The shuttle Roebling hand been heavily modified by Captain Johnson and his top class engineers aboard the SS Alchemist.  What had started out as a fairly standard and unremarkable Type 8, now boasted enhanced shielding, up grading impulse drive and manoeuvring thrusters, plus six single firing Quantum torpedo launchers mounted in pairs; port, starboard and dorsal positions.  All this had added an extra 20% to the overall weight of the craft and shifted its centre of gravity back.  In space that wouldn’t matter; but within a planetary atmosphere, it would make a big difference. 

With Lieutenant Stuart flying and Ensign Tholakath operating the fire control system; their task was a simple one.  Fly towards the aperture, fire the six Quantum torpedoes at a carefully and scientifically calculated distance; detonate them at the pre-planned locations and collapse the aperture before it renders the planet of Vargus III uninhabitable.  They only had one chance, if they failed and the gaping hole that now sat at the centre of a massive hurricane wasn’t closed soon, there wouldn’t be enough time to try again.     

The shuttle entered the upper atmosphere well clear of the storm, but even here the air was being churned up considerably.  Stuart battled with the controls as the whole craft shuddered and slew, first one way then the other.  “This thing handles like a Targ on roller-skates!” She exclaimed at one point.

Tholakath looked across to her a bemused look on his face. “I have absolutely no idea what that’s meant to mean.”

“It means I’m having a hard job keeping this thing straight.” She answered him. “Some bright spark strapped torpedo tubes around the hull!  It does wonders for the aerodynamics.”  

Strapped wasn’t exactly the right word to use; they had in fact been bolted and welded in place, to prevent any chance of them being ripped off by the high winds buffeting the small shuttle.  It did however turn a sleek beautiful craft with swan like grace into a dead duck, and everyone knows how well they fly.  Lieutenant Stuart would need to bring the shuttle below the aperture and then angel the nose up and towards the centre just prior to her Cardassian companion firing the torpedoes.

“If we get out of this alive, I’m buying you a drink.” Tholakath half shouting; the noise of the howling wind increasing in volume and ferocity as they flew closer to their target.

“Not worried are you?” The Orion countered.  “You are looking bit grey.”

“You’re enjoying this way too much.”  Tholakath replied.

“We all have to go at some point.” She winked back at him. 

“Well if you can try not making that some point, anytime in the next ten minutes, I’d be very grateful.”

Lieutenant Stuart just smiled and laughed in response.  She wasn’t going to let on how scared she was right now.  So many things could go wrong, so many ways to wind up dead.  First off there were the tremendous winds that could suddenly blow them off course, smashing them into the hills or the valleys below.  It was already whipping up bits of rock which were hurtling past.  A few had already bounced harmlessly of the shields.  There was also the challenge of not being sucked into the aperture before they could fire or along with the torpedoes.  Six Quantum’s made for a pretty big bang, and to be stuck right in the middle of that in this tiny shuttle.  Well it was safe to say every one of their atoms and those of the craft would be spread over a considerable distance. Vaporised, she believed the term they’d used.

“On final approach.” She now needed to almost yell. “Those babies of yours ready to go?”

Tholakath double checked his instruments and was about to confirm he was ready, when one of the lights went from green to red. “Damn, I’ve lost the signal lock on number 3!”  Without a lock that particular torpedo would launch ok, but there would be no way of making any minor course correction in flight, which could mean it detonating out of position; altering the intended outcome. 

“Can you fix it?” Stuart asked. 

“Hopefully.” The ensign replied. “But you’ll need to go round again!” 

Stuart banked the Type 8 sharply to port. “Go round again he say’s!  Go round again.  Why ever not?”  She was moaning under her breath, but not at her companion, simply at the whole situation they faced.  Tholakath was too busy to notice anyway.  He was already making adjustment to restore control to the uncooperative torpedo.  Twice the light went back to green then red again in the space of five minutes.  And every minute lost was a minute closer to this planets doom.  Finally he jumped up and dived into the back compartment of the shuttle.  He ripped off a small panel, throwing it on the deck.  Next he set about performing a quick bit of DIY rewiring; bypassing what he believed was a faulty shunt.  Looking back to the cockpit he was just close enough to see all the tights had gone green.

The Roebling lurched violently and the Cardassian nearly lost his footing as his right foot came down on the panel and his foot slid from underneath him.  He was able to grab hold of a handle mounted along the edge of the door.  Looking up through the cockpit window, Tholakath could see nothing but a swirling dust cloud.  Visibility was basically down to zero.  He dropped back into his seat once more, this time felling the necessity to strap himself in, noticing the Lieutenant had already done so.

“Sorry about that.  Had to avoid a tree, deciduous I think.” Stuart yelled in his direction. “Are we good to go?” 

When he gave her, the thumbs up, she banked the small craft around again, and placed it on a heading for the eye of the storm.  Relying on instruments alone, Stuart had to hope any distortions created by the anomaly wouldn’t throw the sensors off. Potentially resulting in them flying in the wrong direction or much worse straight into the ground.  Another possible way to add to the growing list of ways this whole mad scheme killing them.  Finally after fighting with the controls again, the shuttle was lined up on its run.

“Cum magis in contritionem amici carissimi.” The Cardassian tactical officer shouted; showing off his knowledge of Latin he’d picked up whilst on leave and being bored during his recovery after ‘Frontier Day’.  The Orion next to him hadn’t heard though, she was too focused on flying.  For now the world beyond a small screen on her control panel did not exist.  All she needed to know was right there.  Course, speed and distance from target.  The first fluctuated as the shuttle was rocked by the relentless maelstrom, the second had increased as the aperture attempted to drag them in along with everything else; and the third figure was falling rapidly.

At precisely the right moment, Stuart lifted the nose of the craft and pointed right at the centre of the storm.  Lights flashed on the fire control panel and Tholakath hit the launch command.  Quantum torpedoes leapt forward; port, starboard, dorsal the first three were gone within the space of a second.  The next batch of three followed the same launch pattern; and was away soon after.  Now the Lieutenant dipped the Roebling’s nose again as she fought to escape the pull of the anomaly.  This was when she needed every tiny fraction of extra power the engineers had managed to squeeze into the engines. 

Tholakath watched on his screen as the six torpedoes raced towards their target; he could see the minor corrections being made by each of them.  When they simultaneously detonated, the world stopped.  It was like all motion, sound and time had ceased.  Then the shockwave radiated out in all directions with unparalleled speed.  The rear of the shuttle was pushed up violently, forcing its nose down.  The shields had collapsed and the controls reduced sparking, burning mass of confusion.  Stuart’s ears had popped, rendering her completely deaf, but when her companion nudged her shoulder, she knew precisely what he meant.  It was time to go.  They both tapped their com-badges and within seconds were whisked away to safety; leaving the stricken shuttle to crash somewhere below. 

An Andorian aboard the cargo shuttle which had dropped off Lieutenant Devron and the rescue team; before returning to orbit; was there to greet and congratulate them on a successful mission.  The aperture had collapsed as predicted.   But of course Stuart couldn’t hear a word the other female was saying to her.  She simply smiled politely waved the woman away and dropped unceremoniously into the nearest empty chair. 

“I’m not doing that again!” She yelled out. 

“You don’t need to shout.” Replied the Cardassian.

“You what?” Stuart yelled again. “Can’t hear a word your saying.”

Tholakath just shrugged and sat down next to her, letting out a huge sigh of relief.  They’d done it.  He only hoped the others would be just as successful in their part of the mission.