Valerie walked onto the bridge of the USS Princess Diana. Charlene looked back at her friend and lover, "Val, did you feel that?"
"Feel what?", Commander Bell responded.
"It feels like a little bumps in space.", Charlene responded from the helm.
"It is a new ship. Probably just some leveling out.", Valerie responded.
"This is Ensign Hyla Teero aboard the USS Archangel. Do you copy?", Hyla reported across the comm-link.
"Go ahead.", Valerie was still standing on the bridge.
"Did you feel that?", Hyla asked. She was very inexperienced. Charlene at least had a flight background.
"Feel what?", Valerie repeated her comment to Charlene.
"It feels like a ripple in the outer haul.", Hyla reported.
Valerie was more worried. The Archangel had more sensors than the Galaxy as a Daedelus class. Valerie hoped that Meadow would return by shuttle very soon.
Valerie tapped her combadge, "Mr. Meersu, can you record that with the shield harmonics?"
"Record what?", Meersu responded.
"The disturbance.", Valerie responded.
Charlene stood up, "I will meet the Commander."
An ensign quickly took her place. Meadow had arrived by shuttle.
John tapped his combadge, "This is Captain John Warren to all ships in the King's Battlegroup, did you feel that?"
Obviously, it was moving through the upper orbit around the colony. Vedek Meersu responded, "Captain Warren, it appears like ripples in space."
Meadow walked on to the bridge. She looked at Valerie, "What's happening?"
"Like a calm before a more serious storm.", Valerie explained.
Meersu walked onto the bridge. His papal robes were still shocking even after the couple of weeks he was on the Diana.
"There is a great disturbance coming.", he prophecized.
Meadow looked at Valerie, "What are we gonna do?"
"That's up to John.", Meadow looked lost. She longed for the days when Yasushi or William would looked after this stuff.
Charlene looked at Meadow, "I have a call from the office of the Phoenix Colony Judge Advocate General."
"I will take it in my ready room.", Meadow smiled thinking of the time she was "interviewed" by Commodore Alexander Paige.
Meadow blew Alexander a kiss as he appeared on the HUD. Alexander started pacing. He never reciprocated the response.
"What is it?", Meadow was puzzled by the response.
Alexander just stood there. Meadow grew more impatient, "Alexander, what is going on?"
"I took a solar wave attractor to the DRS. It is designed to gradually amplify the strength of the waves to create a virtual title wave in space to wipe out the Task Group.", Alexander frowned.
"The codes were given to Vice Admiral Eugenio Coren upon his arrival to the DRS. He was told to wait until the Princess Diana was in space and then activate the generator to wipe out the Task Group. I never actually thought he would follow through with it.", Alexander started pacing.
"Meadow, the waves will gradually get more serious until the entire group is wiped out.", Alexander explained.
"Meadow, I did not know who you were. I didn't know anything about what the colony represented. I only wanted the territory. I thought it would get me promoted to Admiral.", Alexander felt sick to his stomach at his own explanation.
Meadow looked at the HUD, "You have to tell Vincent and John."
"I cannot. I could be imprisoned.", Alexander frowned.
"You have to. It is the only way.", Meadow exclaimed.
"Please.", Meadow tilted her head to her side, coyly pleading with the Commodore.
"What can be done to stop it?", Meadow begged.
"The wave generator will have to be destroyed.", Alexander responded.
"I will turn on the entire DRS if I have to.", Meadow snapped.
"No good. It will look like an attack on the Federation and Star Fleet.", Alexander responded.
"Contact Vincent and John. They will know what to do.", Meadow begged.
"I cannot say no to you.", Alexander lowered his head.
"Nor I you.", Meadow giggled.
John looked at T'Zohl after receiving the package from the surface, "What we need is an absolutely perfect shot."
T'Zohl looked at John, "Without arising suspicion, without moving any ship and only a single shot."
John looked at T'Zohl, "Which ship is facing the DRS?"
"The USS Providence.", T'Zohl responded.
"Can they make the shot?", John asked.
"Shianna Baxton is their Operations Commander. She is an inexperienced shuttle pilot.", T'Zohl frowned.
"Do we have a location yet?", John grumbled. He knew exactly what T'Zohl was saying.
Giselle looked at John, "We do. From Paige."
"Can the Commodore be trusted?", John exclaimed.
"He is a human male. He had his manhood inside Dr. Meadow Coren. He is thinking with his most important brain now.", T'Zohl scoffed sarcastically.
John was not amuzed, "I will take that as a yes."
John tapped his combadge, "Nessa, John. Do you think you can make the shot?"
Vanessa and Jo-Jo looked over the coordinates. The very tiny kill zone makes the shot a near impossibility.
Worse yet, the waves were getting more and more common and more and more intense.
"What are the consequences of a miss?", Jo-Jo asked.
"An unprovoked attack on the DRS will result in a Federation invasion and the end of the Phoenix Colony.", John exclaimed.
"So not much then.", Jo-Jo scoffed.
Vanessa looked at Shianna. She was so scared she was about ready to wet herself. She was even shaking. Vanessa looked at Jo-Jo. She was as bad or worse, filled with worry about Shianna and herself.
"The command is yours.", John offered the control to Captain Saunders.
Vanessa looked at Shianna, "Can you do it?"
Baxton started to tear up. The colony was filled with very young officers. The Phoenix Federation itself was very young. Jo-Jo looked at Shianna, "You can do it."
Shianna stood up, "I don't want to be wrong."
Vanessa looked at her, "Part of being an officer in Star Fleet or the Phoenix Fleet is a willingness to be wrong, to take risks. From the time the first Mercury Astronauts strapped themselves to a nuclear explosion, space farers have dealt with big risks."
"What if I miss?", Shianna felt the wave pass over the Providence.
"You heard John. If you miss, the Federation will see it as an unprovoked attack on the DRS and attack.", Vanessa repeated.
"And we all die.", Shianna was shaking badly.
"We all die.", Vanessa explained.
A huge wave rushed over the Providence shaking the bridge violently. Jo-Jo looked at Shianna, "It is only gonna get worse."
John tapped his combadge as the massive Double Q shook violently, "Today would be nice."
Shianna looked at Jo-Jo, "I love you."
Shianna looked at Vanessa, "Firing."
The Providence rocked back with the launch. The shot hit the DRS. There was a massive silence.
John looked at T'Zohl, "So what happens now?"
"If the Providence hit the target, the waves will stop and Eugenio will not report the incident for fear of the same embarrassment that befell Commodore Paige.", T'Zohl logically explained.
"If the Providence missed, Vice Admiral Eugenio Coren will report an unprovoked attack on the DRS and the Federation will have what it always wanted when we made the deal, an excuse to invade and retake the colony.", T'Zohl continued.
John and Giselle watched the DRS extinguish the external fires and waited. No wave. A few more minutes, no wave.
"This is Rear Admiral Vincent Viceroy to Federation Refuelling Station DRS, do you require assistance?", Vincent broadcast on all channels.
"We had a minor accident. Things are under control. No assistance is required.", Commodore Elizabeth Coren reported in response.
John looked at T'Zohl, "A perfect shot."
The Vulcan turned to walk away, "Lucky."
The celebration on the Providence was WAY different. Shianna heard the message and stood up. Jo-Jo was soon jumping up and down like a school girl, "Yahooo! You did it! You did it!"
The two girls were soon screaming and yelling. Vanessa walked into her ready room. She did want them to see. She pumped her fist in the air, "Yes!!"
She returned the bridge composed, "Back to work!"
She did not want the girls to know she doubted them and was surprised that Shianna made the shot.
Shianna sat down. Jo-Jo stepped back to Operations. Vanessa tapped her combadge, "Back on patrols, Captain Warren."
"Well done, Captain.", John responded.
"Thank you, sir.", Vanessa responded very professionally.
Meadow looked at Valerie and walked into her ready room. She engaged the HUD communicator. Alexander was sitting at his desk. Vincent was standing there. Alexander looked up, "Star Fleet will know that I betrayed the mission."
"Like it or not, Commodore. You are Phoenix now with all the benefits that entails...", Meadow winked.
Posted by:
Commander T'Zohl of Vulcan
Voice of the King's Battlegroup
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
Special Guest Appearance by
Commodore Vincent Viceroy
Submitting story idea by e-mail
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
