En route to 267 Ceti
{June 10, 2154}
The Enterprise thrust its way thru subspace, the warp engines throbbing mightily as they surged forward. No sign of the Ba'Sugh had been detected, and their time was rapidly dwindling. The crew had no other cards to play—if the Bird-of-Prey was going a different direction, or simply had an insurmountable lead in front of them, they would be unable to stop the approaching Armageddon.
"How long can we sustain warp five?" Soong asked brusquely. With Archer's permission, he had joined the senior staff in the situation room, at the rear of the bridge.
"As long as the captain wants it," Malcolm responded, equally brusque. "Or until we blow up, whichever comes first." They had long since passed the red line, but there was no rest for the overtaxed drive. The Enterprise was in the chase to the finish.
…
Aboard the bridge of the Ba'Sugh, Maâlîk had gathered his crew: around him, arranged in a semi-circle, were his blood brethren, those he had been born with, grew up with, fled to exile with. They had followed him back, stood behind him every step of the way, and they stood now, proud and ready for what awaited him.
"My brothers and sisters, those of my blood and genes, listen to me!" Maâlîk called out. "A solemn hour is about to strike in the history of our people! For many months, the wheel of destiny, the impulse of our calm determination, have marched towards this goal, and in these last hours before we strike, the rhythm has increased, until nothing is left to stop us!"
Maâlîk stepped around the semi-circle, stopping at each member of his crew to shake their hand, grip their shoulder, pat them firmly on the back. "For twenty years, we have waited! We have been patient, hiding in exile, while the circle tightened around us at the hands of those who wish to suffocate us! But the time has come for us to rise up, to strike back, and stand for ourselves! To acts of war, we shall answer with acts of war! A people, a race worthy of our past and name, cannot and never will take a different stand!"
Maâlîk forged on, hitting his stride. "Earth has hunted us, persecuted us, denied us our birthright, condemned our very existence, as though they have the right to pass judgment on us! Today we say, no more! If they want a war, then we shall unleash the dogs of war! And when the fires have swept the heavens, and the waves of death have pummeled the ranks of the subaltern, leaving them moribund in the seas of their own destruction, stripping from Earth the quaking veneer of civilization, we alone shall stand triumphant!
"By launching this attack—here, today—we set in course the wheels of history that will culminate with our victorious return to our rightful place as the rulers of humanity! It—is—our—destiny!"
Around him, the voices of his brethren raised as once, bellowing in victory.
...
{A couple hours later}
"There's a ship approaching at high warp," Tûrêl reported as Maâlîk entered the bridge, followed closely by Câîm. He stepped away from the command chair, yielding it to Soong.
"Have you identified it?" Maâlîk asked as he sat down.
"It's the Enterprise," Tûrêl answered.
"Let's see them." The viewscreen flickered, and seconds later, it coalesced into an image of the sleek Starfleet ship.
"Maâlîk," Câîm interrupted, concerned. "The Enterprise canoutrace us." The Enterprise was coming up from behind the Ba'Sugh, gaining distance on the Bird-of-Prey as they flew. Outrunning the Starfleet ship was not an option, especially not with their weak aft defenses; sooner or later, the Augments would have to turn around to confront their pursuer.
"Increase speed," Maâlîk ordered. "Prepare to come about."
…
Jonathan Archer projected an air of calm. Around him, the bridge crew sat, poised tensely, ready to react at a moment's notice, but the captain was intent on trying, one last time, to settle things peacefully.
However, it would be foolish to go in unprepared. "Arm torpedoes," he told Malcolm. As the tactical chief carried out the order, Archer turned to Hoshi. "Open a channel," he said calmly.
A melodious tone signaled that the comm channel was opened. "This is Captain Archer," he stated. "Drop out of warp or we'll disable you."
The exterior of the Ba'Sugh vanished from the viewscreen, replaced by an image of the Klingon bridge, largely obscured by the camera's focus on Maâlîk. The comm transmitted the Augment's response. "Pretty confident for a dead man, Captain." Maâlîk's attention shifted, and he issued a command an Augment, outside of the comm's visual range. "Aft torpedoes," the leader ordered. "Target their propulsion systems."
…
The bridge lights flickered as the Enterprise rocked with the impact of the first salvo of torpedoes. "Forward plating's holding," Malcolm reported, surveying the readouts on his console. "Looks like it was a warning shot."
"Let's make ours count," Archer responded. "Malcolm, return fire, full yield."
…
A full brace of photonic warheads leapt thru space between the two vessels, and slammed into the aft quarter of the Ba'Sugh. The impact sent electrical surges thru the Bird-of-Prey, blowing out relays and conduits across the ship.
"Aft shields at fifty percent," Pûrâh reported promptly, ignoring a small explosion over her head.
The Klingon ship shook with the impact of more photonic warheads, and the internal explosions increased, causing the bridge to quickly fill with the acrid scent of electrical fires. An air conduit ruptured with a powerful howl, shooting gas across the bridge. Under the dim red lighting of the Klingon vessel, the combination gave the bridge the visual impact of a haunted graveyard.
"Our warp field's fluctuating!" Lôchêsh reported, alarm clear in his voice. "They're concentrating fire on our engines!"
"Maâlîk!" Another voice cut thru the din. "Two-six-seven Ceti is dead ahead! Bearing zero-four-two-mark-three-four!"
"Helm, alter course!" Maâlîk barked, gripping the arms of the command chair. Another round of warheads hit the bird-of-prey, sending it slaloming on its new bearing. Momentarily, the vessel straightened out, and shot towards the system, taxing the warp engines for every iota of speed possible, forgoing evasive maneuvers in the effort to reach shelter. The Enterprise continued to bear down from behind.
It only took minutes to cross the gap of space. "We've reached the coordinates!" Tûrêl shouted out, struggling to make himself heard over the harsh, bellowing ruckus of alarms.
"Take us out of warp!" Maâlîk ordered, his knuckles by now white. On the viewscreen in front of him was a massive, blue gas giant, with two moons visible in orbit.
…
"There are three population centers," Lôchêsh reported, pointing to the map of the planet below. The image of 267 Ceti rotated on the rear monitors of the bridge, overtly sketched with false-light isolinear curves denoting elevations across the planet's surface. "Two here—and another one on the northern continent." The Augment's look was one of prideful anticipation as he awaited, and received, Maâlîk's approval for his work.
"We'll detonate the torpedo over the southern hemisphere," Maâlîk decided, studying the map. "That'll ensure the maximum number of casualties." He reached out, stabilizing himself, as the bird-of-prey shook again under the impact of the Enterprise's weapons. " Is the weapon ready?"
"We've modified the warhead," Lôchêsh affirmed, "but we need to test the guidance systems before we can—"
Their conversation was interrupted by the ringing alarm of the sensors. "Increase to maximum speed and load the torpedo!" Maâlîk barked out, the command soaring over the battle racket. "Stand by to fire as soon as we drop out of warp."
"But the guidance system—" Lôchêsh started to ask with a hint of panic.
"Do as I say!" Maâlîk barked, and Lôchêsh, acknowledging the order, returned to his post. Time was at a premium, and Maâlîk knew that, even if the warhead went off-course, the sheer virulence of its payload would still ensure catastrophic casualties. It may have been a bet, but he was playing with a stacked hand.
And when the Orion colony was destroyed by humans…humanity would look to the Augments for protection.
…
The Starfleet vessel flew into the system only minutes behind the Bird-of-Prey, straining its systems to their breaking point in the effort to pull every last iota of speed from its brawny engines. Inside the hull, the crew could feel the superstructure start to quake with the reverberations, as the inertial dampeners passed their threshold, and cacophonous alarms blared across every deck of the ship, assaulting the auditory senses of the crew.
On the bridge, telemetry data scrolled across the main viewscreen, showing the distance separating the Enterprise from the Ba'Sugh, as well as the relative speeds of the two vessels. Archer watched as his ship gained, edging closer and closer to its target.
"They've detected us!" Verena reported from her station, raising her voice to be heard over the bedlam. "They're accelerating!"
Dammit! "Stay with them, Travis!" Archer ordered.
"Smitty to bridge!" The engineer's voice came over the intercom. "If we go any faster, the nacelles are going to fly off the pylons!"
Archer turned to Malcolm. "How long until we're in weapons range?"
"Two minutes," he said, running rapid calculations, "but the Bird-of-Prey will reach the colony in seventy-three seconds."
"Smitty!" Archer called out. "Even if it blows the engines, we have to close that gap!"
"I heard, Cap'n," Smitty responded. "I'll give you everything I can get!"
…
Scarce seconds later, the Ba'Sugh dropped out of warp with a flurry of light, and settled into orbit around 267 Ceti, still a critical distance ahead of the pursuing Enterprise. "How much longer?" Maâlîk growled as he paced the bridge.
"Guidance is still offline," Lôchêsh answered. "We'll need to get closer."
"Take us into low orbit!" Maâlîk hissed, inwardly seething. Precious seconds were ticking away.
…
"They're preparing to fire," Verana reported as her ears were assaulted by the violent hum of the strained hull. The Enterprise was shaking at the seams.
"Travis?" Archer asked, watching the telemetry readings flip by.
"Another fifteen seconds," Mayweather confirmed.
"Take us out of warp as close as you can. Malcolm?"
"Weapons are standing by," Reed verified.
"Ten seconds," Verena stated. Archer compared the readings, and realized, to his horror, that for the want of three seconds, they would be too late.
…
Ahead, the Ba'Sugh settled into lower orbit of 267 Ceti.
"Torpedo's ready," Lôchêsh confirmed, awaiting the order.
Maâlîk spoke without hesitation. "Fire." The Bird-of-Prey ejected a solitary torpedo from its front tube, sending the lethal package arcing towards the planet's surface below.
...
Main Bridge, U.S.S. Enterprise
"Dropping out of warp!" Travis reported as the massive deceleration sent brutal waves of inertia thru the ship. Lt. Mayweather was nearly flung from his seat, holding on only by the grip of his fingertips.
"They've launched the weapon," Verena added with near-Vulcan poise. "It will reach the atmosphere in twelve seconds."
"Malcolm!" Archer shouted, trusting that his tactical officer would understand the order. Triggering his controls, Malcolm launched three photonic torpedoes after the glowing light of the Augment warhead.
"They're gaining!" Malcolm reported as he switched the main viewscreen to show the torpedo chase. The Starfleet weapons were no more advanced than their counterparts, but Malcolm was using every trick of parabolic descent and vectoring to gain distance on their target.
Unable to do anything more, it was pure agony for Jonathan Archer as he watched the torpedoes arc around 267 Ceti's horizon.
…
"They're gaining on our warhead!" Lôchêsh shouted, feeling the alarm coursing thru his body.
"How close? How close?" Maâlîk barked back, and when Lôchêsh didn't answer, Maâlîk shoved his brother away from the weapons console and checked the readings for himself.
Unable to do anything more, it was pure agony for Maâlîk as he watched the Starfleet torpedoes intercept and destroy his warhead.
…
"Direct hit, Captain!" Verena confirmed, double-checking her sensor data. "Detonation at forty-three thousand, four hundred and fifty-three kilometers altitude—no danger remains to the planet's surface!"
As she finished her report, the Enterprise rocked with the impact of disruptor fire. "Hard about!" Archer ordered as Lt. Mayweather brought the vessel into a corkscrew turn, trying to evade the weapons fire of the more-nimble Bird-of-Prey. The Augments fired again, and explosions ricocheted across the bridge as power conduits overloaded and blew with percussive force.
"A direct hit to the Armory!" Malcolm shouted over the battle din. "We've lost all hull plating, and the torpedo launchers!"
"What about the phase cannons?" Archer yelled in response, as he staggered across the bridge to the tactical station.
"The aft cannon's online, but just barely," Reed reported, yanking a hand back as a monitor exploded in front of him.
"Lock onto their bridge!" Archer ordered.
"No, no, no!" Soong broke in, shouting, and pushed the captain away from the weapons controls. "Let me talk to him!" Soong pleaded desperately, trying to save his children from their soon-to-be-certain fate. Archer granted his permission, and Hoshi opened a comm channel. "Maâlîk!" Soong called out. "Maâlîk, it's Father!"
When he got no response, Soong pushed on. "Don't do this!" he begged. "Some of your brothers and sisters are still alive!"
Maâlîk's whispery voice returned over the audio channel. His brutalized vocal cords gave him the harsh rasp of a voice from the dead. "Would you rather they go to prison with you?" the youth hissed.
"Maâlîk! They won't go to prison!"
"Then what will happen to them?" Maâlîk bit back. "Are they going to be welcomed back into society with open arms, with trusting hearts? Or are they going to be greeted with suspicion and fear, loathing and hatred, discriminated against every time they try to better their lives? Or even worse—will they be sent right back to stasis? We're not welcome on Earth, but if we try to leave, we're hunted down like rabid dogs!"
Captain Archer broke in. "Maâlîk, listen to me! We can work this out peacefully!"
"Really, Captain?" Maâlîk's disembodied voice growled back. "Tell me this, Captain—what place is there for us in this brave new world of yours?"
Archer fell silent.
…
"They've lost all hull plating," Lôchêsh confirmed as he checked his readings. "Main weapons down, their maneuvering thrusters are off-line—they're adrift!" the Augment youth reported excitedly.
At last, Maâlîk thought to himself. Those pathetic humans should have known better from the start. "Target their warp core!"
…
"Stand aside, Doctor!" Archer growled, roughly shoving Soong away.
"Captain, their bridge is protected with dispersive armor—your weapons will never penetrate it!"
"So what do we do, Soong?" Archer retorted. "Let them go?"
"No, target your cannons here!" Soong pointed to the schematic on Malcolm's console. "Behind their sensor array!"
"What good will that do?" Malcolm asked brusquely, grabbing his chair as the bridge rocked again.
"Their main plasma junction's located there!" Soong explained quickly. "A direct hit would disable their entire power grid. Captain—trust me!"
Trust him? Archer thought, but made his decision. "Do what he says. Fire when ready!"
Across the void, the red light of Enterprise's lone-remaining phase cannon lashed out at the Ba'Sugh, hitting the Bird-of-Prey with unerring precision. A wave of explosions rippled across the hull of the Augments' ship, and inside, power cables blew with a fury, throwing the crew around like rag dolls, and instantly starting fires in every system of the vessel. Losing helm control, the Ba'Sugh spun around, venting atmosphere from a dozen hull breaches.
"They're disabled," Verena shouted out, an air of relief evident in her voice.
"Are they still alive?" Soong asked, frantic with concern.
Verena checked her data. "I'm reading twelve biosigns," she told the doctor.
…
On the bridge of the Ba'Sugh, Maâlîk slowly woke up, a pounding beat throbbing in his head. He quickly took stock of his own situation. It was only his augmented DNA that was even keeping him alive; he knew he had a broken leg, several cracked ribs, third-degree burns, and if his bloody phlegm was any indication, severe internal bleeding.
Satisfied that he was, at least, alive, Maâlîk struggled to survey the bridge around him. Dragging himself across the deck plating, he saw no one else moving; the other Augments lay in various contorted positions, some with shock written across their faces, and others with the calm peace of death. The bridge was devastated; fires openly roared from blown panels, structural beams dangled from the ceiling, and even the alarms had been silenced.
…
"He's overloading his dilithium matrix!" Malcolm shouted out in alarm. "We're too close. We'll be caught in the explosion!"
His head whirling about, Archer didn't hesitate. "Fire!"
Soong watched in mute horror as the Ba'Sugh tore itself apart.