Chapter Seven: Hidden Aggression
Mission
The Maq'Tau has been ordered to patrol the Klingon/Romulan border, specifically the Dalaneb sector. Rumors have been circulating that a mysterious nebula has appeared somewhere in this sector, but they are unsubstantiated.
Mission Date:
219th day in the 2368th of Molar
"And this is the bridge of the ship," the Klingon ensign said as he stepped off the turbo lift and onto the command center of the ship. "This is of course where all the command decisions are made and most of the ship's functions are monitored and regulated..."
"I know what goes on inside the command center of a ship, ensign. You can skip the tour speech of yours and take me to Commander Kloraq if you please."
"Of course ma'am, right this way." As the officer turned away a rather disgusted look made its way across his face. The two of them made their way from the lift across the room to the leather captain's chair. "Here you go ma'am," the officer quickly gestured to the chair before turning and walking out of the room.
"Commander Kloraq, how nice to finally meet you. I have been waiting since I arrived on board to..." A sudden grunt of discontent halted her welcome. Silently she stood there for a moment waiting to see what had invoked the response.
After a brief pause Kloraq's chair turned, bringing the two face to face. The moment continued as Kloraq looked over the Bajoran's face as an angry flash shimmered in his eyes. "Let's get one thing straight here, shall we? I am the captain of this vessel, not you. That means that I and I alone can order around officers on this ship. Is that clear?"
"But Kloraq I only..."
"I asked if you understood," the Klingon interrupted, becoming increasingly more agitated. "If this concept is too much for you to grasp then you can take a shuttle back to friendly territory and await passage back to Bajor on a garbage scow."
The Bajoran woman shrunk back from both guilt and shock, not quite sure what to say. "I...apologize sir. It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't." After a stern look the captain's chair swung back around and returned to its previous position.
Quickly she walked around the chair to speak to the commanding officer once more. "As you know I am here to observe you in this mission and to give a more detailed account of the goings on aboard a warship." A second grunt came from the dissatisfied warrior, which made the woman briefly pause. "I understand that most of you soldier types are usually too busy to fill out a report with the accuracy that is sometimes required. So I have been placed here to file the report for you."
"I already know your place here... What was your name again?"
"Advisor Latrena, but please call me Latrena"
"All right, Latrena. I fully know why you're here and that certain governments in the Alliance think that certain militaries, namely the Klingon and Breen militaries, are being given too many assignments and that both armies aren't taking this war as serious as should be."
"It's not that we don't think your not taking the war seriously. It's just..." Latrena paused and stood there thinking, trying to find the words to explain the delicate situation without offending the warrior in front of her. "Just that we feel the war would progress more favorably for us if there was a touch more involvement from the other power armies in the Alliance."
"Other power armies? Need I remind you why the Klingon and Breen forces are taking the brunt of this war, taking the biggest losses while people like you sit comfortably behind a desk trying to decided how we should fight this war?"
The force of words shot towards her nearly knocked Latrena off her feet. Obviously she had a lapse in judgment in choosing her words since they had so deeply harmed Kloraq. With a touch of sadness in her eyes she once again tried to explain the situation. "There is not a single person in the Alliance that doesn't know the losses suffered by your people and of those suffered by the Breen. And I can assure you that the losses deeply sadden us, but we know they are just the product of war for our freedom. If there was any other way to defeat the Romulan threat then we would gladly put it into action, if only to save more Alliance lives."
Kloraq looked up at the Bajoran before turning and looking off at some distant galaxy. "Do you know how many friends I have lost in this war? How many people I have had to bury?"
"We've all lost someone Kloraq, many of us have lost so many that we don't even bother to count any more."
"When will it end Latrena? It certainly won't with us spending more time fighting each other then fighting the Romulans. And we can start by speaking some truth, like why you're really here."
"Why I'm really here?" Latrena stood there with a puzzled expression. "But I just told you why I'm here."
"No you didn't my dear. You used that tongue of yours to talk around the subject but you are still off. Admit it, you were sent by your government to spy on us, so that they have proof to remove the Klingon Empire from the top seat of power in this so called Alliance."
"Is that why you think I'm here? To get some dirt on your race?"
"Well isn't it?"
"I can't believe you would think that, let alone say it." The two exchanged glances as Latrena stood there, shocked as can be. "Of all the...things you could've said you had to choose that. You stubborn, self righteous..."
"Sir! I think there is something you need to look at!" The tense situation was abruptly interrupted by the ship's sensor officer.
After a harsh and fleeting look Kloraq got out of his chair and walked over to the sensor display panel. He reviewed it for several moments before looking at the officer that summoned him. "Can you inform me what I'm supposed to be looking at?"
"Its right here in sector twenty-three gamma, sir." With a quick tap to the panel the specified area enlarged and took its place on the ship's main view screen.
Kloraq walked to in front of the screen and rubbed his bearded chin as he analyzed the image before him. "Well this is rather odd indeed."
Within seconds he was joined by Latrena, who stood next to him as she did her own analysis. "Do you mind telling me what's so odd?"
A fierce and irritated look shone on the Klingon commander's face, but only for the briefest of moments as he quickly regained his composure. "See how the sensor readout from this area has a point zero four degradation flux?"
"Yes, but that could mean just about anything."
"Pull the image back a bit lieutenant." A few seconds later the image zoomed out and more of the surrounding area came into view. "Now see how all of the surrounding space has a point zero three degradation flux?"
"Your right, that is odd. They should all have an equal degradation flux, but they don't. I wonder why that is."
"I can only think of two possibilities. Either it's a sensor glitch, or we are being fed false data."
"False data? Who would be sending us false data? And more importantly why?"
"Looks like someone is trying to hide something from us. A rather large something at that. Either way I think we should go check it out." The long gray commander robe flew out like the cape of some hero as Kloraq turned and proceeded back to his chair. "Helm, take us to the coordinates located on the screen, maximum impulse." An eerie, almost foreboding silence fell upon the bridge. Only the loud hum from the engines let them register that things were still progressing forward.
Latrena stood nervously next to the captain's chair where Kloraq was sitting. Being the only non-Klingon on the ship during a time of war was enough to make nearly anyone a touch nervous. Add the fact that she had openly confronted the commanding officer and you would get the feeling that your back had a large, brightly colored target on it. It wasn't like she had come here to cause trouble on purpose, it just kind of happened on its own.
Luckily for her there was this new distraction, something to take everyone's mind off of the earlier occurrence, including hers. This situation was very odd to Latrena. In all her time aboard starships she had never witnessed a degradation flux differential, save for when they were testing new and somewhat faulty sensor arrays. And to have a differential so small that most people would casually look over it as a glitch meant that it had to be deliberate. Which in turn meant someone was hiding something. But who, and more importantly what? These were questions that she hoped soon had answers.
As he eased back in his chair Kloraq looked around the bridge at his command crew. They were very quiet and busy watching and working on their various consoles. Though they didn't know what situation laid before them they still carried a strong and courageous presence about them. Kloraq couldn't help but feel a bit proud of all of them. Since becoming captain of the Maq'Tau nearly three years earlier he had helped to shape and form them from a crew on the verge of self destruction to one of the finest, and most smooth running crews in the fleet.
Without any warning the whole ship began to shake as the engines abruptly turned off; they were dead in space. The force of the quake had been such a powerful one that it had knocked several of the officers off their feet, and had sent Kloraq sprawling onto the floor in front of his chair.
"Report. What just happened?" the commander asked as he clamored back into his chair.
"It appears that we have hit an artificial nebula of some sort. The moment we made contact we lost all propulsion." A tall and muscular Klingon pressed a few buttons on his panel and began to silently read the report it displayed. "We have also lost communications and long range sensors due to a dampening effect present in the nebula."
"Dampening effect? Could it be a naturally occurring effect?"
After a few more taps to the console the officer looked up from it. "No sir. Someone created the effect using some form of low-band theta waves."
A mysterious sensor discrepancy, an artificial nebula, a dampening effect created by theta waves, it seemed like more and more pieces were popping up but without knowing how they fit together they would never be able to complete this puzzle. One thing was for sure though; someone was deliberately hiding something nearby, something they didn't want anyone else to know about. "Helm, can you find the center of this nebula?"
"Yes, I believe so sir."
"Very good. Set a course and engage at...engage at whatever speed you can give me."
"Aye sir. Engaging at one tenth impulse."
After a brief pause Latrena bent down to speak to Kloraq. "Are you sure you know what you are doing here?" she whispered.
"Of course. I am investigating a potential threat to the Alliance. Our mission is to seek out any unconfirmed presence out here, enemy or otherwise. All I am doing is completing the task I have been given." During his entire speech his gaze had been transfixed on the view screen, and the murky nebula depths that it showed. He had become so still that only the movement of his lips showed signs of life.
Latrena pulled back and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. She knew good and well what their mission out here was and having it reminded to her in such a way was bordering insult. The only reason she had said what she did was as a precautionary step. Charging into an unknown and potentially dangerous situation is not what she had in mind for this voyage, and she felt it was her place to let Kloraq know that.
Kloraq sat there in silence as the ship slowly made its way through the nebula. The time seemed to desperately ache on while the tension and eagerness grew inside of him. He sifted through the clues in his mind, searching for the hidden link that binded them together. His failure to find such a link did nothing but frustrate him, which he nearly let shown. Intently he stared at the screen until finally a pause in the nebula slowly formed ahead of them.
As the rim of the nebula slowly receded off the edges of the screen several ships came into view. There were large ones and several small ones but they all shared a common design, and they all shared a common marking. The moment that Kloraq saw them he instantly recognized them. And with that recognition came the answers to several of his questions. "Romulans!" he blurted out. Quickly he turned around his chair and looked at the tactical officer. "I want to know how many vessels there are, whether or not they know we are here, and the status of our weapons systems pronto!" Kloraq frantically spat out.
Shaking off a bit of shock the officer quickly got to his given tasks. His fingers furiously typed away at the tactical console displayed in front of him. As the needed information sprawled across the display he read it to himself before relaying it to the commander. "Sir, I'm detecting at least three dozen fighter squadrons and approximately eighteen D'Deridex class warbirds. They seemed to be centered around a large station directly ahead. I am not seeing any signs that they have detected us. Also all of our weapon systems are on-line and ready to fire at your command."
"All right then here's the plan. Since they haven't detected us we are going to sneak around and attack their warbirds located in sector twenty-three by thirty-six. After we have eliminated them we are going to attack the station with everything we have until it's destroyed. Once that is accomplished we will..."
"Excuse me sir, but may I talk to you for a moment? I think we should..."
Kloraq's gaze abruptly turned towards the Bajoran woman and he raised his hand to her face. In a swift motion he grabbed her face and pulled it down to his, until they were nearly touching. "I thought we already discussed this earlier. Do you need me to remind you again? Or would you like me to toss you out there to the Romulans? I'm sure they could find a use for a Bajoran woman." With a gulp, fear flashed across the woman's eyes. For a moment the commander intently stared at her. Sensing her fear he released his grip and she went flying backwards, nearly falling off her feet. "Now please, state your objection."
Rubbing her face she slowly stood back up. She flashed back a look of anger towards the Klingon bordering on resentment. "I believe you should reevaluate your plan. The odds of us achieving even the smallest of a victory here is minute."
"That's the point. The bigger the odds the more glorious the victory!" He raised his hand into the air in a gallant manner.
"To be rather blunt sir, we will be killed."
"Then we shall. But before we do we will set forth an onslaught that will invoke many songs to be sung! It will be a most glorious battle!"
Having finally had enough of him Latrena walked over to where the warrior was sitting. "You are being irrational, sir. If we went and got reinforcements..."
Furiously Kloraq stood up from his chair and smacked her across her face with the back of his hand. As she struggled to get off the ground he looked over her with annoyance. "I will not share the glory of this battle with others. Besides, they may all be gone by the time we return. Now I'd suggest you keep your mouth closed for the rest of this mission or I will toss you out into space for insubordination." Kloraq quickly turned around and sat back down in his command chair. "Helm take us to the specified coordinates at stealth speed. Tactical prepare to fire a full spread of torpedoes on my command."
Several members of the crew exchanged looks for a moment, not sure what to do. After an unsettling pause they jumped back into motion and went about performing their assigned tasks.
As she got off the floor she saw a small bit of blood drop to the floor. With her sleeve she wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth and stood back up. After a slight tumble she walked over to behind the captain's chair and leaned against it while she caught her breath. Anger swelled up inside her and all she wanted to do was make the arrogant fool pay. With no support and little strength left she was forced to stand by and wait for the mission to be over though.
A silence fell onto the ship's bridge that was only interrupted by the cracking sounds of Kloraq's knuckles. Everyone's thoughts dwelled on the oncoming battle and it appeared that the commander was the only one looking forward to it. While the rest of the crew normally eagerly awaited battle they didn't look so eager for this one.
"Arriving at the coordinates sir," the helmsman said with a hint of uneasiness.
On the ship's forward view screen three separate warbirds came into view. All of them looked to be sitting there, waiting for something to happen. Whatever they were waiting for though was of no concern to Kloraq. "Target the first warbird and prepare to fire a full spread of torpedoes along its starboard sections. After that proceed to the other two with pattern Kloraq Orion."
The tactical officer hesitated for a moment. Though the moment was brief it was long enough for Kloraq to shoot a defiant glance at him. After taking a deep breath he pressed the fire button and sent several glowing torpedoes on their deadly way.
Silently they trudged through the murky space before the first of them crashed into its target's side. Following suit the rest of the death projectiles impacted at various areas along the warbird's starboard side, including that side's warp nacelle. At the moment of impact between the torpedo and the nacelle there was an explosion which sent debris and warp plasma spewing in all directions. Suddenly it began an uncontrolled spin which sent it flying down deeper into the nebula and out of sight.
Having now let her presence known the Maq'Tau came charging from her seclusion and began to fire several short phaser bursts at its second victim. Plumes of fire rose from the multiple impact hits as the warbird began to tilt and point towards its Klingon aggressor.
"Sir, they are preparing to attack!" someone shouted.
"Ram us down their green-blooded throats helm!"
The engines increased in intensity for a moment and the ship shot forward at its maximum speed. As the ships headed towards oblivion the Romulan warbird shot her own phasers which struck the Maq'Tau's port nacelle connector, but did little more then rock the ship around slightly. With her engines blazing the Maq'Tau steadily closed the gap between the two vessels, but she did not fire.
Almost impatiently the tactical officer hovered his finger over the fire button, waiting for the command to fire. Kloraq sat there transfixed on the growing image of the Romulan ship displayed on the screen. He could almost sense the tension around him grow as the time before impact shrank. A small readout in the screen's corner counted away the time before impact and all of the crew's eyes stayed glued to it. Tick by tick the seconds counted down and slowly Kloraq raised his hand in wait. After nearly the longest time any of them had ever waited Kloraq clenched his hand into a fist which signaled to fire.
Quickly the Maq'Tau fired several phaser blasts along with a volley of torpedoes which all impacted around the warbird's forward sections. Still being on a collision course the Klingon vessel suddenly pulled a ninety-degree roll and barely avoided crashing into the blazing shell of their enemy.
While the glowing hulk of one enemy passed underneath them a fresh one came into view in front. Having witnessed the destruction of her sister ship this one was prepared and ready for the coming onslaught. Both the warbird and the Maq'Tau fired simultaneous phaser bursts at each other. The ones from the warbird did little more then singe many of the forward sections of the Maq'Tau, while the Klingon shots were a bit more accurate and punched several crisp holes into the great bird's head. With a shudder the Romulan vessel teetered before falling forward in an elaborate dive. As it dove down into the nebula's crimson depths the Maq'Tau flew over their enemy's bruised self and dropped several torpedoes like mines that impacted along the warbird's hull before blasting it into several fragments of debris.
As their third enemy fell out of sight the real target came into view, the thing which they had been protecting, the thing that this whole elaborate plot had been constructed around.
"What is that?" Latrena quietly asked what everyone else was silently asking themselves.
Kloraq knew what it was almost at first glance. The smoothness and broad wings made it look different then the others but it still showed several of the defining characteristics. "It's a prototype for a new Romulan warbird." Several people suddenly took in a deep breath of air as the information seeped into their minds. "Tactical, see if you can give me a readout on that ship."
"Uh...yes sir," the officer said trying not to let his wandering mind show. "I'm reading a total of twelve phaser arrays along with six different torpedo launchers.
"So she is more powerful then the others, if not larger. All right let's come up with a way to take her down before she leaves dock. If we target the port connectors I think we can..." The unfolding plan was cut short from completion as the situation before them took a turn for the worse.
With a slight creak and a slow pace the scaffolding around the Romulan prototype bended and folded up and away from the mighty bird. Ever so slowly several lights along its hull winked on and it began to move forward towards its Klingon prey.
"We need some options here. I want a plan of attack and I want it now." Kloraq stood from his chair and looked around the bridge hoping upon hope that one of his officers could come up with a tactic to bring down this new beast.
"If I may suggest something sir." After stepping out from behind the captain's chair Latrena looked at Kloraq with tired, yet friendly eyes.
Being still in a state of anger Kloraq wanted to dismiss her and forget her presence until the proper time. The present situation however demanded a different approach, one which it had become necessary to ignore his personal feelings for the good of his ship and crew. "Go ahead Latrena."
"Sir, if this is indeed a prototype for a new class of Romulan ship then we are the only ones in the Alliance who know about it. We have an obligation to the safety of the Alliance to relay any information about this vessel to our superiors. Since we cannot make contact inside of this nebula I suggest we turn around and head out of here."
"If you're suggesting we retreat..."
"No I am not suggesting retreat, nor would I try again with you. I am suggesting however that we exit this nebula long enough to send a data transmission to the nearest Alliance station so that they are warned of this vessel. Then we can return to engage it and whether or not we are victorious our sisters and brothers of war will know of this ship and hopefully find a way to defeat it."
Kloraq stood there for a moment and rubbed his chin in thought. Latrena's plan did make sense, and it wouldn't count as a retreat per say, more like a fall back to equal terms. And Latrena's other point was correct as well. No matter how hard or bravely they fought the battle ahead they still might lose. If they were to lose then the Romulans would be able to use their warbird prototype to attack several Alliance ships and outposts before anyone knew of it. "Very well. We will proceed with Latrena's suggestion. Helm turn us about a hard one-eighty and head to the edge of the nebula at maximum speed." He looked at his comms officer, "Take every bit of data from this mission and compact it for a data transmission."
"Aye sir!" he heard from all around him before resting back into his chair. His eyes met Latrena's and suddenly he no longer was so upset with her. Perhaps he had been wrong about her, and perhaps she of him. What mattered now though was that they were once again allies in this war, allies ready to die to protect those that needed protection, and those that were willing to do the same.
The trip back through the nebula was running quite smooth. Either the Romulans were unable or unwilling to catch them because they hadn't seen a single ship on their sensors since their reentry of the nebula. Despite this fact the crew stayed alert and at their stations, in case the Romulans had an objection to them leaving. Latrena had resumed standing beside the captain's chair and Kloraq sat leaning forward in it.
After traversing nearly half the distance their calm voyage was suddenly shaken as the ship was tossed about in the murky sea. "Report!" Kloraq shouted over the sound of a display screen exploding.
"Sir, we've been hit by a torpedo in the center aft section. We have lost auxiliary engines as a result."
"By which ship? I didn't know that any were within firing range."
The tactical officer studied his display looking for an answer to the captain's question. "It appears to have been the prototype sir. They must have some how eluded our sensors until they were within range."
So she was quick as well as stealthy; a formidable opponent indeed. Suddenly the ship shook once more as another torpedo hit them. With the impact of a third torpedo the ship began to lose momentum after the feeling of a terrible quake reverberated throughout the Maq'Tau's hull. "What happened? Why are we losing speed?"
"The last torpedo took out part of our port nacelle sir. We are leaking plasma and if I hadn't of shut it down it could have caused a warp core breach."
"How long before we reach the nebula rim?" Kloraq asked gritting his teeth.
"Another three minutes sir."
Kloraq let out a deep breath as he did the mental calculations. At this rate they wouldn't make it out in one piece, but he knew they must for the sake of the Alliance.
With concern in her eyes Latrena kneeled down next to Kloraq. She could see a touch of hopelessness twinkle in his eyes as they exchanged glances. "We have to make it Kloraq, and we will." she softly whispered.
Of course Kloraq knew she was right. He then made the only choice that seemed reasonable. "Take all systems except life support off-line and transfer the power to the engines."
"Including weapons sir?" the tactical officer asked hesitantly.
"Yes, including weapons." Deep down he knew this to be a bad choice but he felt like it was a necessary one. "We need all the power we can get."
"Power transfer complete. We will be arriving at the nebula rim in thirty seconds."
Feeling like nothing was left to do Kloraq relaxed a bit and looked towards the screen, waiting for the nebula to break away from them. Every noise on the ship seemed to dull and fade away until the room grew deadly silent. As the distance shortened another torpedo impacted on them letting them know their foe was still trailing them. Seconds ticked by dragging on for unquestionable amounts until finally the nebula broke and a backdrop of black dotted with shimmering lights took precedence on the screen. "Send the data file now!" Kloraq anxiously shouted.
"Sending." replied the comms officer. A brief pause ensued and Kloraq began to impatiently tap his fingers on the chair's armrest. "File sent sir!" she finally said before Kloraq's thin impatience wore out.
"Turn about and bring the weapons back on-line. Prepare to fire at my command!" Finally their retreat had ceased and they could face the enemy head on like true warriors.
As the Maq'Tau turned it left a trail of glowing plasma behind it. Though it had several puncture wounds scattered over its hull they didn't detract from its menacing look, but rather added to it. Fiercely they stood their ground as the sleek Romulan foe made its appearance from the thick crimson sea. The moment it had fully left the expanse it halted in its approach, and stood its ground with the same intensity of the Maq'Tau.
A standoff, Kloraq thought to himself. But who would make the first strike? He would make sure to answer that question swiftly. "Target all weapons on that vessel and open fire!" he zealy said.
Seconds later several volleys of torpedoes were launched along with several phaser shots directed across the enemy's outer shell. The great bird fired her own phasers and shot down nearly all of the Klingon projectiles before they could make their voyage complete. A number of torpedoes along with the phaser blasts impacted all over the enemy ship, but to the dismay of Kloraq the weapons fire did little more then dent and scratch the ship's covering.
"How do we stop it sir? If our weapons can do little more then dent it then what hope do we have of defeating it?" The question posed by the ship's tactical officer sounded hopeless but it was still valid.
Kloraq relaxed back in his chair rubbing his chin. He hoped to find a solution, any solution that would end this situation. His thoughts were interrupted as the Romulans took their turn in this deadly game.
The Romulans proceeded to fire their phasers over the already bruised Maq'Tau and increased its level of damage. Several shots blasted away hull fragments and punched holes in their hull, littering the surrounding space with debris.
"What do we do sir? We can't just sit here and take a beating!"
Kloraq ushered for Latrena to kneel down again so that he could whisper a suggestion to her without the others knowledge. "I can only think of one thing to do Latrena. Only one course of action that could cause that ship's destruction, but it would come with a price."
As Latrena looked into Kloraq's eyes and listened to his voice she knew exactly what he had in mind. "Are you sure about this? I mean there must be another way." After a moments pause she knew the answer to her question. "Very well sir. If you believe it is the only way then I will support you in this endeavor."
All Kloraq could do was smile at his enemy turned friend. At the mission's start he hated her, threatened her and was ready to carry his threats out. But now in such a brief time he not only understood her, he liked her. He only wished there was more time for the two of them to be friends. "Helm, set course for the Romulan ship, maximum speed. As we approach fire all our weapons at them," he ordered with a heavy sigh.
"Planning another daring tactic sir?" the helmsman asked with a grin. It wasn't until after he witnessed the expression on the commander's face did he realize the seriousness of the order. "What are you planning?" he asked hesitantly.
"The plan is simple." Kloraq said loudly so they could all hear. "Since our weapons don't affect it we are going to ram it. Hopefully the explosion generated by the collision will be enough to destroy it."
The tone of the bridge changed as the crew came to terms with the order and its explanation. Silently they justified the action in their heads, though they still were unsure about it. "Very well sir, setting course."
The ship's engines came to life and the Maq'Tau trudged forward toward destiny. Halfway to doom they opened fire in an attempt to do even the slightest of damage. Kloraq looked ahead in anticipation to his journey's end. While he felt like he wasn't committed to this course he knew this was for the best. If they could take out the prototype vessel it could save thousands of lives. And since they sent the data they had to Alliance command it could seriously hurt the Romulans plans, which is the only thing he ever wanted to do. The action was just, as it should be for that is the only reason he or any of his crew would make such a sacrifice. Suddenly he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder and his decision was made complete. He placed his hand on Latrena's and gave a smile while he watched the Romulan ship grow in size on the screen.
As the Maq'Tau headed for its target the Romulan ship opened fire, blasting even more chunks away from the Klingon ship in a vain attempt to stop her. Both vessels continued to exchange fire in a gallant show of force. To view it you would think it as a scene from some movie or epic tale. Time slowed in wait as the vessels continued up until the fiery end. As the Maq'Tau smashed into its target plumes of brilliance engulfed the scene. With its forward sections gone to death the crippled Romulan ship laid in agonizing pain for but a moment before a chain reaction claimed that piece as well. Ripples spread out in all directions in an effort to tell others what had just happened, to tell of the glory that just took place. After becoming satisfied at its purpose it faded and left nothing but dust.
Mission
The Maq'Tau has been ordered to patrol the Klingon/Romulan border, specifically the Dalaneb sector. Rumors have been circulating that a mysterious nebula has appeared somewhere in this sector, but they are unsubstantiated.
Mission Date:
219th day in the 2368th of Molar
"And this is the bridge of the ship," the Klingon ensign said as he stepped off the turbo lift and onto the command center of the ship. "This is of course where all the command decisions are made and most of the ship's functions are monitored and regulated..."
"I know what goes on inside the command center of a ship, ensign. You can skip the tour speech of yours and take me to Commander Kloraq if you please."
"Of course ma'am, right this way." As the officer turned away a rather disgusted look made its way across his face. The two of them made their way from the lift across the room to the leather captain's chair. "Here you go ma'am," the officer quickly gestured to the chair before turning and walking out of the room.
"Commander Kloraq, how nice to finally meet you. I have been waiting since I arrived on board to..." A sudden grunt of discontent halted her welcome. Silently she stood there for a moment waiting to see what had invoked the response.
After a brief pause Kloraq's chair turned, bringing the two face to face. The moment continued as Kloraq looked over the Bajoran's face as an angry flash shimmered in his eyes. "Let's get one thing straight here, shall we? I am the captain of this vessel, not you. That means that I and I alone can order around officers on this ship. Is that clear?"
"But Kloraq I only..."
"I asked if you understood," the Klingon interrupted, becoming increasingly more agitated. "If this concept is too much for you to grasp then you can take a shuttle back to friendly territory and await passage back to Bajor on a garbage scow."
The Bajoran woman shrunk back from both guilt and shock, not quite sure what to say. "I...apologize sir. It won't happen again."
"See that it doesn't." After a stern look the captain's chair swung back around and returned to its previous position.
Quickly she walked around the chair to speak to the commanding officer once more. "As you know I am here to observe you in this mission and to give a more detailed account of the goings on aboard a warship." A second grunt came from the dissatisfied warrior, which made the woman briefly pause. "I understand that most of you soldier types are usually too busy to fill out a report with the accuracy that is sometimes required. So I have been placed here to file the report for you."
"I already know your place here... What was your name again?"
"Advisor Latrena, but please call me Latrena"
"All right, Latrena. I fully know why you're here and that certain governments in the Alliance think that certain militaries, namely the Klingon and Breen militaries, are being given too many assignments and that both armies aren't taking this war as serious as should be."
"It's not that we don't think your not taking the war seriously. It's just..." Latrena paused and stood there thinking, trying to find the words to explain the delicate situation without offending the warrior in front of her. "Just that we feel the war would progress more favorably for us if there was a touch more involvement from the other power armies in the Alliance."
"Other power armies? Need I remind you why the Klingon and Breen forces are taking the brunt of this war, taking the biggest losses while people like you sit comfortably behind a desk trying to decided how we should fight this war?"
The force of words shot towards her nearly knocked Latrena off her feet. Obviously she had a lapse in judgment in choosing her words since they had so deeply harmed Kloraq. With a touch of sadness in her eyes she once again tried to explain the situation. "There is not a single person in the Alliance that doesn't know the losses suffered by your people and of those suffered by the Breen. And I can assure you that the losses deeply sadden us, but we know they are just the product of war for our freedom. If there was any other way to defeat the Romulan threat then we would gladly put it into action, if only to save more Alliance lives."
Kloraq looked up at the Bajoran before turning and looking off at some distant galaxy. "Do you know how many friends I have lost in this war? How many people I have had to bury?"
"We've all lost someone Kloraq, many of us have lost so many that we don't even bother to count any more."
"When will it end Latrena? It certainly won't with us spending more time fighting each other then fighting the Romulans. And we can start by speaking some truth, like why you're really here."
"Why I'm really here?" Latrena stood there with a puzzled expression. "But I just told you why I'm here."
"No you didn't my dear. You used that tongue of yours to talk around the subject but you are still off. Admit it, you were sent by your government to spy on us, so that they have proof to remove the Klingon Empire from the top seat of power in this so called Alliance."
"Is that why you think I'm here? To get some dirt on your race?"
"Well isn't it?"
"I can't believe you would think that, let alone say it." The two exchanged glances as Latrena stood there, shocked as can be. "Of all the...things you could've said you had to choose that. You stubborn, self righteous..."
"Sir! I think there is something you need to look at!" The tense situation was abruptly interrupted by the ship's sensor officer.
After a harsh and fleeting look Kloraq got out of his chair and walked over to the sensor display panel. He reviewed it for several moments before looking at the officer that summoned him. "Can you inform me what I'm supposed to be looking at?"
"Its right here in sector twenty-three gamma, sir." With a quick tap to the panel the specified area enlarged and took its place on the ship's main view screen.
Kloraq walked to in front of the screen and rubbed his bearded chin as he analyzed the image before him. "Well this is rather odd indeed."
Within seconds he was joined by Latrena, who stood next to him as she did her own analysis. "Do you mind telling me what's so odd?"
A fierce and irritated look shone on the Klingon commander's face, but only for the briefest of moments as he quickly regained his composure. "See how the sensor readout from this area has a point zero four degradation flux?"
"Yes, but that could mean just about anything."
"Pull the image back a bit lieutenant." A few seconds later the image zoomed out and more of the surrounding area came into view. "Now see how all of the surrounding space has a point zero three degradation flux?"
"Your right, that is odd. They should all have an equal degradation flux, but they don't. I wonder why that is."
"I can only think of two possibilities. Either it's a sensor glitch, or we are being fed false data."
"False data? Who would be sending us false data? And more importantly why?"
"Looks like someone is trying to hide something from us. A rather large something at that. Either way I think we should go check it out." The long gray commander robe flew out like the cape of some hero as Kloraq turned and proceeded back to his chair. "Helm, take us to the coordinates located on the screen, maximum impulse." An eerie, almost foreboding silence fell upon the bridge. Only the loud hum from the engines let them register that things were still progressing forward.
Latrena stood nervously next to the captain's chair where Kloraq was sitting. Being the only non-Klingon on the ship during a time of war was enough to make nearly anyone a touch nervous. Add the fact that she had openly confronted the commanding officer and you would get the feeling that your back had a large, brightly colored target on it. It wasn't like she had come here to cause trouble on purpose, it just kind of happened on its own.
Luckily for her there was this new distraction, something to take everyone's mind off of the earlier occurrence, including hers. This situation was very odd to Latrena. In all her time aboard starships she had never witnessed a degradation flux differential, save for when they were testing new and somewhat faulty sensor arrays. And to have a differential so small that most people would casually look over it as a glitch meant that it had to be deliberate. Which in turn meant someone was hiding something. But who, and more importantly what? These were questions that she hoped soon had answers.
As he eased back in his chair Kloraq looked around the bridge at his command crew. They were very quiet and busy watching and working on their various consoles. Though they didn't know what situation laid before them they still carried a strong and courageous presence about them. Kloraq couldn't help but feel a bit proud of all of them. Since becoming captain of the Maq'Tau nearly three years earlier he had helped to shape and form them from a crew on the verge of self destruction to one of the finest, and most smooth running crews in the fleet.
Without any warning the whole ship began to shake as the engines abruptly turned off; they were dead in space. The force of the quake had been such a powerful one that it had knocked several of the officers off their feet, and had sent Kloraq sprawling onto the floor in front of his chair.
"Report. What just happened?" the commander asked as he clamored back into his chair.
"It appears that we have hit an artificial nebula of some sort. The moment we made contact we lost all propulsion." A tall and muscular Klingon pressed a few buttons on his panel and began to silently read the report it displayed. "We have also lost communications and long range sensors due to a dampening effect present in the nebula."
"Dampening effect? Could it be a naturally occurring effect?"
After a few more taps to the console the officer looked up from it. "No sir. Someone created the effect using some form of low-band theta waves."
A mysterious sensor discrepancy, an artificial nebula, a dampening effect created by theta waves, it seemed like more and more pieces were popping up but without knowing how they fit together they would never be able to complete this puzzle. One thing was for sure though; someone was deliberately hiding something nearby, something they didn't want anyone else to know about. "Helm, can you find the center of this nebula?"
"Yes, I believe so sir."
"Very good. Set a course and engage at...engage at whatever speed you can give me."
"Aye sir. Engaging at one tenth impulse."
After a brief pause Latrena bent down to speak to Kloraq. "Are you sure you know what you are doing here?" she whispered.
"Of course. I am investigating a potential threat to the Alliance. Our mission is to seek out any unconfirmed presence out here, enemy or otherwise. All I am doing is completing the task I have been given." During his entire speech his gaze had been transfixed on the view screen, and the murky nebula depths that it showed. He had become so still that only the movement of his lips showed signs of life.
Latrena pulled back and raised an eyebrow in suspicion. She knew good and well what their mission out here was and having it reminded to her in such a way was bordering insult. The only reason she had said what she did was as a precautionary step. Charging into an unknown and potentially dangerous situation is not what she had in mind for this voyage, and she felt it was her place to let Kloraq know that.
Kloraq sat there in silence as the ship slowly made its way through the nebula. The time seemed to desperately ache on while the tension and eagerness grew inside of him. He sifted through the clues in his mind, searching for the hidden link that binded them together. His failure to find such a link did nothing but frustrate him, which he nearly let shown. Intently he stared at the screen until finally a pause in the nebula slowly formed ahead of them.
As the rim of the nebula slowly receded off the edges of the screen several ships came into view. There were large ones and several small ones but they all shared a common design, and they all shared a common marking. The moment that Kloraq saw them he instantly recognized them. And with that recognition came the answers to several of his questions. "Romulans!" he blurted out. Quickly he turned around his chair and looked at the tactical officer. "I want to know how many vessels there are, whether or not they know we are here, and the status of our weapons systems pronto!" Kloraq frantically spat out.
Shaking off a bit of shock the officer quickly got to his given tasks. His fingers furiously typed away at the tactical console displayed in front of him. As the needed information sprawled across the display he read it to himself before relaying it to the commander. "Sir, I'm detecting at least three dozen fighter squadrons and approximately eighteen D'Deridex class warbirds. They seemed to be centered around a large station directly ahead. I am not seeing any signs that they have detected us. Also all of our weapon systems are on-line and ready to fire at your command."
"All right then here's the plan. Since they haven't detected us we are going to sneak around and attack their warbirds located in sector twenty-three by thirty-six. After we have eliminated them we are going to attack the station with everything we have until it's destroyed. Once that is accomplished we will..."
"Excuse me sir, but may I talk to you for a moment? I think we should..."
Kloraq's gaze abruptly turned towards the Bajoran woman and he raised his hand to her face. In a swift motion he grabbed her face and pulled it down to his, until they were nearly touching. "I thought we already discussed this earlier. Do you need me to remind you again? Or would you like me to toss you out there to the Romulans? I'm sure they could find a use for a Bajoran woman." With a gulp, fear flashed across the woman's eyes. For a moment the commander intently stared at her. Sensing her fear he released his grip and she went flying backwards, nearly falling off her feet. "Now please, state your objection."
Rubbing her face she slowly stood back up. She flashed back a look of anger towards the Klingon bordering on resentment. "I believe you should reevaluate your plan. The odds of us achieving even the smallest of a victory here is minute."
"That's the point. The bigger the odds the more glorious the victory!" He raised his hand into the air in a gallant manner.
"To be rather blunt sir, we will be killed."
"Then we shall. But before we do we will set forth an onslaught that will invoke many songs to be sung! It will be a most glorious battle!"
Having finally had enough of him Latrena walked over to where the warrior was sitting. "You are being irrational, sir. If we went and got reinforcements..."
Furiously Kloraq stood up from his chair and smacked her across her face with the back of his hand. As she struggled to get off the ground he looked over her with annoyance. "I will not share the glory of this battle with others. Besides, they may all be gone by the time we return. Now I'd suggest you keep your mouth closed for the rest of this mission or I will toss you out into space for insubordination." Kloraq quickly turned around and sat back down in his command chair. "Helm take us to the specified coordinates at stealth speed. Tactical prepare to fire a full spread of torpedoes on my command."
Several members of the crew exchanged looks for a moment, not sure what to do. After an unsettling pause they jumped back into motion and went about performing their assigned tasks.
As she got off the floor she saw a small bit of blood drop to the floor. With her sleeve she wiped away the blood from the corner of her mouth and stood back up. After a slight tumble she walked over to behind the captain's chair and leaned against it while she caught her breath. Anger swelled up inside her and all she wanted to do was make the arrogant fool pay. With no support and little strength left she was forced to stand by and wait for the mission to be over though.
A silence fell onto the ship's bridge that was only interrupted by the cracking sounds of Kloraq's knuckles. Everyone's thoughts dwelled on the oncoming battle and it appeared that the commander was the only one looking forward to it. While the rest of the crew normally eagerly awaited battle they didn't look so eager for this one.
"Arriving at the coordinates sir," the helmsman said with a hint of uneasiness.
On the ship's forward view screen three separate warbirds came into view. All of them looked to be sitting there, waiting for something to happen. Whatever they were waiting for though was of no concern to Kloraq. "Target the first warbird and prepare to fire a full spread of torpedoes along its starboard sections. After that proceed to the other two with pattern Kloraq Orion."
The tactical officer hesitated for a moment. Though the moment was brief it was long enough for Kloraq to shoot a defiant glance at him. After taking a deep breath he pressed the fire button and sent several glowing torpedoes on their deadly way.
Silently they trudged through the murky space before the first of them crashed into its target's side. Following suit the rest of the death projectiles impacted at various areas along the warbird's starboard side, including that side's warp nacelle. At the moment of impact between the torpedo and the nacelle there was an explosion which sent debris and warp plasma spewing in all directions. Suddenly it began an uncontrolled spin which sent it flying down deeper into the nebula and out of sight.
Having now let her presence known the Maq'Tau came charging from her seclusion and began to fire several short phaser bursts at its second victim. Plumes of fire rose from the multiple impact hits as the warbird began to tilt and point towards its Klingon aggressor.
"Sir, they are preparing to attack!" someone shouted.
"Ram us down their green-blooded throats helm!"
The engines increased in intensity for a moment and the ship shot forward at its maximum speed. As the ships headed towards oblivion the Romulan warbird shot her own phasers which struck the Maq'Tau's port nacelle connector, but did little more then rock the ship around slightly. With her engines blazing the Maq'Tau steadily closed the gap between the two vessels, but she did not fire.
Almost impatiently the tactical officer hovered his finger over the fire button, waiting for the command to fire. Kloraq sat there transfixed on the growing image of the Romulan ship displayed on the screen. He could almost sense the tension around him grow as the time before impact shrank. A small readout in the screen's corner counted away the time before impact and all of the crew's eyes stayed glued to it. Tick by tick the seconds counted down and slowly Kloraq raised his hand in wait. After nearly the longest time any of them had ever waited Kloraq clenched his hand into a fist which signaled to fire.
Quickly the Maq'Tau fired several phaser blasts along with a volley of torpedoes which all impacted around the warbird's forward sections. Still being on a collision course the Klingon vessel suddenly pulled a ninety-degree roll and barely avoided crashing into the blazing shell of their enemy.
While the glowing hulk of one enemy passed underneath them a fresh one came into view in front. Having witnessed the destruction of her sister ship this one was prepared and ready for the coming onslaught. Both the warbird and the Maq'Tau fired simultaneous phaser bursts at each other. The ones from the warbird did little more then singe many of the forward sections of the Maq'Tau, while the Klingon shots were a bit more accurate and punched several crisp holes into the great bird's head. With a shudder the Romulan vessel teetered before falling forward in an elaborate dive. As it dove down into the nebula's crimson depths the Maq'Tau flew over their enemy's bruised self and dropped several torpedoes like mines that impacted along the warbird's hull before blasting it into several fragments of debris.
As their third enemy fell out of sight the real target came into view, the thing which they had been protecting, the thing that this whole elaborate plot had been constructed around.
"What is that?" Latrena quietly asked what everyone else was silently asking themselves.
Kloraq knew what it was almost at first glance. The smoothness and broad wings made it look different then the others but it still showed several of the defining characteristics. "It's a prototype for a new Romulan warbird." Several people suddenly took in a deep breath of air as the information seeped into their minds. "Tactical, see if you can give me a readout on that ship."
"Uh...yes sir," the officer said trying not to let his wandering mind show. "I'm reading a total of twelve phaser arrays along with six different torpedo launchers.
"So she is more powerful then the others, if not larger. All right let's come up with a way to take her down before she leaves dock. If we target the port connectors I think we can..." The unfolding plan was cut short from completion as the situation before them took a turn for the worse.
With a slight creak and a slow pace the scaffolding around the Romulan prototype bended and folded up and away from the mighty bird. Ever so slowly several lights along its hull winked on and it began to move forward towards its Klingon prey.
"We need some options here. I want a plan of attack and I want it now." Kloraq stood from his chair and looked around the bridge hoping upon hope that one of his officers could come up with a tactic to bring down this new beast.
"If I may suggest something sir." After stepping out from behind the captain's chair Latrena looked at Kloraq with tired, yet friendly eyes.
Being still in a state of anger Kloraq wanted to dismiss her and forget her presence until the proper time. The present situation however demanded a different approach, one which it had become necessary to ignore his personal feelings for the good of his ship and crew. "Go ahead Latrena."
"Sir, if this is indeed a prototype for a new class of Romulan ship then we are the only ones in the Alliance who know about it. We have an obligation to the safety of the Alliance to relay any information about this vessel to our superiors. Since we cannot make contact inside of this nebula I suggest we turn around and head out of here."
"If you're suggesting we retreat..."
"No I am not suggesting retreat, nor would I try again with you. I am suggesting however that we exit this nebula long enough to send a data transmission to the nearest Alliance station so that they are warned of this vessel. Then we can return to engage it and whether or not we are victorious our sisters and brothers of war will know of this ship and hopefully find a way to defeat it."
Kloraq stood there for a moment and rubbed his chin in thought. Latrena's plan did make sense, and it wouldn't count as a retreat per say, more like a fall back to equal terms. And Latrena's other point was correct as well. No matter how hard or bravely they fought the battle ahead they still might lose. If they were to lose then the Romulans would be able to use their warbird prototype to attack several Alliance ships and outposts before anyone knew of it. "Very well. We will proceed with Latrena's suggestion. Helm turn us about a hard one-eighty and head to the edge of the nebula at maximum speed." He looked at his comms officer, "Take every bit of data from this mission and compact it for a data transmission."
"Aye sir!" he heard from all around him before resting back into his chair. His eyes met Latrena's and suddenly he no longer was so upset with her. Perhaps he had been wrong about her, and perhaps she of him. What mattered now though was that they were once again allies in this war, allies ready to die to protect those that needed protection, and those that were willing to do the same.
The trip back through the nebula was running quite smooth. Either the Romulans were unable or unwilling to catch them because they hadn't seen a single ship on their sensors since their reentry of the nebula. Despite this fact the crew stayed alert and at their stations, in case the Romulans had an objection to them leaving. Latrena had resumed standing beside the captain's chair and Kloraq sat leaning forward in it.
After traversing nearly half the distance their calm voyage was suddenly shaken as the ship was tossed about in the murky sea. "Report!" Kloraq shouted over the sound of a display screen exploding.
"Sir, we've been hit by a torpedo in the center aft section. We have lost auxiliary engines as a result."
"By which ship? I didn't know that any were within firing range."
The tactical officer studied his display looking for an answer to the captain's question. "It appears to have been the prototype sir. They must have some how eluded our sensors until they were within range."
So she was quick as well as stealthy; a formidable opponent indeed. Suddenly the ship shook once more as another torpedo hit them. With the impact of a third torpedo the ship began to lose momentum after the feeling of a terrible quake reverberated throughout the Maq'Tau's hull. "What happened? Why are we losing speed?"
"The last torpedo took out part of our port nacelle sir. We are leaking plasma and if I hadn't of shut it down it could have caused a warp core breach."
"How long before we reach the nebula rim?" Kloraq asked gritting his teeth.
"Another three minutes sir."
Kloraq let out a deep breath as he did the mental calculations. At this rate they wouldn't make it out in one piece, but he knew they must for the sake of the Alliance.
With concern in her eyes Latrena kneeled down next to Kloraq. She could see a touch of hopelessness twinkle in his eyes as they exchanged glances. "We have to make it Kloraq, and we will." she softly whispered.
Of course Kloraq knew she was right. He then made the only choice that seemed reasonable. "Take all systems except life support off-line and transfer the power to the engines."
"Including weapons sir?" the tactical officer asked hesitantly.
"Yes, including weapons." Deep down he knew this to be a bad choice but he felt like it was a necessary one. "We need all the power we can get."
"Power transfer complete. We will be arriving at the nebula rim in thirty seconds."
Feeling like nothing was left to do Kloraq relaxed a bit and looked towards the screen, waiting for the nebula to break away from them. Every noise on the ship seemed to dull and fade away until the room grew deadly silent. As the distance shortened another torpedo impacted on them letting them know their foe was still trailing them. Seconds ticked by dragging on for unquestionable amounts until finally the nebula broke and a backdrop of black dotted with shimmering lights took precedence on the screen. "Send the data file now!" Kloraq anxiously shouted.
"Sending." replied the comms officer. A brief pause ensued and Kloraq began to impatiently tap his fingers on the chair's armrest. "File sent sir!" she finally said before Kloraq's thin impatience wore out.
"Turn about and bring the weapons back on-line. Prepare to fire at my command!" Finally their retreat had ceased and they could face the enemy head on like true warriors.
As the Maq'Tau turned it left a trail of glowing plasma behind it. Though it had several puncture wounds scattered over its hull they didn't detract from its menacing look, but rather added to it. Fiercely they stood their ground as the sleek Romulan foe made its appearance from the thick crimson sea. The moment it had fully left the expanse it halted in its approach, and stood its ground with the same intensity of the Maq'Tau.
A standoff, Kloraq thought to himself. But who would make the first strike? He would make sure to answer that question swiftly. "Target all weapons on that vessel and open fire!" he zealy said.
Seconds later several volleys of torpedoes were launched along with several phaser shots directed across the enemy's outer shell. The great bird fired her own phasers and shot down nearly all of the Klingon projectiles before they could make their voyage complete. A number of torpedoes along with the phaser blasts impacted all over the enemy ship, but to the dismay of Kloraq the weapons fire did little more then dent and scratch the ship's covering.
"How do we stop it sir? If our weapons can do little more then dent it then what hope do we have of defeating it?" The question posed by the ship's tactical officer sounded hopeless but it was still valid.
Kloraq relaxed back in his chair rubbing his chin. He hoped to find a solution, any solution that would end this situation. His thoughts were interrupted as the Romulans took their turn in this deadly game.
The Romulans proceeded to fire their phasers over the already bruised Maq'Tau and increased its level of damage. Several shots blasted away hull fragments and punched holes in their hull, littering the surrounding space with debris.
"What do we do sir? We can't just sit here and take a beating!"
Kloraq ushered for Latrena to kneel down again so that he could whisper a suggestion to her without the others knowledge. "I can only think of one thing to do Latrena. Only one course of action that could cause that ship's destruction, but it would come with a price."
As Latrena looked into Kloraq's eyes and listened to his voice she knew exactly what he had in mind. "Are you sure about this? I mean there must be another way." After a moments pause she knew the answer to her question. "Very well sir. If you believe it is the only way then I will support you in this endeavor."
All Kloraq could do was smile at his enemy turned friend. At the mission's start he hated her, threatened her and was ready to carry his threats out. But now in such a brief time he not only understood her, he liked her. He only wished there was more time for the two of them to be friends. "Helm, set course for the Romulan ship, maximum speed. As we approach fire all our weapons at them," he ordered with a heavy sigh.
"Planning another daring tactic sir?" the helmsman asked with a grin. It wasn't until after he witnessed the expression on the commander's face did he realize the seriousness of the order. "What are you planning?" he asked hesitantly.
"The plan is simple." Kloraq said loudly so they could all hear. "Since our weapons don't affect it we are going to ram it. Hopefully the explosion generated by the collision will be enough to destroy it."
The tone of the bridge changed as the crew came to terms with the order and its explanation. Silently they justified the action in their heads, though they still were unsure about it. "Very well sir, setting course."
The ship's engines came to life and the Maq'Tau trudged forward toward destiny. Halfway to doom they opened fire in an attempt to do even the slightest of damage. Kloraq looked ahead in anticipation to his journey's end. While he felt like he wasn't committed to this course he knew this was for the best. If they could take out the prototype vessel it could save thousands of lives. And since they sent the data they had to Alliance command it could seriously hurt the Romulans plans, which is the only thing he ever wanted to do. The action was just, as it should be for that is the only reason he or any of his crew would make such a sacrifice. Suddenly he felt a hand squeeze his shoulder and his decision was made complete. He placed his hand on Latrena's and gave a smile while he watched the Romulan ship grow in size on the screen.
As the Maq'Tau headed for its target the Romulan ship opened fire, blasting even more chunks away from the Klingon ship in a vain attempt to stop her. Both vessels continued to exchange fire in a gallant show of force. To view it you would think it as a scene from some movie or epic tale. Time slowed in wait as the vessels continued up until the fiery end. As the Maq'Tau smashed into its target plumes of brilliance engulfed the scene. With its forward sections gone to death the crippled Romulan ship laid in agonizing pain for but a moment before a chain reaction claimed that piece as well. Ripples spread out in all directions in an effort to tell others what had just happened, to tell of the glory that just took place. After becoming satisfied at its purpose it faded and left nothing but dust.