U.S.S. Corsair - NX-011979
Nebula II Prototype
“Sic Parvis Magna”
(Greatness From Small Beginnings)
“Fate, Fortune, & Fire – Part IV”
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“Mr. Redstone”, Ramius stated with a calm, stoic voice. “Fire.”
The young tactical officer, anxious to exact payback against the NeoDyne outpost after nearly twice destroying the Corsair, quickly pushed his index finger upon the red firing button of the Corsair’s untested weapon system. Built into the lower half of the Corsair’s saucer section, the prototype starship had been equipped with twin phaser cannons based upon an untested design. The cannons had been test fired once during shakedown trials in a limited test at half their designed output. It was anyone’s guess what a field test now given a damaged Corsair might bring.
“Four second to discharge”, Redstone said confidently from his console as the weapon drank energy from the ship’s dwindling power supplies. “Three, two, one. Firing!”
The reddish lights of the bridge dimmed as systems ship wide felt the drain of the energy hungry twin cannons. There was a momentary pause, but then suddenly the viewscreen exploded in a blinding flash of crimson energy. The deck swayed slightly beneath the crew’s feet as the two cannons unleashed their fury.
Ramius looked on as the twin beams of energy sped toward the station. “Fire torpedoes”, he ordered his eyes glued to the screen. Redstone’s hands again issued the command to fire sending a wave of devastating quantum torpedoes and behind them another salvo of standard photons at the NeoDyne station.
Everyone looked on as lights filled the bridge. A moment later the twin beams slammed into the station’s shields creating a white flare which forced Ramius to shield his eyes from its intensity.
“Direct hit”, Redstone reported. Seconds later, blue white quantum torpedoes exploded against the struggling station’s shields with unrelenting ferocity. The energy discharges from the Corsair’s second salvo were only just fading as six mark VI photons locked on target slammed one after another into the remaining wisps of the station’s formidable shielding.
“Shield efficiency of target now at 20 percent and falling sir.”
“Reload all tubes. Lock main phasers”, Ramius ordered. He turned to his communications officer. “Order the fighters to attack and destroy the station’s deflector emitter. We’ll take out its weapons. Helm, one quarter impulse power. Bring us into range of the main phasers. Tactical, target the station’s offensive systems and destroy them.”
The wounded Corsair slowly inched toward the NeoDyne station which was now being pummeled by long range weaponry. Unable to attack at long range it was powerless to stop the onslaught that was mercilessly destroying its defenses. Moments passed as the Corsair pressed home its assault sending another wave of torpedoes into the station. Within moments it again approached the station moving into weapons range as the tactical officer now set about penetrating what was left of the station’s tough outer shielding with the Corsair’s main phaser arrays.
Ramius looked on with satisfaction as beam after beam slammed against the failing shields before him. Another salvo of torpedoes raked the station as the fighters sped in and pressed home their attacks.
“Shields in grid 7, indigo have failed”, came the excited shout from the tactical officer. Grids, 8, 9, and 10 are collapsing!”
“Take out that plasma torpedo system”, Ramius instructed. “Have the fighters disable the deflector emitter.”
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The chief operations officer aboard the NeoDyne station gripped the tactical board as the deck rattled around him. The deck was on fire, wiring cluttered the room, and smoke choked out all but the brightest lights still working. The station’s impenetrable shields were being stripped away like an orange peel by the accursed Starfleet warship.
The officer cursed the ship just as an explosion somewhere in the depths of the station jarred his grip loose of his console tossing him to the metal deck grates. His remaining staff fled as console exploded throughout the station’s operations center. Wiring crackled and snapped as flames consumed them. The CIC (combat information center) was engulfed in smoke, fires, and burning debris. Coughing on the acrid smoke burning his eyes, throat, and lungs the officer spat glaring at the starship he had nearly twice destroyed. By all accounts it should have been nothing more than glittering metal fragments in the Nakadia sun, but somehow it had survived and was now ripping holes into the station’s unprotected hull as the shielding that protected the station slowly buckled and failed under the full weight of the Starship’s destructive powers. The Neodyne officer, hurling another explicative at the starship, turned to escape, but not before a strained power conduit exploded behind him peppering his body with molten shrapnel.
The man fell to the deck as his life quickly faded. Unable to move or speak his last breath ended with his eyes stuck on the silver hull of the Corsair whose weapons were now cutting deep into the unprotected sections of the station’s outer hull.
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Torpedo after torpedo slammed into the station which rocked with the ferocity of a high magnitude earthquake. Systems overloaded, power conduits exploded under the stress, and the floors, walls, and corridors shook under the awesome firepower of the Federation Starship and her scrappy fighters.
Ramius watched dispassionately as his ship’s arsenal battered the station without remorse or mercy. He had made no attempts at communications and no demands, and none were forthcoming. NeoDyne had everything to lose while Ramius had everything to gain in the confrontation. Communications at this point were irrelevant.
A brief orange and red flare onscreen faded as the ops officer relayed information. “The entire shield grid is collapsing sir. The fighters have just destroyed the deflector emitters.”
Two torpedoes exploded against a now defenseless hull ripping away metal as their antimatter reactions atomized everything in their path. With a single salvo, the station’s torpedo launcher was reduced to a twisted hole of molten, twisted metal.
“Cease fire”, Ramius ordered standing from his chair. “Order the fighters to take up defensive positions. I want the remaining fighters launched immediately. Have them form a defensive perimeter and keep a sharp eye out for inbound reinforcements.”
With the station’s defensive and offensive systems crushed, Ramius could now at last issue the orders he had so often dreamed of. “Commander Novada, have repair teams begin immediate work on hull repairs. I want this ship warp capable as soon as possible. Kusinagi, your priority is to restore our shields. Do what you must, but I want them operational when I return. I fear our time here could be short and I do not want to engage the enemy again without any protection.”
“Captain, where are you going sir”, Commander Novada asked upon hearing her superior’s orders.
“I’m heading over to the station Commander. You’re in command until I return. If you come under enemy attack during that time your orders are to abandon the away teams and escape this system in order to inform Starfleet Intelligence of NeoDyne’s activities. Those orders are explicit Commander.”
“Sir, I must protest. The captain’s place is…”
“Your objections are noted commander. Carry out your orders as instructed”, Ramius replied. Without waiting for a response he headed toward the exit. “Have the marines assemble a platoon and have them meet me in the armory, additionally I want security on maximum alert.”
Commander Novada approached the captain. “Sir, I’ll lead the away team. We’ll secure the…”
“NO”, Ramius forcefully interrupted. “I’ll lead the mission. I want you to remain on the bridge and oversee repairs.”
“But sir, I..”
“Commander you have your orders”, Ramius stated flatly.
“Aye”, Novada replied not wishing to press the issue in front of the crew.
The doors slid closed to the lift as Ramius left the bridge leaving his bridge crew perplexed as to the captain’s orders and disposition. No one had ever seen the captain behave with such passion. Many on the bridge also felt the need for a measure of revenge against the station and chalked Ramius’s actions up to a little human payback, but Commander Novada knew the captain far better and was deeply concerned. Ramius was not himself and she feared for his safety as well as the NeoDyne employees who had exacted severe damage upon the Corsair.
She opened a comm. link to the transporter room. “Chief, this is Commander Novada. Captain Ramius and a large contingency of marines will be beaming over to the station. I want the Captain’s lifesigns tracked at all times. If there’s any sign of trouble beam him back to the Corsair immediately even if it is against his direct orders. Is that clearly understood?”
“Aye air”, came the reply. “I’ll watch the captain personally ma’m.”
Novada nodded with some degree of satisfaction. If the captain was going to play the hero then she would ensure he returned home alive to tell about it.
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Captain Taverain Ramius
Commanding Officer
Commander Alanis Novada
Executive Officer
Commander Sai Kusinagi
Chief Engineering Officer
