Bridge Commander

Everything on the USS Leviathan-B was ready, the entire crew both on the ship and at the spacedock had worked to their best to get the ship ready to leave. There were still some minor adjustments to be made, but most of these could be made enroute to Starbase 901. The main problem was the newly installed replacement weapons pod, which still required calibrating with the targeting systems. Lieutenant Commander Hartmann had already thought of this and it had been one of the main reasons he had pushed the repairs on.

With the extra time they now had, there would be enough time to take a minor detour to the Starfleet Tactical training grounds at Triax Seven. The entire system was riddled with asteroids created centuries ago through the collision of planetoids, comets and other interstellar debris. Over the years Starfleet vessels had used these for target practise, creating smaller targets. With three suns, each pulling in different directions the whole system made it an ideal place to calibrate the weapons pod system.

“Commander, we’re all clear.” Lieutenant Borealiou reported. “All work crews are clear.”

“Good.” Lieutenant Commander replied. “Inform docking control that we are ready to leave.”

“Confirmed.” Borealiou stated. “We have clearance to leave.”

“Release docking clamps.” Commander Rashad stated from the first officers chair. Although she was the highest ranking officer on the Bridge, Hartmann was the first officer.

“Docking clamps are released.” Borealiou reported.

“Mister Dare, take us out nice and easy.” Hartmann ordered.

Slowly the massive bulk of the Leviathan-B moved away from the structure which had been it’s home for the past month. The Bridge crew watched on the viewscreen as the structure of the docking bay disappeared.

“We’ve cleared the docking bay.” Lieutenant Dare reported as the last to the structure disappeared off the screen.

“Take us to full impulse, set course for the asteroid belt.” Hartmann stated. “As soon as we’re clear of the outer defences goto warp five.”

“Understood.” Dare replied.

*It feels good to be in command.* Hartmann thought to himself.

Within minutes they were beyond the defence grid of Earth and deep within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Dropping out of warp, they continued on full impulse to the outer planets.

“Commander…” Lieutenant Loh announced. “…I’m picking up some strange readings in the asteroid belt.”

“What sort of readings ?” Hartmann enquired.

“I don’t know.” Loh remarked. “They are appearing and disappearing off the sensors as if they were cloaking and decloaking.”

“Could it just be a sensor glitch ?” Hartmann asked. “After all the entire sensor grid has been re-built. What about rogue asteroids ?”

“I’ve already ruled out a sensor glitch and whatever they are, they are heading straight for use at close to half impulse, no asteroid could travel that fast…...” Garrett stated. “….at least not without help.”

“Range ?” Hartman enquired.

“Hard to tell, but they’re getting closer.” Loh replied.

“Red alert, raise shields and arm all weapons.” Hartmann announced. “Helm reduce speed, mister Loh find those blips.”

The Bridge turned red and within moments, Loh announced. “Vessels at eleven o’clock.”

“All weapons fire.” Hartmann ordered. “Helm evasive manoeuvres.”

The vessel rocked as the small vessel attacked the larger vessel.

“Shields are down ten percent.” Loh announced. “And I can’t get a target lock, they’re obviously using some kind of cloaking device, not very sophistically but good enough.”

“Skipping…..” Hartmann suddenly announced. “…….they’re skipping.”

“Sir ?” Loh said puzzled.

“It’s a technique the Romulans used in the Earth-Romulan war, I remember my father telling me about the tactic.” Hartmann said. “They used their cloaking technology to attack Earth vessel in the asteroid belt, they’d decloak, attack and cloak again before the other vessel could get a target lock. Now if I could just remember the counter-attack…..”

“Asymmetric warfare.” Lieutenant McQueen announced. “I remember the same stories.”

“Of course….” Hartmann said. “….helm, set a course out of the field, we can’t outmanoeuvre them in here. Loh, I want you to fire point-blank range aft.”

“What about targeting ?” Loh asked. “… what do I fire at.”

“Empty space…” Hartmann replied. “… I want you to ‘carpet-bomb’ our rear and hope we hit something.”

“Understood.” Loh announced.

“Put aft on the screen.” Hartmann ordered.

The viewscreen changed and the Bridge crew saw streams of phaser fire and quantum torpedoes fill the space behind them. Suddenly something exploded as a torpedo hit, then a second hit and a third.”

“It’s working.” Loh announced.

“Keep firing.” Hartmann announced. “Helm how long until we leave the belt.”

“Two minutes.” Lieutenant Dare replied.

More and more of the vessel were destroyed as the Leviathan continued to flee from the aggressors. The vessel were obviously poorly shields, each being destroyed by a single phaser shot or quantum torpedo.

“We’re exiting the belt now.” Dare announced.

“Helm, full one eighty, Loh prepare to fire all quantum torpedoes into the belt, wide spread on my mark.” Hartmann ordered.

The vessel spun around to face back into the belt.

“Fire.” Hartmann ordered.

A full wave of quantum torpedoes shot back into the belt, causing several vessels to explode. The few torpedoes that missed continued into the belt before hitting several asteroids, causing debris to be sent out into the surrounding space.

“Anything on sensors.” Hartmann enquired.

“Nothing but debris….” Loh announced. “…it looks like that was the last of them.”

“What’s your tactical analysis ?” Hartmann enquired.

“From what we can got from sensors, they weren’t very large….” Loh reported. “….about five metres in length. The power source is unusual, but we’d need further analysis to determine exactly what it was. Weapons were some kind of high-energy polarised beam and low-yield tri-cobalt missiles. I’d say they were some kind of fighter.”

“How many do you think we destroyed ?” Hartmann enquired.

“Twenty eight.” Loh announced confidently.

“Do you think they were capable of inter-stellar travel ?” Hartmann asked.

For a moment, Loh was quiet, the idea that these were sub-light vessels hadn’t occurred to him before now.

“Almost definitely not.” Loh stated. “The sensor readings didn’t pick up any kind of warp drive.”

“Which means what ?” Hartmann said.

“Either they travelled sub-light and waited in the asteroid belt, which is highly unlikely……” Loh suggested. “….or there’s some kind of mother-ship.”

“Scan the debris and see if you can find any useful component which might help identify our attackers. Also continue to scan the area for any unusual readings or cloaked vessels.”

Half an hour later, they had transported over two tonnes of debris into the cargo hold and were ready to head back on course for Jupiter Station.

Hidden from view a vessel sat cloaked close to the asteroid belt, the small crew looking, watching the Leviathan scavenge in the debris.

"Overlord, we should attack now.” The officer stood in front of the screen before him. “We should avenge our comrades.”

“No, we must not reveal ourselves to this Federation.” The Overlord replied. “They died in the name of the great empire; their sacrifice will not be forgotten this day. We have time on our side, the Axtilities are almost defeated and even if this Federation can form an alliance, it will be too late to make a difference.”

“Then what are your orders Overlord ?” The officer enquired.

“Follow them, let’s find out more about our new enemy.” The Overlord said as he released himself from his command position. “You have command.”

The second officer set a course to follow the Leviathan before moving back from his helm position and taking up the position vacated by the Overlord. Immediately another officer came in from a side door and took over the helm.