The Tsengate stopped itself from spinning and found the nearby Baltim Raider preoccupied with the Valhalla.
"Looks like a Federation ship and a fleet of Klingons have arrived!" Venus called out in shock.
Kitsu shook her head in amazement. "Well, when the goings get tough, it appears that the universe provides. If those two things can somehow be related." Then she snapped out of it. "Venus, get us into range of that Herald vessel. We'll transport the prisoner as soon as we can."
"Understood," Venus replied while engaging full impulse. The Tsengate sped passed some antiproton fire and neared the enemy ship. In seconds, the Aenar was beamed out.
The Tsengate rocked, violently, as they passed several Mir Fighters and were hit by an onslaught of antiproton beams from the Baltim Raider. Another placement of plasma torpedoes with a release of a singularity core-built plasma shockwave blew the Raider to pieces.
"How.... how did we even do that?" Hogor remarked in complete shock.
Venus, now standing behind an Engineering console raised her hand. "That was me. I am an Engineer after all." Another holo-officer took over the helm.
"Let's help out the Natius. Engage the dreadnaught!" Kitsu ordered, resulting in the Tsengate changing course and opening fire on the large Herald ship. "Did we get the prisoner?"
Suddenly, the blind Aenar entered the Bridge, with her brow furrowed and a smirk on her lips. "Oh, you got me alright. The name's Celeste."
"What do you want?" Kitsu said, detecting her maliciousness.
Celeste took out a disruptor and blasted one of the nearby holograms into oblivion. "It's not what I want; it's what my masters want; and it's that staff that belongs to them."
"Ugh, here we go," Kitsu rolled her eyes as she stood from her chair. "You do one good deed, and you get this. —Mr. Hogor, take tactical and keep firing on the dreadnaught!"
Hogor did as asked. "So, you do want us to die? Excellent."
"Well, Celeste, let's settle this," Kitsu opened, picking up her purple staff and taking a stance before the Aenar.
The Natius evaded, but still took several hits. They cloaked again, avoiding enemy fire.
"We can't keep doing this," said Nat'al, "there must be some kind of alternative plan. How many..."
Nat'al stopped, looking up at the viewscreen, watching gateways open as Herald reinforcements exited them. "How many ships can they have? We could fly into a gate and access their entire network... blow it to pieces."
Nat'as and S'kkorra both turned to Nat'al from their respective stations. Nat'al turned to Nat'as, receiving a nod. Then to S'kkorra, who also nodded. He turned to his engineering officer, and then his science officer. Then he pulled his pistol and shot Tovan Khev, then nodded to his actual tactical officer. "Signal the fleet to cover us, and instruct the Tsengate to enter formation with the Natius and go in with us."
Celeste flew herself forward, raising her knee at her forefront with all her force. Kitsu blocked it with her staff and returned with a hit to the Aenar's head with the top of it. The Aenar launched a palm-strike into Kitsu's face and then two successions of jabs into the Romulan's stomach. A final kick sent Kitsu back a several steps, in shock.
"Aren't you blind??" Kitsu replied, astonished.
The Aenar tilted her head in response. "I can hear every move you make, and extrapolate your position and stance," she replied. "I know more about what you're going to do than you do."
"Can you dodge this?" Kitsu flew in and began launching jab after jab toward the Aenar's head. Each one was dodged, even as the speed increased, until the inundation was too much for her and she was punched in the face. "I guess not."
Angry, Celeste took a structured horse-stance and then forced both her palms directly into Kitsu as the Captain got close for another assault. Kitsu was sent even further back until slamming against the Helm console, pushing the Tsengate toward the gate, following the Natius in-kind.
Celeste leapt up, toward Kitsu, who was backed into the helm console. The Romulan then extended her Herald staff and shot a high density antiproton beam at the airborne Aenar, knocking the other woman out of transit and into a backward motion. Celeste hit the floor, near the back of the Bridge, completely out of it.
"What the... where am I...?" she groaned, confused. Two holographic officers surrounded her with weapons trained.
Meanwhile, Kitsu turned to the view screen to see where the ship had taken them. "It's a Herald Sphere, ma'am," Hogor observed.
Aboard the Tsengate, Kitsu observed the incoming ships as well. "Everyone, prepare for battle."
"What is happening? Where am I?" asked a confused Aenar.
Kitsu turned to her. "You're on my ship and I'm Commander Kitsu. Don't you remember attacking me?"
"Last thing I remember, I was being forced into a lab by a bunch of Herald-hacks. They put me out with an anesthetic."
The Romulan sighed. "Well, that doesn't sound good. You were probably changed somehow; the extent of which we know, so far, is being brain-washed. By the way, your friends are back for more."
"The Heralds are no friends of mine," the blind woman replied.
The cruiser was hit by plasma beam after plasma beam until the transphasic torpedoes took out a good portion of its front. Two more cruisers joined it and blasted antiproton torpedoes at the Romulan ships.
The Tsengate fired its own plasma beams into the torpedoes, exploding them but knocking the ship back from the shockwave. It then continued fire on the cruisers.
Suddenly, the Federation starship Valhalla entered, along with the Klingon support fleet, giving cover for the Natius and the Tsengate. Kitsu hailed Nat'al. "Took them long enough! Any ideas where we can access the network, and shut this thing down?"
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but you called us and the rest of the fleet in here because you thought this was possible?" started Kitsu, wincing slightly.
The guards held Celeste back as she attempted to step forward and address the Commander. "I know where to go."
"You?" Kitsu turned to the blind Aenar, failing to see why she should trust her. "How do I know this isn't part of an Iconian plot, a ploy to restart a war?"
Celeste shrugged. "You don't."
"Ugh. Fine, take the helm, Celeste," Kitsu ordered, reluctantly. As was Kitsu's own escape, she'd had to go with her gut again.
"Through this door," Celeste said as the two ships approached a giant hatch along the inner side of the sphere. "There's an explosive trigger if we try to blow it, so we'll have to reconfigure the two keying orbs with the right polaron energy frequency. I'm not sure what it is, so we'll have to cycle through them until the orbs release the door."
Kitsu peered at the contraption. "They really didn't want just anyone getting in to here, did they? Hogor, send instructions to the Natius. They can do one, while we do the other. Celeste, take us into position of the one on the right."
"On it," she said, navigating the Tsengate in front of a keying orb. The ship then began emitting polaron energy from the deflector, cycling through frequencies.
After the doors opened, the group entered the passage to a large Iconian gateway. Kitsu's memory flashed and she began to have images of data running through her mind. She clutched her chair, attempting to maintain her balance.
"Whoa! Are you alright, Commander?" Venus asked.
Kitsu shook her head. "The experiments they did to me. I think I'm recalling things. They were going to... reclaim New Romulus."
"The gateway may have triggered your suppressed mind," Celeste said. "You and I both had something done to us."
The Commander regained her focus. "I think I know how to operate this thing. Kitsu to Natius, can you cover us while we locate a dataport?"
Suddenly, two Mir fighters entered the passage and opened fire on them.
The Natius fired 2 torpedoes, each destroying one of the 2 fighters. A trio of Baltim raiders came in to replace them, as the Natiusturned around and started firing a flurry of torpedoes whilst trapping the raiders in an artificial gravity well.
The Tsengate detected the port and Kitsu began operating the console, hacking into their systems. It was then she located an Iconian signal attempting to connect to the internal gateway.
"It's the other Iconians," Kitsu said over comms. "They've been locked out of their network by T'Ket, and are asking us bring down her firewall so they can stop her.... or him.... it?"
Hogor and Venus immediately begun assisting Kitsu in the hack. Several algorithms were task-heavy, and when Kitsu saw them, she began to experience bright flashes of fragmented-memory. She was only now recalling the experiments they did her.
Celeste walked over, sensing her trouble. She placed her hand on the Commander's shoulder to indicate her presence. "We both went through it. But I believe, for you, they were just examining Romulan physiology." The Aenar breathed and began. She projected her telepathy onto Kitsu. Focus yourself.
I'm focused, Kitsu replied in her mind, prompting Celeste to remove her hand in shock.
The Aenar turned her head to Kitsu. "How did you do that? Romulans are not telepathic?"
"You heard that?" Kitsu said, but with her focus returned she snapped back to work. "Damn, we're losing it!"
Hogor sent his equations through. "No, we're not. We got it, Commander," he declared as the firewall went down. After several moments, all the Herald ships stopped attacking and turned to escape routes.
Comments
"They have arrived, general," reported Nat'as to Nat'al.
"About time... bring the cloak up and prepare for another attack run!"
Winning.
The Tsengate stopped itself from spinning and found the nearby Baltim Raider preoccupied with the Valhalla.
"Looks like a Federation ship and a fleet of Klingons have arrived!" Venus called out in shock.
Kitsu shook her head in amazement. "Well, when the goings get tough, it appears that the universe provides. If those two things can somehow be related." Then she snapped out of it. "Venus, get us into range of that Herald vessel. We'll transport the prisoner as soon as we can."
"Understood," Venus replied while engaging full impulse. The Tsengate sped passed some antiproton fire and neared the enemy ship. In seconds, the Aenar was beamed out.
Winning.
"How.... how did we even do that?" Hogor remarked in complete shock.
Venus, now standing behind an Engineering console raised her hand. "That was me. I am an Engineer after all." Another holo-officer took over the helm.
"Let's help out the Natius. Engage the dreadnaught!" Kitsu ordered, resulting in the Tsengate changing course and opening fire on the large Herald ship. "Did we get the prisoner?"
Suddenly, the blind Aenar entered the Bridge, with her brow furrowed and a smirk on her lips. "Oh, you got me alright. The name's Celeste."
"What do you want?" Kitsu said, detecting her maliciousness.
Celeste took out a disruptor and blasted one of the nearby holograms into oblivion. "It's not what I want; it's what my masters want; and it's that staff that belongs to them."
"Ugh, here we go," Kitsu rolled her eyes as she stood from her chair. "You do one good deed, and you get this. —Mr. Hogor, take tactical and keep firing on the dreadnaught!"
Hogor did as asked. "So, you do want us to die? Excellent."
"Well, Celeste, let's settle this," Kitsu opened, picking up her purple staff and taking a stance before the Aenar.
"We can't keep doing this," said Nat'al, "there must be some kind of alternative plan. How many..."
Nat'al stopped, looking up at the viewscreen, watching gateways open as Herald reinforcements exited them. "How many ships can they have? We could fly into a gate and access their entire network... blow it to pieces."
Nat'as and S'kkorra both turned to Nat'al from their respective stations. Nat'al turned to Nat'as, receiving a nod. Then to S'kkorra, who also nodded. He turned to his engineering officer, and then his science officer. Then he pulled his pistol and shot Tovan Khev, then nodded to his actual tactical officer. "Signal the fleet to cover us, and instruct the Tsengate to enter formation with the Natius and go in with us."
Winning.
"Aren't you blind??" Kitsu replied, astonished.
The Aenar tilted her head in response. "I can hear every move you make, and extrapolate your position and stance," she replied. "I know more about what you're going to do than you do."
"Can you dodge this?" Kitsu flew in and began launching jab after jab toward the Aenar's head. Each one was dodged, even as the speed increased, until the inundation was too much for her and she was punched in the face. "I guess not."
Angry, Celeste took a structured horse-stance and then forced both her palms directly into Kitsu as the Captain got close for another assault. Kitsu was sent even further back until slamming against the Helm console, pushing the Tsengate toward the gate, following the Natius in-kind.
"Ok... what now?" asked the tactical officer. Nat'al just sighed, not thinking this through to the end.
"Scan the immediate area," said Nat'al, "how many ships?"
Winning.
"What the... where am I...?" she groaned, confused. Two holographic officers surrounded her with weapons trained.
Meanwhile, Kitsu turned to the view screen to see where the ship had taken them. "It's a Herald Sphere, ma'am," Hogor observed.
Winning.
"What is happening? Where am I?" asked a confused Aenar.
Kitsu turned to her. "You're on my ship and I'm Commander Kitsu. Don't you remember attacking me?"
"Last thing I remember, I was being forced into a lab by a bunch of Herald-hacks. They put me out with an anesthetic."
The Romulan sighed. "Well, that doesn't sound good. You were probably changed somehow; the extent of which we know, so far, is being brain-washed. By the way, your friends are back for more."
"The Heralds are no friends of mine," the blind woman replied.
"I didn't think this part through," he replied, "prepare for an attack run."
Winning.
Hogor followed suit, and Venus took the damaged, 23rd century-designed, T'liss-class warbird toward the several tall Iconian warships.
Winning.
Winning.
Winning.
Winning.
The guards held Celeste back as she attempted to step forward and address the Commander. "I know where to go."
"You?" Kitsu turned to the blind Aenar, failing to see why she should trust her. "How do I know this isn't part of an Iconian plot, a ploy to restart a war?"
Celeste shrugged. "You don't."
"Ugh. Fine, take the helm, Celeste," Kitsu ordered, reluctantly. As was Kitsu's own escape, she'd had to go with her gut again.
Winning.
Kitsu peered at the contraption. "They really didn't want just anyone getting in to here, did they? Hogor, send instructions to the Natius. They can do one, while we do the other. Celeste, take us into position of the one on the right."
"On it," she said, navigating the Tsengate in front of a keying orb. The ship then began emitting polaron energy from the deflector, cycling through frequencies.
Winning.
"Whoa! Are you alright, Commander?" Venus asked.
Kitsu shook her head. "The experiments they did to me. I think I'm recalling things. They were going to... reclaim New Romulus."
"The gateway may have triggered your suppressed mind," Celeste said. "You and I both had something done to us."
The Commander regained her focus. "I think I know how to operate this thing. Kitsu to Natius, can you cover us while we locate a dataport?"
Suddenly, two Mir fighters entered the passage and opened fire on them.
Winning.
"It's the other Iconians," Kitsu said over comms. "They've been locked out of their network by T'Ket, and are asking us bring down her firewall so they can stop her.... or him.... it?"
An additional 2 Herald raiders joined the fray, but were pulled into the gravity well and assaulted by the Natius's torpedoes.
Winning.
Celeste walked over, sensing her trouble. She placed her hand on the Commander's shoulder to indicate her presence. "We both went through it. But I believe, for you, they were just examining Romulan physiology." The Aenar breathed and began. She projected her telepathy onto Kitsu. Focus yourself.
I'm focused, Kitsu replied in her mind, prompting Celeste to remove her hand in shock.
The Aenar turned her head to Kitsu. "How did you do that? Romulans are not telepathic?"
"You heard that?" Kitsu said, but with her focus returned she snapped back to work. "Damn, we're losing it!"
Hogor sent his equations through. "No, we're not. We got it, Commander," he declared as the firewall went down. After several moments, all the Herald ships stopped attacking and turned to escape routes.
"Should we pursue?" asked the helmsman.
"No," said Nat'al, "we've taken too many hits as it is. Let them run, and hail that other warbird."
Winning.
The Tsengate left the corridors and began filing behind the fleet of allied ships, filtering through the portal.