          Dec 1994 03:00:06 +0100
          AA27922; Fri, 30 Dec 94 20:59:51 -0500
          20:58:12 EST
Subject: Re: Comments on Super-Dradnought

Here's all of _Superdreadnought_.
Matt

The following work is copyright Matthew Weed 1994.
Some characters are taken from a work in progress by Marc Hernandez
<hikaru@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu> and Matthew Weed: References to this
work, copyright Matthew Weed and Marc=20
Hernandez, are also made.
All situations and characters copyright Paramount=20
Pictures Corporation under its=20
Star Trek, Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine=20
trademarks and copyright statements are the property of Paramount=20
Pictures Corporation, and any immitation here is mere flattery.


Preface,
This work is in response to the, in my opinion, unrealistically peaceful=20
nature of the Star Trek Universe as depicted in Star Trek: The Next=20
Generation.  I have taken the events in the history and have extended=20
them in a way that i feel is more logical, considering the political and=20
economic circumstances as shown us in Star Trek: The Next Generation and=20
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine television series.  All comments on the story=20
are welcomed at mattweed@edith.princeton.edu.
And now, on with the story!


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT Part I: Chapter I
By:
Matthew A. Weed


=09Command Log:  Stardate 56215.4: Admiral William McGinnis,=20
Commanding USS Ticonderoga reporting:
We will be ready to launch this new ship in less than a day.  The ship=20
is the latest in Federation design, and unfortunately, its powers may=20
not be sufficient to successfully prosecute our mission.  I will command=20
this vessel in her first, and=20
hopefully not last, mission.  If we succeed, the quadrant will be safe. =20
If not, all of the civilizations in the area are likely to fall to The Borg=
.

Admiral McGinnis shut off the recorder, and prepared to leave his=20
quarters.  Where the old Mycenae-class ships had been powerfully=20
armed and heavily shielded for their times, this ship was the best-
armed, best-shielded ship in space, without exception.  "Their times,",=20
god... he thought to himself,  it was only thirteen years since he had=20
taken command of the new defender-class ship called Mycenae. =20
Although the ship had been built as a warning to the Federation's=20
enemies, with far heavier weapons than anything of its time,=20
compared with this new vessel, Mycenae was a light-cruiser at best.

=09It had been a long thirteen-year period, highlighted by the=20
Borg attack on the Klingon home system, which had brought the=20
Klingons to their decision to break the treaty of Algeron.  Their fleet=20
had barely defeated the single Borg cube, and had suffered=20
staggering losses in the effort.  Now, they were building up their=20
forces in preparation for an offensive against Borg territory.

The Romulans, not believing the Klingons' effort would end against=20
the Borg had also exceeded treaty limitations with their newest=20
ships, and, fearing that it would be left behind, the Federation had=20
begun building a new fleet, with the new Ticonderoga class as its=20
centerpiece.

These ships carried phase-cloaking technology, a new hyper-
accelerated collimator ring dcapable of three times the destructive=20
output of the old Mycenae-class technology, rapid-fire phaser=20
batteries with independent power supplies, contained-plasma=20
torpedoes, tripple shielding, and, most importantly, a back-up forced=20
quantum singularity generator, capable of fifteen-minute bursts of=20
power, sufficient to power the ships' vastly powerfful weapons and=20
shielding.  Each of these ships could handle twenty of the old war-
bird class ships, given proper circumstances...  The question, simply=20
put, was could they handle a single (or more likely), multiple Borg=20
ships.

McGinnis sighed as he left his quarters, it wasn't really his job to=20
worry about design specs.  His job was to go to the Klingon home=20
world, in order to meet with Gouron in order to plan allied strategy,=20
against both Borg and Romulans.  Starfleet hoped that this brand new=20
ship would be as powerful a sign of commitment as the presence of=20
Jean-luc Picard's Enterprise had been in the first battle, four years=20
previously.  Unfortunately, Enterprise had been destroyed in the=20
battle, and it was rumored that some of the ship's officers had been=20
taken by the Borg.  McGinnis sincerely hoped, for their sakes, that=20
they had not.

The bridge doors opened, admitting him to Ticonderoga's heavily=20
armored command center.
"Admiral on the Bridge," said Lieutenant-commander Walter Schultz,=20
Tactical officer, and third-in-command.
"At ease, ... report on status of our undocking preparations?" said=20
McGinnis as he moved to the center seat.
"All systems have been checked, all power conduates and back-up=20
systems show clear, computer is on-line, weapons at standby, warp=20
drive is available, phase-cloak is available, and torpedoes are still=20
being loaded sir.", said Captain Data, who had been loaned to=20
McGinnis' command after Starfleet realized that there were no=20
officers aboard Ticonderoga who had any significant experience with the=20
Borg.  Such experience, it was thought, would be critical, particularly=20
in the planned meetings with the Klingon Command.

"Thank you, Captain.  Operations, do you have a listing of the other=20
ships that will rendezvous with us at the Klingon Capitol?"
"Sir, Starfleet reports that they can not give us a complete list, but=20
three task forces are expected to arrive within twenty-four hours=20
after our arrival.  They will be commanded by captains Shelby and=20
Stromgren, and Rear-Admiral De L'hotel.  They expect a minimum=20
total of four dreadnought-class, five cruiser-class, and eleven support=20
vessels.  All have had the new sensor modifications installed, and=20
most are carrying phase-cloaking devices.  However, they will be=20
able to provide comparatively little fire-support, and the Klingons=20
have allready suggested that this vessel is the only one in which they=20
are interested."
"I see, the smaller ships may prove a liability, but I really don't like=20
the Klingons' dismissal of them out-of-hand.  Commander, forward=20
the information concerning our fleet strength to the Klingon council,=20
and tell Gouron that I will want to discuss the use of the smaller=20
ships with him immediately on our arrival."
"Aye sir," replied Janet Anders as she turned back to her console. =20
McGinnis sat back in his chair, thinking about the tremendous change=20
that had come over Ms. Anders over the last few years.  She had=20
come aboard Mycenae a young lieutenant junior-grade, who was=20
impatient for results, believing that things could be had if you=20
wanted them badly enough.  The last years had molded her into a=20
fine officer, patient, cunning, and compassionate.  Assuming that all=20
of them survived the upcoming mission, she would make a fine ship's=20
commander.  However, more important matters awaited them at the=20
moment.

"Mr. Data, what is the current report on our earliest possible=20
departure time?"
"Assuming that all of the loading is proceeding at the projected rate,=20
we should be able to depart the dock in thirteen hours, eight minutes=20
fifteen seconds."
"Thank you, ms. Anders, please have dock ready to clear us in=20
fourteen hours.  Until then, I want all of you to take added time off,=20
because after we leave dock, I suspect that none of us will be getting=20
much rest for quite some time."

At this moment, a lieutenant from engineering hastened onto the=20
Bridge, and reported that engineering com systems were down; =20
that this was related to a slight instability in the quantum core; and=20
that=20
Commander  Macleod thought that repairs would take about four=20
hours. Until the repairs were complete, it would be imposssible to =20
generate anything more than 25% power from the auxiliary=20
generator.
"Lieutenant, Tell him that since we won't need the added power until=20
after we leave Klingon space, I suspect that he can fix the problem in=20
transit.  If he has further concerns, have him report to me directly,=20
and make sure that someone finds a work-around for the comlinks,=20
since the optical controllers aren't up yet, we're totally dependent on=20
our communicators."
"Aye Sir," she said as she rushed ack into the turbolift.
"Unless anyone has other concerns, I'm going to be in my quarters,=20
you can reach me there, ...Mr. Data, you have the bridge." said=20
McGinnis.  He rose and left the Bridge, glancing over his shoulder to=20
make sure that all was in order before he left.             =20




SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part I: Chapter II:=20
by:
 Matthew Weed


McGinnis turned over in his sleep, and then snapped wide awake.  He=20
reached over to hit the com switch, opening a channel to the Bridge. =20

"McGinnis here," he said.
"Sir, you asked for notification when we were one hour from launch,"=20
replied Data's voice.
"Thank you, I'll be up in thirty minutes, I want all senior staff on the=20
Bridge at that time."
"Yes sir, I will ensure that everyone is here."
"McGinnis out."

After a quick shower and change of uniform, McGinnis left his quarters=20
for a quick snack on his way to the Bridge.  Ever since the dimentional=20
transit several years previously, he had always been too nervous to eat=20
full meals during his ships' first voyages.  He had been a young,=20
inexperienced commander then, and the physical and psychological stress=20
of that mission had been quite enough for an entire lifetime.  Most of=20
his crew had spent a number of weeks in hospital, and it had been more=20
than six months before they had been permitted to return to duty.

***
The doors of rec-1 opened silently as he approached, and he was just as=20
glad.  Although Alpha shift would be going on duty any minute, the room=20
was somewhat crowded with crew as they either relaxed or lined up to=20
throw their dishes into the recyclers.

McGinnis moved quickly  to the bank of replicators placed near the door. =
=20
Although the bar was open, he didn't have time to chat, and he didn't=20
want to interrupt the other shifts' relaxation with his uniformed=20
presence.  Though he didn't usually demand tremendous dicipline from his=20
crew when they were  off-duty, seeing him in uniform often caused all of=20
his crew to treat him with what other commanders called "Captain on the=20
Bridge" manners.  Now, there was no reason for it, and so he tried to=20
avoid bothering them, while still gauging their stress level as the=20
ship's launch time approached.

After ordering a quick BLT and salad, he turned to leave, so that he=20
could eat in his small ready-room, located a short distance from the main=
=20
bridge. Just before he could slip out the door, a young crewmember moved=20
to intercept him.
"Sir," she asked somewhat timidly, "I was wondering, what do you think=20
our chances are?"
McGinnis looked at the slender young woman,whose face was lined with stress=
.
"Chances of what? ensign, he asked, knowing full-well what she meant.
"Of surviving our mission against the Borg."
"Well, that isn't our mission as yet, Although the Klingons plan to=20
attack, I haven't received orders to help them yet, and we're still=20
hoping to keep them from going.  I think we've got a good shot."
"I hope so, sir, I want to come back from this."
McGinnis sighed to himself, wondering for the thousandth time, why=20
Starfleet Command had insisted on sending mere kids on this mission, and=20
on this ship.  Kids deserved the chance to grow up, and this ship wasn't=20
meant to keep them out of danger.  It might be the best protection ever=20
built once there, but it was always best to avoid battle whenever=20
possible.  Even if that avoidance meant threatening the other side with=20
guaranteed destruction, a threat that this ship was quite capable of=20
backing up.
"Ensign, we all want to come back, and I, for one, feel that not coming=20
back is simply unacceptable.  You know your duties well, so do them to=20
the best of your ability, and we all will have a better chance of getting=
=20
back."
"Ay sir," she said, still somewhat unconvinced. =20
McGinnis made a mental note to check with Commander MacLeod to see how=20
she was doing when they reached the Klingon home planet.

He quickly left Rec-1, and entered the turbolift.
"Conference 1," he said and the turbolift began a sideways motion.

***
After his small meal, McGinnis rose and walked down the slightly curved=20
corridor that led to the main bridge entrance.
"Admiral on the Bridge," said Data as he rose from the command chair and=20
moved to the first officer's station located in the semi-circle of=20
stations surrounding the central well of the bridge.
"At ease," said McGinnis as he sat in his chair, placed at the center of=20
the semi-circle of stations; "All stations report."
"All computer systems show green, all processors on line, security board=20
is green, all auxiliary systems available," said Data.
"Weapons control systems show green, main ring, rapid fire phasers,=20
auxiliary collimators and plasma torpedoes at standby.  Phase cloak at=20
standy, all shields show ready for activation." said  Schultz.
"Helm and nav systems  show ready," said Thale, the Andorian lieutenant=20
at helm/nav station.
"Engineering systems all show green, except for the auxiliary generator,"=
=20
said Commander Anders.  "All communications systems show green, save main=
=20
communications in the engineering hull, but optical links are now up."
"All sensors available, all science departments reporting ready for=20
launch," came T
'mayek's report from the science station.
"good, I want to brief you all on the upcoming mission.  As you know, the=
=20
Klingon fleet has been built up to levels not seen since the=20
Klingon/Federation hostilities ended seventy years ago.  Their build-up=20
is in direct response to the Borg attack on their space more than four=20
years ago.  Nearly sixty vessels were lost, and a period of political=20
instability has ensued.  Many of the Klingons' internal political=20
problems are still on, so be ready for surprises.=20

House Durass has been pressuring for a renewal of the old Klingon/Romulan=
=20
alliance, and their views are being heard, particularly due to the fact=20
that Federation assistance, in the Klingon view, was limited.  As you=20
know, we lost less than ten ships in those actions, including two=20
defender-class ships and the flagship.  This vessel, along with a large=20
number of other ships is to proceed to The Klingon home planet in order=20
to show them that we will support their offensive against the Borg should=
=20
that become necessary. =20

Since Captain Picard's death, there have been few officers whom the=20
Klingons respect.  Largely because of our successful prosecution of the=20
campaign against the Cardassians last year, we have been ordered to head=20
the fleet with this new ship, in order to attempt to convince the=20
Klingons to hold their attack.  This is my intention, but I want all of=20
you to know that I think it unlikely that we shall succeed, and I want=20
all crewmembers to begin full testing of the new armor suits that we are=20
carrying.  Should we come into contact with the Borg, I suspect that they=
=20
will be necessary.

This ship is well equipped, and its technology is different than anything=
=20
that we have confronted the Borg with in the past.  However, this does=20
not mean that you should be over-confident, or that you should expect=20
that we will give quarter to the Borg, should be succeed in doing=20
significant damage to any Borg forces that we should meet.  If we can do=20
so, we will destroy their ships without question, and there will be no=20
exceptions made.

Until further notice, all of us, plus Commander MacLeod will be on=20
stacked shifts duty, so that at least two command-chain officers are on=20
duty at all times.  We are going into an unstable situation in the=20
Klingon Empire, and I need say nothing more about the Borg.  Are there=20
any questions?"
"Yes, Sir," replied Data, "Will we be trying to capture Borg technology?"
"Yes, my orders do provide for that possibility, and that is much of the=20
reason for the training in the new armor suits.  We will only try to get=20
Borg hardware, no Borg "members", will be taken, as I don't want to risk=20
having the rest of the Collective tracing our location through any=20
prisoners that we may take."
There was a pause, while all of the officers sat considering what they=20
had just heard.  Despite that fact that most of them were from defense=20
command, and not exploration or science headquarters, talk of all-out war=
=20
was uncommon.  Furthermore, talk of breaking every treaty and moral=20
regulation that governed the Federation's many civilizations was a bit=20
hard to digest.  However, the  Borg were an unusual enemy, and if they=20
were to be defeated, unusual methods would clearly be necessary.
"Are there any further questions?" ... "Very well, we are now less than=20
half an hour from departure, so please double check all systems, and=20
notify me when you are ready.  I will be in engineering.  Mr. Data, you=20
have the conn."
***
McGinnis entered the ship's great engineering deck.  The room, one of the=
=20
largest pressurized  contained-volume structures ever build in space, was=
=20
nearly half a kilometer long, a tenth that broad, and twenty meters=20
deep.  The great main energizer ran much of the length of the room, a=20
glowing crystaline tube that split at the saucer-end of the engineering=20
hull into a rough Y-shape with a great ball at the apex of the three=20
sections.  Beyond this ball, the entire hull began to narrow until it was=
=20
closed off by another ball-shaped structure, the ship's primary auxiliary=
=20
power generator, the forced quantum core.

It was toward this end of the room that McGinnis movwed, in search of=20
Robert MacLeod, the ship's chief engineer.  Finally, after some=20
searching, McGinnis found him working near the main control pannel for=20
the auxiliary power core.

"Chief, we're less than half an hour from launch, and I'd like you to be=20
on the bridge when we depart if possible."
MacLeod turned to his commander, and one of his closest friends.
"William, you know that I'd not miss it if I could, but these repairs are=
=20
going to require my main attention for at least another two or three=20
hours, and with the schedule that we have to keep, I'd like to get them=20
done before we get to Klingon space."
"If I didn't know you better, I'd think that you were having some kind of=
=20
a premonition," said McGinnis with a small smile.
"No, no premonition, just the expectation that we won't get to the=20
Klingon home planet without trouble.  Borg, Romulans, its really all the=20
same, they may operate differently, but their intentions are more-or-less=
=20
the same; and as far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to let a cranky=20
system make today my day to die.  Especially when I have the ability to=20
fix it."
"Very well, but don't over work yourself now, I suspect that all of us=20
will have more than our fair share of work over the next weeks."
"Agreed, and the more that I can do to ensure that the work's in the=20
hands of tactical, the happier I'll be."
"Well, good luck, and at least try to watch the departure on the=20
monitors, we have optical up, in case your staff was avoiding you."
"As a matter of fact," said MacLeod, now grinning too, "Lieutenant=20
Furgisson did say something about that, I'll have to make sure that she=20
doesn't talk to me while I'm working, something like another officer I know=
."
"Allright, Allright, I'm going," said McGinnis laughing.
"I'll see you later," replied MacLeod turning back to his work.

McGinnis left engineering, satisfied that the work there was proceeding=20
well, and that MacLeod wasn't driving his staff too hard.  With the high=20
level of automation, there were comparatively few jobs for the crew to=20
carry out directly, and so as long as the dcomputer-controlled repair=20
systems were functioning, the ship could be handled by as few as two=20
crewmembers, with little loss in efficiency.  However, some engineers,=20
MacLeod included, liked to have their people check the computers' work,=20
while it was progressing.  This often meant that the engineering staff=20
was run ragged during the ship's barely-completed construction phase. =20
McGinnis had heard some of the younger engineers say that they were=20
looking forwardc to the mission, simply so that they would have to do=20
less work.  he hoped, for everyone's sake, that they would be proven right.

The turbolift doors opened, and McGinnis stepped in. =20
"Weapons-control center," he said to the computer.
The lift accelerated sideways as it travelled nearly the entire length of=
=20
the engineering hull.  It then shot up at a flat angle, passing the=20
ship's plasma torpedo bays, through the dorsal connecting main and=20
engineering hulls, and then began to decellerate as it entered the main=20
hull through one of the struts connecting it to the mega-collimator ring=20
surrounding it.  The doors opened, allowing access to the airlock that=20
was one of the four physical access points to this room, the most heavily=
=20
shielded location aboard ship.

McGinnis entered the smallish room, which was about the size of the main=20
bridge.  Computer stations ringed the entire room, allowing interface=20
with any of the ship's seven-dozen weapons and defensive  systems.  When=20
in battle, a full staff was located here, in order to take over from the=20
Bridge, should it be compromised in any way.  Between the nearly=20
two-meter thick armor, transporter shielding, and built-in phaser=20
defenses, this room was considered nearly impregnible to anything short=20
of the Borg, and even these would need time to break into this room. =20

McGinnis sat at the main status board, and requested a full computer and=20
weapons status check.  Almost immediately the dcomputer responded with a=20
report far more detailed than that obtainable from the Bridge.  It showed=
=20
that all primary, secondary, and distributed computer systems were fully=20
available, weapons were all operable at maximum efficiency, and that=20
primary, auxiliary, and secondary shielding was all available.  All power=
=20
transfer systems were clear, and all switching hardware was available,=20
should it become necessary.  Beyond its architectural benefits, the=20
room's equipment was voice-controllable, making it possible for a very=20
small number of people to handle the task of fighting the ship, should=20
that become necessary.  McGinnis had never fully understood why such=20
capabilities weren't a part of the Bridge as well, but the "standard"=20
explanation that such controls might loose efficiency in the higher=20
activity of the Bridge would have to do.

After completing the status check, he returned to the Bridge, and saw=20
that there were about ten minutes before launch.
"Admiral on the Bridge," said Data as he returned to his station.
"At ease," said McGinnis somewhat absently.
"All stations, a brief final word before we go.  This is the newest in=20
Federation technology, and espite the problems that we are still having=20
with the quantum generator, I am highly confident in this ship's ability=20
to handle anything thrown at her.  As no other ships are scheduled for=20
departure, and we are loaded and ready to go, I suggest that we get under=
=20
way.... Helm, stand by thrusters, engage navigational deflectors. ...=20
Ops, notify dock control that we are departing early, and that this=20
vessel, USS Ticonderoga, NX4000, is hereby commissioned by me, as of=20
Stardate 56217.4"
"Aye Sir," replied Thale and Anders.
"Dock reports clear for launch, and congratulations.  They wish us good=20
luck sir," said Cmdr Anders.
"Helm, ahead one quarter maneuvering power, as soon as we exit dock, come=
=20
to 128.35 mark 23, and set main velocity at warp 9. ... Tactical, engage=20
phased cloaking device immediately."
"Phased cloak is now engaged," replied Walter Schultz.
"We are now clearing dock, entering course 128.35 mark 23, our velocity=20
is set at warp 9."
"Mr. Thale, ... You may proceed," replied McGinnis.
The ship, already invisible, accelerated to warp 9, on its way to=20
beginning a mission that would probably be critical to Federation history=
=20
for the remainder of the century.         =20
 =20


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part I: Chapter III=20
By:
 Matthew Weed


Commander's personal  Log: Stardate 56229.3 Starship USS Ticonderoga:=20
Admiral William McGinnis recording.

We are now two days out of construction dock, and insofar as we can tell,=
=20
no ships observed our departure.  As only Gouron and the three Federation=
=20
task force commanders know of this ship's existence, I am relieved by=20
this.  We are still several hours from the Klingon home planet, and as=20
all systems have continued to function perfectly for the last forty=20
hours, the tension aboard ship seems to be decreasing by the hour.  This,=
=20
of course, will soon change, as we are about to enter the most difficult=20
part of this mission.  If I succeed in convincing Gouron to hold off in=20
his attack, all sides will have more time to prepare.  If I do not, we=20
may be facing the Borg before the Federation is ready for a war on this=20
scale.

Because we have been very fortunate over the last seventy years, we may=20
have become too complacent, too ready to expect that our enemies can be=20
argued into taking our view of things.  The only exceptions to this are=20
the Cardassians, who are not a threat to the Federation anymore, and the=20
Romulans, who are so weakened by political turmoil, that they pose little=
=20
threat most of the time.  The Borg, however, are another matter.

Even with the loss of the collective now under the leadership of "Hugh",=20
and the losses encurred at Sol, and in the Klingon war, they still pose=20
an overwhelming threat.  Why they haven't tried a more concerted attack=20
is beyond me.  So far, they have, apparently viewed us as "irrelevant,"=20
with only our technology as "relevant,".  What happens if they suddenly=20
come to the understanding that if  they are to get our tech, they will=20
have to kill us all.  Then we will become "relevant," and I do not look=20
forward to that day.  The question, simply put, is whether the Klingons'=20
planned offensive will make us "relevant," or not.

***
McGinnis sat back, wondering what needed to be done.  With a crew of less=
=20
than 400, many of the duties that went along with being a commander of a=20
Mycenae or Galaxy-class ship were unnecessary aboard this vessel.  There=20
were two reasons for the small crew.  Firstly, the ship's tremendous=20
automation, something that had been designed into her with the Borg in=20
mind.  The second, put simply, was that this ship's living quarters were=20
not large, as the equipment that supported the weapons, computers, and=20
shielding of this vessel, plus extremely heavy structural members took up=
=20
tremendous amounts of space in a hull barely larger than a Galaxy-Class shi=
p.

McGinnis rose quickly,  remembering that he would have training in the=20
new suits of heavy-duty armor, with which this ship was equipped.

Like so many other parts of the ship, this was new equipment insofar as=20
"regular" starfleet personel were concerned.  The suits were full-body=20
units, with a small back-pack nuclear reactor, mounting locks for various=
=20
beam and missile weapons, and a small shield generator.  It was hoped=20
that these would allow the crew increased survivability and effectiveness=
=20
should it become possible to transport aboard a Borg ship.

During his ruminations, McGinnis had put his suit on, left his quarters,=20
and proceeded to Holo-1.  His suit was all white, with a phaser rifle=20
bracketted on his right wrist, a head-mounted laser canon, and a grenade=20
launcher, that for on-board excercises, would fire simulated sonic=20
grenades, since the real article would wreck both holo-simulator and=20
user, shield or not.

The holo-simulator's doors opened silently, allowing McGinnis an=20
unrestricted view of the combat already taking place.  Several of his=20
security crew were in their armor, blasting a contingent of simulated=20
borg that had apparently tried to beam into engineering.  McGinnis=20
entered the battle, arm-mounted phaser-rifle flaring.  He quickly found=20
that the Borg hadadapted to this weapon already, and that heavier blasts=20
would be required.  Unfortunately, his armor was in its default=20
configuration, meaning that its heaviest beam weapons were not=20
available.  He fired the head-mounted laser canon, whose raw output was=20
many times that of the phaser.  However, because it was an inefficient=20
energy weapon, he could do little but rock the simulated Borg soldiers. =20
The security crew, meanwhile, had been firing their plasma canon, and=20
their heavy graviton weapons.  These could punch through the shielding=20
available on the Borg units, but the combined firepower of all ten=20
security suits was required to breech the shielding on one Borg soldier. =
=20
However, it appeared, assuming that Federation intelligence was correct,=20
that the average units could be defeated, even at their maximum adaptive=20
efficiency. =20


McGinnis smiled under his helmet, for although this was not a total=20
victory, and a larger team of Borg would be able to defeat his crew, it=20
did appear that effective offensive and defensive action would be=20
possible against the Borg for the first time.  This was decidedly the=20
best news that he'd had all week!

After a few minutes, his crew had defeated the remaining Borg, whose=20
attempts to capture McGinnis had failed due to his suit's shielding. =20
Again, this was fortunate, since a sufficient number of them would have=20
been able to break through, but, in limited action, the suits' shielding=20
would do exactly what Starfleet Engineering had hoped that it would do:=20
save the wearer from absorption.

At this point, the holosimulator shut down suddenly, the lighting went=20
red, and the ship-wide klaxons went off.

"Red Alert, Red alert!, this ship is now on red alert, ... Commanding=20
officer to the bridge." said the computer.
"McGinnisz to Bridge," said The Admiral as he struck his com badge.
"Sir, we have a cloaked ship on scan, signature suggests that its=20
Romulan!", replied Lt.Cmdr Anders' voice.
"On my way," replied McGinnis, not even wasting time to disguard his armor.

***
The Bridge doors opened, and McGinnis, now minus his helmet, moved=20
quickly to his chair.  Data, who had been anticipating his arrival had=20
already vacated the command chair, and was sitting at his post.
"Ops, tight beam transmission to the Klingon home world," prepare a=20
subspace buoy for immediate launch."
"Aye Sir," replied Anders, "Buoy ready, Klingon council chamber now on=20
main visual."

The transmission was rather scrambled as transmissions from phase-cloaked=
=20
ships were extremely difficult to keep balanced.  However, Gouron's=20
battlehardened face could be clearly distinguished behind the snow.

"Gouron, I am William McGinnis, Admiral in command of the United Starship=
=20
Ticonderoga.  We are some four hours from your planet, and have=20
encountered a cloaked Romulan vessel.  As this ship carries the best in=20
Federation technology, I thought that I should offer the honor of=20
destroying the Romulan to you, before I took action."
"Admiral," replied Gouron, "Consider the Romulan's appearance as a test=20
of your vessel's capability, and your crew's honor.  You are welcomed to=20
destroy the trespasser, I hope that your arrival is not  overly delayed."
"Understood, I will contact you before our arrival at your planet,"=20
McGinnis out.

After this communication, McGinnis turned his mind to the destruction of=20
the unidentified Romulan ship.

***

For Cmdr Tomaluk, it was another routine supply mission, deep within=20
Klingon space.  His vessel and crew had made the trip at least twenty=20
times, and it had always gone flawlessly.  This run included parts for a=20
new disruptor array, and some other spares that were needed by Family=20
Durass' secret fleet.  After Cmdr Sela's failure against Picard, the=20
Romulan high command had decided that sending ships through singly was=20
better than trying to send an entire fleet across the Klingon/Romulan=20
border at once.  Tomaluk, and his fellow commanders' recent success in=20
delivering supplies was ample proof of the correctness of the plan.

"Commander, I have a disturbance off our port bow, bearing 43 mark 12,"=20
said the young female navigator.
"Scan it," snapped Tomaluk, coming out of his chair.
"It appears to be a subspace anomoly, growing in intensity as time=20
passes," said the science officer.
"Cloaked ship?", demanded Tomaluk.


His answer came as a huge Federation-style ship  appeared practically on=20
top of his own vessel.
"Decloak...." he said, but the sentence never got the chance to complete=20
itself.

***

"Sir, decloaking in three ... two... one..." said Schultz at tactical. =20
"Weapons, weapons control, auxiliary and secondary energy production=20
systems on line, awaiting full charging cycle.  We'll have to blanket the=
=20
area, since we aren't exactly sure where the Romulan ship is."
"Understood, you may clear the computer to fire when ready," said=20
McGinnis, hoping that the new, and largely untested, systems would work=20
as well as Mycenae's weapons control systems always had.
"Firing now!" said Schultz.

Phaser bolts erupted from nearly twenty rapid-fire phaser batteries, and=20
almost immediately thereafter, contained-plasma torpedoes flashed from=20
the forward tubes.  These weapons brought the Romulan ship out of cloak,=20
effectively rendering the ship totally visible.  power systems weren't=20
affected, but this was of little import for long.  Ticonderoga's main=20
mega-collimator ring flared blue-white for less than a second, and then a=
=20
brilliant white lance of energy connected the two vessels, disintegrating=
=20
the entire Romulan ship on impact.  Ten seconds after the firing had=20
started, Ticonderoga was back on course for the Klingon home world, and=20
the phase-cloak was coming back on-line.

"Sir, the Romulan ship has been neutralized, and it got no message off=20
before its destruction.  Because they were cloaked, they weren't able to=20
handle our fire.  I report that all weapons and weapons-control sensors=20
functioned ... great!" said Schultz.
"Excellent Mr. Schultz,log your report, and stand down from red alert.=20
... Helm, increase velocity to warp 9.5, and give me a new eta for the=20
Klingon Capitol."
"Sir, at warp 9.5, we will arrive in-system in forty-seven minutes."
"Very well, Ops, get me Gouron on a double-secured channel, main viewer."
A moment passed while Commander Anders sent the transmission.Finally, the=
=20
link was established, and she turned to the Admiral.
"Sir, Gouron on main viewer."
Because Ticonderoga was much closer to the powerful receivers on the=20
Klingon homeworld, the transmission was clearer, but one could still see=20
snow from time to time.
"Admiral, I did not expect that you would be contacting me so soon, how=20
was the battle with the Romulan invader?"
McGinnis' reply was quite concise, "Short, and quite successful."
"Excellent news, Admiral, I look forward to seeing the first Federation=20
warship in living memory."
"I look forward to giving you a tour of this vessel.  We will arrive in=20
your star system in approximately forty minutes, earth time.  Am I to=20
follow any unusual procedures once there?"
"I am told that your vessel has the ability to set down in deep water?"
"Affirmative, however we assumed that we would be ordered into orbit on=20
arrival."
"No, we can provide better security for your ship at the special=20
construction facility in the southern ocean."
McGinnis had heard stories about this facility from previous Federation=20
officers who had visited there.  It was a huge dome built under  water,=20
and was primarily intended to facilitate the construction of the new=20
birds of prey.  However, if what he had heard was true, it could easily=20
accommodate twenty full-sized Klingon battle cruisers.
"Understood, I will have to contact your trafic control computers."
"We must contact your ship."
"Unfortunately, the new cloaking device makes it nearly impossible to=20
receive incoming hails, so it will be necessary to contact your system."
"Very well, I like the philosophy of commitment behind your vessel,=20
Admiral," said Gouron.
"Yes, our inability to receive new orders does mean that once this ship=20
is under cloak, Star Fleet is  effectively committed to the use of this=20
vessel.  If it is better for your controllers, we can partially decloak,=20
and receive transmissions, but we will be scannable on some wavelengths."
"Admiral, Too many dishonorable people now serve house Durass, and their=20
masters.  There will be many interested eyes turned skyward over the next=
=20
few days.  You are wise to remain fully invisible."
"Understood, once we are docked, I will contact you, but for now, I offer=
=20
you the hospitality of this vessel at 1800 hours, Starfleet Standard=20
Time, for a meal and tour of inspection."
"I accept your invitation, and look forward to meeting the man who=20
defeated the Cardassian fleet at Bajour."
"Gouron, the honor is mine, I shall see you at 1800."
"Understood, Gouron out."
With this, the screen changed to the running tactical view of Klingon=20
space as Ticonderoga continued to streak toward the Klingon Capital.

"Commander Anders, contact Klingon central traffic and tell them hat we=20
will need a course as Gouron directed."
"Aye sir, already in progress," she said a bit distractedly as she=20
continued to try to contact the main traffic control center. =20

As much as anything else, her difficulties were directly related to the=20
fact that the ship was still out of communications range with the mainly=20
in-system traffic net.

"Sir, I can't contact them as yet, it'll be about half an hour before we=20
can get to them."
"Very well, keep trying and when you get through, conact me, I'll be in=20
my quarters, Mr. Data, you have the Bridge."
***
Even before McGinnis could get to this quarters, the ship-wide intercom=20
had announced in Data's voice,=20
"Admiral to the Bridge, please."
On his return to the Bridge, McGinnis retook his chair,  and turned to=20
his first officer.
"Mr. Data, you asked for me."
"Yes, Sir.  As you can see, our long-range sensors have just begun to=20
image the Klingon home-world.  Apparently, preparations and construction=20
are far greater than Star Fleet had been told previously.  I have at=20
least 100 long-range warship-class vessels on scan, including some of=20
types not previously known."
McGinnis stared at Data in shock.  If this were true, then Gouron's=20
position versus those in his government who didn't trust the Federation=20
was far worse than had been previously thought.  Usually, limited=20
information was passed back and forth on most projects, even secret=20
projects like Ticonderoga's construction.  However, information on new=20
classes of ships, and build-ups of the proportion being reported had not=20
been passed to him before their departure two days previously.
"Very well, scan everything, and before we get into the system, send a=20
full report to Defense Command HQ, and copy it to the Federation Council,=
=20
Starfleet Commander, and Admiral Gellico at Star Fleet Operations."
Aye Sir, continuing scan.  We are now four minutes from optimal reporting=
=20
range, but it'll be very hard to get a message out without shutting off=20
the phase-cloak."
"I know, so send it aboard a probe, we can't afford to decloak,=20
especially as unstable as the situation on the planet appears to be."
"Downloading and copying data as it comes in, we are three minutes,=20
thirty seconds from launch," said Data.
"Preparing probe for launch," said Anders from her station.
"Aft firing tube is clear for launch, charging cycle beginning," said=20
Schultz as he began the process of charging the torpedo launcher to send=20
a communications uoy back to Federation space at warp 9.9.  This would=20
mean that Star Fleet Command would get the news in less than three hours,=
=20
assuming noone decided to destroy the probe on the way out.

A couple of minutes passed, and then Data's voice broke the silence=20
prevalent on the Bridge.
"Information package ready for download.  I have included some side notes=
=20
on what we have received, and all is ready for launch."
"Very well, launch buoy," said McGinnis.
"buoy away," replied Schultz.
The viewer shifted to an aft-directed shot of the small tubular object=20
streaking away from the ship.  All anyone could hope for now was that it=20
would arrive in Federation space in time For Starfleet to analyze the=20
data, and hopefully send a second force of ships.  There could be little=20
question that the Klingons were on the war path, and that they would=20
expect their Federation allies to send a comparable force of their own. =20
The approximately twenty-one ships that had been promised were simply not=
=20
enough.
"Sir, we are now one minute from sub-light speed, and should be able to=20
contact Klingon in-system traffic control," said Thale.
"Ms. Anders, please contact Klingon control, and request a vector."
"Aye Sir."
Moments later, she turned to McGinnis.
"Sir, they're telling us to lock into their standard traffic net, and=20
that their guide computers will bring us in."
"That's standard procedure, allow the link, ... helm, come to sub-light=20
speed."
The great ship decellerated from high-warp, and most of the crew sat back=
=20
to enjoy the ride.  It wasn't often that they could simply sweep along,=20
not concerned about accidents, enemies, or other things.  Both Data and=20
McGinnis were busy admiring the view outside, both natural and=20
artificial.  The planet was dry as compared with Earth, but there was=20
still noticeable surface water.  Orbital space was full of activity, both=
=20
military and civilian.  There was a truly staggering armada through which=
=20
Ticonderoga was passing.  No one was concerned about some of the close=20
passes, simply because while phase-cloaked, the ship could not occupy the=
=20
same space as the vessels that it was passing.  If hull contact occurred,=
=20
crews on both ships would think that they had seen a ghost image, rather=20
than anything else. =20

As the journey continued, McGinnis turned his attention to the ocean=20
toward which Ticonderoga was proceeding.  As they drew closer, it became=20
quite clear that there was no traffic in the entire basin, and this=20
confirmed the importance that the Klingons put on their underwater base. =
=20
Then the ship sloed, the computers apparently programmed to expect that=20
damage would occur if a ship were to hit the surface too hard.  Clearly,=20
guiding ships in, even new Federation Starships was not considered a=20
sufficiently honorable task for a living Klingon to perform.

The great ship passed through the surface of the water, and then a=20
communication came in from the on-duty computer tech maintaining the=20
traffic control net.
"Federation ship, we can do no more for you, proceed to the base under=20
your own navigation systems.  May your stay here be successful."
"Understood, our nav computer is taking over now."

With that the channel closed and Ticonderoga was on its own. =20

"Helm, set course for the Klingon base, thrusters at one-quarter."
"Aye Sir."
Within ten minutes, the great ship was decellerating toward the massive=20
under-water doors, which were as large, or larger, than those on=20
Earth-1.  Then, the doors opened, and Ticonderoga passed through, and=20
into open air.
"Sir, I have a message from the base commander."
"Put it on, commander."
"Federation ship, you are to proceed to the fourth bay on your right,=20
decloak and moor there."
Understood, Ticonderoga out."

The ship slowed, then turned toward its docking bay.  As the turn was=20
completed, the cloak was shut down, giving the base commander a full view=
=20
of the mighty starship as it swept into the largest docking bay in the=20
facility.  The ship was quite impressive to say the least.

As long as the Mycenae-class defender, but twice as deep, and with a far=20
larger collimator ring surrounding the main hull.  The multiple weapons=20
implacements showed that the ship was, indeed, built for action.  As it=20
moved to meet the gangway, the great ship seemed to shudder for just a=20
moment before coming to rest.  With this action, the waiting Klingons=20
could come aboard.


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part I: Chapter IV: =20
By:
Matthew A. Weed

The doors at Ticonderoga's end of the gangway opened silently, admitting=20
Kern and his aide de campe.  He had only been on one other Federation=20
vessel, and it was immediately clear that this ship was nothing like=20
Picard's Enterprise.  Its corridors were narrower, there were gratings on=
=20
the floor, not the carpet that covered many of Enterprise's corridors. =20
The structural members looked far heavier, and the over-all air of the=20
ship was decidedly ... military.

His attention turned to the tall human who was standing before him.
"Admiral McGinnis, I M Kern, son of Mog, Commander of this construction=20
facility.  I am honored to meet you."
"Kern, Son of Mog, I am Admiral William McGinnis, and your presence here=20
honors us.  ... Welcome to USS Ticonderoga. ... Would you like a brief=20
tour of the vessel?"
"Yes, I would."
"Very well, I am expecting Gouron within the hour, but I shall take you=20
for a brief tour before he arrives."

***
After his tour, Kern was even more impressed with the ship than he had=20
when it appeared immediately outside his window.  Although the computers=20
ran too much of it, making it difficult for a warrior to fight an=20
honorable battle,if the data on the fight with the Romulan ship were=20
true, they had proven themselves worth it.

"Admiral, I am very impressed, I was mnot certain that the Federation was=
=20
capable of building a true warship, after James T. Kirk's retirement.  It=
=20
is good to see that it is not as complacent as many Klingons would like=20
to think."
"We haven't built many ships with a fully military purpose in a long=20
time, and despite my own successes, I would hope that this ship will be=20
the last.  However, I believe that those like Picard had taken Star Fleet=
=20
too far toward peace and exploration, and had forgotten that we are also=20
supposed to protect and defend the members of the Federation.  One=20
wonders whether we would have been able to do so had the Romulans,=20
Cardassians, and Farengi decided to cause trouble at the same time."
"Personally, I dout that you could have."
"Fortunately, we won't have the opportunity to find out.  With the=20
Cardassian military defeated, and the Farengi talking peaceful=20
profitiering, those problems should be solving themselves.  However, the=20
Romulans are beginning to pose a serious threat to both of us, and the=20
Borg..."
"Yes, The Borg.  Is the Federation going to send a larger fleet, now that=
=20
you have seen The Klingon commitment to defending our people?"
"I haven't gotten a response to my report of your enhanced fleet=20
strength, so I can't say for sure. ... We had better get to the=20
transporter room, Gouron should be here any moment."
At this moment, Data's voice rang over mcGinnis' communicator.
"Bridge to Admiral McGinnis."
"McGinnis here."
"Sir, Gouron reports his readiness to come aboard, he also wants to know=20
where Kern is, as he wasn't at the base landing pad to meet him."
"What!?!," said Gouron, ..."He was to beam to this ship, not come by=20
shuttle."
"Well, let's get to the gangway before he waits any more,"  replied=20
McGinnis, now beginning to understand how Gouron had managed to keep his=20
somewhat difficult seat atop the Klingon Council.

Moments later they arrived at the ship's end of the gangway.  The=20
computer sounded honors, and Gouron stepped aboard.

"Gouron, I am Admiral William McGinnis, welcome aboard."
"It is an honor to meet you Admiral, I am pleased to have the=20
responsibility of thanking you for your removal of the Cardassians from=20
space."
"I am glad that they don't pose a threat to us in the current crisis, but=
=20
their weakened state may make them easy for the Romulans to pick off,=20
should they choose to do so."
"yes, that's true, and if they do,I trust that you will be able to defeat=
=20
them again."
"Yes, I believe so, assuming that Federation forces aren't weakened by=20
our current operations."
"It will be hard, but honor is never won by men who are afraid to take=20
chances."
"True, but you know that I must tell you that Star Fleet Command would=20
rather that the Klingon Empire wait to launch this offensive, The=20
Federation has many ships under construction, but the fleet construction=20
program won't get into full productivity until next year."
"That may be true for you, but we are ready to get ourr due revenge, and=20
we would not appreciate it if the Federation refused to help us in our=20
war against The Borg."
"I am well aware of that, and I am ordered to offer you all possible=20
assistance in your operations."
"I am pleased, we will be launching three days from today, so if you are=20
able to strengthen your forces, you hae time to contact your commanders."
"I shall do so immediately after dinner, and our tour. ... Shall we go to=
=20
the observation deck?"
"Very well..."
***
After dinner, and the usual conversation that occurs at such occasions,=20
Gouron called for everyone's attention.

"This has ben a fine meal.  We are quite impressed by the Gach, it is=20
difficult to get food of this quality in the finest restaurants of the=20
Empire.  However, our time here is not meant to be spent eating.  We are=20
here to see this mighty new starship and to talk about the final defeat=20
of our common enemy.  Admiral, I would like to see this ship of yours,=20
and then to discuss our strategy, understanding that the size of the=20
Federation contribution to our efforts has not been decided."
"An excellent plan, Gouron if you and your staff will follow me."
The party departed the observation bubble, located at the junction of the=
=20
aft-most support strut and the mega-collimator ring.  It proceeded to the=
=20
weapons control center, which was almost too small to hold the ten=20
Klingon and Federation officers.=20
"Computer, render a three-dimentional schematic of this vessel,=20
highlighting weapons, defenses, power production, computer and structural=
=20
items."

The computer immediately brought a hologram of the ship on line, with the=
=20
specified systems highlighted.

"As you can see, we have fifty-seven rapid-fire particle phaser=20
batteries, each is powered by separate fusion reactors, capable of=20
providing all the energy that these systems can use.  The reactors can=20
also be used as secondary power supplies for the ship, should main or=20
auxiliary power be knocked out.  The ship has seven contained-plasma=20
torpedo tubes, each has fifty missiles, whose range is twice that of the=20
standard Federation photon torpedo.  The plasma in the warheads powers=20
the warp sustainer coil, so at maximum range, the torpedoes have half as=20
much destructive potential as at launch.  At launch, they have eighty=20
megatons standard yield.  The ship has four phaser collimators located on=
=20
each face of the engineering hull, each is as powerful as a Galaxy-class=20
starship's main phaser collimators.  The main weapon of this ship, as=20
with the mycenae-class defender, is the phased collimator ring that=20
surrounds the main hull.  The ring has three times the destructive=20
potential of the Mycenae-class ships' main weaponry, making it nearly=20
twenty times as powerful as a galaxy-class ship's weapons. =20

The ship has tripple shielding, which is operable in a two-layered=20
configuration, meaning that we can maintain shielding if the Borg should=20
break one layer.  We can make repairs while the other layers are being=20
worked over by enemy weapons.  The system is energy-expensive, and we=20
have installed a new main energizer with greater output than has been=20
seen previously to support this added energy demand.  There is also an=20
experimental short-duration forced quantum core for emergency power=20
generation, should the main systems and the secondary fusion reactors be=20
over-taxed.  It can provide fifty percent of main power for four hours,=20
and with all of this power production, we can operate every single=20
weapons and defensive  system aboard the ship at the same time.  The=20
benefits of such a multi-redundant scheme have always been obvious, but=20
until recently, there has not been incentive to build such vessels.  As=20
you are  aware, we also carry the new Federation phase-cloaking=20
technology, which precludes use of our weapons while operational, simply=20
because we can't hit anything while under phase-cloak.  We also carry=20
computer-control systems, power distribution systems, and communications=20
relays. that are more redundant than anything previously seen in a=20
Federation starship."

"This is a very impressive design, how do you manage to fit so much into=20
a hull this size?"
"Quite simply, crew quarters are extremely tight, and we use robotic=20
systems to do as much work as is technically possible.  This saves us=20
nearly a thousand crewmembers, with all of  the support systems that they=
=20
require.  The crew is only 400 strong."
"I assume that you have a internal defensive plan similar to that aboard=20
the defender-class ships?"
"Yes, if lifeforms of a type designated as "enemy" by the command staff=20
invade the ship, the computer has the ability to use force fields and=20
phaser collimators to neutralize any boarding party."
"Admiral, this is the greatest development in military technology in the=20
last thirty years, and I commend you on the fact that the Federation=20
chose you to command it in its first, and most honorable mission."
"Thank you, I was much honored by their decision to wave the rules=20
against flag officers commanmding single unit ships.  My orders state=20
that this vessel is to act independently of the main fleet when I feel=20
necessary.  The remainder of Federation forces will be under the command=20
of your fleet, as our only other fleet-rank officer has only recently=20
received his admiral's commission."
"Excellent, I would like to see your other facilities."
"If you will follow me, ... Computer, end holo simulation."
As they left, the schematic of the ship disappeared.  After travelling=20
through the sick-bay, bridge, and engineering deck the party arrived at=20
one of the holodecks.
"We use these for training, simulation, and research, more than=20
recreation, although limited recreational programming is available.  I=20
believe that there is a simulation running here that you may be=20
interested in. ... Computer, access holodeck thirteen, open doors."
The group was met with a particle blast from a blue-suited security=20
member, whose bolt had just barely missed a borg soldier attempting to=20
access one of the slots common in the corridor  walls of their ships. =20
The reason for the miss became obvious as another Borg soldier slammed=20
the security man aside.  The security began using their grenade=20
launchers, destroying Borg soldiers right an left.  The sonics couldn't=20
be used aboard Ticonderoga, even in self-defense, they were simply too=20
powrful.  However, since the simulation was of a landing on a Borg ship,=20
anything went.  The simulated grenades destroyed huge chunks of material,=
=20
killing the Borg soldiers as they approached.  Finally simulated force=20
fields came up, which kept the grenades from doing much damage.  The=20
security party then dropped a small "package", and called for emergency=20
beam-out.  The package was a kilogram of antimatter, and the blast from=20
this destroyed a huge chunk of the Borg vessel. =20
McGinnis watched the proceedings, thinking to himself that at this point=20
the ship would be moving toward the Borg ship in hopes of breaking=20
through  the subspace field in order to come out of phase-cloak in this=20
huge cavity and rip the cube apart from the inside.
"An impressive battle Admiral, what was its purpose?" said Gouron,=20
reminding him of the presence of the Klingon observers.
"We hope to send landing parties aboard Borg vessels and then open a=20
large enough cavity to allow a starship to enter and blow the Borg ships=20
apart from the inside.  The armor and shielding that the security troops=20
wear will hopefull allow us to survive for periods of time aboard the=20
Borg ships. our simulation runs suggest that the armor will also allow us=
=20
to repel large parties of Borg boarders, should they break our=20
shielding.  We will, of coursse, destroy the ship before its capture, but=
=20
if we can live to fight another day..."
"Yes, an admirable philosophy," replied Gouron.  "Can you produce suits=20
like these for our warriors?"
"No, but I can send the specifications to your manufacturing people so=20
that you can build them yourselves, should this be acceptable."
"That is fine, I shall tell them to expect the information."
"Very well, shall we adjourn for this evening, I must confer with Star=20
Fleet Command, and you doubtless have preparations to make."
"Very well, however, we must talk about strategy tomorrow, as soon as you=
=20
know how many ships the Federation can contribute."
"Then I shall take you back to the gangway, and we will see each other=20
tomorrow.  I will await your transmission as to what time is convenient=20
for you."
The party returned to the gangway, and Gouron turned to salute the ship=20
as he left.  His departing words to McGinnis were:
"I shall contact you tomorrow, I look forward to another meeting."       =
=20


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part I: Chapter V:=20
By:
Matthew A. Weed


McGinnis walked onto the Bridge, noting the comparative quiet of third=20
shift.  Only a young lieutenant junior-grade was there, sitting at the=20
engineering station, looking at the station as if she would rather be=20
anywhere else.
"Lieutenant, raise Star Fleet Command, Admiral Jellico  for me."
"yes, Sir!," she said, her shocked look showing him that she had not seen=
=20
him enter the room.

she moved to the ops station, punched a number of keys and then turned to=
=20
McGinnis. =20
"Sir, their response is in code, Admiral's eyes only."
"Very well, ... take fifteen minutes, I'll talk with them here, don't=20
worry about the duty, I'll call you when I'm ready for you to resume your=
=20
duties."
"Yes, Sir," she said and quietly left through the starboard-side turbo-lift=
.

McGinnis moved to Ops, and worked the controls of the console for a=20
moment.  Then the image of Defense Fleet Commander Jellico appeared on=20
the main viewer.

"William, its good to see that you've gotten to the Klingon Capital=20
without difficulty.  We have your information about fleet strength, and=20
believe that this is simply a stronger deployment of forces than we had=20
originally expected.  The new classes of ships are a surprise, but=20
considering our own work, I'm not surprised that the Klingons have some=20
new technology, and the analysts think that the reason for their not=20
having told us has something to do with the pressure being put on Gouron=20
by those in the faction supporting house Durass.  You will have to be=20
very careful, I think that the political situation there is as unstable=20
as its been in the last fifteen years."
"Thanks for the warning, Admiral, I would say that Gouron's worried about=
=20
his situation as well.  However, as I'm sure you're aware, I need to know=
=20
what ships you can send me, our current commitment isn't going to be=20
enough, from a political standpoint, if the klingons are really going to=20
invest this much of their fleet in the upcomming operations."

"William, don't think that I haven't considered that already. =20
Exploration and science commands are determined to keep as many of their=20
ships as possible, but I've collected another thirty-two ships, mostly of=
=20
the new victorious-class light cruiser and Versailles-Class destroyers. =20
Its not a lot, but these ships do carry phase-cloaking technology, and=20
the Victorious-Class ships do have contained-plasma torpedoes.  I'm=20
sending the technical specs on a parallel frequency."

McGinnis saw the data flash into the computers, and decided that he could=
=20
read it much later.
"Sir, as we both suspected, the Klingons are going ahead with the=20
mission, and are impatient as hell to leave.  When will the new ships be=20
here?"
"I expect, day after tomorrow.  If not then, they'll be there the day=20
after that for sure."
"Thanks for the help, and next time you see her, tell Admiral Stephenson=20
that I'm eternally indebted to her for the assistance from the rest of=20
Star Fleet."
"I'm sure that she'll be interested in your opinion, William, but face=20
it, most of the people around here still think tat we're back in the=20
golden age.  They don't understand that peace comes at a price, and that=20
the price becomes a lot higher when those defending the rest of us aren't=
=20
supported properly."
"That's for bloody certain, replied McGinnis," some of the tension=20
surrounding the mission boiling out of him as he spoke with his old mentor.
"Well, I suppose that I'd better let you get back to making preparations=20
with Gouron.  Good luck, William, I wish that I could be there with you,=20
I hate missing out on this kind of a mission."
"I know, and I wish that you could be here too, I'd like to have a full=20
admiral in command of the Federation Fleet, since I'll be out on=20
independent work most of the time.  De l'hotel is good, but he's still=20
not fully experienced with fleet ops, and I'm afraid that the Klingons=20
will push us into taking unnecessary risks."
"Don't worry, Guy's a tremendous ship commander, and the Klingon Command=20
respects him a great deal after the firsbattle of four years ago, I think=
=20
that he'll be fine."
"I hope so, I'll be out of touch most of the time.  In any case, we'll=20
launch three days from now, and I'll send you reports as we progress."
"Excellent, I look forward to your news, Star Fleet out."
"Ticonderoga clear."

With this the main viewer returned to its image of the docking bay. =20
McGinnis struck the com unit, and called the young lieutenant back to her=
=20
late-night duties.  On her return, he left the bridge to look over the=20
specs for the victorious and Versailles class ships.

***
By the afternoon of the next day, McGinnis felt ready to meet with=20
Gouron.  The discussions were, as a diplomat would say, "frank,".  The=20
main issues focused on the new lighter ships, and the diployment of=20
Ticonderoga.

"Your new light vessels aren't properly equipped for this kind of a=20
mission.  Their weapons are too light, and they are barely more powerful=20
than our birds of prey, which are much more maneuverable."
"I know that, but their shielding is much better, and in the case of the=20
light cruisers, they have weapons with better range than anything else in=
=20
the fleet.  I wanted more firepower from the Federation too, but Fleet=20
Admiral Stephenson refused to force the exploration command to send the=20
battle sections of our galaxy class ships, and the nebulas are needed for=
=20
border patrolls along the Romulan border.  As I told you yesterday, Star=20
Fleet is not ready for this mission, and won't be for at least a year. =20
"Admiral, understand that I do not blame you for this, but it does not=20
look good, your lack of support.  I will agree to the inclusion of these=20
ships, despite the fact that I am certain that they will prove excellent=20
targets for the Borg ships.  Hopefully the light cruisers can do=20
someting, but your destroyers, in my opinion, are useless."
"We shall have to see," said McGinnis somewhat coolly."
"Now, to the other matter.  I do not like the fact that the most powerful=
=20
ship in the attack force will not be with the rest of the fleet." =20
"I specifically directed that it be that way.  Ticonderoga isn't built to=
=20
be a fleet-line vessel.  The weapons have too much range, and with all of=
=20
the technology aboard, if we're overmatched, any other ship, or group of=20
ships, will be outdone too."
"That is your opinion Admiral, I am not in favor of having any of the=20
ships away from the main body of the fleet."
"I understand your concerns, but this class of ship is built to be a=20
high-speed, long-range, heavily-armed, scouting and intervention vessel. =
=20
I am not stupid, I am far from certain that we will be able to handle a=20
Borg cube alone, but I do think that I can get more information on=20
diployments, communications, and distribution than any other vessel,=20
Federation or Klingon, simply because The Ticonderoga-class ships are=20
better-able to survive away from the fleet than any other vessels.  I=20
don't intend to be so far away as to be out of range of assistance should=
=20
it become necessary, but without a scouting force, we will be flying blind.=
"
"yes, and that's what the bird of prey was built to do.  Your ship is=20
one-of-a-kind, while those ships are easily replaced."
"yes, and if they're caught against a Borg vessel, they will not be able=20
to outrun it, they have no chance of militarily defeating it, and their=20
crews will be committing suicide.  My crew may actually manage to get=20
back to fight another battle."
"Perhaps you're right, senseless death in battle has no honor, but if you=
=20
go alone, you must agree to some form of communications schedule."
"That is dangerous, as the Borg will doubtless monitor for communication,=
=20
once they realize that a major force is in the field."
"True, so I suggest that you only contact the fleet when you are leaving=20
a system, and only discuss details of your movement if it seems safe to=20
both you and our commander."
"That should be alright, he and I will work out the details, if that is=20
acceptable to you."
"Yes, that will be acceptable."

***
The next two days flew by in a mad rush of arriving Federation starships,=
=20
tactical meetings, and final preparations for departure.  Finally the=20
fleet of  one hundred and fifty-seven vessels, all classes and all types=20
was ready to depart.  Only the new, and as of yet, secret Federation ship=
=20
was not in formation.

***
"Mr. Thale, prepare to engage thrusters."
"All systems on standby, navigational computer is ready for launch."
"Very well, unlatch docking clamps."
"Docking clamps unlatched, umbilical now separated."
"Thrusters aft, 1% power."
"Thrusters, Aye."
The ship slid slowly away from its docking position, its thrusters and=20
anti-grav fields moving it through the open air of the great under-sea=20
facility.  Most of the crew was looking forward to getting started, they=20
had not been trained to wait, and finally, the waiting was over.
"Sir, we have now cleared the docking bay, now orienting for egress."
"Very well, as soon as our plain of egress has been achieved, set=20
thrusters to 100% forward."
"Aye, thrusters will be at 100% forward in thirty seconds, we will depart=
=20
this facility in fourty-six seconds under current course."
The ship continued to turn, its huge size was, quite simply, staggering=20
to the Klingon on-lookers, who were getting their first good look at the=20
mighty new Federation vessel.  As Kern had three days earlier, all of=20
them stared, almost surprised that the Federation was still capable of=20
building true warships.

"Egress in ten seconds," announced Thale.
"Ops, bring all structural support fields on line," said McGinnis.
"Fields on line,=AE said Janet Anders from her station.
"We have cleared dock," came Thale's announcement.
"Very well, notify the Klingon Commander that we're on our way,=20
navigational deflectors on full, one quarter impulse power."
"Nav shields up, setting departure course at 113 mark 16, quarter impulse."

The mighty ship rose, sweeping out of the waters, with an enormous blast=20
of steam and shot skyward on the near-invisible emissions of her mighty=20
impulse drive.  At this point, there was no reason to be cloaked, since=20
everyone would be getting a look at the ship over the next few weeks=20
anyhow.  Speed was far more important on this part of the mission than=20
stealth, and McGinnis was not planning to waste power on unnecessary=20
diversions until the time came.  Then, his eye, like everyone else's was=20
caught by the picture framed by the forward-looking main viewer.

The armada had everything imaginable, from destroyers to=20
dreadnought-class ships, and more Klingon battle cruisers than any of=20
them had ever seen.  The Klingons also had some new super-heavy ships,=20
clearly heavier than the Mycenae-class defender, but not equal to=20
Ticonderoga.  Birds of prey, and other small Klingon ships flitted about=20
the larger ships, all quite beyond easy counting for the unassisted=20
observer.=20

"Wow," was Walter Schultz's only comment as he transferred the image on=20
his monitor on to the main viewer.  "Sir, this is the fleet, I've *never*=
=20
seen that many ships in one place at one time."
"Yeah, that's what I call a fleet ..." replied Robert MacLeod as he gaped=
=20
at the view from his position, leaning on the back of McGinnis' command=20
chair.
"I think that this is the biggest concentration of military hardware ever=
=20
seen, and I'm really quite sure that this mission isn't going to be=20
boring," Thale contributed.
"Yes, its big, so let's get up there before they all get bored and start=20
firing on *us*!," said McGinnis with a smile.
"Agreed, sir ... accelerating to one-half impulse power."
"Lieutenant, as soon as we're clear of the atmosphere, bring us to full=20
impulse, set course for the front of the fleet."
"Aye Sir."
"Commander Anders, get me the dcommander of Klingon forces."
"Aye Sir, Kalis coming up the main screen."
The viewscreen flashed to the image of a surprisingly old Klingon, his=20
skin looked so leathery that McGinnis thought that it must've been tanned=
=20
at some point.=20
"Lord Commander Kalis, I am Admiral William McGinnis, and this is the=20
Federation Starship Ticonderoga.  We are operational, and ready to leave=20
the system."
"Admiral, it is good to speak with you, your vessel is quite impressive. =
=20
All Federation ships are here, according to Admiral De L'hotel, and so we=
=20
are leaving the system immediately, course 257 mark 129.  Our speed will=20
be warp eight."
"Understood, I'll stay with the fleet until we reach the border, then=20
I'll go into silent running, and scout around as best I can."
"Very well, Admiral, Let us leave, and may our mission be completed by=20
victory."
"Sir, there is honor in our cause, and necessity as our companion, I=20
expect nothing less than victory, ... Ticonderoga out."
The screen darkened, returning to its view of the fleet, which now lay=20
spread out behind Ticonderoga and the Klingon battlecruiser that served=20
as their command ship.  Then space flared white for a moment, as all of=20
the ships in the fleet accelerated into war space.



*********************************


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part II:  Chapter VI.
By:
Matthew Weed

Command Log: Stardate 56318.2: Admiral William McGinnis, Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga,  reporting.

It has been nearly two weeks since we left the Klingon home system.  The=20
journey has been uneventful, all ships in the fleet are functioning=20
perfectly, and we have been taking advantage of this transit time to=20
continue fleet training, and setting up the command chain.  This ship=20
continues to function perfectly, and we are now crossing the edge of=20
explored territory, moving toward Borg space.  We will soon go to silent=20
running, and will be out of touch with the main fleet except in=20
emergency, or at our pre-determined contact times.

Morale remains high, largely due to an extremely heavy training schedule,=
=20
both of which I expect will be important in the next days as our activity=
=20
level drops sharply.  I am now turning to the last open-air duties that I=
=20
can perform for the time being.

"Commander, a channel to Starfleet Command, please."
"Channel open, sir" replied Anders.  "Admiral Jellico is responding."
"Admiral, I am making my last report before engaging silent running, do=20
you have any news or last orders that I should know about?"
"William, yes I do.  The Romulans have been attacked by a single Borg=20
cube, demanding that they take them to sector 001.  We assume that the=20
Borg are only partially aware of the political situation in Alpha=20
quadrant.  All planetary defense forces are on full alert in the=20
Federation, and I have been asked to take command of all Star Fleet=20
Operations.  I want you to continue your mission, The Romulans were able=20
to defeat the Borg, and Gouron has taken advantage of the situation. =20
Klingon forces attacked them with about everything left in their Home=20
fleet.  The Romulans took extremely heavy losses, so I suspect that the=20
Klingons will be able to defeat them, and repay them for the help to=20
house Durass, which has been almost completely silent during this whole=20
business.  We're worried about that, so you should probably keep an eye=20
on anyone that you or Kalis doesn't trust."
"There are a few commanders, but most of them are loyal to the mission,=20
if not the government.  I'll tell Kalis, but I'm leaving the fleet within=
=20
the hour."
"Yes, that's right, I had forgotten.  In any case, Federation space is=20
secure, although the Farengi are trying to cross our space to supply=20
materiel to both sides.  All scientific missions have been called off,=20
and a combined Starfleet-planetary forces fleet is in the triangle,=20
should anything spill over."
"If you need resources, now's the time to tell us."
"No, don't worry, I'll expect to hear good news from you in a few months."
"I intend to deliver, until then, I'm glad I've got my job, and not yours."
"Hell, I'm glad you've got your job and not mine, I'd take your job in a=20
second, risk and all."
"Well, when I get back you can have it if you want, but for now, I'm=20
planning to keep it for awhile."
"Good plan, and I'll hear from you as you get the chance."
"Agreed, Ticonderoga out."
The viewer changed, almost immediately, to the image of Kalis.
"Admiral, I know that you are about to leave us, I wish you honor and=20
success."
"Thank you Kalis, I have news from Star Fleet.  They say that the=20
Romulans have been attacked by the Borg, and that they took heavy=20
losses.  Gouron has taken advantage of the situation, and has attacked=20
the remainder of Romulan forces.  House Durass is surprisingly quiet on=20
the issue, and Star Fleet is concerned that they're planning something. =20
Admiral Jellico, who is now Chief of Fleet Operations, suggested that it=20
would be prudent to keep an eye on any commanders that you think may be=20
disloyal."
"Thank you for the news, we are already out of range of our home=20
transmitters.  I suspect that the few commanders that I do not trust are=20
as unaware as I was.  We will be following our current course, unless a=20
change becomes necessary.  I expect, from what we know of them, that we=20
will arrive in Borg Territory within a week at our current velocity."
"We will be travelling a similar course, but will be at something near=20
warp 9.5, so I expect to get to their space much more quickly.  I am=20
going to see if there are any notable civilizations along the way, and=20
should we run across any, I may see if I can enlist their help. =20
Otherwise, I will notify you of any systems that should be avoided due to=
=20
limited-technology inhabitants, or Borg outposts.  We have opened some=20
windows in the phase-cloak, so you can contact us on the low-frequency=20
subspace band, but only on the data-transmission frequencies.  We can't=20
clear the high-frequency interference from the phase-cloak, except for=20
our scanner frequencies."
"Understood, at least we can contact you, should battle come to us before=
=20
you find honor in this war."
"Very well, is there anything else I should know?"
"No, except that all Klingons hope that your assistance will result in=20
the end of the Borg threat."
"I hope that we can do that, and not only for the Klingon Empire."
"yes, your Federation will benefit as well."
"Good luck, I'll contact you within the week," said McGinnis.
"May you also have good fortune, I shall await your news," replied the=20
Klingon commander.

With this, the transmission ended, and Ticonderoga's viewer returned to=20
the view of the space in front of the ship.

"Commander Schultz, are we ready to engage phase-cloak?"
"Aye Sir, phase-cloak shows ready."
"Very well, engage cloaking device."

The bridge shimmered around them for a moment, and then everything=20
returned to normal.

"Phase-cloak engaged, it is functioning perfectly," announced Schultz=20
with his characteristic ferile smile.
"Lieutenant Thale, set course 41 mark 8, velocity warp 9.45, and engage=20
when ready."
"Turning to course 41 mark 8, and accelerating. ... Velocity is now warp=20
9.4, and course is 41 mark 8."
"Very well, we have some time, people, I suggest that you get some=20
relief, and rest for a while  before we start passing those systems on=20
the long-range scan," said McGinnis referring to the strategic view that=20
was running in a corner of the main viewer.  "We'll have to be at our=20
peak then, and we'll be in scanning range of those systems in a couple of=
=20
hours.  Until then, Mr. Data, you have the bridge,"  McGinnis said as he=20
rose from the command chair.                 =20




SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part II: Chapter VII:=20
By:
Matthew Weed



Command Log: STardate 56324.6: Admiral William McGinnis reporting:

We have been away from the main fleet for nearly two days,and despite=20
some interesting star mapping, there have been no signs of spacefaring=20
civilizations, and no signs of the Borg.  The first I take as=20
interesting, the second ... only time can tell.

Our best calculations indicate that we are now in territory which has=20
been considered "owned", by the Borg for some time.  Our systems are all=20
functioning perfectly, and all we can do is continue to explore the edges=
=20
of their territory until something comes up.

"Helm, change course, to 063 mark 16, continue warp 9." Said McGinnis.
"Our course is now 063 mark 16, our speed continues at warp 9," replied=20
Thale.
"Ops, anything on sensors or communications?"
"Sir, we will pass a class G star in four minutes, our best knowledge=20
says that this is just outside Borg territory.  Long-range scanners=20
suggest a system of planets surrounding the star, with two in its golden=20
zone.  Planet 5 seems to have high-energy radio signals coming from it,=20
but no sub-space waves reported."
"Well, let's have a quick look, this system may be one that requires=20
watching in case the Borg decide to show interest in these beings. =20
Theirs is the first technology that we've seen since we left Klingon=20
space. ... Helm, change course to intercept the orgbit of the fifth=20
planet, decellerate to maximum impulse in two minutes, and bring us into=20
a stellar orbit that will hold us 1 million kilometers from the planet,=20
its rotation will allow us a scan.  I don't want to orbit, as I want to=20
leave quickly should any news come in from the fleet."
"Aye Sir, changing course, 314 mark 356.  Our velocity is warp 9, with=20
decelleration in 1 minute 45 seconds."
"Excellent, ... Ops, begin scans of the system, get what information you=20
can despite phase-cloak interference."
"Sir, scanning is already in progress.  We can't get much concerning life=
=20
forms, but it would appear, from planetary albedo, light variation and=20
other data, that there is a civilization on the fifth planet.  Its=20
technology is approximately equivalent to Earth at approximately the year=
=20
2030.  there appear to be some small space stations, but nothing of major=
=20
importance."
"Importance to us, maybe, but to them ... its the beginnings of exploring=
=20
their system, their neighborhood, and, given enough time, their galaxy. =20
I hope that we can give them that opportunity."

Nods of agreement were the crew's only response.  They all turned to,=20
working to bring the ship into a distant position from which it could=20
observe activity on, and near, the planet.

"Sir, we are now in a far observatory orbit, we can only intercept=20
limited comunications from the planet, and as it has no moon, long-range=20
signals are few in number.  They are transmitting the typical long-range=20
pre-contact signals characteristic of most civilizations at their level=20
of development," said T'mayek from Science.
"Thank you Lt.Cmdr, continue to analyze the information as it comes in.
"Sir! I have powerful sub-space distortions, characteristic of Borg=20
scouting cubes," snapped Walter Schultz from his station.
"Tactical, red alert, bring all defensive systems on-line, ...=20
engineering, transfer power control to weapons-control computers,=20
standard defense protocol.  All departments, suit your crewmembers up,=20
and prepare for emergency defense protocol."

"We are now at standard defense protocol, situation, red alert.  All=20
departments report that they will be at the specified levels of=20
preparedness within the minute," said Schultz.  A brief pause ensued,=20
then: "The Board now shows green," Schultz continued.
"Good, since this is a scout, we certainly can take advantage of them. =20
Their total ability is likely about equal to that of this ship, so we'll=20
have to be smart about this, but if we can knock their ship out before=20
they can get warning back to the collective, we may be able to get the=20
first battle on *our* terms.  Ops, the second we come out of cloak,=20
blanket the area with a full-power jamming transmission.  ... Helm, set=20
course for close-in orbit of the planet, I want to know the second that=20
they beam their landing parties down to the planet.  Tactical, ready main=
=20
ring to fire on their transmitter arrays, I want plasma torpedoes=20
immediately after that strike, to knock out any secondary transmitters. =20
We'll not get a second chance to do this, so make every shot count.  If=20
you think that the rapid-fire weapons can do something, use them too, but=
=20
make sure that you've got enough power on line to handle the draw."
"Sir, everything's set here, and we're in luck, because the technology is=
=20
so limited, it looks like this ship is the true scouting borg ship, like=20
the one that Picard met in the firwst "Hugh", contact.  This means that=20
its dropped its shielding to assimilate the technology, especially since=20
they seem to view the planet's weapons capabilities as "irrelevant".  Of=20
course, so would I...." reported Schultz.
"Understood, that should mean that we can get them before they're aware=20
of our presence. ... However, in case we're not successful, stand by all=20
transverters, we'll give them another surprise. ... Tactical,=20
engineering, get together, strip a few photon torpedoes down , so that we=
=20
can beam them into the Borg ship."
"Aye Sir," replied Schultz from his station, and MacLeod from main=20
engineering.

McGinnis seethed.  There was nothing that could be done to stop the=20
carnage that was occurring on the main viewscreen.  The borg ship had=20
begun cutting the space stations apart, and after a little pittiful laser=
=20
fire, and a few nuclear missile launches, (all of which were quite=20
effectively stopped by Borg weapons fire),  the planet seemed to be going=
=20
down without a fight.  Of Course, they had had no idea that beings=20
existed outside their system, and even if they had, they couldn't have=20
imagined the Borg, not even in their worst nightmares.  All that the crew=
=20
could do was hurry its preparations, and hope that they could finish them=
=20
in time to save something of the civilization on the planet.

"All preparations ready sir," reported MacLeod from engineering.  "We=20
have fourteen photon warheads ready for transversion as soon as your=20
orders come through."
"Good, get ready for action down there." ... "All decks, we're going in."
The ship moved, still phase-cloaked toward the small Borg scout, whose=20
2.5 million tons was about a sixth Ticonderoga's mass.  The great star=20
ship moved quickly and quietly toward its unsuspecting prey. =20

"Tactical, bring weapons computers on line, you may decloak and fire when=
=20
ready."

With this order, the ship's systems were all switched to command and=20
tactical consoles only.  The rest of the crew became highly-interested=20
bystanders in this battle where surprise and firepower were their only=20
advantages.  The Borg collective was as surprised as any unemotional=20
system could get, as a huge white vessel of a design only somewhat=20
similar to designs reported to the Collective appeared before their=20
ship.  They didn't have time to make note of the fact that they hadn't=20
been offered the chance to surrender or desist, a step characteristic of=20
the vessels of the mid-sized organic power calling itself the United =20
Federation of Planets.

What did happen, was a terrific blast of phased energy, followed, almost=20
immediately, by twenty high-powered explosives of a type not recorded=20
previously, which  ripped into the already weakend super-structure.  In=20
short, the cube was blasted into four large chunks.  Each had some power=20
left,  but these sections were quickly dealt with by the smaller phased=20
energy weapons surrounding the forward section of the ship before they=20
could attempt to recombine. ... No transmissions reached the collective=20
about this loss.  Its conclusions would have to be drawn later.

Meanwhile, Ticonderoga now stood, victorious in its first battle against=20
the Borg.  It orbitted the world, and McGinnis was now trying to decide=20
whether going down to kill the few Borg soldiers on the ground would be=20
considered a violation of the prime directive.  ... <As if sitting in=20
close orbit, out of cloak, after having used newrly two gigatons of=20
explosive to destroy an attacking ship, wasn't violation enough.>  This=20
stark fact, alone, determined his strategy.

"McGinnis to Lieutenant Thompson.  Take all the security people that you=20
need, and the ground attack shuttles, and kill any borg that you see.  If=
=20
you need fire support, contact tactical."
"Aye Sir, we'll launch in fifteen minutes," replied the young lieutenant=20
from her station in engineering.
"Thank you, move as quickly as you can, I suspect that any borg that are=20
down there will be seriously impared by the loss of their collective=20
consciousness, but they may still be able to do some damage."
"I know, we'll stop them cold."
"Good, lieutenant, that's what I want to hear," replied McGinnis.
"Ops, get me a channel to Kalis," snapped McGinnis, turning his attention=
=20
to Janet Anders' station.
"Breaking subspace silence, it'll take a bit before I can get them," she=20
said.
"Take your time, I suspect that it'll take a bit before the Borg get too=20
interested in the system, it was a small ship, so they probably won't be=20
in too much of a hurry to find out what happened, especially if Kalis has=
=20
been keeping them as busy as I suspect."
*=09*=09*
Several minutes passed, and then the four small attack craft departed=20
Ticonderoga's landing bay, set in the aft section of the engineering=20
hull.  At almost the same moment, Cmdr Anders turned from her station.
"Sir, I have Kalis, voice only."
"Put it through," replied McGinnis as his attention shifted from the=20
image of the four small ships to the other matter at hand.  "Cmdr=20
Schultz, keep tactical control over the attack force, you have clearance=20
to fire the rapid-fire weapons should that become necessary, speak with=20
me if you need any more firepower."

With this, McGinnis waved to Anders to open the channel.
"Admiral, the fact that you are in contact would suggest that you have=20
had battle with The Borg.  I hope that your battle went well."
"Thank you Kalis, it was utterly successful, and to the best of our=20
knowledge, the Borg vessel that we destroyed didn't get a communication=20
concerning this vessel off to their command point.  The ship was small,=20
we had surprise on our side, and they never really had a chance.  The=20
residual Borg resistance is being dealt with as we speak, and I believe=20
that the planet which we are orbiting is now, again, free of Borg=20
influence.  However, as we discussed, they will doubtless become more=20
interested in this planet, now that a collection mission has been=20
destroyed.  Can you send support?"
"Yes, I can send you help, but I can not come personally, as we, too,=20
have had contact, and I believe that it is best to make them fight a=20
two-front battle for now."
"You have seen action, what happened?"
"We encountered a large cube only hours after you left the fleet.  It was=
=20
moving toward Klingon home space, and after your news concerning the=20
situation there, it was obvious that  battle was necessary.  We struck=20
from cloak, with the Federation ships decloaking to assist.  The ship was=
=20
surprised, and suffered critical damage in our first volley.  However,=20
they did get a message off to the center of their space, the content of=20
which is unknown.  We managed to destroy more than they could create, and=
=20
to keep the field down.  Ultimately, after many Klingon and Federation=20
crews died in honor, we were able to completely dismantle the cube.  All=20
live Borg were destroyed, and their technology is being taken back to=20
allied space for study.  I have only ninety-six ships, as thirty-five=20
were destroyed, and ten more are taking the pieces of the Borg vessel to=20
The Klingon Capital, where it will be studied by Starfleet and Klingon=20
teams."

"Well, your losses were less than ours were at Wolf 359, or at=20
Klins'hai.  Any 2tactics of which I should be aware?"
"Yes, we are now using task forces, dependent on one heavy ship.  The=20
heavy ship is used to destroy the Borg cube, while the small ships=20
interrupt the tractor beam, and disrupt the cutting beams and other=20
weapons.  The tactic is expensive, and risky, but losses are justified by=
=20
the victories that we have won.  We have had two other battles, each=20
resulted in victory, using no more than two task groups per Borg cube. =20
Each time, we lost seven small ships to battle, and in our most recent=20
engagement, we also lost the dreadnought  Confederation.  Admiral De=20
L'hotel is alive, as he was in dconference with me when battle began."
"I see, I suggest that you send me the remains of the task group with the=
=20
dreadnought Confederation, and another full task  group.  I suggest that=20
we plan to meet in three weeks time, with whatever forces we have=20
remaining.  In the mean time, I will be setting a trap for the Borg here,=
=20
and hopefully getting their interest.  Anything that you can do to that=20
will get their attention, as far from my current position as possible,=20
will be appreciated, as I think that their response to the loss here, may=
=20
be somewhat weakened.  I don't think that we can handle more than one=20
full-sized cube after what you've told me."
"I think this is a good plan, I will continue to slash at their=20
communications where possible.  As I have told you, there have been a few=
=20
messages sent by the cubes that we have defeated, we have a general idea=20
of the location of the system toward which these were directed.  I=20
suggest this as a meeting point, but it will take nearly four weeks for=20
the main fleet to get there, if we start out immediately.  I, therefore,=20
want to collect the fleet there at Federation stardate ... 56490.0 with=20
your ship scouting the area before hand.  If you haven't had contact with=
=20
the Borg before you have to leave, order your ships to meet the main=20
fleet at these coordinates."

McGinnis glanced to Anders, who nodded, telling him that she had received=
=20
the coordinates.
"Very well, I have the coordinates, and will look forward to speaking=20
with you Then."
"As you humans say, good luck, Admiral, and may your battles end in=20
victory.  Kalis out!"
" Victory to you, Kalis, Ticonderoga out."
McGinnis turned to Schultz, to ask for news aabout the attack craft.  The=
=20
commander anticipated the question, and flashed a schematic of the planet=
=20
up in a corner of the main viewer.
"Sir, only a few Borg soldiers beamed down before our strike, and most of=
=20
them have been neutralized.  As we have seen before, they have great=20
trouble dealing with the loss of their connection to the collective.  =20
Lieutenant Thompson says that she'll be back aboard within the hour," was=
=20
his brief report.
"Well, said McGinnis, good news all round.  As soon as they're back=20
aboard, engage cloaking device, I don't want the Borg to catch us with=20
our pants down."

Everyone on the  bridge returned back to their duties, while Schultz's=20
schematic flashed up markers where the latest Borg soldier had been=20
neutralized.  After some time, Schultz turned to McGinnis, to report the=20
completion of the mission.

"Sir, Lieutenant Thompson reports success, they're coming in, no losses,=20
no damage."
"Good, have her report to me in conference-1 as soon as she's able."
"Sir, I have some disturbing infformation," said T'mayek.
"Report," said McGinnnis, a look of concern on his features.
"Unfortunately, we did not cut the Borg link before they got complete=20
information on this planet back to their information nexus.  This means=20
that the next Borg cube will know where the "useful" areas of the planet=20
are."
"That is unfortunate, but not necessarily surprising.  We won't be able=20
to respond immediately, so hopefully the next attack will show how=20
efficient Borg information analysis is. ... I will be in conference-1=20
awaiting Ms. Thompson. =20
Mr. Data, you have the Bridge."
With this, McGinnis rose and walked down the short corridor that led to=20
conference-1, where he would hear the reports concerning the level of=20
damage done to the planet and those living on it.    =20


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part II: Chapter VIII.
By:
Matthew Weed

Command Log: Stardate 56331.6: William McGinnis, Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga reporting:
We have haed an uneventful few days, while we await the reinforcements=20
from the main fleet.  However, as we enter the fourth day in orbit, I=20
must admit to growing concern.  Federation experience with the Borg=20
scouting cubes is limited to a brief encounter that USS Enterprise had=20
with one nearly fifteen years ago.  The "Hugh" incident, as it is now=20
known, only taught us that the Borg tend to send larger ships to check on=
=20
missing vessels within a few days after their disappearance.  I must,=20
therefore, assume that we will meet a larger cube at any time.  With our=20
reinforcements still two days away, I must admit to some nervousness. =20

Despite this, I have set the crew on two/thirds duty shifts, with extra=20
training in the battle gear.  This gives them some added rest, and=20
provides some variation in our routine.  We have had no contact with=20
those inhabiting the planet below us, and I must hope that their=20
civilization will be able to withstand its rather rude entrance into=20
galaxy-level politics.  Of course, should the Borg come again, as I=20
suspect they will, they may be taken out of galactic politics almost as=20
suddenly as they entered it.

The crew's morale seems high, largely due to our victory and due to the=20
active training routine.  I expect that we will maintain our routine=20
until the fleet arrives.  After that, I would like to patroll the=20
surrounding systems, looking for previous activity, either on the part of=
=20
the Borg, or non-borg civilizations. =20

McGinnis turned the recorder off, having dispatched his duty to Command. =
=20
He had to wonder, sometimes, why they asked captains to record the=20
damnable things.  Especially on missions like this, when the actions that=
=20
the commanding officer would be held responsible for would not occur over=
=20
periods of time lengthy enough to record logs.  The bridge events=20
recorder would be a much more appropriate way of reconstructing ships'=20
activities, and the decisions which these activities depended on.

His musings were interrupted by the voice of Robert MacLeod.
"MacLeod to McGinnis."
"McGinnis here," he replied to the air.
"I have a message from Kalis, he reports that a messenger ship has come=20
from Klingon space, reporting that the Romulan Empire has asked for=20
Federation protection against the Klingons.  He says that Gouron has=20
promised to cease his attacks, if the Romulans will allow inspections of=20
their border bases, in order to ensure that house durass doesn't receive=20
covert Romulan assistance.  He also wants the Romulans to guarantee their=
=20
assistance against the Borg, under a unified Federation/Klingon central=20
command.  There are no further details."
"Thanks Robert, it looks like its rather busy back homeward, I hope that=20
Kalis doesn't feel the need to get back to home space, things here are=20
going too well."
"No, he says that he is continuing with the agreed plan,  but that=20
because some of his commanders are loyal to house Durass, he asks us not=20
to discuss this with anyone at the regrouping."
"Understood, tell him that I will say nothing, and that from now on, this=
=20
ship will be operating under silent running conditions, due to the risk=20
of Borg attack. I will speak with him on Star date 56490, as promised."
"Understood, Ensign Smith will send that out immediately," on my return=20
to the Bridge."
"I don't understand, why aren't you there?"
"Kalis marked the transmission command-staff only, so I'm notifying=20
people directly, as Cmdrs Schultz and Anders are on holo-2 working on a=20
new tactical simulation.
"Right," said McGinnis.

Had any other officer, even data,  done this McGinnis would have been=20
extremely unhappy.  However, hhis long-standing friendship with Robert=20
MacLeod, whose judgment he trusted implicityly, meant that he trusted the=
=20
chief engineer to do the job appropriately, even if it were in an=20
unorthodox manner.  He decided to go down to holo-2, to see what Schultz=20
and Anders were cooking up.

He arrived outside the holodeck, and after seeing that the simulation was=
=20
not in progress, he passed on toward rec-5.  This room, in effect the=20
ship's gymnasium, was a popular place, nearly all of the time.  While he=20
got some excercise clothing on, he could hear the unmistakable sound of=20
physical activity through the light bulkheads.

After his daily three kilometer speed walk, McGinnis moved to the=20
swimming pool, located in the center of the track's oval.
The only other swimmer was Kyla Moran, a long-standing friend whom he had=
=20
known since he was an ensign, and she a young child. She was also the=20
tallest woman that McGinnis had ever seen.
Her family had chosen not to have surgery performed, once it was realized=
=20
that she would be unusually tall due to hormonal imbalances.  McGinnis=20
knew that she had joined Star Fleet to get away from her family, to avoid=
=20
Terran architecture which she found terribly hard to deal with as it=20
wasn't made for people of her height, and to follow in his footsteps.  He=
=20
knew that she had respected him since she had been a child.  Her time in=20
the fleet had been important to her, allowing her to realize that people=20
could work side-by-side, without prejudice, despite any physical or=20
cultural differences that they might have.   =20

Before he could begin his own excercise, she had come to a stop in front=20
of him. =20
"Yes, Ensign?
"Sir, I'm sorry to bring this to you now, but you had mentioned the=20
possibility of getting some off-shift bridge duty?"
"Yes, I had, and to be honest I'd forgotten with the current activity. =20
I'll check with Commander Schultz; if he says that he thinks you are=20
ready, you will receive tactical during third shift, I'll tell you=20
personally if it clears. "
"Thank you sir," she said with a smile.
"You deserve the chance, Kyla, you have done good work in weapons control."

A radiant smile was her acknowledgement of this statement. After this, =20
she then walked to the other side of the pool, where she climbed out on=20
her way to change into duty uniform.  With the end of the conversation,=20
McGinnis returned to his workout routine, and then went to find some=20
dinner and go to bed.

No sooner had his head hit the pillow, then he was awakened by the red=20
alert klaxons and MacLeod's voice calling all crew to battlestations.

***
"Status," McGinnis snapped as he charged onto the Bridge.
"Heavy sub-space distortions, suggesting an incomming Borg ship.  We are=20
at full battlestations, Weapons Control Center is manned by Lieutenant=20
Thompson and Ensign Moran.  All weapons are on standby, and shields are=20
up.  The phase-cloak is functioning normally, and all other sub-systems=20
are optimal," said Data.
"Very well, continue close-range scanning, and wait."

They didn't have to wait long, as a full-sized Borg cube appeared only=20
eighty thousand kilometers off their port bow.  Immediately after=20
appearing, it began to scan the planet very closely, obviously looking=20
for indications of technology capable of destroying a scouting cube.  Of=20
course, the planet didn't have the technology, and the collective was=20
forced to assume that an accident or other non-controllable event had=20
occurred.  As far as McGinnis was concerned, this was just fine.  It=20
would give him more time to plan his second surprise attack in a=20
week.            =20


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part II: Chapter IX
By:
Matthew Weed

Command Log, Stardate 56332.4: William McGinnis, Comminding USS=20
Ticonderoga: Reporting.

The presence of the Borg vessel now in orbit near us is no surprise,=20
however, I had hoped that they would wait a couple more days before=20
arriving.  At this point I have decided to consider the planet a lost=20
cause, barring a miraculous turn of events.  Although we will strike=20
against the Borg soon, I can not say that I believe that we have a good=20
chance of defeating this collective.  However, our chances are better=20
than those of any other single starship in history, and this will have to=
=20
be enough.  It is unfortunate that their destruction of the planet has=20
been made easier by the information that the first scouting cube was able=
=20
to send back before we could deal with it.  Now, all that we can do is=20
watch them destroy this planet, while we finish our preparations.=20

"Tactical, those photon warheads, get them set for transversion, all=20
other weapons under computer control, the computer may fire when ready."
"Understood, photon warheads won't be ready for a few minutes, main ring=20
entering charging cycle, rapid-fire weapons coming on line, plasma=20
torpedoes standing by, and power systems are at 100 percent."
"Very well, watch the main reactor, Commander MacLeod says that section C=
=20
is operating a little close to tollerances."
"Yes Sir, he told me about that yesterday, I have my eye on it."

Minutes dragged by while more and more of the lights on the planet's=20
surface went dark.  Finally the preparations were all completed, and the=20
ship could attempt to knock out its target.
"Sir, The Borg subspace field is up, so its going to be hard to get to=20
them.  The computer suggests transverting the torpedoes in first, to=20
disrupt their power systems and then hitting them with the plasma and=20
phasers."
"You may begin when ready."
"Decloaking, shields at full power, beginning transversion."

The ship's transverters, basically a combination of the standard=20
transporter and the subspace inverter developed by the Rutians sent=20
fifteen standard photon warheads through the Borg subspace field,=20
reintegrating them in a preset pattern throughout the Borg ship's=20
matrix.  Their explosions ripped a huge hole in the face of the cube now=20
directed toward Ticonderoga, and also knocked out primary and secondary=20
subspace transmission nodes throughout the ship.  This was intentional,=20
as Commander Schultz had theorized that the Borg communications net could=
=20
be crashed by using explosions with a high subspace discharge. =20
Unfortunately, the collective was able to get some information to the=20
rest of the Borg before long-range communications fell.

Almost immediately after the photon explosions, Ticonderoga's forward=20
contained-plasma torpedoes made their contributions.  These weapons,=20
which were basically the Romulan plasma bolt, with a containing magnetic=20
field, exploded on contact with the Borg subspace field, which was just=20
beginning to reform after the first stage of the attack.  Their power=20
knocked it out, causing Schultz to pump his fist in the air.  At the same=
=20
instant, the main ring discharged, its white flare brighter than the=20
hottest supernova.  The bolt crashed through the upper-left corner of the=
=20
cube, knocking it off and into the planet's atmosphere where it was=20
consumed by the friction of atmospheric entry.

At the same instant, fifty of the ship's rapid-fire weapons struck,=20
blasting huge chunks out of the inner super-structure.  The main ring had=
=20
already recharged, and blasted away another corner of the Borg ship. =20
However, two corners were left, and a green beam now flared from one of the=
m.

***
McGinnis watched the bolt slam into the outer shields.  The bridge rocked=
=20
violently, and injury reports flowed in from sick bay.He also noticed=20
that the subspace field was beginning to reform....
"Schultz, you'd better get that damned emitter, the field's coming back up!=
"
"I know, retargetting..."

Ticonderoga returned fire, its main ring now firing a blue bolt, at a=20
much higher frequency than before.  Fortunately, the Borg defenses had=20
only partially reformed, so some of the beam's force broke through,=20
temporarily disabling the emitter.  However, the other remaining corner=20
had just become active, grabbing the ship in a tractor beam.

"I'm on it," said Schultz, frantically working over his station.  The=20
computers still didn't have an effective counter strategy for this, and=20
there was nothing to be done from outside.  Schultz was trying to assist=20
the computers, but the intuition for which humans were famous throughout=20
the galaxy was no more useful than the massive processor power being=20
directed at the problem.  It became clear that a landing party would have=
=20
to go in to destroy the nexus powering the tractor beam.  More=20
transvertable warheads couldn't be ready for at least ten minutes.

"Sir, we'll have to send some people over there, we don't have any=20
resources that can handle the problem from here."
"Very well, get twenty of your best people, put them under Lieutenant=20
Thompson, and get them over there as soon as possible. ... Helm, stand by=
=20
for reverse warp, impulse isn't going to handle that beam. ... Computer, ..=
."
"working," replied the female voice of Ticonderoga's computer systems.
"Disengage engineering control, send to the helm."
"Engineering controls are now at helm," replied the computer.
"Reverse warp, all available power, but remember we need those shields!"
"Reversing warp, shield power has unconditional priority," replied Thale.

The ship's mighty warp drive slammed into full reverse, and the tractor=20
beam was clearly strained, as power was diverted from the reconstruction=20
process to holding the Federation vessel.  The Borg, even with nearly=20
forty percent of their ship blasted into space, still had more power, and=
=20
were able to hold Ticonderoga fast.

"Damn!" snapped Schultz, "with all of that damage, I thought that  we'd=20
be able to get away."
"No luck," replied Thale.

The intercom chimed, and Lieutenant Thompson's voice came through, with=20
the characteristic distortion of a throat mike.
"We're ready for transversion sir, carrying plasma canon, phasers,=20
particle weapons, and sonics."
Good, lieutenant, remember to be consistent about whatever weapons you're=
=20
using, we don't want them to get a look at everything you've got in your=20
first attack."
"Got it sir."
"Stand by,"
"Engineering, engage transverter."

The transverter, unlike standard transporters, required immense amounts=20
of energy to send living beings from one place to another.  The machine=20
needed the power to maintain the integrity of DNA, something that the old=
=20
Rutian interter could not.  Because of the diversion, the ship began to=20
slip against the Borg tractor, something that Schultze responded to by=20
preparing to engage main weapons control again.  He'd have to try to get=20
through from outside, before the Borg could drain all of the layers of=20
shielding.  They had already gotten through primary shields, and were=20
beginning to work on the auxiliaries.

"Sir, request permission to return engineering control to weapons=20
systems, I need the power to try a multifrequency assault with the=20
rapid-fire weapons."
"Permission granted, you may fire when ready."

Schultz snapped several commands to the computer, and then turned to=20
McGinnis.
"Sir, I've got to get down to weapons control, I don't have the access=20
that I need from here."


Schultz's only response was a jump to the turbolift and a disappearance=20
through its opening doors.

About thirty seconds later, Schultz's voice came through the bridge interco=
m.
"Sir, independent targetting and tracking hardware on line, frequency=20
control computers on-line, all weapons will fire varying frequencies, on=20
different algorithms. ... Firing now!"

The ship's rapid-fire weapons flared in a rainbow of color, launching a=20
devastating broadside of fire toward the tractor station, whose beam was=20
still, unfortunately, quite operational, and about to break through the=20
auxiliary shields.  This would only leave the secondaries, plus any power=
=20
that could be channeled through the main deflectors (which were under=20
repair), between them and assimilation.

***
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Karen Thompson was moving with a team of ten=20
heavily-armed security personel toward what must be the equipment that=20
powered the tractor station.  So far, they had been lucky, no Borg=20
soldiers had seen them.  She knew, with great certainty, that this would=20
soon change.

"Keep moving, the ship'll be trying anything to break through soon, so be=
=20
ready for both Borg attacks and possible phaser blasts from outside."
Murmured responses came back from her team.

Then, suddenly, a Borg soldier was before them.
"Fire, ... use phasers first, let the frequencies change with the=20
internal control chips!"
The ten fired, all beams hit, and the Borg soldier disappeared.
"Put your shields up, ... and be ready for anything."

Anything came in the form of a large number of approaching Borg=20
soldiers.  Quickly the team began firing, and when the phasers stopped=20
working, they were ejected, and after a few moments time, they detonated,=
=20
blasting huge chunks out of the local super-structure.

Thompson's communicator chimed.
"Thompson here," she said.
"Good job, lieutenant, we've got a four percent drop in power to the=20
tractor, we don't need much more, and we'll be able to get clear."
"Glad to hear it, sir.  We're under increasing attack, and I'm not sure=20
whether we can help much more, ... without help from you."
"Do what you can, you're less than twenty meters from the central power=20
feed for that area.  Doubtless its redundant, but if you can disrupt it=20
for a few moments, I am sure that  we can break free, and destroy the=20
tractor generator."
"Understood, we'll get there ... somehow. ... OK, everyone, we're not far=
=20
from where we need to be.  use your particle weapons, set for either=20
graviton or quark acceleration."
"Set!" replied the team.

Before they could fire, though, a blast of energy ripped down the=20
corridor from a newly opened hole in the ceiling.  Thompson glanced up,=20
and saw the other team break down in front of them.

"Lieutenant, we've got our weapons ready, if you fire at the left-side=20
wall, range twenty meters, we'll break through to the outside of the=20
ship, and we can destroy the tractor station with our sonic grenades,"=20
said ensign Moran from her end of the corridor.
"Got it, ... fire in three....two...one!"
The particle weapons flared, smashing through the poorly defended inner=20
hull, blasting apart a small generator, causing it to explode, which blew=
=20
open a hole in the outer hull, giving them an unadulterated view of deep=20
space.  Some of the younger team members stepped back nervously, but=20
others quickly dove for the outside, even before Borg reinforcements=20
could arrive on the scene.
"Get out here!" yelled Thompson.  "You'll be killed in there if you don't=
=20
get out here, and they aren't generally equipped to handle both repair=20
and offense/defense.  We'll be safer out here."
With that, the entire team lept through, and fell into the microgravity=20
of open space.  Their suits protected them from the vacuum, and the small=
=20
microfusion cells on their backs produced plenty of power for suit=20
heating, as well as half shielding and their grenade launchers.

The launchers were immediately primed and ready to send their explosive=20
cargo against the tractor station, which was only fifty meters away from=20
them.  Before she could give the order to fire, Thompson's eyes were=20
drawn toward Ticonderoga, which sat only a few hundred kilometers away. =20
At this distance, the ship looked small, its hull gleaming a sickening=20
purple-white in the glow of the Borg tractor beam.

The other thing that caught her attention were the multicolored bolts of=20
light that were slamming into the Borg defenses, quite near to her=20
location.  These, she knew, were the bolts from the rapid-fire weapons, a=
=20
near miss from which would be enough to kill any of her team members. =20
The Borg ship, shrugged them off as if they were nothing, something that=20
she suspected these weapons shots were, as far as the Borg were concerned.

She then turned to her teams, and gave the order to fire.  The sonics=20
slammed into the Borg tractor nexus, seriously damaging it, and seriously=
=20
weakening the beam.  At this exact moment, Ticonderoga let fly with a=20
full-powered blast from the main ring. Risky though the maneuver was,=20
with secondary shielding now nearly gone, and only limited main shields=20
restored, there wasn't much choice...

From=20Thompson's perspective, it appeared as if a gigantic white strobe=20
had flashed, totally overwhelming the filters in her helmet.  The impact=20
of the shot was largely dissipated by the Borg subspace field, but=20
because the charge had ridden on a very high frequency wave, the Borg=20
weren't fully ready for it, and the tractor station was destroyed.  The=20
big ship had no choice but to take advantage of this temporary=20
weakness,and it fired every weapon it had at that corner of the slowly=20
reforming cube.  The effect, both from McGinnis' and Thompson's =20
perspective, was terrific.  With all of the ship's phasers at maximum=20
discharge, and the main ring firing again, plus the plasma torpedoes, all=
=20
directed at a very small part of the Borg ship, using a very wide range=20
of frequencies, nearly forty percent of the energy got through the=20
defense.  The blast ripped the corner off of the Borg cube, and the back=20
blast smashed all of Thompson's people far away from their previous=20
positions.  Most were killed instantly, by acceleration that overwhelmed=20
their suits' inertial stabilizers.  Only Thompson, and Moran survived.

"Scan for survivors, maintain firing rate!" said mcGinnis.
Data took over the job of searching for the members of the team, all of=20
whom had been far too close to the point of attack to have any chance of=20
surviving.  Data's positronic net would not recognize a miracle, but he=20
could conceptualize beating the odds, and it appeared, that at least two=20
team members had done so.  Before he could notify McGinnis, Schultz had=20
cut in.

"Sir, we have more photon warheads ready, but they'll get used to this if=
=20
we do it too many times."
"I am well aware of that Mr. Schultz, transvert when ready, most optimal=20
pattern."
"Aye, transversion in four...three...two...one...Now!"

Again, fifteen warheads appeared throughout what remained of the Borg=20
vessel.  These explosions cut the ship in half, and demolished the=20
smaller of the two halves.  Schultz began to think of himself, not so=20
much as a weapons officer, but more as a diamond cutter.  The larger=20
section of the Borg vessel was still functional, but it appeared to have=20
very few weapons.  It turned to  get more  maneuvering room, but a=20
well-placed antimatter spread stopped this tactic.

Now McGinnis had only thirty percent of the original cube to deal with,=20
and this meant that his ship would only need to destroy a bit more, and=20
the rest of the ship would have to shut down.  Fortunately for him, this=20
job was made easy, by the need of the Borg to make repairs on what=20
remained of their great vessel.  McGinnis' tactics were now straightforward=
.

"Tactical, I suggest to the computer that it fire a concentrated graviton=
=20
bolt  at the center of the Borg ship.  drain them from the forced quantum=
=20
core."
"Computer's thinking on it, ... it says that we should have a sixty=20
percent chance of success.  Negative is that we'll be without quantum=20
power for two hours."
"Do it!"
"Draining now, it'll be twenty seconds."
"Very well, maintain firing rate on rapid-fire weapons to keep them busy."
"Maintaining firing rate, ten seconds! ...=20
Five,...four...three...two...one...now!"
The main ring spat forth a bolt of heavy particles, which began=20
collapsing in on themselves the moment they left the great=20
electromagnetic super-accelerator.  By the time the bolt could hit the=20
Borg ship, it had become a super-concentrated massive object, which drew=20
a chunk of the Borg ship into itself as it crashed through the space that=
=20
it occupied.  It passed out the other side, its hole looking something=20
like the wound from a rifle blast, small on one side, larger on the=20
other.  This, in itself would not have been enough,but the gravimetric=20
forces that had held the bolt together, also could blow it apart.  They=20
did so, resulting in a gigantic explosion, which drew on all of the=20
energies stored in the atoms that the temporary micro black hole had=20
dragged with it.  The force of the blast was reflected against the=20
remains of the Borg ship by the dying subspace field, effectively=20
destroying what remained of the huge cube.  With this, Ticonderoga=20
collected its second victory in a week, but one that had not come without=
=20
tremendous cost.

"Sir, I have been tracking our team members' life signs, and we only have=
=20
one confirmed and one possible survivor, from the original twenty crew. =20
They are currently moving toward the atmosphere, they were sent in that=20
direction by the effects of our activity;"  Said T'Mayek from her=20
station.  Like Data, she had been tracking the two, and her direct access=
=20
to scanners gave her the ability to follow the progress of the two life=20
signs with greater ease than Data, who was rather occupied with keeping=20
track of the battle and the ship's internal monitors at his station.


"Are we in transporter range?"
"No, Sir, and their progress will put them in the upper atmosphere before=
=20
we can achieve transporter lock."
"How about tractors?"
"We are also outside tractor range, but tractor lock would be possible=20
even after atmospheric entry."
"Very well, maximum impulse toward the planet, stand by on tractor=20
stations one and four.
"Coming in, range 45,000 kilometers, 30,000 kilometers, 15,000=20
kilometers, we have achieved tractor range, ..." said Thale .=20
T'mayek's report came quickly thereafter. "They are now in the upper=20
stratosphere, I have limited telemetry, but it would appear that=20
lieutenant Thompson's suit's inertial dampening systems are   marginally=20
functional given best possible circumstances.  Ensign Moran is the other=20
survivor, her suit is still functioning within nominal perameters."
"Very well, ... Computer, tractor control to science station."
"All ship's tractor systems are now at Science," announced the computer.
"Lt.Cmdr, Do whatever appears best in your opinion."
"I now have Ensign Moran, she will be transportable in thirty-seven=20
seconds." =20
Quietly, Data notified the transporter room to expect coordinates, he=20
also ordered medical personel to Transporter-1. =20
"I am slowing Lieutenant Thompson's fall, if anything disrupts our=20
tractor, she will be difficult to retrieve.  ... I have a lock, but the=20
thermal radiation from her entry is growing disruptive."
"Is there anything that would help you?"
"Unfortunately, there is little that we can do with other systems.  The=20
Lieutenant's fall is too rapid to allow the ship to move in and try a=20
direct-line capture, which would require us to use the ship's inertial=20
decelleration to slow her descent sufficiently to allow transport.  I=20
believe that the lock will hold, but the operation will be difficult."
Silence reigned, while the slender vulcan woman manipulated the tractor=20
beam, and the fragile life that it held.  Data stood behind her,=20
watdching to see if he could provide assistance.  He had learned that=20
many life forms, even vulcans on occasion, preferred to be left alone in=20
tense situations as long as they weren't making critical errors.  In any=20
case, he could see little else that could be done.

The com sounded on the Bridge, causing McGinnis and the rest of the crew=20
to sap around.
"Transporter-1 to Bridge, we have Ensign Moran, but we need you to shut=20
down her shield."
"On it," said Schultz from his station.
Accessing the telemetry was easy, and within seconds the personel in the=20
transporter room confirmed that the shield had dropped.  McGinnis turned=20
to Data, and signalled him to come to the command chair.

"Yes, Sir?"
"I am going down to see what the Ensign's condition is, and to get a=20
report  if possible.  You have the Bridge, and total disgression to act=20
as you see fit until my return."
"Understood, sir."

McGinnis hastened off the Bridge, and took the turbo-lift to deck 4,=20
where the main transporter/transverter facilities were.  He entered=20
transport-1 at a run, and saw the tall ensign lying on the deck, with=20
medics around her.  She was conscious, and it appeared that she was none=20
the worse for wear from her very long fall.
"Ensign, how are you?"
"OK sir, but I don't ever want to go through that again.  Watching a=20
full-power phaser blast strike less than two hundred meters from you is=20
something to remember," she said a slight shake in her voice.  "How are=20
the rest of the members of the team?"
"Unfortunately, it appears that they were killed by the backblast of the=20
phaser impact.  Their inertial dampeners failed to compensate for the=20
acceleration that they experienced.  Lieutenant Thompson is barely alive,=
=20
but we're having trouble intercepting her, she's still in free fall. =20
Data suggests that the combination of heat and acceleration may have been=
=20
too much for the power distribution system.  In any case, Lieutenant=20
Thompson's telemetry seems to support Mr. Data's theory, until we have=20
more information."
"But, I was as close, or closer than the rest, why am I alive?"
"I don't know, maybe Commander MacLeod will be able to tell us, when=20
they've run a diagnostic on your suit.  It does look a bit singed,=20
though, that may suggest that your computer overrode its power=20
distribution programming, because the stress tolerances were being=20
challenged too severely.  He'll have a better idea ... I'm sure.  For the=
=20
moment, go with Dr. Patterson, I'll come by sick bay later to ..."
The ship's violent stagger, not fully intercepted by the inertial dampers=
=20
cut him off.

"Bridge, what the hell's going on up there?!"
"Sir, we have lost tractor lock, Science Officer T'Mayek says that we can=
=20
reestablish if we close range to less than 100 kilometers, so I have=20
ordered an emergency atmospheric entry course.  All temperature control=20
systems are available, and I felt that it was best to attempt a rescue,"=20
replied Data's voice.
"Very well, take the helm yourself Mr. Data, your reflexes may be=20
necessary, since we're not entering on a standard descent plane. ...=20
Lieutenant Thale, get  to the shuttle deck, and take the run-about fto=20
assist should the main ship not be able to reestablish tractor lock."
"yes, Sir."

Moments later, the ship's single run-about streaked away, climbing up=20
from the shuttle bay.

"Thale, here I am now descending, range 50,000 meters and closing.  I=20
will be in position in twom minutes."
"Understood, bridge out," replied Data.

By this point, McGinnis had returned to the Bridge, and was ready to=20
retake the center seat.
"Report, Mr. Data."
"We are descending at three kilometers per second, and are two hundred=20
and fourty-three kilometers above the surface.  Ms. Thomspon has achieved=
=20
terminal velocity, just under 400 kilometers per hour.  She is twenty=20
kilometers above the surface, and we will be able to reestablish tractor=20
lock in approximately fourty-five seconds."
"We will be able to stop her decent then?"
"Yes, Admiral," replied T'Mayek, "however, we will have to bring her=20
velocity down and simply land her on the surface, as we will be at great=20
risk of crashing into the planet without an immediate course change."
"Right..."

The ship continued to streak down, the shields, which were barely up to=20
the task, blasting all atmospheric particles out of the way.  The trail=20
that the ship's passage made was so brilliant that it lit the darkened=20
skies of the planet well enough to allow survivors, had there been any,=20
to see as well as they did at high noon.  A second, smaller trail=20
intersected the larger one, this being Thale's run-about.

"I am in position, I think that I can grab her from here, but you'll have=
=20
to cut the main tractor beam," he said.=20

"You don't have the power to do it!" said Schultz from his station.
"I think I can get her if I divert all of the power to the tractor."
"Very well, make the attempt,but I don't dare shut the main stations=20
down.  We'll divert the beam, but if you fail, we will have to make the=20
attempt." Came McGinnis' decision.
"Locking on, ... I have a partial lock, but my own systems are too=20
strained, I hope that you can get her," came Thale's frustrated voice=20
through the comt-line.McGinnis understood his frustration, he and the=20
lieutenant were to have been married at the end of the mission.
"Don't worry, lieutenan, she's not going to miss your wedding."
"Thank you, sir."
"Helm, range to minimum safe altitude?"
"We are twenty-three seconds from minimum safe altitude, with four=20
seconds of descent after that poin, before we will be certain of planet=20
fall," said Data.
McGinnis turned to T'Mayek, "Its your show, Commander, you've got twenty=20
seconds before I call this off.  Good luck."
Seconds passed while the Vulcan turned to her station, stabbed its=20
controls, with increasing speed, and finally said:
"Tractor lock established, ... Lieutenant Thale, she will be set down at=20
the coordinates coming on your screen now."
"Got them, and Thank you Commander."
T'Mayek, simply let the remark pass, like all vulcans, she did not=20
understand the need for thanks, for as she saw it, she was saving a=20
trained officer so that she could return to duty.
"Helm, hard over, full impulse, all power to anti gravity fields!" said=20
McGinnis.
"Sir, what about phase-cloaking, and then just working out of the planet=20
while in phase?" asked Schultz.
"That will not be possible, we can not use the phase-cloak, because the=20
phase barrier necessary to engage the device can not be formed in the=20
extremely ionized enviromnment which results from  our rapid decent into=20
the atmosphere." said Data.
"Oh," replied Schultz.

Data began counting down the distance between the ship and a violent end.
"Our altitude is twenty-seven kilometers, ... twenty-five, ...=20
twenty-three, coming to flat trajectory, decending toward a large lake,=20
it should give us an added margin for error," he said.=20

The ship continued to fight its momentum, but there was a lot of=20
intertial nergy built up, and although the dampers could deal with=20
internal inertia, they weren't built to compensate for the ship's inertia=
=20
as a whole.  At least not when they also had to fight a planet's=20
gravity.  This job was handled by the ship's anti-grav fields, and its=20
tractor stations, which also served as high-focus anti-grav generators=20
when the ship was in atmosphere.

"Altitude is eight kilometers, we are slowing, I estimate risk of=20
terminal impact at less than ten percent."
"Lieutenant Thale reports that he has intercepted Thompson's suit, and=20
that her shield generator has just failed.  He can't beam her to us,=20
because we're moving too fast, and there is too much ionization from our=20
entry maneuver," said Commander Anders.
"Good, at least one thing is done, ... Overload power on tractors one and=
=20
four, we'll need the added gravimetric pressure."
"Aye, repulsor power at 140%." replied Anders.=20

The ship was now less than a kilometer above the lake, and although it=20
was slowing, McGinnnis had the uneasy feeling that they might hit the=20
water, which would be hard on the super-structure, considering their=20
angle of impact, and their extremely weakend shields.=20

"Direct all remaining shield power below us, If we're going to hit, I=20
want the water and the shields to help slow our descent.  All decks,=20
prepare for collision..." McGinnis  said.

The ship's collision alarms sounded, and all crew on the lower decks=20
immediately departed for higher ground, unless their stations could not=20
be left unmanned under any circumstances.  All compartments were cealed,=20
and the ship's air circulation went onto distributed back-ups.

"Ten seconds to impact," said Data.  ... "Now five ... four...=20
three...two...one... shields have struck the water, decellerating rapidly=
=20
now, eighty meters, seventy, ... sixty ... ... ... fifty ..............=20
We have stopped, forty-three meters above the surface."
McGinnis sighed, realizing that he'd been holding his breath for some=20
time.  All of the other bridge crew members also sighed in relief.

"McGinnis to all decks, we have avoided collision, our condition is now=20
green."


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT Part II: Chapter X
By:
Matthew A. Weed


Command Log, Stardate 56334.3: Admiral William McGinnis Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga reporting:
We have now defeated two Borg ships, including a full-sized cube. =20
However, our losses have been heavy as well, with eighteen crewmembers=20
lost in our last action.Their service does the Federation honor, and I=20
hereby recommend all for postumous commendation.  I further recommend=20
Lieutenant Karen Thompson and ensign Kyla Moran for commendations, their=20
cool headed thinking was critical to our success.

We are now on the surface of the planet, where I have directed that the=20
crew to take some open air, as it will be some time before we get the=20
chance again.  Fortunately, our rough decent seems to have done little=20
damage to the ship, all of which we have now repaired.  We have launched=20
some probes to scan the surface, and unfortunately, scanners have picked=20
up a few Borg units, so on our return to space, we will have to bombard=20
the planet to ensure the units' destruction.

After that, we will begin the process of finding the point toward which=20
much Borg communications seem to be directed.  If we can destroy or=20
disrupt this nexus, we will have the Borg on the defensive, temporarily=20
at least.

McGinnis sat back in his chair, considering the options.  The ship was=20
sitting in a very deep lake, its systems largely shut down for minor=20
system repairs.  Also, with only secondary power enabled, the ship would=20
have a much better chance of avoiding any Borg ship that might come=20
through the system.  Honestly, McGinnis assumed that they would get a=20
couple of days before another Borg attempt would be made, and before=20
that, Ticonderoga would be long-gone, and much of the planet a burning=20
cinder.

"Sir, why don't you get outside and take a break, as you said, it'll be a=
=20
while before we get the chance again," said Karen Thompson as she entered=
=20
the Bridge.
"Sounds like a good idea, Lieutenant but I need to get a bit more work=20
done first.  Why don't you come back in an hour to relieve me, I think=20
that you're ready for a try at Bridge command."
"Thank you, sir!" she said, all smiles.

Of course, McGinnis had only been responding to a suggestion made by Dr.=20
Patterson that Thompson's morale would be helped by active duty.  With=20
this in mind, he'd temporarily assigned her to data analysis, so that her=
=20
mind would remain busy during her convalescence. =20

***
As promised, Thompson returned an hour later to find McGinnis smiling at=20
the image captured by the main viewer.  It was focused on a number of=20
crew members who were apparently trying to build a six-level living=20
pyramid.  So far, they had gotten to five levels deep, but level six=20
seemed to be a bit of a problem...
"Here as ordered, Sir." Thompson said.
"Excellent, I'll be on the main hull, should you need me.

McGinnis hastened to an air lock, and was soon standing on the main hull,=
=20
in the shadow of one of the nuclear reactor-powered topside rapid-fire=20
weapons.  A large picnic had been set out by the recreation director, and=
=20
lots of crew were sampling it as they took breaks from the various games=20
taking place on the hull and the near-by beach. =20

Since he was in "civies", McGinnis' presence went unnoticed for several=20
minutes, and even when the crew did see that he was watching them, they=20
only stopped long enough to invite him into the fun; an offer which he=20
quickly accepted.

Several hours later, as the planet's star was setting, everyone returned=20
to the ship, save a few that had decided to go exploring.  McGinnis had=20
quickly agreed to the request, since they had their communicators and=20
would therefore be able to be in easy touch with the ship.

McGinnis had wanted to go as well, but he felt uncomfortable about=20
leaving the ship under the current circumstances.  He returned to the=20
bridge after one final look at the various games and other activities=20
occurring on and around the ship's hull.=20

Within minutes of his return to the Bridge, the reason for his=20
discomfiture became clear.

Walter Schultz, currently in command of the bridge reported that: "Sir, I=
=20
have a message from Kalis, text only." =20
"Very well, read it."
"He says that they ahve suffered major casualties in their most recent=20
action, and that they will be going under total radio silence from here=20
on in.  He also says that two of the Borg cubes that they fought departed=
=20
in the middle of the battle, and have set an approximate course for this=20
system."
"Thank you, all stations, yellow alert."

The ship's lights went to yellow, and the computer made a brief=20
announcement concerning the change in status.

Within minutes, McGinnis was sitting in the command chair.
"Transporter control, notify the campers that they'll have to come back=20
immediately, and then beam them up.  We have about an hour before the=20
Borg arrive, and I don't intend to waste the time."
"Aye Sir, sending notification now."
"Engineering, we need to make sure that the remaining Borg are quite dead=
=20
before we leave.  I'd also like to give the Borg a mystery as to who was=20
responsible for the destruction.  I think that they're aware of this ship=
=20
now, but the bigger the mystery the better.  Of course, we'll need all=20
the power that we can get to get out of here, so if you've got any ideas=20
that fit all of that, please suggest them."
"I haven't any ideas," replied MacLeod's concerned voice over the com.
"Sir, I suggest that we just use rapid-fire weapons, knock the Borg out,=20
and then drop a few torpedoes into the star, near the outer edge.  We=20
could generate a solar flare that would do extreme damage to the planet's=
=20
atmosphere, and ionize this area, making it hard to find us," suggested=20
Schultz from his station.
"Science officer?"
"Sir, the plan would work, but it will take too long to implement."
"What if we set a number of torpedoes in this lake, in a pattern that=20
would bring the waters to fusion point through pressure?" suggested Thale.
"There is a forty-six percent probability that we would not be=20
successful," said Data.
"Very well, we'll just have to use the ring and then get the hell out of=20
here, we don't have time for magic," said McGinnis, the frustration clear=
=20
in his voice.
"Helm, set course for orbital insertion, maximum possible speed."

The ship shot out of the water, rising with improbable speed toward=20
space.  Its arrival trail had been bright enough to see by, its departure=
=20
trail was outright blinding.  Within two minutes, the ship sat in orbit=20
its main ring at full charge.

Within seconds huge scars opened across the planet as the few remaining=20
Borg soldiers were struck by power sufficient to destroy entire cities.

Within a minute the ship's work was done, and the phase-cloak was=20
operational.  The ship broke orbit, and accelerated away, its mighty warp=
=20
engines flaring at full power.

"Let's clear the system, set course for the indicated coordinates, warp=20
9.7, and any faster if the engines'll give it to us."
"Warp is now 9.7, our course is 334 mark 17."
"Mr. Data, report on ship's status?"
"  Main energizers at maximum output, quantum core at 100 percent power,=20
secondary systems are providing ship's internal power, except the=20
phase-cloak and sensors," said Data.
"Sir, I am now attempting to increase speed further, subspace distortions=
=20
noted in the system." said Thale.
"Understood, the phase-cloak should provide protection too, but there's=20
no defense like being out of sensor range," McGinnis replied.  "Push the=20
core beyond its maximum standard ratings if you need to, the further=20
we're away the better."
"Sir, we are accelerating, velocity is now warp 9.73 ... 9.75 ... warp=20
9.78 ... 9.80 ... We are now at warp 9.817 and holding."
"Very well, keep it here, we're rated for warp 9.975, but that'd require=20
shutting the phase-cloak off, and I think that would be rather bad at the=
=20
moment," said McGinnis the sarcasm dripping from every word.
"Aggreed, Sir!"

 Ticonderoga ran from one possible confrontation, and toward another that=
=20
would certainly be far greater than any that they had faced so far.



*****************************


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part III: Chapter XI
By:
Matthew Weed

Command Log: Stardate 56463.4: William McGinnis, Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga recording:

WE have been at high warp for nearly four and a half weeks, and are now=20
coming into the area that we believe contains some kind of Borg command=20
nexus.  This ship has travelled far beyond any other vessels in=20
Federation history, and although our trip, fortunately, has been=20
uneventful, I wish that there had been opportunity to inspect the systems=
=20
through which we have passed.  The Borg have laid waste to this area of=20
the galaxy, and it appears that some of their work occurred thousands of=20
years ago.  A broad diversity of technology has been apparent, just from=20
the wrecks and other materiel spread along our path.

We have not stopped to carefully investigate any of the wrecks or=20
destroyed planets along our path for two reasons.  First, I believe that=20
we have enough information on Borg methods of assimilation from Picard's=20
contacts to serve us under our current mission perameters.  Therefore, I=20
have chosen to avoid study.  The other reason is far more prosaic.

I am not certain that we could continue our mission if we studies too=20
many destroyed planets and wrecked ships.  Some, according to our=20
scanners have had far higher technology than is currently available to=20
the Federation and its allies.  If this information became generally=20
available to the crew, I don't know that our morale could stand this=20
reality.  Therefore, I have chosen to keep my personal evaluation of our=20
current chances of success to myself.  If it were to be known, I believe=20
that our mission would be certain to fail. =20

The fact is, that I am now not certain that we will be able to=20
significant damage to the Borg, even if we use some of the tactics which=20
Kalis and I discussed before this ship's departure from the fleet.  I=20
will investigate the systems in the area, and at our planned rendezvous,=20
Kalis and I will have to decide what to do.  Hopefully I can find=20
something that will allow us to do enough to slow the Borg down.

McGinnis finished the recording, and left his quarters.  It was about=20
half an hour before they expected to decellerate to sub-warp, and he=20
wanted to see what, if anything, the long-range scanners, limited though=20
they were while under phase-cloak, had found.

"Admiral on the Bridge," said Data, as he released the command chair.
"At ease," McGinnis said, while looking around the room.  All the senior=20
staff was there, including Robert MacLeod, who had replaced Janet Anders=20
at Ops.
"Robert, where's Ms. Anders?"
"She suffered injuries in simulation on the holodeck, the Doctor wanted=20
her to stay in sickbay for awhile for observation.  Since I was planning=20
to be here for the actual decelleration, I offered to take her station."
"Very well, why was I not notified?"
"Because your com badge wasn't functioning, and optical links are=20
temporarily down for some reconfiguration.  They'll be up in about a minute=
."
"My com badge wasn't working? ..." McGinnis looked down to see that the=20
small machine wasn't attached to his uniform jacket.
"I see...." he said, and then retrieved the spare unit from his chair's=20
emergency storage compartment.
"McGinnis to Sick bay."
"Sick bay, Sharfelter, sir."
"Lieutenant, Ms Anders' condition?"
"She has suffered a minor concussion, which Dr. Patterson has treated,=20
but the Doctor wanted her to remain here for observation."
"Understood, have her file a report as soon as possible."
"Yes, Sir, I expect that she'll be sending it any moment."
"Thank you, lieutenant.  McGinnis out."
"Helm, what's our status?"
"Sir, we are at warp 9.65, all systems are functioning nominally, and we=20
are twenty-four minutes from decelleration."
"Ops, Science, what do you see?"
MacLeod studied the pannel for a moment, and then turned to give his report=
.
"Indications of massive gravitational wells all throughout the area in=20
front of us, possibly characteristic of star systems.  However, the=20
ambient light from the sector is somewhat less than it should be,=20
assuming the standard distribution of star types.  Our sensors are unable=
=20
to distinguish whether there are gaps, mainly because no Federation=20
probes or long-range mapping programs have cataloged this area of space=20
with sufficient detail."
"Very well, science?"
"Sir, we appear to be entering a large area of space which has had a very=
=20
high level of technology for many thousands of years.  As we have closed=20
in on this region, the technology of the destroyed civilizations has had=20
a slight, but noticeable upward trend.  Obviously, like the system in=20
which we first made contact with the Borg, there are significant=20
exceptions to this.  It may be that we will find that there are dyson's=20
spheres, or other system-wide modifications that will explain the unusual=
=20
distribution of gravitational anomolies.  This area may also have a large=
=20
number of small dark stars, as yet we are too distant to come to  any=20
acceptable conclusions." said T'Mayek.

"I understand, continue analysis, and report as soon as possible."
"Ops, any sign of Borg activity in the surrounding space?"
"Yes, Sir, there is a great deal of Borg traffic on long-range scanners,=20
headed toward what appears to be a possible type G or H system.  I count=20
at least twenty vessels in the area."
"Great, this isn't going to be easy, but at least we've got a good=20
candidate for their  homeworld."
"yes sir, that would be a legitimate expectation from the available=20
data," Data agreed.  "I am interested, though, to see whether we can get=20
any information on the planet itself."
"I agree, but first I want to solve the mystery of the gravitational=20
anomolies, they are unusual and may prove useful."
"Sir, there is a particularly powerful anomoly three degrees to starboard=
=20
of our current course, about a light-year from the system temporarily=20
designated as the Borg home system," said T'mayek studying her pannel.=20
"Very well, ... Helm,  decellerate to warp 8.5 and change course as=20
appropriate."
"Changing course to 043 mark 351," said Thale, "Decellerating to warp 8.5."

The ship moved toward its first assignment in this area of space, the=20
study of a gravitational anomoly of unusual power.

"Sir, now one minute from visual, scanners have not been able to collect=20
increased data due to phase-cloak interference," said T'Mayek.
"What have they told us?"
"The area of space affected is extremely large, and our sensors have not=20
been able to penetrate the anomolous area, which is at least 500 million=20
kilometers in diameter.  Indications of a massive gravitational object in=
=20
the center of the anomoly, but it is impossible to tell what might be=20
responsible for these readings."
"understood, helm, decellerate to warp 7.5, and bring us into an orbital=20
spiral course that will put us at the surface of the object in fifteen=20
minutes."
"Decellerating to warp 7.5, plotting course and laying in."
"Mr. Thale, you may proceed."

Twenty seconds later, T'mayek turned to the Admiral.
"We are now within visual range."
"Very well, ops, image on main viewer."

The viewscreen flipped from its characteristic tactical simulation of the=
=20
surrounding space into a picture of ... darkness.
"Enhance image," said McGinnis.
"Enhancement is already in progress," said T'mayek.

Slowly the darkness resolved into the image of a huge silver sphere, more=
=20
than 600 million kilometers across.
"Sir, as you can see, this is a dyson's sphere, what limited sensory=20
information I can collect suggests that it is made of carbon neutronium,=20
which is at least two kilometers thick.  Neutronium of this thickness=20
would be sufficient to provide local gravity nearly equal to that of Sol=20
at its surface.  I have extremely faint indications of a mass several=20
thousand times that of Sol inside the sphere, at its approximate center. =
=20
No indications of currently-active technology.

"Well, I suggest that we knock and see if they'll let us in," said Walter=
=20
Schultz from his station.  "I don't think that we can beat the Borg=20
alone, maybe this civilization will help us."
"It depends on their attitude about laws similar to the Prime Directive,"=
=20
said Data.
"True, but if we don't ask them, they can't turn us down,  and I can't=20
believe that the Borg haven't tried to assimilate them at some point,=20
unless they were so far ahead of the Borg in the first place that the=20
Borg have never felt their ability to assimilate this civilization to be=20
sufficiently "relevant,"" replied Schultz.
"In either case, I agree with you, Mr. Schultz, we've come here to deal=20
with the Borg threat, and without help, as you say, it will be difficult=20
to handle the Borg alone," said McGinnis, effectively ending the debate,=20
which was one of many that occurred recently between these officers.
"Ops, give me a full-power broadcast, all frequencies."
"You're on."

"Unidentified civilization, this is William McGinnis, in command of the=20
United Federation of Planets Starship Ticonderoga.  We come in peace, and=
=20
hope to begin a long and fruitful relationship with your peoples. ...  We=
=20
await your response."

The ship continued its slow decent, while all of the crew awaited=20
something ... anything ... from the great object below.  Finally, a=20
response, of a sort, came.
"I have a brief message, running through universal translator..."
Time passed, and finally MacLeod looked up, a frown on his face.
"I have it, but its rather odd."
"Yes?"
"It just says, "If you can enter, we shall see..."
"Interesting," said T'Mayek.
"I agree," said Data.
"Very well, they've given us a challenge, can we traverse that in phase?"
"I  believe, with added power to the phase-cloak, that we can pass=20
through without extreme risk.  However, there is risk, as the quantum=20
instability caused by the neutronium is extremely severe, and if we lose=20
the phase, we shall not be able to escape immediate entrapment," said Data.
"Science officer?"
"The Captain's analysis is correct, I estimate risk of entrapment at=20
twenty-three percent.

"Very well, prepare the ship for event transition, we will proceed in=20
half an hour."                        =20


Part III: SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Chapter 12:
By:
Matthew Weed

Command Log: Stardate 56464.3: Admiral William McGinnis, Commanding Star=20
Ship Ticonderoga reporting:

We are preparing to transit the outer shell of the Dyson's sphere before=20
us.  Carbon neutronium is so dense that it causes serious problems, even=20
for a phased object such as this vessel.We will therefore be operating at=
=20
emergency condition 5, with all non-essential systems shut off, and=20
emergency power at maximum.  Our only recourse, should we encounter=20
extreme difficulty, is to overload the phase-cloak, which will likely=20
throw us into an alternate dimention.  This is a prospect that I do not=20
relish, but we must attempt entry to this sphere, as intelligent life is=20
quite likely to be within.  Considering the technology necessary to=20
construct a sphere, I believe that they may be able to help us defeat the=
=20
Borg, or at least slow them down.  From the long-range scans that we took=
=20
of the traffic entering and leaving their home system, I am quite=20
convinced that we will be defeated without outside assisance.  Of course,=
=20
the final decision to attack or retreat lies with Kalis, so it is still=20
possible, though not likely, that we will attack no matter the odds.  For=
=20
now, all we can do is investigate this sphere, and hope that it holds=20
answers to the problems posed by the Borg.  If not, we may have to use=20
our ultimate weapon,  a weapon whose use will probably result in the=20
assimilation of every member of this ship's crew.

"Helm, set course for the center of the sphere, ahead full impulse."
"Course laid in, velocity is .8 C."

The ship moved straight toward the great silver sphere lying directly in=20
its path.  The plan, as they had ultimately made it, was that if the ship=
=20
faced overly severe quantum distortions, sufficient power would be=20
allocated to the phase-cloaking device to overcome the distortions, even=20
if this meant phasing out of real space, and into interdimentional=20
subspace.  if this happened, it would be almost impossible to get home. =20
Considering that McGinnis had already gone through dimentional transit=20
once in his life, he truly hoped that the ship would not have to perform=20
this desperation maneuver.

"We are now 20 million kilometers from the sphere, one minute twenty=20
seconds to contact," said Thale.
"Engineering, are all systems ready for emergency power allocation?"
"yes Sir," said MacLeod who had returned to his regular station after=20
Janet Anders' release from sick bay.
"Now one minute to contact," said Thale.
"Tactical, keep your eyes out, I don't know what we'll find in there,=20
although certainly I don't want you doing anything that would be=20
considered threatening, as their weapons technology is unquestionably=20
better than ours."
"Aye Sir, I have switched tactical sensors to science, with repeating=20
signal to this station."
"Very well, ... Science, give me all the information that you can about=20
the civilization as soon as its available.  Mr. Data, you watch the=20
sensors for reports of difficulty, if you see *anything* report it, and=20
act immediately if there isn't time."
"Understood Sir."
"Now twenty-five seconds to contact," said Thale.

The ship continued straight toward the surface of the object, which now=20
appeared flat as their altitude continued its rapid decrease.
"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six...five...four...three...two...one...Conta=
ct!"
the ship bucked so violently that everyone except Data was thrown to the=20
floor.  The emergency lighting came on, and its redness was made even=20
more haunting by the fog that had apparently appeared, quite literally=20
out of nowhere.  McGinnis struggled back to his seat, now reminded why he=
=20
didn't want restraining harnesses put on the command chair.  It would=20
only slow him down when he needed to look at his subordinates, and=20
impacts like that would only result in whiplash wthat would require a=20
doctor's attention. ...  He hated doctors.

The rest of the staff was also returning to their stations, or to=20
consciousness, depending on their constitutions.
"Mr. Schultz, take the helm!" snapped mcGinnis seeing that Thale was out=20
cold on the floor.
"Controlls switched," replied Schultz.
"Mr. Data, our status?"
"We have decellerated to only a few kilometers per hour, and will require=
=20
thirty-two minutes to traverse at this level of forward thrust.  The=20
quantum gravimetric forces are nearly too strong for the impulse drive to=
=20
handle, and the density of the neutronium is preventing our passage as well=
."
"Are we in danger of entrapment?"=20
"There is a fifty-four percent probability of entrapment, if current=20
conditions hold."
"Engineering, emergency power to phase-cloaking device."
"Sir, we risk dimentional transit if we keep that kind of power up for=20
too long," said Data.
"I am well-aware of the possible consequences, but being alive in someone=
=20
else's dimention is far better than dying in here."
"Engineering here, sir....I recommend against the emergency power, the=20
device is already strained enough as it is."
"I understand your concerns, Mr. MacLeod, but we have no choice."
"understood emergency power is now available."

The ship seemed to stagger again, its velocity improved *very*slightly,=20
but there was still a noticeable down-trend to their rate of forward=20
movement. =20

"Sir, our risk of entrapment is now forty-seven percent."
"That's still too high!" said Schultz, and I think that there's an=20
anomoly in front of us that is denser than average."
"Understood, Engineering, engage warp drive, emergency acceleration."
"Sir! that'll likely cause the nacelle pylons to collapse or bend, and if=
=20
it doesn't, we'll be thrown out in an uncontrolled acceleration, and I=20
wouldn't want to hit the other side at high warp!"

McGinnis thought about this.  The impact at high impulse had been nearly=20
enough to kill some crew, and an impact at warp would likely destroy the=20
ship.  However, being trapped in the sphere's shell was clearly worse.

"Engineering, I don't see that we have much choice, keep an eye on those=20
support pylons, and channel emergency power to their support fields if=20
you think that will help."
"Aye ....... sir," said Macleod, clearly very unhappy at having to carry=20
out the order.

"Mr. Data, watch our forward progress, if we break free too suddenly, you=
=20
will have to reverse warp immediately, I doubt that there will be time to=
=20
order you to do so."
"Understood sir." was the android's unemotional response.2 =20

"Our power is now set for warp four travel," said Schultz.  "We have=20
accelerated to to 108 kilometers per hour.  AT this velocity, the forward=
=20
sections will pass through the inner surface in ... twenty-seven seconds."
"Good, continue monitoring, if we need more power then put it where you=20
need to, but remember that as soon as the center line of the saucer, and=20
the center of the quantum core have passed through the surface, that our=20
acceleration will be rapid, as the ship will present very little added=20
forward surface."
"I've got it sir, we will hit center line in thirty seconds, quantum core=
=20
center three seconds after that.  I'll begin cutting power immediately=20
after that.

At this moment a medical team raced onto the Bridge, grabbed Thale, and=20
hastened back into the turbolift. =20

"What's the prognosis?"
"He's got serious injuries to various central nervous system sectors,=20
I'll report as soon as we know more, but there are a lot of serious=20
injuries," said the young blonde medic leading the team.
"Very well..." McGinnis said, his acknowledgement cut off by the silent=20
closing of the turbolift doors.
"Now ten seconds to contact with inner surface."
McGinnis quickly hit the all-call on his chair.
"All decks, all departments, we are about fifteen seconds from breaking=20
free of the worst of the quantum interference  from the sphere's shell. =20
Be ready to brace yourselves, I expect that breaking free of the effects=20
may have results similar to those that we suffered on contact some=20
minutes ago."
"Sir, warp pylons are under terrible stress, there is some bending in=20
both port and starbord nacelle/main hull conectors." said Janet Anders=20
from her station.
"Understood, divert more power if you can, we'll be able to shut down in=20
about a minute."
"Emergency power to support fields, but they're about to shut down too."
"forward sections of main ring are in the clear!" said Schultz.
"Continue forward movement, ... enngineering, report on system stress?"
"We are at warp 4 power, main and auxiliary power systems are on-line,=20
phase cloak is functioning well.  Warp pylons are all bending, and before=
=20
we actually drive into warp space, we'll have to reallign the pylons=20
ourselves, it'll take about three or four days.  Power transfer systems=20
are under stress, and will have to be recalibrated, structural support=20
field generators are beginning to fail, we'll have to replace them before=
=20
we try any heavy maneuvering, but miraculously ..." and the channel closed.
"Sir! warp pylons are cukling, we'll have to shut down immediately,"=20
Anders yelled.
"no, we're not passed center-line, we must clear that before the impulse=20
engines can do the rest."
"We'll lose the warp engines in a few seconds!," said Anders.
"Continue forward power!"
"Sir, we are twenty meters to center-line, ... ten ... clear! ...=20
accelerating rapidly, ... clear quantum core! ... engineering hull=20
slipping free!" reported Schultx.
"Shut down warp power. all systems to standby."
"Warp drive shut down, impulse reversed for momentum balancing, all other=
=20
systems on standby."
"Well..... We made it," said Anders.
"Yes, Science, First  officer, scan around and tell me what you can find=20
out."
  Engineering, report on damage."
"Sir, damage to warp drive is severe, repairs will take at least a week. =
=20
Main power is not available, secondary power is fully available, the=20
quantum core will require a bit of adjustment before it can provide=20
energy.  Structural support fields are in bad shape, they will require a=20
week's calibration and generator replacement.  I would say that we'll be=20
able to leave in ten days time."
"Understood," said McGinnis.  It was worse than he had expected, and=20
would make it impossible to get to the rendezvous with the fleet,=20
assuming that damage on the way out was similar.  Hopefully they would be=
=20
able to find an easier way out of the sphere.
"All stations, report."
"Sir, I have life forms everywhere, and massive power generation, and a=20
great deal of conversion of stellar energy as well.  I would estimate=20
that the power generated in this sphere is equal to the entire output of=20
the Federation on a yearly basis.  There is no vessel traffic, although a=
=20
large number of habitats exist throughout the structure.  The star at its=
=20
center is a type H-8 star, two class D asteroids and a class L planet are=
=20
still in orbit around the star.  The habitats are marginally class-M,=20
with a lower oxygen pressure than most humaniform life is used to.  The=20
race appears to be humanoid, possibly more closely related to the=20
rigellians or Bajorans than to taran or vulcan humaniform life," said=20
T'mayek.
"I concurr with those readings, and would add that it appears that one of=
=20
the habitats is the center of a particularly high level of subspace=20
activity, and may be a good place to our attempts at communication." said=
=20
Data. =20
"Ship's systems are back on line, except for warp drive, engineering=20
structural support fields, and some main-hull support fields as well. =20
Quantum core is only rated at 10% power, estimated repair time is about a=
=20
day," came Janet Anders' report.
"Sir, weapons and defenses are available, but I suspect that they would=20
do us little good in here, considering the technology of the=20
inhabitants," said Schultz.
"Thank you, ... Ms. Anders, send a text message, ... "We were able to=20
come in, request face-to-face discussion, and subspace communication."
"Sent, Sir."

A number of minutes passed while the ship continued about the business of=
=20
inspecting the inside of the technological marvel whose shell it had just=
=20
passed through.  Finally, Anders' head snapped up, and she reported that=20
a visual signal was coming through.
"Put it on screen," McGinnis said, while readying himself for contact=20
with the only race that might be able to help the Federation and its=20
allies in their desperate attempt to find an acceptable solution to the=20
threat posed by the borg.  =20
 =20


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part III: Chapter 13:
My:
Matthew Weed

"Interstellar travellers, welcome to our home.  I am L'aek, leader of the=
=20
Myria.  We did not expect that you would survive the transit."
"L'aek, I am Admiral William McGinnis, I command the United Federation of=
=20
Planets Star Ship Ticonderoga.  I am here, on behalf of the Federation,=20
and its allies, to ask your assistance in our struggle for survival=20
against the Borg."
"Admiral, I am very pleased to finally speak with a representative of a=20
civilization living and growing outside this sphere.  In the nearly=20
twenty-thousand cycles that our home has existed, we have had only three=20
contacts.  Two of them were with civilizations like yours that were=20
trying to defend themselves against those that you call The Borg.  The=20
other... should be obvious, considerng our location in space.  We have=20
the technology to rid the Galaxy of this menace, but most of the races in=
=20
it, as you know, can not coexist peacefully, or if they do so, they are=20
unwilling to defend themselves when the time for defense comes.  We have=20
remained in this shell for so long, because we, too, fear the usurpers,=20
the collectors, or as you call them, The Borg.  Our defenses are only=20
sufficient if they always remain closed, because, once opened, it takes=20
nearly a full day, in your time, to reassert them.  However, working=20
together, I believe that we can bring them down."
"I certainly hope so, nearly half of our allied strength has gone into=20
the current offensive, and we have destroyed no more than seven or eight=20
of their large vessels.  As you know, their fleet must number hundreds of=
=20
them.  There aren't many weapons left, and this ship carries two of=20
them.  Weapons that will be useless if we do not leave this sphere."
"I understand your concerns, your fleet is already on our long-range=20
scans, in action against a Borg cube as we speak.  The battle does not go=
=20
well for them."

This news brought all of the crew to full attention.  Their friends and=20
allies were fighting against an implacable enemy, and there was=20
absolutely nothing that they could do.  Their reactions to this news=20
varied from Data's implacable calmness to Schultz' fist landing with a=20
solid crack on the navigation console.  McGinnis signalled Anders to damp=
=20
the audio.
"People, our mission is to get help from the people here, and we can do=20
nothing to help those on the outside.  Kalis is an excellent commander,=20
and the ships that we have in the fray are all commanded by the best that=
=20
the allies have to offer.  For now, our job is to open relations with=20
these people, because we can't perform this job on our own, and we now=20
know that there is no way that the Federation can survive an all-out Borg=
=20
assault.  Therefore, I want you to keep tight control over yourselves,=20
these hours will be extremely important to whether we go home to a=20
Federation that is whole and secure, or fragmented and under threat of=20
immediate absorption."

McGinnis waved to Anders who reinstated the audio pick-up.
"I appologize for the delay, we have been under enormous stress lately,=20
and I believe that my crew is exhausted."
"Admiral, you have been in deep space for nearly four of your months, and=
=20
have been at a nearly continuous state of military alert.  It is amazing=20
that you and your crew have done as well as you have, considering your=20
numerous disadvantages."

"Yes, we have had to fight under difficult circumstances, but my crew and=
=20
I have been together for a long time, and we've learnt to work together=20
well.  For this mission, I would have had no others in my command staff."
"High praise Admiral, we would like to send a small party to your ship to=
=20
learn more about your Federation and discuss how we can help each other=20
survive the Borg menace for a little while longer."
"We would be glad to have you, do you wish to come aboard via your own=20
methods of transport, or shall we beam your party aboard?"
"We shall use our own methods of transport, I am not certain that your=20
regular transporters would be able to handle the subspace activity in=20
this environment.  I will come aboard with four assistants, if you can=20
send us the coordinates of your transport center?"
"They are coming through now," McGinnis said, waiting for confirmation=20
that the data had been sent.
"We have the coordinates,  Admiral I look forward to meeting with your=20
people soon."
McGinnis rose, pointing to Data and Kyla Moran.
"You two are with me, Mr. Schultz, you have the Bridge."
"Aye, Sir." said Schultz, while moving to the command chair.

It did not occur to McGinnis to wonder how the Myria had known how long=20
they had been on their current mission until after he had entered the=20
turbo-lift.  He made a mental note to find out how this had happened. =20
The three officers left The Bridge, and were whisked to transport-1.  As=20
they arrived, a quiet crackling noise filled the roomk, and then what=20
appeared to be a door opened and five humanoids stepped through.
"L'aek, I am Admiral McGinnis, in dcommand of USS Ticonderoga.  I welcome=
=20
you aboard our ship.  These are some of my command Staff, First Officer=20
Data, and Lieutenant junior-grade Kyla Moran, temporary first-shift=20
tactical officer."
"Admiral McGinnis, we are pleased to meet you and your officers as well.=20
Our contact with the outside universe has, for so long, been limited to=20
sensor sweeps, and the occasional attempted assault by The Borg.  These=20
are my assistants, M'laer, historian, Draen, technical specialist, and=20
Plaik and R'laev, civilian observers."

At this point, McGinnis began to move toward a small conference room=20
located at the side of the main transport deck.
"I suggest that we speak in this room, we can tell you about our culture,=
=20
and we can learn of yours."
McGinnis correctly interpreted L'aek's simple hand motion as agreement=20
with the suggestion.=20
"With reference to your point about being isolated, I am sure that most=20
Federation member worlds would find it difficult to live without the=20
benefits that our interstellar trade have conferred upon us.  Of course,=20
if we hadn't moved out so quickly, we might not have encountered "Q" and=20
the Borg as early as we have."
"Your civilization, too, has encountered the beings in the "Q"=20
continuum?  I am not surprised that they might have become interested in=20
a group of peoples so curious about the universe around them as your=20
peoples obviously are.  ... We have always managed to avoid problems with=
=20
them, as they feel that our enforced isolationism and lack of explorative=
=20
tendencies  do not threaten them."
"Unfortunately for the Federation, we were brought into contact with the=20
Borg by a member of the "Q" continuum.  Obviously, as soon as The Borg=20
knew of our existence, they launched an attack.  We had a year to=20
prepare, while their ship travelled from the point fof first contact,=20
toward Sol-3, our capital and an important social, cultural, and economic=
=20
center.  That first attack nearly destroyed Earth, and had it not been=20
for Mr. Data's creative application of a suggestion made by one of our=20
captains who had been partially assimilated, I suspect that Earth, and=20
possibly the rest of the Federation would have been lost.  Their attacks=20
have grown in strength, and I can not honestly say that we will be able=20
to withstand many more of them, if they aren't stopped.  This is why our=20
fleet, and this ship, have been sent to Borg territory."
"Certainly you do not hope to destroy them alone?"
"Of course not, but we did hope to throw the collective off balance by=20
striking deep into their territory, and possibly to use some of our=20
specialized weapons to slow the Borg's activity down to a certain=20
degree.  Beyond this, I do not believe that we can do more without added=20
help.  Your presence here was not suspected by us, and is a stroke of=20
great luck, should you be able and willing to help us."
"I would like to do nothing more than help you, although we are still=20
safe from their assaults, the fact that civilizations have developed the=20
ability to pass through the matter of our home means that the Borg will=20
likely assimilate that technology as well.  If they can break in to this=20
sphere, we will be in serious danger, because our offensive weapons are=20
few, and those that we do have would do great damage to this environment=20
as well."
"Could one of them be mounted on a platform such as this vessel, or a=20
construct of your own?" asked Data, entering the conversation for the=20
first time.
"This ship, although a miracle of technology by your standards, does not=20
produce energy sufficient to power any of our offensive weapons, and as I=
=20
have said, we could not send out a mission, simply because it would take=20
too long for our own defenses to reassert themselves, and such a mission=20
would not have a high enough probability of success to risk the=20
assimilation of our technology.  It would make life for civilizations=20
like yours even shorter than it already may be."
"Well, we have a few things that we can still try.  However, their use=20
will require the capture of this ship."
"What?", cried Kyla Moran.  "Sir, I thought that we had orders to=20
self-destruct before that happened."
"Ms. Moran, all other ships do have those orders, but this ship's final=20
mission orders are slightly different.  More than that I can not say."
"I see...."
"Admiral, you have the ability to destroy the Borg?"
"No, more render them rather busier with another problem."
"If they were rendered "occupied," for some time, we could possibly=20
launch enough of our special mobile constructs to ensure that they would=20
not threaten you for some time.  By that point, your civilization may be=20
ready for direct technology transfer with ours, but for now, we can only=20
help you in small ways."
"What we need, to be honest, is an easier way out of here, than the  way=20
that we entered.  If you can help us repair our damage, using appropriate=
=20
technology of course, I'm sure that the engineers would be able to use=20
the help."
"Admiral, that much we can do for you, if you will put me in contact with=
=20
your engineers, I will have technicians come over and help with your=20
repairs.  The device that you used to enter can be modified to allow you=20
to pass through with much less difficulty.  When you came  through the=20
first time, you passed through one of our external data transfer=20
mechanisms, and we were able to find out much about your civilization. =20
... Before you become concerned, we only read those files that weren't=20
protected with various encription schemes.  This, primarily, is why we=20
have chosen to speak with you and help you in your mission.  However, I=20
know that your passage through the node nearly destroyed your ship, and=20
so I will provide you with an easier exit route as well."
"Thank you, any assistance that you give us will be appreciated."

"Very well, Admiral, let us get to the business of repairing your ship."=20


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part III: Chapter XIV:
By:
Matthew Weed:

Command Log, Stardate 56488.6: Admiral William McGinnis Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga reporting:
=09We have successfully completed repairs, and are now preparing to=20
transit the the shell of the Myriac sphere.  These people have been=20
greatly  helpful to us, and have been able to supply us with many=20
replacements for our depleted stores.  As we had many full sections of=20
superstructure to replace, I am glad that they felt that they could=20
replace our seriously depleted supplies of duranium and tritanium.  The=20
ship is now at 100% operational capacity, and with the slight=20
modifications to the phase-cloak, and the new pathway that we have for=20
departure, I believe that we should have no problem in returning to the=20
outside.  The fleet has suffered terribly, and there are barely thirty=20
ships now remaining, less than a fifth of what we started with.  Kalis=20
appears to be alive, as the Myria have shown me their sensor reports=20
which show the list of vessels remaining.  I am glad to see that the=20
Federation ships have done well, and now comprise a larger percentage of=20
the remaining ships than when we started out so many weeks ago.  It is=20
now time to see whether the very risky plan that L'aek and I have come up=
=20
with will work.  If it does, the Federation and Myria will receive a=20
lengthy respite from Borg activity.  If not, all of us will likely become=
=20
members of that unimind, and its technical prowess will probably make it=20
the greatest power in the galactic neighborhood, if not in the universe.

McGinnis turned the log recorder off, and rose to walk the short distance=
=20
to the Bridge.  Like all of the other members of the crew, he wore his=20
armor in its default mode,  for he knew that there would be very little=20
time for such things on the other side.  There was barely enough time to=20
get to the planned rendezvous as it was, and Since Ticonderoga was to=20
lead the assault, its people would have little time to prepare. =20

=09With this thought, he left the small ready room, and entered the=20
bridge, quickly stepping to the Command chair. =20

"Helm, set course for rendezvous, full impulse until we get out of the=20
shell, then warp 9.5."
"Aye Sir, course laid in, proceeding at full impulse," said Moran, who=20
now sat at helm, which had allowed Schultz to move back to tactical.

The ship shuddered slightly on its intersection with the sphere's shell,=20
and then continued on unscathed to the other side.  As soon as they had=20
passed through to outside space, everyone let out a great sigh of relief.
"We're through, now accelerating to warp 9.5, bringing phase-cloak back=20
to standard operational settings," Kyla said with a slight sigh of relief.
"Very well, time to rendezvous point?"
"We're about four minutes from the point, I have no indication that=20
they're there, we're still too far away to pick up the marker."
"Well, just keep scanning, they'll come up sooner or later..."

Of course, McGinnis was not certain of this, with phase-cloaking=20
technology, it was practically impossible for them to pick up anything=20
until they were practically right on top of it.  Kalis had promised to=20
wait one light year outside any system that appeared to be the Borg home,=
=20
but this still meant that there would be a lot of space to search.  They=20
had agreed to mark the location of the fleet with a powered-down probe,=20
but this meant that the ship would be looking for an object with almost=20
no radiation emissions, ... As James T. Kirk had said in a similar=20
situation, looking for a needle in a haystack would be child's play by=20
comparison.  The only hope was that Kalis had stopped along the course=20
that he had said that he would take into Borg territory.  This point, for=
=20
the moment, was what McGinnis had designated the likeliest rendezvous point=
.
"Now two minutes out, no sign as yet."
"Continue approach, something will come up, or we'll wait until star date=
=20
56490.0, and then we will travel a stacked spiral search course, maximum=20
possible velocity."
"That'll take a while to plot, sir."
"Exactly, lieutenant Moran, that's why I'm telling you about it now."
"Aye, sir...." she said, a frown crossing her features.

The ship came out of warp and just sat, waiting for Kalis' marker to=20
appear. =20

DCommand Log: Stardate 56489.95: William McGinnis Comanding Starship=20
Ticonderoga Recording.
Kalis' time is nearly up, and I am growing concerned. The Myria told us=20
that the fleet was less than five light years out when we left their=20
sphere, and yet we can not find the buoy.  To say the least, I am=20
concerned.  We can not go active to ask the Myria, as this would give=20
away our position to the Borg, which have a large number of vessels in=20
the area.  If we don't find anything soon, we will have to begin=20
searching for them elsewhere. I hope......"

AT this moment, a crash resounded throughout the ship, and the automatic=20
defense systems came on-line.
"What happened?"
"Sir, we've found the fleet, they launched athe buoy, and it struck the=20
hull.  No serious damage, just a lot of noise." said Schultz, still=20
consulting his board.
"Very well, Ops, send a message to Kalis, lowest possible power ... we=20
are here, awaiting news and discussion."
"Sent, Sir."

The response was immediate.
"Sir, text message, he says that he's glad that we made it, and wants to=20
know what we've found."
"send him a request for visual communication, talk between ships=20
frequencies and power only."
"Understood, .... sending." replied Anders, bending over her station.

The viewer came on with the image of Kalis, sitting in his command bridge.
"Admiral, I am glad to see that you are still alive.  We have lost most=20
of the fleet, and have destroyed only nine cubes.  I believe that even=20
dying in honor will do little to dchange the balance of the military=20
situation."
"I agree, and this is why I am glad to bring you the following news.  We=20
have met a people called the Myria, who live in a dyson's sphere very=20
near here.  They have been held captive in their sphere for the last=20
fifteen or twenty thousand Earth years due to the activities of the=20
Borg.  They have the technology to stop them, but because their sphere is=
=20
very difficult to open, they have been unable to strike against the Borg=20
for fear of leaving their home practically undefended.  They say that if=20
we can divert the Borg for about one solar day, that they can launch a=20
fleet that will destroy the Borg home fleet and if necessary their home=20
system.  This should give us many years of breathing time before the Borg=
=20
can recollect their strength."
"Very good, although these people are apparently quite  weak, with none=20
of the warriior's strength,their help is exactly what we need.  However,=20
we haven't enough ships to keep the Borg occupied for a day."
"No, we don't, but this ship carries a couple of surprises that I haven't=
=20
been able to discuss with you for fear of having knowledge of them fall=20
into Borg hands if you or other commanders were assimilated."
Kalis' visage darkened markedly.
"What surprises?"
"I can't be open with you, even now.  Let's just say that we are going to=
=20
try another method of occupying the Borg, one that won't involve much=20
fighting.  However, we need to stage a battle to get our weapons into a=20
position where the Borg will try to get them.  You must know that this=20
will require the capture of this vessel, at least temporarily."
"What?!?"
"I repeat, this ship must be captured for our weapons to become=20
effective.  I do not believe that we will have much trouble recapturing=20
it from them after they've attempted assimilation."
"Admiral, I am supreme commander of this fleet, I order you to tell me=20
what you are going to do."
"I refuse to accept the order, and will attempt this mission on my own if=
=20
necessary.  Suffice it to say that I believe in our final weapons, and=20
that is all I am allowed to divulge.  If you have any better ideas?"
"Unfortunately, I have nothing more to contribute, and fighting with a=20
chance to win is always better than fighting in a burning house."
"Good, What I want to do is to move into the home system decloak and do=20
some collateral damage to their home planet, and then go from there.  If=20
you feel that the fleet can do some damage to their computing centers and=
=20
communications, I would appreciate the help.  If not, just hang back and=20
then wait.  If our weapons work, you'll know."
"How shall we know."
"Just say that the Borg will be much less active than normal, should we=20
be successful."
"I understand, You hope to affect their computing control in some way?"
"Yes,"
"Then I shall not ask you for further information, we all risk capture by=
=20
these honorless beings, and the less that they can learn from any of us=20
the better."
"True, that's why even the bridge crew on this ship doesn't know=20
anything, a situation that they will tell you isn't normal for my command=
=20
style."
"I see... As you humans say, good hunting, Kalis out."
"Ticonderoga out."

McGinnis turned to Schultz at his tactical station.
" In twenty minutes, I want full shields,  ...  Helm,  set course for the=
=20
Borg homeworld, maximum warp, bring us out in orbit, I'm not concerned=20
about in-system damage."
Moran's shocked look told McGinnis that she didn't like this at all, even=
=20
the Borg didn't deserve the massive stellar fluctuations that would=20
result from Ticonderoga's arrival so close to their star.  However, she=20
knew her duty and began plotting the course.

"Tactical, when we come out of warp, decloak and open fire with all=20
weapons, full power, if you blow out power conduates, or even some of the=
=20
energizers, too bad.  Set weapons to distributed control, leave the=20
auxiliary computer core clear for other activity."
"Aye, sir."

"McGinnis to all decks, all stations.  We will be warping into the Borg=20
system in nineteen minutes, I want all crew to be in maximum armor,=20
double check your equipment, I expect heavy fighting and boarding from=20
many Borg parties.  Our only duty is to survive long enough for the Borg=20
to suffer the effects of our ultimate weapon, whose nature I am not at=20
liberty to divulge.  As soon as we enter the system, we will switch to=20
fully distributed control, main computers will be unavailable."

McGinnis rose, to make sure that he had  all of his equipment, and to=20
check on ship-wide preparations.

Fifteen minutes later, he returned to the Bridge, fully enclosed in  his=20
battlearmor, which was loaded with all of the weapons that it could=20
support. =20

"Sir, we are two minutes from system entry,and I have set the distributed=
=20
computing system to take over navigation when we arrive." said Kyla Moran.
 "Sir, I have the computers ready to handle targeting on arrival, we'll  =
=20
do what damage we can, before the Borg begin boarding the ship."=20
announced Schultz.
"Very well, I want all of you to know why we're going in like this.  We=20
have two computer viruses which I hope will cause the Borg data net to=20
crash.  However, because we know little about their data transmission=20
technologies, we'll have to get them to upload the material from our=20
system.  This means that data in the computers must be handed over to=20
them freely.  Of course, we have the right to decide what data, so I am=20
going to perform a system wipe shutdown and core dump immediately.  We=20
must fight to hold the ship, as when they take the data, we must be able=20
to retake the parts that we have lost.  This is the only ship that can=20
perform this mission, as other ships don't have sufficiently redundant=20
computers and so could not navigate close enough to the Borg homeworld=20
for this plan to work.  Should we fail, I will destroy the ship by=20
overloading the forced quantum core.  You must try to avoid being=20
captured at all costs, as all knowledge that you have can be assimilated,=
=20
including what I have just told you.  I have waited until now so that=20
there would be little risk of other crew hearing what you now know.  With=
=20
that, ceal your helmets, engage your personal shielding, and wait for=20
further action."
"Aye Sir!" all said, now realizing that McGinnis expected the upcoming=20
battle to be long, bloody, and ... hopefully victorious.
"Computer, erase all files, and break all  main and auxiliary computer to=
=20
systems connections.  ... authorization McGinnis Alpha Omega 456."
"Computer requesting confirmation of total system erasure order and of=20
breaking of main and auxiliary computer systems control links. " replied=20
the computer.
"Confirmation order McGinnis, Erase all files, primary and auxiliary=20
systems, break all primary and auxiliary computer to systems control=20
connections, Authorization mcGinnis Alpha Gamma 347."
At this moment, the entire ship seemed to stagger for a moment, while the=
=20
secondary navigational systems brought it into the Borg system.  Without=20
main computer power, the cloak became useless, and other systems crashed=20
all throughout the vessel.  McGinnis plugged a tricorder into the port on=
=20
his seat, and downloaded the two dormant files that it contained.  Once=20
there, the two viruses became "live," and the ship's computers awaited=20
what was to come.

Meanwhile, the ship had decellerated, and the secondary defense computer=20
had set the shields, and the independent computers in the rapid-fire=20
phaser batteries had begun to take shots at comparatively undefended=20
parts of the the Borg homeworld.  Torpedoes were launched in a very=20
helter-skelter fashion, doing much collateral damage, but no serious=20
damage to the Borg defenses.  The main ring could not fire because too=20
many systems had to be integrated to allow it to be used.

The Borg response was coordinated, and ten cubes struck against=20
Ticonderoga's shielding, which rapidly fell.  Almost instantly, the ships=
=20
ceased fire, and hundreds of Borg transported aboard.  The crew defended=20
themselves as best they could, but the numbers and firepower being=20
carried by these Borg soldiers was much more than they could handle, even=
=20
using the sonic and photon grenades.  As far as McGinnis was concerned,=20
it was not right to expect his crew to die without a fight.  Particularly=
=20
when their deaths were required in a situation in which they didn't know=20
why they were fighting and dying.  Therefore, they were permitted to use=20
any weapons available to them to resist assimilation.

Fortunately for the crew, before too many could be captured, the Borg=20
began to become interested in the ship's computers.  Of course, the files=
=20
had already been deleted, and those that were there... weren't exactly=20
the kind of information the the Borg were expecting.

They downloaded the files, and continued about their business. =20

"Sir, we're having a hard time of it down here, they've captured some of=20
the junior crew, and damage in engineering is growing serious." came=20
MacLeod's voice over McGinnis helmet com.
"I know, we're suffering damage everywhere, but just keep those force=20
fields around the main energizer and the quantum core  connections, if we=
=20
can rebuild the structure, we can leave."

At this moment, a team of Borg arrived on the Bridge.

McGinnis pointed his phaser rifle and fired at the nearest Borg unit. =20
The shot had absolutely no effect.
"Damn!" he said.  "Moran, fire your plasma canon, I'll use my head laser."
"Aye, Sir."
Kyla fired the heavy weapon that was too bulky for most of the crew to=20
use effectively, however, her far greater than average height made her=20
one of  the three crew who could use this kind of weapon.=20

The blast from the weapon was bright green, and struck the Borg's defense=
=20
field.  The field colapsed, and McGinnis' laser split the Borg unit in=20
half, spurting a combination of blood and lubricant across the Bridge.

"Secure the Bridge, its not usable without the computers anyhow, let's=20
take this battle to other less sensitive parts of the ship!" called=20
McGinnis running for the aft exit.

Data, Schultz and Moran followed him, but T'mayek and Anders hung back,=20
concerned over a implications of totally clearing the Bridge.

"I suggest that you two clear as well, This will soon be a rather risky=20
place to be," McGinnis said, waving them to follow.
"Sir, shouldn't someone remain on the Bridge?  What if The Borg come here?"
"If they come, they'll find out what the layout is, they haven't any=20
better access to information than they have from anywhere else, now that=20
the computers are down.  There is no reason to stay, and my orders are=20
your reason to leave."
"Aye, Sir..." replied Anders somewhat uncertainly.
"A logical point Admiral." T'Mayek said, "where can I be best used?"
"Engineering, take command of some of the crew protecting the main=20
energizer, you'll have to use your thrusters, the turbolifts are out."
"Understood."
"Good luck, Commander, logical or not, you will probably need every=20
advantage that you can get."
"I appreciate your logic, if not the intention, sir," and with that she=20
entered the nearby turboshaft and began the trip to Engineering.
"The rest of you, stay with me for the moment."

During the conversation, they had traversed a large section of the main=20
hull, and were now closing on the aft-most sections, near where the=20
observation deck and shafts for the engineering hull and mega-collimator=20
ring came together.
"Sir, let's go to the ring, since they haven't got a clear idea of the=20
layout of the ship, they'll have to make sweeps, and because we know the=20
structure better than they do, we can set some traps for them," said Schult=
z.
"A good idea, you and Anders take care of that,  I want to check on the=20
security detail protecting the main computer core.  Ms. Moran, Mr. Data,=20
you are free to do as you see fit."
"Sir, I'd like to come with you," replied Moran.
"I will accompany Mr. Schultz and Ms. Anders, it is  possible that my=20
better reflexes and senses will be useful in the accelerator ring." said=20
Data.
"Very well, let's split up, keep in contact via your coms or the ship's=20
optical net if possible.

With this, all of them went their separate ways, none sure that they=20
would see each other alive, and unassimilated, again.

McGinnis walked quickly down the curving corridor, headed toward the=20
heavily armored and shielded main computer core.  It was comforting to=20
have the presence of Kyla Moran behind him, her intelligence and=20
efficiency as an officer were only matched by her loyalty as a friend.

"Kyla, I want you to know, that I am glad that I was able to prevail on=20
you to join Star Fleet, and take training at the Academy.  You've begun=20
to develop into a fine officer."
"Admiral, Thank you for bringing me into the fleet.  As you know, my=20
unusual size caused some problems on Earth, both because I stuck out in a=
=20
crowd, and because I had trouble with the buildings, most of which are=20
still not built for someone of my size.  I feel like I've got a home,=20
both in Star Fleet, and on this ship in particular."
"I'm glad that I've been able to do that much for you, your parents told=20
Admiral Jellico about your problems, and both of us were glad to help=20
out...."

At this moment, two Borg soldiers beamed in in front of them, and began=20
to fire miniaturized versions of the Borg shield weakening beams at them.

"You take the one on the Right, I've got the other," yelled Moran,=20
swinging the plasma canon onto her right shoulder.

Moran's shot dissintegrated the Borg unit, and also blew a large chunk=20
out of the near-by bulkhead.  a plasma conduate broke open, and the flash=
=20
from this, combined with McGinnis' graviton blast nnocked the other unit=20
out as well.

"Good shooting lieutenant," said McGinnis, reholstering his secondary weapo=
n.
"Thanks Admiral."

"Keep an eye out for more, we're getting close, and I've felt a number of=
=20
shocks through the decks, so others must be seeing action."
"I've felt them too, thank goodness that these decks are so heavily=20
reinforced."
"Agreed!"

They turned the corner, and came upon a scene of utter devastation.  Most=
=20
of the decking had been blown away, and much of the btubing and circuitry=
=20
behind the walls had been either totally destroyed, or was damaged and=20
sparking or burning outright.  Borg units lay thick on the floor, as did=20
a full security detail.  The mix of blood and lubricant was sickening to=20
behold, and Moran turned away, visibly trying to stop herself from=20
throwing up.

"It would appear that the Borg beat us here, I'll scout ahead while you=20
recover, as soon as you're able, use your thrusters and catch up with me,=
=20
I'll be in the computer core room, checking damage and data loss."
"OK, sir, I'll be on in a minute, I wasn't expecting ... this."
"I know, Lieutenant, unfortunately, it seems that one just gets used to=20
it as one gets older, I wish  that it wasn't so true, maybe we'd avoid=20
some of our wars if we could remember what it looks like to see our=20
friends and comrades dead."

McGinnis didn't give her a chance to respond, and quickly moved to the=20
other end of the short dcorridor.  The bulkheads here seemed intact, but=20
considering that they were a meter or more thick, as with most of the=20
rest of the bulkheads in the "cyllinder", which ran from top to bottom of=
=20
the center of the main hull, holding the Bridge, weapons control, primary=
=20
computer core, and the main-hull access point to the long access tube=20
leading to the forced quantum core, this wasn't surprising. =20

"Computer access, ..."
"Secondary protection computer ... onl-line,"
"Computer, allow access to main computer core, McGinnis, William Admiral,=
=20
access McGinnis Alpha 456."
"Access denied,"
"Reason?"
"All security software has been compromised, ... automatic locks now in=20
place until main computer is back on line."
"Damn!, they got to this computer at least." said McGinnis to himself.
"McGinnis to Lieutenant Thompson."
Thompson Here sir," came Karen Thompson's voice.
"Situation in weapons control?"
"Under contro., Borg attempted access automatic defenses have destroyed=20
fifty of them, they've stopped trying to get in for the moment."
"Understood, watch those that you can see, they've downloaded our files,=20
I hope that some of them should start having an ... effect ... soon, if=20
I've got it right."
"Understood, there are about ten outside now, but they've been sitting in=
=20
some kind of default mode for about the last ten minutes."
"Understood, I'll be there to inspect in a few minutes."

McGinnis turned around, to see Kyla sailing over the carniage and=20
destruction on her thrusters.  He looked down to see that his micro=20
sensory suite was showing a forty degree increase in ambient temperature=20
across the ship, with a few "hot spots", where larger battles had=20
apparently occurred.  Moran's trace showed up very brightly, but he was=20
glad to see that her flight had done comparatively little damage to the=20
corridor.

"Lieutenant,We're going up to the weapons control center, I want to have=20
a look around there, especially sence Lieutenant Thompson reports that a=20
number of Borg are being held off by the automatic defenses."
"Aye Sir, do you want to try and get in to the computer core?  I think=20
that I could cut through with my plasma torch."
"No, the computer says that there's been no physical security breach, and=
=20
the files have been downloaded from somewhere else in the net, so the=20
computer's shut down."
"Undertstood, I'll take point."
"Very well, I'm behind you."

They flew back across the mass of wrecked metal and bodies and then=20
entered the nearest turbo-shaft.  They rose the two levels necessary, and=
=20
exited through the doors, which had already been blasted to fragments by=20
an earlier passer-by.

"I have the Borg on my scanner, they're not reacting to us, even though=20
there are four or five directly in front of us," reported Moran.
"I see, take a shot at one of them, just to see if the others respond."

Moran fired her phaser rifle, not expecting it to work.  However, the=20
targetted Borg disappeared in a flash.
"I can't believe it, my phaser hasn't worked in half an hour, but I just=20
destroyed one without a problem.  Their shields are down, and I'm not=20
getting much mechanical activity at all.  What is active are their=20
bio-systems, which are operating way above the norm for the Borg that=20
I've scanned before.  Itslike ... they're burning out somehow..."
"Let me by," said McGinnis.

As soon as he passed Moran, he took off his helmet and saw that the=20
normally pale Borg complexions were flushed with various forms of blood. =
=20
All were sweating heavily, and one appeared to be rithing in pain.
"One of the computer viruses has taken effect, and I suspect that its the=
=20
Iconian virus, simply by the fact that the other wasn't supposed to=20
activate yet, we thought that it would have the best chance of doing=20
something to them."
"Iconian virus?"
"Oh, you don't know that mission?"
"No Sir, but the name Iconia is familiar for some reason..."
"Picard took Enterprise to investigate a distress call from USS Yamato in=
=20
the neutral zone.  When he got there, Yamato sent some files over, and=20
then blew up, all hands were lost.  The files included an extremely=20
complex computer program that had been written nearly a quarter million=20
years ago on the planet Iconia, which had technology far in advance of=20
ours today.  When they arrived at the planet, the ship was probed a=20
couple of times, and then an object was launched at it.  Turns out that=20
the object carried the program, and was meant to broadcast it into the=20
ship's computers.  They destroyed the object before it could do any harm,=
=20
but the copy in the files from Yamato nearly destroyed Enterprise, as=20
well as a Romulan ship that had intercepted the broadcast.  Picard=20
destroyed the probes that carried the program, but we were able to find a=
=20
damaged probe and extract the program, which we put in a tricorder,=20
hoping that it would have a similar effect on the Borg.  It would appear=20
that it may be working. .... McGinnis to all stations, report on the=20
progress of the Borg."

The next ten minutes were a stream of reports showing that all over the=20
ship, Borg had begun to shut down, some restarting for a time, and then=20
falling either dead, or writhing in apparent biological agony.  Most had=20
been placed in a very strong forcefield in the shuttle deck.

"McGinnis to all stations, continue collecting the functional Borg units,=
=20
take the dead ones to the air locks, and jettison them, I don't want=20
their mechanical parts restarting, should the collective figure a way=20
around our first present.

"Lieutenant Moran, I want you to find a port that will connect with the=20
auxiliary tranceiver, I need to talk with Kalis.
"Aye Sir."=09 *
Twenty-five minutes later, they had finally found a link to the the=20
ship's auxiliary tranceiver.  From what they, and other crew had seen,=20
most systems were out, or seriously compromised, and structural damage=20
varied from light to severe, depending on the area of the ship that you=20
were in.  Repairing the ship would take many weeks at a Starbase, but=20
fortunately, the main structure, warp drive, computers, and weapons=20
systems all appeared fully intact, if not operable due to power-transfer=20
damage, control circuitry breakage, and other comparatively easily=20
repaired problems.

McGinnis now sat before a terminal on the forward-most section of the=20
main hull, awaiting Kalis' response to his message.  It took time, but=20
finally the small viewscreen popped on, with the image of the older Klingon=
.

"Admiral McGinnis, i see that you are still alive, this is good news. =20
How is your battle proceeding?"
"We are seriously damaged, but all Borg units aboard ship have been=20
neutralized.  I have no external scanners, so I'm wondering how things=20
are outside."
"The Borg are having serious difficulties, some of their ships=20
self-destructed of their own accord, others are apparently out of=20
control, but there are still many functional cubes.  We are attacking and=
=20
destroying those that we can, but the in-system traffic is still too well=
=20
coordinated for us to risk entry now.  Even though fighting battles=20
against enemies that can't defend themselves well isn't fully honorable,=20
I do not believe that we would survive an in-system assault.  Your=20
friends in the sphere are launching their own fleet, so we'll let them=20
take care of the situation nearer you when they get the chance."
"Understood, our second present should be coming on-line in about twenty=20
minutes, it may work, it may not.  I have my doubts about the=20
Federation-designed viruses, they aren't nearly as complex or hardy as=20
the Iconian virus that we hit them with first."
"Admiral, only time can tell whether your plan will be successful, but=20
anything that your other tools do will help us toward an honorable peace=20
will be of importance."
"Agreed, ... Since this ship is damaged and barely operational, I am=20
going to order that we leave the system at best posible speed, we're=20
incapable of fighting any kind of sustained ship-to-ship action, most=20
control systems are either damaged or totally compromised."
"Yes, I have been scanning your ship, your damage appears wide spread and=
=20
serious, I am surprised that you can communicate with me now."
"Without the redundant systems, and the hardening of key points like the=20
main energizer and the computers, I'm certain that this ship would have=20
already been lost."
"I tend to agree.  Set your course, I'll send a ship to assist you if you=
=20
need it."
"No, I suspect that the Borg will be too busy to pay us much attention,=20
and so we'll be all right.  If you could tell the Myria that we're headed=
=20
into orbit to make repairs, I'd appreciate it, our long-range=20
communications appear to be out."
"Understood, I'll have Captain Stromgren contact them. ..."
At this moment, something caught his attention, and he turned away from=20
the screen.  Then Kalis turned back, his expression one of anger.

"Admiral, I am sorry to tell you that your wife has been lost in action=20
across the system. Admiral De L'Hotel sends his condolences, and says=20
that he will notify the Myria for you.  I, too, send my best wishes, and=20
ask you to remember that she died honorably, protecting those in your=20
Federation who could not fight for themselves."

McGinnis was in shock, his expression blank.
"...Thank you.... I'll be in contact later."
"Yes, contact me when your  repairs are far enough along."
"Ticonderoga ... out."

McGinnis sat back, trying to assimilate the news.  Unfortunately for him,=
=20
there was no time for personal grief.

"Lieutenant, I am going back to the Bridge, go to Engineering, have them=20
begin repairs, and tell Captain Data to get the ship under way, best=20
possible speed, for the Myriac system.  Prioritize on the computers, and=20
then on structural members.  Other systems can wait until we're under way=
=20
for the Federation.
"Aye Sir, are you going to be OK?"
"Yes, I'll be fine, and up on the Bridge directing repairs in that area."
"Aye Sir."  =20


Kyla left, wanting to do something, anything to help, but knowing that=20
what she could offer , ... what she wanted to offer ... wasn't=20
appropriate at the moment.  Her growing attraction to this man whom she=20
had viewed as mentor would have to wait ... for a while.


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part III Chapter XV:
By:
Matthew A. Weed

Command Log, Star Date 56496.3: Admiral William McGinnis Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga:  Recording:

We have completed the journey back to the Myria sphere.  Repairs to the=20
extensive damage done to this vessel continue, and will take quite some=20
time.  However, our losses in crew can never be fully addressed.  Nearly=20
a quarter of the crew have been killed, and forty-five others are lost,=20
presumed either dead or assimilated.  Because of these heavy losses, we=20
have been working longer shifts in order to ensure that the ship is able=20
to make the long transit back to Federation space.  The Myria have=20
totally destroyed the Borg in-space fleet, and have returned to their=20
home.  This does not mean that the Borg aren't a threat.  Neither we, nor=
=20
the Myria have been able to find justification for a bombardment of the=20
Borg homeworld, and, given time and resources, they will doubtless return=
=20
to space, posing a threat to the survival of all space faring civilizations=
.

However, for the moment, we have given ourselves a long respite from the=20
fear of assimilation.  This respite has come at a heavy cost to our fleet=
=20
as well.  Only twenty ships survive, and all have some losses in crew. =20
Federation ships now compose more than half of all our strength, and as=20
at the battles around the Klingon home world, I feel that the=20
Mycenae-style designs have proven their hardiness and their superiority=20
over the older configurations, for military action at least.  We will=20
continue repairs, and hope to leave this part of space in two or three days=
.

Commander's personal Log, Admiral McGinnis recording:

We will be leaving thousands of dead comrades behind, and with the loss=20
of my wife, I often wonder if there wasn't something more that we could=20
have done to keep more ships and personel intact.  My conclusion, hard=20
though it is to accept, is that there is little that could have been=20
done, and that we made the best decisions that could be made at the=20
time.  Obviously we could have refused to come on the mission, letting=20
the Klingon Empire attempt it alone.  Attractive though this is in=20
concept, it would have never been politically acceptable, and I don't=20
think that most of the Federation commanders, myself included, would have=
=20
been able to let the Klingons go up against the Borg alone.  Many of us=20
might have even disobeyed any abort order that might have been given.

Hopefully, the work that must still be done, will be enough to keep all=20
of us from thinking too much about what we have lost in this campaign. =20
Of course, our gains have been enormous, including knowledge of a=20
cibilization that was exploring the possibilities of high technology=20
while Earth was frozen at the height of the ice age, twenty-five thousand=
=20
years ago.  The temporary recession of the Borg threat is another=20
fantastic benefit, and one that I am very thankful for.

*=09*=09*
McGinnis switched the log recorder off, and looked about his=20
still-disheveled quarters.  Although no Borg had attempted entry into the=
=20
compartment, a number of running battles had been fought in the corridor=20
outside, and serious damage had been caused by blast effects.  With all=20
that had been going on, he had had little time to get around to=20
straightening out the mess in his rooms.  In fact, if the doctor hadn't=20
ordered him to rest for eight hours, he would have been helping out with=20
the repairs to the optical communications system.  With the ship=20
immobile, his presence wasn't needed on the Bridge, and his skill as an=20
engineer was needed all over the ship.  This fact alone, had led him to=20
allow a number of junior lieutenants to watch the conn and the sensors,=20
while the higher command staff was out and about, making repairs, or=20
directing the repair effort.

At this moment his door chime sounded, and he turned from the old copy of=
=20
_The Republic_ that he was putting back on its shelf.
"Come,"

The door opened to reveal Kyla Moran in a tight-fitting athletic jumper.
"Lieutenant, what can I do for you?"
"Admiral, I just wanted to check to make sure that you were OK, I know=20
that you've been up a lot, and you've not said much about your wife...."
"Kyla, Thank you for your concern, but I need to deal with that in my own=
=20
way, whatever that is.  When I know how to deal with it, you and the=20
doctor will be notified.  Until then, you can help me the most by keeping=
=20
an eye on the bridge for the next few hours.  I expect that some of the=20
fleet will be coming in soon."
"If you're sure that's all..."
"Yes, I just need some rest according to the doctor, He'll be unhappy=20
that I even answered your page," he said a small smile curving his lips.
"I'll be on the bridge," she said, quietly withdrawing from the doorway. =
=20

After that brief conversation, McGinnis felt very tired.  He turned down=20
the blankets on his bed and stretched out for a nap.

*=09*=09*

The chime of the com unit awoke him some time later. =20
"Sir, Moran here, The fleet has achieved rendezvous, and Kalis wants to=20
bring you up to speed on the news from home."
"Very well, Have all senior staff report to the Bridge immediately, tell=20
him that I'll be there momentarily."
"Aye Sir."

McGinnis hastened from his quarters, noting that nearly ten hours had=20
passed since he had last checked a chronometer.  Clearly the doctor had=20
decided that a little extra rest wouldn't hurt him, and with the ship's=20
repairs going very well, he had trouble getting truly angry with him.

McGinnis entered the bridge and noticed that all of the senior staff,=20
save Thale who was still in critical and unstable condition were already=20
there.  MacLeod too was missing, directing repairs on some part of the=20
great ship's main engineering deck.

"Ops, open channel to Kalis."
"Channel open," replied Anderws.
"Admiral, it is good to see that your repairs are going well.  I must=20
report to you that your Federation commanders have suffered a number of=20
important reversals over recent days.  House Durass has constructed a=20
powerful battle force, which has taken control over most of Klingon home=20
territory, including the homeworld.  Gouraon is still occupied with=20
wiping up Romulan resistance, and some of his commanders have proven=20
loyal to house durass.  The Romulans have broken the treaty which they=20
signed with Gouron, and have moved to support House Durass.  Between the=20
Romulan forces and those of house Durass, I think that Gouron will not=20
command imperial forces for long.  Federation ships have been dispatched=20
to the Klingon and Romulan borders to ensure Federation security.  The=20
the Farengi are being denied access to those parts of Federation space=20
which border with either the empire or the Romulans, and they have=20
declared war on the Federation.  So far, their attacks have not proven to=
=20
be a major nuisance to Admiral Jellico.  This is all that I know."

Suddenly, before McGinnis could respond, one of the Klingon ships powered=
=20
its weapons and fired a full broadside into Ticonderoga's secondary=20
hull.  The effect was devastating, as the shields had not been raised, as=
=20
no attack could have been expected from a supposedly friendly fleet.  The=
=20
aft recreation deck was immediately vented to space killing many.  More=20
died in the sudden collapse of the main shuttle deck's structure, and=20
finally, and most importantly, a photon torpedo exploded just short of=20
the great bulkheads that protected the engineering deck.  These were=20
blown in, and before the shocked systems could respond, many had been=20
blasted apart by the huge chunks of flying tritanium and duranium from=20
these thickly armored pannels.  Others died as a result of exposure to=20
vacuum before the ship's systems could respond.  The loss in life on the=20
Engineering deck was terrible, and would have been worse had the=20
atmospheric containment fields not come up about half way down the length=
=20
of the great chamber.

"Red Alert, shields up! ..." said McGinnis from the floor.  "What was=20
that?" he demanded as he tried to climb into his command chair.=20
"Sir, we've been hit by a broadside from one of the new Klingon light=20
dreadnoughts.  Severe damage on all engineering decks, massive loss of=20
atmosphere, casualties are reported as "devastating,".", said Anders=20
looking at her board which had lit up like a stock exchange.
"Sir, the remainder of our fleet  has destroyed the rogue, no damage to=20
other vessels," reported Schultz, as he shook his head to clear it.
"Very well, why didn't we know that that was coming?"
"Sir, the new Klingon ships can power their disruptors very quickly, and=20
so they took all of us by surprise.  There was nothing that either the=20
defense programming or human controllers could do."
"Understood, I suggest that we try to improve both before next=20
time....Get me in contact with Kalis."
"He has just hailed us sir."
"Put him on."
"Admiral, I convey the regrets of myself and my people for the=20
dishonorable attack.  I offer all assistance in your repairs and with any=
=20
medical needs that your Federation ships can not handle."
"Unfortunately, there are few cases needing attention, most crew were=20
either killed by exposure to disruptor ipact, torpedo blast or vacuum. =20
If we need assistance, I'll be sure to ask, what we need right now is=20
time to consider our damage and decide whether we can get the ship back=20
to Federation space under her own power."
"Very well, I shall speak with you in an hour's time, if that will be=20
enough for your damage survey."
"That will be acceptable, McGinnis out."
The screen blanked, and McGinnis turned to the job of coordinating his=20
crew's response to the fantastic damage that had been done.

Thirty minutes later, the entire senior staff, or at least all of those=20
who were able to report, were in conference-1.
"I want concise reports, we will report to Kalis, and to the rest of the=20
Federation fleet in less than half an hour.  I need to know what our=20
needs are....Medical"
"Sir, we have 143 confirmed deaths, thirteen missing, and thirty-seven=20
requiring immediate stasus treatment, as due to their condition.  I have=20
stabilized them so that they will make the trip back to base without=20
difficulty."
"Very well, that means that we have approximately sixty able-bodied crew?"
"Yes Sir," replied the doctor.
"Very well, Engineering?"
"Sir, most of the engineering crew is dead, the computers are handling=20
most of the repairs, the automated systems are functioning as well as can=
=20
be expected under these conditions.  We need a lot more duranium and=20
tritanium, I estimate about thirty-thousand tons of each, and time.  I=20
think that the ship is structurally sound, and that we can proceed at=20
anything up to warp eight for the moment, but higher speeds will require=20
diversion of energy and resources away from the structural fields and=20
atmospheric containment systems." Said Elane Johnson, who was now the=20
head of the engineering department, as Robert MacLeod was currently being=
=20
maintained in a stasus field after a tritanium shard struck him, causing=20
massive internal injuries, which were far beyond the ship's comparatively=
=20
limited sick bay's ability to handle. =20
"Thank you lieutenant, you'll get all of the resources that we can=20
spare.  We will proceed at warp seven until you clear us for higher=20
speed, we are in no absolute hurry to get home, and its a long=20
trip....Weapons?"
"Sir, all weapons systems are intact, except for the engineering hull=20
collimators, all of which have suffered structural rupturing.  We have=20
been able to jurry-rig the lower collimator, but port, starboard, and=20
upper collimators are irreparable in space.  All other weapons are fully=20
available.  Security systems are seriously compromised while we are=20
putting so much energy into the engineering systems, but there is little=20
likelihood of boarding at the moment.  I have the security crew in armor,=
=20
so if anything comes up, they'll have the firepower to deal with it."=20
said Schultz.
"Thank you,  ... Mr. Data?"
"Sir, I have been inspecting the ship from the outside, and I believe=20
that we will be able to patch the hull within hours.  After that, we will=
=20
need much time to repair the structural members and I suspect that we=20
will not be able to launch shuttles or other small craft without repairs=20
to the shuttle bay's  sub-systems in a star base facility.  Other than=20
this, I believe that we are able to proceed on your orders."
"Very well, I shall contact Kalis and the Federation commanders, tell=20
them of our needs, and as soon as that is done, I believe that we should=20
go home.  We will fly a course that will allow us to avoid Klingon space,=
=20
which is obviously frought with dangers which I believe it best not to=20
tempt under the conditions likely to prevail aboard ship when we reach=20
near-home space.  We will therefore circumvent Cardassian territory, and=20
travel through an area of space which seems to show little activity in=20
terms of highly-developed civilizations.  We will stop for nothing, until=
=20
we reach the outpost in the Bajoran system.  We all have much work to do,=
=20
so let's get to it so that we can begin the trip home.

*=09*=09*
Command Log: Stardate 56503.4: Admiral William McGinnis Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga recording.

Kalis found the spy who was able to allow the Commander of the rogue ship=
=20
access to our communications.  He has dealt with him in the traditional=20
Klingon way.  Between the twenty remaining ships, and the Myria, we have=20
collected enough raw materials to make all possible repairs on the ship=20
while in transit.  The computers are fully restored after these difficult=
=20
experiences, and the automatic repair systems are doing an incredible=20
amount of work.  Without them, I think that it is likely that we would=20
have had to scrap this vessel.  All energy systems are back on line, and=20
Engineer Johnson reports that she feels that we can safely travel at warp=
=20
9.5, if absolutely necessary.  For the moment, we will fly at warp 9,=20
until all repairs are made.  The Federation Commanders have chosen to=20
accompany us until we are able to travel at maximum velocity, at which=20
point they will move to assist Gouron.  Our course will allow us see to=20
both crewmembers and ship's systems alike, with as little disruption as=20
possible.  I expect that our journey home will not be quiet, and am=20
expecting to return to known space in approximately forty-five days=20
time.  In the mean time, we will have much to keep us occupied.

McGinnis turned to the helm, where Kyla Moran sat awaiting orders.
"Ms Moran, warp 9 on your preprogrammed course, engage."
"Warp 9, aye."

All throughout the ship, those who remained, rejoiced at the beginning of=
=20
the homeward journey.  A journey, which they all knew,  was far from over.


********************************



SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part IV: Chapter XVI
By:
 Matthew Weed

Command Log: Stardate 56737.8, Admiral William McGinnis Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga reporting.

We are less than three hours from the outer edges of Federation space,=20
and five hours out of Bajoran station DS9.  The trip home, thanks to good=
=20
fortune, has been quiet.  For some reason, I have the feeling that the=20
events at home will bring this peace to a sudden end.

The ship is now at 99.2 percent of optimal functionality, with the=20
remaining losses related to the port, starboard, and upper engineering=20
phaser collimators, which can not be repaired without total replacement=20
of most of that equipment.  The ship's structure is still somewhat=20
weakened in the engineering sections, but in general, I feel that the=20
ship's repair systems and those crew that have been able to return to=20
duty have done a truly miraculous job, particularly under the terrible=20
circumstances that we have faced. =20

The ship has not been out of warp  space since we left the Myria sphere,=20
and less than a quarter of the original crew is fcapable of performing=20
its duties.  The computers were not at full functionality until the third=
=20
week of our trip home, and without them, the repair systems and equipment=
=20
is much more difficult to control.  Fortunately, we were able to get=20
enough raw duranium and tritanium to fill our needs before we left, and=20
most other parts have been replicable from ship's stores.  However, we=20
enter an extremely unstable political situation in our home region=20
terribly under supplied and exhausted.

I have been in continuous communication with Admiral Jellico at Starfleet=
=20
Headquarters, and the military situation is far worse than I had feared=20
that it might be.  House Durass has taken control of the Klingon empire,=20
with a fleet nearly as powerful as that which the Klingons had four and a=
=20
half years ago before the military losses suffered at the battle of=20
Borg.  Gouron has been defeated by a combined Durassite Romulan force,=20
which quickly dispatched the few remaining Klingon forces.  I must assume=
=20
that, unfortunatley, Kalis will be attacked as soon as he reaches Klingon=
=20
home space next week.  I can not warn him, and hope that he will know to=20
proceed with caution.

Federation forces were not able to intervene, and this has cost us=20
dearly.  The Klingons, Romulans, and Farengi have struck at various key=20
points in the Federation, including a number of military positions, and=20
the planet Betazed.  Civilian casualties there are estimated at=20
approximately 3 billion.  War has been declared, but the fleet=20
construction program is still a year from full swing, and it will require=
=20
at least two years for us to reach parody with our enemies.  I have been=20
directed to have a look at DS9, and show the flag on the Cardassian=20
border, so that their government does not decide to break their treaty=20
with us.  For this reason, we are proceeding to DS9 at warp 9.6 and=20
expect to be there soon.  Hopefully we will have a few hours to get some=20
shore leave in while we are there.

*=09*=09*
McGinnis sat in the command chair of USS ticonderoga as it swept into the=
=20
Bajoran system.  Finally, after just slightly more than six months, the=20
ship was back in Federation space.  The peace that everyone felt at the=20
knowledge was tempered by the fact that all of them had lost many friends=
=20
in the recent conflict with the Borg, and and that they were coming home=20
to a Federation whose future was in peril.  A situation which had not=20
prevailed for more than a century.

"Ops, main scan, report on in-system traffic."
"Activity seems normal enough in all areas, we are still out of range for=
=20
direct scan of DS9, wwe will enter range in thirty seconds."
"Understood, get me a channel to DS9."
"Channel open, sir."
"This is Admiral William McGinnis, commanding the Federation Starship USS=
=20
Ticonderoga, to DS9, requesting permission for transfer of shore leave=20
parties."
"DS9 to Ticonderoga, you are cleared for docking on outer pylon 6,=20
welcome home."
"Thanks for the welcome, we'll perform docking procedure in four minutes,=
=20
Ticonderoga out."
"Sir, I am now scanning the worm hole, no activity in the area at all, in=
=20
fact, DS9 is almost devoid of docked ships.  I see no designs that the=20
computer doesn't recognize, so there's apparently no Gamma quadrant=20
traffic in at the moment.", said Janet Anders.
"Very good, I want the computer to maintain scan on the wormhole while=20
we're docked, Although DS9 has been upgraded to some degree since we were=
=20
last here, we still have more firepower than the station, and should=20
anything come through, we'll be the point ship."
"Aye, I'm setting the sensors to continuous tactical scan, the computer=20
will notify all bridge personel should anything come through."
"Very good, ... Helm, begin to decellerate, perform docking maneuver at=20
your convenience."
"Aye Sir," said Moran.
"I am setting all of you loose the minute we're docked, the computer will=
=20
be set at defense protocol one, so if you want to beam back, make sure=20
that the computer has cleared you before you come aboard.  I expect that=20
most of us will not get much time off after this, so take advantage of=20
it, its been nearly four months since we've had any rest, and all of us=20
need a breather.  Should you need me, I'll be  With Commander Cisco and=20
then at Quark's."
Nods of acknowledgement came from all of the officers.  At least two of=20
them made quiet plans to keep an eye on the Admiral, as General order 15=20
was still on the books, and none of them wanted to be the first to have=20
to tell Starfleet that the hero of the Borg campaign had been lost to=20
kidnappers or Bajoran terrorists.
"Sir, we're thirty seconds from dock," announced Moran, as the ship=20
decellerated from warp to sub-light speed.
"Good, Ms. Moran, you have the conn until we dock, I'll be working with=20
the dcomputer.  All of you may leave your stations as you finish your=20
closing down cycles."
All of the crew, even data, began shutting down their stations, locking=20
them to restart with either voice or retina scans from at least two=20
bridge staff officers, or McGinnis' general restart command codes.  Only=20
tactical and helm remained unlocked, in case the ship's weapons were=20
needed at short call.
"Computer, recognize McGinnis William R.  Code lock protocal defense-1, ...=
"
"Recognize, Admiral William R. McGinnis, ship protocol defense 1, ready,=20
give final codes for ship-wide security lockdown."
"Code Alpha 1273, condition one hour, or departure of all active crew."
"Code Alpha 1273, with time one hour recognized, give codes and=20
conditions for general restart."
"Restart code, recognize  McGinnis, William R, Admiral, or any two=20
first-watch officers voice and retina scans.  Codes appropriate to those=20
officers."
"Codes loaded, conditions loaded, awaiting final code for one-hour=20
countdown."
"Code McGinnis, William R, Alpha 3257, continuity, one hour countdown, mark=
!"
"Code approved, one hour to security one lockout."

Ops, put me on intership."
"You're on, sir."
"This is Admiral McGinnis, as you are all aware, we have just docked with=
=20
the station Deep Space 9.  You are all encouraged to take leave while we=20
are here, I expectthat we will depart in about twenty-four hours.  The=20
ship is under a code-1 lockdown until then, so you will be able to get to=
=20
your quarters, but all ship's systems are under security lockout.  You=20
will need either myself, or two command officers to access any core=20
systems.  Have a good break, I believe that we shall be out for some time=
=20
again, so take advantage of the time, McGinnis out."
"Sir, docking complete," said Moran.
"Very well, dismissed."

With this all of the bridge officers rose and left, leaving McGinnis=20
alone for a few moments.  However, soon, he left as well, headed for his=20
meeting with Commander Cisco.       =20


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part IV: Xhapter XVII=20
By:
Matthew A. Weed

"Admiral, it is good to see you after more than a year.  I understand=20
that you've been busy lately." said Commadore Benjamin Cisco who had=20
recently returned to command the Federation detachment at Deep Space 9,=20
after a period of exploring in the Gamma quadrant. =20
"Yes, Commadore, I am glad to see you here as well.  With the growing=20
importance of trade with the Gamma quadrant, this station, and the=20
Bajoran system in general, have gained tremendous strategic importance to=
=20
the Federation.  Admiral Jellico tells me that you were requested by the=20
new Bajoran government's chief minister?"
"Yes, Minister Kira did ask me to come back, she felt that having me here=
=20
while the Federation's attention was diverted from this part of space=20
would be helpful to her regime's efforts to stabilize traffic and develop=
=20
further economic returns from the growing trade coming through here.  As=20
I've never been a military commander, Command agreed to let me come back=20
if I wished."
"Well, as I said before, I'm pleased to have you here.  Can you tell me=20
anything about recent Cardassian activity in the area?"
"yes, they have shown some signs of fleet reconstruction, but the Bajoran=
=20
in-system fleet is now more than sufficient to handle them for long=20
enough to get major starfleet assistance here, should that become=20
necessary.  Personally, I am more concerned about the Dominion, their=20
interest in the activities on this side of the wormhole has grown sharply=
=20
over the last few months, and since we can't get major military units=20
through the wormhole, and have no base rights anywhere in the Gamma=20
quadrant, our information about their capabilities is limited."
"I see.  As I remember, there is no way to get a cruiser or=20
battle-cruiser-sized ship through the passage?"
"Yes, but scout-sized ships are capable of passage, and the Dominion's=20
resources shouldn't be underestimated.  I would think that they can=20
probably put firepower equal to most of Starfleet into action, if they=20
feel the need."
"True, but as long as they can't get large ships through, I would think=20
that they won't be much of a threat, as long as the Bajorans are aware of=
=20
the threat, and given Starfleet as a back-up.  I will be in the area for=20
the next few weeks, "showing the flag," if you need further assistance,=20
but obviously I can't do any kind of reconnaissance on the other side=20
with Ticonderoga."
"Thank you for the offer, I hope that we won't need that kind of help,=20
but its good to know that you'll be in the area for a while."
"Then, unless you have anything else that I need to pass on to Fleet=20
headquarters, I believe that I'm going to go down to Quark's for a bit=20
and get my mind off of business."
"Very well, I can send security if you need it," offered Cisco.
"No, I have my phaser with me, and There are few beings on the station=20
that would have had the chance to know our schedule, as Ticonderoga was=20
only ordered to come here twelve hours ago."
"All right,... I hope that you have a restful time."
"Thank you."

McGinnis moved through the DS9 operations center, and took the turbolift=20
to the promenade.  Almost immediately after he stepped out of the lift,=20
he saw Walter Schultz and one of the  ship's security officers trying to=20
remain unconspicuous, while still able to see him.  He knew,=20
intellectually, that this was their duty, but he had ordered them to get=20
some time off while they had the chance.  However, giving them a direct=20
order to stop shadowing him would be grounds for a fleet investigation,=20
and he had no desire to deal with a General order inquiry.  He turned=20
away from them, and headed toward Quark's.

Immediately on entering the place, he saw Quark moving toward him.  The=20
little Farengi had, to McGinnis' mind, an almost infinite capacity for=20
scheming, and despite early setbacks, he had made the proverbial  pretty=20
penny from Gamma quadrant activities.  The Farengi had moved to take=20
advantage of business opportunities, and despite some nasty run ins with=20
peripheral members of the dominion, they had been quite successful in=20
developing a thriving trade with many races in the Gamma quadrant. =20
However, with the recent hostilities, the wormhole had been closed to=20
much traffic, both Farengi and other, and it was clear that quark was=20
glad to see the business, even if it was from a Starfleet military crew.

"Admiral, it is good to see you again, its been nearly two years since=20
you honored my establishment with your presence," said the barkeep in his=
=20
oily voice.
"Quark, I see that you still remember me.  If you remember me well, you=20
will know that I do not wish to be bothered with inconsequential small talk=
."
"I didn't mean to bother you,..." said the Farengi backing off quickly.
"You weren't, ... yet, and you would be well not to do so at the moment. =
=20
Have your help get me my regular, and leave it at that."
"Yes, yes, Terran "BLT," with "fries," and "salad,"" said Quark,=20
hastening away to fill the order personally.  The man, who Quark's=20
sources told him, had just led Federation forces to a sound defeat of the=
=20
Borg, was not to be trifled with.

*=09*=09*
After his meal, and a  game of dabo, McGinnis left the bar, wishing to=20
see what had changed on the station since his last visit.  Again, he=20
noticed a trail, this time composed of the station security chief, Odo,=20
and Kyla Moran.  He could not order Odo off, but Kyla could be released=20
from her self-appointed duty. ... McGinnis turned around quickly, and=20
tapped his communicator while looking directly at the tall, blonde young=20
woman.
"McGinnis to Lieutenant Moran," he said.
her surprised look was quicly followed by the proper response:
"Moran, here."
"As Mr. Odo is likely to follow me about the station, you may consider=20
yourself released from the requirements of General Order 15, I don't need=
=20
a security detail, and you need your rest. ... McGinnis out."

He turned around, after seeing her confer with Odo for a moment, and then=
=20
turn toward the Klingon restaurant.

Not thirty seconds after this conversation, The feeling of impending=20
throuble that McGinnis had been having since Ticonderoga reached=20
long-range scanning range of Bajour materialized in the form of two=20
rapid-fire events.  The first was the sounding of the red-alert klaxons=20
on the station. =20

McGinnis stood, indecisive as to whether to return to the ship or go to=20
station ops.  He quickly realized that the ship would need to get clear=20
of the station's firing arcs to allow it maximum effectiveness if this=20
situation had an external cause. =20

Less than a minute later, he stood at the outer gangway, as the second=20
ceal opened on the air lock, giving him admittance to the ship.  he ran=20
to the nearest turbolift and got to the bridge.  Ten seconds after this,=20
he was sitting at the Ops station, reading the mass of data coming in=20
over the sensors.

These showed at least nine Cardassian cruiser-class ships headed for=20
Bajour, and the response of the Bajoran fleet.  Then, they began to=20
detail the second, far more serious, event.

The wormhole flared to brilliant activity, and as McGinnis watched in=20
mute fascination, hundreds of small warp-capable ships began pouring out=20
of it.  These were quickly followed by twenty-three larger ships, which=20
began, almost immediately, to move into some form of docking maneuver. =20
With this event, McGinnis realized that a very serious situation had=20
begun to develop.

"McGinnis to central computer, condition Alpha 1, emergency crew recall,=20
all personel, USS Ticonderoga, return to ship immediately, for immediate=20
departure."
"Code Alpha-1 message to all crew has been sent, all crew have responded=20
as per regulations," replied the computer.

McGinnis knew that many would have criticized his decision to allow all=20
available crew to leave the ship at once, but with the computer's=20
security measures, and the ability to fly the thing single-handedly if=20
necessary, he felt that staggered shore-leave parties would do little=20
good for his space-weary crew.  The worst thing about this situation, in=20
his opinion, was the fact that his crew would not be getting any more=20
rest, which all of them richly deserved.  His mind quicly turned from=20
this issue to other matters.

"McGinnis to deep space 9 control, request immediate clearance for=20
undocking. ... Request open channel to Commadore cisco."
"Cisco here," replied The Commadore as his image replaced the main=20
viewer's picture of the construct now being finished just outside the=20
wormhole.
"Commadore, you know this area, is this a Dominion force?"
"I know of no other power on the other side capable of sending through=20
that many ships, I would make that assumption for now."
"Understood, I am ranking officer, and will make contact with the=20
Dominion commander, you shall liaise between me and Bajoran military=20
authorities.  For the moment, you should consider the Dominion forces as=20
top priority, as their combined firepower is far greater than that of the=
=20
Cardassian squadrons.  Contact Starfleet Command for assistance, I will=20
be too busy to do so.  Also, be aware that I may have to leave you to the=
=20
dominion forces, should the Cardassians break through the Bajoran defense=
=20
fleet.  Launch all of your run-abouts, and do whatever else you feel=20
appropriate to your command and resources, notify me as necessary,=20
mcGinnis out."

By this time, his crew had all come aboard, and the ship was ready for=20
emergendcy departure.

"Mr. Schultz, scan that fleet, report on capabilities. ... Ops, get me a=20
channel to the main vessel."
"Aye Sir," replied Schultz and Anders together.
"Helm, undock, as soon as we're clear of the station, set us on a direct=20
course, full impulse, to intercept those fighters."
"Aye Sir," replied Moran.
"Sir, I have scanned the fleet, their technology is comparable to ours,=20
with the main ship being constructed of smaller units as you have already=
=20
seen.  It has phased-plasma weapons as its main offensive capability,=20
these are more powerful than our plasma torpedoes, but also require more=20
energy to fire.  There are more than 200 secondary particle phasers, with=
=20
single-unit output of about 1/3 of each of our particle weapons. =20
Over-all, I'd say that we can take that ship with some difficulty.  The=20
fighters use particle phasers, and have small photon-torpedo style=20
missiles, estimated yield of about three megatons per weapon, there are=20
four missiles per fighter.  Each fighter is easily capable of knocking=20
out an unshielded run-about, but the run-abouts should be able to polish=20
off a number of them due to superior speed and phaser output.  However,=20
there are too many to take out that way, Bajoran close-defense forces=20
will have to do a lot of that work, and they'll be strained to the limit."
"Understood, Ops, that channel," said McGinnis.
"They aren't responding as yet, I'm still trying."
"I see, tell them that we will be forced to try to halt their advance, by=
=20
force if necessary, if we do not communicate."
"Aye Sir, adding the information."

long seconds passed, while everyone waited or a response, any response.
"Sir, they're continuing to advance," said Schultz.
"Very well, change course to 153 mark 24, close on the main ship and=20
energize the main ring.  main and auxiliary shields up, bring the ship to=
=20
red alert status."

With this, the computer announced the cnage in status with a combination=20
of klaxons and verbal notification.
"Sir, shields up, main ring charged, we are now within range."
"Very well, Ops, notify them that if they don't change course and stand=20
to, that we will open fire."
"Aye Sir,"

The construct continued to advance, its bulk now clearly visible on the=20
main viewer.
"No response," said Anders.
"They're still approaching," announced Moran from her station.
"Very well, Tactical, fire a full blast across their bow, duration one=20
second."
"Firing," replied Schultz.
The bolt flared white against the blackness of space, and then the bridge=
=20
staff had to wait to gauge the effectiveness of the warning shot.


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part IV: Chapter XVIII
By:
Matthew A. Weed

"Sir, they have stopped advancing," announced Schultz.
"Good, Ops, get me a channel to that ship," said McGinnis.
"Aye, ... chanel open ... sir," said Anders, some surprise manifesting=20
itself on her face.

"Put them on screen," replied McGinnis, somewhat surprised himself.

The image that came on the main viewer was, to say the least, ugly. =20
McGinnis was not normally a xenophobe, but this being was quite clearly=20
the most distasteful thing that he had ever seen.  Were it not for his=20
starfleet training, he suspected that he would have ordered his crew to=20
destroy the ship on sight, simply as a response to the purely visceral=20
feeling that he got from looking at the being.
"I am Taklat, commanding the Dominion forces in this area.  You will=20
agree to cease and desist in your "exploration," of our part of space, or=
=20
we shall destroy the planet in this system, and your base."
"I am Admiral William McGinnis, commanding the United Federation of=20
Planets Star Ship Ticonderoga.  Your demands are heard, but I do not=20
recognize your authority to make them on *this* side of the wormhole. =20
You shall retreat to your side of the phenomenon, or I will be forced to=20
use all available resources to incapacitate your forces."
"Your explorations, and the activities of your farengi allies have=20
brought much social disorder in the dominion, and I will not stop until=20
you agree to utterly cease all activity in our spaces."
"I have no authority to speak for the government of Bajour, in whose=20
system your forces are now located.  I am also not empowered to speak for=
=20
the Farengi, but on behalf of the Federation,i am willing to consider a=20
temporary halt to all Federation activity on your side of the=20
phenomenon.  At least until a Federation negotiating team can be sent to=20
your capitol in order to negotiate other terms."
"This is not acceptable, *all* activity will stop, or we shall destroy=20
the planet."
"I am sorry to hear that you are unwilling to negotiate, I suspect that=20
it will require at least fourty-eight Federation standard hours to bring=20
the necessary Farengi and Bajouran negotiators together.  I shall speak=20
with the Bajouran government if you like, as this is their system, they=20
can probably order all non-bajouran ships out of the system, but I=20
suspect that they will not be willing to do so."
"I shall tell them directly."

and with this the channel closed.
"Evaluation?"
"Sir, we can not defeat both Dominion and Cardassian forces.  I would be=20
damned surprised if they are working together." said Schultz.
"Why?"
"Because the Cardassians want the system as an economic resource in order=
=20
to develop tolls and other imposts on wormhole traffic.  Bajour has=20
become a wealthy planet, and after the current hostilities with the=20
Romulan and Klingon Empires are over, I suspect that the economic=20
benefits of the wormhole for Bajour will only grow.  The cardassians are=20
probably thinking the same thing, and since our defeat of their main=20
fleet five years ago, their economy has been in terrible condition. =20
Reconquest of this system would go far to help them out of their current=20
troubles."
"Very well..."
"Sir, we must protect the planet, the Bajourans must be the top=20
priority," said Anders.
"I tend to agree, but there are a number of key targets in this system,=20
if the Cardassians or the Dominion forces capture any of them, it will be=
=20
much more difficult to get rid of them," replied McGinnis.
"I think that we should try to contact the Federation and see if Star=20
Fleet Command can send help." said Moran.
McGinnis stared at her for a moment.  In the mad series of events, he had=
=20
forgotten that he'd ordered Cisco to do just that.
"Ops, get Cisco on the viewer," he said.
"Commadore Cisco coming on screen," replied Anders.
"Comaadore, report on your progress."=20
"I've gotten to Admiral T'laz at Starfleet, she says that there are no=20
available resources at the moment, and she expressed her confidence in=20
your command and tactical abilities...  I've talked with Minister Kira,=20
and she asked you to do what you could to defend the planet, she says=20
that they can't handle the Dominion and the Cardassians at the same=20
time.  All of my ships are out, and we're shadowing the fighters on their=
=20
way to Bajour.  Mr. Nog's report is that he should be able to hold them=20
long enough for you to get their and negotiate with them."
"Very well, this means that you're on your own versus that ship out=20
there, I can't stay to help.  I'm going to try to help the Bajourans slow=
=20
down the Cardassian fleet, and then give the Cardassians something more=20
important to use their ships for.  Do you think that you can handle that=20
ship out there?"
"It'll be close, our weapons aren't the best.  If you can divert the=20
run-abouts, I think that i can trap them between my ships and the base,=20
and we'll have to see after that."
"Very well, order your ships back, I'm on my way to deal with that fleet."
"Good luck, sir."
"The same to you Commadore, keep in direct contact with Admiral T'laz,=20
I'm turning command of this situation over to her."
"Aren't you going to tell her tat?"
"No, and since I outrank both of you, she won't have too much to stand on."
"Yes sir!", said Cisco, who was clearly not pleased at having to act as a=
=20
messenger.
"McGinnis out."

With this McGinnis turned back to Anders.
"Dommander, get me a channel to minister Kira."
"Aye, .... Channel open."

"Minister, This is Admiral William McGinnis commanding the United Star=20
Ship Ticonderoga.  Have you heard from the commander of the Dominion forces=
?"
"Yes, and I won't accept his terms.  For that reason, I'm making a direct=
=20
request of you and all other Federation resources in the area for=20
assistance to a Federation-allied government."
"Thank you, we are on our way.  If you would get me a link to your=20
commanding officer?"
"yes, the code is being transmitted now."

Anders nodded to show that she had it.
"Thank you, Ticonderoga out."
"Comander, get me through to the Bajouran commander."
"Aye, coming up now."
"Admiral McGinnis, I am general Tyrae, it is good to speak with you."
"General, what is your current diployment?", asked McGinnis bypassing the=
=20
courtesies as unjustifiable under the current conditions.
"We are diployed against the Cardassians, with only ground-based forces=20
to hold off the Dominion fleet."
"Very well, I am moving to occupy them for a bit, so push the Cardassians=
=20
back as much as you can, I'll deal with them as soon as you've engaged=20
the dominion forces."
"What is your plan?"
"I don't think that it would be wise to discuss it in detail, simply say=20
that I will make sure that the Cardassians decide that a rediployment of=20
their forces is ... necessary."
"All right, I'd like to know what you're planning to do, but as ranking=20
Federation officer, you have the right to refuse to tell me."
"General, I would do so if I felt that there was time, but there isn't,=20
and this channel is not fully secured."
"You are right, do as you see best."
"McGinnis out."

"Helm, set course 157 mark 36, short duration burst at warp nine to get=20
us in front of those ships.  ... Tactical, engage all shielding, bring=20
the secondary weapons on line, set for rapid-fire, independent targeting,=
=20
"Aye, Sir," replied Schultz and Moran.

The ship leapt forward, and slowed just as quickly. Immediately the=20
computer-controlled weapons opened fire, blasting many of the small and=20
comparatively under-defended fighters out of space.  As the toll began to=
=20
rise, the fighters began to duck and weave, trying to avoid the far=20
bigger ship's guns.  Their maneuvers wer semi-successful, both because=20
there was little pattern to them, and because there were too many targets=
=20
for the independent targeting nodes to handle.

"Sir, they're avoiding our shots, we're barely ten percent effective.  I=20
suggest that we commit the auxiliary computer core to assisting the=20
rapid-fire weapons targeting controllers."
"I agree, you may proceed at your earliest convenience," replied McGinnis.
"Redirecting, ... now!" said Schultz.

The act was only minimally helpful, despite the massive computing=20
resources now going to predicting and targeting, there were just oo many=20
targets, acting too randomly.  Worse still, even though Ticonderoga had=20
slowed their forward progress, the fighters were beginning to fly around=20
the ship at a range sufficient to defeat the comparatively short range of=
=20
the particle phasers.
"Mr. Schultz, bring the ring to full power, knock out some of those ships=
=20
that are trying to slip past us, and try not to miss, I don't want them=20
to get an idea as to our range on that weapon for a bit.  I don't want to=
=20
have to start chasing those little ships with torpedoes."
"I agree, but despite the fact that we're running low, we may have to use=
=20
them."
"I am well aware of  that, but the better your shooting, the longer we=20
can wait."
"Ring charged, standing by to fire."
"You may proceed."

 The fighters' tactics had suddenly become ineffective.The main ring's=20
greatly superior range and striking power resulted in the destruction of=20
many of the small ships.  Also, as the ring could strike over greater=20
ranges, it's effectiveness was even greater, as it could more easily=20
knock out fighters that had slipped past the ship's mid-line.  The tactic=
=20
forced the fighters to begin a rapid retreat away from the great ship's=20
new weapon.  However, McGinnis didn't want to show their entire hand, so=20
the ring was only used out to a range of 700,000 kilometers, slightly=20
less than its maximum effective range.=20

"They're still backing off, trying to get around us."
"Good, keep them backing, fire *one* torpedo, set it to detonate at one=20
million kilometers range, try to take out a clump of them."
"Why ... Aye, sir." replied Schultz, realizing McGinnis' plan.

The photon torpedo flew from its bube, and detonated amongst a small=20
cluster of the little ships.  Because space does not carry shock waves,=20
it only destroyed four, but the blast still forced the Dominion crews to=20
back off very quickly.
"Good, they are probably wondering just how much they have to give before=
=20
we hit our limit, since the particle weapons stopped at half a million,=20
and we haven't fired the ring at more than 700,000 kilometers, they've=20
got to be getting tired of playing cat and mouse like this." said=20
McGinnis, noting that the little ships had moved out to nearly 2 million=20
kilometers.
"Tactical, plasma torpedo, just one, tshoot for any of those fighters at=20
1.9 million." said McGinnis.
"Contained plasma torpedo ready," replied Schultz.
"Fire!"
The longer torpedo raced through space, and a second later, blew another=20
pair of fighters to atoms.

"Sir, they're backing off *very quickly*.  Range now 2.3 million... 2.4=20
million... 2.5 million... 2.7 million.... 2.85 million and holding."
"Very well, just let them think on it for awhile."
"They're just sitting there, apparently they don't want to test us=20
again," said Moran from her station.
"Well, we've got no better place to go, so we
 shall wait until they decide to move. ... Tactical, have another torpedo=
=20
ready the second that they move."
"Standing by...." replied Schultz, ordering the computer to fire at=20
anything that moved and was within safe range.

The wait continued for nearly half an hour.  It was tedious, frustrating,=
=20
and very concerning to McGinnis.  While he sat, holding down one force,=20
the Cardassians were taking their toll on the Bajouran home fleet.  If=20
this were lost, the system would be in enemy hands, and retaking it would=
=20
be just as difficult, no matter whether those hands were Cardassian or=20
Dominion-dominated in character.  Meanwhile, DS9's small ships had been=20
destroyed by the construct, which had broken into its constituent parts=20
in order to handle them.  It was a contingency that McGinnis had=20
considered, but had hoped would not happen.

He was waiting for the Dominion to make a mistake, and they were waiting=20
for Cisco to let down his guard.  Over all, there was much too much=20
waiting going on for his satisfaction.  However, there was nothing to do=20
but keep waiting...

Finally, things changed, and not for the better.

"Sir, I have an incoming transmission from Bajouran fources commander."
"... yes, yes, put it on screen."

McGinnis brought himself out of his trance, and turned to the main viewer.
"Admiral, the Cardassians are about to break our line, we need your help=20
now!"
"I can't move, more than two thirds of the entire Dominion forces are=20
still sitting in front of me, and if I move, they'll level every=20
structure on your planet.  There's no way that you can hold them off=20
without your main fleet."
"I am well-aware of that, but you'll understand that we do not want the=20
Cardassians to return to power in this system," said the Bajouran=20
general, somewhat tensely.
"I am aware, but if you are alive, you can always be freed later.  The=20
dominion will ensure that that is not a possibility. ... unless..."
"Ops, put that on hold!"
"done," replied Anders.
"Tactical, helm, how long would it take for us to get to Cardassia from=20
here at maximum possible speed?"
"About forty-five, maybe fifty seconds, at warp 9.975, but we'll have to=20
shut everything else off to get theree that fast."
"Fine, set a course for the Cardassian fleet, warp seven.... wait until I=
=20
tell you to engage."
"Ops, reopen that frequency."
"General, switch all of your forces to my location, I'm going to handle=20
the Cardassians now, but its a risky bet at best."
"What are you going to do?"
"Let them fire on us."
"What!"
"Let the mfire upon us, it will let us intervene more directly, as it=20
will be a violation of the cease-fire that was signed five years ago."
"Very well, ... For Bajour's sake, I hope that you know what you are=20
doing.  We are disengaging now, I hope that you can intercept the fleet."
"I'm not concerned about that."
"Very well, Tyrae out."
"Helm, set course, and engage, ... tactical, shields up, main ring to=20
full power, load torpedo bays, bring secondary phasers on-line, and=20
prepare to lock into distributed computers.  Lock main ring and torpedoes=
=20
into central computer, and have the systems control the firing sequence."
"Aye Sir, standing by for range....  ten=20
seconds...eight...six...four...two...range achieved, awaiting your=20
clearance to fire."

As McGinnis had hoped, the Cardassians fired at the Federation vessel,=20
doing only moderate damage to the outer shielding.  However, it gave him=20
the excuse that he needed.
"You may fire at your earliest convenience," he said.=20

The blast of energy from the federation super-starship ripped into the=20
Cardassian formation, reducing the seven remaining ships to five. =20
McGinnis was glad to see that these ships were too seriously damaged to=20
pose any serious threat for at least a few minutes.  It wasn't much of a=20
window, but it was all he had time to create.  As McGinnis expected, the=20
Cardassian vessels returned fire, but both due to their damage, and=20
Ticonderoga's massive shielding advantage, they  scored no damage.
"Now, accelerate to maximum possible velocity! execute!" McGinnis said,=20
and the great ship shot through the Cardassian formation, and accelerated=
=20
to nearly warp 9.98.  Except for navigational shielding limited computing=
=20
power, and  inertial dampeners,  *nothing* was powered.  The ship was now=
=20
streaking headlong into a very risky divertion which McGinnis hoped would=
=20
get the Cardassians to back off from Bajour, and remember the treaty=20
limitations to which they had agreed, not five years=20
previously.             =20


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part IV: Chapter XIX:
By:
Matthew A. Weed

Command Log: Stardate 56745.8: Admiral William McGinnis Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga Recording:

We are headed to Cardassia, on what I would call a "diversionary=20
tactic".  I hope that it works.

"Tactical, the moment we begin decellerating, engage the phase-cloak, and=
=20
stand by.
"Helm, keep our course so that we come out of warp in near-orbital space,=
=20
and set a course straight for the Cardassian capitol city, bring us to a=20
halt at 200 kilometers above ground level."
"Aye Sir, plotting post warp course.  It may be difficult to get the kind=
=20
of acuracy you want in twenty seconds..."
"Well, if you miss, we're all going to be in trouble, so do your job as=20
well as you always do it."
"Aye..." replied Moran with a concerned and thankful look his way.
"Tactical, the second that we stabilize, switch off the phase-cloak, and=20
raise all shielding.  Bring the auxiliary phasers on line, and leave them=
=20
charged.  I hope that we won't need to use them."
"Aye Sir, programming..." replied Schultz hunching over his station.
"Now fifteen seconds from deceleration," announced Moran.
"Stand by.... and hold on, I suspect that we will feel this decelleration=
=20
with power shunted as it is," said Anders.
"Commander, send out a lock down warning, and hope that everyone's=20
already at stations."
"Aye, warning out."
"Now five seconds...four...three...two...one......"
The rest of Moran's countdown was overwhelmed by the shriek of the ship=20
coming down from ultra-high velocity as hard as it possibly could. =20
Everyone was buffeted about in their stations, but because the computer=20
had locked them all down, noone was thrown to the floor.
"Engineering, report!" said McGinnis into the air, as he felt the slight=20
shift of perspective that always came with the use of the phase-cloak.
"Engineering, Data here, sir.  I believe that all of the crew here are=20
functional, no major injuries.  The phase-cloak is operating normally,=20
and all other systems and structures are holding at nominal levels."
"Thank you Mr. Data," said McGinnis to his first officer, who was now in=20
charge of engineering, as no senior officer was left to handle the=20
responsibilities.  The bridge could function without him, and both of=20
them had thought that his presence in engineering would be the most=20
"useful," after the extent of the casualties had become clear after the=20
incident with the rogue Klingon ship.  Therefore, Data had been=20
supervising the engineering repairs since that time, and would retain his=
=20
post until the ship could return to base for final repairs.

"Sir, now passing through upper atmosphere," reported Moran.
"Hold your course, notify me when we're inserted at the proper level."
"Twenty seconds to position."

All of them watched as Cardassian defenses scrambled to deal with the=20
invader that had ripped into their system at speeds that the Cardassian=20
command had assumed were impossible.  However, with the phase-cloak in=20
operation, the regular levels of ionic interference in Cardassia's upper=20
atmosphere made finding the ship absolutely impossible.  Of course,=20
McGinnis had counted on this....
"Position achieved," announced Moran.
"Very well, ... tactical, disengage phase-cloak, shields and auxiliary=20
phasers to full power.... Ops, get me a channel to the Cardassian=20
leadership."

The ship flipped into visibility, only a few hundred kilometers above the=
=20
capitol city of the Cardassian Empire.  To put it mildly, this was the=20
last place that the Cardassian defenders would have liked to find such a=20
powerful, and unhappy, enemy.

"Sir, we've gota response," said Anders, with more than a bit of humor in=
=20
her voice.
"Put them on screen," replied McGinnis.

"I am Gul Meset, and I demand to know why you have invaded Cardassian=20
territory."

McGinnis recognized the man, he had dealt with him, both on the field of=20
battle, and over the negotiating table.  He did not like, or trust,  him=20
in the slightest.
"Gul Meset, It is good to see that you are still alive," said McGinnis,=20
more than a bit of sarcasm in his comment.  "Your ships have crossed into=
=20
Bajouran space, thereby violating the treaty that you and I signed five=20
years ago.  Quite honestly, I am surprised that you would be so lacking=20
in respect for your old enemies.  However, that is not important now. =20
What is important is that you have violated the cease-fire, and this=20
being the case, I will have to respond in kind unless you withdraw from=20
the Bajouran system immediately."

"Admiral, it is good to see you again," replied Meset in his typical,=20
oily voice.  "Had I known that you were back from your recent mission,=20
and with such a grand new ship, I would have rethought the wisdom of=20
trying to retake the wormhole at this time.  However, I know that things=20
are going very badly for the Bajourans, and that we will be able to take=20
the planet without too many shots fired.  By the time your response is=20
made, I will have the wormhole, and you will have to retake it by force."
"That is as may be, but you forget that I'm sitting so close to your=20
capitol city that if you fire on my ship, and miss, you will do great=20
damage to your governing center.  Of course, you'll have to turn your=20
defensive satellietes around to hit this ship, and by that point, they=20
will be annihilated.  In any case, I believe that you need, ...=20
convincing, ... of the seriousness of my intentions.  Therefore, I shall=20
destroy a large fraction of your orbiting defenses ...in two minutes,=20
unless you call off your ships."
"I can not do that, Admiral." replied Meset.
"Very well, but know that I did warn you, ... Ticonderoga out."
"Tactical, lock auxiliary phasers on those orbiting platforms, knock them=
=20
down as quickly as possible.  Charge the main ring, but don't use it=20
unless you can't shoot down anything with the smaller weapons."
"Aye, Sir!", replied Schultz, rapidly programming the computers to do=20
something that he thought should have been done long ago.

The phasers struck in many different directions.  There were a lot of=20
orbiting defense satellites, and some were shielded.  However, combined=20
fire from the auxiliary weapons was sufficient to deal with even these=20
platforms.  However, the work went slowly, and it took nearly half an=20
hour to knock down all of the close-range orbiting defenses.  Those that=20
were in far orbit would have to wait until later.

Just as the ship was finishing with the first stage of its assigned task,=
=20
a small cardassian defense shuttle streaked in, hoping to get in a lucky=20
shot on the upper edge of the ship's main hull, or on a warp nacelle. =20
The auxiliary weapons were not fully charged, so the main computer was=20
forced to use the ring to knock the flea out of the way.  The  flare of=20
light was so bright that anyone who was looking at the great ship was=20
blinded.

Apparently, this event got the Gul's attention where the knocking out of=20
his home defenses had not.

"Sir, I have a transmission from Gul Meset," announced Anders.
"Put him on."
"Admiral, ... it is possible that we could negotiate a new agreement that=
=20
would be satisfactory to both sides, I hope?"
"No, unfortunately, you have proven your inability to stay with=20
agreements that you make.  Here are my terms. =20
1.  You surrender all military vessels of the Federation classification=20
of light-cruiser or higher to the Bajouran provisional government.
2.  You allow me to destroy all ship construction facilities on Cardassia=
=20
IV, and you release all prisoners held there.
3.  You remove all of your planetary defenses, except for the deep-space=20
and atmospheric defenses. =20
4.  You agree to flash inspections of all military and civilian=20
construction facilities by any power that desires them.
and 5, you withdraw from Bajouran space immediately."
"Those are incredibly harsh terms!" snapped meset.  "You must know that=20
they would leave us practically defenseless, and that they would cause=20
major disruption to our internal political and economic  structure."
"Yes, I am aware of the consequences, and believe that you and your=20
friends in the military would be rather too busy dealing with your=20
internal problems to cause Bajour, or the Federation, any trouble for=20
quite some time.  ... Meset, I have too many other problems demanding my=20
immediate attention to allow you the ability to come in on the side of=20
house Durass in the action going on with the Klingons and Romulans, and I=
=20
am unwilling to trust you to keep any lesser bargain."
"I see, then I suppose that I shall have to refuse your terms."
"As I said, I am quite busy at the moment, and would rather not have to=20
delay here any more than is necessary.  I will, if necessary, begin a=20
bombardment of your planet ... which is within my rights under the=20
treaty, considering that you broke the cease-fire first."=20
"I shall contact you in a moment," said Meset, who cut the channel from=20
his end.

"Sir, with all due respect, I'm not sure that Command will be happy with=20
what's going on here," said Anders from her station.
"I think that you are very likely right, but unlike the treaty five years=
=20
ago, which we signed under conditions which approximated those of the=20
golden age, we can't afford kid gloves any more.  Cardassia is not a=20
major threat to the Federation as a whole, but it can threaten allied=20
governments like Bajour, and with much of our military strength occupied=20
in other areas, they pose a reasonably serious threat to some members in=20
the outer areas of Federation space. This game of brinksmanship, if it=20
works properly will allow me  to ensure that they are busy with their own=
=20
concerns, and with our inspectors, for a while.  Sooner or later, a=20
politician will cut back on my restrictions, and it will be back to=20
business as usual.  However, for the moment, while I've got them where I=20
want them, it seems prudent to make sure that business as usual will stop=
=20
here and now, for a while at least."

Anders turned back to her station, shocked at the hard hand that McGinnis=
=20
was willing to use on the Cardassians.  Had this been an unknown=20
civilization, the violations of the prime directive that he was=20
contemplating would have been too numerous to count.  As it was, she felt=
=20
that McGinnis was taking the short-term view, and that ultimately=20
Cardassia would have to be reformed, not forced into an unacceptable=20
peace.  However, McGinnis was a brilliant military strategist, and she=20
knew that the star fleet that she had joined as an ensign fifteen years=20
previously was not the organization that now defended the Federation from=
=20
a newly hostile galaxy.  She hoped furvently that she would not be forced=
=20
to command a ship in this "new", and retrenched organization.

Her reverie was cut short by a blinking light on her pannel.  It was=20
Meset, calling back.

"Sir, Gul Meset on main viewer," she said.

"admiral, I have conferred with my colleagues, and we have a counter=20
proposal."
"I'm listening," replied McGinnis, well-aware that negotiating was not=20
one of his strong suits.  he had been included as military representative=
=20
on the negotiating team five years ago because some of the diplomats had=20
not been sure that The Cardassians would listen to the Federation=20
delegates without an obvious sign of "commitment," to their original=20
cease-fire terms.

"We are willing to pull out of Bajouran space, allow inspections of our=20
construction facilities, and disarm to the levels set in the treaty five=20
years ago."
"Unacceptable," replied McGinnis. ... "If you follow your terms, plus=20
disarming to the fleet strength of the Bajouran home forces,  release all=
=20
political prisoners, and allow me to take out your construction=20
facilities, I will accept your offer."
"A moment, please."
"My time, and patience, are short." replied McGinnis.

The screen reverted to its view of the suddenly-empty air and ground=20
traffic patterns on that side of Cardassia.

McGinnis felt that he had no choice but to up the ante even further. =20
However, in spite of his inherent lack of respect for the Cardassian=20
military, whose technology was twenty years behind this new ship, he did=20
know that if he pushed too hard, things could slip out of control. =20
However, a strong enough blow against the Cardassian Empire would also=20
force them to deal with internal problems before they could retalliate. =20
By that point, the war in the north would have either been won or lost. =20
He therefore decided to use the strongest card in his hand.=20

"Computer, log general Order number 24, stardate 56745.9.  The following=20
procedures for this bombardment schedule.  All offensive and defensive=20
systems of this vessel shall now be under direct control of the main=20
computer core, with override priority to the commander and tactical=20
officer.  Should these be incapacitated, control shall stay in the main=20
computer, until the first officer can assess the situation.  Bombardment=20
priorities shall be as follows: military installations, space-based; =20
Military installations, ground-based, communications, transportation, and=
=20
governmental control facilities;  and Civilian populations as lowest=20
priority targets."
"Command order, general order 24, recognized.  Prioritizations and=20
computer control procedures accepted.  Awaiting time for commencement of=20
controlled weapons assault."
"Time is 60 minutes, mark." said McGinnis.
"60 minutes recognized and locked, bombardment shall begin in 60 minutes."

"Sir, Gul Meset back for you," said Anders.
"Put him on," replied McGinnis.
"Admiral, we will agree to all of your terms, except for the disarmament=20
clause.  We can not hold down our military commitments with such minimal=20
forces."
McGinnis translated this in his mind to 'hold down our conquered=20
territory'.  Verbally he said:
"you must disarm or I can not accept your terms."
"I am not permitted to disarm to that level, but I am willing to allow=20
you to ensure that we will not build further forces."
"You will not stand in the way of a total bombardment of your=20
construction facilities on Cardassia IV?"
"yes, that is quite right."
"That is a welcomed concession, but it is still insufficient. ... I would=
=20
trade you Bajour and a half forces for relief of the destruction of=20
purely civilian construction facilities on Cardassia IV. "
"I shall be back with you momentarily."
"Meset, tell your people that this ship's computers have been set to=20
begin a general order 24 bombardment of this planet in fifty-eight=20
minutes forty-five seconds."
"I see... Meset out."

"Sir, I respectfuly suggest that you're pushing him too hard," said=20
Anders from her station.
"Ms. Anders, I understand your reservations, but we do not have enough=20
force to take a more standard route, so I must hold the proverbial gun to=
=20
Meset's head.  If you can't accept what is happening now, you are=20
welcomed to call for relief and stand down on your duties until we return=
=20
to home port."

Anders' head turned sharply at this, the shock clear in her eyes. =20
McGinnis had come down on her hard in the past, but this was unprecedented.
"No Sir, that will not be necessary."
"Good!, I would hate to lose one of my best officers at a time like this."

Time passed, and the small status clock in the main viewer was showing a=20
bit less than ten minutes when Anders turned to McGinnis.
"Gul Meset for you sir."
"Put him up there, and let's hope that this is the last time."
"Admiral, if you will agree to forces twice the size of current Bajouran=20
strength, destruction of our ship-building facilities, unnanounced=20
inspection tours, and no releases of political prisoners, we can live=20
with that."
"Very well, I shall write an agreement, and we shall sign via sub-space=20
link in five minutes."
"Very well, I await your call."

McGinnis was glad that the original treaty had allowed him (or any other=20
full admiral), to sign such a reinforcement of the treaty, if Cardassia=20
broke it.  He had been surprised that they had gone for it then, but with=
=20
three-fourths of their fleet destroyed, and the Bajourans calling for the=
=20
destruction of Cardassia, they had had little choice.  He was even more=20
surprised that the Cardassians had tried to break the agreement so=20
flagrantly.  Admittedly, there wasn't much in the way that the Federation=
=20
could have done, had Ticonderoga not been in the area. This single=20
happenstance was all that stood between Bajour and either Cardassian=20
defeat, or destruction by the dominion fleet; McGinnis knew2 that either=20
could still happen if things didn't play out just right.

"Ms. Anders, get me Star Fleet HQ, priority one, for Admiral Jellico only."
"Aye sir, it will take a moment."
"Very well,"

McGinnis quickly wrote the terms of the new cease-fire, and loaded them=20
into the ship's main computers for immediate transmittal to Admiral=20
Jellico when the link was established.
"Sir, Admiral Jellico on the main viewer," announced Anders.

"William, what is your status?"
"Sir, While my crew was taking shore leave at Deep Space Nine, a powerful=
=20
Cardassian fleet struck at the Bajouran system.  At practically the same=20
moment, a powerful fleet from the Dominion crossed through the worm hole,=
=20
and began to move toward Bajour.  We gave them appropriate warnings, and=20
then began to fire upon their fleet, as their stated objective was the=20
destruction of Bajour.  The Cardassians, meanwhile broke through the=20
Bajouran line, so I told their commander to deal with the Dominion=20
forces, while I stared down the Cardassians.  before I could even come to=
=20
a halt,  they fired upon this ship.  I did not fire first, and therefore=20
interpreted this as a violation of the Federation/Cardassian treaty.  As=20
the Bajouran military asked for Federation assistance in the matter, our=20
alliance and economic treaties also seemed to govern  my actions since=20
then.  I am now sitting over the Cardassian capitol, and have forced the=20
Cardassians to agree to major force reductions, destruction of their=20
military construction facilities, and a pull-back from the Bajouran=20
system.  I wanted to be sure that you'd back me on this before I make=20
them sign the new cease-fire."
"Yes, of course, I will back you, their actions in the last few months=20
have been a concern as you know, and that was why I wanted you in the=20
area.  The council may have some problems with the preemptory nature of=20
your action, but they owe you a lot, after the Borg campaign's success, I=
=20
wouldn't worry about that much.  Go ahead, take whatever action you feel=20
is necessary, but keep Cardassian casualties to a minimum."
"Thank you, Ticonderoga out. ... Ops, Get me in touch with Gul Meset."
"He's waiting on channel II."
"On the viewer if you will,"=20

"Meset, here are the terms of the new cease-fire, you should begin=20
evacuating your facilities immediately, I will be at Cardassia IV in four=
=20
hours to begin the destructions."
"Yes, I am sure that you will be, your treaty is now signed by me,=20
representing the Cardassian military and government."
"Good, then I look forward to reports that your forces have departed=20
Bajouran space."
"You shall have them.  Admiral, as always, it is a pleasure doing=20
business with you."
"I'm glad you think so, if you and your government would take a less=20
beligerent stance, I believe that we could meet less frequently.  Gul=20
Meset, you must understand that such a decrease in the frequency of our=20
meetings would please me as much as it would you.  For now,  I wish you=20
good health and prosperity, ... McGinnis out."

The channel closed, and McGinnis sat back, letting out a deep sigh.  The=20
"negotiations" had been easier than he had expected.  He had honestly=20
expected to have to destroy a number of Cardassian cities before the=20
Cardassian government gave in.  Of course, they might well be planning=20
something, but there was no way to know for sure.  Until the ship was out=
=20
of Cardassian space, it would remain at red alert.

"Ms. Anders, keep an ear open for a call from Bajouran military or=20
governmental headquarters.  Notify everyone that we will remain at=20
condition 1 for the moment, but that if crew get clearance from their=20
departmental heads, they are welcomed to stand down their stations for=20
brief periods of time in order to move about the ship."
"Aye Sir, notification is out, awaiting Bajouran signal."

Within moments, the message had come through.  The Cardassians were=20
pulling back, and the computer had confirmed that it had been General=20
Tyrae making the report.  With this out of the way, McGinnis could begin=20
to think about the work ahead.

*=09*=09*

Four hours later, the ship was in orbit over Cardassia IV, but as=20
McGinnis had expected, a major difficulty had arisen.  Apparently the=20
Cardassian military had chosen not to evacuate their construction=20
facilities.  McGinnis saw no reason for unnecessary casualties, but then=20
again, he wasn't a cardassian.

"Ms. Anders, try to raise Gul Meset."
"Trying... I have another Gul, by the name of Dahrat."
"Very well, put him on the main viewer."
"Gul Dahrat, I want you to know, that I intend to destroy your=20
construction facilities, and I would like to keep casualties on both=20
sides to a minimum.  That won't be possible, if your government does not=20
remove your personel from those bases.  You and I both know that I am=20
within my rights under the treaty of Bajour, and the cease-fire of=20
Cardassia  to destroy those bases, inhabited or not.  However, I see no=20
reason for unnecessary casualties.  Therefore, I will give you an hour to=
=20
remove your personel."

"Admiral, many of our soldiers do not want to leave those bases.  We have=
=20
removed all of the people that can be removed."
"Very well, but I want it known here that I gaave those people the chance=
=20
to leave your installations.  I do not want to be known as the man who=20
heartlessly slaughtered innocent Cardassian construction workers."
"We will not record it so, but you must know that the Cardassian people=20
will remember you that way."

McGinnis knew this well, and there was nothing to be done about it.  He=20
also knew that the Cardassian government would portray him as a heartless=
=20
killer, representative of a power full of officials and military people=20
who wanted to kill Cardassians so that they would not rise to their=20
appointed place in the Galaxy.  It could not be helped.
"Gul Dahrat, I will offer those people one more chance to evacuate=20
themselves, then I shall destroy those bases, inhabited or not."
"I understand, Admiral. Dahrat out."
"Ops, send those people a final warning, tell them that they are welcomed=
=20
to evacuate by transporter or shuttle for the next fifteen minutes, after=
=20
that, we shall open fire."
"Sent, Sir."

At this moment, the Cardassian patroll ships that had, until then,=20
respected the great warship's firepower, drove forward, hoping to defend=20
their friends and relatives on Cardassia IV.  The automated systems were=20
ready, and the small ships, though numerous, were destroyed out of hand=20
by torpedo and auxiliary phaser fire.  Only one ship was powerful enough=20
to break through the defenses to the fifty-thousand kilometer defense=20
limit, which resulted in the discharge of the main ring.  One shot, and=20
this small light-cruiser-class ship disintegrated into a violent=20
maelstrom of light and heat.  By the time that these ships were=20
destroyed, McGinnis' time limit had passed, and the bases awaited=20
destruction.

It was handled, as everything else this day had been, by the computer. =20
Carefully targetted blasts took out power generation facilities, which=20
either fusion or matter/antimatter powered, supplied more than enough=20
destructive potential to destroy the orbiting facilities, or render them=20
unusable for many months to come.

The planetary facilities were taken care of by discharges from the main=20
ring, mostly using its particle phaser settings.  Although not as=20
destructive as the high-energy standard settings, these were more=20
appropriate to carefully planned and targetted fire.  The planetary=20
facilities were often located near prison facilities, many of which=20
contained Cardassian political prisoners.  The fire was carefully aimed=20
and none of these prisons suffered damage.  This despite the fact that=20
the ship never came closer than a million kilometers from the  planet. =20
Within an hour, the job was done.

"Tactical, shut down all weapons, save the main ring.  Leave it at=20
stand-by status, and engage the phase-cloaking device.  Also, give me=20
your analysis of what we have seen here."
"Sir, all weapons except main ring are now shut down.  The ring is at=20
stand-by status, phase-cloaking device engaged.  In so far as what we've=20
seen here is concerned,  I would say that we can safely assume that the=20
Cardassians hurried forward construction on a number of the ships that we=
=20
saw at Bajour, because they believed that they could capture the system=20
while Federation and other resources were directed elsewhere.  this is=20
the main reason for the lack of ships in progress in the docks at this=20
time.  We were very fortunate to have been there when we were."
"Thank you, I tend to agree. ... Helm, set course for Bajour, warp 9.6,=20
we still have the Dominion to deal with."
"Course laid in, and warp 9.6 engaged," replied Moran.

With these words,  the already invisible ship, accelerated toward Bajour,=
=20
and a situation which had not yet been fully dealt with.


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part IV: Chapter XX
By:
Matthew A. Weed

Command Log: Stardate 56746.2: Admiral William McGinnis, Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga, recording:

We are returning to Bajour, in order to assist their dwindling defense=20
forces against a large fleet of craft sent there by the Dominion.  It is=20
fortunate that we were there, because there are few  resources in the=20
area.  Had the Bajourans sent a distress call, and another federation=20
vessel responded, it would have taken too long for it to arrive, and any=20
other single ship wouldn't have had sufficient firepower to dislodge the=20
Cardassians from Bajour, or defeat the Dominion fleet.  I can't avoid the=
=20
feeling that we've been lucky.

HOwever, while we have been ensuring that the Cardassians will not be=20
able to violate the cease-fire agreement for some time to come, the fleet=
=20
from The Dominion has continued to work over the Bajouran home fleet,=20
which was already weakend after their defensive battle against the=20
Cardassian attack  force.  We were able to whittle the Dominion ships=20
down some, and stop the Cardassians, but there is still a very real=20
possibility that the Bajouran civilization will be destroyed by the=20
Dominion, which claims that the influences coming from this quadrant of=20
the galaxy are disrupting their internal political relationships.  Quite=20
honestly, I can't say whether this is true, and because of the size  of=20
this vessel, and the serious depletion of its crew, I believe that =20
direct investigation would be difficult.  Hopefully we can come up with=20
an acceptable arrangement, as the Dominion has declared its determination=
=20
to destroy Deep space 9, and Bajour as well.

The destruction of the space station seems a reasonable goal, but it is=20
unclear to me why they wish to destroy the sponsoring government's=20
planet.  This is only one of the many issues to which we now return from=20
Cardassia.

"Helm, ETA at Deep Space 9?"
"At our current warp 9.6, we will arrive at DeS9 in two minutes twenty=20
seconds."
Tactical, do we  have an evaluation of the military situation yet?"
"Sir, computer's working on it now, but preliminary results suggest that=20
the Bajouran fleet has held against the fighter forces, and DS9 is still=20
trading fire with the Dominion construct.  We are still too far to be=20
able to tell what the conditions aboard either the station or that ship=20
are.  It'll be another half minute before I can guess, and about eighty=20
seconds before we're close enough for a final evaluation."
"Right, disengage phase-cloaking device, power all weapons, and stand by."
"Phase-cloak disengaged, all weapons powered and standing by," replied=20
Schultz.
"Helm, adjust course so that we have the construct trapped between=20
ourselves and the space station."
"Aye, computer is handling tactical navigation, and has changed course=20
according to your new perameters," reported Moran.

The computers were best at making split-second changes in course, as they=
=20
could take simple perameters, and make the mathematical calculations=20
necessary to achieve the goal.  Therefore, when in battle, the helmsman=20
could just use a touch-sensitive surface and tell the computer where the=20
ship should be.  This was only useful in high-speed situations like this=20
one, where the actual course correction was tiny, only requiring a slight=
=20
change in the ship's angle of approach.

"Sir, we now have preliminary data on shielding and weapons," announced=20
Schultz.
"Report."
"DS9 is nearing shield failure, with moderate damage to many parts of the=
=20
outer areas of the station.  All of its weapons are still functional, but=
=20
with loss of shield integrity, this probably won't hold long.  The=20
construct has suffered much more structural damage, possibly due to the=20
weaknesses which would result from using that kind of modular design. =20
Their shields are in better condition than those on DS9, and they still=20
have full estimated weapons."
"Thank you, when we get into range, have the computer target shields and=20
weapons, I want to be sure that they can leave if they so choose."
"Aye, setting perameters."

The great ship closed on its target, and began to slow in order to come=20
into the proper position.  However, the commander of the Dominion ship=20
could see Ticonderoga closing on his vulnerable weak side, preparing to=20
catch him in a powerful trap.  There was no choice but to back off, any=20
other action being likely to result in the fiery deaths of his crew,=20
their mission not yet complete.

"Sir, Dominion construct moving to avoid the vice," reported Schultz.
"Very well, then we take them on one-on-one. ... Helm, course 168 mark=20
299, warp 8."

The ship dove down and right,  nearly reversing its direction.  This=20
maneuver took it away from the Dominion vessel, which slowed its retreat.
"Now, come around to course 16, mark 24, warp 9.6," said McGinnis tensely.

The ship swung about sharply, and was suddenly closing on the surprised=20
dominion commander.
"Tactical, fire all weapons, target weapons and shielding, secondary=20
targeting on engines."

The ship spat torpedoes and then phased energy, all of which crashed into=
=20
the shielding of the dominion vessel, nearly crumpling it on the first=20
attack.  Ticonderoga shot past the Dominion vessel, and then began to=20
swing around for a second run.

However, the Dominion commander now knew that his opponent had better=20
speed than he did, and so depended on superior maneuverability.  The ship=
=20
reversed course hard, and caught Ticonderoga with a blast from its plasma=
=20
torpedoes.  The great ship staggered slightly, but remained unaffected. =20

Now, it was a battle of maneuverability against firepower, and despite=20
its over-powered impulse drive, Ticonderoga could not maneuver as quickly=
=20
as the Dominion ship did.  However, it could use vastly superior=20
firepower to deal with the ship.

"Helm, bring us around to 196 marc 38, warp 2.  Then, when we're just=20
passing over them, bring us straight up, full impulse."
"Course plotted, laid in."
"Tactical, ready the main ring, and load aft torpedo tube with photon=20
torpedoes.  When we've swung up, the computer should fire the torpedoes,=20
and then hit them with the ring after they passs below us.  If it=20
doesn't, do it yourself."
"Aye sir, computers are in agreement with you, locks are already set."
"Good,..."
His comment was interrupted by a hard jolt from the enemy vessel which=20
was trying to get a lucky shot in on the forced quantum generator. =20
Unfortunately for them, the auxiliary shields took the hit, where the=20
main shields had temporarily been overwhelmed.  There was no damage from=20
the attack.  Ticonderoga was much more lucky.  Its torpedoes slammed into=
=20
the weakened shielding of the enemy vessel, breaking it totally.  The=20
blast from the main ring smashed into the weapons section of the alien=20
ship, utterly destroying it.  The force of the blast was so great that=20
the construct broke up into its constituent parts.  Clearly, they could=20
not recombine.

On the surface of the matter, this was good, meaning that the enemy had=20
lost their main heavy weapon.  However, some of the parts careened=20
through space, unpowered, and uncontrolled.  One of them struck DS9 a=20
glancing blow, causing massive structural damage to the habitat ring and=20
the new outer docking facility as well.  the station hadd clearly been=20
put out of commission for some time to come.

"Sir, those ships are headed for the fighter groups, I think that they'll=
=20
try to slug it out with the Bajouran ships, and I'd bet that they'll have=
=20
a respectable shot at it.  On a unit-for-unit basis, they're about a=20
match," said Schultz.

"Very well, we'll have to make sure that they've got fewer units.  Also,=20
since we're nearly out of resources, tell the computer to set the=20
torpedoes to hunt down groups of fighters and destroy them."
"Aye, setting perameters, computer is already locking on the constrct's=20
units.  Firing the main ring."

Pulses of fire struck at the scout-sized ships, which had no chance of=20
withstanding this heavy artillery.  After a few moments, the combined=20
efforts of the Bajouran and Federation weapons had knocked out most of=20
the construct's subunits.

McGinnis now felt that he could push the commander of the Dominion's=20
forces to give him a cease fire, and a retreat from Bajouran space for=20
some period of time.

"Ms. Anders, get their ranking officer for me, put him/her on the main=20
viewer as soon as you have established contact."
"Aye Sir, it may take a moment."
"We have time."

Meanwhile, the great ship's rapid-fire weapons were knocking out more of=20
the fighters, which were trapped between it and the Bajouran space=20
forces.  McGinnis knew that if they broke the Bajouran line that there=20
were still far too many for the Bajouran air forces to handle, and that=20
their little photon-style missile weapons would do critical damage to=20
populated areas of the planet.  For this reason he was willing to take=20
added risk, such as allowing himself to be in a position in which he=20
could be hit hard by these same craft.  Clearly the pilots realized this,=
=20
and were maneuvering to fire at their large adversary.

The primary shielding was still down, but the auxiliary and secondary=20
shields, just as powerful as the primaries, were holding well, despite=20
the hail of three-megaton explosives hitting them.  Ultimately, it came=20
down to whether the combined fire of Ticonderoga nad the bajouran fleet=20
would destroy the fighters before they could take out either of the two=20
forces opposing them.  Clearly, the dominion's commander was willing to=20
wait until a clear decision came before discussion with McGinnis would=20
occur. =20

The final decision came when a number of short-range patroll ships from=20
the Federation's Cardassian border fleet arrived in-system, in response=20
to Commadore Cisco's continued calls for assistance.  Their added=20
firepower began to allow for a slow, but steady offensive that pulled the=
=20
Dominion's fleet back to the area of the wormhole.

Seeing that he was in a natural position to hold the Dominion fleet in=20
the system, without chance of easy escape through the wormhole, McGinnis=20
simply decided to sit still for a while.
"Helm, just sit here for a while, I want him to have to negotiate his way=
=20
home." said McGinnis.  With this, a signal from the Dominion forces=20
commander came to Ticonderoga.

"Admiral McGinnis, you have bested us this day, but I do not intend to=20
leave the matter unfinished.  The presence of you and your allies in our=20
spaces is dangerous to our way of life, and we are willing to fight to=20
the death to protect it."
"I understand your concerns,but there is little that I can do to address=20
them.  I suggest that you speak with the head of the Bajouran government,=
=20
they may be willing to restrict trafficthrough the wormhole  until a more=
=20
satisfactory agreement can be made.  As commander of Federation forces, I=
=20
can only tell you that Federation shipping will be given direct orders=20
not  to pass through for some period of time, until my superiors on Earth=
=20
overrule me, or until they feel that we can make Bajour safe from any=20
attack that you may attempt."
"Very well, but I believe that you should be a part of this conversation,=
=20
as yours is the most powerful force on your side at the moment."
"Agreed, I shall set up the conference call.  If you will please wait a=20
moment."
"Certainly."

With this McGinnis waved to Anders to begin making the necessary calls. =20
He then turned to Walter Schultz.

"Mr. Schultz, what is your analysis of remaining forces, both sides?"
"Sir, the Bajourans have taken heavy losses between the Cardassians and=20
the Dominion forces.  I estimate that less than half of their fleet is=20
battleworthy.  Two of the light patroll craft from our own fleet are=20
destroyed, with four left more or less undamaged.  DS9 is seriously=20
damaged, repairs will take quite some time.  We have suffered major=20
losses in shielding, but only one of their missiles penetrated, and it=20
did practically no consequential damage as it struck the upper=20
engineering hull, just increasing the damage to the secondary collimator=20
there.  It was too weak to do much damage to the hull itself."
"Thank you, dominion forces status?"
"Sir, they have only two of those construct parts left, one is the=20
command section, the other appears to have been part of the energy=20
production system, and is unusually heavily shielded and lightly armed. =20
They still have almost half of their fighters, but I am quite certain=20
that we can deal with those should it be necessary."
"Good, would the Bajourans be able to handle them alone?"
"No sir, not a chance.  There are too many of them and they're too mobile=
=20
for the remaining Bajouran forces to deal with without Federation=20
assistance."
"Thank you, that is important to any hope of peace."

"Sir, Minister Kira on channel two, she is willing to confer with the=20
Dominion force's commander."
"Very well, put them both on screen,"

"I am Minister Kira of the Bajouran Government.  You have invaded our=20
space, and tried to destroy The Bajouran people.  Now that you are=20
defeated, I demand your immediate surrender to either Federation or=20
Bajouran authority."
"Minister, your activities threaten the survival of the dominion, and we=20
can not permit you to continue to use the wormhole.  Therefore, we demand=
=20
that you agree to stop all missions through it, something that Admiral=20
McGinnis claims that he can not do."
"We have the power to do so, but you are not in a position to enforce terms=
."
"MMinister, I can see all of your forces here, and although the=20
Federation is very powerful, its ships here are few, and I am unwilling=20
to believe that they would waste such resources here on the chance that=20
we will come back.  I will also tell you that ours was a probe force,and=20
that larger forces can be collected to defeat your defenses."

At this point, McGinnis cut in.
"Commander, you may be able to bring greater forces, but at the moment,=20
you would have difficulty getting home to inform them of what you have=20
seen.  As long as you are on this side of the hole, I can keep you from=20
getting back through, by simply sitting just outside the portal and=20
letting you try to pass.  Also, rebuilding your forces, even for another=20
attack might take longer than it would take for us to get enough ships=20
here to stop you.  I suggest that you accept a temporary stop to transit=20
through the wormhole, until such time as better negotiations can be=20
carried out.Otherwise I will have to keep you from transiting the=20
wormhole, and you  can not get to Bajour, which would leave you totally=20
defeated and dead as well.  If you were completely defeated, your people=20
wouldn't know what you've found out,which would leave your government in=20
danger for a longer period of time, while the Bajourans continued to=20
sponsor use of the wormhole from this end.  At your end, you can always=20
stop ships coming out, and force them to return to this side."
"Admiral, you speak wisely, and I believe that it may be best, for the=20
moment, to blockade the effect on our end.  However, if ships continue to=
=20
pass through, we will be back, and with a force many times the size of=20
this one.  For the moment, I shall leave in peace, and hope that you can=20
resolve things for your allies here."
"I have something to say here," snapped Kira, thinking that she had been=20
ignored.  "We have the right to use the wormhole any way that we choose,=20
and as allies of the Federation, we demand that you protect us."
"Ops, close the commander's channel for a moment," said McGinnis.  He=20
then turned to Kira's image.
"Minister, please accept a temporary truce, most of these resources are=20
needed by actual members of the Federation, and with our ... other=20
commitments at the moment, keeping a force of this nature here forever is=
=20
not possible.  I suggest that you follow the commander's lead and accept=20
a truce that is less than what you want, as anything else may prove to be=
=20
far less acceptable."

Kira looked at him in shock, not fully believing that he was forcing her=20
to accept a peace that would threaten Bajour's economic security.
"I can't believe that you're doing this."
"Minister, their needs are as legitimate as yours are, my ship is=20
terribly undermanned, my crew is exhausted, I have very few torpedoes=20
left, I have long standing damage, and I must return to my home port soon=
=20
in order to make necessary repairs.  The federation is at war against=20
most of the powers of the galaxy, and I only barely avoided a war with=20
Cardassia, which would have been rather bad for Bajour no matter what the=
=20
situation with the dominion. I am not in the mood to negotiate over this,=
=20
and would be happy to leave you to the tender mercies of the commander =20
of the Dominion's fleet.  You don't have the resources to hold them off,=20
and you would be in a much worse place than you are now.  If you had=20
signed The Articles of Federation, things would be different, but you=20
have chosen not to, so I have little responsibility to you, and in fact,=20
have done more than I probably needed to."

She stared at him, unwilling to acceptthe fact  that, again, Bajour was=20
under the control of a power far larger than it would ever be.

"Very well, I suppose that I must accept this agreement, but know that I=20
shall lodge a protest concerning how you have treated the Bajouran=20
goverment and people.  I don't see that I have a choice, as far as the=20
current situation is concerned."

"No, unfortunately, I think that you don't have another legitimate option."

"Ops, put the commander back up in conference mode."

"Admiral, what is your decision?" asked the other being, understanding=20
well that the final decision lay in the hands of the person with the most=
=20
firepower in the area, no matter what the needs of the local governments=20
might be.

"The Bajouran government agrees to a cessation of hostilities, but if you=
=20
come bakc through, know that we will be ready for you," said Kira, not=20
waiting for McGinnis to begin speaking.

"It isn't my issue any more, you must leave, but I can guarantee that=20
Federation forces will not follow you, and the Bajourans are independent,=
=20
so I think that you have the word on their plans from The Minister." said=
=20
McGinnis.  "However, I do suggest that you two find a neutral third party=
=20
to negotiate some kind of agreement between you, I am not that person,=20
and unless you choose to make a request to the Federation diplomatic=20
bureau, the Federation will not involve itself in local affairs of=20
non-alligned worlds." said McGinnis.  "For now, plese leave Bajouran=20
space and let things cool off for a while."

"Very well, good luck in your travels Admiral, I have grown to respect=20
both your ship and your strategy over the last few hours." replied the=20
Dominion commander before his ship turned and disappeared through the=20
wormhole.

quickly enough, all of the dominion craft were back on the other side,=20
leaving Ticonderoga, a few small Federation ships, and the tattered=20
remains of the Bajouran fleet to tend to the needs of the many wounded=20
and dead on DS9.  However, before Ticonderoga could do anything, a signal=
=20
came in from Star Fleet Head Quarters.

"Admiral, Admiral Jellico on for you."
"Put him on screen," replied McGinnis, hoping that they would get some=20
time in port from this call.

"William, i know of the events in the Bajouran system, and conggratulate=20
you on a good temporary truce.  You need to get back to your home port=20
for repairs, I don't want your crew out in space any longer than=20
necessary, you haven't had significant leave in more than seven months. =20
You will therefore set a course for your home port at maximum velocity,=20
and not divert for any reason, unless I order you to change your flight=20
plan personally."
Apparenlty, Jellico had expected to get some kind of resistance from=20
McGinnis.  He was terribly surprised when McGinnis said:
"Agreed, Sir, setting course immediately."

"Excellent, I look forward to hearing of your safe arrival at home soon. =
=20
Also, tell your crew that I share their loss, and wish that the Borg=20
campaign had not been so bloody.  I know that you and I have talked=20
several times in the last few days, but I have been too busy to remember=20
to deal with things other than those that are very immediate."
"We all understand, and know of the situation throughout the rest of our=20
space.  Thank you for your kind words, and unless there is anything else,=
=20
I should let you bet back to the business at hand."
"No, nothing else, travel safely and have your port commander contact me=20
when you arrive."
"Aye Sir, Ticonderoga out."

With that, McGinnis sighed, and turned to the helm.
"Ms Moran, set course for the Polaris system, maximum possible speed."
"Aye Sir, course laid in, velocity is warp 9.75, ETA seventy-four hours."
"Very well, if I'm needed, I'll be in my quarters.  I want all of you to=20
get relief as quickly as possible, but until you have it, Mr. Schultz,=20
you have the bridge."=20

With these words, McGinnis left the bridge, giving himself and his crew=20
time to reflect on the victories won, the losses encurred, and life in=20
general.  he knew, as he entered his quarters, that this ship still had=20
many missions to perform, but at least they would get some rest,=20
relaxation, and medical care for those who needed it, before they would=20
see action in the widening war.  For the upcommning respite, all of them=20
were very thankful.  McGinnis could only hope that it would last quite=20
some time.  he knew that everyone was exhausted, and the time would do=20
all of them good.  With these thoughts, he fell asleep, while the ship=20
streaked toward home, and temporary peace.    =20




**********************************


SUPERDREADNOUGHT: Part V: Chapter XXI:
By:
Matthew A. Weed

Personal Log: Stardate 57003.4: Admiral William McGinnis, in command of=20
USS Ticonderoga recording:

After the last few weeks, I am beginning to know what it is like to be a=20
hero.  People are giving me far too much credit for the victories against=
=20
the Borg, the Dominion, and the reinforcement of the Cardassian treaty. =20
Star Fleet Command wants me to return to Earth and take a desk job.  Like=
=20
James T. Kirk almost 100 years ago, I do not want to do it.  I think that=
=20
I can get around the request, but it may require a rather nasty break=20
with Head Quarters to do so.  I sincerely hope, both for my sake and for=20
that of Star Fleet, that this will not be necessary.  However, as with my=
=20
feelings of trouble concerning the arrival at DS9, I feel that I must=20
stay in space for a while longer.

McGinnis sat back in the command chair of the bridge of Ticonderoga,=20
feeling the quietness of the ship.  The work crews had had much to do to=20
get the ship back into optimal condition, despite the fantastic work that=
=20
his crew had done in order to get them home.  He reflected, that in their=
=20
case at least, the last steps to optimality had been a lot harder than=20
the first.  However, the engineering hull was repaired, the auxiliary=20
phaser collimators had been removed as they had proven too sensitive to=20
enemy fire, and had been replaced with modular photon torpedo launchers. =
=20
The ship had gone from a phaser-dependent configuration to a=20
configuration that was approximately balanced between phaser and torpedo=20
firepower. =20

Considering the situation that Star Fleet found itself in, McGinnis had=20
the feeling that the torpedo launchers would prove more useful in any case.

As things now stood, the Federation was on retreat on nearly all fronts,=20
with many colonies lost to conquest or to bombardment.  Fortunately, none=
=20
of the major planets had been lost, save Betazed.  However, with the new=20
Romulan advances, the heart of the Federation was at increasing risk. =20
McGinnis knew that this would be the next destination for his ship, once=20
the crew returned four days hence.  However, at the moment, they were=20
spread throughout the Federation, getting some well-deserved leave, after=
=20
nearly seven months of continuous fighting, fleeing, and repairing.  Only=
=20
Kyla Moran was still at construction dock, saying that she hadn't any=20
family to see, and no places that she wanted to go.  McGinnis hoped that=20
this was true, considering that her motives might not prove so=20
innocuous.  He didn't think that he was quite ready for the attentions of=
=20
a young woman who had grown up to see him something like an older=20
brother.  After all, he was fifteen years her senior, and only four=20
months beyond the death of his wife of nearly twelve years.  He decided=20
that if something happened, he would find a way to deal with it.  For=20
now, ....

"Admiral McGinnis, emergency communicae, all channels from Vulcan=20
government." announced the computer.
"Put it on screen," said McGinnis moving from the ops station to his=20
command chair.

"This is Vulcan Space Central to all Star Fleet units.  A large Romulan=20
force has appeared in orbit over this planet, and has begun=20
transportation of a significant number of troops to the surface.  There=20
are currintly  insufficient resources in this star system  to repell this=
=20
assault force.  Any assistance available is needed at this time. ..."

The message repeated over and over, the face of the young Vulcan=20
Commander showing absolutely no emotion at what he was saying.
"Computer, status report, all systems, particular emphasis on weapons,=20
computers, shielding, engines, structural members, and service load status.=
"

The computer took a moment to respond.
"All ship's weapons systems are properly tied into main network,=20
auxiliary and distributed hook ups are in place for main hull but not=20
available for engineering hull torpedo weapons.  All computer systems are=
=20
functioning at optimal perameters.  The main, auxiliary and secondary =20
shielding is available at all settings, and phase-cloaking shields are=20
fully operable.  All engines are fully optimized, and all power=20
production systems are available.  Ship's  superstructure shows nominal,=20
with all structural support fields available on demand.  Torpedoes are=20
fully loaded for both plasma and photon torpedo launchers.  reapair=20
materials are at thirty percent load status, and systems spare parts show=
=20
fifty-three percent loaded.  The ship is at three percent of optimal=20
replicator materials load."

McGinnis began to think quickly.  None of the crew were around, but the=20
ship was needed, and needed now.  None of the construction workers were=20
could be taken into battle, as they were either totally inexperienced, or=
=20
working on a number of other heavy units at the moment.  It appeared that=
=20
only Kyla was available, and he immediately called her.

"McGinnis to Lieutenant Moranm, priority alpha."
"Yes .... Sir, ....." she said, apparently just trying to wake herself up.
"Lieutenant, there has been an attack on the Epsilon Aeridoni system, and=
=20
they have put out a general distress call.  You are the only ship's crew=20
in dock, and we need to get out there immediately.  When can you be aboard?=
"
"Sir, it'll take about twenty minutes, I need to collect my armor and a=20
few other things dockside."
"Very well, I will be waiting for you in the weapons control center."
"Understood, I will be there as quickly as possible, sir."
"McGinnis to docking control, I need all of the replicator raw materials=20
that you can get onto this ship in the next fifteen minutes, I will be=20
departing on a priority mission to Vulcan in exactly nineteen and a half=20
minutes, so clear traffic for me."
"Yes, Sir, we are transferring replicator materials aboard your ship now,=
=20
all non-military traffic will be cleared for your departure."

"Very good, McGinnis out."
"Computer, set all systems to alpha two lockout, respond only to the=20
voice prints of myself and Lieutenant Kyla Moran.  Varify her voice print=
=20
with retina scan, my voice with finger print scan."
"Alpha-two lockout, conditions and cleared personel recognized.  Awaiting=
=20
lockdown code."
"Code McGinnis, William R.  Alpha 35624-alpha two."
"Code recognized, alpha two lockdown now in place."
"Computer, engage all energy production systems and shielding.  Stand by=20
for course input."
"All energy systems are now fully operational, ten minutes to warp=20
power.  Standing by for main course input."

With this, McGinnis left the Bridge, and hastened to the weapons control=20
center through the turbolift that was the best access to this heavily=20
armored and transporter shielded room.  Of course, it was not perfect, as=
=20
a transverter could pull a person through even the best transporter=20
shielding, but as far as Star Fleet knew, the Romulans didn't have the=20
technology.  McGinnis knew, however, that they were working on something=20
similar.  Therefore, assisting Star Fleet Command's staff in developing a=
=20
subspace scrambler that could deal with inverters would have to be one of=
=20
his engineering staff's first duties.  Without it, all ships would be in=20
danger of being destroyed through the simple tactics that had proven so=20
effective against the first two Borg cubes.

McGinnis was now in the Weapons Control Center, and he began issuing=20
orders to the computer immediately on arrival.  His first order brought=20
the ship to its highest level security status.=20

"Computer, lock down vessel for emergency warp, departure in sixteen=20
minutes."
"Lockdown procedure beginning, security status per regulations is now=20
security one with clearance settings for security two maintained."

The change would not interfere with how the ship interfaced with its two=20
person crew, merely that as soon as it left, anything coming aboard would=
=20
be designated unfriendly by the computer and killed as soon as it had=20
finished transporting.  Transporter shields would be up, and the ship=20
would be using some of the repair units as a secondary patroll system=20
reporting to the distributed computing network.  With only two crew=20
aboard, most of the ship would be deserted, and so the computer had to=20
take over the security functions that crew performed simply by going=20
about their daily duties.

"Now ten minutes from departure," reported the computer.
"Computer, report load status on repair materials and replicator stores=20
as ten percent changes occur."
"repair materials now at sixty-four percent load, replicator stores at=20
thirty percent load.  Base has added medical stores for unknown reason,=20
ship is now forty percent over standard load for this subset."
"Understood, continue reports on medical stores as well."
"Lieutenant Moran is now aboard, proceeding to her quarters."
"Understood, report when she is proceeding to the weapons control center."

The next several minutes were dominated by preparatory tasks like setting=
=20
a course, and ensuring that the weapons control center was ready to=20
handle its function as the emergency bridge.

"Kyla moran now departing her quarters, proceeding to turbolift."=20
reported the computer.
"Understood, give final ship load status, and power up warp engines."
"Power-up complete, ship load status is sixty-seven percent load on=20
repair materials, ninety-three percent on replicator raw materials, and=20
260 percent of standard medical load, with up to 400 percent in subsets=20
of storage load, such as first-aid supplies."
"Understood, stand by  to proceed at warp 9.8 phase-cloaking engaged for=20
the Epsilon Aeridoni system."

The inner doors of the air lock opened and Kyla moved to her station.  In=
=20
the two-person configuration, she controlled all non-tactical functions=20
including communications, long-range scans, damage control and intruder=20
control systems.  McGinnis station controlled helm, navigation, shields,=20
weapons, and all engineering functions.
"Ready to depart?" asked McGinnis.
"Yes, ready to go," she replied.
"Open a channel to docking control," he said.
"Opened,"=20
"Control, this is USS Ticonderoga, reporting that we are ready to undock,=
=20
and proceed on emergency mission to Vulcan."
"Understood, all space lanes are clear, you may depart when ready."
"Undocking now."

The computer handled the undocking procedures, and and as soon as the=20
ship had cleared the great construction dock, McGinnis hit the "go"=20
switch on his console, and the ship dropped into warp and phase-cloak at=20
the same time.
"Computer, ETA for the Epsilon Aeridoni system."
"Arrival in three hours, fifty-six minutes."

"Kyla, Take some time off, the computer will call us when we're five=20
minutes out." he said.
"Aye Sir," she saidand rose to walk out with him.      =20



SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part V: Chapter XXII:
By:
Matthew Weed

"Admiral McGinnis to the weapons control center," announced the computer=20
throughout the ship.
McGinnis had taken his com badge off, and was in the middle of his daily=20
work out.  With more than an hour to go before the ship reached Vulcan,=20
there was nothing else to do, and after his short nap, getting some=20
oxygen back into his system felt good. =20

He moved to the nearest wall pannel and tapped it.
"Computer, report on command status."
"Lieutenant Moran is currently in her quarters, ship's systems are under=20
central computer control." replied the computer in its female voice pattern=
.
"Very well, clear weapons control center access," he said, hastening to=20
the nearest turbo lift.

The ride to the WCC was fast enough, and as McGinnis left the car, he had=
=20
to wonder what the computer felt required human intervention.  The=20
programming in the new systems was not unlike that in the M-series =20
computers that Dr. Richard Daestrom had experimented on nearly a century=20
ago.  This was what gave the ship the ability to handle complex tasks=20
like tactical analyses with nearly equal creativity and far greater=20
efficiency than a human weapons officer could.  The bureaucracy at Star=20
Fleet HQ had objected strongly to the modifications to the basic=20
programming, but McGinnis had been able to drive the changes through, for=
=20
Ticonderoga at least.  Whether the three other planned Ticonderoga class=20
ships would receive the programs was anyone's guess.

"Computer, Weapons Control Center access, voice Print William R. McGinnis."
"Voice print approved, taking retinal scan," replied the computer.

The new retinal scanners didn't require a beam of light, the new scanners=
=20
were so acurate that the check could be done by any of the ship's=20
on-board sensors.
"All security approved," replied the computer as the doors to the WCC opene=
d.

McGinnis moved to the command seat and punched up the ship-wide status=20
check.  It was clear, and so he turned to find out why he had been summoned=
.
"Computer, report," he said.

"Long range scans of the Epsilon Aeridoni system have been completed,=20
main tactical analysis suggests no less than fifteen heavy Romulan units=20
in orbit over Federation member world Vulcan.  Tactical analysis=20
indicates that this ship's capabilities will be insufficient to defeat=20
currently-diployed forces."
"Are there any Federation forces in the area?"
"Affirmative, however, they are very light, comprised of system defense=20
vessels, which will be destroyed by the time that this ship is=20
in-system.  No military response has been made by Earth Defense Command,=20
and other planetary governments in the area have chosen to refrain from=20
commitment to the situation at the moment."

McGinnis was glad that he had not had to ask the computer to search out=20
this information, as it would have taken several minutes for it to deal=20
with the mass of data that poured over the Federation data net.  Even=20
with pattern matching algorithms, there was a lot to search through in=20
order to get the proper information.

"Very well, put a tactical analysis of the situation on the main=20
viewscreen, shut down all non-essential life support and other systems,=20
and accelerate to maximum possible velocity."
"Ship-wide systems review now in progress."

Thirty seconds later, the computer had finished its analysis, and had=20
managed to squeeze enough energy out of the ship's systems to get it to=20
warp 9.82.  This would mean that Ticonderoga would be within visual range=
=20
of Vulcan in about eight minutes.

"McGinnis to Lieutenant Moran, report to WCC on the double," he said to=20
the air.
"On my way," she said, surprise ringing in her voice.

Three minutes later she walked through the inner doors and stared in=20
surprise at the counter on the screen.

"What's happened?" she asked, while taking her station.
"The Romulans have brought a much heavier force than I expected.  We=20
don't have enough firepower to handle their ships, most of them are=20
either their new class of warbird, or something that looks to me a lot=20
like their version of a heavy dreadnought.  Apparently, they've decided=20
to take advantage of the Federation's unpreparedness and reunify with the=
=20
Vulcans their way."

Kyla looked at him with surprise and concern on her face.
"If that's so, then what can we do here?"
"We certainly can't remove the Romulans from the system without help. =20
However, we can get a good tactical look at what we'll be facing when we=20
get back.  Earth-1 can get scans of the Romulan ships, even at this=20
distance.  However, they won't be able to count the troops on the ground=20
or tell where the troops are located.  I want to get a full orbit in to=20
look over the situation, so that Admiral Jellico and I can plan a strategy.=
"
"I understand," she said.  "What are we going to do after we scan the=20
planet?"
"We are going to Earth, undper phase-cloak, and I am going to talk with=20
Admiral Jellico.  You will need to get the ship's systems ready to=20
accommodate a lot of troops.  They'll have lots of equipment that will=20
need to be transferred, and since we can land, after a fashion, I would=20
think that they'll want to bring some heavy materiel aboard.  If we=20
decide to bring troops back with Ticonderoga, you will liaise with the CO=
=20
of the ground forces units to set up space."
"Understood," she said.
"Now decellerating into outer Epsilon Aeridoni system." announced the=20
computer.
"Computer, set up a tactical scan of the system, highlight Romulan ships=20
and troop concentrations."
"Acknowledged," replied the computer.
"Ms. Moran, plot an orbit that will give us the most information possible=
=20
concerning the number and position of Romulan troops on the planet and=20
its space facilities.  We can't come out of phase-cloak, so take this=20
into account while you're plotting the course.  I don't want to be here=20
more than an hour or two."
"Got it, plotting ..."
*=09*=09*
Two hours later, the ship's scans were completed, and the picture that=20
they presented was, in McGinnis' opinion, damned depressing.  Nearly four=
=20
thousand romulan troops were spread across the surface of Vulcan, with=20
thousands more still in troop transports in orbit.  There were twenty=20
heavy romulan ships orbiting the planet, and their combined firepower was=
=20
at least three times that of Ticonderoga.  Some of the vessels were of=20
types that  McGinnis had never seen before, and his own personal estimate=
=20
was that these might be even more powerful than the computer gave them=20
credit for.  He knew that the force would have to be thinned before there=
=20
would be a chance of recapturing the planet.  This would have to happen=20
through either a larger Federation star force, or a diversion elsewhere=20
which would force the Romulan High Command to withdraw some of their=20
heavy ships from Vulcan.

McGinnis knew that he needed to sit down with Admiral Jellico to plan=20
strategy, and see what resources might be available.  usually he wouldn't=
=20
even expect to command such a mission, as he was more a tactical genius=20
than a great strategist, but Star Fleet's resources were stretched to the=
=20
maximum, and he knew that Ticonderoga was one of a very small number of=20
large ships which might actually prove useful in this situation.

"Ms. Moran, plot a course for Earth, maximum velocity."
"Plotted, and laid in." she replied.
"engage." he said as he watched space shift on the viewer.
Only minutes later, the ship dropped from warp.  McGinnis knew that the=20
Romulans were able to scan Earth from Vulcan, and so he couldn't come out=
=20
of phase-cloak until after the ship was docked.  Fortunately, even Vulcan=
=20
scanners weren't yet up to the task of seeing what was going on inside=20
docking facilities from a distance of more than ten light years. =20
Therefore, the ship could dephase as soon as it docked.

"This is USS Ticonderoga to Star Fleet Command," said McGinnis after=20
opening the communications channel.  "Request secured docking facility=20
and priority meeting with Admiral Jellico."
"Star Fleet to Ticonderoga, welcome to Earth, Admiral, you are to dock at=
=20
old space dock, main bay.  Admiral Jellico will see you as soon as you're=
=20
able."
"Understood, Ticonderoga out."

The docking assignment wasn't that much of a surprise to McGinnis, since=20
Ticonderoga was likely to be departing soon, the smaller, and almost=20
never used, facility at old Star Dock was an excellent place to put the=20
ship.  It was also a good place to transfer cargo, as the ship could be=20
serviced by the full facilities of the base.  It could also leave via=20
comparatively quiet space lanes, ensuring that its departure wouldn't be=20
disturbed by the still-active civilian traffic in the Sol system.
"Sir, they've left the doors closed," said Kyla as the ship came around=20
the side of the dock.
"I'm not surprised, since they only use this facility for high priority=20
traffic, and since we can just go through the doors while phased, they'll=
=20
make it look like there is no priority traffic in the system," replied=20
McGinnis.
"Yes, but won't the Romulans know anyway?"
"Probably, but since our home port is the only facility which is out of=20
scanner range of all neighboring systems, we have to do with the fact=20
that they'll have to get the report by hand, rather than simply by using=20
Vulcan Space Central's long range scanners to keep an eye on us.  it may=20
be all the time we need to give them a surprise.  Since this ship is=20
supposedly, still in dock, they won't be expecting to see this ship for=20
at least another eighteen hours.  It'll take at least that long for our=20
crew, both new and old, to get back to Polaris point."
She nodded and then returned to maneuvering the ship through the dock's=20
doors and into the center of the great cavity.
"We're in place," she said.
"Very well," you have command.  "If you need me, I'll be at Star Fleet=20
Headquarters for at least the next few hours.  If you need time off, just=
=20
have the computer take care of things, leave the ship at security status=20
one, whether you're here or not."
"Yes Sir," she said.
"I'll shut the phase-cloak off from the transverter console, so don't=20
worry about that.  The ship can't be scanned in here, at least not from=20
Vulcan, so just stay cloaked unless they want to start moving troops and=20
equipment aboard."
"Yes Sir,"=20
With this acknowledgement, McGinnis stepped through the inner doors and=20
headed toward his meeting with Edward Jellico, a man who had been=20
malligned as an unreasonable hawk until only a few years ago.  Now, he=20
was Chief of operations, Star Fleet, and the second most powerful being=20
in the Federation.  =20



SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part V: Chapter XXIII:
By:
Matthew A. Weed


The shimmering effect of the transporter ended, and McGinnis stood in the=
=20
great central transporter facility of Star Fleet Command.  The activity=20
in the room seemed even greater than the last time that he had been here,=
=20
not quite a month ago.  Then he was leaving after receiving his Fleet=20
Admiral's commission, and continued command of Ticonderoga.  Like James=20
Kirk, a hundred years ago, he had wanted to stay in space, and his=20
continued command had been the price of his continued service.  Star=20
Fleet had not been happy, but heroes are not generally denied what they wan=
t.

He looked around for an escort, knowing that command would send one,=20
whether he needed it or not.  However, he saw no one, and decided that=20
since he knew the way, that he should simply go to Jellico's office.

As he left the great room, he looked around, and realized what had been=20
bothering him ever since he had transported down.  The activity level=20
was, indeed, higher, but there was almost no noise.  Apparently, things=20
were even worse than he had thought.

After moving into the central hubg of Star Fleet Command's buildings, he=20
took the turbolift to Jellico's office which was on one of the top=20
floors.  He entered the outer office, and saw that the Admiral's aide was=
=20
slumped down in her...its chair, fast asleep.  He felt awful having to=20
wake it, but there was really no choice, as he needed to make sure that=20
he was expected.

Standing a few feet from the desk, he quietly said:
"Captain ...." when there was no response, he tried again.=20
"Captain ..."
This time the Chalerian awoke with a start and turned to see who was=20
talking to it.  When it realized that it was Fleet Admiral McGinnis, whom=
=20
it was supposed to meet in the transporter nexus, its normally light=20
green skin darkened noticeably.
"Sir!  I'm sorry, I was to meet you below, but I haven't slept in more=20
than four days, and ...."
"Captain, it happens, and everyone here is under terrible stress.  I=20
won't tell Admiral Jellico, but i should probably see him."
"I'll page him for you."
The response from the inner office was nearly as slow as the aide's had bee=
n.
"Oh, yes, send him in," replied Edward Jellico as soon as he was told who=
=20
was waiting to see him.
"Sir, you may go in," said the captain to McGinnis' retreating back.

*=09*=09*
McGinnis looked at his old mentor and friend, Edward Jellico across the=20
small office.  Jellico, though not much older than McGinnis, looked as if=
=20
he had aged tremendously in the last few years.  Clearly the=20
responsibilities of command had not worn on him well.  His hair was=20
white, his mouth a tight line.  The tinsion lines, always present, even=20
when he had been younger, were now much deeper. McGinnis was glad that=20
his rise throughthe the ranks had been loaded with less continuous=20
stress.  Certainly the dimentional transit, and the Cardassian campaign=20
had been hard, but there had been long periods of peace and tranquility=20
when he had been able to explore the galaxy and support science missions=20
with his heavier ships, all of which had been stimulating, both=20
intellectually and physically.  Sitting behind a desk had never appealed=20
to him, and he now remembered why.

"William, it is good to see you again, although I hadn't expected to see=20
you quite so soon." said Jellico, extending his hand.
"Admiral, I am glad to see you too, but wish that the circumstances of=20
our meeting weren't so ... tumultuous."
"Yes, I know." sighed Jellico returning to his seat.  "Please, sit down."
McGinnis did, and then told Jellico what had brought him to Star Fleet=20
Command.
"Sir, eight hours ago, Ticonderoga was sitting in dock when I received=20
the planetary distress message from Vulcan.  The ship was, is, not fully=20
loaded with replicator materials and a few other non-essentials, but I=20
knew from the fleet dispersal reports that there wasn't any way that the=20
forces in the area would be able to handle a major assault.  I,=20
therefore, decided to take Ticonderoga in under phase-cloak, with the=20
help of one crewmember, to get a tactical look at what's going on on the=20
planet.  We completed the scan, and then came here to report directly, as=
=20
I was concerned about the possibility of the Romulans intercepting my=20
message and realizing that they had missed Star Fleet units in the Vulcan=
=20
system."
"William, what you did, it was foolish.  Even your ship, with all of its=20
technology, can't handle what is in orbit over Vulcan right now."
"Sir, I realized that as soon as we were in range for the strategic scan=20
to image the system.  However, the phase -cloaking device is impenetrable=
=20
by transporter, and as far as I know, the Romulans aren't very good at=20
finding phased ships as yet."
"That's true, but they're getting better, as their own phasing technology=
=20
is nearly as good as ours.  They'll be able to find, and pinpoint, phased=
=20
ships soon, which will take away much of the benefit of the phase cloak."
"I know, but it seemed that quick information was best.  From what I know=
=20
of Star Fleet assault techniques, the special forces prefer to hit a=20
target as quickly as possible, especially when its invaders aren't fully=20
settled in yet."
"Yes, its best if we can get through quickly, the Romulans won't have the=
=20
chance to fortify themselves well."
"I know, that's why I wanted a look, without data, we'd need to send in=20
cloaked probes, and delivering them would have taken at least a week, as=20
I understand it."
"That's true, but still, I want you to consult with me before you try=20
something like that again."
"Understood, Sir." replied McGinnis, knowing intellectually that although=
=20
Jellico agreed with the strategy, he had to maintain the chain of command.
"In any Case, Admiral, what do you have to report?"
"Sir, there are at least fifteen heavy Romulan units in the system, most=20
are in orbit over the planet itself, although a few seem to be detailed=20
to patroll the inner system and watch for any move on our part.  There=20
are at least four thousand troops already landed, and there were a number=
=20
of transports in place, which appeared to have most of their  troops=20
still aboard.  I was only able to complete one orbit of the planet, but=20
it appeared that many of the troops are still in the various stations in=20
orbit over the planet, and only a few have landed in some of the major=20
cities as yet.  Mt. Silaya is still free, and the Vulcan Science Academy=20
was only lightly occupied as we passed over it.  However, I wasn't able=20
to scan for any vulcans with weapons, and I must assume that both=20
Government forces and fifthe column members are also on the planet."
"At least as far as the government's concerned, they have surrendered, as=
=20
the Romulans told them that they would bombard the planet if resistance=20
was offered.  The Vulcans, quite rightly I think, said that it was=20
"logical", to surrender and avoid bloodshed.  However, they have=20
contacted the Federation, and have requested assistance in dealing with=20
the Romulan forces.  Of course, the Federation council gave all kinds of=20
assurances, assurances that Star Fleet, at least, can't back up at the=20
moment."
"Why not?" asked McGinnis, shocked to see Jellico apparently bending to=20
the Romulan Government's desire to force the Federation to wait to move=20
against their forces until it was too late."
"Because I don't have the resources to hold down all of our other fronts,=
=20
and divert the necessary firepower to both defeat that fleet, and get=20
enough troops onto the ground to make a difference."
"Sir, I have an idea, but its risky."
"Well, an idea is better than none, and we're out of them here."
"What if we were to organize a major offensive, which might divert some=20
of the forces from Vulcan.  I don't have the resources aboard Ticonderoga=
=20
to do it now, just because I only have one crewmember, and she's a=20
security and weapons specialist, not an engineer.  However, we could use=20
some of the tactics that worked against the Borg, like inverting=20
torpedoes through their shields, and we could then send troops down to=20
help the government with the land-based opposition."
"A good plan, and one that I'd already thought of, but the romulans know=20
of our development of subspace transportation technology, and they've=20
built subspace scramblers into their ships, making it damned near=20
impossible to destroy them that way."
"yes, but the transverter doesn't work like a subspace transporter."
"I know, but its close enough so that it won't work.  I'm the only one=20
who knows about the work that you have done at Polaris Point, but you'll=20
have to trust me on this, those that I have shown the rutian data, say=20
that those inverters won't work.  Considering that your transverters work=
=20
on the same principle, if not the exact same equipment, you won't be able=
=20
to do it."
McGinnis sighed, ... <well,> he thought <that's one idea down the tube.>

"William, the only way to do this is through sheer hard work, and lots of=
=20
casualties.  The strategists here estimate that it'll take thirty=20
starships, fifty thousand troops, and two years to get the Romulans off=20
Vulcan."
"Sir, I refuse to accept that, you know all too well the risk that the=20
Romulans pose to all of Star Fleet's operations from Vulcan.  They can=20
watch what's going on here, directly, and can tell what ships are in and=20
out of dock with probes on the outer edge of the Epsilon Aeridoni=20
system.  Not to mention the fact that the Vulcans have been a prime=20
member of the Federation from its inception, sit on the Federation=20
Security Council, have a veto, and could seriously damage war policy=20
through simply shooting down anything that might cause the Romulans to=20
take revenge on their civilian population at home.  We've got to get them=
=20
out of there, now, no matter the cost.  I wouldn't be so determined on=20
this, if I weren't so convinced that we've got a huge problem here."
"Don't you think that I've considered those issues?!" exploded Jellico. =20
"We don't have the resources to get the Romulans out of Epsilon Aeridoni,=
=20
and that's that!"
"Sir, if I put Polaris construction facilities to the task, we can finish=
=20
two of the three remaining Ticonderoga class ships within three months. =20
However, if I stand down on those projects, divert those construction=20
crews to building a bunch of small, light ships, say run-abouts, for=20
example, we could get a couple hundred of them ready in a few weeks.  If=20
we can get them into the system, they'll be able to  keep the Romulans=20
busy while I get control of the stations that control planetary defense,=20
and get the ability to knock out their troops on the groun.  The=20
run-about crews will be sacrificed, but if we try a full-system assault,=20
especially with two years for the Romulans to prepare, the Vulcan=20
civilization will be blasted from the face of the Galaxy."
"How many casualties do you think you'll encur?"
"I don't know, I'm thinking on my feet here, I suppose that total=20
casualties might total fifty-thousand military personel and an unknown=20
number of civilians, largely depending on what Romulan ships stay in=20
orbit over the planet.  Every ship that I saw in orbit can be defeated by=
=20
Ticonderoga, and it would take three or four of them to pose a serious=20
threat.  I would think, though, that we could assume that more than half=20
would be busy with the smaller ships.  Then, it'll be a matter of making=20
them decide that ticonderoga is more interesting than blowing up the=20
planet with which they want to unify.  I'd give it half a billion=20
ground-based casualties, before I could either use planetary defenses, or=
=20
destroy them with Ticonderoga."
"Half a billion?  That's a lot of casualties for a long shot."
"Yes, but much better than twenty billion with a plan that may or may not=
=20
work, and will require two years of time to prepare for."
"How long would you have to delay Agencort and Louisbourg?"
"It depends on how our plan shapes up, and how badly Ticonderoga is=20
damaged in the actual battle.  I would think that given serious damage to=
=20
Ticonderoga, and heavy construction costs in smaller ships, something=20
like six months."
"That's a lot of time to lose the three heaviest units I have in the=20
works.  The mass-produced ships are doing surprisingly well, but the=20
Romulans have a lot more heavy ships than we do, and since most of the=20
Science fleet is still going through conversion, we're at a terrible=20
disadvantage.  I don't even know that I can keep our promise to keep the=20
Gorn trade routes open.  If we lost those, we'd be totally on our own,=20
economically speaking, and most of the new Federation members would be=20
out on a limb against the Farengi."
"Sir, we can't hold those routes open with the heavy ships anyway,=20
they're not built as trade protectors, and as soon as they're out, we'll=20
need floatillas of smaller ships for them to support. On their own, the=20
Ticonderoga-class can do a lot, but its not like we can assault the=20
Romulan home system alone, without a lot of smaller ships for support.  I=
=20
think that the delay is worth clearing the Romulans out of near-space,=20
and getting the resources of the Vulcan alliances back in the hands of=20
the Federation, and not tied up in a balancing act between Federation=20
obligations and Romulan threats.  Particularly when the vulcan colonies=20
don't have as many residents as the homeworld, and so it would be=20
"illogical", to do anything that might result in Romulan bombardment of=20
Vulcan.  I don't think its likely, but its a realistic possibility, and a=
=20
terribly effective threat."
"Yes, you're right, much as I don't like to do it the traditional way, I=20
think that your plan has as much chance as any other of working, and it=20
will have the Romulans on the defensive within three or four months.  Go=20
ahead and do it, is there anything you need from here?"
"yes, Sir.  I've got plenty of construction people, but more wouldn't=20
hurt, we've got the space, and with the expansion of Polaris starting in=20
ten or fifteen hours, we'll be secure from subspace probing as the star=20
will jam any scans that probes might try to take for a while.What I=20
really need, though, is lots of security and marines.  I don't want to be=
=20
taking engineers off of other work to train them how to use heavy=20
weapons.  If you can get me as many as you can spare from any Earth-base=20
facility in the next twenty-four hours, I'll take them back to Polaris,=20
and we'll get them equipped from there.  They will need heavy equipment,=20
we've not got the facilities to build that, but we can outfit them, and=20
arm them with anything up to heavy phaser rifles."
"Very well, your ship is in Stardock?"
"yes, Sir, but we're cloaked to avoid scan or sighting.  I can send you=20
coordinates, or you can beam the people to the dock's transporter=20
facilities and we can transfer them on from there, if you think that's=20
best.  Oh, and sir, we'll need pilots and gunnery specialists for the=20
run-abouts, I can make another trip for those later, I'll need tactical=20
information about Vulcan in any case."
"That's a long shopping list, but I think that we can fill most of it."
However, you will not make another pass over Vulcan, the risk is growing=20
to high for that.  You may go into the system a day ahead of your other=20
forces to look things over later, but in general, you'll need to go in=20
blind on this, ..." McGinnis objection was cut off by Jellico's next=20
words. "... we'll try to get some probes in to find out what we can to=20
help you brief your troops."
"Very well, Sir, but I must tell you that I don't like being so=20
uninformed on a mission like this.  We need more data to make sure that=20
people know what they're going after, and what the resistance will be like.=
"
"I know, but I distinctly remember telling you what a risk it is to have=20
phased ships too close to the Romulans right now.  The less it happens,=20
the longer it'll take for them to learn what our phase-cloaking=20
signatures look like."
"Understood, but I must say that in this case, I think that the possible=20
cost in military and civilian casualties justifies any danger to us in=20
terms of lost advantage later."
"Your objections are noted," said Jellico, ending the conversation.
"I'll be aboard Ticonderoga, contact me there if you need to."
"Understood, we'll only do so via subspace squirt, so that interception=20
of both message and recipient are cut as low as possible," replied Jellico.
"I'll have the computer watching for them sir."
"Excellent, dismissed."
McGinnis returned to Ticonderoga, where the loading process would soon=20
begin with a vengence.

By the end of the following twenty four hours, they had brought nearly=20
four thousand personel aboard, most of whom were marines equipped with=20
everything from mobal amrored units to phaser artillery and short-range=20
micro photon missile launchers.  Lasers, particle canon, armor,=20
communications gear, all of it was beamed aboard.  It was a massive=20
undertaking, both finding space for all of it, as well as ensuring that=20
the ship could carry everything that it needed to.  By the end of the=20
process, McGinnis was exhausted, but pleased that there seemdd to be=20
enough personel to have a chance, given upgrades to their armaments, and=20
the element of surprise, to retake Vulcan.  The force movements had,=20
almost unquestionably, been noticed by the Tal Shiar, which would=20
probably be expecting an assault within the day.  The fact that it would=20
take at least six weeks, assuming that the plan could be kept secret,=20
would help too.  Since by the time that the assault could be mounted,=20
their warnings would have less credibility than normal, after the first=20
had proven inacurate.  In this game, anything might help, and McGinnis=20
was willing to play every card.

"Ms. Moran, set course for home, maximum warp."
"Course plotted, and laid in, maximum velocity under phase-cloak is warp=20
9.6, estimated time of arrival is four hours, thirty-six minutes from now."
"Understood, you may depart space dock, and proceed to Construction=20
facility at your earliest convenience."
"Yes Sir, we're on our way."     =20



SUPERDREADNOUGHT: Part V: Chapter XXIV:
By:
Matthew A. Weed

Fleet Command Log: Stardate 57252.6: Admiral William McGinnis, commanding=
=20
Vulcan relief Fleet, and Starship USS Ticonderoga recording:

The last months have been terribly busy.  We have been working double,=20
and even tripple shifts in order to build the ships that we need.  The=20
effort, here at least, has taken on all of the characteristics of the=20
holy wars that dominated Earth eight centuries ago.  The ten thousand=20
personel that I have brought from Earth have worked as desperately as=20
anyone else, and in the last months, we've done a tremendous amount of=20
building, sweating, and for those who still choose to, praying.  All of=20
this effort has been directed toward the impending attempt to break the=20
Romulan hold on the Epsilon Aeridoni system, and on Vulcan in particular.

The situation on Vulcan has not changed much since I left Earth on my=20
first supply run.  Since then, I've made two others, and we are now ready=
=20
to make our move.  We have nearly two hundred run-about sized  attack=20
ships, with ... armament added.  USS Louisbourg's engineering section and=
=20
systems have been completed, and Captain Data will be commanding this,=20
the second Ticonderoga Class vessel, as a command ship.  They only have=20
modular torpedo launchers and phaser collimators, enough to defend the=20
ship, but certainly no more.  All ships are capable of cloaking, but only=
=20
Louisbourg and Ticonderoga carry phase-cloaking technology, as it is=20
easier to pick up at long range.  the idea, in this case, is to come in=20
as stealthily as possible, in order to get the small ships as close in as=
=20
possible.  After they've launched their attack, they have been ordered to=
=20
close on the planet, transport their crews to the surface, and set their=20
computers for suicide runs against the Romulan forces in the area.

Unfortunately, There is no more that we can do.  Only ready the fleet for=
=20
launch and do our jobs.  Hopefully, if fortune smiles upon us, we shall=20
be able to liberate Vulcan, if not ... we shall make the ultimate=20
sacrifice in order to do what we can to break the Romulan hold on one of=20
the oldest, and most civilized, races of the Federation.

McGinnis turned off the log recorder, and turned to the viewscreen. =20
Hundreds of small ships floated throughout the docking facility, all=20
crewed by one pilot, who could handle the weapons as well.  These ships=20
were run-about in size only.  They were longer, more slender, with=20
weapons almost everywhere on their outer hulls.  Since they were meant to=
=20
act like the old patroll/Torpedo boats of World War II on Earth, their=20
primary benefits were heavy weapons, tremendous maneuverability, and=20
loads of electronic countermeasures gear.  They couldn't stand much=20
weapons fire as their engines weren't powerful enough to support shields=20
powerful enough to handle the high-powered disruptor fire of the Romulan=20
ships.Therefore, the ships would strike once, unloading all of their=20
photon torpedoes, and then self-destruct, after transporting their pilots=
=20
to the surface below, where they would hopefully be able to assist the=20
ground forces.  Meanwhile, Ticonderoga would wait, phase-cloaked, in the=20
best-available position.  As soon as the effectiveness of the first=20
strike could be determined, the ship would move against the most powerful=
=20
of the remaining Romulan ships in orbit over Vulcan.  With luck, there=20
wouldn't be enough of them to overwhelm Ticonderoga while it transverted=20
the thousands of lightly armored troopers down to Vulcan.  The heavier=20
equipment would be off loaded using an atmospheric pass, with the heavy=20
armor and artillery dropped on antigravs from Ticonderoga as it passed=20
low in the atmosphere.  The ship's main artillery would also support the=20
troops on the ground, if everything worked right.  McGinnis knew his Von=20
Klausewitz well, and expected that something, somewhere, would fowl up=20
the plan.

With this thought, he turned his mind toward preparing for departure.

"Ops, notify traffic control that we are prepared to leave dock."
Janet Anders moved to fill his order.  espite her promotion to full=20
commander, with its attendant ability to take a small dcommand of her=20
own, she did not feel ready to take a command in these violent times. =20
Therefore, she remained aboard Ticonderoga, where she felt that her=20
skills as a command and communications specialist could best be used for=20
the time being.=20
"Traffic control reports that we are clear to depart, and they wish us=20
good luck." she reported.
"Tell them that the good wishes are appreciated, and that Louisbourg will=
=20
be the contact ship until the main force has departed."
"Aye Sir," she replied, knowing that McGinnis' reminder to dock control=20
was more due to his nervousness over having to command the fleet, thaan=20
to any lack of trust in the dockside controller.
"Space doors opening," reported Thale, who was finally back at his=20
station and in full health.
"Very well, engage thrusters, ahead one-half." replied McGinnis.
"Tactical, engage phase-cloaking device, and metaphasic shielding."
"Phase cloak is now up, metaphasic shields are at fifty percent power,"=20
replied Walter Schultz.
"Sir, we have now cleared main docking perimeter, ready to engage warp=20
drive."=20
"Very well, Helm, set course for Vulcan, maximum warp."
"Course plotted, laid in, and ready for warp 9.75."
"You may proceed."

The ship leapt to high warp, preparing to plunge into the heart of the=20
Romulan occupation force around Vulcan.  its job was to get a tactical=20
summary of the current Romulan positions, plus figure out where the=20
weapons depots, supply dumps, and otherr key points of the occupation=20
were.  it would then report back to the fleet, which would be gathered at=
=20
two diameters beyond maximum estimated Romulan scanner range.  After=20
this, the troops would get their final briefings, and the action would=20
get under way.
*=09*=09*
"Now decellerating from warp, range is one trillion kilometers to Vulcan=20
sir."
"Very well, science, tactical, scan the area, tell me what you can before=
=20
we go in.  Anything may be significant, so report everything that you see."
At least two minutes passed while T'mayek and Walter Schultz did their=20
jobs.  T'mayek was the ship's only scientific compliment, simply because=20
the rest could do little to help in this situation,considering the=20
limited scientific resources of the ship, and the equally limited space,=20
most of which was being taken up by heavy marine invasion equipment.  Her=
=20
report was completed first.
"Sir, the romulans have strong subspace jamming equipment in place=20
throughout the system.  It is impossible to get any readings at all on=20
the planet, and I assume that whatever resources they have there will be=20
unable to scan for activity beyond their jamming fields.  I believe that=20
they are communicating between vessels using short-range subspace shunts=20
which can penetrate their jamming field.  With this equipment, however,=20
it is impossible toprovide information concerning the size or location of=
=20
the various vessels."
"Very well, ... Tactical, what's your assessment?"
"Sir, I agree with Commander T'mayek on most of her analysis.  With the=20
available equipment , I can find no buoys, cloaked ships, or other=20
communications and sensory pickets in the system.  However, we're still=20
at long range for tactical scanners, so we could be missing ships or=20
objects hidden closer to the planet."   =20
"Right, what do you think our chances of getting in and out phase-cloaked=
=20
are?"
"Sir, a ship in standard cloaking mode will be able to find us, and if=20
they've got a link to the rest of their fleet, they'll be able to get=20
enough firepower ready to make our life difficult.  Of course they won't=20
be able to do any direct damage to us, but they would be warned that=20
Federation ships are in the area, and that we may be planning something. =
=20
I suggest that we go in under standard cloak, and then engage the=20
phase-cloaking device just inside their jamming field.  It will require=20
all of the ship's power to make the switch, so we won't have any defenses=
=20
or weapons for about ten seconds, but we should remain invisible to the=20
Romulans at all times."
"That sounds reasonable to me, anyone else have suggestions, we're going=20
into a dangerous situation, and if we make a mistake it will be nearly=20
impossible to complete our mission.  So I want to be sure that all=20
alternatives have been considered."

No one had any other ideas, so McGinnis decided to proceed into the system.
"Tactical, keep the  cloaking circuits only, divert power to main=20
shields, fifty percent power.  Do not charge any weapon or other system=20
without express permission."
"Science, Tactical, all scanners on passive mode, ... navigation, have=20
the computer navigate according to star charts and visual observation only.=
"
"Aye Sir," replied the three officers.
"Helm, set course for Vulcan, warp eight.  Decellerate to 5,000=20
kilometers per hour just outside the field.  Reaction controll thrusters,=
=20
only after that."
"Aye Sir, course plotted, alaid in." replied Thale.
"Engage,"

The ship moved rapidly toward the center of the Epsilon Aeridoni system. =
=20
the thousands of beings aboard knowing that if any major mistakes were=20
made, that the mission that they had been working on for nearly three=20
months would be lost.  All that most could do was sit and wait, a job=20
that the marine assault troopers were used to.  However, used to it or=20
not, waiting was never easy, and the tension aboard ship was increasing=20
by the moment.

Minutes later, Thale turned to McGinnis.
"Sir, we are now beginning programmed decelleration, we'll be in orbit in=
=20
about fifteen seconds.  I'm using visual scanners to try to ascertain=20
where all of the Vulcan stations are.  We won't be able to find the=20
Romulan ships and other new objects, as they'll likely be cloaked, but at=
=20
least I can plot an orbit that will avoid the Vulcan installations."
"Fine, I understand the other problem, but have the computer keep an eye=20
on the gravimetric scan, it may give enough warning to avoid a collision."
"Aye Sir, but with the sensor jamming, I doubt that we'll be able to pick=
=20
their ships up in time."
"Understood, hopefully we'll get lucky, this mission depends on luck and=20
good wishes."

Thale nodded before turning back to his station.  As he did, the ship=20
decellerated out of warp, and moved into a polar orbit that would allow=20
it to cover the entire surface of the planet with a minimumnumber of=20
passes.  With partial, or non-existent sensors, the best that they would=20
be able to do was take a lot of pictures, and hope that they could=20
discern the location of the Romulan military implacements from the=20
photographs.
"Sir, beginnning mapping operation, I have almost no sensors, and only=20
limited life sign scan." reported T'mayek.
"Sir, I'm in even worse shape, most weapons scans require much greater=20
sensitivity than life-sign scan.  However, I've got some limited data=20
coming in, most of it on the space stations that we're passing close=20
enough to get some idea of what is going on inside."
"Understood, don't try to push too hard, if the soldiers on those=20
stations realize that someone's looking around, their command will be=20
notified.  "
Schultz nodded and carefully edged the power shunt down a bit on the=20
scanners.
*=09*=09*

Twelve hours later, the great ship snuck back out of orbit.  McGinnis=20
suspected that the Romulans didn't know that they had been there.  The=20
one benefit behind their subspace jamming was that it made it as hard, or=
=20
harder, for them to find Ticonderoga, than it did for Ticonderoga to find=
=20
them.It helped that he was looking not to be found, while the  Romulans=20
on the ground just couldn't be invisible all of the time.

"Sir, we're out of the jamming field, accelerating and engaging=20
phase-cloaking device.
"Very well..."
AT this moment, the ship rocked violently, and everyone was thrown about=20
the bridge.
"Red alert!" yelled McGinnis climbing back into his chair.  "What happened?=
"
"Sir, we had just entered phase when we struck an object of some kind.  I=
=20
don't know what it was, but I'd guess that it was a cloaked Romulan=20
ship.  Since we were not fully in phase, we suffered some impact shock,=20
but clearly, since neither we , nor anything that I can see, were=20
damaged, I have to assume that the phasing operation probably saved us."=20
replied Schultz, who was still trying to shake off the effect of the=20
sudden disturbance.
"Anything that you can see?" McGinnis asked, wanting to clarify the=20
Commander's last statement.
"Yes, Sir.  The computer had already begun a scan by the time I could get=
=20
to the controls.  It couldn't find any visible object in the area of=20
space that the disturbance occurred."
"Right, so you are assuming that if it was a Romulan ship, that they=20
weren't damaged sufficiently to result in a failrue of their cloaking=20
device?"
"Yes, Sir.  I'm almost certain that it must have been a ship or other=20
object, simply because there are no subspace  distortions in the area at=20
the moment."
"Understood, ... Helm, continue course for the meeting point, notify me=20
when we have arrived.  Mr. Schultz, you have the conn."
"Aye Sir," replied the two officers, as McGinnis arose to have a look at=20
the preparations occurring throughout the rest of the ship.  The last=20
thing that he saw aas the turbolift doors closed was Schultz moving to=20
the center seat.

McGinnis stepped off of the turbolift and hastened down the short=20
corridor that ended at the shuttlebay.  This was where General Morris was=
=20
currently located.  The doors opened onto a scene of controlled, but=20
still quite frenetic activity.
"Admiral, how are things throughout the rest of the ship?" asked Morris=20
as he turned from one of his officers to the mission commander.
"General, we are closing in on the rendezvous point, I expect to be there=
=20
within the hour.  I wanted to be sure that you didn't suffer any severe=20
problems as a result of that little tremmor a few minutes ago."
"No, nothing serious, what happened?"
"We struck a Romulan ship which was also cloaked, but due to the=20
phase-cloak's effects, neither ship suffered major damage.  When I left=20
the Bridge, we hadn't seen any unusual activity as a result of the=20
accident, so I must assume that their communications were down, or that=20
they will report the incident directly, either because they can't do so=20
via communication link, or because they don't know what happened."
"That seems reasonable to me, I have the troops assigned to various=20
missions, according to the information that you sent me.  Since it=20
appears that most of the vulcan defense platforms were either destroyed,=20
or cloaked, I have had to assign most of my troops to the recapture of=20
Vulcan Space Central, or the ground assault.  I must say that I don't=20
like having to drop from a facility like this, but there aren't too many=20
alternatives I suppose."
"No, you know the philosophy behind this mission, and you know the=20
reasons for doing things this way.  We will give you all possible =20
support, but you know that there will be a lot of activity for this ship,=
=20
so you'll be on your own until we can clear them out of the system."
"Yes, and we're prepared for that.  One area that we definitely have an=20
advantage, is the firepower of our mobile units.  Between those, and the=20
new assault armor, we should have a fair shot at dealing with the troops=20
on the ground with a significant advantage in terms of firepower at least."
"Good, I suspect that the situation in space may be less fortuitous."
"I tend to agree."
"Well, I should probably return to the Bridge, I'll notify you half an=20
hour before we enter the system.  After that, as you are already aware,=20
you'll be working with my tactical officer."
"yes, we're all ready for that, good luck Admiral."
"And the same to you, General, I look forward to speaking with you in the=
=20
central halls of the Vulcan Academy of Sciences."
"I shall look forward to that as well."


With this, Morris hastened across the bay to help with a recalcitrant=20
plasma canon that was not linking into the energy systems of its=20
anti-grav sled.  McGinnis watched the activity around him for a few=20
minutes, and then turned to go back to the Bridge.

When he arrived, Schultz was just ordering the ship to decellerate from=20
warp and begin scanning for the fleet, which had orders to remain=20
cloaked, except for a few of the small attack craft which were to be=20
uncloaked to help Ticonderoga find the fleet, which would be given extra=20
camouflage by its position inside a large cloud of hydrogen and dust that=
=20
would, in a billion years or so, become a blue giant star.

"Sir, I've got the pickets, awaiting your orders." said Schultz.
"Very well, Ops, signal them, and have them transfer our tactical=20
analysis to the rest of the fleet.  Then get me a channel to Captain Data."
"Channel open sir," replied Anders.
"Captain, You are now receiving what little intelligence we could=20
acquire.  I think that the only way to successfully prosecute our mission=
=20
is to send in the torpedo craft cloaked, and then decloak when they hit=20
the jamming field, over Vulcan, which is very intense.  If the Romulans=20
don't respond, then we'll just have to fire the torpedoes in some random=20
pattern, which will cover as much of the near-planetary space as=20
possible.  Hopefully that will do the job knocking out some portion of=20
the Romulan fleet.  As we could find no phased regions of space, I must=20
assume that they're just using standard cloaking, to avoid the phase=20
tracking problems that we are familiar with."
"That would seem reasonable, sir." replied Data.
"If you can have your staff calculate the best positioning for the ships=20
so that we get coverage, I would appreciate it.  I will wait to move into=
=20
the atmosphere until after the first wave of torpedoes is fired.  We will=
=20
make our drops around SheKhar, and then around Mt. Silaya, as planned. =20
The troops for Vulcan Space central will be sent in immediately before we=
=20
begin atmospheric operations.  After those moves are made, we'll send=20
troops to whereever it appears that they will be the most useful. =20
Unfortunately, the sensor jamming went far enough into the atmosphere to=20
make it impossible to get an acurate picture of the troop concentrations=20
on the ground.  You will do what you can, but remember that your primary=20
job is to pick up any survivors of craft that are destroyed before they=20
can self-destruct after their pilots have beamed clear."
"Understood, Sir.  AS you know, our weapons are not fully ready for use,=20
so we shall avoid direct confrontations when ever we can.  I will have=20
the tactical staff begin the calculations for vessel placement=20
immediately after this communication ends."
"Very good, and Captain, good luck.  I look forward to seeing you on=20
Vulcan, or at Star Fleet, after the successful completion of our mission."
"Thank you, Sir, and good fortune to you as well." replied Data.
"Ticonderoga out."
"Louisbourg out."

*=09*=09*
"Now entering standard orbit sir," announced Thale.
"Excellent now we wait for the rest of the fleet to arrive." said McGinnis.
"How long do you expect them to take?" asked general Morris from his=20
position just outside the starboard lift doors.
"The attack craft can only make warp seven, so I would expect that it=20
will take them about six or seven hours to get here.  Until then, we=20
remain in phase-cloak, until they begin decloaking.  At that point, we=20
are to drop into the atmosphere, and drop you at your various start=20
points.  The Vulcan military has not been apprised, they only know that=20
it would be "logical", to expect a planetary assault at some point or=20
other.  I don't know if they've got any weapons or contingency plans, so=20
if I were you, I would expect that any vulcan with a weapon was a member=20
of the Romulan fifth column.  However, if you can, stun them, rather than=
=20
killing on sight, as I understand you are to do with the Romulans?"
"Yes, we're to kill them unless they've got hostages, then we stun them=20
and then transfer them to a safe holding area that will be set up in the=20
heart of Vulcan's Forge."
"Very well, the Vulcan Government can decide what to do with them from=20
that point."
"Yes, Sir." replied Morris, knowing that the Vulcans would want the=20
Romulan troops held in protective custody, somewhere on one of their=20
colonies.
"General, I suggest that you get some sleep, you've not had much over the=
=20
last few weeks, and I suspect that you will be rather busy over the next=20
few hours."
"A good idea, Admiral.  I will speak with you in five hours, and then=20
I'll await your signal."
"Sleep well, general." said McGinnis.

The general left the Bridge, and everyone turned back to the main=20
viewscreen, hoping to get some last-minute idea of what they were about=20
to face.  McGinnis knew that StarFleet had sent cloaked ships into the=20
system before Ticonderoga's recent visit, but they had been able to find=20
out even lless than the superdreadnought, simply because they were small,=
=20
and didn't have the analytic, information processing, and data storage =20
facilities that the big ship had.  <Of course, it wasn't as if all of the=
=20
facilities aboard the big ship were that helpful, the damned Romulans had=
=20
done their job too well for him to do his ... yet> thought McGinnis, as=20
the third shift officers came on deck to give the first watch people a=20
few hours added rest.  With the phase cloak working perfectly, and the=20
computer ready with the standard cloaking device, should the main system=20
fail, McGinnis was confident that the ship would remain hidden until the=20
time came for action.
*=09*=09*
Six hours later, the ship was at full alert, and everyone was waiting for=
=20
the proverbial other shoe to drop.  The strike fleet was less than ten=20
minutes out, if they had calculated things properly, so in about ten=20
minutes, fifteen seconds, two hundred small attack craft, whose combined=20
firepower was nearly sixty times that of Ticonderoga would unleash their=20
weapons on the hidden romulan fleet.  Although the low-power scans that=20
could be performed  were inconclusive, McGinnis doubted that the Romulans=
=20
were in phase.  If they were, things would get more complex, as the small=
=20
ships only had one load of torpedoes, and all were to fire in the first=20
blow.  None were held as a back-up, simply because that was Ticonderoga's=
=20
job.  They could help with their phasers, but ultimately, they would be=20
able to do very little to help out if it turned into a slugging match,=20
their shields and structure weren't up to that kind of battle.  This was=20
why they had been ordered to set for suicide self-destruct, with the=20
pilots beaming down to the planet to help the ground assault.

McGinnis' reflections were interrupted by Schultz words.=20
"Sir, now five minutes to ETA, all systems still nominal."=20
"Very well, continue as you are, tactical, ... Helm, get us to a position=
=20
as close to both Vulcan Space Central and the SheKhar/Mt. Silaya area as=20
possible."
There was a brief pause, and then Thale reported that:
"Sir, Vulcan Space Central Space Station, and the Vulcan's forge are=20
currently on opposite sides of the planet.  Which is the preferred target?"

McGinnis stared at Thale in shock.
"You mean that we're unable to have direct access to both?"
"No, Sir." said Thale.
McGinnis was furious with himnself.  He thought that they had taken every=
=20
contingency under consideration.  Clearly, this had not happened.
"The station is more important, its probably being used as their main=20
orbital command center. ... Tactical, can we transvert the necessary=20
troops over through the planet?"
"Yes Sir, but it will take time, as the subspace jamming from their=20
jamming antannae and our photon attack will make all forms of long-range=20
matter/energy transportation difficult for several hours after we begin."
"Very well," said McGinnis a frown on his face. "Plot course for Vulcan=20
Space Central, maximum possible velocity."
"Sir, we'll show up like a star going supernova should they decide to=20
take a phase scan," warned Schultz, who was performing his duty as first=20
officer flawlessly.
"I know, but if they do, it won't help them much, as they won't know what=
=20
kind of vessel we are, and if they suspect anything, and they clear=20
interference to look for other ships, they'll only put themselves at a=20
disadvantage, since they'll make it easy for us to find their ships."
"I agree," said Schultz after a moment's thought.
"Helm, execute course," snapped McGinnis.
"Aye Sir, and after the transversion, where next?"
"We'll have to do it the hard way, and take the ship into atmosphere at=20
maximum impulse.  Keep us as high as you can, while we move into position=
=20
over SheKhar, and then drop down as fast as you dare."
"Yes Sir, ... that'll take about a minute, before we can start the drop=20
operation."
"I know, but as they've clearly moved the space station since the last=20
time we were here, we'll have to make do with what we can.  We'll outgun=20
anything on the ground, and I suspect that the remaining space forces=20
won't be willing to face us until they've made sure that all the smaller=20
ships are gone. Since they're going to crash into whatever their=20
computers  can find, I suspect that the fleet willl be too busy to do=20
much down here for awhile, and their forces will be seriously reduced."
"Yes Sir..." replied Thale.  "We're now in close proximity to Vulcan=20
Space Central, awaiting your orders."
"Ops, notify those troopers to be ready, we'll beam them over as soon as=20
we can take a picture of what's going on in there."
"Done sir, their commander reports that they're in position now."
"Excellent, Tactical, take us out of phase, and a full-power=20
high-intensity concentrated scan on that station, helm, we have two=20
minutes, so if Mr. Schultz needs to move us, make sure that you do it=20
quickly."

Thirty seconds later, after a number of minor changes in position,=20
Schultz sent the information that they'd collected to the marines, and=20
set the transporter sequence.  As they had suspected, there were about=20
two-hundred troops aboard the station, most concentrated in the old=20
traffic control center.  Those that weren't there were either moving=20
about as if on patroll, or stationary, either asleep or relaxing.

"Sir, ready to begin transportation," said Schultz.
"Execute, divert whatever power you need from any system, exept life=20
support, cloaking, and shields."
"Energizing now!" said Schultz.  After a few moments, he said "Thirty=20
seconds to recharge, forty-five to fleet arrival."
"Continue as planned," said McGinnis, hoping that everyone couldn't see=20
how tense he was.  Fleet operations weren't his specialty, and they'd=20
planned everything so carefully.  Already they had lost a bit of their=20
timing sequence because of the unplanned for jump from Vulcan Space=20
Central to  SheKhar.  However, there was nothing to be done about it now.
"Second wave away, battle has been joined." announced Schultz.
"Very well, drop out of the jamming field, and reengage phase-cloaking=20
system."
"Now clear of jamming, reengaging phase-cloak." reported Schultz, who had=
=20
taken over helm functions at his station, due to the need for rapid movemen=
t.
"Sir, I have a light flare on the dark side of the planet, I assume that=20
its a general warning of some kind." said Schultz.
"Damn!" said McGinnis. =20
However, before he could say anything further,  space seemed to tear open=
=20
and the fleet of small attack craft appeared in the space surrounding the=
=20
planet.
"Sir, they're firing!" said Schultz, watching as nearly eight hundred=20
modified torpedoes began to move through the space surrounding Vulcan. =20
"Helm, execute planned maneuver, and notify all aboard that operation=20
"John Thomas" has begun. =20




SUPERDREADNOUGHT: Part V: Chapter XXV:
By:
Matthew A. Weed

The operation began with more of a whimper than a bang.  The torpedoes=20
had to look for cloaked ships in a situation in which their very limited=20
sensors were practically useless.  The only truly effective way they had=20
of finding Romulan ships was to simply crash into them as they moved=20
through their search patterns.  Fortunately, since the cloaking device=20
had only limited capability as a shield, the torpedoes could travel even=20
farther, as their warheads didn't have to explode with much force to=20
score critical damage.  Therefore, the range had been increased to five=20
million kilometers, at the cost of a 2/3 decrease in yield as compared=20
with the standard sixty-four megaton blast.

Therefore, rather than being a wild scene of torpedo explosions, there=20
was a long pause during which only occasional explosions occurred.  With=20
all of the hardware in orbit, these explosions were spreadd widely around=
=20
the planet.  Finally, when those torpedoes which ahd not found a target=20
had hit the end of their search range, all of them simply detonated where=
=20
they were, hoping to cause damage via this method at least.

Meanwhile, the small ships were plunging toward the atmosphere, and a=20
point at which their pilots could beam down to the planet in order to=20
assist the marines that Ticonderoga was putting down at that very=20
moment.  Fortunately, the attack had now been registered by all Romulan=20
commanders, and, mostly out of a desire to join in the battle, they had=20
begun to decloak, making both the torpedoes, and the computer-guided=20
suicide runs increasingly effective as time passed.

"Sir, now descending through the atmosphere at maximum safe velocity. =20
Range to SheKhar is ten seconds, the first wave of antigrav units should=20
drop now."
"McGinnis to General Morris, you may begin immediately."
"Right, first wave is now off," replied the general's voice through some=20
kind of microphone.
"General, good luck," replied McGinnis as he turned off the comlink.
"Sir, first wave is clear, they're encountering some resistance, mostly=20
anti-aircraft ," said Schultz.
"While we pass over, you may suppress that fire as you see fit," replied=20
McGinnis.
"Aye Sir, particle batteries firing now," said Schultz.

The ship's phasers, each as powerful as those on the old=20
Constitution-class Enterprise launched a devastating response to the=20
limited Romulan fire coming up from below.  Like all phasers, these were=20
tightly targetted, and there was little damage to the surrounding=20
buildings, with only minor flash damage and broken windows resulting from=
=20
the incoming fire.
"Sir, now passing out of range, coming to second drop," reported Schultz.
"Very well, transport the troopers down, the Marines know the schedule,"=20
replied McGinnis.
"Aye Sir, shock troops are down, heavy equipment is now on its way to=20
assist, some of the attack craft pilots are already inside the Mt.Silaya,=
=20
they report that they are encountering very limited resistance."
"Good," send the last wave down, and climb for altitude," this respite=20
won't last long...."

At this moment, the first Romulan response to Ticonderoga's activities=20
came, in the form of heavy disruptor fire from an orbiting=20
dreadnought-class ship.
"Shields holding," yelled Schultz.
"Return fire, main ring only," said McGinnis, leaning forward in his chair.
The flash of the ring's discharge was brilliant against the background of=
=20
Vulcan's skies.  The impact caused the enemy ship to stagger, but little=20
real damage resulted.
"Sir, only minor damage to their shields, they're recharging?"
"Set main ring for autotargeting, it may fire as full charge is=20
available, target at computer's disgression," snapped McGinnis.
"Aye, computer now taking over main ring systems," said Schultz.

This setting was by far the most powerful weapon that the ship had. =20
Against the Borg or the Dominion fleet, it was useless, as the first had=20
shields that required special frequency combinations to break, and the=20
second had too many small craft to make simple raw energy output a=20
factor.  In this case, ship-to-ship, Ticonderoga had the advantage in=20
energy production and shield/weapons capacity, and it   became quite=20
obvious over the next half minute.  By the fourth blast, the Romulan=20
shields were gone, and the fifth struck the forced quantum singularity=20
generator dead on, turning the Romulan ship into a blinding white=20
fireball.  Ticonderoga, on the other hand, had only lost one layer of=20
shielding, and had suffered no major hull damage from the Romulan ship's=20
fire.
"Sir, the attack craft are beginning to suicide," said Schultz, as he=20
watched the growing toll in Romulan craft.
"What's the count?" asked McGinnis.
"Sir, I have eight Romulan ships destroyed, most of their jamming=20
apparatus is gone, and there are a number of damaged ships in orbit. =20
Louisbourg took heavy damage from a cruiser, but their modular weaponry=20
knocked it out before they took any critical damage.  We now have no=20
small craft left, and I estimate three fully functional heavy units, with=
=20
a number of damaged smaller units on the enemy side."
"I see, do we have any more marines aboard?"
"No sir, we got the last set off just before that first attack, those=20
portable transporters were extremely helpful in getting all of them clear."
"Yes, an increase from eighty to eight-hundred transport cycles per wave=20
is definitely a help.  I think I'll suggest that more transporters should=
=20
be built into the next class of Federation heavy ships," said McGinnis. =20
"The added troop carrying dcapacity is a real help."
"yes Sir, its too bad we didn't have it against the Borg." said Schultz.
"Agreed."=20

The ship came to an altitude of about 1,000 meters, and began to move=20
rapidly through the atmosphere.  The troops had been offloaded, and now=20
it was patrolling in order to use its heavy weapons to support the troops=
=20
as they moved against the Romulan forces which still held most of the key=
=20
points on the planet.  This kind of activity was risky as it left the=20
ship underpowered and with only limited maneuverability should the=20
Romulans strike with their remaining space forces.

"Sir, the marines are having solid success against most of the Romulan=20
and fifth column groups.  However, the Romulans have a strongly fortified=
=20
base in the mountains near Vulcan's Forge. I think that our weapons will=20
be the only way to break that position quickly.  However, there are two=20
heavies orbiting above the site, and we will be in serious danger if we=20
don't try to take them out first," reported Schultz as the image of the=20
passing landscape was replaced by a tactical depiction of the Romulan=20
fortification.
"Helm, reverse course, I want to get enough distance between those ships=20
and us to allow us to climb without being in danger from short-range=20
disruptors."
"Aye Sir, course is now reversed, our velocity is 1,500 KPH, and we are=20
climbing at 5,000 meters per minute."
"Good, tactical, engage the main ring, autofire, supported by photons as=20
the computer sees fit, computer controlled targeting and weapons selection.=
"
"Aye Sir, settings now in place, diverting energy from auxiliary phasers=20
to main power grid."
"We are about four minutes short of clearing the upper atmosphere,=20
Romulan ships are already moving to intercept.  I estimate one minute to=20
close range for disruptors," said Thale.
"Very well, clear the computer to open fire," said McGinnis.
"Main weapons cleared to fire, ... charging cycle is complete." replied=20
Schultz.

At this point, the main ring flared white, and the by-now-familiar bolt=20
of brilliant light connected Ticonderoga to the Romulan dreadnought-class=
=20
vessel above and behind the great ship.  The Romulan vessel took only=20
moderate shield damage, and no structural damage.  Its response, and that=
=20
of its sister ship was immediate, and even less effective.

Ticonderoga struck again, concentrating both phaser and torpedo fire on=20
the ship which it had first attacked.  This time, the added firepower=20
directed against its shields caused more serious harm, nearly draining=20
the shields, and causing minor structural damage as well.

However, a number of Romulan ships had now moved to support the first=20
two.  Although these were all damaged, they were capable of adding=20
noticeably to the firepower directed at Ticonderoga.  The combined effect=
=20
of their weapons fire was great, and as a result of the damage that had=20
already occurred, the main shields fell completely, and the auxiliaries=20
were weakened.  However, the ship was now clear of the atmosphere, and=20
able to move more quickly and efficiently in persuit of its enemies.

"Sir, computer suggests that we reprioritize to destroy the damaged ships=
=20
first, and maneuver to avoid the heavier ships for the moment."
"Very well, bring the remaining weapons systems under the control of the=20
computer."
"Done sir."

Immediately the ship's weapons began striking against the Romulan ships=20
which were either small or damaged.  Within minutes, the five damaged=20
attackers had been reduced to debris, and the heavier Romulan ships had=20
been forced to retreat by occasional strikes which McGinnis had inserted=20
in order to keep them at bay and off balance.  Now there were only two=20
heavy units left, but both were at near peak operating condition. =20
Ticonderoga was not in equally good shape.

The Romulan fire had weakened the auxiliary shields, and minor structural=
=20
damage had ocurred as a result of energy bleed-through.  The main shields=
=20
were still under repair, and this set of defenses could do nothing to=20
withstand incomming attacks.

"Sir, we're at about half of optimal shielding capacity and structure=20
shows just barely below nominal.  All weapons are stil available, and I=20
would estimate about a fifty-fifty chance of successfully knocking out=20
the enemy vessels.

McGinnis had to think on this.  If the Romulan fortifications could not=20
be destroyed, they would be able to withstand the Vulcan and Federation=20
forces for some time, and with reprogramming of their ground-to-space=20
plasma weapons, they could destroy most of the cities on the planet. =20
However, to destroy these targets, Ticonderoga would have to use its=20
weaponry, as there was nothing in the area that could do the job, and the=
=20
ground-based forces hadn't sufficient firepower to do it themselves. =20
Doing so would, however, result in a several-minute gap during which=20
Ticonderoga would not be able to defend itself against the two Romulan=20
dreadnoughts still in the area.
"Tactical, I need to know hwether we can successfully knock out those=20
ground bases and still have ennough shielding to handle the space-based=20
resistance, or not."

Seconds passed while Schultz worked with both his computers and his=20
instincts.  McGinnis knew that the technology was the best available, and=
=20
Schultz' instincts were as good as his computers.

"Sir, I would say that either way we go, we're not sure to carry out the=20
mission.  I'd say that its better to cripple the ships first, deal with=20
the fortifications, and then finish off whatever remains in space.  I'd=20
suggest taking prisoners, except that I expect that we won't have any=20
shielding by that point, and if they have operational weapons..."
"Understood," replied McGinnis with a sigh.  Clearly this would be a=20
tough, and close-run, job; but it had to be done, and he was actually=20
rather surprised that things were going as well as they had been,=20
considering the resources that they had started out with.

At this point, the Romulans took the initiative.
"Sir!" yelled Thale, his normally quiet voice cutting the atmosphere on=20
the bridge like a knife.  "The Romulans are moving toward the planet,=20
their disruptors are charged for firing."
"Helm, close in, ... tactical, choose your target, maximum firepower, ...=
=20
throw the kitchen sink at either ship."
"Aye sir," Thale and Schultz replied.

Moments later, the by-now-familiar white lance flared from the=20
mega-collimator ring, and a salvo of photon and contained plasma=20
torpedoes impacted on the ship which was closer to the planet.  The=20
effect was less than McGinnis had hoped for.  The Romulans' shields were=20
severely weakened, but clearly they couldn't count on being able to kill=20
these new ships in one broadside.
"Sir, they're returning fire," Schultz said.

The effect on Ticonderoga was staggering.  The plasma torpedoes hit=20
first, shattering what remained of the auxiliary shields, and biting=20
deeply into the secondaries.  Then the romulans next weapon, old-style=20
nuclear fusion weapons  took their toll.

"Sir! they're firing ... nuclear weapons at us!" cried Schultz.

Nearly twenty warneads appeared around Ticonderoga.  Their combined yield=
=20
was nearly half a billion tons of TNT, and in spite of the inefficiency=20
of their energy/mass conversion, and the fact that their impact couldn't=20
be directed as photon and plasma torpedoes could, the raw energy in the=20
attack took its toll.

"Damage report," cried McGinnis as he climbed back into his chair.
"Sir, auxiliary shields are gone, secondaries at about thirty percent. =20
Serious leakage as a result of that last attack, many crew are suffering=20
radiation burns and other injuries in the ship's outer areas.  Sickbay is=
=20
responding..." said Schultz. =20

McGinnis looked over to see why both tactical and injury reports had come=
=20
from him, and saw that Anders was knocked out cold and lying on her=20
station's console.
"Science, take over ops systems," said McGinnis.
"Operations is now at science," intoned T'mayek.

"Tactical engage cloaking system, no phasing.  Helm, come around to 314=20
mark 47 and charge the ring."
"Aye Sir," replied Schultz and Thale.

Long before, when McGinnis had been working over the design=20
specifications of the ship with MacLeod and Tharael, an escaped Romulan=20
engineer who had helped the Federation with the quantum core project,=20
they had realized that one of the keys to building a nearly=20
indestructible warship, was energy production.  Without it, shielding,=20
phasers, warp drive, torpedoes, everything that makes a ship hard to=20
beat, becomes impossible.  This was the reason for the truly fantastic=20
expenditures on power production in the four planned Ticonderoga class=20
super starships.  This planning, which had already proven invaluable=20
against the Borg, would prove even more important now.

The ship came around, and swung so that it was slightly above and behind=20
the weakened Romulan ship.  This allowed it to bring its main phasers,=20
the contained plasma torpedoes, and two of the modular photon launchers=20
into firing positions.  With this, McGinnis could pull one of his few=20
remaining trump cards.

"Tactical, fire available weapons."

As far as the Romulans were concerned,a bolt of phased energy and a mix=20
of plasma and photon torpedoes came crashing into their weakened vessel. =
=20
Some of the torpedoes struck just before the phaser bolt, and as a=20
result, the shields were temporarily weakened, allowing the phaser strike=
=20
to crash through the weakened deflectors, incinerating the aft disruptor=20
array.  Nearly simultaneously the remaining torpedoes came through the=20
same region of the shields, effectively blowing apart the engineering=20
sections of the ship, leaving it powerless in space.  With this, McGinnis=
=20
knew that the Romulans would destroy themselves, rather than be captured=20
by Federation forces. =20

However, the brief firing sequence allowed the remaining Romulan to lock=20
in and strike in the general direction of Ticonderoga.  Although all of=20
the energy directed at them did not hit, enough of the disruptor fire and=
=20
plasma torpedoes hit to further weaken the auxiliary shielding, and=20
temporarily overload the cloaking device.  Unless McGinnis chose to go=20
into phase, Ticonderoga would remain visible.

"Report," said McGinnis, "Ops, then tactical."
"Sir, we now have twenty-five percent auxiliary shielding. Engineering=20
reports that the main and secondary shielding will not be available for=20
at least forty minutes.  standard cloaking device will remain inoperable=20
for no less than two hours, and there is no other damage to the ship. =20
There is, however,  a report from sick bay which states that seventy-two=20
crew members were injured in the previous Romulan attack, most are=20
suffering from radiation burns in the second third and fourth degrees. =20
Twelve are not expected to survive." said T'Mayek.
"Tactical?"
"Sir, as you have seen, the Romulans have only one remaining ship, but it=
=20
is fully functional, in all respects.  I suggest that we gain some=20
distance, and try to get them with long-range plasma torpedo fire."
"Very well, Helm, course 45 mark 318, warp one, with emergency reciprocal=
=20
should they choose to move on the planet, rather than follow us."

The Romulan commander did as McGinnis expected, following Ticonderoga,=20
rather than helping his people on the ground.  Like McGinnis, he knew=20
that if Ticonderoga survived his ship, the Romulan occupation of Vulcan=20
would end.  Therefore, the dreadnought closed on its prey.  McGinnis now=20
chose to perform a maneuver which had, in defense fleet circles, become=20
known as "Picard II".

"Tactical, fire aft torpedoes, use any other weapons to cover our retreat."

As with Picard's Enterprise, the big ship fired its aft weapons, hoping=20
to beat off its persuer by causing damage, while avoiding an outright battl=
e.

The Romulan Commander also recognized the maneuver, and accelerated while=
=20
turning to avoid the aft weapons.  Of course, Unlike Enterprise,=20
Ticonderoga was a fully distributed ship, with all broadsides at equal=20
weight, save the forward broadside, which was greater than the others. =20
Therefore, as soon as it had moved away from the aft-directed weapons,=20
the auxiliary phasers and the ring could make their contributions.

"Tactical, autotargeting on the ring, computer may fire when ready."
"Aye Sir, firing ... now."

Although the main phaser weaponry of Ticonderoga was the heaviest=20
phased-energy weaponry in the known galaxy, it didn't have the range that=
=20
torpedoes carried.  Therefore, all the Romulan Commander had to do was to=
=20
make sure that her ship avoided the arcs of her enemy's photon and plasma=
=20
torpedo batteries.

Of course, this was as obvious to McGinnis as it was to her.  He,=20
therefore, ordered the computer to handle maneuvering while Schultz took=20
whatever shots became possible.  Sadly for the Romulan, her navigator was=
=20
not as qualified as the most powerful distributed computing system ever=20
built by the Federation, and Schultz was able to give better than=20
Ticonderoga got. A good thing, considering the still-deteriorating state=20
of the ship's defenses.

"Sir, auxiliary shields at thirteen percent, repairs continuing on main=20
and secondary shields, but weaponry repair expects that it will be at=20
least half an hour before either set of shields can do much." said Thale=20
whose responsibilities at the helm allowed him the time necessary to take=
=20
part of Walter Schultz's job so that he could concentrate on getting in=20
effective shots.=20
"Understood, Mr. Thale, what's the enemy's status?"
"Their shields are at about forty percent, no damage to super-structure=20
as yet."
"Understood."
"Science, could we get in for a transverter shot?"
"We are, of course, capable of such action sir, but local subspace is=20
very disturbed by the recent action, and I believe that there is almost=20
no chance of success. What chance does exist is negated by the added risk=
=20
posed by the enemy's short-range disruptors."
"Understood,"

All that this meant was that Ticonderoga would have to work for=20
long-range shots while hoping to avoid enemy strikes when they themselves=
=20
came within range.

"Coming around, ..." said Thale who was helping with tactical monitoring=20
while his systems were under the main computer's control.
"Now four million ... 3 and a half million, ... lock ... fire!" he said.
As he counted the distance down, Schultz was finalizing his lock, and as=20
the fire notification was given, he struck his board, causing the great=20
ship to launch a volley of long-lance photon torpedoes and contained=20
plasma weapons as well.  However, with the ship barely in warp, and the=20
great distance, the Romulan defense computer had nearly a second to=20
estimate which areas of the shielding would need reinforcement.  With the=
=20
technology available to both combattants, a second might as well have=20
been a century.  While his computers were allocating energy to the=20
shields, the weapons officer was allocating energy to her ship's=20
long-range weapons.

Their fire was not terribly effective either, but Ticonderoga's auxiliary=
=20
shields were knocked down to only ten percent of optimal power.  As a=20
result, the ship took damage for the first time since the battles with=20
the Borg nearly nine months earlier.  However, the damage was limited,=20
and no injuries were caused by the attack.

"Sir, we're vulnerable to further damage now, the shields aren't very=20
effective anymore.  We're going to need to do something soon," said=20
Thale, whose words drew a short nod of agreement from Schultz.
"Understood, accelerate to warp 8.5, and come to the outer edge of the=20
system.  You may choose your course."
"Reasserting helm control over nav' system," said Thale, coming to course=
=20
17 mark 28, and accelerating to warp 8.5."
"They're following, sir," reported Schultz, his words surprising no one=20
on the bridge.
"Good, as they match our speed, continue accelerating in one-tenth warp=20
stages until we achieve warp 9.4, or until we hit their maximum velocity."
"Aye, Ssir."
"Mr. Schultz, get the computer to lock onto that ship and charge all=20
available weapons."
"Aye Sir, ... weapons locked and charging."

The ship was now at slightly less than warp nine, and was accelerating=20
for that velocity.  The Romulan commander was continuing to push, and as=20
yet, neither vessel was seriously strained.  The gap had widened=20
somewhat, but the Romulan, not fully aware of Ticonderoga's various=20
abilities was counting on her ship's ability to gain added energy at high=
=20
warp through the added efficiency of its forced quantum generator.  When=20
at high velocity, more matter could be collected for immediate use in the=
=20
forced quantum power generation system, allowing the ship to increase its=
=20
energies as it accelerated.  Of course, there was a theoretical limit to=20
this ability, and McGinnis was willing to bet that he could force the=20
Romulan beyond it.  <Of course, there is another way...> McGinnis thought=
=20
to himself.=20

"Now at warp 9.4, our lead is about half a billion kilometers, or less=20
than half a second at this velocity." said Thale.
"Good, Mr. Schultz, auto lock the computer on target, and allow it to=20
control weapons fire.  Have it set to fire the microsecond that that ship=
=20
comes within range."
"Aye Sir," said Schultz, beginning to guess McGinnis' next tactic.
"Ops, put me on general address."
McGinnis was so occupied in his work that he had temporarily forgotten=20
that Janet Anders was not on the bridge, and that he had ordered T'mayek=20
to take ops, as there was little that she could to to contribute, as a=20
science officer, in this situation.
"Sir, the channel is now open," she said.
Before he spoke, he glanced at T'mayek, hoping that she would understand=20
his temporary lapse.  =20
"All decks, we are about to reverse warp, please take your emergency=20
positions, I suspect that the ride is about to become rather rough."
"Mr. Thale, come to warp eight."
"Aye Sir," replied Thale.

The ship slowed, and although the Romulan commander had had her=20
navigational computers following Ticonderoga's actions, the superior=20
technology in the Federation ship allowed it to slow more quickly, which=20
brought the ships nearly within range of each other.  Now McGinnis pulled=
=20
his surprise.
"Helm, full reverse on all engines," he said.

The ship shook violently, not fully able to overcome the enormous stress=20
of decelleration with most of its spare energy and computational power=20
directed to either weapons or engine systems monitoring.  This shaking=20
was, however, beneficial, as it caused some of the Romulan weapons which=20
were able to fire as the two ships passed each other at the equivalent of=
=20
warp four, to miss.  Fortunately, Ticonderoga's computer did not miss.

The first torpedoes bit deeply into the shields.  The auxiliary phasers=20
added to the damage, opening a hole for the main ring to take advantage=20
of as soon as the Romulan ship moved beyond the engineering complex,=20
which caused a blind spot in in the aft part of the ship's lower=20
hemisphere of fire.

The, by now, all-to-familiar white bolt of energy flared and impacted=20
against the Romulan ship, and held it as it passed.  Although the total=20
contact time was less than a second, the effect was still terrific.  The=20
blast tore through what remained of the shields, ripping a tremendous=20
gouge through the ship, cutting the bridge module from the rest of the=20
hull, and puncturing the vessel's impulse engines.  These exploded,=20
shorting out the remaining power systems, leaving the Romulan vessel dead=
=20
in space.

"Mr. Thale, move in on their ship, transport any remaining crew to the=20
shuttle bay, make sure that all of their weapons are deactivated."
"Ops, damage report on this vessel?"
"Sir, we have no shielding, and there is serious flash damage on the main=
=20
hull.  Auxiliary phaser batteries number 25 and 26 are unavailable, and=20
there is a temporary breech in the supporting structure for the=20
mega-collimator which will require an unspecified time to repair. =20
Thirteen crew were injured, four killed in the last action."

"Thank you," McGinnis said with a sigh.  Considering the shoestring=20
nature of the recent operation, he knew that they were lucky, but like=20
most commanders, he hated to lose the lives of his crew in battle, he=20
always felt as if he had failed them in some way.=20
"Sir, we're now within transporter range, there are about forty Romulans=20
alive, and their quantum core is moving toward instability, so I suggest=20
that we make this quick," said Thale.
"Very well, Science, beam them aboard, ... Helm, as soon as the Romulans=20
are in the shuttle bay, accelerate to maximum velocity, and set course=20
back to Vulcan.
"Aye Sir," reaplied the two officers.  Thale's voice, however continued,=20
louder than any of them had ever heard it.
"Core instability has accelerated, laying in course and executing!"

The ship leapt forward, but unfortunately in his haste, Thale had=20
miscalculated the optimal escape course, sending the great ship toward,=20
not away from, the Romulan vessel.  Fortunately, the ship was able to=20
just pass the Romulan vessel before its quantum singularity exploded with=
=20
a force equal to that of ten million megatons of TNT.  The computer could=
=20
do little to protect the ship in this situation.  Its automatic defense=20
protocols could only reenergize the available shielding, and direct it=20
all aft-ward, before the sub-space shockwave hit, carrying the=20
still-accelerating ship forward at uncontrolled speeds.  Between the=20
tremendous acceleration caused by the engines, and the force from the=20
explosion,  the ship hit warp 9.98, while its warp field was only able to=
=20
support warp four.  Before he blacked out, McGinnis thought that he saw a=
=20
wormhole,--blue not orange like most others he had seen, either=20
personally or recorded-- open before the advancing ship.  Then, like the=20
rest of his crew, he blacked out, overwhelmed by the tremendous=20
gravitational forces caused by the uncontrolled charge into high warp.=20





********************************************



SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part VI Chapter XXVI:
By:
Matthew A. Weed

Darkness ...
The feeling of utter darkness around him brought McGinnis awake, although=
=20
he didn't yet realize that he was awake.  He shook himself, slowly coming=
=20
out of his stupor.  The first thing that he noticed was that it was dark,=
=20
absolutely, totally, dark.  The second was that he was lying on the=20
floor, head padded against some rather hard objecct, which seemed to be=20
wet in some way or other.  As he continued his rather slow return to=20
consciousness, he realized that the wetness was his blood, and that he=20
was lying on the floor of some room, his head propped against the support=
=20
for one of its pieces of furniture.  He then remembered, hazily, a great=20
explosion, and the feeling of horror, realizing that he had done this...=20
whatever this was... before.  For the life of him, he couldn't figure out=
=20
what was going on, and the utter lack of light was neither helping him,=20
nor comforting him either.
He shifted, feeling above him for anything that might hit his head when=20
he sat up.Feeling nothing, he moved to a seated position on the carpeted=20
floor.  Doing so, caused him to become extremely dizzy, and he remembered=
=20
that his head was bleeding.  Apparently, he had hit it rather hard.He sat=
=20
for a moment, before moving backward gently and coming in contact with=20
the piece of furniture under which he had come to rest. ... Interesting=20
that his mind would phrase it like that, he thought to himself, wondering=
=20
just exactly what had happened.

After trying to remember for a minute or two, he felt around, and quickly=
=20
realized that he was leaning against his command chair.  With this, he=20
quickly remembered that he was on the Bridge, and that the ship had=20
entered some kind of wormhole, or other subspace anomoly.

Quickly now, he got into his chair, and struck his com badge.
"Bridge to weapons Control Center, Kyla, report."
There was no answer.

"Bridge to all decks, come in," he said into his combadge, despite the=20
fact that people wouldn't be able to report back to him this way.

Again, no answer.

Now, he was nervous.  The ship could eject the "mushroom", if things were=
=20
bad, and in this way, the command center, computer core, weapons control,=
=20
auxiliary computer core, and a small bank of impulse engines could act as=
=20
a lifeboat for the command crew, which was unable to evacuate the ship if=
=20
emergency egress was necessary.  Gravity seemed normal enough, but still,=
=20
the lack of response from the rest of the ship, and the lack of other=20
sound on the Bridge was not encouraging.

He turned to the arm of his chair, and punched up emergency lights.  With=
=20
the exception of the small light on his chair arm, nothing else came up. =
=20
However, this was enough to see by, and he saw that the Bridge looked=20
alright, but that the crew therein did not.

All were knocked out, and with the exception of T'mayek, it appeared that=
=20
most had lost a good deal of blood.  McGinnis knew well that just because=
=20
there is no blood, one can not assume serious internal injury.  However,=20
in this situation, he would take what he could get.  Schultz had a good=20
deal of blood on his head, and it appeared that his left arm and right=20
leg had suffered compound fractures.  Thale was lying on his console, and=
=20
it appeared that he had some broken ribs, or whatever passed for ribs in=20
an andorian.  There was also a lot of blood underneath his station,=20
suggesting that something had happened to his legs.

At this moment, T'mayek groaned, and McGinnis moved toward her.  He leant=
=20
over her, attempting to deduce her condition, when, very quietly, she spoke=
.

"Admiral, you must strike me."

McGinnis had spent two years on Vulcan in his early career, and so knew=20
about the vulcan heeling trance.  However, considering his own condition,=
=20
he wasn't sure that he could do what she needed him to do.  However,=20
there was no one to do it for him.  He swung with all of his reduced=20
strength, and his hand connected with her face with a resounding=20
*crack*.  He swayed, hauled off, and slapped her again, somewhat less=20
effectively this time.  Again, he tried, connected, and then fell back,=20
overwhelmed by his own injuries.

When he had recovered sufficiently, he realized that the Vulcan was=20
leaning over him.

"Sir, are you well?" she asked, the tension of the situation clear, even=20
in her normally well-controlled features.

"No, but my current condition will have to do for the moment. =20
What...happened...?

"Assuming that he wanted to know how he had come to be lying near the=20
Sciences station on a very dimly lit bridge, T'Mayek began to reply.
"You were attempting to bring me out of a healing trance and ..."
"No, I know that, I mean to the ship," he snapped, somewhat testily.
"I am not fully certain.  I was conscious longer than any other being on=20
the Bridge, and I am quite certain that we entered some type of subspace=20
anomoly, in some way related to worm holes.  however, this phenomenon=20
differed in some ways, which will require significant computer analysis=20
to fully elucidate.

"Fine.  How long has it been?"
Normally, with most beings, it would be impossible to tell without a=20
chronometer, but Vulcans were extremely self-aware, and although her=20
estimate would not be as accurate as Data's, it would be enough to give=20
him some idea of the seriousness of the problem.
"I am not fully certain, but I would estimate some three to four hourrs."

This was more than McGinnis had hoped, but less than he had feared.

"Very well, let's see what we can get out of the computer, so far, I know=
=20
that comlinks are down, and that my chair's control circuits seem to be out=
."

"I shall run a systems check, Commander Schultz and Mr. Thale will prove=20
of little help, their injuries are extremely serious, and require=20
attention in sick bay.
"Very well, I shall try to check some of the near-by compartments to see=20
whether any of the systems are working there.  Since the subspace=20
controllers are down, and the optical links are apparently out too, you=20
will need to find me, if you have anything important to report."
"Understood, sir.  When should I expect you back to check in?"
"Half an hour," he said, moving to the aft access doors, which would lead=
=20
him into the airlock that would take him to the Bridge access corridor. =20
He got to the doors, and grabbing the big wheel-shaped emergency handle,=20
cranked the half-meter thick tritanium doors open.  Through the growing=20
gap, he saw that emergency lighting was indeed working, in this small=20
place at least.
"Commander, the air lock has emergency light, I'm going to get our armor,=
=20
put yours on before I proceed any further."
"Very well, Sir." she said, moving to receive the bulky mass of material=20
and working equipment from him. =20

As soon as both were fully enclosed in the suits, and the fusion=20
microcells were operating, McGinnis moved to open the outer doors. =20
Unfortunately, if he was met with hard vacuum, although T'mayek would=20
survive, Thale and Walter Schultz would die of exposure, as there had=20
been no way to get them into their protective gear without adding to=20
their injuries.

Fortunately, when he opened the meter-thick outer doors, McGinnis found=20
only a deserted, and fully-pressurized corridor.  Here, the lighting was=20
also at emergency levels only, but it appeared that the computer consoles=
=20
were atleast somewhat active.  he stripped his armor off, after using its=
=20
added strength to receal the bridge's inner and outer doors.

he then turned to the computer console, and, noting that it appeared only=
=20
partly functional, called for a status report, only half hoping that he=20
would get one.  It appeared that his luck had turned, as the computer's=20
voice responded immediately.

"Ship's systems are currently on main and distributed computing support. =
=20
Life support is maintained in all sections of the vessel, except the=20
forward observation lounge, all sections of the mega-collimator ring and=20
its support structure, and the main-hull quantum core access  tube."
"Report on other systems," said McGinnis, hoping that things were less=20
bad on the rest of the ship than they were on the Bridge.
"Computer and structural damage makes a complete report of ships' systems=
=20
status impossible," replied the computer.
"Give me a report on communications status," said McGinnis, now sure that=
=20
things were as badm or worse, than they were on the bridge.
"Optical communications are available to all sections of the main hull,=20
with the exception of the Bridge.  Limited optical communications are=20
available in the Engineering complex, subspace communications are=20
unavailable for all sections of the ship." said the computer.

McGinnis could now get some idea of the well-being of his crew at least,=20
and for this he was thankful.

However, his first need was to get to the Weapons Control Center, as the=20
Bridge was unserviceable without communications, and he needed to be able=
=20
to begin the process of getting his ship back on its proverbial  feet,=20
and finding out where they were.  Within ten minutes, he had gotten to=20
the Weapons Control Center, where Kyla Moran was just recovering from her=
=20
own, rather nasty, bump on the head.  As soon as he was sure that the=20
lieutenant was alright, he sent her to tell T'mayek to come to the WCC.=20

"McGinnis to sick bay," he said into the com unit on his station.

"Sick bay, Anderson here, sir." replied one of the younger nurses.
"Ensign, there are wounded on the Bridge, if you can send a team up=20
there, I'd appreciate it."

"Sir, I would be happy to, but we only have three people here, and we're=20
trying to treat the casualties here, and log the dead."

"I see, what is the count so far?" McGinnis asked, not wanting to hear=20
this report at all.
"Sir, most of the burn victims died when we hit the ... whatever it was,=20
there were too many objects and shards of equipment flying around here. =20
The gravimetric pressure was usually too much for their dressings, and=20
their skin came off, ... they bled to death sir.  There are many=20
seriously wounded from around the ship, and at least fifty confirmed=20
dead.  Many of the wounded have suffered serious internal injuries due to=
=20
falling equipment,  and none of us here has the training to help them. =20
I'm putting them into stasus as quickly as they come in."
"What happened to the senior staff?"
"Drs Peters and MulHollen died when a stasus unit broke loose and crushed=
=20
them.  Slan the heeler is in trance, his arm and a number of ribs were=20
broken when he was thrown against a wall when the compensators failed."

"Thank you, Ensign, you are doing a fine job down there, and I'm proud of=
=20
the work that you are doing.  Continue doing what you can, and when he's=20
able, have Spel contact me at the Weapons Control Center."

"Thank you Sir," she said, "I doubt that he'll be awake for some time,=20
but when he is, I'll have him find you."
"Very well, ... McGinnis out."

The fact that Alecia Andrews was running the sick bay was unsettling to=20
McGinnis.  She was one of the highest-ranked graduates of Starfleet=20
nursing academy, but she was barely two years out of school, and her=20
battlefield experience was limited.  His mind moved to other, equally=20
important matters.

T'mayek was now in the WCC, and Lieutenant Moran had found some people=20
who could help transport Thale and Schultz to sick ay.  It was now time=20
for these officers, now his command staff, to begin collecting a=20
ship-wide damage report.    =20
         =20



SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part VI: Chapter XXVII
By:
Matthew A. Weed

Command Log: Stardate 57275.0, estimated: William McGinnis, in Command,=20
USS Ticonderoga recording.

I now have a full damage report on this vessel's systems.  The anomoly=20
which we created via an uncontrolled warp acceleration combined with the=20
energy from the destruction of a Romulan dreadnought, has done extremely=20
serious damage to this vessel.  We currently have no sensors, external=20
monitoring systems, and shields.  Fortunately, we have not been struck by=
=20
any objects, wherever we may be.The ship's super-structure has suffered=20
varying levels of damage.  Fortunately, neither the main hull, nor our=20
core super-structure have suffered major damage.  However, many of the=20
bulkheads, and other less-well-supported sections of the=20
micro-super-structure have suffered serious damage, and this, combined=20
with a partial failure of the artificial gravity system, has resulted in=20
a large number of deaths in the crew.  We have not been able to ascertain=
=20
the situation in the shuttle bay, and are not even certain that we were=20
able to successfully transport the Romulan survivors from their ship=20
before it exploded.  The bulk heads between main engineering and the=20
shuttledeck are very thick, and we must proceed carefully, since if we=20
break into open space on the other side of the bulkhead, main engineering=
=20
will lose all atmospheric containment.

The main phaser array, many of the auxiliaries, and all of the modular=20
photon torpedo systems are off-line, and will either require repair, or=20
replacement in the case of the torpedo launchers, which apparently broke=20
away from the ship in transit.All computer systems, communications,=20
transporters, and internal monitoring systems are now back on line, and I=
=20
expect to have limited maneuvering control up soon.  We have apparently=20
suffered systems failures on the main reactor and the forced quantum=20
core.  It is unknown at this time whether these problems result from=20
unseen computer damage, or a more serious problem.  However, almost all=20
of our secondary fusion reactors are operable, and are slowly being=20
worked into the main energy transferral grid for the time being.  My=20
biggest problem at the moment is my terribly understaffed, and=20
demoralized crew.  This is the second time that many of us have suffered=20
a major disruption in our lives which has been directly tied to an=20
anomoly of some kind or another.  Many of the rest of us are in shock=20
over the nearly two-hundred casualties which have resulted from this=20
experience.  added to those suffered during the engagement in the Epsilon=
=20
Aeridoni system, and the losses resulting from the need to leave some=20
crew behind for the mission, I have less  than fifty able-bodied crew=20
available at the moment.  There are still some who are listed as missing,=
=20
most importantly, Commander MacLeod.  Until he is found, I must hope that=
=20
the computer will be able to provide the necessary support to assist us=20
with repairs.

"Sir, I expect to have external visuals up in a few seconds, sensors are=20
going to take a bit longer." reported Moran from somewhere in the ship's=20
innards.
"Good, If we're going to be without main engines for a couple of days, we=
=20
might as well know where we are."

T'mayek's voice came from engineering.
"Admiral, I have found Mr. Macleod, he appears to be unconscious, and the=
=20
doors to his office have been warped by the anomoly's effects, and it=20
appears that his communications system is out.  I will have a repair=20
droid open the doors, and see that his injuries are tended to."

"Good, I want you to do everything that you can to get him out, and back=20
on duty.  Should you need any other resources, make sure to call upon them.=
"
"Understood, Sir."

"Sir, Moran here, I have external visual link, bringing up forward view=20
on the WCC viewer," she said.
Moments later, the holoprojector came on line, and showed McGinnis what,=20
at first, appeared to be the image of a distant class "M" planet, with=20
unusually heavy cloud cover, and more than average water coverage.  He=20
glanced away, and then looked back, and realized that this was indeed=20
what he was seeing, but that the planet's image seemed to be growing=20
rapidly, as if the ship were closing on it at a great velocity. =20
Considering that the repair crews didn't think that  the impulse drive=20
would be back up for at least an hour, he sincerely hoped that Kyla had=20
made an adjustment to the viewer's circuitry.

"Lieutenant Moran, did you just make an adjustment on the external camera=
=20
linkage?"
"No sir, why do you ask?"
"Because I'm getting the image of a planet, and by the rate that its=20
image is growing on the screen, I'd guess that either we've got camera=20
trouble, or we're closing at about five percent of light," he said.
"We haven't changed the settings since I got you the link," she said.    =
=20
"the computer shows all hull breaches have been repaired, so we might=20
land and try to finish repairs if its class "M"," she suggested as an=20
after-thought.
"We might land, but considering that we have no drive control, I think=20
crash might be the more appropriate description for what's going to=20
happen, divert all of your droids to engineering, and return to the WCC=20
immediately, I'll need to take over down there."
"Aye Sir, I'm on my way." she said, more than a slight tremmor in her voice=
.

Less than a minute later, she was in the weapons control center, and=20
McGinnis was on his way to main engineering.

On his arrival, he redirected all of the ship's resources to the repair=20
of the impulse drive, the shields, and the navigational control circuitry=
=20
which connected the engines to the main computer.  Without this=20
circuitry, the ship would crash, no matter how well its engines were=20
working.  McGinnis didn't have time to think on the pure bad luck=20
represented by the loss of all six of the control pathways from the=20
various computer systems to the impulse engines.

Several minutes later, Moran's concerned voice came over the optical link.

"WCC to Admiral McGinnis, please come in."

McGinnis, whose first duties had been as an engineer on one of the=20
Federation's great Nebula-class starships was hanging upside down in a=20
jeffrey's tube when the all-call came, and was not able to answer right=20
away.  When he finally disentangled himself from the ship's systems, he=20
immediately moved to the nearest com pannel.

"McGinnis here,"
"Sir, I've been running calculations here, based on the aspect ratio of=20
the planet that we are approaching, and I estimate eleven minutes to=20
atmospheric contact."
"Thank you," replied McGinnis with a sigh.  Atmospheric contact was as=20
good as planet fall, considering that their best estimates put their=20
approach velocity at something approaching fifty thousand kilometers per=20
minute.  At this rate, the ship's impact on the planet would have greater=
=20
kinetic energy than had been contained in the asteroid that had ended=20
Earth's "age of the dinosaurs," sixty-five million years previously.  In=20
short, the mission to Vulcan would end in a mighty bang, at an=20
undetermined distance from that planet.  McGinnis reflected that this was=
=20
decidedly not a tempting thought.

"Commander T'mayek, what is your status?"
"Sir, I have all of the computer-to-engineering links back on-line, and=20
the computer is running a diagnostic of the impulse drive and thrusters. =
=20
It estimates that the complete diagnostic will require thirty-seven more=20
seconds."
"Very well, but fix anything that you can see, we have less than eleven=20
minutes before we intersect that planet, and we must either slow or=20
divert the ship before that point," he said, unnecessarily reminding the=20
Vulcan of something that she already knew all-too-well.
"I am aware of the situation sir, and have already begun to make a visual=
=20
inspection of the starboard main-hull antigravimetric systems."
"Excellent, report progress as it seems necessary, I will be in impulse=20
engineering."
"Sir, Commander MacLeod is there, although Ensign Anmderson wanted him to=
=20
remain in sick-bay, once the repair droids had brought him there, he=20
ordered her to give him stimulants, and he then left sick bay to direct=20
repairs in engineering."
"Thank you, in that case, I will be in shield control."
"Understood, Sir."
"McGinnis to MacLeod."
"Here," replied the engineer.
"Robert, I'm glad that you  are well, but next time, let Sick-bay agree=20
with you before you go off, and help me save the ship."
"Help *you*!," MacLeod's voice returned, more than a hint of mirth in it,=
=20
"I thought that you were helping *me*."
"Never!" replied McGinnis before his voice became serious.  "Seriously=20
though, what's the situation in impulse?"
"We're three minutes from start-up on the auxiliary reactor here, and I'm=
=20
shunting power from the operational particle phaser batteries as their=20
reactors are reconnected to the grid.  We're not going to get main power=20
for a while, so we'll have to depend on the auxiliaries.  It should be=20
enough for about one-quarter  impulse power, internal systems, and one=20
layer of shields, as long as we're not trying to do anything else."
"What about the antigravity units?"
"Damn!" replied MacLeod, "I forgot about those.  If we have to go=20
atmospheric, ..."
"Which appears very likely," interposed McGinnis.
"...then we'll either have to give on the impulse engines or the shields=20
once we're actually in atmosphere."
"Very well, what about the forced quantum core?"
"The computer estimates that it will  be available in ten minutes, so we=20
shouldn't count on it for our current emergency."
"Right," replied McGinnis unhappily.

There just wasn't enough time, as McGinnis personal estimate gave them=20
about three minutes, fifteen seconds to atmospheric contact, and limited=20
impulse power would not be enough to avoid a contact.  It was better to=20
try to slow down than to turn, as this would not allow them to escape an=20
unfortunate meeting with the planet's atmosphere, and since the ship's=20
engines wouldn't have been used for breaking, their impact, glancing=20
though it might be, would be at a terribly high speed ... <too high>=20
McGinnis thought.
"Sir..."
"Sorry, Robert, keep working, and  prioritize on bringing up any extra=20
power that you can, we'll need everything that we can get for breaking."
"Understood, MacLeod out."

There wasn't enough time for McGinnis to do much to help the repair=20
effort on the shields, so while he moved back toward the Weapons Control=20
Center,he called for a report.
"Lieutenant Thompson, what's your status?"
"Sir, we're just bringing the main shields on line, the auxiliaries could=
=20
be powered to 50% if we need them, and the auxiliaries are out of the=20
question for at least an hour."
"Good, you'll need to configure the shields for atmospheric entry and=20
breaking, we're going to try to set down to finish our damage repairs,=20
and figure out where we are, but the impulse drive is only marginal at=20
best, so we're going to hit the upper atmosphere rather hard."
"Understood, inputting the configuration now, we'll be ready in about a=20
minute," she said.
"Excellent news, energize as soon as you're able."
"Aye Sir, Thompson out."

Immediately after this, the doors opened onto the WCC's access corridor,=20
and McGinnis quickly entered and pulled his armor back on, ordering all=20
who could do so to do the same.
"Now forty-five seconds from atmospheric contact," reported Kyla Moran,=20
who was already in her gear, and strapped into her station.
"What's our present velocity?"
"We're still moving aat about thirty-five thousand kilometers per minute,=
=20
we should make contact at about a tenth that speed.
"Very well, adjust our angle of entry to maximize atmospheric breaking=20
while also putting us down in the deepest water available."
"Aye Sir, adjusting course .04 degrees to starboard, we can't turn much=20
more than that on available engine power."
"Very well, can you tell whether the planet is inhabited?"
"No sir, but it is certain that they have no space-going technology, if=20
they exist, as there is nothing in orbit with an albedo sufficiently high=
=20
to suggest machined metal, and no objects have crossed out path in=20
anything but a stellar orbit."
"Good, hopefully we'll be lucky and end up on an uninhabited Class-M=20
planet," said McGinnis.  <The lastthing we need right now is a prime=20
directive violation on top of the ship's damage.> he thought to himself=20
as they continued to close on this unknown world.

Of course, if they had found signs of limited space-faring technology,=20
McGinnis would have had to destroy the ship, as the Prime Directive=20
forced ship commanders to avoid disturbing a planetary culture at any=20
cost, including their ships and the lives of their crews.  Since=20
Ticonderoga could not cloak, and they could not avoid the planet, there=20
would be no choice but to destroy the ship.  So, as they began to knife=20
through the outer layers of the atmosphere, McGinnis was glad that there=20
was a good chance that they might avoid either a violation, or the=20
command decision that all Federation commanders feared most of all.

"Now entering upper magnetosphere, shields at full power, impulse drive=20
is still at maximum available reverse thrust.Our current velocity is=20
3,000 kilometers per minute, decellerating at 100 kilometers per minute=20
every second.  Our current altitude is approximately 1,000 kilometers."=20
reported Moran.
"Continue reverse impulse, but shields have unconditional priority.  When=
=20
we're five seconds above the water, reset to maximum hydrodynamic form on=
=20
the shields." replied McGinnis.

He knew well that the ship would hit the water hard, but with the shields=
=20
at full power ... and then McGinnis had one of his now-famous strokes of=20
genius.  If his idea worked, it would be hard on the shields, but better=20
for the super-structure.

There wasn't time to have Kyla implement the maneuver, so he switched the=
=20
helm to his console, and despite the difficulties inherent in trying to=20
pilot the ship with his armor's gloves on he managed to turn the ship so=20
that it was now entering with its "upper" surface toward the water.  The=20
problem was that at this attitude, there was no way for the antigravs in=20
the gravimetric drive to assist them in slowing their fall.  McGinnis was=
=20
counting on the tremendous mass of the engineering complex and the warp=20
drive to force the ship to alter its momentum just enough so that its=20
shields could be used to, in effect, flatten the impact angle of the=20
upper--and now temporarily lower--surface into something like that=20
presented by the surface of a flat stone that one would skip across a=20
lake.  If the ship didn't turn too far, it would hit just right, so that=20
most of its forward momentum would be transferred into lateral momentum,=20
in effect, forcing it to skip across the top of the ocean, like a rock,=20
nearly a kilometer long, and weighing something like 14,000,000 tons;=20
whose impact impact velocity would be about fifty kilometers per minute. =
=20
If it worked, the shields would take the brunt of the impact, rather than=
=20
transferring it to the super-structure. An impact of that force would=20
almost certainly tear the ship apart as it decended into the ocean;=20
probably to a depth far greater than its 4,500 meter (400 atmosphere)=20
pressure tollerances.

As they decended toward the water, Kyla Moran's voice counted the last=20
few seconds:=20
"Now fifty meters above the surface, our forward velocity is 160=20
kilometers per minute, decending at ten meters per second."  After these=20
words to McGinnis, she went on the all-call, her voice ringing throughout=
=20
the ship.
"Now four seconds to impact ... three ... two... one ..."   =20



8SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part VI: Chapter XXVIII
By:
Matthew A. Weed



The first impact threw those who weren't strapped into stations about=20
with terrific force.  Any equipment that wasn't bolted down flew wildly=20
about the ship.  However, all of the active crew had their armor on, and=20
their suits' shields and inertial dampeners were enough to protect them=20
from most of the  impacts.  McGinnis, who had had to strip off some of=20
his armor to program the ship was stunned by the first blow.  The ship=20
skipped across the water thirteen more times before finally coming to a=20
rest.  After this, the computer reoriented it so that it was quantum=20
core-side down, as it was supposed to be when in the water.  As soon as=20
this maneuver was completed, McGinnis, who had recovered quickly from the=
=20
shock of the first blow, ordered that the ship be locked down while they=20
considered what to do next.

*=09*=09*

Command Log: Stardate 57267.4: Admiral William McGinnis, commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga reporting:

Our situation could not be much worse.  We are at least four days away=20
from having warp drive, our sensors are not fully functional, we are=20
hundreds of miles from land on a planet whose meteorology is utterly=20
unknown.  We can not tell whether there are other intelligent lifeforms=20
here, and are being forced to assume that there are none, simply because=20
we did not observe anything which would suggest them during our decent.

We have lost long-range communication, and can not try to find out where=20
we are via the Federation locator system.  I estimate that repairing the=20
ship will require at least a week, and hope that nothing untoward happens=
=20
between now and that thime.
=20

With these sobering words, McGinnis rose and walked across his quarters. =
=20
There were about forty-five minutes before the briefing was to begin, and=
=20
he decided to go to the aft observation deck and look at the life which,=20
according to T'mayek, filled the waters of this ocean.
*=09*=09*

McGinnis' officers came in, until all six sat around the room.  only half=
=20
had been in charge of their departments less than a day before. =20
Fortunately, McGinnis had recognized the inherent weaknesses in a ship so=
=20
heavily focused on military capacity.  Therefore, he had ensured that his=
=20
crew was deep in experience, and because of this, only one officer, Kyla=20
Moran, had less than seven years of deep-space experience.  She,=20
fortunately, was charged with tactical, a department that would be of=20
comparatively little import in the near future.

In his opening comments, McGinnis wanted to be sure that everyone was=20
agreed on the situation, and fully aware of his thinking. =20

"I am glad that you could attend at this time." said McGinnis.  "You all=20
know our situation, and that we have no idea where we are, and that we=20
need significant time in order to repair the damage caused by the recent=20
battle, and our recent transit through the unknown anomoly. ... Tactical,=
=20
your report?"
"Sir, we are still repairing the strategic scanners, but I have=20
short-range scans, and they suggest that there are no intelligent=20
lifeforms nor significan land masses  within a thousand kilometer range=20
of this vessel.  Doubtless the Science officer will be able to clarify=20
the tremendous diversity of life in the ocean, but I have never seen a=20
scan this rich in lower lifeforms."=20
"What about the rest of the planet?"
"We can't scan that yet, our main sensors are still under repair,"=20
replied Moran.
"Very well, engineering?"
"Sir, we're still in pretty bad shape.  Many systems, including warp=20
drive, the auxiliary computer, and large sections of the=20
micro-super-structure are still in need of repair.  Ms. Moran has already=
=20
noted the damage to the sensors, and secondary shields are still=20
unavailable.  our recent transit through the atmosphere has knocked out=20
the primary shields, so we're only able to operate the auxiliaries, and=20
they can only be rigged to about 70% power.  I expect that all systems,=20
except the micro-super-structure and warp engines will be back on line=20
within twelve hours, structural repair will be completed in two days, the=
=20
warp drive will be back up within eighty hours."
"Very well, thank you.  Medical?"
"Sir, many of the injured crew are recovering well, and I believe that=20
only seventy-two will require care for which this vessel is not fully=20
equipped.  I have chosen, therefore, to begin stasus treatments on those=20
crew members.  The rest of the crew currently in sick bay are recovering,=
=20
and will return to duty as they become fit," said Slan, the Vulcan heeler=
=20
who was now in charge of the ship's severely depleted medical staff.
"Lieutenant, what is the status report on Mr.s Schultz and Thale?"
"The tactical officer is recovering somewhat slowly  from his wounds,=20
which included a fractured skull, a broken arm, and a large number of=20
bruises and abrasions. ... Mr. Thale is recovering quickly, but his=20
wounds were extremely serious and he will require no less than ten days=20
before he will be able to resume his duties."
"Thank you," replied McGinnis.  He then turned to the officer whose=20
report was the one he was most interested in hearing.  "Science Officer,=20
your report?"

"Admiral, I have limited datta on which to make an analysis of the planet=
=20
on which we find ourselves.  It appears that there are two large polar=20
land masses,  each approximately equal in size to Earth's Asia.  There=20
are at least two small continents which are located near the planet's=20
equator, each is approximately equal in size to Earth's Europe.  I have=20
gathered most of this data via a careful computer analysis of the images=20
which we received during our entry into this system. Unfortunately, that=20
data is not sufficient to make any well-reasoned estimates concerning the=
=20
climatic, biological, geological, and other conditions previaling on this=
=20
planet.  When the main sensors come back on line, we will be more able to=
=20
make a thorough analysis."

"Thank you, Ms. Thompson, do you have anything which you feel deserves=20
consideration?"
"No sir," replied Karen Thompson who was being pressed into service as=20
the ship's navigator while her husband recovered in sick-bay.

"Very well, we shall continue to make repairs on the ship  while we=20
consider our future actions.  repairs on the sensors, communications, and=
=20
computers have unconditional priority.  We shall set a course for the=20
nearer of the two equatorial continents, and on reaching that place, I=20
shall grant limited shore leave to any and all crew who desire it.  Ms.=20
Thompson, discuss optimal naval courses with Commander T'Mayek, and=20
remember that since we are not familiar with this planet's meteorology,=20
that you will need to stay in constant contact to avoid any unusual=20
phenomena until our structural repairs are certified complete by=20
Engineering.  You are all dismissed."

With this, all of the officers left in order to complete their assigned=20
duties.

*=09*=09*

Command Log: Stardate 57269.3: Admiral William McGinnis, Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga: Recording:

For the last twenty-four hours, we have been moving on a course of 245=20
degrees, at a steady thirty-seven knots.  This is probably the first time=
=20
in three centuries that a Federation vessel has been piloted across an=20
ocean like a naval vessel of old.  All of us have benefitted from limited=
=20
break time topside, and we hope to make landfall on a medium-sized=20
continent within thirty-six hours.

McGinnis finished his log entry and looked up to see the image of T'mayek=
=20
on his desk viewer, her mouth just opening to summon him.  He quickly=20
struck the two-way visual link and requested her report. =20

"Admiral, I have just been notified that all sensors are now back on=20
line, and I am beginning sweeps of this planet, and the surrounding=20
region of space in order to improve our understanding of this vessel's=20
current situation," said T'mayek from the Bridge science station.

"Very well, as soon as you have anything to report, call me to the=20
Bridge.  I will continue to supervise the repair work until then."=20
replied McGinnis.
"Understood, Sir."

McGinnis turned back to the enormous work which still needed to be done=20
to ensure the ship's return to optimal function.  Damage to the sensors=20
had proven to be far worse than originally expected, and so many of the=20
other repairs, such as tthose needed by the auxiliary computer and the=20
warp drive had been delayed, as there were few people who could handle=20
directing the ship's self-repair functions on these difficult-to-repair=20
systems.  Fortunately, the computer was able to handle the repairs to the=
=20
bulkheads, deck plating, and other parts of the micro-super-structure=20
without any assistance, so this part of the work was not behind schedule.

However, McGinnis thought morosely, there was enough work left to do to=20
keep a thousand hands busy for many days.  If it weren't for the ship's=20
self-repair systems, the ship wouldn't have been back to full=20
functionality in anything less than a month.  With the systems ... ten=20
days if they were lucky.

With this, somewhat encouraging, thought in mind, he returned to work. =20
Several hours later, the sound of T'mayek's voice on the all-call brought=
=20
him down from the inside of a jeffrey's tube.

"McGinnis here," he said, straightening his back to work out some of the=20
kinks that had formed during hours of cramped work.
"Admiral, I have completed a thorough scan of this planet, and the=20
surrounding spaces to a range of four parsecs.  You may be interested in=20
the results...."
"I'm on my way," he replied.

Moments later the turbolift opened and he walked onto the Bridge.  As=20
soon as he appeared, T'Mayek began her report.

"Sir, we are now aproximately one thousand kilometers from the continent=20
on whose northern shore we intend to complete our repairs.  The continent=
=20
itself is heavily forested, showing a broad diversity of forests, with=20
many types of plants which, although not exactly similar, are quite=20
analygous to species found in the Eastern United States and Southeastern=20
Canada on Earth.  There are major mountainous regions, however, we will=20
not come near these on our current course.  The life on this continent is=
=20
extremely diverse, but none of it shows more than an extremely=20
rudimentary intelligence.  In short, it should be an acceptable continent=
=20
for both scientific study and shore leave parties.  The planet has two=20
other small equatorial continents, and two major land masses which=20
dominate its polar regions.  Like this continent, the equatorial land=20
masses show significant vegetation and lower animal life, but no=20
intelligent life forms.  The polar land masses are largely devoid of all=20
but the most rudimentary life forms, and are largely covered by ice caps,=
=20
which are up to 3.5 kilometers in thickness.  The ocean on this world=20
covers nearly eighty percent of the entire surface, and due to the fact=20
that much of the land mass is outside the planet's general east-to-west=20
jet stream flux, the planet has a somewhat higher than expected amount of=
=20
cloud cover, which tends to rais precipitation, and lower temperatures in=
=20
the equatorial regions.  Average rainfall on the three equatorial=20
continents seems to be approximately two hundred centimeters annually.

The planet itself is in a star system of eight planets, whose inner=20
planets include two class-M bodies, and two small rocky planetoids, whose=
=20
orbits are unusually close to the corona of the central class G-6 star. =20
There are three gas giants and one small ice planet in the outer system,=20
with the outer-most gas giant being nearly large enough to become a red=20
dwarf star.  The system is located some two hundred light years beyond=20
the current limit of Federation-explored territory, nearly three thousand=
=20
light years from Earth.  The nearest Federation colonies are a number of=20
science colonies which have been established by the Vulcan Academy of=20
Sciences and other research institutions.  I should note that the Farengi=
=20
do pose a significant threat in this region of space, and that we should=20
expect some difficulties from them once we depart the system."
"Thank you Commander," said McGinnis.

"Sir, what are we going to do once we reach land?" Karen Thompson asked=20
from her station.
"We have at least ten days' repairs yet to go, and we're still more than=20
a standard day from land.  Although we could, hypothetically simply  make=
=20
repairs where we are, I think that some time off-ship would be good for=20
all of us.  Therefore, once we reach a suitable natural harbor, we shall=20
take two weeks for repairs, with half crews on the ship to assist the=20
computer with its work where necessary.  When not on duty, all are=20
expected to get some rest.  Therefore, you may organize landing parties=20
and other activities as you see fit.  All holofacilities are to be=20
available for recreational programming, as long as you understand that=20
the programs will we wiped after this leave period."

This pronouncement brought smiles from all of the bridge crew.  Many of=20
them were quite fond of nature, especially considering the unusually=20
sterile conditions in which they worked.  All knew, instinctively at=20
least, that some rest would be a good thing, particularly in a place in=20
which Federation ships would not be expected, and therefore not looked for.

"Sir, what are your plans?" asked Lt. Moran.

"At the moment, I am thinking to lead a party to the mountainous region=20
in the Northwest of this continent.  Obviously any officers and crew are=20
welcomed, but no one is expected to come with me, and considering the=20
nature of this world, I think that general Order 15 does not apply, so no=
=20
security will be assigned to me, unless they *choose* to come along."

No matter McGinnis orders, Moran had her own agenda, and a multi-day=20
camping trip would do quite nicely to forward it, so her decision was=20
already made.

"Ms. Thompson, please set a general notification concerning shore leave=20
arrangements.  Clear any extra space you need for general in-ship=20
discussion on the distributed computer net. ... Oh, please note that any=20
who choose to accompany me will need to plan their leaves for the second=20
half of our stay."

"Aye Sir," said Thompson who was now doubling as Operations Officer, now=20
that T'mayek had had to return to her duties at the science station.

After making sure that all continued to run well, McGinnis rose and went=20
to his quarters for some well-deserved, and medically prescribed, sleep.
   =20
 =20



SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part VI: Chapter XXIX:
By:
Matthew A. Weed

Command Log: Stardate 57279.3: Admiral William McGinnis, Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga: recording.

We have been in harbor for approximately three days, and I must say that=20
I have never been in a place with so much natural beauty.  The effects of=
=20
our surroundings on the Crew have been outstanding, both mentally and=20
physically.  Many who were having difficulty recovering from their=20
injuries have made great progress in Slan's make-shift recovery unit=20
placed under the trees on shore.  Those who have not needed medical=20
attention have been working and playing hard, and we are learning much=20
about the planet, through the simple expedient of sending tricorders=20
along with those parties that have chosen to explore various areas as=20
part of their shore leave.  Because of our need for rest, and the=20
unusually dense nature of the planet's flora and fauna, I have chosen to=20
extend our stay here by another week, while we finish repairs on the=20
ship, and do some simple test runs in the system to make sure that all is=
=20
back to normal.  The added time will be good for both ship and crew, as=20
we can get the first significant rest that we've had in three and a half=20
months, and can also replenihsh our stores of tritanium, as there are=20
rich deposits of that rare ore on the planet's eastern-most continent. =20
As soon as Commander Macleod is able, he will proceed to set up a=20
processing center there, using this ship as its base.  However, we will=20
not be ready to move for nearly a week yet, and when the move occurs, the=
=20
computer will handle it, allowing those who are on leave to continue=20
their relaxation without significant interruption.  As for myself, I will=
=20
wait until we have moved and will then leave the ship for ten days of=20
hiking and mountaineering in this continent's highest mountain range,=20
some thousand kilometers to the north-west of our current position.  I=20
look forward to the excercise, and the company of most of the Bridge=20
staff, whom I look forward to having a chance to relax with after our=20
latest period of work.

McGinnis turned the log recorder off, and returned to the frustrating=20
task of coordinating the massive repair effort.  He truly envied the crew=
=20
members who were already taking advantage of the immense natural beauty=20
of the great bay in which Ticonderoga now lay.

It had apparently been formed by a terrific volcanic explosion some time=20
in the last million years.  One of its great advantages as far as=20
McGinnis was concerned was its great depth and the steepness of the=20
under-water cliffs which formed its edges.  This meant that Ticonderoga,=20
despite the fact that its lower-most parts were nearly 160 meters below=20
the surface, could lie very close to shore.  Because of this, the crew=20
could walk from ship to shore on the ship's gangways which could be=20
extended from some of the mega-collimator ring's support struts. =20

Many didn't like to transport such a short distance, either because they=20
still suffered negative side effects as a result of the transporter's=20
actions, or because it was simply more fun to walk ashore, and explore=20
the great forests which surrounded their temporary center of activity.

The forests came to the edge of the cliffs, and many of the trees were=20
more than 100 meters high, with comparatively thin growth under the=20
nearly-impenetrable canopy.  Many of the crew had set up hammocks or=20
other sleeping places in the trees, and even those who were not on leave=20
were permitted to sleep in the trees, as long as they were within easy=20
range of the ship, as transporter technicians were not always available=20
for duty, as their skill was needed elsewhere.

Despite the shore leave parties, there was still a great deal of activity=
=20
aboard ship.  All power systems were back on line, and most of the=20
micro-super-structure had been  repaired.  Only a few bulkheads in the=20
main hull and some support struts in Engineering still required repair or=
=20
replacement.

Because of the need for monitoring during its transit, no repairs could=20
be affected on the ship's warp drive, and this system, the most complex=20
aboard ship, was far from operability.  Repairs to the warp engines would=
=20
require at least two weeks, and McGinnis had no intent of leaving the=20
planet until the ship was fully warp capable.  Even though it was fully=20
operable in every other way, the ship would be at a serious disadvantage=20
versus other heavy ships without a fully functioning warp drive.

Fortunately, the ship's weapons were fullly repaired, and shielding would=
=20
be back to optimal status in only a few hours.  If it became necessary,=20
the ship could maneuver on impulse power and use its weapons to maximum=20
possible effect.  Since all power generators were available, the only=20
disadvantage that they might face would be speed.  In every other way=20
they were ready for anything, and though McGinnis didn't expect trouble,=20
he was truly comforted by the amount of progress that had been made over=20
the last few days.

*=09*=09*
Command Log: Stardate 57295.5: Admiral William McGinnis Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga recording:

We are under way to the Eastern continent of this resource-wealthy=20
world.  I have chosen to temporarily call off shore leaves while we make=20
our move, primarily due to the need for careful monitoring of all ship's=20
systems while maneuvering in atmosphere.  We are about twenty minutes=20
from our new site, which lies off the northern tip of this new=20
continent.  Rich veins of tritanium exist there, and we hope to be able=20
to process around eighty thousand tons in the coming days.  As soon as we=
=20
have achieved our new docking point, I will be taking some much=20
anticipated leave in the Northwest mountains of the continent which we=20
first visited.

McGinnis sat back in his chair, admiring the fview of the ocean as it=20
passed some 15,000 meters below the ship.l  Even from this altitude, the=20
deep blue of the water was inviting,except where puffy clouds disrupted=20
the view.  Meteorological reports had indicated that the tropical=20
latitudes were prown to powerful cyclones, particularly in the huge=20
expanses of the unbroken ocean on the other side of the planet.  However,=
=20
this area, with its comparatively small and broken oceans was less prown=20
to such disturbances, at least at this time of the year.

"Sir, now beginning decent to docking point beta.  Our altitude is now=20
14,000 meters, dropping at one kilometer per minute.  Atmosphere is clear=
=20
of any turbulance which will pose problems for us, but it is surprisingly=
=20
unstable considering the lack of meteorological systems in the area,"=20
said Thale.

McGinnis was glad to have the Andorian back at the helm/navigator's=20
station.  The recent missions had been hard on him, and McGinnis had a=20
growing feeling that there might be something wrong in the design of the=20
station at which Thale worked.  Usually Andorians just weren't prown to=20
the kind and number of injuries which the lieutenant had suffered. =20
However, when he had mentioned it to Commander MacLeod, the engineer had=20
strongly disagreed and put it down to a run of bad luck.

"Sir?", Thale's questioning tones broke through McGinnis' musings.
"Sorry Lieutenant, I heard your report, I was just considering some other=
=20
concerns.  ... Continue reporting our status every three minutes until we=
=20
reach final decent altitude, then place us into the course which you and=20
I agreed on."
Aye Sir," replied the andorian, his curiosity concerning the Admiral's=20
distraction not fully hidden.

The panorama below them grew slowly on the monitor, which McGinnis had=20
ordered represent an true-vision image of what was below them, rather=20
than with computer enhancement.  Of all of the parts of the planet which=20
McGinnis had seen, either live or via pictures sent back from the ship's=20
scouting parties, this was clearly most ... interesting.  McGinnis knew=20
that unusual formations were common in areas with high levels of=20
tritanium, it had been one of the key signs in the early search for this,=
=20
the hardest of natural (or semi-natural, depending on whether you=20
believed the oft-proposed theories that suggested that previous=20
civilizations had left it about as a waste product, or as a gift for the=20
less-well-developed civilizations that might explore space later) ores. =20
In any case, the hardness of the ores allowed for unusual weathering=20
patterns, which often left the land heavily ridged, with pinacles and=20
other deposits more reminicent of a volcanic region.  This was certainly=20
not unusual, but the fact that these areas were usually extremely=20
geologically stable was the key.

"Sir, now entering final decent, one minute to surface, estimated depth=20
in this area is 400 meters, there is no place sufficiently shallow to=20
allow us to send parties in at the tip of the peninsula, but four=20
kilometers southeast of here is a suitable place, although it is exposed=20
to the open ocean."
"Very well, alter course, and set down there, program the gravimetric=20
compensators appropriately,  if you think that our mass will be=20
insufficient to hold the vessel steady."

McGinnis hadn't ordered a check for landing spots, as this part of the=20
trip would be more work-oriented, and  for that reason, the main work of=20
the parties in this area had been looking for the richest tritanium=20
deposits.  This concern, included with the fact that they had reported=20
that the climate was incredibly rainy, even for this unusually wet=20
planet, caused McGinnis to feel that there would be comparatively little=20
opportunity for the kind of frolicking that his crew had done, and still=20
intended to do, in their first resting place.

"We have set down, sir" said Thale.  "we won't need stabilization unless=20
swells exceed fifteen meters, and minimal added support for the natural=20
shielding of the warp engines and ring installation will be necessary=20
with swells over ten meters.  Currently, the sea is running at about five=
=20
or six meters, and there are no meteorological systems which could result=
=20
in heavy seas."
"Very well, lock down the vessel, call replacements to your stations when=
=20
you are ready, and meet me in the shuttle bay in four hours, at which=20
point leave for those who have chosen to accompany me will commence."
"Aye Sir," replied those who would be going on the ten-day hike in the=20
mountains.
As  he was about to leave the Bridge, McGinnis turned and signalled to=20
Thale, whose injuries would make it necessary for him to stay aboard=20
ship.  For this reason, he would be in temporary command while Commander=20
MacLeod directed the resupply process. "Mr. Thale, please accompany me to=
=20
the engineering deck."

Thale rose quickly, while Walter Schultz waved to him to tell him that=20
his duties would be taken care of.  The andorian nodded in thanks and=20
hastened to join McGinnis.

After the turbo-lift doors closed, McGinnis turned to Thale to prepare=20
him for his duties.  "Lieutenant, Although the Chief Engineer outranks=20
you, I want you to retain over-all command of the vessel, as you have=20
tactical experience, and your duties should be minimal.  As you know, the=
=20
Chief Engineer will be very busy with the refining operation, and I don't=
=20
want that duty interrupted with shipboard duties unless absolutely=20
necessary.  Should a tactical situation arise which precludes your=20
contacting the command party,  take whatever decisons you feel are best,=20
you have full clearance to use all of the ship's resources to defend your=
=20
people here, we will get back aboard in the attack craft as the situation=
=20
permits."
"Do you expect trouble sir?" asked Thale, please with the compliment=20
which his responsibilities implied.
"No, we are far from Romulan and Klingon spaces, and the Farengi, though=20
close to this system, apparently don't know about it, otherwise they=20
would have a large processing operation here."
"Aye Sir," said Thale as the turbo-lift doors opened.

The conversation with Commander MacLeod followed the pattern of the=20
previous one  with Thale, and McGinnis was pleased to see how relieved=20
the Engineer was that he would be  relieved of any command=20
responsibilities while he worked to replenish the ship's tritanium stores.

After this conversation was finished, McGinnis hastened to his quarters=20
to finish packing for the trip.  Although the planet seemed quite safe,=20
he had decided to let his party mates take weapons if they chose, as he=20
was planning to do.  Therefore, along with the dried stores, spare=20
clothing, light tent, and other things that went onto his hiking frame=20
(he refused to use an anti-grav sled for this, the idea being to get away=
=20
from technology for a bit, at least as he saw it), he slung a heavy=20
phaser rifle and a small tranceiver unit, ... just in case.

*=09*=09*
Three hours later, he stood in the ship's shuttle deck, next to one of=20
the four attack craft which also served as half of Ticonderoga's fleet of=
=20
small launchable ships.  Each of the four light attack craft carried port=
=20
and starboard phasers, as well as ten micro-photon torpedoes, with three=20
million kilometers range and twenty megatons yield; mixed with a number=20
of long-range nuclear-tipped micro torpedoes, each with a range of=20
thirty-million kilometers, and a yield of about four megatons.  These=20
ships were twenty meters long, four deep, and of the delta-wing variety,=20
expanding from a sharp prow to a ten-meter section at the tail, which=20
protected the ship's powerful micro-warp drives.  The ships could hit=20
warp six if necessary, had cloaking devices, dive to ten thousand meters,=
=20
and had on-board facilities for four crew.  All-in-all, a very versatile=20
ship, as long as you wanted to  spy on or kill something, not talk to it.

However, for his current purpose, this kind of ship was better than the=20
ship's two shuttles or a run-about, simply because the ships had a better=
=20
chance of  getting back to Ticonderoga than the other types of ships did=20
if something were to go wrongc

While he hae been packing his gear, T'mayek, Walter Schultz, Kyla Moran,=20
Slan and Karen Thompson had arrived in the great shuttle deck.

"Well, it looks like everyone's here," said McGinnis.  We'll be taking=20
the attack craft Sherman and Montgommery, so stow your gear as you see fit.=
"
"Admiral, I would like to take a shuttle if at all possible for the=20
collection of samples for further analysis either here aboard ship or in=20
the Federation," said T'mayek.
"Commander, I know that you'd like the extra computing power and storage=20
space, but we don't know what the situation is outside this system, and I=
=20
am worried about the risk of Farengi encursions on this space.  I don't=20
know if you heard the report from Ensign Kamerev, but they have found=20
signs that the Farengi have found the tritanium deposits here, but=20
weren't able to stay for some reason.  A planet as ressource-rich as this=
=20
, in a war.... would be an important base."
As always, the Vulcan's face showed no emotion, and her counter-argument=20
was quite solidly based in logic.
"Sir, you are quite correct, there is a logical chance that the Farengi=20
might return, however, the chance is less than one in a thousand that=20
they will return during the next ten days, and with the combined=20
firepower of this ship, and the two attack craft that you already intend=20
to take, I find it very unlikely that a shuttle would be at great risk."
"Commander ... I agree with your reasoning, but, admittedly quite=20
illogically, I don't like giving you a shuttle.  A run-about is too large=
=20
for some of the places that we will be entering, would you be willing to=20
take a third attack craft."
T'mayek was surprised that McGinnis was willing to consider something of=20
the sort at all, but considering his own, quite illogical form of=20
reasoning, this "concession," was probably an improvement in the tactical=
=20
position, and he was still giving her permission to take a third craf. =20
Even though more could be done with a properly equipped shuttle or=20
run-about, the attack craft were dapable of doing a number of things that=
=20
the other ships couldn't, and she would have the ability to work=20
independently if she felt the need.
"Sir, if I may have an hour to make some modifications to one of the=20
remaining vessels, I will join you at landing place alpha."
"Very well, take the Rommel, I will expect to see you in two hours at our=
=20
original landing point."
"Thank you, sir." she replied as she turned to begin the work of=20
downloading the necessary programs into the third ship's powerful=20
tactical computers.

McGinnis turned to the rest of the landing party, which by this point,=20
had stowed their gear and were awaiting his next ... suggestions.
"Very well, let's get a move on.  I'll pilot Sherman, Walter, you put=20
your things aboard Montgommery, didn't you?"
"Yes, ... William, its there, and I think I'm the most qualified=20
navigator aboard, so I'll pilot her."
"Great, let's get out of here!" said McGinnis, finally allowing his=20
anticipation to show through.

An hour later, the first two ships had landed on the western edge of the=20
great bay in which Ticonderoga and her crew had spent the last ten days. =
=20
McGinnis and Schultz had wanted to do some diving in the bay, and between=
=20
the Admiral's command duties and Schultz' recovery from the injuries that=
=20
he had suffered during the transition through the anomoly, they hadn't=20
had the chance.  As T'mayek had also wanted a look at the life in this=20
part of the ocean, a return trip to this area had seemed logical.  A=20
number of other parties had expressed interest in the area, so as=20
McGinnis wanted some peace during his time off, they had agreed to stay=20
only long enough for a couple of dives, and the Science Officer's=20
studies, most of which would be carried out at extreme depth aboard her=20
science-modified attack ship.

By the time they had completed their first dive, T'mayek had come and=20
checked in with those who had chosen to remain on shore.  McGinnis could=20
see the sensor blip which represented her ship, nearly 2,000 meters below=
=20
the surface of the bay.  She was apparently studying the deep-water=20
chemistry, as their scans had shown that few life forms lived that deep,=20
even in these comparatively warm and nutrient-rich waters.  As he was=20
tired, McGinnis chose to stay ashore with the rest, while Schultz took a=20
deep-water diving suit and went to have a look at the waters near the=20
mouth of the bay, where some very large under-water lifeforms had shown=20
up on the scans that Ticonderoga had maintained while here.

Almost immediately after checking in on T'mayek, McGinnis set up his=20
hammock some fifty meters up in a tree, stretching it from the trunk out=20
to an branch that jutted upward from the first lateral branches of the=20
tree, which were about three meters below the hammock's level.  The=20
others had set up tents or hammocks depending on their feelings about=20
heights.  McGinnis was concerned to see that Kyla had waited to set her=20
sleeping place up until he had done so, and that when he did, she chose a=
=20
high place for her antigrav-supported sleeping cot, which floated beside=20
a tree within speaking range of his hammock.  Yet another sign that there=
=20
might be an ... attraction that he would need to deal with at some point=20
in the future.  However, until she made a move, he wouldn't say=20
something, for fear of embarassing them both.

*=09*=09*


The next morning, five out of six party members collected for an early=20
breakfast.

"Where's Kyla?" asked McGinnis, after noticing that she had not joined them=
.
"I don't know sir," said Walter Schultz.  "I thought that she was=20
sleeping somewhere near you."
"You're right, but I didn't see her hovercot when I got up," he said.  As=
=20
he did so, he was finally able to put his finger on  what had caused him=20
to think that something hadn't been quite right all morning.
"McGinnis to Moran," he said after pulling out his old-style (but more=20
powerful), communicator.

There was a pause, and then Kyla's voice came back to them.
"Moran here, ... Sir, I think I have a problem."
"What's the matter Kyla?" asked McGinnis, a smile trying  to appear on=20
his face.
"Sir, I think that I must've forgotten to secure my antigrav to a tree,=20
and now I'm ... somewhere out in the middle of the bay."

McGinnis barely kept from cracking up, and the only thing that held him=20
back was the fact that he was her commanding officer.  Thompson and=20
Schultz were grinning so broadly that McGinnis was afraid that their=20
faces would crack from the strain of it.  The two vulcans simply looked=20
at each other, quite obviously confused over this clearly illogical burst=
=20
of human humor.  All that the rest of the landing party members got from=20
them were a couple of arched eyebrows.

"Kyla, ... I'll come with Walter and we'll pick you up in  a minute,"=20
said McGinnis, before either Schultz or Thompson could start laughing,=20
which would have almost certainly broken his own self-control.
"Thank you Sir," she said, embarassment ringing in her voice.

McGinnis decided to take advantage of this ... unusual reason for getting=
=20
started, and told the others to pack their gear so that as soon as they=20
had ... retrieved Kyla, they could set out for the mountains.

Some twenty-five minutes later, McGinnis and Schultz, aboard the Sherman=20
were closing on Moran's position.  During the night, she had been blown=20
about twenty kilometers across the bay, and in the general direction of=20
its mouth.AAs they closed on her position, Schultz pulled on his armor,=20
(as second-in-command and tactical officer, he felt it was his duty to=20
bring it along, even on shore leave), and prepared to go out and pull the=
=20
close enough to the shuttle so that he could lift Moran across and then=20
return for the bed, which he would put into the ship's small cargo hold,=20
which had been cleared of most of the  other gear.

As soon as Schultz had brought Kyal aboard, McGinnis turned to her, and=20
grinning broadly, took the shot that his somewhat sarcastic sense of=20
humor had almost required.

"Kyla, please don't float away like that again, because if you do, I'll=20
have to get T'mayek to have a look at you."
As he suspected she would, she flushed for a moment and then, seeing that=
=20
Schultz wasn't back aboard yet, She began to smile as well.
"Sir, I always thought that I was my own best company, ... and the time=20
last night was quite refreshing."
McGinnis smiled back, and was about to respond when Schultz' head=20
appeared in the open hatch.  Seeing this, McGinnis changed what he was=20
about to say.
"Kyla, we're headed for the mountains, I told T'mayek to look for any of=20
your gear that you might have left..."
"I had it all with me," she said, glad that she wouldn't have to go=20
through the embarassment of inconveniencing another senior officer.
"Very well, then go and clean up, we'll be there in a few minutes."

Quickly enough the three ships arrived at a suitable starting point, and=20
McGinnis suggested that they take the rest of the day to explore as they=20
liked.  The vulcans were particularly in favor of this plan as they=20
wanted to continue cataloging the planet's incredibly rich biosphere. =20
Quickly enough everyone moved off to explore the thick forest into which=20
they had come.Kyla had chosen to come with him,and after the morning's=20
incident, McGinnis was happy to have her along to make sure that she=20
hadn't been too embarassed by what had happened.

They walked through the rforest for a while, and McGinnis couldn't resist=
=20
the feeling that they were intruding on a place which had not been meant=20
for the presence of intelligent lifeforms.  It was very cool here, and=20
the dense trees formed a very thick canopy through which little light=20
could pass.  There were few noises, and beyond those of the insect-like=20
creatures that flitted past from time to time, only the occasional howl=20
or shriek suggested the presence of larger creatures.
"Uncle William," said Kyla, who had not used this term of endearment=20
since before she had entered Starfleet Academy.  Although not her=20
biological uncle, McGinnis had spent a lot of time with her when she had=20
been younger, and when she had begun to call him uncle william at the age=
=20
of three, the young Starfleet ensign that he had been then hadn't=20
objected to it at all.
"Yes Kyla?"
"I don't know about you, but I feel sort of like we don't belong here,=20
like this place was supposed to stay undisturbed by us."
"I know what you mean, its a bit spooky, but its also very beautiful, and=
=20
I don't think the forest will object as long as we're careful.  Still ...=
=20
I think we'll move before we set up camp for the night.
"I agree, I definitely feel like we should just leave this place as=20
undisturbed as we can."
Although he didn't want to deal with the issues that were coming up=20
between them, McGinnis did want to thank Kyla for her support during the=20
trip home from Borg territory.  She had taken on many extra=20
responsibilities so that he could have time to grieve the loss of his=20
wife, rather than always having to worry about the ship's repair effort.=20
"Kyla, ... I wanted to thank you for helping out with some of the ship=20
repair concerns while we were coming home from Borg territory.  You,=20
probably more than anyone else aboard, knew how much I needed the time,=20
and no matter how much Star Fleet tells its officers to push aside their=20
own problems during a crisis situation,  I don't think I could have=20
pushed that aside for two months."
"I'm glad that I could have been there, The doctor knew that you and I=20
have known each other for a long time, and he asked me to do what I could=
=20
to keep some of the ship's  day-to-day business off of you, and even=20
though I wasn't a full bridge officer, I did what I could to help out."
"I know, and i have been very impressed with how you handled your duties,=
=20
both then and during the Vulcan campaign.  I think you'll make a fine=20
commander some day."
Kyla's smile was very broad as she thanked him for the compliment.
"Well, let's get back to camp and see what everyone else has found today."

After their return, all of them felt that they should move to another=20
area, as they had all gotten the feeling, even the vulcans in their own=20
"logical" way, that they shouldn't disturb the forests here.  Walter=20
Schultz had come back early and scouted about in one of the attack ships,=
=20
and had found an area that had higher mountains and lots of streams and=20
rivers some two hundred kilometers to the west, not far from the western=20
coast of the continent.  McGinnis agreed that this sounded good, and they=
=20
moved to this new place.




SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part VI: Chapter XXX:
By:
Matthew A. Weed


McGinnis awoke suddenly, wondering what it was that had awakened him. =20
Over the last eight days, the travellers had moved about the great=20
mountainous region which McGinnis had wanted to explore.  Their travels=20
had been highlighted by a climb to the top of a 5,000 meter mountain,=20
whose peak offerd a clear view of all of the lands of this beautiful=20
planet to a distance of more than 400 kilometers.  They had also hiked=20
through one of the deepest and narrowest gorges which any of them had=20
ever seen.  In some places the walls were nearly 2,000 meters high, with=20
the fifty-meter-wide bottom being in perpetual shadow.

On a personal front, Kyla had finally come out with her interest in him,=20
and although his rejection of her had been as gentle as possible, he=20
could see that it had hurt her.  However, his previous personal and=20
command relationships with her didn't allow for any kind of romantic=20
relationship, even if he had been ready for one.  However, he was still=20
far too close to the death of his wife to be able to think about anything=
=20
new.

However, he was quite certain that these things had not been what had=20
awakened him.  He couldn't put his finger on it, but whatever it was had=20
registered strongly enough to awaken him, despite a number of days of=20
strenuous activity.  At this moment, Walter Schultz' quiet voice came to=20
him from the tent which he could barely see in the unusually bright night.

"Sir, I think something's going on..." he said, his voice slightly tense.
"How do you mean "something's going on," commander?"
"Well, I was awakened about two minutes ago by a brilliant flash in the=20
southeastern skies, ... as far as I know, this planet's aurora australis=20
isn't supposed to be bright enough to see this close to the equator."
"You're right," replied McGinnis, now realizing what had disturbed his=20
own sleep.  "I'll contact the ship and see if they've got anything there."

McGinnis moved to touch his communicator, knowing that the fact that he=20
was checking in off schedule would probably concern both MacLeod and=20
Thale a great deal ... <unless there's already reason for them to be=20
concerned> he thought to himself.
"McGinnis to Ticonderoga ... come in," he said into his communicator.
There was no response.
He tried again.
"McGinnis to Ticonderoga ... respond."
Again, there was no answer.
"Walter, try your communicator," said McGinnis, concern creepin into his=20
voice.

Like the Admiral, Walter Schultz was unable to reach the ship, and when=20
he tried to reach the attack crafts' computers, he had no more luck.
"Damn!" he swore, some of his fiery nature flaring to the surface.
"How far are we from the attack ships?" asked McGinnis, wanting to=20
confirm what he already knew.
"We're about two kilometers' walk from there, at night it'll probably=20
take us about an hour to get there.
"Well, we'd better get Kyla and Karen up, while you're doing that, I'll=20
try to get T'mayek on Rommel."
"Right," said Schultz, now as worried as his commanding officer.
"McGinnis to Rommel, emergency code five, come in immedately if you are=20
able to respond."
As with Ticonderoga and the other ships, there was no response for a=20
moment, and then McGinnis got an answer ... of a sort.
"Look!" cried Karen Thompson pointing to the west.
McGinnis turned and stared in disbelief as a small Farengi shuttlecraft=20
streaked above the trees, travelling at nearly mach one.  Almost=20
immediately behind it was the larger, but still quite recognizable form=20
of T'mayek's attack ship.
"Sir, the Farengi must have brought in a ship in hopes of restarting=20
their own quarrying operation," said Schultz as he threw himself on top=20
of Karen in order to try to hide them both from the Farengi pilots, whose=
=20
sensors were probably as inoperative as the Federation communicators were.
"Probably, but if their ship came into orbit above Ticonderoga, why is=20
there still a lot of jamming," asked Kyla who was lying next to McGinnis.
"Who knows, maybe they've got more than one ship," replied Schultz,=20
clearly not liking the thought as he spoke it.
"It doesn't matter how many ships they've got, we need to get back to=20
Ticonderoga to assess the situation," replied McGinnis.  "Take only the=20
critical gear, weapons and anything that will speed our trip back to the=20
other ships.  Walter, you and Karen go back independently of Kyla and I,=20
and don't come back to help us if it looks like we're in trouble."
"But Sir, ..." said Schultz before McGinnis interrupted him.
"Mr. Schultz, you or I must get back to the ship, as we're the=20
best-trained tactical people aboard, and Ms. Moran will act as armed=20
escort to clear your concerns about General Order 15."
"Aye Sir, ... but what about the Vulcans, neither of them is a tactical=20
specialist, and Slan has almost no combat experience, save this last=20
mission."
"I know, and I don't expect that they'll be able to do much, I'd like to=20
have Kyla aboard that ship right now, but unfortunately she's not, so=20
we'll have to hope that T'mayek's legendary skill with the computer will=20
be enough."
"Aye Sir," said Schultz as he and Lieutenant Thompson began to run back=20
to the small clearing where they had left their ships.
"Kyla, let's take the other path and keep an eye on the sky, if you see=20
*anything* report it immediately."
"Understood," she said, having to slow herself down to avoid outrunning=20
McGinnis.

The first kilometer or so was no problem, McGinnis warned Kyla of=20
anything that they might trip over, while she kept an eye out for either=20
friendly or unfriendly craft.  However, just as they broke over the crest=
=20
of the last ridge before the long sloping run into the valley in which=20
the ships lay, a small craft streaked just barely fifty meters over their=
=20
heads.
"Sir! Farengi patroll shuttle, get down!" cried Kyla, throwing herself to=
=20
the ground in hopes of hiding from the small ship, whose armament, though=
=20
not powerful, was more than they had available at the moment.
McGinnis, who was lying a few feet downhill, turned and as if to ask a=20
question.  Before he could, however, another Farengi shuttle shot past,=20
also headed in the general direction of Ticonderoga's original landing=20
spot, which was now about two hundred kilometers southeast of where they=20
now lay.

After a few minutes without activity, McGinnis cautiously rose and waved=20
Kyla up as well.
"We'd better keep moving, we're only about 800 meters from the ships now."
"Right," she said, and it looked to McGinnis as if she might say more,=20
but an odd rumbling which seemed to come from all around them cut her off.

It lasted nearly half a minute before coming to an end.
"What the hell was that!" was the call from Walter Schultz who had been=20
forced to track toward McGinnis and Moran.  Although McGinnis still=20
couldn't see him, and assumed that it was a rhetorical question, he=20
thought that it was a damned good one in any case.
"Well, what do you think," said McGinnis to Kyla in a voice barely above=20
a whisper.
"I don't think it was an earthquake, there wasn't any ground motion. =20
Maybe a photon exploded somewhere and we didn't see it.  That would be=20
the right kind of sound, if it blew a couple hundred kilometers from here."
"That could be, but I haven't seen anything that bright in quite a bit,=20
and even though sound propagates slowly in atmosphere, ..." McGinnis=20
shook his head, there wasn't time to wonder, just keep moving back to the=
=20
ships.
"Commander, whatever it was, don't worry on it, just keep moving," yelled=
=20
McGinnis.
"Sir, where are you?" replied Schultz, who hadn't realized that McGinnis=20
was close enough to hear him.
"A bit behind you and to your left, keep moving!"
Schultz' response, whatever it might have been, was overwhelmed by the=20
roar of a couple of small Farengi ships, almost immediately followed by=20
T'mayek in Rommel.  Immediately after the ships passed overhead, a bolt=20
of red energy passed from one of the Farengi ships and struck Rommel's=20
shielding.T'mayek returned fire, the yellow phaserbolt striking the much=20
smaller Farengi shuttle, blasting it out of the sky.

The other shuttle turned and opened fire on the forest below, hoping to=20
start a forest fire, whose smoke would allow it to hide until its mother=20
ship could do something to support it.  T'mayek knew that the rest of the=
=20
landing party were somewhere in this forest, and so she struck with her=20
phasers, hoping to disable the small shuttle without knocking it down.

Unfortunately, the blast missed the Farengi ship, as all targeting had to=
=20
be done manually, as the targetting sensors were being jammed by the=20
Farengi subspace supressing fields.  The bolt crashed into the forest,=20
not two hundred meters from where McGinnis and Kyla stood, watching the=20
action above them.  As soon as it struck, the forest began burning, and=20
McGinnis decided that it was high time to be elsewhere.
"Come on!" he yelled, grabbing Kyla who was somewhat shocked by the=20
effects of phaserblast from Rommel.

As they ran on the ground, the two ships, one powerful and somewhat lesss=
=20
maneuverable, the other, highly maneuverable but with few weapons=20
maneuvered above them.  McGinnis knew that the Farengi ship was too=20
nimble to be caught by T'mayek who, had little training in tactical=20
operations without the assistance of  the computer.  Unfortunately, the=20
best that she could hope for was another lucky shot like that which had=20
knocked the first enemy ship out of the sky.

McGinnis knew that he had to get to the other ships if they were to deal=20
with the small Farengi craft effectively.  His other concern was that,=20
quite simply, a ship that small could not be of the interstellar=20
variety.  With this in mind, he knew that there must be other, larger,=20
ships in the area, and even though the Farengi didn't  have truly=20
powerful ships, the inexperience of the people that Thale had to help him=
=20
command Ticonderoga was all-too-great for his comfort. =20

He thought that it was fortunate that whatever the Farengi were using to=20
scramble communications seemed to scramble their sensors as well.  With=20
this in mind, he saw that it would be a simple test of wits and luck,=20
with whichever side could destroy their opponent first, winning=20
possession of this planet and all of its massive stock of biological and=20
geological resources. McGinnis had no intention of losing this particular=
=20
battle.

As the thought came to the forefront of his mind,  McGinnis saw that they=
=20
had reached the clearing where the party's remaining ships should have=20
been.  However, instead of their reassuring bulk, McGinnis and the others=
=20
saw absolutely nothing, beyond the grasses and tree-like forms that had=20
been there when they had arrived.

"Where are they?" asked Lt. Thompson more than a bit fearfully.
"I don't know," said Schultz and McGinnnis at nearly the same time.=20
"...Whereever they are, I think that we should get to that side of the=20
clearing, as I remember the forest there is much thicker and we'll have a=
=20
better chance of avoiding detection for the moment," said McGinnis.

Without another word, Commander Schultz began to race across the=20
clearing, straight for the other side.  However, he had run less than=20
fifteen meters when he suddenly disappeared, and then reappeared, his=20
arms flung out in an attempt to halt his fall.
"Well, I think he's found them," said McGinnis, hastening over to help=20
Schultz to his feet.
"Thanks, sir."
"No problem, any guess which ship you ran into?"
"No, but I think I hit about five meters ahead of the warp nacelles, so=20
I'll get aboard and decloak, that'll tell us which ship I have, and where=
=20
the other is."
"Fine, ... Ms. Moran, go with the Commander, I'll take Ms. Thompson with me=
."
"Yes sir," replied the two lieutenants in near-stereo. McGinnis, however,=
=20
did not miss Kyla's sharp lance at him, and knew that despite the week's=20
events things were not fully settled in her mind as yet.

Schultz and Moran hastened around the invisible attack ship and then=20
Schultz disappeared inside, after calling for the airlock, which=20
obediently opened, showing a rectangle of white light floating nealry a=20
meter above the ground.  McGinnis thought that it was a rather=20
disconcerting sight, but kept the observation to himself.

Moments later, there was the typical hum of a cloaking field being shut=20
down, and Sherman wavered into view.  As soon as he saw which ship=20
Schultz had taken, he ran about forty meters further down the clearing,=20
and then turned left, his hands touching the cool surface of the equally=20
invisible Montgommery. By the time McGinnis and Thompson had climbed=20
aboard, Schultz had reengaged the cloaking device aboard Sherman and=20
lifted off, hoping to assist T'mayek in destroying the small Farengi ship=
=20
which was still flitting about, just barely avoiding her shots, any of=20
which would have resulted in the death of everyone aboard the tiny craft.

McGinnis and Thompson were quickly on their way too, Montgommery's=20
impulse drive straining to keep up iwth McGinnis' rapid-fire sequence of=20
maneuvers.  As soon as they had cleared the trees, McGinnis set an=20
immediate course to cut off any escape that the small enemy shuttle might=
=20
make to the east, while holding a higher altitude in order to prevent a=20
run for orbital space.  The Farengi shuttle quickly descended into the=20
canyons of the mountain range, and would have gotten away, except for=20
Schultz' determination to see this persistent problem solved ... using=20
all force necessary.  In this case, he apparently felt that one of his=20
ship's nuclear-tipped micromissiles would be best.  It streaked forth,=20
and detonated only a few hundred meters in front of the Farengi ship. =20
Between the heat of the initial four-megaton blast, and the atmospheric=20
shockwave that accompanied it, the small ship's navigation systems were=20
over-taxed, and with a violent explosion, several times greater than that=
=20
of Schultz's original shot, it ploughed into the side of a mountain,=20
nearly obliterating it in the process.

After they were sure that the Farengi ship was really destroyed, McGinnis=
=20
turned his ship toward Ticonderoga's last position and accelerated,=20
keeping low in the atmosphere in order to avoid visual detection by=20
anything in orbit.  However, the flash of the destruction of the shuttle=20
had been seen, and a bast of disruptor energy ripped across the face of=20
the planet from somewhere behind them.  Fortunately the first bolt=20
missed, and McGinnis and Schultz immediately engaged their ships'=20
cloaking devices.  T'mayek who had less familiarity with the attack craft=
=20
took a moment longer to find and engage her cloaking device, and for the=20
enemy gunner, who was also working by sight only, it was enough.

McGinnis watched in horror as a second bolt of yellow energy slammed=20
between his ship and Eisenhower, striking the partially-visible Rommel on=
=20
its starboard side.  As with all other ships with cloaking devices, save=20
the  Ticonderoga-class super-starships these ships couldn't both cloak=20
and maintain full shielding at the same time.  Therefore, T'mayek wasn't=20
able to protect her ship from enemy fire while cloaked, ... they had=20
always hoped that the cloaking would be enough.  The attack craft=20
reappeared, its cloaking device compromised and its starboard warp=20
nacelle and phaser cannon blasted away from the rest of the ship.=20
McGinnis and Schultz could only watch as it fell the fewhundred meters to=
=20
the ocean below.

"Karen, can we get down there and pick them up?" McGinnis asked,=20
suspecting that he knew the answer already.
"I don't think we should risk it, it didn't look like the passenger=20
compartment was compromised, and with the capabilities of these ships, I=20
think we'd be better off marking the location and returning after we've=20
returned to the base," she said.
"Very well, drop a marker buoy in the area, I can't control those=20
functions from this console," said McGinnis.
"Done, sir."

McGinnis watched as another marker fell from a slightly different angle,=20
knowing that Schultz had probably had the same conversation with Kyla. =20
Knowing that Schultz's ship was more-or-less in between him and=20
Ticonderoga, McGinnis swung Montgommery far to the left, and then climbed=
=20
for altitude, hoping that his simple evasion would be enough to avoid a=20
mid-air collision.

Only seconds later, Thompson pointed at a rapidly-growing flare of light=20
which seemed to be moving toward them.

"What's that?" she asked.
"I ... think that's Ticonderoga," said McGinnis, staring at the white=20
ship, covered in a corruscading shell of blue discharge flares,=20
apparently caused by the ship's shields.

Almost immediately McGinnis realized that Ticonderoga was not quite=20
headed in the direction of the attack ships.  With this in mind, he=20
decided to set a parallel course and wait to see if he could figure out a=
=20
way to signal Thale that he wanted to be brought aboard.

Within seconds Montgommery was flying only a few hudred meters off=20
Ticonderoga's starboard-aft quarter, which gave it protection from the=20
fire of the known enemy in front of them, and also allowed McGinnis to=20
observe his ship's actions without much difficulty.  Seconds after he=20
came into his parallel course, he saw Schultz's Eisenhower drop out of=20
cloak a few thousand meters directly behind the larger ship.  Schultz had=
=20
apparently decided to take the more direct approach, and was headed in at=
=20
high speed toward the aft sections of the ship.  McGinnis hoped that=20
Thale, or whomever else might be in charge, would be smart enough to drop=
=20
the aft shields and let him aboard.  Unfortunately, the opportunity did=20
not arise just then.

Just as Schultz was getting close enough to begin docking approach=20
procedures, the Farengi ship which had damaged Rommel took a shot at the=20
new, and far larger, target which was closing in.  Of course, the blast=20
did no damage, and clued whomever was i charge aboard Ticonderoga that=20
there were targets about.  McGinnis couldn't quite resist the opportunity=
=20
to watch his ship in action from a better angle, and almost before he had=
=20
consciously decided to do so, he had moved Montgommery into a position=20
which put it alongside the far larger ship.  Moments later, McGinnis=20
watched in near-awe as the ring, wich had been dormant to that point,=20
flared to life, climbing through the visible spectrum almost more quickly=
=20
than his eyes could follow.  Of course, the most awesome thing was the=20
absolute brilliance of the magnetic discharge which preceeded the firing=20
of this, the most powerful weapon in the Federation's vast arsenal.

The characteristic white bolt flared from Ticonderoga, but due to the=20
ship's position in the middle atmosphere of the planet, a large number of=
=20
unfortunate molecules got in its way.These were destroyed, either by=20
plasmatization, or by fusion of their constituent atoms.  In either case,=
=20
the atomic matter was severely shocked, resulting in a bluish corona=20
around the main beam, which in some places was nearly a kilometer=20
across.  The other thing that shocked McGinnis was the noise of the=20
thing.  Even through Montgommery's heavily shielded hull, and its own=20
powerful deflectors, the roar was nearly deafening.  McGinnis suspected=20
that had there ben any glass windows on that side of the planet that they=
=20
might have been broken.

Of course, the bolt didn't care about its aesthetic effects, and ripped=20
free of the atmosphere, just barely missing its intended target.  The=20
Farengi ship in question tried to run, but it found its path blocked by a=
=20
smallish ship, which had already unloaded twenty micro-photon torpedoes=20
into it.  As soon as Schultz realized what had happened, he had "pealed=20
out," and had streaked at full impulse toward the Farengi ship's=20
approximate location.  As soon as he had broken free of the atmosphere,=20
at nearly the same time that McGinnis was pulling even with Ticonderoga,=20
Schultz had found the Farengi ship, and had set an immediate course=20
directly toward it.  At almost the same moment as the bolt from=20
Ticonderoga had passed it, Schultz had dropped into a position that would=
=20
prevent the Farengi commander's quick departure.  In actuality the=20
Farengi warship was far more powerful than Schultz's craft, but he had=20
surprise on his side, and so when he struck with his entire load of=20
photons, the Daemon in charge could only register his presence before a=20
large number of explosives struck his ship.  The hits were far from=20
deadly, but they did give those on Ticonderoga something to use as a=20
visual target.  They did so, and the next blast from the ship struck=20
home, finishing the work that Schultz had started.  With this, the=20
jamming field, which required at least two ships to maintain, fell and=20
before it could be caught by the larger ship, the third Farengi warship=20
turned and ran before it could be detected.
The ore carriers which they had brought along to carry the tritanium back=
=20
to a large processing center were neither fast enough nor well enough=20
defended to withstand Ticonderoga's weapons.  McGinnis realized this=20
immediately, but because he was to far away, he felt that it was best to=20
order Schultz and Moran to get aboard Ticonderoga.

"McGinnis to Schultz, come in," he said, is voice tight due to the time=20
pressure that he knew that they were now under.
"Schultz here,"
"Commander, get aboard Ticonderoga, take care of the convoy as best you=20
can, I doubt that you'll get the remaining warship, but you may get rid=20
of most of the other ships."
"Sir, shouldn't you be doing that?"
"Unfortunately, I'm too far away to get to the ship quickly, and I think=20
that you will be quite capable of dealing with the convoy while i deal=20
with the situation on Rommel."=20
"Understood, I'm already on my way, ETA about thirty seconds."
"Very well,  we'll meet you at Commander MacLeod's processing site.  I=20
hope that the vulcans will be with us."
"Right," replied Schultz.
"McGinnis to Ticonderoga," he said while beginning to bring Montgommery=20
into a rapidly arcing turn which would allow him to make a rapid decent=20
toward the surface.

"Ticonderoga, MacLeod here," replied the chief Engineer's voice.
"Robert, what in hell are you doing there?" McGinnis snapped, truly=20
surprised to find his friend and Chief of Engineering both alive and=20
well, and also aboard ship.
"I was aboard getting some stores set in place when the Farengi tried to=20
attack us, Thale knocked their closest ship down so fast that I couldn't=20
even get to the bridge before it happened.  We decided that he would=20
maintain command until we could reach one of you, and then I'd take over=20
until either you or Commander Schultz was aboard."
"Good thinking, how many did we lose at the mining site?"
"Only three as far as I know, the rest were supposed to be in protected=20
areas at the time, and shouldn't have been hurt insofar as I can tell. =20
There may be a few more casualties, ... I haven't been able to talk with=20
them yet."
"Understood, ... as Soon as we have Rommel able to limp back  to base,=20
I'll check up on them.  Schultz will be aboard any second, so I'll be=20
leaving the ship to him for a bit."
"Aye Sir," replied MacLeod. ... Ticonderoga out."

McGinnis turned to the other matter at hand, the rescue of his science=20
officer, ad the ship's sole remaining doctor.

"Admiral, when we get back to the crash site, what can I do to help?"=20
asked Lieutenant Thompson, temporarily disturbing the state of=20
concentration into which McGinnis had fallen.
"I suspect that the ship will have sunk to an equilibrium depth, probably=
=20
about twenty to thirty meters below the surface.  our sensors have=20
cleared, so communications have probably cleared also.  Try signalling=20
them, and get me a full damage report.  We're about three or four minutes=
=20
from them, and I need to keep an eye on Ticonderoga's progress against=20
the Farengi cargo ships."
"Understood," she said, immediately beginning to hail T'mayek and Slan=20
aboard their crippled ship.

As he navigated toward the sensor markers, McGinnis watched the=20
long-range scaners, and found that the Farengi ships which remained were=20
no match for Ticonderoga.  This was no surprise to him, but still, if all=
=20
of them could be destroyed, the Farengi would e forced to wonder what had=
=20
happened to their convoy, rather than being certain that a Federation=20
warship was in the area.  McGinnis knew that if the Farengi had to wonder=
=20
what had happened to their convoy, they might not send a sufficiently=20
powerful force to investigate.  If that happened , he might get a chance=20
to weaken them further, while keeping the knowledge that a heavy=20
Federation unit was far from where it should be, out of their hands.

"Sir, I have a text-only message from Slan, he reports that Comander=20
T'mayek is unconscious,and in heeling trance.  He says that they are=20
approximately twenty-five meters below the surface and that all power=20
from the starboard warp nacelle is out, and some other systems are=20
unresponsive.  He believes that no hull damage has occurred, but due to=20
his lack of familiarity with the tactical/structural readouts, he can not=
=20
be certain."
"Very well, it is worse than I had hoped, but not as bad as it might have=
=20
been," replied McGinnis.  "...Tell him that we are approximately ninty=20
seconds from his position, and that we will evacuate them from the ship=20
and return for it later."
"Sending, sir."

The rescue operation was somewhat more difficult than McGinnis had=20
expected, simply because when they had built the attack craft, noone had=20
expected to have to rescue the crew while under water.  The ships had=20
been built with the submersible capability, more as an added stealth=20
device than for any other purpose.  Therefore, it had been expected that=20
the ships would remain cloaked or on the bottom until friendly forces=20
could transport the crews aboard or the ships could be repaired or scuttled=
.

McGinnis finally decided that the easiest way to get the Vulcans off=20
their craft would be to boost it up to surface level and then simply have=
=20
them take one of the tried-and-true inflatable life boats until he could=20
return and have Thompson assist them aboard Montgommery.

After Thompson had notified them of the plan, McGinnis brought=20
Montgommery just under the damaged Rommel and then engaged, ever so=20
gently, the antigravity generators.  Because they weren't built for this=20
kind of work, the antigravs took time to lift nearly twice as much mass=20
as they were rated for to the surface. As soon as Rommel broke the=20
surface, the vulcans exited through the aft hatch, and inflated the small=
=20
life boat. As soon as he was sure that they were safely aboard, McGinnis=20
simply turned the antigravs to about two/thirds of their standard output,=
=20
and the two ships slipped slowly below the waves.  His plan would have=20
worked perfectly, save for the fact that a major weather front was moving=
=20
in, and the surface chop was growing by the minute.  The vulcans weren't=20
at risk as their lifeboat was capable of cealing its passegers in, so=20
that the worst that they were likely to suffer would be a serious case of=
=20
seasickness, as the boat was nearly unsinkable, unless something were to=20
puncture it. =20

The problem lay with Rommel, which was powerless and being tossed about=20
by the surface activity. Fnally McGinnis decided to drop down as quickly=20
as possible so that Montgommery wouldn't be threatened by its jostling=20
burden.  The decent was performed nearly perfectly, but a sudden strong=20
wave swept Rommel from the top surface of McGinnis ship.  As it moved,=20
the powerless craft turned on its side, smashing its still-attached port=20
warp nacelle against the edge of Montgommery's hull.  The nacelle broke=20
loose, and water poured into the opening, quickly threatening the systems=
=20
which maintained  the power generators' containment no matter what the=20
ship's other systems might be suffering.  =20
McGinnis watched as the now-totalled craft sank off his starboard gbow,=20
and almost didn't notice as Thompson's body suddenly went rigid with tensio=
n.

"Sir! sensors show that Rommel is going to lose anti-matter containment=20
in about two minutes, we've got to move!" she cried, seeing the readouts=20
on the sensors, which hadn't held his attention for the last few moments.
"What?" he said, his attention turning to matters aboard Montgommery,=20
which, fortunately, was not damaged in the accident.  He then saw that=20
she was right, and that they were in serious trouble.

"Lieutenant, get the aft hatch ready, we're only going to have one chance=
=20
at this.  When I come along side the raft, tell them what's happening,=20
and give them each a hand.  Be sure that you're braced, they are strong=20
enough to pull themselves aboard, assuming that you don't slip."
"Understood, sir."

McGinnis brought the ship around, meanwhile thanking his good luck that=20
it had suffered no appreciable damage.  Meanwhile Karen moved to the=20
narrow projection behind the seats which served as open cargo storage and=
=20
accessway to the hatch.  There was little that she could brace against,=20
save the frame of the airlock, which was already cycled open, with only=20
the outer hatch between her and the waters which were still rushing past.

Quickly enough, the ship was on the ocean's surface, and only meters from=
=20
the vulcans.  However, the manuver had taken precious time, and they had=20
less than ninty seconds left before the nearly fifty kilograms of=20
antimatter aboard Rommel would make themselves felt in an explosion=20
yielding approximately two gigatons.
"I'll be in position in ten seconds, you have only thirty before we must=20
evacuate, so move!" yelled McGinnis over the now roaring wind and waves.
"Right!" Thompson responded.

McGinnis brought the ship to a halt, less than a meter from the violently=
=20
bobbing life raft.  Although the attack ships were small compared with=20
Ticonderoga, they were still nearly seventy feet long, and massed in at=20
more than 500 metric tons.  Such a craft was far less affected by the=20
violent waves than the almost massless life raft with its less than 250=20
kilograms of living cargo.

"Sir, they're going to be hard to reach!" Thompson cried in frustration. =
=20
"The waves are very large, and I can't reach them!"
"All right, We'll take the raft on the top of the ship, tell them that=20
you'll get them if they swing down from the top surface."
"She relayed this news, plus the fact that there were less than eighty=20
seconds until, as she put it, "all hell will break loose when your ship=20
blows up!"

The vulcans didn't waste comment on the illogic of her statement's=20
formation, simply moving so that they could grab any available handholds=20
as soon as they landed on the ship's upper surface.

Seconds later, the ship had moved so that the next wave washed over it,=20
and the raft came to a crashing halt against the upper phaser collimator,=
=20
an impact that caused McGinnis to groan with frustration at their bad=20
luck.  While they were now able to use the collimator as a handhold,=20
McGinnis had hoped that the would end up almost anywhere else, as the=20
collimator was probably the most sensitive part of the ship.

"One minute to explosion, fifteen seconds to departure!" yelled McGinnis.
"Understood," responded Thompson who relayed the news.  "Commander=20
T'mayek is about a meter from me, I'll have her as soon as she can get=20
through the next wave."," said Thompson, hoping that the ship's=20
forcefields would protect the inside from getting overly wet.
A moment passed, and then T'mayek was aboard, dripping wet, clearly cold,=
=20
but with no new injuries as far as McGinnis could tell.  Slan,=20
unfortunately, was clearly a different matter.It appeared that one of his=
=20
ankles had been broken by the hard blow against Montgommery's hull, and=20
he was not able to move easily as a result of the combination of his=20
injury and the occasional wave hitting the top of the ship.
"Sir! I don't think that we can get him oriented as we are, turn the ship=
=20
180 degrees, then we can at least try to get him when the waves push him=20
toward us," said T'mayek, who had replaced Thompson due to her advantage=20
in physical strength.
"If you miss Commander, we will be without any serviceable doctor!"=20
warned McGinnis.
"I am aware," she replied, not sparing any further words as she hung on,=20
hanging out through the force barrier which protected the inside of the=20
ship from the nearly-continuous waves.

mcGinnis turned the ship quickly... almost too quickly, as T'mayek=20
reported a moment later.
"Sir, Slan is now hanging onto this side of the ship with only one hand,=20
his only chance is to release the hull and trust that my training is as=20
good as Star Fleet Command has told you it is."

The sarcasm caught McGinnis off guard, but he had no time to respond as=20
the sensor board, which had been monitoring time, began to chime softly,=20
warning him that there were four seconds before the ship would begin to=20
enter that period of time in which it ... might be destroyed by the=20
detonation of Rommel's power core.

"Four seconds!" he said.
T'mayek leaned out, gabbed Slan's leg, just above the broken akle, and=20
began to swing him so that she could bring him aboard.  Her grip nearly=20
failed, and as it was, she was only able to bring him into a position=20
from which, with some clambering on his part, he could bring himself in.

At this moment, the board chimed, and McGinnis knew that their safety=20
margin was gone.

"Hurry! we're over the margin." said Thompson who stood by, ready to help=
=20
if either vulcan needed it.
"Sir, Slan will require three more seconds in order to come aboard," said=
=20
T'mayek.
"Right, powering up for immediate departure," replied McGinnis working=20
over the board.

Moments later, McGinnis heard the thump of a body hitting the deck, and=20
T'mayek's words to the airlock computer which commanded it to ceal the=20
doors.  McGinnis knew that their window was already closing, and that=20
their chances of escape were somewhat slim.  He brought the ship nose-up=20
on the waves and pushed the impulse drive for all that it was worth. =20
With less than forty seconds before Rommel's core would explode, he knew=20
that the greatest risk to the ship was not the primary explosion, but the=
=20
vast atmospheric shock that would follow. =20

The ship climbed rapidly, but between the thickness of the lower=20
atmosphere, and the need for velocity and shielding, neither impulse=20
engines nor shields could get full priority. If the engines pushed the=20
ship too fast, it would be destroyed by friction heating.  If McGinnis=20
didn't move quickly enough, the atmospheric shock would do the little=20
ship in.

The ship was at about fifteen thousand meters when the ocean below seemed=
=20
to part for just a moment.  The flash of the explosion, even though it=20
had been damped by the water in which it had occurrred, was still bright=20
enough to cause the windows to polarize to blackness.  Despite the fact=20
that the ship was moving several times the speed of sound, a blast as=20
great as that which had just occurred could result in transsonic=20
destabilization of the atmosphere, as well as the acceleration of some=20
objects to extreme velocities.  These threats were McGinnis' primary=20
concern as the little ship continued to rise as quickly as its impulse=20
drive could manage.

As the windows depolarized, McGinnis could see the enormous plume of=20
steam rising skyward above the still-boiling surface of the ocean.  The=20
tidal shocks which the violent release of energy had doubtless caused=20
were not yet apparent, but McGinnis was willing to bet that the coasts of=
=20
the two near-by continents would suffer from a number of rather large=20
tidal waves.  Fortunately, as far as he could see, no objects had been=20
thrown their way, and the ship's external scans showed that within ten=20
seconds they would be able to warp out of the upper atmosphere without=20
serious risk.

Just as they were about to achieve escape altitude, a warning sensor went=
=20
off, and a brilliant flash lit up the space off the starboard bow. =20
McGinnis immediately realized that one of Rommel's nuclear warheads had=20
been thrown out of the conflagration below, but apparently without=20
escaping enough damage to cause it to explode, rahter than simply going=20
into stand-by mode until found by either a friendly craft or by an=20
enemy.  If found by an enemy craft, the warhead would act as a=20
self-guided mine and explode at a pre-programmed distance from its new=20
target.

In this case the blast had occurred nearly a mile away, and the autonav=20
had been able to bring the ship around the blast zone, but in any case,=20
this was a reminder that even the upper atmosphere was not totally safe. =
=20
Fortunately, they had escaped with no damage, and only minor bumps and=20
bruises from the ship's sudden maneuvers.

"Sir, what was that," asked Slan, an unusual tightness in his voice.
McGinnis knew without asking that the jarring had doubtless agrivated the=
=20
Vulcan's injuries, which though not life-threatening, would doubtless=20
cause pain.  Pain that that would be difficult to  control, even with a=20
vulcan's training.

"We had a nuclear detonation off the starboard bow, doubtless one of the=20
warheads off Rommel, the navigation systems took control and brought us=20
around the blast zone.  We're about a minute from Ticonderoga, it would=20
appear that Schultz has handled all of the Farengi ships in the area,=20
except the one warship that, I think, turned and ran before they could=20
get in position."
"It is fortunate that we are closing on the ship, Slan must enter healing=
=20
trance soon if it is to be flly effective, and I am the only one who can=20
help him should he need it," said T'mayek.
"I know, we're forty-five seconds out."
McGinnis opened a channel to the only ship that he truly considered his. =
=20
Even the earlier ships which he had commanded hadn't felt quite right. =20
He had been important in all phases of the design and staffing of=20
Ticonderoga, and although he recognized that it had flaws, he felt that=20
it was the best design that had ever been implemented by the Federation.
"McGinnis to Ticonderoga, I have a medical emergency and request=20
immediate landing clearance."
"Clearance granted," replied Schultz's voice.
Thirty seconds later, Montgommery sat beside Sherman in the landing bay,=20
and McGinnis was headed for the Bridge.

After getting Schultz's report, he thought for a few moments on what they=
=20
should do.  As soon as things were as clear as they were likely to get,=20
he set the crew to preparing the ship for a reentry to the atmosphere in=20
order to pick up their mining equipment.

Command Log: Stardate 57330.6: Admiral William McGinnis, Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga: Recording:

I believe that we should return to the surface in order to retrieve=20
Commander MacLeod's processing equipment which had to be left behind=20
during the ship's recent battle against the Farengi mining convoy.  It is=
=20
interesting that they sent any warships along with this group of vessels,=
=20
considering that Federation probes have barely entered this part of=20
space, and that the front of our  manned exploration is still nearly 100=20
light years away.  However, no matter the reason for their dispatch, two=20
of three of the Farengi ships have been destroyed, the third has,=20
however, managed to escape and will doubtless bring news of the presence=20
of this ship to the Farengi trading council.  Along with the two warships=
=20
that we destroyed, Mr. Schultz destroyed thrteen ore carriers, calling=20
the action "like shooting monkeys in a barrel,".  No matter the exact=20
meaning of the statement, the fact is that all of the ore ships have been=
=20
destroyed, and we now know about another valuable source of tritanium in=20
our galaxy, a discovery of tremendous import.

It is reserved to the future to see how this discovery will be dealt with.


After theese somewhat philosophical ramblings, McGinnis rose and move to=20
the Bridge, preparing to take control of the departure-oriented work that=
=20
his crew had now to complete.

*******************************


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part VII: Chapter XXXI
By:=20
Matthew A. Weed
Comments to mattweed@edith.princeton.edu

Command Log: Stardate 57358.4: Adiral William McGinnis, Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga: Recording:

It is three days since we fought with the Farengi convoy in the=20
still-unnamed star system which we are now leaving behind.  In those last=
=20
three days, we have collected all of the mining equipment, the nearly=20
100,000 tons of pure tritanium which we have refined, and our few=20
unboarded crewmembers.

The planet which we leave is a vast treasure house of minerological,=20
pharmacological, and other treasures whose scope is still not fully known=
=20
to us.  I know that this planet should have the right to develop as it=20
will, along with its class-M sister.  There are few solar systems in the=20
galaxy which have two class-M planets, not to mention planets as rich as=20
these apparently are.  We could only scan and catalog the other at long=20
range, but their biodiversity seems to exceed that of our landing place,=20
and although it seems somewhat less-well minerologically endowed, but=20
what exists there will certainly do for the development of a wealthy=20
space-going civilization at some point in the future.  The other class-M=20
planet already shows limited development toward civilization, but only on=
=20
the copper or early bronze-age level technologies as yet.  For this=20
reason, I have set mines throughout the system which will take a serious=20
toll on anyone who returns without the proper shut-down codes.  If we=20
can't get a science party out to study the system, the mines will=20
self-destruct when the planet's civilization begins to show space-going=20
activity, or a Federation protective presence can be established.

Originally, I had intended to return to our home base, in order to =20
ensure that all of our repairs were checked in drydock, and to get a=20
replacement for the attack ship lost in our recent battle.  However, I=20
now believe that the near-by scientific colony established by the=20
Earth-Vulcan league of universities is now the best place for us to go,=20
as these institutions may have the scientific resources to do the studies=
=20
that Starfleet can't carry out while the war rages on. Therefore, we are=20
proceeding at warp seven toward the nearest of these colonies, which is=20
orbiting Suban, a star which used to be a pole star guiding the=20
bronze-age mariners on Earth.  We will arrive there tomorrow, and will=20
then proceed home, assuming that the colonists feel safe in allowing us=20
to do so.  Unfortunately for them, their homes are far closer to Farengi=20
free trading spaces than I would like, and I feel that we must be certain=
=20
that their position is reasonably secure until such time as Starfleet can=
=20
deal with the comparatively threat posed by the Ferengi.

McGinnis shut off the log recorder and left his quarters, headed in the=20
general direction of the recreation deck.  It wasn't time for his=20
work-out, but the rec-deck was always a good place to gauge the mood of=20
the crew. They were still benefitting from the long rest that they had=20
recently had, but there was also some stress, considering that they had=20
been out of contact with the Federation for nearly a month.  Although the=
=20
crew was, in general, young and comparatively unattached, many had=20
families spread throughout the Federation, and they were growing restless=
=20
as they considered all of the things that might have happened in that time.

"Admiral McGinnis, please report to the bridge immediately," said the=20
computer through McGinnis' com badge.

McGinnis course changed automatically, and soon he was headed toward the=20
bridge in the company of Kyla Moran, who had already occupied the=20
turbo-lift car that stopped to pick him up. =20

Ever since his rejection of her romantic advance, she had been a bit=20
stand-offish toward him.  Although he wasn't sure, he thought that he=20
might be her first crush, and he had silently rebuked himself for his=20
words to her a number of times over the past few days.

Fortunately, the doors of the car opened before the situation became=20
overly tense, and he strowed onto the bridge.

As soon as he arrived, T'mayek quietly signalled to him that she wished=20
to speak with him without bringing her concerns to the attention of the=20
rest of the crew.  As soon as he was standing behind her station, she=20
turned, and in a voice barely loud enough for him to hear, she told him=20
of their latest trouble.

"Admiral, I have been able to pick up some long-range signalls from the=20
Federation News Service and some other civilian and military=20
organizations.  Their content is of some concern, but they hold some=20
information which is of immediate concern to this vessel."
"Is this something you can discuss on the Bridge?"
"I believe tat the rest of the crew might find the news somewhat disturbing=
."
"Understood, come with me." he said.  Turning to the helmsman, he said:=20
"Mr. Thale, please monitor ship's operations station."
"Aye Sir," replied te andorian, as he set one of the auxiliary monitor=20
pannels to notify him if anything of import occurred at ops.

The two officers then departed the Bridge, and hastened the short=20
distance to the ship's primary conference room  As soon as they entered,=20
McGinnis turned, his body language demanding a report.

T'mayek, despite her unemotional facade had become quite adept at reading=
=20
the emotions of others, particularly her crewmates on the Bridge, with=20
whom she had worked for nearly a decade.  This being so, he did not need=20
to prompt her for her report.
"Admiral, we appear to have been shifted forward in time, apparently some=
=20
five hundred standard stardates, or one half of an Earth year."
"I take it that this is as a result of the anomoly through which we=20
passed?" he asked, after a brief period of shocked silence.
"Yes, sir.  I would further note that we were unaware of the problem as a=
=20
result of the extremely limited duration of the time jump, and our=20
comparative unfamiliarity with the section of space into which the=20
anomoly placed this vessel."
"I see," he said.
  "We should return to the Bridge, and check in with Star Fleet=20
Headquarters."
As they turned to leave, Thale's voice interrupted their movements and=20
thoughts.
"Admiral, we have a very strange signal coming in over extremely=20
high-frequency subspace."
"Understood, I'm on my way."

Moments later McGinnis and T'mayek were back on the bridge, and Schultz=20
was releasing the command chair to him.

"Put the message on screen," said McGinnis.
T'mayek's fingers moved over her console, and then a wavery picture came=20
up on the main viewer.

The screen showed a young human, probably no more than ten or twelve=20
years old.  It was immediately obvious to everyone on the bridge, that=20
the girl was terrified and near tears.

"My name is Anna Sanchez, and I need help," she said as soon as she=20
realized that there had been a response to her signal.
"I am William McGinnis, ... commanding a Federation starship in the area,=
=20
why are you on this frequency?"
Almost immediately, Anna began to cry, and it was a moment before she=20
could collect herself sufficiently to tell her tale. =20

"I was in the caves west of Research City, and when I came out, there was=
=20
a strange light in the sky, and big explosions everywhere."
McGinnis was just about to ask her what planet she was on when the=20
tactical overlay from Schultz's station told him that she was on the=20
planet toward which they were currently headed.  McGinnis had trouble=20
believing this, as it was still nearly forty light years ahead, and the=20
frequency that she was on could not carry a signal more than a few=20
hundred million kilometers.
"Ana, I want you to get off your com unit, don't transmit anymore until=20
we can get there.  It should only be a few minutes and then we'll help you.=
"
"OK," she said and cut the transmission.
"Helm, emergency warp, main course. ... Tactical, stand-by on shields and=
=20
particle phasers, full power on scanners and sensors, we don't know what=20
kind of enemy we're facing."
"Aye Sir," replied thale and Schultz.

The ship streaked through space, its mighty engines bringing it toward a=20
planet whose people might be beyond even the mighty vessel's ability to=20
help.          =20


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part VII: Chapter XXXII
By:
Matthew A. Weed
Comments to Mattweed@edith.princeton.edu

Command Log: Stardate 57815.4: We are now in orbit over the Consortium=20
colony in the Suban system. I have brought the crew up to date on our=20
current placement in time, and although many are concerned about the fact=
=20
that we are doubtless presumed missing and probably destroyed, everyone's=
=20
main concern is the needless attack on the colony below us.

There were practically no defenses, and those that did exist were=20
obviously insufficient for the task of defending the colony against=20
whatever attacked it.  As far as we are able to discover, there are no=20
ships in orbit now, but I have decided to keep the ship on red alert=20
until such time as we are certain that we are reasonably safe. =20
Unfortunately, we need to transport many parties down to look over the=20
situation, and rescue the one remaining colonist, so I have ordered that=20
the ship be cloaked, so that we can transport our people down with as=20
much little danger to the ship as possible.

McGinnis switched the log recorder off and began to put on his armor. =20
Unlike most captains in the fleet he had always refused to be kept off of=
=20
landing parties, and although he had had to work to find first officers=20
who would not be too difficult about the regulations, he had always been=20
able to find personel who weren't particularly concerned about following=20
regulations to the letter.  In his mind, there should be no difference=20
between a "regular", and "dangerous", situation, considering that no=20
situation was ever truly safe.  The fact that he was taking along all of=20
the heavy weaponry for his armor would probably help to convince Schultz=20
of the comparatively limited risk, and of his determnation to be on the=20
surface.

***
Minutes later the first landing parties began to appear throughout the=20
devastated colony.  Despite its great distance from the center of the=20
Federation, its importance as a research center had grown rapidly, and=20
its population had grown as a measure.  At least a quarter of a million=20
people had lived in the bustling city which was the single center of=20
activity on the planet.  As soon as they had come into orbit, it was=20
clear that most of them did not live there any more.  However, the level=20
of devastation on the surface had not been clear until their first=20
parties had been set down.

At that point, it was clear that most--if not all--of the colonists were=20
dead.  However, there had been that one voice in the night, a voice which=
=20
by all rights they should not have heard.  The ship's main scanners had=20
been able to pick out the likely site of the small transmitter which had=20
been used, and McGinnis headed the party which was to look into that=20
question.

"All right, I want you all to take this carefully, we don't know much=20
about the situation down here, and if she knows how to use one, I=20
wouldn't be surprised if that little girl didn't come out firing a weapon=
=20
first and asking questions later." said McGinnis over their comlink.

There were silent nods of agreement, and the team spread out, in order to=
=20
provide both friend and foe as numerous and diverse a set of targets as=20
possible.  Fortunately all wore their armor, so whatever weapons might be=
=20
on the surface would pose them no threat, but despite the negative signs=20
from the scanners, they couldn't be sure that whatever enemy had caused=20
the destruction might not still be about.

"I'm going to try to signal her now, I want all of you to wait until I=20
have a response ... or until I give the word to move in," said McGinnis.

The party members stopped moving immediately, and crouched down to wait.

"This is William McGinnis to Anna Sanchez, if you can hear this signal,=20
please respond."
There was a pause, and no response.
"Anna, if you can hear me, I need you to either respond or come out of=20
your building, we can't see you on the sensors, and can't beam you up to=20
our ship."
Again, there was nothing, but then McGinnis saw one of his crew bringing=20
a small girl toward him.
"McGinnis to alder, is that the girl?"
"Yes, Sir." eplied a young engineer whom McGinnis had brought along=20
specifically because she was young and might be easier for the girl to=20
associate with.
"Very good, call the ship and have them beam you up, I have a bad feeling=
=20
about this place."
"So do I, sir."=20
With this, there was a flicker of light and the two disappeared in a=20
standard transporter effect.
"McGinnis to party, the girl has been taken aboard, I am going up to see=20
what she can tell us.  I want the rest of you to stay down here, and try=20
to assist the phorensics crew with their work, we need to know who did this=
."

McGinnis received their acknowledgements of his orders and then=20
transported up to Ticonderoga in order to find out what had happened, and=
=20
hopefully who was responsible for the massacre.

***
After Anna had been released from sick bay, McGinnis met her in the small=
=20
guest quarters which had been assigned her until she could be taken to a=20
star base.  The rooms were smaller than the main guest quarters, but=20
provided direct access to both sick bay and to one of the smaller=20
recreation areas, both of which McGinnis thought were important in this=20
case.  The rooms themselves were barely thirty meters square, and=20
contained a small outer area, a bedroom, and a closet-sized bathroom.=20

Anna was seated on the bed, her face showing the blank expression which=20
Slan had reported in his brief medical report.  Clearly she was in=20
emotional shock, and unfortunately Ticonderoga was minus its part-time=20
counselor, who, being a psychiatrist, also had duties in the standard=20
medical section.  Without this professional aid, McGinnis could only hope=
=20
that it would be possible to keep her busy enough to allow them to hold=20
off any psychological crisis until such time as they could give Anna over=
=20
to a more competent medical facility.

As soon as the doors had closed, McGinnis sat down on one of the two=20
chairs and prepared himself to ask the innumerable questions which he=20
must try to put to this young and frightened girl.

"Anna, I'm glad to see that you're OK, the doctor says that if you need=20
anything at all, that you are to contact sick bay immediately.  I also=20
want you to know that I'l be available to you when I'm off duty, and=20
we're getting a list of people together that you can check in with if you=
=20
want company.  You're free to move around the ship as long as you don't=20
go to the engineering sections, the bridge, and the weapons control=20
centers.  If you're not sure if you can go somewhere, just call the=20
security office and ask, they'll tell you and you won't get in any=20
serious trouble if you go somewhere that you're not supposed to be."
All that he got was a nod in reply.
"I know that it will be hard for you, but we need to know everything that=
=20
you know so that we can find out who attacked your colony.  If its OK,=20
I'm going to ask you a few questions, please tell me everything that you=20
remember."
Again, only a nod.

"How long were you in the caves before you came out?"
Clearly surprised by the question, she looked up at him, a somewhat=20
fearful expression crossing her face.
"I was there for a few hours, probably three or four, ... I know that I=20
wasn't supposed to be there, am I in trouble?"
"No, you're not in trouble, being there probably saved your life, and it=20
gives us the chance to catch the people that attacked your colony."
"OK," she said, a clear look of relief passed over her face.
"When you came out of the caves was anything unusual happening?"
"Yes, the ground had already started shaking and I thought that there=20
would be an earthquake, so I got out of there as fast as I could."
"OK, ...what did you see when you got out of the caves?"
"There was some kind of a light in the sky, and every few seconds, there=20
was some kind of light that came down from the big light and there were=20
these big flashes and explosions every time that happened."

"I see, were the lights that came down beams like phasers, or big balls=20
or bolts more like lightening?"
"...I don't remember for sure, ... I think they were more like lightening=
=20
than beams of any kind, but when they hit, the place that they hit just=20
exploded.  Kind of like what they said the old Romulans used when they =20
fought Captain Kirk."
McGinnis thought that what she had reported was more like plasma fire=20
than phasers, but she hadn't probably been looking at the weapons effects=
=20
with a mind toward telling whomever found her what had happened, but with=
=20
a mind to hiding somewhere safe.  The light in the sky was interesting=20
though, no wepon that McGinnis knew of would emit that much light before=20
it was fired.
"That's fine," he said, realizing that his silence was probably making=20
her nervous.  "Did you see any kind of vessel near the light in the=20
sky?" =20
"No, I didn't look for one I just tried to hide."
McGinnis tried not to show his disappointment, if she had been able to=20
tell him something about the attacking vessel, ... <if there was an=20
attacking vessel> he reminded himself, looking for the responsible party=20
would be a hell of a lot easier.
"I'm sorry that I didn't look, did I do anything wrong?"
"No!," he said very forcefully.  "You couldn't do anything about what was=
=20
happening, so it was definitely best that you did hide.  I only wish that=
=20
you'd seen something, it would make finding the responsible ship easier."

She relaxed a little, seeing that he was, indeed, not angry at her.
"I'm glad that you found that transmitter though, it means that we have=20
some chance of finding out who did this before it becomes impossible to=20
track them down. "
"I'm glad too, and thank you for picking me up," she said, relaxing even=20
further.
"I'm glad tat we found you alive, I need to know about your family so=20
that we can get you to someone who can take care of you once we're done=20
here, but for now I've got to go to the Bridge and find out what my crew=20
knows about what happened down there."
"OK, I'm going to get some sleep, I'm tired."
"That's fine, you know how to work the replicator and the other things in=
=20
the room?"
"Yes, Dr. Slan showed me how to use the stuff," she said.
"Good, call him if you need anything, someone will drop by to see how you=
=20
are in a few hours, if you don't want to be disturbed then, just set the=20
privacy lock on the door, that person will know that you're resting and=20
will check back later."
"OK," she said.
With this McGinnis left the rooms, his mind occupied on three key=20
questions:  Who  was responsible for the attack, what in hell did they=20
use for weapons, and where were they now?=20


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part VII: Chapter XXXIII=20
By:
Matthew A. Weed
Comments to mattweed@edith.princeton.edu

McGinnis was still in the turbo-lift when his communicator came to life,=20
Walter Schultz's concerned gvoice ringing out in the small space.
"Sir, we've just changed to a polar orbit, in order to monitor all of=20
near-planetary space, and we're closing on an unknown object whose=20
profile is difficult to make out due to extreme interference from the=20
planet's magnetic field."
"Understood, repeat the signals for red alert, alert, remain cloaked, I=20
don't want to tell them that we're aware of them until we can pick up our=
=20
landing parties."
"Aye Sir, repeating red alert," The klaxons and computer repeated the=20
ship's status, immediately telling the crew that there was something new,=
=20
and more specific, to concern themselves with.
Seconds later, the lift doors opened and McGinnis strowed to the command=20
chair which Schultz had already vacated.
"Status report?"
"We've just passed the unknown ship on its starboard side, and a bit=20
below.  We're still cloaked, so I doubt that they know that our status=20
has changed,  if they know that we're here at all.  The magnetic=20
interference must be as serious a problem for them as it is for us,=20
unless their technology is utterly superior to ours.  We're about eight=20
minutes from optimal transport location, and will be able to bring up all=
=20
of our people in one shot then.  If they're aware that we're here, I'd=20
guess that the alien ship is aware that we sent people down, and will=20
probably pick up our transporter activity, or at least the change in the=20
number of life forms on the surface, as soon as we begin transport," said=
=20
Schultz.
"Very well, do you have any pictures of the ship?"
"Yes, computer analysis is just coming in now, unfortunately their=20
commander is quite crafty, and has hidden within the polar disturbance on=
=20
the winter side of the planet, making clear images more difficult to=20
get.  However, the computer has been able to enhance what little light=20
there was, and it has given us workable images."
"On screen," said McGinnis, hoping to learn quickly what power was=20
responsible.

The image was still unclear, but McGinnis couldn't immediately say that=20
he recognized the ship that he saw.  It was much like a Farengi warship,=20
but it was *far* too large, and there were a number of odd protuberances=20
all over its surface.  The most noticeable was a huge cone-shaped=20
structure below the ship which was angled down and forward at about a=20
forty-five degree angle to the ship's fore-aft axis.  Other smaller=20
objects were placed randomly about the vessel, many mirroring the first,=20
except that they were far smaller.

"What is *that*?" said Schultz and Thale at nearly the same time.
"Gentlemen, ... I think that its your job to find out," replied McGinnis,=
=20
a dry tone ... more than creeping into his voice.
"Aye Sir," they replied and immediately began to think on ways of doing=20
just that.
"Science Officer, ... do you have any ideas?"
"Sir ....... I have little evidence on which to base a theory.  I,=20
however, would say that the ship does seem to show limited Farengi design=
=20
influences, but is far too large and resource-costly to have been built=20
by that power unless their ship-construction philosophy has changed a=20
great deal in the last standard year."
"Then who would you say built it?" McGinnis asked, having come to similar=
=20
conclusions himself.
"It would be unwise to come to any conclusions at this point, but the=20
weapons suggest an accelerator-based or plasma-dependent technology.  I=20
would estimate, however, that simply due to its charging volume,  that=20
the weapon could, quite conceivably, rival our main array in total output."

This brought McGinnis up short.  Certainly there were powers in the known=
=20
galaxy capable of building a weapon equal in firepower to the=20
Ticonderoga-class mega-collimator, but most Federation intelligence=20
experts thought that such technology was still several years from field=20
usage, and McGinnis had seen nothing in the last year that would deny=20
this supposition's acuracy.

"Very well, do we know of any power in this region of space that *is*=20
capable of mounting this kind of weaponry on their ships?" McGinnis=20
asked, his question directed to the bridge as a whole.
"No, Sir.  In fact, I think that the only power that might have the=20
ability is the Romulans, they've got plasma launchers on their starbases=20
that are larger than that one, but we've had absolutely no intelligence=20
concerning a mobile version of it, and their previous ships, unlike ours,=
=20
don't lead to the conclusion that they were thinking in terms of massive=20
single-weapon technology," said Schultz from his station.

"I agree, only the Federation through the Mycenae project and the=20
Galaxy-class before it, has been working in this direction.  However, we=20
must accept the possibility that they have been working on such a ship."
"Agreed Sir, but what about the fact that the ship shows strong Farengi=20
influences," said Thale whose station was linked with Schultz's in such a=
=20
way as to allow each to see what the other was doing.
"You've got a point," said McGinnis.  "Any thoughts?"
"They're framing  the Farengi," said Moran, more to herself than to the=20
room at large.
"Possible," replied Schultz, "but in that case, we'd better remember that=
=20
even though they don't seem technically capable of it, the Farengi might=20
be trying to do the same to the Romulans."
"Commander, your logic is flawed, as there is no profit to the Farengi in=
=20
doing so." replied T'mayek.
"I'm not so sure," replied Schultz.  "Think of it as a great way to=20
divert the Federation from the southern border.  They know that our=20
economy is far more able to build massive numbers of ships than any=20
other, long-term, and in a protracted war we're the most likely to win. =20
So, if you follow that logic, they would benefit from our paying very=20
little attention to this part of space as they would be more able to=20
supply the military needs of both sides without suffering from Federation=
=20
interference in their trade with the Klingons."
"You forget, commander, that until approximately stardate 56315,  The=20
Klingon Empire was a close ally of the Federation.  It seems very=20
unlikely that the Farengi would have known that any such change in the=20
galactic balance-of-power would occur."

"On that Commander, I must side with Mr. Schultz," said McGinnis.  "It is=
=20
quite conceivable that the Farengi could have been informed by house=20
Durass that they would act against the Klingon high command if the=20
opportunity arose.  If they have built only one of these ships, it is=20
quite possible that they would find the "risk" in such an investment=20
worth the possible gain.  Not only would they be able to make greater=20
profit in a situation like that which Mr. Schultz suggests, they could=20
extend the war many months by simply supplying a greater proportion of=20
the items which we all need to the Klingons.  It wouldn't tip the balance=
=20
in the end, but it would do a hell of a lot to lengthen the war."
" Admiral, you are correct in stating that such a policy would have very=20
great returns.  However, the cost of building such a vessel is beyond any=
=20
single Daemon, and the central government of the Farengi Alliance is=20
insufficiently wealthy to engage in such a project."
"Yes, that's true, but the Grand Naegis is capable of financing the=20
project, if he chose to use future profits to pay off any investment that=
=20
he might have make now," said Moran who was now watching the interplay=20
between the senior officers with great interest.
"If so, he is clearly willing to take a much higher-risk approach to life=
=20
than his predecessor," said Schultz.
"Well, in any case, we need information, before we can act.  Have you=20
gentlemen come up with any ideas?" asked McGinnis.
"Yes Sir, but we need another ten minutes to see whether we'll be able to=
=20
pull it off.
"Why?"=20
"We need to have a good look at the southern polar region.  If they've=20
left a sensor buoy there, we're probably best-off to perform a ...=20
experiment." replied Schultz.
"What kind of experiment?" asked McGinnis.
"It'll be almost as easy to attack a full convoy of ships as to take that=
=20
single ship on alone.  If it comes to aid them, we'll know that its a=20
Farengi ship, and we'll be able to confirm with life-form scans.  As long=
=20
as that thing's hanging in the polar magnetic flares, we'll be unable to=20
scan it here, without getting *very* close."
"I see, and if there isn't a buoy, we can launch a ship to take the=20
close-in scans while cloaked?" asked McGinnis, the plan quickly coming=20
into focus in his mind.
"Yes, Sir."
"Very well, if there is anything that you need to do before that time,=20
get it together.  Take your readings and report as soon as possible."=20
said McGinnis.

*=09*=09*

Half an hour later Schultz and Thale turned from their station in order=20
to make their report.  The looks on both of their faces showed their=20
disappointment.

"Sir, there's a passive buoy network here, it will preclude our launching=
=20
a shuttle or other craft on this side of the planet," said Schultz.
"Well, as we don't know for sure that this is either a Romulan or Farengi=
=20
craft that we have here, we'd probably better see if we can find any=20
Farengi convoys to muck with if we're going to find anything out.  We=20
can't attack that ship without full knowledge, as it is more than=20
possible that it comes from an unknown power, and although its actions=20
haven't been friendly, we don't dare strike back for fear of adding=20
another power to those that already face the Federation." said McGinnis. =
=20
"Helm, plot a direct course for the southern shipping lanes, warp nine,=20
let's see what we can find."
"Aye Sir," replied Thale.

Just as Thale was about to execute the new orders, T'mayek's head snapped=
=20
up, its movement mirrored by Schultz who was turning toward the command=20
chair.
"Sir!," they stereo'd, after which there was a brief pause.  Finally=20
T'mayek deferred to Schultz, and by doing so, gave McGinnis the feeling=20
that he might not like whatever news was about to come.
"Report," he said.
"I have two ships on long-range scan, both are preceeding here at=20
extremely high velocity, but at this time I am unable to tell what their=20
class and affiliation are.
"ETA?"
"They're travelling at about warp 9.965, and since we picked them up at=20
extreme scanner range, I'd say about three or four minutes."
"Well, whoever they are, they're not wasting any time, or energy on=20
stealth," said Moran as the screen began to show a tactical image of the=20
surrounding spaces.
"True enough," replied McGinnis, who was now waiting to see whether the=20
ships in question would be Federation, Farengi, or ... something else.   =
=20


SUPER-DREADNOUGHT: Part VII: Chapter XXXIV:
By: Matthew A. Weed
comments to mattweed@edith.princeton.edu

Command Log: Stardate 57818.3: Admiral William McGinnis, Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga: Recording:

We are still in orbit over the former research consortium colony in the=20
Suban system.  An unidentified vessel is still orbiting near the opposite=
=20
pole, and two other unidentified ships are approaching the system at high=
=20
velocity.  As we are both cloaked and in the polar magnetic region, I=20
doubt that our presence will be discovered for some time, and hope that=20
we will be able to identify at least some of the ships in the vicinity=20
before any more ... noticeable actions are necessary.

"Sir?" said Schultz.
McGinnis turned the log recorder off, and turned toward the tactical statio=
n.
"Report,"
"The unidentified ship slowed to about warp 9.5, and then engaged some=20
form of cloaking, at this range I haven't a chance of finding them."
McGinnis fingers tightened on the arm of his chair, this was not what=20
he'dhoped to hear.

"All right, keep your eyes open.  If they continue at their last-known=20
velocity, how long would it take for them to arrive in planetary space?"
"I'm not fully sure sir, they were still decellerating when they entered=20
cloak.  Even though they were travelling from widely separated points,=20
its pretty clear that they were in some form of communication.  The ship=20
coming from the heart of Federation space is probably about ten minutes=20
out, assuming that they stopped decellerating at the moment that they=20
entered cloak.  The ship that was coming along our warp trail is probably=
=20
a bit closer, ... say eight-and-a-half minutes out.  However, as they're=20
probably in touch, I'd guess that they'll arrive together, probably no=20
less than fifteen minutes fron now.  The best that we can do is to keep=20
an active scan out for them, and as you know, we're already running the=20
risk of telling that other ship out there exactly where we are," said=20
Schultz.

"Agreed," replied McGinnis.  "...Tactical, engage phase-cloaking device,=20
and commence full-power scanning and sensor sweeps on all available=20
frequencies."
"Aye Sir," said Schultz.

Immediately the ship shifted from "standard," to full phase-cloaking=20
mode.  Despite a great deal of work during the Borga Campaing, and during=
=20
their lay-over at Polaris Point, there was still a great deal of sensory=20
interference from the use of the phase-cloak.  While it made ships=20
perfectly impervious to weapons fire, and almost impossible to pin down=20
with sensors, its use could be easily detected if someone knew what to=20
look for.  Therefore, McGinnis was trading the comparative safety of=20
being nearly impossible to find in standard cloaking mode for the=20
comparative safety of being nearly impossible to damage under the=20
phase-cloak.

"Phase-cloaking device is fully functional sir, and scanners effective to=
=20
a range of half a parsec," said Schultz after checking his board.
"Good, keep an eye on your equipment, I don't want anything to go=20
unreported, even if its only slightly unusual."
"Aye Sir," replied Schultz.

*=09*=09*


Command Log: Stardate 57818.6: Admiral William McGinnis Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga: Recording:

We have been awaiting the arrival of the two unidentified vessels which=20
appeared on our sensors some half an hour ago.  Unfortunately they=20
engaged some form of cloaking device before we could make any firm=20
determination as to either their affiliation or class.  As the=20
unidentified ship that we found in orbit some few hours ago is still=20
there, I feel that it is best to wait until we have some idea about the=20
situation in this system.  The phase-cloak should provide sufficient=20
protection until we can make some firm conclusions.

After making his log entry, McGinnis sat back in his chair waiting for=20
... something ... anything to happen.

Half an hour later, they were all still waiting for ... anything to happen.

As the wait dragged on, the forensics devision was able to make its=20
report concerning what had happened and the kind of weapons that had been=
=20
used on the colony.  However, before McGinnis could do much thinking on=20
what he had been told, their situation began to change.

Finally, nearly two hours after their wait had begun, Kyla Moran, who had=
=20
taken over Schultz's duties while he was off-shift, turned toward McGinnis.

"Sir, I'm not sure, but I think that there is a phase-cloaked object over=
=20
Research City."
"I see, do you have any idea whether its a Federation ship or not?"
"Its hard to get a fix on the signature, but I think that its probably a=20
Ticonderoga-class ship, or something equally powerful."
"Very well, open a tight-band hailing frequency to the cloaked object,=20
Federation talk-between-ships frequencies only."
"Frequency open, Sir."

McGinnis straightened in his chair, instinctively preparing for the=20
encounter with the  unknown ship.

"This is the Federation super-starship Ticonderoga to unidentified=20
vessel.  We request that you identify your vessel and intentions."

Almost immediately the screen flipped to show the image of a Federation=20
starship's bridge.  In fact, save that this bridge was done in yellows=20
and whites, not greens and blues like Ticonderoga's command center, it=20
was an exact duplicate.
"Admiral McGinnis, this is Vice-admiral Sanstrom, commanding the United=20
Starship Britania, and I'm glad that we've finally chased you down."

McGinnis' relief was a nearly physical thing.  He could see by looking=20
aroundthe the bridge that the rest of the crew felt as he did.

"Vice-Admiral, I'm glad to see you here, ... and not more of the people =20
responsible for what happened down below."

"We've only been able to scan the surface from up here, but it does look=20
like they were thoroughly pounded."

"That's for sure, I've only seen damage similar to that done by one other=
=20
ship ... and I command it." said McGinnis, not certain that he was proud=20
of that fact.  "In any case, there was another ship, maybe more, that=20
entered the system recently.  Can you tell me anything about them?"
"Yes, there was a serious disruption in subspace after your final battle=20
with the Romulan Dreadnought.  It was obvious, however, that your vessel=20
hadn't been destroyed, and so we were sent along the path of the=20
distortion in order to try to find you.  The effect weakened as it passed=
=20
through the lower Federation, so we assumed that you would have been=20
tossed out, either intact or not, nearby.  Considering that the Ferengi=20
would have been able to learn much from the wreckage of a=20
Ticonderoga-class ship, we were ordered to find you, alive or not, and=20
destroy anything that couldn't be brought back to the Federation."

"I see,"  =20

Yes Sir, we were already beginning to  to monitor Farengi activity in the=
=20
area before we found your reentry trail.  We've been working out the last=
=20
bugs in the ship on our way out, Star Fleet felt that only a very heavy=20
vessel would be appropriate for the search task, and they couldn't yet=20
assign us to combat, which explains why we are here, rather than one of=20
the Mycenae-class variants."

"So you're still in shakedown?"
"No, Starfleet has certified this ship operational as of about thirty=20
hours ago.On our way into the system, we received nearly simultaneous=20
signals from Starfleet and from Gettysburg notifying us that the research=
=20
colony here had sent out a distress notification, and that Gettysburg had=
=20
been asked to check out the situation as it was uncertain that we could=20
get here in time."

"I take it that you were just able to contact them and decided to come in=
=20
until you could get a long-range scan and then cloak in the rest of the way=
?"
"Yes, how did you know?"
"You were just on the outer edges of our scans when your ships dropped=20
off scan."

"Oh, you were already here?"

"Yes, we've been in orbit for nearly half a day.  We were hailed by a=20
little girl who got her hands on a short-range com unit, and somehow, it=20
managed to attract our attention at a range of nearly forty light years. =
=20
I don't know how it happened, but in any case she told us what had=20
happened, and asked us to come.  Needless to say, I thought that we were=20
the only ship in the region, and brought the ship to full battlestations=20
as soon as we got the signal. =20

By the time we arrived, the perpetrators appeared to have left, but in=20
any case, the damage that had been done was so massive that it was quite=20
clear that we wouldn't have to spend much time looking for survivors. =20
The girl who contacted us seems to be the only one who was left alive.We=20
have been able to determine that the weapon used is some form of phased=20
plasma bolt that is equal to or superior in power to the discharge of the=
=20
Ticonderoga-Class mega-collimator.  I have no idea about its maximum=20
range, and wouldn't have been sure about the exact kind of weapon if we=20
hadn't found the attacking vessel still in orbit."

"So you gave battle?"

"We didn't do anything, as the only data that we have is images, as the=20
ship was hidden in the planet's north magnetic field pole.  Its design is=
=20
a combination of Farengi and Romulan influences, and the phased plasma=20
weapons that it appeared to support were more in keeping with the Romulan=
=20
designs.  Without any sure evidence, it would have been foolish to attack=
=20
them, particularly as their design is original enough to allow for the=20
possibility of an unidentified power as its sponsor.  I had just come to=20
the realization that we would have to leave the system rather than try to=
=20
discover more about that ship.  I decided that the most profitable method=
=20
of discovering whether the ship was Farengi-sponsored as some of my=20
officers believe, was to attack a near-by convoy in hopes of drawing the=20
ship out, in order for us to get some clear data, and hopefully destroy=20
it.  Just before we were to depart, Your ships appeared on long-range=20
scan, and I decided to wait out the situation to see whether you might be=
=20
friendly, unfriendly, or similar in design to the first ship.  After you=20
disappeared, it seemed best to wait to see what would happen on your=20
arrival in the system."

"Now that you know that we're here, what do you intend to do?"

"I think that we should try to push the commander over there to make some=
=20
kind of move that may give us more information.  If he's Farengi or=20
Romulan, we destroy his ship, and then go from there."

"Are you certain that we can take him?"

"Yes, with three Ticonderoga-class ships, particularly yours, we have a=20
massive firepower advantage in phasers, and Gettysburg gives us an=20
equally large missile-weapons advantage."

"Aye Sir, ... I'll get everything ready on this end."
"Very good, ... Notify Gettysburg that you've found us, and that they=20
should come to a position two million kilometers off the northern=20
planetary magnetic pole, and then rise to one million kilometers above=20
that point.  They should remain phase-cloaked until they hear from me.  I=
=20
want you to come to a position two million kilometers north of the pole,=20
and then slide down and to starboard at a forty-five degree angle for two=
=20
million kilometers.  I'll be mirroring you to port.  I want both of you=20
in position in twenty minutes."
"Aye Sir."

The three ships moved, each to its assigned position. =20

McGinnis was hoping to  surprise the alien commander by trapping him=20
against the planet.  To escape, the ship would have to either fight=20
through three of the four most powerful ships in the Federation, or slip=20
away along the planet's orbital path, which would allow them to get a=20
detailed scan from at least two of the three vessels.

As Ticonderoga wasn't at full strength due to the loss of the modular=20
photon launchers on the engineering section, McGinnis was hoping that the=
=20
alien would simply try to escape.  If not, his ship still had its=20
in-board weapons, and the powerful targeting system, which was far=20
superior to those on the other ships as he had only been able to get the=20
M-5-style processing capabilities installed aboard his ship.

The other ships, however, had their full weapons compliments, and each=20
was quite capable of outgunning any ship known to the Federation. =20
Gettysburg carried ten photon launchers, rather than Ticonderoga's three,=
=20
plus fifty micro-photon launchers to replace the particle phaser=20
batteries.  It had the mega-collimator, but this was the only=20
phased-energy weapon that the B-variant of the Ticonderoga-class ships=20
carried.  Other than its added photon storage, and reduced energy=20
conduate system, the ship was just like Ticonderoga.

Britania was the only Type-C variant of the Ticonderoga-class=20
Super-starship.  It carried only phased-energy weapons, adding two of the=
=20
Mycenae-III class super-collimators around its main hull, supported on=20
the struts connecting the mega-collimator ring to it.  Along with these,=20
it had a new type of strip collimator down each side of the engineering=20
hull.  There were thirty more particle phaser batteries located on the=20
two super-collimator rings, and each had a fusion reactor to support it. =
=20
The main systems could support the strip collimators, and another set of=20
high-output fusion reactors had been installed in the somewhat thickened=20
neck between the main and engineering hulls to support the=20
super-collimator rings when their internal reactors were over-taxed.

When this variant had been proposed to him nearly five years ago,=20
McGinnis had been concerned about the danger from having no long-range=20
missile weapons.  When he had been shown that the particle weapons, when=20
in distributed targeting mode, could knock out more than ninety percent=20
of incomming torpedoes, his objections had immediately ended.

As the ship maneuvered into its assigned position, McGinnis thought that=20
he was glad that he was on the giving end of the upcomming surprise.

"Position achieved," said Thale.
"Very well, stand by. ... tactical, prepare to decloak, bring the ring to=
=20
full power, raise all available shielding, and slave all weapons to the=20
tactical computer.  Ops, open a TBS frequency to Britania and=20
Gettysburg,  send the following, text only.  ... Twenty seconds, decloak=20
mark!"
There was a chorus of affirmative replies as the crew bent to ready the=20
ship for action.

"Ten seconds to decloaking cycle," said Schultz.
"Very well, Ops, give me a hailing frequency, open it as soon as=20
decloaking cycle has begun."
Aye Sir," said Moran.

"Five, ... Four ... Three ... Two ... One! decloaking now!," said Schultz.

The tactical view changed to show the positions of the three heavy ships=20
and the estimated position of the alien craft.  All ships had their=20
phasers charged, and Britania's photon torpedoes were also ready.  There=20
was absolutely no response to either the decloaking ships or the ping of=20
the subspace hail.
"No response, sir," said Schultz.
"None on communications either," added Moran.
"All right, give me a split-screen conference with the other ships."

The screen flipped from its tactical display to a split-screen image of=20
Krista Sanstrom, and the commander of Gettysburg, a Vulcan captain named=20
Slar.
"The ship hasn't moved since we scanned it several hours ago, unless it=20
has engaged a cloaking device and exited the system.  If this is the=20
case, the Romulans would seem to be our likeliest candidate for the=20
attacking party in this system.  As they planet's magnetic field is=20
unusually disruptive, and the ship was hidden low in orbital space, we'll=
=20
need to move in close enough to make a visual determination.  I want all=20
ships to converge at the point shown on your tactical displays as the=20
likeliest hiding place of the alien vessel.  Should it be there, bring=20
all of your weapons up, I want to try to scare them into either firing or=
=20
moving.  Try, at all costs, to get them to move, rather than fire. =20
Obviously, if any ship comes under attack, all are ordered to take all=20
measures necessary in order to ensure the safety of all.  Are there any=20
"No, Sir." replied both subordinate commanders.

The three ships moved in slowly, their shields and weapons still fully=20
charged.  Although McGinnis still believed that the ship was there, it=20
was still possible to feel the slight decrease in tension that the=20
possibility of avoiding combat provided.  If the ship had cloaked and=20
run, there would be more evidence to support the view that it was a=20
Romulan ship which had been built to emulate a Farengi ship closely=20
enough to cause doubt in Federation commanders' minds.  <If that's what=20
they're up to, they're succeding!> McGinnis thought to himself in=20
frustration.

"Now one million kilometers distant, we're within easy visual range now,=20
I don't see anything," said Schultz whose board was split between a=20
tactical view from the sensors and a live view from the ship's forward=20
telescopic array.

"Very well, its certainly possible that the ship has been colored for=20
camouflage, our visual images certainly suggest that, so keep looking."
Aye Sir," said Schultz.
"Ops, get me a channel to the other ships."
"Channel open,"
"This is McGinnis, continue forward until you're 100,000 kilometers from=20
the target point, then stop.  If we can't find the ship by that point, I=20
will order one final test, and then we'll have to assume that the ship's=20
left."
"Admiral, are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" asked Christa=20
Sanstrom.
"I think you know what kind of test I propose," replied McGinnis.
"Yes Sir, ... We'll be ready here," she replied.
"Admiral, unlike the Vice-Admiral, I can not intuit what your plans are,"=
=20
said Slar from his bridge.
"Captain, getting that close to a possible enemy ship would be extremely=20
unwise, particularly as they're working hard to remain hidden. =20
Therefore, we shall fire our auxiliary weapons in a blanket spread to=20
cover the polar region.  The fire won't seriously damage their ship, but=20
it will tell them, friend, foe, or otherwise, that we mean business."
"I see," replied the Vulcan before his image disappeared from the main=20
viewscreen.

"Sir, we're now in position, no visual sighting, sensor readings are, at=20
best, indeterminate," said Schultz from his station.
"Science?"
"All science sensors concur with the tactical report," said T'mayek.
"Very well, ... Ops, get be both of the other ships' commanders."
"O, sir."
"All right, it appears that our friends aren't there anymore, which=20
suggests that they've got a cloaking device of some kind.  I, however,=20
want to be sure, so we shall set a fifteen second barrage with all=20
secondary weapons in order to be absolutely certain that there isn't=20
anything in that polar region.  Sweep your fire from the outside in, and=20
don't stop firing until you've started to hit the planet's surface.  We=20
don't need to fire to damage, simply to figure out whether there's=20
anything between our weapons and that planet's surface.  If no, then=20
we'll reconsider our options;  ... If yes, you are ordered to open fire=20
at full power, work to disable, not destroy.  Are there any questions?"
"No, Sir," came the nearly simultaneous  answer.
"Very well, ... commence fire."


SUPER-DREADNOUGht: Part VII: Chapter XXXV
By:
Matthew A. Weed
comments to mattweed@edith.princeton.edu

Command Log: Stardate 57819.1: Admiral William McGinnis, Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga, and associated battlegroup recording:

We have ascewrtained that the alien vessel has, in fact, departed=20
planetary space.  For the last few hours, I have ordered that the three=20
ships currently under my command continue to sweep the system in order to=
=20
assure that the ship has truly departed. =20

The ship's departure, in itself, would tend to support the belief that=20
the Romulans were responsible for its construction, not the Ferengi. =20
Unfortunately, there are still a number of key arguments against this=20
hypothesis in my mind, the greatest of which are the proximity of the=20
attack to Ferengi space, and the concurrent distance from the Romulan=20
Empire, and two, the fact that the ship showed far greater affinity to=20
Ferengi designs.  We have nearly completed the system-wide sweep, and=20
unfortunately there are no signs of the alien craft anywhere in the vicinit=
y.

Without such signs, I must decide whether to return to Federation space,=20
as Starfleet would doubtless want me to, or to continue searching for the=
=20
craft and maintain a strong presence in this highly undefennded area. =20
Ultimately, I suspect tat either decision will have its price, and I must=
=20
decide whether my current standing in Star Fleet, which has apparently=20
increased since the Vulcan Campaign, is sufficient to allow me to=20
complete my work, no matter what decision I make.

"Sir, I have a signal from Britania," said Lt. Moran.
"Very well, put it on the main viewscreen," he replied.
The viewer shifted from the tactical overlay of the entire solar system,=20
as constructed by the three ships, to a view of Krista Sanstrom's bridge.
"Admiral, I can't find any signs of an enemy ship in my section, awaiting=
=20
orders," she said.
"Very well, I'm waiting to hear from Slar, as soon as news comes in from=20
him, I want to have a command conference aboard this ship.  You are=20
welcomed to make preparations for a beam-over, as I doubt that the=20
captain will have anything hard to report either."
"Understood, If I don't hear from you, I'll beam over in ... twenty minutes=
?"
"That sounds fine."
"Understood, Sanstrom out."

"Tactical, do you have information on Gettysburg?"
"They're just finishing up a sweep through the system's outer asteroid=20
belt, as soon as they're done with that, they'll be done with their=20
section of the search."
"Very well, ... Ops, as soon as they have finished their sweep, signal=20
them for a report.  I'm going to be in the main conference room, should=20
you need me, call me there."
"Aye Sir," replied Moran, clearly uncomfortable with McGinnis' delegation=
=20
of ... demanding a report from Slan.

*=09*=09*
McGinnis arose, and turned toward the turbolift doors.

The flash on the main viewer was so brilliant that its reflection off of=20
the bridge's back wall was nearly bright enough to blind McGinnis.  The=20
rest of the crew, except T'Mayek, whose Vulcan physiology allowed her to=20
withstand the brilliance, was temporarily blinded, and few were able to=20
report what their instruments showed them when McGinnis, now back in his=20
chair, demanded a report.  T'Mayek, knowing the difficulties of the=20
others, volunteered what little information she had first.

"Sir, a tremendous energy surge appeared briefly on long-range scans,=20
approximately two hundred thousand kilometers from the starship=20
Britania's position."
"Can you tell me any more?"
"Negative, sir;  the science scanners were not calibrated for that region=
=20
of space, as they were directed toward Gettysburg in an attemtp to assist=
=20
them in their final sweep, which is through a particularly dense cloud of=
=20
ice crystals and other space-borne materials."
"Very well, Mr. Schultz, can you give me any information?"
"Sir, my vision's still a bit sparkly, but from what I got in the second=20
before the flash, I'd say that a cloaked vessel switched off its cloaking=
=20
shields, and fired a high-powered phased-plasma bolt at Britainia.  I=20
can't give you damage estimates as yet, we're in a bad position for them,=
=20
and I'm still having a bit of trouble with my equipment.  All ship's=20
systems are currently under the control of the distributed tactical=20
computing system."
"Computer, report ship's tactical status?"
"Working:  ... primary and auxiliary defensive systems are at full power,=
=20
the main phaser array, and all remaining photon torpedo launchers are at=20
maximum power, and all particle weapons are currently at stand-by.  All =20
energy production systems are at optimum capacity, and all switching and=20
power transferral systems are functioning within optimal perameters."
"Very well, Ops, can you get me through to Britainia?"
"No, Sir.  Their main tranceiver array is out, only their disaster beacon=
=20
appears to be functional at the moment.  However, my communications scan=20
suggests that most of the internal communications gear is working, at=20
least to the degree of having power in it.  As you know, we can't see=20
whether the optics are actually moving data, and so I'm not absolutely=20
certain that they have any form of communications at all."
"Very well, ... Weapons Control Center, your report on the situation?"
"Sir, this is Lieutenant Thompson, I've been reviewing the log of the=20
incident here, and it appears that Britania was  struck by a high-energy=20
phased plasma bolt.  The ship's computers were able to raise some=20
shielding, so there was no critical damage to the ship, but it appears=20
that most external systems, including warp drive, communications,=20
phasers, shields, and the shuttle craft bay doors were damaged to varying=
=20
degrees by the energy from the blast.  Damage appears to be superficial,=20
but I would think that they'll be busy repairing over there for at least=20
three or four hours."
"Thank you, continue to monitor, we've all suffered from the effects of=20
the flash before the main screen could compensate, so it may take a few=20
minutes before the Bridge is fully functional."
"Understood, Sir, standing by to assist as necessary," replied the=20
lieutenant.
"Helm, as you are able, set course 156 marc 23, warp one to Britainia's=20
position. ... Tactical, keep your scanners pealed, I would suspect that=20
our friends are still around, and they've shown that they can mark a ship=
=20
as powerful and well-defended as this one.  ... Tactical, maintain the=20
computer's tactical status until further orders, but if you see anything=20
starting to decloak, fire immediately, don't wait for orders."
"Aye Sir," replied Thale ans schultz.
"Ops, keep trying to get a signal through, I'd like to know how bad=20
things are over there.  Also, get Gettysburg up on the main viewer," said=
=20
McGinnis.

Kyla manipulated some controls on her station, and almost immediately,=20
Slar's image ... somehow tighter thaan before, appeared on the screen.
"Admiral, we have noted the weapon's discharge in-system, and await your=20
orders.  We are currently at full red alert, and have loaded seeker=20
torpedoes into all launchers."
"Very good, fire the torpedoes, set them for sweeps in as many areas as=20
possible, have them detonate according to standard procedure if they find=
=20
anything."
"Aye Sir,"
With this, Gettysburg's torpedo launchers spat forth a vast number of=20
small seeker weapons which were primarily an impulse engine, scanners,=20
and a small thermonuclear warhead.  Like the torpedoes on the attack=20
craft, these were made for long range, and limited firepower.  Each could=
=20
travel fifty milion kilometers, scanning for anomolies characteristic of=20
a cloaking device up to a million kilometers from their positions.  If=20
they found these anomolies, small tranceivers would send the coordinates=20
to the tactical systems aboard Gettysburg and its companion vessels,=20
which would then be able to lock weapons on the area.  Even if you didn't=
=20
get a direct hit on a cloaked vessel, a near miss would do serious damage=
=20
to the comparatively unshielded ship.
"Sir, Gettysburg has fired its pattern, they're loading with standard=20
torpedoes now," said Schultz whose vision was, if a bit sparkly still,=20
more-or-less back to normal.
"Good," ask their tactical officer to send complete sensory updates from=20
the torpedoes every half minute to us, and to Britania, should her=20
communications arrays come back on line," McGinnis directed.
"Sir, we have reached Britania's position, awaiting further orders."
"Very well, ... Ops, put an image of the ship up on the main viewscreen,"=
=20
said McGinnis, hoping to make a quick visual inspection of the damage on=20
the other ship before deciding what to do next.
"Aye Sir," replied Moran as the main viewscreen shifted to an enhanced=20
image of the phaser-dependent version of the Ticonderoga-class ships.

The image displayed was of a ship that had had none of its major=20
structures destroyed, but most at least superficially damaged.  Almost=20
all of the ship's numerous collimators were slightly wrenched out of=20
true, and there were small burn scars on both warp nacelles, and spread=20
randomly across the ship's entire outer skin.  However, it appeared that=20
all of these scars did not run deep, and even as they watched, the repair=
=20
work of Britania's crew, and computer-controlled repair systems, could be=
=20
seen progressing at a respectable rate.
"Ops, can you tell whether they've got any off-ship communications yet?"
"No, ... yes sur, I have a signal coming in now."
"Put it on screen,"

With these words, Moran switched the screen from its external image, to=20
one of Britania's slightly-desheviled-looking bridge.  From what little=20
McGinnis could see, it appeared that little damage had been done to=20
systems there, and that what little trouble had been caused had already=20
been repaired.  However, Krista Sanstrom did not appear as calm and=20
collected as her ship did.

"Admiral, we were attacked by a large, cloaked vessel, which was only out=
=20
of cloak for about two seconds during its strike.  As your tactical crew=20
has probably already realized, we were able to get half shielding up on=20
main and secondary shields, which was enough to prevent truly serious=20
damage, but the shields, phasers, warp drive, long-range communications,=20
sensors, and many other systems took surge damage, and the phasers and=20
warp drive were knocked slightly out of allignment.  All should be back=20
in shape within two hours, with warp drive being the last system to come=20
on line."
"Very well, we will act as near centry until then, Gettysburg is=20
continuing the search for the unknown ship, can you tell me anything that=
=20
might help Slar in his effort?"
"A couple of things, but nothing certain. ... The ship seems to use a=20
standard-style cloaking device, with even better emission control than=20
any that we have seen until now.  We had absolutely no idea that there=20
was a ship in the area, until about two tenths of a second before the=20
actual decloaking process began.  At that point, there was a tremendous=20
flux in quark emissions, strong enough to jam our local sensor gear. =20
When the ship appeared, it was already in the charging cycle for its=20
weapon, which appears to be quite similar to that used on the research=20
colony.  It is, as you postulated, a high-powered phased-plasma=20
generator, with about three fourths the output of our main phaser=20
arrays.  I can't say that they fired at us at full power, our readings=20
seem to show a greater energy transferral capacity than what was actually=
=20
used.  However, we don't have much to go on, as the sensors were still=20
recovering from the quark jamming, and the ship disappeared at almost the=
=20
same instant that they fired their weapon."
"Do you have any estimate for how much greater their energy discharge=20
capacity might be?"
"Don't hold my people to this, Admiral, but we estimate a discharge=20
capacity of two-to-three times that displayed.  However, the charging=20
cycle for that level of fire is probably five to fifteen seconds, which=20
would mean that any Ticonderoga-class vessel could get in at least three=20
shots for each made by the enemy."
"Very well, life-form scan?"
"Inconclusive, but the computer says that the patterns fall within=20
familiar constraints, suggesting either an already- known  adversary, or=20
a race whose basic structure is quite similar to races already-known to us.=
"
"Very well, Vice-admiral, continue your repairs, report every half hour=20
on your status.  I can send some people to help if you think that will be=
=20
of any use."
"No, Sir.  You're already seriously under-staffed, and I believe that its=
=20
best to avoid pulling any of your people away from your ship.  We've got=20
everything under control, and I believe that any help that you can=20
provide will not push our work forward much more quickly than we can do=20
on our own."
"Fine, we'll be in the area, should you not hear from us, its because=20
Slar's found something, and we've left communications range.  If that=20
happens, do as you see fit."
"Understood, Britainia out."

"Ops, open a channel to Gettysburg, ... Tactical, stand by to engage=20
standard cloaking device, maintain power to shields and the main ring,=20
all other weapons systtems to stand-by,".
"Aye Sir," said Schultz.
"Sir, channel to Gettysburg now open," said Moran, as the viewscreen=20
shifted from the now-receeding image of Britania to that of Slar.
"Captain, While we're looking for the attacking vessel, I am going to put=
=20
Ticonderoga in to standard cloaking mode, and will remain within a three=20
million kilometer range of Britania.  Their shields are now back on line,=
=20
so should that vessel reappear, they should be able to protect=20
themselves.  You are free to do as you see fit in this matter, but if you=
=20
see anything, even slightly suspicious, don't waste time analyzing it,=20
you've got plenty of weapons, use them, and then notify me."
"Understood, sir. ... However, I should, logically, note that we don't=20
know what affiliation the unknown vessel has, and it will be difficult to=
=20
ascertain if they are damaged and forced to withdraw without decloaking."
"Agreed, but your vessel has more raw firepower than either of the other=20
ships in the area, so I suspect that you'll be able to do serious damage=20
to them, assuming that their shields aren't fully operable while=20
cloaked.  Only the Ticonderoga-class ships are so-equipped at the moment,=
=20
and as you know, even our ships are strained to the limit under such=20
conditions."
"Your analysis is true, sir, in so far as it goes.  However, it is=20
logical to consider the possibility that whatever power is involved in=20
this situation has developed a superior power generation and distribution=
=20
system."
"I know, but for some, ... very illogical ... reasons, I suspect that=20
this is probably not the case in this situation."
"Very well, sir, however, I shall log my concerns in this vessel's=20
records as a matter of procedure."
"Understood," replied McGinnis, who had done similar things so often in=20
his career, that he didn't take any offense at all to what the Vulcan was=
=20
doing.  After all, there was a very strong possibility that he might be=20
right.
"...Captain, I understand your concerns, but so far, in these kinds of=20
situations, my intuition has served me, and I will continue to play it,=20
until I learn otherwise."
"Very well, I am beginning my search pattern.  Like you, I have set=20
orders that this ship will be cloaked and shielded, However, I can fire a=
=20
full broadside at any object that appears worthy of suspicion.  I suggest=
=20
that we maintain an open telemetry frequency at all times for complete =20
situation awareness and analysis."
"Very well, my Ops officer will make the appropriate arrangements on this=
=20
end, unless you have anything else, I wish you good luck."
"No sir, I am beginning search immediately, ... Gettysburg out."

*=09*=09*

Long minutes, then hours, passed, as first, two, then three, Federation=20
super-starships moved throughout the system, looking for a ship whose=20
cloaking device, in so far as Federation equipment was concerned, made it=
=20
perfectly impossible to find.  The tension level aboard all of the ships=20
was growing, and everything that all of the commanders did to try to=20
increase the breadth and thoroughness of the search, proved to be utterly=
=20
unsuccessful.  During the fourth hour of the search, Britania came back=20
on line, and began to work the outer solar system in hopes of closing the=
=20
routes of escape.  During the tenth hour, McGinnis ordered that all=20
cloakable small craft should be launched in order to increase the number=20
of working search craft in the area.  Within fifteen minutes, ten attack=20
craft and six run-abouts were moving through the system in packs of four=20
vessels each, trying to move close to objects whose proximity to other=20
large bodies made it impossible for the heavier ships to approach.

McGinnis was becomming increasingly convinced that the alien craft had=20
escaped the system.  However, he had also developed a great deal of=20
respect for the enemy commander, whose tactics had managed to occupy a=20
noticeable part of the Federation's strength in heavy starships in a very=
=20
distant portion of the known galaxy.  He was becoming quite certain that=20
whatever power was responsible, it was a "known" power, and that it had=20
important plans for which it had no intention of allowing the presence of=
=20
McGinnis and his accompanying ships.  However, Starfleet Command, which=20
had been notified of both the "finding" of Ticonderoga, and the current=20
situation, knew nothing, and saw no reason for diversion of any part of=20
McGinnis' forces.  However, all were becomming increasingly concerned by=20
the comparative quiescence along the entire Klingon-Romulan border. =20
Unfortunately, as Edward Jellico had put it, "William, it doesn't have=20
the feeling of a slackening in activity, ... more a sense of impending=20
... activity."

McGinnis, and the other commanders, didn't like the situation at all. =20
However, as long as they felt that the ship might be in the area and that=
=20
it, therefore, posed a threat to the other, still-present colonies in the=
=20
region; there was absolutely nothing that they could do.

"Tactical, status report?"
"Sir, we're about 600 million kilometers away from the star, in the=20
system's second asteroid belt.  Gettysburg is in the upper portion of the=
=20
system, and Britania is patrolling at a point nearly opposite to our=20
own.  All four patroll groups are currently clustered in the inner=20
asteroid belt, about fifty million kilomters away from the former=20
colony.  Thale, commanding this sortie, says that he's seen nothing, and=20
that all of his ships will need to come in soon for refuelling and=20
recrewing."
"Understood, tell him to disperse as necessary, and have the group=20
commanders make arrangements to dock as they see fit."
"Aye Sir," replied Schultz, who was handling both tactical and ops=20
functions while Moran and Thale were not on the bridge.
"Helm, set a course so that we can perform pick-up operations between the=
=20
first and second asteroid fields in twenty minutes," McGinnis said.
"Aye Sir," said T'mayek, who was handling the helm and science stations. =
=20
While on most ships, other crew would be expected to handle such duties,=20
all Ticonderoga-class ships were designed to be run by computers when the=
=20
primary station officer or his/her designee was not available.  As with=20
the m-5 style tactical computing system on Ticonderoga, this had caused=20
many waves in Starfleet Command's inner circles, many of whom had a=20
strong mistrust of full automation after the M-5 incident and some other=20
... mishaps over the previous eighty years.  However, McGinnis had been=20
able to drive the automated system through, based on the argument that=20
there was no way for the ship to ... lose control, as the system was an=20
enhanced distributed neural net, rather than a human brain, augmented by=20
computer technology as had been the norm in such attempts before.

*=09*=09*
"Sir, all craft from the fourth sortie are back aboard, Commander Schultz=
=20
reports that he found no activity," said Thale from the tactical station.
"Understood, signal the others, I want to take a four-hour rest, before=20
we do any more.  Even with all of the time that we've taken during our=20
patrolls, we're all tired, and will be sharper after some relaxation."
"Sir, as Commander Schultz has taken the least rest over the last seven=20
duty cycles, I will act as watch officer while the rest of the bridge=20
crew is aslee," said T'Mayek.
"Very well, but I want you to notify either myself or Commander MacLeod=20
if you feel that you need any time at all, after all, you and Commander=20
Schultz are the best-trained sensor operators on the ship."
"Your concern is noted Admiral, however,my vulcan physiology is more than=
=20
sufficient to the task of remaining fully functional for at least the=20
next fourty-eight hours."
"Very well, but the offer still stands," replied McGinnis.  "... As to=20
the rest of you, you are dismissed for the next four hours, rest as you=20
will, but know that if we haven't found anything by that time, we shall=20
depart the system."
The only response that he got was a general movement for the burbolift=20
entrance.
"Commander, you are to notify me if you see anything, even slightly=20
unusual.  However, if you believe that immediate action is required, do=20
whatever you feel is necessary, as you may not be given sufficient time=20
to wait for me to come to the Bridge."
"Understood, Admiral."
With this, McGinnis left the Bridge.
*=09*=09*
Command Log: Stardate 57834.2: Admiral William McGinnis, Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga and Associated battlegroup recording:

We have been searching for the alien vessel responsible for the=20
destruction of the research colony in the Suban system, and the abbortive=
=20
attack on Britania for nearly two days.  I believe that the ship is still=
=20
in the system, but that its cloaking technology and current position make=
=20
it impossible for us to find.  I have, therefore, decided to leave the=20
system, in hopes that the alien commander will feel able to either=20
decloak, or take another action that will make it possible for us to find=
=20
the ship.

"Helm, plot course for Polaris Point, velocity warp factor eight, and=20
notify the navigators on Britania and Gettysburg of your exact=20
coordinates," said McGinnis.
"Course plotted, and laid in, coordinates shared with helm consoles=20
aboard our comapnion vessels," said Thale, who looked much better after=20
the rest that almost all had taken advantage of.  McGinnis was always=20
shocked by the recuperative powers of the Andorian race in general, and=20
his navigator/helmsman in particular.  "... both ships show confirmation=20
on the signal, and Gettysburg is moving into the aft-protect position."
"Very well, ... engage and copy to the other vessels."
"Engaged, command sent."

The three ships, still under standard cloaking settings, raced toward the=
=20
Federation and their home port.

"Now passing warp five, warp seven, ... sir, object decloaking to stern,=20
very near the outer asteroid belt of the system."
"I suspected that might happen, continue on main course, accelerate to=20
warp 9.5, and copy the order to the other ships."
"Accelerating, orders sent," replied Thale.
"Sir, why are we leaving the system now that the enemy ship has=20
decloaked?" asked Robert MacLeod who had just entered the bridge from the=
=20
starboard turbolift.
"I don't know, yet, why they were delaying us, but that commander clearly=
=20
wants to keep us from returning to Federation space at the moment.  Even=20
with that super-weapon, we seriously out-gun them, and doubtless that=20
commander knows it.  However, he has a new form of cloaking technology,=20
and he thinks that we'll have to try to knock him out so that he doesn't=20
pose a threat to any of the remaining colonies in this area.  However,=20
I'm convinced that someone, I'm not sure who yet, is planning something=20
on another front, and I don't dare allow us to be delayed any further by=20
playing cat-and-mouse with that ship anymore."
MacLeod, who had not been fully involved with the activities and=20
decision-making processes on the bridge for the past several days, simply=
=20
nodded and frowned at the implications of McGinnis' statements.
"Sir, alien vessel is accelerating, now warp 9.6 ... .7 ... .8, and=20
holding.  They're on a direct intercept course, ..."
"Understood," interrupted McGinnis.  "...All stations, red alert, all=20
decks to battlestations, cloaking device to stand-by, and accelerate to=20
maximum possible velocity."
Various versions of "Aye Sir," came from all of the bridge stations,=20
while the ship's red alert klaxons rang throughout the rest of the hull.
"Sir, all stations show green, and are either monitored or manned=20
directly.  All internal and external weapons and defensive systems are=20
ready, and cloaking device is now at stand-by." said Schultz.
"Sir, we're accelerating, now warp 9.85, ...986, still accerating.  The=20
alien has moved to match our speed, and Britania and Gettysburg are also=20
now approaching warp 9.9," said Thale.
"Ops, tell the others to push their ships to the maximum, we've got an=20
energy advantage since we are a bit short of photon torpedo launchers=20
right now.  We'll be albe to make better time than they can, so tell them=
=20
to do everything to squeeze extra speed out of their ships," said McGinnis.

The three ships continued to increase their speed.  Finally, Britania,=20
whose extra phaser weaponry drained more energy from the ship's engines,=20
despite the added power generated by the heavier quantum core, and added=20
auxiliary reactors, topped out at warp 9.93.  Gettysburg topped out at=20
warp 9.945, and Ticonderoga, depending as always, on Robert MacLeod's=20
legendary creativity, managed to achieve warp 9.96 for a brief time.
"Sir, Admiral Sanstrom for you," said Kyla Moran over the ship's tortured=
=20
wail.
"Put her on screen,"
"Admiral, we can't hold this speed much longer, and the enemy is closing=20
in on us, I suggest that we're not going to get away under current=20
conditions."
"I know, I'm going to have Gettysburg drop to your position, try to trap=20
the ship between your vessels, but don't let him get you in a position of=
=20
firing at each other," replied McGinnis.  "I'm going to swing around, and=
=20
attack as a rogue.  You'll be in charge of all operational maneuvers for=20
your vessel and Gettysburg."
"Understood, Britania out!"
"Lieutenant Moran, send text orders to Captain Slar, include a transcript=
=20
of this conversation, and tell him that Admiral Sanstrom is in=20
operational command."
"done, Sir."
Britania and Gettysburg quickly split, one continuing on the previous=20
course, the other swinging around to catch the alien ship on its=20
starboard side.  Ticonderoga accelerated to its absolute maximum speed,=20
hoping to use the added speed to grab the unknown vessel if it tried to=20
escape the two-sided trap.  Unfortunately, the alien was determined to=20
keep the chase going, so as soon as the trap became clear, he swung=20
sharply upward and to the left, hoping to escape both ship's fire, while=20
leaving Britania open to a blast from the great weapon, whose main firing=
=20
window was forward and below the ship's centerline.  Britania moved=20
quickly to stop the upward advance, but was out of position to swing=20
around and herd the ship back toward Gettysburg.  It was also not fully=20
prepared for the enormous blast of energy that crashed forth from the=20
alien vessel as it passed within half a million kilometers of the great=20
Federation ship.

The phased plasma blast tore through the shields, which had been riased=20
to full power, as the computer had had plenty of time to prepare during=20
the fifteen second charging cycle of the alien weapon.  Despite the=20
shields, its effect was shattering, ripping a fifty meter hole in the=20
mega-collimator ring, and tearing a great chunk out of the forward=20
sections of the ship's main hull.

In the meantime, Ticonderoga haed swung around, and was now headed toward=
=20
the alien craft, its computer preparing a retalliatory strike.

"Sir, closing at enormous velocity, closing speed is something like warp=20
9.9956," said Thale.  "...Distance is three billion, one billion, we've=20
fired... distance now three billion and increasing."
"Change course, match course and speed with the alien no matter what the=20
cost.  If you need to, put the auxiliary computer core onto the=20
navigational problems.  I want to be about 2.5 million kilometers behind=20
that ship, and once we've settled in there, ... tactical, fire torpedoes=20
at your convenience."
"Aye Sir," replied Thale and Schultz.
"Tactical, what damage did our little shot do a moment ago?"
"None, Sir.  We missed, we were moving too fast for the computers to fire=
=20
acurately."
"Damn!"
"Ops, get me a channel to Gettysburg."
"Channel open, sir."
"Captain Slar, you are to come alongside this vessel, and use your=20
long-range weapons to maximal effect.  I'll do what I can from here, but=20
you've got better torpedo capacity, and Ticonderoga's weapons will be=20
most effective at close range, where we can use our phasers as well."
"Agreed Sir, however, I should note that one shot from that weapon has=20
partially crippled Britania, which had superior weapons capacity, as=20
compared with your vessel."
"I am well-aware of that fact, however, I will be monitoring that weapon,=
=20
we now know that it has enormous capacity at close range, but I suspect=20
that its range is limited."
"Understood, I am closing to support."

Within a minute, Gettysburg, straining its engines to the absolute=20
maximum, had overhauled the two duelers, its effort assisted by the fact=20
that Ticonderoga was getting an occasional shot against the alien=20
shields, something that, although it didn't do much damage, was forcing=20
the enemy commander to divert power from his weapons and engines. =20
McGinnis was glad to see that although the alien vessel had enormous=20
capabilities, its power generation systems were, as he had suspected,=20
less-...over-powered, than his own were.  The fact that Ticonderoga was=20
missing some of its weapons helped a bit too.

"Sir, Gettysburg reports that she's ready to begin long-range attacks."=20
reported Moran.
 "The alien commander continues to vary speed and trajectory, but we've=20
been able to keep a tactical advantage through careful computer=20
monitoring," said Thale, "I suggest that we notify their navigator of our=
=20
current resource distribution."

 "Admiral, I'm already in touch with their navigator via computer link,"=20
said Schultz.  "she reports that she's already begun a similar program,=20
at the direction of Captain Slar."
"Very well, ... Helm, accelerate to maximum possible speed, close to half=
=20
a million kilometers, and then return to warp ... our current velocity,"=20
said McGinnis.
"Aye Sir, accelerating from warp 9.63 to warp 9.965, we should be in=20
position in about twenty seconds, give-or-take unexpected maneuvers."
"Admiral, enemy is charging that weapon," said Schultz.
"Understood, helm, if he even looks like he's trying to get position on=20
us, change course by ... Z minus ninety degrees, dcontinue at maximum=20
possible velocity."
"Aye Sir, ... I'm ready."
"Good, keep your finger on that switch."
"Sir, we're in position, half a million kilometers off his aft-starboard=20
quarter, and just slightly above his ship's centerline," said Schultz.
"Excellent, main ring to maximum charge, ... tightest possible=20
concentration, ... fire!"

The ring flared, but the bolt of energy that it threw at the enemy vessel=
=20
was so tightly focused that it wasn't even visible to those on=20
Ticonderoga's bridge.  However, its effect was quite visible, as the=20
alien ship's shields flared brilliantly and then collapsed for just a=20
moment.  The computer struck again, before they could be fully raised,=20
and blasted a hunk from the ship's main body.  Unfortunately, little=20
damage or system disruption occurred as a result of the second,=20
largely-deflected, shot.
"Sir, alien slowing, the computer's keeping us in position, so far he=20
hasn't been able to get position on us, but that thing is fully charged=20
again," said Schultz.
"Very well, ... helm, bring us to port, ... one degree, I want to try for=
=20
closer range fire."
"Sir, I think that I should remind you that there are other weapons on=20
that ship, some of them do appear to be quite formidable," said T'Mayek=20
from her station.
"I am aware, but most appear to have limited firepower, and as long as we=
=20
can keep out of the way of that super-weapon, we'll be alright."
"Sir, we're now 100,000 kilometers out, still closing," said Thale.
"Right ... Engage phase-cloaking device, continue closing."
"With all due respect, Sir; why engage the phase-cloak?" asked Moran.
"Because, Lieutenant, I want to get *very* close, and if we give him=20
enough time, he can simply suicide by simply crashing into us at=20
high-warp velocity.  If we come in under phase-cloak, he will know where=20
we are, but he won't be able to take the initiative, he'll have to wait=20
for us to move."
"Phase-cloak is now engaged," reported Schultz who had been working to=20
perform the operation while McGinnis had been talking.
"Now 50,000 kilometers," said Thale. =20
"Good, Ops, get me Gettysburg, have Slar close to a million kilometers,=20
and open full-scale bombardment with all weapons," said McGinnis.  "...=20
Science, scan Britania, I need to see what her situation appears to be."
"Aye Sir," replied the officers concerned.
"Sir, Starship Britania is currently at sublight velocity, the ship's=20
mega-collimator ring is severely damaged, and many compartments have been=
=20
vented to space.  The ship's shields appear to be under repair, and most=20
auxiliary and secondary weaponry appears to be functional.  Without=20
direct scan, i believe that it is logical to assume that the vessel is=20
not warp capable at the moment."
"All right, ... Helm, tactical, make sure that we don't get too close to =
=20
Britania's position, I doubt that it would survive another blast from=20
that weapon."
"Aye Sir,"=20
"Sir, now five hundred kilometers directly astern of the alien, we can't=20
approach any closer for fear of warp field contact."
"Understood, bring us to a position of 500 kilometers' range, at about=20
ten degrees above their midline."
"Executing," replied Thale.

At that moment, Gettysburg, which had closed to a million kilometers=20
began firing every weapon in its arsenal.  Fortunately, with quantum=20
power as well as the ship's main matter/antimatter reactor system, they=20
were able to put an enormous amount of energy into their systems for a=20
few minutes.  Therefore, photon torpedoes, both standard size and=20
micro-photons poured from the great ship, slowly working the alien=20
vessel's shields down.  Interestingly, they appeared to be of a new=20
design, whose primary improvement was the disruption of intradimentional=20
space as well as standard subspace frequencies.  This new feature meant=20
that the transverter could not be used to try to destroy the ship from=20
inside its own shields.  It also meant that, given limited subspace=20
jamming inside the vessel, that the type of lifeform aboard could still=20
not be determined by Ticonderoga's scanners.  A science vessel, with its=20
superior life-form scans would probably have been able to make the=20
determination, but, as McGinnis knew, --all too well-- it was impossible=20
to equip a ship for everything.  However, the jamming was barely=20
insufficient to keep Ticonderoga's computers from monitoring power=20
dispersals, and this alone had been what allowed the computer to keep the=
=20
ship from crashing into its enemy, despite the fact that decisions were=20
being made based on data received only picoseconds earlier.=20

"Sir, Gettysburg's torpedoes are beginning to have an effect, but they=20
were able to re-power before the new attack, and so we're going to have=20
to wait a while before the torpedoes can open a hole for us," said Schultz.
"I was afraid that would ahppen, ... Tactical, Science, it appears that=20
that ship uses matter/antimatter power only, but what do you think the=20
chances are that they've got some kind of forced quantum singularity or=20
other gravimetric/transdimentional energy conversion system in there?"
The two officers looked at each other, and then Schultz deferred to T'Mayek=
.
"Admiral, that vessel, assuming that it is of either Ferengi or Romulan=20
design, has three times the volume of the largest ship in either fleet. =20
It is more tha possible, when both size and new all ready demonstrated=20
new technologies, that such a system has been built within the vessel. =20
The forced quantum singularity generators with which the Ticonderoga=20
class vessels are equipped could be placed within the hull of that vessel=
=20
with more than sufficient volume remaining for other systems."
"Thank you, ... tactical?"
"I concur with the Science Officer's analysis," said Schultz.
"Fine, all that this means, is that we're going to have to try to=20
overwhelm their ability to produce energy.  ... Helm, maintain position,=20
... Engineering, begin dumping matter into the forced quantum core, use=20
the Bussard collectors as soon as we drop out of phase."
"Aye sir," came Thale's reply and MacLeod's echoing voice from engineering.
"Tactical, drop phase cloaking and open fire, all phased-energy weapons,=20
continuous bombardment tightest dispersal, but have the distributed=20
targeting systems take advantage of any growing weakness that they find. =
=20
H... Helm, I think that we should start backing off just a bit, make=20
range ... 20,000 kilometers, increase to 45 degrees above their centerline.=
"
"Phase-cloaking system is disengaged, weapons firing," reported Schultz.
"Backing off," reported Thale.
Despite the fact that Ticonderoga had backed off, it was still well=20
within the range of the enemy craft's formidable secondary weaponry.  As=20
Ticonderoga's main ring, and about twenty particle weapons blasted away=20
more and more of the alien's shield energies, a heavy return fire=20
including both phased plasma bolts and some form of torpedo shook the=20
ship and forced the main computer, which was running the shields,=20
engineering, and life-support, along with the systems suporting the main=20
ring, to strain the ship's vast energy-generation system to its absolute=20
maximum tollerances.
"Sir, all systems are under terrible strain down here, how much longer?"=20
came Commander MacLeod's concerned query over  the bridge speakers.
"I don't know, we're knocking their shields down, but this new shield=20
design is *tough* and they've still got more than fifty percent capacity,=
=20
if we've got it right," said McGinnis.  ...  I assume that the computer's=
=20
already shut all non-essential areas down?"
"Yes, and all particle batteries, in-hull reactors, and other systems are=
=20
at maximum rated power.  We've got about ten minutes before the quantum=20
generator has to be reset, and I'd guess that they're in about the same=20
shape on Gettysburg."
"I know, ... what about the batteries?"
"Sir, those have significant reserves if all you're trying to do is stay=20
alive, and make repairs.  That doesn't take much energy when compared=20
with what we're doing now."
"I know, but they're enough to run life support, and some other major=20
systems on, and that way we can push that energy, plus whatever else we=20
can get by overloading the particle reactors into one ... mighty blast."
"Sir, that'll blow our particle batteries for the rest of the mission,=20
and only get us about 150 percent on the main ring."
"Agreed, but we've held off on photons, because we're not in position. =20
They're less acurate, but they'll drain those shields faster than=20
anything short of the main ring."
"Not only that sir, but if we can coordinate with Gettysburg, they can=20
let fly with everything they've got at the same time, and it should be=20
enough to breach the enemy shields.  At that point, Gettysburg can blow=20
that ship out of space with her micro-photons for all that it matters,"=20
said Schultz.
"Well engineering, what do you think?"
"Its risky, we'll lose a lot of our subsystems, they're not built for=20
that kind of power flux, only the main systems are built for that kind of=
=20
overload power.  We may lose the ring, ... for a while, and we'll=20
certainly have to replace every auxiliary reactor in the particle phaser=20
arrays.  ... On the other hand, we're only about eight minutes from=20
quantum shutdown, and it'll take a lot longer than that to do the job any=
=20
other way. ... I don't see much of a choice Sir, just give the orders and=
=20
we'll get started."
"Mr. MacLeod, ... your orders are given."
"Aye Sir, engineering out."

"Sir, Gettysburg is ready to implement strategy, we've turned about, and=20
are now headed back toward Britania, within a minute from estimated alien=
=20
weapon range," said Schultz who was now handling most of the ship's main=20
systems at his console.
"Understood, ... Engineering, we've got a minute before that ship is in=20
range of Britania.  I need not say what'll happen when they get there."
"Right, sir.  Only problem is that we'll need at least two minutes to get=
=20
things ready."
"You don't have them,"
"If we hurry this, we'll have to replace all ring systems, the quantum=20
core, and probably most of the shielding mechanisms, ... and that's the=20
best-case scenario."
"What's the worst-case?"
"Oh, we'll survive, its just that it may take us a few thousand years to=20
get home, without help that is."
"Considering that those aboard Britania will, unquestionably not survive,=
=20
we'll have the fair end of the deal.  Proceed, you now have thirty seconds.=
"
"Understood, Engineering out."
"Tactical, set autosequence, full weapons' discharge in twenty-five=20
seconds, synchronize with Gettysburg."
"Sir, that'll mean that there is only about a second's window for error,=20
they may be able to get in most of that first shot before the secondary=20
effects cut in."
"I know, but we can't modify any faster," said McGinnis.  "As you have=20
just heard, we'll be almost defenseless, save the photons and doubtless=20
Gettysburg will be in equally bad shape.  We don't even know that this=20
will destroy their ship, it may only damage them, in which case, we'll=20
still have to fight a sublight action, if I understood Commander MacLeod=20
correctly."
"Right...."
"Now ten seconds, ... five ... four .... three ... two... one...." said=20
Schultz, before space itself went white.

The force to the combined blast tore through the weaknesses that had been=
=20
developing in the enemy shielding.  Fortunately, as with most Federation=20
ships, no spares had been incorporated, and the combined photon attack,=20
launched a tenth of a second later, finished the shields, and ripped the=20
aft section of the alien vessel in half.  However, as MacLeod had=20
feared,there was barely enough time for the great alien weapon to come=20
within range, and for its own microcomputing and targeting system to=20
unleash its stored energies.  The blast went wild, but not quite wild=20
enough, ripping another enormous chunk out of the extreme port-edge of=20
Britania's  the mega-collimator ring.  The blast effect destroyed two of=20
the still-operational fusion reactors on that side, and did enough damage=
=20
to two others to cause an uncontrolled directed core breach, which caused=
=20
the ship to be thrown to port, and collapsed the entire port-side support=
=20
structure for what remained of the ship's main weapons array.

As for the other ships, the energy released in the final explosion of the=
=20
aft section of the unknown craft blew out all shielding, and buffeted the=
=20
crews about severely.  However, most of the damage encurred was=20
self-inflicted.  A fact that gave McGinnis small pause for only moments=20
when he realized that Britania's crew, in large majority, had survived=20
the enemy's last gasp.

"Sir, now decellerating, ... we are now at sub-light velocity, as is=20
Gettysburg."
"Sir, receiving distress signal from Britania,"=20
"Alien vessel neutralized, some sections remain physically intact, but=20
there appear to be no life signs. ... " The flash of another explosion=20
filled the main viewer. "... alien vessel has self-destructed," said Schult=
z.
"Very well, stand down from red alert, and order engineering to put all=20
but the most critical repairs on stand-by until we can clarify Britania's=
=20
situation," said McGinnis.

*=09*=09*
Starship log: Stardate 58365.8: Admiral William McGinnis Commanding USS=20
Ticonderoga: Recording:

We have just returned to the Polaris-ssystem Construction center, after=20
nearly six months of hard travel.  The crew is utterly exhausted, and=20
this ship, though not seriously damaged over the past year, does require=20
systems refits, and new modular phaser weapons.  We were able to repair=20
all of the damage suffered at the hands of an enemy whose technology is=20
very reminiscent of a combination of the Romulans and Ferengi, but whose=20
identity remains unclear.  Britania's repairs, unfortunately, were=20
difficult to make, and due to its exposed position, we were forced to=20
accompany her at low speeds for several weeks, until the damaged forward=20
structures were finally jettisoned, leaving the moderately damaged=20
engineering section to continue back to base.  A new main hull is under=20
construction, and will hopefully be fully operational soon. =20

Considering the current situation, this can not happen soon enough. =20
Fortunately, all powers have fought themselves out, and a new treaty has=20
been signed.  However, mistrust amongst all of the powers has grown=20
markedly, and the fifty billion casualties which we have collectively=20
suffered, do not make things any better.  The only good news is that=20
Gouron has been able, with Federation help, to retake control over the=20
Klingon High Council, and has been able to destroy the secret base from=20
which house Durass launched their attempt too control the Empire. =20
Although Gournon's place is very uncertain, this means, at least, that we=
=20
only face a neutral Klingon Empire rather than an enemy.However, the=20
mistrust now so dominant in all diplomatic relations in the alpha=20
quadrant is not my primary concern at the moment.  The second invasion of=
=20
our quadrant in the last two years by the Dominion, in an attempt to, as=20
they put it, "impose order on your part of the galaxy", dominates my=20
attention.  Ticonderoga, Gettysburg, Louisbourg, and Britania, when she=20
is ready, will attempt to set a limit on the Dominion's activities here. =
=20
The fact that the Cardassians were utterly unable to defend against the=20
massive strike force sent by the Jem'Haadaar is gauling, and poses a=20
serious tactical problem, but was unavoidable.As the Dominion has=20
primarily focused its attention on Cardassian and Bajouran space, the=20
Federation has time to come up with a response.

Sadly, the diplomatic problems now extent in our quadrant will make=20
alliance amongst the great powers here nearly impossible.  For that=20
reason, we are beginning construction of a new, more powerful and=20
flexible, warship whose goal will be to occupy the Dominion's forces on=20
their side of the wormhole for as long as possible.  It will be my duty=20
to direct the construction of this vessel, and I will spare nothing in=20
the effort to make the perfect military vessel.  The vessel, code named=20
sword, will contain every new piece of technology that we can squeeze=20
into it.  Unfortunately, it will not be completed for at least a year,=20
and I hope that the currently-available technology will hold the line=20
until the new vessel comes on line.

*****************************
End of Super Dreadnought Part VII: and of the current work.
Stay tuned for Superbattleship, which should be under way by January 1=20
next year.
All comments on this work should be directed to Matthew Weed,
mattweed@edith.princeton.edu
Matt
    =20


********************************




"It may not be true, as Lincoln Supposed, that you can't fool all of the
people all of the time, but you can fool enough of them to rule a large
country."  Will and Ariel Durant: _The Lessons of History_ 1969.=20
mattweed@edith.princeton.edu=09MPA candidate/WWS:95, (609)258-8236

