Within seconds, a voice crackled across the communications lines. A video image appeared within the virtual reality of an empty bridge layout. It was a ruddy-colored humanoid with an elongated head and purple splotches dotting its face. Its eyes were bulbous with fin-like skin layers across its nose and under its eyes. It began speaking. Moments later, the universal translator projected the voice into English. "This is Lelkus of the Vorgon warship Venskil." From the deepness of the voice, it appeared to be male. "You have trespassed into the Vorgon Republic. Identify..." the alien looked around the empty bridge curiously. "yourself? Where IS everyone?"
A vessel had broken orbit from the sixth planet and was on an intercept course for the Pathfinders. Tactical analysis revealed the vessel as being the same general configuration as the triangular vessel docked to the space station. The Pathfinders proceded forward. "This is the United Starship Enterprise," it announced. Along a secondary communications line, Enterprise signaled the USS Intrepid. "Prepare to intercept and neutralize this vessel if it runs."
"Acknowledged, Enterprise," Intrepid replied.
Its communication returned to the vorgon ship commander. "We are here in response to attacks on several Federation systems in the Milky Way galaxy. Our investigation has led us here. We have reason to believe..."
Communication was immediately cut off by the vorgon ship. It changed course and began to power up its main engines. Intrepid, however, had already activated its slipstream drive. It disappeared into a black disk only to emerge less than two seconds later within three thousand kilometers of the vorgon vessel. Enterprise's sensors detected the vorgon ship firing on Intrepid.
"I have an issue," Intrepid announced. "The vorgon vessel was able to send a brief distress call to the sixth planet before I could neutralize their communications. My sensors detect four more vessels breaking orbit on an intercept course. I am capable of dealing with these spaceships, but I will not be able to prevent the terrestrial population from sending communications."
"Acknowledged, Intrepid," Enterprise announced. "Endeavor, Discovery and Frontier, slipstream for the sixth planet. Scramble or remove all means of interstellar communications on that planet. Remaining vessels will accompany me to the third planet." Slipstream portals appeared in front of them.
Enterprise and the other Pathfinders emerged seconds later near the moon of the third planet. Sensors indicated it had a population of over seven billion. A number of weapons platforms were stationed around the planet in synchonous orbit. Six weapons platforms locked onto Enterprise immediately. "Attention, this is the United Starship..." The platforms fired high-intensity neutrio pulses. Not wanting to waste shield power, Enterprise engaged its phase shift, allowing the seven bright green beams to pass harmlessly through its phased hull. Two space stations in an an upper and lower polar orbit launched two dozen vessels. From the moon, another dozen vessels launched.
"It would seem our first option has been exhausted here," USS Challenger stated.
"So it would seem," Enterprise replied. It opened a secondary communications line to Intrepid. "Our first goal in this system is unachievable. Synchronize the Pathfinders under your direction and eliminate the adversary."
"Acknowledged, Enterprise," Intrepid replied emotionlessly.
"Columbia, Challenger, Ulysses, Explorer, and Pioneer... synchronize primary systems. I will coordinate." The five starships acknowledged the order and opened their computer core processing to Enterprise. First, their weapons systems linked. Second, their sensor systems linked, Third, their shielding systems linked. Finally, all basic functionality was divided between the six starships, allowing all six to utilize the resources of their partners, with the Enterprise as the central coordinating 'brain'.
As the platforms charged again for another shot, Pioneer and Explorer began systematically destroying them. As the platforms targeted one vessel, it would phase out, allowing the other ship to destroy the platform. Purple pulses of light quickly engulfed the satellites, easily reducing them to sparks and debris. In less than five minutes, the platforms surrounding the planet were destroyed.
Columbia and Ulysses had altered course for the moon and intercepted the incoming vorgon ships as soon as they broke orbit. The two ships operated as one. The Columbia concentrated its firepower on the incoming Vorgon ships as the Ulysses increased power to the shields. As the Vorgons fired beam weapons, they were absorbed and reflected back. As they fired their torpedoes, the Ulysses intercepted them with its own weapons, destroying them long before they could impact the shields. The combined strength of both ships' shields barely changed despite the many impacts they received from incoming fire. Less than four minutes after the two intercepted the moon-based squadron, they were destroyed. Once the terrestrial defenses were destroyed, Columbia and Ulysses changed weapons to neural degenerators and targeted the moon's surface.
Enterprise and Challenger headed towards the planet. The battle almost looked comical. As enemy vessels fired, their own weapons turned back on them or were immediately destroyed once the missile cleared the opposing launch tube. In perfect symmetry, the two ships fired at each other's pursuers while neural degenerator emitters pummeled the planet's surface. A similarly lopsided battle was occuring in orbit above the sixth planet. Once Pioneer and Explorer had completed their mission with the weapons platforms, they joined Enterprise and Challenger in eliminating the Vorgons on the planet. Several minutes later, Columbia and Ulysses joined in.
From the surface, a transmission was attempting to break through the scrambling the Pathfinders had created and reach them. Enterprise allowed the communication to pass. The image of a smaller, larger Vorgon filled the screen. He looked desperate. "This is Chamberlain Ulbreth of the planet Szhorvar. Please cease your attack. We offer you an unconditional surrender." The Chamberlain leaned forward on a burned out computer console. "I repeat, we surrender! Please, I beg you... cease your attack!"
Enterprise held back its anger. The option to surrender wasn't given to the hundreds of billions they destroyed. However, Enterprise's priority was the preservation of life. Then, Enterprise's mission parameters replayed.
"Attempt diplomacy first," offered Ambassador V'Driss.
"When they tell you 'no', kill them... kill them all... start with the whatever transwarp gateway they've built." Admiral Greer added.
The Federation was in a state of war. The priority to preserve life was superceded by its mission goals. "My mission parameters are quite clear, Chamberlain," Enterprise replied emotionlessly, "No surrender was offered and it will not be accepted." To reinforce the point, Enterprise fired a burst from the emitter directly over the Chamberlain's bunker. With the communications still open, the effects of the emitter could be fully viewed. Each of the seven Vorgons in the bunker cried out in pain and grabbed their heads. Copper colored blood streamed from the eardrums exposed high on the sides of their heads as well as their noses. Within moments, they began shaking violently as their eyes rolled back inside their heads. Less than five seconds after the emitter was discharged, the last of the Vorgons fell to the ground lifeless.
With the communications channel open, Enterprise attempted to access the Vorgon's computer system. The encryption was sophisticated, but overcome quickly. While the other Pathfinders completed the task, Enterprise began downloading information about the Vorgon Protectorate... its strengths, deployment, hierarchy, area of influence... and their home system.
Three hours after they began, the planet Szhorvar was lifeless. Confident that no transmissions successfully left the Szhorvar system, the Pathfinders plotted a course for the Vorgon homeworld.