Chapter Two

2286, Terran Calender, Sub Space Relay Station Tauo 332, I.S.S. Saratoga

Captain Samuel Frost frowned deeply as he sat in his chair on the bridge of the Saratoga. He stared at the view screen image of the broken and scorched wreckage of what remained of Sub Space Relay Station Tauo three three two. The painted white metal of the stationary satellite was charred black by particle weapons fire, and the remains of the station were in a large crowd of debris.

This relay station was why they had been sent out here to one of the most remote areas of the Empire, it was a vital communications station that would relay radio traffic and subspace feeds back to the core worlds of the empire. It was a very important piece of hardware in the this sector and it had suddenly gone dark five days ago. The Saratoga's first mission out of refitting was to find out why it had lost contact and effectively cut off this sector from the rest of the Empire. And now, Samuel knew the reason. Someone had destroyed the station and Frost knew that something was up. He only hoped that it was some sort of sign of a new rebel movement in the area and not something worse.

"Sensor sweep complete sir", reported the chief tactical officer of the Saratoga, Lieutenant Commander Rachel Averon. She had long blond hair which was put up in a ponytail behind her just like regulations dictated and light blue eyes which looked almost soft despite the rest of her face and body. She was a women in her mid twenties but her face and eyes showed that she had been hardened by the few but difficult years of serving the empire. "The damage was caused by a type two disruptor, which is consistent with Romulan, Klingon, and Breen weapons."

Samuel turned in his chair looked over at Rachel, "Long range sensor scan. Then scan around the debris and tell me if theres any warp trails from whoever attacked this sattelite. "

She quickly got to work punching buttons and reading the information her monitor displayed back to her, her console beeped several times and she looked over a Samuel. "I'm picking up no ships on long range sensors but I am picking up a warp trail leading away from Tauo on course two two six mark one one eight. "

"Helm, plot a pursuit course and go to maximum warp," ordered Samuel turning in his chair back towards the helm. The helmsmen punched buttons and several confirmation beeps echoed out of the console. Samuel watched the viewscreen image of the debris disappear as the ship turned to course two two six mark one one eight. The space suddenly turned blue, and the screen seems to stretch slightly until they broke the warp barrier and passed into warp. The stars streaked past the ship as it continued to accelerate and after the enemy ship.

"Continue scanning at long range, I want to know when we're going to run into this ship," ordered Samuel to Rachel who simply nodded in reply.

Samuel leaned back in his chair and tried to relax slightly, he always tried to relax before a battle. He always found it was a way to calm yourself and try get focused on the job at hand. He knew that when they caught up with this ship, they were going to have to kill them. They had attacked the Terran Empire and that was unforgivable. He just hoped that they weren't part of the new Alliance; if they were part of the alliance then this could be the first steps to an interstellar war. Which Samuel thought might be a good thing, but it still would be devastating. He knew that if the alliance and the empire went to war, both sides would throw all they had at each other.

I.S.S. Rome, Alliance Held Space, (Khitomer System)

Captain SemPek looked up at the imposing Klingon who stood in front of him. His Bat'leth was stretched across his back and its blades protruded from around the sides of his form. His hair was dirty and mangled looking, his beard was long and unkempt. His face was battered with many scars on it and his eyes revealed all SemPek needed to know about this Klingon. He wanted to kill SemPek and eat his heart, in true Klingon fashion. The thought was almost mildly amusing, but he kept his thoughts and his feelings suppressed.

"You are just a Terran messenger attempting to lull us into a false sense of security with calls of peace," said the Cardassian Ambassador to SemPeks right. "If the new Emperor wanted peace then, why would he be building up forces along his borders with us?"

"As I said early Ambassador, it is in response to the increased military presence that the Alliance is building up on the Empires border. The emperor has no intention to start a war, but he must protect his people from their biggest threat. Which at the moment is the Alliance."

"We are not a threat to the Empire," hissed the Klingon Ambassador now. "If we truly wanted war then we would have already started it, not waited and bidded our time like some sort of RomuluSnagan," said the Klingon saying the Klingon word for Romulans in an almost disgusted sounding voice.

"I'm sure, your intentions are honorable. But we cannot ignore the amount of ships you have patrolling the border. They are...increasing. Its like you are building your forces in plain sight under the flag of peace. The emperor is merely concerned about it. He asks that you withdraw some of your ships from the borders and we will do the same," said SemPek looking from the Klingon to the Cardassian.

"We know what the Terran Empire is. We are not fools, we know you live for conquest and power. It is the basis for your entire society. Without it, your government would fall apart," replied the Cardassian.

"But if things continue building up like this, something will cause the boiling point to be reached. The Emperor wishes to avoid this, if a war happens both sides will be devastated."

The Klingon laughed, and looked over at the Cardassian. "These Terrans think that they would stand a chance fighting the Klingon Empire," he said turning his head from the Cardassian to SemPek. "We would defeat your armies, and would enslave your entire population. Even the speices that you already have enslaved, they would merely be added to our slaves."

"If you have forgotten," said the Cardassian looking at the Klingon. "This is a fully equal partnership between our two people and everything would be shared equally. But we are not going to war, so it is not even worth being discussed."

"Gentlemen, I think I've learned all that I needed to from this meeting. I think it is time for me to take my leave," said SemPek.

"VulcanSnagan, We are not finished here, "shouted the Klingon taking a step towards SemPek. For a moment SemPek thought the Klingon might attack him, his hand instinctively went to his belt where his dagger was holstered. The Klingon watched his hand as it strayed to the dagger, "You have accomplished nothing here today but speed up your inevitable defeat," said the Klingon. "The Sands of Vulcan will be scorched into glass and the Oceans of Earth will run red with the blood of the millions of Terran's we will slay."

"You may believe that," said SemPek taking a step back from the Klingon and towards the exit of the room. "But we will make every inch you take from us drenched in the blood of thousands of Klingon warriors and Cardassian soldiers."

The Klingon laughed and reached behind his back, he grasped the Bat'Leth and brought it out in front of him. He began striding towards SemPek, Who drew his Dagger in response. The Klingon steeped forwards and swung in a diagonal downwards motion towards SemPek. SemPek knew he was quick enough to avoid the strike. He stepped to the right side of the blow and brought his dagger up and cut the throat of the Klingon in what a seemed like only a moment. Light red blood spattered from the wound and dripped to the floor as the Klingon made a gurgling sound before falling in a heap on the floor.

SemPek regained his balance and looked to the Caradassian who had began leaving the room. He exited through another door in the far side of the room. SemPek didn't miss a beat, he exited through the door closest to him and headed towads the waiting room he had left his marine escort in. He ran down a hallway and entered the room quickly and stopped in surprise. His marine escort was lying in several piles on the floor, four marines had come down with him. All of whom showed some sort of wound from a Klingon weapon, SemPek looked from body to body.

He reached down to his belt and removed his communicator from his belt, "SemPek to the Rome. One to beam up."

Just as he finished his sentence a group of Klingon and Cardassians burst into the room from the door that he had entered from. SemPek instinctively turned and threw his dagger toward the first alien he saw enter the room. The blade caught the young Cardassian in the neck and made him fall in a single scream of pain.

SemPek felt the familiar icy cold fingers of the transporter grab onto him, he felt his body start to come apart as he saw the first Klingon take a swipe him with his Bat'Leth. The Klingon was replaced with the familiar sight of the bridge of the Rome. The minute SemPek could move again he moved to his chair shouting orders. "Shields up! Charge Phasers and Load Torpedo Tubes!" SemPek Sat down in his chair and looked towards the helm, "Plot an emergency escape vector from the system."

"Captain, three D-7 Class Klingon crusers closing on our position with Six Klingon Birds of Prey backing them up," reported the tactical officer in a voice that was laced with what sounded like fear.

"Helm hard a port," ordered SemPek looking at the image of the first D-7 firing its torpedoes. The bright red balls of light streaked towards the Rome and slammed into their Shields causing the ship to rock violently to the left. The ships inertial dampeners whined as they tried to keep the crew from flying about from the massive impact. The second torpedo hit the ship causing a console to spark and a young ensigns face was reduced to a bloody mess to SemPeks left. "Return fire," yelled SemPek over the sound of a third impact.

The view screen showed the image of the closest D-7 taking a full shot from the phasers of the Rome. The blue beams of light lashed out at the grey hull of the Klingon ship with a fierceness. Its shields took the hit and the D-7 continued towards its prey with savage blood lust. "Helm, move us out of the system. Divert emergency power to the impulse engines."

The ship rocked to the left again and emergency alarms sounded through out the bridge and the ship whined and stained from the impacts. The view screen image shifted and the view of the enemy ships was replaced with the blackness of space as the Rome attempted to sprint out of the system.

"Hull Breaches on decks seventeen, eighteen, nineteen and twenty!" Yelled the Tactical officer over the sounds of another impact from disruptors this time. "We're leaking atmosphere and emergency bulkheads will not engage in those sections."

"Seal all the compartments around them. Even if there's crewmen trapped in those areas," ordered SemPek looking over at the tactical officer who had a look of pure horror on her face. "I gave you an order lieutenant!" She nodded and sealed the compartments as the ship took another hit form the ships chasing them out of the system.

"Show me an aft view," order SemPek. The screen flickered and the rear nacelles of the Rome filled the screen followed by the medium sized dots chasing them. Nine dots now chased the Rome as it ran for its life. A torpedo streaked from a ship began to slowly creep up on the Rome. It slowly gained speed and closed on them. The Torpedo slammed into the starboard nacelle with a deafening roar.