Starbase 732 was the gateway to the Briar Patch -St. Louis to SB901's Kansas City. It was a large, modern starbase, with the latest in armaments, technology, and facilities. Its docking pylons could--and did--accomodate an entire battle group. Built just after the end of the Dominion War, Starbase 732 was a jewel in the Federation's crown.
But no longer. In the end, its technology did not fail Starbase 732, nor did the courage of the beings who served Starfleet aboard this base. What failed Starbase 732 were the frailties of the mortal mind....
Time: 0600 hours, June 27
"SB901 reports condition green, sir," a communications yeoman informed Commodore Duchamp.
"Very good. Send out the order to recall the Prometheus and the Basilone to Starbase 732; they won't be needed at New Canada after all," the admiral, an older human, replied.
"Sir, if I may, those ships should continue to SB901 - the base is incredibly understaffed at the moment. They've only one fighter squadron and a handful of small craft with which to defend the colony at New Canada. Shouldn't the Prometheus at least be ordered there?" Commander Nugent, Duchamp's adjutant, asked.
"Nonsense - SB901 is a secondary front. The action's around the G'Kar homeworld. The task force under Captain Wallace will contain the threat. There's no need to reinforce SB901 at this time."
"But, sir, our advance reconaissance indicates that the Mullurans are starting to make a thrust toward New Canada!"
"Do not contradict me, Commander," Duchamp glowered. "The Prometheus and the Basilone are to remain here! We can't afford to hand-hold civilians at a time like this. They'll just have to make do without us."
"Very well, sir," Nugent replied as he accompanied Duchamp off the command deck. A yeoman attempted to present them with a PADD, but both men burshed her off.
Time: 0830 hours, June 27
"You realize, Yeoman, that you are violating the chain of command," Tarik said in response to Yeoman Phyllis Fletcher's transmission.
[I understand, Colonel, but neither Commodore Duchamp nor Commander Nugent want to address this. We've been getting reports of Mulluran and Jem'Hadar fleet movements in this sector over the past twenty-four hours. They aren't listening, so I wanted to get this information to someone who might listen.]
Tarik reviewed the data. The force buildup was huge--monumental would be an understatement. Thirty Jem'Hadar battlebugs, and twelve Mulluran cruisers similar in class to that which had attacked the station in the guise of a Q-ship earlier. "Have there been any reports of engagements?" Tarik asked.
[None yet, sir.]
"I'll be in touch with Admiral Llewelyn and find out what's going on," Tarik replied. "You've gone out on a limb here. Keep a low profile--Duchamp's going to find out what you've done. You realize what might happen in that case." What might happen would be the complete destruction--official and unofficial--of Yeoman Fletcher's career. At minimum.
[Sir, I joined Starfleet because I wanted to stand up for my principles, not hide behind them.]
"Understood. Good luck, Yeoman." Tarik signed off. With that attitude she'll either end up in the brig or the Admiralty.
"Operations, issue Yellow Alert," Tarik ordered a yeoman of his own. "Tarik to Major Boyle, have the Hammerheads ready on the ramp. We may have some more business."
[Aye, sir!]
Time: 1000 hours, June 27
[Commodore, it appears you have some activity in your neighborhood,] Admiral Llewelyn inquired, his deep Welsh burr betraying just a hint of displeasure. The two were not friends, but Llewelyn was Duchamp's direct superior and retained overall command of the sector in which Starbase 732 was located.
"It's just a feint, sir," Duchamp replied. "The Mullurans are trying to draw pressure off the G'Kar front by taking us out of position to reinforce Wallace's task force."
[The Jem'Hadar do not 'feint,' as you so naively put it,] Llewelyn answered. [Or do you recall what happened aboard the Tesla during the Dominion War?]
The Tesla had been Duchamp's command during the war. And he did recall--very vividly. "I will heighten our readiness here at Starbase 732."
[See that you do that, Commodore. Llewelyn out.]
"Old bastard's overreacting as usual," Duchamp said as soon as the channel was cut. "But, just to humor him, go to yellow alert, Mr. Nugent. Ms. Fletcher, what's on that PADD that you're so insistent about?"
Time: 1045 hours, June 27
The Defiant-class vessel Uhura was on a deep patrol roughly a parsec from Starbase732 when it made contact with the first elements of the Jem'Hadar/Mulluran task force. The Uhura managed a brief signal before it was destroyed by a Jem'Hadar battlebug.
The signal was received on Starbase 732. [We've engaged a large number of Mulluran and Jem'Hadar vessels! We've destroyed two but our photon torpedo launchers have been disabled! Request immediate reinforcement---] was all the captain of the doomed ship was able to get out.
"Commander Thornberry always did overreact," Duchamp said. "Too impulsive--should never have had a command."
"Shouldn't we be stepping up our alert status?" Nugent asked.
"Not necessary; we've got enough here to hold off any number of attackers."
Discreetly, Yeoman Fletcher got a message off to SB901 as soon as Duchamp and Nugent entered their ready room.
[A vessel has been destroyed, and Duchamp's ordered no response?] Tarik asked incredulously.
"That's correct, Colonel. I don't know what's going on here, but it just isn't right!"
[This is most peculiar. Unfortunately we're not really in a position to do much more than increase our own posture.]
"You'll save the civilians at SB901, which is more than I can say for what's happening here so far!"
[Be careful of what you say, and to whom you say it, Yeoman. Your remarks border on insubordination.] Deep in his heart and mind Tarik fervently hoped that Duchamp knew what he was doing.
"My apologies."
[For your own sake, stay off this channel,] Tarik said. [We'll be ready for them!]
Time: 1130 hours, June 27
"Gentlemen, as you may know, there are indications of a large attacking force that appears to be vectoring in on Starbase 732," Duchamp said as he briefed the captains of the ships assembled at the base. "The destruction of the Uhura has all touched us deeply, and I know emotions are heated right now. But this could just be a diversionary attack, designed to keep us out of position to support the Wallace offensive. We must not commit here, only to leave our people in the G'Kar sector hanging out to dry!"
The assembled captains nodded solemnly. Had Duchamp been a telepath, he would have seen just how displeased these officers were with this decision. A starship had been attacked and destroyed--this demanded a response!
"Sir, shouldn't we at least assume a defensive posture away from the station," Captain Doublet of the recently-returned Prometheus asked.
"We don't want to tip our hand. We do that, we show what are assets are here. There's a chance this could just be a probing attack."
That's bullshit, and you know it! Doublet thought. He'd been a lieutenant aboard the Tesla during the Dominion War, and knew exactly what Duchamp had done in the heat of battle. The fact that Irwin Doublet had gone from lieutenant to captain in the same period that Andre Duchamp had gone from captain to commodore spoke volumes for both men. You're a coward, and you don't want to commit. You're going to get us all killed, and the colony with you!
1200 hours, June 27
Tarik ordered red alert as soon as he'd gotten word (not from Yeoman Fletcher) that Starbase 732 was under attack. Unfortunately he had no hope of evacuating the station's civilian population in time. Damn that Duchamp! If he'd at least left me the Basilone I could have cleared out the station by now!
By contrast, all the civilian population were being loaded into emergency shelters built into the station. These shelters would allow the civilians to live long enough for the Jem'Hadar to find them and torture them for days on end should the station be overrun. Tarik wasn't planning on having the station be overrun, however...
"Ms. Tycho, how is our mine-seeding project coming along?"
[Almost done, sir,] Kim Tycho responded. She was leading a crew who were dispersing a field of converted photon torpedoes around the station. The torpedoes would act as a mine field, and were shielded with a dubious adaptation of the Mulluran sensor masking technology stripped out of the captured Mulluran shuttlecraft that had borne Vincent Kelly's alternate.
"Very good. Once the signal is given, Major, have your people start a patrol just outside the mine field. I want to give this station as much defense in depth as I can."
"Aye, sir," Major Boyle replied. "How about point-defense for the colony?"
"If the station falls then the colony has about as much chance as a roast targ in a Klingon banquet hall," Tarik replied. Captain Morgan Bacardi, the Hammerheads' half-Klingon XO, grunted at the analogy.
"No offense, Captain," Tarik replied.
"Damn Roms," Bacardi muttered under his breath. His service record--and his proven ability to hold up in a battle--allowed him to spout off the epithet with little more than a glance from Tarik.
"Remember your bearing, Captain. Only a p'taQ would make such a comment," Tarik replied with a grin. The verbal jousting was common between the Marine pilots, and Tarik took it (correctly) as a sign that a mere grunt such as he would be included in the exchange.
"What's the situation like at Starbase 732?" Boyle asked.
"Not good. Three more ships have been destroyed, and the station is taking heavy damage right now. We'd better expect the worst."
"I'll brief the 58th. It looks like we're going to be the last stand," Boyle replied.
With that, Boyle and Bacardi left the command deck. Tarik received a frenzied message.
[Tarik, this is Troy. What's going on?]
"We're at red alert. Unfortunately we don't have the resources to evacuate the station this time," Tarik replied. "When I give the order, proceed to the nearest survival shelter. We'll do what we can to keep the wolves from the door."
[What about Kassia?]
"Keep her close, Troy. That's the only advice I can offer right now. I'd love to give both of you a one-way ticket to Earth right now but I've got to keep the entire station--and the colony--in mind."
Troy thought for a moment. He knew Tarik was right. He also knew Tarik would fight to the last drop of his own blood to keep the enemy from boarding that station. But still...
[I'm not just going to sit around and do nothing. Everything that means anything to me is here!] Troy replied.
"Your sister needs you. I'm doing what I can for her here. You need to be there for her," Tarik said. Troy could be impulsive at times; Tarik was hoping to instill some perspective in him.
[I understand. As much as you can, keep me in the loop.]
"I will, Troy, I will..."
1230 hours, June 27
Starbase 732 was dying, its hull breached in three dozen places by Jem'Hadar and Mulluran weaponry. The response of the task force had been too little, too late: three starships were destroyed in their moorings, and two more starships had been destroyed trying to get into position to counterattack.
Irwin Doublet's Prometheus was not one of them. The big Texan had managed to get his ship clear of the station (by surrepetitiously ordering his crew back aboard and preparations made for disembarkment). Of the assembled Starfleet vessels, only the Prometheus was really giving back as good as it got. The others were just caught flat-footed, although they were slowly rallying.
Commodore Duchamp, unfortunately, had taken the Prometheus to be his flagship, and was doing a rather inept job of commanding the task force. His overruling the judgements of very capable captains had resulted in the deaths of six of them so far.
"Helm, hard about 323 Mark 4," Doublet ordered. "All phasers to bear on the Mulluran. Let's see if we can't get a tractor beam on that escape pod from the Archer!"
"Belay that order!" Duchamp snapped. "Fall back!"
"What the hell do you mean, fall back!" Doublet almost shouted. "Helm, ignore the Commodore's orders. Get that escape pod on board!"
"To hell with the escape pod--they're dead!"
"With all due respect, Commodore," Doublet replied, making the rank into a curse, "would you kindly drag your ass off my bridge and let us get out of here in one piece!?"
"You will address the commodore with respect!" Commander Nugent replied.
"And you will address me with respect, Commander aboard my own damn ship!"
"Escape pod secured, sir." an ensign at Operations replied as the Mulluran cruiser exploded. Though Duchamp had the higher rank, it was clearly Doublet who was in charge.
Unseen and unheeded, Duchamp and Nugent left the bridge.
Finally! Doublet thought as he opened communications with three other ships, attempting to set up a coherent counterattack.
Then suddenly alarms began sounding throughout the ship.
"What's going on?" Doublet asked the Operations ensign.
"Captain, Commodore Duchamp has just authorized saucer separation..."
The battle bridge of the Prometheus pulled away from its saucer section and began to turn tail. Doublet was left underpowered and essentially unarmed as a flight of Jem'Hadar battlebugs launched several dozen photon torpedoes into Starbase 732. The detonation of the starbase would be seen 400 years later on a planet inhabited by Iron Age tribesmen, who would see the aftermath of the battle as a sign to start a huge, planet-sweeping religious crusade...
1245 hours, June 27
"Colonel, Starbase 732 has been destroyed. The task force has dispersed," an ensign at Tactical reported to Tarik.
"All stations, Red Alert. All civilians to emergency shelters. Hammerheads, launch when ready!"
Tarik's stomach crawled. Now came the waiting...
1400 hours, June 27
"Colonel, the battle bridge of the Prometheus is requesting docking clearance!" the Operations yeoman reported.
"Good, we need all the backup we can get! Grant the Prometheus clearance and put her captain on screen.
[Thank God this station's prepared!] Duchamp said. [We were caught off guard at 732--things just happened too quickly! But we can make a final stand here!]
Tarik, of course, knew what had really happened thanks to the now-deceased Yeoman Phyllis Fletcher. "Your additional firepower is quite welcome, Commodore."
[I'll take command here, Colonel. You've done a good job but now is the time for more competent and experienced hands to take charge.]
Suddenly Tarik was wondering if the Jem'Hadar were the true enemy after all...