The Dancer Prince
Chapter 25
Written by Ambassador Yrishna Wolf.
At the edge of Cardassian Space, just fifteen thousand kilometers from the region of space known as the Badlands, the Styx Imperium had established what they had called the bastion of Styx expansion in the Milky Way Galaxy. The bastion, which consisted of a 150-decker super-starbase, was the direct successor of the fortresses that had developped under the care of Styx military strategists. What Styx military strategists hadn't considered, however, was the possibility that the time it took to construct the starbase, the Styx would have been pushed back far beyond the point of construction. In the year 2500, the hard-pressed Intergalactic Alliance of Powers had managed to throw in one last fatal punch that destroyed the backbone of the Styx invasion. Within a month, the Styx had evacuated, and had seen their rift that had sent their first invasion fleet destroyed.
The bastion had never fired a shot at the enemy, as Cardassian vessels flew anew over Cardassian territory. The Cardassians, which had agreed to become a part of the Segan Monarchy had now the important duty of defending these newly acquired territories that expanded Segan Sovereign Space. A few months before the turmoil of the Segan Civil War had begun, the Cardassians had found the bastion left abandoned. It was a secret story, diffused to only the military commanders and the crew that was to man the starbase. By the time His Majesty the Crown Prince Youri Rosbourg's forces had been defeated by the numerically superior forces of His Majesty the Crown Prince Vladimir Rosbourg. The starbase's importance grew three-fold as it was garding the obvious point of entry from a fleet coming from the Delta Quadrant. There was no choice, no other options to be decided, the place would have the fully manned, and fully armed if it were to repel a fleet.
Inside the starbase now named Vernok Krix, tensions were high as each day brought a combat-drill along with it. They were currently in the middle of one in fact, as parts of the starbase's walls were filled with smoke. Holding off an assault of 250 simulated starships, the starbase returned fire with a mean torpedo volley. A wave of simulated starships disintegrated as the Cardassian 4th Fleet arrived on scene supported by some of the Supreme Militants' Union's mother ships. The starbase's shields held off one more assault, but the Cardassian 4th Fleet was able to divert attention. Another succesful combat drill, and the starbase had won with moderate damage against an assault of approximately 300 Segan warships. If things would happen like this, the Commanders were assured, they're be nothing holding them back from retaking the Monarchy and restoring it to her proper sovereign.
Dropping out of warp just before the Badlands on the Federation side of the Federation-Cardassian border, the massive fleet from the Segan Monarchy prepared its assault. Admiral Ulixes, commanding the Styx task force was now ready to win the battle for the Styx. The combined Sego-Styx fleet would have two primary missions on its hand. Divert the Supreme Militants' Union's fleet away from the starbase, as the Styx's battleships would fire concentrated bursts designed to break Vernok Krix's shields allowing for more torpedo bursts to hit right at the heart of the fusion core. The Styx knew their starbase better than anyone else and were certain they could get the starbase down with the ships they had available in this task force. Cloaked mine-layers were already placing their mines at coordinates two-four-six mark twenty-two, as soon as they returned the attack would commence.
The Operations Manager's console's beeped as all thirty of the cloaked mine-layers appeared out of the badlands unharmed. They had completed their mission, escaping both the sensor sweeps of the Cardassian-S.M.U. task force of some one thousand ships spread amongst a vast sector of space, and the Cardassian starbase protecting the Badlands. Now, it was time for the main course to be had by the blood thirsty Styx. Admiral Ulixes raised his arm to order that the assault may begin. With little attention to the badland storms, the starships of the invading force activated their impulse engines dodging the storms brewing in the particularly dangerous region of space. The starships would not be stopped in their mission to rebring the Cardassians into the Styx's command.
- - - - -
"Sir, our tachyon grid is picking something up on extreme long range sensors," The Operations Manager of Vernok Krix announced, turning his head to the Cardassian Gul.
"What kind of something, Ops?" Gul Arnek asked as she stood from her command chair, walking over to the Operations console to have a look for herself.
"I'm reading what look to be cloaked starships," The Operations Manager knew what he was saying was serious, what he was detecting could be the invasion fleet which they had been training to meet.
Gul Arnek glanced over the Operations Manager's reading as the console marked each new detecting with a question mark, there were now fifty such question marks on the console. Gul Arnek thought fast, "Communications, get a message to Fleet Gul Barmar inform him we've got bogeys detected coming from the Badlands and they don't seem to be friendlies.
"Aye, Gul Ma'am," The Communications Officer replied, tapping her console rapidly, "This is Vernok Krix to Cadaceus, repeat this is Vernok Krix to Cadaceus, we are reading enemy bogeys coming in from the Badlands, they do not seem to be friendly, request immediate reinforcements."
Gul Arnek stared once more at the Operations console as she turned around, walking to her chair, "General Quarters, Sound Battlestations."
The Tactical Officer nodded and tapped the buttons required to bring the station to Red Alert, as the station's weak points were closed down and reinforced by Styx double hulls, the Tactical Officer tapped the intercom to all decks, "General Quarters! General Quarters, all hands man your battlestations. This is not a drill, repeat this is not a drill!"
Gul Arnek glanced over, "Operations, place on screen the ETA of the S.M.U. and Cardassian Task Forces as well as that of the bogeys."
"Aye, Gul Arnek," The Operations Officer tapped and out on the screen came the ETA of the bogeys that being 15.04 minutes, and the eta of the S.M.U. and Cardassian Task Force's that being, 17.07 minutes, "Two minutes to hold out..."
"How many vessels are we reading out there, Tactical, and what type?"
"I'm reading a diverse bunch.... Over one thousand bogeys coming out of the Badlands now and forming up in an attack posture. They're Segan, Gul ma'am," The Tactical Officer replied, "There are more coming out, we definetely didn't plan for more."
"They must have at least half of their fleet out there now, ma'am," The Operations Officer reported ominously.
"Not good, not good at all," Gul Arnek replied, looking over at her Executive Officer, "We're unfortunately going to need non-essentials, we should prepare for a major pummeling here."
"Aye, highly recommend we divert power to shields and weapons from non-essential systems," Her executive officer wisely suggested.
"Do it, XO," Gul Arnek replied, turning her head to the Tactical Officer, "Arm all torpedo bays, fire only on my mark."
Deep inside the Starbase, the junior officers and non-commissioned crewmen were involved in the preparation for battle. To increase structural integrity, non-essential corridors were locked out. Torpedo tubes were armed by those in charge of the torpedo launchers, as meanwhile diagnostics were being completed in haste for all the phaser bays. Damage control teams were out in force, placing themselves in the area around the starbase's central power junctions. Security teams too were dispersing throughout the station in order to provide no weak-point in the case shields were broken through and boarding parties were sent. Medical teams were getting out all the extra supplies and placing them on hand in the event nurses and doctors alike would need them. The preparation for battle was a starbase wide effort, that which everyone had hoped wouldn't occur.
Hundreds of thousands of light years away, in the center of the unified Segan Monarchy, on a green and blue planet called Chinon, a young Prince now heir to the Segan throne stared calmly past the windows to overlook the city skyline of Arnouville. The rain, for the first time since his lover had left, had stopped pouring, and massive gray clouds were forming in nature's duel for supremacy of the air. His Majesty the Crown Prince Alexander Rosbourg had found the Styx operatives in his father's Court and had them promptly arrested and put on guard. He had secured the authority here, but the fleet wasn't answering his hail. The fleet should be close to arriving inside Cardassian space, and soon the battle for the future of the Segan Monarchy would be fought. In the sky, the clouds were continuing to form, massing for their preparation to drop more water. The loud rumble filled the air as thunder allowed its roar to be heard throughout the land.
At high hypertranswarp speeds, the Segan Ghost Fleet and the other much larger portion of the S.M.U. task force were returning to Cardassia Prime in haste. They had a mission to do and that was to defeat the Styx again. At the head of the fleet, showing their superior speed, the Clarel Class Heavy Destroyers maneuvered at their fastest safe limits, trying to push ther barrier so they could make it faster. Space Marshall Nelson, from his mother ship watched as the Clarel pulled ahead swiftly, as the capital ships attempted their best to keep up with clearly a much faster and agile escort. The Space Marshall, aware that it would take the Clarel less time to get to Cardassia Prime in a battle where time would be critical, had just completed the order to proceed at the Clarel fleet's top speed and to leave the capital ships behind. The fleet wouldn't waste time in getting to the capital of the Cardassian Monarchy, the fleet couldn't allow such a thing to happen.
At Vernok Krix, the situation as even more tense. The build-up of the Sego-Styx fleet had been completed and in front of them stood six-thousand vessels. The vessels were confidently flying towards Vernok Krix, carrying the banners of the Segan Monarchy on their hull. The Styx vessels were continuing to display fake sensor shadows making them look like Segan warships, the Styx were still masters of the art of deception. It had taken the officers in charge of sensor tracking months before they could detect a Styx vessel before it dropped its anti-sensor detection devices to open fire. Now it would take months, maybe even years before they could detect a Styx vessel using sensor shadows. At Vernok Krix, however, that wasn't something they had the luxury to worry about. The fleet was right in front of them, sailing closer and closer.
"I've got a weapon's lock on the lead vessels, Gul Arnek, "The Tactical Officer ominously reported, staring straight into the Gul's dark brown eyes.
"Fire all megaton torpedoes," The Gul Arnek replied, looking back at her Communication's Officer, "Send message to Cadeceus, we have engaged the enemy fleet."
"Aye, Gul Ma'am," The communication's officer quickly activated the subspace communication's beacon and launched the text only message to the Cadeceus.
Vernok Krix was a bastion of power in a border often threatened by instability. Vernok Krix was to become, in the Cardassian Monarchy's hope, a bastion of stability as well. On Deck 10, 20, and 40, the deck hull plates parted to allow the torpedo bay to exit. The Tactical Officer's lock established, he allowed the slow but long-ranged megaton torpedoes to exit their torpedo bays. One by one, the most dangerous, most powerful torpedoes the I.A.P had ever developed during the Styx War was allowed to sail towards the Sego-Styx Fleet. At first it was one, but by the end of the torpedo barrage, over one hundred megaton torpedoes were allowed to set sail. Those torpedo bays quickly exchanging their megaton torpedoes for the more numerous tri-quantum torpedoes stocked at Vernok Krix, over twenty five thousand.
"Evasive Pattern Archon Seven," Admiral Ulixes ordered as the heavy mother ships began sailing forward in a forty-five degree angle that pointed up, "Sound collision alarms, have destroyers take position to destroy the torpedoes."
From space, the torpedoes although slow were approaching their intended targets. A quick burst of the mother ships' engines, and they were off on their steady climb that allowed more destroyers to take position in a line in front of the megaton torpedoes. Anti-fightercraft counter measures were fired in front of the megaton torpedoes as some of the megaton torpedoes exploded in place. One of the megaton torpedoes sailed through and hit its mark, a Mary-Rosbourg Class Destroyer whose shields were instantly taken out of action. A second megaton torpedo hit its forward anti-fightercraft guns. Its magazine exposed, the Mary-Rosbourg Class Destroyer forward sections were engulfed in flames as it pitched 60 degrees down. It was immediately replaced by a Selevenar Class battleship that allowed a much wider spread of anti-fightercraft weaponry to fire upon the megaton torpedoes. By the end of the first melee, only seven of the one hundred megaton torpedoes hit their mark, taking out two destroyers, and severely damaging another.
"Inform all hands, all decks, all stations," Gul Arnek announced, "Megaton torpedoes failed. Prepare for widescale breaches."
The Sego-Styx fleet continued to sail forward, their ETA only about five minutes, and then ten seconds after that they'd be in weapons range. The Styx mother ships opened fire, allowing a powerful volley of their own torpedoes to head straight for Vernok Krix. The starbase's shields lighted up as they countered the assault. The torpedoes only doing light damage to the shields. Elsewhere the Cardassian-S.M.U. task force was converging at a rally point, preparing to head towards the starbase that was 7 minutes away. The moment of truth was about to become clear, as the Sego-Styx fleet entered weapons range, firing volley after volley of triquantum torpedoes, and their Styx equivalent. On Vernok Krix, the station shook at the sheer magnitude of the torpedo assault its shields was being forced to take.
"Moderate damage to forward shield number one!" The Tactical Officer shouted.
"Shields down to eighty-seven percent and holding, Gul Arnek," The Damage Control Officer replied.
"All torpedo tubes, mark your targets, and make each and every shot count," Gul Arnek ordered as she turned her head to the Tactical Officer, "Fire at will."
