The fall of Battle Group Trinity Pt 2
Posted on 20 Feb 2020 @ 9:30pm by Fleet Admiral Sho'Thor & Vice Admiral Caleb Severide
Edited on on 20 Feb 2020 @ 9:37pm
1,573 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission:
Empty Creche
Location: Inside Federation space
Timeline: ED 2
ON:
"It was Armageddon for the five colonies you destroyed. I can not take that chance Admiral, stand down, please." She replied earnestly.
“And what about the rest of the planet’s inhabitants? I’ll answer for you. Completely unharmed. I have no plans to scorch the earth’s surface. I only wish to undo the cancer that has festered in Starfleet. It’s time to reset the clock. That being said I’m still curious, your children, do you have a daughter?” He asked.
"Then why are we unable to make contact with any of our bases, ships or colonies that lay, or did lie behind you? Yes I have a daughter." she replied quickly almost hopefully.
“Me too.” The Admiral said forcing a smile. “She even serves in Starfleet, she makes her old man proud every day. Thing is, we’ve had our differences and I don’t see her much. I’d give anything to go back and change things, see her more. I couldn’t do that to someone else. No harm will come to your daughter. Heck I’ll bring her to you myself if you wish.”
"Did you tell that to the transports around Garanda III, or Horizon Prime?" she retorted "You have to understand Admiral it is quite hard for me to believe you haven't wiped out every ship and planet between here and the Sixth fleet bases as we are unable to raise anyone in your wake." Sokolov said simply "I wish I could believe you but I cant and in my place, you wouldn't either."
Severide smiled. “You know that’s the one most egregious yet wondrous characteristic of perception, it’s completely subjective. One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter. It’s so convenient to examine the acts of one under a lens that suits your beliefs, but it is difficult to examine the same facts through another’s. I did what I had to do to protect those I fight for, nothing more.”
"Some things are true no matter what lens you look at them through Admiral. Was not Hitler an evil, murderous, genocidal bastard no matter what lens you look at him through? Was not Mao Zedong, Stalin all who kill more than Hitler? No Admiral, you wish to reduce the Federation to rubble and burning ash, while I might agree the bureaucracy needs to be shaken I can not condone murder, much less genocide on the level your speaking of." Sokolov said evenly wondering what was stooping the man from attacking, and not being naive enough that he was afraid of the small armada.
The Admiral let out a long withdrawn sigh. “Let the record be known, I asked you to step aside. Let it be known, that when your daughter...” Severide clenched his teeth together showing emotional distress. “When your daughter is looking over your casket wondering why, her mother is dead.” He approached the screen, so his face was visible, his swollen eyes apparent to the Captain. “That her foolishness, her stubbornness killed her.”
Caleb presses his lips together. “But Captain, you have left me no other choice.” He said as his voice trailed off.
"She will know that I and every officer and crewman on these ships died defending her from those that wish to destroy us." she made a quick slashing gesture across her neck which caused the screen to go black. As she had been speaking the other four ships in the armada had drifted to away the sides and behind the Imperium. As the channel closed the Defiant cloaked and phasers lanced from the other four visible ships as the Checkov maneuvered to bring it's cannons to bare on any weakness that was exposed.
As the screen went black, Admiral Severide was only a silhouette in the darkness of the Imperium’s bridge. He turned his head slightly towards his tactical officer behind him. “Focus all fire on the Atonement, raise shields, charge the cannon.”
The tactical officer entered the Admiral’s commands setting the target. “Shields up, target locked sir.” He reported.
The Admiral looked back to the empty view screen. “On screen.”
The view screen lit up, as the forward section of the Excalibur class Atonement bore down upon the Imperium. A ship, normally hulking in size was dwarfed in comparison to Severide’s dreadnought. “Helm, attack pattern Severide alpha....”
“Fire at will.”
The Atonement spun on it's axis broadsiding the forward facing shields of the Imperium, Sokolov wanted the dreadnought to focus on the ship that could soak up the most damage and give the other ships time to wear down the rear shields. As the Atonement spun and fired the Archimedes began pulsing a tachyon beam a the dreadnoughts rear shields as the Bismark and Roman let loose with every phaser bank and quantum torpedo ready. The Checkov decloaked above the Archimedes and began a strafing run focusing on the point of the rear shields that the tachyon beam was affecting.
“Sir, the Atonement is attempting to draw our fire away from the other ships.” The tactical officer reported.
“Do not alter course. Tactical, target the Atonement’s navigational sensor array. Let’s see how she fights blind.” Severide said as he continued to watch the main viewer unnerved.
The front phaser banks of the Imperium lit up, projecting several beams at the Atonement, crashing against her shields.
"Captain, they are attempting to knock out our navigational sensors." The Atonement's tactical officer said.
Sokolov nodded "Begin maneuver Kirk 3, signal the Roman to deploy their scattering beam." The Atonement pivoted and rolled so that it's dorsal side was facing the Imperium. "Begin strengthening our starboard shields." Sokolov ordered the tactical officer. As the Atonement did so the Roman began to saturate the Imperium with a scattering beam that would throw off it's weapons lock as the four aft ships continued to pound on the dreadnought
“Sir, I’m having troubles locking on the Atonement’s navigational sensors. One of the ships is deploying a scattering beam.” The tactical officer reported.
Severide sighed. “Prepare a full spread of torpedoes and lock onto that ship, disable that beam.”
From the rear of the Imperium, a spread of torpedoes fired and tore at the Roman’s shields.
The Roman shuddered as it's shields began to buckle, but the makeup of the armada was apparent as the Bismark extended her shields to bolster the Roman's defenses as the Checkov finished it's strafing run and cloaked to get into position again. The Roman continued its bombardment of the Imperium with the scattering field and the three ships behind the Imperium loosed their own volley of quantum torpedoes in response.
“Shields?” Severide asked his tactical officer.
“Holding sir. The phase cannon is also charged.” He responded.
“Bring us about. Target the vessel with the scattering beam, fire at will.”
The Imperium pivoted on its Y-Axis bringing itself to bear before the Roman. Suddenly, a brilliant beam of purple light shot out from below the saucer section, tearing through the shields of the Roman, crashing into a section of her hull.
It had taken Battle Group Trinity several days to intercept the Imperium, during that time the captains of all five vessels had met on the Atonement and gone over battle strategies. They were uncertain as to the outcome of the coming confrontation but one thing they did know, one or more of their number would be killed or destroyed. They knew the fate of Captain Franklin and knew the gambit he had taken. They also knew it had worked to an extent. That realization allowed them to consider alternative strategies. As the Roman was knocked out, an automated warp core breach was started. As it was started a signal to the other four ships in the group was sent out and the AI of the Atonement launched the first of several group-wide commands.
The Atonement, Bismark, and Archimedes all snapped on their tractor-beams and gripped the Imperium from three different angles. The Checkov, decloaked and tractored the remains of the Roman pushing it forward as close to the Imperium as possible, the captain of the Checkov hoped to get the Roman inside the Imperium's shield bubble which had been weakened by the Archimedes tachyon bursts. As the tractor beams hummed each ship continued to pound the Imperium with lance after lance of phaser fire.
“Well this is new.” Severide stated placing his hand to his chin. “Lock weapons on that defiant, target their tractor beam. Fire at will, all phasers and torpedoes. Helm, full reverse.”
The Imperium lit up as a barrage of phaser beams and torpedoes propelled towards the Chekhov. The ship also began to move slowly back as it’s nacelles lit up, reversing the ship, placing great strain on the three ships holding it back.
The Chekov's nacelles flared as the tractor beam winked out and the small ship surged forward away from the hulk of the Roman, cloaking before the torpedoes could land. The Secondary tractor-beam of the Atonement snapped into place as the aft of the ship turned into view both beams straining to hold the Imperium in place as the Bismark's tractor beam switched off and a heartbeat later locked onto the Roman and pushed it towards the Imperium.
To be continued...
OFF
Caleb Severide
Vice Admiral
6th Fleet
USS Imperium
&
Samantha Sokolov
Captain
Commanding Officer
USS Atonement
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