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[[Deck One, Bridge]]

[USS-Challenger/ Bridge]

As soon as the turbolift's door opened, Aarwendil presented it to the captain. "œEnsign Cheizex presenting for duty, sir. Is there any way that I can help?" he waited for a positive answer, hoping that having something to do would make him forget about Andgarr.

Suddenly, the door of the turbolift opened again and Nekab stepped out of it. He looked around the bridge, his face still stoic. However, there was a small glint of emotion in his eyes. Was it amazement?

[Deck One, Bridge]

Taja and Nira chatted away happily, hitting it off straight away. Betazeds and Risans were always going to get on well together with their high emotional intelligence and social skills. Of all the ships in the fleet, what were the chances that she would be placed on one with someone who knew her brother so well. It really was a small universe. They continued their chat until the captain called a Red Alert.

Taja followed the first officer back onto the bridge. The doctor listened to the update as to what was happening and knew she may be called upon very soon. It was a stark contrast to the jovial introduction she had just shared with the commander. She spoke up to anyone who may know the answer, her tone precise and professional, "Do we know if the freighter has sustained any casualties?" Taja would potentially need to help prepare sickbay for a mass influx of injured people, and may not have much time to do it.

Then, remembering his History classes and turning his tired gaze back to Galloway and Nira, "If a stupid space monster shows up and starts ridin dat thing... then I quit!" Which, given the events of the past several days and hours... didn't seem all that unlikely.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Things were happening quickly, as they tended to do at the worst of times, and Ian was annoyed at the chatter. Most of the noise was valid and even Kyan's gripe had some merit, but Ian felt like the parent of a pack of unruly children and wanted to scream.

"NOT NOW!"

But he did not. He was the Captain and he was supposed to answer questions and provide direction. Question was, who was he supposed to ask when he needed answers? Speaking with a purpose, he replied.

"Communications have been intermittent, no known casualties at this time. Ensign, you can take the Mission Operations station and assist Commander Catalan. And no Mister MacKenzie, you do not get ta bloody quit."

Catalan provided the much needed break in the tension by saying.

"Sir, we're close enough to punch through the interference. I've got an incoming hail."

"On screen."

While the image had static, the screen showed a young, dashing human male doing his best to affect a 'devil-may-care' attitude, but it didn't take an expert to see it was an act, he was scared.

"Hello, Starfleet. Glad you laddies could join the party. This is Captain Pat O'Flaherty of the Pride O'Rigel. We've got ourselves a spot o' trouble here. Can you lend us a hand before that big boyo breathin' down me neck has me ship fer a snack?"

["As much as I'd love ta say that's nae a Federation ship and we're nae in Federation space, neither of those change the fact that we are Starfleet. Regulations are clear, we must respond ta all legitimate distress calls. We'll go in fast, maybe snag them with a tractor if necessary and get outside of that monster's response range. Then we'll figure out what ta do after that."]

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge >- Ready Room >- Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Hearing Doctor Grippen's reply, Nira headed for her ready room, handing the conn to Commander Catalan. A moment later, Doctor Grippen came to the ready room.

At first glance, Nira was surprised. Taja Grippen was as blond as can be. Nonetheless, she was Risian, owing to what was on her forehead...and yet, there was something familiar about him.

"It's good to meet you, Doctor," she said. "I wished to formally welcome you aboard the Challenger. I didn't know how I missed you on the duty roster...I wanted to speak to you, of course, on a personal matter...your surname, Grippen...are you related, by any chance to a Malik Grippen?"

They talked for a while, an eternity. She found out a great deal of surprise. Malik was, in fact, her brother. And she mentioned that she was a lover. They walked a great deal, right up until the red alert jolted her.

"Pardon me, Taja, but I think something's coming up," she said, and headed onto the bridge.
"What's going on?" asked Nira in surprise once she stepped out onto the bridge.

"Trader under attack," said Commander Catalan, his tone of voice in such astonished terror, Nira had, at first, assumed the worse.

"Holy Allah," she said in shock. "They've already finished with Earth...and they could be sending out slipstream-powered ships out there, there had to be slipstream-powered ships at the celebration..."

"No, Commander," Savar interrupted from Lieutenant Randall's side. "It's something similar to the Doomsday Weapon found by the original NCC-1701 Enterprise in Captain Kirk's day."

Nira looked around, from Captain Galloway to the other officers on the bridge. There was no denying it. She collapsed onto her chair in surprise.

A flurry of possibilities came to her amidst her surprise stupor, she was "of multiple minds about it," not just of two. Finally, she roused herself.

"We're going to help the traders, aren't we, Captain?" she asked, her surprised astonishment matching Commander Catalan's.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian watched the distance close and listened to Randall's updates as the sensors brought in more data. The trader, which was really more of a blockade runner, should have been able to outrun the Machine, but one of its nacelles showed damage and that one hit had happened to damage something important; just enough damage that her engines were close to failing.

Ian saw Nira's expression and could only sympathize with her reactions, of all days, why did this thing have to show up today. However, she had asked a question and he replied.

"As much as I'd love ta say that's nae a Federation ship and we're nae in Federation space, neither of those change the fact that we are Starfleet. Regulations are clear, we must respond ta all legitimate distress calls. We'll go in fast, maybe snag them with a tractor if necessary and get outside of that monster's response range. Then we'll figure out what ta do after that."

[[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Bridge | Deck 1 | USS Challenger 40117-A]]

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Bridge | Deck 1 | USS Challenger 40117-A]

Though Lieutenant Mrekrerhas had severe objections at first towards heading once more to the Solar System, especially as he obtained more information about what had transpired there, Captain Galloway's rousing speech had quickly turned his opinion over, his trust on him reaffirming itself as he was moved by the sheer force of Galloway's conviction. He thought of himself as a loyal crew member, ready to follow the Captain everywhere he went. But now he was sure that he would, even if Ian told him to hold the line and sacrifice himself.

Of course, Zhuk much preferred to live. He still had so many things to experience. Plus, he wanted to become his own Captain someday, so he hoped that would not happen. In any case, he was ready to fight now. Things were fuzzy on what had happened over on Earth. The Borg had attacked, he knew that. But the specifics were still lost on him. Subspace communications were a mess, and he could simply not obtain any information from the Tactical Console. None of his messages had been answered, and that worried him.

As far as they knew, they could be the last Federation ship still operational. But that was unlikely, yes?

There was still probably Deep Space 9 and other Starfleet bases if all ships had been recalled to Earth. The idea that the crew was the last, however, did run a number on his mind. Brave warriors, fighting to survive in a galaxy that had quickly shifted into something fatal for them appealed to him. His primal instinct perhaps was to blame. But it sounded exciting and adventurous. The brave Caitian Lieutenant, serving under the rugged Ian Galloway, facing insurmountable odds, barely able to get by day by day.

Yet a memory caused him to quickly abandon such improper notions.

His Earth friend, Zoraida, was serving on the USS Passaro NCC-97955, and he was pretty sure he recalled her mentioning that her ship would participate in Frontier Day. Zoraida had been his first real friend, the person who had helped him break out of his shell after being released by the Federation's doctors. It had been a long, arduous process, but she had shown him that Starfleet could be his new home. That he could trust in people again.

She had taken him to YucatÁ¡n to her home, for goodness sake! His other friends were also most likely participating. And most likely, having been taken by the Borg. M'nia, for example, serving on the USS Discovery, was also there. Joon-Ho, Aliyu, Vanda Sabine, Leontina, and Musfir. All members of his class. People he cared for. That had given him a chance, even when he was awkward, and even hissed at Joon-Ho once.

And he was thinking of just forgetting they existed to fulfill a fantasy. He shook his head.

He needed some time to think away from the console.

His eyes darted around the Bridge trying to find something, until he saw something just barely out of view. A shoe.

"Ensign, I require you to take over the Tactical console."

He petitioned, and he was promptly relieved, which allowed him to investigate the item. He soon determined that it was a child's size...

Oh.

"Captain Galloway. I ask for permission to return this to Lieutenant Commander Mackenzie. I do believe he has... misplaced it."

An easy request, one that would distract him, if only for a moment. And he imagined that there would not be too much excitement at the moment, anyways. Agh... the itch had returned. Now he had to visibly scratch himself. He wanted to get that dealt with! But people still were being healed down at Sickbay.

Ugh... just for a few hours more Zhuk. Endure it.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

In spite of the underlying tension on the bridge, Ian managed to snort at Zhuk's request and replied.

"Aye Lieutenant, by all means do so. When we were fightin' the Romulans, I told the little git ta throw everything we had at one of the targets, includin' his shoe and the pillock took me literally."

Ian shook his head and rolled his eyes upward as if asking for strength. It was however, at that moment that Lieutenant Commander Catalan at Ops spoke up.

"Captain, I am picking up a distress call. Audio only, intermittent signal disruption makes it hard to decipher."

"On audio Fernando."

The speakers crackled with static, and the whine of signal oscillation filled the bridge. Then some words cut faintly through the interference.

"...any ship... in danger... this is trader... O'Rigel calling... hostile vessel... huge... we can't   ...engines failing... need assistance. Repeating: To any ship... danger of attack. This is Pride O'Rigel... under attack by..."

Then a burst of static drowned out the signal. Ian arched his eyebrow at Catalan.

"They're still signaling, but but they are being jammed."

"Evan, you got a fix on their location?"

"Aye Sir, range is twelve billion kilometers, bearing 121 mark 14."

Lieutenant Evan Randall at the science station reported.

"Helm, plot an intercept course. Warp 9. Tactical. Looks like Mister MacKenzie's shoe is goin' ta have ta wait. Raise shields and take us ta yellow alert."

While twelve billion kilometers seemed like a long way, but at warp 9, the Challenger would cover that distance in less than 30 seconds. As they closed, Randall focused the sensors on the contact and gasped.

"Sir..." He sounded stunned. "I've got readings on both contacts. One is is a standard Dwarfstar-Class trader. It's transponder reads as the Pride O'Rigel. The second..." He paused again and swallowed. "The second is enormous, it reads as an uneven cylinder over a kilometer and a half long. It is pursuing the smaller ship and sensors indicate that the hull is collapsed neutronium. There is a record of such a ship in Starfleet's archive. It's called... a Doomsday Machine."

Ian stood silently, as the entire bridge went silent. it was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room at once. He rubbed his forehead and said.

"Tactical. Red alert. Battlestations."

Probably ten or twelve days if we're twelve days or so from Earth.

It's only been two hours. We will in NO way be part of Frontier Day.

Okay dudes and dudettes, we're up and running! Enjoy!

["Captain's Log. Supplemental. The Challenger is makin' best speed for Earth, but it will take twelve days ta get there. Even if we ran Sprint/Drift the whole way, we'd take eight days ta get there and we'd arrive needin' a full overhaul. It is the height of frustration for me that we are unable to stop what appears ta be the destruction of Earth.]

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian was in his ready room. The ship was running at her most efficient cruise speed of warp 8, just below her maximum cruise of warp 8.2. The difference was trivial as far as total time was measured just 45 minutes faster per light year. However, the critical element needed for the foreseeable future was endurance. Running hot would only cover the 34 light years to Earth a day faster. This was good, but the ship would then likely arrived in a far worse condition than that one day would justify. Ian didn't like it, but physics were physics and the Challenger was a brawler, not a sprinter.

As he sat in his ready room, he wondered again, how all that was happening on Earth had been allowed to happen when it was so painfully obvious what a monumental weakness the Fleet Maneuver Program presented. Still unable to answer the question, he decided to do something useful.

"Captain's Log. Supplemental. The Challenger is makin' best speed for Earth, but it will take twelve days ta get there. Even if we ran Sprint/Drift the whole way, we'd take eight days ta get there and we'd arrive needin' a full overhaul. It is the height of frustration for me that we are unable to stop what appears ta be the destruction of Earth.

"However, despite the futility of our efforts, I cannae stand by and wait for bloody instructions when it appears the Admiralty may already be dead. If'n Challenger is the only ship left in the fleet, then we'll still take the fight ta the Borg. We are Starfleet and this is the way. End log."

Ian stood and looked out at the stars streaking past the windows of the ready room and again his mind wandered by to how could this have happened.

["Since Picard is in this, at least someone is aware of the cock up and knowin' his knack for galaxy savin' miracles, all is nae lost. All we can do is maintain course and speed. We've plenty of time ta coordinate evacuation and coordination with any other ships that might be untainted. We will see what the next two weeks tells us."]

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira heard the exchange between Zhuk and the Captain. If the young of the crew presented a danger...

"That sounds like a plan, Captain," said Nira. "Need be, I can help coordinate the evacuation of anybody deemed young. But still...two weeks...a lot can happen in two weeks..."

For all they knew, by the time they returned, the core worlds of the Federation will be gone. They will just have to see.

"We'll need to coordinate with each other in preparations for readiness and, if need be, evacuation and survival," said Nira.

There was a lot going through her mind, typical of being First Officer: seeing how well all departments will be ready. And having to leave and survive, she will have to make a review of that.

"With comms down, we will still need to find a way to get in contact with other Starfleet ships, ships that would've been like us, not have been able to make the celebrations," she added. "We'll have to see..."

She didn't like Ian wanting to sacrifice himself, but it would have to be a means of last resort. She hoped it wouldn't come to it.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

It was difficult for Ian to believe so much could happen so quickly. Being a student of the Second World War, he felt what he was feeling was not unlike what members of the United States Navy who were not at Pearl Harbor had to feel like. Questions without answers hammered at him. 'How was Starfleet so stupid to allow the Fleet Maneuver System to be installed'. 'How did the Borg, which, aside from the short appearance two years ago, who had vanished from even the Delta Quadrant, come up with a way to assimilate young crew remotely'. 'How were Changelings involved?' They too had disappeared after the Dominion War, so many questions and no way to get answers.

"Since Picard is in this, at least someone is aware of the cock up and knowin' his knack for galaxy savin' miracles, all is nae lost. All we can do is maintain course and speed. We've plenty of time ta coordinate evacuation and coordination with any other ships that might be untainted. We will see what the next two weeks tells us."

[[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Bridge | Deck 1 | USS Challenger 40117-A | In Orbit around Andgarr Prime | Andgarr System]]

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | Bridge | Deck 1 | USS Challenger 40117-A | In Orbit around Andgarr Prime | Andgarr System]

Zhuk slowly felt his muscles aching once more as he settled back down to a more neutral stance. While still riding on the success of his lead, and the subsequent fight he had been involved in, he certainly would appreciate some time to rest. At least, he thought, things had gone much better for him than the strike within Melek Nor. After that one, he had lost almost a liter of blood and was barely awake. At least, he did remember a certain Deltan nurse who had made his temporary leave much, much more pleasant. A shame about the oath, but at least they had remained good friends. He still found it dumb, though. Sometimes, he considered that Starfleet was too sanctimonious in that sense.

There were no Deltans in the USS Challenger, at least, not someone in Medical. He did wonder about giving Chloe a visit, though. She was fun, pretty, and had some good bedside manners. Also, was the only person in Sickbay thus far, that he deeply trusted with any medical eventualities concerning his person. Feigning needing to be treated, just to take her attention for a while was a pleasant thought wandering on his mind, but ultimately decided against it.

He remembered the lives lost, and the many likely injured. He could not risk their lives just to have a pleasant time. Promptly, Zhuk chastised himself.

Maybe later, though.

He did wonder if the lives lost today had been worth it. How many died under his mentor, Lieutenant Commander T'Kel? Had she lost as many as he had thus far under his command? He had never asked. T'Kel to him always seemed so sure, so competent. Like a human Battleship clad in ice and steel. Thus, he had never considered that she too could have lost people, until now. But had she, really? The logs might tell him, and that would satisfy his need to determine if he was indeed doing a good job. But finding something that he shouldn't, tainting his view of T'Kel also worried him.

No, he preferred to have her as he had known her. Indestructible. Indefatigable. A shrewd tactician, who did not need to endure the knot in the stomach of having to report a death to the Captain at any moment after he joined as an Ensign. At least, not when it came to Security.

He did not feel as if he had properly filled in her paws - er... shoes, yet, either. And he wondered if he ever would. He still made mistakes, like the one that got Kyan captured. His superior.

Never again. He usually said. But thus far, he had not achieved that goal. It had just been like the jungle ambush, where Chloe had almost been killed. He shuddered to think about that. He would have never forgiven himself, but fortunately, she still was there. So was Lahr, and Nira.

Little Zala had also made it out today, though she had been hit by a stray shot from the Romulans. Scorched the armor, and hurt her arm. She had gone to the Sickbay to get treated. Maybe he was not that bad of a Lieutenant after all. Just, fix a few things.

Would he be able to succeed?

That bothersome itch returned, but now he had a hard time scratching it with his armor. He was mad now. Perhaps he really should have gone to Chloe. Grrr...

A few comments from Nira and the Captain interrupted his thoughts, as they spoke of assimilation of young individuals. Like him?. Heading to Earth, and the downing of Starfleet. He felt silent as he was shocked to his core about these revelations. He even failed to properly pay attention to the Romulans on screen, until they had vanished, and Ian spoke to Nira about the situation.

"Pardon? But that is nigh impossible. Earth is a bastion of the Federation. Its collapse is..."

He held his head for a moment, shaking it from side to side. He just couldn't believe it. Perhaps the reports they had obtained were wrong. Misconstrued. Exaggerated. Still... if they were real... the place where he had first felt safe in all of his life was... just gone.

Or at least her people may be. He took a couple of deep breaths to call himself down.

"I am not certain I understand this which you have thus far related to me. But in the case of this... 'assimilation' of juvenile individuals, would not the members of this crew be also in danger? I shalt not challenge thy decision to take us onto the fray, but I cannot help but observe that we could be vulnerable to this infection if the ship is boarded or otherwise."

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian's expression became one of profound sadness as he placed a hand on Zhuk's shoulder.

"Lad, whatever is happenin' on Earth will be decided long before we can get there, because even at best speed, we're two weeks away. I can take an educated guess that whatever is happenin' with the young gettin' assimilated is only happenin' in the Sol system as no other Federation worlds are reportin' the same problem.

"We also have an advantage the rest of the fleet does nae have, that bloody Fleet Maneuver Program was isolated and removed from our computers. Should it matter by the time we get closer, I will drop the crew off well away from Sector 001 and if'n needs be, I will take Challenger in by myself. Because if Earth falls, I swear by all that's ever been holy, I will nae let Borg keep my home. I'll drive the ship into the atmosphere and detonate both warp cores, It won't free Earth, but the planet will nae be habitable for them ta enjoy."

This last part was said with such fierceness that his words brooked no debate. Ian couldn't tell Zhuk about the last time he was ready to drive an Excelsior hull into a target and detonate the warp core because that mission was still highly classified, but should it be necessary, Ian was prepared to do so again.

["She may be as deadly as an adder, but she was talkin' like a political hack ta me. This is all on her, she's the one that just couldn't leave well enough alone. Starfleet may be down, but we're nae out, but she has ta twist the bloody knife by gloatin' and boastin' about her involvement in what is happenin' on Earth. When she comes for us, we'll be ready and I will have her head for my mantle."]

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira didn't have to be an empath to sense that Ian was annoyed by Nirreen. The comparison between her and Thelal was interesting, but she was still taking rapt attention to Nirreen.

"I don't know," she said. "Thelal seemed more like a pompous windbag. Nirreen is, of course, an assassin. The way she has backing from the Praetors, it wouldn't surprise me if they elected to have an empress, they'd put her up...She may or may not be making an idle threat, and neither of them..."

But it apparently didn't matter. Ian was more concerned with Earth, and they will have to see. She still had concerns that the outer rim of the Federation along the Klingon and Romulan borders were about to get caught not just with their pants down, but also potentially with their underwear down.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian listened to Nira, but remained highly skeptical regarding Nirreen and said as much.

"She may be as deadly as an adder, but she was talkin' like a political hack ta me. This is all on her, she's the one that just couldn't leave well enough alone. Starfleet may be down, but we're nae out, but she has ta twist the bloody knife by gloatin' and boastin' about her involvement in what is happenin' on Earth. When she comes for us, we'll be ready and I will have her head for my mantle."

["Yak, yak, yak. Sounds like the saucy tart has taken Thelal lessons. As for the death of the Federation, she's not the first one to come up with that one. Maintain speed and course."]

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

It had been a wild kind of ride, and Nira hadn't felt this much exhiliration in a long time. Not since the battles of the past she had taken part in - the battle against Melek Nor, the Wanderer Battle at Katra, even the battle against the Liberation, her first one...and not since her varied jumps she had enjoyed when riding the space elevator on Burj Khalifa on Earth...

Earth...were they really the last of the Federation as Nirreen indicated? But no, if Earth had fallen, the core worlds of the Federation - Vulcan, Andor, Tellar, Draylax, Rigel, even Betazed - they could be next. And with comms down...

The exchange between the main Anax, and when Zhuk and D'Lorra appeared, she was shaken out of her pondering. She smiled at D'Lorra, it was so good to see her friends alive and well. And the Captain's next words made her realize...

"Well, we don't know about how the youth of the Federation were assimilated," Nira said. "We don't even know the particular age range. In any case, with comms down...but we don't know if it's just Earth or the core worlds, we should assess the situation, take steps, maybe even rally any ships that have not even made the celebrations..."

The age range certainly bothered Nira the most; she was just barely passing her mid twenties herself, so in a way, she can still be considered a young adult. And she also realized...

"Anju, what happened to Lieutenant Jyur?"

"He stayed behind with the Unification Movement," he said. "He elected to notify Earth about them and their need to get to Vulcan, and Ambassador Saavik has arranged a transwarp beaming to Earth."

"No," breathed Nira. "If he transported on one of their ships, he'll be in danger..."

"It's a risk he'll have to take," said Anju worryingly. "Also, Captain, your thanks is appreciated. We always have tractor emitters and oln'garr limbs prepared for an event like this. I'm glad you could make use of them..."

"And there's another problem. The deaths of so many of the Cradol are going to spark rage...the Ethnarchs and Ratheen..."

"Sirs, they're calling again!" Commander Catalan said.

"On screen," said Nira, having a good idea what this was about.

Sure enough, Nirreen was there with the three Praetors. Domitian, the old man; Nakir the Reman/Betazoid hybrid with his pale visage and apparently an ear burned off, along with a stream of green blood on the side of her face; and Hakul, who has clearly succeeded Ratheen, whose headless corpse was laid on a funeral alter of sorts with mourners bowing and wailing in the background. The three Praetors, of course, were all glaring, but Nirreen was making her snakelike smile as usual.

"All three of them!" hissed Anju.

"Challenger," she said with sweet menacing. "I speak on behalf of the Praetors. Thank you for your assassination attempt. The murders you have committed are on your hands, and we will repay."

As she spoke, she sent footage of the fight with the Federation teams and D'Lorra earlier, especially the deaths of the Ethnarchs and of Ratheen's decapitation as Hakul escape, and then footage of the destruction of the Praetorian flagship before going back to the Romulans on the screen.

"You have butchered the hierarchy of our faith. The Ethnarchs and Dynast-Praetor Ratheen lie dead back at Andgarr, a planet the Cradol hold sacred. We swear to avenge them, and avenge Ratheen. Brother Hakul stands with us as he takes her seat, Praetor of Faith, alongside Domitian, Praetor of Power, and Nakir, Praetor of Death.

"Power. Death. Faith. The Three Symbols of the Triumvirate," said Nirreen, "You strike at our Faith, we will strike in return. The Last of the Federation want war, you will have war.

"It matters not where you go," she declared. "The Federation is dead. The Head that is Earth has gone. And the Romulan Star Empire is reborn today. By the morrow month, all that is left of the Federation will be but ashes adrift in the wind. Enjoy whatever life you have left. We drive our zeal and we will have our revenge. Death to the Federation."

"Death to the Federation!" snarled all three men behind her, and before Ian could cut them off, they cut themselves off.

Nira was horrified. "So. A declaration of war," she said coldly.

"But I had a part in those deaths," D'Lorra said. "The Klingon Empire won't stand for it either."

"Nor the Free State and Andgarr when I tell them," Anju added. "I need to get back, a transwarp beaming will have to do," he added, making his departure.

"We've got ourselves a conundrum, Captain," said Nira. "We can head back to Earth, but we saw that fleet...we've got them on one hand, and the Borg from the Core Worlds on the other. With comms down, we're on our own..."

[Enarrain Nirreen of House Caligula | Bridge | IRS Opalius]

"You have the makings of an Empress, little sister," said the new Dynast-Praetor. Nirreen beamed at Hakul.

"I could be Empress if I so chose, but that would keep me from my duties as an assassin of my own right," said Nirreen.

"Thank the Elements for that," harrumped Domitian. Nakir growled in agreement, still in pain from the loss of his ear.

"It's time we rallied our forces, stirred up the zeal and bloodlust," he snarled.

"And we have our allies to call upon," added Nirreen. She turned and opened the call, summoning a hologram of a huge Kzinti.

"Kranju-Lord," said Nirreen. "It's time to martial the forces."

"I'm seeing what's happening on Earth," Kranju said. "Impressive. We stand ready to strike. I certainly hope the Borg will leave Vulcan for us. We have been denied them and the worlds near Earth too long, even as they fight us and protect us against Earth..."

"...before the launching of the earliest Enterprise, we know," said Nirreen. "The new Man-Kzin-Vulcan War had been two centuries delayed. And our friends from Tzenketh and Breen?"

"The Tzenkethi are ready to strike, but the Breen are backing out," Kranju snarled.

"What?" said Nirreen. "But I thought they were anticipating...they were eager...!"

"They were, until they saw the finer details of what's transpiring...the struggles of those unassimilated...'Eliminate All Unassimilated.' That had them stirring in fear, that's what's causing them to back down."

Nirreen nodded now, understanding. Of course, she should've realized that. As feared as the Dominion - the Changelings - had been, the races of the Alpha Quadrant were more afraid of the Borg, primarily their penchant for assimilating and absorbing life forms. The Breen had no blood, and therefore, since assimilation was done by nanoprobes corrupting blood cells, assimilation was impossible with the Breen. And this new behavior in these drones, the exermination of the unassimilated...what if the Borg turned on the Breen? The Breen would be facing their destruction by extermination and elimination of not assimilation.

"How is the Cold One handling it?" asked Nirreen.

"Who knows?" asked Kranju. "Wherever he is, he's fuming."

"Be it as it may," Nirreen started, but Kranju chortled.

"You're starting to sound like Belrenank," he chuckled.

"...the forces of the Federation are greatly reduced. The Borg have their fleet, their worlds ripe for the taking," Nirreen smirked, though inwardly, she had a doubt. The old man...Jean-Luc Picard...we was out there somewhere, and wherever he was, there's a chance, he who knew the Borg most among humans, could thwart what was accomplished, and the longer his whereabouts are unknown, the greater the chances the tide could turn against them...

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

As Nirreen spoke, Ian found himself more annoyed than scared or threatened. Rolling his eyes as she nattered on about the destruction of the Federation. When the signal cut off, he snorted.

"Yak, yak, yak. Sounds like the saucy tart has taken Thelal lessons. As for the death of the Federation, she's not the first one to come up with that one. Maintain speed and course."

["No one really knows Lieutenant other than it's really bad. Somehow, the Borg have hacked the Fleet Maneuver System and taken control of the bulk of Starfleet. Even worse, the Borg have managed to assimilate the younger members of the crew, they have killed or driven the older crew to flee. Earth is completely at the mercy of the Borg. We can't possibly arrive in time to do anything about what is going on now, but we have to try."]

Zhuk returned, triumphant, with the rest of his squad. He was about to speak up with his report, though instead, Lieutenant D'Lorra took advantage. In other circumstances, he would have been annoyed, even angry at her. But seeing her speak so happily of her victories did make Zhuk smile, if only for a moment.

Once she was done, he proceeded to add:[/color]

"Lieutenant D'Lorra indeed speaks true, Captain Galloway. Albeit we were unable to achieve capture of the Romulan High-Value targets, we did end up eliminating their forces and achieving a major victory on the ground. They lost at least a dozen members of their elite guards, with us incurring rather insignificant deaths in return," His tone, though serious, changed to a saddened one, "Ensigns Preda and Vuara were unfortunately killed in action. A shame."

He proceeded to further fill in the Captain with any other relevant information, remaining steadfast as he thanked both of them for their efforts. Zhuk gave a sole nod, as he placed his hands behind himself. The orders to head to Earth were unexpected, however.

"Earth? If I may, Captain Galloway... what has transpired within the Solar System?"

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

Ian's face fell when Zhuk asked about Earth, it was still so raw, but everyone was looking to him to provide a non-anxious presence, so he squared his shoulders and replied in a grim tone.

"No one really knows Lieutenant other than it's really bad. Somehow, the Borg have hacked the Fleet Maneuver System and taken control of the bulk of Starfleet. Even worse, the Borg have managed to assimilate the younger members of the crew, they have killed or driven the older crew to flee. Earth is completely at the mercy of the Borg. We can't possibly arrive in time to do anything about what is going on now, but we have to try."

["Anax Jindak, please thank Subanax Anju for his assistance, I'm nae so certain we'd have survived without him."]

Kyan looked up from where his head was buried in the tactical console with an expression that could be called "œincredulous glee". He was happy that his previous ploy had worked, but was stunned that Galloway would want to try it again. The first thought that came to him was that there wasn't a fat man's chance in a foot race that they were going to drag a Mogai Class warbird into another ship with their tractor beam. Before, they had given the ship a slight pull to increase their rotation. They were already using their thrusters to push themselves that way, so it wasn't any strain on the beam to help them along. This time though, they would need to rotate the ship's heading and actually steer it into another ship, which would take a lot of energy, and more importantly, time. By the time they re-oriented the ship it's crew would catch on and resist. It would either rip the warbird apart, or rip the Challenger's emitter right off the hull. Granted, Kyan wasn't a math nerd, but he knew how far you could push a tractor beam.

He was about to say so when something occurred to him. Challenger had two tractor beam emitters. One was positioned on the ventral hull beneath the deflector dish and one was aft, beneath the shuttle bay doors. If they could use the emitter under the deflector array to push the ship into position, they could grab it by the beak with the aft emitter when they passed. Forcing them to collide when both Romulans could plainly see their intent was the hard part. They would have to disable some of the warbird's thrusters first. Kyan's fingers flew across his console, changing the phaser targets at which he'd been firing to focus on the ship's starboard facing thrusters.

Davenport had come over while he was working and saw what he was doing. He almost startled Kyan when he spoke up. "œIf we do the same for the flanking warbird, we can use the front beam emitter to pull them into the collision."

The boy looked up. "œAye"¦ Aye that's right! Good thinkin mate!" he smiled. "œYou get the beams ready and I'll take care of their thrusters!"

Davenport nodded and went back to his console. Meanwhile, Kyan dedicated the ventral phaser turrets and arrays to targeting the flanking warbird's port side thrusters. It occurred to him that he couldn't weaken all of them enough to keep the ships from using them to avoid each other, but if he focused on the ones closest to the ship's "œbeak" then they wouldn't be able to alter their course enough to avoid hitting one another. Once again he changed the targets and fired.

Deadly blue beams lanced out from Challenger's dorsal and ventral phaser arrays and the six ball turret emplacements on the ship's saucer as they closed the distance between them and the Romulans. Kyan watched the tactical scanners feedback as he hit them again. On the third shot, the readout started telling him what he wanted to hear. He also dedicated photon tube one for the proximity burst torpedoes while keeping tube two open for quantum torpedoes, a few of which he fired at the leading warbird to soften their shields for the tractor beam. He'd do the same for the flanking warbird, but not until they banked. Once he'd fired the proximity burst torpedoes, the Onlie re-purposed tube one for quantum torpedoes and loaded two volleys.

"œThis was"¦. Probably going to work." Kyan thought to himself as the bridge rocked from a Romulan volley of plasma torpedoes.

"œReady mate?" he called back to Davenport, who replied with an affirmative "œmmm hmm." As there was still time left, Kyan fired off a few shots at his previous targets in an attempt to mask their intention. He also loosed two more volleys of torpedoes, once for each warbird. The had barely struck home when Galloway's voice boomed over the bridge.

Kyan saw the proximity detonations an fought the sudden queasiness that always happened when a starship lurched in a new direction, Kyan gripped the console for a moment and then continued firing at both ships' thrusters. Behind him, Davenport had pushed the leading warbird with the for facing tractor beam and altered it's course. It attempted a correction, but without all it's thrusters, was only able to turn ten degrees to starboard, which Kyan reckoned wouldn't be enough. He punched them in the beak with all the ventral phasers as the ship passed and when they were clear, Davenport locked the aft tractor beam on them, yanking them along behind Challenger. Almost simultaneously, the forward tractor beam caught the flanking Romulan and changed their heading. They were now on a collision course. The flanking warbird managed to nearly pull out of it, but still took a direct collision on it's ventral aft section. They wouldn't be dead, but they would lose their impulse engines, which was nearly the same thing.

The leading warbird fared far worse. Their beak was gone and the ship careened down on the Y axis, out of control. As Challenger moved away, Kyan trained a volley of photon torpedoes on the beakless warbird and fired. While they were in flight, he hammered the flanking ship with phaser fire until his torpedo indicator was green again, Then he fired a volley for the flanking warbird. A few missed the target, but more hit than didn't. It didn't matter. The collision had weakened them both enough that the torpedoes ripped through them and set off cascading explosions that turned the emerald birds to atoms. As the crew on the bridge watched the ships explode, Kyan remembered what Galloway had said.

When the second warbird began to explode, a small, black, Starfleet issue boot bonked off the viewscreen and landed on the deck in front of the operations console.

[Orbit - Angdarr Prime]

The Challenger banked hard to port when Ian called the mark just as the Romulans fired. Cole's maneuver was just enough for one of the three ship's weapons to hit the number two shield instead of the number one shield the other two hit. The impact of the combination of disruptors and plasma torpedoes was a jackhammer blow to the Challenger, which caused the ship to roll a full 90 degrees to port. Those not holding on to something substantial were thrown about the ship and there were several spot overloads throughout the ship. This resulted in several dozen minor injuries and four serious casualties. But the shields held and the Challenger was still solidly in the fight.

As the Mogai Cruisers engaged the Challenger, the eight shuttlecraft led by the Mjolnir picked one of the older warbird and attacked. The shuttles were nimble and were able to get so close to their target, that the other two warbirds couldn't fire on them for risk of hitting their comrade.

Concentrating their fire on the port nacelle of the warbird and firing every weapon they had was enough to over come the larger ship's shields and leave the engine dark and blackened from multiple hits. The shuttles stayed close and continued to harry the warbird while using their target to shield them from the other warbirds.

Tens of thousands of kilometers away, the destruction of two of the cruisers caused the commander of the rearguard to reassess their odds and they decided their best course of action was to join in the retreat. The four surviving ships, including the lamed warbird went to warp, thus ending the Battle of Angdarr.

Ian watched the Romulans flee and breathed a sigh of relief. He ordered the crew to stand down from red alert and for the shuttles to dock. He then had Catalan contact the Angdarr.

"Anax Jindak, please thank Subanax Anju for his assistance, I'm nae so certain we'd have survived without him."

"We rejoice at your victory captain. We are shamed to know so many Defilers were hiding beneath our canopy."

"The Romulans are a wily bunch Anax, there is no shame in another's duplicity."

"Perhaps. We shall be more vigilant."

"That is a good idea. We must now depart, I'm certain you have seen the news feeds and even though we were nae recalled, we've got ta try ta help. I do promise our visit will nae be the last by a Federation ship Anax."

"May the Canopy shield you and guide you."

"Until our paths cross Anax."

As Ian closed the channel, he heard heavy footfalls and turned to see Zhuk, still in full armor arriving on the bridge with Lieutenant D'Lorra at his side.

"How was the hunt?"

Ian asked and before Zhuk could reply, an exuberant D'Lorra exclaimed.

"It was glorious Captain, we broke the Praetorian Guard and sent their Praetors scurrying like meeniks before a pack a saber wolves. Their Ethnarchs turned and fought well, but died nonetheless. Unfortunately, that allowed the Praetors to flee. However, one fled short an ear I burned off with a disruptor shot. I would have taken his head, but the woman Rathleen managed to deflect my arm just enough for the shot to miss. She paid for that with her head! I could not however stop the witch Nirreen from escaping with the Praetors. Your people fought well. I will sing songs to the two of your crew than crossed the River of Blood to Sto-vo-kor for their part in the battle!"

Ian was saddened to hear he had two letters to write, but with the events of Frontier Day still playing out, his letters would be part of flood of such missives from across the fleet.

"Thank you Lieutenants, well done. It would have been a game changer ta have bagged those Praetors, but I'll take three Mogai class warbirds any day. But we are needed elsewhere. Mister Shepard, your course is for Earth. Warp eight."

The Challenger flickered with pseudomotion and went warp, the familiar ripple that passed through her deck plates as she defied Einsteinian space made it feel like she wanted to get home too.

[[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | NCC-81673 Mjolnir ---> Junkyard Clearing | Skies of Andgarr Prime ---> Andgarr Prime | Andgarr System]]

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | NCC-81673 Mjolnir ---> Junkyard Clearing | Skies of Andgarr Prime ---> Andgarr Prime | Andgarr System]

The doors of the Mjolnir opened, allowing the occupants, Zhuk, Zala, D'Lorra, and Blackfeather, to gaze at the carnage currently unfolding. The Romulans were caught off-guard as he instructed his fellows to fire upon the unsuspecting guards. Once the ship had descended enough, he jumped a good 10 feet from the air, rolling on the ground to shield himself from the fall, before taking cover behind pieces of twisted metal, clearing a couple of entrenched mooks to allow the other three to advance.

Unfortunately, he was also privy to seeing one of the Security officers being shot down by some Romulan phasers as he attempted to move from a better position. The rest of the armored members of the 'Cutty Sark' crew were not fazed, at least, not outwardly, as they kept fighting the Romulans until both teams stood victorious over their enemies, their high-value targets attempting to run away with their tails between their legs.

Zhukdra'shar remained outwardly serious, but inside he was proud. If regretful for the two losses they had incurred. The barrage by the 'Cutty Sark' had cut down most of the Romulan forces in a quick strike, and his tactics had managed to overwhelm and crush those that remained. Just as he had predicted. At this moment, he felt like an accomplished tactician, and though this stunt he had pulled was by no means legendary, he expected it to be spoken about shortly on the Challenger.

As D'Lorra shot down a well-dressed Romulan, she prepared to continue the assault. Zhuk too remained unwilling to allow his prey to escape, and so, he turned towards Blackfeather and Zala.

"We shalt pursue! Orders are to capture them if possible, but lethal or not, do not allow them to abscond!"

He roared, running forward as he fired his phaser rifle, set on stun, with Zala following soon after. He had a much easier time moving around due to his speed, however, he jumped, twirled, and fired again through the rubble.

He frowned as he saw D'Lorra about to finish off Nirreen, but just before he could stop her, a spear blocked her bat'leth. He was torn. Truly, he figured out that eliminating the VIPs could deal a good blow to their plans, and he wanted blood. But also, he wanted information. And right now, he decided to achieve the latter. He fired a couple of shots toward Nirreen's protector, just as D'Lorra was forced to back off.

Before he could keep on hot pursuit, however, he was met with a drone which soon revealed a hologram of Nirreen. His ears swished back, a snarl on his face as he was called an 'assassin'. What did she intend to do with this? Distract them? She would not succeed. As he was about to speak up after Blackfeather, however, the rumble stopped him.

He watched in awe as a fleet of several ships began to fly up from the junkyard, preparing to fly to engage the Challenger. The Federation vessel was strong, but he was certain that it would be cut down by such a massive fleet. He had to concoct a plan to stop them. Nirreen and ilk be damned, he was not about to allow them to reach the Captain!

But what he could do? He had the shuttles, sure. And a sizable group of armed men and women. Perhaps... attempting to board one of the Romulan warbirds? Taking control of its Bridge? If he could do it without the rest being alerted, maybe he could destroy a few before he was shot down. But that was rather wishful thinking.

His thoughts were interrupted once more as the Ethnarchs counterattacked. Right. They still needed to survive this.

"Engage the interlopers! Do not allow them to snuff us out!" He took cover as he fired his rifle at them, before moving out of the way as a couple of shots threatened to hit him. He tapped on the comm-badge, "Mjolnir, Cutty Sark, remain clear of the Romulan's sights. They have acquired heavy firepower now, and we may require you for extraction. Over."

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

"Aye, Captain," said Commander Catalan, and sent the coded frequency down to the planet.

Nira watched in wonderment. Most of the Romulan fleet was heading off, but the half dozen was approaching them. Suddenly, she noticed something.

"Viewscreen, magnification..." she ordered, pointing to a spot at the planet where the last of the Triumvirate ships were launching.

The magnification showed something peculiar going on with the canopy around those Romulan ships. Magnification can't provide much details, but if Nira didn't know better, she'd figure the canopy had come alive and was swallowing the ships whole.

"Watch yourself, Mister Shephard," Nira said to Cole at the helm. As the Challenger dove through the planet, the carnage was made more manifest.

"That bunch of ships is still in pursuit," warned Randall.

"Then we keep going through the cluster," said Nira.

In fact, as viewscreen went back to normal, the view became better. With full shields as the Challenger was in pursuit, the story was told differently. Under the canopy, oln'garr wood of various size seemed to be flying from all directions. The primary shape it seemed to be taking just plain logs, either swinging at ships from various directions or rolling in an avalanche from the tops of the trees.

"Holy Allah, it's raining logs!" said Nira.

"That was partly how we defeated the Romulans back in the day," said Anju grimly.

Indeed, the logs were smashing into the Romulan ships, either punching holes or smashing in the hulls, or just bringing them down under the weight of logs...as for the big ships, in passing, Nira could see that tractor emitters from some trees have locked onto as much of the big ships as possible, and when the big ships try to pull away, the wood splits and the trunks come felling onto the ships, crushing them utterly.

All Nira could do was breathlessly watch as the Challenger flew through the woods like a mighty bird. Never mind half a dozen hostile ships on their tail, they had bigger things to worry about.
[Senior Chief Petty Officer Ryan Blackfeather | Hidden Base | Warbird Necropolis | Andgarr System]

The fight wasn't looking good, but then Blackfeather was privy to another surprise. Another rumbling was heard as the last of the Romulan ships were making to the skies...but this one sounded like a huge distant creaking, like a wooden ship of ancient times. And it was gradually growing louder...and then he saw it first.

"SWEET [spoiler]JEEZUS[/spoiler]!" he exclaimed in surprise, jabbing a finger upward. What seemed to be some small branches of the trees, and at least one or two huge trunks had just snapped off and sent whatever poor ship was unfortunate to be in its path back to the junkyard where it belonged.

[Enarrain Nirreen of House Caligula | Bridge | IRS Opalius]

The Opalius was one of the last ships to make it from the canopy before it happened. She looked on at Domitian and Nakir, who had lost an ear to the Klingon in the confusion, and Hakul. So it's possible the trio of men was complete, she had just thought...and then, her smuggness was wiped from her face when she saw the canopy utterly get at the last of the ships emerging. Unfortunately, the Praetors saw it, too.

"The Canopy. It's the Wrath of the Andgarr Elements all over again," Domitian said solemnly, referring to the battle that ensured the Romulan defeat at Andgarr and stopped the conquest in its tracks.

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

The Challenger drove directly through the center of the six Romulan ships, catching them off guard as the reckless charge forced them to have to evade the massive bulk of the Trailblazer-Class cruiser. As they scattered, Ian growled to Kyan.

"Concentrate all fire on that Bird of Prey at 171 mark 28, all forward, bearing port weapons, and all aft as we pass. Full spreads of quantums at maximum yield!"

Being an older design, a Bird of Prey was simply no match for the full focused fire of the Challenger and the smaller ship simply ceased to be. Knowing that the survivors would not be surprised by a second attack, Ian turned to Commander Catalan.

"Signal Zhuk ta return ta the ship, we need their fire power. Launch all Type 8 and Type 9 shuttles, have them form up and concentrate on the Birds of Prey. Specify they are ta leave cruisers ta us."

Ian did some calculations in his head and didn't like the math. One on one, the Challenger could stand up to the full salvo of an Akira or even a Sovereign thanks to the point of impact shields. However, even supplemented by the full power of the second warp core, if the three Mogais could manage to hit a single shield, they might just be in trouble.

"If'n we only had another ship here, we could Thatch Weave and we'd have them. But if wishes were horses, we'd all be eatin' steak. No, goin' ta have ta be sneaky."

Ian looked to Kyan.

"Your use of the tractor beam has inspired me ta be more clever than usual. I'm goin' ta drive straight at the three cruisers. I need you ta fire a pair of photons, repeat, photons fused for proximity bursts. They won't do any damage, but it will scramble their sensors for a second or two. Helm, during that moment in time, break hard ta port. Ops, you'll have ta take some power from shields ta plus up the structural integrity field for this one.

"Kyan, as soon as we break, grab the center Mogai with the tractor, as we turn, drag that blaigeard into the cruiser ta it's starboard, as they collide, pound them with every weapon we have ta include your bloody shoes!"

Ian clamped his hands down hard on the command chair and thought.

"You hear about 'so crazy that might work' stuff while you're at the Academy, well Ian mate, this certainly fits that bill."

As the Challenger came about, four Type 8 and two Type 9 shuttles roared from the shuttlebays. The ship settled in on its seemingly collision course and the distance closed rapidly. Ian took a deep breath and said.

"Misters MacKenzie, Shepard, and Catalan, on my mark..."

The range dropped from 80,000 kilometers, to 50,000, which was when the Romulan ships opened fire. Knowing if all three ships could fully focus on the forward shield, it might just prove too much for Challenger's defenses, Ian said.

"MARK!"

["Well, this is it. Regardless of whatever is happenin' on Earth, no one will forget the name Challenger after this day."]

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

Nira perked up; the Praetors had beamed down to the planet? Well, they wouldn't have had good reason to get back to Andgarr unless they had something else there. Meantime, Kyan's trick was ripping apart the nacelles and the ship was growing crippled and being torn apart...[Lieutenant D'Lorra | NCC-81673 Mjolnir | Skies of Andgarr Prime >- Hidden Base | Warbird Necropolis | Andgarr System]
Eager to rejoin a fight amidst the return to Andgarr, D'Lorra wasted no time in going along. She embarked on the Mjolnir with Zhuk, excited at the prospect.

She liked the name, Mjolnir, the legendary name for a weapon. Klingons valued blades as they were; the most famous being the legendary blade of Kahless itself. Besides, the land of the name's origin was a popular destination for Klingon visitors; the rockiness of Iceland and Scandinavia always did remind them of Kronos. The difference was, Kronos is not as green.

As they approached the coordinates and drew in, they headed into what seemed to be a huge crater in the canopy...and then, when they drew closer, D'Lorra recognized the destination.

"It's the junkyard!" she said. "The Warbird Necropolis! But we were just there! Why would they head back here if they destroyed their most vital base...? Unless..."

She had an inkling, given if the leaders left the ship to get back to the planet, and she kept her eyes out. Where was that warbird that eliminated that...what was it where those butterflies were being kept? But their destination was clear.

The more they closed in, the more it suddenly became abundantly clear: A ground-based starbase had been assembled out of the junk, cleverly disguised to look like it was part of the debris field, like if a starbase or outpost had crashed onto the planet along with the rest of the warbirds. An apparent horizontal docking pylon jutted out, including a pair of docking pads, and the far end of the pylon was abuzz with activity, of Romulans, Remans and...D'Lorra wasn't sure, her anticipation of battle building, but were those Kzinti? Their landing, however, caught them by surprise, and no time, D'Lorra was out like an unleashed targ.

The Praetorian Guards engaged first, and in no time, they were all finished and the high value targets were away. D'Lorra was giving chase, not caring whether or not the other Starfleeters were following behind, confident after downing what looked like a so-called Ethnarch. She soon caught up with the targets and sliced an ear off some Reman guiding the targets in, with her mek'leth....a Reman with hair, he clutched his side with green streaming...

She saw this when a killing blow was stopped by a spear, and an tanned-toned Romulan glared at her.

"Praetors! Go! The Ethnarchs will hold off this animal!" Hakul shouted.

D'Lorra snarled. Despite their apparent warrior spirit, the insult hit like a wall. And as the Ethnarchs gathered, ready to attack, Hakul behind them to coordinate them, no doubt slowly retreating, D'Lorra looked behind and balked. What was seen at the end of the pylon was decloaking. A Mogai Warbird. The same Warbird that bombed the facility earlier.

Back with the rest of the team, a robotic drone appeared and shone a hologram of Nirreen before Zhuk, Zala and Blackfeather.

"Welcome, assassins," Nirreen called. "Glad you can join us. Feel free to strike at us. We're more than ready for you, you'll have to get through all of us if you want the Praetors and the Ethnarchs. You have certainly made it clear your aggression; your ship, you the last of Federation, have committed an act of war against the Triumvirate...nay, we who are the architects of the rebirth of the Romulan Star Empire, solidified with the destruction of the Cradol flagship, and we, along our allies, are more than ready to respond in kind."

"You're bluffing, witch!" snarled Blackfeather.

"Am I?" asked Nirreen with a widening grin. "Then listen carefully, assassins: To our forces, on behalf of the Praetors...launch the fleet. Send half a dozen of our ships their way to the Challenger, let them know we mean business."

Suddenly, there was a rumble, and a tremor rumbled around the junkyard. And then, suddenly, rising from the rubble, almost like zombies with new skins, from the mounds of wreckage that at least weren't crushed by the oln'garr trees, a whole fleet of Romulan ships emerged.

Nirreen stood before them, grinning insanely, gesturing around her...before the hologram simmered into oblivion after the drone was shot.

Meanwhile, Hakul looked back as he ensured the Praetors were safe, seeing the Ethnarchs ready to sacrifice themselves...it was all going according to plan...the warbird launched as the Ethnarchs and their remaining soldiers attacked, decloaking as it went. He knew now that the Cradol was in need of a new Dynast-Praetor...

[Commander Nira Said | Bridge | Deck One | USS Challenger NCC-40117-A]

"Sirs, from the coordinates of the beam-downs!" Lieutenant Randall called in shock. "Romulan ships are emerging!...and not just from around the coordinates, two more fleets of Romulan ships are emerging from the waters!"

Nira whirled and gasped. Sure enough, a whole fleet was emerging from the planet. They had appeared just as the warbird's destruction was completing, and as the explosion cleared, the fleet became more evident. A change of viewscreen then showed even bigger Romulan ships rising from the seas. The first fleet was clearly a swarm of smaller ships, Birds of Prey and the like.

"Intolerable!" came a shout. Nira looked around and realized Anju was among them. Jettis was gone...she was going to find out later.

"I know it's easy to hide secrets at the forest floor, but this is crossing a line!" snarled the Subanax. "How dare they!"

Nira could tell...if his planet was accused of sheltering the enemy, his race ran the risk of looking to be consorting with the enemy.

"The fleet's heading away from Andgarr," Randall said, "but half a dozen ships are heading our way. Three Birds of Prey and three warbirds."

"Most of those ships aren't even past the Great Canopy yet," said Anju grimly. "Captain, Commander,  I'm providing some codes for you to transmit," he said, getting a PADD and putting in some information. "They'll be for the general area, all they need to do is to be transmitted down there via hailing frequency, and I bestow it upon you as Subanax, second to my brother. Meantime, it'll be up to me to contact my homeworld to notify them of an alert."

"What are the codes for?" asked Nira.

"You'll see," said Anju, winking. "They probably won't get all of them, but just enough to remind the Romulans that the Andgarr are not one to be screwed with, not with an illegal fleet under our noses."

[Bridge - USS Challenger]

As the Challenger broke to starboard, Kyan's salvo from the aft weapons blanketed the crippled Mogai warbird, leaving it venting atmosphere and burning. Ian could see the escape pods launching and then the viewscreen dimmed as the ship exploded. It was then that he saw the Romulan ships rising from the planet and figured silently.

"Well, this is it. Regardless of whatever is happenin' on Earth, no one will forget the name Challenger after this day."

"Helm, I will nae be leavin' Lieutenant Mrekrerhas and his people behind. Take us straight down the throat of that cluster of Romulan ships. Kyan, you clearly ken what ta do, we're ta make them hurt. Ops all available excess power ta shields. Contact the Lieutenant, let him ken we are on the way."

It was at that point that Anju provided codes that he said would help. Given they needed all the help they could get to survive the next few minutes, Ian nodded and added.

"Fernando, broadcast these codes on all channels!"

[[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | NCC-81673 Mjolnir | Skies of Andgarr Prime | Andgarr System]]

[Lieutenant Zhukdra'shar Mrekrerhas | NCC-81673 Mjolnir | Skies of Andgarr Prime | Andgarr System]

The 'Mjolnir' and the 'Cutty Sark' advanced at great speeds through the skies of the planet, towards the location obtained by Lieutenant Randall after affixing the coordinates. Both had to maneuver carefully through the vegetation to prevent them from being caught by branches or leaves, but thankfully, Zhuk had gotten a couple of good pilots on both ships. He would be sure to commend them later in his report.

"Very well. Descend carefully. Crew of the 'Cutty Sark', I want thee to venture ahead and wittle the defense of the Romulans with thy Phaser Arrays. Afterwards, take position ahead of us. Cut off the Romulans from advancing. We shalt engage them within a pincer maneuver."

After being hit with an 'acknowledged', Zhuk made sure to eye his rifle as he prepared to stand up, watching over as his team prepared to assemble by the shuttle's doors. They had to do this right this time...

[Junkyard Clearing - Angdarr Prime]

Even before the Cutty Sark could flare for landing, the Praetorian Guards opened fire. Unfortunately for them, despite their superb training, they were not carrying heavy weapons, thus their fire, as accurate though it might be, it was ineffectual. Except for giving their positions away and allowing the Mjolnir to blanket them with a heavy barrage of phaser fire that quickly silenced the Guards.

Now that the LZ was clear, the Cutty Sark landed and the fully armored squad of ten exited the shuttle in pairs advancing by bounding overwatch. The security officers drove hard at the remaining Guards that had set up a crude skirmish line to act as a rear guard for the Praetors, the Ethnarchs, along with Ratheen and the fugitive Nirreen who were trying to reach a shuttle.

The Guards knew their jobs well and might have held up the squad, if not for Zhuk's arrival on their flank. Although the Mjolnir only carried four security officers, they put the Guards in a deadly cross fire that they could not escape. However, the Guards were brave and skilled and fought to their last member, killing two of the Challenger's people before they fell.

As the squad fought the last of the Guards, Zhuk spotted the high value targets fleeing in a most undignified manner, several of them probably running for the first time in decades. D'Lorra sighted in, fired and one of the most elaborately dressed of the Romulans cried out and crumpled in a boneless heap.

"Qapla'!"

D'Lorra shouted in triumph and surged forward in the lust of the hunt, phaser in one hand, mek'leth in the other.

"The prey runs before us! After them!"

Zala and Chief Blackfeather looked at Zhuk, eyebrows raised, silently asking for orders.