Chapter 3

"Have we reached the Midas Array yet?" Decker asked as he and Amy walked onto the bridge.

"Ye sir." Quiche said looking up form his console.

Amy took her place at tactical as Lt. Hannigan moved to the secondary console at the back of the bridge. Captain Decker moved to stand at the centre of the round bridge.

"Contact the Midas Array and tell them wear' ready." He said.

"Eye sir." Lt. Crusher said. Opening the COM channel. "They say that the aperture will open in 30 seconds"

"Captain 3 Romulun war birds are de-cloaking. They are moving in to fire on the station!" Amy called from tactical.

"Shields! Weapons!" Decker said. "Move us into position to defend the station."

The Excelsior moved to block the Romulun fire. The impacts rocked the ship.

"Shields at 96% sir!" Lt. Brown called.

"Return fire." Decker replied.

"Torpedoes away." She called grabbing her console to prevent herself form falling to the floor as another impact rocked the ship. Decker Grabbed hold of his command chair.

"Sir one of the ships has broken off and is going for the station."

"Bring us about and fire on that ship! Reinforce the aft shields."

"Eye Sir."

The Excelsior Swung around and fired her forward torpedoes. Just as the Romulun ship launched it's own. The impacts rocked the Midas Array as power couplings blew out across the station; one of the Excelsior's torpedoes hit the nacelle of the Romulun ship.

"Sir we are loosing containment." The young Romulun called as smoke form ruptured lines and blown consoles filled the bridge. "Computer estimates we have 20 seconds to a core breach."

"Damn it!" The Tal-Sheare operative cursed. "Ready my Yacht."

"Sir the Romulun ship has lost containment in its primary core. If it goes then it will generate as 59 mega-tone Quantum Singularity." Bates called.

"We are getting a message from the Midas Array, we have to go now otherwise we wont make it! The station's going to loose power to it's main array in 23 seconds and the Black hole that Romulun ship will make will defiantly destroy it! We have to go now!" Bates called

"Move in towards the entry window then." Decker sad as another impact rocked the ship.

"Shields at 54%!" Brown shouted over the sirens.

"Quantum torpedoes full spread." Decker ordered.

"Yes sir."

"15 seconds."

"Fire torpedoes"

"Torpedoes away."

"10 seconds."

"Get us out of here. Now!"

"5 seconds."

"We are through the entry window."

"3 seconds. Oh my God! The Black hole is interacting with the entry window."

"How?"

"The Black holes proximity to the Midas Sun is causing it to grow, it's now at 73 mega-tones. Its power is feeding the entry window."

"Sir we can't fight those Romulun ships, not now."

"Can we close it?"

"There may be a way. We can use a photon torpedo to destabilise the black holes magnetic field."

"That would be an illogical choice of action, it presents an unacceptable risk."

"Do we have any other options?"

"No sir."

"Do it. Ensign Crusher, prepare to go to warp."

"Torpedo away."

"Warp 9!"

"Engaged."

"Sir the aperture is closing."

"If anyone needs me I'll be in my quarters."

The Calsea the Tal-Sheare Operative Marched onto the Shizon Class War-bird's bridge.

"Commander, the task force was unable to stop the Excelsior entering the mirror reality, but the Midas array has been destroyed."  She reported, to the tall Romulan.

"Then your disaster was not of total waste. To keep you informed the Romulan Senit has had to officially brake off Peas talks with the federation. The puts us in a very uncomfortable position." Shalak said his heavy brows, furrowed. "On the upside the Remains are helping us in our bid for Atlantis."

"Do you trust them?" She asked. "The Remains?"

"No, but they provide invaluable help."

She was amazed at his reaction, the had no way to know the Federation had stepped up there plans. This brought up the question. What did the Federation know that they didn't?

"Sir, permission to take another task force to pursue the Excelsior." She asked.

"If you can find them, then yes. Go."

Captain Riker walked to the front of the Titan's Bridge, as the two, all too familiar design, Romulun War birds.

"Since when did the Romuluns start mass producing Shizon's battle ship?" He asked Deana, his first officer.

She just shrugged gracefully.

"Sir the Romuluns are hailing us." The tactical officer said.

"On screen." Riker said.

The visage of a tall dark Romulun, with heavy brows, appeared on the view screen.

"Federation, the negotiations have ceased, you must levee Space controlled by the Romulun Star Empire at once, or it will be interpreted as an act of war, and you will be destroyed." The communication was then cut.

"What are we going to do?" Lt. Patterson the tactical officer asked.

"We are going to levee." Ricker said.

Shalak watched as the Titan Turned and headed off toward the neutral zone.

"Fire on the Titan." He ordered.

The 3 Shizon class war-birds opened fire.

"Sir the aft shields have collapsed!" Patterson called over the claxons.

"Return fire Photon Torpedoes." Ricker yelled.

The ship rocked under more impacts.

"Hull breach on decks 25 through 20 aft section." The computer reported.

"Captain, I would suggest we abandon ship." Patterson called as he put out the fire at his console.

"We can not abandon ship." Riker said.

More impacts rocked the ship

"Hull breach decks 10 through 3 forward section." The compute reported.

"Will." Deana said. "You have to give the order."

More torpedo impacts rocked the Titan, as Will heard something large give.

"Sir the neck structure has been badly damaged." A young ensign called.

"All hands, abandon ship. Repeat, all hands, abandon ship." Riker said.

Shalak watched as a torpedo blast sent the saucer section spinning away from the rest of the ship. Escape pods flew off in all directions as the aft section exploded.

"Destroy them all." He ordered.

"With all due respect sir." The Remain Officer suggested. "Maybe we should take prisoners."

"Very well, take prisoners." He agreed grudgingly, the Remains were up to something, but what.