Chapter Title: Onward to Cardassia

Chapter Synapses: Starwind and Collins recall their participation in the final conflict of the Dominion War in an attempt to write a holo-novel about the end of the war.

Written by: Seraph Koji

"Lieutenant Commander Talara, set course for Cardassia Prime, same speed as everyone else. All hands, battle stations." Starwind ordered.

"Aye Captain." Talara replied.

"Computer, freeze program." Collins eyed Starwind, "You know you can't use names. This isn't meant to be a biography. And what if they prefer to remain nameless."

"But it is the true story of the USS Destiny's first real battle, and the end of the Dominion War. Besides, everyone has given consent." Starwind countered.

"Just wait till holosuites and holodecks across the quadrant start playing 'Onward to Cardassia' by Victor and Dorian Starwind." Collins smiled, imagining her name being well known for something besides a tremendously failed mission taken on by Red Squad.

"You mean Victor Starwind and Dorian Collins." Starwind laughed nervously, "I think these long nights writing are getting to you."

"Maybe."

"So why not do the story of the Valiant?" Starwind asked.

Collins shook her head, "Mister Sisko's little article gave Valiant enough coverage. Like she could ever rest in peace to begin with." She paused, "Besides, the tale of the Destiny is one I havn't heard?"

"Once it's declassified, I'll write about Destiny's last mission." Starwind returned to the simulation, "Resume program."

"Then for a while nothing happened. Computer, proceed to second time index marker." Collins ordered. The bridge crew shifted a bit, and a fleet of Cardassian, Breen, and Jem'Hadar ships appeared on the screen.

"I'm excited." Collins smiled.

Starwind stared at the monitor, "That makes one of us. I loose my operations officer, chief medical officer, chief engineer and first officer in this battle." Starwind pointed out, "By the time we take Cardassia, almost a third of my crew is dead or dying."

"Go and ruin the ending." Collins stood off to the side, "Computer, resume."

"This is the Defiant to all ships." The voice of a female offered the orders, "Engage the enemy."

"You heard the lady, Talara. Take us in. Lieutenant VonBach, fire at will."

"Yes, sir!" VonBach smiled.

"Two Breen ships off our stern." Reported a Vulcan operations officer.

"VonBach!" Starwind screamed.

"Firing quantum torpedoes." VonBach reported as the bridge shook.

"The Breen energy weapon had no effect." The Vulcan reported.

Starwind faced Talara, "Talara, take a pass at that Jem'Hadar battlecruiser."

"With pleasure." Talara stared at the monitor, "This is for that Andorian transport you blew up last week, you Dominion bastards!"

"Firing." VonBach called.

The voices on the comm. channels crackled on the bridge, "The Romulan line is breaking. Their flagship is destroyed." A frightened voice called.

"We'll help them." The voice of Ben Sisko called.

"Destiny is en route to aid you, Defiant." Starwind called.

"No, Destiny, break their center lines. They are weakest there." Ross ordered.

"Aye, sir. Talara, set course…" The bridge shook.

The Vulcan cleared debris from his console, "Three Breen ships and two Jem'Hadar ships on us, sir,"

"As I look into the gates of hell…" Starwind began.

VonBach screamed, "Returning fire!"

It was no use. The bridge consoles erupted into flames, knocking the Vulcan back.

Starwind ran to his side, and looked around at the other fallen crew members. "Medical emergency on the bridge. I have men down!"

"So do we, Captain." A female voice replied, "This is Ensign Amy West. The Chief Medical Officer is dead. "

"Ensign West, do you have extensive medical training?" Starwind asked.

"Some." She replied.

"Consider yourself Chief Medical Officer." Starwind ordered.

West protested, "I'm a counselor, sir!"

"You also are qualified. So do it." Starwind stared at the dying Vulcan, "Vorek. He was my Ops officer and a hell of a first officer. Well, for the way things were then. Destiny was my first command. This was my first mission… He had the experience to keep me in check. Too bad our time was cut so short." Starwind looked up at the Breen ships closing on the monitor, "Well, this is how it went." He said under his breath. He stood at the center of the bridge, his crew all unconscious around him, "All right you Breen bastards! Come and get me!" He crawled over to the helm, "Fine, than I'll come and get you! Setting collision course!" As Destiny flew toward the Breen ships, Starwind tried frantically to initiate section separation.

"Sectional Separation ability is presently off-line." The computer responded.

"Damn!" Starwind pounded the console, "So this is how my first command will end."

The Breen ships on the monitor burst into flames.

"The Cardassians are firing on the Jem'Hadar and the Breen." A voice e reported ecstatically over the comm.

"This is the Destiny, what's left of us is setting course to break the central lines!" Starwind reported.

"Brave move. Most captains would run back to Federation space this damaged." Collins observed.

"It was foolish." Starwind smriled, "VonBach, can you get up?" Starwind called across the bridge.

"How's commander Logical and the blue girl?" VonBach struggled to his feet.

"Vorek is dead. Talara is unconscious. The rest of the bridge crew falls into one of those categories." Starwind said, regretfully, "And we are going to punch a hole through their lines. The Cardassians are on our side now, so we stand a chance."

"Let's kick some refrigeration suit ass!" VonBach started firing phasers left and right, "These lines are gonna break!"

"Hold on" Starwind warned as Destiny spun between enemy ships to cross the line."

"We're through. Other ships are en route to Cardassia Prime." VonBach reported.

"Freeze program." Collins ordered, "Let's continue tomorrow."

The following morning, Starwind sat in the Observitorium, sipping a coffee. VonBach sat at the table with him.

"Doing a story about Destiny, eh?" VonBach asked.

Starwind nodded, "Back when you were an idiot Lieutenant instead of an idiot Commander."

"So," West sat down as well, "Why is Dorian working with you on the project? Wasn't she fresh out of the Academy at the end of the war?"

"Isn't it obvious? He wants to spend time with her, and she with him." VonBach smiled, "They are such a cute couple, aren't they?"

"I totally agree." West smiled.

VonBach posed a question for West, "Wouldn't the Chain of Command get in the way?"

"Nah!" West smiled, "They won't mix business with pleasure."

"Will you two lay off?" Starwind laughed uneasily.

VonBach chuckled, "Is that a request or order?"

"A request." Starwind said, flatly, "I can't mix business and pleasure."

Collins approached with a couple data padds and tea. "Captain, I have he duty roster you wanted, and the outline of the upgrades you requested."

"We'll leave you too to write." West dragged VonBach off.

Collins sat down, "What was that about?"

"Nothing really. Just the story." Starwind covered the truth, "Wanted to be sure they got a fair representation of themselves." Starwind took the data padds, "Looks about right. And I'll see you at 1700 hours in Holodeck Two."

The day passed and the Battle of Cardassia began again in the holodeck. Talara was conscious again, and a new officer sat at operations. The ship was in a decent stage of repair, far better than back at the lines. Starwind tapped his badge, "Starwind to West, how are things down there."

"Well, I'm no doctor, but we are on top of things. As far as the causality report… let's just say too many." The Ensign West replied.

"I need everyone able to man a post manning posts." Starwind said, firmly, "Starwind to Engineering."

"Captain, Chief Webber is dead. I am his assistant Gregory Bronski." A voice reported.

Starwind closed his eyes, "Bronski, I want everything you can give me from that core." Starwind paused, "All hands, this is Captain Victor Starwind. We are tired. We are injured. We are sick of the battle. But we cannot give up. We and the rest of the Allied Fleet are going to bury this war here and now. This is the eye of the storm. It will get much worse again. We are Starfleet! We are steadfast and resolute! And we will send the Dominion packing! Onward, to Cardassia!" Starwind delivered a powerful pep speech.

"You are really good at those short speeches, you know." Collins commented.

"Sir, visual contact with Cardassia." Talara reported.

"On screen!" Starwind ordered. On the viewer of the Omega class ship, a massive cluster of Jem'Hadar and Breen ships as well as Cardassian Orbital Defense Platforms fromed a wall around Cardassia.

The comm. channels buzzed to life as the leaders addressed the fleet, "This is Admiral Ross-"

"-and Chancellor Martok-"

"-to the fleet. We will launch a three-pronged attack on the final line. The combined Cardassian-Romulan wing will take the Jem'Hadar, the Klingon wing will take the Breen, and the Federation will take the Orbital Defense Platforms." Ross ordered.

Martok laughed, "This will be a glorious battle! Songs will be sung of this day!"

"It will also be a costly battle. We'll loose about a third of our fleet, not including ground troops." Ross followed Martok's gleeful remark with bitter figures.

"VonBach, target the nearest defense platform and open fire!" Starwind ordered. Attack after attack, platform after platform, for a period of time difficult for Starwind to measure, the Destiny made attack passes.

"This is the Defiant, hold off! We have a positive surrender!" Sisko cheered.

"Wahoo!" cheers rose over the comm. channel. Klingon voices sang.

"Everyone, set a new course, for Deep Space Nine!" Ross called, victoriously. The whole way back to D. S. Nine Klingon songs flooded the comm. channels. At times, when he picked up on patterns, Starwind joined in.

In the D. S. Nine wardroom, a ceremony was held to end the war, which Starwind attended. Later that day, Admiral Ross met with Starwind and his surviving senior staff; West, Talara, VonBach, Bronski and of course Starwind himself.

"The five of you have done amazingly brave things. Some taken jobs thrust upon you, some doing exceptional jobs at what you already knew, all performing beyond the call of duty. It is my great pleasure and great honor to use the powers vested in me by the United Federation of Planets to award you all the Christopher Pike Award of Valor, and to give you, Captain Victor Starwind, the Jonathan Archer Award for excellent leadership in 'crunch time'." Ross handed out the awards, "You all have earned these. And you all are some of the finest damn people I have ever served with. To press on and open the lines with a ship as battered as Destiny was… you are heroes of the Dominion War without a doubt."

A voice over of Victor Starwind filled the room, "West, VonBach, and Talara all got promotions for their service and Bronski became Chief Engineer. VonBach took the role of First Officer, and did a right poor job of it right to the end of the Destiny, to be replaced by Dorian Collins shortly after. After the destruction of the Destiny only four years after the war, a large portion on her crew, and some new friends, boarded the starship Hyperion where they serve today."

"Computer, end program, save as 'Onward to Cardassia, a true story by Victor Starwind and Dorian Collins' and transmit to my publisher on Earth. Save a copy to Hyperion's database as well." Starwind smiled at Collins.

"Vic, why did you want me on this project." Collins asked, "I wasn't there."

"Exactly." Starwind walked up to her, "As someone who wasn't there, you made the perfect co-author, leaving out the unimportant crap, and leaving those torturous Klingon ballads."

"So it wasn't some attempt to spend more time with me?" Collins asked.

Starwind paused and averted his glances. "The duty roster… it looks nice. Get it into effect this week."

Collins paused, "Maybe we should pretend I didn't ask that."

"Yeah." Starwind nodded, "There's a good idea."

"So the publicist will view it by next week and have it in circulation this month?" Collins asked, changing the subject completely.