Chapter Title: Rules of Engagement
Chapter Synapses: Part One of Two. The Krenim finally arrive in great numbers through subspace corridors and they besiege Deep Space Nine. Starwind is upset when Hyperion is not dispatched to help retake the station.
Written by: Seraph Koji
Previously…"We call it the Shrine of the Fallen Star. Your word, Hyperion, it looks like the symbols we saw on the temple… your ship… well…" Raizel pointed over the cliff just ahead of them.
"I won't do it again." Collins broke down, "Not another ship, another crew! Not again!" She pounded her fist on the hull, "This world, this race be dammed! I won't do it again!"
"The Krenim?" Janeway pondered a moment, "Yes, yes. I have heard of them."
"We have reason to believe that they are the aggressor in the impending war." Starwind reported to her.
"Captain, Commander, I have a stardate. 57802.8. This computer has on file that this is the date of a battle at Deep Space Nine in which a Federation Captain loses his life." VonBach read, "Captain Victor Starwind."
"No matter what, Vic, you are forbidden from setting course for Bajor, or even contacting the Bajor system." Janeway ordered.
"Vedek Lios to Sen, Hyperion has received orders to report to Deep Space Three. Starfleet says the ship may be as much as a month late."
And now, the continuation…
"This is weird." An ensign called to another in the Operations center of Deep Space Nine.
"What is?"
"This odd subspace reading."
"Red alert! Colonel Kira to Ops!" one screamed as the first ship exited the subspace anomaly.
Starwind entered Janeway's office on Deep Space Three. "You need something, Vic?"
"You hear the news?" Starwind said, ready to pack up and ship out, "Vodwar Corridors spotted in the Bajor system. Hyperion can deploy in two days."
Janeway shook her head, "I'm preparing a task force. I've also sent word to Starfleet Command. This could be the day."
"Admiral, with all due respect, Hyperion is the most ferocious ship in the fleet, she should be on the front lines!" Starwind protested.
"So you can die and Hyperion can find itself crashed on the surface of the Tal'Nori world?" Janeway presented, "We'll keep an open comlink."
"Who is leading the fleet?" Starwind asked.
"Captain Jellico and the Crazy Horse." Janeway said, "Admiral Judge has requisitioned the first of the new Albatross-class. I'm not sure if he plans to join the fleet, though."
"Albatross?" Starwind rose an eyebrow, "Like the bird?"
Janeway smiled, "It's a modified Galaxy. Three nacelles and the first totally Federation-engineered Multiphasic Cannon."
"Sounds like fun." Starwind rose, "Admiral…?"
"No." Janeway shot Starwind down.
"Has anything emerged?" Starwind asked.
Janeway shrugged, "We're awaiting reports."
"This is stupid!" Keriasso expressed his displeasure to the person who would agree most, VonBach.
VonBach sat in the lunge, sipping synthohol. "We should be at point in that task force, not sitting here as far from the action as we can be. It's ridiculous."
Keriasso thought a moment. "I'll speak to General Kane at Starfleet Command. Maybe he can pull strings to get Janeway's order rescinded."
"Sounds like a great plan, Al." VonBach smiled.
Keriasso rose an eyebrow, "Al?"
"You don't mind, do you, Major?" VonBach asked.
"Al." Keriasso said, not quite liking the sound of it, "Commander, most people just call me Keriasso. Few people call me Aldrino, and no one has ever called me Al."
"Until now." VonBach corrected.
Keriasso sighed, "Fine, Joe." He stood up, "And by the way, Starfleet, don't try to pull rank on me, because the only Starfleet officer I'll listen to is your Captain. Have a wonderful day." He left.
Alert sirens blared on Deep Space Nine as Sen entered the Infirmary.
"Are you injured?" A Bajoran nurse asked.
Sen shook his head, "I'm a doctor. Sen Asim from the Hyperion. I'm here to help."
"Hyperion?" Julian Bashir approached, "Vic Starwind's ship?"
"You know him?" Sen asked.
Bashir nodded, "Yes, we worked together some months back." He paused, "I'm sure we could use another hand."
A fellow of a species none of the officers in Ops recognized graced the viewscreen. "My name is Abraxis, Force Commander of the Krenim Imperium. To whom am I speaking?"
"My name is Colonel Kira of the Bajoran Militia." She said, plainly, "How did you get here?"
"An ally with amazing propulsion technology, Colonel." Abraxis smiled, "Now, then. Do you know of a group known as the Federation?"
"Why?"
"Because they took something from us. And we want it back." Abraxis took a data device from a subordinate, "The name we received from our ally was 'Kathryn Janeway'. Ring any bells?"
Kira looked as if she had been put into a difficult position, "You've come to the wrong place."
"Really?" Abraxis asked, "Because it seems to me the ships docked at your station have the same transponder signatures as the ship that attacked our fleet and stole our temporal weapons technology."
"About that…" Kira laughed nervously and signaled for the Communications officer to cut her off, "Tell the ships docked to disembark and engage the Krenim. Tactical, bring Station Defenses on-line and open fire on my mark. Somebody, inform Starfleet Command as to our situation."
"Crazy Horse to the fleet." Came over the comm, "D.S. Nine is in combat with the ships that emerged from the distortion. They call themselves the Krenim."
"This is it." Collins said, sitting on Hyperion's bridge, "Hyperion to Starwind, recommend we recall all officers on station and be ready to deploy."
"This is Starwind, the Admiral said we are not to deploy." Starwind sounded upset.
On the bridge of a ship in the fleet, the Pendragon, Captain de Ayora sat, anxious.
"Sir?" Bridges, the first officer, asked, "Why is the Crazy Horse leading this and not us?"
"Captain Jellico has more experience than any other Captain in the fleet. In fact, he has more than Donavan Ramsey and I combined."
"ETA?" Bridges asked the ensign at Helm.
"Two hours."
"Dearborn to DS9, their torpedoes are tearing through out shields. We can't defend ourselves. We're falling back to…" A frantic female voice faded to static.
"Colonel, almost all the ships have been destroyed. Defiant is severely damaged and has docked again."
"Intruder alert!"
"This is Kira to all hands. Grab phasers. We're being boarded."
"D. S. Nine has been boarded." Came the call across subspace. By now, Starwind was on the center of the bridge.
"Ivano, at maximum warp, how long to get to Deep Space Nine?" Starwind asked.
"A little over a day. We'd be almost six hours behind the fleet." Ivano ran calculations.
Starwind thought intensely for a moment before rising, "I am about to commit a direct violation of our orders. Any of you who wish to object should do so now, it will be noted in my log."
"Sir, if I may speak freely?" Collins asked.
Starwind did not look at her, "I've never stopped you before, Dorian."
"To hell with our orders, sir."
Starwind smiled, "Ivano, retract moorings and release docking clamps. Set course for Deep Space Nine, maximum warp." He paused a second, "All hands, red alert."
"We'll be there in about a day, sir." Ivano ordered.
"Phral, go decrypt some more of the tactical data on the Krenim and send it to my Ready Room." Starwind ordered.
Phral nodded.
"Dorian, you have the bridge." Starwind exited to his ready room.
"Captain's log, stardate 57800.0. Defying Admiral Janeway's orders will no doubt earn me a court martial. Though, if the Admiral is right, that's of little consequence. The fact of the matter is that I have men on Deep Space Nine, and I'm not about to lose them."
"Phaser fire!" A nurse shrieked as a bolt of energy shot past the Infirmary.
Bashir handed Sen a phaser, "Here, in case these Krenim happen to try to take the Infirmary."
Sen took the phaser and eyed it curiously, "This is a different way 'to do no harm', Jules."
"I'm a different kind of doctor, Asim."
The door opened and a grenade rolled in, "Take cover!" Sen screamed, diving behind an unoccupied biobed. The resulting blast killed one of the nurses.
"Protect the patients!" Bashir called to several nurses with Bajoran weapons.
"We plan to move your patients to roomier lodgings, Doctor." Came the voice of Abraxis, "Out the airlock with the invalids. Much roomier. As for those like yourselves, able to work, you'll be laborers on the Krenim warships this station will hold."
"On three." Sen said, then counted, "One… two… three!" Both of them opened fire and dove back behind the biobed.
"Shoot randomly. Good plan." Bashir commented.
Sen didn't like his partner's tone. "Got a better one?"
Talara looked up as Starwind entered the bridge. "The fleet is dropping out of warp."
"Put Starfleet Frequency 1482 on audio." Starwind walked over to Talara's console.
"Capps to Katamari, fall back to mobile position one."
"Crazy Horse to Bose, target the lead ship."
"Oh my god!" a very frantic woman called, "The Station has opened fire on the Merilvingian."
"Crazy Horse to Deep Space Nine!"
"Their torpedoes! The Krenim torpedoes are tearing through us. Our shields have no affect."
Starwind pressed a key on Talara's panel, turning off the audio.
"Their shields were ineffective." Collins said, confused.
Starwind swallowed hard in fear and started for the center of the bridge. "We need a plan."
To be continued…
