From TTy99@aol.com Wed May 27 08:08:33 1998 Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 20:07:59 -0600 From: TTy99 To: INDIGO FLEET List Serve Subject: [INDIGO] USS PROMETHEUS: The hero's legacy (2/3) ---OFFICIAL INDIGO FLEET TRANSMISSION--- Date: Wed, 20 May 1998 22:09:58 EDT From: TTy99 Subject: [INDIGO] USS PROMETHEUS: The hero's legacy (2/3) [Part 2 of 3. If you're reading these out of order, you *will* regret it..... besides not understanding what the heck is going on.] ********************************************************************** What seemed like a loud hiss now sounded from the speakers, as the resulting hush was magnified in everyone's mind tenfold. Many felt their hearts bursting with pride and admiration for their Captain, despite the desperate situation. "Sir....." began Chaz, speaking from an unconscious desire break the silence that weighed so heavily on everyone right now. "Wait, Mr. Modix." interrupted the Vulcan, still not moving, his gaze fixed on the distant missiles that might well mean their doom.. [PROMETHEUS, fall in a line abreast of the AGAMEMNON.] announced Slick's voice, calmer now and full of grim determination. [Activate all remaining Wild Weasel units. We'll need to hold them off for the NOVA and the rest of the squadron for as long as possible. Good luck, Sovak.] Sovak decided to acknowledge Slick's orders in a manner the crew was accustomed to. He could not, of course, provide them any emotional comfort, except by acting as expected and adding a touch of familiar to what was about to become a very grim situation indeed. "The result of the impending conflict will rely upon the comparative performances of our ships and crews," he stated calmly, taking his eyes off the screen and allowing them to rove around the bridge briefly as he spoke. "However, I understand it is a human custom to wish one good luck before entering a potentially harmful or trying situation. Therefore, good luck as well, Captain." During the exchange, Lt Cmdr Modix took the opportunity to send out all f the PROMETHEUS' "wild weasel" probes, and they soon surrounded the starship, looking like a swarm of bees circling a lumbering bear. "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. Sovak did not watch the maneuver or wait for an acknowledgment, instead turning back to face his TAC officer and ordering "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." Off in the distance, a small and distant series of explosions showed graphic evidence of the missile-torpedo meeting. Every eye on the bridge counted unconsciously, their eyes riveted to something that could very well prove the difference between surviving this day and dying in the cold wastes of space. 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.] 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." Having satisfied himself that Talon would soon be in position, he dismissed the matter from his mind. I wonder if he knows where Lt Phoenix is, Sovak mused briefly, somewhat surprised the normally efficient Navigator was not already on the bridge. Doubtless he is also on his way, decided the Vulcan XO, confident both officers would be ready when called upon. "Sir," Chaz announced, staring intently at his readouts, "the Dalriadan ships seem to be using some type of gravity wedge for propulsion." The TAC officer's voice reflected his excitement, and the look he bestowed upon Sovak was anything but calm. In contrast, the Vulcan only nodded once at this disconcerting intelligence and asked: "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. Communications must still be down, Sovak noted, knowing that would be the only reason Captain Slick had not called to inform them of his intentions. It was a minor inconvenience as long as they stayed alert, and one Sovak was sure would shortly be the least of their problems. "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. Calculating quickly, Sovak reached a reluctant, yet in his eyes necessary decision. "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 massed 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 per cent chance that the PROMETHEUS will be destroyed within the next five minutes. Yes, I am sure." A curt and somewhat guilty nod from his TAC officer was the Vulcan's only response. Sovak's sharp ears detected a sad sniffle emanating from Ensign Robinson, who knew each and every shuttle pilot. None of them had really liked the idea either, but none had requested reassignment, and now were scrambling aboard their waiting ships, wondering when, and even more importantly if, the PROMETHEUS would be able to retrieve them again in the midst of battle. "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." [You can count on us, sir] came back the confident voice of the senior pilot. [We'll take out those missiles for you.] Several muffled sobs were heard as the bridge crew listened to the brave words. The pilots knew better than anyone just how slim their chances were, but they all dived into the approaching missiles as if eager to come to grips with the deadly warheads. Phaser beams began to stab out, seemingly at random, searching for targets but having trouble hitting the fast-moving targets. "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?" As he spoke, the Vulcan's attention, like everyone else's, remaining fixed on the screen as they watched the AGAMEMNON's shuttles join their own. The little spacecraft danced and weaved as the pilots manually targeted the speeding missiles in their midst, sometimes narrowly avoiding each other. Several large explosions testified to their pilots' overall accuracy, or luck, but the bridge crew knew far too many would get through as they watched and counted. While hoping for dozens of detonations, which would have set rippling fields of light across their vision, the ones they did see were just not enough, far too infrequent brief pinpoints of light that intermittently flared and died instead. Before their horrified eyes, one of the shuttles suddenly disintegrated as it strayed too close to the gravity wedge powering the Dalriadan missiles. "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." Several of the bridge crew looked up in disbelief at the cold-blooded announcement, most no doubt wishing it was the familiar and inspiring presence of Captain Slick who was standing before them with their lives in his hands, instead of "robo- Vulcan". No one said anything, though many wished to. Finally they turned away, not knowing what to say even if they had dared to meet the Vulcan's seemingly serene gaze. "Five... four...three... two..." counted Chaz, gripping his tactical console tightly with all four hands. Sovak sat down, anchoring himself by holding the arms of his chair tightly. All around the bridge, others prepared themselves in a similar fashion. "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. Sovak, like everyone else, stared at the desperate battle, as many suddenly re-learned their forgotten religious habits and mouthed prayers silently while they worked. 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," called Sovak, disregarding the breach of protocol shown by the Science officer in his excitement... for now. The Chief Science officer had made a very astute and timely observation, and although Sovak was half- expecting such a move, he had not found the time to warn Defors to expect it. Rising from the center seat, he stepped toward the junior Navigator when she didn't respond. Gently, he reached out and touched her shoulder, startling her from the almost comatose state she had been in. "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. Sovak watched her for a moment, then turned away, satisfied she would do her duty. "This is going to be tight, Captain," warned Chaz. "Third wave of missiles will hit us in exactly twenty two seconds!" "Then Ensign Robinson will just have to make sure we are not here to meet them at that time," Sovak stated. "Ensign, as soon as you detect the AGAMEMNON going into warp, follow her. Do not wait for my order. Is that clear?" "Yes, sir," she whispered in a cracked voice, barely comprehensible. But she did not hesitate as her fingers flew over the controls, eyes fixed on her monitors waiting for the tell-tale energy spikes that would warn her of the move.. "Six.... five.... four..." intoned Chaz grimly. On the screen, a slight blurring suddenly seemed to encompass the hull of their sister ship. Even as Ensign Robinson reached out to follow suit, Sovak called: "Now!" The missiles, liked frustrated seekers, detonated anyway, several of them making it close enough to the two vessels so that once more the deadly x-ray lasers seared through the fragile shields and burned into the hull, causing even more damage and killing many crewmen, though it would be some time before anyone realized it, intent as they all were on the attack. The warp "jump" only lasted a split-second, and since Faith had alertly tied in the navigational sensors to follow the AGAMEMNON's flight precisely and bring them out of warp at the exact same spot, it was as if two starships had suddenly materialized on top of the startled Dalriadan ships. "Mr. Modix, fire a full spread of torpedoes at the central ship," ordered Sovak immediately, picking out the largest available target, confident Slick would do the same. Chaz did not bother to reply, instead sending his finger stabbing down. A stream of brightly colored lights leaped from their ship, joining a similar stream from the AGAMEMNON, only to fizzle out seconds later, as if extinguished by being immersed beneath some sort of smothering blanket. In this case, another gravity wedge emanating from the target. Groans of dismay echoed over the bridge as they realized they had just taken their best shot, and it had amounted to precisely nothing. No one said anything. No one had to. "Another hull breach, Captain," came the belated report from Chaz. "Deck 31 this. Casualties...... " he paused for a moment as Sovak slowly turned, then merely added quietly. "Heavy casualties, Captain." "Inform Dr. Kenfald," Sovak ordered and Chaz nodded an acknowledgment. "Fourth wave of missiles approaching, sir," he said grimly, knowing full well it might just be the last report he ever made. "No shields or probes this time to even slow them down." Looking up, with terror on his face, he suddenly blurted: "Sovak! It's going to hit the bridge!" "Sovak to crew," called the Vulcan, punching the intercom button. "Brace for impact." ************************************** [NRPG} One more part to go.......And half of it is NRPG notes, so take heart! Respectfully submitted, Tim Tyson Lt Cmdr (acting Captain) Sovak USS PROMETHEUS tty99@aol.com ***This message sent by an official member of Indigo Fleet*** Are you also posting your message to the newsgroup?!!! ---END TRANSMISSION---