From morak@txdirect.net Wed May 27 08:31:43 1998 Date: Fri, 22 May 1998 22:21:07 -0600 From: JP To: INDIGO FLEET List Serve Subject: [INDIGO] USS PROMETHEUS : It was a good day to die, PT 2 [The following text is in the "ISO-8859-1" character set] [Your display is set for the "US-ASCII" character set] [Some characters may be displayed incorrectly] ---OFFICIAL INDIGO FLEET TRANSMISSION--- Date: Fri, 22 May 1998 23:16:43 -0000 From: "JP" Subject: [INDIGO] USS PROMETHEUS : It was a good day to die, PT 2 << Continued from Part One>> > Kyran couldn't believe his ears! Sovak, during the middle of pending doom, > spared long enough to give a small discourse on the custom of wishing luck! > He then decided to jump into action. "Kyran to ALL remaining security > teams. Prepare for possible boarding. Insure all key areas are under > guard." > > "Ensign Robinson," Sovak announced after Chaz had cut the circuit, "bring > us > into position beside the AGAMEMNON." > > Her practiced fingers flew over the console, and the PROMETHEUS turned > gracefully, mirroring the move of her sister-ship. > > "Activate remaining wild weasels." > > "Done, sir," Chaz quickly replied, taking a tiny bit of secret satisfaction > from the fact that, for once, he had anticipated the Vulcan's > order..Hesitating briefly, he added quietly: "All communications are down > again, sir. The Dalriadans seem to be jamming our signals." > > "That is to be expected, Commander," replied Sovak coolly. "We will simply > have to watch the AGAMEMNON carefully and try to do everything she does." > > Ignoring for the spectacular scene with icy detachment, Sovak instead > punched > the comm unit for a direct line to the battle bridge: "Lt Cmdr Talon. I > have > received no acknowledgment that you are in position. Please report." > > There was a brief pause, then an unexpectedly female voice answered: [Uh... > he's not here, Comm..... I mean, Captain.] > > "Should I send an escort to locate him?" Kyran asked, not fully trusting > the OPS officer. > > "That will not be necessary, Commander." Sovak flatly replied. > > Now the Vulcan XO tapped the comm badge on his uniform shirt and stated: > "Commander Sovak to Commander Talon." > > [Here, sir] came the prompt response. > > "I trust you are on your way to the battle bridge, Commander," he said > dryly, > "and will arrive there shortly." > > [Yes, sir] the Dalriadan OPS officers' disembodied voice assured him. > > "Sovak out." > > "Sir," Chaz announced, staring intently at his readouts, "the Dalriadan > ships > seem to be using some type of gravity wedge for propulsion." > > "Is the rest of the battle group leaving as ordered?" > > "Yes, sir," Chaz informed the acting Captain, glancing over at a section of > his console that he had until now ignored. "The NOVA has already gone to > warp, > and the rest of the ships are following her." > > "Good," was Sovak's only answer. > > "Sir, the Dalriadans are launching another wave of missiles!" exclaimed > Chaz, > the alarm clearly evident in his voice. "And the first wave is > almost....here!" > > Even as he spoke, the viewscreen exploded in a blaze like the center of the > sun as the few remaining Dalriadan missiles detonated at 200,000 km, > sending > pulse after pulse of the deadly x-ray lasers streaming into their shields. > > The ship rocked slightly, and more than one white-knuckled grip was > evident, > though they all tried not to show their apprehension. When it was over, the > bridge crew all looked at each other, as if surprised at still being alive. > The few congratulatory smiles that broke out quickly disappeared at their > tactical officer's next statement. > > "Shields are down to thirty two per cent, Captain. Another wave like that > will > easily tear apart whatever we have left." > > "Please confine yourself to the facts, Mr. Modix," replied Sovak coolly, > "and > spare me any unnecessary speculation. Fire a full spread of photon > torpedoes, > in a dispersal pattern to complement those fired from the AGAMEMNON, with > as > little overlap as possible." > > "Yes, sir!" > > Once more, a finger stabbed down and another stream of light sped through > the > darkness toward the as yet invisible missiles of the second wave. As they > watched, off to one side of their viewscreen the barely visible silhouette > of > the AGAMEMNON suddenly banked out of sight. > > "Sir!" began Chaz. "The....." > > "I see it, Commander," interrupted Sovak smoothly. "Ensign Robinson, stay > with > them." > > "Aye, aye, sir," responded the young woman tightly. Despite her apparent > nervousness, she matched the maneuver flawlessly, as both ships tried to > distance themselves from the incoming missiles. > > "Keep the main viewscreen locked on the Dalriadan fleet, Lt, Defors," > ordered > Sovak, his eyes still glued to the screen as he addressed the Science > officer > for the first time.. > > "Aye, aye, sir," replied Defors a moment later. > > "Prepare to deploy shuttlecraft for anti-missile maneuvers, Commander," he > said. > > "Sovak!" protested Chaz. "Are you sure?" > > It was a very risky maneuver, at least for the pilots involved, and when > Sovak > had proposed that a shuttlecraft "screen" might add to their chances during > an > attack by assed missile fire, the plan had come under intense and often > heated > discussion among the senior staff. In the end they had bowed to Captain > Slick's verdict that such a tactic would only be used in desperation. They > had expected Slick to be aboard so he could make the final decision, > though. > > "Mr. Modix," responded Sovak confidently, "according to my calculations, > the > torpedoes and probes will be insufficient to stop all the incoming > missiles. > Unless we do something to even the odds, I estimate there is a seventy nine > point four percent chance that the PROMETHEUS will be destroyed within the > next five minutes. Yes, I am sure." > > "Launch shuttlecrafts and open a channel to their pilots," directed Sovak. > > "Channel open, sir," Chaz said, his voice grim, "and shuttlecrafts are > deploying." > > "This is acting Captain Sovak of the USS PROMETHEUS to all shuttles," the > Vulcan announced. "I regret that I must issue these orders, but I believe > this is our > only chance of surviving. If we must warp out, get away from the Dalriadans > as > best you can. We *will* come back for you. Good luck. Sovak out." > > As Kyran heard that remark from the Vulcan, and automatically, he wanted to > jump up and scream no! *Not him! Anybody but him! Oh Kahless! If you every > granted a wish, may you grant this one now! Let anybody but him take > command!* > > [You can count on us, sir] came back the confident voice of the senior > pilot. > [We'll take out those missiles for you.] > > "Sir!" shouted Chaz, heedless of decorum for a moment and grinning despite > their grim situation. "The AGAMEMNON is launching shuttles as well! They're > following ours toward the missiles!" > > Turning to look at his TAC officer over one shoulder, Sovak raised an > eyebrow > and commented: "Of course. Captain Slick knows a logical order when he sees > one." > > That elicited a brief chuckle from the Chamelean as the Vulcan turned back > to > the screen, adding almost as an afterthought: "And I see no need to raise > your > voice, Mr. Modix." > > "Sorry, sir," murmured Chaz, then he looked at his console in disbelief. > "Captain," he said slowly, as if reluctant to even mouth the words, "they > have now launched a *third* wave of missiles." > > "Thank you, Mr. Modix," Sovak answered smoothly. "Let's worry about one > wave > at a time, shall we?" > > "Sir," announced Chaz, his voice heavy, "the second wave of missiles is > past > the shuttles now. Estimate they will reach us in less than one minute." > > "I do not like estimates, Mr. Modix," Sovak replied. > > "Forty-seven seconds then, Captain!" Chaz growled in exasperation. > > "Better, Commander. Please open a ship-wide channel." > > "Go ahead, Captain." > > "This is acting Captain Sovak. Dalriadan missiles will reach this vessel in > exactly forty two seconds. Brace for impact. Sovak out." > > "Five... four...three... two..." counted Chaz, gripping his tactical > console > tightly with all four hands. > > Kyran and Jaz both launched themselves into the chairs of unused consoles > and strapped themselves quickly in. > > "Shields being overloaded, sir!" Chaz shouted, and that was the last voice > any > of them heard for awhile. > > The screen flared up in a continuous eruption of light as first the probes > circling the ship exploded, then the Dalriadan missiles themselves > detonated, sending phase-modulated x-ray laser beams slicing through what > remained of the shields and burning a hole in the hull, melting the tough > metal that comprised the skin of the starship like butter. > > Emergency klaxons and damage alarms mixed with an alarming groaning sound > from normally solid hull beneath them..Sparks rained from several consoles > while > frantic crewmen tried to activate automatic damage control systems to > compensate, and a faint smell of acrid smoke hung in the air. > > "Damage report," came Sovak's voice, cutting through the chaos. > > "Hull breach on deck 23, Captain," responded Chaz's voice immediately. He > had > been able to hang on better than most with his four arms, and his eyes had > never left his console. "Emergency force field in place. Casualties...." > > "Belay that, Mr. Modix," cut in Sovak sharply. "Relay such reports directly > to > Sickbay, and make sure Mr. Walker is also receiving the damage reports. Is > the > breach of sufficient size to compromise the hull integrity of this vessel?" > > "No, sir," Chaz answered after a slight hesitation. Abruptly, his eyes > widened > in shock and he looked up, adding slowly and ominously: "The Dalriadans > have > launched a fourth wave of missiles, Sovak. The shuttles are encountering > the > third wave now." > > Now that the screen had cleared back up after a brief burst of static, they > could see the tiny figures of the shuttles once again dancing their deadly > dance with the pulverizers targeted at the two starships. > > What started as just one more distant explosion flared up to encompass a > shuttle, vaporizing it instantly and setting off a secondary blast. > Suddenly > it was turning into one big fireball as many of the crew shielded their > eyes > from the glare. Hastily, the computer backed down the resolution and > darkened > the picture to compensate, slowly bringing it back to normal levels as the > after-images still burned in their eyes. > > "The shuttles are gone, Captain," Chaz quietly informed them in a voice > that > sounded infinitely sad. "All of them. Some type of proximity detonation > that > set off a chain reaction." > > Ensign Robinson had tears openly streaming down her face now, and everyone, > save the impassive Sovak, wore shocked expressions as the words penetrated > into > their consciousness. > > "Sovak!" Defors' excited shout cut through the gloom. "The AGAMEMNON has > brought her warp engines on-line." > > "Ensign Robinson," > > "Activate the warp engines, Ensign," he said quietly, as if he was speaking > only to her and keeping his hand briefly in place before withdrawing it. > "And > prepare to follow the AGAMEMNON. From my previous conversations with > Captain > Slick, it is my prediction that we will be moving toward the Dalriadan > fleet > and coming out almost on top of them. Stay with him. I have every > confidence > in your ability to do so. Understood?" > > She nodded mutely and turned back to her console. Tears still leaked from > her > eyes, but she ignored them now, working swiftly and efficiently to follow > the orders > given her. > > "This is going to be tight, Captain," warned Chaz. "Third wave of missiles > will hit us in exactly twenty two seconds!" > > ------------ > Part one... this is mostly a cut-and-paste of Tim's. but, there were some > really good parts I wanted to be sure I had. Besides, it makes it easier to > control the continuity... > > JP > > LCDR Kyran, SEC, USS PROMETHEUS > morak@txdirect.net > > ***This message sent by an official member of Indigo Fleet*** Are you also posting your message to the newsgroup?!!! ---END TRANSMISSION---