USS Constellation (NCC-91017)

The pulses of red alert lighting foreboding ornamentation across the sterile bridge of Constellation.  Even Commander Calumn’s view of the stars through the viewscreen turned sanguine.  Security Chief Ache had described the hundreds of thousands of automated defence platforms powering up between them and their destination.

Calumn could only hope a sky of blood-streaked stars was no omen of what was to come for Constellation Squadron as punishment for invading Vaadwaur territory.

“We got them, captain!” Science Chief Yuulik declared from the fore science station.  She vocalised the kind of glee Calumn only might have expected to hear on a vacation or a court martial acquittal.  “We navigated the correct Underspace tunnels to get here.  This, right here, is the source of the interlink frequency that hijacked the processors of every Pralor APU.  The carrier wave is haloing the inhabited planet– the entire star system, actually!”

From the captain’s seat, Calumn questioned, “And yet the K’ritz star charts showed no sign of this planet or its star?”

From the Science II hub to Calumn’s left, Flavia interjected, “The electrokinetic storms this near to the Nekrit Expanse would have interfered with any long-range sensors.  We only found this star by tracking the carrier wave through Underspace.  At this distance, we can detect Vaadwaur life signs all over the planet, exponentially more than the original cell found by USS Voyager.”

Speaking over the tail-end of Flavia’s findings, Yuulik added, “Sensors are picking up structures on the planet that were built within the past ten years, but there are other structures too.  There are signs of ongoing growth and construction for hundreds of years, even when the Vaadwaur were thought to be wiped out.”

“Some distant colony?” Calumn asked rhetorically, “Where more of their population slept away in stasis?”

From behind Calumn, at the communication station, Nova called out, “Captain, we’ve received another transmission from Starbase Bravo through their MIDAS array.  Bravo Fleet has destroyed Vaadwaur blackout outposts all across the Underspace tunnels in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants.  With warp drive and subspace communication capabilities returning, the Vaadwaur are losing their advantage back home!”

Calumn remarked, “Now the walls are closing in on–”

But Nova quickly shared something else: “Captain on the bridge!”

USS Odyssey (NCC-80000)

“If Captain Krabreii is right, we need to find time to bypass their security lockouts and attempt to take control of these automated defence platforms,” Dalen said from ops. “We need a distraction.” She looked up at both Captain Duncan and Commodore McCallister. She didn’t have the answer for them now to that problem, but the Bajoran woman was good at her job and liaising across the squadrons to find a way to break through the Vaadwaur’s computer defences would ensure a swift response.

“I’m not sure we can ask them to hold fire while we break into their systems,” Duncan remarked.

“Directive, zero-one-zero,” spoke McCallister. Before engaging alien species in battle, any and all attempts to make first contact and achieve nonmilitary resolution must be made.” He now gazed at Duncan. “Let’s try to find a peaceful resolution.”

“With all due respect, sir, the directive is aimed at situations where you’ve just encountered the species; we are far from first contact with the Vaadwaur,” Duncan whispered to his superior. “You think they’ll respond to a hail after we’ve invaded their home turf?”

“What’s stopping us from trying?” McCallister quizzed Duncan.

Duncan nodded in agreement; he could see the commodore’s point. It would provide a distraction, but would it be long enough for Dalen to coordinate their hack of the Vaadwaur weapon platforms? He gestured for the commodore to take over.

Appreciating the support from Duncan, McCallister ordered Dalen to proceed with her work before he turned over to Bollwyn at the communications console. “Lieutenant, inform the rest of the coalition fleet that we will attempt a diplomatic approach. Then open a channel to the Vaadwaur forces and patch everyone in on the call. I want everyone to hear it.”

Bollwyn nodded. “Aye, sir.” He was about to hail the Vaadwaur when he was interrupted by another incoming call. “Umm, sirs, we’ve got Captain Niro wishing to speak to us on a priority call.”

McCallister and Duncan looked at each other, intrigued to find out what Niro wanted to say to them urgently.

“Put him through, Samwell,” Duncan ordered as he sat back in his chair.

Niro’s holographic self appeared just in the middle of the Odyssey’s bridge along with Commander Reuben Gray and Ensign Jaceon. Their head of their SCE unit had joined the Astra on a temporary assignment to give further capacity during this crisis.

“Niro, what’s important for you to call?” McCallister asked.

“Sorry for the interruption, sir, but Commander Gray and Ensign Jaceon wanted to share an idea they had,” Niro replied. He motioned for both ex-Bs to speak up.

Gray took a step forward to start off. “Sir, Captain Krabreii’s recent discovery, I think both Jaceon and I can help with whatever Commander Dalen is preparing.”

“How did you know I was planning something, Commander?” Dalen probed, intrigued at the guess he had made.

“After spending the last few weeks with you, problem-solving a range of issues, I think I’ve got to know how you’re thinking, and we both believe we can help make it go quicker,” Gray remarked.

“The interlink frequency is similar to a Borg one. If the commander and I link up, we could help prevent detection and aid in completing Captain Krabreii’s plan,” Jaceon added.

“The only issue is that it may be obvious that Astra is transmitting a powerful frequency,” Niro added. “We’ll be a target.”

“Odyssey will protect you, Captain,” Duncan assured him. He wouldn’t let the ship his sons served on paint a massive target on their hull.

“Thanks,” Niro replied with a brief sigh.

“Let’s get the job done,” McCallister ordered before allowing the Astra to help with Dalen’s plan. He returned his focus back to Bollwyn. “Lieutenant, open a channel to the Vaadwaur.”

Bollwyn nodded. “Channel open, sir!”

Conqueror’s Fist

Admiral Thaul sneered at the readings that stood before him and the others on the command deck. With his hands clasped firmly behind him, Thaul couldn’t believe the audacity of what lay before him. The combined armada of several Delta Quadrant races, led by Federation forces, felt like a poor joke. How did they not see this coming?

Frustrated at the sight that sat on the edge of their system, Thaul could feel the anger boiling under his skin. Every ship they had sent out to take the Alpha and Beta Quadrants and destabilise the one region of the Delta Quadrant they wanted to control had been given explicit instructions on how they would become victorious. Their analysts never predicted the possibility of races from the Delta Quadrant allying themselves with one another. For centuries, his people had carefully manipulated the Vaadwaur, the Trabe, the Kazon, the Pralor, the Talaxians, the Haakonians, and so many more. What made it worse was how the Rakosans had built themselves up to become a credible threat now. His people would seek revenge against them all.

“Sir, with most of our forces committed to the Alpha and Beta Quadrants, we may not be able to defend ourselves against this fleet,” spoke a low-level lieutenant to one side.

Ignoring him, Thaul knew he would be scared off by this. He hadn’t wasted over a thousand years not to do something. The Vaadwaur were the rightful masters of the galaxy.

Looking at the display further, he squinted his eyes as he looked at them. One of the ships looked familiar.

Thaul’s sneer returned. “Voyager.” He said with a heavy distaste. He knew that Janeway would be behind this.

“Admiral, we are being hailed by one of the Federation ships.”

Thaul was pleased that the woman who almost derailed his people’s rise from the ashes was now here to take him on. It was a fitting tribute. He would end her life, smash this alliance she had formed and claim victory for them all.

“It’s time to put Janeway out of her misery,” he grumbled. “However, I want to see her face before we smash her pathetic attempt at resistance. Open a channel.”

The main screen flickered from one scene to the next. However, he was surprised by who was on the other side. “Where is Captain Janeway?” He asked immediately at the man that was bothering him. “Is she too scared to face an old adversary?”