ENT - 012 - Kobayashi Maru

THIRTY-SEVEN

Tuesday, July 22, 2155 ColumbiaNX-02, near Alpha Centauri

A DMIRAL G ARDNERS NEW ORDERShad arrived only about six hours after Columbias repairs were completed; alone in her ready room, Captain Erika Hernandez received them with a heavy sense of fatigue. She knew she wasnt the only one who was feeling worn out at the moment, either. Like all of Columbias alpha-shift bridge personnel, Lieutenant Russell Hexter and his beta-watch crew and Lieutenant Charles Zeilfelder and his gamma-shifters had been working far past their standard shifts for the duration of the repair operations. The double-teaming had put quite a strain on just about everyone.

Prior to returning to her command chair on the bridge, Hernandez had put in an order with the galley to prep some caffeinated drinks for the alpha-shift bridge crew. Before Ensign Valerian, the com officer, had managed to take her first sip, however, she received a partially garbled distress call from a line of cargo vessels reporting that they had come under attack in the Alpha Centauri system. Coffee and tea were put aside, forgotten and cold, as Columbias bridge crew shifted immediately into rescue mode.

“Any ID yet on the attackers, Sidra? Hernandez said, turning her command chair toward the communications console. She hoped that another batch of Romulan-commandeered Klingon vessels wouldnt prove to be the culprits here; that might push a touchy Coalition Council right over the brink of launching a misbegotten war against the Klingon Empire. Give me plain vanilla, garden-variety pirates anyday,she thought.

“Still no luck on that, Captain, said Ensign Valerian. “And all Im getting right now is static. Maybe the attackers are jamming the cargo ships at the source.

If they havent destroyed them outright already,Hernandez thought, immediately kicking herself for her pessimism.

Facing front and leaning forward toward the helm, she said, “Whats our ETA at Alpha Centauri? She knew she probably sounded like a child asking “Are we there yet? But given her current lack of sleep, as well as her preoccupation with Jonathan Archers long-shot attempt to avert a seemingly inevitable war with the Klingons and/or the Romulans, she regarded it as a minor miracle that she sounded even halfway coherent.

Lieutenant Akagi turned from her station, a slight smile on her lips. “Just a hair under twenty minutes, Captain. Five minutes less than the last time you asked. Would you like me to put a counter on the screen, sir? she teased, her almond-shaped eyes crinkling at the edges.

Hernandez gave her a mock scolding look. “No, that wont be necessary. Ill try to restrain my enthusiasm until we get there. She looked over to the front left of the bridge, where Valerians hands were a blur at her communications console, while her face showed unhappy concentration.

“Any luck restoring communications with the convoy, Sidra? Hernandez asked.

Valerian shook her head. “No, Captain. Im picking up snatches and pieces of subspace messages, but nothing I can lock onto for any length of time. The signals are all tremendously fragmented. Its as if the main ship transceivers are either jammed or destroyed, and the message fragments Im receiving are being transmitted by private, low-power communication devices carried by shipboard personnel. Most of them appear to be personal messages. Theyre trying to say their good-byes.

The thought made Hernandez shiver. If their communications are being jammed, could this be another Romulan stunt?She imagined the cargo vessel crews all trying to defend their ships, even as they used whatever small com devices were on hand to send farewell messages to their loved ones. If thats the case, then we may already be too late to help anybody.

She toggled the communicator on her command chairs arm. “Karl, see if you can pump a bit more power into the engines. Even shaving off a minute or two of travel time might make all the difference.

“Ill see what I can do, Captain, but were gonna bust our new stitches if you push my littleLiebchens very much harder,Lieutenant Graylock replied, clearly concerned about undoing the just-completed repairs to Columbias nacelles and the other recent war wounds she had sustained.

“All I ask is that you try,Karl, Hernandez said before signing off.

“Coming up on fifteen minutes, Akagi said from her station half an eternity later.

“Do we have long-range visuals yet? Hernandez asked.

At the tactical station, Lieutenant Kiona Thayer shook her head, her long braided hair undulating across her back with the movement. “Not yet, Captain. Even if we did, whatever we saw would already be old news because of the relativistic light-lag. On the bright side, our sensors arent currently picking up any subspace signatures consistent with weapons fire. Which could be a good thing.

“Or it could mean that the battles already been lost, Hernandez said, feeling glum.

“Well, arent youa bag of oranges and morning sunshine? Commander Veronica Fletcher said in her lilting New Zealand accent as she exited the turbolift and strode purposefully to her traditional spot at the engineering console to Hernandezs right.

“Only if theyre fully pulped oranges, Hernandez said tartly in response. Her answer made her think of poor Jonathan Archer, who really lookedlike a bag of pulped fruit after his fight on QonoS. She was glad she hadnt been on Enterprisewhen Archer had returned, or she would have had to battle the temptation to take care of him. He alwayshas had that effect on me,she thought, even though she never doubted for a moment that her instinct to protect Columbiaand her crew would have overruled the impulse. Of course, she couldnt deny that shed found the current hotheaded, secretive version of Jon Archer far less attractive than the man she once might have married. So much about the man had changed over the past few years. Particularly since the death of Trip Tucker.

Hernandez got a status update from Chief Engineer Graylock on several belowdecks repairs and retrofits that had just been completed, including some system redundancies that could act as extra computer firewalls that had been put into place after Archers warning about the new weapon the Romulans were using.

A hand signal from Akagi told Hernandez that only a few minutes remained before Columbiawas due to drop out of warp in the outer Alpha Centauri system.

“All right, everyone, were on tactical alert, Hernandez said. Once the bridge illumination had dimmed to combat levels, she continued: “We already know that the cargo fleet is under attack, so I want us coming in locked and loaded for bear. I know youve all been briefed already, but let me remind you that the hostile we are about to encounter may be eitherKlingon or Romulan ships. Either way, were going to target their weapons and propulsion wherever possible. I want to capture one of these bastards, if the opportunity arises. If it doesnt, well do whatever we have to do. She looked toward Fletcher, nodding slightly at her executive officer.

“If we end up facing Klingon battle cruisers, keep in mind that their crews may not be in control of their own helms and weapons, Fletcher said, effortlessly picking up where Hernandez had left off. “And if they arent really the ones running their own control panels, then its likely that they wont return our hails. If the hostile vessels really are being controlled remotely, then their tactical maneuvers might be a bit more sluggish than you might expect. But dont bet the farm on that in the absence of hard information. Until we actually engage the aggressors, I want every sensor focused on telling us whether or not the hostile vessels crews are actively piloting their ships, or if they might just be along for the ride, so to speak.

“Two minutes, Captain, Akagi said.

“Arm phase cannons. Load and arm torpedoes, Hernandez said, settling back firmly into her chair. “The moment we exit warp, charge the hull plating. Ensign Valerian, open a broad-band hailing channel as soon as we go sublight.

“Major Foyle reports that his full MACO complement is standing by if we need them, Fletcher said. “Theyre also deployed near all emergency containment areas, and ready with pressure suits, just in case.

“Thank you, Hernandez said. “Helm, take us out of warp as close as you can to the line of scrimmage. We want the element of surprise on our side.

The deck plates shuddered beneath Hernandezs boots, and Columbias entire spaceframe groaned in a familiar yet still disconcerting manner. The main viewscreen at the front of the bridge showed the distorted streaks of the stars aligned with the ships flightline compressing to almost dimensionless pinpoints as Columbiaabruptly decelerated to subluminal speeds.

Squaring her shoulders and setting her jaw, Hernandez looked directly toward the screens center, knowing the viewer would pick her image up in the same manner as any other audio/visual hail. “This is Captain Erika Hernandez of the United Earth Starship Columbia. We are responding to acts of aggression against cargo vessels under the protection of the Coalition of Planets. All aggressor vessels must stand down and submit to boarding. Any resistance will be considered an act of aggression, and will be met with deadly force. Hostile vessels, this is the onlywarning you will receive.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hernandez saw Lieutenant Commander el-Rashad turn toward her from his science station, a gobsmacked expression on his chiseled, mocha-colored features.

The reason for his reaction appeared on the main viewscreen a moment later. The visual sensors displayed what lay in Columbias path. The aggressor vessels and the cargo fleet they menaced came into sharp focus, and it was immediately clear that the attackers were of neither Klingon nor Romulan design. Nor was their identity a mystery; the attackers long, blunt-nosed central hulls, with each of their aft sections surrounded by a single wide, ring-shaped warp-propulsion module, were all too familiar to everyone present.

“ Vulcans?Why would Hernandez said under her breath, scarcely able to contain her incredulity.

“Captain, sensors confirm the presence of two DKyr-type Vulcan combat cruisers, Thayer said from her tactical station. “Particle-beam residue readings show that they arethe aggressors here. Should I hold fire?

Hernandez stood, raising her hand to signal restraint. “Yes. Hold fire. What the hellare they doing? Her mind galloped to find an explanation, but the longer she stared at the image, the more insane it seemed.

“Theyre not responding to hails, Captain, Valerian said.

Hernandez continued staring at the vista on the screen, trying to drink in every detail. The beleaguered convoy consisted of five cargo vessels, many of them already severely damaged. One seemed completely beyond salvaging, as plasma fires burned on what little remained of its outer hull, apparently fed by atmosphere that continued to escape from interior compartments. The cargo vessels almost seemed to cower in the presence of the Vulcan ships that appeared to have instigated the entire situation.

“One of the ships is charging up its weapons again! Thayer shouted. On the viewer, Hernandez watched as the forward particle-beam tube on the ship nearest to Columbiabegan to emit a baleful emerald glow.

“Charge hull plating to full! Hernandez shouted.

“Their weapons lock isnt focused on us,Captain, Fletcher said.

A moment later, a brilliant green beam shot forth from the underbelly of the Vulcan cruiser, lancing into the hull of one of the more heavily damaged cargo ships. Almost immediately, the wounded vessel exploded, sending an expanding cloud of metal debris and ignited gases into space. The effect reminded Hernandez of a Fourth of July fireworks display shed seen as a child, though her mood at the moment was anything but celebratory.

“Have they responded to our hails yet?

“No, sir, Valerian said.

“Try to disable the lead vessel, Hernandez ordered, hoping that she hadnt just made the mistake of her career.

“The second ship is charging weapons and targeting us,Thayer shouted before shed managed to fire her first shot.

“Evasive maneuvers! Hernandez returned to her chair, strapping herself in place as her crew got to work.

As Columbialurched and vibrated in response to Hernandezs demands, the captain studied the viewscreen, which showed several of Thayers phase cannon blasts making contact with one of the DKyr-type cruisers. The concentrated energy bursts seemed to warm the greenish hull up a bit, while a photonic torpedo exploded against the cruisers underbelly without doing any apparent harm.

“Incoming!

Hernandez felt her ship shudder for a moment as one of the Vulcan vessels returned fire, and the lights on the bridgealready crimson-hued from the moment Columbiahad gone to full tactical alertflickered and dimmed significantly.

“Status? she yelled.

“Hull plating is down to eighty percent, Thayer said.

“Fire at will, Lieutenant, Hernandez shouted to the tactical officer. She tapped the com unit on her chair. “Karl, we need that hull plating at full.

“Im working on it,Graylock said, sounding testy.

“Firing! Thayer said, and the viewscreen showed that Columbiawas swooping over what appeared to be the dorsal surface of one of the combat cruisers. This time, a full spread of Columbias photonic torpedoes struck the warp ring of the ship, resulting in a blazing arc of bluish energy that crackled around the surface of the ring.

“Bring us about for another salvo, Hernandez said.

“Theyre targeting another one of the cargo ships, Fletcher said.

“Get us betweenthe Vulcans and the cargo fleet, Hernandez said. “Our hull plating can take the pounding better than theirs can. She didnt add the words “I hope out loud, though she felt certain she wasnt the only one on the bridge thinking them.

“BothVulcan ships are opening fire! Thayer said.

“I need every last amp of power you can send to the hull plating, Karl, Hernandez shouted into her com unit.

Perhaps a second later, Columbiashuddered and jumped as though shed been struck by the fist of some angry god. The sharp impact threw Hernandez from her chair. Above her head, the hull rang like a gong, and the bridge abruptly plunged into darkness. She heard several screams and thumps from across the bridge, and saw showers of sparks as various duty stations overloaded.

The continued illumination from the console fires showed that most of her bridge crew had either been thrown from their posts or had barely managed to hang on to them. Luckily, no one seemed to have been seriously hurt.

Fletcher and el-Rashad were the first to break out the emergency hand beacons and fire extinguishers, which they immediately brought to bear against the worst of the electrical fires. The emergency lighting finally kicked on as the crew attempted to access Columbias almost uniformly downed systems. The drinks, which had remained mostly untouched after their arrival, had become airborne momentarily, and the emptied cups now rolled in the liquids that had pooled across part of the decks port side, where cups and contents alike now lay forgotten.

“Systems are down shipwide, Akagi said, an apprehensive tremor in her voice.

That fact alone didnt tell Hernandez very much of value. “I need to know how badly weve been damag

“Internal communications coming back online now, Captain, Valerian said, interrupting.

The com system crackled, and the chief engineers Teutonic-accented voice issued from it. “Captain? Whatever they hit us with really fubared us. The warp core iskaput, at least temporarily. Itll take us several hours to fix it, even if the rest of the systems were working fine. Which they arent.

So much for the repairs we just completed,Hernandez thought ruefully. She stared at the main viewscreen, which had yet to return to life. “Are they targeting us again? Hernandez asked, hoping the bridges interval of blindness would be a brief one.

“Sensors are coming back up, Akagi said, coughing at the acrid by-products of the damped-down electrical fires that still lingered in the air.

The ships ventilation system must be down, too,Hernandez thought, cursing inwardly. But she knew Columbiahad to deal with issues even more urgent than life support.

To Hernandezs relief, the viewscreen lit up and displayed a three-dimensional tactical image of what lay above Columbias dorsal hull. The two Vulcan ships seemed to be doing nothing, though Hernandez was pleased to see that the warp-propulsion ring encircling the one they had fired upon appeared to be damaged and offline.

“Transmit our bridge flight recorder files to Starfleet Command now, Hernandez shouted to Valerian. “They need to know what the Vulcans are up to, in case they dont give us time to send a report.

“Im trying, Captain, Valerian said. “Subspace communications seem to be working only intermittently.

“I dont understand any of this, Fletcher said as she wiped the sweat away from beneath her blond bangs. “Why would the Vulcans fire on other Coalition ships?

“Maybe they had intel that told them something about the cargo they were carrying? Hernandez wondered aloud.

“Maybe. But that wouldnt explain why they fired on usas well, Fletcher said.

Hernandezs mind reeled as she realized she had no answers. All she knew for certain was that this situation was not,in the words of members of a certain pointy-eared race, logical. Unless

“Unless the Vulcans arent the ones piloting those ships, she said, her voice low enough that only her XO would hear. “What if the Romulanshave learned to commandeer Vulcan tech, like they did with the Klingon battle cruisers at Draylax?

“Captain, sensors are picking up three more incoming ships! Thayer shouted.

Hernandez stared, slack-jawed, as the image on the viewscreen changed yet again.

Dropping out of warp were two more DKyr-type combat cruisers, and one of the larger, better-armed ShRaan-class ships, which looked like a spear jammed through a hoop. The weaponry the newcomers carried between them would be more than enough to blow both Columbiaand the remnants of the cargo fleet to little more than drifting trails of vapor in a few seconds, polarized hull plating notwithstanding.

“Some days you just cant win, Hernandez said as she slumped back into her chair. Turning toward her XO, she said, “Better prepare to launch the log buoy, Veronica. While we still can.