "No, why?"
Chekov: "He hated de Transporters more dan you do, I tink."

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A

Barclay: "That last hit just took out our shields."
Picard: "Status of the Enterprise B?"
Spock: "She's taken serious damage across much of her Secondary Hull.  I am reading a potential Warp Core Breach."
Picard: "Anything we can do about it?"
Spock: "Negative."
Picard: "Moving us away from the Enterprise."
Spock: "I am detecting an energy surge in the Enterprise B's Transporters...two people beaming over."
Picard: "Can you block them?"
Spock: "They are already aboard."
Barclay: "Weapons are gone, as are the engines, we've got manuevering thrusters only."
Picard: "Barclay, take the helm, Spock, where are they?"
Spock: "Deck 6, Transporter room 2."
Picard: "You're with me."

USS Voyager

Kim: "The planetary defense network is down."
Janeway: "Doctors, Seven, get to the transporter room.  Start screening patients."
Bashir, Doctor: "Aye, Admiral."
Janeway: "How's the battle going Tuvok?"
Tuvok: "For us, it is going very well, for Starfleet, not so well."
Chakotay: "Meaning what Tuvok?"
Tuvok: "This battle started with over five hundred Federation Starships involved on each side.  I am detecting less than one hundred starships on scanners.  All the Bioships have been destroyed, there are only a few Federation Starships still fighting.  The main battle is over, the Klingons are merely performing mop-up duties."
Kim: "How many Federation Starships are left?"
Tuvok: "We can confirm that one-hundred and sixty-seven Starships are operational at some level.  Another two-hundred are unaccounted for."
Paris: "So that means, at most, less than four hundred Starships survived this mess."
Torres: "Why does it seem that your statement, was the death kneel for the Federation?"
Janeway: "As long as we're still here, the Federation isn't going anwhere."

USS Titan

Sloane: "That's it...that's the last of them."
LaForge: "And not a moment too soon.  It's going to take months to patch this ship up."
Riker: "Damage report."
LaForge: "It'd be quicker to give you a list of the undamaged systems."
Ross: "Well, from one battle to another..."
Riker: "Sir?"
Ross: "We just won the Civil War, now we have to make sure no one takes advantage of it.  The Romulans and Klingons are bound to ask for concessions for their help."
Riker: "And if we don't appease them, they're likely to take what they want by force."
Ross: "Something that we couldn't stop if we wanted to."
Riker: "We're going to need a complete reorganization of the Fleet."
Ross: "This much is certain, we're not building any more Galaxy or Soveriegn class ships for a while."

USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A

Spock: "They are still in the Transporter room."
Picard: "All right, they get one chance to surrender, then we shoot them."
Spock: "Logical."
Picard: "Go."
The Transporter room door opens. Picard and Spock brandishing Phasers storm into the room.
Chekov: "Meester Spock!"
Pulaski: "Captain!"
Spock: "Mister Chekov."
Picard: "Doctor.."
Pulaski: We're clean Captain, see for yourself."
The Ship shudders.
Chekov: "Vat vas dat?"
Spock: "The Enterprise, Mister Chekov, just exploded."
Chekov (handing Picard a PADD): "Much of de Fleet isn't any better off."

USS Defiant

Kira: "We lost six Bajoran ships, but both Cardassian ships made it through.  I'm heading back to Deep Space Nine first thing in the morning.  I understand you're going to be staying on Earth for a while."
Sisko: "For a while, Ross says he wants to make me a Commodore."
Kira: "I thought Starfleet abolished that rank eighty years ago?"
Sisko: "The new Starfleet is going to look a lot like the old one, Captain."
Dax: "So who gets the Defiant?"
Sisko: "Vaughn is still listed as the CO of the Defiant."
Kira: "Sounds like a things will be getting back to normal at Deep Space Nine."
Sisko: "Deep Space Nine may be the only normal spot in the entire Federation.  We won the war, but now we have to win the peace."
Kira: "By the way Ben, you said the Parasites were why you had returned, but you never elaborated as to why."
Sisko: "I'm not entirely sure.  The Prophets were afraid of them for some reason.  I got the distinct impression that if a Parasite were to get into the Wormhole, some very bad things could have happened."
Dax: "Bad in what way?"
Sisko: "I'm not sure."

Starfleet Headquarters
Picard: "According to the data provided by Mr. Chekov, the entire fleet stands at two hundred and seventy three.  Sixty-two of them are going to be laid up for months."
Ross: "We've definately got our work cut out for us."
Crusher: "The entire admiralty except for Paris and Janeway were infested at some time.  Most of them are dead, when the parasites realized what was happening, they killed their hosts and themselves.
Calhoun: "Jellico?"
Crusher shook her head.
Calhoun: "Odd...I think I will miss him...sort of."
Riker: "Are you all right Doctor?"
Crusher: "Yes, I was one of the first...patients... for Doctor Bashir and that damnable EMH."
Ross: "Careful Doctor, if Janeway were here now, you'd be catching an earful from her."
Shelby: "Six of them are Galaxy Class Ships, while another two are Sovereigns.  I take it those are going to be the Fleet Flagships?"
Sisko: "We're going to try to scrape together eight fleets with those ships as their command ships.  With all the ships that are damaged, its going to be tough to get thirty ships in each fleet."
Riker: "Looks like we're going to be building a lot of Intrepids and Defiants."
Ross: "All of that is up to the new Chief of Starfleet Operations, anyone interested in the position?"
Picard: "I think I know just the person."

[Tus-XC]

out of the frying pan and into the fire... o fun

[Lieutenant_Q]

Drum Roll Please.........(Might be offline for a couple of days, I had it done, so I went through and quickly edited it)

Starfleet Command Headquarters

Chekov: "It feels strange to be here, like this, after all that has happened."
Picard: "I'm sure that you'll do the job well, Admiral."
Chekov: "Chief of Starfleet Operations? Keptin Kirk didn't vant this job.  And he was still wery young.  I'm too old for dis."
Riker: "Actually, Ross wanted you for that reason.  Starfleet is a wreck, it would be years if we tried to rebuild the fleet the way it was."
Chekov: "But are de old vays better?"
Sisko: "Maybe not better, but certainly a lot easier to implement in the short term."
Janeway:  "It is necessary, for the time being, the Fleet will have to be more militristic."
Ross: "And there are only a few people with your experience left.  I think the Parasites saw the same thing."
Chekov: "Dis reserve activation clause has got to go..."
Calhoun: "That's one of the changes you'll be able to make, if you really want to."
OParis: "But you might want to take a look at the available manpower pool before you make that decision."
Chekov: "Let's get dis started, de sooner its done, the sooner I can go back to Moscow."

Earth Orbit, San Fransico shipyards

Ross: "It will take some time to build a new one Jean-Luc.  So for the time being, you'll just have to sit on Earth.  The Academy could use someone like you."
Picard: "The Academy?  I'm not quite ready to be put out to pasture Admiral."
Ross: "You're sure I can't intrest you in a postion in the Admiralty, we lost a number of good people, I can't think of anyone better to replace them."
Picard: "A wise man once told me.  'Don't.  Don't let them promote you. Don't let them do anything that takes you off the bridge of that ship, because while you're there, you can make a difference."
Ross: "Well, if I can't get you to take a shore assignment...I guess this will have to do."
Picard: "The Enterprise A?"
Ross: "We couldn't salvage enough of the B to fill a frigate.  So we're refitting the A, she'll be ready by the end of the month."
Picard: "Even with refitting, she wouldn't be as useful as a modern ship."
Ross: "True, we're only intending for her to operate for a year, two on the outside.  Just try not to get her into any fights, I would hate to have the only retired Enterprise to be that one that's in the museum.  It might make us think twice about commisioning another one."

RIS Phoenix

Serilla: "Status?"
Tribune: "It is confirmed, the parasite planet was destroyed completely five days ago."
Serilla: "Good."
chatI: "It appears that our mission is accomplished Commander."
Serilla: "Indeed it does, shall we start back for more familiar territory Fleet Captain?"
chatI: "First things first Commander.  I find it hard to believe that if there was only one trilithium weapon in your entire empire, that it would just happen to be on that ship.  Had your ship still been the flagship, then yes I would agree.  But your flagship imploded."
Serilla: "The truth of this matter Captain, is that Sela did not intend to use the device on the parasite capital.  It was actually intended for use as a back up plan in case something went wrong with her final solution."
chatI: "And just what would her final solution be?"
Serilla: "That's for us to know, and you to never find out."
Tribune: "Channel closed, was that wise Commander?"
Serilla: "chatI will be groping in the dark for years attempting to discover what her Final Solution really was Tribune.  The fact of the matter is that the Tal Shiar did not approve of Sela's plan for an attack on the Federation homeworld.  The Reman Shock Troops that she had asked for were diverted.  As tempting as the prospect of holding such a vast prize as the Federation is, we know that any attempt to gain Federation Territory must come piecemeal.  Simply siezing the capital of a Democracy is not a way to sieze power, it is one of several advantages to such a system.  When the time comes for the Star Empire to become ascendant, no one will stop us, and that time is coming soon."

Fin

[Tus-XC]

WHOOOT... great story

[Scottish Andy]

Quite the epic, Q. I'm not sure about the state of Starfleet and if your plans make sense in the grander scheme, but I do see te sense of building a lot of small warships rather than large ships of any kind until the Federation can defend itself again.

I do like that Chekov got to be Chief of Starfleet Operations. But what did you have against the Enterprise-B? Not that I mind having the -A around (except that she was destroyed in Chal's star in our STU, a la 'Ashes of Eden'), I just think the -B deserves some spotlight time.

Do we really only have 273 ships left? We were supposed to have 8,000 capital ships at the start of the Dominion war, and lost about 2,000. I think, for the size of the 2380's UFP, 273 ships left is not enough to defend the Home Sectors!

[Lieutenant_Q]

When I laid out the story for a civil war, even a short one like the one depicted here, I knew it was going to be bloody.  Honestly losing only 2000 starships during the Dominion war is not realistic, when entire fleets were being wiped out seemingly every other episode at the beginning of the war, to say nothing of the Chintaka, the Breen Energy Weapon debut and the Final battle.  Perhaps a net loss of 2000 ships is more likely.  The Casualty lists in DS9 always seemed to be very very light.  When I watched DS9 again on Spike, I began substituting Millions with Billions in my head.  When they talk about a couple thousand Starfleet Casualties, you think of four or five Galaxy Class ships lost, not an entire fleet, which was what they were saying.

I really didn't have anything against the B, except that it was kinda ugly, and that whole Tuesday thing.

The Ships that survived the civil war are going to have to be augmented with ships from mothball yards, and the Federation is going to have to rely heavily on Klingon assistance, and Romulan Dis-interest.  With no major damage to any of the Federation's Shipyards, rebuilding should proceed swiftly though.  Between surviving modern ships, mixed with capable mothballed ships, the fleet should get back up to a couple thousand with in a month or so. EDIT *Also, the 273 number comes from a collaboration of the parasites data, and Ross' data, there are going to be ships that didn't know which side to trust and simply dropped off the face of the universe while things sorted themselves out.  Ships that were presumed destroyed wont be destroyed, ship assumed lost with all hands, will have some survivors.  Starfleets initial missions will be to send ships out to look for these Missing ships.*

I had mixed feelings about the Ent-A.  I felt the way that she went out in Ashes of Eden was a farce, first, I don't care if she is 30 years old Starfleet wouldn't just sell the Enterprise to a independant planet that was half Romulan and Half Klingon.  Also the death by target practice was a pathetic reason to try to spare her.  Yes the US Navy did it to their UNFINISHED ships and Japanese ships following the war, but it is almost never done to completed ships, if they don't go to some museum, they are dismantled for parts, or at worse they are sunk to become an artificial reef.  Granted we don't have huge mothball yards because we don't have the space for it, but in space there is infinite space.  The Enterprise A was still a viable cruiser at the time she was decommissioned, old, yes, but not without her uses.  They decommissioned her because they wanted the Federation Flagship to be a more modern ship.

[Scottish Andy]

Well, I haven't seen the last 2 seasons of DS9, but that 2,000 number is from the series' technical crew. Also, remembering the data from my sources, there were only a few "fleets" that were wiped out.
I know that:
1) an early on episode had a fleet of 117 ships lose albout 93.
2) in the first mission to retake DS9 they were outnumbered 2-to-1 and the Doms had about 1,200 ships, and enough of those 600 Fed ships survived to retake DS9
3) In the final battle for Cardassia, which was a total reuse of the battle footage for DS9, perhaps unsurprisingly the same thing happened as above.
4) the battle for the Chin'toka system was costly, but it was another huge battle, this time against system defenses. Huge Fleet actions were few.
5) I never saw the Breen Energy Weapon episodes, but have heard that the Klingon Fleet shielded the Feds and Roms while they were refitted.
6) the big battles were few and far between, and it was a lot of ship-to-ship and small-squadron engagements.

I do take your point about 4,000 casualties being the crews of 7 Excelsior-class ships, or 4 Galaxies, or 12 Mirandas. Actually, about 4,000 people/10 ships a week would be losses I'd expect to be accurate. This wasn't a 24-7 war.

I like the look of the Enterprise-B, though I do agree that the positioning of the extra impulse engines is totally dumb. They'd melt the front end of the warp nacelles to slag.
Admittedly, my like for the -B comes from reading the books 'The Captain's Daughter', 'Serpents Among the Ruins', and the Enterprise-B short from the 'Enterprise Logs' anthology. They've made the ship and characters real in a way the movie couldn't, what with it's short focus on them.

Your points for the Enterprise-A are well taken, though. Starfleet should certainly not have been using her as a wargames target. However, the rationale given was that the new CinC Starfleet is a long-time hater of Kirk and is doing that just to get at him.
Also, the Constitution design was 50 years old by that point, the Constitution (refit) design was 21 years old, and 1701-A herself was barely 7 at that point. She is NOT a renamed, decades-old USS Yorktown, she is a renamed, brand new USS Ti-Ho, as stated in 'Scotty's Guide to the Enterprise'.

As point of fact, flagships don't need to be modern, but I take your point there too.

Anyway, with all that blah aside, I still think having as little as even 1,000 ships is too few. In my STU, Starfleet has about 2,000 front-line ships by the year 2300. Mind you, that's what I get for trying to include each model I like that I play in SFC as a whole class of 20 or more... 

Beyond that, and dragging myself reluctantly back on topic, good story well done!

[Lieutenant_Q]

The Breen Energy Weapon Debut was the worst of it all, a Combined Federation Romulan and Klingon Task force, probably six hundred to a thousand ships, the numbers were similar to Operation Return + Romulans.  All but one ship was destroyed, a Klingon Bird of Prey that made an engine modification just prior to the battle.  For about four episodes the Klingons had to hold the front line while the Federation scrambled to find protection for the Feds and the Roms.  Fortunately for the Feds, the founder felt that by letting all the escape pods go, they could paralyze the Federation.  Makes sense actually, you just got your head handed to you by a weapon that can make your entire ship stop functioning with one hit...through shields...might make me want to stay home.

[Scottish Andy]

Yikes! That is seriously nasty! I'll have to see if I can catch up on DS9 from the episodes finally being rerun on Spike.

Helluva thing when the SPACE Channel has Voyager on twice a day but never touches the far better DS9...

[CaptJosh]

That's because Spike has exclusive rights to both TNG and DS9. SPACE isn't allowed to show DS9.

[Tus-XC]

That's because Spike has exclusive rights to both TNG and DS9. SPACE isn't allowed to show DS9.

not for tng anymore, g4 tv is showing that now

[CaptJosh]

Oops. Forgot about that.

[Overmind]

You can alays get the DVDs

[Lieutenant_Q]

Not for $100+ a season... 

[Governor Ronjar]

Not for $100+ a season... 

Now $54 a pop at good ol' Walmart!

[Overmind]

I did see an offer (don't remember exactly where) for $1000 the whole series (That's TOS, Ent, Voy, TNG, DS9).
If I have the $ I'd gladly get them at this price.