Categories > TV > Buffy the Vampire Slayer > BUFFY Meets STAR TREK
- War -
--Ruins Of War--
31
Onboard the Shuttlecraft Shogun:
"Is everyone okay?" It was the first thing from Buffy's lips the moment she realised she'd materialised.
Willow, out of her EVA suit and in simple grey Starfleet overalls, ran into her with a great hug of relief.
"What happened there?" Anya quizzed with suspicion, pointing out the section of bulkhead stained by a ring of blood.
Regarding the invisible hole through which the previous occupants had to leave, Willow shared a cringed look with Xander.
"Emergency exit," Xander replied with a harsh dryness before pealing his own suit away. Wearing the same jump-suit overalls as Will, he slipped into the back section. Sitting, he sagged and took a moment quietly, fighting his body's urge to shake.
A few seconds later, the Slayer stepped in and sat beside him.
"Thanks," she said after a long silence. "You did an amazing job back there. ...I saw you get hit. ...Thought we'd lost you..."
"Ditto," he managed.
"So..." she went on at length. "What now?"
He raised his head up then and eyed the replicator cut into the wall before them. "I'm gonna sit n' shake here a sec. ...Then I'm gonna drink liquor."
She rested a hand on his shoulder softly, then left him in peace to deal with his demons.
"We're going to go somewhere safe now, right?" Anya pleaded as Buffy re-entered the cockpit.
"We're going to help the spacemen fight the bad monsters," she replied.
"We have a responsibility here," explained Willow.
"We're not fighter pilots or space people," Anya insisted. "This isn't our fight."
Buffy sat in the chair behind the weapons position. "But it's our war."
"Fine." Anya huffed with a face that said 'woteva'.
"How's our weapons?" Xander asked, stepping back into the room.
Will dropped into the helmsman's post and checked the display. "Looking good."
"Then we fight," he settled, taking his seat in front of Buffy.
Anya parked her butt behind Willow as the Wiccan-one examined the flight controls before her.
...
The Shogun lurched suddenly forward and slammed to a stop. And again. And again. By the fourth kangaroo jump the others began to groan, forcing Willow to re-evaluate her method of piloting.
A moment later, she gave out an 'Ohh' of realisation. "Oops. Sorry guys - got my deuterium injection rate a little off against my thruster output."
Xander's face creased. "Which means something in what language?"
"Wrong gear," she added
The Shuttlecraft Shogun fired up and shot away like an arrow.
*
USS Enterprise rumbled along like a thundercloud - the Klingon Warship gHin TAQ in deadly pursuit. At the head of the Klingon battle-tank, a Mega cannon let loose a disruptor blast that rocked the Starfleet vessel.
*
Spike was still alone in his quarters when the blast hit.
Completely abandoned and forgotten about, trapped in his blackened-out room, he'd spent the past half-hour staring out his window trying to get blind drunk on what he didn't realise was synthahol. At the moment of impact he'd decided enough was enough and it was time to find an escape from his prison. He threw down his glass - smashing it across the floor with all the other debris - and moved to his doorway to grab the guard there...
But his world came crashing to oblivion when the walls of his room tore away from the frame of the ship, and he was fired out into the stars.
*
Jutla's flight console blew a fountain of sparks out into his face, sending him reeling from his seat. One of the nearby ensigns darted across to him and offered to see him down to sickbay. Any delay could leave the man blinded for life.
Picard gave it the nod, handed the Conn over to Troi, and called for torpedoes.
*
Every last launcher about the surface of Picard's ship opened up in retaliation - unloading a great spread of quantum torpedoes on her enemy.
The gHin TAQ took the full barrage on the nose, taking serious damage.
*
"We have disabled their main disruptor cannon!" Worf reported victoriously then added: "However, we have exhausted our complement of torpedoes."
Their ship was now entirely weaponless, shieldless, and utterly defenceless.
*
The Shogun crossed beneath the saucer of the Enterprise when an explosion from its surface sent a ripple of turbulence through them.
Willow manoeuvred carefully as all manner of flotsam spat across their path from the bomb-blast and a tiny dark object zipped by with it.
"Did anyone else just see that?!" Buffy gasped.
Willow suddenly took the shuttle into a sharp dive, spinning them through the debris wildly in pursuit of the dark object.
"Hold on guys, I'm lowering the shields!" she called out.
Anya almost choked on her tongue. "Are you insane?"
"Probably," came the reply. "I know I'll regret it if we live long enough."
Willow drew up to a second Starfleet shuttle, using them for cover as she dropped the protective shielding and initiated a transporter beam.
In the next second, Spike materialised within the cockpit.
His skin was wrenched taught across his bones and he seemed to be growling with distress.
"It's ... a damn good thing ... I don't soddin'well breathe," he managed.
"You have no idea," Willow assured him. "Even a little air and your lungs could have popped like a balloon."
Looking better already, he huffed: "No kidding?" Then he caught himself. "Hey!...Where the hell were u guys back there?"
Willow went quickly back to her controls. Buffy opened her mouth... then nonchalantly turned her attention out the window.
*
"Captain, we should leave now before the ship breaks apart," Riker advised from Ops.
"We need to bring that ship down, Will. At any cost." Picard looked to the bridge staff. "I ask only that three volunteers remain."
No one moved. Everyone took to their stations. Down to business.
"Got a plan?" Riker asked curiously.
Picard didn't answer with words. His expression said it all. He had something.
*
The shuttlecraft Shogun carved a passage through the war zone with an enemy Fighter tight on her tail.
The Scoobs onboard thought Willow's take-off had been shaky...but, when the Fighter closed in and shunted them hard from behind, they felt true whiplash.
"What are they doing?" Anya cried out in exasperation.
"They've lost weapons," noted Willow.
Xander grabbed his console. "I think they're trying to ram us to death!"
Buffy leant forward. "So let's give 'em something to ram!"
Willow drove the shuttle down under the belly of the giant Klingon Warship and rolled her over - the Fighter hot on her heels - and headed straight for something on its surface from which huge blasts of green energy fired out into space.
A cannon turret!
Their shields skimmed the surface of the massive ship giving them a bumpy ride.
Xander pointed nervously. "Will... that's a very big GUN."
"That's what I thought."
"You're still flying at the big gun," warned Anya. "Do you know that?"
"I noticed."
Spike pulled himself from the floor. "Willow...beam me back out...I wanna beam out now!"
Even the Slayer covered her eyes before, at the last instant, Willow pulled the Shogun up in a severe arc and shot away from the Warship.
The small Fighter tried to veer away but crashed head-on into the helpless turret like a fly on a windscreen and both went up in sparks of flame.
The gang roared with victory! Xander once again felt like Han Solo - triumphant against the evil Empire in his Millennium Falcon.
Willow's confidence with the helm went right off the scale and she rolled them back around and began circling back for a second pass.
As the Shogun turned, they caught sight of the distant Epsilon star.
Spike dropped to the deck. ""Whoa! Not that way!" he cried out. "Let's try n' avoid the UVs, eh?"
Will took note and increased their arc, turning them right into a squadron of hostile shuttlecraft.
Xander didn't pause for an instant. His training experience on the Rutherford guided his hands over the controls as he locked the targets and fired away.
*
The Rutherford circled around; already in a bad way, and rolled back toward the fight.
Onboard, Hutchinson struggled on tactical. "Sensors are down! I'm not seeing anything..."
Vaun joined him. "Okay... let's get something on viewer."
The screen lit up with the image of their flight path ahead.
Dan squinted, then pointed out a Starfleet Runabout chasing down a Klingon Fighter. "That looks like a bad-guy."
"Sounds reasonable."
Commander Vaun set up a manual lock and looked back to the viewer to see the bulk of the Klingon Flagship slide into their path.
When a whole mess of turrets upon its surface lit up with a green glow it was the only sign they had of a weapons lock.
Chevva had already begun evasive measures. But too little too late.
The commander winced. "Brace for impact!"
Multiple hits landed across her underbelly shaking the ship to her foundations.
"Our weapons are gone!" Dan called out. "We're blind and defenceless! ...And looking at the rest of my screen...I'd say that's the good news!"
This was as bad as Vaun had ever seen it... and he didn't have the crazy killer instincts of Freeman. He gritted his teeth. "...Break off, Chevva."
*
USS Rutherford banked sharply and peeled away from the fight in a terrible state.
*
Picard witnessed the Rutherford falling away in all her distress and realised it was time to finish this conflict. No more compromise. He felt sorry to Data most of all. He, after all, had been the most tortured and innocent victim of the entire episode.
He ordered power from life-support and had all systems shutdown in the now empty engineering section. Thrusters he commanded at full power and all remaining to the tractor beam. He made steady his resolve. "Ramming speed, Deanna. ...Take us in."
*
In the giant battle-bridge of the Warship, at the very heart of the vessel, Darkness watched through Data's eyes as the form of the USS Enterprise came rolling towards him from afar.
Right then he knew. He had already won.
He knew precisely, thanks to Data, what Picard was about to do. He had to admire the captain at least a little. That he would lay down his own life to complete his mission.
But Data smiled. He knew something Picard didn't. And the Enterprise was about to get a very big surprise. "Target the bridge," he said with absolute glee at his own deviousness. "And prepare to power up the Mega-disruptor!"
*
The Enterprise closed in.
Picard pursed his lips tightly and stiffened in his seat. He looked across to Worf, who returned a strong nod of approval. This was it. Things would finally end here. One way. Or another.
*
Enterprise was almost on top of him when Darkness fired up his lethal Mega weapon.
He could barely contain himself...
"Fire!"
*
A crackling ball of phased plasma burst forth from the nose of the gHin TAQ and tore across the void between the two Starships...
Yet, to Rhamhal's horror, the Enterprise suddenly pulled up - avoiding the disruptor blast - and towing her severed nacelle behind her.
The tractor beam tugged and repelled the nacelle - slingshotting it directly toward his Warship.
*
Worf recoiled as the tractor emitter blew - sending a reaction through his terminal.
*
Darkness had time for one last thought as the wreckage careered into him...
'Picard! Damn you!'
*
The bow of the gHin TAQ crumpled and exploded as the warp engine drove into her like a stake through the heart of a vampire. A cascade of fire detonated across her surface taking out almost every system onboard.
When the nacelle settled in its place - protruding as if a giant splinter in the eye of the ship - her propulsion and weapons were no more and she was left almost unrecognisable.
She drifted. Not a light remained on her surface and no sign of life remained in her.
*
The Imperial Klingon Attack Fighter G'bah - the last of her entire squadron - circled the mothership, scanning the severity of her damage.
Within the shuttle, the weapons officer - Torukh - had taken the helm from his fallen comrade who now lay decapitated across the deck plate. Everything his sensors were telling him said the Warship shouldn't even be in one piece. She was held together by Klingon spirit no doubt.
But the young Torukh would see his name burning in fire at the gates of Sto-Vo-Kor by bringing the enemy to certain death and returning justice and vengeance upon them for the countless fallen warriors of this bloody day!
The Enterprise' warp nacelle had cut deep into the heart of the gHin TAQ, exposing massive wounds that opened her insides up to the void. The Klingon youth located his flagship's warp core - lifeless, yet still containing enough energy to blow the vessel apart.
He did not waste time thinking twice. He wouldn't see his spirit fade with old age and rot. Powering his thrusters, he dove into the Warship - sparking against the ragged edge of the opening and rolling awkwardly into the remnants of a corridor.
"FOR HONOUR AND THE EMPIRE!"
*
The bridge crew of the Enterprise watched on as the small Klingon shuttle disappeared into the Warship's innards.
"Mr Worf?" Picard motioned.
The ambassador checked with the aft station. "They appear to be heading for the engineering level."
"He won't make it," Geordi said. "There's no route through the emergency bulkhead there."
"Can we hail them?"
At that point there came a shudder from within the belly of the Klingon beast as the G'bah impacted and detonated short of the mark.
"This isn't good." La Forge reported quickly. "I think the straw just broke the camel's back!"
A puzzling second later and victory became calamity.
*
A great blast erupted from the stomach of the gHin TAQ and propelled her into a spiral fall.
Directly in her path - Epsilon Ursae 6!
*
"Tractor beam!" Picard called in futility.
"Gone," said La Forge.
There was nothing any of them could do but watch. Watch and think of Data in there somewhere. And the planet...the pre-industrial population of an innocent world...
Their mission was becoming a successful disaster.
*
The flagship of the Klingon Empire burned up and ripped apart as she collided with the atmosphere of the planet and plunged through it. She shook apart - breaking in two - and smashed into the surface kicking up dirt and earth that could be seen from space.
*
Picard felt a sudden rush of all kinds of thoughts. They'd stopped the enemy from reaching Earth. That was good. But Data....
Was it a price he could live with paying? And now an entire civilisation could have been drastically rampaged by their own private war.
He dropped into his chair. "Bring us to a stop, Counsellor," he sighed.
Enterprise shuddered to an unsteady halt.
"Helm answers all stop." Deanna turned to Will and let out a considerable sigh of relief.
He smiled proudly back at her. Secretly he was just grateful she hadn't crashed this time.
Picard, however, didn't feel the ship safe enough to relax. "Damage report, Mr. Worf?"
The Klingon, releasing his grip on the fried panel, raised his head to the captain and answered him with one hairy eyebrow.
Picard nodded. Stupid question. Walking to Ops, he asked Riker: "Are we at least stable?"
His number one analysed the report before him. "Seems like she's settled down for now."
"We still have moderate external sensors," Geordi announced. "Scanning the surface..."
Martok, still at his rear workstation, reported that the few enemy shuttles were still operating and engaging their own fleet.
Darkness lived on. In what form, it was anyone's guess. But it left a degree of hope.
The captain looked to the 6th planet on the viewscreen. "Status?"
La Forge replied: "The land site seems to be a single land-mass... uninhabited by the indigenous humanoid population."
Another cause for hope. It may still be possible to protect the planet from irreparable interference.
"And the Rutherford, Geordi?"
"...Her sensors have taken severe damage. Possibly useless. No weapons...and she's got impulse, but the warp drive is offline."
"Can we open a channel?"
"Actually, ...our comm is down," he admitted. "But we do have transporters."
"Very well," said Picard. "Launch a beacon - call in the escape pods. Ambassador," he turned to Worf, "prepare a ground operation."
He stepped to the turbolift... "It still works?" he asked, pointing to the doors.
When La Forge gave a nod, he entered. "I'm beaming to the Rutherford. I'll contact you from there. Geordi - you have the ship... what's left of it. It'll be your task to round up the strays. Number One - ready a landing force."
The doors to the lift closed and Picard was gone.
--Ruins Of War--
31
Onboard the Shuttlecraft Shogun:
"Is everyone okay?" It was the first thing from Buffy's lips the moment she realised she'd materialised.
Willow, out of her EVA suit and in simple grey Starfleet overalls, ran into her with a great hug of relief.
"What happened there?" Anya quizzed with suspicion, pointing out the section of bulkhead stained by a ring of blood.
Regarding the invisible hole through which the previous occupants had to leave, Willow shared a cringed look with Xander.
"Emergency exit," Xander replied with a harsh dryness before pealing his own suit away. Wearing the same jump-suit overalls as Will, he slipped into the back section. Sitting, he sagged and took a moment quietly, fighting his body's urge to shake.
A few seconds later, the Slayer stepped in and sat beside him.
"Thanks," she said after a long silence. "You did an amazing job back there. ...I saw you get hit. ...Thought we'd lost you..."
"Ditto," he managed.
"So..." she went on at length. "What now?"
He raised his head up then and eyed the replicator cut into the wall before them. "I'm gonna sit n' shake here a sec. ...Then I'm gonna drink liquor."
She rested a hand on his shoulder softly, then left him in peace to deal with his demons.
"We're going to go somewhere safe now, right?" Anya pleaded as Buffy re-entered the cockpit.
"We're going to help the spacemen fight the bad monsters," she replied.
"We have a responsibility here," explained Willow.
"We're not fighter pilots or space people," Anya insisted. "This isn't our fight."
Buffy sat in the chair behind the weapons position. "But it's our war."
"Fine." Anya huffed with a face that said 'woteva'.
"How's our weapons?" Xander asked, stepping back into the room.
Will dropped into the helmsman's post and checked the display. "Looking good."
"Then we fight," he settled, taking his seat in front of Buffy.
Anya parked her butt behind Willow as the Wiccan-one examined the flight controls before her.
...
The Shogun lurched suddenly forward and slammed to a stop. And again. And again. By the fourth kangaroo jump the others began to groan, forcing Willow to re-evaluate her method of piloting.
A moment later, she gave out an 'Ohh' of realisation. "Oops. Sorry guys - got my deuterium injection rate a little off against my thruster output."
Xander's face creased. "Which means something in what language?"
"Wrong gear," she added
The Shuttlecraft Shogun fired up and shot away like an arrow.
*
USS Enterprise rumbled along like a thundercloud - the Klingon Warship gHin TAQ in deadly pursuit. At the head of the Klingon battle-tank, a Mega cannon let loose a disruptor blast that rocked the Starfleet vessel.
*
Spike was still alone in his quarters when the blast hit.
Completely abandoned and forgotten about, trapped in his blackened-out room, he'd spent the past half-hour staring out his window trying to get blind drunk on what he didn't realise was synthahol. At the moment of impact he'd decided enough was enough and it was time to find an escape from his prison. He threw down his glass - smashing it across the floor with all the other debris - and moved to his doorway to grab the guard there...
But his world came crashing to oblivion when the walls of his room tore away from the frame of the ship, and he was fired out into the stars.
*
Jutla's flight console blew a fountain of sparks out into his face, sending him reeling from his seat. One of the nearby ensigns darted across to him and offered to see him down to sickbay. Any delay could leave the man blinded for life.
Picard gave it the nod, handed the Conn over to Troi, and called for torpedoes.
*
Every last launcher about the surface of Picard's ship opened up in retaliation - unloading a great spread of quantum torpedoes on her enemy.
The gHin TAQ took the full barrage on the nose, taking serious damage.
*
"We have disabled their main disruptor cannon!" Worf reported victoriously then added: "However, we have exhausted our complement of torpedoes."
Their ship was now entirely weaponless, shieldless, and utterly defenceless.
*
The Shogun crossed beneath the saucer of the Enterprise when an explosion from its surface sent a ripple of turbulence through them.
Willow manoeuvred carefully as all manner of flotsam spat across their path from the bomb-blast and a tiny dark object zipped by with it.
"Did anyone else just see that?!" Buffy gasped.
Willow suddenly took the shuttle into a sharp dive, spinning them through the debris wildly in pursuit of the dark object.
"Hold on guys, I'm lowering the shields!" she called out.
Anya almost choked on her tongue. "Are you insane?"
"Probably," came the reply. "I know I'll regret it if we live long enough."
Willow drew up to a second Starfleet shuttle, using them for cover as she dropped the protective shielding and initiated a transporter beam.
In the next second, Spike materialised within the cockpit.
His skin was wrenched taught across his bones and he seemed to be growling with distress.
"It's ... a damn good thing ... I don't soddin'well breathe," he managed.
"You have no idea," Willow assured him. "Even a little air and your lungs could have popped like a balloon."
Looking better already, he huffed: "No kidding?" Then he caught himself. "Hey!...Where the hell were u guys back there?"
Willow went quickly back to her controls. Buffy opened her mouth... then nonchalantly turned her attention out the window.
*
"Captain, we should leave now before the ship breaks apart," Riker advised from Ops.
"We need to bring that ship down, Will. At any cost." Picard looked to the bridge staff. "I ask only that three volunteers remain."
No one moved. Everyone took to their stations. Down to business.
"Got a plan?" Riker asked curiously.
Picard didn't answer with words. His expression said it all. He had something.
*
The shuttlecraft Shogun carved a passage through the war zone with an enemy Fighter tight on her tail.
The Scoobs onboard thought Willow's take-off had been shaky...but, when the Fighter closed in and shunted them hard from behind, they felt true whiplash.
"What are they doing?" Anya cried out in exasperation.
"They've lost weapons," noted Willow.
Xander grabbed his console. "I think they're trying to ram us to death!"
Buffy leant forward. "So let's give 'em something to ram!"
Willow drove the shuttle down under the belly of the giant Klingon Warship and rolled her over - the Fighter hot on her heels - and headed straight for something on its surface from which huge blasts of green energy fired out into space.
A cannon turret!
Their shields skimmed the surface of the massive ship giving them a bumpy ride.
Xander pointed nervously. "Will... that's a very big GUN."
"That's what I thought."
"You're still flying at the big gun," warned Anya. "Do you know that?"
"I noticed."
Spike pulled himself from the floor. "Willow...beam me back out...I wanna beam out now!"
Even the Slayer covered her eyes before, at the last instant, Willow pulled the Shogun up in a severe arc and shot away from the Warship.
The small Fighter tried to veer away but crashed head-on into the helpless turret like a fly on a windscreen and both went up in sparks of flame.
The gang roared with victory! Xander once again felt like Han Solo - triumphant against the evil Empire in his Millennium Falcon.
Willow's confidence with the helm went right off the scale and she rolled them back around and began circling back for a second pass.
As the Shogun turned, they caught sight of the distant Epsilon star.
Spike dropped to the deck. ""Whoa! Not that way!" he cried out. "Let's try n' avoid the UVs, eh?"
Will took note and increased their arc, turning them right into a squadron of hostile shuttlecraft.
Xander didn't pause for an instant. His training experience on the Rutherford guided his hands over the controls as he locked the targets and fired away.
*
The Rutherford circled around; already in a bad way, and rolled back toward the fight.
Onboard, Hutchinson struggled on tactical. "Sensors are down! I'm not seeing anything..."
Vaun joined him. "Okay... let's get something on viewer."
The screen lit up with the image of their flight path ahead.
Dan squinted, then pointed out a Starfleet Runabout chasing down a Klingon Fighter. "That looks like a bad-guy."
"Sounds reasonable."
Commander Vaun set up a manual lock and looked back to the viewer to see the bulk of the Klingon Flagship slide into their path.
When a whole mess of turrets upon its surface lit up with a green glow it was the only sign they had of a weapons lock.
Chevva had already begun evasive measures. But too little too late.
The commander winced. "Brace for impact!"
Multiple hits landed across her underbelly shaking the ship to her foundations.
"Our weapons are gone!" Dan called out. "We're blind and defenceless! ...And looking at the rest of my screen...I'd say that's the good news!"
This was as bad as Vaun had ever seen it... and he didn't have the crazy killer instincts of Freeman. He gritted his teeth. "...Break off, Chevva."
*
USS Rutherford banked sharply and peeled away from the fight in a terrible state.
*
Picard witnessed the Rutherford falling away in all her distress and realised it was time to finish this conflict. No more compromise. He felt sorry to Data most of all. He, after all, had been the most tortured and innocent victim of the entire episode.
He ordered power from life-support and had all systems shutdown in the now empty engineering section. Thrusters he commanded at full power and all remaining to the tractor beam. He made steady his resolve. "Ramming speed, Deanna. ...Take us in."
*
In the giant battle-bridge of the Warship, at the very heart of the vessel, Darkness watched through Data's eyes as the form of the USS Enterprise came rolling towards him from afar.
Right then he knew. He had already won.
He knew precisely, thanks to Data, what Picard was about to do. He had to admire the captain at least a little. That he would lay down his own life to complete his mission.
But Data smiled. He knew something Picard didn't. And the Enterprise was about to get a very big surprise. "Target the bridge," he said with absolute glee at his own deviousness. "And prepare to power up the Mega-disruptor!"
*
The Enterprise closed in.
Picard pursed his lips tightly and stiffened in his seat. He looked across to Worf, who returned a strong nod of approval. This was it. Things would finally end here. One way. Or another.
*
Enterprise was almost on top of him when Darkness fired up his lethal Mega weapon.
He could barely contain himself...
"Fire!"
*
A crackling ball of phased plasma burst forth from the nose of the gHin TAQ and tore across the void between the two Starships...
Yet, to Rhamhal's horror, the Enterprise suddenly pulled up - avoiding the disruptor blast - and towing her severed nacelle behind her.
The tractor beam tugged and repelled the nacelle - slingshotting it directly toward his Warship.
*
Worf recoiled as the tractor emitter blew - sending a reaction through his terminal.
*
Darkness had time for one last thought as the wreckage careered into him...
'Picard! Damn you!'
*
The bow of the gHin TAQ crumpled and exploded as the warp engine drove into her like a stake through the heart of a vampire. A cascade of fire detonated across her surface taking out almost every system onboard.
When the nacelle settled in its place - protruding as if a giant splinter in the eye of the ship - her propulsion and weapons were no more and she was left almost unrecognisable.
She drifted. Not a light remained on her surface and no sign of life remained in her.
*
The Imperial Klingon Attack Fighter G'bah - the last of her entire squadron - circled the mothership, scanning the severity of her damage.
Within the shuttle, the weapons officer - Torukh - had taken the helm from his fallen comrade who now lay decapitated across the deck plate. Everything his sensors were telling him said the Warship shouldn't even be in one piece. She was held together by Klingon spirit no doubt.
But the young Torukh would see his name burning in fire at the gates of Sto-Vo-Kor by bringing the enemy to certain death and returning justice and vengeance upon them for the countless fallen warriors of this bloody day!
The Enterprise' warp nacelle had cut deep into the heart of the gHin TAQ, exposing massive wounds that opened her insides up to the void. The Klingon youth located his flagship's warp core - lifeless, yet still containing enough energy to blow the vessel apart.
He did not waste time thinking twice. He wouldn't see his spirit fade with old age and rot. Powering his thrusters, he dove into the Warship - sparking against the ragged edge of the opening and rolling awkwardly into the remnants of a corridor.
"FOR HONOUR AND THE EMPIRE!"
*
The bridge crew of the Enterprise watched on as the small Klingon shuttle disappeared into the Warship's innards.
"Mr Worf?" Picard motioned.
The ambassador checked with the aft station. "They appear to be heading for the engineering level."
"He won't make it," Geordi said. "There's no route through the emergency bulkhead there."
"Can we hail them?"
At that point there came a shudder from within the belly of the Klingon beast as the G'bah impacted and detonated short of the mark.
"This isn't good." La Forge reported quickly. "I think the straw just broke the camel's back!"
A puzzling second later and victory became calamity.
*
A great blast erupted from the stomach of the gHin TAQ and propelled her into a spiral fall.
Directly in her path - Epsilon Ursae 6!
*
"Tractor beam!" Picard called in futility.
"Gone," said La Forge.
There was nothing any of them could do but watch. Watch and think of Data in there somewhere. And the planet...the pre-industrial population of an innocent world...
Their mission was becoming a successful disaster.
*
The flagship of the Klingon Empire burned up and ripped apart as she collided with the atmosphere of the planet and plunged through it. She shook apart - breaking in two - and smashed into the surface kicking up dirt and earth that could be seen from space.
*
Picard felt a sudden rush of all kinds of thoughts. They'd stopped the enemy from reaching Earth. That was good. But Data....
Was it a price he could live with paying? And now an entire civilisation could have been drastically rampaged by their own private war.
He dropped into his chair. "Bring us to a stop, Counsellor," he sighed.
Enterprise shuddered to an unsteady halt.
"Helm answers all stop." Deanna turned to Will and let out a considerable sigh of relief.
He smiled proudly back at her. Secretly he was just grateful she hadn't crashed this time.
Picard, however, didn't feel the ship safe enough to relax. "Damage report, Mr. Worf?"
The Klingon, releasing his grip on the fried panel, raised his head to the captain and answered him with one hairy eyebrow.
Picard nodded. Stupid question. Walking to Ops, he asked Riker: "Are we at least stable?"
His number one analysed the report before him. "Seems like she's settled down for now."
"We still have moderate external sensors," Geordi announced. "Scanning the surface..."
Martok, still at his rear workstation, reported that the few enemy shuttles were still operating and engaging their own fleet.
Darkness lived on. In what form, it was anyone's guess. But it left a degree of hope.
The captain looked to the 6th planet on the viewscreen. "Status?"
La Forge replied: "The land site seems to be a single land-mass... uninhabited by the indigenous humanoid population."
Another cause for hope. It may still be possible to protect the planet from irreparable interference.
"And the Rutherford, Geordi?"
"...Her sensors have taken severe damage. Possibly useless. No weapons...and she's got impulse, but the warp drive is offline."
"Can we open a channel?"
"Actually, ...our comm is down," he admitted. "But we do have transporters."
"Very well," said Picard. "Launch a beacon - call in the escape pods. Ambassador," he turned to Worf, "prepare a ground operation."
He stepped to the turbolift... "It still works?" he asked, pointing to the doors.
When La Forge gave a nod, he entered. "I'm beaming to the Rutherford. I'll contact you from there. Geordi - you have the ship... what's left of it. It'll be your task to round up the strays. Number One - ready a landing force."
The doors to the lift closed and Picard was gone.
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