Bravo Fleet
Late afternoon in the captain’s quarters – USS Adventure
R’Tor curled up in his favorite chair in his quarters and reviewed reports from engineering. The news was not encouraging. The ship had taken significant damage on the first volley. He shook his head in disgust as he looked over the PADD.
The door chime chirped and R’Tor yawned as he acknowledged the visitor. When the doors slid open, Colt stepped in. “Uhh…captain, I am sorry to disturb you,” he began, but R’Tor was in no mood for beating around the bush. He waved his furry hand and spoke flatly, “Out with it chief.”
He cleared his throat and let the chips fall, “Sir, work crews are all over the ship cannibalizing secondary systems just to get primary power stabilized.”
R’Tor’s ears flattened, “Let me guess that is the good news?”
“Afraid so,” Colt replied.
R’Tor tilted his head to the side and his ears perked up and twitched a little. “What’s the bad news?”
“Were pretty sure that Bird of Prey will be able to detect us…and soon.” He grimaced.
R’Tor couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “What systems will we have?”
Colt dipped his head a bit, “Shields and propulsion, with limited maneuverability.”
R’Tor felt all the air go out of him…
The big cat dashed past Colt on his way to the bridge and was halfway down the hall when he turned back and yelled for the chief to follow him.
Twenty minutes later R’Tor held steady in the command chair as the ship shuttered and console lights flickered when the ship departed from the surface of the asteroid. Clark’s nose wrinkled as he noticed an acrid smell of burning circuitry.
“Chief?” Clark moaned.
“I’m on it,” Colt announced as he dashed over to a burning control panel and sprayed it down with a fire extinguisher.
“I thought I heard the scream of raw metal too.” Clark joked.
Colt shook his head and returned to monitoring the ship’s systems.
“Hold together…” R’Tor hissed under his breath.
Clark’s hands deftly danced over the console. With his right he increased power to the inertial stabilizers and simultaneously tapped a new heading in with his left. Immediately the ship dipped to port and then pitched smoothly back. He selected a vector that directed the ship to the next large asteroid some 12,000 kilometers away. As he looked over his indicators, he noticed a power source and realized that they were not alone.
KLINGON BRIDGE
The pilot turned around in his chair excitedly, “Commander Ustull!” he pointed to his navigation display. “The Federation ship is directly ahead and limping like a wounded Saber bear.”
The commander’s eyes blazed, as he leaned forward. “khi-GOSH!”
USS ADVENTURE BRIDGE
“Sir, they are powering weapons.” Announced Clark.
R’Tor lifted his eyes toward the display screen and smirked. He expected they would be attacked again, but with no normal way to defend themselves, he devised a risky strategy. “Release our package.” He announced.
The cargo bay doors opened and released three quantum torpedoes that tumbled out into space.
KLINGON BRIDGE
The weapon’s officer reported, “Commander all weapons are fully powered.”
Commander Ustull lips curled into a vicious grin as he gloated his expected kill.
“Victory is ours.” Ustull snapped. “Prepare to fire.”
USS ADVENTURE BRIDGE
Clark tapped in a few commands which sent the ship to full impulse and simultaneously dodged behind a group of asteroids as the quantum torpedoes detonated.
Back on the Klingon Bird of Prey, Commander Ustull’s dreams of glory were gone in a flash of brilliant bright light.
EPILOGUE – TBC- NEXT POST