“Captain's Log
Stardate: 86355.9
Captain Selenia Reporting
Commanding Officer, USS Erbrus
We have just finished our second slingshot jump from the Traelus System 200 years into the past. We are assigned to find and bring to the future the USS Exeter. I have the first member of the “Ghost Fleet”, Lt. KATRA, with me on this trip. He is a little too vulcan for my tastes, but he is a Vulcan after all. Bailey and Fanklin thought his insights would be a help on this trip, so here he is.
The Exeter is one of the original 12 Constitution class ships Starfleet had comissioned it the mid 23rd century. It was lost with all hands in the 2260's, presumably because of a warp engine malfunction; a very rare “quantum bubble” had formed in the reaction chamber causing a catastrophic overload of the warp core. This ship is a perfect candidate for Section 31's “Ghost Fleet”.
The commanding officer is Captain Richard Allen Cleary. He seems a bit of a stuffed shirt to me. According to Starfleet records, he had won most major medals that were given out at that time. He was also reported to be a stickler for the regulations. Not my cup of tea, but if Franklin and Bailey want him, then “Yes Sir!” I have to admit, there are times regulations should be obeyed.
***
Captain Richard Allen Cleary intently monitored the readout on the console in front of him. The Quantum Bubble in the dilithium chamber had stopped growing, but showed no sign of diminishing. Sweat beaded on his brow as he glance at his Chief Engineer, Lt Cmdr. Vilnar, who was frantically beating on a tricorder, modulating the subspace guide wave that directed the matter/antimatter reaction in the warp core. He waited for the signal from Vilnar to perform a hard restart of the warp engines. If this didn't work, the Exeter and all it's crew would either be sucked into a black hole or become permanent fixtures in the stellar nursery they were studying.
“Captain, that should be right, DO IT NOW!”
Knowing his life depended on it, Captain Cleary keyed in his command code, hit execute on the EPS console and held his breath. The entire ship went silent and dark. The only noise and light coming from the “Red Alert” that the ship was still under. After a moment that seemed a life time, the warp core thundered back to life, and main power came back online. All the crew of the Exeter let out a collective breath they'd all been holding. Laughter and cheers broke out all over the ship.
Cleary hit the com panel in front of him, “Bridge, this is the captain, stand down red alert!”
As he turned, Cleary felt someone slap him on the back and turned to see his best friend and Chief Medical Officer, Harmon Blaise. Blaise reached out his hand to shake Cleary’s. “As one surgeon to another, more or less, that was a fine bit of work. And to think, if Ensign Sul hadn’t taken that tumble I wouldn’t have seen you at work.”
Cleary smiled broadly. “Thank you, Harm. And Sul?”
“She’s fine.”
Turning to Lt Cmdr. Vilnar Cleary said “Nice job, Lieurenant Commander, I am putting you in for a Citation!”
“Thank you, Si....”
Vilnar's reply was cut short as the ship was rocked by weapons fire on the hull, everyone in engineering lost their footing. Red Alert came right back up, and the com panel crackled to life, “Captain to the bridge!”
Picking himself up, Cleary hit the panel on his way out of engineering, “On my way! Ensign Torman, Tactical Report?”
Running full speed, Richard made it to the turbo lift. As the door to the turbo lift closed as the Captain received his reply.
“Sir, 4 Romulan Bird's of Prey have decloaked around us. We are taking heavy fire. We have managed to get shields up, and have only sustained minor damage to the plasma relays around the starboard nacelle. Weapons are not ready yet, Sir!”
The turbo lift doors opened and Captain Cleary ran onto the bridge of his starship. “We need to buy some time,” taking his seat, he addressed his communications Officer, “Hail them Lieutenant Belsing,” he ordered.
The turbolift doors swished again and a statuesque blue-skinned woman ran onto the bridge. The Captain nodded to his Andorian first officer, Commander RaeThrasa Sh’Aanil, as she relieved Torman at Tactical.
“Aye, Sir. Frequency open, Captain.”
The only answer the Exeter got was another volley of plasma torpedo's. Just then, the tactical readout on his captain's chair came to life. Weapons had been restored. Richard looked at the readout, and realized there were not just 4 warp signatures in the space nearby, but 6. One appeared to be Federation, but was unlike any he had seen before. The 6th was unmistakably Klingon. Captain Cleary couldn't worry about the other ships right now. He had 4 Romulans hellbent on destroying him.
“Yes Sir!” came the three replies simultaneously. The shields took another volley from the Birds of Prey. Cleary gazed steadily at the screen on the arm of his chair, the shields were down to 20% and would not survive another combined blast from the Romulans. As the Exeter came to it's new heading, the Federation warp signature on his readout moved into the fray.
“Sir. I have a message from the Federation captain on board that mystery ship, audio only.”
“Put it on, Lieutenant.”
A female voice came over the com, “Exeter, this it Captain Selenia of the USS Erbrus, maintain your heading and concentrate your fire on the ship directly in front of you. I'll handle the rest. Selenia, out!”
“Orders, Sir?”
“Do as the lady says, not that we have a choice! Ensign, fire all weapons on the lead Bird of Prey!”
The Exeter brought all weapons to bear on the lead Romulan ship. The Bird of Prey's shields melted away under the barrage of the phaser banks. The Photon tube on the underside of the Exeter's saucer sent three torpedo's hurtling at the exposed hull of the enemy. The first torpedo smashed the port nacelle, the second hit mid body, and the third popped the Bird of Prey like a grape under a vintner's foot. The Exeter accelerated through the cloud of gas and debris that was a starship moments before into empty space, free of the noose the Romulan's had slipped around it's neck.
“Con, what is happening behind us? I want to see, now! Onscreen!” Ordered the Captain. “Yes Sir!” The reply.
The bridge crew of the Exeter watched in amazement as a ship that was no bigger than the saucer section of their own ship turned on the three remaining Birds of Prey. Short bursts of Phaser fire and Disruptor fire erupted from the nose of the Erbrus. The first Romulan exploded in a matter of seconds. The small ship nimbly turned to bring it's forward weapons down on the next ship. What looked to be a blue-green phaser tore into the hull of the second ship. A plasma fire erupted from the gaping hole left in the hull by the beam. Three torpedo's, with a whitish hue that Captain Cleary had never seen before, hit the Bird of Prey mid ship. The ship exploded before the third torpedo even made contact.
The Erbrus had passed by the last Bird of Prey. As it circled back, another torpedo, this one of a yellow hue, shot from the aft of the ship, along with another blue-green plasma beam. These impacted the enemy ship, started a plasma fire and seemed to slow it down to nothing. The Erbrus finished it's circle and fired all forward weapons at the hapless Bird of Prey. The Romulan didn't stand a chance, the ship exploded in a cloud of fire and debris. The battle was over.
Shaking off his amazment, Cleary started giving orders, “Engineering, Damage report? Lt. Belsing, hail the Erbrus. Stand down Red Alert!”
The com came to life, “Captain, this is Vilnar in engineering, we sustained a fair amount of damage to the EPS relay system all over the ship. Sir...Dr. Blaise..." Vilnar's voice broke as he choked the next words out, "He was helping the wounded caught in an EPS rupture, when there was a secondary explosion....I'm sorry sir, Harm didn't make it.”
Richard hung his head, a single tear ran down his cheek, his gut tightened in grief for the loss of his friend. Just then, Lt. Belsing spoke, “Sir, the Erbrus is hailing us.”
“Put them onscreen, Lieutenant.”
Captain Cleary raised his head, composed himself, and looked at the view screen. A young Vulcan looked back at him. He was wearing a standard blue uniform, and something about him seemed familiar. Richard thought for a moment, and remembered going to Memory Alpha just before the Zetarian Incident for a seminar on the feasibility of a quantum-based weapon system and it's superiority to photon-based systems. This man was one of the panel members who spoke at the seminar.
“Hello Captain Cleary. I am Lieutenant KATRA. I believe we have met before at Memory Alpha. As I recall, you thought that quantum-based torpedos were a good idea, but could not be powered by current warp core technology. You were correct. But, as I told you then, theory and practice are never very far apart.”
“Lieutenant,” the Captain thought for a moment, “I thought you were lost in the Zetarian Incident. How is it possible you are here? And what about that fantastic ship? What is going on here KATRA?”
“Sir,” replied the young Vulcan, “I will explain all that to you momentarily. I would ask that you beam over to the Erbrus and speak to Captain Selenia.”
KATRA stepped aside and a relatively attractive Romulan stepped into the view screen. She was wearing a Vulcan uniform from the very early years of Starfleet, before the United Federation of Planets even existed.
“Hello Captain Cleary, my name is Gretta Von Selenia. I am from 200 years in the future. Your ship and crew have just been lost with all hands. Starfleet thinks the “quantum bubble” in your warp core caused a breach. There is no record of your battle with the Romulans, or of my presence here. I am here to offer you and your crew another chance. Beam to my ship and we can discuss your future, Captain.”
“What is this KATRA, some sort of elaborate ruse?” Richard was becoming extremely agitated, “Are you really even him? He is listed as killed in the line of duty on Memory Alpha 10 months ago! What is to say that you are not a Romulan in disguise trying to win my trust so you can capture my ship?”
“You might think that this is all a ruse,” began KATRA, “and we are in fact trying to capture you and the Exeter. But I implore you to listen to what she has to say. You have seen what this ship can do, and you know the Exeter would not stand a chance against it. You have a valiant crew, Captain, but logic would dictate that you should hear her out, try to buy some time, and not needlessly endanger your crew.”
“You are correct, KATRA,” Cleary acquiesced. “Not only logic, but Starfleet Regulations would also dictate that same thing.”
Captain Cleary couldn't help but chuckle loudly. How absurd was this situation. He helped pop a quantum bubble in his ships warp core. That “bubble” could very well have been a new Romulan quantum-based weapon system the bastards decided to test on the Exeter. His ship then survived an attack by 4 Birds of Prey, with an assist from a dead Vulcan and a ship that won't be made for 200 years. Only to find out that the official Starfleet record shows that his ship was lost with all hands. Now his fate rests in the hands of a Romulan who won't be born for another 2 centuries wearing a vulcan uniform from 2 centuries ago. What a day.
“I will beam over immediately, Captain Selenia. Cleary out.”
***
Captain's Log, Supplemental:
I have just finished the debriefing of Captain Richard Allen Cleary. He seems ok, a bit shell shocked, but ok none the less. I have ordered the Erbrus and the Exeter to set course for the Traelus System so we can jump back to 2409. He may be a stuffed shirt, but I think that Captain Cleary will help the “Ghost Fleet” tremendously. This is the first time in Project Christopher that we have saved a whole ship and it's crew. Once the Exeter is refit with modern technology, I think she'll be a great addition to the fleet.
I do have to wonder about that Klingon warp signature we caught a glimpse of just before all hell broke loose. It was there one minute, and gone the next. I can only assume they cloaked while we were pounding the GagH out of the Birds of Prey. I find it amazing that my race ever made it as far as it has when I see things like this. They didn't even want to talk, just fight. That is not the Romulan way.
Anyway, Franklin and Bailey had better appreciate this mission. I do not like to put my crew in harms way any more than I have to. Two mission now, and two battles I had to fight to save officers who are dead anyhow. Hurts my head to think about it. Time for a glass of Romulan Ale, and then to hit the rack.
Selenia out.
***
Battle Log
IKS Drak
Captain Kregan reporting.
I came across a very unusual situation today. 4 Romulan Bird's of Prey (the foul P'Taks, stealing the name of a glorious Klingon Battle Ship!) were attacking a Federation vessel. I remained cloaked and observed. At the start of the battle, the federation ship had no power and no shields. Seizing the moment, I decloaked and had a small party of my best warriors beam into one of their empty cargo bays.
I wish I'd waited a moment, because out of nowhere, a federation ship of an unknown configuration dropped out of warp and blasted three of the Romulans to nothing in seconds flat. Today is a good day to die, but not to foolishly give up my life and the lives of my crew. I recloaked and went to warp. The High Command needs to know of this new Federation threat to the Empire!
I hope that J'ole, K'lee, B'Ranna, Kronk, K'urg and Klang died well on board that federation ship. I shall raise a glass of Blood Wine and scream to let Sto'Vo'Kor know there are Klingon Warriors on their way!
Q'aplaH!
To be continued....
