Commander Lataro rushed on to the bridge followed closely behind by Lt. Commander K'Lara. All the bridge officers were at their posts, and K'Lara went to helm. She relieved Ensign Conner who left the bridge and reported to her battle station. Lt. Tara was at tactical. Immediately Lataro sat down and pulled his con panel instinctively.
"Unknown vessel. This is the Federation Starship Virgo. We have no hostile intent," Maruu said towards the view screen. On the view screen, a large vessel unlike any the crew as ever seen had opened fire on the Virgo without any provocation. The Class N planet that had interested Maruu and M'Terrn was the origin point of the vessel.
"Lt. Valdago report," Lataro yelled.
"The enemy ship has powered their forward torpedo tubes."
"Mr. Tara. What is the fighting ability of that ship?" Maruu said over his shoulder.
"Sir, that ship is comparable to a galaxy class starship. However I am detecting smaller ships numbering three being launched from a forward docking bay. All the ships armored with ablative armor, and armed with some torpedoes of unknown origin. I can't make out any kind of designation or markings."
A phaser blast rocked the ship. "Captain, damage to the secondary hull. Shields down to 63%." Lataro yelled over the klaxon.
"I don't necessarily need a confrontation now." Maruu yelled. "Lt.Tara, fire phasers and take out their shields." Tara targeted the shield generator and fired. The enhanced phasers that Lataro had developed against the Kirusans again did their job. The shielding of the other ship had weakened almost to 34%.
The smaller ships that had left the mother ship had engaged the Virgo. Their firepower was considerable considering the size of them. They were no larger than a runabout, but just as deadly as their mother. "Tara. Take out those ships," Maruu ordered.
"Sir. They are too fast. I can't get a lock."
"Captain," Lataro said. "I have experience in ship-to-ship combat. I can take a shuttle or runabout and disable those ships." After a moment, and another blast from the smaller ships and the mother ship, he agreed.
"Go ahead commander. But try not to destroy them."
"Understood. Lt. Garza. You're with me."
The class two shuttle was a perfect choice except obviously for the Lambda Flier. Lataro could have taken it, but due to it being in its infancy stages of development and more test flights were required, he went ahead and chose an old reliable. Outside the Virgo, the enemy vessels were concentrating fire on the warp nacelles while the mother ship was busy pounding the saucer section. Lataro decided to engage the ship closest to him.
"Garza. Raise shields and arm torpedoes and the phaser array," Lataro ordered.
"Aye, Sir."
Immediately one of the triangular shaped ships appeared before him. Lataro positioned the shuttle behind him and shadowed his every move. Then a phaser blast from the rear caused Lataro to roll barely missing the shuttle. "So he wants to play rough. Target their engines and fire." Garza punched a few keys and a phaser blast meant to disable the ship seemed to ignite something, maybe their fuel supply and the enemy ship exploded in a blinding red light.
"Garza! I told you to disable him," Lataro yelled.
"I am sorry, but I did target their engines."
"This is not good."
The second ship noticing the explosion broke off its attack on the Virgo and went for Lataro. It flew quickly and caused Lataro to perform evasive actions. Lataro throttled to full impulse and headed for the mother ship clearing the ships from the Virgo. "Commander. That ship behind us is now 1000 km to our rear." Garza yelled.
"Good just where I want him." Lataro commanded all stop and maneuvered the ship by thrusters to execute a full 180 on a vertical axis. Now the ship was in Lataro's front. "Fire one torpedo!"
Torpedo detonated as the alien ship hit it, exploding into a million pieces. Just as the alien ship exploded, a large flash of light appeared behind them. "What was that?" Lataro yelled.
"That was the mother ship. It was destroyed by the Virgo," Garza said.
"All right, Captain," Lataro yelled. Then an explosion from the rear of the shuttle caused the shuttle's con panel to spark and smoke. The final ship had some how snuck in behind them and fired a series of phaser blasts and torpedoes. The torpedoes took out their shield controls and the phasers took out their inertial dampeners, engines and navigation. "Fire all remaining weapons at that ship!" There was no target lock but hitting the ship was easy as Garza fired the entire weapons array. It destroyed the ship with no problem. However, the problem now rest in the shuttle.
"Virgo this is shuttle one. We are badly crippled and are caught in the planet's gravity. We are being pulled down."
On the view screen, Maruu could see the badly hit shuttle as it was being sucked towards the enormous planet under foot.
[...All systems down. We are going down,] an interfered com signal came on the view screen.
"Jon! Prepare for emergency beam out," Maruu yelled.
"Captain. Their shields are up. We can't beam them out," Valdago said.
"Commander. Lower your shields we will initiate an emergency beam out!"
[...Shield controls are not functioning. We are...] The shuttle entered the planet's atmosphere.
"We've lost communications with the shuttle, Captain." Valdago said.
"No!" K'Lara screamed as the shuttle entered the atmosphere. From that distance, the crew could see the red, hot glow of the shields slowly deteriorating as the shuttle fell lower in to the planet's atmosphere. "Lt. Valdago. You track that shuttle where it lands. I want to know exactly where it does."
"Sir, the atmosphere is blocking our signal. I can't track her."
"You just find a way, Lieutenant," K'Lara yelled snapping and her eyes flashing red at Valdago. That even startled the captain as he walked behind her and put his hand on her shoulder. Immediately he noticed the ring on her finger.
"We will get him back, Commander. You have my word," Maruu said in an attempted soothing manner.