7

If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution – Emma Goldman

Hoshi began to get a bit more alarmed as sensor readings came back. It wasn't just nuclear fission that was going on. It seemed that there were energy signatures. Those were, perhaps, indicative of Klingon ships coming into the area.

She sent Jennifer Crossman Ramirez to run the Transporter, two at a time and then thought better of it and went over to meet the captain and everyone else in person, leaving Travis briefly in charge on the Bridge.

Malcolm and Phlox beamed up first. "What's the trouble?" Malcolm asked as soon as he saw her.

"I think we've got ships in the area. There are energy signatures."

"Very well. I'll go to the Bridge and relieve Aidan and take a look at whatever readings he's got. Doctor, I suggest you prepare for the possibility of triage. And, and, I'll sound the alert."

Phlox nodded, and jogged down a hallway to get to a lift and head to Sick Bay.

=/\=

"Call an emergency meeting of the Beta Council," Arnis said to Elemus as the humans were departing, "I would like to send our fleet. We may not have a lot of firepower, but we should show our good faith, and try to help out our new friends. I want them to know that we don't want them to just do everything for us."

"Yes, sir," said Elemus, who got the Communications specialist to open a channel to carry out the Alpha's request.

=/\=

"Mother, may I speak truth with you a moment?" Vidam asked Dratha when they had returned home.

"You may always speak truth with me, my first born."

"Mother, I, I went into the room, into Father's room when I heard a crash. And, and it was just he and Inta. She was on the floor and bleeding from her head. She was not moving. Mistra then came in after me and so did the younger ones. Mistra was only coming over in order to intercept the younger ones."

"I want to understand what you are saying, Vidam," Dratha said cautiously, "when you came in, you were but the third person in the room? And Inta was already gone to the place with all of the good smells?"

"Yes, Mother. It, it seems so wrong, what happened, and for Mistra to be blamed. I feel she did nothing, but will pay horribly. It is, I feel, it is unfair and unjust."

"You speak truth?"

"I speak truth."

"We will, something must be done," Dratha said quietly, "let us think about what can be done about this. Tell no one what you have just said to me, my first born. I, I feel it would not be safe for you."

"I will be careful, Mother."

=/\=

As they flew out to the farthest reaches of the Daranaean system, there was a Communications hail. "It's from the surface," said Hoshi.

"On screen," said Jonathan.

"Captain, I'm glad we caught you," said Arnis, "we have contacted our fleet and sent a pack to intercept you."

"A what?"

"We have small ships. They do not have very good firepower but they are fast, and will probably get there before you do. We use a pack formation. The Alpha pack leader is named Acreon. He will be contacting you. Perhaps you can work together. We are prepared to help you – we do not wish for you to fight all of our battles for us. We do value our independence."

"I'll wait to hear from him. Archer out." He turned to Malcolm. "Anything?"

"Ah, I can see them now, Captain," he replied, "There are a few dozen ships coming in. He's right; they're rather small. I suspect they aren't much larger than our shuttles. Decent armor but, as he also said, the weaponry is not the best. And they are definitely moving quickly."

"Travis, can you estimate a speed for them?"

"Warp Seven, I think," Travis said.

There was another Communications hail. "I've got Acreon," Hoshi said.

"On screen."

"I am Acreon, Alpha pack leader." He had white and brown fur patches.

"I'm Captain Jonathan Archer. We've got your ships on our sensors." He glanced over at Malcolm, who nodded.

"Good," Acreon said, "we can draw fire and give chase. Let us know how we can work with you."

"Malcolm?" Jonathan asked.

"Actually, sir, can we get Captain Hernandez and Lieutenant Young? I have an idea."

"Hoshi?" Jonathan asked.

"Getting them now, sir." She paused. "Go ahead."

It was a split screen. "Commander Reed's got an idea for a strategy," Jonathan said.

"Yes, well, Lieutenant Young, how do you feel about reenacting the Battle of Cowpens?"

"Yes!" Stacey Young exclaimed. "You do realize it's how the Americans kicked your ancestors' keisters, don't you?"

"I do," he said, "But a good battle plan is a good battle plan, I figure."

"You'll have to tell me the details," Acreon said, "for I am unfamiliar with your history."

=/\=

Mistra must have nodded off. Her fingers had slipped slightly – the ones that she had stroked the pouchling's head with. Her right index and middle fingers were now a little farther down. And they were being gripped, tightly, by a tiny hand.

She lifted the top of the pouch again. "I should not just show you sad eyes. You deserve to see happy eyes a bit, too." She smiled at the pouchling, who continued nursing and staring, and gripping her fingers.

"You are my littlest girl child," Mistra said, "the eldest of the ones where I was the vessel, he is Trinning. Then comes Cria. There are eight more, can you believe that?"

=/\=

They engaged their cloaks and got into position. The Daranaean ships did not have cloaks. They seemed to be very spare, with the only extras being defensive ones or related to speed. Those ships could do Warp Eight, although it did strain them to do so. They were roughly cylindrical in shape, and were only big enough for two men.

A few slowed down and showed themselves, and began to orbit the planet. Others made lines either just above or below the poles. Most of the other Daranaean ships hung back.

A Klingon ship appeared from behind the planet.

"Klingon vessel," Acreon sent out a hail, "we are here to defend what is ours. This is your only warning."

"Puny ships!" laughed a Klingon captain. "You're like ankle nippers. This should be simple." He closed the connection without further comment.

The Daranaean ships continued on their courses, either orbiting the planet, traveling in a line by either pole, or hanging back.

And the strategy worked, for a disruptor shot was fired. The Klingon ship fired upon one of the lead Daranaean ships and destroyed it. Other Daranaean ships circled back behind it and then another Klingon bird of prey appeared, dropping out of warp. Then a third Klingon vessel appeared, on the other side, also dropping out of warp.

The Excelsior briefly reappeared and fired on the second Klingon ship, and then recloaked itself.

Jonathan looked to Malcolm, "What's next?"

"We need to come about," he said, "Travis, run us back to just starboard of the second Klingon ship, see? The Excelsior will be coming 'round to the other side, here. The Klingons know about the Excelsior, but not about us."

More Daranaean ships moved in, drew fire, and got the Klingon ships to maneuver. Pretty soon, the three Klingon ships were relatively tightly bunched together. "We can see the whites of their eyes," Jonathan said, "I'd say it's time to decloak and fire."

"Right you are, sir," Malcolm said. He disengaged the cloak and brought the weapons up quickly. The Cochrane turned and fired at the second Klingon ship's port nacelle, and damaged it, but that ship did manage to get off a shot at the Cochrane. The Bridge rocked.

"Report!" Jonathan yelled.

"Engineering is a little shaken but it's nothing we can't handle," Jennifer shouted back as two people behind her worked to put out a small fire.

The Excelsior then decloaked, too, and they fired upon the first Klingon ship's starboard nacelle. That ship, too, was damaged. The Excelsior then recloaked.

The third Klingon vessel was the one in the middle. It was busy picking off Daranaean ships, but now the ones that had hung back maneuvered behind. They fired their weapons, all at the same time, at both of that ship's nacelles.

"How bad is the damage to that last ship?" Erika asked.

"Not as crippling as I'd like," Stacey Young said, "Permission to decloak and fire?"

"Granted."

A shot from the Excelsior hit that ship's port nacelle just as a shot from the Cochrane also hit the same nacelle. The nacelle exploded from the impact. That ship seemed much more seriously damaged than the other two.

The three Klingon ships departed as quickly as they could.

Acreon opened a channel to the two Earth ships. "Ankle nippers, indeed."

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