The Final Battle : Target Acquired

It was three days since the Nuan transport had brought the crew of the USS Leviathan-A the five Decrum torpedoes captured by them. Over the next three days, Lieutenant Commander Taline had been working day and night examining and trying to understand the torpedoes. There were two problems to solve, how to launch them and how to not get destroyed in the process of launching them.

The first had been the easiest to resolve. Although the torpedoes were larger than the Federation torpedo casings, they could be fired via the probe launcher system.

The second had been harder to resolve. Lucas had been examining all the data the Nuan had given them. The torpedoes were both complex and sensitive. However, Taline was not a man to be defeated likely and had worked hard on resolving the problem.

He now sat in the main briefing room, along with the rest of the senior staff awaiting the arrival of the Captain and first officer. Finally Captain Taybar and Commander Rashad entered the room and took their seats.

"Good morning crew." Aki announced. "I hope we have some good news today ?"

"In deed we do Captain." Lucas announced. "And I believe that Lieutenant Commander Barker has some news as well."

"Chief, I think you should start." Aki suggested.

Taline stood up and walked across to viewscreen with a Padd. The screen flickered on and an image of a Decrum torpedo appeared.

"These Decrum torpedo are highly complex devices and I've only managed to scratch the surface of the schematics." Lucas started. "However, I have a understanding of how they operate and how we can stop them from exploding when we launch them. We can as I first suggested launch using the probe launcher, but we would need to hand-load them. The problem is that as soon as they launch, they become active."

"How have you solved the problem ?" Commander Barker enquired.

"The torpedoes are designed to home in on foreign energy signatures." Lucas explained. "Anything that doesn't match a Barien energy signature is targeted. Remember how the USS Knight's runabout was able to attract all those torpedoes during the war, which was due to the fact that the Chief Engineer on the Knight had boosted the shield emitters. That modification actually made the Pendragon's shields appear very similar to be a Barien signature."

"But how does that help us ?" Aki asked. "As soon as we launch, they'll lock onto our energy signature and attach to our shields."

"Not if we appear to be a Barien vessel." Lucas replied. "We could re-calibrate the torpedo targeting systems, but that would need more time to study and understand the systems. But I think we can modify our own shield emitters to make it look like we're a Barien vessel without compromising their effectiveness. It won't work at close range, but I can increase the arming time before the warhead becomes active."

"How long would you need ?" Aki asked.

"About a day, maybe two." Lucas replied. "The torpedoes should be ready in a few hours and I've already got teams working on the shield emitters."

"Do it." Aki ordered. "Mister Barker, I think we should hear your news next."

Chu rose from his seat and walked over to the viewscreen. Lucas moved back to his own seat and watched the Chief Science Officer start his own briefing.

"Captain, as you know we've been attempting to pick-up the carrier signal that the hologram ASHER uses to keep in contact with his vessel." Chu started to explain. "We know the frequency that he used, but we have been having problems calibrating the deflector to pickup the signal. It's in a very high sub-space band, at the extreme range of our sensors. We've tried to boost the signal, but blew us three amplifiers and two EPS conduits."

"So we're still no nearer finding the mirror vessel ?" Aki enquired.

"Yes and no." Chu replied. "We've been working on another amplifier, one which is more robust and designed to work at higher frequency bands. We now have a working amplifier and First Lieutenant Truman is calibrating the deflector array as we speak."

"Do you think it will work ?" Taline asked.

"Let's see." Chu replied. "Commander Barker to Lieutenant Truman."

[Truman here Commander.] The voice of the young Marine Engineer replied.

"How are the modifications going ?" Chu enquired. "Are we ready to test the amplifier ?"

[We're about as ready as we ever will be.] Jack replied. [I'll try and fine-tune it as we make the attempt.]

"OK. Start the amplifier and transfer control to the main briefing room." Chu ordered.

[Understood.] Jack replied.

As they conversation ended, an image started to appear on the screen. Chu started to adjust the signal and finally the signal they had been searching for appeared on the screen.

"Got it." Chu announced. "Barker to Truman. We have the signal, five by five."

[Glad to hear it Commander.] Truman replied.

"Barker to Bridge." Chu continued.

[Bridge here. Ensign Omega here.] The voice of the Operations officer announced.

"You should be picking up a high frequency subspace signal." Chu stated. "I need you to triangulate and find the source of that signal."

[I'll get right on it.] Omega replied. [It's pretty weak, but I think I have a lock.]

"Where ?" Chu asked.

[The Theta Gibron system according to stellar cartography.] Tony stated. [Starfleet or the Ferengi hasn't mapped that system, but we do know that there's a class two black hole. There was a Starfleet probe launched in 2265, which sent back a lot of information. The presence of a black hole deemed it of little interest to Starfleet.]

"Why did you mention the Ferengi ?" Chu asked.

[It's on the edge of Ferengi space, Sir.] Tony stated. [It's officially open space, but the Ferengi have claimed it in the past.]

"Thank you Ensign." Chu stated.

He then punched a few commands into the viewscreen control and the image changed from the signal to the image of a star system. He looked at the system and read through the information.

"Theta Gibron. A very interesting system." Chu stated. "A system with a black hole at its centre. There are three planets in the system, all slowly being pulled towards the black hole. Comparing the 2265 data with current long-range scans, I'd say that the inner most planet has about a hundred years to go and the other two between six and eight hundred."

"A black hole system." Aki announced. "Highly volatile, but why do you think they're there ?"

"It could be because of the black hole ?" Chu suggested. "The long-range sensors are picking up some strange readings coming from the system. They could be attempting to create a vortex back to their own galaxy."

"It's good enough for me." Aki announced. "Taybar to Bridge."

[Omega here Captain.] Tony's voice came back once more.

"Set a course for the Theta Gibron system. Maximum speed." Aki ordered. "Leave when ready ?"

[Understood.] Tony replied.

"Mister Omega, what's our ETA ?" Aki enquired.

[At maximum slipstream, I'd say seven days.] Tony replied.

"Thank you Ensign. Taybar our." Aki stated. "Mister Taline, how much more speed could we get from the slipstream drive ?"

"I could maybe get another ten percent, but we'd run the risk of causing major damage to the drive." Taline stated.

"Do it." Aki ordered. "Every second we can gain will be of benefit to us. Ten percent could give us a day in which to defeat the mirror universe threat. I think that is all, dismissed. The final battle has begun."