Sat here with a few beers, listening to a DragonForce album and writing Star Trek fanfic. If there's a better way to relax, I haven't found it yet
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Chapter 6 - Death's Shadow (part 2)***********
RIS Valdore
4th June 2395
1920hrs EST
Bridge
"Entering Sector 12, Commander."
Commander Tal stood. "Begin sensor sweep. Report your findings as soon as you have collated all data."
She waited out the minutes impatiently, moving around the bridge. Finally she heard the console chirp. "Well?"
"Subspace distortions have definitely decreased here, I'm only reading what could be termed as 'aftershocks'. Whatever it was appears to have passed through this area of space, Commander."
Tal stared at the screen. "'Aftershocks'. If this was a group of ships, could you interpret a course out of these?"
"I'm afraid not, Commander. As you can see, the readings are sporadic at best. They have spread so much, it is impossible to tell what direction the source was moving in. I can only give you a rough idea of the speed, which would be some way up into the transwarp realm."
Sub-Commander Vorel grunted. "The Federation has transwarp." He stepped closer to Tal. "May I speak freely?"
"Go ahead Vorel. You always have done."
"What makes you so sure that the Federation can be trusted in this matter? We allied ourselves with the Gatrellians to destroy them, we've fought them on and off for so long now....and yet you believe they do not seek vengeance for this? We have not seen Andromedan vessels in our space since the Invasion. All we have are the reports from the Federation and the Klingons, you say they are to be trusted without question?"
Tal faced him, the fire in her eyes making Vorel shift uneasily. "I know Captain Smith. Despite our differences, he is an honourable man. I trust him."
"How can you trust a human?"
"He isn't human. Not completely, at any rate." Tal frowned, a thought occurring. She turned back to the Science station. "Our anti-cloak sensors, are they online?"
"Yes, Commander. I scanned the area for cloaked ships, none found."
"Run the readings we have on those aftershocks through the interpolation routines on the anti-cloak scanners. As if you were trying to remove echoes. Whichever shocks are strongest will remain."
The officer nodded. "Understood. Running the program."
Vorel leaned in. "Well, I'll be.....a path is forming."
Tal grinned in satisfaction. "Plot the course. Put it on the main screen."
An image of Romulan space came up, which then widened to include the Barrier Zone and the star of Federation space. The bridge crew watched as a line formed, from the Barrier right through to a point just outside the sector they were in now. "That's where the trail ends, Commander."
Tal stabbed a finger at the main screen. "Still believe the readings are from Federation ships Vorel? Even the mighty Starfleet couldn't get that many ships all the way out there undetected, to come into our space through the back door. Helm, prepare to follow the course."
The communicatons officer turned. "Receiving a message from Fleet Admiral Gentrel, Commander." He paused, listening, a look of shock rapidly crossing his face. "The fleet is under attack! Receiving co-ordinates!"
"Plot them on the viewer!" Tal swung back to the screen, watching as the line completed itself. "Helm, engage on that course. Maximum warp!"
***********
USS Tigermoth-A
4th June 2395
1945hrs EST
Bridge
Smithy stepped out onto the bridge of his ship, glad to be on a starship again that wasn't in pieces.
I'd forgotten just how much I enjoy doing that though. Nice change of pace. He glanced at Riggs. "Why the hell is it every time I arrive on this bridge you're here? Don't you ever sleep?"
Riggs glanced up from her work. "Sorry sir, I was just working on our transpace communications array. Trying to iron out some signal issues."
"Any word from Sheehan?"
Riggs consulted the screen. "Ensign Liu noted the last message from them. 'IKV Korinar reports increased activity among Romulan fleet, have informed them to keep you updated as we need to return to Klingon space'."
"Right, right....he said they might need to refuel. Those Vampires run a bit rich. Nothing from the Korinar then?"
"Nothing logged." Riggs jumped as the console chirped at her. "Speak of the devil.....tape dump message from the Korinar."
"Decode it and play." Smithy sat on the bridge rail, rubbing at the insistent ache in his knee.
"
IKV Korinar report. Large dust cloud matching Tigermoth sensor log found in Romulan space, Sector 14. Our ship has taken damage from an ion storm and must return to Klingon territory. Have suggested DSF make contact with Romulan fleet, suggest Starfleet also does so. IKV Korinar out."
Smithy immediately jumped into action, the ache forgotten temporarily. "Get everyone up here, right away. And contact Dave. We might need to get a fleet together rather sharpish."
He went over to one of the workstations, calling up the list of TacFleet ships in and around the Antares area.
Not many, and we can't rely on a Special Ops force. He turned away from the screen to watch crewmembers dash onto the bridge and re-activate their stations. "Riggs, you got Dave yet?"
"Stand-by sir. He was in the shower." A few seconds ticked by. "Admiral Harriman on-screen."
The main viewer flicked from a view of the dock to a view of Harriman's quarters. "Sorry Dave, emergency."
"
Don't worry about it. I just had a message come in from the DSF, they're scrambling the few ships they have ready to head out to Romulan space. Looks like this is it."
"I looked over our numbers. It ain't exactly great, but I think we can have around eighty ships ready to go in about fifteen minutes."
Harriman nodded. "
That'll have to do. We'll signal everyone to get ready and into formation, and get the Tempest fired up."
"Right. We'll get ready for the off." Smithy nodded at Riggs to close out the connection, then tapped the comm. panel on his chair. "All hands, listen up 'cause time is short. We may be heading into combat again shortly. Do your jobs, do them well, and make me proud."
He closed out the link, and waved off the applause from his bridge crew. "Knock it off you lot, it was hardly on the level of a Winston Churchill speech."
Lisa grinned fondly at him. "I dunno, short and sweet. I hate those ones that drone on."
"Yeah, Dave never went in for those either." Smithy dropped into his chair. "Is the fleet forming up?"
Winchester brought up the fleet overlay in a corner of the main screen. "Transwarp ships to the fore, everyone else lining up behind to take advantage."
"Right. Elkins, scoot us up to the front, flanking the Tempest." He watched as the view shifted past the docks, briefly showing a glimpse of the yet-to-be-completed next ship in the Tigermoth's family. "I wouldn't mind having her along. Hopefully we can have her half-built soon." He tugged the collar of his uniform open, settling in. "Once around. Helm?"
"We're in position, sir."
"Tactical?"
"Phaser arrays pre-charged, Captain. Torpedo bays loaded, launch rails ready to be powered up when needed."
"Ops?"
"All scanner and sensor arrays on-line, Captain."
"Engine room."
Orlatrel answered. "
Transwarp drive standing by. We've got all shifts standing by in case they're needed."
"Sickbay."
Dr Al Benson's voice flitered up. "
Standing by, sir. Though I hope we won't be needed."
"So do I, Doctor. Communications?"
"TacFleet frequencies clear, sir. Transpace communications link on-line. Tempest signals that we're ready to move out."
"Right. Helm, on the Tempest's mark."
***********
2150hrs EST
Bridge
"Captain's log, supplemental. The Klingon taskforce has linked up with our fleet, we are proceeding into the Neutral Zone. We have heard nothing from the Romulans. We are assuming the worst, and heading in fully rigged for battle."
The bridge was bathed in the red light of a starship at battlestations. Smithy always preffered this light level. His rather odd genetics had left him with eyes that functioned much better in certain light conditions, and they liked this light.
Trouble is, this light brings battle with it.He watched his wife. Lisa was wandering, inspecting each station and geeing the crew up. He swallowed a couple of pills. He didn't want pain clouding his mind right now, the stakes were too high. Lisa sat, and he squeezed her hand briefly, mouthing "love you" at her and accepting a brief peck on the cheek in return.
Elkins glanced back. "Coming up on transwarp shutdown in five....four....three....two....one."
The low frequency hum faded from the background, leaving the normal sounds of the bridge systems at Red Alert. Smithy was immediately on his feet. "Winchester, full scan. Co-ordinate with the officer on the Tempest, since we're the only ones with high resolution LRS systems."
"Aye, sir."
As Winchester set to work, Smithy sat back down. No need to pester anyone right now on the comm. link unless a call came in. So he simply held Lisa's hand and waited.
"Got something, sir. Just inside Sector 9, bearing 080 mark 14."
Riggs shot a look over her shoulder. "Admiral Harriman would like us to follow them."
"Well, he is in command after all. Elkins, follow the Tempest. Drelkar....stand by on weapons power-up."
The crew waited the few tense minutes of full-impulse flight into a possible warzone. Winchester scanned his board, frowning. "I'm picking up no traces of weapons fire. In fact, I'm not even picking up much in the way of power generation. Tempest Operations officer is comfirming our readings."
Smithy closed his eyes, knowing instinctively what they were about to find. "Please, let me be wrong for once." He opened his eyes and turned to Ops, sighing. "Go on kid, put them onscreen. They should be in range by now."
Winchester tapped away, and looked at the main viewer. "Holy...."
Everyone stared. Lisa and Smithy leaned forward in unison, Lisa speaking first. "I guess the Andromedans finished what the Gatrellians started."
On the screen lay the shattered remnants of the Romulan fleet, a hundred Warbirds broken and battered by weapons fire. Plasma fires still raged on in many of them, highlighting the damage they had taken. Drelkar shook his head, his gaze riveted on the screen. "Unbelievable."
Smithy stood, and limped over to Ops. "What's the word?"
"I'm reading minimal power generation. Life signs are....sporadic. It's like these ships have been completely gutted."
"And no sign of the attacking fleet?"
"None."
Riggs glanced back at her board. "Admiral Harriman signalling."
"Onscreen."
The image of Admiral Harriman was a welcome relief from the view of the Romulan fleet. Harriman shook his head glumly. "
I hope you have your full medical team onboard."
"We do. Winchester is scanning for survivors now, suggest you do the same and we co-ordinate everyone else into a rescue effort."
"
Agreed. Lets get on it."
***********
2230hrs EST
Sickbay
Smithy limped in, moving out of the way to let doctors and orderlies past. Sickbay seemed to be running pretty efficiently despite the workload. Romulans were occupying every biobed. Surgical fields were up in several cases. He searched the crowd of faces for the CMO, finding him near the back. "What's up, Al?"
Benson glanced up from his work. "Ah, Captain. One of my patients insisted on seeing you. Over there."
Smithy turned, and saw her. "Aw hell....Tal."
Commander Tal levered herself up off the bed, her voice shaky. "Captain. I regret that we don't meet again under better circumstances." She winced, lying back down. "I probably shouldn't move yet."
"I didn't know they'd given you the Valdore. What happened? I mean, beyond the obvious."
Tal shook her head. "A blur....we'd been scanning for the incursion...got a message from Gentrel that the attack had begun, Sector 14. We arrived....the fleet was taking a pounding. They forced us all the way back to Sector 9....we were all dead in space....then they stopped."
"There are about a hundred ships here. Are these all you had ready to go?"
"All we had at all." Tal shook her head gingerly. "Our entire defense force."
Smithy digested that. "Suddenly, our problems seem rather insignificant." He patted her on her good shoulder. "Get some rest. We're ferrying those of you that survived back to Romulus."
"How....many?"
Smithy shook his head. "I'm not sure. We picked up thirty eight from the Valdore, including you. Tough ship by the way, we've got her in tow. I reckon she could be salvaged if your engineers are willing to put in some effort."
Tal chuckled mirthlessly at that. "I doubt....we have the capacity or resources to do a full refit. Please....have someone wake me before we reach home...." She drifted into unconciousness.
Smithy turned. "Al."
Benson picked his way through the crush. "Captain?"
"Make sure one of the orderlies wakes up the Commander about a half-hour before we reach Romulus. Don't bother with a report about all this....I'm not sure I could stomach reading it."
"Aye, sir." Benson went to leave, but turned back. "Captain.....you don't feel....well...."
"Responsible?" Smithy shook his head. "A bit, maybe. But I'm used to that these days. Did Mack ever tell you about that time in the Dominion War?"
"He mentioned it, it's actually in his memoirs. You never read them?"
"Haven't managed to bring myself to do it just yet. Think I will tomorrow night though." Smithy gazed around the room. "Look after them Al. I'll be on the bridge if you need anything.
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***edit***
Oops, sorted some spelling. If I missed any more, I'll sort it when I sober up. Hope you're all enjoying it - I haven't been keeping much of an eye on the thread 'read count', but it seems to have risen a fair amount from what I remember it roughly being....