The holodeck’s hum carried in the background like the faint heartbeat of the simulated ship itself. The ridge officers of Gamma shift were sprawled across the holodeck’s simulated bridge of the USS Cardinal. Each crewmember manned their console throughout the haze of a monotonous shift. The glow of their displays reflected off of somber eyes. The pace of their work had settled into the dull routine that marked most border patrols. Many were beginning to think this simulation would be a typical patrol.

At Tactical stood Lieutenant JG Thiv. The short, white-gold haired Andorian chan broke the silence first. “If this program wants to teach us something, perhaps it could simulate an opponent that does not take three hours to appear.” His spindly antennae twitched irritably.

Ferengi Ensign Veetha smirked behind the helm console. Her lobes curved outwards prominently. “You’re saying you prefer combat to boredom, Lieutenant? That is a dangerous line of thinking.” The amount of simulated training she participated in during her Starfleet career made her curious about the profit margins behind running similar facilities for less advanced races.

“Dangerous thinking is my job,” Thiv replied coolly. His careful touch adjusted the phaser routing cycle with mindful inputs.

Lt. JG Spavk lifted his gaze towards science station readouts. His blonde eyebrows rose faintly in an expression that was as close to amusement as Vulcans ever came. “It is statistically improbable for a border patrol to remain uneventful indefinitely. We are overdue for contact.” His words carried a restrained cadence devoid of embellishment.

“Then why are you talking like you’re trying to bore the Breen into surrender?” drawled Ensign Wayne Hammersmith from Navigation. The tall Texan leaned back in his chair. “It’s startin’ to seem like we’ll get old and gray before any fightin’ starts.”

Trell Dirov shifted uncomfortably in the operations chair. “I—I think the training program waits for us to prove we’re paying attention before it starts the actual scenario.” He winced at how nervous he sounded as his eyes darted toward the others.

“Perhaps they are waiting for us to stop paying attention”, Spavk hypothesized.

Before anyone else could reply, the forward panels lit up with a priority alert.

Commander M’kath sat forward in the center chair. His broad frame became instantly taut, long sandy hair bound back in a tight warrior’s tail. The Klingon’s deep-set eyes fixed on the forward screen as the computer’s feminine voice chimed:

=/\= INTRUSION ALERT. UNAUTHORIZED VESSEL DETECTED CROSSING BORDER. VECTOR ONE-ONE-TWO MARK THREE. =/\=

T’Naagi studied the bridge carefully. The Orion’s green-gold complexion reflected the dim bridge light. She was not acting as Chief Science Officer now. Gamma Shift placed her in the executive officer role. She was still getting used to being a lieutenant commander. “Contact bearing confirmed. Mass signature and power emissions suggest Breen origin, Commander.” Her facial features tightened along with the airflow through her chest.

Lt. Cmdr.M’kath’s lip curled into something between a snarl and a grin. “At last, something worthy. Red alert! Helm. Warp nine point three. Intercept vector. Let us see who dares to crawl across our border.” Warning klaxons blared their all too familiar call as scarlet light washed the bridge.

“Aye, Commander,” Veetha said. Her long fingers darted artfully across the helm controls. The Ferengi’s eyes gleamed, though her posture carried the formality of military bearing. “Course laid in. Engaging engines at warp nine point three.”

The stars stretched into long white filaments that twisted into the surrounding warp bubble’s kaleidoscope of light. The bridge of the Cardinal quivered under the rush of acceleration.

The bulbous Federation starship cut through distorted space like a chubby spearhead. Her grey hull shimmered with reflected light from the surrounding morphed star streaks. The galaxy warped and bled around them in long rivers of light. Rays of illumination bent past the bow and tailed aft like banners that waved throughout a storm.

M’kath rose to his feet and stood, fists planted on his hips. The surly Klingon watched starlight streak across the forward screen’s horizon. “The galaxy itself bends before us. Do not falter. We shall strike swiftly.”

Moments later, the warp bubble collapsed in a flare of energy. Stars snapped back into sparkling pinpoints. The viewscreen filled with the offending vessel.

The Breen frigate was a monstrous shape built of jagged, interlocking angles. Its hull was forged from a green alloy that glowed faintly from within, as though alive with power. The vessel’s hull geometry seemed to defy elegance in favor of intimidation. Knife-edged protrusions and ribbed armor plates converged into a prow as sharp as a blade. Emerald light pulsed between its seams like venomous veins.

Operations ensign Trell Dirov’s voice cracked slightly as he reported, “Reading Breen power signatures. Hull composition matches their known specifications. But the power output is uh, significantly above baseline.” His gold eyes blinked anxiously. The young officer was new to bridge duty and not used to combat.

“Confirmed,” Spavk added as his fingers traced sensor readouts. “Energy distribution suggests a heavy spinal defensive array. Standard phaser yields may prove inadequate against the vessel’s forward plating.” His tone carried no emotion.

“Tactical,” M’kath barked. “Load torpedoes and arm all phaser arrays.”

The Andorian’s antennae stood erect as his pale hands flew over the controls. “Weapons ready. Our targeting matrix is locked on.”

“Veetha, bring us in for a close pass. I want their flank exposed.”

The Ferengi bared her teeth in a grin. “With pleasure, Commander.” The Cardinal rolled gracefully into attack posture.

The Breen ship moved first. A lance of verdant energy erupted from its bow and cut through the space between vessels. The blast splashed across the Cardinal’s shields and sent a tremor throughout the decks.

Consoles flickered as Dirov flinched at Ops. “Shields are holding at ninety-one percent!” he shouted.

“Return fire!” M’kath roared.

Phaser beams slashed out from the Cardinal. The scarlet lances hammered into the Breen frigate’s angular hull. Explosions flared green across its plating as the ship plowed forward, undeterred.

“Torpedoes, firing!” Thiv snapped. Two crimson warheads streaked through space and impacted against the destroyer’s aft quarter. The ship staggered as a burst of energy bled from its plating.

The ships roared past one another in a flash of energy and color. Their shields sparked as impacts rocked both vessels.

“Damage report!” M’kath demanded.

“Minimal,” Dirov said with relief in his voice. “Minor fluctuations are seen across our secondary shield grid, but all systems are intact. I am reading minimal power drainage, but auxiliary systems are compensating.”

“Then turn us about. Ensign Veetha, prepare for another attack run.” M’kath sounded hungry towards the next step.

The Ferengi’s hands swept across helm controls as the Cardinal banked in a wide, aggressive arc. Stars wheeled as the Nebula swung back toward its prey.

The Breen destroyer mirrored the maneuver. Lights within its angular frame glowed brighter as illuminated seams pulsed like a heartbeat.

T’Naagi’s eyes narrowed as she studied her display. “Commander, I recommend caution. Breen vessels have a history of concealed secondary weapon systems. We may be underestimating their capabilities.”

M’kath bared his teeth as a low growl rumbled from deep within his chest. “Underestimation is a lesson of its own, Commander T’Naagi. We shall meet their measure with steel and fire.”

The second pass was fast and brutal.

Both ships unleashed torrents of energy at once. The Cardinal’s phasers blazed across the void and carved molten scars along the Breen hull. Torpedoes detonated in quick succession to hammer the frigate’s flank. For the moment, it seemed the Federation ship had the advantage.

Panels across the frigate’s prow split apart and revealed recessed launchers. Dozens of emerald pulses erupted in a storm of plasma fire. They struck the Cardinal’s shields in a continuous barrage that pounded with brutal precision.

The bridge shuddered violently as consoles sparked. Officers tried to hold on as inertia tried to tear them from gravity’s hold.

Ensign Dirov spoke as he was nearly thrown from his chair. “Shields are collapsing. Seventy-two percent. Sixty and dropping!” he yelled over the din of bridge alerts.

“Their weapons are drainin’ our systems.” Sparks exploded from a rear console. Ensign Hammersmith cursed as he ducked and gripped his station. “We’re gettin’ chewed up out here!”

Another hit rattled the deck with a rocking boom.

“Shields now at forty-three percent!” Dirov shouted. Sweat beaded across his cobalt brow.

“Reroute power from the auxiliary systems,” T’Naagi ordered, still measured despite the chaos. “Shift reserves to forward shielding.”

“Yes, Commander!” Dirov scrambled to comply.

The Breen frigate swept past, its green glow passed across the Cardinal’s side like a sickly specter.

M’kath stood tall on the shuddering bridge. His booming voice cut through the noise. “They draw blood now. Good. Gamma Shift, stand ready. We shall strike again. This battle is not yet theirs.”

The bridge fell into tense silence as the Cardinal limped into her next turn.

M’kath’s voice was like a crack of thunder. “All auxiliary power to weapons!” This removed both the power T’Naagi pushed to the shields, as well as the secondary systems that were working to combat the energy dampening effect of the Breen weapons.

The Cardinal’s phaser beams cut through the void with renewed ferocity. Their fiery brilliance ripped into the Breen starship’s flanks. Torpedoes streaked toward it like furious comets. Their photonic detonations blossomed across the emerald hull. Hull panels burst outward on the alien vessel. Fragments of dark armor scattered into space as impacts reverberated within the vessel.

Thiv’s antennae trembled with focus behind the tactical station. “Direct hits across their dorsal grid! They’re faltering!” Reluctant excitement reflected through the bit of hope he clung to.

Ops chimed in as Dirov added, “Auxiliary routing is complete. Weapon output is at one hundred and thirty percent of standard yield.”

The bridge vibrated as the semi-circular phaser array fired from just a few decks above their heads. Confidence began to build within the crew. Even the calm Vulcan-stone Spavk permitted a slight rise in his voice’s inflection. “Enemy hull integrity has dropped by eight percent. Their port maneuvering thrusters are destabilizing.”

M’kath allowed himself the curve of a Klingon smile as he bared his teeth. “Now they know the bite of the Cardinal. Veetha, bring us in. Full impulse! Heading zero three seven, mark two five. We will tear them apart.”

The Ferengi’s lobes flushed with adrenaline as her hands raced across the helm. “Aye, Commander. Coming about, full impulse engaged.” The stars wheeled across the forward display as the Nebula-class swung into her attack run.

With auxiliary power diverted to weapons, the Cardinal’s shields had weakened more than the crew realized. The Breen firestorm lashed out. Their green pulses struck with the subtlety of a hammer shattering glass.

The deck pitched violently as lights flashed. Dirov’s console flared in a spray of golden sparks. “Shields are failing. I’m reading twenty-two percent and dropping! Their weapon energy is amplifying.”

T’Naagi’s Orion features hardened. “They have adapted their fire to exploit power distribution nodes across the Cardinal.”

“They dare,” M’kath growled as if the attack was personal. “Close the distance! We shall gut them before their advantage is complete. Veetha, hold to my heading!”

The frigate banked hard as the viridescent phantom darted across the surrounding hollow, onyx emptiness. Its angular form turned with impossible sharpness. It swung into an arc that brought it square across the Cardinal’s bow. Emerald lances of energy raked the rotund starship with surgical precision.

The Nebula’s deck erupted under sustained fire. Conduits burst overhead as smoke and fire rolled down like storm clouds. Hammersmith braced himself against Navigation, teeth bared. “They’re out-turnin’ us, Commander. We can’t shake ‘em!”

“Hard about!” M’kath roared as his fists gripped the command chair. “Bring our aft torpedo bays to bear!”

Veetha’s hands danced, but the helm fought her. “I’m trying! Their maneuvering outpaces our turn rate. They’re staying on our six!”

The Breen destroyer slid seamlessly behind the Cardinal, prow locked on. Emerald fire rained across the Cardinal’s dorsal hull. The weakness of the Cardinal’s arrays left their aft high section extremely exposed. Not only was the pod in the way, the arc-like segment that housed the phaser arrays did not stretch across the rear of the saucer.

“Shields are collapsing. Reading fifteen percent.” Dirov’s voice broke into a cry as his panel exploded. He fell back as simulated sparks slapped him with a small amount of pain.

Warning klaxons screamed across the bridge.

Spavk reported with clinical urgency. “Systems show an intermix imbalance within the warp core. The containment field is compensating, yet failing by four point one percent per second. EPS grid overload in sections twenty through twenty-four. Structural integrity field levels have weakened significantly.”

T’Naagi gripped the railing behind M’kath’s chair. “Casualties reported on decks seven, eleven, and twelve. Secondary sickbay is offline. Commander, we are bleeding systems across the grid.”

The Breen frigate poured fire into their aft quarter. Green pulses carved through what remained of the Cardinal’s shields. Hull plating blackened and peeled away along the Federation insignia that ran along the side of the Nebula. Explosions lit the saucer section like stabs of lightning.

“Impulse engines have dropped to sixty percent efficiency,” Hammersmith shouted, red hair plastered to his forehead with anxious sweat. “They’ve got us boxed in!”

Veetha’s hands fought to throw the Cardinal into evasive spirals. The Breen ship adjusted as it angled to stay locked onto their tail. It became clear that the Breen were not relenting any time soon. The ensign tried a technique Lt. JG Ruiz had taught her about maneuvering.

The Ferengi tapped away sixty percent of the flight assist that helped the ship fly in a straight line. A rapid decrease in throttle, followed by a push to full impulse sent that massive vessel careening out of a steady flight path.

The Frigate fought to keep up as the Cardinal angled away at an impossible angle. Once distance was achieved, Veetha re-engaged the flight assist. Their vector now pointed them immediately in a different direction. Success as only temporary as the Breen quickly re-aligned and began the chase anew.

Systems began to fail in a cascading wave as fire once again struck the Cardinal. This triggered the computer to finally tally their score as a critical failure.

Lights flickered out across the bridge. The main display stuttered as it presented a fragmented image of the Breen destroyer before it went black. Phasers across the secondary arrays sputtered out as their power nodes overloaded. The forward torpedo launcher jammed, highlighted by an amber light that flashed helplessly across the tactical console.

Thiv cursed in Andorian. “Forward tubes are unresponsive. The port phaser grid is offline! We’ve lost our bite!”

A deafening blast ripped through the deck. A support strut tore loose from the ceiling and crashed to the floor. The acrid tang of burnt circuitry filled the air.

The Bolian ops officer spoke in a voice cracked with desperation. “Commander! We’ve lost shields entirely. Hull breaches on decks three through five, nine through twelve, sixteen through twenty and twenty-two. Emergency forcefields are in place. We are taking serious casualties!”

The ship groaned under the onslaught of torn metal.

M’kath stood amidst the ruin. “We are not yet broken! Stand your posts! Fight until the last spark leaves this ship!”

The holodeck’s simulation was rapidly approaching a dastardly finale for Gamma shift.