The Unwanted Peace

 Episode Name:  The Unwanted Peace

   Written By:  Grey

         Cast:  Beraq, Berlan, Corso, DeMurtas, DeMurtes, Foster, Goodwin, Grey, Haven, Jatila, 
                K'net-mauri, Kar'tath and Kogh.

  Produced By:  Starfleet

  Directed By:  Grey

     Aired On:  Sun Jul 31 02:14:24 2005

     Stardate:  55154.1

Time: Sat Jul 30 20:41:06 2005

Stardate: 55153.6

On the main viewscreen the stars streak by as the USS Thomas Paine warps towards Romulan space. On the bridge Commander Goodwin sits in the command pit, flanked on one side by Ambassador K'net-mauri Va'raeh and on the other by Envoy General Kogh. Lieutenant JG Foster sits at the Conn station, but otherwise the Paine is manned by non-descript crewman. Members of the Klingon and Romulan delgations are assembled around the bridge, having found spots to stand as the Paine makes its final apporach to the last known coordinates of the IKS Ta'Kang.

"Bring us out of warp, Mister Foster," speaks Goodwin for the first time in a while to the bridge as a whole. Otherwise, he has been rather contemplative. "Sciences, please prepare a scan of the area for the Ta'Kang." And so the search begins.

K'net-mauri sits alongside Goodwin, watching the viewscreen. He's been silent for most of the trip, and relatively expressionless.

Kogh completes the relatively silent trio in the command pit. He, however, is frowning ever so slightly, eyes narrowed, focused on the viewscreen, posture stiff. His arms are crossed across his chest, and tautly so.

"Dropping out of warp," comes the sound of Foster's voice, his hands moving over the controls lazily. This, of course, is just his style. He always looks unconcerned... unless you're *really* in trouble.

Arms folded across her chest, Jatila stands near her Ambassador's side of the command well, her stance fairly relaxed as she watches the viewscreen. She shifts now and then only for the sake of her leg muscles, very slightly. To better put the ship's crew at ease, she's foregone her Navy uniform, though the disruptor at her hip in the absence of K'net-mauri's usual guard might give her a slightly sinister cast. Slightly. (Okay, the ears don't help.)

Beraq stands off to the side from Ambassador Kogh with her arms crossed and a stoic expression on her face. She has said nothing since entering the Thomas Paine, except to give the Romulan delegation a respectful nod. She proudly bears her House colors and has her PADD at ready access in case she should need it.

. o O Jatila thinks, "This should be a walk in the dark. One little gutted Klingon ship. No big deal." Slight pause. "Who am I kidding?"

Haven stands behind the others in the command pit since Beraq is at qoH's side, one arm crossed along her back to rest there as the other rests on the hilt of her blade. There is no mistaking her own House colors, her own matching Beraq's. She wears the closed stoic expression people usually see. A PADD was pushed into one thigh pocket, a medical tricorder in the other and at her feet rests an old beat up but still serviceable pack containing her medical kit.

GAME: DeMurtas contests his Shipboard Systems/Sensors vs Moderate and Fails.

DeMurtas glances up from where he, an ensign in the blue sciences uniform, mans the science console. "Sir, the sensors aren't pickup up anything. Of course, according the information given by the Fleet liaisons this was the last known location of the Ta'Kang based off of a transmission the vessel sent out. The ship was traveling along course 127 mark 8."

Goodwin nods his head once. "Keep scanning for engine signatures, Mister DeMurtas. Mister Foster, lay in course one-two-seven mark eight. Cruising warp when ready." And so the search begins.

K'net-mauri only listens, silent and grave.

Kogh shifts somewhat in his seat, a quiet grunt passing his lips.

"Course one-two-seven mark eight laid in, engaging at warp 6," Foster says. Once again, the movements are almost lazy, the pilot not really even seeming to acknowledge the shift on the forward screen from stationary to flowing stars.

. o O Jatila thinks, "Admittedly, I'm glad Caleb is along. He can get us out of any sticky messes. I just hope he doesn't bounce us off any hulls this time."

GAME: DeMurtas contests his Shipboard Systems/Sensors vs Moderate and Fails.

"I'm still not picking up any sign of the Ta'Kang, sir," says DeMurtas from his station. Meanwhile the Paine continues along at Warp 6. After a moment the operations officer, another ensign, turns to Goodwin. "I'm picking up a faint signal. It seems like a Klingon distress call, but at this range it too weak to be sure. I should have more information in about two minutes. Its on course 149, mark 30." That course would take the Paine even deeper into Romulan space than it already is.

Goodwin glances down at his command console to note the sensor feedback for a moment, but it's only to pass time. He looks up at the sound of the operations console. "Try to boost the signal and patch it in. Mister Foster, divert course to one-four-nine mark thirty."

. o O Foster thinks, "Hm. All right, things getting a little interesting, perhaps."

Jatila's brow furrows lightly, but she shakes her head, clearing the expression. After a brief glance toward Foster, she looks back toward the viewscreen again.

Foster straightens slightly, "Adjusting course as requested." It's only a couple more keypresses and the ship turns slightly, to follow the new course.

GAME: DeMurtas contests his Shipboard Systems/Sensors vs Moderate and Succeeds.

The operations officer turns back to her console, working at the controls for a moment before finally saying, "I getting something now. Patching it through to the viewscreen. The view of the stars blinks out and is replaced by a wounded Klingon officer, blood flowing freely from a head wound while another Klingon seems to be fighting a fire in the background. "This is the Second Officer of the Ta'Kang. We <the screen cuts out to static> heavy damage. Repeat, the Federation <the cuts out to static again> and all Klingons should be warned." The operations officer turns back to Goodwin. "That's all sir. The message is being looped." DeMurtes frowns at something on his display. "Sir, I'm picking up a hull matching the Ta'Kang's configuration, but I'm not detecting any power or life signs. I'm also picking up a foreign engine trail. I'm trying to find a close match now."

. o O Jatila sighs. "As if static isn't bad enough in the conference room."

Goodwin nods his head once. "Mister Foster, bring us up to warp nine point two on the location of the Ta'Kang's hull. Tactical, try to give me weapons readings when we're in range. Keep working on that match, Mister DeMurtes. Make sure you run Federation engine signatures as well as non-Federation." An interesting directive, but included nonetheless.

At his place, Goodwin remarks, quietly, to those in the Command Pit with him, "Our 'ghost ship' strikes again?"

At his place, K'net-mauri says "This seems likely. The message is interesting."

K'net-mauri speaks quietly to Goodwin in the command pit.

Kogh leans forward slightly as the transmission plays, and grunts quietly, again. Both eyebrows hike up; he observes at a low rumble, "Curious."

Beraq hears the voice of the second officer of the Ta'Kang and frowns heavily, only showing the slightest traces of anger at the voice of her House member speaking of the Federation's treachery.

. o O Beraq thinks, "If it is a Federation vessel, there will be much to pay for."

. o O Beraq feels angry.

"Aye aye, sir," Foster says. "Increasing speed to warp factor 9.2. Estimate just under five minutes to arrival."

Jatila listens intently to the distress call, tilting her head slightly to shift a delicately pointed ear toward the viewscreen. Again she shakes her head, glancing briefly toward those in the command well.

GAME: Solvas contests his Shipboard Systems vs Routine and Succeeds.

GAME: DeMurtes contests his Computer vs Moderate and Fails.

The Paine continues to close on the source of the distress call. "Bringing up the Ta'Kang on the viewscreen," says the operations officer. A moment later a small, faraway and obviously damaged Klingon vessel appears on the screen. Its listing heavily to the side with no lights or any indication of power or life. After a moment tactical officer says, "Sir, there is no power to the Ta'Kang. No life signs, nothing. She's dead in the water," he says gravely. DeMurtas on the other hand just just his head a little, apparently having no luck.

"Get me tactical scans," says Goodwin, focusing on the viewscreen. "Weapons fire? Anything? Do we know what happened to it?" He takes a deep breath, considering what else. "Operations, can we estimate the elapsed time on that distress call? How long ago did all this happen? Keep working on that matching."

K'net-mauri remains quite still, looking at the shell of a Klingon vessel, hovering battered there on the viewscreen.

Kogh's frown deepens, his armour creaking quietly as he shifts in his seat, sitting forwards instead of leaning back. Half-growled, he asks Goodwin without bothering to look at him, "Can we be certain that this vessel sent that distress call?"

. o O Foster thinks, "Bloody hell. What happened to her? I mean, I can't think it was the Romulans. They're not likely to do something this overt. Well, unless they're trying to provoke a war, which I wouldn't put past some of them."

. o O Jatila thinks, "Dead in the water? No doubt an Andorian phrase." She mulls, "Now where are you, Corso? Damnation, but I wish we could have put a cloak on this ship!"

Jatila's lips purse slightly, her expression one of dark brooding as she continues to stare at the screen.

Beraq gives no reaction at the news that there are no life signs on the ship. She continues to frown and looks at the viewscreen with intense eyes, scanning the ship.

Haven remains frozen it might seem as she shows no emotion or reaction to what's going on.

"Maintaining maximum speed," Foster says, still looking relatively calm. "One minute to Ta'Kang." He adds, unsolicited, "Sir, recommend shields and weapons to standby, as we have no idea what caused that."

. o O Foster thinks, "Or, at least, I sure as hell *hope* we have no idea what caused that."

. o O Kogh thinks, "How would the Federation mount an operation this deep in Romulan territory without the Romulan's being aware of it? No, that missing segment in the transmission is critical."

GAME: Kar'tath contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Routine and Succeeds.

"Sir, a Klingon ship is decloaking," yells out the tactical officer, but only a moment before the Paine rocks twice, the disruptor blast from the Klingon vessel hammering into the unshielded Starfleet vessel. The bridge becomes awash with fire and explosions. The science console expands, sending DeMurtas flying back into the wall, before he slumps to the ground. A panel near Solvas, the tactical officer, also expands and he's caught with a plasma stray, causing him to scream in pain. The operations officer looks back at the explosions before looking back her station. "There is a hail coming in. From the Kar'tath."

GAME: Foster contests his Coordination/Reaction vs Routine and Succeeds.

GAME: Kogh contests his Coordination/Reaction vs Routine and Marginally Fails.

GAME: Haven contests her Coordination/Reaction vs Routine and Succeeds.

GAME: K'net-mauri contests his Coordination/Reaction vs Routine and Succeeds.

GAME: Goodwin contests his Coordination/Reaction vs Routine and Marginally Succeeds.

GAME: Jatila contests her Coordination/Reaction vs Routine and Marginally Succeeds.

GAME: Beraq contests her Coordination/Reaction vs Routine and Marginally Succeeds.

GAME: Kogh contests his Fitness/Vitality vs Routine and Succeeds.

Anger takes over after a brief moment of confusion. "Red alert!" he shouts. "Mister Ambassador," he tells K'net-mauri - "I know you captained a ship in the past - we may need you to help out here! Can you take Tactical?" He doesn't really wait for an answer. "Doctor Haven - do your thing! I need a medical team to the bridge! Mister Foster, evasive maneuvers! Get me a damage report, somebody! Put them on screen!"

K'net-mauri grits his teeth, a rather irritable grimace, when he hears that a Klingon ship is decloaking. It appears he anticipated what it would do after it finished decloaking, and consequently manages to stay in his chair by catching its arms in a powerful grip. He looks fairly pissed, but doesn't comment on his state of mind. He rises smoothly and swiftly to take the tactical station, paying no mind to the fallen crewman and saying to Goodwin as he moves, "It may be that I had better talk to the Klingons instead."

Kogh is quite unceremoniously seperated from his seat. If asked, he would no doubt point out that he -was- on the edge of it at the time. Heaving himself to his feet, he hesitates for an instant before sitting down, growling a few choice Klingon phrases under his breath. Like K'net-mauri, he doesn't look particuarly thrilled at this turn of events, but remains silent, for now. Silent and angry.

. o O Kogh feels absolutely furious.

GAME: Foster spends a courage point.

Jatila rocks with the blast of the strikes, losing her balance until she grabs the nearest item, her other arm slipping tightly around her belly. The nearest thing being the tactical station, she looks up toward her Ambassador as she straightens, nodding fervently. "Good point. I don't think they're going to listen to you right now, Commander," she calls, her gaze swiftly moving over the console she's holding on to. "And I'm a bloody tactical officer." Her chin jerks, a rather polite gesture version of 'get the hell out of my way' for her superior.

GAME: Foster contests his Shipboard Systems/Flight Control+A vs Challenging and Succeeds.

Foster, for his part, doesn't even seem at all shaken by the blows that poor Tommy, as Tara Valentine used to call the ship, takes. He remains in his seat without any apparent effort, and his hands are already moving when Commander Goodwin starts shouting orders. "Evasive manuevers, aye," he responds, still completely calm. He slows the ship and turns to drop it out of the immediate plane of fire, shifting most of his attention to his own tactical sensors. His hands remain, hovering, over the controls adjusting on the fly.

Beraq is almost sent off her feet by the unexpected blasts, but she manages to stop herself by grabbing hold of Ambassador Kogh's chair, righting herself in a second. She frowns heavily but does not seem surprised at this turn of events.

Haven rolls with the rocking ship easily enough, one hand reaching out more to steady the med kit at her feet. At Goodwin's order, she nods, already moving to react. One hand taps the intercom switch for the Pain. "Medical team to the bridge. Stat." Then she's moving, tricorder in hand to give the others brief check over.

GAME: Kar'tath spends a courage point.

GAME: Kar'tath contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical+A vs Difficult and Marginally Succeeds.

GAME: Kar'tath contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical+A vs Difficult and Succeeds.

The crewman manning the engineering station calls out, "Sir, torpedo launchers are offline. Inertial dampers are at eighty percent. Warp engines are damaged. Long range sensors are offline." Meanwhile the Paine rocks one more time, much more gently then before, from the Kar'tath's weapons, the vessel shuddering as the as the power system flickers on and off for half a second. "One hit, one blast skipped off the forward shields. Shields took a pounding, down to seventy percent." The operations officer, with one hand clutching at the console, calls out, "Sir, there is another ship decloaking. Its the...I'm not sure sir. My console is indicating the information is above my clearance." The viewscreen flips to show the attacking Klingon vessel, a K'vort class cruiser.

K'net-mauri is obedient today. He does, in fact, get out of Jatila's way. A moment later he's grimacing at the power fluctuations, and casting an irritated glance in the direction of the communications console.

. o O Foster thinks, "Above his *security clearance*? What, is there some kind of secret Starfleet ship that's being worked on or something? No... wait, they said it decloaked. Must be another Klingon, then. Better see if I can track this one too."

"Put the Klingons on screen, Ensign!" Goodwin barks out orders to the Ensign at operations. "Hold your fire, Ajutant." He then weighs his next words. "Full stop, Mister Foster." It's time for an act of faith.

K'net-mauri glances at Goodwin, a faintly approving expression in his dark eye.

Kogh remains the tightly wound heap of Klingon that he has been since the first shot was fired - his glare is directed pre-emptively at the viewscreen. If eyes were phasers, the hull beyond would breach pretty fast.

GAME: Haven contests her Personal Equipment/Medical Tricorder vs Moderate and Succeeds.

"Reading full stop," Foster says, hands brushing over the controls. Actually, that's something to be noted. His hands are moving over way too many controls for him to just be bringing the ship to a stop, especially as he's continuing to do so after he makes the statement.

"Aye, Commander." Jat doesn't fire as she plants herself at the tactical station, nor does she spare a glance toward the viewscreen. She does take the pause to take a survey of the Paine's tactical console, finding the controls for various tactical operations, and nodding slightly to herself in satisfaction, though she grimaces at the report of no torpedoes available.

GAME: Foster contests his Shipboard Systems/Flight Control+A vs Challenging and Succeeds.

Haven calls out from where she is scanning. "One is dead" she tells whom ever is listening. "The other has sustained plasma burns to the better part of 30 of his body. He will need to be moved."

. o O Jatila thinks, "Phaser controls, check. Torpedoes... <censored>. Targeting, check. Alright, you flea-infested ridge-heads. C'mon. I will slice you open like combat rations."

The view screen pops to life with a Klingon warrior, wearing the symbol of House Koraga. "This is the Kar'tath. Surrender at once and we may allow you to live. Drop your shields and prepare to be boarded." Then he looks to the side and nods and the transmission cuts. A moment later its replaced by by a Starfleet bridge, and a man in an Admiral's uniform with a full beard. His hair is peppered with gray. "USS Thomas Paine, this is the USS Corso, flag ship of the New Federation Alliance. I will give you one chance, and only one chance, to join my alliance. You have three minutes." Again, the hail cuts off leaving the Thomas Paine viewscreen blank.

. o O Foster thinks, "USS Corso?"

GAME: Goodwin spends a courage point.

GAME: Goodwin contests his Starship Tactics+A vs Moderate and Succeeds.

. o O Foster thinks, "And what the heck is this 'New Federation Alliance'?"

There's a pregnant pause on the bridge as Goodwin considers his next moves. "Ajutant, I need an active tactical scan of the Corso, please. Mister Foster, on my mark, and not a moment before, I need you to maneuver us so it's only a one on one fight - put one ship in the firing arc of the other. I'll tell you what ship I need in the way. Do it." And then he lets the bridge return to silence, the seconds ticking away.

GAME: Jatila spends a courage point.

GAME: Jatila contests her Shipboard Systems+A vs Moderate and Succeeds.

K'net-mauri lifts a brow at the sudden flurry of brief communications on the screen. He grimaces at it for a moment, during Goodwin's pregnant pause. When the Commander speaks, the Romulan Ambassador looks at him, but he does not comment.

. o O Goodwin thinks, "Please, God, don't let me kill anymore young Ensigns today."

GAME: Foster contests his Shipboard Systems/Flight Control+A vs Moderate and Succeeds.

Beraq frowns as she observes the two separate transmissions. She leans over to Ambassador Kogh and murmurs something in his ear before straightening and resuming her stoic pose.

Jatila's gaze snaps up toward the viewscreen, not at the Kar'tath's demand, but at the Corso's. It's only a brief look, though. At Goodwin's orders, she busies herself at her console, then reports, "Corso's shields are up, phasers and torpedoes hot. She's carrying five phaser arrays and five torpedo launchers, Commander. Any more active and they'd be firing at us. Maintaining scan, sir."

GAME: Haven contests her First Aid/Combat Medic vs Routine and Succeeds.

Foster's hands move across the flight console controls, almost seeming as if each hand is managing a seperate detail. "Maneuvers laid in, engaged as temporary programs two and three." Which would seem to indicate he's already got a program one ready to go. "Ready to engage on your command."

Haven's gaze flicks to the screen then returns to her patient. A shot is loaded and the hypo is pressed to his throat as the med team arrives. "He is stable" she tells him. "Move him to the sick bay and prep for more wounded." Only then does she make her way to Kogh, a glance given Beraq.

"Find out where the main power coupling is on the Corso for me --" says Goodwin. His voice has settled into ice. "It's an active scan and I need anyone who /can/ take a hack at it to do so to get me a detailed analysis on the power systems." It's an open invite to the bridge.

GAME: Jatila spends a courage point.

K'net-mauri glances at Goodwin, frowning a little. He takes an empty auxillary station not far from Jatila's position at tactical.

GAME: Foster contests his Shipboard Systems vs Difficult and Fails.

GAME: K'net-mauri contests his Shipboard Systems vs Difficult and Fails.

GAME: Jatila contests her Shipboard Systems+A vs Difficult and Marginally Fails.

GAME: Haven spends a courage point.

GAME: Haven contests her Shipboard Systems/Sensors+A vs Difficult and Succeeds.

Jatila wrestles with her console, and ends up shaking her head in frustration. "I'm not finding any vulnerable power relays, Commander." Must be the shoddy Starfleet equipment. Yeah.

"I've got nothing vulnerable," Foster says, peering at his scanners. "Flight Control's tactical scanners aren't picking up anything that will be of use. Sorry."

Haven does a quick look over of Kogh before she gets herself to a console near the back. Her fingers fly over the console with familiar ease before she calls out "There is a power relay there on the dorsal side that might do the trick if, and I do stress if, you can produce enough firepower to punch through their shields."

Beraq has a wry smile on her face as her sister finds the vulnerability. She crosses her arms and then looks at Kogh, giving him a nod as she looks forward to the activity going around her.

On the view screen the Corso banks and begins to approach the Paine, though its a slow course so far. The operations officer turns to Goodwin. "They're warning us to cease with the scans and actions and prepare to surrender."

Goodwin looks around the bridge for a moment, and then nods his head once or twice. "All right. Ensign," he tells Operations. "I need every bit of power you can get me into our phaser arrays." He turns to Foster. "Bring us under the dorsal side of the Corso, Mister Foster, with looking to bring us out on their port side to set up a blocked arc of fire for the Klingon vessel." Finally, to Jatila, "And I need you to hit that power array with our forward and rear arrays as we pass by. This is our one chance, people, so let's make it good." A beat. "Do it."

GAME: Foster contests his Shipboard Systems/Flight Control+A vs Challenging and Succeeds.

GAME: Jatila spends a courage point.

GAME: Jatila contests her Shipboard Systems/Tactical+A vs Moderate and Succeeds.

"Engaging program for maneuvers," Foster states, completely calmly. Even as he says so, the Corso seems to swing upwards on the viewscreen, and then pitch off to the right. It probably looks altogether too slow, but that's just the way things are with this kind of thing, aren't they. It should be noted that Foster's hands are, literally, right over the controls, ready to alter flight as necessary.

Jatila frowns, but that doesn't stop her fingers from flying over the Paine's tactical board. Keeping an eye on Foster's flight path, she suddenly stabs at a series of controls. A few seconds later, she reports, "Successful strikes from all phaser arrays, Commander."

. o O Goodwin thinks, "Let's just hope it's enough."

GAME: Kar'tath contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Difficult and Fails.

GAME: Corso contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Challenging and Succeeds.

GAME: Goodwin contests his Coordination/Reaction vs Moderate and Fails.

GAME: Foster contests his Coordination/Reaction vs Moderate and Succeeds.

GAME: Haven has the merit of Excellent Balance at 1.

GAME: Jatila contests her Coordination/Reaction vs Moderate and Succeeds.

GAME: K'net-mauri contests his Coordination/Reaction vs Moderate and Fails.

GAME: Haven contests her Coordination/Reaction+A vs Moderate and Fails.

GAME: Beraq contests her Coordination/Reaction vs Moderate and Fails.

GAME: Goodwin contests his Fitness/Vitality vs Routine and Succeeds.

GAME: K'net-mauri spends a courage point.

GAME: K'net-mauri contests his Fitness/Vitality+A vs Routine and Succeeds.

GAME: Beraq contests her Fitness/Vitality vs Routine and Succeeds.

GAME: Haven contests her Fitness/Vitality vs Routine and Marginally Succeeds.

The Paine slips under the Corso, at least for a moment. Then the Corso is moving too, banking away from the Paine a moment after the phaser blasts from the Paine pound home. They don't seem to slow the Corso and the engineer even calls out, "Shields on the Corso are down to fifty three percent." The Corso and the Kar'tath both open open up, phaser and disruptor blasts arcing towards the Paine. The disruptor shots go wide but the Corso doesn't miss, landing two blasts to the smaller vessel. As the bridge shudders from the impact Kogh is knocked down again, his head slamming into another console. He slumps to the floor unconscious with blood trickling from a cut. The operations officer, for her part, is slammed hard into the console leaving a trickle of blood from her nose and her right arm limp and useless. "Sir, there is another ship coming in! A Valdore class Romulan warbird is decloaking," she calls out to the bridge in general. "Its firing on the Corso! And its hailing us with a voice only message. Relaying to bridge speakers." A moment later a Romulan's voice says, simply, "Ambassador Va'raeh, we heard you were traveling out here. If you remember attack pattern theta one niner, have your ship lay it in now." On the viewscreen the Romulan warbird, a sleek vessel with wide sweeping wings swoops in towards the smaller Corso, shots from its disruptors lancing out to pound into the Corso.

Goodwin is knocked forward to the bridge, out of the Big Chair, but is unhurt, at least. "I have no idea what that means, Ambassador, but if you remember it, tell Mister Foster, and /do it/, Lieutenant!" At this point, Goodwin is not turning down any assistance.

K'net-mauri gets belted out of his seat at the auxilliary panel, and hits the floor, bony-shoulder first and with something of a thud. He is a bit scrawny, but he's still a tall man, and even from a seated position his fall is not entirely unimpressive. He grimaces, seeming more infuriated by it than anything else. And maybe, just a touch grateful that the Romulan hail doesn't include a visual transmission. "Get under and behind the 'bird and follow her close," he barks testily towards Foster, pushing himself up off the floor.

Beraq gets thrown to the floor, grunting as her shoulder slams into the floor, but she manages to roll with it and avoid any major damage. Seeing Ambassador Kogh thrown, she makes her way over to him, rolling him over to look at the unconscious Klingon. She looks over towards Haven and calls out, "Ambassador Kogh is down."

GAME: Foster contests his Shipboard Systems/Flight Control+A vs Challenging and Succeeds.

When the ship is hit, Haven losses her balance and tumbles to the deck, hip checking the console on her way down. She remains there, riding out the other shudder as the second blast hits. Once it's passed, she rises to her feet and begins to scan the bridge crew and company to determine who is injured. A grunt is her answer to Beraq.

GAME: Jatila contests her Shipboard Systems/Tactical+A vs Moderate and Succeeds.

The ex-Timefleet pilot and ex-Operations officer manages to prove that 'Rapid Response' is more than just a title, it's a description. Though he still seems perfectly calm as his seat shakes under him, his hands flash across the flight controls at a breakneck pace, adjusting controls nanoseconds behind the Ambassador's command. Once again, a ship seems to slide over the viewscreen, but this time it's the Romulan vessel instead of the Corso.

GAME: Jatila contests her Shipboard Systems/Tactical+A vs Challenging and Succeeds.

Jatila keeps firing at the Corso, fury starting to rise in her expression, even as Foster does his dance of the ships in his flying. Her face tightens, grimly, as she centers the targetting system on the Corso again as the Paine swoops in behind the Warbird.

GAME: Corso contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Challenging and Fails.

GAME: Corso contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Challenging and Succeeds.

GAME: Kar'tath contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Challenging and Succeeds.

GAME: Kar'tath contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Challenging and Fails.

"Good," says K'net-mauri, speaking to Foster, his voice quite rich with approval as he hauls himself back into his chair. It's not much but for some reason it's quite likely a person would want to hear him say it again. "Draw forward another ten meters, yes. There. We're part of the warbird. Stay with her. And don't tap her when she moves, that won't be any fun for anyone."

GAME: Berlan contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Challenging and Fails.

GAME: Berlan contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Challenging and Dramatically Succeeds.

GAME: Berlan contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Challenging and Succeeds.

GAME: Berlan contests his Shipboard Systems/Tactical vs Challenging and Fails.

The battle is furious now with the four ships jockeying for position. As the Thomas Paine blasts the Corso it spins slightly before regaining its course. The Valdore class warbird draws the fire of the Corso and the Kar'tath as it takes hits from both. However the Klingons and the Corso then peel off, apparently looking to escape. The Valdore class, identified as the Berlan by the comments from the operations officer, moves in behind the Kar'tath and unloads with everything it has. Disruptors and and torpedos slam into the Klingon ship, which erupts in a multicolored explosion a moment later. The Berlan and the Paine are both hit with the edge of the shockwave.

GAME: Berlan contests his Shipboard Systems vs Moderate and Marginally Succeeds.

GAME: Foster contests his Shipboard Systems/Flight Control+A vs Moderate and Succeeds.

Foster makes this job look easy, getting up-close and personal with a Romulan Warbird. "So long as she doesn't decide to reverse course on me all of a sudden, we should be fine." Then comes the explosion of the Klingon ship and the warbird begins to do exactly what Foster said it SHOULDN'T do - move backwards towards it. "Reversing course." For a few, possibly tense, moments, the Berlan looms over the Thomas Paine as it never has before. Abruptly, an alarm sounds, and the computer's voice intones. "Proximity alarm. Another ship is within fifteen meters. Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty. Thirty." And the alarm goes off, no longer announcing the distance between the two ships, possibly because Foster taps a control to turn it off.

As the explosion from the Kar'tath fades and the Berlan and the Paine finish fighting the shockwave its clear the corso has already made the leap to Warp and is fleeing from the scene. Of course, both the Paine and Berlan are damaged, so pursuit is likely not an option. The operations officer, still with a slightly bleeding nose wipes her face with a sleeve and says, "Sir, the IRW Berlan is hailing us."

Goodwin takes a deep breath and slowly pushes himself up into his seat, straightening himself. "On screen, Ensign," he says finally, trying not to look quite as harried as he does.

. o O Jatila is stunned. "We're alive?"

K'net-mauri grins at Foster when the proximity alarm starts counting forward again. He says, "Cute," and does, in fact, seem pleasantly amused. His smile is gone an instant later when the hail comes in, and he turns his attention back to the viewscreen.

Jatila, hunched at her console... Well, her shoulders very slowly untense, and she looks up toward the viewscreen.

. o O Foster thinks, "Well, that was a close one. I guess, this time, it was almost a Romulan ship that crunched the Thomas Paine's bridge, instead of the other way around!"

Beraq attends to her fallen Ambassador, only giving the screen a marginal glance, taking care of Kogh the best she can till Haven can make her way over to him.

A moment after Goodwin's order, the viewscreen pops up with an image of the Valdore class Berlan's bridge. A Romulan stands there actually looking calm and relaxed. Of course, she did have by far the biggest ship in the battle and she was the one who surprised everyone, so that can't help but make things easier. "This Centurion Nalara, of the IRW Berlan. I believe that Ambassador Va'raeh will recognize me from our days seving together before. Do you need any assistance Thomas Paine?"

"We could use an escort back to Station Four-One-Nine, Berlan," says Goodwin with a relieved smile touching his lips. "Our warp drive is damaged, so we're something of a fatter target to whatever might be sitting out there still. And I don't think I can thank you enough for your assistance there."

"Indeed, Centurion," says K'net-mauri, nodding. "I'm quite pleased to see you. Jolan'tru." He glances at Goodwin, nods in a way that seems to indicate that the man's request is fine by him, and is more directed at Nalara than anybody on the Paine.

. o O Foster thinks, "We're not going after the Corso? We could take 'er? Well, we could if we repaired some things on the fly and had some additional escort, at least."

. o O Foster thinks, "One of these days, I'm going to see if I can convince someone if we can put a cloaking device on this. The Klingons are our allies now, after all."

Jatila sends a curious look toward her Ambassador, but, again, briefly. She's an officer at a station, after all, and her attention is mostly centered on that station.

. o O Jatila thinks, "And their timing is absolutely amazing. Those 'young ones' you mentioned, sir?"

Haven goes about treating the injured Ops officer as much as she can here on the bridge, getting her stable at least for movement to sickbay.

On the screen Nalara nods to Goodwin and K'net-mauri. "Very well, Thomas Paine. Lay in your course and we'll follow you," she says, before the screen blinks out.

Goodwin nods his head and then turns to the Conn. "Mister Foster, lay in course for the Station. Best speed when ready."

K'net-mauri abandons the auxillary console and returns to the command pit, which has a better chair. There he falls silent and half-closes his eyes, more as if he's about to settle in and brood over something than as if it's nap-time.

Jatila looks up from her console, surprised. "Sir?" she aims toward Goodwin. "A survey of the Ta'Kang's remains may reveal a clue as to the whereabouts of her crew..."

. o O Jatila thinks, "Don't tell me we came all the way out here, endangering /my baby/, to go home with no answers."

"Aye aye, sir," Foster says. "Setting course for Station 419." He pauses, and adds, in addition to Jatila's comment, "We could probably tractor the Ta'Kang to the border as well. If there are bodily remains aboard, they might wish to be taken back into Klingon space for return to their families." Or the Klingon rites of Stovokor.

. o O K'net-mauri thinks, "I expect they already know, my falcon."

Goodwin nods his head vaguely to acknowledge the merit of Jatila's suggestion. "Mister Foster, bring us by the Ta'Kang for scans and analysis, but we're in no condition to work on salvage. Send a subspace message to Fleet - Romulan and Federation on our status. A recovery crew can come to take the vessel."

K'net-mauri says dryly, "I suggest you ask the Berlan to summon a science-vessel to collect and analyse these remains. They will surely get here faster, and with less negotiation."

"Adjusting course," Foster says, making the requisite changes and heading towards the Ta'Kang. As they approach, he frowns. "Damage is worse than I thought. We wouldn't be able to tow it anyway. I'd still recommend removing any remains from her, and escorting it back to the Klingon border. It'd be almost like we were sitting Ak'voH." He even pronounces the name of the Klingon ritual properly.

GAME: Jatila contests her Shipboard Systems vs Moderate and Succeeds.

rom Yeah, but we're not sure that the crew is dead.

Jatila bends to her console once again, working, then she glances toward Beraq and Haven briefly before looking toward her own Ambassador and Goodwin. "Twelve corpses remain on the Ta'Kang. The ship took heavy Starfleet and Klingon weapons damage, enough to destroy it. There's nothing left but the hull, and that's barely intact."

Beraq straightens up from the unconscious Klingon and looks over at Ambassador K'net-mauri, "If possible, I would like to hail a Klingon ship to retrieve..." She pauses, "The remains of what is left. The families of these warriors would not want their remains 'collected' and 'analyzed'." She looks over at Lt Commander Goodwin and then back to Ambassador K'net-mauri with a heavy frown, "Would that be a problem?"

K'net-mauri looks at Beraq, "I do not believe any corpses will be found in the remains of that ship. If there are any, they are unlikely to interest us and I will see that they are transported to your people as soon as possible."

Haven simply looks over at Beraq at KM's answer and just smirks as she makes her way to Kogh.

Goodwin shakes his head. "I have no objection if the Romulan government does not," replies Goodwin, turning his head towards K'net-mauri, as he clearly has the final say in this matter. "Send a message to Fleet to arrange for the transport of the remains. Mister Foster, take us home."

K'net-mauri glances at Goodwin, and stays silent.

Jatila nods and starts to coordinate with the repair crews in regards to the damage to the Paine's tactical systems. It's all automatic, though, her expression rather thoughtful during the trip back to 419-Upsilon.

. o O Jatila thinks, "O Elements. Strell will never let me go on a mission again, if this is the norm."

Foster sighs quietly, looking at the ship. He hums, under his breath, what sounds like some kind of dirge (and would be recognizable as such by Haven, qoH, and Beraq. It's an odd combination - the human tendency towards quiet in the face of death, and the Klingon funeral dirge being what he's humming. He only interrupts in order to say, "Aye, aye, sir. Laying in course, engaging at warp 6.0." A pause as he checks his monitors. "7.0." Another check. "8.0." Another check. "8.2." Several lights shift from green to blinking red, and he turns to say, "I think I can give you a bit more than that, up to 8.5 or so, but even that might be pushing it a bit. All will get us home, but... let's just say that I'd like to avoid being yelled at by Alek as much as possible, since I'm trying to get him to do me a favor." He grins then, apparently only half-teasing.

Beraq walks back over to her previous position and stands there, angry emanating from this Klingon's pores as she crosses her arms and the frown stays on her face for the rest of the trip back. For those standing close to her, a low growl can be heard emanating deep in her throat but the Klingon restrains herself and stands as a silent sentinel as her brethren are left in the cold confines of space, as empty in the meaningless of death.

Haven rests a hand very lightly on Fosters shoulder in passing and says, "There is no need, Lieutenant. We will see to their needs privately but your effort is appreciated." She kneels at qoH's side and begins to treat his injury.

"Second officer's log, Stardate 55154-point-0, Lieutenant Commander Joshua Goodwin recording."

The camera reveals Goodwin in the small ready-room of the U.S.S. Thomas Paine-C with the starfield zooming by in a milky white streak. He seems contemplative, face showing stress and worry released after being pent up for some time.

"I have now not only commanded a starship, but commanded it in battle. It was not an auspicious beginning. I have the life of a young Sciences ensign on my conscience - a lack of caution to blame. If not for the Berlan, there is no doubt I would have been forced to surrender the Paine to Admiral Leyton.

"Admiral Leyton - it appears he is back, and has decided to move from hapless Academy cadets to entire starships as his tools of conquest, using the stolen, experimental U.S.S. Corso as his flagship. The last months of mysteries begin to be seen in a new light - the murder of Bor'ta Koraga, the incident around Rynka, the Romulan naval officer on Torda, the on-going Starfleet Intelligence investigation into weapons trafficking, the murder of Zipok Caeli - all of it has to be considered within the paradigm of a massive, covert conspiracy by Admiral Leyton to form a new Alliance under his command. Elements in all three Alliance members now seem to work for him, but to what end? How deep has the conspiracy penetrated? How many ships now pledge allegiance to it? Though today gave us many answers, it left many more unanswered, and introduced a whole host of new ones. Only one thing is clear - there is a new threat to peace and stability everywhere, and it must be met and defeated before it tears the Alliance apart. It is the job of all of us - Romulan, Klingon, and Federation, to see that happens."