“Port shields down to 60%; Aft shields at 73%.”
“Sir, I’m reading two ships, bearing 298 mark 4.”
“Take us to 184 mark 3,” ordered Dax, “and prepare to fire photon torpedoes.”
“Aye, sir.”
The Galen cut quickly around one of the moons of Bajor; she may have been a science ship, but she was one of the sleekest in the fleet. As they cleared the moon, Dax saw one of the “mother ships” straight ahead.
“Lock on and fire photon torpedoes!”
The enemy ship caught the full brunt of the torpedoes as the Galen cut around the moon so fast that the sensors didn’t even have time to register.
“Enemy shielding down to 34%.”
“Sir, I’m reading four Jem’Hadar warships, bearing 193 mark 7.”
“Evasive pattern Delta Omega Four; prepare to fire phasers.”
(-|-)
“Another of the “mother ships” has been destroyed, sir. Sensors indicate only three remaining.”
“How many Jem’Hadar?”
“46, sir, but half of those have gone back to their “mother ship.””
Captain Data sat quietly contemplating his next move. For good reason, he didn’t think about it for very long.
“Very well. I think it is time we paid some very special attention to the “mother ships.” Close in on the ship nearest our current position and fire.”
The Trafalgar sped towards a “mother ship,” ready to clip its wings.
“Starboard and forward shields down to 48%. We can’t stay in a fire fight like this one for much longer.”
The “mother ship” had fought back hard, but not hard enough. The darkness of space would have been lit by the brief explosion, but it was overcastted by the battle being waged around it.
“Next.”
(-|-)
“Do you have a lock on those ships?” asked Dax.
“Yes, sir.”
“Then, fi…”
“Wait…Captain, something strange just happened to those fighters.”
“Explain.”
“They suddenly veered of course for no explicable reason, and in no pattern. It was almost as if they were out of control.”
“Galen to the Trafalgar. Captain, we’ve just witnessed some very strange behavior on the part of some of the Jem’Hadar fighters. They seemed to veer off course for no reason.”
“Indeed.” Captain Data seemed to consider the matter duly. “I believe that, upon this observation and others I, myself, have made, it may very well be safe to assume that the Jem’Hadar fighters are connected to the “mother ships” in a hive-like manner.”
“So,” concluded Dax with a grin, “destroy the “mother ship” and the fighters follow.”
“Sir,” started one of the lieutenants on the Bridge of the Galen, “I’ve scanned those four Jem’Hadar ships, and I’m reading no life signs.”
Dax nodded in acknowledgment. “It would appear, Captain, that your hypothesis is correct. There’s no one piloting those fighters.”
“Then, it would be logical to ignore the fighters and concentrate on the “mother ships”. Thank you, Captain. You have been most helpful.” The channel closed and Data was running a bizillion (literally) strategic possibilities through his head. Finally, he stood with a snap of his fingers. “Lieutenant, open a channel to the Defiant.”
The familiar visage of Captain Worf appeared on screen.
“I suggest you talk fast.”
(-|-)
The Broniec zipped in and out of Jem’Hadar fighters, firing random shots as she went.
“Shields down to 32%!”
The ship rocked with every shot now, and Sisko was beginning to feel her falling apart under his very feet.
“What about the rest of the fleet?”
“The Galen‘s knee-deep in these damn fighters…The Trafalgar‘s taking on one of the “mother ships.””
“What about the Defiant?”
There was a moment of silence.
“She doesn’t show up on my scans.”
Damn. That’s all they needed was to lose a ship.
“Containment field on the warp core is down to 23%. One more hit and I don’t think I’ll be able to hold this piece of junk together.”
“Thanks for the commentary!” Sisko shouted back at Kasidy. Leave it to her to have a sense of humor at a time like this.
Their few torpedoes had been exhausted long ago, and their phaser banks were almost depleted. As the Broniec came around to fire on the “mother ship,” two Jem’Hadar fighters bore down from behind.
“Two Jem’Hadar fighters closing fast!” But before anything else could be said the ship rocked again.
“Well, that’s done it! There’s nothing I can do now.” Kasidy threw up her arms in surrender, knowing nothing short of a new ship was going to fix this one.
“How long?” Sisko’s mind was already looking for another way out, something that wouldn’t just leave them exploding in space, something that would count for something.
“I’d say about 40 seconds…Make that 38.”
Sisko rolled his eyes. If nothing else, he’d be glad to be rid of that woman’s humor.
His fingers flew across the panel in front of him (which he had occupied after the pilot had been killed due to a panel explosion) and plotted a course…directly for the “mother ship.”
(-|-)
By the time Dax realized what the Broniec was doing, it was too late. An explosion devouring both the Broniec and the “mother ship” flared up on the screen of the Galen.
(-|-)
“Move us into position, Ensign.” Data calmly took a stance in the middle of the Bridge. “Lock phasers on the “mother ship.” It is time they paid a little more attention to us.”
“Phasers locked and ready, sir.”
“Fire, sporadic bursts. Make sure we can keep it up for at least two minutes.”
Beams of seemingly liquid fire shot forth from the Trafalgar and impacted against the only remaining “mother ship.”
The “mother ship” responded in kind, shooting angry green streams at the Trafalgar. The Soyuz-class starship rocked under their rage, but managed to hold itself together somehow. Phaser beams continued to hack away at the “mother ship’s” shields…which were weakening steadily.
“Our shields are down to 43%!”
“Keep the bursts steady, Ensign. Just a few moments more.”
The entire bridge crew of the Trafalgar held their breath as the two ships remained locked in their mutually destructive battle.
“Their forward shields are failing…They’ve just reinforced them. Their aft shields…seem to be about 12% of normal.”
Good, thought Data as he settled back into his chair. “Continue phasers…and fire the last photon torpedo.”
(-|-)
From the Galen, Dax watched the deadly battle between the Trafalgar and the last remaining mother ship with a heavy heart.
“Weapons status!” She shouted to the ensign at Tactical.
“I’m sorry, sir, but we just can’t milk any more out of them. The phaser output nodes have been fused.”
Dax spun back again to the viewscreen, futile anger welling up in her because of her inability to aid the others. She watched as the “mother ship” bore down on the Trafalgar, waiting for the inevitable destruction of Captain Data’s ship…
…and then gasped as the Defiant decloaked directly behind the looming Jem’Hadar “mother ship.” Fresh phasers shot out at the enemy ship, striking unerringly on its target, the unprotected rear warp nacelles.
“I had been given reports that the Defiant had been destroyed!”
“The Broniec sent us that information just before they ram – just before they were destroyed. It must have been false.”
Dax stared at the viewscreen, watching in hopeless fascination as the Defiant furiously beat at the enemy ship. Phasers aren’t going to do it, Worf, she thought, I hope you’ve got a few photon torpedoes up your sleeve…
No sooner than the thought had crossed her mind did three photon torpedoes zoom away from the small warship in quick succession, each exploding as they struck various sections of the warp nacelles. The “mother ship” halted all fire as the Trafalgar and Defiant retreated as fast as they could. It hung in space for a moment, totally motionless. And then it exploded in one of the most violent, dazzling burst of flames Dax had ever seen.
“Yes!” The ensign at Tactical exclaimed jubilantly.
Dax felt a surge of relief as a exhausted grin covered her face. She felt exactly the same way.
“Dax to Defiant!”
“Yes, Captain.”
“I never knew you were the ‘knight in shining armor type,’ Worf,” Dax collapsed back into the command seat, “But I’m sure glad you decided to give it a try today.”
(-|-)
Odoital sat in the command chair of his ship – the last ship, the one hidden by Bajor from their sensors – and felt the fury rise in him like some horrendous beast clawing its way up from the grave. They couldn’t have destroyed all my ships…they couldn’t have…
The bridge was dead silent, not one of his crew making a sound in order to protect themselves from his wrath. Finally, he spoke. “Take us to Terek Nor.”
The ship sped out of orbit, unseen by the Federation ships still nursing their wounds.
Odoital’s only advantages lay in the fact that though the Federation ships may have declawed the beast, they weren’t aware of one fact.
This beast still had teeth.
(-|-)
Shelby turned to Odo, a smile lighting up her face. “The Galen just reported in. The Jem’Hadar warships have been
neutralized.”
Odo closed his eyes in relief. “Losses?”
“The Lederman and the Marigold were destroyed. The McCaffrey, Kiraly and the Peacock were seriously hit, with major casualties. The Galen‘s weapons systems are inoperable, and their life support is down to minimum.” Shelby hesitated. “The Broniec was also destroyed.”
Numbness flooded Odo’s body as this news struck him. Captain Sisko, Kasidy, Chief O’Brien (Keiko)…all dead? I’m sorry, he thought, wishing he could say it to them, and thank you.
“Mr. Odo?”
Odo turned around slowly, focusing his grief stricken eyes on the two figures who had just entered Ops.
“Hello, Jaty.” Odo acknowledged the girl, a sad smile tugging at his lips. It seemed to take him awhile to even register who the other person was. “Mrs. Bareil.”
“Odo, we…” Nerys stopped. “I just wanted to say thank you, for everything you’ve done.”
Odo harumphed, thinking how he had actually been the cause of this whole mess. He was trying to think of something else to say when Shelby’s voice rang out through Ops.
“We’ve got a ship approaching the station. Configuration appears to match that of…” Shelby hesitated. “Odoital’s ship.”
Odo spun around at the sound of his nemesis’ name.
“What?!”
“Shields up! Go to Red Alert!” Ops took on a darker tone, flooded in the blood red lights warning everyone of the upcoming danger.
“We’re being hailed.”
“On screen,” Shelby ordered, trying to mask her defense posture into a more diplomatic one.
“Fools! Why have you raised your shields?”
“I am Commander Shelby of the Federation outpost Deep Space Nine. I am afraid you are sadly mistaken if you believe this station to be under your command…” Before she could say anything further, the channel was severed. “Well, this certainly isn’t a good sign.”
(-|-)
So, the Federation had gained control of Terek Nor. Very well; he would just have to insure that they posed no threat to him.
“Lock weapons on the station and fire at will.”
(-|-)