Chapter 53: Deadly Mistakes
Lord Admiral Madthayn rubbed his eyes, trying to sooth away the pain developing behind them. His invasion plan for the Romulan Empire was nearly complete, but it had taken him three days with practically no sleep. It was at times like those that he felt his age. Two hundred years in the Emperor's service had found him one of the most powerful men in the Imperial Navy, but also sometimes made him feel as if sometimes the weight of the universe was pressing down on him. As he signed off the last pad, his private comm. station activated. He entered his code and waited until the face of Chancellor Martok appeared. "Good day to you Chancellor," Madthayn greeted.
"To you as well Lord Admiral," Martok replied. "Your supply ships entered orbit an hour ago."
"Your people fought the Dark Eldar bravely. It is the least I can do. So tell me, are your forces prepared?"
"We are. Our scout ships have detected a large Romulan fleet heading for the Badlands if they maintain course. We estimate at least a hundred ships, likely more."
"Good, they took the bait. Have your forces strike systems A34 through A37. My fleet will strike at the same time and together we will force the Romulans off balance long enough to push deep into their territory. I received a communiqué from Inquisitor Falten that he is making good progress on his end as well. The Andorians are also coming along. I received a message from General Shran that his fleet is standing by should we need it."
"Then soon we will all find our honor and glory," Martok replied, his single eye shining a bit brighter.
"Indeed. I will bet you Chancellor, a dozen cases of amasec that my ship reaches Romulus before yours," Madthayn said with a smile, which Martok returned.
"And I wager a dozen barrels of Bloodwine that I beat YOU to Romulus. Martok out." Once Martok's image vanished, Madthayn entered a command and soon Captain Halloway's image came up.
"Captain Halloway, is your ship ready?"
"Ready and waiting Lord Admiral. We've got a full load of torpedoes and the shields are running fine." Halloway had been assigned by Madthayn to the fleet which would ambush the Romulans in the Badlands.
"Good. We depart in one hour. Tell me Captain, have you been following the debates in the Federation Council?"
"You mean the one being led by Picard about not tripling the defenses around Earth and other key colonies?" Halloway asked. "Yes, and though I do agree with some of Picard's points, if a small Breen fleet could make it undetected to Earth, I hesitate to imagine what a Dark Eldar enhanced Romulan fleet could do. Some of Federation brass are just stubborn Lord Admiral. They see the Federation as a paradise and don't want to spoil it. I'm confident they'll change their minds in time."
"I hope so as well. I will contact you again when we reach our destination. Madthayn out."
…
Commander Mark Hilton entered his quarters after a hard day's work at Starfleet Command. With the gathering of forces for the coming war with the Romulans things had been getting hectic. "Computer, dim the lights." As the sunset outside, Mark crossed over to his bed and removed a section of carpet, revealing a small data chip. He inserted it into his computer and waited while the hidden transponder activated and selected a secure channel. Once everything was ready, the screen lit up, casting a dark green light over the Commander's face, highlighting his dark eyes. He quickly entered a data packet and encrypted it. Once the computer assured him the message had gone through, disguised as background noise, he grabbed a suitcase and left. It would not do him good to remain in San Francisco much longer.
…
Admiral Seela leaned back in her chair. Her fleet had chased the Klingon scout ships away, the Dark Eldar sensors taken from the Badlands installation enabling her to detect the ships from a distance. Now she could proceed with her true objective. "Have all ships alter course and prepare to enter the Warp. Our allies should already be in position." Seela allowed a smile to cross her face. Soon the Federation, and their Imperium allies, would learn the price of crossing swords with the Romulans.
"Yes Admiral," A Centurion replied, and for a few brief moments the ship shuddered and seemed to bend in ways not natural. Then it was over. The viewscreen deactivated and a counter appeared. It read 10:45:34. The time until the death of the Federation.
…
Space was filled with green energy as the combined Federation/Imperium fleet dropped out of transwarp. Fighters immediately emerged from their carriers and took up defensive positions. Lighter ships formed up around the mammoth Mars and Retribution battleships. Lord Admiral Madthayn raised an eyebrow as he looked over the sensor scans coming in.
"No enemy ships detected Lord Admiral," Captain Virnox reported. "The Dark Eldar base is mostly intact. Your orders?"
"Prepare boarding parties to secure the structures. Deploy the fleet in a wide defensive formation and instruct fighters to begin long range recon of the plasma storms. There may be ships hiding in there," Madthayn barked out a rapid stream of commands, and the bridge crew hurried to comply.
"This doesn't make sense Lord Admiral," Virnox pointed out. "The Romulans knew we would want to reclaim this installation."
"Yes, but why would they leave it intact if they didn't intend to-" Suddenly Madthayn froze. "Recall the away teams! NOW! Move the fleet away!" Suddenly space seemed to transform into energy as the ultritium explosives planted in the Dark Eldar structures by the Romulans detonated, filling space with a monumental amount of energy. Nearly twenty percent of the fleet was caught in the blast, leaving space littered with burning wrecks.
…
Captain Halloway picked himself up off the deck. He had a deep cut running along his right arm, but nothing felt broken. "Status report!"
"We have lost shields and hull integrity is down to thirty percent. Heavy casualties reported. Emergency crews responding," T'vol replied. Suddenly the sensor station lit up with a piercing cry. "Enemy vessels detected emerging from the plasma storms. I am picking up Romulan, Cardassian, Breen, Gorn, Tholian, and Tzunkethi vessels. Numbers estimated at three thousand."
"Holy hell," Halloway said. "Hail Madthayn. Lord Admiral, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
"I am. What I want to know is how in the name of the Emperor the Romulans were able to gather this many ships undetected, but that can wait. All ships are to form up with mine. We have to get out of here."
"We're with you Lord Admiral," Halloway replied. "Helm, form us up alongside the Divine Judgment."
"Yes sir," T'vol replied. As the enemy fleet closed, waves of fire lashed from the Imperium fleet, felling over a hundred enemy vessels. Though only one hundred fifty ships strong, nearly a third of the ships were Imperium war vessels, designed to take ungodly amounts of punishment. Rounds from Nova Cannons punched through three Cardassian Keldons and took fifteen other ships with them in the blasts. Fighters dueled in swirling dances of death, and gradually the noose was tightened around the human fleet.
…
Madthayn gripped his command throne as another volley of enemy fire clawed at the shields. "How much longer until we can engage transwarp?"
"Three minutes Lord Admiral," Virnox replied.
"Then I guess I'll have to bring in the final players to this game."
On board the Romulan flagship, Admiral Noval watched another human vessel exploded under his fleet's guns. At first the Romulans had been reluctant to ask other races for help, but Praetor Donatra had convinced them that it was necessary. "Continue the advance. Once we have them completely surrounded prepare to begin boarding operations."
"As you command Admiral," Captain Revek reported. Suddenly the ship shook. Five ships flanking the Warbird suddenly exploded as disruptor and torpedo fire impacted their weakened rear shields. "We are under attack!"
"I can see that! But from where?" Another group of ship were torn apart. Return fire managed to hit the shields of five cloaked vessels, but most of it hit empty space. As the fleet's attention became divided, two hundred Federation Shadow Fleet dreadnaughts decloaked and opened fire. Caught in a three way crossfire, the Grand Alliance fleet was falling rapidly. "Signal the fleet to withdraw!"
…
"Attack pattern Shinzon Theta," Commander Shinzon ordered. His fleet of five Scimitar class Warbirds had diverted the attention of the enemy fleet and allowed the Federation dreadnaughts to close. Now he would have his revenge on the Romulans. Two more Warbirds vanished under the Scimitar's fire. The Romulan flagship was disabled by a torpedo salvo and began drifting. Shinzon motioned to his Viceroy. "Prepare a boarding party and bring me the Romulan Commander." The Viceroy nodded and motioned to several soldiers.
…
Admiral Noval heard the sound of incoming boarders and grabbed his disruptor. Ten Remens burst onto the bridge, firing their disruptors with cold precision. Two of them wore inquisitorial badges, courtesy of Inquisitor Falten. The Romulans ducked behind consoles and killed half the Remans before being overpowered. Admiral Noval rammed him knife into the back of a Reman only to be clubbed across the back of the neck by a disruptor rifle. The Viceroy grabbed the Admiral and touched a device on his wrist. A moment later they were beamed back to the Scimitar.
…
The shields of the Valiant were torn apart under the combined assault of a dozen enemy vessels. The Divine Judgment was taking damage as well. Even with the arrival of reinforcements the victor of this battle had yet to be decided. Suddenly a dozen Romulan warbirds decloaked aft of Madthayn's flagship. "T'vol, get us over there!" Madthayn ordered. "All weapons, fire at will!" A volley of Quantum torpedoes dropped the shields of the closest Warbird, and phasers disabled another. A flight of Fury Interceptors flew through the superstructure of a Warbird and blew it apart in a blaze of antimatter. The remaining Warbirds concentrated their fire on the Valiant, cutting through the weakened shields and shredding the hull. Halloway was thrown across the bridge as a plasma conduit ruptured.
"Weapons and engines are off-line. Warp containment is failing," T'vol reported, his voice level as always.
"All hands abandon ship!" Halloway ordered over the comm. Suddenly the massive shape of the Divine Judgment passed overhead, a storm of phaser lances and plasma canons tearing the Warbirds into scrap.
"Madthayn to Halloway. Stand by for transport." The last thing Halloway saw before he was beamed away was the bridge collapsing under a torpedo impacted.
…
The remaining ships of the human fleet gathered together. The surprise attack of Shinzon's squadron and Inquisitor Falten's Shadow Fleet had forced the enemy to retreat, leaving more than half their number dead and burning in space. The humans had lost about a third, including one of Shinzon's Warbirds and seventeen Shadow Fleet vessels. Madthayn gave the order to destroy the disabled enemy ships and make full speed for Earth. It appeared Madthayn would have to call for some old friends.
…
Captain Picard was brutally woken from a sound sleep by being pitched out of his bed. Red alert had been called and by the time Picard got to the bridge two consoles were already overloaded, one of the occupants dead, and the viewscreen filled with Romulan Dark D'Deridex and Phantom Claw cruisers. "Report!"
"They came through a Warp point. We had no warning until they were right on top of us," Commander Riker responded. Spacedock One entered the fight, its massive weapons tearing through ship after ship. Then the remaining one hundred ships each fired a full volley, cutting deep into the monstrous station. It kept firing, but the lights were beginning to flicker.
…
We're broken through," Seela smiled. "Order all ships to launch missiles and retreat." As one the Romulan ships turned and fired one missile each at Earth. All but three were shot down, but three was enough. They struck the surface and sent fire racing around the planet. Billions were killed in an instant. The Dark Eldar had had their vengeance. The Shiva missiles had been based on the Genesis Device, but the Shiva Effect, as it was called, was only capable of death. And now Earth was no more. The Federation was crippled and would soon be dead.
…
Picard and every survivor in orbit were silent. They had just witnessed Earth, the heart of the Federation, wiped out in an instant. The surface was now nothing more than barren rock and toxic dust.
On board the Imperium vessels, anger permeated the halls and cries of anger range through the bulkheads. Terra, regardless of what galaxy it may have been in, was the most sacred and holy ground in the Imperium. The Romulan Star Empire had just signed its death warrant.
So, Earth is gone, and the Romulans have forged alliances with many races, all aimed at being down humanity. Can Madthayn and Halloway hold the Federation together? Did anyone survive Earth's destruction? Keep reading and see the Imperium's vengeance. In the next chapter the Battle of Cadia will begin, and once again you will not believe the outcome. See ya all in the next chapter, and don't forget to review! The Emperor protects.
ENTILZA
