Howdy all. Been reading the great stories posted on here, and decided I wanted to try it myself. I have never considered myself a writer, and welcome any and all constructive criticism, or tips you may have. Thanks in advance, and I hope you enjoy.
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STO: Paladin: Chapter 1
The USS Paladin is traveling at warp, returning to the Omega fleet rally point in the Gamma Orionis sector block. In his ready room, Admiral Marshal Palen sits behind his desk and activates his computer terminal to make an entry into the ships log.
"Captain's log, stardate 86781.4. Admiral Marshal Palen reporting. We have just finished a combat patrol in the Bellatrix Sector, and are returning to the Omega fleet before heading to Earth for some rest and relaxation. The crew is in high spirits, and is looking forward to some well deserved time off. With the recent uprising in Borg activity, and continued aggression from the Klingon Empire, it has been difficult to find the time to..."
"Bridge to the Captain.'
"Computer pause", Marshal tapped his com badge, "Palen here. What is it Commander?"
"Sir, we are receiving a distress signal from the USS Imbrium. She is under attack from the Borg, and taking damage. I have changed course and engaged at maximum warp. Our estimated arrival is less than 10 minutes, sir."
"Very well. Go to red alert, inform the crew of the situation, and prepare sickbay for incoming casualties. I am on my way to the bridge."
"Yes sir. Bridge out."
As Marshal retrieved his sidearm and personal shield from the locker in the ready room, the alarm sounded and red lights on the wall panels began to flash. His first officer's voice came over the ship wide com system, "Red alert, all hands to battle stations! This is not a drill. We are responding to a distress signal from the USS Imbrium, who has fallen under attack by the Borg. Prepare the ship for combat. Medical stand by to receive wounded, and security teams prepare to repel borders. Security fields will be engaged in 3 minutes. All stations make ready reports to the bridge."
The door hissed open and Marshal walked into a flurry of activity, as his officers readied themselves and the ship for combat. Security officers issued hand phasers and personal shields to everyone, as the bridge crew went about their duties with practiced ease. No-one on the bridge was new to combat, and everyone knew what to expect from a Borg attack.
Marshal sat in his command chair, and began examining the data on his personal screen. "Xo, is the ship ready?"
His first officer, Commander Erick Graefen turned and began his report. "Sir, all stations report ready, and the last of the off duty crew are reporting to their stations. Medical is standing by, and engineering reports all security fields are in place and energized. Security has teams stationed at all vital areas of the ship, and the crew is armed and ready. Weapons power is at 100%, shields are at maximum, structural integrity is at 100%, auxiliary power is at standby, and repair crews are awaiting orders in transporter rooms 3 through 5."
"Excellent. Helm, time to intercept?"
Lt Commander Scranton checked her console, "We will be dropping out of warp in 3 minutes 20 seconds, sir."
"Has there been any further communication from the Imbrium?"
The com officer answered, "No sir. Sub-space communications are being jammed, as per the usual when encountering Borg, sir."
"Very well. Launch a communications buoy with the ships logs and all tactical data as soon as we leave warp."
"Aye, sir."
Time seemed to slow as the final preparations were completed. The bridge crew remained silent as they awaited their Captain's commands. Marshal stared at the view screen calmly. This would be this ship and crews 10th engagement with the Borg, and he had no doubts about coming out of this one not only alive, but victorious.
The helmsman's console beeped, and she made the announcement, "Coming out of warp in, 5...4...3...2...1...engaging impulse drives."
The star lines shrank to pinpoints of light in the black curtain of space and a Borg cube suddenly grew to fill the entire screen. A green tractor beam held a federation Hermes class escort vessel captive. Plasma flames burned over the starboard nacelle of the smaller vessel, and blazing energy shot from her rear phaser turrets to impact on the cube's shields.
"We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."
Marshal smirked, "Not very damn likely. Fire all phasers on that tractor emitter! Helm bring us in above and parallel to the Imbrium. Engineering extend shields around her until she can recharge her own. Prepare quantum torpedoes aft, maximum yield!"
The Paladin's phasers fired, and struck the cubes weakened shields, collapsing them. A second volley fired on a rotating frequency struck the tractor emitter which exploded sending chunks of flaming debris into space, it's beam of light winking out of existence. The Imbrium, now free, lurched forward as the Cruiser turned and settled above her. A brief glow of protective shielding surrounded both ships as they moved away from the cube.
"Fire aft torpedoes!"
As if both ships obeyed the command, six quantum torpedoes (3 from each vessel) sprang from their launch tubes and raced toward the cube. The huge explosion tore chunks of the hull and superstructure free, and secondary explosions could be seen through more than half the ship. An energy beam fired from the cube struck the Paladin's shield barrier, and the glow of dispersing energy flickered around the two federation vessels.
The tactical console began spitting sparks and sounded an alarm. Commander Thomas, the ships tactical officer, examined the screens, "Sir, shields are down to 46%. The cube is using some kind of disruptor beam that is overloading our defensive systems. Now down to 18%. The Imbrium is coming around, bringing her forward cannons to bare on the cube. All shields have failed. Plasma torpedo incoming!”
The floor lurched violently as the torpedo hit. "Helm, hard to port, bring forward weapons to bear. Continue firing all phasers, and fire forward torpedoes as soon as we come about."
The assault cruiser banked hard, as her phasers continued firing, lighting explosions along the cubes surface. When the both ships faced the Borg vessel, the escort fired her forward cannons. Bright bolts of concentrated energy sprang forth slamming into the cube, causing massive damage, and ending the shield disruptor's attack. Torpedoes launched from the Paladin raced in and impacted the inside of the ship through the hole created by the first volley. Explosions began cascading along the entire surface of the cube, and she began to break apart.
"Full power to impulse engines! Get us away from that cube!"
The engineering officer began to pour power from the auxiliary generators to the engines and the ship surged ahead, turning away from the doomed vessel. The Imbrium's impulse engines flared and the little ship began pulling away.
When the cube exploded, huge chunks of debris flew out in all directions. Three large sections of the burning hull raced toward the unshielded federation ships. The first impacted the back of the Paladin's port nacelle, sending sparks and chunks of hull plating into space. The support pylon groaned as the stress went beyond it's tolerance levels. The ship twisted in it's flight path, bringing her nose up turning her to the right. The second impact hit the saucer section, ripping through the hull and tearing out sections of the crew quarters.
Bridge consoles threw sparks and the engineering station exploded, instantly killing the young officer stationed there. The crew was thrown from their seats, as the inertial dampeners were overloaded. A support beam tore free from the ceiling and crushed a security officer as he tried to regain his feet. Fires started in two of console banks along the bulkhead.
"Damage report!", called Marshal as he pulled himself up to his feet.
"Sensors, and communications are down.", the XO coughed through the smoke building inside the room. "The bridge life support is down. We have no readings from the rest of the ship."
Marshal pointed to one of the security guards and ordered, "Check the turbo lift, and help get some people out of here."
The ensign approached the turbo lift doors, but they refused to open. She attempted to pry the doors open manually, but with no success. She checked the control panel and reported, "No power, sir, and the doors appear to be jammed shut."
All around the bridge officers began to cough and choke on the acrid smoke filling the room from the burning consoles. Some of the crew attempted to put out the fires with emergency fire extinguishers, but it was a losing battle.
Marshal attempted to tell his Xo to try and cut through the doors with his hand phaser, but his words were choked off in a fit of coughing. Through watering eyes, he caught a flash of blue light toward the rear of the bridge, then another on his right. All at once he was surrounded with the blue energy of a transporter beam. When he rematerialized, he found himself on the bridge of the Imbrium and Admiral Michael Beaston was helping him into the command seat, a medic approaching with a hypo spray to ease his coughing and help clear his lungs.
An Ensign wearing engineering gold reported, "The Paladin's bridge has been evacuated, sir. Personnel in other areas of the ship are being transported to cargo bay 2 for triage and transferred to sickbay as needed."
When his breathing eased, Marshal stood and faced Michael. "Thanks my friend. What is the status of my ship?"
"Over here.", Michael lead the way to a screen showing the external view of the Paladin, and sensor data showing what damage his eyes couldn't see. "She took a couple of solid hits from that flying debris, but for the most part, she is holding air in and the fires are pretty localized. We are transporting your people out of the areas that are burning or in immediate danger of decompression. Shields and propulsion are down, but structural integrity is holding on most of the ship. Engineering wasn't hit, and we are in contact with your chief engineer. We can transport you there when your ready."
"Thanks Mike. Send me over, and please tell my first officer where I have gone, and to get me a report on the extent of my crews injuries as soon as he is able."
Michael nodded his understanding, and turned to his operations officer. "Energize"
Seconds later Marshal appeared in the engine room of the Paladin. The first thing he noticed was a phaser rifle pointed directly at his chest. The security officer holding it, smiled and lowered the weapon as soon as he recognized his captain. The chief engineer, Commander Ethan Evans, was looking over the damage reports pouring in from his computer terminal, and shouting orders to his staff.
Without looking up from his terminal he said, "Captain, glad to see your alive. When sensors showed the bridge on fire, we feared the worst.” The betazoid officer didn't need to look up to know who had approached him. Even in the chaos that surrounded him, he was able to sense his captain's presence.
"The Imbrium got us out just in time. Now tell me, what's the status of my ship?"
Ethan began running down a list of problems, and affected systems, including the warp core being off line, and life support being run on emergency power. Auxiliary power was being used to reinforce the structural integrity field to keep the ship together. The emergency force field barriers erected before the attack were holding in pockets of atmosphere about the ship and kept the entire D deck from venting to space. Transporters were being used to move injured to the Imbrium for treatment, and able personnel to areas of the ship to begin affecting repairs. "She will hold together, sir. Barely, but she will hold."
Marshal shook his head. It was going to be a bit longer before anyone would be seeing any shore leave on Earth.
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