Chapter 10 – Die Hard
While the captains of the respective ships were fighting for their freedom on DS9, their three ships had set out on an intercept path with the Cardassian ships headed their way. Fortunately the crew of the Enterprise and Voyager had heeded the messages sent to them by Seven of Nine. Also, the moment they had left the immediate area of the station, communications had been restored; suggesting the communications disruption was very localised.
But soon after they had discovered a slight problem with inter-ship communications. Though Salazar's mental voice could easily be transmitted via the normal com system, he could not make himself heard to a non-biological. And on the Enterprise the one in charge was Commander Data. As Salazar remarked: Whothe thilly idea wath that?
Though Salazar could not communicate with the holographic doctor from Voyager either, he had no trouble ignoring the bald being. But now they needed to coordinate their movements and Salazar has to communicate with Data using the voice of Dagga. Dagga was his strike team's Hirogen specialist and currently in control of Tactical. He was also the one best used to the arrangement of translating for Salazar. Once before the Nagha had needed to use an intermediary and that time he and Dagga had perfected the three-way conversation.
On Voyager Tom Paris was in charge. He looked slightly unhappy, as the entire rest of his senior staff were off-ship. The Nagha had seen the longing in Harry Kim's face to rather be on Voyager, and though they could always beam the man over, Harry had made an offer and he was sticking to it. Salazar understood such commitment to one's word and respected the man more for it.
"I feel the need to affirm once more that were are not heading towards the Cardassian border in order to fight. We are merely about to explain to the Cardassian representative that the message they had received had been sent in error," the yellow android on the Enterprise reminded the other two ships. Strictly speaking Data would be in charge of their little fleet, as the Enterprise was the flagship of Starfleet. Somehow, Salazar knew, things were not going to be that clear-cut. Those on the Hippopheralcus were not wont to following orders – ever – and even less so orders from another galaxy. It wasn't like they were actually being stubborn or rebellious, exactly. Instead it was a matter of them having to rely on themselves. Their own actions would be trusted before those of another ship.
Suddenly Salazar's com-badge beeped.
Phonixia to Slitherin, the voice over the badge announced itself. Salazar tapped the badge pinned to the single piece of clothing he wore: a synthetic leather band slung diagonally across one shoulder.
Yeth, Phonixthia, he responded. He might not be the best judge of humanoid facial expressions – the Nagha had very few and seldom relied on it as a means of communication – but because of his Nagha genetics he had superb hearing and a very sensitive perception of pitch. And now he judges Phonixia to sound slightly irritated.
Tell the hot-shot behind the con that we do not have the warp-drive online yet, nor full propultion. We only have impulse and manoeuvring thrusters. Phonixia, besides sounding irritated, sounded harassed. He knew she had been working around the clock for days now and he suddenly felt a stab of guilt. While he and the rest of the crew had been off pestering DS9, the engineering staff had been working like crazy in order to get the ship back online. Suddenly his tribble expedition seemed rather petty.
At the thought of tribbles he felt his mouth starting to water.
But with super-Nagha strength and self-control he kept his desires under control and brusquely responded: Yeth, we are aware. How thoon will you have the retht of the thythtemth online?
How soon will you have that warp-coil conduction regulator I need? Phonixia demanded.
Thoon, he finally ended the conversation. Thalazar out.
Just then six Cardassian Galor-class warships dropped out of warp in front of the small mis-matched Federation fleet.
"The Cardassians are hailing us," Harry Kim announced from Ops.
Open channel, Salazar announced. On the split view-screen the face of a relatively young Cardassian appeared. His skin tone was slightly darker than the Cardassians Salazar was used to, but he knew from some information he had come across some years ago that one of the more influential families in the Cardassian Empire was marked by this darker skin tone. He wondered if it was true of these Cardassians as well. If so, then this Cardassian would be a formidable enemy: one did not stay influential in the Cardassian Empire for long if one was not exceptionally devious.
"I am Gul Dooku of the Cardassian Empire," he loftily announced himself.
"I am Commander Data of the United Federation of Planets, third in command of the star ship Enterprise," the android calmly replied. "You are currently inside Federation space. Please state your business."
Willing to let the Enterprise handle the formalities for now, both the Hippopheralcus and Voyager kept quiet. Setting out on this mission they had all been aware of the fact that this might end in a fight. They might not have said so, but they had known that whatever had been happening on DS9 had probably been orchestrated by the Cardassians. It was no secret that the Cardassians wanted Terok Nor back.
"We received a distress signal from Terok Nor," Dooku answered. He smiled oily. "We are merely here to assist in whatever crisis the Bjorans and the Federation find themselves in."
"Nice speech," Jason remarked, aware communications were currently one-way. "But I think he slipped when he called the station Terok Nor instead of DS9."
"Cardassians never slip," Harry mused. Salazar had to agree. Though a nice speech, this was nothing more than the preliminary move to a battle.
"The situation on Deep Space 9 is under control," Data smoothly shot back. "A message has been sent to the Bjorans and the Federation. We appreciate your help, but it is not needed."
The Cardassian smiled even more and spread his hands, the gesture somehow including not only his ship, but also the other five ships with him. "We are here now," he responded. "Could we not aid you in some way?"
"He's scheming something," Harry muttered.
"Undeniably," Dagga muttered. He was officially second in command at the moment. Though Mileander outranked him, the Betazoid had finally passed out a few hours ago and was currently under the delicate care of Charin.
Just then one of the Cardassian warships exploded. For a moment everyone on board the three Federation ships were stunned. But the Cardassians did not seem stunned. Instead they spoke for a while between themselves before the Gul turned back to the view-screen; furious. "The torpedo that destroyed our ship had a Federation signature!" he growled. "How dare you attack one of our ships!"
"We did not fire that torpedo," Data remarked, slightly cocking his head.
Salazar considered the conversation with that calm reptilian mind of his before finally coming to a decision. He realised that the Cardassians were obviously scheming for a fight. That would explain the reason for the arrival of six ships. He only wondered at the reason one ship exploded. He was quite sure that neither one of the other ships had fired that shot.
Kim, open a thecure channel to Voyager, he told the dark-haired Lieutenant. Harry nodded and moments later a channel was established between them and the other Intrepid-class ship.
"Yes, Commander Slitherin," Tom Paris said as the link opened.
I am thure Commander Data did not fire that thhot, Salazar began. Neither did we.
"We didn't do it either," Tom replied.
Then the Cardaththianth dethtroyed their own thhip, Salazar simply informed the other man.
"Why would they do that?" Tom asked, slightly baffled. Salazar recalled that though the man was a brilliant pilot, he had spent the greatest part of his career in the Delta quadrant and would not be as familiar with the intricacies of Alpha quadrant species.
Cardaththianth theldom thtart a battle. Thith way they have the exthcuthe to fight without having to appear the aggreththorth, he explained. Believe me, they will attack.
"Okay," Tom seemed to be considering his options. "Voyager has some extra armour and weapons the Cardassians would be unfamiliar with," he finally said. "The three of us would easily disable five ships." He frowned. "But it does seem unfair, though," he added.
Yeth, it doeth, Salazar drawled. Just then three larger, Keldon-class Cardassian warships decloaked among the fleet of Cardassians. Salazar grinned his reptilian grin – which had a lot of teeth in it. Now itth not tho unfair, he informed Paris.
"That's not what I meant. Now they have the advantage," the human said. Then he narrowed his eyes slightly. "Unless we can take them by surprise somehow..."
Salazar's grin widened. You theem to have read my mind, he happily said. Mithter Dagga, fire at will!
On screen – to one side – Data and the Gul were still in serious discussion. But Salazar – and apparently Tom Paris – had realised it was nothing more than a delay. But now the delay was ended as the Hippopheralcus fired at the nearest Keldon-class ship. Though its shields were up, it was turned slightly away from the black ship and they managed to weaken the Cardassian's shields.
For a stunned moment both Data and Dooku was silenced. Then the Cardassian's face contorted in rage. "You have fired on a Cardassian vessel," he growled.
Commander Data warned you that you were in Federation thpathe and in direct violation of the treaty between our peopleth, Salazar informed the Gul, referring to the discussion that had been taking place between the Enterprise and the Cardassian flagship. We all know that torpedo wath not from our thhipt – the logth will thhow it. And, he shrugged, using the human body language, we got tired of waiting. Dagga furiously translated for the android on the other ship.
"You have declared war on the Cardassian Empire!" Dooku sneered.
"No, Gul Dooku," Data calmly joined the discussion. "You did when you refused to leave Federation space when asked. You had three minutes and forty-two seconds to respond to my ultimatum. Leave this space before the Federation and the Cardassian Empire are at war."
"You are outnumbered tree to one!" the Gul loftily declared.
Theemth like a fair fight, Salazar declared. Believe me, you will not win thith fight, he added. That had been only a warning thhot. The Gul leaned back in his seat, obviously happy in the knowledge that he held the upper hand in this battle.
"So be it," he declared before terminating communications. The screen returned to a view from the fore sensors, but Salazar was aware the truth of what was happening out there would be relayed by the displays used by the crew on the bridge. He leaned back himself, although that was not easy, considering his tail was in the way.
Jathon, evathive pattern beta-four, he ordered. The ship leapt at the touch of the capable pilot's fingers and though they simply had impulse and thrusters, they needed nothing else in this fight. Space battles were short and intense.
The ship sailed by the same Keldon-class it had hit earlier, and on the way it hit their aft shields with the specially designed Asgard plasma beam. The beam had been developed a few years ago in the war against the Ferengi Empire. It was a beam of super-heated plasma drawn directly from the warp-core itself and aimed in a tight beam at a target. The beam could punch a hole in most shields on the first try. The only drawback was that the ship only had four plasma cannons. Because the cool-down after even a single shot was nearly an hour, the weapon could only be used sparingly.
The beam hit. "Commander, they have taken massive damage on their port bow," Harry reported. Apparently the Cardassians agreed, for the ship lurched to one side out of the worst of the battle. It trailed debris as it went.
The view-screen showed Voyager swoop in, her Borg armour covering her like the plates of a Terran armadillo. Her weapons obviously had some modifications, as the Galor-class ship she was attacking suddenly decompressed and blew up. As space was a vacuum, the fire was extinguished the moment the ship's atmospheric oxygen ran out.
The Enterprise was having a slightly harder time of it, as she fought with the armaments she had been commissioned with. But the ship was superior to the smaller Galor-class ship, and the pilots manoeuvring kept the Galor-ship between the Enterprise and the Keldo-class ships.
Draw the fire of the nearetht Keldon-clathth thhip, Salazar ordered Dagga at Tactical. Immediately the Hirogen fired two of the new Janus-drones at the large ship. It retaliated, but Voyager shot her phasers at it from the other side, confusing the issue for the Cardassians. In that moment the Hippopheralcus shot the second of their Asgard plasma beams, cutting through the Cardassian shields and causing the ship to blow up. At the same moment the Enterprise cut through their Galor-class ship's shields and it was disabled, tilting to one side because of the gasses it lost through the hole in its starboard hull.
The last Keldon-class ship shot at the Enterprise, and ignoring the Galor-ships shooting at them, both the Hippopheralcus and Voyager rounded on the large Cardassian vessel. The three Federation vessels loosened photon torpedoes at it. Dagga added a few Janus drones as well. It hit simultaneously and the large ship blew up, blasting debris everywhere.
As the three Federation ships had been flying at the same ship, some nice manoeuvring were required to prevent a gigantic space-fender-bender. But when they had veered around one another, the three Federation ships ended in a three-pointed star, facing outwards from the central axis. A few sparks were flying around the bridge, seeing as the Cardassians had actually scored a few hits themselves. The Hippopheralcus' shields were down to fourty percent, but right now nobody seemed to notice. The Cardassians had just lost their three Keldon-class ships, and they must know that the remaining four Galor-class ships were no match for the combined effort of the three Federation ships.
"The Enterprise is hailing us," Harry announced.
On thcreen, Salazar ordered. Data's yellow face appeared.
"Voyager, Hippopheralcus, the Cardassians have agreed that they had been in error of trusting the message from Deep Space 9. Apparently they have had some problems with defective messages emanating from that source in the past," he calmly informed them.
"Commander, the Cardassian fleet is moving away," Harry announced.
"No! Come back, you whooses!" Jason yelled at the screen, but the fight was over. Now they had to wait for those on board DS9 to retake the station.
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The next day the senior staff of the station, Voyager and the Hippopheralcus were gathered around the large meeting table on the Enterprise.
"It would seem the entire incident had been orchestrated by the Cardassians," Picard was saying. "The rebels we questioned all agreed that at one time they had been contacted by a man called Sharto."
"Our intelligence had identified Sharto a while ago as a member of the Obsidian Order," Kira added. She still seemed pissed. DS9 had become her baby, her bit of responsibility and her part in the establishment of a free Bajor.
"Even in our universe we have had problems with that Cardassian order," Alana added. "It would not be uncommon for them to use other groups to their own ends."
"And apparently le vrai Maquis was an easy target. They convinced the members that the Maquis returned from the Delta quadrant were the real traitors and should be made to pay," Picard continued. As he spoke, though, Alana listened with only half an ear. The information of the Cardassian plot to use the rebel group to take over the station came mostly from her ship. What she, Mileander and Deanna had learned was that the Cardassians had hoped the rebels would take over the station. Then, in the guise of assistance, the Cadassians would retake the station from the rebels. Then, with Terok Nor back under their control, they would have a new platform from which to try and oust the Federation from Bajor and the wormhole.
Instead thus of listening, Alana was considering a few of her fellow command crew. In particular Janeway and Chakotay had drawn her attention. Though both humans would treat each other with respect and the obvious common courtesy of their respective ranks, she could sense something else – something deeper – beneath the surface. Both hid it from the other, content in the thought that they were merely friends and colleagues.
They were not.
In the same way Picard and Beverly Crusher were not just friends either. Though Beverly was absent from the meeting, Alana had studied the captain and the doctor earlier, and their situation distressed her. As a woman caught in the midst of a vicious war the Federation had been waging for nearly a century, she knew the value of relationships – of finding happiness wherever you were.
Rhemus, she silently sent her thoughts to him, keeping tight control of it in order that Deanna should not intercept it. What do you say we girls had a poker night? Beside her Rhemus lifted a very Romulan eyebrow.
What are you planning this time? In their world poker night was never about the cards. No, the sakes were much higher.
Mentally she smiled. Just keep the men occupied until I give the word, she shot back. I'll take care of the women.