Chapter Text
The collective techno-wizardry of the Galaxy Alliance brought forth some startling advances in the face of the Borg threat to the Alpha Quadrant. Commander McKenna and the crew of the Malinche had seen first-hand what the might of this new force could deal out in the form of the cobalt device. The Starfleet Corps of Engineers were recalling older ships to receive weapons and shielding upgrades. However, beyond the upgraded contemporary weapons found aboard Starfleet vessels, the Starfleet Advanced Starship Design Bureau (ASDB) had provided for several new starship designs. The very first of these designs lay in the natural evolution of the Sabre-class corvette, which was the Defiant-class corvette.
A Defiant-class vessel was smaller than the elder Sabre, with four decks and the crew capacity of fifty people. The most interesting technological advance was included on the standard model, was the anti-proton cannon. Unlike the shipmounted phasers, an anti-proton cannon required a tremendous output of power, which the Defiant-class was designed to carry with it. But due to the size of the hull and necessary length of the first anti-proton cannon, a smaller scaled version of the cannon had to be designed and duplicated. Thus, the Defiant-class corvette carried on it, twin quarter-rate anti-proton cannons, and had the power potential to deal out half the damage of a fully-rated cannon. However, even with the combined talent of the Alliance working on the new class of ship, the Defiant itself had several power distribution problems that went unforeseen in the application of the design. The first prototype was very nearly annihilated in testing, with power nodes overloading throughout the little vessel, killing three. Were it not for the intervention of Chancellor K'mpec, the Defiant-class project would have been shelved. Instead, he ordered that Starfleet pursue the technology further and overcome those problems. Despite his command, the Defiant-class and the protoype vessel Defiant, had to be returned to the shipyards for redesigning. While the Defiant sat in dock, the ASDB turned its attention to the production of the Kyuushu-class Warbird.
Size and strength were an obvious factor in the design of this gargantuan starship. Unlike the duel nacelle design of the Constitution, Excelsior, and Galaxy-class starships, the Kyuushu-class would employed a dual core, tri-nacelle configuration to assist the massive vessel to enter subspace and provide enough energy for the very formidable weapons systems. Federation and Romulan technology combined to mount advanced phaser and disruptors, along with a Klingon hull compound, and Cardassian-designed energy and shield grids. The hull reached over twelve hundred meters in length, and spanned almost five hundred meters in width. A Kyuushu-class would carry over three thousand in crew, and a light marine division. It was the tangible result and the very symbol of effective collaboration between the major powers. Though it was a Federation hull design, incorporating the gull-like look of most pre-Alliance Starfleet vessels, due to the heavy weaponry and power, it was classified as a dreadnaught battleship, and then later as a warbird.
The first of this class was named the Kyuushu, for the name of the first starship to fall at the battle of Wolf 359. In the time it took to complete her and shake down all of the operational problems combining all those technologies presented, there were already three ships completed and four other hulls under construction. Within a year of the design's invocation, there were twenty-five Kyuushu-class warbirds in service or ready for commissioning. The second product of this class, following the beginning of construction on the Kyuushu herself, was the USS Pride of Qo'noS. She was immediately assigned to the Bajoran sector the day after her commission, on Stardate 45396.
Lieutenant Commander January A. McKenna held the honor of serving as the first captain of the Pride of Qo'noS.
Remembering what he had said upon reading the blueprints for the ship, he realized that while the engineering aspect of this class of ship was above and beyond any other power system he had ever worked on, the nature of the dual warp core design did not convey extravagance so much as it did necessity. The power requirements of the Pride of Qo'noS made Lieutenant Thomas Donner very aware of why those cores existed. In a state of battle, the ship would enjoy full power to weapons and shields, but a reduction in the maximum attainable warp speed, without redirecting power from other systems.
The weapons systems of the Kyuushu-class comprised of fifteen Federation phaser cannons along with nine Romulan disruptors and eight torpedo tubes. Coupled with a deflector grid that had the power output a fifth of that of a starbase, and the ship was a formidable opponent on the pre-Borg playing field. The true test of its firepower would come when either the Pride of Qo'noS or a sister ship were to come into contact with a Borg cube. It was proven well enough that the spheres were merely the light cruisers of the Borg's fleet, but the cube itself was a frightening shape to see on any viewscreen of any ship in Starfleet.
Power allocation problems aside, he felt a secret pleasure at the opportunity of working on the latest in advanced starship design. From the start of his career, he had been relatively entrusted with the engineering duties aboard older vessels. His first assignment as an ensign was aboard one of the aging Ambassador-class cruisers, where he learned from the school of hard knocks. Tom knew in his heart that while learning in a classroom and in starship simulators was a good beginning, it was the practice in the real universe that allowed an engineer to gain experience and wisdom in his field. He felt as though he were an ensign again with the Pride, donning a working jumpsuit and crawling through the Jeffries tubes on every deck until he was sure he knew the ship as well as he had known his previous assignments.
When Commander McKenna sent word for him to report for his next assignment on Starbase 818, there was a lot of speculation between the four of them as to what that assignment would be. Rear Admiral Ross, the admiral in command of the Seventh Tactical Fleet, had no other Excelsior-class vessels under his authority to accommodate January's request. Instead, they were ordered to report to Terok Nor, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Ruao Sarjanna. Once they arrived at the old Cardassian mining station-turned-Alliance starbase, the four of them had transferred from the Seventh and into the Third Tactical Fleet, where Rear Admiral Aerv'us i-Ihhliae tr'Kheriov held command over the fleet defending Bajor. McKenna, Sten, Yamaguchi, and Donner were given a status as officers of detached status from Terok Nor. Commander Ruao, in turn, provided them with the Excelsior-class USS Berlin. The Berlin was the station's guardian entity, assigned to the station, and used only in times where it was necessary for Terok Nor's authority to be mobile.
The assignment to the Berlin lasted for a few months before Admiral tr'Kheriov offered command of the Pride of Qo'noS and McKenna accepted. Since the transfer to the new ship, seven months had already passed, and the New Year was only weeks away. In that time, Tom saw himself promoted to a full lieutenant, and Norman finally earned his promotion to Captain. At first, it was a very confusing thing to have happen, with Norman and January on the bridge at the same time. It was very quickly and quietly adopted that while January was referred to as "Captain," the addition of Norman's last name would be used on the bridge to get his attention.
"Captain Yamaguchi," called McKenna, seated at the head of the observation lounge's long conference table. "I would like for you to act as a liaison officer between the bridge crew and the marine division, once more. It's imperative that we keep an active and open line of communication for this operation to work successfully."
Norm gave a quick nod, which was an acceptable way to respond to the captain's briefings. He sat next to Lieutenant Sten, on the captain's left side. The viewscreen behind the captain showed the massive fleet operation into the heart of the Borg Hot Zone (BHZ), to be launched from Cirrius Prime. McKenna had only recently returned to the ship, having attended a briefing aboard Terok Nor along with several other captains of Kyuushu-class ships.
January rose from her chair, "Let's review the operation." She called up the start of the information, going over the highlights. "After the completion of the Hornet and the Ael, all twenty-five of the Kyuushu-class vessels are directed to assemble in the Cirrius Prime system. We will form a task force, as illustrated here." The screen's display zoomed outward, to present the formation of all of the ships. "Our objective from this assembly is to warp into the Proxima Centauri system and setup a base of operations for future advances into Borg territory. Commodore Hastur will command the task force from the William T. Riker. Any questions?"
"Captain, approximately when does this operation take place?" asked Sten.
"The orders were to assemble the fleet no later than tomorrow morning at oh-three-hundred."
Yamaguchi voiced his question, "Is Starfleet Intelligence expecting heavy resistance, sir?"
McKenna replied, "Light to moderate resistance, Captain. However, with the new technology built on board these battleships, Starfleet Command is confident even if we meet heavy or fierce resistance, we will have the upper hand." Once she had finished answering the question, she looked out over the senior officers and asked for more questions.
No one said anything, most of them looking at the screen. She could see the fear mixed with excitement in their eyes, with the exception of Sten. Her Vulcan first officer remained silent and attentive. Even if she had objections, she would never speak them aloud in front of the rest of the officers. The captain's ready room was a far more appropriate locale in which to discuss her reservations. However, though she had one of the best poker faces January had ever seen, after serving alongside each other for two years, the captain had learned to read Sten.
"Very well," January said. "Dismissed." All of the officers rose, with the exception of Sten. The captain waited for everyone to leave the lounge before turning her attention to the lieutenant. Without saying a word, she leaned back in the high-backed chair and waited.
Sten's fingers made an appearance on the lounge table, gently folding in atop one another as both hands clasped together. "Captain, I wish to voice some reservations about the lack of proper reconnaissance on Proxima Centauri." She inclined her head to the viewscreen, to indicate the hole in the strategy.
"Go on."
"The Kyuushu-class warbird has been kept away from the Borg Hot Zone in a deliberate attempt to prevent the Borg from gaining advance knowledge of the design and payloads of these ships. While I agree with that strategy, I also find it to be as equally a disadvantage as it is an advantage." The Vulcan paused, either as an attempt at dramatics or to find the proper words with which to continue. "We do not have a plausible theory as to the outcome of this operation."
McKenna replied, "No, we don't. But that doesn't mean that things will always turn out for the worst. Perhaps we won't lose a single ship; maybe this will be one of the most effortless operations we've carried out since Wolf 359. We don't know. I don't think that should mean we shouldn't go."
"I am certain there is another option besides a frontal assault," Sten said with a determined tone.
This drew a shrug from January, "Maybe there is. Until then, we go with the orders in hand, of course." She lifted herself out of her chair and began to head for the exit out to the corridor leading to the bridge. "This doesn't mean that I don't want options, though. You keep working in it, let me know if you come up with anything."
"Aye, sir."
McKenna nodded, satisfied with the end of the conversation. She left Sten alone in the observation lounge and walked onto the main bridge. "Helm," she said, relaxing in the center seat, "prepare to leave dock. Signal Ops for permission to depart."
The officers and crewmen manning their bridge stations sprung into action; each station came to life as the ship switched from external to internal power. The operations crewman reported the clearance from the starbase's operations center, while the engineering officer reported that the cruise mode power allocations were now in place. Following the helm's report that all preparations to get underway were complete, Captain McKenna gave her order, "Disengage docking clamps, and move us away from the station at one-quarter impulse power."
She couldn't hear the docking clamps, but she could definitely feel the lag of the ship's powerful inertial dampening field as the massive vessel released it's hold upon Terok Nor. The Pride of Qo'noS powered up its twin impulse engines and moved away from Bajor at one-sixteenth the power it would take for the ship to reach warp one.
"Now entering the Cirrius Prime system, sir," reported the helmsman. The viewscreen slowed the stars down until they returned to being tiny points of light, rather than the long streaks from the effects of traveling faster than the speed of light.
Cirrius Prime could be seen from the vantage, in the distance. The fourth planet within the system played host to over three hundred million Alliance citizens, one of the larger colonies so close to the BHZ. It was only a matter of time before the Borg would expand to assimilate the planet, and Starfleet felt it prudent to begin construction of an orbital facility around the colony. It was not yet completed, however, the docking facilities were online and ready to accommodate the transfer of whatever supplies were needed for the task force to accomplish their mission.
Captain Yamaguchi reported from his station, "I'm reading twenty ships so far, sir. Five Kyuushu-class, the rest are Ambassadors, Excelsiors, and Galaxys."
McKenna nodded her acknowledgement. "The support fleet. They've assembled what they could for defensive purposes only. If we should fall, then the task of defending the system would fall to the defense fleet of those ships."
Norman shook his head, "But sir, if twenty-five warbirds can't handle this operation, then..."
"Fifteen ships of lesser firepower wouldn't stand much of a chance," she finished the thought out loud. "It's better than no ships."
"I guess so, sir."
January asked herself if the rest of the crew felt the same way. Did they believe they were being asked to sacrifice themselves on a hunch? Since the briefing and the conversation with Sten last night, she had begun to suspect that their enthusiasm was not at the level it should be. She thought it over for a moment, but shook her head. She had to do something about that, but now was not the time. "Bring us into formation with the other ships, standard orbit."
"Standard orbit, aye."
"Captain Yamaguchi, you have the bridge. I'll be in my ready room." She moved away from her chair as Norman walked from the tactical station to the center seat and took the conn. Shortly thereafter, she was reseated behind her desk in the ready room, pulling up whatever technical information on the Borg she could use. Was she just blindly following orders, or was there something more she could do than simply be another ship on the line, firing everything she had?
With a quick glance, she noticed that it was two hours before the fleet would get underway. She wondered if all of the ships would arrive on time, or if they would have to postpone their departure. On that thought, she leaned into her comfortable chair and closed her eyes. Within seconds, she fell asleep.
A little over an hour later, the ship's intercom roused her from a deep sleep. Sten's voice was heard, "Captain, are you there?"
McKenna cleared her throat, wiping at her eyes, "I'm here, Lieutenant. My apologies." She tried as much as she could to prevent from sounding as though she just woke up. Being caught sleeping in the ready room was not a memory she wished to take with her after the battle.
"Signal from the Riker, sir. The fleet is ready to get underway," Sten continued.
McKenna was already up and on her feet, which were moving her to the bridge. She answered her executive officer there, "Understood. Helm, prepare to break orbit and follow fleet course."
As Sten looked over to January, seated in the auxiliary station, she shook her head. The captain frowned. She was unable to provide any options that might provide a better chance. In response, McKenna gave Sten a very slight, but understanding nod.
Norman's console began to alert. "Captain, proximity alert. I'm showing a vessel on an inbound course. Speed: warp nine-point-nine-nine-nine-nine-nine." There was really only one thing that had ever been tracked at moving at such a speed: a Borg cube.
Sten reported, "Incoming message from the Riker."
"Red alert. Put the message on main viewer."
Commodore Hastur's features appeared, replacing the planet's edge and the fleet. "Hastur to fleet. Looks like the Borg are going to take the fight to us. The task force will break orbit and follow course two-one-seven Mark zero-zero-three, full impulse to clear the planet, and then increase to warp nine to intercept the cube." It was a broadcast message, one way. He could not hear or see the bridge of the Pride, nor the alert klaxon wailing in the background.
"Signal flagship, acknowledge those orders. Helm, you heard the man," Captain McKenna took her seat. "Captain Yamaguchi, put me on shipwide, please."
Norman replied, "Aye, sir." A few commands later, he nodded, "You're on, sir."
January spoke to the crew of three thousand people, "Attention crew of the Pride of Qo'noS. This is the captain, speaking. The fleet is assembled and ready to go, but it looks like the Borg wanted to get a jump on us. A cube has been spotted heading straight for the Cirrius Prime system, and Commodore Hastur has ordered that we make our stand right here." She looked down at her hands briefly, trying to come up with the best way to raise their spirits. Whatever time they thought they had was just snatched away from the Borg. Even she felt the anxiety level rise aboard ship, and she had no telepathic or empathic ability. "I have confidence in this crew. I believe that every single one of you is well-trained, and ready to fight to death to protect this system from assimilation. The Borg may have the ability to adapt, but so do we. This ship is new, and its weapons may be powerful, but never forget one thing: we cannot win without you. The Borg have never seen what the Pride of Qo'noS is capable of. Let's show them. McKenna, out."
The ship was already at warp, moving with the other twenty-four ships to intercept the Borg. The viewscreen increased its magnification to spot the cube moving straight for them. Suddenly, the fear of Wolf 359, and the death all around her overwhelmed her. Her hands shook as they wrung one another. As the cube loomed closer, she spotted the minute characteristics along the hull that plagued her slumber every other night without fail since the loss of the Roosevelt. Fear was pushed to the side as the desire for revenge now took hold of her. The opportunity for payback was finally at hand, and all of the grief and tears shed for those who died at her side would finally come to fruition.
"Helm," she said, "increase speed to warp nine-point-nine-nine-seven-five."
The helmsman turned, "But fleet speed is..."
"That's an order, mister," her voice dripped with menace, though not directed at the helmsman. Sten turned her head from her station, her brow creased with as much worry as her Vulcan demeanor would allow.
Her helmsman decided not to quibble any longer, not wanting to have to deal with the captain's anger. Not at this crucial juncture. "Aye, sir. Increasing speed." On the viewscreen, the other ships began to slide back and away from the Pride as she willed the ship to be the first one to fire everything she had.
January stood up, not wanting to sit down any longer. She folded her arms across her chest and stared hard at the cube. It was only a matter of minutes, now. She would stand there and wait. She would wait until Norman would inform her that the cube was within range of the most powerful starship Starfleet had ever known. She would wait to shove every bit of that power, every phaser, every disruptor, every bi-cobalt device, and even every quantum and photon torpedo she could call upon, right through the side of that cube.
It was only a matter of minutes, now.