Chapter 5

Thunderchild's advance

On Board the Aikra class Battleship known as the Astex Captain Amanda Folds looked at the scans that had come in, the first thing she noticed was the sheer size of the ship and that the ship had no artificial gravity, for this it had the centre section that rotated around the ship.

"What's the weapons system of that ship Mr Brownson and how big is it?" she asked the LT at operations.

"According to scans Captain, the ship is 1,400 meters and is powered by Fusion Reactors." Continuing to cycle through the data; "weaponry seem to be plasma based, and by the looks of things she's a warship."

"One more thing Captain, just after we scanned her she started to accelerate towards us"

On board the Illustrious within the ready room, and 3d model of the warship that was now closing down on them hovered over the table, its key sections were highlighted.

Commander Seven of Nine sat down looking at the ship with Cassandra, when the Commodore walked in with the Astex second in commander, Commander Korf, a klingon that had join Starfleet in the war and served onboard the Astex, and after the war had stayed with his captain. At seven foot Korf was an impressive sight, he was wearing Klingon Battle armour, and looked bemused at the model of the ship he saw before him.

"This is Commander Korf he is the second in command of the Astex, I thought it would be of interest to meet."

The two looked at each other as Korf was about to speak, a Com channel open, Commodore and Commanders to the bride"

Exiting the room, they walked onto the bridge, "Commodore I was searching through looking for communications and found this, it's called ISN, and I think it's a news channel of sorts?" Lt Richard Sandleson said looking down at his console, "it appears things have just got a little more, complicated."

"Put it on screen Lieutenant", the intelligent officer, key in a few commands, and ISN channel appeared on the main screen.

The bridge crew looked at a human, and se was from earth, they watched in disbelief as they saw that Earth had proclaimed marshal law, and that they had started to attack civilian domes on mars and the like.

"My god" Nathan said, "We've found earth, but its not one I recognize"

"Commander Seven" Commodore barked looking at both her and her opposite number from the Astex, "yellow alert raise our armour but do not charge weapons let see just who we're dealing with first, Commander Korf, you are to return to the Astex with the following message." He said as he finished typing a message into a message pad and handed it back to Korf.

"I understand" he said simply and tapped on his com bade Astex one to beam, with that he vanished off the bridge.

"Commander, time to contact?"

"Time now less then forty minuets, sir we are being hailed"

Nathan stood and looked directly at the screen, then simply said "On screen commander."

On board the Thunderchild, the bridge crew had recovered from being scanned and now were at full alert, the captain looked towards his executive officer, "Commander what can you tell me about the situation we're getting ourselves into?"

"To be honest captain", the officer said in reply, "not a lot scans are still be reflected, and the ship or ships still seem to be there, we should be within visual range within thirty or so minuets sir"

Walking round the bridge he saw the Psi Corps Ms Parker was standing look intently at the screen, her icy glaze seems to then switch to the captain.

"You have a suggestion? If so please I'm open to all advice in a situation like this"

A brief smile played across her face, at least he was seeing sense, "Yes a simple one, why not try to hail them and let's see what we are dealing with."

"Hail that ship" that captain said looking towards the young officer that sat behind him.

"Channel open sir"

"Unidentified ship, this is Captain Hamilton of the Earth Alliance's ship Thunderchild, identify yourself."

As the screen flicked open the crew blink as they saw humans on a bridge that they new little about.

"This is Commodore Nathan Rothchild of the United federation of Planets, commanding the USS Illustrious, we were about to ask you the same question?"

Looking at the screen Nathan could see that the bridge was similar to that of earlier styles of warships and vessels of the federation's history. His mind went back to the holo- image of the NX01 Enterprise that he had seen at a young officer many years before. He also had a strange feeling about the woman in black stand just behind and to the right of the captain.

"What can we do for you captain?"

Looking at the humans on the screen, the captain noticed the strange woman standing to the left of the Commodore she had metal devices to the face and also to the hands that he could see. They were not in any kind of uniform that he knew, it was obvious to him that he must be working with the traitors, and there fore his vessel must be boarded.

"Commodore under the articles of Earth Alliance I hereby order you to stand down and prepare to be boarded."

"I beg your pardon but I will NOT stand down, to inferior forces like yourself." Nathan spat.

He then ended transmission, "Get me Captain Folds, and send her a copy of that last transmission.

A few minuets later the captains imagine appeared on the screen, "Commodore, I think it's time we showed these Earth Alliance people just who there dealing with."

"Captain I am sending you a plan of attack on a secure channel, confirm when you have it, and we still the run in one minuet from my mark."

"Commodore I have your orders"

The commodore looked at the screen one last time and calmly spoke one word "MARK"

How dare he, how dare he call us inferior, looking round at his bridge crew, and ever the normally calm Mrs Parker looked a little shaken.

"Time to optimal firing solution" the captain spat his fury still burning deep within him.

"Time is…….Sir the ship, its gone from our sensor readings."

"FIND THEM!"

The two federation vessel went to full impulse heading directly at the Warship, within minuets they pealed off, one hard to port, one hard to starboard, passing along side both sides of the warship within 100 meters, then swung round to take up aggressive postures on either side of the warship.

The crew of the Thunderchild saw these two white ships move at an impossible speeds.

"COLLISION ALERT!" screamed the helm as for a brief second it look as if both ship were about to slam into the Thunderchild.

"What the hells happening will someone answer me?" Screamed the captain
A stunned crew watched both ships peal off at the last second, then take up point on of the port and one of the starboard.

"Full stop, ready weapons, report" snarled the captain.
The Thunderchild slowly came to a stop, as it did so the two Starfleet vessels tracked its movement, but did nothing.

"The two sensors are still being bounced off sir, but there appears to be two echoes targets"

"Sir we are being hailed by one of the vessels"

As the screen came to life, the command deck of the Thunderchild appeared, the captain looked as if he was about to burst.

"You WILL be boarded Commodore, stand down or be fired upon" as he snarled his let set of orders he turned to look at one of his officers, "target there vessels, with lethal force."

Nathan shook his head in disbelief; he was sure this show of manoeuvrability would at least clam this Captain down, but obviously it had not.

Seven started to type something into her console; a few seconds later a single bleep on the Commodore console alerted him that something needed his attention.

"Please stand bye" Nathan said calmly.

The channel went to standby mode.

He read the message from the commander, smiled and nodded towards her.

"Channel open……" the channel flicked open.

"Captain under the circumstances I would have to refuse your order to be boarded, and if you so much as fire one weapon at either the Illustrious or the Astex we will respond with equal force."

The captain smiled, knowing full well that the full power f this Omega destroyer would make mince meat of these two small.

"Fire"

As the main weapons of the Thunderchild struck home open the Illustrious the ship shock, around the bridge crew people started to work feverously at there stations.

"Damage report" Barked the commander

"Armour down to eighty six percent commander"

The commodore could see that the captain of the Thunderchild looked pleased for a moment when his weapons first fired, but the smile on his face faded when he saw that the full power of his ships main weapon had made little impact to this Illustrious.

"Commander now"

Onboard the CnC deck of the Thunderchild Ms Parker started to feel a strange feeling as she looked at the Commodore; he seemed to be smiling in at her.

"Captain I fell…………"

she started to scream, a high pitch scream of panic, the captain spun round to see her start to vanish in a swirl of blue light, then the screaming started to be heard, but this time on the view screen, as the member of the Psi Corps appeared behind the Commodore, two men in yellow uniforms appeared either side of her with what looked like weapons drawn.

Cassandra who had formed just outside the range of the view screen now walked into shot and spoke quietly into the Commodores ears, who seemed to smile.

"Commodore shields are now back on line"

"Raise shield target weapons systems and engines, FIRE" Nathan said slowly, but deliberately.

The shields around the Illustrious formed as the Thunderchild open all weapons upon it, most of the strikes now hit just outside the vessel.

"Sir the weapons, there not getting through, they've some sort of energy shielding!"

With that the pulse phaser cannon, opened up ripping effortlessly into the engines of the Tunderchild, the vessel tried in vain again and again to land an effective shot on the Illustrious, to little effect. All of the Thundechilds fire power was now diverting from the Astex, and towards the Illustrious.

"Shields down to sixty five percent Commodore" the commander informed him, with that the Illustrious opened up with all phaser banks stripping the Thunderchild off means to defend herself, however within the last minuets they launched 6 nuclear tipped missiles towards the Illustrious. There was a blinding flash of white light as each one hit home. It knocked out all sensors from the Thunderchild and the Astex, it seemed as thought the Illustrious had been destroyed.

"Report" screamed the Captain watching the instrument panels flicker as the helm officer spoke, " I cannot make anything out, all scanners are off line engines have been destroyed, weapons systems have been neutralised"

"NOOO!" cream Captain Amanda Folds "The bastards, they killed her, take us in give me a broad side, get me hail them"

A scene of chaos appeared on the view screen as the bridge of the Thunderchild appeared.

"This is Captain Amanda Folds, and the last face you will ever see. FIRE"

As the Astex flew passed the Thunderchild, she opened up with all fifteen torpedoed launches, as each photon torpedoes slammed into the side of the Thunder child it set off a chain reaction blowing the once proud ship into nothing more then a fire ball and debris, as the Astex passed through the field of destruction, the Illustrious could be seen, coming into view none the worse for wear, a friendly face of the Commodore looked towards her. "I suppose that's farewell Thunderchild!" On the other side of the Commodore she could make out the woman in black shaking and just kept say "no, its not true…"