Chapter 74
Send the Message!
Gornal IV
Gornal System, Cardassian Union
February 14, 2378
Yamato's main guns fired and the Jem'Hadar Battle Cruiser shook violently with explosions, but managed to not blow up completely. The ship fired off a volley of torpedoes, but the Earthforce Omega-class cruiser Belasaurius dispatched those with their pulse cannons. Yamato finished off the cruiser with another barrage from the main guns, and the cruiser's warp core blew up and the ship was consumed in the explosion.
"Any other enemy targets," asked captain Derek Wildstar.
"None, Wildstar. All enemy targets destroyed.," replied Nova Forrester.
Wildstar nodded, then said, "How many ships have we lost?"
Christopher Eager looked at his console and replied, "We've lost five Whitestars, and seven others are disabled. All main cruisers are intact, but the Horatio is pretty banged up. Recommend we send them back to Orak Tor and have them get repaired, sir."
Yamato dispatched medical ships and brought aboard the survivors of those ships lost as well as those disabled. It was determined that three of the Whitestars were unsalvageable and Yamato destroyed them with her main guns, as well as laying waste to those destroyed, denying the enemy the ships.
Later that evening, a shuttle came aboard Yamato, and Wildstar had the people on board taken directly to the conference room. When the two entered the room, he was sitting with the rest of his command staff at the table.
They were two Cardassian generals, Pulan Doss and Rorak Menka. Doss spoke first, "Are you Captain Wildstar?"
Wildstar nodded and said, "Yes I am."
"I have vital news for you from the resistance. The good news is that the insurrection has been successful, and Dukat is dead. The bad news is that the Ragendora and the Jem'Hadar are planning to retake the world and are massing troops as we speak!"
Menka put a device on the table, and a three dimensional visual came up above the table. Menka explained the schematic. "The enemy is gathering in the Hnaran system, around a world called Bliel. It's been the main site for ketrocel white production, as well as for manufacturing Jem'Hadar soldiers. They may move in the next few days, so if you are to strike, you need to do it quickly."
Wildstar scratched his chin and made a silent survey of the room. Sandor and Venture looked skeptical, while Jordan and Homer looked convinced. Nova was passive and neutral, so deciding a course of action was going to be difficult.
"Will there be any Cardassian ships joining us in this attack," asked Wildstar.
Doss nodded and said, "We'll have as many ships as we can bring into the fight. I can assure you that the fleets we command are loyal, but I can understand your hesitancy."
Doss handed Wildstar a PADD, and said, "This is our plans to attack the fleet. Regardless of what you want to do, we plan to attack the fleet. If you don't join us, we may fail. However, if you come with us, we can reclaim our homeworld and defeat these bastards!"
Wildstar looked around again at his staff and made his decision right then. "We'll be there, with every ship we can muster!"
Doss nodded and smiled, "Thank you, Captain! On behalf of my people, I thank you!" They shook hands and Doss and Menka left the room.
"Derek, are you sure about this," asked Venture.
"No, but if we want to break their hold on the world, we have to take this chance. I'm sending a message to Orak Tor to send additional forces to the coordinates. We have to take this chance, or we may lose this war.," replied Wildstar.
Sandor stood up, "I would be less than honest with you, Wildstar, if I said I was entirely comfortable with this, but we've all served together long enough with each other to trust in your judgment. However this turns out, we're with you!"
The rest of the staff stood up and saluted Wildstar, who was taken aback by this show of emotion. "Thank you. Now, let's get to work!"