To The Victor Goes The Spoils (Part 1 of 3)

Captain Devore watched as Lieutenant Tyra entered Engineering. He hated having to chew her hide, but personal things had to wait whilst an officer was on duty, especially when they were in the midst of battle. Devore had had a chance to look over Tyra's record and noted that she was a capable young lady. Graduated from the Academy and the Leviathan was her first assignment. The Lieutenant promotion was given to her because of her job cone. She was a very specialised engineer so specialised that there were only three in Starfleet. Unfortunately the projects that she worked on were classified and only a small handful of people actually knew about the project. Section 31 was at it again, but this time Tyra was not involved... at least to the assumption of Devore.

[Captain. You are needed on the Bridge.] Devore combadge beeped.

"On my way." Devore responded tapping it. "Bridge."

The turbolift zipped away. After a few minutes the turbolift stopped opening on to the Bridge. "Report." Devore yelled stepping on the Bridge.

MacLeod relinquished the command chair. "Captain. I was just going to order the jump into the slipstream when I noticed this. Ensign Grafton. Put it on screen." The screen's direction was redirected to the com signal that was being displayed.

[...Lieutenant Beckett and I have come up with a makeshift weapon, sir. I suggest that you get the fleet away from the Barien capital ship.]

"That's the USS Pendragon, the Knight's runabout." Captain Devore said. "What weapon are they talking about ?"

[What are you going to do ?] Another voice said.

"Grafton. Open a channel to the Knight."

"Channel open."

"Captain Osagawa ? We are monitoring your communiqué. What weapon is the Pendragon referring to?"

[Captain. I don't know just yet. Standby.] Osagawa said.

[Take a look at what we have in tow, sir.] Replied Beckett with thinly veiled excitement in his voice. He was the pilot of the Knight's runabout. Devore turned to Grafton and motioned for him to do so.

On the screen the small runabout had in tow twenty-three decrum torpedoes. Each of them seemed to be chasing the runabout as it headed towards the Barien capital ship.

"What are they doing ?" MacLeod asked quietly.

[I managed to absorb the torpedoes' energy before they came in contact with our shields, rendering them lifeless. Lieutenant Beckett then suggested that we give the Bariens a taste of their own medicine. Requesting permission to continue, sir.]

[By all means, gentlemen, continue.] Said Osagawa from the Knight. [Send a message to the rest of the combined fleet to keep their distance from the capital ship.] Once again the Captain turned toward the view screen. [Good work, gentlemen. Osagawa out.]

"Captain. Very ingenious. Make sure that you give them an 'A' for inventiveness." Devore said with a smile.

[Will do sir.]

"Grafton put it on the screen. I would like to see this."

The viewscreen displayed the runabout and its cargo drudging onward toward the carrier. As the Pendragon neared the heat of battle, the fleet slowly shifted away from the remaining capital ship. As soon as the fleet obtained a safe distance, the Pendragon accelerated at full speed, preparing to release her payload of torpedoes. From the capital ship, barrages of spatial charges exploded around her hoping to create a barrier so that this lone ship couldn't break through.

Unfortunately the runabout was just small enough to evade the charges and got closer and closer. The capital ship launched a series of missiles and torpedoes but the runabout continued to evaded them, without losing too many of the torpedoes. Suddenly one of the charges connected to the Pendragon illuminating the shields around her. She bucked like a wild bronco.

"Captain," MacLeod said from Ops. "The Pendragon's shields are down to twenty-five percent. Another hit like that will destroy her."

"Mac. Those runabouts are a resilient ship. They can take a lot more before buying the farm."

"Buying the farm sir ?"

"Forget it ?"

Suddenly the torpedoes' engines ignited. The runabout arced away from the ship but the torpedoes flew straight, straight into the shields of the carrier. It began to bump and nuzzle the shields are they are famous for doing. Slowly they drained the shield, absorbing every terrawatt of power. As the runabout banked away, it strafed the shields of the capital ship. The decrum torpedoes reached their full energy capacity as the shields began to fail. The torpedoes flew straight as arrows to the ship and detonated on the hull. The Pendragon accelerated away from the capital ship just as the first signs of explosions were beginning to form all across the ships bow.

The remaining ships of the Federation-Jeorri fleet moved further away from the capital ship and concentrated on the remaining Barien fighters as the capital ship began to explode, section by section set in a stunning backdrop for the remainder of the battle. Finally, as the containment fields aboard the capital ship failed, the ship violently exploded, lighting up the battlefield around it like a small supernova.

As the light faded away, the image of the Pendragon could be seen like an outline against the light as it neared the Knight. The explosion caused a small bright spot in Devore's eyes. He had been momentarily blinded by the flashing explosion. He smiled as the remnants of the Barien carrier was burning debris.

"Captain. We are being hailed by the Enterprise." Grafton said.

"On screen."

[Captain Devore.] Began Admiral Ross. In the background the crew were whooping and hollering in glee. The day had been victorious for the fleet, but something still remained. [Good work.]

"Yes. We won, but the Knight and her crew deserve the real credit."

[The Pendragon performed admirably, but we all deserve credit, Marc. Don't you agree ?]

"Of course sir. However my task is not complete yet. I must go and rescue my crew from the planet surface."

[Yes. Do. We will try to pick up survivors and make repairs here to those ships that need it. However I will send some ships with you.]

"I am jumping to slipstream. I have to get there before Beard does."

[Very well. God speed Captain. I will send a small contingent behind you just in case. They will get there....] Ross pressed a few buttons. [....around six hours after you get there. Hopefully they won't be needed.]

"Admiral. The Leviathan will hold her own."

[I know Marc. She has already displayed that. Go ! Ross out.]

The screen returned to the darkness of space.

"Helm. Set a course. Signal the Kirusans to slip in behind us. Lieutenant Shaka generate the stream. Enter the stream !"