— USS Andromeda, Romulan Space —

The USS Andromeda dropped into regular space, appearing with a sudden start. It was timed, using a slipstream drive, to arrive in concert with the Romulan D’deridex-class warbird Talon. There had been a wait, the Romulan warbird had to travel at warp three while the Andromedastill had use of the slipstream drive that its Chief Engineer had hastily thrown together.

As the Andromeda-class ship appeared above the Romulan colony the Vaadwaur ships moved to intercept. They were still heavily outclassed, out numbered, and out armed. Even with the damaged D’deridex-class warbird aligned with them, there was no chance of winning the fight if the ground assault forces already in the Romulan colony weren’t able to retake and rearm the colony’s orbital defense grid. The trouble was they were now committed to the fight, and if the grid did not come online all was lost.

“Ignore the fighters, focus on the larger targets,” Captain Olivia Carrillo said. With the ship separated the pulse phaser turret was back on the saucer section, leaving the Andromeda a little less capable of engaging the smaller targets. Hopefully their shields could hold out as they targeted the Gaul-class juggernaut and two Astika-class heavy battlecruisers.

The Andromeda shook as polaron barrages raked across the side of the ship. It’s shields held, but barely. At the tactical station behind the captain’s chair the Chief Security Officer Lieutenant Claudia Jara read out the shield percentages as she adjusted targeting. The large ship was nimble, dodging, and weaving as it fired its own phasers and torpedoes. It shook, its stabilizers working to compensate for incoming fire that rocked the shields.

— Colony Surface —

Javal ducked behind the wall as blaster fire from both sides filled the hall. He glanced at the combination of Starfleet and Romulan officers who also ducked and returned fire. They had been making good time entering through the rear of the Romulan defense outpost, but after the Vaadwaur ground troops had gotten reorganized their resistance had stiffened. He was conscious of the fact that according to their plans both his ship the Talon and the Andromedawould now be arriving either to help in the colony’s liberation or to be destroyed. Having been elevated to being in command of the Talon there was a part of him that wished he could be on board his ship, his fate tied to the warbird. Yet having angered the Tal Shiar officer, this gambit to fake his own death and defect to the Federation was his only shot at continued existence.

Still it felt proper for a captain to go down with his ship, rather than being killed in the hallway of a surface governmental building.

“We need to push forward now,” Lieutenant Sesi Oari shouted over the din of the fight. The Bajoran woman signaled the Starfleet security officers in her command, and even though it was not tactically the right move they pushed forward eschewing cover for gained ground. They needed to move, and their own safety was less of a concern than that of their ship above them.

— Bridge, USS Andromeda —

“Shields at ten-percent,” Lieutenant Jara said.

The ship rocked. At the conn station the Vulcan Chief Flight Control Officer adjusted flight patterns, trying to keep her distance from the fighters that had started to try to crash into the ship sensing that it was weakening.

“Warp nacelle hit by a fighter,” Jara shouted, after a particularly rough moment. She ran her hand along the controls, “It’s still there, but banged up. Fighter is gone.”

Captain Carrillo wasn’t sure if the Vaadwaur knew of the USS Odyssey, and how it had been destroyed by the Dominion, but this style of attack was worrying her. The Andromeda-class had been constructed to address the weaknesses of the old Galaxy-class, but it was not invulnerable. Enough small ships crashing against its hull and eventually one would do some real damage.

“Pr’Nor,” she began.

“Flight pattern adjusted,” the Vulcan confirmed.

“Good keep adjusting, make us as random as possible,” the captain said as the ship shook again. Its phasers lashed out at the larger Vaadwaur ships, its stock of torpedoes rapidly lowering.

“Shields failing,” Jara said, adding, “Damage to port nacelle.”

The Andromeda shook violently. Large ships closed in, bombarding them with fire. The lights flickered, threatening to once again go out.

“Captain,” Jara  said, “we’re detecting an energy surge from the planet’s surface. Orbital defenses powering up.”

Carrillo felt a surge of hope as the orbital batteries decloaked and began firing on the Vaadwaur ships. However the sense of hope was short lived, as there turned out to only be ten active platforms, and they were dispensed with in short order by the Vaadwaur.

“The Romulans certainly overestimated their defense network,” First Officer Kan Th’kaotross said as they watched on the screen as. the ships turned back towards the Andromeda to finish the job that they had started.

“Pr’Nor evasive maneuvers,” Carrillo ordered.

“Impulse drive is offline, so is warp and slipstream,” the Vulcan reported.

“Use the tractor beam, pull us towards the nearest Vaadwaur ship, let’s see how they deal with having us ram them,” Carrillo said, the options on hand quite a bit fewer than they had been minutes ago.

“Captain I’m detecting warp signatures,” Jara said at the tactical conn.

Suddenly six Romulan warbirds appeared above the colony. They opened fire on the Vaadwaur, their numbers large enough that they did not have to spend much time evaluating the tactical situation.

“I don’t think I’m ever been happier to see a Romulan warbird,,” Captain Carrillo said, “Is the Talon still around?”

“The Talon cloaked when the orbital defenses stopped working,” Jara said, “Typically Romulan.”

“Hail the lead Romulan ship,” Carrillo said.

It took a minute, and then a Romulan officer was glaring at Carrillo looking unhappy to see Starfleet in his space. Though they were allies, it was often tense, especially given the Tal Shiar political officer visible behind him on the bridge.

“I see you have men on the colony’s surface,” the officer said, his tone firm.

“Yes, we restarted the orbital defense grid, or tried to. It was underwhelming,” Carrillo said.

“It is for pirates, not invasion forces. However my government thanks you, for your aid,” he said begrudgingly.

“We’ll repair our ship and get out of your hair,” Carrillo said.

“Good,” he said and then ended the transmission, “Warp drive and communications have been restored. So you may depart.”

Carrillo sighed, “Kan, take lead on getting our away teams back. Take shuttles down to the surface and get everyone back, and any equipment we might have.”

Her first officer nodded, the Andorian taking his leave, hoping that the remaining shuttles still worked.