Less than twenty thousand kilometers from the hub was a floating dark green and orange colored space station just over a kilometer in diameter. The station was like a giant, upside down pyramid, with a number of platforms attached to every side at non-patterned intervals. At the top of the upside down pyramid, just above the square top, was a large, flat ring with dozens of missile tubes spaced along its top. Although the tubes were empty, a number of other beam weapon emitters rested atop a number of the orange colored platforms and were charging. Sensors confirmed the presence of several dozen lifeforms, a spacecraft of some kind docked on the opposite side, and a shield that just snapped to life around the perimeter of the station. The tactical subsystems determined the beam weapons' output as well as shield capacity.
Enterprise was targeted by the station's weapons within moments. Sensors identified the weapons as neutrino-based disruptors; useless against the Enterprise's shields, but damaging to the armor plating. Enterprise's shields came to life. Remembering V'Driss' instructions, Enterprise opened various hailing frequencies. "Attention, space station. This the United Starship Enterprise. I have been ordered to open a dialogue..."
Sensors observed the space station attempting to use their communications relay to contact someone in a nearby system. Determining the risk involved in revealing their presence prematurely, Enterprise used its own communications system to scramble the station's communications. "I cannot allow you to contact..." it started. It's statement was interrupted by a series of three long, green beams that slammed into Enterprise's shields. The energy from the weapons was directed through the shield grid and sent harmlessly into space as a trio of dark green rays of light. The deflection came a price, however. Shield intensity had dropped to ninety-eight percent. "Cease firing or you will be fired upon," Enterprise stated flatly.
Intrepid opened communications to Enterprise. "What do you wish us to do while you're engaged?"
"Determine our location," Enterprise replied.
"Acknowledged," Intrepid answered unemotionally. Moments later, the ten Pathfinders left headed in various directions from the fight under impulse power. The station began frantically firing at the departing ships and managed to strike three of the ships as they left, inflicting minimal damage to their armored hulls. Three more beams struck Enterprise's shields and were deflected back into space again.
Within seconds, the ten Pathfinders were out of range of the station's weapons. Communications with the damaged ships confirmed their self-repair capabilities had restored the armor plating. "I have been ordered to open a dialogue with your leaders..." Once again, it was interrupted by seven impacts from the station's weapons. Once again, the majority of the damage potential was deflected into space. Unfortunately, the shields had now been depleted to ninety-four percent. "Unless you cease firing, I will be forced to return fire," Enterprise warned.
As if in defiance, the station targeted ten separate weapons at Enterprise, which the ship found curious. The beams fired simultaneously. Enterprise allowed seven of the beams to deflect harmlessly into space, but sent three of the beams back towards the station. The beams impacted the station's shields, causing a minor amount of damage. Enterprise's sensors also detected a movement of lifeforms heading into the docked spaceship on the far side. The station's beams charged again for another round.
This time, Enterprise chose to act. Making quick calculations of opponent shield strength versus available weapons power. A narrow ring of armor plating retracted into the plates above it revealing a glowing purple ring underneath. A part of the ring began to glow brightly until it expelled as a giant, purple ball of light. The phased polaron pulse impacted the station's shields, draining them completely. "Surrender your station and you will not be harmed," Enterprise announced.
As a final act of defiance and diversion, the station locked its ten beams at the Enterprise and fired once more. From behind the station, the triangular spaceship broke its tether and began to maneuver away. Enterprise chose to reflect all ten beams back onto the station. Green streams of light impacted its shields and were immediately reflected back towards the station. The darkened beams sliced through the station at various points. Primary explosions, followed by secondary explosions, rocked the station into pieces until it was enveloped in a firey ball of light and sparks.
Its sensors still active, Enterprise deduced the spaceship was powering a derivation of old-style warp engines. Without changing power settings, Enterprise fired another blast at the unknown vessel. Before the ship could go into warp speed, it was engulfed in a ball of purple energy almost twice its size. Its shields unable to restrain the power, the vessel disintegrated moments later.
Within minutes, the other vessels returned to the transwarp hub. As they approached, their computer systems linked together and they began sharing images of various star patterns to determine their location.
"By the pattern of stars, we would located approximately three thousand, fifty light years within the Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy," Intrepid announced. The other vessels concurred. "Were you able to identify the lifeforms aboard the space station?" it asked.
"I am still running through historical Federation records," Enterprise offered. "I am uploading the biological profile now as well as technical specifications for both the space station and the vessel." With that, Enterprise sent its scans into the system link.
Within seconds, Ulysses responded, "I have two entries in the Risan sensor net archives for lifeforms that match this profile. They were recorded on stardates 43748.5164 and 43751.1498. The first incident only lasted for six minutes, fifteen seconds. The second incident lasted for two minutes, eight seconds."
"In neither incident were they identified, but there were two of them," Endeavor added.
"Satellite logs indicate they transported both to and from their planetary locations both times," Intrepid added, "but no corresponding transporter activity occured within acceptable parameters to indicate a terrestrial point of origin."
"Satellite logs also identify a series of minor energy distortions in orbit just prior to the first appearance and shortly after the second appearance, implying a cloaked vessel of some kind was also utilized," Enterprise added.
"This does not bring us closer to the identity of the attackers," Intrepid commented.
"Perhaps not," Enterprise countered, "however, we now have four things we did not have before. First, we have the point of origin of the sun-killing torpedoes. That has been destroyed. Second, we have the transwarp conduit used to deploy the torpedoes. Those will be destroyed momentarily. Third, we have a biological signature of the lifeforms responsible. Using that, we can separate the guilty races from the innocent. Fourth, we have the end point of an attempt at communication for help. That is our next destination."
"We are approximately ninety-two thousand light years from the Vega system," Trailblazer calculated. "A subspace trasmission at this distance would have insufficient power to reach it. In addition, the six MIDAS II arrays were destroyed in the attacks. We have no way of contacting Starfleet."
"Using our slipstream drive will still require seventy-nine days travel to reach the Vega system," Discovery added.
Enterprise had to make a command decision. It's insstructions were clear... contact Starfleet and inform them of their location and status. "Trailblazer, you will go through the conduit to Alpha Centauri and relay what we have achieved so far. Sixty minutes after your departure, we will destroy the transwarp hub making any further trips impossible."
"Acknowledged," Trailblazer answered. "I believe the correct statement would be 'good luck.'" Using maneuvering thrusters, it spun around and headed towards the aperture that would eventually send it back to Alpha Centauri. Slowly, it disappeared through the opening.
Just as stated, sixty minutes after Trailblazer disappeared, the remaining ten vessels targeted various connection points of the transwarp hub and fired. The entire network of portals exploded in a shower of sparks and debris. Enterprise relayed the coordinates of the emergency signal destination. Moments later, several slipstream portals appeared before the Pathfinders. One by one, they went through and headed for their next target.