A Gaslight Whizbang... finale

Posted on Sat 22nd Feb, 2025 @ 2:04pm by Commodore H'tek

2,285 words; about a 11 minute read

Mission: The Phoenix Gamble
Location: DMZ 1.2 LY from SB109

And now the conclusion....

{USS Enceladus - Bridge}

Captain Pallek's sat perched in the center chair on the bridge of the USS Enceladus, one of the upgraded Luna-Class vessels, patiently watching the flowing starscape ahead on the monitor while checking the readouts on her chair console. Behind her, the officer at Tactical reported, "Sir, the Ticonderoga is coming into range. I see Two K'vort class Heavy Cruisers, One Zakdorn Command Cruiser, multiple smaller vessels, circa 2280 Raptors? Twenty one ships in all Captain!"

Pallek nodded. "Red alert. Open a channel, Lieutenant, all frequencies," she said with dead calm. "This is Captain Pallek of the Federation Starship Enceladus responding to a distress call from the Ticonderoga. We will arrive at your location in exactly one minute and twenty-eight seconds. Any non-Federation vessels within immediate range will be considered hostile and will be fired upon."

The reply came right away, three Klingons on screen appeared as a war council on a battle hardened bridge of their own. H’tek sat in the middle, with a slender Gorn to his left and ancient long bearded Klingon to his right. The battle display showed the Ticonderoga surrounded in a bog of energized Warp Plasma, and the Thunderchild backing away. Local scans were also a nightmare from the isolated damage to subspace, and the shadows being cast by anyone with a deflector. H’tek’s fleet surrounded the miasma and fired in blindly, sending in smaller craft in great number.

“This is H’tek of the Second Sons Allied Fleet. I do not recognize your authority in this contested space. It is no matter, I have this battle well in hand, your arrival will only add to my collection."

The older one with a alrge baeard, Partha spok enext, "I welcome you to watch as I pry the shell off this damnable turtle and pry my meat out. Your puny vessel will make no difference!” He laughed with full humor and insanity, as a good Klingon would at the prospect of battle and triumphant returns. The screen terminated as Kr'torg issued orders to board the iconodergoa anywhere the hull was clean of plasma fuel.

"They need twenty-one ships to destroy two?" the helmsman remarked.

Pallek's stoic expression remained as she said, "A star cradle is a big target to take down, Lieutenant." She turned back in her chair. "Tactical, I want a full quantum torpedo sweep at the largest three ships the second we get out of warp. Concentrate phasers on the smaller vessels. Helm," she turned back around, "Prepare for evasive action. How long until our arrival?"

The helmsman, a Bolian, glanced at the readout and said, "We arrive in fifty-seven seconds."

{Suv'Wi- H'teks bridge}

From the bridge of his K'vort class Heavy Cruiser, H'tek snarled in a pride he rarely felt. To exercise ones strength and have the results pay out was immensely satisfying. In a twin vessel to his own, as Lursa and B'etor were sisters, H'tek and Partha were wedded as captains and brothers in arms. Partha commanded the Dktahg to great effect, a litany of victories tattoed on their captains flesh. These two vessels could menace almost anything in the quadrants, but to consider their progeny and ally Kr'torg, who had taken from the Zakdorn two mighty command trawlers as well... Today was a good day to see what their true might could bring. To slay a mammoth and these Starfleet anathemas, to bring these spoils home and be the richer for their efforts was as close to rapturous delight as he could feel.

"Sire?!" H'tek did not know the names of his bridge officers he realized. Anslo had handled all of the bridge chatter, H'tek only spoke to his closest people and trusted them to carry out orders, and sort madness from folly.

"Speak 'la" He grumbled, hoping not to be transparent.

"We are at twenty two vessels sir, others are coming, but did we need them?"

Wishing he had a right hand, H'tek had to think and it was great effort. The 'la was asking if more ships were needed. His memory served the remainder of the fleet, and the only combat ships up to this engagement were all present. The rest were Raptors or D5 destroyer kitbashes.

"What is the ETA on those Star fleet vessels?

He grew impatient at the delayed reply, Anslo would have had the answer already. H'tek threw his dagger again, dead center of the divot each time. Without flinching the 'la sped up and produced quick results.

"A merchant ship, Second Star in thirty one minutes, the Nova is inbound imminently and a fighter squadron it looks like, the Nova class with Captain Pallek we just spoke with is closest at one minute."

"Raise Partha!"

On the widescreen Partha appeared; the ancient Klingon looked bored.

H'tek considered, "The Nova and the Sabre have an ion trail originating from the Ticonderoga, they are decoys aha! The Second Star is real enough but a single vessel. Tell Kr'togr to press the attack, Partha and I will patrol the perimeter. This Captain Pallek... Scan them, confirm they are who they say they are."

Partha finally replied, "I agree, these fighter squadrons are warp decoys. they would have deployed them earlier if they had them. Now they've soiled themselves in unspent plasma to muddle our readings but I concur this Captain Pallek is trying to intimidate us hoping we don't see they are but one meager ship." The old Klingon did recognize the threat however, even a Nova class had teeth.

H'tek laughed, "We will have to wash our meat then! Forward through the fogs, capture the Xon Halliar, end those bastard Starships! Ckall, be ready for anything. We haven't seen their last tricks!"

{Ticonderoga- Command Center}

The venting Warp Plasma swirled in magnetic spirals generated by the Deflector grid encompassing the entirety of the Star Cradle. This fog of war made sensors unreliable, and posed a navigation threat to anything coming in to board them. Scans were impossible, transporters unreliable, and the troops on the landers were being contained due top a lack of surface ara they could latch onto, however time was counting against them, more landers arrived by the minute.

“If we lose 21-D vent the whole deck to space, nobody there but bad guys.” Izzy ordered the Sec chief, who was coordinating fireteams all over the station.

The problem was four strong ships circling at a distance. Two of them cloaked and reappeared in a dance with one another to cover their weapons recharging. “H’tek is aligned with the Dktahg, the Enceladus won’t gain any advantage… we have to underline the deception, can we generate a fake ion trail, send a work bee if you got to.”

Lily added in over her comm from the Thunderchild, “We have weapons, but shields are down to 15%, we got full weapons though, all the power and agency.”

“Open comms to Alidade… We have to wait for the right time, you can't take much return fire. Find the opportune time and coordinate a full strike on either Dktahg or Thunderchild, whichever is most likely to be damaged by youir ambush after we do ours. It’s their concert that is reducing our chances more than anything, so we need to open an opportunity for Enceladus to focus on the other. We focus on those two and when we do, when we devastate them, activate the holo decoys, not before, so we force the idea of retreat into their brains. If they fire on them it will ruin the effect. Understand?”

"I understand...I think," came Alidade. She pondered everything that was said. "It sounds as though you are going to strike either Dktahg or...me? Am I hearing that right? Am I to be some form of distraction?" Alidade decided it was best to just follow instruction as it was given. "I will not let you down."

"The battle will change moment by moment, either target will suffice, just not the same one as us. we have to disable both of those K'vort class."

A class two probe launched, it was duplicating an ion trail from the station, and it lead right to Enceladus. Izzy felt hope and saw the way out she had been trying to make actually lay out before her. The Suv’Wi had not taken angles exposing their flank, but as it decloaked she saw their impulse flares first. He wasn't worried about the warp trails and shadows. H’tek had turned his back to the Enceladus, ordering the others had focused on the Star cradle and “helpless” Thunderchild.

IThe scene was as perfect as it could get, Izzy relished giving the order, “Target and fire on the Dktahg, everything we’ve got. Send firing solutions to Enceladus upon their arrival to focus on Suv’Wi. Alidade… just wait, you already know…”

“Enceladus inbound in ten, nine, eight,…”

{Enceladus- Bridge}

"...four, three," said the Bolian officer at helm, "two, one..."

"All weapons fire," Pallek said in her calm, Vulcan tone. Within seconds, a spray of torpedoes and phaser fire sprayed out at the various enemy ships, the Enceladus parrying gracefully and evading fire from other ships. Their sudden appearance completely ruined the enemy fleet cohesion as desperate return fire barely connected. The Second Sons fleet took losses right away, and the Quantum torpedoes found their target without interference.

The impacts upon the Suv'wi had nearly hulled her. A Luna class Starship could absolutely lay down a punishment, today was no mercy. Proper battle tactics however would have spared a few ergs of energy for return fire defense. After firing everything many ships remained and the Enceladus was stuck reloading its guns as the Dktahg dropped closed to firing distance. Partha had gotten the best weapons money could buy and goosed them a few steps further. They punched well above their weight and the multiple volley capacity meant the Enceladus took fair strain to their shields under a withering assault. However, her shields held but the weapons were still drained. Maneuvering to evade the next volley from Partha, it was then the Thunderchild poked it head through the swirling green mists.

Alidade suppressed her hesitation to the conclusion of people's treks about the 4th dimension. She decided to focus on what the Thunderchild's sensors were inwardly displaying; red dots that needed to be shut down.

Alidade was able to sense all the sensors at once, focus the Thunderchild's entire complement of phase canons at once, target everything within range at once and, in a grand display of light, the Thunderchild appeared as though a flowering blossom of phase energy as every capable phase canon that was able to target a red dot, all pit up and spewed forth multiple streams of phaser fire in various directions. Each one, Alidade ensured was only firing at 25% their maximum safe output. With many firing all at once, that was the best she could manage without taking away from shields, life support, etc.

As quickly as the blossom of phaser fire ended did she also send forth half a dozen torpedoes upon remaining red dots and other red dots coming into range where she was able to acquire better targeting solutions.

After the torpedoes, it was a phaser/torpedo free-for-all as she darted the ship about, rolled, dove, drifted and strafed. All the while she had randomly selected Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies to play throughout the ship. Alidade had no idea what a dance was, nor sugarplum, nor even a fairy. She would have to research later. For now though, the music seemed to make her feel whatever the music was supposed to make her feel as she continued assailing the assailants. while also doing everything she could to avoid their respective fire.

The command from the Ticonderoga was subtle, "Holo-grid activated."

Holo Decoys suddenly generated the Second Star, firing from within the illusions added to the confusion, more decoys erupted, creating the image of a California class, and three squadrons of Marine Aerospace Group 19 began circling towards the Zakdorn Siege vessels. The illusions of a Nova class had revealed a Luna class and their ambush from the Thunderchild who had seemed certainly defeated created a fog of war that baffled the pirates entirely.

At the appearance of their own fleet conjured from thin air, H'tek had no answer and felt madness chewing into reason like never before. He ordered the full retreat to his own surprised ears. But losing people and ships was a comfort for the militaries. Honor could come another day. He nearly stopped breathing when he realized Anslo was right that this had been an overreach, and cost them operational secrecy. This was a defeat to allow his enemies victory.

"Retreat, Ckall activate recall and portal to Rally. Do it now!" He snarled ineffectually, feeling his sanity slip.

Overseeing the battle from afar, from a hidden ship, a spidery sylvan strand connected to each and every vessel in their fleet. The Landing craft had only begun to leave the Ticonderoga, and they too were connected by the strand. A pulse connected this new hidden ship to all of the one in its care and pulled them to it, also generating a portal to pull them through. As though he was personally being pulled against his will, H'tek spat on is bridge floor.

He threw the Dk'tahg and it bounced from the divot point. As it clattered to the floor, his body guard fetched it and tried to give it back. H'tek only glared at the man.

"This isn't mine what are you doing?"

The old man staggered off the bridge leaving a confused crew behind.

-End-

 

RSS Feed