Chapter 4: First Blood is Drawn (part 1)

Chapter 4: First Blood is Drawn (part 1)

FIRST OFFICER’S PERSONAL LOG:

Well, I’m a bleedin’ moron again. So we’ve left Spacedock an’ we all got a bit of downtime, an’ I figger hey! Now’s a good time t’ check out dem holodecks. So I go on ‘n’ load up a Sherlock ‘olmes story, an’ in da middle of da t’ing, I get whonked on da head- well, pistol-whipped really, but da safeties kicked in, an’ I wasn’t hurt bad… But it did hurt, an’ I had t’ go t’ Sickbay.

An’ t’ top it off, some nurse was all, “Well we gotta do tests ‘n’ poke ‘n’ prod ‘n’ more tests an’ take up more of yah time than I really oughta. So I’m waitin’ for him t’ come on back ‘n’ clear me so’s I can get back to duty.

Frazetti finished her personal log in the middle of an empty Sickbay and sighed. Where in Kirk’s name was that damn nurse? It was just a bump and a bruise! Honestly!

But the kid seemed fresh outta the academy and had reminded her, three times, that he could and would restrict her to quarters if she didn’t quit rushing him. That, of course, was crap; at least she hoped it was crap. Because she was half a mind to just say ‘Hell with it’ and leave anyway. There was a rebellious glint in her eyes and a stubborn set to her back that spoke to the truth of this.

The Icarus was already well on her way as Sterling arrived to the bridge. He walked over to the science station and spoke to science chief M'elena Richards. The Caitan officer was the key science individual working on improving the ship’s cloaking detection technology since the moment they arrived onto the ship.

Sterling leaned in toward the science officer and asked discreetly:

“What is the status of our detection… improvements, Lieutenant?”

“Well, Captain, as we continue to strive to find the Rosetta stone of detection technology to meet your request, we realized that we needed to implement something that could be set-up and ready for use as quickly as possible. Since there was not one foolproof and reliable method that we could immediately put into action, we decided to implement a three-part cloaking detection system.”

The science chief then called up a display on her science console. Using an interactive color-coded schematic of the Icarus, the felinoid woman then pointed out her system as she explained to the Captain:

“Using our recently reconfigured sensors, we are able to emit a localized tachyon motion detection grid that can emanate a signal approximately four hundred million kilometers around the ship for a brief period of time. However, the strength of the signal begins to degrade the further away from the ship the signal travels.”

She then changed the schematic to a different configuration.

“Now, to go along with this grid, we’ve also added a long-range tachyon scanner. As you can see from the simulation here, it can penetrate the region much deeper and with greater reliability. However, it has a more limited angle of scanning potential. The greatest angle of scanned area we’ve achieved at any given time is about forty-eight degrees. It currently takes almost twenty seconds to reconfigure and rescan the next area, but we are working on improving the protocols of this to a level where these scans will begin to occur instantaneously from each other. We’re also working toward having multiple scans occurring simultaneously as well.“

Richards then changed the schematic to another configuration.

“Our final detection method is a metaphasic sweep… in which we have the sensors send out a metaphasic wave similar to the tachyon grid. However, obviously we can’t have the sensors send out both tachyon and metaphasic signals simultaneously.”

The science chief paused for a moment before adding:

“However, we have been experimenting with using the deflector to send out signals in conjunction with the sensor arrays, but we’re still in the preliminary phases of this. In fact, we are contemplating adding an antiproton beam to this configuration as well… just to give us another option.”

The Captain nodded approvingly.

“So, at the moment, Lieutenant, are these initial three detection systems ready to implement?”

With a smile like the Cheshire cat, the Caitan woman informed him:

“These systems are currently in place and are ready to be implemented on your command, Captain.”

With that, Sterling stood up straight again with a smile.

“Standby, Lieutenant; I have a gnawing suspicion that we’ll be testing your system sooner than we hoped.”

He turned back and proceeded toward the center seat.

After sitting for a moment and gazing around him, Sterling then turned around and again toward the science officer.

“Any unusual readings, Lieutenant?” he asked as his signal to M'elena to run a full sensor sweep; including her cloaked detection system as well.

“Engaging scanners now Captain,” she responded as she began the first phase of her scanning procedure.

Hopefully, it would come up empty… though for all of the right reasons.

''Sir, I might be able to add a little to our cloak-scanning efforts from here,'' then proposed Counselor Pasqual from the communications station.

“Yes indeed, Mister Pasqual,” The Captain affirmed, nodding his head approvingly. “If you are able to coordinate your two stations in this endeavor, it would certainly improve our efficiency and hopefully precision as well. Proceed when you are ready, Counselor.”

''Well, it's not much but... you are aware any ship that is cloaked has to maintain communications silence, even intraship ones... and also rely only on passive sensors; else its own emissions could be detected. Call it ''silent running'' if you will... something like the submarines of old Earth navy. This would also include any targeting lock system other than purely optical...''

''Confirmed, Sir,'' approved M'elena Richards. ''Any form of emission would immediately register on our sensors.''

Ray nodded to her and completed his explanation.

''If we maintain radio silence, I can open all channels to wide reception and filter out all known natural and Federation signals. Anything else would immediately cause static our sensors could then track to the source. Not accurate... but it would work if they try to scan or target us.''

And so saying, his fingers flew over his console to adjust their receptors to the desired parameters.

''It won't work if we expect to send or receive any communication... so if anyone needs to make a call, do it now,'' the Orion man warned with a small smirk.

“Hmmm… Thank you, Mister Pasqual… perhaps we’ll send one very brief, coded message to the WovHaqtaj to confirm that we’re on our way and to warn them to be prepared for any type of resistance or perhaps attack… based on our recent events. After this, all radio communications on this ship will cease. I’ll make a general announcement regarding this following the sending of the encoded message. Any other suggestions?” he asked then.

''Negative, Captain Sir... I'm not a religious man.''

Sterling tried to restrain a laugh, but was not very successful.

"Noted for future reference, Counselor," was all the Captain could muster as a response.

“Captain, we just received the updated coordinates of K’vada’s position from Starbase 39. They are encrypted Sir.” The young Ops officer filling in for Hartzer informed the captain.

Sterling rose from his chair and stepped over to the Ops console. He entered his security password and the decrypted coordinates appeared. He looked over to the Romulan bridge officer manning the helm station to their right.

“Well… here you go, Mister Falcar… best possible speed to meet up with the IKS WovHaqtaj and Captain K’vada… and preferably without incident!” he emphasized.

Sterling then sat back down in the center seat and began to reflect on that ship. He had heard of this ship somewhere before…

WovHaqtaj… he recalled that the name roughly translated to a “scalpel of light” with its intention implying and touting the ship’s deadly capacity of slicing up their opponents with precision. He just couldn’t place where he had heard of this ship before. Hopefully, under the current circumstances, it wouldn’t be the Icarus or her crew that would be on the receiving end of the WovHaqtaj’s arsenal.

He turned his attention back to the viewscreen, and then to the helm officer.

“Mister Falcar; how long until our rendezvous with the WovHaqtaj?”

Janus tapped his console and updated the course of the ship. He then engaged the warp drive prudently, starting at warp 2.

"It should take us about an hour Captain. With the fix of the warp drive, I'm going to ease the speed up, as a precaution. We should be up to warp 6 in twenty minutes."

“A prudent precaution, Mister Falcar,” the Captain nodded approvingly. “We would not want to test out the maximum capacity of the warp drive in haste; at least not until she has been properly warmed up and broken in.”

They could all feel the warp drive kick-in as the helm officer slowly coaxed her up to warp 2 and headed the Icarus toward her first rendezvous. The drive performed flawlessly from what they could tell.

Just to be on the safe side, Sterling called down to main engineering. Almost immediately, a response was given.

“Hanson here, Captain” the chief engineer responded, full of energy, as if he was receiving a feed right from the engines themselves.

“Mister Hanson; how are the engines holding up so far?”

“Sir, she is maintaining warp 2 without a hitch… ur… without any noticeable difficulties.”

Sterling smirked.

“Yes Chief… I gathered the gist of your initial response.” He then asked: “what are your thoughts about increasing our warp to... say, warp 6?

There was a moment of silence that seemed to stretch out like a long piece of chewing gum.
Eventually, the chief engineer responded.

“Captain… given the current circumstances of these engines being new and untested in space… and the warp core incident we just resolved not too long ago… I would advise increasing our warp speed quite slowly and steadily… at least over the next fifteen to twenty minutes… Sir”

Sterling smiled a bit.

“Well, Mister Hanson… you’ll be relieved to know that helmsman Falcar provided a similar recommendation as well and has been implementing this very procedure as we speak. It is reassuring to see that our officers are operating in a similar reflective manner. Carry on, Mister Hanson.”

“Thank you, Sir… I’ll let you know if we start reading any abnormalities down here,” the Lieutenant assured his commanding officer.

“I’m certain that you would, Chief… Sterling out” the Captain concluded as he closed the channel to Engineering.

He then looked at the helmsman.

“As you could hear, Mister Falcar, our Chief Engineer unreservedly agreed with your assessment and your method of implementation. Carry on, sub-lieutenant.” He added with a slight smile of pride in his new helmsman.

Science Chief M'elena Richards subdued a yawn and fought it back down as she stretched a little her lithe feline body and sighed.

She knew she had been late in returning to the bridge; after being able to read messages from home, the Caitan hybrid could now settle down better in her new role on board her ‘‘new old ship.'' And so, she had taken her seat quickly, just in time to answer the Captain's requests. Perhaps relaxing for another five minutes had been not such a good thing after all, as the Icarus suddenly went into a frenzy following the sabotage attempt; something she might have helped prevent if she had been there to do a pre-launch internal scan.

Still, the ship was not the best she had seen. The Earth term was a clunker as she recalled. If she was going to think anything, it would be that she'd have had one of the newer ships made ready for such a critical diplomatic meeting as the one they were tasked to be part of.

It wasn't that the Excelsior class was a bad ship; it was just out of its time. The Excelsior testbed was of an age long gone and, in her mind, it belonged there. The famous Hikaru Sulu had carved out his own legend on board the USS Enterprise of Captain James T Kirk and then himself as the commanding officer of the original USS Excelsior; and it had been a long one, ending with Sulu being Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet.

It had been a golden age then, with Kirk, Sulu and all the others. However the age of maverick captains had ended with them. The galaxy was a different place and events had changed it vastly. M'elena had to wonder if 'cowboy diplomacy' had a place anymore.

And she feared that, on board this vessel, she might be the only one asking.

* * *

"Ready on the right, ready on the left, ready on the firing line...Fire!"

Phaser fire sounded all across the range as the Icarus beta shift security teams fired their weapons almost as one. They each were taking aim at three different targets at various distances down range. Brian had decided that with the saboteur incident behind him he needed to get to work on the department itself. He'd already submitted an after action report to the captain, and put in commendation recommendations for Lieutenant Callen, Cassie, Cadet Thran, and Lieutenant Kurgan.

This phaser target session was something the men needed to get their minds off the sabotage incident and to keep them sharp. Brian had bad feeling that there could be a high probability that shots would be fired possibly even before the talks began. A high pitched ding from the computer signaled the end of the time.

"Cease fire, cease fire," Brian called out "return your weapons to their holsters."

As the men obeyed his orders, he ordered the computer "Computer, tally all scores and send them to the security office terminal."
"Acknowledged" the feminine voice replied

Brian turned back to the assembled crewmen.

"Very good; next group."

The Delta shift crew entered the phaser range and Brian repeated the process with them. When the exercises were completed, he returned to his office and began going over the results. Most of the men scored very well, but he noted several that could use some extra practice to make sure they were able to maintain their qualifications and he sent notes to their shift supervisors to ensure that those practice sessions were carried out.

As he was preparing to head back to the bridge, his communicator chirped and Captain Sterling's voice addressed him.

“Mister Archer… we’re heading for our next rendezvous. Have your team ready… well… for anything.”

After discussing the radio silence issue and the upcoming message to the Klingon ship, Sterling then added:

“Once you have your security teams in place, I’ll need you manning the tactical station. I want our most experienced and skilled tactician with his mind and fingers at our tactical console, ready to respond to any potential issues that may arise.”

He then asked his security chief:

“Any strategic recommendations before we rendezvous with the WovHaqtaj and beam aboard Captain K’vada?”

"I was just getting ready to head back to the bridge, Sir, but I still have armed guards in our critical spaces. Even with our unwanted guest gone, I'm not taking chances that he didn't have an accomplice. As far as the Klingons go, Sir...I would recommend Yellow Alert throughout our entire trip. Frankly Captain, I don't trust any of the parties involved. As for diplomats... well they are their own brand of unstable. If you want to discuss it further, Sir, I'll be joining you on the bridge shortly."

"We'll talk when you arrive up here Lieutenant Commander."

Brian made his way to the turbolift and rode it to the bridge. He strode over to the tactical station and relieved the ensign manning it.

"Commander Archer reporting as ordered, Sir."

“Thank you. Mister Archer. As you can see, we're still on Yellow Alert and we'll maintain this status unless something causes us to shift into Red Alert. In regards to our delegates… well, keep your security teams in close proximity to them at all times. It will most likely be a fine line between protection and perceived interference throughout this mission. You’re team will especially have to be mindful of K’vada when he boards. He will be highly insulted if he senses that we are intending to ‘protect’ him. Diplomacy needs to be demonstrated from us as well as from the diplomats.”

He then noted to the science chief:

“Lieutenant Richards… be sure that your cloaking detection system can also be accessed and implemented by Lieutenant Commander Archer at his tactical station as well. Between you, Mister Archer and Mister Pasqual, there will hopefully be nothing or no one sneaking anywhere within firing range without us knowing about them before they are even prepared to load their weapons.”

He then stated to the security chief:

“Mister Archer, please take your post. Once you are situated, test out the new sensor protocols at your earliest opportunity. Let me know how they are working for you.”

He took a few moments and composed a quick yet concise message to the Klingon ship and then sent it to the Ops station. He angled his position up and noted to his acting Ops officer:

“Please encode and send this to K’vada on the WovHaqtaj immediately Ensign.”

After which, he turned to the station on the bridge that the Chief Medical Officer was occupying.

“Hey, Mister Cyl," Sterling whispered; "come on over and give me an update when you have a moment.”

The Doctor turned around with a grin on his face.

Jayvin handed the Captain a quick report on the status of the exams. While there were still a few stragglers, the vast majority of the crew has had their exams. Jayvin was even able to let his beta and gamma shift rest up for their shifts. But even with the exams out of the way there were still piles of work for Jayvin to complete.

Luckily for the doctor due to the nature of this mission, the level of his staff experience allowed him to only direct them where he needed them to be. They could then proceed proficiently from there.

Flicking the switch for one last ship-wide announcement, Sterling then said:

“Attention, crew of the Icarus;” and, after a brief pause continued; “this is Captain Sterling… as a precautionary measure, and effective at the conclusion of this announcement, we are going on a ship-wide radio silence mode. This translates to the only communication that is allowable is verbal. No message, calls, or notifications of any sorts. This will allow us to detect all signals emanating around us as we head toward our first destination. Be alert and cognizant of all of your actions, interactions and surroundings. Sterling out.”

* * *

"Commander! We have them on sensors."

Setal walked back toward his chair near the center of the bridge. Stopping beside it, he tapped the back of the head rest while he waited. A Klingon warship under warp drive was no easy task to stop, but Setal had produced a sound plan to do so.

"When they reach range, fire the full spread. Once they are into standard space, target their weapons and drive."

As the IKS WovHaqtaj streaked by the Doradus star system, four specifically designed one-time use torpedoes streaked out of the tubes on the Leahal and leaped into warp, each bent on a specific area of space. Reaching their targeting coordinates, the torpedoes exploded sequentially along the flight path of the Klingon Vor'cha.

The third torpedoes expanding tachyon pulse intersected the warp bubble of the Klingon ship, collapsing its symmetry. As the large battle cruiser dropped out of warp, the Leahal swept forward, her four forward disruptor banks spewing destruction upon the WovHaqtaj' port nacelle and impulse engines.

Quickly sitting down, Setal barked further orders.

"Aft torpedoes ... Fire! Come around for another pass."

Swinging into a tight turn, the Valdore spat two torpedoes into the port nacelle of the large ship, blowing it apart. Half of the long tubular structure broke away from the wing in an explosion of light and sparks, then began to diverge away from the now coasting Vor'cha.

"Time to forward reload?" Setal inquired calmly.

The reply from the forward torpedo room was just as calmly returned.

Two minutes.

Smiling to himself, Setal paused to look over the large, crippled Klingon ship.

Too bad I cannot take the time to talk with the Klingon now. His rage must be on the verge of exploding his head by now, Setal thought jauntily.

The Leahal, sweeping below and to starboard of her wounded prey, still blasted disruptor shots into critical drive and shield systems of the wounded Vor'cha. Soon, once the reload completed, four plasma torpedoes would mark an end to the Klingon diplomatic advances in the alpha quadrant.

* * *

Captain’s Log; Stardate 57162.4

After transferring our saboteur and leaving Starbase 39, we began to engage our warp drive. Slowly at first and working our way up to warp 2.

After about an additional eighteen minutes, we slowly continued to increase our velocity. Fifty-five minutes later, the USS Icarus had been cruising at warp 6 for a little more than thirty-five minutes without a single problem from the warp engines or otherwise.

Nevertheless, the crew was still walking around on pins and needles; as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. Lieutenant Commander Archer’s security team had completed a ship-wide security sweep, and had uncovered nothing in regards to additional tampering. All of the department heads had reported that all of their diagnostic tests and simulations indicated that everything was functioning at or above normal levels. They had just begun the Alpha duty schedule and therefore all key officers were in position. Yet this ominous feeling lingered on.

Helmsman Falcar had skillfully piloted them into the Gamma Doradus system for their rendezvous with the Klingon Vor’cha class ship WovHaqtaj who would be awaiting their arrival within a few moments.

“Mister Falcar, take us out of warp,” Sterling commanded from the center seat of the bridge, as his eyes focused on the viewscreen.

Just as they entered Einsteinian space, the ship automatically switched to Red Alert and the klaxon bellowed out throughout all decks as the illumination changed along with the flashing warning lights.

“Ah, there you are, Commander,” said the medical assistant to First Officer Hartzer, still fuming with growing impatience leaning on a biobed in sickbay. “I’ve got your results back, and...”

And then the red alert came on and Frazetti swore. She was needed on the bridge!

She leaped off the biobed and snatched her hat from where she had hung it on the corner of a chair. The sickbay assistant stood in front of her and crossed his arms on his chest.

“Whoa, whoa, Commander, I still need to...”

“Listen, lieutenant; I don’ care if yer da bloody cap’n of the goddamm Enterprise,” she snarled, her accent thicker in her anger and blue eyes flashing. “It’s just a bump and ya c’n file a complaint if ya wanna but I am goin’ up t’ da bridge an’ ya can either move or be moved!”

He moved.

She was out the door and gone in a flash of red.

By the time she reached the bridge, she knew something was up, and she entered unnoticed on the tail end of a conversation. From the look of the bridge and the viewscreen, she could extrapolate some things, but the conversation filled her in on the rest.

Astonishingly, right before their eyes, the bridge crew witnessed a violently spectacular scene: a Romulan Warbird viciously attaching the IKS WovHaqtaj; just as the disruptor banks of the Romulan attacker seared a pulse of intense force directly on the WovHaqtaj' port nacelle and impulse engines.

This ship was in serious trouble.

Sterling jumped out of his seat and yelled angrily:

“Falcar… full power… intercept that Warbird!”

Falcar tapped the console and the ship engaged in full combat speed. He worked the controls some more, preparing for evasive and attack maneuvers.

The captain then turned to his tactical and security chief and said menacingly:

“Mister Archer… hit those bastards hard!” just as the Icarus careened full-force right toward the Romulan Warbird.

Pasqual almost jumped out of his seat when the captain immediately ordered full destructive assault on the warbird barely seconds after they came onto the scene of the battle.

Damn he's panicking again! he thought with some rising emotion within him too.

''Sir! We have no clue what's happening here! We should first warn the Romulans off!''

“It would appear from what we all just witnessed Counselor, that the Romulan Warbird is intent on destroying K’vada and his Klingon host ship!” Sterling stated as sparks, flames and gases vented profusely from the IKS WovHaqtaj.

''Sir, if that was their intent, why did they not target its warp core first?'' pointed out the Orion Hybrid. ''They are just crippling their propulsion... as if they wanted to have it hang there.''

Sterling thought for a moment and quipped:

"And as you know Counselor... not all hunters kill their prey immediately. Some bask in the process, not just the end results."

''And clever hunters use bait...'' retorted the counselor, hoping to paint a larger picture to his commanding officer.

Having switched his comm board while speaking in earnest but with a deliberately controlled, calming voice, the Orion counselor listened a few seconds while checking computer records before adding:

''The Klingons sent no distress call yet; intervening now could also insult their Honor and have them turn against us too!''

There were so many things that could go wrong because Sterling was failing to follow proper rules of engagement.

Warn them off, shoot across their bow, disable their weapon systems... ASK the Klingons if they WANT help!

So many things tumbled into his mind; going for the kill like this without trying communication or gather data was inviting disaster on all sides... which could explode beyond this single small unnecessary battle into a full scale war.

Maybe that is what the Romulans are looking for! he suddenly realized. Sacrificing themselves to provoke a green captain to start a general war with their own enemy would be so typical of them!

And Ray could do nothing about it... nothing but try to talk some sense into the overexcited Sterling as the Icarus recklessly rushed to the attack.

Upon hearing Pasqual's warning, Jayvin couldn't help but chuckle quietly at the idea of a Klingon asking for help. After quick chuckle the Doctor turned to the captain added his support to Pasqual's request.

"I would have to agree, Sir. We should at least try to contact them before going for a disabling shot."

“Contact the Romulan ship Counselor, and let's see if we can get them to back down from their attack!” Sterling commanded.

''Romulan ship, this is the Federation starship Icarus!'' said Ray over the comm. ''Break off your attack and respond!''

Brian watched the drama unfold on the bridge of the Icarus with his hands hovering over the Icarus weapons controls. After the incident with the saboteur he would like nothing better than to reduce the Romulan Warbird to scrap metal. But whether he liked it or not, Counselor Pasqual had a point; but the fact that the battle was in Federation space gave the Icarus justification to intervene.

“Ops… see if you can contact the Klingon ship… Quickly! Find out what their status is… and if they have any objections to us attempting to fend off this attacker.”

Then looking to Lieutenant Commander Archer, Sterling commanded;

"Be prepared to get their attention... if not more" the Captain stated with urgency.

After a few intense moments of attempting to achieve communications with the damaged Klingon ship, the Ops officer replied back:

"There is no response Captain... it appears that their communications system has been damaged from the attack."

He then turned to the Counselor.

"There will be no honor to insult if they are dead Mister Pasqual, and we need to ensure that these officers don’t perish from such a meaningless death at the hands of these Romulan renegades.”

''With all due respect, Captain Sir, these are Klingons; no battle is ever meaningless to them... and death in battle is the very core of their Honor... If we deprive them of the glory of either death or triumph in battle... they will not forgive us.''

And the Romulans knows this as well as we do, realized Ray, looking at the peculiarly ''merciful'' attack pattern of the warbird against a ship that could still match it in firepower.

Helping the Klingons without their approval would create a new enemy just as surely as letting them die without offering assistance... but rescuing them would brand them weak, not the fearless warriors they were so proud to be. But then again, the Icarus could not just stand there and do nothing...

It was a complicated situation.

Typical Romulan play... he saw all too well.

And... whoever said that they were renegades? suddenly wondered the counselor, recalling the words of the captain.

What does he know that we don't?

"I understand the Klingon philosophy of the honor of death in battle Counselor, argued Sterling, but we are not randomly appearing here and interfering with their battle. We are here to rendezvous with the WovHaqtaj. We were obviously not present when this engagement began, but we can assess to a reasonable degree what occurred based on what we see has transpired. As you saw, the Romulan Warbird was undamaged and the Klingon Vor'cha is now virtually crippled. This could imply some type of a sneak attack. This is Federation space and we have an ally on the verge of destruction. It is unacceptable to sit here and do nothing but watch this Klingon ship be destroyed.”

''With all due respect, Captain Sir, you do not understand; Klingons do not care for our point of view or yours; only theirs,'' shot back Pasqual. ''But that does not mean we can not intervene...''

Before he could say anything else, the Romulans had fired a double salvo of torpedoes.

Sitting calmly in his chair, Romulan Commander Setal had caught the flash of a starship entering normal space on the edge of the screen. Sizing up the situation immediately, he had instructed his helmsman to alter course.

"Helm, hard about!"

The Valdore had started to swing away from its track toward the Vor'cha and face the new arrival. Setal had looked it over curiously for a second, studying its lines. It looked suspiciously like ...

Vah'Areinnye! An old Excelsior?Setal thought incredulously.

And then had come in the warning call of the Federation vessel.

Something felt wrong, and Setal usually trusted his first instinct. Regardless of the warning, his desire was to finish the Klingon, but instinct prevailed.

"Lieutenant, split your target. Send our Federation party crashers a pair from the forward tubes. Also target the bridge of that kll'inghann vang'radam."

Lifting her bow, the Leahal's forward tubes then had spat out four plasma torpedoes. Now, two streaked toward the Vor'cha bridge while their brethren arced away and sped toward the Icarus.

As Pasqual hailed the Warbird again, Brian Archer watched as the ship suddenly came about and opened fire.

And then, the tactical officer showed how well he understood his job and their predicament.

"She's firing Captain two torpedoes incoming and two headed toward the Klingons as well. Sir with our shields up if we can get between those torpedoes and the Klingons we should do it. They are in serious trouble, and those shots might be enough to do them in!"

Well done, Archer... be of help but let the Klingons have the glory of the fight... or of having stood bravely before death.

“Agreed, Mister Archer,” Sterling stated as he also witnessed the two sets of salvos spewed out by the Romulan Warbird.

Perhaps the intent of the Romulan attacker is a bit more transparent now, Sterling thought grimly as he saw the torpedoes launched from the warbird blaze towards their targets like two fireballs from Hell.

"Shields at maximum” the Captain ordered as he then turned his attention to the Romulan helm officer.

“Mister Falcar, bring us between those torpedoes and the Klingon Vor'cha… Now!”

Damn, Falcar thought, there is no way we could get there in time... unless...

At the same moment the idea came to mind, the captain then turned toward his tactical chief.

“Mister Archer, do whatever you can to disrupt those plasma torpedoes!”

"Aye Sir," was Brian's quick reply to the captain's order.

He knew that he had to act quickly if he wanted to get those torpedoes before they hit the Klingon ship. With a few taps on the tactical console he switched the forward phaser arrays to manual targeting and immediately targeted the first of the two torpedoes.

"Tracking torpedo one...firing phasers."

The Icarus brand new, top of the line phaser arrays fired flawlessly and phaser beams streaked toward the first torpedo obliterating it and sending out a shock wave that destroyed the second torpedo and rocked the Klingon vessel which began to list slightly in space.

"Now I suggest we ask the Klingons if they require assistance, Sir. We could take them under tow but only if their core is stable, I would advise keeping our distance until we determine that."

Damn Kobayashi Maru scenarios, the Captain muttered to himself as he watched these events unfold like a nightmare.

And then suddenly the warbird warped out.

Leaving us hanging here, mused Ray frowning. They know that we are bound by our own sense of Honor to rescue the Klingons now that the battle is over... while they...

Frantically, he activated subspace frequencies as he said to the captain:

''Sir, no space encounter ever happens by mere chance. If they intercepted the Klingons here... their next target must be our next rendezvous point! We should warn them immediately!''

"Agreed Counselor. Try to send a warning message to D’Tan’s ship, the Blackwing, immediately. Let them know everything that we’ve seen so far. Hopefully, they will at least be better prepared than our Klingon allies here who apparently did not receive our communiqué.”

''Aye, aye, Sir. Transmitting,'' immediately acknowledged the green-skinned counselor.

Having accomplished much of his intent here, The Valdore Class Warbird commander thought it best to try again at the other coordinates received from his Brigadier friend in Klingon intelligence.

Falcar stopped what he was doing and turned around.

“What?”

The Captain looked at him for a second and continued to speak.

"Helm, go to warp. Course 173, mark 16."

* * *