11 SID Second Coming

The Aventine returned to Federation space in 2 days. The alarm went out and the 7th Fleet was mobilized from the Breen border to DS9. The Argyn arrived a day later. Even with Starfleet's superior numbers, the Argyn ships vastly outgunned them. The Argyn had spent time amongst their sister ship's death throes and knew of the transphasic warheads. They spared no effort in carving up starships before the wretched torpedoes could be launched. The battle was swift and decisive…and ultimately one sided.

Johnson's task force returned three days later to find two dozen gutted and ruined starships. Ro was stunned to see her command obliterated. She rapidly made inquiries with the Bajoran Militia and found that the survivors had been recovered and taken to Bajor by a massive operation put on by the Militia. Colonel Cenn Desca, her Militia liaison officer, was still acting in his capacity as her go between with the Bajoran government. Ro expressed her grief at the loss of life and Cenn quickly assured her that 2nd Officer Willow Meadows had done all she could to safely evacuate the station. Only Meadows and an all volunteer Tactical team had been wounded or died in the station's defense.

Ro promised him the fight wasn't over. Lt. Grozzit, her Sciences Officer, reported that 2 bioships have been slain. Tenmei trades a dour look with Ro. She knew her XO's thoughts. The only times that Starfleet had faced losses at this ratio were against the Borg and the opening months of the Dominion War. Something nagged at the back of Ro's mind, whispering for attention. Finally it leapt out and bit her and she commed Admiral Johnson.


"You're the best suited for the task, Jean-Luc," Johnson assured Picard.

"The Enterprise can…" Picard tried again only to be stopped by Johnson's raised hand.

"Captain, I need the Enterprise's vaunted scientific expertise right here examining these carcasses. We need to know what makes these creatures tick. From the reports I'm receiving from Starfleet, these creatures have carved their way through the 2nd and 4th Fleets and are headed into the Core Worlds. They're starting to strike terrestrial targets," Johnson paused there to let his words sink in.

"They're attacking civilians?" Picard's guts went cold. The Borg had just finished a genocidal campaign against the Federation. The Collective had decided that the Federation cultures were a blight rather than a resource and sought to destroy them before they could disrupt their "perfection" anymore.

What if these creatures had made a similar determination from their all too brief encounters with Starfleet? Every scrap of information that could be ascertained had to be at Starfleet Command's fingertips. They couldn't make informed, intelligent decisions otherwise.

"Very well, Admiral. My crew and I will stand by your orders. Might I suggest I also assist Bajor in dealing with the Starfleet personnel they've had to absorb?" Picard amended.

"Thank you, Captain. The Federation's fate may very well rest in your hands…once again," Johnson replied.

"That does little to warm the cockles of my heart, Admiral. I would hope that Starfleet would reach a solution as a gestalt. After all, our teamwork is our greatest asset," Picard rebutted.

"I hope so too. Until then, find out what you can," Johnson signed off. Savit, his aide, commed him, "Captain Ro is hailing you."

Johnson was intrigued. He would have thought Ro would have better things to do regarding the loss of her command than to bother him. He accepted the transmission. Ro didn't look put out or grieved, two emotions he'd expect under these circumstance. Rather, she seemed excited.

"What's on your mind, Captain?" Johnson honestly wondered.

"Admiral, what do you know of the planet Corvat?" Ro asked.

Johnson thought long and hard about it, "If memory serves, it's a colony world along the Cardassian border. When President Bacco endorsed ceding three colonies to the Cardassians, Corvat was specifically off the list. In fact, it was a Presidential mandate that we retain the world. I found it curious since it's a desert world with no valuable resources besides an abundance of kelbonite."

Ro wore a cocky grin, "Listen to me, Admiral, and I may just hand you the solution to this undeclared war. You see, Corvat has a little secret."

Johnson found her manner and her mysteries annoying, "Get to the damn point, Captain."

Ro's smile turned victorious and she shared.


Macen was unexpectedly summoned to the Intrepid. The only SID agent he was allowed to bring was Danan but he was encouraged not too so he left her behind. After he rematerialized on the Intrepid's primary transporter pad, he saw Lt. Commander Ian Delany waiting to escort him to Johnson's office.

Macen wore a wry expression, "It must be pretty bad for them to send the Chief of Security to haul my sorry butt before the admiral."

Delaney broke into an abashed smile, "Actually, Admiral Johnson wanted Savit to come and get you but I volunteered."

"Oho! Going to try and worm information regarding your fiancé out of me?" Macen chuckled.

"Something like that," Delaney shared Macen's grin.

"Lead on, Commander and I'll reveal all things Hannah Grace," Macen promised


.

Savit had Macen wait for a moment while he paged the admiral. The Vulcan shared that Johnson had been in a conference with the scattered members of the Council of 5. Now he was conversing with the C-in-C. Macen fought down the urge to make a gagging sound at the mention of Edward Jellico.

Johnson's door slid aside moments later and Johnson bellowed, "Come."

Macen shot Savit a rueful look before entering. Once in, he laid it into Johnson; "I hear and obey, O Lord and Master."

"Cut the crap, Brin," Johnson urged as he massaged his temples, "One more conference call and I'm going to have Andreja put me out of my misery."

Andreja Sikorsky was the Intrepid's Chief Medical Officer. She'd served in that post near the end of then Captain Johnson's career as well. After the destruction of the Galaxy-class Intrepid, Johnson had a difficult time getting her to report to the newly commissioned Akira-class Intrepid. Sikorsky had led a medical relief team to Cardassia Prime after the close of the Dominion War. Her time there had profoundly affected her. It took a personal plea from Johnson himself to sway her.

"It's likely to be a permanent solution," Macen warned.

"Thanks God for small favors," Johnson groaned.

"Call Sickbay, Bob," Macen suggested, "Pretty soon you'll be useless if you don't."

Johnson sighed as he slumped his shoulders in defeat, "You're probably right."

He signaled Sickbay and a med tech was dispatched. Johnson pointed at a chair. Macen sat down while wearing a wry expression.

"Woof," Macen barked.

"Don't start with me," Johnson warned, "I'm liable to have you spaced."

Macen waved his hands and made an "Ooh!" expression with his mouth. Johnson gave up, "We have a few minutes before the med team arrives. Tell me what you know of Corvat."

"I know I never want to return to it," Macen immediately retorted.

"You may not have that option," Johnson said darkly.

"How'd you discover Corvat?" Macen asked.

"Ro told me. Nechayev and Akaar filled in the blanks," Johnson admitted.

"This is the best we can do?" Macen angrily asked, "Starfleet beat the bloody Borg! Few civilizations can boast that. More to the point, you convinced an even more advanced civilization to free them from the Collective. And now you want to unleash a planet killer?"

"We don't know what its true capabilities are. It's never been tested. A & A teams have scoured that planet and they haven't discovered much beyond what you and Dr. Argus uncovered. Most of what was discovered was found by you and the linguistic translation matrix you provided have given us the clues that we have," Johnson shot back.

Macen and Johnson were interrupted by the arrival of the med tech. She administered an analgesic while the admiral and the intelligence agent glared at each other. The tech beat feet out of there.

Johnson's expression softened, "Look, I can understand your qualms. If my people had built this monster I'd…"

"Who built it isn't the issue," Macen snapped, "When this thing gets loose it'll shift the balance of power. The Typhon Pact will demand to have one as well or go to war to possess it. There was a reason that Corvat wasn't used during the Dominion War. Basically everyone was afraid of how the Dominion would respond. It was estimated that they would use biogenic weapons in response to this thing. Entire planets would be killed until there were no inhabited worlds left to fight."

"We've lost five fleets. Fleets, Brin. We only have Home Fleet and the 9th Fleet left to throw at them. They've destroyed every starbase and space station they've encountered, civilian or Starfleet. They're delivering strike populations on civilian, populated areas. 7 billion people have died so far so forgive us if we want to respond in a drastic way," Johnson coldly said, "The President has issued a directive. Corvat is a go. Are you going to obey the orders of your President or are you going to sideline yourself as a conscientious objector? Think about the ramifications for your life if you opt for the latter. You'll never work for Starfleet again that's for damn sure. You'll be lucky to keep your Letter of Marque."

Macen was in a corner and he knew it, "All right. I'm in."

"Good, because we need you to operate the frinxing thing," Johnson breathed a sigh of relief.

"I'll need Taryn Argus' help," Macen stipulated.

"I ran a search on Dr. Argus. She doesn't show up on the civilian nets," Johnson admitted.

"Try the penal databases. She's interned on Yuros II. She's serving a life sentence. That should be pretty impressive for an El-Aurian," Macen's eyes were cold.

"Life?" Johnson repeated, "What was she convicted of?"

"Treason," Macen let the impact of that word sink in before continuing, "She tried to hand Corvat over to the Cardassian back in the day."

"Well, the Cardassian Union is an ally now," Johnson said weakly.

"I'd be more worried about the Typhon Pact," Macen counseled, "She has absolutely no allegiance to the Federation or the Cardassians. She can, however, buy a prestigious life within the Typhon Pact if she delivers a weapon of this scale to them."

"Can't you operate the systems without her?" Johnson held out a vague hope.

"No," Macen asserted.

"No?" Johnson was startled by the abruptness of the reply.

"No," seeing Johnson was expecting more, Macen elaborated; "The system was designed for two operators. Sort of like the Tactical and CONN stations on a starship."

Johnson grimaced, "She won't be handling the guns will she?"

"No, she'll be on navigation. We just need to find a way to encourage her to fly where we want her too," Macen shared, "I have a feeling Rab and Jenrya are going to provide lots of motivation."

"Ro can provide support as well. I'm sending her and the Defiant with you," Johnson decided, "Dax can have the Aventine pick up and deliver Argus. Hev, Prine, and Limerick can assist us in getting the hostiles attention and lead them to an ambush point."

"How about the Genesis system?" Macen suggested, "The only things out there are the planetoid Regula, the research station Regula I and it's decommissioned, and the remains of the Genesis planet and the remaining edges of the Mutara Nebula. It's big, empty, and out of the way."

"How long would you need to move Corvat from its current location to Genesis?" Johnson wondered.

"My people possessed a temporal drive that could take the planet there nearly instantaneously," Macen reminded Johnson.

"I also know what the price of that drive is so hopefully it doesn't have one and we need to start lining people up on the chopping block," Johnson commented.

"I don't recall any signs of a temporal drive. I think the system was built before my people harnessed that technology," Macen recalled, "That means it should still have a slipstream drive."

Johnson gave Macen a baleful look, "Your people have been in possession of slipstream tech all this time?"

"Yeah, so?" Macen wondered.

"Brin, we've been working on that drive system for sixty years, ever since we finally gave up on transwarp coils," Johnson admonished his friend.

"What did you want me to do about it? I'm no engineer," Macen defended himself, "Besides my people have an admonition against interference akin to the Prime Directive."

Johnson hung his head in defeat and pointed at the door, "Go."

"You're sure?" Macen inquired.

"Get out of here and set course for Corvat," Johnson ordered.

Macen sprang out of his chair, "See ya!"

"Waitaminute!" Johnson yelped, "When did you become so eager to complete this assignment?"

"If I preserve the Federation, then I preserve my own long term goals," Macen explained, "I also have a potential solution in mind for the Corvat problem when this is said and done."

"Being what?" Johnson probed.

Macen grinned, "I'll tell you later."

He exited and Johnson felt his recently relieved headache returning.


Before departing, Macen made certain that an evacuation effort was underway on Corvat. There were only two million settlers. With the temporary assistance of the Enterprise and the Bajoran Traders Guild most of the people were being moved. President Bacco also enlisted the aid of the Cardassians. While the Cardassian Militia wouldn't be involved, the Trade Conclave would assist.

The Cardassians were angry over the proposed activation of Corvat. Bacco had informed the delegates of all the Khitomer Accord nations. The Klingons and the Ferengi were just as apprehensive as the Cardassians. The non-aligned stellar nations were being left out of the loop until everything was after the fact. Now it was time to inform the Typhon Pact.

Ambassador Tezrene reported to Bacco's office already bristling. She knew the Tholian shared her race's common xenophobia. It had taken quite a push to secure the Tholian Assembly's participation in the Pact but they were a bulwark member. Their ability to access long abandoned Shedai technology made them a power to be reckoned with.

"Why am I here?" Tezrene demanded. Her actual voice was highly pitched harmonic shriek. Her translator toned it down somewhat but the apprehension was still there.

Bacco offered the Tholian a wintry smile. Tezrene represented all of the members of the Typhon Pact at once. They were a polyglot not unlike the Federation. However the Federation sought to expand its borders through peaceful means. The Pact had no such compunction. Even their ambassador was chosen for her obstinacy.

"I'd offer you a seat, Ambassador, but I'm afraid we don't have any that can suit your frame," Bacco said.

The six limbed Tholian bristled. Obviously the Terran woman had brought her here to mock her. Well, she'd be having none of that!

"I demand we get to business, Madame President. If there is such a thing," Tezrene huffed.

"All right," Bacco leaned forward across her desk and slid a padd large enough to accommodate Tezrene's claws across its surface, "We're activation Corvat."

"What is 'Corvat' and what is its significance?" Tezrene wondered. Was this some kind of trick?

"Corvat is one of our colony worlds," Bacco explained, "It's also a weapon capable of destroying entire planets and possibly stars as well."

"I think I'd best peruse your documents," Tezrene deferred comment. She scooped up the padd and began scrolling through its data. As she read, she began to visibly tremble. The further she got in her reading the worse her tremors got.

And that's with the environmental suit hiding most of it, Bacco thought. Aloud, she commented; "I thought it best to keep your governments apprised since we are experiencing diplomatic difficulties right now."

Bacco knew that most of those recent difficulties had stemmed from the Breen planting an agent within the Utopia Planetia Yards and sabotaging the yard works in order to escape via a Romulan Warbird. The Breen had subsequently attempted to build a slipstream capable craft from the stolen plans. Starfleet Intelligence had inserted two agents into Breen society.

The Breen Confederacy had been revealed as a multi-racial society that hides their identities in order to avoid any form of favoritism. The agents, one Julian Bashir and one Sarina Douglas, successfully sabotaged the database storing the plans and destroyed the prototype ship. All that with a clean getaway.

The Breen knew what had happened but they couldn't prove it. That left them back in the position of a Cold War adversary playing shadowy games against their opponent.

Bashir and Douglas had come to the attention of the President's Office. Bashir was a Commander in Starfleet's Medical Division, hardly a place to look for a secret agent. Douglas was an official SI operative, which meant all of her records listed her as a civilian researcher. Perhaps the most surprising part of the affair was that both participants were genetically enhanced.

Records and test showed that Douglas' mental acuity was even greater than Bashir's and he was no slouch. They'd managed to integrate into society though, a rare feat for the genetically "superior". One might say Bashir had even infiltrated Starfleet by posing as a normal human for years before being discovered. He'd been CMO of DS9 ever since Starfleet took over Terok Nor and administered it for the Bajorans. Douglas was also now based out of DS9, or at least would be again once the station was replaced with a new one. If that option were handed to Starfleet.

"This is…is…is an abomination!" Tezrene shrieked again.

"I quite agree. Which is why it's been held in reserve as a weapon of last resort," Bacco replied.

"You have had this in reserve?" Tezrene was aghast.

"It was discovered in the Earth year 2373. We've been storing the computer node that controls the whole thing in a weapons depot. We almost activated it at the end against the Borg but a core group of our best officers managed to save the day," Bacco described the situation, "Those same officers have attempted to communicate with our present adversary and have met with little success. They seem as intent on destroying us as the Borg were."

"Good for them," Tezrene would have spat is she were capable of the gesture, "You do realize that this weapon shifts the balance of power in your favor? My governments cannot allow that. You'd best beseech whatever deity you claim that these beings utterly wipe you out of the stars for if they do not, we shall."

"I don't think it will come to that," Bacco advised her, "Once we've eliminated the threat, we will deactivate the weapon once again."

"Deactivation is not enough," Tezrene warned, "It must either be destroyed or we must have parity. There are no other paths to peace and you claim to cherish peace."

Bacco felt the sting in the Tholian's words. The Federation did espouse peace as one of its highest goals but simple survival had to come before that. Surely the Typhon Pact could see that? If the Pact attacked en masse they'd surely mow through Starfleet's crippled reserves. The mothball fleets were being reactivated but they'd last been used in the Dominion War and sat idle ever since.

Plus there was a reason why these ships had been decommissioned. They were simply too old to go head to head with the Typhon Pact's best and brightest. Plus, the Starfleet Reserves had been called into service, both Active and Inactive branches. The only upside was that these part-time officers actually served aboard the Reserve Fleets when those ships were new. But it would take two more days to mobilize them. Could the sparse resources of the Federation hold out that long?

"I'll make a counter proposal," Bacco had a wild idea, "You come to our rescue and you can help us destroy Corvat when we're done."

Surprisingly, Tezrene didn't have a knee jerk reaction that that. It was a bold step for the diplomat. Instead she motioned with her claw holding the oversized padd, "May I keep this?"

"The information is intended to be dispersed amongst your representative governments so that you can reach a consensus regarding my offers," Bacco graciously allowed.

"Know this: there will only be one consensus. You will either destroy this monstrosity or hand it over to us," Tezrene demanded.

Bacco's back stiffened, "And you will know this: I will gladly destroy Corvat after we have dissuaded these mysterious attackers of ours from destroying us. I welcome your governments to participate in, and observe, the destruction process. However, know this as well: I will never hand Corvat over to you. This weapon possesses too much power to be wielded by your nation-states."

"Or by you," Tezrene countered.

"I think this meeting is concluded," Bacco decided, "Please inform me of your governments' decision as soon as you are able."

"I will be most pleased to throw this back at you," Tezrene confessed.

Bacco's Chief of Security showed Tezrene out. Waiting in the antechamber were Piniero and Shostakova. Bacco had them sent in.

Piniero wore the same insufferable smirk that she habitually wore every time Bacco dealt with the Typhon pact's representative. Bacco glared at her.

"Wipe that damn smile off of your face, Eppy. It went just as badly as expected," Bacco groused.

"So they're marching over the borders and coming down our throats?" Shostakova dryly inquired.

Bacco wore a pained expression, "Maybe not that bad."

"But they want it," Piniero guessed correctly.

"Yes, they want it," Bacco confirmed the worst.

"And you said…?" Piniero asked.

"I used polite speak for 'go to hell'," Bacco replied.

"And it wasn't lost in the translation?" Shostakova wondered.

"Oh, she got it," Bacco assured her SecDef.

"And our allies won't help us?" Piniero asked in disgust.

"They're afraid of pissing these things off. I can't say I blame them," Bacco retorted.

"So, our 'A' Plan is still a 'Go'?" Shostakova wanted to know.

"Tell Admiral Jellico to give them hell," Bacco informed her.

"And the Argus woman?" Piniero brought up yet another topic best avoided.

"Give her a full pardon. Whatever it takes to get her in position on time," Bacco grumped.

"The Legal staff will be bringing by a document to authorize," Piniero warned, "You could make it a conditional pardon."

"And make her think we don't trust her?" Bacco sarcastically quipped, "Give her a full pardon even though we all know this bitch will turn on us the moment it suits her."

"I sure hope you know what you're doing," Piniero voiced.

"Me too," Bacco sighed.