The Last Dragon

Like a full moon against a dark cloudy sky, the great spiral of the Milky Way galaxy framed the titanic battle between the last of the monstrous doomsday machines and the battered, undermanned, and tiring starships of the United Federation of Planets.

Their former intergalactic allies had sacrificed themselves to buy them some time. Their most powerful attack vessel was disabled after it's heroic ramming of one of the monsters. Their most advanced command ship was confined to a short-term defensive posture. The remaining three sections of their most nimble warship were almost exhausted in energy, defensive and offensive capabilities after battling bravely and boldly three planet-killers; and one was still very much threatening them... and the rest of the galaxy.

It was now all up to the Alsea.

Onboard the drifting Achilles Commander Rogers rushed to the main bridge, leaving the severely damaged battle bridge to effect repairs to his crippled command. Barely a minute and a half passed when David squeezed hurriedly through the barely opening bridge access and ran to the engineering station. A quick survey noted that damage to this station was minimal, and he began rectifying the failing life support systems. A multitude of rerouted command paths and hasty rerouting of EPS power supply stabilized his first predicament, but not without compromise.

"Computer! Status of life support," David demanded after a couple minutes of frantic keystrokes.

'Life support stable at eight percent,' came the neutral response. 'Ambient ship wide temperature holding at plus four Celsius. Ambient atmospheric pressure steady at three hundred sixty millibars.'

 David balked at that last one and demanded clarification.

"Computer. Clarify ambient atmospheric pressure!"

 With its unique calmness the computers' monotone voice reiterated its statement.

"Internal ship oxygen levels can only be maintained at fifty-five percent. Comparable Earth altitude is eight thousand five hundred meters. Extreme caution advised.'

 "No doubt,' David thought briefly, then moved across the bridge to the weapons console and brought the main viewer online. He studied the tactical readout while responding to Kheren's earlier message.

 "Rogers to fleet. Life support restored to lowest levels. Stand by for a gift."

With that Rogers began entering command instructions in the tactical console, readying a soft launch of the four forward quantum torpedoes. After assigning a command relay for each one David enabled their launch, two targeted toward the starboard of the remaining planet killer and two to its port.

As the Achille's slowly tumbled aft of the remaining enemy giant, her forward torpedo's launched, one each second. As a soft launch, they glided out of their tube's and with small course corrections, powered up to one quarter impulse to their respective target areas: either side of the menace and near toward each of the two Alsea sections currently circling the enemy. As they sped away Rogers contacted his fleet mates again.

 "A few toys ..." David gasped; " ... for you guys." With an effort David forced out a following remark. " Command codes ...;" Another deep breath. " ... incoming."

With that David entered the code for each torpedo and transmitted these to the Alsea's vectors' weapons consoles. Once they accepted the codes, any ship could take remote command of each or any of the four quantum torpedo's and guide them remotely, increase to maximum impulse velocity if so desired, or even detonate them at any time or position.

Gasping from the low oxygen, David sank slowly toward the deck and, turning slowly, sat with his back against the console. His breath, gasps of exhaled mist in the cold air, was labored and exhausting.

Guiding the nimble gamma vector past the mostly incapacitated Achilles, the codes to the traveling quantum torpedoes sent by the mixed Human/Romulan commanding the large vessel elicited a ping on his weapons consoles, indicating their readiness status. Syntron immediately seized control of the first two weapons in range of his ship and redirected their trajectory.

For the time being, he had to ignore the medical urgency that Commander Rogers was facing on board a ship with faltering life support as it drifted helpless in dangerous proximity to the lethal attacking machine. Their priority was to nullify this remaining threat to their galaxy and the trillions of inhabitants who were oblivious to this massive, automated weapon in space designed to obliterate all planets and objects along its pathway of destruction.  

He then hailed their fleet within range.

“I have control of the alpha and beta torpedoes Lieutenant Sorripto.  If you seize control of the gamma and delta torpedoes, we can coordinate an attack pattern that should allow at least one of these torpedoes to fully penetrate the core of the remaining doomsday mechanism. We can set timed detonations on each weapon along with sensors to indicate the optimal location and moment to initial a blast.”

Sorripto quickly linked his console with the two remaining torpedoes.

"I have them." Sorripto responded.

"Evasive pattern epsilon two should do the trick. It is used to evacuate shuttles. If we treat the torpedoes as escape craft we can use what limited firepower we have left to keep them alive."

Sorripto sighed slightly before continuing.

"I hate to admit it, but it is more important those torpedoes survive than we do."

“Initiating evasive pattern epsilon two,” Syntron confirmed as he entered in the sequence of digital information then steered his ship toward the mouth of the beast once again. As he adjusted his trajectory, he addressed the last sentiment of his Cardassian counterpart skillfully piloting the tactical vector of the Alsea

“A preferable approach would be to affectively attack this enemy with cunning precision… nullifying its intent and thus allowing us to rejoin these vectors back into one unit… with the only results that matter.”

As his words concluded, a barrage of phaser fire struck the perimeter of the mechanism's opening, allowing multiple beams to penetrate deeper inside its radiating gullet.

"Surviving would be nice." Sorripto responded.

As Syntron turned his vector, Sorripto joined in the assault. Firing a burst of phasers around the opening and highlighting the deeper blasts with torpedoes. For the moment it seemed to be working, but whether it would be enough was the real question.

Sorripto was sweating uncharacteristically much for a Cardassian. He was concentrating fire, controlling a tactical vector, covering the engineering vector, and independently steering two torpedoes. The blasts drew the attention of the planet killer, but it appeared to continue to focus on the Horizon. Sorripto moved his hands frantically over the console steering the charged torpedoes towards the opening.

"It better be a big statue". Sorripto thought to himself.

The charge grew as the planet killer powered for a shot. Sorripto frantically aimed the two charged torpedoes towards the opening. The blast from his and Syntron's vectors generated only a small opening, but a few meters is all Sorripto would need. He steered the torpedoes towards the glowing charge and sighed as they vanished in the flash.

The Horizon, having completed her turn back to position between the doomsday machine and the battered Achilles, Kheren switched to intraship channels.

''Ensign, do you have a lock on Commander Rogers?''

''Aye, Captain; lifesigns fluctuating on the main bridge, near the engineering station. life support stable but at minimal level for humanoid life. But beaming him back requires retracting then reactivating armor. Sensors show the robotic construct is currently scanning us and standing ready to fire.''

The Andorian blinked. Twice.

''Are you suggesting this thing is... waiting for an opportunity? Learning from the battle?''

''According to current readings, a distinct possibility, Captain.''

Kheren swore in Graalek, so low the universal translator picked up only a growl. This was making this whole nightmare even worse. If that thing was getting better at fighting starships... and managed to elude them and reach the galaxy...

Meanwhile, there was one fellow officer whose life remained in the balance. A precarious one. They could not activate any emitter while armored or survive an antiproton blast if unarmored. But...

He shot out of the command chair. No time to wait for a turbolift. he went to the back wall of the main viewer and pushed open a door.

''Ensign; take command of the Horizon. Keep her between the Achilles and this thing.''

''Sir?''

''I am going over there. ''

''Sir! If the robotic construct detects you...''

''It will do nothing. It does not even register a starship beyond a certain radius. You are asking a whale to notice one krill.''

''Sir... whales eat krill.''

''You have your orders, Ensign.''

He said those words as he reached the shuttlebay. He ran to the nearest one and almost did not wait for the hatch to close before launching it towards the barely opening space doors. At full thrusters, he flew towards the derelict siege destroyer and positionned himself over it's bridge, under the shadow of the flagship.

At station keeping, he went to the scanning seat, locked on half-romulan lifesigns then jumped to the controls of the onboard emergency transporter.

''Hope your human ancestors were Irish, Rogers...'' he said to himself, activating the beam.

In a moment, Kheren dematerialized to find himself on the bridge of the Achilles, standing right over the crumpled form of David Rogers. It took him a moment to register the coldness of the air.

''Why Commander Rogers; your attention is touching; feels almost like home.''

As he spoke, he grabbed the unconscious man with effortless ease under the low gravity, low pressure conditions, just as the automated recall of the emergency transporter whisked them both back on the shuttle.

Once aboard, he got a bunk to emerge from the wall to let the half-romulan lie down then returned to the piloting seat, opening a channel to all the ships.

“I have secured Commander Rogers. Returning to the Horizon. Good hunting gentlebeings.”

And at that very moment, a massive discharge of energy silhouetted starky the flagship.

What the... Did that damn thing target my comm signal?

True or not, Kheren had a new problem to face; Now he couldn't see a thing.

Fortunately, what he missed was only the last doomsday machine's degurgitating the excess blast that utterly destroyed its innards.

When his eyes returned to normal and the shuttle cleared the immense bulk of the Horizon, he saw everything colorless, as his peculiar antennae had reflexively retracted in his skull. That also left him unable to hear, smell or sense EM fields and quite dizzy. But his frozen face almost smiled when he saw the three monstrous dead husks floating on inertia alone; and even more, seeing on sensors three small damaged but very much alive starship modules coming about.

The moment the decisive blast detonated within the last doomsday device, Syntron engaged full impulse power as he veered the gamma vector away from the epicenter of the blast radius. However, despite the nimbleness of the ship, it was no match for the emergent force. It slammed into the escaping ship, reminiscent of a massive cosmic tidal wave.

The small craft toppled around, end over end, as energy levels blinked on and off. The Vulcan fought to regain control of the small ship despite the disorienting effects of the powerful surge. He quickly switched to reserve power and was eventually able to counter the gyroscopic rotations and brought the vector back to an even trajectory. It was then that he realized that his ship had come dangerously close to slamming into Sorripto’s vector. He immediately steered the vessel on a parallel path rather than continue the collision course in was heading towards. After confirming that life support and other systems had returned to a near nominal status, he reached down and engaged the com.

“It would appear that the final threat has been nullified. Recommend that each ship run full scans on the shells of the three devices to confirm that all energy readings have been effectively dissipated.”

Sorripto let out a huge sigh as the blast escaped from the doomsday device. The two torpedoes had made contact and Sorripto watched in near disbelief as the final signs of life faded from the last of these deadly machines. It was at that moment Sorripto realized his tactical sensors were giving a reading of no energy signatures. Hearing the call to scan the machines he activated them second nature. Sorripto's mind was still wrapping around the fact that they had won. At least it appeared that way.

"Are we all alive out there?" Sorripto asked over the comm. "Did we die and I failed to notice?"

From a nearby vector, the Vulcan responded to the Cardassian’s seemingly rhetoric question.

“Run a full bio scan Lieutenant Commander and you will verify that you are indeed still a living entity.”

He veered the gamma vector to pass by the remaining shell of the doomsday mechanism and engaged a full secondary sensor sweep. All readings were void.

“The same cannot be proclaimed for those robotic adversaries,” he added stoically.

A bit of static announced the resounding voice of Kheren over the speakers.

''Well done gentlebeings. We were a little singed here for a moment, but both Commander Rogers and I are fine. Presently docking with Horizon. I beamed Rogers directly to sickbay. Ensign Tessa is making sure he is stable on a biobed with plenty of oxygen and heat. The Alsea can move out of here with the QSD as soon as convenient. I will beam Rogers back to you once he wakes up. ''

He paused for a moment and his tone sobered from it's initial relief.

''The Horizon will take the Achilles in tow and head back out of this no-subspace zone at full impulse. Transwarp will no more work here than standard warp, so we are looking at a full month for us, before being able to head back to Starbase Lotus... and for me to face court martial.''

“You will not face any charges alone” Syntron adamantly proclaimed in response to the Andorian,

He guided the gamma section toward the other two vectors comprising the Alsea as he elaborated further.

“Regardless of the questionable circumstances surrounding how this mission commenced, we now have verifiable evidence of the sabotage imbedded into federation computer systems resulting in the false threat facing our galaxy while masking the true menace arriving from beyond the Great Barrier. It was thorough our combined efforts, despite the dubious falsehoods initially claimed by Starfleet and the irrational restrictions placed upon us, that we thwarted the imminent annihilation of numerous planets and their inhabitants by those three lethal doomsday mechanisms.”

Kheren's voice carried the smile his face could not make.

''I knew it was a good idea to bring you along.''

"I already used my greater good card for leniency the last time I saved the world." Sorripto interjected.

The Vulcan began to initiate the reattachment sequence with the Alsea’s main section commanded by Jureth as he continued speaking.

“An initial perceived threat by the Iconians was paradoxically erroneous as well, given their ultimate selfless sacrifice to assist in our efforts at a most pivotal juncture against those adversaries. In addition, the Achilles was wrested from the control of that renegade holographic augment again, then effectively utilized to aid in the success of this mission.”

The gamma vector skillfully navigated back into position as the docking clamps snapped into place, creating a ship-wide reverberation. Syntron then began shutting down systems aboard the vessel section.  

 “We can utilize the period of time required to maneuver out of this no-subspace zone to map out the details of these events. The files created should provide an irrefutable defense on the behalf of all members involved throughout this mission. In addition, they should also serve as a catalyst initiating a full investigation into the traitorous actions of key participants involved in the sabotage implemented throughout Starfleet and the Federation,” Syntron added as he finished powering down the vector.

"Let us not forget the traitor covered their tracks by framing someone." Sorripto said. "More importantly they tried to frame me."

Sorripto maneuvered the beta vector into position and began to transfer system control back to primaries.

"I will work on compiling sensor logs in the few weeks we have, but I am also going to use this time to design my statue."

Sorripto quickly caught himself.

"I mean our statue. Unless everyone wants their own."

Kheren coughed a laugh.

''I'll settle for a sample of my blood in the Great Hall Of Heroes on Andoria.''

“The only validation required from Starfleet and the Federation would be the acknowledgement that the decisions we made along with the actions we collectively took were implemented to preserve the peace and the sanctity of life of those in our galaxy and beyond,” Syntron proclaimed with sincerity as he finished inspecting the interior of the vector for his report. He then stepped out into the hallway and engaged his communicator to continue the conversation as he traveled.

“Until those at the upper echelon of command reach a paradigm shift in perception versus the reality of what actually occurred, along with the details of circumstances surround those events, there will be no celebratory proceeding that will occur honoring anything that we had done. Contrarily, we will continue to be deemed as veritable outlaws since we defied orders and commandeered Starfleet vessels without authority. The facts surrounding the sabotage, deception and errors in judgment that transpired throughout these sectors must first be acknowledged before any level of resolution is sought.”

''Which means, it starts with Captain Redding.''

Kheren's deep voice sounded like delivering a sentence.

"This is not the first time I have disobeyed orders and stolen a ship for the greater good. Hopefully the homecoming here is better than last time." Sorripto responded.

Smirking slightly Sorripto mumbled to himself.

"I still want that statue."