Captain Bruce Bowyer felt the deck straining under his feet as the USS Pompeii maneuvered for position against the Jem'Hadar fighters it faced.
This fight shouldn't be taking place, Bowyer thought. The Pompeii had only been six days out of DS9 on a regular patrol near the Cardassian Border when they started to pick up unusual readings from one of the regions Cepheid Variable stars. As it turned out the star was no more remarkable than any other Cepheid Variable, what was causing the strange sensor readings was a group of four Jem'Hadar fighters using modified quantum magnascopic particle streams to create sensor ghosts. It was a trap. When the Pompeii dropped out of warp to investigate the Jem'Hadar attacked.
"Shields buckling!" snapped Lieutenant Compton from the Tactical station.
"Rotate shield frequencies to compensate for the phased polaron beam!" Bowyer ordered. "Continue to fire primary phasers at the lead ship."
"Two of the Jem'Hadar fighters have broken off and are regrouping!" Shouted Ensign Appold from the Ops station. The combined din of the alert klaxons, the rapid fire chatter of the com channels (as damage control teams tried to keep the ship together) and the sounds of the ship itself as it was subjected to stresses it wasn't designed for, was starting to make communications on the bridge difficult.
"If there's a gap we can use to escape, take it!" Bowyer commanded.
"Aye sir!" came the quick reply from Lieutenant Aguilar at the ships Con.
The Pompeii twisted a large S through space hounded by the smaller, faster, rapid firing Jem'Hadar fighters. The strange blue Polaron Phasers they fired seemed to pass effortlessly through the Pompeii's shields to strike the hull.
"Those two fighters are going around and making a run at the Warp Drive!" Compton shouted in warning.
"Hard about to Starboard!" Bowyer commanded. "Boost power to the structural integrity field in the warp nacelles!"
This ship isn't designed to fight small maneuvering fighters like this! Bowyer thought grimly as he watched the Con try and keep the Pompeii angled so that none of the fighters got a good shot at the Warp nacelles. If they lost the Warp drive then the fight really was over. Hell, this ship was never designed with fighting in mind at all!
The two Jem'Hadar fighters, as if taking careful aim, continued to maneuver towards the vulnerable Warp Drive seemingly heedless of the blasts of the Pompeii's own powerful phasers.
"They're going for the port nacelle!" Compton shouted.
"Evasive pattern Beta!" Bowyer cried knowing it was to little... To late...
Of course the port nacelle, Bowyer clenched his teeth and bit off the oath he was tempted to say. They're going to hit the one that they had already damaged early in the battle. They hit it first to knock the warp drive off line just long enough to make sure that there would be no escape.
Blue beams of energy leaped from the Jem'Hadar ships, they passes though the Pompeii's shields with only the barest flicker and struck home on the large Warp engine.
Automatic emergency shut downs and a quick thinking, and moving, engineering staff saved the nacelle from exploding as the plasma containment field collapsed. Several of the giant warp coils did fracture in the ensuing chaos destroying any chance of the Pompeii using it's warp drive without extensive repairs at a starbase facility.
"Drop the shields!" Bowyer shouted as the two fighters soared over the Pompeii and started to turn rapidly.
"Sir!?!" Compton exclaimed, amazed. The ship shook again as another blast struck the hull.
"Drop the damned shields!" Bowyer ordered again. "They're not doing us any good, pump the power into the phasers and fire!"
Compton moved fast dropping the ineffectual shields and transferring the surplus energy to the phasers. The first blast struck one of the Jem'Hadar fighters as it completed it's turn, the second blast blew it to pieces.
"One Jem'Hadar destroyed!" Appold cried with bitter satisfaction.
The ship lurched again as the ship was impaled on the phasers of the other fighters, a power conduit overloaded and blew a two meter hole in the floor of the bridge filling it with smoke and fire.
"Continue to fire, all weapons!" Bowyer shouted through the smoke.
"We're loosing power to the forward phaser array!" Appold reported.
Two of the Jem'Hadar fighter turned together and flew up the length of the now badly damaged Pompeii raking it with phaser fire. The Pompeii replied with only a few week blasts of its own...
This is it, Bowyer thought as he pulled himself towards the Con. Lieutenant Aguilar lay sprawled out dead, a jagged piece of metal sticking out of her face from just bellow her right eye.
The Pompeii swung around slowly but still managed to pin a Jem'Hadar with a volley of photon torpedoes that blew the small ship to bits.
"Engineering reports we have a uncontrolled plasma fire on Deck 15 section 9, 10, and 11." Appold reported.
Bowyer consulted the instruments on the Con. The Warp core was off line so there was no danger there, however the plasma fire was eating its way rapidly towards the antimatter storage pods.
"Have Commander MacFee dump the antimatter stores!" Bowyer ordered.
"The emergency ejection systems are off-line." Appold said. "So is the saucer separation systems."
"How about the manual systems?"
"They're still functional."
"Order the engineering hull evacuated and prepare for manual saucer separation!"
The ship shook again and main power to the bridge failed, emergency back ups came on a second later but the bridge was still dark and full of smoke.
"All weapons off-line." Compton reported. "Shields destroyed."
"If we can't get the saucer separated in time we'll use the emergency escape pods." Bowyer said clawing his way back to the his command chair.
"We'd just end up target practice for those fighters." Compton said.
Bowyer was tempted to argue but knew the man was right. The Jem'Hadar did take prisoners, but not for humanitarian reasons.
The ship shook again and they could hear a loud explosion somewhere not to far away. Just them the emergency hatch to the bridge popped open and the blood soaked head of the Pompeii's Chief Engineer, Commander William MacFee, appeared.
"Captain!" he croaked. "The manual saucer separation controls are destroyed, there's nothing that can done now."
"How long do we have?" Bowyer asked the engineer as he finished pulling himself onto the bridge.
"Seven minutes, maybe less."
"The shuttle bay?" Compton asked. "At least we'd be able to defend ourselves."
"There's no way to get to it, the plasma fire has sealed us off from the back end of the ship." Macfee said wiping some of the blood off his face.
"How many people are still back there?" Bowyer asked.
"Eighty, maybe more." MacFee said. "And no way to contact them."
Compton looked down at his instruments in disbelief. "Sir! Short range sensors show another ship coming in..."
"What ship?" Bowyer asked.
"Klingon... Vor'cha Class Attack Cruiser... It's the Avenger!"
"What are the Jem'Hadar doing?"
"They're breaking off, the Avenger is engaging them... One Jem'Hadar destroyed, the other is trying to flee... All Jem'Hadar ships destroyed!"
"Hail the Avenger!" Bowyer said staggering to his feet and trying to straighten his uniform.
"I have Commander Krenn." Appold said. "Audio only."
"Captain Bowyer," came the clipped tones of the Klingon commander on the Pompeii's damaged com system. "This is Commander Krenn of the IKS Avenger, what is your status?"
"Commander we have an out of control plasma fire burning in our engineering hull. Our saucer separation systems are destroyed and we're looking at a breach of out antimatter containment in less than four minutes."
"Understood Captain." Krenn replied. "Standby..."
"Standby!" Compton shouted angrily, "We need immediate evacuation, not-"
Bowyer silenced Compton with a hard look and a wave of his hand.
"Pompeii standing by Commander Krenn." Bowyer said.
A long 30 seconds passed before Krenn's voice returned.
"Prepare to transfer your survivors and wounded to the Avenger," Krenn said. "And abandon your ship."
"Understood." Bowyer replied.
"Avenger out."
The senior staff, with one notable exception, sat gathered in the main briefing lounge making small talk when Captain Sisko entered the room.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting." Sisko apologized as he took his seat at the head of the table. "But I have some important news."
Sisko turned to Bashir, "This is going to affect you directly Doctor."
"Has something happened?" Dax asked.
Sisko nodded. "A few hours ago the USS Pompeii was attacked by Jem'Hadar fighters 5 light years from here."
Kira paled. "That's awfully close, even for the Dominion..."
Sisko nodded.
"How bad?" Bashir asked.
"The ship was destroyed, however the Klingon cruiser Avenger rescued more than 300 of her crew, most of them wounded, many seriously."
"The Avenger?" Kira asked curiously. "How come I've never heard of this ship?"
Sisko looked at Worf.
"The Avenger is the flag ship of the 4th Imperial Attack Fleet." Worf said. "Normally held in reserve for defense of the Empire."
"But not any more..." Sisko said.
"The Klingon High Command must be pretty concerned with the Dominion threat to pull their primary defense fleet and move them here." Dax commented.
Worf nodded in agreement. "I have been hearing... rumors... that the High Command is considering a preemptive strike against the Dominion. They believe that unless we move to eliminate them now they will continue to build their forces until they reach unstoppable proportions."
"And Starfleet agrees with the Klingon High Commands appraisal of the situation." Sisko continued. "And this thing with these Rebels and the Maquis is not doing anything to make the situation any easier."
"Excuse me Captain," O'Brien interrupted. "But when you say that Starfleet agrees with the Klingons do you mean that they agree about the Dominion threat, or about the Klingon solution of a first strike?"
Sisko held his silence for a long moment.
"I don't believe the Federation will fire the first shot in any war." Sisko said at last.
"But there is something?" Kira asked. "They are doing something and a war is coming isn't it?"
Sisko looked at each of his staff members long and slow.
"A joint Federation/Klingon fleet is preparing to assemble near the border. Their mission will be to probe the Dominion defenses and ascertain their preparedness to launch a full scale invasion."
"For the love of..." O'Brien's face drained of color. "A probe? Does that mean they'll be crossing the border?"
"They have strict orders NOT to cross the border, but to respond to any aggression they see... With force..."
"Who's in command?" Dax asked.
"Captain Jeffery Shawn of the USS Trafalgar." Sisko replied.
"Jeff Shawn?" Dax looked surprised. "He doesn't seem experienced enough to command a Galaxy Class Starship, never mind a task force."
"He's Admiral Nechayev's personal choice." Sisko said.
"At least they could have sent in Captain Jelico, he's a little more experienced." Dax said.
"And the man can handle Cardassians. He handled them pretty well 7 years ago at the Celtris III incident." O'Brien said.
"I don't know Captain Jelico." Sisko said. "But I have read several of his reports and he does strike me as a man who knows the Cardassians... Apparently Admiral Nechayev doesn't agree, she feels that Jelico is a little confrontational."
"Confrontational?" Kira asked sarcastically, "What do they think sending a fleet to the border would called if not Confrontational?"
Sisko opened his hands and made a "I don't know" gesture.
"So how big is this Klingon fleet?" Dax asked.
"I don't know for certain, but I imaging pretty big." Sisko replied then looked at Worf.
Worf concentrated for a moment. "I am unsure of the current size of the fleet, but at last report it consisted of 82 Vor'cha Attack Cruisers, 210 D-7 Cruisers, 90 assorted Birds of Prey and 150 of the new Swiftfire Attack Fighters. Commander Krenn's force is only the leading elements, the rest are due to arrive soon."
"What about Starfleet?" Kira asked. "How many ships are they sending?"
"For opener the fleet with consist of about 20 ships, including some Marine Fighters." Sisko replied. "By pulling every available ship here that we can I would say in the next four to six months we could probably muster a fleet of around 400 ships."
"400..." Kira echoed. "And the Klingons are sending in around 530 to add to the already close to 200 ships here."
Sisko nodded. "That about sums it up."
"So almost 2 to 1 in favor of the Klingons." Kira said. "So they'll be running the show?"
Sisko shook his head. "That's not quite the reality of the situation. While I'm sure Gowron would like nothing better to force the issue of command with the Federation his negotiating position is not the best."
"2 to 1 sounds pretty good to me." O'Brien interjected.
Sisko nodded. "True, but the Klingons have no holdings in this quadrant anymore. They must supply their fleet from their own space and the most direct means of doing that involves crossing the Federation."
"With out steady supplies the Klingon fleet will not be able to engage in prolonged combat." Worf said. "They will cooperate."
"Unless they take it upon themselves to just take what supplies they need." O'Brien said.
"I don't think that is likely." Dax answered. "The Klingons realize that a division between them and the Federation would play directly into the Dominions hands. Besides, I'm sure Chancellor Gowron still remembers what happened last time he tried to take this station."
Sisko nodded the affirmative. "There is just one final piece of business we need to take care of."
"What's that?" Kira asked.
"Admiral Nechayev has ordered that all further aid to the Rebels be stopped. Immediately."
"Did she say why?" O'Brien asked.
"There is some issue regarding, among other things, our 'taking of sides' in what must be considered an internal matter for their universe." Sisko replied.
"Taking sides?" Bashir snapped angrily. "Since when has food and medical supplies been deemed as proactive involvement by the Federation? We've always been free with our food and medical care, to anyone."
"I understand what you're saying Doctor," Sisko replied. "But there are other considerations. The Federation council is worried about the legal status of this Rebellion. For all we know this band is nothing more than a bunch of criminals operating under the guise of a 'Rebellion'."
"Legality?" Kira asked in disbelief. "They're concerned with the legality of people fighting against a tyrannical government bent on their destruction? That's like saying the Bajoran resistance was nothing more than a criminal enterprise!"
"No one is saying that Major." Sisko replied. "But the simple fact is this: We don't have anyone else's word to take for it. We've had contact with only one side so far and we have no means of verifying if what they're telling us is the truth!"
"There's the Maquis." Dax offered.
"Not good enough." Sisko replied. "You know better than that!"
"They're not criminals." Bashir stated. "I've been working with them for the past week and I can tell you this. They believe in what they are doing, they are dedicated to bringing freedom to their universe. They are not criminals."
"If this Palpatine is the rightful ruler of this Empire," Worf stated. "Then rebelling subjects are little better than criminals and in the Klingon Empire they would be hunted down... And destroyed."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" Kira snapped. "You're saying that no one has the right to oppose a government?"
"The right to oppose a government is a right usually granted by a government." Worf replied. "If that right has not been granted then they are criminals."
"Even if that government is cruel and unjust?" Dax asked.
"Cruel and unjust by who's standards?" Work asked back. "Yours? The Bajorans? The Federations? It is not our place to decide what is right for them. The Prime Directive is clear in matters such as this. This is something that they must resolve."
Kira stared at Worf with amazement. "How could you be so cold, so callous, so-"
"Enough!" Sisko shouted bringing his hand down hard on the top of the table. "This is not our debate and we're getting nowhere here with this."
The room was silent.
"Our orders are clear, and until they change we are obliged to obey them." Sisko started after a moment. "The Rebel ship Aurora is to be allowed to stay here as a guest but we will not supply the crew with more food or medical supplies. Or allow them to receive any kind of aid from the Federation."
"But Captain-" Bashir started but Sisko cut him off.
"No but's Doctor. Now, any business or transactions that the crew of the Aurora conducts with those outside of Federation jurisdiction, is of course, their business."
Sisko glanced around the room. The tension was strong and he hated to see his people divided like this.
"If there is nothing further then we are adjourned." Sisko finally said.
Everyone stood up to leave. Kira shot Worf a withering look as she went out the door and Worf replied with his usual calm stony glare. Dax hung back a moment and gave Sisko a short look before leaving. The only one who remained seated at the table with Sisko was Bashir.
"Is there something I can do for you Doctor?" Sisko asked once the room was empty.
"I need you to contact Starfleet and get them to repeal their decision." Bashir said.
Sisko rubbed his face and let out a tired sigh. "I thought we'd just gone through this Doctor."
"This isn't about legal issues Captain," Bashir said in a low voice. "This is about what could be the biggest breakthrough in medical technology since the Dermal Regenerator. Bigger perhaps."
"A medical breakthrough?"
"More like a revolution, but we need the cooperation of the Rebel Alliance to get it!"
"What are you talking about Doctor?" Sisko asked leaning forward concerne etched in his face.
"Bacta." Bashir replied.
"Prune juice." Worf said to Quark as he settled his large frame into a chair at Quark's Bar.
"Tarkalin Pink Fizz." Jadzia Dax said taking the seat across from Worf.
"Right." Quark said, "Anything else?"
"Tarkalin Pink Fizz?" Work asked Dax puzzled.
"It always calms me down when I've heard bad news." Dax replied.
"Nothing else." Worf said to Quark who immediately returned to the bar to fill their order.
Quark was lifting the prune juice from the replicator and setting it down on the tray next to the Pink Fizz when he saw the cloaked figure enter. It was not unusual to see strange cloaked people in Quarks, especially with the number of Rebels that were currently wandering the station exploring everything there was to explore. However this particular cloaked figure was very familiar to Quark and he instinctively looked around to see if Odo was about. Not seeing the station's security chief frightened (and annoyed) the Ferengi more than if had he been standing right there at the bar casting his unblinking, penetrating, gaze down on him.
Quark picked up the tray and headed started to wards Dax and Worf, he arrived with a flourish and set the drinks down in front of them.
"One Tarkalin Pink Fizz, and one prune juice." Quark said. "Are you sure I can't get you anything else?"
"Yes." Worf growled sending Quark scurrying back to the bar.
"You don't have to be so abrupt." Dax chided Worf taking a sip of her drink. "He's just doing his job."
"He had already asked us." Worf replied. "He did not need to ask again."
"Drink your prune juice." Dax commanded with a wry smirk.
Worf glowered at her but picked up his drink and took a healthy swallow.
Quark slipped behind the bar just as the cloaked figure settled onto one of the stools. Quark slipped over and gave what he considered to be a dazzling and charming smile.
"What can I get you?" he asked the figure.
"Bos'husk." Luv Shara said flipping the hood on the cloak back and looking around. "It's been a long time Quark."
"Many people thought you were dead." Quark replied reaching under the bar and withdrawing a small gray metal flask and a sculpted glass. He poured a strange blue fluid into the glass and set it down. "Not too many people come in here asking for Bos'husk, that's the last flask I have."
"I'll adjust." Shara said picking up the drink and taking a small sip. "Still too spicy."
Quark repressed a laugh but looked at her thoughtfully, he was about to speak when his eyes caught the amazingly beautiful human woman walking towards them. He quickly picked up another glass and set in on the bar and filled it half full of the blue fluid.
"Unless I miss my guess," he said as the woman took a seat next to Shara, "You must be the legendary Jennifer Nichols."
"My my, you do keep well informed." Nichols said picking up the glass and taking a quick sip. "Oh, too spicy!"
Quark rolled his eyes. "That's probably the only flask of Bos'husk within ten thousand light years, add to that the fact that the Boss themselves have been extinct for a thousand years and you two are complaining. Tell me, what makes you sure that the other Bos'husk you've had was not spicy enough?"
"Because, Quark," Shara said setting her glass down. "You're the only one who would try and pass off badly replicated Bos'husk, in a replicated Boss flask, as the real thing and still charge full price for it."
Quark picked up the flask and sniffed the opening gently. "The flask just happens to be genuine and you can't get a better Bos'husk program anywhere."
Nichols laughed.
Quark filled both of their glasses and replaced the cap on the flask. "Now that you've exposed my Bos'husk for what it really is I don't suppose there is anything else you'd like me to get for you?"
"Actually there is" Shara said reaching under her robe and coming out with a small Bajoran Padd. She handed it to Quark.
Quark scanned it for a few moments then looked up at Shara and Nichols. "This is quite the... order..."
"I'm sure you can handle it." Shara replied.
"Dynamic Flux Inverter, Annular Isomatic Converter..." Quark said in a low voice reading some of the items. "Some of these items are Restricted while others are totally illegal... This could take some doing... and it's going to take some Latinum to get it done."
"You let me worry about the Latinum." Shara said.
"It's not that easy," Quark said setting the Padd down. "Some of the people I am going to have to contact will demand some kind of payment up front for these items, and the credit of the Maquis is not what is used to be... Even your new found benefactors are going to have to have something more valuable than scrap metals to pay for this stuff."
"Can you help me or not?" Shara asked.
"I think I can... I'll need 40,000 to start with though."
"Twenty and not a bar more until I see some results."
Quark smiled. "Fair enough, however I'm not even going to start until I've seen this first twenty though."
Shara glared hard at the Ferengi then nodded. "You'll see it."
Quark straightened up and smiled a wide smile. "I can hardly wait."