Author's Notes: Sometimes I find it hard to believe that all of THIS (points to story) began with a simple, traditional locked door murder mystery. But it DID! * Cackles evilly * And now... well, now we have a full fledged crisis on our hands! So without further delay, let's see what happens next!
Star Trek: Reign Of Terror
Chapter XIV: Amok Time
Vacated Deep Space Nine Position, Near Bajor, Stardate 48252.7
The instant Captain Data materialized out in open space, he utilized his link with the Preserver network to open up several nearby microscopic subspace rifts. Unlike the Overseer's creations, Data's wormholes were only temporary and completely non-threatening to the local environment. He swiftly accessed his memory database and the detailed computer specifications of Deep Space Nine stored within. Once he had the complete layout of the Cardassian space station available in his positronic thoughts, his next move was to activate one of the massive, isomorphic projectors concealed in the Preserver realm. Targeting laser beams shot through one of the microscopic pockets in subspace and instantly began to define a recognizable outline.
Seconds later the familiar view of a Promenade appeared around Data as a new, imaged version of the space station was slowly but surely constructed - starting from the center and expanding relentlessly outward. Within seconds a habitat ring appeared, linked to the central tower, followed shortly thereafter by a docking ring complete with upper and lower pylons. Since the isomorphic projection process was in reality a combination of both holographic technology and replicator functions, it was an extremely useful function. In less than sixty seconds, the android quickly put in place a space station that looked and felt almost completely like the original. Its walls were solid, and the shapes and content of its metal superstructure were all identical to the real space station. The only differences to be found were the missing people and a lack of internal power for its systems.
Other than that, Data's replication of Terek Nor - the original Cardassian name for the Deep Space Nine - was nothing short of perfect. Isomorphic projections were the exact same process that allowed him to transmit a solid replica of himself over vast distances and manipulate it just like his own physical body. On this occasion, however, the process had been used on a significantly larger scale. The projection process was an ability that he had relied upon heavily since first discovering the Preserver's unique, hidden technological realm. In this case Data hoped to draw the Overseer's attention away from the real Deep Space Nine and its abrupt departure through the wormhole. In that regard he was most fortunate. The alien creature's weaving graviton tendrils - all of which had been pointing directly toward the exact spot of the wormhole's recent disappearance - turned tentatively back toward his position.
Seconds later the newly constructed recreation of Benjamin Sisko's space station was completely surrounded by all of them.
Data waited patiently, floating quietly in the center of the non-atmospheric, zero gravity environment of the simulated Promenade. His hope was that the Overseer would find it a familiar place of reference, and yet distract him from his determination to attack long enough for some sort of negotiation to take place. Having studied the frequencies used by the alien to communicate in meticulous detail, the android accessed his positronic link to the Preserver network and began broadcasting on all of them simultaneously. The surroundings are meant to be familiar, he stated reassuringly. Here is a place where we can negotiate with one another in friendship... in good faith.
"THERE WILL BE NO NEGOTIATIONS." The voice thundered in response within his positronic matrix. Data simply paused for several seconds and then continued his attempt to communicate.
Why do you attack us? He wondered curiously. Why must we obey unconditionally? Can we not come to some sort of agreement that is beneficial to both of us?
In front of him a gravimetric pocket opened and one of the smaller, glittering green tendrils emerged. The familiar dark-robed form of the Overseer popped into existence in front of the android Captain, and yet Data remained extremely cautious while in the presence of the strange, alien life form. Using the second microscopic hole that he had created in subspace, he siphoned enough energy from Preserver batteries to generate a powerful, spherical shield of energy around his body. A cloud of sparkling violet hued energy particles temporarily obscured him, vanishing quickly as the force field stabilized into an invisible bubble of protection. In front of him, the Overseer's robed head swung first to the left, then to the right, and finally back to Data. Its blazing red eyes would have intimidated a normal man, but the Captain was fully in control of his positronically generated emotional responses.
"I WANT MY EQUIPMENT. SISKO DID NOT COMPLY. HE KNEW MY PRICE FOR FAILURE."
Why do you resort to violence? wondered Data curiously. Why have you enslaved sentient beings like the Zygopterrans... are you aware of the harm that you have caused to their culture? He studied the robed creature curiously, now fully aware that it was only a tiny projection of a much, much larger entity.
"I SAVED THE ZYGOTS. IN MANY REALMS THEY WOULD BE EXTINCT WITHOUT MY HELP."
You saved their lives, but you took away their freedom and their future.
"I DO NOT WISH TO HARM LIVING BEINGS, BUT THEY MUST OBEY."
Why?
"I COULD KILL EVERYONE THAT I ENCOUNTER. IT IS VERY EASY FOR ME TO ABSORB ENTIRELY THE GRAVITONS THAT HOLD THEIR WORLDS TOGETHER. IN RETURN FOR SPARING THEIR LIVES, THE LIFE FORMS MUST LEARN TO SERVE MY NEEDS. IF THEY DO NOT, THEN THEY ARE OF NO USE TO ME."
Why? Data decided to continue pressing the alien, hoping to learn more about its personality and belief system. Without more information on this mysterious newcomer to their galaxy, it would be difficult for him to make an informed decision.
"I CREATE... I SEEK TO EXPAND MY OWN EXISTENCE. TO DO SO I NEED TO OCCUPY INHABITED SPACE. IN EXCHANGE FOR SPARING THEIR LIVES, I REQUIRE THE ASSISTANCE AND OBEDIENCE OF THE LIFE FORMS."
The android digested the information thoughtfully, noticing that the alien was communicating with him at a far greater speed than it used while interacting with humanoids. He continued to try and convey his point of view in an effort to discover just how much of the alien's behavior was ignorance and how much was its personal choice to oppress. You FORCE the life forms to work for you; their service is compulsory. That is not fair to them.
This time it was the Overseer's turn to be skeptical and challenge Data's point of view. "WHY IS IT NOT FAIR TO THEM? WITHOUT ME THEY FIGHT EACH OTHER UNTIL THEY ARE ALL DEAD... THEIR WORLDS END UP BLASTED AND LIFELESS. THEN NEW LIFE SPRINGS UP FROM THE ASHES AND THE CYCLE REPEATS..."
The android Captain rarely answered a question with a question, but he chose to do so on this occasion. Why do you not serve THEIR needs? he asked curiously. Why do you not instead work for them? Like powerful searchlights, the brilliant white glow still emanating from both of Data's eyes was sufficient enough to illuminate the entire central area of the Promenade. Without any generated power to access on his simulated version of the space station, the light from Decker's continued presence was proving to be his only source of light. And yet the alien's robed form still flickered with an eerie absence of light, appearing blacker than black.
The Overseer did not answer him for a minute, but when he finally chose to the android was caught completely by surprise. "I AM THE OVERSEER. MY TEMPLE-TO-ALL-PLACES MUST BE COMPLETED. YOU AND YOUR PEOPLE IN THIS GALAXY WILL ASSIST ME."
One of the larger gravimetric tendrils smashed through the outer hull of the Promenade and slammed heavily into Data from behind. His force shield crackled angrily with violet light as the force generated by the impact threw the android easily across the entire central, common area. He crashed into the far wall, and the external perimeter of his force shield easily pierced the thick metal. One of the merchant shops was directly behind it, completely empty of merchandise, owner and customers. Since Data's computer layout of the space station was an older one, it was impossible to tell which specific shop he had landed in. Nevertheless, the dislodged entrance doors of the spacious room crashed down upon his protective force field and collapsed it partially, temporarily pinning him to the floor.
"I AM THE OVERSEER. YOU MAY BE ARTIFICIAL LIFE AND DIFFERENT FROM THE BIOLOGICAL LIFE FORMS, BUT YOU ARE STILL A LESSER BEING. SERVE ME OR DIE!"
Building an updated computer model of a new force field within his positronic matrix, Data altered the geometric parameters of his protective barrier just enough to allow him to throw aside the heavy twin doors. Rising to his feet he walked back out onto the Promenade, using the bright light from his eyes to shed light on as much as possible. The bright glow from his eyes chased a majority of the shadows to the far edges of the cavernous room. WHY am I a lesser being? he asked with growing, genuine interest. Is it because my size is smaller than yours, or simply because I am less powerful than you are?
"YOU ARE MORE POWERFUL THAN YOU APPEAR," the Overseer responded. "I WATCHED AS YOU INVADED MY TEMPLE-TO-ALL-PLACES... WATCHED HELPLESSLY WHILE YOU USED YOUR RESOURCES TO TAKE MY PEOPLE FROM ME. YOUR ABILITY TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM MY INFLUENCE WILL NOT LAST. YOU WILL PAY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE"
The light from Data's eyes blazed outward, revealing a yawning, cavernous opening on the far side of the Promenade where the larger tendril had completely torn through the outer hull in order to attack him. It was still waiting there, glowing brightly with emerald fire while waiting and holding its position menacingly at the center of the opening it had created. The Captain could see open space through the breach in the station's hull, and in the background other tendrils were clearly visible tearing the docking ring apart. There was no significant debris of any kind to be found. As soon as pieces of the station separated from the larger, central projection they simply vanished into non-existence.
Data realized that he was watching a preview of what would happen to the real Deep Space Nine if the station returned to this spot. The Overseer now possessed almost total control over the local subspace.
This is WRONG, insisted the android Captain as his positronic anger began to escalate. You cannot simply impose your will on others without consequences. Do you know anything about the moral guidelines followed by many cultures? Are you aware of their efforts to define and abide by an ethical code of behavior?
"I KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT THE LIFE FORMS!" snapped the Overseer. "I HAVE BEEN AROUND SINCE THE BEGINNING OF EVERYTHING... IN THE END THEY ALWAYS CHOOSE TO DESTROY EACH OTHER." Once again its hooded head turned and surveyed the remaining, undamaged areas of the Promenade. "WHERE HAVE THE LIFE FORMS FROM THIS PLACE GONE? I NEED THEM TO REPLACE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU TOOK FROM ME."
NO. Data placed as much electronic emphasis as he could on the word. You cannot simply take what you want and impose your will on other sentient beings. Others you have encountered may have bent to your will, but they had no choice. We do have a choice and we will not comply.
"YOU WILL," the Overseer insisted. "DO YOU THINK I DO NOT KNOW HOW YOU HAVE EVADED ME IN THE PAST? DID YOU FOOLISHLY THINK THAT I WOULD FAIL TO DISCOVER THE SOURCE OF YOUR POWER?"
The creature raised a robed arm and waved its long, hooked fingers in a casual gesture. Instantly the remaining shapes and forms of Deep Space Nine faded out of existence. Data took notice of the ease and swiftness of the alien's attack - with one simple motion of a hand it had used its power to close one of his subspace rifts. The Preserver network is hardly the source of my power, replied the android curtly. It is only one resource available to me, and I use it in cooperation with countless other living beings. You could learn a lot about the benefits of working with people, if only you would take the time. Given the vast knowledge of time and space that you have acquired during your lifetime, why would you not seek to improve your knowledge base? We can teach you a lot.
"YOUR RESOURCES ARE INDEED IMPRESSIVE AND WELL PROTECTED," admitted Data's opponent. "I DO NOT YET HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION TO BEGIN DESTROYING YOUR HIDDEN SUBSPACE TECHNOLOGY, BUT I CAN PREVENT YOU FROM UTILIZING IT."
Less than a second later Data's second wormhole closed as the Overseer continued its manipulation of local subspace. The Captain's link with the Preserver network was instantly severed, and his protective force field collapsed in a brilliant flash of glowing indigo energy particles. Floating once again in the vast emptiness of open space, he watched the robed form of the alien creature turn slowly in space and fix its burning red eyes directly on him.
Captain Janeway was watching closely from her position within the nearby, cloaked Yellowjacket. The instant that Data's forcefield dropped she locked the runabout's targeting scanners on the android and beamed him on board. It was difficult, because the presence of so many large gravimetric disturbances was causing plenty of interference. There was no specific expression on her fellow starship commander's face as he materialized within the small Starfleet vessel, but he was clearly not pleased.
"Thank you Captain for 'watching my back'," he told Janeway sincerely.
She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "As long as my holographic matrix can still hear your thoughts, I will continue to provide assistance."
"My connection to the Preserver network has been broken," pointed out Data. "Without it we are limited to our own limited abilities and the resources of this runabout." He reseated himself in the cockpit, glancing out the windows just long enough to verify that the cluttered sea of weaving graviton tendrils still occupied the hastily vacated, former position of Deep Space Nine. The undamaged remnants of his simulated replacement of Deep Space Nine had dissolved completely away the instant the first wormhole had closed. "I need to restore my link with the network as soon as possible," insisted Data. "If there is to be any chance to bargain with that creature, it will not happen unless I can match its power. I need the resources and information that are available there."
V'Ger and I are still with you, Decker signaled reassuringly. Our link has not been severed.
"You'll never be able to defeat an enemy like that no matter how many resources you tap," Janeway cautioned him. "Its colossal size alone makes it more than a match for anything that we could ever hope to throw at it." She paused, thinking the matter through much more quickly using her electronically enhanced mind than her human counterpart ever could have. "We need a bargaining chip of some sort... a way to injure or limit its expansion if it doesn't cooperate." She hesitated, clearly frustrated. "And if we exercise that option, I don't know that we will be able to protect the populations in other universes from its anger and reprisals," the Voyager Captain continued. "In any case, our priority must be to protect our own citizens from this creature's negative influence."
The android nodded slowly. "The Overseer has been around for eons, possibly since the beginning of time as we know it. Its mind was obviously made up long ago as to its belief system. Without a genuine incentive to change, I am certain it will continue carrying out its agenda of murder and enslavement." He glanced down introspectively at the fully lit helm and navigation controls. "For the first time since this crisis began, I am not certain of what to do next," he admitted. "Our anti-graviton fields only injure or deflect the smaller part of a much larger creature... and even then on a temporary basis."
A warning alarm sounded and both Janeway and Data shifted their attention to the sensors. "Dozens of small ships," she announced. "They're emerging from within the subspace rifts."
"Zygopterrans," Data confirmed, watching the swarm of small, moth-shaped vessels gather together within the clutches of the graviton tendrils. He referenced his sensor display for additional details. "The RNA flux from the biological tissue of many of those pilots indicates that they are from more than one alternate universe. We have discovered another of the Overseer's tactics. When our opponent cannot physically reach an enemy, he sends the Zygots to do his dirty work for him. That is why the Dominion has been crushed in his Temple universe - quite probably in many others as well."
Over a hundred of the enemy vessels hesitated for a few minutes and then changed course in unison, banking sharply in a very familiar direction. Janeway was watching them every step of the way. "They're heading directly for the Bajoran wormhole," she observed. "Obviously the Overseer plans to continue his efforts to destroy Deep Space Nine."
"I believe Commander Ducane will object to that policy," replied Data firmly. He maneuvered the cloaked Yellowjacket behind the enemy fleet and followed them into the wormhole.
Gamma Quadrant, Deep Space Nine, Stardate 48252.8
The lights in Main Operations went dark the instant that Deep Space Nine emerged from the wormhole. Several emergency lights automatically activated, but they provided only minimal illumination. Major Kira had finished putting out the fire next to her, noticing as she finished her work that almost every console had also lost power. Everyone remained silent for several seconds - almost as though they were waiting for something to happen. Finally, Kira glanced inquisitively at Jadzia Dax in the dim lighting.
The Trill waved her hands helplessly. "We're alive," she declared triumphantly. "I hadn't expected our structural integrity to hold up at all through a turbulent trip like that one," she admitted. "However, we did pay a price for that... all command functions, including sensors and internal security, are currently off-line."
"Why?" Sisko moved away from the station's thruster console, his curiosity piqued. "Have we sustained any damage?"
"Because sometimes risk has consequences Benjamin," said the dark-haired Lieutenant with a frown. "I never expected you to try and take the station through the wormhole. I'm more than a little surprised that we're still in one piece." She pointed at the dark sensor display in front of her. "Somehow our shields held up well after the danger point when they should have overloaded. I have no idea how or why we were able to maintain power, but fortunately for us we did."
"I was counting on outside help," nodded Sisko enigmatically, refusing to comment further.
"The Prophets?" guessed Kira.
Even though the Commander knew full well that Bajor's Prophets hadn't been the intervening party that saved them, he refrained from saying anything more. The secret information he knew only because of his association with Captain Data continued to be a complex barrier preventing him from fully telling even his senior officers the full truth. The reality of the situation really bothered him, but he brushed aside his frustrations because there was no way to change the circumstances. "Why is internal security off-line?" he asked curiously. "That was supposed to be a priority, along with life support."
"Kira to Odo," said the Major after tapping her Bajoran Comm-badge. "What's going on with internal security? We're not reading anything up here... everything appears to be off-line!"
"How the hell am I supposed to know?" snapped the station's Constable, his voice conveying a great deal more frustration than he had intended. "Eddington was in charge of the Promenade and Ops... I've been busy organizing and supervising security details all over the habitat and docking rings."
"Copy that Constable," replied Kira. Her fingers touched the gold Comm-badge again. "Kira to Eddington. Mr. Eddington, where are you?"
There was a much longer pause this time, and for a while the Major didn't think he was going to answer. Almost a minute ticked by before she received a response. "Sorry for the delay," Eddington replied finally. "I'm up in deflector control with Paulson and Reynolds. An unknown blonde woman wearing a Starfleet security uniform appears to have attacked and stunned them during the battle with the alien. She attempted to take our anti-graviton field off-line. We weren't aware of any difficulty until she crashed all of the internal security systems... apparently whoever did this wanted to erase all traces of her presence from our database."
The comment raised a red flag of warning in Sisko's mind - something didn't entirely ring true. He was about to ask Eddington additional questions when Ducane's voice unexpectedly crackled in his ear. "Lt. Ingram is the guilty party in this case," he explained. "I beamed her over to protect your deflector systems during the attack. We had to make certain your anti-graviton field held up until the station was far enough away from the Overseer." The Commander was not entirely satisfied with Ducane's rather vague explanation either, but he dared not push the matter any farther with Kira, Dax, and an entire Ops crew surrounding him.
"Assign damage control teams to get everything back up and running as soon as possible," Sisko ordered promptly. "I don't think that the alien creature can follow us all the way into the Gamma Quadrant, but it would be best if we didn't take any chances." He shook his head, frustrated at having to choose between poisons on this particular day. "I'm also certain that if we stay here for any length of time, our presence will almost certainly be interpreted as a hostile act by the Dominion."
Kira nodded, her thoughts returning briefly to the starship Odyssey and its recent destruction. "We'll get to work and restore power to all systems as soon as possible Commander," she promised.
The Commander shifted his gaze to Dax. "Old Man, I know you're busy up here overseeing damage control. Nevertheless, why don't you humor me and take a runabout on a tour of the immediate area until we can get our own sensors back on-line. I'll take over for you here."
"Aye sir," she said in reply, pausing just long enough to read his expression.
Sisko noticed her watching him. "Just in case the Dominion decides to show up," he continued. "It would be nice to have at least some advance warning if we're going to be blown into tiny pieces."
"It's nice to see you maintaining your sense of humor," Dax replied, standing up and heading toward the elevator at the rear of Ops. Slowly the lift descended toward the lower levels as she began her short journey toward the nearest runabout pad.
It didn't take long for everyone to realize that the crisis was far from over. Sisko and two Bajoran crewmen had just gotten primary sensors back on-line when Dax sent her first message. "There are dozens of ships pouring through the wormhole Benjamin," she informed them. "There are exactly one hundred and twenty-five of them. They're all very small and we don't have any configuration on file that matches their design. All of the vessels have weapons armed and ready to fire."
Sisko felt a twinge of uncertainty in his gut - even knowing the Relativity was still out there - as he listened to her message. In front of him the sensor console readouts began to light up, one after another as power finally came back on-line. "Get back here Dax," he snapped instantly, motioning toward Kira. "We'll restore full shields around the station as soon as you've docked."
"Aye aye Benjamin."
"What if those ships attack?" wondered Kira, her dark brown eyes flashing with concern. "An unknown configuration means unknown firepower, and we still have damaged systems."
The Commander nodded in acknowledgement of her point and activated a Comm-link on the console in front of him. "Sisko to phaser crews," he announced in his strongest, most confident deep baritone. "If those ships attack this station, you are authorized to return fire. Photon control, however, should continue to stand by." Both of them waited patiently, surrounded by the rest of the Operations crew, wondering what in the galaxy was possibly going to happen next.
Major Kira was standing next to him, watching both Dax's consoles and her own. "The runabout just docked," she stated with a firm nod. "I'm restoring our shield strength back to full power."
Less than a minute later a swarm of Zygopterran ships attacked Deep Space Nine. The first wave moved in from above, firing their energy weapons in unison down toward the deflector bubble below them. At least three dozen scarlet energy beams burned across the outer edges of the shield grid. The combined might of all of those ships had a considerable impact, and once again Ops shook around Sisko as the attack rocked the station. A blaze of sparks exploded out of the newly repaired sensor console and its systems went dark again as they subsequently lost power.
"That was us," Ducane informed Sisko, his voice mildly distorted in the Commander's ear. "We can continue to assist you in this fight, but in order to do so we need your sensors off-line. The less information your systems record throughout this battle, the better."
"Dammit!" the Commander shouted angrily, watching the tactical console. "Sisko to gun crews... main sensors have gone off-line again. Target your weapons manually and fire at will!"
Two dozen additional Zygotian vessels moved in beneath Deep Space Nine, firing upward at the station's lower hull. Again the space station shook violently from the combined attack. Spears of orange phaser fire lanced out in reply, some of which struck the enemy targets and forced them to change course. The strange, alien vessels did not appear to have traditional Starfleet-style bubble shielding, but even so their hulls appeared highly resistant to directed energy discharges. They flew past the station clearly undamaged and joined up with the first wave of ships. Like an angry swarm of insects, those first fifty vessels moved into a new formation and paused, waiting as the other half of their fleet began its own attack run.
"Believe it or not Commander, this situation is actually worse than our previous confrontation in the Alpha Quadrant," observed Kira. "Those enemy ships are targeting specific points in our shielding, and the anti-graviton field in our shield grid is useless against their version of our phasers."
That's precisely why the Overseer sent them, Sisko thought grimly to himself. "Phaser crews, maintain fire. Protect the station at all costs," he snapped tersely into the open Comm-link. Watching the tactical console closely he was tempted to swear. "All hands, brace for impact!"
This time they got hit from all directions simultaneously. The enemy fleet split into four groups and hit them from port and starboard, above and below. For the first time in as long as he could remember, Sisko almost lost his footing. The station shook violently from the weapons impacts and Ops lost several more valuable consoles to explosions and subsequent electrical fires as a direct result of the crossfire. He caught the dark look of concern on Kira's face just briefly before refocusing his attention on the tactical console. Deep Space Nine's gun crews continued to return fire, and this time half a dozen enemy vessels lost power. One of them attempted to reignite its engines and exploded in a spraying crimson flower of matter/anti-matter annihilation. One hundred twenty-four to go, Sisko thought cynically.
"We're supplementing you shield power Commander," Ducane stated reassuredly. "Lt. Ingram has analyzed their attack pattern, and we're confident that the Relativity can keep you fully protected."
Obviously Sisko couldn't address Commander Ducane directly, but he felt it important to try and pass along his concerns anyway... even if only through the use of casual comments. "I don't think we can take too much more of this," he growled irritably. "Those ships aren't going anywhere, and eventually our shields will fail under that kind of sustained attack."
"So far our shields are holding at 90 percent," Kira replied with a confident nod. "Without sensors, I have no way to estimate how long they'll hold. There is simply no way to analyze the alien weapons fire and come up with an estimate." She stared at Sisko suddenly as an idea struck her. "Sir, if I take off in a runabout and stay within our shield grid I could use the runabout's sensors..."
"Request denied!" he growled instantly. "We've got more than a hundred twenty enemy ships out there. If they do manage to punch holes through our shields, you wouldn't last for a minute."
"You're about to get a reprieve," Ducane informed him unexpectedly. "Things are going to look hopeless for a moment or two, but hang in there Commander. The situation is about to improve considerably." As the Relativity's First Officer spoke the words additional alarm klaxons began ringing and the sensor console in front of Sisko came briefly back on-line.
"It's the Dominion," groaned the Commander with a frustrated shake of his head. "I'm showing fourteen attack cruisers closing rapidly on our position. They'll be here in less than two minutes."
"What do we do now?" wondered Kira with a puzzled glance Sisko's way. "Perhaps we should try and make it back to the Alpha Quadrant... could we accomplish that during a battle?"
Sisko scolded her briefly for the not-so-amusing comment. "Do you really believe we should return to the other side of the wormhole and take our chances with that graviton tendril farm?" he asked her.
"Well it's better than staying here and..." The Major's voice trailed off as the sensors bleeped loudly for attention. "The smaller ships are disengaging," she said delightedly, clearly caught by surprise. "They're going after the incoming Dominion fleet."
The two of them stood there and watched with astonishment as the enemy Zygopterran fleet changed course away from their latest attack run on Deep Space Nine. All of the remaining functional enemy vessels rocketed suddenly away from the station and directly toward the incoming Dominion fleet. Sisko paused to catch his breath, and as he did so the sensor console went dark again. "Damn!" he snarled with growing frustration. "This is no way to fight a battle."
"Oh yes it is," Ducane countered with a light chuckle. "The Zygopterrans hate the Dominion Commander Sisko. So all of those ships are going to fight each other, and we're moving into position so that the Relativity can protect you. As long as Deep Space Nine is sensor blind everything is okay. We can fire through our cloak, but we don't need Major Kira or any of your other people detecting us." He paused, trying to find the right words to communicate what he was trying to say. "I admit this has been a bit unconventional so far, but we don't have a lot of choices. Keep your damage control teams busy Commander, there are still genuine repairs needed to many of your systems."
Sisko took another deep breath and decided to give Ducane's plan a try. He forced himself to calm down while tapping the Comm-link controls. "All gun crews, cease fire. Repeat, cease fire."
As he spoke the words, another transmission indicator suddenly lit up on the communications board. "Dax to Sisko."
"Sisko here."
"I'm still in the Orinoco. I've left the elevator in the raised position, ready to launch. We've only got partial sensors due to some sort of local jamming effect, but until yours come back on-line I can monitor the battle from here."
The Commander evaluated the situation, doing his best to estimate how much danger she was in with the runabout sitting out in plain sight. As long as their shields held, Dax would be fine. And right this minute Deep Space Nine was not even under attack. "Can you route a copy of your telemetry to our Comm-station screens?" he asked inquisitively.
"Affirmative. I'll link you in immediately, Benjamin."
"Let me be perfectly clear Lieutenant," Sisko told her sternly. "If any of those ships return and attack, I want that runabout back inside this station whether our sensors are back on-line or not."
"Understood."
Both Sisko and Major Kira had a front row seat at the next stage of the fight. Kira waved to a damage control team as they appeared on the rising elevator, motioning for them to begin work on the primary sensor consoles. The four Starfleet technicians immediately began opening service hatchways on the equipment and inspecting the electronic insides of each for damaged or destroyed components. There was still a distinct odor of burnt electrical insulation hanging in the air, but most of the smoke from the earlier fires had already been cleared away by the ventilation systems.
Sisko watched the telemetry being fed directly to them from the Orinoco with fascination. The Zygopterran fleet had engaged the fourteen Dominion attack cruisers with unexpected ferocity, totally confusing the Jem'Hadar. In this particular universe, the Dominion had never encountered the strange, insectoid aliens or their unique technology. The fast moving Zygotian ships swirled and twisted in a series of complex, coordinated evasive patterns around their opponent's attack vessels much more easily than the larger ships could in turn change course. As a result, the Dominion cruisers began to quickly suffer damage... something they were completely unused to.
And yet the Jem'Hadar shrugged off their opponent's initial success and continued to fight. The white hot polaron beams fired by their ships instantly destroyed every Zygotian vessel they touched. The only major difficulty facing them was the sheer number of ships comprising the enemy fleet... there were still more than a hundred roving targets to choose from. The Commander watched the battle progress for another few minutes and then glanced sharply at Kira. "Are those ships still in firing range?" he asked her curiously.
The Major nodded in reply. "Affirmative Commander." "Perhaps if we sped the process along... should we resume firing, this time at both fleets?"
He was sorely tempted to, but shook his head negatively. "Not as long as they're ignoring us we don't. Provoking the Jem'Hadar at this point would be the worst thing we could do."
Ducane quickly agreed with him. "Continue to stand by and watch your sensor grid closely Commander," he stated reassuringly. "We'll do the firing for you - right through our cloak."
The instant that Ducane made his announcement, Zygopterran ships began vanishing from the sensor map of the battlefield at a much more accelerated rate. Most of the Relativity's targets were the smaller insectoid vessels, but every once in a while a Jem'Hadar attack cruiser would catch a head on shot from the Timeship's disruptors. Even as Sisko glanced up toward the viewscreen, he noticed one of the Dominion ships suddenly wheel over on its side and explode in a cataclysmic blast of expanding white energy. One of the other beetle-shaped cruisers was also clearly disabled, and the others continued to receive a pounding from the ferocious, blazing red energy beams repeatedly lashing out from the center of the Zygopterran fleet.
The ferociousness of the Jem'Hadar soldiers was clearly obvious as their efficient counterattack continued to meticulously pulverize at least one dozen opponents with each passing minute. The size of the enemy Zygopterran fleet shrank rapidly, giving the Jem'Hadar more and more confidence. They had already scanned Deep Space Nine and were fully aware that the space station had moved to their side of the wormhole. The only possible way their government would interpret such a move was as a hostile act. Without knowing what had taken place on the opposite side of the wormhole, there was no way for them to know that Benjamin Sisko had chosen to move the station as a last ditch, defensive measure. Thus the Commander was not at all surprised when two of the Dominion fleet's attack cruisers suddenly broke off from the main group and accelerated directly toward the station. "All gun crews, prepare to fire on the incoming targets at my command," Sisko said with growing apprehension. "But understand... do not fire without my direct authorization to do so."
A massive emerald disruptor beam suddenly flashed into existence, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. The ferocious blast sliced one of the incoming attack cruisers completely in half. Seconds later, both of the remaining segments exploded into glowing fragments. "Our primary disruptor just took out one of those ships," noted Ducane informatively. "Stand by Commander, we're targeting the other one."
Working quickly, Sisko switched his personal computer screen's image to focus specifically on the approaching enemy cruiser. Ducane had barely finished his sentence when the Jem'Hadar warship suddenly exploded in a violent ball of fire. For a very brief moment in time - primarily because he knew specifically what to watch for - Sisko was able to spot the rough outline of the Relativity's undamaged, bubble shielding. After that, all that remained of the two ships was a large cloud of expanding, glowing debris. Thousands of charred metal pieces tumbled, end over end, in all directions much closer to Deep Space Nine than the Commander had ever hoped the Dominion would get.
"There's too much going on out there," Kira decided, glancing at Sisko with genuine concern. "Commander, we are going to have to fire while we still have time... if we don't then it's plainly obvious that whoever survives this spitting match is going to come after us."
"I concur Benjamin," Dax added using the still open Comm-link. "With that many ships in the area, it's too hard to keep an eye on them all... certainly we can't without full sensors."
"Hold all defensive weapons fire until I instruct you otherwise," replied Sisko firmly, raising his right hand for emphasis. His stern gaze met Kira's flashing eyes, and the two strongest personalities on Deep Space Nine both tried to read each other's emotions. "Trust me," the Commander insisted softly.
Seconds later the Zygopterrans took out two more Dominion attack cruisers, and the Commander nodded with satisfaction as he watched the pair of sensor traces on his screen break up into tiny, glittering electronic bits. Kira was also watching a copy of the Orinoco's sensor transmission, and she raised her eyes hesitantly as a third Dominion vessel suddenly exploded into a cloud of glowing fragments. The white bloom of its engine explosion continued to expand for quite some time after its demise, spreading debris and active radiation in all directions. "What kind of firepower are those alien ships using against the Dominion?" she wondered curiously. "They're proving to be a lot more effective against the Jem'Hadar than our own weapons were."
"It would be easier to conduct a more detailed evaluation if we had our sensors back on-line," decided Sisko brusquely. Two of the damage control officers flinched and actually appeared noticeably rattled at his statement. They were working as fast as they could after all, and were already unsettled by the combat situation. The Commander walked over to the spot where they were working and put a hand on one man's shoulder. "It's all right," he stated reassuringly. "I'm just a bit frustrated by the situation."
"We'll pull through Commander," said one of the men optimistically. "We always do."
"That's the spirit," said Sisko approvingly.
The brutal struggle continued for another ten minutes, with both of the alien fleets working steadily to reduce the size of the other. Neither side had any idea that they were also suffering damage from the weapons aboard the hidden, cloaked Relativity. If they had managed to suspect someone else was present, then there wasn't really anything that they could do about it. The ferocious battle was a violent, consistent non-stop exchange of blazing weapons fire - the kind of fight where only the very lucky survived. Anyone could die in an all-out battle, after all. And on occasions such as this one - where neither side was willing to surrender - the casualties could often include everyone.
In the end it boiled down to four Dominion cruisers against three dozen of the smaller Zygopterran ships. When he saw the rapidly dwindling numbers, Sisko finally nodded with satisfaction. "All gun crews, target your phasers manually and fire on the smaller vessels," he ordered. "Do not - I repeat do not - fire on the Dominion."
Kira raised an eyebrow at the comment. "We're helping the Dominion now?" she asked with disbelief.
"I can't think of a better way to be neighborly," Sisko replied without raising his eyes from the sensor display. He watched as the remaining ships continued to blast holes in each other. The Zygopterrans took the worst of the fight during the next salvo, with an unexpected assault suddenly erupting from Deep Space Nine's phaser cannons. More than half of their remaining fleet disintegrated in a series of massive antimatter explosions, and the entire area surrounding the space station rapidly began to fill up with floating pieces of glowing, radioactive debris.
The Zygopterrans finally gave in... sort of. Half of the remaining baker's dozen - six small ships - rammed two of the remaining four Dominion vessels, blowing all eight vessels instantly into glittering, smoldering bits. The other seven wheeled around, pointing themselves deeper into the Gamma Quadrant, and accelerated swiftly to warp speed.
Watching them speed away, Kira shook her head with clear dismay. "The Dominion rules a lot of space over here," she commented. "I don't think those ships are running away to anyplace safe."
"Trust me, they wouldn't be any safer in the Alpha Quadrant," growled Sisko angrily. "If the Dominion hadn't intervened, they would have continued to attack a Starfleet outpost." His heart sank as the remaining two Dominion attack vessels turned sharply toward Deep Space Nine and accelerated into an attack posture.
"We just helped them..." Kira gasped, trailing off in utter disbelief.
Sisko shrugged. "In their eyes, we are invaders as long as we are over here, no matter how we behave."
"They're arming weapons!" Dax shouted in warning, distortion slightly clouding her elevated tone.
The Commander watched the two ships come in with his emotions completely repressed; coming to the inevitable conclusion that always eventually pushed its way to the top in life or death situations... survival first. He opened his mouth to order the gun crews to fire on the Dominion...
...just as four brightly lit crimson photon torpedoes slammed into the lead attack cruiser, knocking it violently off of its attack run. Seconds later, another salvo of torpedoes struck the second vessel, blowing it instantly apart. A follow-up attack was not long in coming. Orange phaser beams cut into the first ship, blowing off one of its already damaged nacelles and cutting deep burns into its primary hull. The violet and soft blue lighting of the Jem'Hadar vessel's exterior systems faded slowly away and - completely unpowered - the surviving ship began to drift. Major Kira smiled with relief as she turned to face Sisko. "Good news Commander. The Enterprise has arrived," she announced proudly.
"That was for the good people of the U.S.S. Odyssey," stated Captain Jean-Luc Picard, his voice resounding imperiously through Sisko's still open Comm-link.
Seconds later, all power and currently active systems in Ops lost power again.
In the subsequent darkness, Kira couldn't see Sisko but she definitely heard him.
"I've had about enough of this," the Commander fumed. "Once power is restored Major, I want you to beam all of the graviton equipment that we transferred over from those cargo ships out into space. And after you have confirmed that it's out there, our people manning the phaser cannons can feel free to blow it all into smithereens."
"Yes sir," she replied cheerfully.
The enormous debris field and residual radiation surrounding Deep Space Nine was astonishing to behold. Nevertheless, Captain Data trusted the Yellowjacket's main computer to auto-pilot the invisible runabout aboard the similarly cloaked Relativity. Commander Ducane and Lieutenant Ingram met him in the shuttle bay, and both of them smiled appreciatively upon seeing their long lost Captain once again. "It's good to have you back aboard sir," Ducane admitted, leaning closer so that he could study the Captain's face more closely. "With respect, what the devil is going on with your eyes sir?" he asked, somewhat taken aback by the eerie white glow flaring within each of them.
"It is good to be back," agreed Data before answering the question. "In order to speed my study of the Preserver's hidden database warehouse, I have temporarily linked myself to another sentient entity that dwells there... deep within the folds of subspace. The resulting 'eye glow' is something that I did not expect, but it is something that I am gradually getting used to. It only bothers me now in the mornings, when I see myself in the mirror while shaving."
Ducane appeared rather perplexed, but Lt. Ingram recognized the android's lame attempt at a joke instantly and laughed uproariously. Returning her manner swiftly to a professional attitude she snapped to attention. "We've accumulated plenty of new information to brief you on sir."
"Upload it into the Yellowjacket's main computer." The Captain shook his head regretfully, wishing sincerely that the circumstances were different. "Unfortunately, Captain Janeway and I will be unable to remain here for long... we docked just long enough to provide you with log updates and transfer over our latest batch of telemetry. After that we will be back on our way, this time exploring farther into subspace as I attempt to learn more about the Preserver network."
"Do you really have to go without us?" wondered Ingram somewhat dejectedly. "I hope you realize, we could just as easily take the Relativity in there." The prospect of exploring the alien realm in detail caused her to grin with obvious anticipation.
"This vessel and its crew must stay with Commander Sisko and provide support for Deep Space Nine," objected Data. "We have now seen firsthand just how powerful this Overseer is. The Enterprise will no doubt remain nearby to provide additional cover, but Captain Picard does not know the entire story." Regretting the necessity of his decision he shook his head firmly. "We have already recruited too many people to our cause on this mission... there is no guarantee that memory adjustments will work in all cases. I do not like having to rely upon them."
"None will be needed in this case," Ingram reassured him, glancing down at the data padd she held and its latest information updates. "I briefly shut down Deep Space Nine's power systems one last time and scrambled most of the sensor telemetry in their database. Both the Dominion and the Zygopterrans had jamming technology in place, so no one will ever be able to say for certain just what caused the information loss. And after my own latest visit, the duplicate of Michael Eddington I confronted had no choice but to delete the internal sensor logs. Those records won't pose a problem for us either."
Despite his usual android efficiency and poise, Data actually looked surprised at the comment. "There is a duplicate of Michael Eddington?" he repeated curiously.
Ducane laughed light heartedly at the Captain's reaction. "You've been busy, we've been busy..." he grinned sheepishly in response. "Let's just say that Zygopterrans and their attack vessels aren't the only objects the Overseer is capable of shifting between universes."
"Understood." Data shifted his gaze back to Ingram. "What about additional temporal anomalies?"
"There have been very few, and those were all insignificant in the grand scheme of things," the Lieutenant stated informatively. "This entire event in history started out with timeline disruptions, but as things have progressed it's becoming more and more of a classic pre-destination paradox. We were apparently supposed to be here in some way, shape or form. The problem is, the longer we remain here the more likely it is that we'll be the ones who inadvertently begin to cause additional disruptions to the timeline. We need to remedy this situation pronto and then get the hell back to our own century."
"Unfortunately, the Overseer problem may not be resolved in a short period of time," Data cautioned her. "Without a meticulous examination of the subspace network and its resources, I cannot know for certain whether or not we can bring about a satisfactory resolution."
Ingram turned the padd she was holding and held it specifically so that he could see the colored graph at the bottom of its display. "We have to find a way," she insisted with grim determination. "Otherwise, things are going to get really, really cockamamie... and I mean screwed up to a degree so badly that even our allies in the 31st century will never be able to correct it all."
"That is precisely why the Janeway hologram and I need to take the Yellowjacket directly inside subspace," Data pointed out. "There is no other way for me to assimilate and process information quickly enough to deliver workable solutions in a timely manner. Right now we have a stalemate in progress, and if Commander Sisko can get Deep Space Nine safely back to the Alpha Quadrant we should be able to maintain that deadlock for at least several days."
Ducane paled slightly at the suggestion. "The Overseer is still back there..."
"Yes, but his manipulation of subspace is limited to Deep Space Nine's former position," the Captain replied. "Obviously the station cannot remain here with the Dominion so sensitive to intrusions into their space. My suggestion would be that they return to a different location in the Alpha Quadrant."
Lt. Ingram nodded enthusiastically in full agreement with his suggestion. "It took the Overseer weeks to redefine subspace in the old spot," she commented. "If they move back to a new position, he'll have to start all over. The station's personnel would still be vulnerable as it practices, so I suggest they leave the anti-graviton field active all the time. Commander Sisko can also retain the option of raising the deflector shields in the event that they are attacked again."
The Captain glanced toward the still open shuttle bay and its glowing, protective forcefield. "What about the remaining, disabled enemy ships out there?" he asked curiously. "They have sensor logs too."
"But those logs no longer contain accurate information," chuckled Ingram. "I scrambled their data too." She shrugged her shoulders indifferently. "The surviving Jem'Hadar will no doubt be executed for screwing up anyway... if their life support systems hold up until help arrives."
Data reviewed their conversation in detail and nodded with satisfaction. "Everything appears to be in order," he admitted. "I congratulate you two and your support staff on a job well done. I am truly sorry that I must leave again so soon, but we all have a considerable amount of work ahead of us." He shifted his blazing white eyes to Ducane. "Please pass the word along to Commander Sisko and request that he return to the Alpha Quadrant."
"I will," the Relativity's First Officer acknowledged with a wry smile. "Since Captain Picard has arrived, we can keep the Relativity entirely out of the way this time and allow the Enterprise to enhance Deep Space Nine's shield grid during the return trip."
Ducane appeared as though he was going to say more, but he hesitated. Peering at the Commander more closely, Data noticed that there was a great deal of concern in his colleague's eyes. "What is on your mind Thomas?" the android asked curiously.
"I just have this really bad feeling that we're never going to see you again sir," Ducane admitted dejectedly. "This is the first time I can remember that you haven't shared your entire strategy with us."
"Do not worry unnecessarily about matters that are not yet settled," replied Data smoothly. "I most certainly plan on returning to the Relativity. After all, I have to shave in the morning."
This time, Data was pleased to discover that both Ducane and Ingram laughed at his joke.