Chapter 720

BRIDGE

USS WISCONSIN

The bridge shook with more incoming fire. Santini turned and said, "Shields stressed. That one was to the port again, down to 40% now."

Jacobs nodded, "Noted. Go to 105% on the reactor, use the extra power to build up the shields. Maya, how is the retrograde platform doing?"

Maya said, "It's coming down, won't be long now."

Almost on cue, on the big screen behind Maya, the defense platform, which looked badly damaged, started a series of explosions that ended with the final detonation of the platform. Jacobs felt elated and said, "Great! Ok, let's start working on the next one. Give us a good hole for later."

Leonaidas reported. "One of the D5's is down along with a bird of prey. They aren't using their cloaks anymore."

Maya said, "The cloaking devices draw a lot of power. They cannot wait for weapons to recharge under their cloak. This might be a sign of desperation."

Jacobs smiled. "We must keep the pressure on. How's the Excalibur?"

Jareau reported. "Captain Jackson keeps on taunting him. It's actually funny listening to him. Captain Jackson is really in his element now."

Leonaidas added, "And the Kah'less is giving the Excalibur chase now. The Excalibur is staying ahead so far."

Jacobs pushed the button for the CIC. "Jacobs to Carter."

"Carter here."

"Overall status, how are we doing?"

Carter said, "We really need to take the Bismark down. Once we do that the odds get more even, but even then, we are still outmatched."

"And if our plan is successful?"

Carter suggested, "We cannot accomplish our goals unless our plan works. We'll hurt them but not decisively. The Herschel and Pele are too badly damaged. I ordered them back to the rally point for repairs and to retrieve lifeboats if we launch any."

The ship lurched again, Jacobs looked at Santini, who was checking displays then looked up and nodded that everything was ok. Jacobs continued with Carter, "Good Alan. We'll keep working on the platforms. Jacobs out." Jacobs looked at Jareau, "Get me the Excalibur."

BRIDGE

USS EXCALIBUR

Captain Jackson pushed the com button. "Hank here, how are you coming Josh?"

"It's still going to take time. Good news is that we are going to bring enough of them down." Jacobs said.

"The quicker the better Josh. I don't know how long I can keep this up."

Jacobs thought about something. "Then stop firing on the Kah'less except to keep irritating them. Start hitting the next two platforms. We need to have three down on the retrograde side to survive."

Jackson looked at his weapons officer and said, "Save me the aft main phasers, hit whatever platform has the least shields."

"Thanks Hank. Jacobs out."

Jackson grabbed his seat while the ship lurched with some more incoming fire. "Lt Holt, let's start broadcasting again."

BASE OPERATIONS

BASE 3

Commander Chu was looking at the main screen. His operations officer asked, "Why haven't they fired at us?"

Chu shook his head. "I don't know. Their battle group is largely organized as two separate groups, and then their battleship." Chu was frustrated but continued, "The larger group is attacking the orbital platforms, but not all of them." Chu motioned to the table. "They blew up one and are attacking the neighboring ones."

The operations officer said, "It is more focused than that. It is just these two. The others have not been hit once. Why?"

Chu shook his head. "I do not know. Their strategy defies me. Except for that loudmouth patahk on that battleship. He has done a masterful job on Captain Kroth. Kroth is so enraged he does not see that the Kah'less has effectively been taken out of the fight." Chu noticed fire from the Federation battleship on one of the defense platforms. "That is a change. Why?"

"They clearly want the platforms to come down."
Chu asked, "Are the defensive batteries on the base still working?"

"Perfectly sir, they have been effective. Overall, even without the Kah'less, their offensive will be stopped."

Chu's eyes narrowed. "They are up to something. They just shifted tactics for some reason, and it's time related. They know they cannot stay in the fight. Get me that idiot Kroth."

The operations officer tapped a few buttons, "I cannot raise him. He will not acknowledge."

Chu slammed his hand down on the table. "Open frequency!"

The operations officer tapped it in and said, "You're on!"

Chu said angrily, "Captain Kroth! Forget that battleship and stop listening to that Federation scum! He has effectively taken you out of the fight completely. We need you in the fight, start attacking the Federation fleet! Any ship will help! Captain Kroth, Snap out of it!"

BRIDGE

USS KUMARI

Captain Thelen was thrown from his chair to the side on the floor, so was half of the bridge staff. One of these days somebody is going to install seatbelts on the bridge. "Damage report!"

The engineer turned and said, "That last one was from the base, top shields are down, some of that disruptor energy made it to the port nacelle. I'm reading an emergency venting underway on the port nacelle."

Thelen struggled to his feet and barely made it to his chair, the room felt like it was spinning. Thelen felt something wet on his forehead. The communications officer looked and spoke. "Your antennae!"

Only then did Thelen feel the dull pain. He reached up and felt one of his antennae was smashed. That explains the nausea. "Get me the first aid kit. Engineer, are we still able to be in the fight?"

The engineer nodded, "Power is down by half, and the starboard nacelle is depolarized. We are unable to go to warp."

Thelen nodded and looked at the astrogator, "Helm, come left hard to course 210 mark 3. Weapons, target that D7-M. How long until you are charged?"

The weapons officer said, "Two minutes."

Thelen took the med kit offered by the communications officer and started treating his antennae. "That time will be good."

The engineer said, "If we slow to one quarter impulse, you can get the weapons faster."

The helmsman added, "If we do that, we'll be a sitting target. I remember my training…."

Thelen nodded, "Speed is life. Keep the current speed." The ship rocked again. Thelen looked at the engineer. "How bad?"

The engineer shook his head. "It's not good. That last one shook the whole reactor assembly."

"We are still getting power…"

The engineer checked a few settings. "For now, but if we get a hit near engineering, it'll go offline. I'm getting a team on it. We'll have to find out what is knocked loose."

Great. Thelen ordered, "Keep on that D7-M, I want point blank range in one minute."

BRIDGE

USS WISCONSIN

"Ben, include center phasers on target ahead! Fire when ready!"

Grimm tapped the control and fired. "Target hit. Shields down on this side."

Leonaidas said, "The Olympus Mons is coming in to press home the attack."

Jacobs nodded, "Great, Lt. Bragg, extend the turn thirty seconds before coming back."

Santinti interjected, "Cap, the reactor is still at 105%."

Jacobs turned and looked at the schematics on the displays behind Santini. "How bad?"

Santini said, "We are already past the point of heat saturation for a single failure. Anything goes wrong, and we'll have to reduce power below normal. Every second counts."

Jacobs studied the displays. "Keep the reactor up until Bragg finishes the turn, then back down to normal. Will that cool us off?"

"Yes, but at 100% it will take time to cool."

Leonaidas said, "That last hit overloaded a power conduit on deck 12. Four crewmen are in sickbay with Plasma burns."

Maya reported, "Captain, the Olympus Mons did critical damage to that platform's shields. They are not coming back."

Jacobs ordered, "Good. Ben, let's go after their power. Let's see if you can pull their plug."

Grimm pointed at the schematic behind him. "I'll target this area. If I'm successful, we'll breach their primary fusion reactor. They'll be forced to shut down."

Jacobs nodded, "That should work."

Lt Hornblower, by far the youngest on board, said. "Sir, that D7-M is turning toward us. I think he means to cut us off."

Jacobs looked at the astrogator. "Bragg, roll as necessary. Bring the dorsal shields to bear." Just as the roll was complete, the ship suffered an impact from fire from the D7-M. Jacobs looked at Santini. Santini shook his head in exasperation.

"Incoming call from the Kumari." Jareau reported.

"On audio JJ." Jacobs said.

"Josh, its Thelen. Keep pressing on, I've got that D7-M. Fifteen seconds."

Jacobs said, "Thanks Thelen. We'll keep on attacking the platform."

"Get these platforms down so we can do our job!"

Jacobs answered, "Will do, Jacobs out."

Leonaidas kept watching the displays then said, "The Kumari just fired on that D7-M."

Maya added, "I'm reading damage to their engineering section, it's venting to space. They are down to emergency power. The D7-M is out of the battle for now."

Grimm reported, "Coming within optimum conditions, Captain."

"Roger, fire when ready."

"Firing." Grimm reported.

Maya said, "Good hit Lieutenant. Their primary power is down, I'm reading secondary explosions. You hit something else. I think that platform is scratched now."

"Not too soon. Proceed to the next platform!" Jacobs ordered.

BRIDGE

USS KUMARI

"That D7 is down!"

Thelen smiled while holding a bandage to his antennae. "Good, which Klingon ship is strongest? We'll take down another big boy as long as we….." The ship lurched with incoming fire.

The lights shifted to the emergency configuration. Thelen asked, "What have we lost?"

The engineer turned. "The main reactor just scrammed. Something drastic just happened down there…."

"Captain! I'm losing power to the helm!"

Thelen almost got out of his chair, but the nausea was too much. "How bad?"

The helmsman said, "I'm down to maneuvering thrusters!

Thelen ordered, "Transfer all power to helm. Get us out of here!"

The engineer turned around quickly and said, "It's the warp reactor, it's not just a scram or shock, the reactor is breaching!"

Thelen's heart sank. "All hands, abandon ship!" He looked at the Helmsman and said, "Turn towards the next platform the fleet is attacking."

"Aye aye, sir. Sixty seconds to intercept."

The first officer said, "Captain, you need to come along."

Thelen shook his head, "Not yet. Get going. Leave me the last pod." The look on the first officer's face said it all. "Don't worry, I'll make it. Get going." Thelen flopped at the helm.

"Aye aye, sir." The First Officer made his way to the escape pod.

Thelen focused on the task at hand. He brought up on the screen a time until impact display along with the projected course. He fine-tuned the path to be on an intercept course to the defensive platform. Incoming fire shook the ship and changed the course slightly. Thelen looked back at the engineer's station. The warp core could blow up any second now. If it could just hang on just a little bit longer. Thelen selected the autopilot and had to do an authorization for collision course. Typically autopilots try to avoid hitting objects, but this one he certainly wanted to hit.

The Kumari. A proud ship with a proud name. The first Kumari was the first ice cutter to circumnavigate Andoria. The one before this ship helped a pre-Federation ship named Enterprise in a quest to save Earth. This Kumari would hopefully be remembered as the sacrifice that decided this battle. A battle that may keep the Klingons off the Federation's back. Thelen looked at the time until impact. Time to go. Thelen stood up to his feet and immediately swayed due to nausea. Thelen stabilized himself against one of the handrails. The whole bridge seemed to be spinning. Thelen struggled to move toward the access door to the escape pods. The door was already open. Thelen looked at the time, fifteen seconds. Thelen fell through the door and crawled down the short, narrow passageway to the waiting escape pod. He had no idea on how much time had elapsed. He needed a few seconds to get clear. Thelen crawled up through the hatch and struggled to reach the button. There was no time left. He pushed the button and the hatch slammed shut and the pod launched.

The Kumari continued toward the platform, a fierce barrage of disruptors tore the ship in half, but the momentum of the ship continued into the platform's shields. Metal was transformed into molten metal and gas as it hit the shields, then the shields fell. The later portions of the hull continued inward to the platform and hit the platform. The impact caused metal on both the platform and the Kumari to shred and soon the remains of the Kumari broke through the armor and into the platform, causing explosions. The Kumari's remains lodged in one side of the platform. Then the warp reactor blew up. The reactor was just outside the platform's armor, but that close it does not matter if it was outside or inside. The antimatter seals collapsed releasing all the antimatter into the container walls. The antimatter annihilated the matter in the vessel walls and released energy. The amount of energy inside the reactor compartment is roughly equivalent to the amount of energy the Kumari would use traveling at warp speed for two months.

This energy went out in the form of heat and light and radiation and vaporized most of the remaining platform. It also pushed the molten hulk out of its assigned spot for defense of the Base and it continued the new trajectory.

Thelen's escape pod was on the edge of the blast. It got burnt and the back portion of the pod got melted in the blast. The blast also sent the pod tumbling out of control as well as frying the systems onboard. Thelen started floating inside the pod and felt pain. It must have come from the explosion pushing the pod suddenly. The inside was dark and Thelen could hear no air circulation. Thelen grabbed the oxygen mask and put it on. He breathed in fresh oxygen and started looking around. The Starfleet engineers outdid themselves when they designed these pods. Now all he had to do was survive.

COMBAT INFORMATION CENTER

USS EXCALIBUR

Adama's face did not show emotion. Ressler and others in the room cheered when the platform fell. Adama pushed a button. "Fifth Fleet, this is the Admiral. Conditions are now met for the next phase of the attack. All ships now protect the Excalibur and Wisconsin for the next phase. There are three damaged escape pods, USS Foyt will pick them up. Adama out."

Commander Ressler said, "Admiral, now only five platforms remain, and the ships we have destroyed, we should have this battle in the bag."

Adama shook his head. "Do not ever think that way Commander, overconfidence will lead to defeat. The battle is never determined until it is over. We fight hard and determined as always."

Ressler nodded thoughtfully. "That almost sounds Klingon."

Adama raised an eyebrow. "Klingons sometimes do get things right."

BRIDGE

USS WISCONSIN

Jacobs pushed the com button for the Excalibur. "Hank, we're up."

"About how long before you can start your run?" Jackson asked.

Jacobs looked at Hornblower. Hornblower responded, "Two minutes until we are at our Initial Point."

Jackson said, "Cross it at two minutes fifteen seconds from my mark. Standby." Hornblower started entering the information. "Mark!"

Hornblower looked at Jacobs and nodded. Jacobs said, "Clock running. Jacobs out."

Jacobs said, "Lt Bragg, work with Hornblower to cross our IP on time."

"Aye aye, sir."

Jacobs said to Hornblower. "Do you have the times calculated?"

"Yes sir, minor adjustments will have to be done probably, but I got all the times calculated and uploaded to the Raptors. That and along with all the other data too Captain." Hornblower said.

Jacobs said, "Very well." He pushed the PA button and saw the main viewer had a countdown clock in the corner. "All hands, rig for EMP. Approximate time now is two minutes thirty-seven seconds."

Leonaidas looked up from his panel. "All stations signal ready."

Jacobs nodded. "JJ, how is Captain Jackson doing?"

Lt Cdr Jareau turned around and said, "He's still at it. Captain Jackson is amazing."

Jacobs said sarcastically, "Well, this might be known as the Jackson maneuver."

RAPTOR 1

HANGAR DECK

USS WISCONSIN

Lt Calvin pushed the intercom button and said, "Ok Fellas, we got a date! We will be lifting of in two and a half minutes." He saw the Badgers start tightening up their straps and doing last minute checks.

Ensign Washburn was sitting in the co-pilot seat and set the mechanical clock. "Clock is wound and running. I also have the pitch angles written down." Washburn held up a large whiteboard with the numbers written down. Pitch angles and times were written in large print.

"Thanks Wash. That will do. Hangar deck is depressurized and doors are opening." Calvin said.

Washburn reported, "Raptor 2 signals ready TC."

Calvin turned and looked back to the head of the team. "Lt Magnum. You all set?"

Magnum gave a thumbs up. Calvin turned back around and looked at the clock. Two minutes until EMP. "Prelaunch check."

RAPTOR 2

HANGAR DECK

USS WISCONSIN

The same thing was happening over in Raptor two, except the boarding party was from the Excalibur. Lt Cdr Maxwell gave the thumbs up to Lt Anders. Maxwell hit his com button for his landing party. "Swordsmen, this is it! Let's get ready for some mayhem! Remember the first rule of warfare!"

One of the Swordsmen said, "An army travels on its stomach!"

"No plan survives first contact with the enemy!" Another said.

"Be sure to bring a gun to a gunfight." A third said.

Maxwell was known for his 'first rule of warfare' rules. With him there were no second rules, everything was a first rule. It was the running joke of the Excalibur. Maxwell loved it.

"NO! Decide to be aggressive enough early enough!" Maxwell said. He looked up at the mechanical clock counting down. Things are going to start happening soon.

BRIDGE

USS WISCONSIN

Leonaidas looked up. "Raptors signal ready."

The ship lurched from incoming fire. Jacobs said to Grimm, "Status on the forward phaser?"

"Charged and ready to go. I'm leaving it for you."

"Good, start hitting the surface of the asteroid outside their shields with the other phasers. The extra debris will be beneficial." Jacobs said.

Hornblower said, "IP is coming up. We are equally paired up with the Excalibur. I need us to slow fifteen meters a second."

"Make is so Bragg."

Hornblower said, "Interception point is good, IP is on target. Start turn to intercept in five, four, three, two, one, NOW!"

Jacobs could hear the tension in Hornblower's voice. It's only expected. He let out just what everyone was feeling. Bragg started the programmed turn exactly on time.

BASE OPERATIONS

BASE 3

Commander Chu was determined, after this battle was over, he is going to kill Kroth personally for his stupid handling of the battle. Chu did have to admit, the Starfleet Captain that had so masterfully sidetracked Kroth was a genius at Klingon insults. Chu noticed a subtle change in the disposition of the Federation fleet. Was it because they just lost a Heavy Cruiser? It looked like the battle was eventually going to go to the Klingons, yet the Federation stayed in the battle. He was not sure why, it is unlike the Federation to stay in a losing battle if their backs aren't up against the wall. Starbase 5 was an example of that, but somehow Starfleet managed to win the day, even against the odds.

Chu had an uneasy feeling. Something was not right. He could not put his finger on it, but something was not right. Starfleet had left the base untouched, when it really should have been their objective. The battleship was making a turn towards the base, almost a collision course. But why? It would come within point-blank firing range and would get hurt for little benefit. The Kah'less was of course right behind it.

There was a vibration in the floor. Chu noticed the other heavy cruiser was firing on the base, or rather the asteroid the base was built on. Why? They are not even coordinating the attack; they are coming from opposite sides….

Suddenly Chu saw it. He tapped a couple of buttons showing projected times. The Starfleet vessels, the Kah'less, and the base were all going to be extremely close to one another in thirty seconds. Their plan was becoming clear. Chu did not have an idea what the plan was, but this is not a coincidence, and it was not good. They had a plan and the Klingons were falling into it. There was nothing that he could do. Maybe if he could get that idiot Kroth broke off… "CHU TO KROTH! COME IN! LISTEN TO ME!"

Chu looked at the tactical officer. "Order the remaining platforms to attack those two ships!"

BRIDGE

USS EXCALIBUR

The ship lurched from incoming fire. Jackson switched off the com and mumbled, "It was getting boring anyway." The ship lurched again from a different direction. Jackson asked, "That wasn't the Bismark, where did that come from?"

"One of the orbital platforms!"

"Shift the shield power to the aft shields! We must stay on course and speed. How much longer?"

"Thirty Seconds."

Jackson nodded. "Is the tractor charged up?"

Commander Morrow said, "All ready to go."

"Ok, let's keep the Kah'less attention. All aft phasers fire on Kah'less. Be ready for full impulse."

TRANSPORTER ROOM 1

USS WISCONSIN

Chief Kaylee was watching the countdown clock. "All transporter rooms check in."

"2 Ready."

"3 Ready."

"4 Ready."

Kaylee said, "Roger. Stand by to energize." The display for the clock switched to a bright color and started clicking. "Transport in five, four, three, two, one, ENERGIZE!"

Kaylee worked the controls and the object on the platform started to dematerialize. When it was completely gone, a single piece of metal that looked like a pin was laying on the pad. Kaylee heard through the speaker, "2 Complete." "3 Complete." "4 Complete." Kaylee said, "Good." And pushed a button notifying the bridge.

In space in key points around the base, four objects materialized. The absence of the pin was a simple but effective way to ensure the objects would start their function as soon as transport was complete. Each object was the jamming device that Admiral Adama was able to acquire for this mission. The device was essentially a thermite-powered device that resembled a rocket more than anything else. The devices ignited at the same time and started burning violently. They vented at both ends spewing out flame and burnt particles. In the extreme heat of the burn, certain exotic materials reacted with each other and caused sensors to go blank in the area.

BRIDGE

USS WISCONSIN

"Maya, it's time." Jacobs and Maya got up from their seats and walked over to either side of the viewscreen. According to the plan, Maya took the periscope for the upper telescope and phaser. While Jacobs took the periscope for the lower periscope. Both activated the lever and the periscopes slid quietly into activation. Jacobs and Maya both turned to acquire the rapidly growing image of the Excalibur. "Got it." Jacobs reported.

"Got it." Maya reported. She looked at the indicator on the side of the periscope and pitched up to a predetermined angle. "Ready."

"Transport of jammers complete." Leonaidas reported.

Lt Cdr Grimm said, "Confirmed. Sensors are starting to degrade as predicted."

"Time left." Jacobs asked.
"Fifteen seconds."

BASE OPERATIONS

BASE 3

"That Cruiser has transported something." Chu said.

"The platforms are losing contact with their targets! They cannot maintain lock on them!" the tactical officer reported.

"NOOOOOOOOO!" Chu yelled as his screen faded to static.

RAPTOR 1

The countdown clock reached T-15 and TC reported, "Raptor 1, liftoff."

He heard Raptor 2 lift off. Raptor 2 was flying close formation slightly behind and to the left of Raptor 1. TC carefully nudged the Raptor forward at 10 meters a second. Once clear of the hangar deck, TC gave a quick count, "Raptor Two. Thrust in 3, 2, 1, MARK!" Simultaneously, both Raptors hit their impulse thrusters to maximum.

Ensign Washburn watched the clock closely for the two second burn necessary to kill almost all the velocity relative to the base. "Time!" TC killed the power.

"Raptor 2 burn good, zero relative speed to you TC." TC heard Sam Anders said.

Washburn dutifully said, "Pitch 60 degrees."

TC pulled up by sixty degrees and started looking up above them. Washburn reached up and grabbed the weapons fire handle.

BRIDGE

USS WISCONSIN

"Raptors away." Leonaidas said.

Jacobs swung the lower periscope aftward. The scope was mounted to where one could look around the neck between the saucer section and engineering section. "I see Raptor 1. He just did his burn and now I see Raptor 2. Helm, Crash Stop! Leo, you have the Conn."

Leonaidas said, "I have the Conn." He pushed the PA. "All hands, stand by for EMP in 5, 4, 3….."

Santini flipped open the cover to the EMP button and stood ready.

BRIDGE

USS EXCALIBUR

The Navigator reported, "Kah'less track in parameters. They will miss the Wisconsin and the Raptors."

"TIME!" Commander Morrow said.

"Max Impulse!" Jackson said. The view of the rapidly closing Wisconsin was way past comfortable. They are not on a collision course, but it looked too close.

The helm reported, "Max impulse!"

Jackson started wincing. They should clear. Probably. Doggone Jacobs. Simple plan, sure. He said he always liked simple, with things that could go wrong. Now it is down to everything had to go right. I thought Jacobs did not like that. But it was him that came up with hair-brained plan. One of these days, it will be the end of him. Strange what you can think in one second.

The Excalibur passed right over the top of the Wisconsin, with barely thirty meters to spare. The helmsman exclaimed excitedly, "Clear!"

BRIDGE

IKV KAH'LESS

Captain Kroth was near madness with rage. This battleship captain refused to engage in battle, fully. He would rather hurl insults than weapons. This captain made a strange course change near the base, opening himself up to increased fire. The battleship did sustain a lot of fire draining its shields, but it was a worthless expense. It made it all that more maddening, that Federation Captain's tactics made no sense.

Now suddenly, the battleship increased speed. Why? The battleship had to have pulled power from weapons or something for the increased speed. Before Kroth could say anything, from underneath the battleship was another ship, a heavy cruiser. And the Kah'less was going to pass right over it! They might even hit it!

Kroth only had enough time to say "Collision!"

BRIDGE

USS WISCONSIN

"2, 1… NOW!" Leonaidas exclaimed.

Santini pushed the EMP button. Out the back end of the warp nacelles a pair of rockets fired and started dragging a flexible tube from a spool. Once the spool fully deployed, a valve opened and warp plasma poured down the tube, inflating it briefly. The warp plasma reacted with the material in the tube and then vaporized the tube. All this happened in less than a tenth of a second.

The effect is that it disrupted all forms of technology, causing power to fail. Anything that was powered suddenly lost power. The trick is that the EMP had a limited range. Which is why the plan had it happen when the Wisconsin was very close to the Kah'less. And to the Klingon base. The plan also had the Excalibur far enough away so that it was not affected. And it was perfectly carried out.

BRIDGE

IKV KAH'LESS

Kroth had just given the order and the claxon sounded as the Federation cruiser passed underneath the ship. Suddenly, everything went dark. Kroth was just about to yell when he felt himself slowly rise off his seat. It was dark. As in totally dark. The emergency lights did not even turn on. "WHAT IS THIS?!"

BASE OPERATIONS

BASE 3

Chu was yelling orders trying to get control of the battle. He was deaf and blind. He had no idea what was going on outside. He will personally kill Kroth once this is over. The whole battle so far has been going as Starfleet has wanted it to go along the whole time. As soon as he can regain control, the Klingons will teach the Federation not to even think about attacking the Klingon Empire in the future.

Suddenly, the lights went out. Completely out. Chu felt himself coming off the floor. He started yelling, but could see none of the others around him. His head banged softly off the ceiling and he tried to remember what was where in the operations center. There was nothing lit in the center, it was completely dark. He could hear the others swearing as they were bouncing off whatever was going on.

He was going to kill Kroth with his bare hands.