The music, while being broadcast for an entire star system to hear, wasn’t being played at its artist recommended skull shattering levels aboard Atlantis. It was just loud enough for lyrics to be heard and easily enough for anyone to talk over. Which naturally occurred in the second chorus of the first song.

“Incoming broadcast from the Vaadwaur,” Rrr said, sounding pleased with themselves. The announcement was just to explain why the music stopped, the tactical plot slid to the right and the left-hand side of the viewscreen suddenly filled up with a face only a mother could love.

It’s the smug look on this face. That’s the really ugly part.

Not the snake-like hood?

Please, they’re just trying to out Cardassian the Cardassians.

Dominion wannabes.

“This will be good,” Tikva muttered.

“People of Betazed,” the Vaadwaur said, trying to sound saddened. It was the same who had delivered the previous address, though now with even more ribbons and devices on his uniform. Sharp, harsh, narrow features continued to make him look like a predator about to strike.

“I, Admiral Beratun, granted you six hours to signal your surrender to the might of the Vaadwaur Supremacy. That time has passed and the only response I got was a single word of defiance from a captain of a defunct, decrepit, and extinct nation. Your so-called United Federation of Planets will not come to your rescue.”

“Ah, he’s going for the ‘we’ve already won’ speech.” Nathan’s snort was the perfect punctuation for his comment.

“I am, as I said, a merciful man. I want to peacefully integrate Betazed into the Supremacy. Intact, whole. Unblemished by the follies of war, like so many of you have seen in times past.” Beratun sighed, head tilting to the side, like an adult trying to reason with a child. “I will ignore the lack of a response from the people of Betazed, from the Cabinet of Matriarchs, and graciously accept your surrender, if your leaders will swat away the last vestiges of the Federation from their skies. You have five minutes. After that, I will bring peace, order and stability to this system, either as a kind overseer, or a conqueror. The choice is yours to make.”

“Well, that’s a bit revealing,” Tikva said. “Can’t come any closer and do the job himself, so he wants Planetary Defence to blow us up.”

“Defence platform weapon systems are coming online,” Adelinde announced. “Targeting sensors as well.” A brief pause, then she continued. “They are targeting the Vaadwaur ships.”

“Follow suit, red alert,” Nathan commanded, filling in the role of a good first officer and knowing his captain’s command. “Kelly, bring us about to face our guests.”

The young woman at the helm, who looked positively tiny compared to the literal mountain of silica next to her, nodded her head sharply. “Coming about, aye,” she answered, just as clipped and focused on her controls.

“Launch the fighters,” Tikva said, Rrr nodding to the order and sending a command to Atlantis’ shuttlebay, the three fighters of Harpy Flight taking to the void.

“Message from Betazed,” Rrr then announced.

The space that Admiral Beratun had occupied now filled with a much larger, fuller, rounder face. The dark of Planetary Defence’s Control Facility was behind Commodore Usino, rows of fully manned stations showing that they were working at capacity. Were Beratun’s features made him look a predator, for Usino it was his eyes. Cold, dark and piercing. Usino didn’t launch immediately into words, just stared into the camera for a few seconds, eyes narrow, nose slightly flared.

“Vaadwaur Supremacy vessels, this is Commodore Abbon Usino, Planetary Defence. I have been tasked with delivering a message to you, as so ordered by the Cabinet of Matriarchs and the office of the Prime Minister.” He paused, picking up a padd to read directly from it as he continued. “Your interest in our star system, and our world in particular, is appreciated, but at this time, unwanted. You have delivered no evidence of your victory over the Federation, merely words. You have brought threats to our world, while trying to claim you are a man of peace. Until you can provide evidence of your claims, you are requested to maintain ten light seconds distance from Betazed at all times. Planetary Defence is authorised to treat you as they see fit should you approach without invitation. When you have something more worthwhile to say, then we will listen.”

Usino set the padd down, shaking his head, before looking directly at the camera. “As for me, Admiral Beratun, I will not be firing on USS Atlantis. I will defend this world to the last. You are welcome to test my resolve at your discretion. My advice, sir, is to take your ships and leave. Come back when you have some more friends to help make you feel strong.”

And then the comm channel went dead.

“Did the matriarchs just tell the Vaadwaur to go away and come back another day? Like they have better things to do than deal with an invasion?” Gabrielle asked with no small amount of disbelief from Science.

“And the commodore just told them to go get more ships, so this would be a fair fight,” Nathan added. “Bold, for a man with no ability to reinforce and no relief forces incoming.”

“He’s trying to provoke the Vaadwaur,” Adelinde said. “The matriarch’s message was meant to be insulting.”

“Damn straight,” Tikva grumbled.

“And he’s just told them he can take them in a fight,” Adelinde continued. “That they are weak and need more ships. He’s goading them into making a mistake by compounding the insults.”

“With us in the middle,” Nathan said.

“Naturally,” Adelinde said in agreement. “Blindside contacts,” she announced after a series of chirps from Tactical. “And looks like the Vaadwaur ships sent after Tizona have bought it. They’ve gone to warp.”

Silence settled on the bridge, faces turning to Tikva directly, or stealing glances while watching their own stations, trying not to look at the woman in the centre seat.

Well, now they want to know what the brilliant plan is. Aside from getting shot, that is.

Well, it’s a plan. Brilliant? We’ll see.

Hey, at least we aren’t winging it this time.

“Rrr, is one of those Vaadwaur cruisers a bit further out than any of the others?” Tikva asked, mouth pursing to one side as she tried to prevent a smile.

“Best I can do is two,” the Gaen officer said, highlighting two of the cruisers on the tactical plot. They weren’t quiet flying in formation, but close enough to support each other.

Two cruisers were each still shielding the large contacts, one was riding shotgun on the battleship and three had gone harrowing off after Tizona. That left just these two tempting targets as the forward element, far enough ahead to trip any hidden traps in the system and let everyone else behind them come to a stop. The fighters had been spread around, with each of the lead ships escorted by three apiece, while the battleship had five.

The most vulnerable element of the Vaadwaur forces in system presently were two of the cruisers and six fighters. With everything just far enough away to take minutes to arrive at impulse, but just too close for accurate warp trips, any attempt likely to vastly overshoot.

And they’d been watching the Vaadwaur move in like this ever since they had come over the Slow Zone boundary.

Tikva’s smile finally broke through. She tilted her head backwards, waving a hand to get Adelinde’s attention, who leaned forward to look down with a raised eyebrow. “Did you plan this with Usino? This whole provocation thing?”

“No.” Quick, concise answer. “But he has a history of goading opponents into risky plays. And making risky plays himself.”

“Then shall we dance to his tune?”

Adelinde looked confused for a moment, then it disappeared as understanding came to her. “We will probably only be able to get a single run at both cruisers before we’ll need to retreat.” She wasn’t protesting, just setting expectations.

“You heard the lady,” Nathan said, directing his voice to Kelly at the helm as he picked up on the gist of the plan. “Plot us a course to those two Vaadwaur cruisers and get ready for maximum warp. Whatever that’ll be.”

What no one expected was for Kelly to turn to Rrr with a big smile on her face. “Expeditious bullrush.”

“Not a thing,” the Gaen said. “But you make this work, Lieutenant, and I’ll consider it.”

“Hold you to that,” Kelly said happily, before switching back to her professional tone of earlier. “Ready for warp drive, Commander.”

“Someone ready to plot us a course back as soon as drop out of warp?” Tikva asked. “I don’t want Kelly having to think too hard when we need to run away.” An affirmative came from somewhere behind Adelinde, likely Samantha Michaels managing a team of Operations staffers in the mission operations bay, ready to enact Rrr’s damage control dictates.

“Right then,” she continued, raising a hand, two fingers raised, in a call-to-action starship captains had been making for generations now. “Páme,” she ordered, hand chopping forward and sending Atlantis sprinting into action.