Captain's Log Stardate: 60123.1: The time for battle is at
hand. Picard's resistance is finally
ready to stand up to their Tregonian oppressors. I, captain of the Odyssey
have taken the reigns of the said resistance and are preparing them for battle. Tomorrow at 0600 hours there is planned
several surgical strikes in the general vicinity of the Hall of the
Circle. Hopefully these hit and fade
attacks will lead the Tregonians to believe that the Hall is our intended
target. If all goes according to plan,
they should send limited reinforcements to protect the Hall and the sectors
surrounding it. Then the brunt of the
fleet, with the Odyssey at its head,
will move in on Core Base, the true heart of the Tregonian Empire. This, of course, will be a limited victory,
but I sincerely hope that it will be the first in a long line of such. I have accepted that this is not only the
Federation's future... but my own as well.
"You've
got a tail, Gambit," Ed radioed his
right wingman. "Shake him."
"I've
got it, Lieutenant, just give me a second," Charlie Nomex responded
confidently. Slowly the Gambit broke formation, the Tregonian
fighter on it's tail. The Tregonian
pilot powered up his disrupter coils and fired off a few quick shots. The Gambit
swerved left and right, the green blasts sizzling past his cockpit. Nomex jettisoned a quantum mine directly in
his tail's path. But the Tregonian
fighter pilot was quick. He slammed his
stick forward, flew under the floating war head, and righted himself,
disrupters blazing. Charlie wiped sweat
from his brow.
"Need
any assistance, Nomex?" Ed inquired.
Suddenly
Charlie pulled back on his stick and did a tight cork screw. The other fighter tried to fumble through
the same move, but was a burning cloud of debris in an instant, "No thank you,
sir. I think I have everything under
control."
"Good
job, ensign," Ed complimented, scanning the battlefield They had done enough damage here. "Rejoin
formation. It's time to pull out," Ed
opened a channel. "All Federation fighters.
It's time to head home. Our job
here's done. I repeat: all Federation
fighters, return to the Excalibur--we're
pulling out."
Ed cut
the channel and smiled. The Tregonians
were reacting just as they had hoped.
Every day more and more forces were gathering at the Hall. Tomorrow at 0900 Captain Schwartz had
scheduled the attack on Core Base. If
all went well, taking Core Base would be child's play.
Still
grinning, he sat back and inserted his hexidisk into the Maverick's computer console.
Music filled the fighter's tiny cabin as he relaxed and prepared for
docking.
The
Vorta Corben shook his head violently, but his brain remained in a mental
fog. He tried to remember where he
was. He recalled a small ship bearing
down on them, but it was nowhere to be seen.
And things seemed different--something just wasn't right...
"Sir,"
A voice brought him back. It was his
Jem'Hadar First, beckoning him.
"Yes,
First?"
"We are
about to exit the wormhole, sir," the Jem'Hadar reported.
"Are
all one-thousand eight-hundred ships still with us, First?"
"Yes,
sir. They have all checked in."
"Then
let us make haste," Corben waved his hand. "Our Dominion brothers need us."
"Sir!" A
voice emanated from the pilot's seat to Corben's left. "Deep Space Nine is in
ruins!"
"What?"
Corben stood. "On viewer!" Slowly, the Vorta's violet eyes took in the
destruction before him. "Who is responsible for this?" He demanded.
"I'm
reading several very strong ion trails leading away from the wreckage, sir,"
the pilot replied.
"Can
you trace them, Fifth?"
"Barely,"
the pilot responded. "All three trails lead directly to the... Viridian
system. To the third plant from its
sun."
"The
Federation will pay for the deaths they have caused," Corben declared. "Fifth:
inform the fleet that there has been a change in plans. Instruct them all to head in the direction
of the Viridian system's third planet--maximum warp."
"Yes,
sir."
"We
will slaughter the Federation dogs who did this..." First muttered.
"Engaging
warp engines, sir," Fifth announced.
And the
entire Dominion fleet of over one-thousand vessels, asleep for ten years, set
off for the Viridian system, maximum warp.
Silent. Cold.
Lifeless. Such is the vast and
endless void we call space.
Suddenly
in the blank dark sky there was a flash of light. And another--and another.
All of them signifying the arrival of a mighty Federation starship and
her consort.
I
stepped away from the window in my ready room and strode onto the bridge.
Slowly I sat down in my chair, keying on my personal display and opening a
channel.
"We
have arrived at the Briginhan Nebula, a collapsed star just outside the
Viridian system. Here our
communications and movements will be masked from any would be eavesdroppers by
the electromagnetic nature of this phenomenon," I announced. "All starships,
assume attack formation Gamma V.
Captain Picard?"
"Yes,
Captain," Picard replied from the bridge of the Cairo, "Second Fleet is awaiting your orders."
"Excellent. I want you to take the Scarlet Ibis and the
Merrymore and secure the right flank."
"Aye,
Captain. Cairo out."
"Commander
Harding?"
"Sir?"
A deep male voice responded to my second hail.
"I want
you, the Crazy Horse, the Monitor, and the Constellation to watch our rear."
"Will
do, sir," Harding replied easily. "Advantage
out."
"Mr.
Reagan?"
"Yes,
sir. Fighters are ready for
launch. Just say the word, Captain."
"Very well,
Edward," I responded. "All Federation Starships: deploy your fighters."
And the
void of space was no longer silent. Now
it was alive with hundred's of tiny sub-impulse engines.
"Commander
Worf?" I had to make one last broadcast.
"Yes,
Captain. Fourth Fleet is awaiting
instructions."
"Instruct
your fleet to stay within the offensive ring we've already created, but bring
the Defiant up to the front line."
"Right
away, sir."
"The
rest of you: spread out and attend to the area where you feel you will be most
welcomed. All right," I murmured,
rubbing my hands together, "everything's set.
Mr. Plack," I turned to Paul, "would you like to give the order?"
Paul
grinned, "Absolutely, sir. Attention
all Federation starships: prepare to go to warp in approximately three
hours. Going to warp this close to a
solar system is risky, but we need the element of surprise on our side. You will be fed exact coordinates at which
you are to drop out of warp. If you
overshoot, you will be plunged into the Viridian system's sun--and if you
undershoot, you might not show up at all.
Once there, we will proceed to attempt to neutralize the enemy's
defenses. Then, once their fleet is demolished,
we will move in on Core Base, and commandeer it for our new base of operations."
Paul
cleared his throat, "I would also ask you to remember that today we fight for
the rebirth of the Federation--and some of us might not come out alive. But I know you will all fight valiantly. The odds, of course, are not in our favor,
but seemingly hopeless battles have been won--and most often prove to be the
most effective victories."
I
nodded, "I believe the great Klingon warrior Kahless the Unforgettable said it
best when he wrote these words," I paused as I searched my memory. "'As I gazed
into the eyes of the Kaldiein Horde, realizing that my own companions had
deserted me, I did not just look at them, but peered into their souls--and I
saw the hearts of cowards, not of warriors.
So I stood before them with courage; I did not flee. And I said to myself: Yes. Today is
a good day to die...'"
Slowly,
one by one, the Dominion fleet dropped out of warp.
"Status,
First," Corben ordered.
"According
to these readings, sir, there is no Federation presence here at all. The only thing present is a non-descript
alien battle base. Unfortunately, it
matches no configuration we've ever seen in either the Alpha or the Gamma
Quadrant."
"Sir!"
A Jem'Hadar at the ship's tactical station cut the First off. "The battle base
is launching fighters of some kind.
There are also several cube shaped ships heading in our direction. I think we should take evasive action."
"Are
you sure this is where those ion trails lead, Fifth?" Corben inquired again
before giving his tactical officer an answer.
"Positive,
sir."
Corben's
mouth turned up in a sneer, "Then these must be the jackals who took the life
of our Founder. I swear on my life as a
Dominion soldier that I will make them pay.
Third: take evasive action--instruct the rest of the fleet to do likewise."
"Yes,
sir."
First
smiled emotionlessly, "'Victory is life.'"
"Yes,"
Corben replied. "We will make them pay with their lives..."
"We're
coming up on the Viridian system, Captain," Plin announced from her station.
"Prepare
to drop out of warp once we reach the given coordinates," I instructed.
And
slowly the stars around us resumed their natural size and color.
"Sir,
we've arrived at the--"
"Captain!"
Benson cut Raseen off. "We have approximately one-hundred vessels on a
collision course with us!"
"How
could they have detected us so soon?" Paul asked.
"Negative,
sir," Benson replied. "These aren't Tregonian ships--they're Dominion battle
cruisers!"
"There
hasn't been a Dominion ship reported in the Alpha Quadrant since '78," I
protested.
"Shields
up! Evasive action!" Paul commanded
over the collision alarms.
But
suddenly, all one-hundred ships disappeared in a blinding burst of warp
energy.
"What?" Plin covered her eyes
against the flash.
"They
weren't attacking," I decided. "They were fleeing..."
"From
what?" Julie wondered.
"Sir:
Tregonians off the port bow!"
"Red
alert, Mr. Benson," I responded. "All Federation starships: this is it. Shields up, evasive maneuvers!" I turned to
Paul. "It looks as if the Dominion has inadvertently helped its sworn enemy out
a little. The Tregonian's defense line
seems a bit sparser then I would have guessed."
But in
an instant, the first wave of ships was upon us.
In the
great silence of space, we exchanged feral blows. Phasers firing, torpedoes launching, ships knifing through the
battlefield. Fighters from both sides
wove in and out of the fray. Scavengers
were everywhere, draining the life-energy from our fleet with their flickering
pincers.
I
winced as the Explorer's nacelles
were raked mercilessly by a Scavenger's pincers. I watched as her ram-scoop imploded, and she went up in a ball of
fire.
"Course
correction, Ms. Plin," I instructed. "Set an intercept course for that
Scavenger. Starship New Zurica," I radioed, "move in for the
Explorer."
"Aye,
sir," the captain of the Zurica
responded. The sun of the Viridian
system glinted majestically off the saucer section of the Zurica as it glided into its new position.
Our own
ship swayed as we changed direction to fill in the hole the Zurica had left behind.
"Prepare
to fire phasers on my mark, Mr. Benson," Paul commanded. "Target our Tregonian
friend off to starboard... firing pattern: Beta," Paul raised his hand. "Fire,"
he brought it down.
Our
newly repaired phaser crest surged with energy and discharged, sweeping across
the battlefield.
"Keep
us straight, Ms. Plin," I warned. "Take us straight back into the fight."
"Aye,
sir."
"Mr.
Benson," I started. "Fire at will."
"Yes, sir."
Ed
shielded his eyes as a Tregonian Scavenger was torn to pieces by the Cairo's phasers.
He
pushed forward on his control stick, causing his fighter to dive suddenly. His tail duplicated the manuver with
ease. Ed ran all of his options through
his mind.
Swiftly
he changed course, heading directly for the nearest Borg cube while dodging
disrupter blasts from his pursuer and from the surrounding enemy ships. But as soon as he was within a few meters of
the cube, he slammed down hard on his stick, skimming the straight edge of the
Borg ship until he was clear. The
Tregonian fighter tailing him wasn't quick enough and collided brilliantly with
the cube ship's shields. Slowly Ed
banked, then turned and rejoined the fight, micro torpedo launcher blazing.
* * *
"Report,
Mr. Hail!" I demanded. Smoke was
pouring into the bridge.
"Our
starboard nacelle's been damaged, and we're venting plasma--plus the computer
reports a hull breach on deck ten!" The red alert sirens wailed in the
background.
"How's
the big picture, Mr. Plack?" I gripped the arms of my chair.
"Not
good, Captain," Paul replied uneasily, yelling over the creaking of the Odyssey's decks. "Our losses are twice
as heavy as theirs are--the Borg ships are what's killing us, sir!"
The Odyssey shuddered as a disrupter burst
glanced off her shields.
"Options?"
I inquired pointedly.
"Hull
breach on decks ten through fifteen!" Paul cried. "Our inner hull is beginning
to buckle!"
Dan
Doyle slammed his fist down on the core console of engineering.
An
alarm went off in the background, joining the harmony of the already ringing
klaxons.
"Agilet!"
He called to his second in command. "Get me the status of our antimatter
containment!"
"Aye,
sir," the ship shook, and Agilet stumbled to her station. Her red hair had somehow worked itself loose
from her tightly woven braid, and now hung free. She brushed it from her face with one quick gesture. "Antimatter
pods one through six have been compromised, sir! Six through twelve are unstable, but holding," Agilet looked up
with fear in her eyes. "If we lose antimatter containment..."
"Noted,
Lieutenant," Dan cut her off. "Engineering to Bridge!" He hit his badge as he
strode over to the core access panel. "Phase inducers are off-line--antimatter
containment is questionable!"
"Acknowledged,
Mr. Doyle," the Captain replied. Dan heard the words, "Damage control teams to
deck seventeen," before Peter could speak again. "Keep us informed, Mr. Doyle,"
The Captain finished. Dan heard a panel
blow out. "Bridge out."
He tore
off the wall covering that concealed the core access panel, and began
frantically pushing keys.
Suddenly,
the casing around the warp core cracked and a thick purple gas began pouring
out.
Dan
started, and his eyes widened.
"Coolant
leak!" He cried, once again smacking his badge. "Bridge, we have a coolant
leak," the panel Dan had been working on exploded in a shower of sparks. "One
more hit like that last one, and we're looking at a core breach!" He turned to
his crew. "Everybody out! Com'on, move
it!" Hurriedly he waved them under the slowly falling force door.
I
absorbed Mr. Doyle's words with a strange calmness, "Acknowledged, Lieutenant,"
I stared hard at the Scavenger on our main screen, wishing that the crest had
not been disabled, and that there was some way we could damage the leering
monster.
"Sir,"
Mr. Benson said. "The Tregonian Scavenger is powering up its forward disrupters
for another attack!"
"Transfer
all auxiliary power to the shields, Mr. Benson," Paul commanded.
"See
you on the other side," Plin murmured, almost as if she were talking to
herself.
But
with those words, the Scavenger on our forward viewer exploded in a magnificent
ball of flame. Its twin pincers went
flying off in opposite directions, both still crackling with blue-green
energy. One of them stuck in the side
of a Borg cube and detonated. Half of
the cube was blown into oblivion.
I
turned my eyes back towards the wreckage of their stardrive section, and
watched in awe as the Cairo sailed
gracefully through the glittering debris.
I
opened a channel, "Thank you for the assistance, Captain," I panted.
The
hazy bridge of the Galaxy class Cairo appeared on our viewer, "Any time, Captain,"
Picard half-smiled. "And I think I may have
more good news for you," he paused to look down at his console on the arm rest
of his command chair. "I've been monitoring the situation, and I think I've got
a solution to our little Borg problem."
"Proceed,
Captain," I allowed.
"We
need to take out Core Base," Picard said simply. "Hopefully, the new Hive Ruler
is aboard. And if so--it will not get
rid of our entire Borg problem, but it should help us out a lot during this
particular battle--when the Hive Ruler is killed, this Borg sect will cease to
function."
"A
commendable plan, Captain," I commented as the Odyssey shook again. "Though it will be a shame to lose an outpost
of such strategic value."
I
opened a channel. "All Federation starships: break formation and focus all of
your attention on the Tregonian's Core Base.
I repeat: focus all of your fire-power on Core Base."
Slowly,
like a great multitude of buzzards, all of the Federation Starships still
functioning broke formation and converged on Core Base.
Fire
rained down on the Tregonian's command center like hail. The fighters swarmed in and out of the
offensive circle, holding the Tregonian starships back as far as they could.
Suddenly,
in a brilliant burst of flames, Core Base exploded. Debris rained down on all of the surviving vessels, resulting in
a second explosion as the adjacent spacedock caught fire. A forceful shockwave emanated from the
wreckage, rippling into and then over our shields.
I
covered my eyes against the brilliance of it.
But
then, out of the magnificence came what sounded like screams of pain and
agony. Whispers, voices came across our
still open channel.
Soon I
saw the reason why. One by one, the
Borg vessels within the system activated their self-destruct mechanisms. With their Hive Ruler dead, they would now
be susceptible to any suggestion.
Rather then have that happen, it was clear that the Borg doctrine called
for suicide.
Finally,
all was silent. Now there were but a
few Scavengers left in the vicinity.
I
licked my dry lips and switched on the com, "All Federation units," I radioed
softly. I paused to scan my
bridge. All was quiet, and my senior
staff had their eyes locked on me, waiting to see what I would say next. I took a deep breath. "Commence clean-up of
your designated area, then head back to Base Camp. I think our job here is done."
* * *
"We
have won a great victory against oppression today," I started earnestly. I looked out over the main room of Science
lab V. It was an hour after the last
ship had checked in, and I had gathered the senior staffs from each of the main
starships to sort of wrap things up; bring them to a close. "Yes, many were
lost. But much was gained. I cannot help remembering the old
Federation. The one we all knew as
great. It was based on principles--solid
ideas that a group of people built into a magnificent society. A society of peace, of prosperity. And I believe that it can live again. The Federation has been faced with
oppression before... and it has overcome.
Again and again, it has overcome.
"Once
Earth was as the universe is now.
During the Third World War, Earth was ruled by such tyrants as the Tregonians. But it overcame. And out
of World War III's ashes rose the most powerful federation to ever influence
the galaxy. It cost lives, it cost
ships, but on we fought--because we knew our rightful place in the universe was
beyond Alpha Centuri, beyond the Sol-system.
"The
Federation will rise again," I repeated firmly. "The Tregonians will be
overthrown, and order will be restored.
Myself and my crew did not have to endure the past five horrific years
as most of you have. But which was once
our future is now our present..." I looked at the ground for a moment. "And we
have accepted that. We will fight with
you. We will restore the galaxy to its
rightful order," tears glistened in my cloned eyes. "And no more will the
aching pain of loss be part of everyday life..."
Silently,
I sat in my quarters aboard the Odyssey,
rocking Austin gently. Matthew was
asleep in his crib, and a gentle Bach symphony was playing in the
background. Slowly, Austin's eyes
drifted shut, and I quietly stood and placed him down next to his brother. I looked out the curved main window of my
quarters at the activety going on in the blackness of space. Fighters flew back and forth, carrying
supplies to their damaged mother ships.
There were some space walkers doing maticulous repair work on the outer
hull of the Advantage. I thought of the Odyssey. Soon it would be
completely repaired, its warp core replaced.
But
with one movement, I turned my back on all of it. I felt drained, tired.
I
returned to the couch and sat. Closing
my eyes, I leaned back.
But not
a second later, the door chime sounded.
I
sighed, "Come in," I said a bit irritably.
Corinne
entered without a word.
"Corinne,"
I sat up, irritation fleeing from me. "Hello."
"I just
thought you'd like to know that we haven't given up on Jamie," Corinne said
gently, sitting down beside me. "But we've moved her into cryo-gen. That should keep her alive until we can find
a treatment," she turned to look out at the stars. "It's all so wrong," she
shivered. "This is not the universe I grew up in."
"I can
assure you it is," I corrected her. "But we're a ship misplaced. A people 'out of time.'"
"I was
engaged when we left, you know," she said, a wry smile forming on her face. "To
a very special man. A man I loved, one
who I felt I could share anything with," her eyes fell. "But he's dead now,"
she whispered. "He's gone, and I don't even know how he died."
I slid
my arm around her, as I used to when she was younger, "Don't worry, Cori. Things will get better. Old wounds will heal. You and I will recover together."
"And
now Jamie may die," she went on, and her eyes glistened. "I've lost my parents,
my fiancé... and you... you're the captain of the flagship of the
Federation. Who knows how long you have
to live. I'm scared... I'm scared, Daddy..."
she looked up into my eyes as if for approval.
And when she saw that they were filled with tears as well, she lowered
her gaze and put her blond head on my shoulder.
Future's
end.
But
there was hope. The Federation would
indeed rise again, and Tregonian rule would be dealt with.
I told
myself Jamie would recover as well, though deep in my soul I was fully aware of
the truth. But still, I knew that the
shell around my heart would prevent me from ever going to see my crogenically
sleeping love--seeing her, I told myself, was accepting it.
I shook
my head and sighed. I had lost my home,
I had lost Tianna, I had lost the society I knew and loved. But I had gained confidence, wisdom,
experience... and I had gained a daughter...
_____________________
Epilogue
The
doors to sick bay hissed open quietly.
Silently I strode into inner ring of the bay.
"Captain?"
The senior nurse on duty, one Jennifer Warren looked up from her desk,
surprised. "Is there a problem?"
"No,
nurse," I assured her quietly. "It's all right."
I could
tell she was mildly taken aback by the calmness and serenity in my voice,
"Um... yes, sir. I'll be here if you
need anything," she returned to her work.
"Thank
you," I nodded, and passed through the next set of doors, a clear set, and into
the ship's autopsy room.
"Computer,"
I spoke softly. "Lights."
The
lights came on instantly, but I lingered by the doors a bit longer. Then I took a deep breath and walked over to
the corner of the room.
There,
one of the autopsy tubes had been removed from the wall and converted into a
cryogenic chamber. I peered through the
glass, and into the closed eyes of Jamie.
"Well,
here I am," my voice sounded loud in the silence that surrounded me. "I knew I
had to come sooner or later. I haven't
seen you around lately, so I figured you must have been working late...," I
half-smiled at my attempted joke, but, of course, there was no response from my
wife.
I knelt
beside the tube, "I guess I just didn't want to believe it was true," I
whispered. "How long's it been since they put you in here?" I lowered my eyes.
"The medical staff tell me it's been a year. But to me it's been like an eternity," tears
glistened in the corners of my eyes. "I remember how it was. Not many people do. How it was before the Tregonians
came--before the Federation fell," I looked into Jamie's emotionless face. "We
had a young daughter then. Do you
remember her? Little Tianna? If she were alive today, she'd be almost
twelve years old," I raised my hand and ran it across my eyes. "I loved her
almost as much as I love you. But now
she's gone," I choked back my tears, and took a breath. "And so are you," I
laid my hand on the glass. "'No,' the medical staff says, 'no, we'll get her
back.' But no matter how much I want to
believe that, I know that it's not true.
I know they're saying it for naught but my benefit. Something inside me says that I'll never see
you alive again, J'naii. Some instinct
in the pit of my soul says that I should let you go, accept that you're going
to eventually die. But I will love
you... until the last stone is dust...
Placing
both of my hands on the glass, I lowered my head until it rested on the side of
the capsule...and I sat there, my eyes unfocused, staring off into
oblivion.
Slowly,
a single tear cut a wet path down my cheek...