Black Alert

Posted on Wed Apr 7th, 2021 @ 4:21pm by Captain Freya Mannerheim

598 words; about a 3 minute read

Mission: Chapter IV: Unravelling the Mystery
Location: I.S.S. Amelia
Timeline: 238702.15

Following her conversation with Commander Rogers, Captain Mannerheim returned to the bridge. "Captain on the bridge!", her yeoman announced, and, as per Imperial protocol, the Teran bridge officers stood and saluted, clenching their right fist over their hearts before extending their arms outward. The Federation officers, meanwhile, simply stood at attention.

Freya returned the salute, and ordered everyone back to their stations, before taking the chair. "Lieutenant Schneider, set coordinates for five LY out from Cera. No change in temporal coordinates. Prepare Spore Drive and be ready to jump."

"Yes, sir. Coordinates set."

The Captain then got onto the intercom. "Lieutenant Commander Slavik, is the Spore Drive ready?"

"Give me thirty minutes, sir," the engineer responded. "We're just finishing a maintenance diagnostic. Routine procedure, everything is in perfect working order, we just want to make sure it stays that way."

"Very well, thirty minutes. Inform me as soon as we are ready to jump. We'll be moving parallel, no temporal or dimensional displacement this time."

"Understood, Captain. We'll be ready for you."

"Sir," the tactical officer spoke up. "We have two Kazon raiders incoming."

Freya groaned. They'd had to deal with several Kazon raider parties over the past week they had spent in the Delta Quadrant. "Yellow Alert, shields up, weapons ready," she commanded, just as the two enemy vessels emerged from warp.

"They are hailing us, Captain," came from the communications officer, one of the few Federation staff on the bridge.

"On screen."

An angry-looking Kazon appeared on the viewer. "You," he grunted. "You took out seven of our ships, Starfleet. That's an act of war. You, and your entire Federation, will pay for this unwarranted aggression."

Mannerheim shook her head. "Impressive. Every single thing you just said is wrong. We destroyed eight of your ships, in self-defence. They attacked us with no provocation from our part. And we are not a Federation vessel. This is a ship of the Terran Imperial Starfleet, and you'd be best to remember that."

The Kazon laughed. "So you admit to destroying our ships when they responded to your violation of sovereign Kazon space. That is all we needed to know." He closed the channel.

"Sir, they are charging weapons."

The Captain sighed. "Those idiots will never learn. Red Alert. Target their weakpoints and fire at will." The Terran Empire had subjugated the Kazon decades earlier, and weaknesses in their ship design were well known to the Imperial Starfleet. A few torpedoes in the right place would make short work of both attackers, and, as predicted, the fight was over within seconds. "Schneider, get us out of here. Warp four. Just fly around a bit until Slavik has the Spore Drive ready."

"Yes, sir."

The Amelia jumped to warp, and just as they left, four more Kazon vessels appeared and were swiftly left behind. "Fly evasive, don't let them pursue us," Freya ordered, and tapped the intercom again.

"Commander Slavik, our Kazon friends are after us again. What's your status?"

"Spore Drive ready, sir. Red Alert cancelled the diagnostic."

"Excellent, get ready to jump. Schneider, take us out of warp."

Moments later, the ship came to a full stop, and the four Kazon warships formed a circle around it. "Right then, let's ditch these losers. Black Alert."

Mycelial energy surrounded the Amelia, and just as the Kazon opened fire, the ship disappeared, the enemy torpedoes colliding in empty space.

"We have reached our destination, sir," Schneider reported. "No temporal or dimensional displacement detected. Time to Cera, seven hours at warp six."

"Very good. Set course and go."

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