U.S.S. Corsair - NX-011979
Nebula II Prototype
“Sic Parvis Magna”
(Greatness From Small Beginnings)
“Fate, Fortune, & Fire”
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“Revenge is a dish that is best served cold. It is very….cold in space.”
– Khan Noonian Singh
NeoDyne Research Station
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“We have them”, a gleeful operations officer shouted as he watched the viewer before him. The Federation heavy cruiser that posed a serious threat to his station was now at his complete mercy. The station’s powerful deflector array now turned weapon was moments away from smashing the vessel and its crew against a nearby asteroid. Everyone in the station watched in awe as the mighty starship’s hull buckled and fragmented under the stress. With the ship’s engines at maximum output the strain created by two powerful opposing forces was tearing the starship apart. The NeoDyne operations officer wondered if the defelctor would indeed crush them against the rocks or if the intense hull stresses would tear them apart before they even reached the debris field that was now only a few moments away.
The station’s own hull vibrated softly under the crew’s feet as the four Federation fighters continued to buzz about like flies their bites annoying, but inconsequential. Despite their efforts the fighter’s weapons were no match for the station’s rugged and heavily reinforced shielding. Soon they would have no home to return to and could either continue a useless fight or die a slow death inside their cramped cockpits in the cold, unforgiving vacuum of space the last casualties of Starfleet’s arrogance.
“INCOMING TARGETS”, a NeoDyne officer suddenly shouted breaking the inevitable sense of victory.
“What”, the operations officer quickly said unable to hide the fear in his voice.
“TORPEDOES”, another officer screamed as panic filled his sudden cry.
The warning was too little too late. A full salvo of eight quantum torpedoes slammed into the station their violent negative energies ripping at the shields with vicious ferocity. The decks rattled under the stress as the lights flickered against the intensity of the onslaught.
“Report”, the shaken operations officer managed to say his voice shaky and uncertain.
“Shields holding. Efficiency now at 72 percent.”
The ops officer glared at the starship who even in death was continuing to fight. “Beam status?”
“Deflector power reduced to 82 percent – power output was rerouted automatically to reinforce the shields.”
“ADDITIONAL CONTACTS INBOUND – MORE TORPEDOES!”
A second wave of Mark VI torpedoes slammed into the station as their matter /anti-matter explosions wrought havoc against the station’s power reserves. The powerful attacks were draining power from the shields forcing the station’s onboard computers to draw more power to reinforce the shielding systems while at the same time sapping the power from the deflector systems which were only moments away from smashing the Corsair.
“Shields now at 75 percent efficiency – deflector beam output at 68 percent. Sir, we can’t take more hits like that or we’ll lose the deflector beam. The power drain is too great to keep the shields and the beam operational against sustained attacks of that magnitude.”
The ops officer was covered in sweat and appeared nervous, unsure, and indecisive. “Continue operations”, he squeaked from the center of the room as all eyes again focused on the starship that seemed to have all but lost its struggle against the station’s power. It was only now a matter of a few final moments before the starship exploded against the rocky edge of the vast Nakadia debris field.
The station shook slightly as two fighters strafed the outer hull buzzing about in relentless attacks.
“Someone do something about those damned fighters!”
“We’ve temporarily lost phaser power – recharge time is reduced due to the power drain sir.”
“Find a way to get it back”, the ops officer snapped. “We can’t let those pathetic fighters continue to harass us.”
“SIR”, a NeoDyne worker blurted. “I’m detecting feedback in the deflector beam. “
“From where”, the officer shouted anticipating a far different answer.
“It’s coming from the Federation Starship!”
Panic overtook the NeoDyne operations officer as he quickly turned to gawk at the viewer. “INCREASE POWER TO THE DEFLECTOR”, he quickly commanded.
“The power drain is becoming critical sir. I can boost the deflector, but it means drawing power away from the shields. We cannot continue to power them both against the incoming attacks.”
“I don’t care what you do, but destroy that starship! I don’t give a damn about those meaningless fighters. They are of no concern! Do what it takes to destroy that ship!”
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[ USS Corsair ]
Thick acrid smoke filled the air blotting out the blood red emergency lights which flickered in the hazy, pale dimness of the bridge. Officers choked and coughed as the bridge shook the station’s beam now tearing the hull plates away from the ship at an alarming rate. Gone was half the Corsair’s painted name along with a quarter of her once proud registry identification number.
Ramius had made his way through the smoke and small fires that dotted his bridge to the engineering station which, by some miracle, was still operational. The ship’s chief engineer remained at his post with the captain refusing to give the order to abandon ship with less than two minutes remaining before the Corsair’s demise.
“ANYTHING”, Ramius shouted over the noise as the ship fell apart around him. He looked into the face of his engineer whose eyes were wide with uncertainty, but behind a natural sense of fear and urgency was a glimmer of hope.
“I’VE BEEN TRYING TO REMODULATE THE SHIELDS”, Kusinagi shouted over the incredible vibrations and noise. “IF I CAN TUNE WHAT IS LEFT OF THEM TO THE SAME FREQUENCY AND MODULATION OF THE STATION’S DEFELCTOR BEAM IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO PASS THE ENERGY AROUND THE SHIP AND EXHAUST IT BEHIND US WITHOUT THE SHEERING EFFECTS!”
“IF ANYONE CAN DO THIS SAI, IT’S YOU”, Ramius said attempting to instill confidence in his engineer. He wasn’t sure what he had just said, but it sounded like a ray of hope in an otherwise bleak future.
“I’M DIVERTING ALL REMAINING POWER NOW! STAND BY!”
Ramius gripped a nearby bulkhead near the lift doors as he looked through the smoke and fires at his arch nemesis which still loomed on the viewing screen. In his heart he felt nothing but anger and hatred for the NeoDyne Corporation and all that it stood for. Despite all of his efforts it seemed that fate would again have the last laugh by snuffing out his existence allowing the company to continue on with its secretive plans to destroy the peace and bring chaos to billions. He hadn’t planned on dying quite like this, but fate seldom let humans pick the time and place to end their own mortality.
His teeth gnashed together in bitter anger, Ramius held fast to the bulkhead as the clock counted the final moments. The vibrations and noise made any inspirational words he might have for his crew impossible, but at that moment he could find none. All he could think about was the unadulterated and pure hatred he bore against the NeoDyne Corporation. The knowledge that he had lost his eternal battle against them was too bitter to contemplate.
In an instant the bone jarring vibrations ended and a quiet calm fell over both ship and crew. Several moments passed as everyone wondered if they were experiencing their final seconds of life or by some miracle the station’s beam had stopped.
The silence was broken by a loud, resounding “YES”, as the Corsair’s chief engineer practically danced at his station pumping his fist with a victorious yell.
Sai Kusinagi turned to the captain with a smile. “I’ve redirected the deflector energy through the shields and around the ship. They can’t touch us.”
Ramius put a relieved hand on Sai’s shoulder. “You just earned your pay for the month. Now for your next magic trick get me some weapons, it is high time we return NeoDyne’s hospitality.”
Ramius’s eyes burned hotter than the small fires smoldering around the bridge. As some systems returned to normal the smoke and haze was eventually vented and the fires extinguished with the exception of the hottest, and largest fire of them all. That remaining flame burned within Ramius’s own heart and soul. It was a fire fueled by the loss of his parents at Neo Dyne’s blood stained hands, the torture and abuse of his twin brother, the lives lost in the past to NeoDyne’s ambitions, and by the lives lost today aboard his own ship as there would no doubt be high casualties from the damage the Corsair had sustained.
His mission and duty no longer mattered. Ramius had reached a personal breaking point. This time he could no longer restrain the furious flame that raged within his very soul. Demanding revenge his inner demons would consume the blood they so ravenously craved.
“ENGINES TO FULL”, Ramius shouted seizing command in an instant taking up position between the helm and ops station. “Tactical, target the station.” He turned and looked over his shoulder not bothering to hide the lust for vengeance that burned in his eyes. “As soon as we’re within range, open fire with all available weapons.” With a chilling coldness that seemed to shock even his first officer, Ramius issued new orders having been spared from death’s grasp. Commander Novada swore she saw a brief smile on the captain’s face before he turned back toward the viewing screen.
“Tactical, obliterate that station’s ability to retaliate. Fire at will. Spare them no quarter!”
[ To Be Continued … ]
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Captain Taverain Ramius
Commanding Officer, USS Corsair
Commander Sai Kusinagi
Chief Engineer, USS Corsair
Commander Alanis Novada
Executive Officer, USS Corsair
Lt. Alex Redstone
Tactical Officer, USS Corsair
(APB Tav)
