Chapter Title: So Long Sweet Summer
Chapter Synapses: Part one of three.A terrorist attack on Risa during peak vacation season claims tens of thousands of Federation lives, and Hyperion leads the on-site investigation.
Written by: Seraph Koji
Starwind sat in his quarters in a casual uniform. He sat on a couch holding a small data padd. "Captain's Log, stardate 57333.6" He began, "Maybe I'll feel better talking about this. Not to Amy, she's still recovering. I just want to tell the story. Maybe it will help me sort things out…" Starwind sighed, "In the last forty-eight hours a most unimaginable attack on the Federation occurred. In the next forty-eight, I anticipate war will be declared, war with the Romulan Star Empire." Starwind rose, "My problems lie…" He paused, "Let me just explain what happened."
Two days earlier…The planet Risa. Famous for its hospitality and perfection as a resort planet, saw the height of it's tourism season.
Amy West sat in the brilliant sun and sipped her drink. "This is spectacular." She smiled, "I really should have come here before."
A person ran past, frantic.
West sat up. She wore rather casual dress, but slapped on her comm. badge. She stopped the man, "Amy West, Starfleet. What's wrong?"
The person pointed, frightened.
"My god!" West looked toward the giant wall of fire scorching the landscape, moving rapidly toward her.
Starwind nodded, "Understood, Minister." He rose and entered the bridge, "Ivano, set course for Risa, maximum warp. They're under attack."
"Aye, sir." Ivano quickly hit controls, changing the ship's course.
West dragged a few people, rather burned, into a force-field protected area.
"This will not hold." A Vulcan observed.
West shot a cold glare at the Vulcan, "It will hold."
A person on fire ran toward them screaming, but fell to the pain long before reaching protected areas.
"West to Ticonderoga." She tapped her badge again, "The attackers must have destroyed my runabout." West thought quickly, coming up with no solution.
"It's coming!" One tourist screamed as the wall of fire bore down on them.
"ETA?" Starwind asked, nervously.
"Fifteen minutes." Ivano replied.
Talara looked at Starwind, concerned, "Captain, Amy was spending shore leave on Risa."
Starwind shot her a glance, "I know." Starwind stood next to Ivano's seat, "Bridge to Engineering, give me everything you got to the warp engines!"
"Warp Nine." Ivano reported.
"Come on…" Starwind glared at the viewer, almost demanding it show him Risa.
"The fire!" Someone protected by the force-field generators pointed as fire slammed into the field.
West nodded, "Cross your fingers, everyone."
"Exiting warp in orbit of Risa." Ivano reported.
Talara reported the findings of the sensors, "Captain, there are five ships in a low orbit creating a wall of fire, razing the surface of Risa. Planetary defenses are disabled."
Starwind nodded to VonBach.
"Firing quantum torpedoes; high-yield, full spread." VonBach instantly opened fire.
The farthest generator seemed to be buckling, but West, who had suffered from the intense heat, held out hope. Suddenly, the ship above burst into thousands of pieces, several fragments hitting the force field, breaking through and injuring tourists.
"Hyperion to Lieutenant Commander West. What is your condition?" Starwind called in her comm. badge. Sadly, debris pinning her prevented her answer.
Soon, survivors began to dematerialize.
"Bridge, this is Sen." He ran through corridors, "We have a triage center set up in Cargo Bay Two. Beam survivors there."
"Acknowledged, Doctor." Talara replied.
"Status of the unidentified ships?" Starwind asked.
"Three destroyed, two retreating." VonBach looked over to Starwind, "Shall I disable or destroy them?"
"Disable them. I don't want to kill the underlings if they're working for someone." Starwind ordered.
Collins theorized; "Syndicate?"
Starwind shook his head, "There's nothing to gain."
"Terrorism." Talara said the word Starwind had been thinking since the call came in.
"Bridge to Sick Bay, status of Commander West?" Starwind asked.
"Seriously injured, Captain. Some minor burns, but the debris that hit her hurt her fairly bad." A nurse replied, "She's far from out of the woods."
Starwind looked over to VonBach, "I want some of those 'terrorists' in the brig. I want to conduct interrogations myself."
"Sen to Starwind." Starwind's badge chirped, "Risa sent casualty estimates. Wounded aboard Hyperion, roughly two hundred. Deceased, about fifty thousand."
"… that's where it began. It didn't take time at all to disable the crafts and board them, and so I did as I promised. I conducted interrogations."
Starwind walked into the brig, nodded as he passed the guard, who dropped the containment field, so Starwind could walk straight up to the Romulan man in the holding cell and slam him against the wall, "What the hell was that?"
The Romulan said nothing.
Starwind threw him on the ground, "Answer me, Romulan! What the hell are you doing here?"
But there was still no response.
"Captain, the Romulan's vitals are dropping." The security officer looked up, "He's poisoned himself."
"It has… begun…" The Romulan laughed as he slipped slowly into death.
"Damn!" Starwind growled.
"… but I had to report to Starfleet Command. They needed to know Romulans manned the five ships. This was an act of war. And a damn big one. Fifty thousand dead, and counting."
"Contact Senator Terak. I want her patched through to my ready room." Starwind exited to his ready room and sat down. His console displayed the logo of the Romulan Empire. A Romulan female replaced this logo.
"Captain Starwind, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Terak asked, with genuine interest.
Starwind's attitude was rather different, "Senator, why did the Romulan Empire attack Risa? Claim over fifty thousand Federation lives? What the hell was the Senate thinking? Was the Praetor really itching for war?"
"What are you saying Victor?" Terak asked, confused.
"Cut the act, Senator. We know the Empire was behind the attack. And Starfleet Command is preparing to respond." Starwind threatened.
"Fifty thousand?" Terak asked.
"Federation citizens." Starwind added, "That's an act of war, Senator."
"Captain, please." Terak said, with legitimate concern, "Believe me when I say neither Praetor Krevek nor the Senate issued such an attack."
"Tal Shiar then!" Starwind screamed.
Terak shook her head, "Captain, I ask you to not risk war without a more thorough investigation."
"You just want to delay our counterattack." Starwind growled. "Delay so the Empire can be ready to defeat us at the Neutral Zone and parade to Earth. You will have no such luck."
"Why didn't I listen to her? Maybe because the attack put West in such a position, teetering between life and death… maybe because there was a dead Romulan on my ship and fifty thousand dead Federation citizens below me. But I believed, in my heart of hearts, that Romulus had declared war on the Federation. And that Earth should issue a proportional response."
"Bridge to Starwind, Captain Ramsey of the USS Nixon for you." Talara's voice rang through his comm. badge.
"Put him through." Starwind looked at his terminal, "Don!"
"Victor, what's all this about Romulans?" Ramsey asked.
Starwind shook his head, "War, Donovan."
"Vic, I'm going into the Neutral Zone to investigate this Risa attack. I don't think I'm totally convinced it was an act of war. There hasn't been much buildup of Romulan forces lately."
"You saying some sect did this?" Starwind looked inquisitively at his old friend.
"Look at the facts, Vic." Ramsey said plainly, "No troop mobilization, no attacks besides Risa…"
"I was so convinced, though. Donovan Ramsey wasn't enough to change my mind. I wanted to find proof on Risa to show him, to tie this attack to the Senate or the Tal Shiar or something. But I didn't. At 0900 hours the next day, I checked in with my investigation team led by Lieutenant Sarah Winters."
"A lot of the ship's computer was erased, but it was apparently constructed in the Neutral Zone, I got the coordinates." Winters reported. "Risa authorities report the planet will re-open in approximately one month with improved orbital defenses."
Starwind nodded, "What about Tal Shiar?"
"We're still looking. We can rule out a Senate action, though." Winters informed him.
"I didn't want to hear it."
"You're saying these bastards are innocent!" Starwind stood.
"I'm saying, sir, we'll report again in one hour." Winters repeated herself, unsettled, "Permission to speak freely?"
"What?" Starwind screamed loudly.
Winters responded quietly, "I believe that you have lost objectivity. Let your judgment be clouded by the magnitude of this attack. You are chasing innocents."
Starwind calmed himself and returned to his chair, "Dismissed."
"Then, new orders came from Starfleet Command…"
"This is Admiral Nechiev on behalf of Starfleet Command." The image of the woman appeared on the viewscreen. "All available Starfleet ships are to amass at Starbase 132 and from there proceed to the Romulan Neutral Zone. The Federation takes the Romulan attack on our people at Risa as an act of war. Any Romulan presence in the neutral Zone is to be eliminated."
"Talara, recall Lieutenant Winters' team. Ivano, plot a course for Starbase 132." Starwind ordered.
"Winters to Hyperion." Winters' voice came thorough Hyperion's comm. system, "Request to be left behind and report findings via subspace? We'll meet up with you at the Neutral Zone."
"… as for what happened at Starfleet Command, a recording of a meeting of Admirals was sent to my Ready Room. A 'sign of things to come' Admiral Preebe called it…"
"Watch this with me." Starwind said to his senior officers in the conference room.
Several Admirals appeared on the screen, in a recording of a meeting.
"The attack on Risa demands an immediate, and as Captain Starwind, senior on-sight investigator, has advised, a proportional response." Admiral Preebe, a human woman, demanded.
A Vulcan voiced his concerns, "You are talking about a large-scale attack on possibly innocent people."
"Yes I am." Preebe replied without a second thought, "Risa."
"It is settled." A highly decorated Admiral ended conversation, "We will enter the Neutral Zone."
To be continued…
