Paint and Powder
A Star Trek anthology by Andrew Joshua Talon
DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fan based work of prose. Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager et al are the property of CBS Television, and creation of Gene Roddenberry. Please support the official release.
During the Dominion War...
The Galaxy-class USS New Jersey wasn't a New AI. She had been around since the 2290s, starting out as one of the Yamato-class dreadnoughts. But she was far more easy going than her sister ships, despite her combat experience, so she had gotten to serve in a number of hulls since then-Her sleek Galaxy-class form was only the latest.
She was almost ready to launch, just waiting for her final fitting out in the Vulcan Yards... When her Captain, Sobek of Vulcan, invited her to a conference in her officer's lounge. She quickly identified several Starfleet engineers as she stood at attention and the meeting got underway.
"To put it simply," Tellarite engineer Commander Tak blasch Hosom began, bringing up diagrams of a Dominion Dreadnought on the main screen, "the Dominion has more heavy capital warships than we do. These first rate Dominion dreadnoughts are almost twice the size of a Galaxy-class starship and even more heavily armed. The ugly bastards."
"While we can take them down with concentration of fire," Captain Sobek stated, "their sheer tonnage and firepower remain issues. Currently the only starship that can match them is the Sovereign-class, and they have twice as many such warships as we do."
New Jersey took the data in and analyzed it. She grimaced.
"While I do possess superior shields, speed and agility," New Jersey admitted, "the raw firepower and armor difference is... Disconcerting."
"The deflector dish wave motion gun option does even the odds," suggested Doctor Keiko Matsunaga, "but that's more of a final desperation move."
"So, what are our options?" Sobek asked.
"Well, we're working on building more Sovereign-class starships, but in the meantime," Hosom said, "we have come up with a stop gap solution. Which is why we came to you, pointy ears, and your slutty looking ship."
New Jersey raised her eyebrows, and crossed her arms over her large breasts a bit self consciously.
Sobek took the Tellarite's customary insults stoically, as Keiko got up and went to the screen. She uploaded and displayed some proposed modifications. New Jersey raised an eyebrow.
"The bigger warp core I get, but a third nacelle? That won't improve my speed or endurance much. And it makes accessing my shuttle bays tricky."
"True" Keiko said cheerfully, "but it's the easiest way to manage the extra power and produce the plasma manifold source for the phasers! Especially," and Keiko highlighted a very powerful looking phaser cannon under the saucer section, "this one!"
"It's not pretty," Hosom admitted, "but combined with extra armor and shield generators, it will make you an even match for a Dominion Dreadnought."
Sobek and New Jersey looked at eachother, then back at the two engineers. New Jersey smiled, as Sobek nodded.
"When do we start?"
Two months later, the Vorta commander Vural directed his dreadnought after a fleeing Starfleet task force. They had destroyed the lead Nebula- class starship and were hunting down the remaining escorts.
His Jem'hadar First, whose name he did not care to remember, stood at attention.
"Sir. New warp contact approaching, Federation. High speed."
"Launch a volley of torpedoes at the survivors," Vural ordered, "that ship has no doubt come to rescue the task force."
"Yes sir."
The Dreadnought fired a full volley of torpedoes to finish off the remaining ships. The unknown Federation starship dropped out of warp nearby, too late to intercept...
Or so Vural thought. A powerful phaser blast, with hundreds of phaser canon blasts, screamed into the torpedoes and annihilated them. The Federation starship turned to face the Dreadnought. The surprised Vural struggled to regain his center.
"Analysis?" Vural demanded.
"It is a Galaxy-class but heavily modified," his First spoke, "they are firing on us!"
The phaser blast went right through their shields, blasting deep into their warp nacelle. Vural held onto a support railing as the ship shook.
"Return fire! All weapons!" Vural ordered.
The Federation starship unleashed its weapons in a massive barrage. Weapons were destroyed, armor pierced. They managed to swing around to unleash their own fearsome firepower, a single salvo powerful enough it had crippled a Nebula-class.
The Galaxy-class dodged as nimbly as it could, but still took many, many hits... And kept firing. It launched a full spread of ten photon torpedoes, all the missiles colliding with the Dreadnought. The Dreadnought shuddered around Vural, as the consoles went dark.
"Shields are gone! Weapons disabled! They are targeting our warp core!" The First bellowed. A final salvo of phasers and torpedoes struck, and the world turned to flames. Still the First stayed at his post, even as Vural held his hands up to shield himself in futile instinct.
He still didn't know the First's name. He had never cared to.
Yet somehow at the end, he found himself wondering.
He wondered why.
Then he wondered no more.
Sobek allowed a nurse to apply a dermal regenerate to his forehead, but he insisted on standing in the center of the chaotic bridge.
"Damage report!" He shouted. New Jersey appeared next to him, as her holographic clones went about aiding the wounded.
"Primary shield generators are out.. Heavy damage to decks 29 through 34. Hull Breaches on deck 28 and 30, emergency forcefields are holding. Main power is out on half our decks. Ventral phaser arrays are offline. Long range sensors are out. USS Cooper and Rollins are moving to assist," New Jersey said. She gave him a smile.
"No fatalities so far though. One hundred and forty seven injured: Vacuum exposure, radiation burns, and impact injuries, but the armor held for the most part."
Sobek nodded, even as the nurse huffed. The Vulcan didn't smile, but he was more... Relaxed.
"Damage control parties to affected areas," he ordered, "and coordinate with the Rollins and Cooper. We should leave as soon as possible."
"Aye sir," New Jersey smiled. Sobek gve her an inquisitive look.
"I did not give the order for those additional salvos after that last attack," he said.
New Jersey paused...Then shrugged a bit sheepishly.
"Well... I always did have a bit of a temper..."
Welcome, Galaxy-X class. And naturally the New Jersey avatar looks like her Azur Lane incarnation. The Black Dragon lives!