“Good news, bad news,” Nathan said, stepping into stride beside Tikva as she exited the main shuttlebay. “Looks like the first of the reinforcing battlecruisers is completely unharmed, unlike our current friend. And is doing full impulse. It’ll emerge from the Slow Zone in about three hours.”

“That’s the bad news?” Tikva asked.

“Oh, I haven’t even gotten to the bad news just yet.” Nathan tapped for the turbolift. “A few of its escorting cruisers have already emerged and have joined up with the survivors of our little raids. While you were shuttling back up, three of them made a run at Betazed, circling around the planet to force us to either chase or keep watching the battlecruiser.”

“Three of those cruisers shouldn’t have been much of a challenge, even for a planetary force as out of practice as Betazed’s.” Tikva stepped first into the turbolift as the doors finally parted, offering a warm smile to the two ensigns who suddenly found themselves sharing a car with three of the ship’s most senior officers, Adelinde rounding out the new occupants.

“Now here’s the bad news,” Nathan continued, looking directly at Adelinde as he spoke. “They went straight for one of the manned command platforms. Didn’t even bother firing on the remotes that the command platform is responsible for.”

“They’ve identified the command platforms. Or at least some of them.” Adelinde shook her head, mouth thinning in a slight grimace. “They’ve been monitoring us just as much as we have them. And until the reserves came up to start manning all of the platforms, the command platforms are a strength and weakness.”

“Knock a few out, cause the remotes to stop firing and you have a gap to start sending landing craft through,” Tikva concluded. “Bastards.”

“It’s what I would do,” Adelinde said.

“Doesn’t make me feel better.” Tikva turned to Nathan. “And the good news?”

“None of the raiders survived their little foray. The command platform in question has already made good their shield damage. Textbook withering fire into the enemy.”

“Save next time, there will be a whole hell of a lot more.” Tikva sucked in a breath as the turbolift arrived at the bridge. “We’re so lucky the first lot of ships look like cast offs from somewhere else. The next wave is going to get through to Betazed.”

Nathan waited till the doors closed, the ensigns once more free to head through the ship to wherever they were going. “So, surprise attack into the big boy right now?”

“Just how many escort cruisers do the Vaadwaur have presently?” Tikva asked as she settled into the centre seat, accepting the ship’s keys from Lieutenant Michaels. The young woman always seemed so proud, so pleased with herself whenever she was in command, even if it was just keeping the ship steady for five minutes.

“Twenty.” Nathan’s single-word answer was heavy. Atlantis was a Sovereign-class, but there were limits. Twenty Dominion attack ships were in the realm of possibility. Twenty of these Vaadwaur cruisers were too many.

“And they’re just sitting in open space?” Tikva asked. The confirming head nod was expected. There would be no clever plan here. The enemy was watching them. It would be a dead sprint across open space before a grand melee. They couldn’t even strike at the transport ship to draw some of the ships away, the Vaadwaur opting to bring everything in close.

Safety in numbers. Numbers they had and to which Tikva didn’t. And it would only be getting worse as time ticked on.

“Well, I’m not getting inspiration for any clever plans right-”

An urgent bleeping from the tactical station cut Tikva off, causing her to stand and look at Adelinde, busy examining the station for why it was demanding attention.

“All the Vaadwaur ships have just gone to warp. One minute till they arrive.” Adelinde’s words were grave. She knew the numbers better than anyone. Even fighting against Betazed wouldn’t help if Atlantis became a focus.

They’d have less room to manoeuvre with an entire planet at their back.

“Red alert!” Tikva barked. “All hands to combat stations!”