Chapter 3 – Part Two – The Price of Intelligence
To ensure more accurate sensor readings a vessel moved through the outskirts of Minbari space at normal warp velocities. Not intending to start any interstellar wars - and knowing that Minbari space would be heavily defended their ship travelled with its inter-phase cloak activated. It was busy tracking, observing for any telltale signs of an enemy that had viciously violated Vulcan three weeks ago – an attack that had finally tipped the balance – finally throwing the planet into a nuclear winter.
Their task was to gather intelligence.
The turbolift finally halted its ascent as Captain Dronid alighted onto the bridge, her long auburn hair in a ponytail halfway down her back. Not the most glorious assignments for one of the newest vessels in the fleet she thought, quickly assessing the officers whose shift was ending. They were bored stupid, lethargy in the way they walked, looked, and acted. Even her XO, Commander Potters appeared half asleep despite her pretence at wakefulness. "You look bored"
"Is it that obvious?" Leanne inquired not bothering to disguise it.
"Don't worry I won't tell" she winked conspiratorially. She did look sheepish though – but about what? That was partly her human senses but part experience gained from her trill symbiont Dronid who had centuries of watching how different beings interacted.
Stretching like cat, "Is it my time for bed?"
That was one problem with the night shift it messed around with your body clock. "'Fraid so Commander time you went to bed and got some sleep," feeling herself succumb to the vibes which had permeated into every aspect of the bridge.
"Thank god for that. You know I wish we could just explore and maybe do something….."
The Captain finished the sentence for her. "More productive"
"Hell yes. I cannot see whoever these aliens are attacking the Minbari"
"Stranger things have happened"
She chuckled despite the grimness of the conversation. "True, you do realise that you've just jinxed it? Anyway I believe my I hear my bed calling. See you for dinner later?" The Captain nodded, it was then Leanne sluggishly made her way to the turbolift.
Anastasia sat down finally, settling into a comfortable position. She was so engrossed in her own that the opening of the turbolift doors startled her, causing her to let out an inarticulate gasp. Her Chief of Security, Catharia, strode towards her station where she too, sat down.
"Good morning Captain"
"Hi, did you sleep okay?"
"You know me, like a log. I have to say you look shattered"
"Just weary I guess."
"You don't look a day over thirty five" she joked.
"I'm fine," her answer was tart. For some reason she had found herself inexplicably angry. As quick as it had come the feeling was gone; but she knew what the problem was – Admiral Shelby¬ – that bloody overbearing woman!" She sighed deeply, letting her shoulders relax. "I'm sorry chief, didn't mean to snap. I think I need a holiday. Maybe Risa or the Briar Patch next time – I promise."
Glad Anastasia's humour had returned she examined the information being displayed on her console. Out of the corner of her eye noticed that the Zenn-Lavian navigation officer was busy making slight course corrections. Like the previous shift the hours ticked by at an obscenely slowly. Almost two hours before their shift was due to end the Chameloid security officer began tapping her display. "Captain I've got something. It is just over twenty light years away near where we believe the Minbari home world is"
"Okay. But what is it?"
"It appears to be some kind of subspace disturbance matching almost exactly what happened around Vulcan"
"Damn, I guess I should have placed a bet with Commander Potters," she smiled ruefully. "Might have made some latinum"
Lieutenant Catharia could be heard laughing behind from her tactical station.
"Ensign Mor increase speed to warp fourteen. Time to intercept"
"Just over thirty minutes Captain" replied the Zenn-Lavian officer.
"It'll have to do."
On the view screen the stars stretched even further as they leapt to transwarp velocities peaking at just over 371,000 times that of light. Anastasia keyed in intra-ship communications. "All hands this the Captain. We are thirty minutes away from a possible engagement with the enemy and to make it worse we are heading to the Minbari home world so things could get tense very quickly. All senior officers' report to the bridge," with that she closed the channel.
Thirty minutes seemed to stretch into thirty hours. A positive id had been made of the ship verifying it was of the same design from the attack three weeks previously.
"Doesn't this damn barge go any faster!"
"Engines are not calibrated for higher warp velocities yet Captain. To do so may risk a core breach."
"Right as always Commander"
"Send a tachyon coded message to the Minbari that we are aware of the alien threat and we are on route to provide aid if they wish."
"What if they refuse aid Commander?"
The First Officer turned to the navigator, "Then we give aid anyway and hope it doesn't go sour"
"Prepare to raise shields and drop phase cloak on my orders"
"Yes Captain," the female navigation officer remarked, fingers poised – waiting for the order to come. Continual scans revealed that the Minbari fleet were faring far better than Starfleet had, but then they had far more readily available combat ships, something the Federation were abundantly aware of.
"Anything?" Leanne asked watching as the Chameloid tactical officer shook her head. "Out of the frying pan…." She uttered, not finishing his sentence. "Drop us out of warp, deactivate phase cloak and raise shields"
"Let's see what we can do to help"
Space all around was a silent cacophony of violence as Minbari fired neutron and fusion beam weapons, most of which impacted the enemy shields with minimal effect. Nials attacked alien fighters both of which streaked across space like angry hornets.
"Shai Alyt a Federation ship is trespassing in our space without authorisation"
He pondered for a moment, all too aware that the Minbari fleet was failing. "Leave them be for now. Perhaps they can help us. But there will be repercussions for their actions – I assure you!" There was a small glint of madness and instability visible within his eyes.
"Receiving transmission, they suggest we target all weapons onto one spot"
"A sound tactic, do it. Let's pool our resources"
On board the Discovery, Catharia had just fired quantum torpedoes and type XII phasers at the alien ship as more and more firepower was brought to bear.
"It's working" remarked Commander Potters. "Maybe we'll get lucky"
Space rippled like a curtain was being pulled aside.
"Not another," moaned the ensign despondently.
"Set course towards the imminent new arrival, we cannot stop two at once, we just don't have the firepower."
The Discovery classes had been intended as a replacement for the smaller aging Patriots which had in turn replaced the Constitution's from Kirk's time - their increased size allowed for the most recent upgrades to be installed, weapons, holodecks, labs – everything. As such it was still technically a Heavy Cruiser while the newly created Sovereign was a Battle Cruiser – in truth there was very little difference between the two in either size, or firepower. A barrage of quantum torpedoes flew towards their target. The small ship immediately turned tail and ran from the explosion.
"Captain – the zero point energy has been magnified by the rift and the alien power source"
"That not all!" stated the helmswoman interrupting the tactical officer, "The explosion has rendered all warp fields unstable – we'll never escape in time"
"All hands brace for impact!" shouted the Commander who grabbed the armrests on her chair and the console for dear life.
The shockwave blew the tiny ship through space, as it spun uncontrollably, many systems failed and lost power. Secondary explosions opened areas of the ship to space which were rapidly sealed by the containment fields. Getting to her feet as nimbly as possible, noticed that others were still trying to get up. She was now facing a choice, help the others or check their tactical status. This isn't good she thought. Aiding a fellow officer up wouldn't help if they were blown to smithereens seconds later. As adroitly and abruptly as possible she needed to ascertain their situation.
"Casualty reports coming in Captain," she was about to dismiss them but wanted to check with the Captain first.
"Hold." She ordered, "Damage report first. Are we or are we not dead in the water?"
"No Captain we have partial power to impulse engines, thrusters are fully operational. Warp drive is offline," the female at navigation nodded her head to confirm her assessment. "I have ten percent power to weapons. Auto repairs are currently taking place although the major damage will require engineering crews"
"Anything else?"
"We're being hailed by Shai Alyt Shakiri"
"Thank you Catharia."
"According to sensors that explosion tore apart ten Sharlin and hundreds of fighters"
"What about the whereabouts of the original attacking vessel?" Anastasia coughed as fire suppression had put out a few small fires - leaving smoke to circulate through the bridge.
"Unknown" replied her First Officer with a grimace.
"Open a channel"
The visage of a Minbari appeared, face contorted in anger. "You destroyed hundreds of Minbari with your careless actions and allowed the enemy vessel to fire on our home world"
Quickly she turned to look askance at the science officer.
While working methodically he casually used a sleeve to wipe blood away from a large nasty gash along his forehead. His features becoming puzzled for a second, "Somehow they generated an explosion measuring just over one teraton. Unless something can be done ash will cover the whole planet in months"
"Damn," glancing back to the view screen she tried to keep her composure. "We'll render whatever aid we can"
"I think you have done enough, don't you? Federation butchers!"
His image froze for a second implying he was either giving orders or receiving them from another. "By order of the Grey Council all of you are be tried for war crimes"
"Excuse me?"
"I said."
She did not allow him to finish the sentence. "I heard exactly what you said. We are very sorry for your losses but if that second ship had come through Minbar would be a radioactive cinder right now"
"..That"
"One of those ships turned a desert planet into a desolate artic wasteland. So yes I do know it"
He seemed to think a moment. "Regardless you will be subject to trial. If you attempt to go to warp or use your phase cloak you will be fired upon, and destroyed," he said contemptuously cutting the communication channel.
"What the hell is going on!" she roared. "How did they know we have a phase cloak?"
"I don't know. That is certainly not common knowledge even among the Star Fleet"
"Thank you Commander. But what do we do now? Suggestions?"
Commander Potters appeared thoughtful for a moment, "Perhaps that ship that went missing….oh I don't know about six months ago while patrolling the perimeter of Minbari space?"
He could be onto something she thought, "Mmmm….what was it. The Sitak?"
"I believe it was" affirmed Lieutenant Pardea, the ship's councillor. "Are you seriously suggesting they captured it and did who knows what with the crew?"
"Send a message to Starfleet to advise of our situation"
"I can't Ma'am, they're jamming our signal"
"Bastards!" she spat.
Over the last few weeks the device had seen a lot of use mainly the shifting of personnel and materials to another planet at the end of wormhole. On the planet they had found a primitive version of humanity, Stone Age, having barely mastered fire. They had planned on removing, subjugating or just outright killing them; no one would know with it being over a million light years away. Soldiers had explored innumerable planets using the device but the one thing they had not done was get a bearing as to where in the actual universe the new Centauri colony was.
This was the focus of his efforts. Morkel had helped design the equipment necessary to do just that. In orbit over the planet was a satellite taking constant images of the sky, relaying the data back ever twenty hours through the device. Aware that as Royal Scientist, he'd been promoted, which quite frankly he was not sure if that was really a good thing, more eyes were turned in his direction. Any errors or mistakes would be noticed immediately, so despite the time restraints placed upon him, and his team, was making quite sure everything was to borrow an Earther phrase, spot on. Reviewing the date for the fifth time did not make it any less wrong or any less right – it was quite clear the wormhole had taken them all the way to another galaxy. But which one!
Looking at the data for the sixth time wait a minute, he spun the star charts again, and again. He'd recognise those star formations almost anywhere, their local star group hadn't changed in nearly ten million years.
"What are your orders Morkel?"
He mumbled to himself, "I think you're looking at Centauri Prime as it was millions of years ago."
They never saw the pyramidal vessel on the opposite side of the planet.
"That's fine. You may as well come on home"