Chapter Title: Ashes to Ashes
Chapter Synapses: Part three of three. The first season concludes with Hyperion deep within the Neural Zone. Both the ship and away team are under siege, and Stariwnd finds himself face-to-face with the leader of the terrorist cell.
Written by: Seraph Koji
Previously…"My god!" West looked toward the giant wall of fire scorching the landscape, moving rapidly toward her.
"It has… begun…" The captured Romulan laughed as he slipped slowly into death.
The senior officers viewed a recording of a meeting, "It is settled." A highly decorated Admiral ended conversation, "We will enter the Neutral Zone."
Starwind conversed with Admiral Janeway. She looked grim, "Vic, given the gravity of the situation, a resolution for war is being drafted."
An ensign stood at Operations. "Reading the Federation fleet directly ahead, they've entered the Neutral Zone."
Preebe smiled, "You see? War is inevitable."
"VonBach, I have two words for you." Starwind stood, facing the viewer, "Battle stations."
And now, the conclusion…
Lights faded to red, and sirens blared. Starwind did not move when issuing orders, "I want every torpedo bay armed. Shields to maximum. Prepare to deploy fighters, runabouts, and anything with a phaser array on my mark. Select, but don't lock on to, a wide array of targets on both sides. Bring the Point Defense Matrix on-line. If we are gonna sit in the crossfire, we'll give them hell. "
"Sir, no PDM." VonBach replied, sternly. Seeing Starwind's surprised look, he added, "Computers make mistakes. I don't."
Starwind slowly nodded, said something under his breath, and proceeded to issue other orders, "Talara, we stay between those fleets, got it?"
"Aye, captain." She replied.
"Weapons systems ready." VonBach reported.
The ensign at Operations reported in, "The Lockheed is powering weapons."
"Bad move, Admiral…" Starwind fixed his gaze on the Khitomer class on the screen, "You'll never know what hit you."
"Torpedo fired!" the ensign cried as a light shot from the Lockheed.
"Mark!" Starwind screamed, "Quantum torpedoes, maximum yield, full spread." Out of every shuttle and fighter bay of Hyperion, swarms of support craft emerged. With almost inhuman speed and proficiency, VonBach's hands flew across the Tactical controls. In seconds, targets were locked and fired upon. Salvos of torpedoes shot at both sides of the conflict, drawing attention to Hyperion.
"Sir, several ships have locked weapons." The Operations ensign reported.
"VonBach, Point-Defense. Talara, adjust to attack pattern Starwind-Beta." Starwind quickly issued orders.
The ship began to move between the fleets, but VonBach did not respond to Starwind's commands.
"Joseph!" Starwind turned from the viewer to scram at him.
He was still non-responsive.
"Five torpedoes bearing on is, I can't shake them!" Talara cried.
Five phaser blasts came from Hyperion, hitting and detonating all the torpedoes.
Starwind shot VonBach an odd glance, shrugged, and turned back to the viewer, "Keep 'em coming, VonBach."
The runabout docked aboard the Nixon, and Collins and Ivano entered the Prometheus class' bridge.
"Commander! Ensign!" Ramsey greeted them.
Collins strode to the Tactical console with a determination, "We're making our stand." She said, authoritatively, "Captain, if I may go on shipwide?"
Ramsey motioned to his Operations officer who nodded as a chime filled the ship.
"This is Commander Dorian Collins of the Hyperion, your ship is going to assist ours is avoiding war by holding off the warring parties until those responsible are captured." Collins announced, and motioned for the transmission to be cut, "Ensign Harper, set course, maximum warp. Ivano, take Operations. Don't worry, anyone can do it. Captain Ramsey, I'm proceeding to Red Alert." Collins did not give time for, nor did she want, the Captain's input.
Ramsey sighed, "As the lady said."
"Computer, prepare for multi-vector targeting mode." Collins ordered.
Ramsey looked surpprised, "You know about that?"
"That this class can split into three and auto-attack a selected target? Yeah." Collins nodded, "The Prometheus Project was closed a while ago, that information is public now."
"Right." Ramsey sighed. This girl was on his nerves.
Hyperion's bridge shook with another blast, knocking crew about.
"Direct phaser hit to our foreword shield generator. A power relay overloaded, but no major damage!" Phral reported from the engineering station.
"VonBach, Talara, move to attack pattern Starwind-Theta. Concentrate more fire on the Romulan ships, they keep hitting our aft shields. They keep that up, they'll punch a hole right into our hull." Starwind ordered.
"Sir, two Romulan ships, Thal'Rax class, have been defeated. So has the Potemkin and the T'Pel." The crewman at Ops reported.
"A ship is coming out of warp. Matching information about the Angel of Romulus. It has fired on both fleets as well." Talara reported, confused.
"Aft shields are bucking!" The ship rocked again.
Three more torpedoes bound for Hyperion were severed on the viewer.
"He's hit nearly 93 percent. The Point Defense Matrix hits at 70 percent." A bridge officer observed.
A siren blared across the bridge, "Intruder Alert!" the computer informed them.
"Only one. Came over from the Angel, and beamed in near cargo bay three." Phral reported, "I had to re-route power from internal security systems to bring the shields back on-line."
"VonBach?" Starwind turned to see a glazed over look on VonBach's face as his hands flew across the controls. Starwind sighed, rising from his chair, "Lieutenant Talara, VonBach is off in his happy-land. I'm going to go handle this intruder, you have the bridge."
"Sir, a status report before you go. Less than two percent of our support craft compliment has been destroyed, shields are an 70 percent, weapon banks are good, and there is as yet no casualty reports." Phral reported.
"Thank you, Chief." Starwind entered the turbolift, "Cargo Bay Three."
"Approaching the battlefield." Ensign Harper reported from the helm.
"Drop to one-quarter impulse." Ramsey ordered.
"Computer, initiate multi-vector targeting mode." Collins ordered. The ship shook and groaned as it broke into three separate parts.
"Select target." The computer chirped.
Collins wasn't sure, but answered as best she could. "Any ship other than the USS Hyperion or her support crafts."
"Lieutenant Talara has sent us a message. 'Better late than never.'" Ivano reported.
Starwind tread the corridors carefully, his phaser rifle rounding corners before him. He rounded another corner to find the light of his rifle illuminating a frightening sight. Before him, in the garb of a Romulan solder, stood a blond human male.
"What the hell?" Was all Starwind could say.
The man smiled, "Hello, Captain Victor Starwind. My name is Zachary Decker." There as a short but remarkably awkward silence, "I am the leader of the Children of Romulus. We wish to purify the corrupting government of our Empire. We wish to remove the weak elements so we can thrive again."
"You're human."
Decker laughed, "But I'm so much more. I am an icon for the new Empire. I have given the Romulans a glimpse into a future no Romulan could bring about alone. Because no one knows the Federation better than one of her former solders. You see, after we attacked Risa, we knew an impulsive Federation would seek to punish the Empire. A war between the two would leave this half of the galaxy in shambles. And we will rebuild the galaxy to our liking."
"One problem." Starwind lowered his weapon, "I'm winning." He quickly slapped his comm. badge, "Bridge, is the Nixon here yet?"
"Yes, sir."
"Have them target the Angel. And ask VonBach to lock a Multiphasic Burst on it. Tell the fighters to open fire on her as well." Starwind ordered, "And advise both fleets we have the man responsible for this catastrophe on our ship."
"No, you don't." Decker attempted to activate a small transport beacon.
Starwind laughed, "What are you trying to contact? Right now, if your ship lowers shields, it'll be torn in half."
"Not that ship, Captain." Decker smiled.
"Sir, a Thal'Rax class is decloaking and trying to disable our shields." Talara's frantic voice called.
"Starwind to VonBach, fire everything we got at that ship! We aren't letting this guy go!"
"Sir, the Lockheed is assisting the Thal'Rax."
"Preebe, that stupid…"
"Angel of Romulus has been destroyed, our shields are failing." Phral called though the comm. system.
Starwind thought a moment, "Starwind to Nixon, beam the other person at my location to a holding cell."
Hearing this, Decker turned to dash away before the Nixon could get a lock, but Starwind promptly shot a burst from his phaser rifle into Decker, making him fall to the ground, "Why did you make me have to do that? They always go the hard way." He dashed for the turbolift once the body dissolved into a beam of light.
Collins walked to the front of the bridge and gestured to Ivano, "Transmit to both fleets."
Ramsey rose and stood beside her, as if to share in the credit, as they began transmission.
"A few moments ago, Captain Victor Starwind of the USS Hyperion captured the leader of a terrorist cell looking to spark the very war that this is the beginning stages of. He is in our brig, and we will have him tried for his actions. Now, stand down."
Gradually, the amount of weapons fire on the screen decreased, and the pieces of the Nixon began to reintegrate.
Starwind stood in the transporter room, awaiting the crew he had sent off. They materialized, and greeted him.
"Good show, Dorian. You too, Quatre." Starwind said to his officers, "Ramsey could tell you were my crew. He said you were so well-trained you ran his ship for him."
Collins blushed, "Yeah, well…" She averted her eyes, "I'm sorry."
Starwind nodded, "I told him I gave you both orders."
The three left the room and began to walk the corridors.
"So, ablative hull armor is officially exiting the testing phase next month." Collins informed Starwind.
"If it doesn't explode, VonBach won't care." Ivano laughed.
"Starwind to bridge." He tapped his badge, "Set course for Starbase 116. Lieutenant Winters' and her team should be waiting for us there. Best possible speed."
"How are repairs?" Ivano asked, entering the turbolift, "Observitorium Two."
"Oddly, we escaped with moderate damage." Starwind shrugged, "We blew power relays left and right, overloaded three shield generators, and our internal sensors are shot, but aside from that. Phral's teams are underway."
"Crisis averted?" Collins asked, "Deck two."
"Crisis averted." Starwind smiled, "Bridge." The turbolift doors slid shut.
