The bridge was slowly starting to accumulate a fog of smoke as the Breen's repeated attacks began to take their toll. While the atmosphere prevented the Alexandria from returning fire, it also deflected most of the Breen's payload, it was that small amount that was not deflected that was wreaking havoc.
"Status?" Allensworth demanded. The ground loomed now closer than ever. They had to be in range.
"We're in range," Kazarick confirmed. "But I'm having trouble locking onto their individual patterns. There's just too much interference from the Breen's fire."
Allensworth sighed. They hadn't come all this way just to be stopped by a little excess energy. He touched his comm badge. "Medical team to transporter room three right away"
"On our way." A man's voice said in the place of Plumley's.
Four pillars of light shimmered into existance on the transporter pad just as the medical team arrived. Plumley, Sparhawk, Merriell and Fulks materialized on the platform. The medical team rushed to their side to assist them off the pad. Nycz touched her comm badge.
"Kazarck to Allensworth. Transport complete. We just need Dustin now."
"Understood. We'll get as close as we can to the Breen ship."
Things began to go dark. As the pain mounted, Dustin wasn't even sure where he was being hit. He gave resistance one last try before reaching the decision that the battle was lost. His hand stumbled upon the warm tube he instantly recognized as the conduit. At first, his hand refused to wrap around the conduit. It seemed to have shut down with the rest of his body, but upon a second attempt, Dustin was able to will it to function. His hand clutched the conduit and slowly started raising it upward. Storgrath, still engrossed in beating Dustin, didn't even seem to flinch, that was until the green energies of conduit surged into the side of his chest. The Jem'Hadar's attack stopped abruptly. Storgrath skittered to the floor with a series of involuntary jerks before crashing into the wall. Upon seeing that, Dustin dropped the conduit and wasn't done there. Fear had completely disappeared within Zofchak now it was anger, more like revenge. He mustered the energy he had left and charged at the Jem'Hadar. He flat out tackled him as if he was playing football. After pulling the Ketracel White tube from the Jem'Hadar, he clasped his hands together and repeatedly bashed them into the Jem'Hadar's face. As he unleashed on Storgrath's face, there was a face that entered his mind.
"Got him." Kazarick said. "Energizing."
Zofchak continued to beat the Jem'Hadar into submission as he and his opponent was taken in a blue swirl of light. Dustin continued to beat him even after re-materializing on the Alexandria's transporter pad. Plumley was still in the room. She, Kazarick and the transporter chief ran over to him and pulled him off the dead Dominion soldier. Zofchak was trying to break free and go at it some more. He wanted to take on the Breen next.
"Dustin, Dustin!" Plumley called. "Calm down, you're home."
Dustin then realized where he was and relaxed. He was just now comprehending that he had just unleashed on the Jem'Hadar and was back on the Alexandria. Kazarick hit her comm badge.
"Nycz to Allensworth, we got him."
"Helm, get us out of here. Full impulse." Allensworth ordered.
The Alexandria flew out of the atmosphere and into space. The two Breen ships were in pursuit. They flew on both sides of the ship firing at it. Allensworth figured he wasn't going to be able to get out of here without a fight.
"Helm, full stop," he said.
Even though confused, Lieutenant Moran did as she was told and commanded the Sovereign class vessel to stop. The two Breen vessels shot right past the ship. Allensworth stood ready waiting for the Breen to reappear. Allensworth saw two flashes of light and then the two Breen ships came into view.
"Bring us about and head for the anomaly," Allensworth said. "Maybe we can hide there from their sensors."
Sparhawk, Fulks and Merriell stepped onto the bridge and manned their stations. As they neared the anomaly, Merriell's console beeped at him.
"What is it?" Allensworth asked.
"I'm picking up multiple ships close to the anomaly."
"More Breen?"
"No, sir. I'm not detecting any power readings. They're derelicts. According to these readings, I'm picking up Federation and Dominion ships."
"Sir," Alex said. "I'm picking up similar readings as I did on the planet's surface."
"Could it be possible the Breen were developing an Omega molecule and it blew up in their faces?"
"It sounds reasonable," Alex said. "I don't understand the Federation and Dominion ships out here though?"
"Put it on screen," Allensworth said. The screen switched to the ships that floated aimlessly around each other. Some even collided with each other as if they were still doing battle.
"What in the…?" Sparhawk asked.
"It would appear that not all of dead were retrieved from the Dominion War." Allensworth said as he stepped closer to the screen. "The Virginia, the Atlantic, the Busan, the Athena, the Kearsarge, the Seattle. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were looking at the long lost thirteenth fleet."
"I read about the thirteenth fleet." Zofchak said from his engineering station along the left side of the bridge. "They were sent out on a mission to try and get a foothold in the Gamma Quadrant during the war but were never heard from again."
"Why is the graveyard still here?" Nycz asked. "Shouldn't have someone come and retrieved the dead after the war?"
"Normally yes, but we never heard from the thirteenth fleet again. It looks like the Dominion suffered heavy losses in this battle as well." Sparhawk said.
"I thought the Cardassians were honorable enough to retrieve their own?" Merriell asked.
"They are but it would appear that this battle had no survivors." Allensworth said.
"No survivors? How could that be?" Nycz asked.
"Well, we may find out while were here. But first we need to hide from the Breen ships that are on our tail and while we're here find out what is causing the anomaly."
The Alexandria moved slowly through the graveyard. The bridge crew watched as they passed multiple derelicts.
"Looks like surrender was not an option here," Sparhawk said.
"We're nearing the center, sir." Merriell said.
"Full stop."
"Sir, sensors are detecting a rift off the port bow," Merriell said.
"On screen."
A large, blue-green field shifted in and out of visual range like ripples against a dark pond.
"I'm reading quantum level manipulation of the space time continuum through the field." Merriell said. "Gravimetric forces are getting stronger and starting to pull us in."
"Helm, back us off, full impulse," said Allensworth, sitting back down in the center seat.
"Aye, sir. Full reverse. No effect," Moran. "We're not moving away from it."
"Distance to the event horizon?"
"Nine hundred kilometers. Eight-fifty," Merriell said. "Damn, it's getting stronger. Seven hundred."
"Zofchak, can we go to warp?"
"We need to veer the bow off so we can point the ship away from the rift."
"Helm, hard starboard."
"Sir, the helm is not responding."
"Three hundred kilometers, Captain."
"Red alert. Full power to shields."
"Two hundred. One hundred."
Allensworth called out into the air. "All hands, brace for impact."
The Alexandria and its crew were pulled into the rift.
TO BE CONTINUED