Captain Scott Bowman stood in an office, in front of a large desk. Behind that same desk stood Commodore Aylin Sorev, the Director of Deep Space 12. Her uniform jacket was dirty and unfastened at the neck, and her neatly cropped salt and pepper hair was slightly disheveled. The pair were discussing the recent Vaadwaur attack, debating motives and outcomes when the door opened suddenly, causing them to stop their conversation and turn to look. Scott recognized the two individuals immediately. Her armored Fenris Ranger jacket hung open, and a pair of Romulan disruptors hung from belts slung low on her hips. Scott smiled at her, and she returned it with a smile of her own. The person behind her, who he knew to be Dranoj was taller, broader, wearing worn Klingon Battle leathers. Wild red-brown hair framed her fierce Klingon face.  

Commodore Sorev stiffened with indignation. “I do not like unscheduled visits.” She said, a wary eye on the intruders. “What is this about?” 

“Apologies, Commodore.” Dathasa said, with a hint of sarcasm laced within her words, “But you’re going to want to hear what I have to say.” She stepped forward and pulled a small PADD from her jacket, tossing it casually onto the desk between the officers. Commodore Sorev took it first, her eyes growing wider with shock as she read. After a minute or so, she set the PADD back onto the desk and sat down, looking slightly rattled. Scott picked it up and read it, then also set it back down and turned to face Dathasa. 

“Where did you find this?” he asked.

“It’s sitting at an intersection of underspace conduits. Dranoj and I,” she jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at the imposing Klingon woman, “were on our way here to you when we spotted it. I knew it would mean a lot if we could manage to secure some intel, so we did a pass. It turns out they’re using some kind of subspace dampening technology to disrupt our travel and communications. Here,” Dathasa pointed to the image displayed on the PADD. “at the base of this central spire seems to be where the signal is the strongest. If we can take that out, we should take down the whole station.”

“That’s a lot of fire power,” Captain Bowman said, his face grim. “My crew is good, but I don’t think my little Nova can handle all that.” 

“Do we have a way to get back to this outpost, Captain?” asked Sorev, looking from the PADD on the desk to Scott.

“Affirmative, Commodore.” Scott replied. “My Chief Engineer, Lieutenant Beckett, adapted one of their Navigational devices to the Leif Erikson’s computer. We can re-open the underspace conduits at will.”

“It sounds to me like your Chief engineer needs a raise, Captain.” Sorev said with a smile.

“You’re probably right, Commodore.” Scott replied, “He works very hard, an I would be lost without him.”

Sorev looked thoughtful for a minute, then stood suddenly. “You may not have to go alone, Captain.” She said moving swiftly out from behind her desk towards the door. “Follow me, you three.” Dathasa and Dranoj fell in behind Scott and the Commodore as they walked down the corridor, determined but not rushed. Down through the station they went, eventually reaching the doors to one of the drydocks. “This showed up a little while ago. It is slated to be decommissioned and scuttled, but it should still be in one piece.” Sorev said, punching an access code into a panel at the doors edge. 

The doors to the drydock slid open with a hiss, and the group stepped inside, mouths agape. Moored before them, the Akira-Class ship cut an imposing figure, even in drydock. Sleek and formidable, the ship’s hull carried the telltale signs of its age, having patches in places and carbon scoring in others. Visible on the nacelle closest to them was the ship’s name and designation: NCC-63547, USS BATTLE. 

Dathasa was the first to speak. “Battle, hey?” She said to Dranoj with a chuckle, “Seems a little on the nose, don’t you think?”

“It looks like it has earned the name, that’s for sure.” Dranoj replied.

“Commodore, how quickly do you think we could have her ready to fly again?” Scott asked, ignoring the comments of the Rangers behind him. 

“Give us six hours.” Sorev said flatly. “I’ll have all available resources committed to its refit. Captain, I suggest you take that time to address any issues with your own ship.” 

“I’m sure my Chief Engineer is already elbows deep in an access panel, Commodore.” Scott replied. “We will be ready to leave in time.” 

“Good,” said Commodore Sorev finally. She then began walking briskly out under the vessel, waving to one of the duty staff, and Scott could hear her voice carry orders to him. They watched for a moment as the enlisted man took off at a run towards his duty crew, and the whole drydock began to crawl with bodies, like ants when their hill had been stepped on. Scott turned and headed back to the Leif Erikson, Dathasa and Dranoj following him.

Scott stood at a viewport overlooking his ship. The approaching bootsteps told him who it was before he turned around. Dathasa came to a stop beside him, and he turned his head to look at her. “You still haven’t been sleeping.” she said to him, meeting his gaze. 

“No.” he replied with a smile, “ Haven’t had the time.” 

She stepped closer, mirroring his posture. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and her weight was leaned towards him, close but not quite touching. “It’s strange.” she said, “The calm before a big battle. It used to make me feel alive, now it just makes me aware of all the things I haven’t said.” 

“What haven’t you said?” he asked, turning his attention fully onto her. 

She looked up into his deep brown eyes. “I’m glad I’m not doing this alone.” She watched his jaw tighten for a beat, then relax. He reached out slowly, deliberately, and touched the back of her hand with his. Electricity shot up her arm at the touch that was simultaneously nothing, and everything. 

“I’ll get you through this.” he said, stiffening dutifully. 

“I don’t need you to get me through anything, Scott.” she said, refusing to pull away, “I just need you to come out the other side of this.” Silence fell on the scene as they stood, unmoving, their hands side by side, so close to touching, but not. They watched the ship without speaking for a while, two warriors on the edge of a storm, refusing to lose eight of each other. 

Scott’s combadge chirped, breaking the silence, and Commodore Sorev’s voice came through from the other side. The time has come Captain, meet me in my office. He turned to look at Dathasa for a moment. “I’ll see you in the sky.” he said, and without another word he stepped away, brushing her hand with his once more. He walked quickly to the Commodore’s office, and rang the chime. 

“Come in.” her voice said through the door, and he pressed the button to open it. The office was more crowded now, and Scott counted eight bodies including the Commodore standing behind her desk as he entered. “I’ve pulled together this crew to run the Battle. Is your ship ready to go?”

“At your command, Commodore Sorev.” Scott replied dutifully. 

“Then ready your ship and meet me at these coordinates, Captain.” Sorev said, handing Scott a PADD. “Dismissed.” she added. Scott turned on his heel and left, headed for his ship. 

Once back on board his ship, Scott gathered his senior staff. “Here’s the play.” he began. “Commodore Sorev has provided us some backup. She’s pulled an Akira Class out of mothballs. We’re going to rendezvous with them, Dathasa and Dranoj outside Deep Space 12 and re-open the conduit. We’re gonna take the fight to them, and hopefully catch them by surprise.” 

“Do you really think we stand a chance, Captain?” Bema asked. 

“I don’t know, Bema.” Scott replied, “But we are going in there, and we are going to stop these invaders or die trying.” Scott paced back and forth across the front of the table. “I know…” he began, but his words faltered as he looked around the table at the faces looking back at him. 

“It’s alright, Captain.” Ezra said. “We know what this is. And we know the stakes. And you can damn well guarantee, if we don’t win, we’ll take as many of those bastards with us as we can.” The rest of the table nodded their affirmation in silence, a look of determination burned behind their eyes.

Scott beamed at his crew. “To your station then, Mr. Bennett.” he said, “and that goes for the rest of you as well.” A chorus of “Aye, Captain” sounded throughout the room, and everyone stood to man their posts.

Scott followed his officers to the bridge, and took his seat, with Bema sitting beside him.  “Alright Mr. Bennett, take us out. Heading 145 mark 4.” Ezra maneuvered the ship to come to a stop beside the Battle. The old Akira Class looked ready, phaser banks humming with life along her hull. The Saeihr and the QeH Duj came to rest on the port side of the Erikson, sleek and aggressive against the hard black of space. The four ships sat floating while Garion made the adjustments to open the conduit. 

We are ready to go down here, Captain. Garion said through the comms. On your order Sir.

“On my mark, Lieutenant. Three…two…one…now!” Scott said, pointing at the space directly outside the viewscreen. The familiar ripples of underspace, then the spider web of violet light, then a bright flash, and before them stood the yawning maw of the underspace conduit, ready to receive them. “You know the drill, Mr. Bennett. Ahead one quarter impulse.” Scott ordered. Ezra nodded, and the ship began to move. The three other vessels followed, so the Leif Erikson was the tip of the spear, aimed at the heart of this invasion.

Through the Underspace conduit they hurtled, racing towards the location of the enemy installation. Ezra handled the controls expertly, keeping the ship away from the worst of the debris. The comms crackled in the Erikson’s bridge, and Commodore Sorev’s voice was heard. How long until we reach the junction?

“Three minutes, twenty-seven seconds, Commodore.” Scott responded

Dranoj’s voice came next, barely audible in the distortion of underspace. Once we breach the intersection, we’ll need to punch through their outer defenses and head straight for the base of that tower.

“Assuming that’s the only power source.” Scott replied. 

Then we’ll blow them all. Came Dathasa’s voice next, cold and even from the cockpit of her Corsair. Leave no survivors.

The underspace tunnel widened out before them, and they were upon it. There, hanging impossibly in space was the Vaadwaur Outpost, large, cold and menacing, bristling with defenses and surrounded by a fleet of Vaadwaur ships. 

Alright everyone, said Commodore Sorev over the comms, Let’s save the world.