Note: This update only includes minor corrections, formatting corrections, and a split into chapters.

Chapter One

The bridge of the Stargazer was in pretty good condition, all things considered. After all they were in battle, and the fleet they were part of had been reduced from 114 to less than twenty. So the blackened Ops console, and the shattered panel next to the Captain's Chair was to be expected. Lieutenant Commander Marrissa Picard was in command, since Captain T'Gwen Washington had been taken to Sickbay. Lieutenant Ross Lochard was at tactical, his wife Kathy was at the helm. The Second Officer, Lieutenant Jay Gordon held the Fighter Command

station, but was functioning as Operations Officer.

"Kathy, hard to port, Ross, fire torpedoes, 32 mark 5, now" Marrissa ordered. "Jay, fleet status."

"The Kennedy had just been destroyed," Jay announced. "We've still got the Armageddon, the Hikura, the Hermes, the Virginia, the Rabin, the Churchill, the Majestic, the Kentucky, the Paris, the Devin, the Nimitz, the Pike, the Sullivans and us. The enemy forces have been reduced to 30 ships."

"What's the kill score?" Ross asked.

"101 them, 134 us," Jay said.

"I'd say we were winning if it weren't for the number left," Ross commented as the Stargazer made another pass on a Jem'Hadar ship.

"Jay, who is in command of the fleet?" Marrissa asked.

"No one has sent any orders since Captain Thompson and the Harriman were destroyed," Jay said. "Why, do you have a plan to get us out of here?"

"I'm working on one," Marrissa said. "How far apart are the two stars in this system?"

"Point two A.U.s," Jay replied.

"Perfect," Marrissa smiled. "Open a secure channel to all Star Fleet Vessels."

"Channel open," Jay replied.

"This is Picard of the Stargazer," Marrissa began. "I think I can get us out of here. Any objections?"

After a brief pause, a response came in, "This is Captain Sinclair of the Armageddon, if you've got a way out, we'll take it. However, I have lost warp drive."

"All ships, send a status report," Marrissa ordered. "Virginia, Churchill, Majestic, break off and set your sites on the ship designated target Gamma Four. Armageddon, draw the fire off those three and lead them towards the Kentucky. Pike, Sullivans, converge on the Kentucky. Stand by for further orders."

Marrissa turned back towards Jay and said, "I'm going to need Lieutenant Szustakowski on the Bridge. She has some experience with shield linking and warp field theory was her Engineering concentration."

"She's on her way," Jay informed. "It appears that our only problem of immediate concern on the fleet is the Armageddon's warp drive."

"That's not going to repair itself," Lieutenant Ross Lockard stated.

"We'll find a way to bring them along," Marrissa stated as Lieutenant Virginia Szustakowski entered the bridge.

"Reporting as ordered Captain," the Chief Engineer said.

"Gina, if we were to run a group of ships between those two stars at say, warp 4, would that cause enough tidal forces to cause a nova?" Marrissa asked.

"You'd have to link up all the ship's shields, synchronize all the warp fields, and maintain a fairly rigid formation, but yes," Szustakowski said.

"Can we do it with the current ships and tow the Armageddon along," Marrissa inquired.

"Towing the Armageddon makes it harder, but I think we can do it," the Chief Engineer replied, her mind going though the necessary equations. "The Stargazer would have to lead, and we'd have to have three rings of four starships behind her."

"Get me that formation," Marrissa said. "Open that channel again Jay. We may get out of this yet."

"All ships are listening," Jay responded.

"Ok, this is going to be tricky everyone," Marrissa began. "We're going to attempt the Flare escape. I'm transmitting the courses you will need to take and targets to hit along the way. Be ready to link shields and warp fields. Armageddon, you'll need to be in position early. We'll be towing you in the center of the formation."

"Understood Stargazer," the Armageddon's captain replied. "But if we don't make it to your formation in time, leave without us."

"That's a no go, Armageddon," Marrissa replied. "I intend to take all of the ships out of here."

As the ships moved toward the two stars, they shot passed Jem'Hadar ships. A Jem'Hadar Battle cruiser met its doom in the fire of the Armageddon, the Virginia, and the Kentucky. The Pike and the Majestic pulled off a strategic snip job on several Cardassian warships as they flew past to take up position behind the Kentucky. The Churchill, Nimitz, and the Sullivans made mincemeat of three Jem'Hadar scouts coming up behind the Stargazer. The flurry of fire caused a momentary halt in the Cardassian-Dominion forces. The Star Fleet vessels took advantage of that brief pause. They took up formation. The Stargazer lead the formation, with the Kentucky,

the Virginia, the Churchill, and the Majestic behind and above, below and to the right and left of her. Behind them was the Rabin, the Paris, the Pike, and the Hikura, Finally the last row was the Devin, the Nimitz, the Sullivans, and the Hermes.

On the bridge of the Stargazer, things were busy, but not so busy that Marrissa didn't notice one ship's absence. As she looked for it, her crew prepared for the last ditch maneuver. The Flare maneuver was a single ship tactic usually done by pirates. It had never been tried in such a way. Usually it sent a solar flare in the wake of the ship, preventing anyone from following and totally disrupting the warp trail.

"Shields are matched," Lieutenant Ross Lochard announced. "Metagenic configuration confirmed."

"Warp field generators synchronized," Lieutenant Szustakowski announced.

"Where is the Armageddon?" Marrissa asked.

"She's harrying the rear of the Cardassian / Jem'Hadar lines," Jay announced. "She's got all their attention at the moment. Sir, we can't delay. They are turning back towards us."

"Open a channel to the Armageddon," Marrissa ordered.

"Channel open," Jay replied.

"On screen," Marrissa ordered. A man with gray hair appeared on screen. His captain's uniform was streaked with soot and his bridge looked like a tornado had hit it. "Captain Sinclair, what do you think you are doing. I'm trying to save all of us, and you're ruining it."

"Commander Picard, you need us to keep their attention more than you need us taking power to be towed out of here," Sinclair responded. "I can be more help for you distracting them."

"I'll be the judge of that," Marrissa stated.

"No, I will," Sinclair said. "I am the most senior officer here, and I'm ordering you to leave now."

"Sir," Marrissa began to say.

"Go Lieutenant Commander," Sinclair said. "And take good care of those ships. Your are the best chance that they will see home."

"Understood, Stargazer out," Marrissa ordered, moving back to take her seat. "Kathy, set a course directly between those stars. Straight line, middle of the way, warp eight, engage."

The whole formation of the starships went into warp, rushing between the stars. The massive warp field passed between the stars in milliseconds, creating a reaction that no ship in the system had time to escape. A flare shot out in the direction the ships had went, then back

the way they had come. The stars collapsed, then expanded into supernovas. In an instant the Armageddon and all the Jem'Hadar and Cardassian ships in the system were reduced to their component atoms. The base, which the forth fleet had come to destroy, was vaporized. The

Seventh Fleet's mission had been accomplished at the price of two stars, and the starship Armageddon.