A/N Thanks to EroSlackerMicha, AnonymCzZ, and LoErneBraska for their reviews. Thanks to them and all those who honor me by reading my story. I do not own these characters but knowing you all are reading brings me joy.
Admiral Preston Duvall passed through security and entered the super-secret headquarters of the Earth Defense Command at exactly 0900. As with its distant forerunner NORAD, it was contained within a mountain. It had been created as a response to the Xindi attack and was the core of a series of steps that had been taken to try to give Earth possible protection against future attacks.
He would be taking command for the next seventy-two hours. Then after seventy-two hours off, he would return for another stint. Admiral David Masters greeted him as he approached the command station.
"Good morning, Preston. Right on time as usual."
"Good morning, David, wouldn't want to make you work overtime."
"Well, as usual, there's not much going on. Do want to let you know that the President is at Starfleet meeting with Admiral Gardner. Also, as you know, Enterprise is off on the good will tour or whatever they call it."
"Thanks, David. Well, if that's it, why don't you get out of here, I'm sure Sally is waiting for you."
"Yeah, my granddaughter has a birthday party tomorrow. Will be nice to see everyone."
As he left, he said his usually parting shot, "Take care of anything, try not to let the Earth get destroyed, I need this job."
Duvall moved behind the table and sat down in the command chair. Just then, his second in command took his seat just to his right. While the senior officers worked their three-day shift, the rest of the personnel were assigned for a year at a time, living on site. Captain Justin Harvey just had three weeks to go before he would be leaving. His replacement had already been there for three months. All of the positions were offset like that to be sure everyone was aware of what was needed.
Harvey spoke up, "Good morning, Sir. Here's the latest data from the teams."
There were three different groups in the compound. The command station was located in the center with each of the teams occupying a third of the area around it.
The first team was the data gathering group. They gathered data from a myriad of sources. The main one was a series of 'listening posts' consisting of satellites containing highly sophisticated long-range scanners that constantly monitored every section of space.
They also received reports from sub-warp ships that were constantly on patrol. Then there were less sophisticated sources like cameras on the same listening posts and even tips that citizens could call in to a data bank. The last was mostly in respect to Terra Prime who had been added as a threat to monitor.
The second group was communications. The set up that Archer had used for his fairs was based on what the Command Center had. There were alternate paths and backups for every type of communications. Duval had two 'phones' on his table, one to get directly to the President and the other to Starfleet.
The last group was the military arm. Unfortunately, Earth did not have a powerful Warp fleet. There were only four Warp 5 Starships and only Enterprise had been upgraded.
Basically, there were three lines of defense. The first was an anti-missile defense. It was doubtful that an enemy would use weapons they would be effective against, but it had existed before and had been modernized just in case.
The second was the aforementioned fleet of sub-warp ships along with some warp 1 and warp 2 ships. The fleet had been built up to forty ships armed with phase cannons. They were constantly in the air, patrolling from orbit and also in reconnaissance missions deeper into space.
The last effort was that it had been decided that at least one of the four starships would be on hand at all times. Currently the only ship available was Duvall's old command, the Intrepid. It had been getting repairs and was still in a hanger in space, but Captain Martin had assured Starfleet they were ready for action.
No one involved with the defense kidded themselves. They knew those defenses would probably not be enough, but a least they had something with which to fight back, to give themselves a chance, or at the very least, buy some time, get advance warning.
As Duvall finished up reading the reports, he and Harvey took a tour, checking what the current situation was and talking to the team members.
They had just finished in the scanning section and were heading back to the command desk, when they heard someone exclaim, "What the hell?"
They turned back and saw that several individuals were looking in amazement at their monitors.
Duvall asked, "What is it?"
Everyone tried to talk at once, finally, Duvall got them to speak one at a time.
"I swear, Admiral, it wasn't there just a few moments ago and I haven't had anything unusual on my sensors at all."
Duval snapped, "What wasn't?"
Then another interrupted, "Here, Admiral, I have a visual of it."
Duvall hurried over and his blood ran cold when he saw a ship with a warbird emblazoned on it. At that moment his fears were confirmed when another voice announced, "The scanning computer has given a 97% certainty it is Romulan."
As Earth ships headed for the scene, the Warbird fired three missiles toward the Earth. Two of them were intercepted and destroyed by anti-missiles, but the third hit Geneva and created a thermo-nuclear explosion.
Stunned, Duvall exclaimed, "My God, they're using nuclear weapons."
As they watched, the ship began to cloak, but an Earth ship arrived and hit it with several phase cannon blasts. The Warbird was damaged and became visible. Two other Earth ships then finished it off.
Duvall, recovering from the shock, announced, "I'm sure he isn't alone, I'm going straight to Code Red."
He turned to the head of the military team, "Jenkins, get all our reconnaissance ships back here at once."
Jenkins, who was still staring in shock, snapped out of it and said, Yes, Sir." He then started working with communications to contact the fleet.
Duvall took it upon himself to contact Intrepid.
When he established contact, he was connected to Commander Christopher Stallings, Intrepid's First Officer.
"Where is Captain Martin, I need to talk to him."
"Sorry, Admiral, he took a few days off to take his family camping. I can try to reach him if you want."
"There won't be time for that." Duvall took a deep breath. He knew that Stallings had just been assigned to Intrepid but Martin had spoken highly of him. Well, they would soon find out what kind of an officer he was.
He went on, "Well, Commander, then I guess you're the one."
He then used his Admiral voice. "What we believe is a Romulan ship decloaked and destroyed Geneva with a nuclear weapon. We destroyed it but I am sure it is not alone." He saw a startled look on Stallings face but it quickly disappeared. "We have called the outlying defense fleet home. You are to proceed to the coordinates that are being sent now. We are also including information on their ships. You are to monitor the situation and move to confront and destroy the enemy."
Then his voice got quieter, "I know you will do us proud."
"Thank you, Sir,"
After Duvall signed off, Stallings took a breath and looked at the shocked faces of the others on the bridge.
"Lieutenant, did we get the coordinates and information?"
Snapping out of her shock, Lieutenant Warner said, "Getting them now, Commander."
Turning to his helmsman, he told him, "Set a course when you have them, but wait for my order to proceed."
"Yes, Sir."
Turning to his Armory officer, he smirked and said, "Well, I guess this is it. I have a feeling we will soon know what this ship is capable of."
Turning back to Warner, "Put me through to the crew."
When she signaled it was ready, Stallings took a deep breath and announced. "This is acting Captain Stallings, I have just received notice that Earth is under attack by a hostile power. This is not a drill. All personnel will report to their battle stations. I repeat, this is not a drill."
He turned back to his Armory officer, "Sound Red Alert, bring up all weapons and polarize the hull."
He then turned to his Helmsman, "Okay, Ensign, I don't want to be caught in this hanger, get us out of here. One half impulse."
Duvall looked around the room and felt a sense of pride. In spite of the horrible shock they had suffered, the teams were back at work, handling the situation professionally. He picked up one of his phones and was connected to Admiral Gardner.
Gardner, sounding exasperated, "Okay, Admiral, do you know what the hell is going on? We are getting reports of some kind of Nuclear devastation in Geneva."
Duval quickly filled him in. Gardner sighed, "Well, we have talked about war in the future, but I would never have imagined that it was start this soon or like this."
Duval said quietly, "I understand the President is with you, have you heard anything about his family?"
Gardner looked over at Samuels, sitting in a chair in the corner, his head in his hands. "As you can imagine, all normal lines of communication are down. We used high level Starfleet frequencies to get in contact with our personnel nearby. It appears that both the Presidential Palace and the Parliament building were destroyed. Thank God Parliament wasn't in session."
Pausing, he said, "Have you contacted Captain Archer and the rest of the starships? We don't know how widespread this attack is. They may be in danger."
"No sir, I'll contact them at once."
"All right, I am leaving you in charge for now. You have the resources. Contact me immediately with any change in the situation."
"Yes, Sir."
Tribune Kratar, commander of the Romulan Fleet of now nineteen ships, was not happy. This mission had been half-cocked from the beginning. He wondered what had possessed the Praetor to be in such a hurry, that the attack needed to take place now. Oh, he knew he said it was because it provided an opportunity to kill the individuals most prominent in the promotion of some sort of Alliance, but surely they could have taken the time to develop a plan for that.
Instead, he had been ordered here apparently because his was one of the few fleets equipped with nuclear weapons and were within range of reaching Earth on time. Actually, Kratar had the feeling that it was the fact they were about the only fleet that was within range that made him decide to use nuclear weapons in the first place.
But this was no way to run a Romulan Hover Rail. There had been no probing of defenses, no advance scouting. He had found that Earth had established a reasonably potent defense force, especially since his ships needed to go into the atmosphere and decloak to launch the weapons.
He had decided he was not going to risk the entire fleet and had sent one ship. As he had feared, after they fired the missiles, they had been attacked before they could completely cloak.
If he dared, he would abandon the mission and just go on with the plan to wait for Enterprise and the others to return. But he knew the Praetor would have his head if he gave up so easily.
He knew what he needed to do. He needed to greatly weaken Earth's defenses and then proceed with the original plan. He was outnumbered but they had analyzed the ships and knew they were no match for his fleet. But he also knew he would suffer more casualties.
Reluctantly, he gave the order for the fleet to decloak and launch an attack against the Earth's ships.
Just as Duval finished his call with Gardner, the scanner team informed him that nineteen ships had decloaked and were heading on an arc to attack the Earth fleet.
Duval quickly informed Gardner and sent a message to the other three starships. Then, after having everyone monitor the situation, and seeing nothing more to do, hoped against hope they could somehow repel the invaders.
At Starfleet, after reluctantly informing the already depressed President of the latest developments, Gardner collapsed into his chair, feeling numb and helpless. By the time any of the Starships returned, it would be too late. And even if they could somehow arrive in time, it would still be doubtful they could affect the outcome.
If only there was some other way to obtain help. Then, he suddenly sat up and literally hit himself in the forehead. How could he have been so negligent, so stupid?
He went over to the President. "Mr. President."
Samuels looked up, his face haggard and looking like he had been crying. Gardner hated to interrupt him but he needed his help and maybe it would help him that he could do something.
"Mr. President, I need your help."
Samuels straightened up a little and asked, "What is it, Admiral?"
"We need to contact the Vulcan and Andorian fleets that are holding maneuvers. I need you to convince them to come to our aid."
Samuels sat up straighter, "Can they get here in time?"
"From what I know about where they were planning to hold them, I think it is possible they could make it. Depending of course how long we can hold on. But in any case, they might be able to cut short the damage the Romulans inflict."
Samuels rose and said, "I'm ready, let's get this done."
Captain Kess of the Vulcan Cruiser Satara sat in his chair conversing with his Andorian counterpart, Commander Wetain. After some initial clashes of cultures, Kess felt the exercise had gone well. He was still repelled by the wild emotions of the Andorians but also found they could be very professional and were quite proficient at their duties. He was also surprised at the capabilities of their ships. He realized they could be a valued ally.
For Wetain's part, dealing with the Vulcans was like working with robots. He had to admit their ships were the most powerful he had seen, and the crews worked with precision; but he missed the interactions between the individuals on the bridge. The Vulcans never used two words if one would do. But he had come to realize what a powerful partner they could be.
Their conversation was interrupted when the communications officer announced. "I have a message marked urgent and sent on a top priority protocol. It is from the President of Earth."
Wetain showed his surprise and Kess raised an eyebrow, "Put him on the screen."
When the picture appeared, both commanders were shocked to see the obvious stress on the President's face.
"I am Captain Kess of the Vulcan Starship Satara, this is Commander Wetain of the Andorian Imperial Guard. How may we be of service to you, Mr. President?"
His voice raspy, Samuels quickly said, "Earth has been attacked by forces of the Romulan Empire. They destroyed one of our cities. We stopped further attacks on Earth, but they are now destroying our defenses. It is only a matter of time before they will be able to resume their attack. We need you to come to our aid immediately."
In spite of himself, Wetain gave a small gasp, while Kess also had to fight to remain stoic. But then he said, "I do not have the power to make that decision. It would most likely put Vulcan into a state of war with the Romulan Empire."
Samuels face showed shock and despair; he desperately appealed to Wetain. "How about you Commander, will you come?"
Wetain fought a battle within himself, then reluctantly said, "My last orders where to treat Captain Kess as my superior officer. In any case, I have not been able to contact Andoria for some time. Like the Captain, I cannot make this decision for Andoria."
Seeing the utter despair on Samuel's face, Kess continued, "The High Council must make the decision, I will contact them at once."
Resignedly, Samuels said in a voice barely above a whisper, "Very well, do what you must do. But for God's sake do it quickly." He then signed off.
Kess, exchanging a glance with Wetain, turned to his communications officer, "Sub-commander, get me through to the High Council, use the highest possible level of urgency."
Not able to completely hide her surprise at him utilizing a very rarely used protocol, she said, "Understood, Captain."
Minister S'Tal sat at his station in an otherwise empty High Council. He was surprised to hear the communication computer signal an incoming message. He was completely stunned to see it was using a protocol reserved normally for threats to Vulcan itself.
Hurrying over, he answered, "This is Minister S'Tal, are you aware you can be held accountable for using this protocol without due cause?"
"This is Captain Kess of the Satara and I am well aware. I need to speak immediately to Minister T'Pau."
S'Tal blanched a little, "I am afraid that will not be possible, both she and Minister Kuvack are going through the Kenari and will not be available for several hours."
S'Tal thought how T'Pau and Kuvack had debated where they should both take the deep mind cleansing and healing ritual at the same time. In the end they had decided it was illogical to think that something would happen in a twelve-hour period that could not be handled by others.
Kess had continued, "I received a message from Earth that they are under attack from the Romulan Empire and need immediate help. Who is in charge that can make the decision?"
"I am alone here." As of speaking to himself he went on, "I have only been a minister for a short time, my expertise is agriculture."
Kess, with a hint of contempt in his voice, "Then, I am to wait until Minister T'Pau is available?"
S'Tal straightened his back, feeling a little embarrassed by his showing of weakness, "No, I am in command, I represent the High Council, you are to go to Earth's aid."
A little surprised at the change, Kess asked, "You do realize this could be construed as an act of war?"
Now confident, S'Tal answered, "You have your orders. Carry them out."
After Kess signed out, S'Tal's confidence began to leave him and he wondered what T'Pau would think of his actions.
Kess turned to Wetain, "You better return to your ship. You of course are no longer subject to my orders. I have no right to ask you to bring a possible war to Andoria."
Wetain managed to look offended, "It is I who will decide whose commands I will follow." Then he smiled darkly and said, "My brother was killed when the Romulans attacked Shran's ship. Do you think now that I have a reason to interfere that I would miss a chance for revenge?"
Once again Kess arched his eyebrows and then turned back to the Sub-commander. "Get me the President."
When Samuels was again on the screen, Kess told him, "I have received orders to come to your aid. We will arrive in approximately 2.4 Earth hours."
The expression on Samuels face changed dramatically and he found a small smile as he said heartfully, "Thank you from all the people of Earth."
When the President signed off and told Gardner the good news, the two embraced. Then, seeing the look of sadness return to Samuel's face, Gardner said quietly, "They could be all right. I am sure it will take some time before we will know what has happened to everyone."
Samuel's gave a small sad smile and said, "Thank you."
When Duvall heard the good news, he relayed it to his teams who gave a cheer. But it was quickly subdued as they thought of all those that were dying in the continuing battle. Two-thirds of the Earth fleet was destroyed, but they had damaged or destroyed eight Romulan vessels. Intrepid had been a tower of strength but was now in more danger as the Romulans could concentrate on her.
Kratar stared at the information his second in command had given him. Destroying the Earth's defenses had taken more time and a had elicited a bigger cost than he had anticipated. And even now, the last defenders fought on. The Warp 5 ship had been a particularly difficult adversary but was now being attacked by three of his ships. Then, the soldier commanding the scanners interrupted his thoughts, "Tribune, I am tracing a fleet approaching at high warp," he looked up at him, "There are more than thirty ships, they are Andorian and Vulcan. They will arrive in point four hours."
Kratar cursed the Elements. Then he ordered his fleet to break off from any battles and cloak. He also gave orders to the three damaged ships to self-destruct. Two of them did so, but there was no answer from the other. He quickly ordered his ship to attack and destroy it. He then managed to cloak and follow his fleet before the Allied ships arrived.
He would have to save face by destroying Archer and the others.
