Calling the bridge of Britannia chaotic would have been kindness as the turbolift doors pulled aside to a clamour of panicked voices.

“Multiple hostile vessels moving into attack position – direct hit to starboard phaser array –  breach on deck six, forcefields holding – where are they coming from – beginning evasive manoeuvres.”

“What’s going on?” Tanek cried as the ship quivered underneath a barrage of phaser fire that leapt from nearby vessels, striking the underside of Britannia’s primary hull precious seconds before the blue protective field rippled into existence.

The cacophony of voices continued unabated, a tidal wave of frantic announcements sweeping back and forth with ever-growing speed inside the luxurious confines of the ship’s bridge.

“Coming to bearing two-three-one mark twelve – routing power to ventral shields – are those civilian ships – fires reported in deck six section eleven – impulse engines to full power.”

“Somebody, tell me what’s happening!” Tanek commanded, his voice barely reaching across the noise as he stumbled forward to the nearby support console. The dark screen blossomed at his touch, instantly offering a litany of status reports in dark red text.

“Lieutenant, sitrep!” The aged officer shouted as he threw a glance at the centre chair, only to find it empty and abandoned. Clearly the officer of the watch was absent or distracted. Tanek cast his eye quickly across the assembled officers who rocked in unison as the ship was hit once again with another barrage of phaser fire. None looked familiar, and Tanek cursed his own lack of time spent familiarising himself with the ship’s crew, having opted to base himself in the strategic operations suite since his arrival. “Who is in charge here?”

“ENOUGH!” A curt instruction cut through the panicked symphony as Anyanka Harrison stepped out from her ready room, and strode towards the centre chair as calmly as if she were crossing a particularly busy lounge. “To you stations.”

The effect of her command was instantaneous, and the junior officers suddenly fell quiet and quickly dashed to their assigned positions.

“Sitrep.”

“Multiple civilian vessels have opened fire, cause unknown.” A young Andorian officer replied from a nearby station, dark blue streaks running down his cheek from a shallow cut.

“Bahir.” Harrison threw a momentary glance at the tactical position in instruction. The Saurian officer quickly slid in front of a panicked looking lieutenant, who fell away to a support console with a noticeable release of panic. Tanek’s mouth sagged open slightly at the sudden efficiency and calm that had fallen upon the bridge, the entire bridge had turned into a polite salon at Harrison’s arrival.

“Six ships,” Bahir announced with an equal calm. “We are taking fire.”

“Where is Io?” Harrison’s tone was calm yet firm, even as the ship shuddered under another mysterious bombardment, causing a flurry of sparks to erupt from an overhead light fixture nearby.

“500 kilometres to port, they are also engaged with multiple vessels,” an Orion woman replied from the helm.

“Keep an eye on them. Silas is good, but Io isn’t built for a slugfest.” Harrison gave a slightly worried smile as a mote of concern for her old friend peeked out from beneath her steel facade. The concern was only momentary, the career officer quickly took hold once again. “Tactical assessment Bahir.”

“We are engaged with four vessels, two Vulcan Vahklas types, an Andorian-flagged transport and a heavily modified Xindi vessel. All are old, but appear to have been refitted.”

“All civilian vessels?”

“According to the registry, though the weapons fire suggests otherwise,” Bahir confirmed.

The deck shook again, less violently than before, a sign of the helmsman’s skill, who continued to stare at his console with manic intensity at the fore of the bridge whilst the conversation continued around him.

“Ma’am, I’m detecting a subspace aperture forming near Risa control. Multiple vessels are already emerging from the event horizon.” The woman at operations was wound as tight as a spring as she jabbed at the console frantically, even from the rear of the bridge Tanek could see the single golden pip at her neck, this was likely her first true firefight. He prayed she would see another. “They are opening fire on the station.”

“How rude.” Harrison mused in a low tone. “Bahir, shields?” She queried with an eerie calm.

“Seventy-Two percent, their weapons fire is heavy but relatively low-powered.” A sureptitious smugness radiated from the coral-skinned officer, who was clearly more at home aboard such a powerful vessel than his previous posting aboard Helios.

“Captain, your orders?” Tanek stepped forward to the nearby advisor chair, leaning on its back as the deck shook once more. The woman’s calm was a marvel and her service jacket flashed before his eyes: a veteran of the Dominion War, a lifelong pirate hunter, an honoree of the Andorian War College and a storied success at pages more.

Harrison offered the Denobulan man a single raised eyebrow as all eyes turned towards her. With one bony hand, she motioned to the XO seat beside her, offering it to the man.

“Obviously, we fight.”