Many hours later I sat in my ready room. We had received a message from Captain Worf informing us he wished meet and plan an attack. My original plan was to recruit civilian colonists, but there was no time for that now, his message seamed quite argent. I also have learned never to upset a Klingon who has honoured to do battle by your side. As I prepared from this meeting of fleets on the edge of Federation space my door chimed.
"Come" I spoke.
The doors slid back and from them Sub Commander Telmera walked forward "am I disturbing you Fleet Admiral?"
I let out a short laugh and spoke "Fleet Admiral, some how it still doesn't sound right. Even more so than just Admiral."
I sighed and looked at her, putting down the PADD in my hands "sorry, what can I do for you?"
"I wished to discuss my position on this vessel" she told me.
I frowned "your position?"
"Yes, I have given this thought" she spoke walking forward now "and I wish to be part of this crew. I believe in your cause and you have no time to return me to the empire."
"We could make time."
"No, in the empire I am one of many in a proud race who watch from the edge of battle lines and strike like vulture picking off the scraps. Here I can mean something and contribute to noble cause under a commander I respect."
I sighed and leaned back in my chair "What did you have in mind?"
"I have many qualifications in sciences and stellar cartography, I have noticed you are in need of this position."
I nodded "I'm sure you will be great asset, thank you."
"No Admiral, thank you" she said and exited as suddenly as she came.
I spun my chair and stood, looking out of viewport as we dropped to impulse. Time to make good.
/\
The commanding and executive officers of all ships and Captain Worf were now gathered in our observation lounge.
Worf walked around the table to the head and loaded data into the computer panel behind me. I spun my chair to view the screen and the Klingon.
"We have gathered this data of the Harrington ship yards, if we could take this station and its resources we would be able to build far better warships to combat these dogs" he boomed over the room.
"What are its defenses?" Asked Vorak.
"It is heavily guarded, this will not be easy. Two of our cloaked ships were detected and lost during this gathering mission" Worf replied.
"Easy has not exactly been in the cards the last few weeks" I spoke up and turned back to face the table as Worf sat "but it is worth the risk for the resources and station, and this will show our enemies that the Federation is not going to die without a fight."
"Will all forces be required?" Asked a face I did not yet know, his pips that of a Captain now. The forth looking most new.
"Yes" I replied "each and every ship at our disposal will be needed to combat these heavy defences."
"They have torpedo turrets around the base perimeter, once we get inside them is only a matter of the vessels" Worf added to his report.
"Alright, this seems as good a plan as any. Captain Worf you said some of you ships were detected but not all. That should work to our advantage, I want to remain cloaked and move past the turrets. You can then attack from the inside as we take the brunt from the ourside" I spoke to them all.
"A sound Tactical Plan" commented Worf as the others agreed with nods.
"Alright" I said standing "let's get this show on the road. All ships prepare…for war."
/\
All the preparations seemed to take hours, maybe it was that I was nervous about this one. It was to be by far the biggest battle in recent memory, and certainly the biggest of these events since the initial attacks. It was official now, the civil war had begun.
I walked around the ship watching the security officers and Klingons distributing hand phasers to all hands, the torpedo crews like tigers ready to pounce, the multiple drills come in with good marks.
I walked onto the bridge and looked around the faces of my assembled motley crew of staff, I knew that each was now ready to give their lives for my cause and quiet frankly that scared me a little. I walked down to my chair, sitting in it and sighing as all ships reported in. We had come across old fighters in storage of Starbase Arizona and had distributed them amongst the largest ships. After all, we had the pilots. I looked out and saw the fighters pass us as we entered sub light speed and tapped my chair arm to Group Captain Byron Bladestorm using his pilot call sign.
"Is everything set Diablos?" I asked.
"All fighters ready sir, we are heading the charge" came the reply.
I closed the channel and turned to Telmera.
"Have they spotted us?"
"I would say so, their defences are powering up" she replied.
I opened a channel to all ships, time seeming to stretch the gap between us and the base.
"This is Fleet Admiral Dutton to all hands. Before we go into battle I would like to thank each and every one of you for serving the memory of Starfleet and Federation and thank you for making sure its name will live on. These tyrants will not rule our galaxy for long this lifetime, we will not let them! We will not walk quietly into the night! We will fight back and survive! The Federation will survive! Let's make sure history never forgets the United Federation of Planets."
As I finished I saw the determination on my officers faces, they were ready.
"We are entering weapons range" called Reno.
"Fire at will" I ordered.
The next few moments are a blur to me; all I remember is watching the fighters and ships all begin shooting at the powerful turrets and being hit back hard. I remember the first blast struck our hull and already caused damage. I watched other smaller ships catch fire and die out early as our own ship rocked from fire. Finally however we concentrated our fire and two were destroyed. This was an intense trade of weapons fire. The ship shuck again as my mind seemed to clear.
"Quantum Torpedoes, dispersal pattern sierra" I commanded and Julian responded.
He fired the volley of spread torpedoes into a turret which took damage and exploded. Finally a fourth was taken down. We were however taking just as much in return and losing ships like flies.
"Report!"
"The Reading, Hornet and Capriccio have been destroyed" called Macgyver "and we have lost nine fighters."
"Continue firing" I said and pressed the arm of my chair a second time "Worf, now."
I
watched on the edge of my chair as the Klingon ships decloaked, much
to the Leagues surprise. The ships inside the fence began breaking
form to counter to Klingon attack, we had them confused.
We
continued to edge forward with great flying on the part of Reno to
avoid fire as the last turrets began to fall from our path.
"Alpha group engage the vessels!" I commanded over the com.
The first group of our attack moved away from the others, continuing to fire phasers on the turrets to aid our other groups in taking them down. But the wall was breeched and now we were going to punch threw it. Five of our ships broke through the defences and began attacking the enemy ships. Over ten destroyers and five scouts by my eye. A spread of torpedoes hit a destroyer at the head of the attack force, it fell from position as two other passed over it and fired at us. Sparks flew around me and lights flickered and the ship shook from the phaser fire. Reno was barley able to avoid the first volley of torpedoes, but the second hit with force. For a moment all the lights on the bridge went out, the panel beside me exploded and I was thrown to the group with a thud. I lay on the floor for a moment trying to regain my bearings, I felt blood trickling down my forehead.
I pushed up as a crewman helped me to my feet.
I nodded to the crewman and yelled "report" as the lights and panels came back on.
"We have hull breaches on decks five and seven, emergency force fields are in place. We have lost forward phasers and shields are at forty percent" reported Macgyver "Ensign Reno roll the ship, I will fire ventral phasers as we pass the starboard destroyer."
Reno looked at me to whom I nodded in support, holding my head and sitting to regain my bearings.
The ship did as commanded and fired phasers at the starboard ship, crippling it combined with other weapons fire from the Endeavour. We spun around trying to regain shields and fired photon torpedoes which struck the other attacker with force. At the same moment two scouts passed over us, firing disrupters and taking down our dorsal shields. A destroyer beside took full advantage and fired two more transphasic torpedoes which hit us perfectly on our dorsal section, one hitting a nacelle which flickered and vented plasma before finally going dark.
"Engine room, more power to shields!" I commanded as more damage reports came in.
"I'm trying sir, every time I fix something they blow it out again!" called back Munro over the com.
"Try lieutenant" I said and turned to MacGyver "Julian prepare to.."
I was cut of as I heard Telmera curse loudly in the Romulan. I was about to reprimand her when I saw what she was swearing at, indeed we were in the trouble. A hulk of ship had been mainly destroyed and was falling toward us, Reno tried to move the ship but it was too late. The ship ploughed into out hull, going straight threw several layers of the saucer. Everything again shuck violently, behind me a console exploded on the aft wall which sent a crewman flying over the rail and in front of me.
"Engines are offline!" Called Reno.
"Medical teams to the bridge" I heard MacGyver command.
I watched in vein now as our ship drifted into more weapons fire. I saw a remaining destroyer move in and prepare to fire directly at us. I literally felt my life flash before my eyes, my heart racing as they moved in for kill. I heard gasps from the crew, some whimpers and some prayers. We all thought we were about to die.
At the last moment the Lexington passed overhead and fired, taking the brunt of weapons fire that was meant indeed for us. I watched in horror as the ship began to crumble before my eyes.
"Keil, transport any survivors from that ship directly to sickbay!" I commanded.
The ship was struck again before Keil replied "Got them sir."
"Engine room" I was breathing heavy now as men and women ran around me doing various jobs to keep us alive "can you get weapons back?"
"I'm trying sir!" Munro's voice crackled over the com.
"Shields are at twenty percent" reported MacGyver "forward phasers are back online."
"Target the nearest ship and fire!"
I watched the screen as the rest of the fighters and starships broke through. Several fighters circled a ship and destroyed a scout, the same said for the remaining starships. Impulse limped us around to fire on the deflector dish of a retreating vessel which exploded with force.
"The other ships are retreating!" called Keil with a smile on his face.
"The turrets are all destroyed or offline Captain" reported Macgyver.
My hair was now loosened from its usual tied back position, strands hanging in my face and the large gash on my head.
"Orders sir?" Asked Kaven from the back.
I sighed, regaining my breath before sitting up and replying "take a security force and take that station."
/\
The Federation had won that day but the price was high. We lost over a dozen ships and hundreds of men gave their lives. The Klingons lost most of their ships but Worf as always did not join them. The survivors of the Lexington were packaged with more unregistered crew and Crusher became the Captain of the new Enterprise F. Vorak's Endeavour and Munro's Peragus also survived the day and continue to serve at my side constantly in this war.
I has been five years since those events but they were so clear in my mind and that aloud me to share this story. Let it be lesson that things don't last forever.
Well most things, Starfleet continues to fight back and the war has become a bloody and heated massacre, one after the other.
As for me and my crew we have stayed with the mismatched team that commanded her into battle in 2388 and Telmera and Kaven had even learned to respect each other.
The starting days of the war is just the beginning, today battles like that are common. But let no one forget these events and how they happened, and let no one forget the will of the United Federation of Planets.
THE END