ACT III, Scene 1

Hopkins rallied, and the bridge crew snapped out of their daze just as quickly.

"Open fire, Mr. Carson. Give them a round of phasers, then open with the torpedoes – on the double!"

"Yes-sir!"

Two phaser beams fired forth – to no avail. The round of torpedoes uselessly careened past the aft of the all too swift Bird-of-Prey, exploding far from either ship. In one deft move, the Bird-of-Prey swept right over the port prow of the Tranquility, and was soon out of view.

Sangster burst out. "What're they trying to do, sir?"

Hopkins responded, "They're trying to get behind us, that's what. Turn us around, Mr. Carson! Aft starboard and port bow, now!"

"Yes, sir! Activating thrusters!"

A small set of boosters on the port bow and the starboard of the secondary hull fired, and the Tranquility had revolved on its axis in a matter of seconds, ready to face their attacker again. The Bird-of-Prey, although faster than its target, had to steer in a wide curve, in which time the Tranquility got a few salvoes in. The phaser bursts dissipated upon hitting the deflector shields.

The two ships sped towards each other, prows opposite, and weapons blazing. The bridge of the Tranquillity was beginning to shake around a fair bit. Then, just as they came head-on, the Bird-of-Prey began to dive…then faded out of vision.

Sangster cried. "They've re-cloaked, sir!"

"Acknowledged. Quick, Mr. Carson – fire torpedoes in as wide a burst as you can –"

Before the order could be followed, the whole ship shuddered from the impact of multiple plasma torpedoes. The first two took their shields down. The rest of the salvoes were targeted at the weapons systems. Chaos ensued in the secondary hull as bays and banks both felt the full brunt of the Romulan attack. One of the torpedo bays exploded spectacularly along with its entire payload, creating a huge gash in the side of the ship.

Bodies were soon being carted to the sickbay from the rest of the ship as fast as Farrell and the medics could handle them. Gesturing for the nurses to tend to the patients first, the CMO headed towards the closest panel.

"Farrell to bridge."

"Bridge here."

"We're filling up with casualties here. Request permission to expand facilities to adjacent rooms."

"Approved, Mr. Farrell."

Hopkins turned around the science station, where his first officer was desperately tapping away at the console.

"Any luck repowering those shields, Mr. Sangster?"

"I think…yes!" Sangster cried. "Shields are up to 38%, sir."

"Outstanding. Keep scanning for our invisible foe."

Minutes passed. It seemed as if that the Romulans were keeping just within sensor range, giving a pulse here, an energy trace there. Several minutes of this hide-and-seek followed. Slowly but surely, the Romulans were pulling the Tranquillity further and further away from R-13. There was no choice but to keep flying into the trap – if they lost the Romulans now, they'd attack elsewhere, and this time with no chance of warning.

Then, the Bird-of-Prey struck again. Uncloaking at the port-side blind spot, the Bird-of-Prey opened up with another salvo. The 38% of shields that Sangster had strived to build up was undone in an instant. A plasma torpedo ripped through the port pylon, rendering the nacelle itself inert.

O'Neill came on through intercom. "Sir, we've lost the port nacelle and warp speed with it. I'll attempt to repair it but it'll take time."

"Understood, Mr. O'Neill." Hopkins gestured towards his helmsman. "Mr. Carson, try moving us at impulse."

The engines powered up, trying to push the ship forward, but were stopped by a greater force. The Romulans had caught them in their tractor beam. Resignation quickly swept through the bridge. The Tranquillity had been outmanoeuvred and outgunned. The predator was now only playing with its prey.

Hopkins turned towards the comm. station. "Ms. T'kal, broadcast this message across the ship."

"Now hear this; this is the Captain speaking. The USS Ajax will only arrive within the next hour. Until then, we will have to continue the fight ourselves. Engineering, repair all essential systems, beginning with shields, engines –warp and impulse – and only then the weapons. Close all bulkheads. Sickbay, expand facilities as far as you need to in order to intercept casualties. Mr. Kallar, dispatch a security complement to every deck in proportions you see fit. Prepare to repel boarders."

Messages of acknowledgement from all departments came through. Hopkins moved over to the science station.

"Mr. Sangster, keep track of all transporter signals. We'll be able to help the security team that way."

Sangster nodded. "Aye, sir."

He turned back to the console, while the bridge crew nervously awaited the next turn of events.

ACT III Scene 2

All over the ship, heavy blast doors slammed shut. Grey-sleeved officers and crewmen armed with phaser pistols and rifles, headed down hallways and corridors. Leading them was Kallar, the security chief. After a quick exchange of orders and a few hand gestures, the crews split up, spreading across the decks.

The familiar shimmer of the transporter beam began to appear throughout the ship, followed by squads of Romulans clad in black jumpsuits and helmets transporting in. The first wave was easily taken down, but the second and third and fourth began piling into the ship before the outnumbered and outgunned security men could react, forcing them to pull back.

Some saboteurs found themselves between two walls and two sealed bulkheads. A timed explosive charge against the blast doors proved effective against this meagre security measure. Without skipping a beat, the intruders kept up their progress. Some moved towards Engineering while others proceeded to make their way to the saucer section, all with clockwork military precision.

One such squad immediately headed towards weapons control. The entrance gave way to another timed charge; it revealed naught but pitch black. Warily, the squad leader stepped in. He was followed by his lieutenant and four others.

Ten steps in, the commander was aware of a distant yell as terrible as it was sudden. He wheeled around, as the rest of the squad did. Despite their eyes having adapted to the dark, they perceived nothing – yet one of their number lay prone on the floor, his helmet ripped off by some great force and a distinct sore growing on his head.

One of the saboteurs asked: "Leader! What is this?"

He responded, "We are in a trap. Stay alert. We must gain total control over weapons systems and life support. Failure cannot be rewarded."

Right after the words were spoken, some cargo containers began to topple from a higher deck, and within a matter of second had fallen upon the troop in a cascade. Four more Romulans fell, pinned down by the heavy containers. Moments later, only their leader remained, wandering alone in the engineering section.

He was about to pull out his communicator and request reinforcements when a stocky but short Engineering officer dived full-tilt at him, wrestling the disruptor out of his hand. A furious struggle ensued between the two. The Romulan was a good fighter, but his martial arts proved ineffective against the natural brawler he faced. A solid blow right in the breadbasket – or the Romulan equivalent – proved decisive, and the Romulan squad leader fell unconscious to the floor. Without skipping a beat, the lieutenant dragged his body off to a corner and pulled out his own communicator.

"Salzmann to O'Neill. I've neutralized one Romulan squad. Over."

"Acknowledged. Better hide again. Over."

"Understood, sir. Over and out."

With that, Lieutenant Salzmann slid back into the dark alcove where he'd hidden himself, ready to take on the next wave of Romulans.

USS Tranquility, Deck 1, Bridge

Hopkins moved over to Sangster's science station, addressing the bridge crew as he did so.

"Everyone, I'd advise you stand clear of the centre of the bridge. Carson, reroute your controls to the auxiliary circuits here. Ready phasers if need be. Mr. Sangster, can you activate the magnetic shield?"

As Sangster turned to his console to do so, Sherman turned to Carson, mouthing, "Magnetic shield? Never heard of that one before."

"It's so that any random chap can't just beam into the bridge as they wish. Messes with long-range comms though," responded Carson, as he pulled out his type 2 phaser.

Hopkins now turned towards his communications officer. "Ms. T'kal, order all stations report in."

The Vulcan listened intently through her earpiece for several minutes. Finally, she responded, "The intruders have been stabilized at about deck 11, Captain. Engineering remains untouched, but their defence means that their repairs will take hours at best. Sickbay reports at least 37 casualties and counting. Mr. Kallar reports that security teams are having difficulty maintaining position."

Hopkins considered the situation for a few seconds, before turning back to Sangster.

"Can you isolate the areas where there are only Romulan life-signs, Phil?"

"I...should be able to, sir."

"Good."

At this, the captain's attention now turned to an ensign on the opposite end of the bridge.

"Mr. Ostermann."

The somewhat nervous ensign took a second to snap out of his mood. "Yes-sir?"

"Once Mr. Sangster gives the report, I want you to flood all appropriate areas with the anaesthetic gas. Authorization Hopkins-5-9-39."

The computer beeped in response. A few short minutes later, Sangster turned his head over towards the security station.

"Mr. Ostermann, prepare anaesthetic gas for the following decks."

ACT III Scene 3

USS Tranquility, Lower decks

Nerve gas began spouting from the overhead pipes throughout the ship. Clouds of the dense and thick gas quickly spread throughout the decks and section, downing a few Romulans before the majority of the strike force could put on their gas masks. The intruders that subsequently beamed in already did so with sufficient protection; it was evident that they had prepared too well for any sudden upset.

Several squads, after using the shaped charges on the Jeffries tubes, began the climb upwards, managing to outflank some of the security squads. When Kallar's own security team were attacked from the flank, he ordered them into the corridor corner, while he provided covering fire. One of the security ensigns was beginning to panic.

"Sir, we're getting cornered! At this rate, the Romulans are going to get everywhere! Game over, man, game-"

Kallar took him by the shoulder.

"Mr. Chandra! I assure you if you maintain this attitude they will. Calm down; we still have a few tricks up our sleeve."

At this, Kallar took out his spare phaser, turned it to overload, and threw it in the midst of the attacking Romulans. Seconds later, a massive explosion rocked throughout the corridor, leaving half a dozen stunned and dead Romulans in its wake. Kallar turned back to Chandra.

"There you go, son. These Romulans aren't all that much to worry about. Come on, let's go."

With renewed enthusiasm, the security crew got back up and headed back into the fray.

Elsewhere on the ship, several Romulan squads had managed to sneak to deck 9 through Jeffries tubes and other devious means, and were now within a stone's throw from Sickbay. The security teams they encountered were dealt with first by an electromagnetic pulse weapon to disorient them combined with old-fashioned calcium flare grenades, followed by the Romulans' sheer strength of numbers. A shaped charge blew down the Sickbay door as it had done for all the other obstacles. The door collapsed to reveal doctors and nurses all treating patients, with CMO Farrell at their fore.

He blurted out, "Nurse-"

Before he could get another syllable out a disruptor burst struck him in the chest. As his lifeless body fell to the floor the Romulans opened with volley after volley of disruptor fire. The nurses and crew didn't stand a chance. Even the wounded in Sickbay were not spared as the intruders took deliberate care to destroy all life-support equipment. Some who tried to hide were vaporized along with their cover.

Within minutes, there were none alive in Sickbay or any other of the medical facilities. All had perished in the assault.

USS Tranquility, Deck 1

A small squad of Romulans, totalling six or so, had snuck past the defences laid by the Tranquility staff, and had thus made their way into the turbolift, which now was just outside the bridge. As the demolition expert planted the shaped charge on the door, some of the intruders mouthed a silent prayer; there was no backup for this mission – it was either total success or complete failure. Nothing but total extermination of the bridge crew would be acceptable.

Inside the bridge, the Romulan activity had not gone unnoticed. The crew nervously hid behind the consoles and chairs with their phasers drawn, awaiting the inevitable blast and charge. The electronic beeping of the shaped charge, counting down to the unavoidable, was also audible through the door. All exchanged glances at each other as they listened to the repetitive yet short-lived beeps.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

The turbolift door exploded with great force. The remnants of the door flew into the centre of the room, with one panel striking the captain's chair, bending out of shape. Mist began to pour forth from the interior of the turbolift. The brief pause after the explosion was followed by volleys of rapid disruptor fire, which the bridge crew responded in turn with phaser fire. Neither struck home until the Romulans slowly began advancing from the lift.

The Starfleet crew were simply underprepared to deal with a full-scale attack. The Romulans first struck home with Ensign Ostermann. His body had not even struck the floor before a disruptor burst struck T'kal square in the chest, killing her instantly. Hopkins stared in horror at the loss of two of his crew in front of him. A double-tap stun burst from him dealt with two Romulans.

Sangster and Carson were having less luck, neither being that experienced with a phaser. Their wild shots struck naught but the walls of the bridge. The Romulans, now also using the bridge consoles as cover, began trading volleys with the remaining crew. In a moment of poor luck, Sherman emerged to fire at the same time as one intruder did. The Romulan had faster reflexes, and Sherman was done for.

Carson dashed towards his fallen friend. The two were able to trade a single glance before Sherman's eyes glazed over. The life ebbed from him as his head slowly drooped towards the floor. Carson shut his eyes for a moment, before turning back into the fray, stunning the Romulan that had killed his friend. There were only three more left, facing Hopkins, Sangster and Carson. The leader of the intruders flung a calcium flare into the midst of the barricade.

All exploded into blinding brightness. Sangster's vision cleared just in time to see the squad leader raise his disruptor...directly at Captain Hopkins.

Time seemed to crystallise in that very moment. His hand seemed to weigh half a tonne as he raised it to aim his phaser. The Romulan finger around the disruptor rifle's trigger tightened. Mere instants later, Sangster fired. It was too late. The disruptor burst caught the Captain square in the chest. It was poor consolation that the Romulan was stunned directly after he had dealt the killing stroke.

As though from far away, Sangster heard his own voice. "Captain!"

His captain, having taken the full brunt of the disruptor fire, lay on the floor, barely conscious. As Sangster turned towards his fallen chief, he was barely aware of Carson having dealt with the other two marauders. Sangster stood up and dashed towards Hopkins.

"Captain...!"

Hopkin's head lolled as he tried to turn it towards his first officer.

"Phil. Don't...don't..."

A choked cough burst from his lips, followed a small gob of blood. Even speaking took a massive effort. His entire body heaved as he coughed out his last words.

"Don't...let them...take...the ship..."

Hopkins raised his hand and gestured towards one of the consoles. Sangster's eyes followed it. It was the self-destruct. With a tear streaming from his eye, Sangster nodded once, then twice. The hand fell to the floor with thud. A final groan marked the passing of Hopkins' life from his body. Sangster remained knelt, with his captain's body cradled in his arms. Captain George Thomas Hopkins, commander of the USS Tranquility for half a decade and hero of a thousand missions was no more.