Star Trek: Antietam: These are the voyages Chapter 4, a startrek: other fanfic

"Brrridge to Captain," Lt. M'Rret called over the intercom.

Captain Bowman rolled over in his bunk, and turned on the reading light, before hitting the intercom. "Go ahead." He looked at the chronometer on the bulkhead. In friendly red letters, it announced that it was four in the morning.

"Sorrry to disturrrb you sirrr, but Admirrral Asimov is orrrderrring the fleet to prrroceed to planet Khitomerrr, forrr securrrity operrrations for the peace conferrrence," the Caitian communications officer said.

"Very well, have Mr. Cahill take his coordinates and speed from the Tuten. Bowman out." As he lay back in his bunk, Bowman could feel the lag in the inertial dampeners as the Antietam overcame its inertia and launched into warp.

Other ships began warping out as well. A task force assembled around the battleship USS Sinclair with three battlecruisers, the Lobo, and numerous other smaller vessels warped out to rendezvous with Starfleet One, the President's transport, at Wolf 359; then escort her to Khitomer. Even though Chancellor Azetbur assured the President that there would be no hostile action taken against Starfleet One, Starfleet wasn't going to take any chances and lose the President. There was always the possibility of rogue elements within the Klingon fleet that might decide to take matters into their own hands, and cause a genocidal war between the Federation and Klingon Empire, regardless of whether or not the Organians would interfere.

Marine troop transports and SOCOM penetration cruisers remained behind, but their troops were embarked on to their ships and locked down. The transports were assembled into convoys, with cruiser and destroyer escort, with all but one convoy remaining behind. The penetration cruisers slipped out quietly, as single ships, and moved to positions near the Klingon border, to slip in and wreak havoc within the Empire, if necessary.

The two days it took for Admiral Asimov's fleet to reach Khitomer were among the tensest the crews. The Admiral had ordered all ships to yellow alert upon leaving the Hromi Cluster. Antietam's squadron spearheaded the formation, as it reached the border, and was the first combat formation to penetrate Klingon space since the Battle of Donatu V. The formation penetrated the border by Morska, with IFF codes provided by the Klingons. Adm. Asimov ordered the formation to red alert when the Drake reported that she'd crossed the border. Shields were raised, phaser banks charged, and photon torpedoes were loaded. Bridge stations normally quiet were powered up and manned; sleep cycles were disrupted, as relief personnel manned their battlestations.

The fleet entered the Khitomer system, and slowed to sublight. The Tuten, Star Empire, Federation, and their destroyer escorts broke formation and entered orbit around the planet Khitomer. The Marine convoy that accompanied them sent down representatives to meet with their Klingon counterparts. Security concerns were discussed, alternatives were suggested, and solutions implemented. By the time the first delegation arrived, the conference center was as secure as Federation and Klingon ground forces could make it, against an aggressive ground force.

Unbeknownst to the fleet in orbit, multiple cloaked vessels of various classes, both Romulan and Klingon, held station near Khitomer, waiting for the time to strike; waiting for General Chang's flagship, the Bird of Prey Dakronh, and then plunge the Federation, Klingon and Romulan Empires into chaos. And in the Mempa Sector, the Enterprise was fleeing Rura Penthe at high warp factors after signaling the Excelsior, and heading for Khitomer to prevent another assassination attempt.

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"Captain," Lt Rand called over, "Fleet Intelligence is sending out an update. Listening post Epsilon 7 has picked up transmissions on a secure channel from Enterprise to the Excelsior from within Klingon space. Intelligence is considering the Enterprise to be a rogue element, and is to be intercepted and boarded."

Captain Bowman rubbed his forehead. "What else is new," he muttered. "Any other updates, Lieutenant?"

"Yes sir. The data recorder from the Riyadh was located and recovered. Starfleet is currently investigating. There were no survivors, sir." Marx went rigid at the helm, when he heard that, before sagging in his seat. As much as he wanted to, he had the decorum to not break down and cry at the loss of his fiancé. However, the minute he was relieved and in the turbolift, that would start his emotional breakdown.

"Captain, I'm getting a neutron energy surge, starboard-side aft," Mr. Johannsen reported from the science console.

Bowman hit the intercom. "Bridge to Engineering. Alex, do you know anything about a neutron energy surge?"

"No sir. My engines aren't leaking a thing," Commander MacPherson reported.

"Could it be one of the other ships?"

"If it was, Captain, then they'd have to be right on top of us to detect them," Commander Johannsen said.

"Jen, signal the Tuten. Advise the Admiral that we have a probable cloaked ship near our coordinates. Append Mr. Johannsen's data to the transmission."

"Aye sir." A few moments later, she spoke up. "Sir, I'm getting a message from the Hanover. She's reporting a neutron surge as well."

"This is damn peculiar. Signal the squadron to yellow alert."

"Aye sir."

"Captain, message from Admiral Asimov. 'We have received reports from the other ships. Sound Red Alert, set Condition One throughout the fleet.'"

"Very well then," Bowman said. He hit his intercom again. "Red alert, all hands man your battlestations. I say again, red alert, all hands man your battlestations. Set Condition One throughout the ship. This is not a drill." The bridge illumination changed to red, as the red alert klaxon sounded through out the ship. The deck of the bridge reverberated from the blast doors slamming shut below. "Mr. Marx, stand by evasive maneuvers, as necessary."

"Evasive maneuvers, as necessary, aye sir."

"Captain, Enterprise has entered the system and is slowing for Khitomer orbit," Mr. Johannsen reported. "She's slowing to one quarter impulse power… TORPEDO! 90 mark zero, Captain. Enterprise is hit, sir!"

"How close are we? And where'd that torpedo come from?"

"Unknown sir. And we're not close enough to render aid…"

Commander Johannsen was interrupted by the proximity alarm. "Klingon battlecruiser off the starboard bow. Klingon battlecruiser off the starboard bow."

"Multiple contacts, Captain! Weapons are arming on all decloaking vessels."

"Message from Admiral Asimov, authorizing weapons release."

"Signal all ships: weapons free; maneuver at will. Mr. Marx, you may maneuver at will."

"Aye sir."

The space around Khitomer was rapidly becoming a free fire zone, with the Enterprise battling the Dakronh and another battle between two fleets. General Chang had tapped into the Fleet common frequencies, and his sonorous voice burst from the speakers. "I see you Kirk. Now be honest, Captain. Don't you prefer it this way, warrior to warrior? No peace in our time. 'Once more unto the breach, dear friends…'"

"Jen, is there anyway to block that out?"

"No sir. It's on all fleet common channels."

"Damn. Torpedoes, Mr. Jarrod. Let's not let that battlecruiser get away." A pair of torpedoes left Antietam's left her torpedo tubes, and hit the Klingon warship, on the starboard impulse engine and warp nacelle. Three Klingon torpedoes slammed into the Federation heavy cruiser's shields in retaliation. The Antietam's phasers spat out in anger, piercing the Klingon ship's shields, and cut angry swaths out of her hull.

"'There's a divinity that shapes our end,' Kirk, 'rough-hew them how we may…'"

The Antietam rocked, as another trio of Klingon torpedoes hit the secondary hull. "Damage report," Bowman ordered.

"Main power is still online, Captain," Commander MacPherson reported. "Shields are holding. Barely sir."

"Captain! Tuten's been hit!" The screen flashed to the command ship. Explosions rocked the secondary hull, the interconnecting dorsal appeared ready to fail at any moment. A series of smaller explosions appeared at the base of the saucer section, as the explosive bolts fired in sequence. Slowly, the saucer pulled away from the crippled secondary hull, before the anti-matter tanks ruptured.

"'And this above all,' Kirk, 'to thine own self be true.'"

"I'd pay him to shut up," Marx muttered, as he threw the heavy cruiser into a violent, three-axis spin to avoid both Klingon weapons fire, and what was left of the Tuten as she fled out of the engagement area.

"Captain, Sinclair's task force is being engaged by Romulan vessels."

"And Enterprise is being attacked by a warship that's capable of firing while cloaked. Damn, this is turning into a full-court press," Bowman muttered, as an explosion rocked the ship.

"Shuttlebay's been hit, Captain! Atmosphere is venting out into space"

MacPherson's voice filtered through the intercom. "Shields are beginning to buckle, Captain. We can't take much more of this."

"Auxiliary power to the shields, Mr. MacPherson," Bowman ordered. "Keep them up as long as possible."

"'After her…poor thing. If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.'"

Hanover sped by the Antietam, her photon torpedo tubes spitting out torpedoes at a high rate. Her target, another battlecruiser, blew up as the torpedoes penetrated the Klingon's shields and impacted all over the hull.

"How long will a man lie in space ere he rot?'" The Star Empire and Federation were going toe to toe with a pair of Klingon dreadnoughts, the Federation ships supported by the destroyers Nelson and Ajax. The viewscreen on the Antietam turned white as one Klingon dreadnought was turned into its component atoms along with the Ajax. "'Our revels now are ended, Kirk.'" A photon torpedo skipped across the dorsal surface of Enterprise like a stone across a pond.

Antietam was thrown into another violent evasive action, barely avoiding a brace of Klingon torpedoes, but breaking the phaser lock on the Bird of Prey they were targeting. The Klingon frigate cloaked again and maneuvered away, to regain an advantageous target solution.

"'Hath a Klingon hands, organs…affections, passions?'" Chang quoted. "'Tickle us, do we not laugh; prick us, do we not bleed—wrong us, shall we not revenge?'"

"Captain, Excelsior's arrived in system," Commander Johannsen reported, "and is heading for Enterprise's position."

"Tuten's been hit again," Lt. Rand reported from the communications console. The viewscreen snapped on to the primary hull/lifeboat of the command ship. From the bridge down to Deck 4 was gone, as though cleaved by a knife. The saucer continued to thrust, out of control, as personnel assigned to the emergency bridge fought to regain control of the crippled ship.

"Damn," Bowman muttered. "Who's the senior captain?"

"Jim Kirk," Commander Johannsen deadpanned. "Excelsior's in-system and slowing to impulse, Captain. Shields just snapped on."

"He's busy, Commander," the Captain growled.

"'So…The game's afoot.'" A torpedo spat out of the cloaked Bird of Prey's launcher and slammed into the Excelsior's shields. "'Cry havoc! And let slip the dogs of war!'"

Space near the planet was becoming littered with debris, lifeboats and the remains of ships. Half of the Federation's force of conventional destroyers were either destroyed or crippled. Most of the assault frigates were crippled; all of the heavy frigates were destroyed. The only ships still functional were the dreadnoughts, heavy cruisers, and PT destroyers. But the Klingon force was in even worse condition. Especially when Enterprise lobbed a torpedo in the blind.

It looped and staggered as it tried to find a track. Marx looked at the track on the viewscreen and smirked. The way the torpedo was acting was similar to an old Sidewinder air to air missile fired blind; until it locked on to the cloaked Bird of Prey's exhaust signature. "'To be…or not to be.'" The torpedo slammed into the cloaked ship, illuminating it. Both Excelsior and Enterprise lobbed torpedoes at the explosion, destroying the prototype ship. The surviving Klingon ships that were part of this conspiracy dropped their shields, powered down their weapons systems, and moved away from Khitomer.

"All Federation vessels stand down. I say again, all Federation vessels stand down," Captain Brown, of the Federation ordered. Enterprise and Excelsior sped off for Khitomer, to protect the President and Chancellor from assassination.

"Mr. Jarrod, stand down from battlestations, and take us to condition green."

"Aye sir," the weapons officer said. The overhead lighting changed from red to white as the ship.

"Jen, signal what's left of our squadron to commence recovery and rescue operations,' and hail the Tuten. Mr. Marx, bring us along the Tuten's saucer. Right standard rudder."

"Right standard rudder, aye sir," Marx replied. "Z plus 3, Y minus two." The Antietam moved alongside the crippled saucer section. On the other side, the Cochise did the same thing. The Hanover began tractoring escape pods into her shuttlebay. Other ships, Klingon, Romulan and Federation, began recovering the survivors of the battle over Khitomer.

"Captain, I'm getting a message from the Commander in Chief."

"Go ahead, Jen."

"'Admiral Cartwright has been arrested for conspiring to assassinate the President of the Federation, and for conspiracy to assassinate Chancellor Gorkon.' Message ends, sir."

"My god. What the hell is going on? We wind up taking part in the biggest battle since Donatu V, and it turns out to be a battle for peace."

After being relieved, Marx returned to his quarters, and began replacing the toppled pictures. He set the pictures of Lil back on the dresser. Picking up one of the pictures of Rei, he sat on his bunk, and let the grief he had to suppress during the battle break down the barriers that kept it back. As Marx sat there, with tears running down his face, he vowed to make whoever destroyed his fiancée's ship pay; no matter how long it took.

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