[Galaxy] 2161.10.16 - BoC - "The Gates of Hell"

[Anna H.]

//  Environs of Cheron  \\ 




[CHA]

<snip>
On the Challenger, Captain Sasha Spearling walked over to Cmdr Vic Hanley (2nd Officer, CAO) and whispered in his ear.
<end snip>

Sasha straightened up, looking Vic in the eyes.  "Agreed?" she asked softly.

Vic nodded and replied, "Agreed captain."

Sasha strode back over to the captain's chair, seating herself.  On the main viewscreen, she saw the Flaxlatrox Cha dead ahead, leading the charge after the apparently-fleeing Romulan fleet -- or what remained of it.  They drew near the planet and began a sharply-angled approach vector that would take them in an atmosphere-grazing flight path to the other side.

<+>  "Coalition Fleet ... this is Captain Spearling.  Form up, flying "V", Flaxlatrox Cha at point.  Menzoberranzan, Meridian, Whispering Death, Sharash, Defiant, and the Challenger will form the V arms, all others form up behind."  She watched the screen as the ships formed up.  The front line contained themost powerful of the fleet's ships, followed behind by the more vulnerable smaller ships.  Sasha was concerned:  they had lost a lot of ships.  The addition of the Aenar had been a godsend, but it still didn't put them in a winning position.  Or at least, the odds were against them.  As if in reply to this thought, the Romulan vessels began firing from their aft weapons, spewing green death at the Coalition vessels in hot pursuit.
 
T'Lara ran her fingers over the console as the Romulan ships began firing.  She was examining their shielding, and their weapon frequencies.  Arching her brow, she called out, "Their disruptors are modified, utilizing a bolt of plasma enveloped in the disruption energies."  She rotated through several frequencies in their deflector array, attempting to bolster the hull plating somewhat, augmenting its defensive capabilities in an amount that she was comfortable saying could withstand a couple more hits from the weapons.  "I have managed to temporarily augment the hull plating's polarization by channeling a nadion buildup on our deflector surface.  It shall require maintenance within the next four point two two seven days, as a result.  It would be a feasible defense for all the Coalition ships to take."
 
She was simply offering the manuever as an assistance.  The situation may or may not warrant such a measure, but she did her job in pointing it out as a viable option.  Her concentration returned to her readings and constant fine tuning of things.
 
"Good work, T'Lara," Sasha said admiringly.  "Pass the information along to our allies."  The addition of the Vulcan woman as Science Officer had been a godsend, no matter what any nay-sayers might say about her race.  Sasha was glad to have her.
 
"Tellarites reporting heavy--" Chris started to report, but was interrupted by the rumble of Romulan weapons fire striking the hull. "damage..." Chris finished weakly through gritted teeth as he fought to hold on to his console for support.
 
Vic winced at the Rommie fire, but did it bother him, in a word, no. He gamely returned fire.
 
"Stay in formation," Sasha said unnecessarily, sounding calm.
 
On the view screen ahead of them, the coalition vessels at the front of the V were returning fire, continuing the blinding light show that had opened the conflict. But even though the two sides continued to exchange fire, the fleeing Romulans were managing to stay just ahead of the pursuing allied fleet.

Chris couldn't help but think the Romulan maneuver was much more than a simple retreat. If there was one irrefutable fact about the mysterious aliens, it was that they were brilliant strategists. What was lurking on the other side of the planet?
 
Sasha watched, eyes narrowed.  Reports from Engineering weren't very encouraging to say the least, and she was concerned with the viability of the rest of the fleet.  Already one of the remaining Vulcan ships was considering having to drop back and join the rest of the too-damaged-to-continue ships making their way back through the nebula.  They were attempting repairs, but it didn't look good.
 
The Romulans had reached Cheron and had dropped out of warp.  <+>  "All ships, full impulse and continue pursuit!" Sasha announced over the battle channel.  <+>  The Romulans disappeared around the curve of the planet.  Cheron had several moons in various orbits, including a large one that orbited the planet at a rapid speed.  It zipped past the Coalition fleet on its way around the large curve of the planet.
 
<+>  Rog said, "Understood Sasha. I hope this isn't some sort of a trap."  <+>
 
The Flaxlatrox Cha led the way, and the rest of the fleet followed in close formation.  The firing from the Romulans had stopped as they'd disappeared around the bulk of Cheron, of course, so there was a moment of relative calm.  Then, as the pursuing fleet rounded the planet, a glittering view met their eyes.
 
Uncountable numbers of Romulan vessels, glittering against the starfield, massed in the shadow of the planet.  "No ..." Sasha breathed, eyes wide.  Rog's words about a trap echoed in her ears.
 
Vic looked at the Rommie ships stunned. He said, "Captain, what are we going to do? There's gotta be a thousand ships there."
 
<+>  "DAMMIT!" Captain Horzt yelled from the Flaxlatrox Cha.  <+>
 
<+>  "I doubt our ability to prevail against these numbers," T'Pren added from the Whispering Death.  <+>
 
<+>  "We have to try!" Captain Rakul shouted from the Menzoberranzan.  <+>
 
<+>  "Hmm."  It sounded like the Aenar, thoughtful and soft.  <+>
 
>From her position at the science station, T'Lara studied the readings she was getting from her scans ahead as the fleet moved towards their opposition.  The comments coming from other ships over the speakers rang in her ears as she examined the readings carefully and rapidly did a cross check.  "Captain," she called.  "Pardon the interruption, but the situation is more dire than readily apparent.  In addition to the formidable numbers facing us, there is also a rather dense and well placed gravitic mine field directly ahead, between us and the Romulan forces."  Silently, she agreed with T'Pren that their ability to prevail against the current numbers and situation was questionable, at best.  However, as she surmised T'Pren did as well, she was quite certain the intuitions of the more emotional species involved would provide somewhat of a method for roughly evening the odds in some capacity.  Emotional beings, especially humans, were an unpredictable, and inventive lot.
 
[MER]
 
Rog slowly stood up from his captain's chair. What he saw amazed him. How could the Rommies have so many ships? He briefly turned and looked at his Science officer for confirmation. She nodded, what they saw was not an optical illusion. <+>  Rog said, "Sasha, how do you want to handle this? Should we retreat?"  <+>
 
[CHA]

T'Lara fell silent and waited for orders.  The mines, and the sheer number of ships, could pose a problem, at the very least.  She was understandably interested in how the captain would proceed.
 
Sasha spoke on the battle channel.  <+>  "Coalition Fleet ... avert to heading 110 mark 372, avoid the minefield and regroup on the other side!"  <+>  "Chris ... put me through to the Meridian."
 
"Captain Finney on COMMs," the COMMs officer replied.  As he spoke, Hannah guided the Challenger, in formation, along with the other Coalition vessels around the minefield.  It only took a few minutes ... had the Romulans been planning on them blazing in at warp and getting tangled in the minefield, without looking before they leapt?
 
=+  "Rog ... we can't retreat.  We can't!  I think it's time for our final solution.  Do you agree?" Sasha said, staring into Rog's eyes in the main viewscreen.  She worried about the shuttlepod ... Corad and the MACOs ... but they'd have to go ahead.  If this Romulan fleet left Cheron and headed for Earth -- and Vulcan ... and Andoria ... and Tellar -- it would all be over.  =+
 
 
Captain Sasha Spearling
Commanding Officer
&
Commander Vic Hanley
2nd Officer, Chief Armory Officer
&
Commander Chris Stingley
Chief Comms Officer
&
Ensign T'Lara
Chief Science Officer
======================
FCL-04 Challenger
 
Captain Roger Finney
Commanding Officer
=================
FCL-03 Meridian
 
<NPCs apb Anna>
 		 	   		  
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