Chapter Six

Location: Starfleet Command Head Quarters.

The days had all blurred into one as the old Admiral looked over the combat reports once more, every time he looked back he saw the same thing, Starfleet was losing the battle. Now the Romulans had taken to the fight on the side of Sulu and his renegade fleet, they may be left with no other option but surrender however surrender was a thought that made him shiver to his bones. If his old friend Leonard McCoy was around he would slap him in touch and say. 'What the hell are you thinking Surrender? Are you out of your damned mind Jim?' Starfleet needed a victory a big one, taking back Memory Alpha was a start but they needed something bigger… more high profile. "Damn it kid I hope you can do this" He spoke out loud as he monitored the situation on his screen. Giving his adopted son command of his latest ship was a decision that he now had begun to regret, perhaps he had been grounded too long? Or was it that he expected instant results. "No Ryan is a good kid, he just needs the chance to prove it"

Shaking off his doubts he looked back at his many reports and stopped before throwing the report he had in his hand down on the desk, for some reason things ran smoothly when Jennifer Decker was working for him. Had he promoted the wrong person again? 'Damn it… stop thinking like this. Your doing the right thing Jim' his mind was running riot as he stood from his desk and looked out of the large window behind him.

Every time he looked around he expected to see stars streaming past at high warp, but no it was a view of San Francisco, his newly adopted home. Perhaps because he hadn't left this damned building since this Civil War began with the exception of visiting the President's office via his personal transporter. He hated this damned war as did everyone around him, but it was mainly due to the fact that he was fighting against one of his own friends, Captain Hikaru Sulu a man he once trusted with his life, his friends life and most importantly his ship… the only ship he ever truly loved the Enterprise.

With a deep sigh he stood from his chair and left his office much to the surprise of his new assistant who had rarely seen him leave his office. "Calling it a night sir?" With a tired smile he looked around and nodded before leaving the large complex for his home for the first time in weeks. Slowly he walked towards the tram-shuttle before boarding for his housing complex on the far side of the city, as left the tram and cleared the platform a large explosion threw him too the ground as debris flew in all directions as a sharp pain rang in his right leg as he cried out in pain before the darkness over took him.

The next thing he saw was the masked image of a doctor looking down at him in some worried and pour attempt to calm him down as the pain in his leg became unbearable. "Sir, he's coming around" A face appeared above him, a face that almost took his breath with shock, the one person he thought he wouldn't see again. "David?" His voice was shaky as he looked up and attempted to force a smile. "Hello Dad! You look like hell" "I was going to say the same thing… where's your wife?" His reply was slow and sluggish due to the medication he had been given, however with him not using his wife's name infuriated David yet he was able to keep his emotions in check. "Saavik is on her way, she was at the Academy when the call came threw" "She must be almost ready to give birth now?" David stood from the end of his father's bed and walked towards him as he helped him to sit slowly before he sat and replied. "Yep! Another week or so and you'll be a grandfather again. We were going to tell you last time we saw you, but things happened… It's a girl Dad, we're going to call her Jamie Carol Lynn Marcus" For the first time in months he smiled as he looked at his son. "I'm honoured Thank you"

David had spent almost an hour with his father before the Doctors entered. "Admiral Kirk? I'm Doctor Stovall, your attending surgeon. I'm afraid with complications from the shrapnel in your right leg, we'll have to remove it immediately or infection will spread" David stood quickly, almost knocking over a chair as he stood. "Remove his leg? Are you insane? With medical sciences…" "Mr Marcus, due to the Admiral's age and the damage done in the explosion, it's the only way. Admiral, is their anyone else you'd like us to contact?" David spoke for his father as he looked at Kirk with a look of pure concern on his face. "My Brother, Ryan… But he's on assignment at the moment and out of reach. I'll take care of it Doctor thank you"

Starship: USS Defiant NX-2054

Location: Mining Planet Nu'Tua. Near Klingon Space

Low Orbit

Silently under cloak the Defiant orbit the planet while keeping a close eye on the orbiting rogue vessels above them as first officer Major Cole awaited any sign from the surface that the mission was complete, sitting around on the bridge of a Starship was not her idea of a good time, while on the planets surface Colonel Walker and his team had all the fun. She was just about ready to leave the bridge when a coded message came threw the comms-channels. 'Admiral James T. Kirk Injured in explosion, operation to remove right leg successful, will advise on progress. David Marcus' Her heart sank and the bridge fell silent as the message was read aloud. "My God" Her voice was more of concern, she couldn't inform Ryan of this message as his orders where the strictest radio silence. Although she was posted here by Kirk to annoy Ryan Walker, her ex-husband, she was not sure how he would take this news. Ryan Walker was a strong willed man, yet he had been a little on the edge of loosing his mind, she had always known that, and that danger excited her from the moment she met him all those years ago. Shocked she looked around at the rest of the bridge crew as they looked at her for her next decision.

Carpenter and Fredericks moved threw the tunnels quickly until they reached and exit in a large clearing, with a smile Carpenter pulled a small metal box from his coat and aimed it at the clearing, slight nod to his companion he looked back as a large door opened from under ground and a small two seat vessel arose from the ground. "If Starfleet knew we had this, we'd be in deep shit…. You understand me?" "Sure, what is it?" he replied quietly. "A Romulan Reaper class fighter… We found it abandoned here a few years back. It was involved in a crash, it's pilot and gunner where killed instantly. We managed to repair it, however it's not cleared for space flight it could've give us the advantage needed" Walking around the small vessel inspecting it with a smile as he ran his fingers over the weapons ports. "She's got a few major flaws, but it think we pull it off, Weapons load out?"

"Fifteen micro plasma torpedoes, four wing mounted disrupter banks at 75% and a type three cloak… but it's not working right, we're having problems powering it up for longer then twenty seconds" smiling he looked back at Carpenter and replied. "Could just be enough time to get the edge… Sir, can you fly this thing?" Shamelessly he lowered his head. "I tried, and failed. I'm an excellent pilot but this is beyond me, I was hoping you could. Besides I need to operate the weapons Unless you read Romulan?" "Only a few phrases… I can order a beer in Romulan, that's it" Laughing his reply came fast. "Romulans don't drink beer and yes, I see your problem"

With a laugh he pulled back the canopy and climbed into the back seat as Carpenter sat in the front seat, the gunners seat. After typing in a few command codes the consoles illuminated as the fighter stuttered and spluttered into life. Barely managing to make it off the ground before it hit a tree hard.

The command was given for Mia and Ryan to make a quick move against the occupying force as they entered threw the hidden doors into the main complex of the offices the rest of the team under ground began to make as much noise as possible, yet the plan however shaky had worked. A large force of Security officers followed the noise but where quickly over powered by the awaiting miners hidden in the many tunnels. The Romulan fighter screamed over the office complex and looped back on it's self before firing a rapid volley of disrupter fire sending the occupying guards scrambling around for cover as the small fighter looped back for another volley of fire, tearing a large trough threw the centre of the town.

Seeing the opportunity Ryan and Mia burst into the Administrators' office with weapons drawn as Dmitri Valtane ducked for cover under a desk, quickly on his feet Ryan fired both his weapons hitting the guards before they had a chance to return fire. With a smile on his face he walked around the desk and peered under it slightly. "Lieutenant Commander Dmitri Valtane I trust? " Closing his eyes Dmitri smiled as he muttered too himself. "Thank God it over. Who are you?" "I am Colonel Ryan Walker. Attached to Starfleet Command under the authorisation of Fleet Admiral James T. Kirk. Your under arrest for treason, and a few other charges that I really can't be bothered listing at the moment" With a smile he pulled him up and threw him down hard onto the desk with a smile as he placed his phaser into the side of his head and spoke with a harsh tone. "Order your men and the two ships in orbit to stand down, or I'll vaporize you"

On the bridge of the Defiant Major Cole sat awaiting confirmation of the attack as the two enemy ships moved into a firing position above the town below. Quickly Defiant lowered her cloak and before the two ships had a chance to detect her, the Defiant opened fire with a powerful barrage from her main phaser array. Explosions ripped across the unshielded engineering section of the Constitution as Defiant spun around and fired rapidly at her warp engines crippling the ship in space. Almost as the ship began to turn and flee the weapons fire a torpedo slammed into the Defiant, Major Cole spun in her chair as she saw the troop carrier preparing to fire again on Defiant. "Counter measures… NOW!" Streams of ionised plasma flowed from Defiant in all directions as ship turned and fired a rapid volley at the carrier as the large vessel almost exploded. "Coach Malone, have your troops board those ships" "Acknowledged" Quickly came over the bridge speakers as she sat back in the command chair. "Ma'am Colonel Ryan is calling from the surface, Audio only" Her next words would have to be spoken carefully, for she could not yet mention about Kirk, yet every bone in her body told her she should. "Defiant this is Ryan, Situation is calm… request beaming down a security detail too help round up the stragglers, we're still getting some minor resistance in some areas" "Negative Ryan, all troops are occupied. Umm… I'll beam down shortly, something's come up we need to discuss" "Problems Sara?" "Negative, we're securing the other ships… Constitution is dead in the water and the troop carrier is out of the fight"

Taking the Constitution back from enemy forces was a difficult task, the small Defiant away team was out numbered almost 150 to one, yet the transporter chief had placed them in the environmental control room, a sealed contained area that controlled every area of the ship, with several members of the crew in sealed areas, it was possible to take the ship with powerful gaseous anesthetic to render most of the crew incapacitated, the rest could be picked off with phasers as they are encountered. "All'right listen up! Four of you head down to Engineering… I don't care who, The other two come with me to the bridge. I want this ship under control before the other teams take the carrier"