Chapter Text
The Battle in Space
“Just as I thought.” Captain Rosza smirked contemptuously as she pointed to the markings on the Terran Empire Mirandas her ship was preparing to engage. “From one of the Mirror ‘verses.”
“Probably the one Loony Leeta and her idiots come from.” Eliza snorted derisively.
“Not this time, dragam.” Zsa-Zsa replied, “Take another look at their markings.”
“They’re from one of the timelines that branched off in the 22nd century.” Eliza mused, “One of the less…stylish…ones."
“Igen.” The Hungarian captain affirmed, “Those seggfej most likely come from one the grimmer Empires.”
“Prudes and brutes. Barbarians.” Eliza scowled, “Assholes with no fashion sense. Can we play with them now, lover?”
“You know how much I like to play, dragam.” Zsa-Zsa replied as a predatory smile appeared on her face. “Attack plan Alpha, dahlings. T’Vrel? Give me a gravity well in the middle of those two seggfej would you please, kedvesem.”
“My pleasure.” The lovely Vulcan science officer replied.
“Eliza, dragam. Fire at will and give me a quantum torpedo spread. Let’s see if we can attract their attention.”
Laughing as he watched the Belladonna go into battle with a barrage of phaser and torpedo fire, Captain Korath turned to his first officer, “What are we waiting for, K’Gan? I want my bloodwine! Full impulse. Jam their sensors and target that cruiser supporting the frigates.”
Bellerophon
"Zsa-Zsa and Korath seem to be enjoying themselves." Dya, the Bellerophon's Elasian weapons officer noted with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "Wish we could join them."
"We'll get our chance soon enough, dacha." Boris quipped, consoling his aggressive tactical officer. Addressing his next remarks to the Bajoran woman manning the science console, he directed, "Begin your sensor sweeps with a tachyon burst, Simi. I don't want any cloaked Tal'Shiar ships to take us by surprise.
"Aye, Sir." Moments later, the chestnut-haired science officer called out as a Mogai warbird accompanied by a T'Varo appeared.
"Valley Forge." Boris tapped his comm, "We have unexpected guests. Don't worry, tovarisch. We will deal with them."
'Thanks, Boris, and good hunting."
"Helm. Course 270 Mark 30 on my order.
"Aye, Captain." Angie acknowledged
"Dya. Attack plan Delta and prepare a spread of quantum torpedoes on my order. Simi? I want another tachyon burst on my command."
"Aye, Sir." Both women answered in unison.
"Closing on Mogai." Lieutenant 'Lucky' Luciano Conti, sitting at the seat next to the blonde woman manning the helm reported.
"Let them get a little closer." Boris commanded, his voice now a rumble.
"The T'Varo's cloaking. Probably attempting to flank us." Ilya warned, further commanding, Dya. Let them have it--fire all phasers. Simi--hit them with the tachyon burst now!"
Watching in satisfaction as the T'Varo was forced to decloak as the Mogai accompanying reeled under the concentrated phaser fire, Boris praised his Halenoi executive officer, "Good catch, Dacha. "Now, Dya! Fire quantum torpedoes maximum speed. Angie--change course to 45 degrees mark 20. Dya. Phasers. Target the T'Varo. Simi--positronic beam targeting the Mogai. Bring down those shields. Dya. Once those shields are down, I want a high yield quantum torpedo targeting that Mogai."
Shivering under the impact of the plasma weapons and torpedoes fired by the two Romulan warbirds, Tamar called out, "Shields down fifty percent. Damage control parties dispatched to decks five and eight."
"A few bumps and bruises, but no casualties so far." Dr. Vordus announced, his voice carrying through the comm speaker.
"Maintain course and fire on my mark." Boris commanded. "Now!"
Valley Forge
Watching as the battle began to unfold, Fleet Captain Magnussen ordered, “Have the fighters engage the enemy squadrons and close with that Empire Exeter. Attack plan Omega. Power to shields, we’re going to suck up some hits as we close. When we’re in range of that cruiser I want a tachyon beam with overloaded phasers striking simultaneously. Target weapons and shields.”
“Aye, Captain” Commander Zheren acknowledged, inclining his head at the man at the tactical console, Lieutenant Commander Michaels who nodded in return.
“In weapons range.” Michaels called out from his station as phaser beams lanced out from the enemy Exeter.
Shrugging off the slight shaking as the deflector shields absorbed the energy beams, Captain Magnussen responded with a grin. “Patience, Jeff. We need to buy enough time for Kaval to get into position. We can suck up a few hits. Carry out Plan Omega as ordered. Talana—tachyon beam when I say—not before.”
“Aye, sir.” The Andorian woman manning the science console acknowledged.
“They’re closing…as expected.” Zhreven smirked, “Standard Empire doctrine.”
“They never learn, do they?” The Danish starship captain chuckled as he watched as the Belladonna carried out a bone-jarring set of maneuvers, taking the Terran Mirandas it was tangling with completely by surprise as it raked first one of the Empire light cruisers and then another in rapid succession.
"Looks like Zsa-Zsa's having fun." Jeff chortled as he prepared to carry out his next set of moves.
"How is Boris doing?" Magnussen inquired as he caught a glimpse of his Russian friend's Nebula-class starship engaged in a ferocious battle.
"Captain Rodenko reports that they're holding their own, Sir. He says he's more worried about his...dacha?" Jeff laughed, "Whatever that means."
"Boris and his 'wayward angels' as he calls them." Soren laughed before once again returning to the matter at hand. "Hmmm...we're missing someone. Where's the Monbosh?” That’s the real threat.”
“Hanging back, Sir.” Michaels responded, “It’s launched its support craft.”
“Keep an eye on them.” Magnussen ordered, “Those bastards can ruin your day if you let them.”
“Nausicaan destroyers closing on the Exeter’s flanks for support.” The tactical officer reported as the escort craft appeared on either side of the Terran cruiser.
“Good thing we have the Romulans with us.” Soren smirked as he addressed his communications officer. “Hail the D’ressa. Is Commander Kaval in position?”
“Affirmative, Sir.”
“Cruiser’s in range.”
“Now, Sir?” The Andorian XO asked as the ship once again shook, this time more violently, from the Empire vessel’s weapons fire, now joined by that of the Nausicaan ships.
“Now.”
Aeolia
“Cloak holding.” Lieutenant Commander Velen reported from his science station. “So far we’re undetected.
“Very good.” Captain Hobson replied, “What of the Belladonna, Spoiled Princess, and Klothos?”
“Engaged with the frigates and fighters.” The tactical officer, T’Pren replied. “So far they don’t seem to be having any difficulties to speak of. Check that.” The emotional Vulcan quickly amended, “One of the Terran cruisers has altered course and is moving towards their position.”
“Inform them that they are about to have more company.” The Iceman coolly commanded, “Status of the Valley Forge, Bellerophon, and D’ressa?”
“Bellerophon is holding its own against a pair of Tal'Shiar warbirds that tried to ambush from cloak. Caught them with a tachyon burst."
Nodding his head in approval, the Iceman noted, "Captain Rodenko has a good eye. What else, Commander?"
T'Pren continued her report, "One Terran cruiser is closing with the Valley Forge, along with the two destroyer escorts. Fleet Captain Magnussen has succeeded in drawing the cruiser and Nausicaans up close.” Her lips turning up in a sly grin, T’Pren quipped, “Who wants to bet drinks with me on Drozana Station that the D’ressa’s sitting cloaked just waiting.”
“Not after our last bet.” Lieutenant Yitzhak Shalev joked back from the helm just as the D’Deridex battlecruiser decloaked, catching the two Nausicaans in its tractor beams as it unleashed a torrent of plasma torpedoes. Laughing, the Eretz Israeli helmsman exclaimed, “Nothing beats watching someone else getting tagged in the face by a blast of exploding plasma diarrhea!”
“The key words in that phrase are ‘someone else’.” T’Pren deadpanned.
“Very good analysis of the situation, Lieutenant Commander.” Hobson dryly remarked, only the smallest hints of a smile revealing the humor behind his comment. “Now…to matters at hand. Engage the Syphons. I want a Tyken’s Rift in the middle of those frigates and follow that up with a full barrage from our phasers then a high yield torpedo. T’Pren? What is the status on that Monbosh?”
“Holding position.” T’Pren declared, “But it has launched its support craft.”
“Hmmm…” The captain calmly cupped his chin as he leaned forward in his chair. “Positioning itself as a reserve and command and control. We need to disrupt that.”
“You’re not thinking about taking on a Monbosh one on one—are you, Chris?” Anara asked in a whisper.
“Of course not.” The Iceman whispered back. “Ready an electromagnetic pulse probe and be prepared to fire a sub nucleonic carrier wave on my order, but first, contact the Belladonna, Spoiled Princess, and Klothos—the participation of those ships is vital for this plan to work.”
“What about that Terran cruiser closing on the Belladonna?”
“Already figured into the plan, Number One.” Chris replied. “I’m going to need you, Velen, and T’Pren to carry out the following commands in the order I give them once we engage the Monbosh and the cruiser. When I give you the signal, it will be vital for you all to follow that sequence promptly along with the other ships, But…before we can do anything, Captains Magnussen and Rodenko, along with Commander Kaval must first hold their own against their current opposition and second force the Monbosh to commit itself. Until then, we help clear out the smaller ships.”
“A lot of variables, love.” Anara murmured worriedly, her voice low so that the rest of the crew couldn’t hear.
“I know.” The Iceman acknowledged, also speaking in a low whisper. “And I wouldn’t even attempt something like this if I didn’t trust all the other participating captains to carry out the plan.”
“What about the Spoiled Princess?”
“They’re my infra-finesse between two honors.” Chris replied with the slightest of grins as he signaled his tactical officer to contact the raider who was at that time engaging a Syphon.
“Kinda busy here.” Nelia exclaimed as her helmsman executed a difficult…and dangerous…barrel roll that succeeded in evading the attacking Nausicaan frigate while at the same time putting it under all of the Princess’s weapons. “Now…Joachim…everything you’ve got!” As the frigate exploded, the roguish Orion turned her attention back towards the Iceman. “You’ve got thirty seconds.”
“T’Pren…upload the plan to the Princess.”
Chuckling as she read the Iceman’s scheme, Nelia replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes, “We’ll be ready when you are.”
“Thank you.” Hobson replied formally, “Aeolia out.”
IKS Klothos
“Concentrate fire on those two frigates.” Captain Korath ordered, pointing to a pair of Syphons guarding the asteroid base. “That should clear a path for our friends.”
“Yes, Captain.” The first officer acknowledged as he gave the order to open fire.
Watching in satisfaction as first one, then the other Syphon went down in fireballs from the K’tinga’s concentrated fire, Korath’s lips turned up in an icy grin. “It is now up to the Spoiled Princess.” The Klingon captain then tapped his comm, “Spoiled Princess…the path is open. Qapla!”
Spoiled Princess
“We’ve got our opening.” Atris declared from the helm as their Klingon allies destroyed two of the Syphons while Zsa-Zsa and the Aeolia kept the Mirandas and the second Terran cruiser occupied.
“Go!” Nelia ordered, “Joachim. Target those turrets and their subsystems the moment we come out of cloak."
“We’re in range.” Joachim announced. “Weapons locked on.”
“Decloak and fire.” Nelia commanded, “Landing parties. Transport the moment those buffers go down.”
Almost immediately the Spoiled Princess, becoming visible again, fired its entire weapons array at the enemy phaser and photon torpedo turrets.
“They’ve been damaged but…”
“Still working.” Nelia finished the blonde science officer’s sentence as the ship shook under the impact of the turrets’ return fire.
“Shields holding at eighty percent.” Belen called out from the engineering console. “Diverting power to auxiliary subsystems.”
“Am I hot or am I hot.” The youthful Troyan woman at the helm declared as she successfully steered the Princess through a photon torpedo barrage with only a grazing hit.
“We almost got tagged by that last one.” Candy smirked as she teased her amiga.
“Pish-tosh.” Atris bantered back as she executed a barrel roll, evading another brace of torpedoes. “Nothing this baby couldn’t handle. These controls handle like a man’s…well…you know. I wouldn’t mind a permanent assignment here.” The mauve-haired beauty mused in a half joking-half pleading tone.
“I wouldn’t either, amiga.” Candy echoed in that same tone of voice.
“All right! All right!” Nelia exclaimed, “I get the message. I’ll talk to Magnussen when we get back.” Turning her attention to Joachim, she leered, “What about you stud-muffin? Wanna hang with us girls?”
“What do you think?” The Flemish tactical officer replied with a smirk, “I am many things, but stupid is not one of them.”
“Smart man.” Nelia joked, “Now…be a dear and take out those turrets and that transporter buffer and I’ll talk to Zsa-Zsa about it.” Her lips turned up in a crooked grin, the Orion temptress quipped, “I’ve got a good idea what her price is gonna be.”
“I’ve got a lock on their subsystems.” Candy reported, “Take ‘em down when you’re ready Joachim.”
“Consider them taken out.” Joachim triumphantly declared as the opposing turrets finally fell to a barrage of phaser fire and quantum torpedoes. “The buffers are down.”
“Door’s unlocked girls and boys. Kick it open and have fun.” Nelia announced through the comm to the landing parties.
“You heard her.” Ashley echoed, “Time to kick ass.”