Shran was angry. He had come to admire Captain Hernandez. She was a strong Human and a fierce fighter. The moment she ordered the squads to warp to Vulcan he knew what she was going to do, which was sacrifice herself. He hoped her sacrifice, whatever it was, worked and the Command and Control ship was destroyed. One thing was for sure she and her brave crew were dead.
Shran stood up out of his command chair. He looked at his XO.
"I'll be in my Ready Room," he growled.
"Yes, sir," Mayweather replied. He could tell that his captain was pissed and needed some time alone. "I'll have repairs started right away."
"You do that," said Shran.
Shran strode off the Bridge and into his Ready Room. He walked over to the small bar he kept there and poured himself a Human drink, bourbon. The taste of this alcohol had grown on him. He raised his glass in a toast.
"To Captain Erica Hernandez, I shall kill many Romulans for you, my friend," he said then downed the bourbon in one gulp. He poured himself another bourbon then walked over to his desk and sat down. Repairs were being made to the Defiant. They'd reached Vulcan in less than an hour then he request from Fleet Captain Pinkskin whatever duty that allowed him to kill the most Romulans.
"I truly wish Andorian ships were here to partake in the glory of this battle," Shran said to himself then he sipped his bourbon.
Shran knew he'd never be part of the Andorian fleet again. He was Starfleet now. But he still was proud of his people and hoped that someday more of them joined Starfleet. Of course, if Archer got his way they would all get along and be friends, maybe even work together. Andorians and Vulcans friends. A few years earlier he would have scoffed at this, but now it didn't seem like it was out of the realm of possibilities. Shran finished his drink.
STSTSTST
Tavon arrived at the sanctuary where he found a small number of Kolinahr masters. The leader of the group, an aged Vulcan with almost all white hair and skin that seemed leathery from his years in the Forge, welcomed him.
"I am Saten. And you are?" he asked.
"I am T'Von. I have come to study further Surak and contemplate his teachings," Tavon stated.
"We are a small group who practice the Kolinahr. Each one of us has a duty, which allows the group to survive. Other than our duties we study Surak, explore logic, and meditate," Saten. "Does this interest you?"
"I live to serve," T'Von answered. He had come to know the Vulcan ways and soul well. Saten seemed satisfied with the answer. He nodded his head and motioned him to enter their small cave abode.
"Tuvik, come here," he said.
Tuvik, a younger Vulcan, came over to Tavon and Saten. He waited for his orders.
"Tuvik is in charge of our water supply. He has wind tap that catch the moisture in the air and slowly accumulates water. You shall start by assisting him," said Saten then he looked at Tuvik. "Tuvik, this is T'von."
"Tuvik, I am honored to help you," said Tavon.
"Together, T'Von, we will serve our community. Tomorrow morning we shall check several of the wind traps together and set up some new ones in areas that I have analyzed to have potential," said Tuvik.
"Our community will be well served," said Tavon.
"Now, T'Von, are you hungry. Our food is without style or much flavor but he sustains us," said Saten.
"My system could use the food," said Tavon.
Saten escorted him deeper into the cave abode near the ruins of the sanctuary. Tavon followed. His mind drifted to the fact that he knew the invasion must be in process by now. His calculations caused him to realize that the Romulans chances of taking Vulcan and holding it were limited. Maybe in a hundred years or so, after the empire put more resources in developing warships, they would be ready to invade Vulcan again and succeed. Until then he'd spend twenty years or so in the forge before looking for new opportunities.
Saten stopped near a cauldron filled with a few root vegetables and a meager broth. This was their food. Tavon recalculated his time here from twenty years to maybe five or six. He would be in need of a good meal by then. Maybe he could leave Vulcan at that time and seek out the Orions as potential allies. He wouldn't mind spending time with them. They were over emotional and sexually addicted to the pheromones of their females, but they ate and drank well. Yes, in five years he'd leave the forge and go seek out the Orions.
STSTSTSTST
Archer called for an immediate emergency warp for his attacking task force. The Essex slipped into warp and headed for the rendezvous point. This would be their last attack. Once all the ships convened at the rendezvous point, Archer would send those ships badly damaged home with an escort then head to Vulcan with the rest.
This last attack had tallied the destruction of Romulan ships to thirty-one. His task force had lost seven ships outright. Seven full crews. Soon he'd know how many ships were badly damaged and send them home with a three ship escort. Those three ships would be filled with injured and be ships that needed some repair. Archer didn't want a ship without a chance of survival going into battle at Vulcan. He wanted to end this war, but he also wanted as many of the men and women under him to survive it.
He looked up and saw Lt. Commander Shah staring at him with concern. Archer thought he must look like a man in turmoil. That was not the right look for a leader of a task force headed off to battle. He should look confident and bold.
"Shah, could you call down to the chef and get some food and drink for those in this Warroom. It has been a long day for them," smiled Archer.
"Sandwiches and coffee?" asked Shah.
"Sure. Of course, ask the chef to make me a steak sandwich. I'm in the mood for a good steak sandwich," said Archer. "My stomach is wrapped around my spine."
"I'll tell him, sir, to make sandwiches, especially a nice steak sandwich for the admiral," grinned Shah, who then commed the chef.
Archer sat back in his chair. They would be exiting warp in five or six minutes. Decisions would then have to be made that would effect ships and crews. Then it was off to Vulcan. He just hoped his timing was good.
STSTSTSTST
The Paladin along with eight other ships, including the Reliant, formed a V formation. The ships from the first contact with the invasion fleet were arriving. Reports of losses, including Erica Hernandez, were reported. Trip was in the Situation Room reviewing these reports when a comm from Shran came. He ordered it switched into the Situation Room. Shran appeared on one of the viewscreens.
"Shran, I'm glad you made it," Trip said.
"I am, too, Trip," smiled Shran. "Unfortunately, Captain Hernandez didn't, though she died bravely, and if I know her, I am betting that the Command and Control ship never makes it here."
"You thin she sacrificed herself and crew to take the C&C ship out?" asked Trip.
"Oh, yes. She was a fierce warrior and knew that she and her crew was dead. I am betting she made a final bold move," said Shran.
"Remember to put that in you report, so it can be investigated once this damned war is over," said Trip.
"I will," Shran said gravelly then he added. "Trip, I want to be in the heart of the action."
"Okay," smiled Trip. "Have the Defiant join my attack fleet. We are going to respond wherever we are needed acting as fail-safe."
"I like the sound of that," smiled Shran. "It sounds like we shall see plenty of action and I want to make sure these Romulans pay for Captain Hernandez."
"Have your ship fall into the rotation," said Trip.
The viewscreen went blank. Trip checked the final tally of lost ships. Twenty Starfleet ships and eleven Vulcan ships. The Romulan fleet was scanned at one hundred and fifteen, including a large Command and Control ship. Thirty-five ships were still ready for service, while twelve were so badly damaged that Trip contemplated having them fall well back of Vulcan and out of the war zone. He needed to make the decision quickly.
"Comm Officer, I'm going to give you a list of twelve ships. I want you to contact their captains and tell them to drop their injured off at the Earth Compound then fall back to the border of Vulcan space and start repairs," he said.
"Aye, aye, sir," said the comm officer.
"Also, after that get me Admiral Sarak," he said.
"Aye, sir," said the officer.
Trip started to scan the names of the dead. It was a long butcher's list. He knew this wasn't going to be easy but damn if the payment was going to be this steep.
STSTSTST
Colonel Horace Hill was the marine officer in charge of Starfleet ground troops. Now that he had the six thousand from the Starbase Vulcan, he was deploying his men. Two thousand of the best marines were going to protect Earth Compound along with anther thousand Starfleet Security. The rest he was arranging to have join the protection of the Vulcan capital, Shi'Kahr. A Captain Yaris was in charge of the Vulcan Defense Force. Hill waited by a viewscreen for Yaris to take his comm. Finally, the Vulcan appeared on the screen.
"Captain Yaris, I have eight thousand marines waiting to take up protection of Shi'Kahr. I just need to know where you want us and I'll put them into place," said Colonel Hill.
"Colonel, I believe the government buildings will be a primary target of the Romulans, so I have a majority of my troops covering them. Our perimeter, though, has been weakened because of this, so I suggest you take up the perimeter," said Yaris.
Hill sighed internally. The fool was falling into a trap by doing that, though he wasn't going to tell him so. The damned Romulans were going to hit the city from perimeter in allowing them to get as many troops gathered on the ground to assail the damned government buildings. It wasn't logical, but it was a damned tactic that just might work.
"I'll have my men re-enforce your perimeter then," said Hill.
"As for the Romulans ground troops, we believe they will be made up mostly of Remans, a rather savage subgroup of the Romulans. They are brutal and said to be difficult to kill. A Romulan may be in charge of them, giving them orders, but the Remans will be the front line forces," stated Yaris. "You will find Remans are even stronger and more durable than Humans. Even more so than Vulcans are strong and durable. They are also known to be ferocious. Keep this in mind."
"Sure," smirked Hill. "Hill out."
STSTSTSTST
The Romulan invasion fleet arrived without its Command and Control ship. The strategy was set but the tactics were now up to individual captains instead of a overseeing admiral. The Vulcan ships were under the control of Admiral Sarak and his assistants, while Trip allowed his commanding officers to take what they drilled and exercised and freelance from there. The Paladin and his attack fleet immediately had to re-enforce a layer of protection, as several cloaked ships broke through.
Once they had broken through they released troop carriers filled with thousands Remans that headed down towards the capital city. The six cloaked ships belonged to Trip and his attack fleet. Using the methodical scanning technique that T'Pol developed, he had his ships employ waiting to fire the moment they got a hit. The ship of his ships to fire was the Reliant, which exposed two cloaked Romulan ships. A barrage of torpedoes from the Reliant and three of the other ships destroyed them. Next, the Reliant caught a cloak ship. Shran didn't need help. He had his cannons and torpedoes firing right away destroying the cloaked ships. The last three feel within ten minutes and the attack fleet was ready for its next assignment.
Trip called for his operation officers to bring up an overview of the battle. The viewscreen suddenly had an overview of the ongoing space battles. He studied it for a few moments until he saw a weakness.
"Comm, let the attack fleet know we are going to defend Captain Harris and his group flank. It's exposed," ordered Trip. "Helm, best speed."
"Aye, aye, sir," said his pilot.
The Paladin headed off to sure up Harris and his group's flank. He would engage until he thought Harris was secure then disengage and find a new target. Trip was sure this was the best use of the Paladin and the attack fleet. They were a backstop, a fail-safe or sorts. Of course, it meant they were also going to take a great deal of damage.
STSTSTSTST
Colonel Hill had his men construct quick parapets and now had them waiting for the coming ground forces. They had seen the troop carriers land and the almost beastly Remans offload. They charged the parapets without fear. Colonel Hill knew his troops were in for the fight of their life, but he also knew that they were up to it.
"Prep plasma rifles," he ordered into the mic in his helmet, knowing each marine and soldier would hear his voice. "Make sure your charge is full, otherwise replace it. Fire on my mark."
He wanted the Remans close to them before firing. If they were strong and more durable then he wanted to hit them hard up close and do maximum damage. The Remans began to fire their disruptors as they charged. Disruptors were nasty weapons. They were meant to kill and kill only.
"Set for max charge," he ordered. "Ready your weapons."
He started a ten count in his head. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two.
"Fire," he yelled into his mic and the plasma rifles began their discharge.
Colonel Hill watched as many of the Remans were taken down after two hits. Two damn hits. They really were tough and they didn't even wear body armor like his troops did. It looked like enough of these bastards were going to get to the parapets and engage his troops one on one.
"Prepare for up close combat fighting," Hill stated. "Kill them all or they will kill you."
Hill gave his order then took his phase pistol out and waited for the Remans to come up to the parapets. He wondered if the damned Vulcans were getting any attacks or flak or was it just his troops. It didn't matter. Glory didn't come by missing a good battle.
STSTSTSTST
T'Pau stood watching the overview of both the space and ground battle in a secure room along with ten of the council members, Solkar, and Solaris, as well as six armed Vulcan Defense Force officers. She watched as the Humans held up well against the Remans on the perimeter of Shi'Kahr. In space the battle was so ferocious that they were unable to tell which side had the advantage. She knew, though, that Admiral Sarak was in charge of the Vulcan ships, while Fleet Captain Tucker was in charge of the Starfleet ships.
"Should Vulcan Defense Force assist the Humans on the perimeter?" asked Solkar.
"They appear to be holding the line," said T'Pau.
"Maybe so, but we are a coalition and our troops have yet to engage," he pointed out.
"I don't seeing the logic in engaging unless they need to engage," stated T'Pau.
"It may not be logical but it is diplomatic," stated Solkar.
"Get me Admiral Sarak. I wish to ask him his opinion," T'Pau ordered.
"Sarak has no authority over the ground troops," stated Council T'Let.
"I trust his opinion," T'Pau said.
Solaris moved up beside Solkar and spoke softly.
"Diplomacy will be necessary after this invasion is repelled, Solkar," he stated. "T'Pau has no gift for it."
"I know. She must either learn or defer," he replied.
"Let us hope she knows this," said Solaris.
"It is up to us to make sure that she does," said Solkar. "Anyway, I trust that Admiral Sarak will give her the correct advice. He is more than just a simple warrior."
Solaris nodded his approval.
STSTSTSTST
Vulcan troop carriers arrived as the marines and the Remans engaged each other in close combat. Colonel Hill was injured from a teral'n, a Romulan polearm. It pierced his body arm and his body before one of his men killed the Romulan. Major Stone was now in charge. He was shocked to see several hundred Vulcans with a melee weapon called a lirpa coming to their support, as well as some with plasma rifles.
"Unengage troops, fall back, re-prep weapons and prepare to charge the Reman," Major Stone ordered.
The Vulcans immediately engaged. As those troops, who were unengaged, reformed and prepared to charge the Remans. Major Stone look at the corpsman working on Colonel Hill.
"Get him away from the battlefield. His day is over, but let's try to keep him alive," said Stone.
"Yes, sir," said the corpsman, who then motioned another corpsman to assist him.
Stone turned in time to see his troops charging the Remans. They may not be as strong or as durable, but they were well trained and warriors. He checked the charge on his phase pistol. It was almost empty, so he ejected it and replaced it with a fresh charge. This battle was far from over.