Chapter IV
On the Enterprise, Riker looked up as Picard walked onto the bridge from the aft turbolift. 'Number One, I'd like to talk to you in my ready room.' He walked into his ready room without stopping. Riker shrugged, and followed him.
As he entered, he heard Picard say, 'Tea, Earl Grey, hot,' to the replicator. As Riker waited, the characteristic humming of the replicator sounded, and then Picard went and sat down behind his table. He looked at Riker. 'Take a seat, Will.'
As Riker sat, Picard took a sip from his drink. 'Commander, the Praetor has ordered the Enterprise to leave the vicinity. I mentioned the idea of an evacuation to him, and he went mad with anger. He stripped Sela of her rank, and almost literally threw me from his office. The man is not sane anymore, but he is willing to risk the entire population of Romulus in his gamble. Do you think that we should leave?'
Riker thought for a second. 'No, Captain. The Enterprise has better armaments than a Romulan Warbird, and we have already destroyed two Borg cubes almost single-handedly. I think we have the firepower and the reputation to make a difference in a battle. Also,' he grinned, 'I think that our captain has the ability to make a difference.'
Picard nodded grimly, ignoring Riker's remark. 'I agree totally. I asked, so that I could make sure I had the support of my first officer. I would have hated to go against you, Will.'
Riker nodded, and then looked thoughtful. 'Sir, I have an idea. In case you had not recalled, we have a mutual friend on Romulus....'
Picard smiled. 'Oh, yes....'
Sela stood in the transporter room, looking angry and whirled on Picard and Riker as they came through the door. 'I don't agree with this, Captain.'
Picard shrugged. 'Look at it this way. We need to evacuate as many civilians as possible in case we don't manage to drive off the heavy cruisers.'
Sela nodded. 'Very well. However, my position as a high ranking member of the Tal Shiar is not an option. Lists of personnel are kept secret for obvious reasons.'
Picard nodded. 'Obviously.'
A day and a half passed, and a hundred-and-fifty people moved from the surface to the ships above. The fleet built up as Warbird after Warbird arrived at the planet. After two days, there was a huge fleet of hundreds of D'deridex-class Warbirds over Romulus. The Enterprise made an incongruous, but deadly addition to the defence force.
The second day dawned on Romulus. The cities woke up, and business as usual began to operate. Sela beamed down to the planet to try and finish the evacuation of as many civilians as possible.
Tension ran high throughout the Fleet. Normal Romulan reserve and arrogance had been depleted by the defeats already filtering back to them from far-flung corners of the Star Empire, plus the knowledge that the invaders had once before defeated the Romulan people in battle. Under normal circumstances, thought Picard, as he watched the fleet moving into it's positions, the Romulans especially would have reacted angrily to this – but this was different. There was genuine concern running through the fleet that this was no ordinary enemy that they were facing.
It was Data who noticed the ships first. 'Captain, long range sensors have detected two hundred fast attack planes approaching our position. Intercept in two minutes.' There was instant activity as the senior officers and the Romulans were informed. Hurriedly, the fleet made itself ready.
The first shots were fired at a distance of two hundred kilometres. History always maintained that the aliens fired first, the tiny fighters' firepower splashing against the shields of the larger ships, and the battle was joined.
The fleet held off until the larger ships were in close range, and then the shots were returned, with interest. A blast struck one of the attack planes, and the shield fluctuated wildly, and the craft wobbled before becoming a fireball. A massive explosion blasted two of the attack planes apart, their shields unable to compete against a direct hit from one of the Enterprise's quantum torpedoes. Several shots were fired, but it soon became apparent that the attack planes were only performing a holding mission, their weapons unable to damage the larger Romulan and Starfleet vessels. Three planes fired at the Enterprise at point-blank range.
The Enterprise shook under a torrent of laser fire. Data shouted over the noise, 'The mother ship is coming into weapons range!'
The massive domed shape of the mother ship loomed from behind the crest of the planet like a rogue moon. It hovered for a second, and then large saucer shapes detached themselves from the underside.
Ensign Truper at helm said, 'Captain, there are several attack planes breaking through. Shall we change course to intercept?'
'No!' ordered Picard. 'Take us out at course 000 mark 020, and signal the Romulans to do the same. Head for the mother ship!'
The Enterprise began to move forward. The heavy cruisers were poised in formation, waiting as the fleet approached. The Warbirds opened up with their disruptors, but the beams of energy were prevented from hitting the immense ships by a field of green energy that materialised as the disruptors struck it, thirty metres above the hull of the cruisers.
Aboard the Enterprise, Picard glanced at Data. 'Analyse that shield. I need to know its weak spots. Transfer all information to the Romulans as well.'
Data nodded and set to work. Picard returned to watching the battle silently, legs crossed, glacially calm. All of the action was out of his hands now, and he could only sit and watch.
Data turned to face him. 'Sir, I've completed an analysis of the shields on the cruisers. They are a single energy field, protecting all of the cruiser uniformly. The fighters appear to have smaller, less powerful versions, capable of being damaged.'
Picard gazed at him for a moment. 'I don't like the way you phrased that, Commander. Weaknesses?'
Data paused and glanced quickly at his board, as if reluctant to answer. 'None, sir,' he admitted at last.
Picard vaulted from his seat, galvanised into action. 'None?' he growled dangerously.
Data looked distinctly uncomfortable. 'I believe that it would take the combined firepower of the fleet, concentrated on one spot in a single, uninterrupted burst for thirteen hours, to break through. And, in that scenario, the shield would be raised again after 8.4 nanoseconds. If there were any break in the fire, the shield would recharge instantaneously.'
Picard gazed at the cruisers before the Enterprise. 'Oh, hell.'
The commander of the alien fleet watched with no emotion as the tiny vessels of the Romulan fleet fired on the cruisers advancing on them. It paid special attention to the weapons that were repulsed easily by the shields of the cruisers. The invaders had only developed weapons for their fighter craft to use, and no weapons existed on the heavier ships. The need had not arisen, even against their two most powerful enemies, for the power to destroy a base or city with a single shot was by far the most potent weapon. Or seemed to be. Now, it appeared they would have to change their thinking slightly.
The commander considered dispassionately for a moment, and then gave its orders in one word, projected into the minds of its subordinates. 'Analyse.'
There were a hundred cruisers in all and they all remained silent and ignored the defenders as the tiny fighters opened fire on the fleet from the flanks, belying their size by the amount of fire they attacked with. A salvo missed the Enterprise, but instead damaged the Romulan Warbird, The Talon of Clar Garond. There was an explosion and the Warbird began to go helplessly out of control. Phaser beams and disruptor blasts tracked the fighters, cutting them apart with casual ease. However, the fighters were not the main threat and the defence fleet knew it.
The heavily damaged Talon crashed into the shields of one of the destroyers. A massive explosion ripped the Warbird apart, but the destroyer was unaffected.
Slowly, they cruised past the Warbirds, ramming those who did not avoid the craft, and ignoring those who fired futilely against the shields. The fighters flitted about, emitting green bursts of weapons fire, occasionally damaging the far larger vessels. In the history of battles fought by the Romulans and the Federation, it was one of the most mismatched conflicts ever.
The cruisers entered the atmosphere of Romulus, going where the defenders could barely reach them.
In the cities, the people began to run for their lives as the destroyers descended from the skies. The mammoth ships began to move over the centre of the sprawling cities, and the Praetorium rested beneath the centre of the lead ship. Darkness covered them for miles around as the shadow turned day into night.
From space, the planet looked as though it was growing massive black tumours.
Below the cruisers, the central circle on the underside of the immense ships folded outwards in six gigantic segments, and a huge pointed spire descended, until it was almost touching the top of the Praetorium. From deep within the ship, a bright green glow emanated, and descended onto the building.
In the Praetorium, Sela pushed her way through the flood of minor officials trying to leave the building, and got to the Praetor's office. She burst through the door, and found Naxus sat in a pool of green light.
She rushed over and grabbed him. 'Praetor, we must leave!' Naxus struggled feebly, but the younger, stronger Sela overpowered him. She tapped her communicator she was wearing from the Enterprise.
'Enterprise, can you get a fix on us?'
On the bridge, Picard and the crew were unaware of the events on the surface of Romulus. Picard stood and interrupted the call from the surface, his voice becoming urgent. 'Beam them up, now!'
A massive explosion cut him off. Smoke swept through the bridge as the aft consoles blew themselves apart.
Over the planet, the Enterprise lowered its shields in order to beam up Sela and Naxus. It fired one last time at the destroyer, ineffectually. The green targeting beam vanished abruptly. People fleeing from their terror paused and looked back, wherever they were, either directly below the beam, or miles away at the outskirts. The thoughts that passed through their minds were the same.
Was the destruction promised by their leaders going to be stayed?
In the transporter room of the Enterprise, Barclay was fighting to get a lock. He energised the transporter and a pillar of light began to form on the platform -
The destroyer fired. A white blast of energy sizzled down into the top of the Praetorium and struck the building. It shattered and exploded from the inside. The wreckage was blown outwards by a massive blast and shockwave that helped to build up a huge wall of fire and destruction that spread outwards from the Praetorium. The fireball ripped apart hundreds of buildings instantly, and the people were fried in seconds.
It spread slowly outwards, allowing those who would be claimed plenty of time to see their death coming.
In the transporter room of the Enterprise, the pillar of blue light strengthened and finally faded. Sela was stood on the platform, her uniform and face blackened. Naxus was not there. Sela collapsed. Barclay tapped his communicator. 'Medical emergency in transporter room three!' His voice was panicky.
The destroyers had all fired simultaneously. The cities were being torn apart by flame and explosions. The capital was scoured from the planet in thirty seconds. All over Romulus, the cities were being destroyed.
On the bridge viewer, the crew watched silently as the explosion burnt itself out in the capital as it reached the outskirts. Picard clenched his fist in impotent, mute horror and fury, as the wall of fire vanished. 'Signal Commander Tomalak.'
The Romulan appeared on screen, his bridge on fire behind him and his face a mask of disbelief and grief. Picard realised abruptly that he himself would look the same if Earth fell to the invaders in the same fashion.
'Status of the fleet, Commander?' asked Picard. Tomalak turned a terrible gaze on him, his eyes twin mirrors of pain and despair that made Picard close his own briefly, remembering the same gaze on his crew's features when he had been assimilated by the Borg. When Tomalak spoke, it was in a rote fashion, as though his mind was elsewhere.
'Not badly damaged, Captain. I recommend a retreat.' His voice shook, and Picard nodded, cutting the link quickly. The Romulans would not want to be disturbed.
Data spoke, his voice hushed. 'Captain, I have completed a scan of the planet's surface. Out of a world-wide population of forty million, there are forty-two survivors.' Picard, shocked, sank back into his chair in despair.
The intercom sounded and Beverly Crusher's voice spoke. 'Captain, I think you'd better get to sickbay.'
Picard looked at Riker, and then stood, saying to Lieutenant Hedly, 'Signal to the Romulans. We are heading for the rendezvous point at Oprasha. Maximum warp.'
A few minutes later, the Enterprise roared into warp, followed by the Romulan fleet. Picard was in sickbay.
'Doctor, what is the problem?' Crusher pointed silently into the intensive care ward. Picard walked through to be confronted with a badly injured Sela, lying on a bio-bed.
She grimaced as she struggled to sit up. Picard stayed her motion with a wave of his hand, and she sank back, a relieved expression on her face. Unexpectedly, Picard felt a twinge of pity for her. 'Captain, I have failed to rescue Naxus. It appears that I will pay for my failure.' She coughed once, and her face contorted with pain. 'I cannot help but think that you have no good news.'
Picard was oddly reluctant to tell her. As much as he may have wanted to, he found that he could muster no hatred towards her. 'Romulus has fallen.'
Sela nodded once, as though she already knew. 'How badly?'
'All the cities have been destroyed, and world-wide casualties over forty million.'
'And the fleet?' Picard marvelled at how she accepted each blow so calmly.
'Still in one piece. We are retreating to Oprasha, near the Neutral Zone.'
Sela nodded once again. 'I am sincerely sorry. I wish I could spend my last hours in the company of happier thoughts. It must please you to see your old enemy dying slowly.' She smiled faintly, half-closing her eyes.
Picard shook his head, leaned closer, and took her hand, admitting the truth to her and himself. 'It does not please me at all. I wish you were still alive. I could use your experience.' Sela withdrew her hand slowly.
'Please leave me.' Picard nodded. He spoke to Beverly, quietly.
'What happened?' Crusher shrugged.
'She was caught in the middle of an explosion for a second too long. She has massive internal bleeding, her kidneys and liver are damaged irreparably, her spinal cord is broken, and she is suffering from severe blood loss. There's nothing I can do for her. She's suffering immense pain now, and she's in an anaesthetic field.'
Picard nodded. 'I can't feel any hatred towards her,' he said slowly. 'I know that she's attempted to kill us all in the past, but it's as though she's become a part of the crew, albeit an unexpected part.'
Beverly nodded. 'I know what you mean.'
An hour later, the fleet reached Oprasha. Picard stared at the screen and at the smoke rising into the atmosphere from burning cities. The blackened planet was scarred and ruined from an onslaught of extremely heavy firepower.
'What has happened?' Data shook his head.
'I think that the heavy cruisers attacked.' Picard looked at him incredulously.
'How? The ships only just attacked Romulus. They could not have got here so soon.' The alarm suddenly sounded.
'Long range sensors picking up five heavy cruisers approaching our position!'
Picard said, 'On screen.' The large ships appeared, slowly moving towards the Enterprise.
'Send a message to the fleet. We must retreat to the Federation.' The Enterprise turned and accelerated into warp. The Romulans followed.
Sela died shortly thereafter. Her body was embalmed and placed in a quantum torpedo casing. Whilst the fleet orbited a small star inside the Neutral Zone, the Enterprise launched the torpedo into the star.
To Picard's surprise, the entire senior staff of the Enterprise and all of the commanders of the Romulan vessels attended, the latter most likely bullied into going by Tomalak, who was now the most senior officer in the Romulan fleet and someone who had held Sela in high regard. Picard himself had not expected anyone to be there.
The ceremony was short and military-style, and afterwards, the fleet wasted no time in fleeing Romulan space, leaving the invaders in complete control of the Romulan Star Empire.
A few days later, the fleet reached Earth. The high commanders of the Romulan fleet beamed down to the surface with Picard to meet with Starfleet Command.
In a large conference, the fleet commanders were met by Admirals Nechayev, Greenwich and Ross. Captain Picard was taken aside by Admiral Greenwich.
'Captain Picard, we have observed the destruction of the Romulan Empire. The enemy forces are being bolstered by the week. We estimate that they already have the numbers to capture the entire Alpha Quadrant.' Picard was stunned by this casual summary of the events.
'How are their forces being bolstered, Admiral? As far as we understand it, they have only the one mother vessel.'
'Unknown,' replied Greenwich, shaking his head dolefully. 'We have no data on the enemy except that which you gave us, Captain. They've advanced quickly. They have attacked targets seemingly at random along the Ferengi and Klingon borders from Romulan space. We can garner no specific strategy or tactical plan from their ship movements and attack patterns. In light of your involvement in the battle at Romulus, we have decided to establish a Code Factor One alert.'
Picard stared at the Admiral, aghast at the calm and passionless summary of events, told to him by a brass-bound, bureaucracy driven -! He bit off the mental tirade immediately, knowing that Greenwich and the Admiralty were only doing what they could from their position behind the lines. They had not faced the enemy. Nevertheless, Picard felt bound to say, 'You took your time, especially after my warning.'
Oddly, Greenwich ignored it and continued, placidly, 'Captain Picard, I want you to take the Enterprise to Qo'nos. The Hood and the Thunderchild have been assigned to your command. Assist the Klingons in their defence, and above all, collect as much data as possible on the enemy ships. Dismissed.'
Picard nodded curtly, turned., and stalked from the room, temper near breaking point.
In a darkened room at 2300 hours, Admiral Alynna Nechayev sat quietly, before a dark viewscreen. She made no move to activate it. In her mind she watched as the invading forces were reinforced and advanced on new targets in the Ferengi Alliance and Klingon Empire.
She smiled as Ferengi Marauders fled before the city destroyers and as Klingon battle cruisers fell in battle before their attack planes.
As she received her instructions from the mother ships, she nodded slowly at each order. Her task was nearly complete, and she would die soon. She was not afraid to die, and her only concern was that she would be discovered before she could accomplish her task.
And, slowly, almost unconsciously, her hand made its way around the back of her neck, lifted her hair, and felt the tiny, almost unnoticeable protrusion of alien flesh that had possessed her body.
The Enterprise arrived at Qo'nos four days later. The Hood and Thunderchild were already in orbit and an immense fleet of warships was grouped into five-ship squadrons, surrounding the planet.
As soon as the Enterprise approached the planet, Captain DeSoto of the Hood contacted Picard. 'Jean-Luc, it's good to see you,' said his old friend when his face appeared on the Enterprise's main screen, but his face did not broadcast happiness.
'The same to you, Robert,' said Picard, smiling. 'Have the Klingons been giving you trouble?'
'In a way,' replied DeSoto, 'but it's not been overt. They keep intimating that they don't need help from Starfleet.'
'How delicately have they put it?' asked Picard.
'Chancellor Gowron sent me a message telling me to leave and said, "We don't need any help from Starfleet."'
'That's not like Gowron,' said Riker. 'He's usually much more subtle.' DeSoto glanced at him and Riker amended his statement. 'For a Klingon, I mean.' DeSoto chuckled, and then turned to face Picard.
'Maybe you should speak with him, Jean-Luc. You know Klingons better than most in the Federation.'
Picard smiled faintly. 'I'm not sure that that would help, but I'll give it my best shot.'
'Gowron, I suggest that you evacuate Qo'nos. Didn't you see what happened on Romulus?' said Picard. Chancellor Gowron eyed the Enterprise captain and his two fellows, DeSoto and Captain Latimer of the Thunderchild, in annoyance.
'That would be dishonourable to deny my people such a battle, as you well know, Picard. You have done me great favours in the past and I will now repay you.' He spread his hands magnanimously and smiled belligerently. 'Leave Qo'nos now, and we will destroy the invaders for you. In any case, they will reach Qo'nos tomorrow, and there is no way to evacuate even the First City in time.'
'But Gowron –'
'No more! You may have been my Arbiter of Succession, but that no longer buys you favours inside the Empire, Captain!' Gowron smiled ferally.
Picard glared at him, and then bowed stiffly. Behind him, Captain DeSoto said, 'But can't we-' Picard cut him off in mid-sentence. He recognised the same tone in Gowron's voice that had been in Praetor Naxus' voice.
'Gowron has decided.'
Inside Picard was seething. All those he considered to be far-sighted leaders seemed to have lost their sense of perspective. Starfleet was ignoring the threat and Gowron believed it would be repulsed easily, when the information from his own commanders was telling him something completely different.
He tapped his badge, glaring angrily at Gowron. 'Picard to Enterprise. Three to beam up.'