REPAIRS AND PREPARATIONS

        Colonel Kira watched the OPS table as the routine diagnostic program ran. Ensign Montoya manned the comm station. The young woman looked up from her screen, "Colonel? I'm getting a strange message from Communications Relay station 87. Could you please take a look?"
        Kira walked up to the comm station and read the screen. "Oh, that's just a self diagnostic message. Just route it to my station."
        "Yes sir."
        Kira returned to the OPS table, and waited for the ensign to transfer the message. Then she deleted the message. She tapped her combadge, "Kira to Sisko. You have a message, code 4-94."
        In his office, Sisko replied, "I see. Thank you, Colonel. Sisko out." He then turned on his desktop computer, and engaged anti-surveillance countermeasures. Once he was satisfied it was safe, he opened a comm channel with Relay station 87. The Voyager, hovering nearby the satellite, intercepted the comm channel.
        "This is Safe Harbor to Phantom."
        "Phantom here. Hello, captain." Janeway replied. "We need some repairs. Can you spare Chief O'Brien and some materials?"
        "I think I can. What sort of materials?"
        "Our warp cores were damaged in a fight. We'll need some more antimatter to balance the mix ratio. As for the other needs, just have him bring the standard battle damage kits. We just need to stabilize the warp cores right now. Chief Engineer Vorik has told me we will need more extensive repairs that can't be effected here."
        "I'll see what I can do. I'll also contact the admiral for you for further instructions. In fact, he is en route to the station for an inspection."
        "Thank you, captain. Phantom out."
        Sisko shut down the screen and disengaged the anti-surveillance measures. He then tapped his badge, "Sisko to O'Brien. Report to my office."
        "O'Brien here. Can it wait? I'm in the middle of realigning a phaser grid."
        "How much longer?"
        "Fifteen to twenty minutes. What's this about?"
        "Just a code 4-93. Nothing important."
        "Oh, I see sir. Well I won't hurry then."
        "Allright. See you when you get here. Sisko out."
        Less than ten minutes later, O'Brien walked into Sisko's office. "That was fast," Sisko commented.
        "Oh, I just did the delicate work, and dumped the rest of the routine work onto a junior officer. That's why God made junior officers, didn't they?" O'Brien said with a smile. Then he turned serious. "What do you need me to do?"

        After concocting a cover story for a repair job on the relay station, O'Brien and Riker's Runner were nearing Communications Relay Station 87. Musashi was on the comm, guiding Riker to Voyager's Launch Bay 1. Riker still felt odd, piloting towards an invisible ship, and uncomfortable. O'Brien was the same way, tensing up for the seemingly inevitable collision. Finally, they passed through the invisible boundary of the cloaking generator. Riker sharply inhaled as the aft section of the ship suddenly bloomed into view.
        Riker now felt more comfortable, and easily guided the Runner into the Launch Bay. O'Brien noted the scorch marks on the hull as they entered the ship. Captain Janeway was standing by, waiting for the Launch Bay to repressurize, before walking out to meet the two men. Janeway was surprised to see the admiral rather than Captain Sisko.
        "Hello again, Admiral. I'm glad you were able to drag Commander O'Brien away from his station. I'm sorry we couldn't transport you two aboard, but our transporter system is down. I know it's risky to have your Runner disappear, but it'll be only temporary. Since time is of essence, Ensign Mon'Krieff here, will escort O'Brien to Engineering. Chief Vorik is down there, awaiting him."
        O'Brien followed the young Andorian ensign to a nearby lift. Janeway turned her attention back to Riker. "Now that O'Brien is here, our first priority will be to repair the transporter system and stabilize the warp cores. Would you like some coffee?"
        "Yes, that would fine."
        "Um, I was under the impression that Captain Sisko would be here. He usually comes aboard during our resupply drops."
        "The captain recently lost his son. It happened during a Cardassian sneak attack on Outpost 2-5. Since then, he has buried himself in his work, turning the station into a shell around him. As long as his work isn't affected, I'll tolerate it. He'll get through it. Just as I did, just as you did."
        "Oh. Yes, I'm sure he'll be fine in time. I hope you don't mind, but I need to go on a damage survey. You're welcome to join me."
        "That's allright. Two sets of eyes are better than one."
        "Good. We'll stop by the Mess and pick up some coffee to go."

        "...and most of the damage was minor, excepting some lucky shots by the Cardassian warship. Of course you already know the most afflicted areas of the ship," Janeway finished talking. The two officers exited the lift, stepping onto the bridge.
        "That's quite a story. You've already sent in your debriefing to HQ?" Riker inquired.
        "Yes, we hooked into 87's signal and sent the encrypted log. We're awaiting a response in the next few hours."
        "I see." Riker paused by the door to Janeway's readyroom. "Do you mind...?"
        Janeway smiled. "Go ahead."
        "Is it safe?"
        "The forcefield is still in place and holding."
        Riker tapped onto the manual keypad and opened the door. He whistled, surveying the magnitude of the damage. "Did you lose anything important?"
        "Actually, I haven't taken an inventory yet. I've been too busy with damage control, and preparing my mission reports."
        "Ah, I see. Well, that's one hell of a lucky shot the Cardassians got. Lucky too that you weren't in there. Starfleet would have lost a very fine captain." Riker smiled.
        "Thank you, Admiral," Janeway smiled. The smile faded, as she remarked, "Starfleet did lose a few fine officers that day. I read the casualty list from HQ."
        Both knew Starfleet would continue to lose more officers as the war dragged on. This fact was made even more striking when they thought of their comrade, Sisko.
        Riker nodded grimly.
        Janeway turned, heading towards the conference room. She paused. "There is one thing that is missing. The hull fragment from the Intrepid."
        "Ah I see. I'm sorry to hear that."
        "It's allright, sir. I still have the memories."
        "True."
Both of their combadges chimed. Both captains looked up. "Vorik to Janeway." Then "O'Brien to Riker."
        "Janeway here."
        "Riker here."
        "We have completed the necessary repairs, and are ready to get underway soon," Vorik said.
        "Vorik and I just finished fixing up the ship, and they should be ready to go," O'Brien spoke over Riker's combadge.
        "I would like to request for you to meet me in Engineering. Commander O'Brien also needs to speak to the admiral."
        "I'd like to talk with you down here. Vorik also needs to discuss some more things with Captain Janeway."
        "Is Admiral Riker present?" asked Vorik.
        "Yes."
        O'Brien asked, "Is Captain Janeway there with you?"
        "Yes."
        "Oh. I assume then that the admiral heard our conversation?"
        "Oh. I guess you heard everything Vorik told her?"
        "Yes."
        "Yes."
        "Very well then. Commander O'Brien and I shall await the two of you."
        "Ditto."
        "Good, Janeway out."
        "Good, Riker out."
        The two captains looked at each other for a moment, pausing to review the interestingly parallel conversations. Janeway shrugged with a smile, and walked off to the lift. Riker smiled and followed her.
        
        As soon as the lift doors opened, Janeway strode out to meet the waiting Vorik. They walked off to an Engineering enclave to discuss some matters. Riker slowly walked out into Engineering. It seemed massive, even larger than the Engineering of the Enterprise D. He looked up in awe to the enormous warpcore assembly. He had seen all this before, during the construction of the ship. However, to see the finished product, though marred it was at the moment, was quite breathtaking.
        He didn't notice O'Brien stepping up aside him. "Quite a beaut, isn't it?"
        "Oh! Yes, it's quite interesting." Riker blinked. "What did you need to talk to me about?"
        "Oh, well, I didn't know how much Vorik would have told you about the repairs. The damage is more extensive than he wanted to let on. Apparently he's embarrassed about the damage the ship received in just a few seconds. Though he would never admit it; Vulcans don't get embarrassed." O'Brien snorted.
        "I see. Continue."
        "Uh, the warp core assembly was struck in the upper section, as you can see by the black marks up there, see? The third floor?" Riker nodded, looking up where O'Brien was pointing.
        "That damaged the dilithium regenerator. So they need to get a fresh supply of crystals. Plus, there's too much structural damage for the ship to go to high warp. The ship would tear itself apart. Also, I'm not supposed to know this, but the separator machinery for the multi-attack mode was damaged."
        Riker turned to O'Brien. "You're right. You're not supposed to know. But I'll overlook it for the moment. Now all this means what?"
        O'Brien took a deep breath. "The Voyager's got to stop. She can't continue her mission. She's got to go in for extensive repairs, repairs I can't oversee at Station Nine."
        "I see." Riker sighed heavily. "Well." He looked around.
        "Well."
        Riker turned, seeing Captain Janeway walking up to him. "Admiral. I'm afraid I've got bad news."
        "I know. The chief here filled me in."
        "Oh. Then so you know we need to put in for dry dock. I'm sorry but..."
        Riker smiled. "It's allright. I'll send a message to HQ and inform them that we'll be bringing the ship in."
        "We?" Janeway tilted her head.
        "Of course. I've been itching for a chance to ride along with your crew, and now I've got an opportunity. I'm not gonna pass it up."
        "I understand, sir." Janeway smiled.
        "O'Brien and I will return to the station, and I'll make all the arrangements." Riker turned to walk to the turbolift.

        "So you'll be leaving with the Voyager?" Sisko sat at his desk, sipping from his mug.
        "Yes. I've made arrangements for a covert rendezvous, so I can accompany them back to HQ." Riker leaned against the oval window in Sisko's office.
        "I see. When do you plan to leave?"
        "Within the next few days. Oh. Here." Riker stood up, and leaned over by Sisko, tapping in several commands on Sisko's desktop console. "The new de-encryption key. You'll need it soon. When I last left HQ, events were building up to a head. I suspect- I can't say more, but I suspect that a push will be made. The fact that the Voyager has to return to HQ is serendipitous. It neatly dovetails with several options. Of course, I will be keeping you apprised of the situation, particularly concerning your role in the grand scheme of things." Riker walked up to the doors of the office.
        "I see. My crew and I will do our best."
        "I expected nothing less. Once again, I offer my condolences on the loss of your son. He was a fine officer and a good journalist."
        "Thank you, I appreciate it."
        "Are you doing allright?"
        "I am... fine. I know you're concerned about my effectiveness now, but I assure you I will continue to perform my duty to the best of my ability."
        "Good man. I know the pain too. My wife... " Riker looked down to the floor.
        Sisko nodded somberly.
        Riker sighed. "I need to go now, check on some things. I also need to make another report to HQ."

        The next few days rushed by. O'Brien returned to the Voyager to assist Vorik in several last minute repairs, to ensure the safety of warp travel. Now, Riker sat in the Voyager's captain's chair. On the viewscreen, he watched the stars streak by. They were en route to the Alpha Centauri system, where Starfleet HQ was currently situated.
        Commander Paris walked up behind Riker. "Enjoying it, sir?"
        Riker looked back over his shoulder. "It's quite comfortable. I still prefer the older design, though."
        "Too bad they didn't consult with you on the seating designs." Paris walked over to the auxiliary command console. He stiffened as he realized just who he was talking to.
        Riker rotated the chair to look at Paris. Paris turned around and stood at attention. "Sir, I didn't mean to sound flippant, sir. I, um.."
        Riker leaned forward and frowned. "For the record, Commander, they did consult with me."
        "Oh, I see, sir. I'm sorry. I'm, ah, sure your suggestions were quite good." Paris fumbled to find the correct words.
         "Damn straight." Riker leaned back in his chair. "Pink is the only proper color for a captain's chair."
        "P-Pink, sir?" Paris stammered.
        "Relax, Mr. Paris," Janeway said from the aft section of the bridge. "The good admiral is just pulling your leg," she smiled. She had just stepped onto the bridge and witnessed the exchange between Riker and Paris.
        Riker smiled genially at the first officer.
        Paris exhaled, visibly relieved. "Oh I see, sir." He laughed nervously.
        Janeway told Paris, "You're relieved for this watch. I'll take over from here."
        "Yes Ma'am. Here's the shift log." Paris walked up to Janeway to hand her his PADD. As she took it, he leaned in and whispered, "Why didn't you warn me about his sense of humor?"
        Janeway smiled. "I liked watching you squirm. In fact when I first met you, you reminded me of him."
        "Me? Him?"
        "Mmhmm." Janeway nodded.
        Paris raised a puzzled eyebrow, and looked back at Riker. Riker's attention was turned to the conn. Paris looked back at Janeway. "Well if you say so. Here's the log. I'll be in my quarters if you need to discuss anything in the log." With that, Paris walked to the lift. He gave a final look at Riker, and shook his head, entering the lift.
        Janeway smiled, and went to the station Paris was recently at. She sat down and began reviewing the contents of the PADD. Riker swiveled the chair around.
        "Pink?" Janeway looked up from the PADD.
        "It was the only color that came to mind at the moment. I just wanted to rattle him. I hate it when people get uptight around me."
        "Well it goes with the territory of being an admiral."
        "I guess then this is just my own way of rebelling against my authority." Riker gave Janeway a lopsided grin. "Oh, by the way, I just got a report from Starfleet HQ. Our spy network has been picking up several odd but interesting pieces of news from Cardassia. Apparently, some circles are claiming to know who is behind the mysterious attacks in Cardassian space."
        "We've been discovered?"
        "Uh, not quite. They're claiming that another Starfleet ship is behind the attacks."
        "What ship?"
        "The U.S.S. Intrepid." Riker cocked his head.
        Janeway shook her head incredulously. "What?"
        Riker smiled. "That was Intel's reaction at first. But they investigated further, and apparently, back in Kaebror, a Cardassian ship reported spying a strange ship. They fired upon it but it disappeared from sensors and visual. The only proof left behind was a piece of hull, apparently blown off the mystery ship."
        Janeway began to realize where this was leading. "The hull fragment from my ready room."
        Riker grinned. "Yes, exactly. They've identified it as being from the U.S.S. Intrepid. That, combined with the strange appearance, has led some groups in Cardassia to believe that the ghost of the U.S.S. Intrepid has been striking back at Cardassia as revenge."
        Janeway mulled it over in her mind. "Seems appropriate."
        "I thought you would see it that way."

        Sisko stood at the central OPS console, assigning docking priorities. Colonel Kira was by his side, feeding him ship information. Dax was at the comm station, taking over for Ensign Montoya who was taking her meal break.
        Dax looked up from her station. "Ben, Priority One message coming in for you."
        Sisko turned around to look up at Dax. "I'll take it in my office." He walked up the short flight of steps into his office. He activated his desktop console while walking around his desk, then sitting down. The computer asked for his authorization code, and Sisko automatically rattled off it from memory.
        Riker's face filled the monitor. "Hello Captain Sisko." A flutter of static ran across the screen. "I wanted to inform you that my inspection report was reviewed today, and I gave Station Nine satisfactory marks." Another burst of static flew up the screen. Riker seemed to notice the static. "Sorry about the poor reception. Apparently there's a phantom virus going through the system. The techs are working on it."
        Sisko's ears pricked at the word 'phantom.' He leaned forward and called up the de-encryption key Riker had planted into his system two weeks earlier. Sisko entered the key strokes Riker had shown him.
        The screen stopped fluttering. Riker's image shifted. "If you're seeing this, good. You remembered. Now this following message is of absolute vital secrecy. The war council didn't want me to send you all this information, but I pushed for it. I knew that you had invested considerable time and effort in the phantom operation. Remember when I spoke of things coming to a head?
        "It's now. 24 hours after you see this message, the Voyager will be leading a strike fleet, with nearly all of our operational ships, along with various squadrons from the Klingons. Some of the surviving Romulan ships will be joining us en route to the Cardassian war base.
        "Information gathered by Intel and by the Voyager has indicated that the main hub of the Cardassian war effort is located within the Badlands. From all appearances, they have no idea that we know about their secret base. Now, your role in this is to be vigilant. Keep an eye on the Cardassian border. With luck and the grace of God, this war will be over, or at the very least, victory will be assured. Riker out."
        Sisko stared at the black screen. After letting a few moments pass, Sisko reached for the console. He tapped out the command to delete the message and its communications log entry. Then he turned around in his seat to look out the window, trying to peer out to the Cardassian border. He gave a sharp sigh, and stood up. He patted down his maroon uniform, then walked out into OPS.
        He walked over to Dax. He bent down, leaning on the console next to Dax. "I want you to boost the range of our long-range sensors, and keep a constant monitor on the Cardassian border."
        "Yes, sir. Any particular reason why?
        "Precautions. Just do it." Sisko straightened up. "Do you know where Worf is?"
        "I believe he's off duty at the moment."
        "Thanks." Sisko tapped his badge. "Sisko to Worf. Please report to the captain's office."
        Worf's voice acknowledged the command. Sisko turned around and went back into his office.
        Kira turned up to Dax, with a questioning look. "What was that about?" she asked Dax.
        "Long range sensor scans of the Cardassian border," Dax shrugged. She sighed. "I've been through a lot, and quite a few wars in my symbiote's time. I have a hunch something big is about to happen."
        "Good or bad?" Kira asked.
        Dax shook her head. "I don't know."
        The two women turned to look at the arriving turbolift. It's occupant was Worf. The Klingon walked across to Sisko's office and entered.
        "Commander Worf, come in." Sisko sat waiting for Worf. The Klingon went up to Sisko's desk and stood waiting at attention.
        Sisko tapped his badge. "Sisko to Kira. Please come in to my office." Shortly afterwards, Colonel Kira walked into the office and stood by Worf. Sisko started speaking.
        "I want the two of you to set up shifts of patrol duty, taking the Defiant out on patrol near the local Cardassian border. 6 hour shifts. I want the first shift out in the next hour. You two work out the rotation schedule and submit it to me before the Defiant leaves. That's all. Dismissed."
        The two turned to leave the office. "I shall take the first shift," Worf said.
        Kira nodded, "Allright. Back and forth?"
        "Acceptable."
        "I'll tell the captain. You go ahead and get ready."
        "Very well." Worf entered the turbolift, telling it to take him to the Defiant's dock. Kira watched him leave in the lift.
        She turned around, seeing Dax looking at her expectantly. "Taking the Defiant out on patrol near the spoonhead border," Kira said by way of explanation.
        "Ah," Dax nodded.
        Kira frowned. She asked Dax, "Good or bad?"
        "I still don't know," Dax replied.

        Riker sat at his desk, staring at the maps and diagrams displayed on his desktop monitor. He had seen them many times over, and memorized them. In fact, if he closed his eyes, he would still see them.
        These maps and diagrams were part of the secret battle plan that Riker had alluded to in his message to Sisko the day before. Everything was in place. All the ships were gathered in the orbit of Jupiter. In less than fifteen minutes, Riker and the other admirals would give the go/no-go order.
        The office door chimed. "Come," Riker called out. In came a young ensign, the adjutant that was recently assigned to Riker. Harris, Riker finally recalled the name.
        The ensign paused for a moment. Then he spoke, "It's time."
        "I know."
        Riker stood up, and tugged on his uniform. The fleeting memory of Picard doing the same thing many times over rose in Riker's mind. He dismissed the memory with a mental shake of his head. The admiral followed the ensign out of the office to the turbolift. From there, they went to the observation room of the Io Station.
        The other admirals were already there, looking out the windows. Riker couldn't blame them. It was a pretty awe inspiring and sobering sight. Dozens and dozens of ships hung out in space around the station, against the backdrop of Jupiter's stormy skies. Riker tried to identify as many classes of ships as he could. Ambassador, Miranda, Nebula, and more.
        Riker paused for a moment when his eyes swept over the familiar large saucer of a Galaxy class ship. No, it's not her, he told himself. He continued to look around, then he spotted the single Prometheus class ship. He smiled, looking at the Voyager. He was proud of all the work she and her crew had done over the last 6 months. He was also proud that the Voyager had been chosen to be the flagship of this fleet.
        He turned to listen to Admiral Nechayev addressing the ships. It had been worked out that each admiral would address the fleet, giving words of encouragement. Riker was the last admiral on the speaking order. Riker turned towards the large video wall in the room. Images of a dozen bridges were shown on the screen, showing the squadron leader ships. Riker recognized some crews, he couldn't place others. There was Captain Brand, Captain Data, Admiral Halberd, Captain Calhoun, Captain Phillipe, Captain Locarno... so many faces Riker knew. And then of course there was Captain Janeway.
        Adjutant Harris, standing behind Riker, nudged him gently. Riker realized that his turn had come up. He stepped up to the podium that Nechayev had just left. He looked at the video wall. He looked out at the ships. He cleared his throat, and looked down at the podium surface.

        "I'm sure you all have heard all there is to say from my esteemed colleagues. So I won't be repetitious. Actually, I am going to be repetitious. I want to tell you all something I had told Captain Sisko aboard Station Nine. This was approximately three months ago. It seems like forever, though. War sometimes does that.
        "We had just discussed the latest Starfleet projections. Of course, all the analysts were giving dire news. The fall of the Federation and all that. Captain Sisko had asked me if I told Captain Janeway about this. Of course by now, you all know she was aboard the Voyager at this time, carrying out a deep undercover mission in Cardassian space.
        "I told Sisko, 'No, I haven't. She has enough on her mind.' However, this time around, I'm going to tell Captain Janeway, and the rest of you all about the latest projections.
        "It's essentially the same news from three months ago. The fall of the Federation and all that. Now you all may be wondering why I am telling you this. You have enough on your mind, especially with this important mission. You're wrong. You don't have enough on your mind. You need one more thing on your mind.
        "This... is the one thing I want on your minds. This... is the one thing that will complete your necessary knowledge for this mission. This... is the one thing I told Captain Sisko.
        "Humanity will survive. Allow me to use Earth History as an example here.
        "If you look at the history of humankind, you may wonder how we ever survived this long as an species to be here. The culture of the Ancient Greeks died out. The Roman Empire fell. The World Wars. The Eugenics War. The Romulan War. The First Cardassian War. Nevertheless, humanity endured. Humanity survived.
        "And now, this war. The Cardassian War. Once again, humanity will survive. This, I know. It will. It must.
        "With all due respect to the non-humans of the Federation, I use the term humanity, here, to embrace the concept of free sentient beings. Many of your species have histories that parallel Earth's history. The Vulcans had their long and bloody civil wars. The Tellarites have had their share of wars, as well as the Andorians. Yet they all survived. And so, my point remains. We will survive. Humanity will survive.
        "So as you all leave on this mission, I want you to remember this one thing. Humanity will survive. With that one thing on your minds, I wish you all good luck."

        Riker stepped back from the podium. Fleet Admiral Hanson stepped up to the podium. "You all have your orders. You are clear to depart."
        One by one, the bridge views disappeared from the video wall. Out in space, the ships of Starfleet turned, and broke orbit from Jupiter; Voyager led the way out into space. Riker and the other admirals stared silently, watching as the ships blinked into warp.
        Riker's combadge chimed softly. Riker tapped it in response.
        "Admiral Riker, I have a communications link to Dr. Brahms, as you requested."
        Riker smiled. He replied, "I'll take it in my office."
        After a quick turbolift trip, Riker entered his office and immediately went to his wall comm unit. The attractive face of a brunette female appeared on the screen.
        "Hello, Dr. Brahms. Thank you for getting back in touch with me so quickly. How's your husband?"
        "My husband is doing fine, and he sends his regards. He misses you and Data."
        "I know, me too. So, what's the progress update on my baby?"
        "Well, we're ahead of schedule. We are now in Construction Phase 4 now..."
        "Any day now, huh?"

SOLAR ECLIPSE

        On the bridge of the Defiant, Commander Worf sipped at his mug of prune juice. Though he was loath to admit it, he had missed the beverage when he had served in the Klingon Defense Forces when the second war began. He stared at the now empty mug. He would have to get another serving when he went to the mess hall.
        Worf looked at the viewscreen, watching the stars. The Defiant was on her last sweep of space. Soon Worf would give the command to head back for Station Nine. A console beeped.
        Worf turned his head towards the sound. The lieutenant at that particular console was Amanda Kurtz. She was manning the conn. "What is it, lieutenant?" Worf asked.
        "Sir, I'm detecting something odd, a large mass just outside Federation borders. There are also strange energy signatures."
        Worf got up out of the captain's chair, and walked to the conn to see for himself. "Take us closer," he commanded.
        "Sir," Lieutenant Kurtz turned. "Something's breaking off from the mass and heading for us."
        "Yellow alert," Worf immediately responded. "Do we have visual yet?"
        "Yes, sir."
        "Well then, put it on the screen."
        The viewscreen showed an orange mass, which seemed like a nebula.
        "Magnify, best resolution." The computer obeyed Worf's request.
        The image zoomed in closer. Lieutenant Kurtz gasped. "My God."
        Worf felt just the same, but kept himself composed. "Ensign Montoya, contact Station Nine. Tell them--"
        "I already tried. We must be in a jamming field."
        Worf scowled. "Then launch a message buoy. We must tell them--"
        "It's too late, we're in their range," Lieutenant Kurtz said.
        Worf sat back in the captain's chair. "Then perhaps today is a good--"
        He never got to finish the traditional Klingon warrior's proverb. The Defiant was slammed by a hail of orange energy; her shields crackling then buckling. Another orange wave hit the Defiant, shredding her hull. A message buoy shot out of the Defiant just before she exploded amid orange streaks and plasma leakage. The orange storm ended. Then one final orange energy bolt shot out and destroyed the buoy.

        "Sir, I tried to hail the Defiant a few moments ago. I haven't gotten a response," Colonel Kira told Sisko. Sisko walked up to Kira at the OPS central console.
        "Are they late in coming back from their patrol?"
        "No, but they are due back in a few moments."
        "Keep trying. Find out if there's something wrong with our communications. Or with theirs."
        "Aye, sir." Kira looked back down to her console, and went to work.
        Sisko sighed. It could be nothing, he thought. But still...
        Sisko called up the station's chronometer. Starfleet's finest should be halfway to their destination by now..., Sisko thought. He sighed again. He'd be glad to hear from Admiral Riker soon, to find out how everything went.
        "Benjamin?" Sisko turned at Dax's voice. "Would you please come to my station?"
        Sisko walked up the next level to reach the science station. "What is it, Dax?"
        "I don't know. I'm detecting a large mass moving into the fringes of our sensor range. I'm also reading a huge energy signature. Almost like a massive warp signature."
        "I see... oh, can you find the Defiant with your sensors?"
        "No I can't. If they were on their way back, they would be within our sensor range. I'm a little concerned."
        "So am I," Sisko nodded. He looked at Kira. "Colonel, any luck with communications?"
        "Actually," Kira looked up at Dax and Sisko, "I was just about to tell you that we're being jammed."
        "What? Put us on red alert," Sisko shouted. He turned to Dax. "Is what we're looking at responsible for jamming us?"
        "I don't know, but my instinct is yes. I'm going to try and boost the gain on the sensors."
        Sisko watched as Dax prodded the computer in giving her more power. "Okay. The readings are a little clearer. What I see is in fact a number of warp signatures. They're ships, captain." Dax looked up at Sisko. "Cardassian ships."
        "Are they headed this way?"
        "No. They're headed across the Bajoran system. I couldn't be sure exactly where they are going."
        "But you have an idea, don't you?" Sisko's lips tightened, as he looked at Dax.
        "Uh, yes. Sector 001."
        "Earth."
        "Yes," Dax replied, looking up worriedly at the captain.
        Sisko gritted his teeth. "Kira! Try and break the jamming signal! We need to contact Starfleet!"
        Kira nodded and furrowed her brow as she worked.
        Dax called out. "Wait, there are some ships heading for the station. They're at high warp."
        "Get shields to full power. Ready our weapons," Sisko called out to the tactical officer. The he rushed to the tactical station. "Never mind, I'll do it," he said to the tactical officer. "Go and work on breaking the jam."
        Sisko looked up. "Dax, tell me when they are in range!" The station shook as they were hit by Cardassian fire. "Never mind, they're in range."
        Sisko let loose with a volley of torpedoes and phaser fire. He now could see there were five Galor class warships, and two smaller ships. The station's backlash caused minimal damage to the ships. They continued to fire upon the station, pressing forward.
        Something about the tactical readings was wrong, Sisko's gut was telling him. He couldn't pinpoint it. The station shook again, more violently. Sisko set his concerns aside so he could counterfire at the Cardassian aggressors.
        O'Brien's voice broke through on the comm. "Captain, we've got serious damage here now! I have repair crews on every trouble spot, but I'm running thin!"
        "Chief, just do your best," Sisko told him.
        "Will do, sir. O'Brien out." The station's power fluctuated, the lights dimming.
        Sisko continued firing back on the ships. The Cardassians are gonna take heavy casualties for this, Sisko thought angrily. His mind clicked.
        Sisko looked back over at the tactical readings. That's it! There are no life sign readings on the two smaller ships! They're automated! Sisko looked up at the viewscreen, which now showed the attack squadron bearing down on them. The ships were now firing nonstop at the station.
        Dax shouted, "Oh my God, Benjamin, two ships are on a ramming course at us!"
        "I know, I know," Sisko shouted. He put everything into the shields, while trying to lay down a blanket of phaser and torpedo fire in front of the approaching ships.
        Sisko looked down at Kira, yelling, "Start evacuation now!"
        Kira nodded and ran to the turbolift, sidestepping the fires that had started at some consoles.
        The two smaller ships ran into the station's torpedo and phaser fire. One ship buckled, exploding into two pieces. The other was severely damaged, but continued firing and speeding towards the station. The ship fragments that constituted the first ship continued hurtling towards the station. The other Cardassian ships continued firing from their vantage points, weakening the shields further and further.
        The station rumbled for the longest second of Sisko's life. Time stretched out as Sisko saw that the smaller ships hit the shields. One of the ship fragments exploded as it hit the shields. The orange hail of Cardassian fire accompanied the rammers, hitting hard against the shields. Finally, the shields gave.
        The ramming ships continued on through, towards the station. The remaining ship fragment tore through one of the docking pylons. Briefly, Sisko wondered if it was the one that O'Brien just finished repairing. The other damaged ship hit the center of the station, just off to the side of the Circle. Everything seemed to be silent for a moment.
        Then the harsh shrieking of hull breach alarms filled OPS. Sisko slapped his combadge, "Sisko to Kira! What's the progress of evac? Kira? Kira?" Sisko swore when he heard static over the comm.
        He called out to Dax, "The station's comm system is down." Sisko looked around and saw the tactical officer. "Forget about contacting Starfleet, it's too late. Go and help with evacuation!" The young man nodded, and wiped the sweat and grime off his face, scrambling up into the turbolift.
        The Cardassians resumed firing, tearing through the station. The station shuddered nonstop, as Sisko and Dax struggled to keep control of the station. The station's phaser banks were slowly burning out, and the torpedo stock was dwindling.
        Sisko noticed that evacuation pods were being ejected all around the station. He smiled grimly, knowing that at least some people would be getting out of this. Suddenly, the shaking stopped. Maybe the Cardies have stopped, Sisko wished. But that wasn't the case. Sisko realized the cause- the gravity generator had been damaged. Sisko's feet started floating up off the deck. He looked over at Dax, and saw her grab hold of her console.
        "Dax! Everyone! Leave the station! Now!" Sisko shouted out.
        Dax shook her head, her signature ponytail splaying in the air. "No! I'm not leaving without you!"
        "That's an order! Go!"
        Dax followed the remaining OPS crew to the turbolift, stopping to pull out magnetic boots from an emergency cabinet. She strapped them on, and started walking. She stopped and turned around. She grabbed another pair, and pushed them towards Sisko.
        "Sir! Grab 'em!"
        Sisko nodded, and snagged the floating boots. He bent to strap them on, tumbling in the air. He activated them and snapped to a bulkhead. He walked down off the wall and back to the tactical console. He could see that more escape pods and several shuttles were headed down to Bajor. He hoped the majority of them would survive the trip.
        The Cardassian ships stopped firing, apparently satisfied with their destruction. Sisko looked over the damage control panels. Several areas were incomplete on the diagrams. Sisko had to assume they were no longer in existence. From what Sisko could see, the station had been broken into half, one pylon completely gone, and the ring that made up the station was broken apart in areas. The mass of the station now was falling towards Bajor, in a decaying orbit. There was no way he could save the station.
        Sisko watched the viewscreen, which still showed an exterior view, even though static marred the picture frequently. The warships turned and left, heading towards the Bajoran Sun. No, not the sun. The other ships that they came with, Sisko corrected himself. Breathing was becoming harder for him. A quick glance told him that life support was gone. Another glance showed the majority of the pods were gone, as well as all of the shuttles and runners. No one left but the dead and the soon to be dead, such as himself.
        It was getting hotter. Sisko knew it was partly due to the loss of life support, and due to the fact that the station- or rather, the fragments of the station- was now entering the atmosphere of Bajor. Well, if it had to happen, at least it happened this way. With the captain going down with the ship, more or less, Sisko thought to himself. Perhaps I'll be able to see Jake once again.
        Sisko walked up into his office, to look out the window in there. The viewscreen had stopped working completely. He could see Bajor's sun through the window. A shadow passed over him. Then another. Sisko squinted, using his hand to shade his eyes from the sunlight. Then he didn't need to cover his eyes anymore. The sunlight disappeared. The sun was eclipsed by hundreds of ships. The Cardassian armada, Sisko realized. So many that the sunlight was blotted out.
        The metal of the deck became too hot for Sisko to stand on. So he unstrapped himself, so he could float free. Well, I hope things turn out the way they're supposed to, he thought to himself. He twisted himself around so he could look out the window. "Good luck, Captain Janeway," he said aloud.
        Station Nine, or rather, what was left of it, started burning up in the Bajoran atmosphere, streaking red in the sky.

LAST STRIKE

        "Captain's Log: supplemental. We are now within the perimeter of the area of space known as the Badlands. There have been no run-ins with Cardassian patrols since after Martok and his Klingon attack squadrons joined us. However, I need to mention that soon after Chancellor Martok joined us, the Romulans uncloaked within our fleet formation. They said that they had just recently arrived, although we cannot be sure if they were with us longer, under cloak. It doesn't matter, as long as they have joined us in our fight with the Cardassians. If all the indications are right, we are headed for the Cardassian main war platform, hidden within the plasma storms of the Badlands. We will need all the backup we can get.
        "The most recent damage report I have indicates that the U.S.S. Excelsior-A will need to drop back for repairs from damage sustained from our last skirmish with the Cardassian. I have assigned the U.S.S. Horizon to rotate to cover the empty spot in formation. The following ships have sustained moderate damage in the aforementioned skirmish: the Melbourne, the Constantinople, and the Yamato. I have ordered these ships to rotate to the inner slots of the formation, to protect them and give them more time to effect repairs. I have also attached the squadron reports from each of the fleet squadron leaders to this log. End log entry."

        Janeway leaned back in her chair. At the moment, she was at her desk in her recently repaired readyroom. She still felt there was more to be said. She decided it would be best to put it into her personal log, rather than the official log.
        "Computer, open Janeway's personal log for another entry. Supplemental. Well. This is it. We're about to enter the Badlands. I can't help but feel nervous. After all, I have many good reasons to be nervous. We're deep into enemy held territory, on a very aggressive approach. The Badlands are aptly named, some of the most violent and turbulent space phenomena occur here on a hourly basis. I know that we should expect some ships to be lost due to the plasma storms, but I hope to avoid that. Another thing, probably a gut feeling, is the fact that Admiral Picard and the Enterprise-D met their end here, in the Badlands. But it's useless to dwell on such matters. I have a job to do."
        Bright orange and red light spilled through the windows of the ready room. Janeway looked up, to see the outskirts of the Badlands. Her combadge chimed almost immediately. It was Commander Paris, informing her that they were entering the Badlands. She told him she'd be on the bridge momentarily.
        "Now it's time to do my job. End personal log entry," she told the computer as she got up to go onto the bridge.

        Paris moved up out of the Captain's chair, giving it over to Captain Janeway. She nodded at him as she sat down. "Patch me through to the fleet, McKay."
        "Ready, sir," McKay announced.
        "Strike Fleet, this is Captain Janeway. We're entering the Badlands now. Keep alert and be sure to implement the shield modifications to counteract the plasma turbulence. Remember to remain on the "safe" route as marked on your mission plan. Once again, keep alert. Janeway out."
        Janeway sat at the edge of her seat, gripping the armrests of the chair. She knew she couldn't sit like this forever, but she was nervous anyhow. The viewscreen showed the roiling colors of the plasma storms, spires of swirling gases forming all around the ships.
        Commander Paris coughed gently. Janeway turned to look up at him. "Is there something, Mr. Paris?"
        "Well, Captain. I was wondering why you haven't had us use our phase cloak? It would be the perfect shield for this area of space."
        "Well, the main reason is that we are the lead ship. It wouldn't be fair to the other ships in the fleet for us to hide from possible danger, whereas they have to face it.
        "It wouldn't be practical either, since being the lead ship means being the point ship. The point ship's responsibility is to find danger first. That allows the following ships lead time to react to the danger. Do you understand now?"
        "Yes ma'am. I do. I had not thought about it in terms like that."
        "It's allright. You're the first officer. Your primary responsibility is to the ship and her crew. However, I am the captain of this ship, as well as the fleet captain. I have a responsibility to this ship and to the other ships in the fleet. You have to think differently in different positions. You learn that as you go. Don't worry, Tom. You'll make a fine captain one day. Just for today, stick to being a good commander." Janeway smiled at him.
        She turned her attention back to the viewscreen. "Has the rest of the fleet entered the Badlands?"
        Tuvok answered her, "Yes, sensors show that all ships are now within the Badlands."
        "Any ships report any problems with shield modifications?"
        Ensign McKay answered back, "No sir."
        "Good. Hope it continues to be uneventful for the rest of our trip inside the Badlands..."

        "Captain's Log: supplemental. Sadly, I must report that the U.S.S. Hathaway has been destroyed by a plasma storm. This marks the third ship to be lost in our push into the Badlands. Several other ships have been severely damaged. They are the Brattain, the Merrimac, and the Exeter. These ships have volunteered to remain in position, and act as a message relay station, since communications become difficult the deeper we are in the Badlands. The storms and turbulence increase in intensity and destructiveness the further we go in.
        "The Klingons and Romulans have had to struggle with the attrition caused by the Badlands. Chancellor Martok has said he'd rather face the entire Cardassian Fleet rather than sit by and watch as the unpredictable plasma storms take out his ships. 'Give me something with a neck that I can throttle... not some superheated gas!' he said in our last communications.
        "One good thing has come out of this. The engineering crews of several ships in the fleet have joined together to make continual refinements on shield modifications. The "safe" path charted by Starfleet's long range cartographers remains our best route, despite the damage we have been getting. Relatively, the other areas outside our routes are much worse, if anything could be imagined.
        "Fortunately, we have yet to encounter any Cardassian patrols. This is a little odd, since one would think since they have a large war base here, we would run into more ships. Tuvok has suggested that they have their own safe routes. The discovery of a series of small asteroids on our long range sensors have led credence to his theory.
        These asteroids are equipped with thrusters, and other Cardassian technology- most probably encrypted communication markers. The thrusters keep the asteroids 'anchored' in their location. Tuvok has theorized that these asteroids are the equivalent of landing strip lights, guiding Cardassian ships towards the base, through the worst of the plasma storms.
        "However, to be on the safe side, I have decided to keep the fleet on the Starfleet mandated safe path. This should minimize any possible encounters with Cardassians, and prevent us from tripping any possible alarms. All we can do is remain vigilant, and revise our shields as needed. End log entry."
        Janeway pressed a button on her armrest console, ending her dictation. She looked up at the viewscreen, which continued to show the chaotic Badlands. "Hard to think something so beautiful can be so deadly," she remarked aloud.
        Ensign Zalt'n answered back, "My people have a saying, on Bolia. 'Beware the jewel that is in the hand outstretched, for the hand may grab you as you reach for the jewel.' I find it appropriate in this situation."
        Janeway nodded. "My people have many proverbs similar to yours. I'm sure most cultures have recognized the universal truth in that."
        Tuvok cleared his throat. "Captain. You asked me to report anything new I found relating to these asteroid "buoys" as you call them. I have found that their numbers are increasing the nearer we get to the supposed location of the base."
        "I see. Does that pose a problem to you?"
        "No, sir. I just found it noteworthy. Sensor scans of the asteroids still do not show them to be a threat."
        "I see. Thank you, Mr. Tuvok. I know I can count on you to keep an eye peeled for any danger."
        "That you can, sir."
        Janeway smiled, a little more content.

        "Captain's Log: Supplemental. We are now minutes away from engaging with the enemy. We have the base on long range sensors. I wanted to remark that we have accomplished a Federation first- the furthest a Federation ship has gone into the Badlands. Much less 182 Federation ships. Fortunately, since my last entry, we have not lost another ship due to the plasma storms.
        "Right now, I have the fleet holding position at the periphery of the Cardassian base's sensors, waiting for the Cardassian guard ships to rotate in patrol duty. Intelligence indicates that rotation is done every 45 minutes, due to the severity of the storms. Ships have to come in dock for protection as repairs have to be made, and fresh ships are sent out. As I said at the beginning of my entry, the next rotation will be made in minutes. The outcome of the strike will be clear within the next ten minutes. End log entry."
        Janeway rubbed her chin, watching the blurry view of the Cardassian base on the viewscreen. The blurriness was due to sensor interference from the plasma storms, and to the high magnification factor the computer was set on.
        The Cardassian base was a massive sprawling structure. It reminded Janeway vaguely of Station Nine, which was a Cardassian built base. However, this base was many times larger than Station Nine, almost on the scale of Starbase 01, the giant spacedock that orbited Earth.
        Instead of three curved docking pylons, as on Station Nine, this base had dozens of pylons. At the center of the circular shape of the base was a thick diamond shaped structure which presumably housed OPS and living quarters and production facilities. The thick multi deck outer ring supposedly housed crew quarters, docking bays, and cargo holds.
        At least twenty Galor Class ships were currently docked at the base at the bristling ring of pylons. The base probably housed dozens of small craft fighters as well. Intelligence was weak on that point. It was also weak on the defensive capabilities of the base. Their best guess was that the base had at least a hundred more disruptor banks than Station Nine, and at least a stockpile of at least 10,000 torpedoes. The overall impression Janeway got from looking at the base was that of a spherical cage.
        "Tuvok. How many Cardassian ships are within the short range perimeter of the base?"
        "46, Captain."
        "And how many are in the long range perimeter?"
        "At least 67, sir."        
        "And out of those 67, how many are a threat to our attack?"
        "Approximately 38 ships The rest are too far away to assist in an effective defense of the base."
        "I see. Well within parameters. I don't suppose you can determine the extent of the base's defenses?"
        "No, sir. I cannot. There is still much sensor interference, in addition to a jamming field put out by the base. But it is logical to assume their shields are extremely durable, due to the fact that they reside in the midst of plasma storms."
        "Yes, we'll have to assume the worst. Our work is certainly cut out for us, isn't it?"
        "Yes it is. Captain, the rotation is starting."
        "Allright. Patch me in to the fleet, McKay."
        "Done, sir." Ensign McKay replied.
        "This is Captain Janeway to Strike Fleet. The rotation has started. Go to Battle Red Alert, then wait and follow my lead on attack. Follow your orders as outlined in your individual mission plans. Let's do it. Janeway out."
        "Sir," McKay called out, "Chancellor Martok is broadcasting a message from his flagship, the Negh'var. Do you want me to tie into his feed?"
        Janeway raised her eyebrow. "Sure. Why not? Onscreen."
        The fearsome visage of Martok appeared in the dim lights of the Klingon warship. Both of his dark eyes glittered beneath a furrowed brow. He was already in the middle of a speech. Or rather, an harangue.
        "-spineless, motherless bastards are going to get their just rewards! Now, let's show these Feds and Romulans how to wage war. Pick your target. And don't dare let up until your target is completely, utterly, and totally annihilated! Cardassian corpses will litter these plasma plains today! Gre'thor will overflow with the Cardassian dead!" Then Martok frowned in an uncharacteristic brief moment of introspection. "Or whatever underworld they have for their damned."
        He waved his gauntleted hand. "No matter! Enough of my prattle. Destiny and honor draws near. As you remember that today is a good day to die, mark what I say now. Today is a good day for the Cardassians to die! Q'apla!" The Klingon transmission cut out.
        "Q'apla, indeed," Janeway nodded. "Anything from the Romulans?"
        McKay shook his head. "Zero subspace radio traffic from the Romulan contingent. Their shields are at full power and all weapons are charged."
        "Well, they're ready. Battlestations."
        The Voyager's bridge dimmed, and red lights flashed on the bridge. No alarm was emitted, since this was a Battle Red Alert. In this type of alert, standard alarms were silent, as not to break the crew's concentration. Janeway's crew tensed, waiting for her command.
        "Go."

        The large strike fleet, comprised of as many Federation, Klingon, and Romulan ships that could be cobbled together, surged ahead. The combined fleet split up into four squadrons, as planned beforehand. The larger ships were in the forefront, to bear the brunt of any counter fire. Two squadrons were to concentrate on the defending Cardassian ships, drawing fire away from the other two squadrons. These two squadrons were to strike at the base; the first wave as a probing strike. The second wave would strike at the weak spots that were illuminated in the first wave.
        The Voyager was first at the base, unleashing a spread of quantum torpedoes, while firing their phasers at their preassigned location. The Negh'var was right alongside the Voyager, bringing her massive twin disruptor cannons to bear on the Cardassian base. The rest of the ships, Federation and Klingon, followed the two lead ships; swooping down to fire their phasers and torpedoes at different spots in the base's infrastructure. The shields flared orange, rippling wildly, from being struck in so many spots. Almost immediately, it opened fire, phasers and torpedo firing outwards. Some hit their mark, some went wild. The Voyager and the other lead ships took the brunt, while the second wave of smaller ships fired upon the base.
        Meanwhile the other two squadrons, comprised of the remaining Federation ships and the Romulan ships, swept around the perimeter, firing at the ships that were orbiting the base. They inflicted a fair amount of damage, since the ships were caught unawares. However since the Cardassians were within the Badlands, their shields were always up. They fired back on their attackers.
        The Voyager and her companion ships doubled back, hitting hard against the base. This time around, they knew the strength of the base's shields, and just where to hit. Some of the other ships scored hits on the docked ships. Several of the docked Cardassian ships exploded, since they weren't fully within the base's shield radius. Janeway saw an opportunity, and ordered the smaller ships to fire upon more docked ships. Her gamble paid off, as she saw more Cardassian ships explode, some taking the pylon they were at with them.
        Janeway had guessed that the pylons contained shield emitters, which created a web of shields around the base. The less pylons there were, the weaker the web became.
        The Strike Fleet was starting to take heavy damage in return of the damage they were inflicting upon the Cardassians. Several Starfleet ships crashed into some of their own, and into some of the Cardassian ships. Two warp core explosions had already occurred. Janeway knew the battle had to end now.
        "Janeway to Strike Fleet! Focus your fire on the base! Coordinate fire on targets with other ships!"
        The bridge of the Voyager was nearly dark; power was fluctuating wildly. A dead crewman laid on the deck, killed by an explosion. Janeway wiped the sweat from her brow, staring grimly at the viewscreen, which was set to tactical mode, showing the battle diagrams of the base and the locations of all ships in the space. A Cardassian marker disappeared from the screen, indicating the destruction of a Cardassian ship. Soon after, an Allied ship marker disappeared.
        The Negh'Var took up a stationary position in front of the base, firing their two disruptor cannons nonstop at the station. The large Klingon ship shuddered but continued to withstand the blistering defensive fire coming from the Cardassian base. Janeway could easily imagine that in Martok's eyes, it all came down to a battle of wills between his ship and the base. And Martok's will was nothing if not indomitable.
        The base's shields were on the verge of collapse.
        "Captain! The jamming field has dropped!" McKay shouted.
        "Good!" Janeway said back. "That means the shields are next!"
        "Wait. I'm detecting no life signs on the base," Tuvok declared.
        "What?"
        "For that matter, I'm detecting no life signs on the other Cardassian ships," the Vulcan said.
        "Is it a sensor flux? From the plasma storms?"
        "I doubt it. Now I'm detecting a massive energy build up!"
        "It's a trap! Warn the others to get out of range! It must be self destructing! Tuvok, phase us out now!"
        A series of explosions ran around the ring of the base, taking out the docked ships and the smaller Starfleet ships that were unlucky enough to be too close. A strange whitish energy discharge ran around the ring, running down to the center of the base. Janeway asked, "What are we looking at, Tuvok?"
        "I do not know, Captain. It's an energy signature I've never seen before. Wait, it seems to be spreading to the asteroid buoys."
        Janeway looked at the small asteroids, and saw what Tuvok had pointed out. Energy spiked outwards from the base to the asteroids.
        "The energy output is off the scale," Tuvok said.
        Suddenly, it all exploded. The viewscreen blared white before dimming rapidly; the screen's safety filters kicked in. The Cardassian base tore apart in a blinding explosion, radiating outwards.
        "Captain! The plasma is igniting!" Tuvok shouted.
        "Oh my God," Janeway whispered.

        Everything seemed to freeze for a second, before all hell broke loose. In that quiet moment, Janeway realized what was about to happen. Normally, plasma requires an extraordinarily high amount of energy to ignite. But once it does happen, the plasma burns hot and fast. After all, suns were one such case of plasma burning. However, suns have a controlled reaction. This... this was not going to be an controlled reaction. Janeway's mind grasped for an analogy, and the first image that came to mind was a lit match hitting a sea of oil.
        All of this ran instantly through Janeway's mind. She looked on in horror as the base exploded, sparking the plasma. The plasma roared out, burning. A tidal wave of fire swept in all directions, burning everything in its path, except for the Voyager. Janeway stared numbly as she watched the plasma firewave destroy ship after ship in the Strike Fleet, each ship blossoming into fire. The firewave would not stop until the entire Badlands was burnt out.
        Janeway blinked her eyes. She saw her entire crew staring at the viewscreen in shock. Then she remembered what she had said earlier, that it was a trap. She took a sharp breath, and said, "Listen! Remember the base and the other ships were all automated? It was all a trap! To draw our fleet strength and wipe it out in one fell swoop! Why would they do this? Because they planned to strike at us somewhere else!"
        Janeway snapped her head to Zalt'n. "We have to get home! Lay in a course to Earth, highest speed possible! We must get home at all costs! Engage!"
        Ensign Zalt'n shook her head, trying to dismiss the sight she had just seen. She turned the Voyager around. The Voyager shot into warp, passing through the wall of fire that continued to consume the Badlands.

        The Cardassian Armada entered the system the Federation named Sol.

        The Voyager streaked, seemingly so far away from Earth.

        Io Base fell easily at the hands of the Cardassians. They moved on past Jupiter.

        The Badlands were gone. And so were 285 ships. Thousands of Klingons, Romulans, and Starfleet crewmen- all dead. Janeway could hardly believe it. She turned to McKay, "Any response from Starfleet?"
        "Negative, sir. I'll keep trying."
        Oh God. We might as well be on the other side of the galaxy, Janeway thought. She never felt so far away from Earth right now. She hoped she was wrong, but she knew she was right.

        The Cardassian Armada opened fire.

        The Voyager rushed through the Alpha Centauri system. Briefly, Janeway remembered that this was the path the Intrepid took. She pushed the thought out of her mind, and its frightening conclusions. Instead, she just focused her eyes on the viewscreen in front of her, and the stars streaking by.

        Earth's Planetary Defense system fell.

        The Voyager passed what was once Earth's first line of defense, the Io Base. If Janeway had cared to ask, Tuvok would have told her that it was completely destroyed.

        The Cardassians burned.

        "Take us out of warp, Zalt'n," Janeway commanded. Finally, the Voyager was home.
        When they dropped to impulse, the crew of Voyager was confronted by a massive ring of Cardassian ships of varying sizes and power. Still phase cloaked, Voyager passed by the wreckage of ships that tried to fight the armada, and failed, utterly.
        The Cardassian ships were firing upon the Earth, systematically scorching the land, and boiling the seas. A few Starfleet ships still existed, trying to fight back.
        "Report," Janeway croaked.
        Even Tuvok found it difficult to speak as well. "The Cardassians have burnt approximately 48% of the Earth's surface. North America and South America are completely incinerated. Apparently, those continents were the first targeted. There are only a handful of Starfleet ships still working."
        "Contact them. Tell them we're here. Then fire. Fire on those bastards."

        The Voyager shimmered back into phase with normal space, firing upon the closest Cardassian ship. It was badly damaged, since none of the ships in the armada expected an attack from the rear. The Voyager spat a torpedo out at the ship, destroying it, as it flew past.
        The surrounding ships started firing at the Voyager, missing wildly, then hitting it. The Voyager continued firing all phaser banks, launching the maximum number of torpedoes per spread, hitting back hard.
        The Voyager started flying at maximum impulse speed, flying over the ring of Cardassian ships. Some foolhardy Cardassian weapons officers were tricked into firing upon their comrades.
        The Earth continued to burn.
        The Cardassians organized their response, and concentrated their fire upon the Voyager. The Voyager shimmered out of phase. Most of the Cardassians turned their attention back to their enemy's homeplanet.
        The Voyager shimmered back into phase, in three places, firing. Janeway had split up the ship, with Tuvok and Paris commanding the other sections. Phaser fire raked the Cardassian Armada. Several more ships were disabled at the hands of the Voyager and her crew.
        The Cardassians stopped firing upon the planet. They started firing on the Voyager sections, trying to draw one into a crossfire. Janeway watched on her viewscreen, realizing what was happening. She knew Tuvok would have seen it coming a mile away. She hoped Paris would see it, and avoid the trap.
        Beta Section, Paris's section, dipped and weaved, avoiding disruptor fire, and skirted the edge of the Cardassian Armada. Then Beta started going back out of phase, when an orange beam of Cardassian fire swept upwards in a vain attempt to hit it. The gunner was lucky, the energy beam caught the starboard nacelle just as Beta shimmered out of sight. The reaction of the energy of the disruptor fire and the phase energy caused the warp nacelle to go out of control.
        Janeway watched as Beta spun around, coming back into view. It smashed into a Galor class Warship, the both of them exploding, damaging two other ships. Janeway held back her tears as she turned her attention back to her present targets. Suddenly, another ship shimmered into view. Janeway saw that it was also Starfleet, a new Prometheus class ship. The ship rolled onto its axis, firing multi-directional phaser bursts, striking at already damaged ships. Janeway caught a glimpse of the name. U.S.S. Enterprise. NCC-1701-E.
        Ensign McKay called out to Janeway, "We're being hailed by the Enterprise!"
        "On screen." The face of Admiral Riker filled the screen. In the background, Janeway thought she recognized Dr. Brahms and her husband, Dr. LaForge.
        "Hello Captain. No time to talk. Just wanted to let you know we're here, and we'll keep fighting until we breathe our last."
        "Yes, sir."
        "Get them. Riker out."

        Filled with new hope, Janeway ordered Alpha back into battle. The sky around Earth was filled with a web of orange disruptor fire, and red phaser fire. Janeway watched on the screen as her own phaser fire dug into the nearest Cardassian ship, while in the background, the Enterprise fired at her targets.
        Suddenly, Janeway's attention was grabbed as several orange beams struck the Enterprise hard. Her shields crackled dangerously. Several lights started blinking, and Janeway recognized that the ship was preparing to separate. Several more beams struck the Enterprise, only this time, the shields didn't crackle.
        "Mon'Krieff, what's going on?" Janeway turned to the ensign.
        "It seems that the Enterprise has lost her shields. I'm reading a massive power outage."
        Janeway realized what happened. Apparently the Enterprise hadn't overcome the problem of power fluctuations during multi-attack ship separation. The Cardassians had caused the Prometheus class ship to lose power with their weapons fire. Something Riker most definitely did not need happening in front of hundreds of Cardassian ships.
        Janeway watched as the Enterprise tumbled adrift, all power visibly gone. The warp nacelles went dark and so did the lights. The Cardassians saw this and concentrated their fire on the vulnerable ship.
        Disruptor fire tore into the Enterprise, scorching her hull, slamming into her. The ship spun even further back from the force of the weapons. More beams drove into the Enterprise, punching holes into the hull. Then the fire stopped. The Enterprise spun backwards slowly, drifting listlessly.
        Then the Cardassian fire began again, only more meticulously. One beam sliced through the upper starboard nacelle. The other beams started slicing through the other warp nacelles. Then one more beam sliced through the middle of the Enterprise, separating the saucer from the body. The dissected Enterprise drifted even further back, now caught into Earth's gravity and atmosphere.
        The Cardassian ships directly in front of the Enterprise let loose with a salvo of torpedoes, which slammed into the Enterprise, making it explode in the skies of Earth.
        Janeway stared at the destruction of the Enterprise. Then she looked back at the Cardassian Armada, which had stopped firing again. Delta section was at the other side of the Armada.
        Janeway resigned herself to her death, even though her mind told her this couldn't be happening.
        Almost every single ship in the Armada opened fire, catching Alpha and Delta in a rainstorm of orange disruptor fire.

        And so the Second Federation-Cardassian War officially ended.