John rushed to the bridge. He looked at T'Zohl, "For real?"
T'Zohl pointed at the main viewer. There she was the RSE Eagle's Talon, the once mightly flagship commanded by Commander T'Ros herself just hovering there. John looked at T'Zohl, "This is bad."
T'Zohl simply nodded.
John looked at Giselle, "Inform Admiral Viceroy. The Romulans have arrived. Hold our positions."
Alexander walked into the war room. Vincent turned around, "What is he doing here?"
Commodore Paige looked at Vincent, "I just got a call from my former Executive Officer. The USS Washington has been cleared by Vice Admiral Eugenio Coren to refuel at the DRS. The Washington is now docked at the Station. The Federation is now here."
Vincent knew what Alexander was saying. If the Romulans enter the war, so will the Federation and the Phoenix Colony will be lost forever. It will fall back under Federation control and the last three years of work will be lost.
Nicole walked in. Vincent turned around, "Nice of you to show up."
Nicole had been speaking with Admiral Veltkamp to inform the Federation of the status of the events. Nicole glared at Vincent but both understood the job at hand. It was time to amp up the situation.
"Have you heard from Commander T'Ros?", Nicole asked.
The Commander slowly walked into the room. Nicole turned around, "You bit**, why would the Romulans give fighters to the Tamarians?"
"The Tamarians have been a thorn in our side for decades. To have a bunch of them killed here would serve the greater purpose. If they were ill prepared, they would assuredly lose very quickly. Now, they can defend themselves. More will become involved and either you or the Federation will kill them. The Romulans win. Haven't you learned sweet Nikki, this is always about the Romulans.", T'Ros cackled.
Nicole was furious. Only one person was allowed to call her Nikki.... Magenta. Nicole looked at Vincent, "We have 48 hours to quell the situation or the Federation will use the Washington to quell the situation. The Sovereign will enter the high atmosphere and obliterate the city. You know that Hunt will respond and it will be over for us."
Anna walked in with Erica Lavigne. She had been dispatched by Vincent to pick up the Advocate of the Tamarians. The lawyer looked very sharp in her classic blue suit. Anna shoved her.
"Now Anna, is that any way to treat our special guest?", Nicole smiled. Secretly, she would love to shove Erica around a bit herself.
Nicole and Vincent lead Erica into the conference room, "Look, this is your last chance. We would like you to stand down, return within your city limits and call this off."
Nicole was actually pleading with her. Vincent looked far more stern. This was going to be over, one way or another.
"I am not afraid of the bullying Phoenix Federation! For too long, people have watch Hunt form his private Federation without standing up and saying wait, what gives him the authority. You, Nicole take it up the a** from Hunt as he stiffs you with this colony. He disappears and leaves you as the front between the Federation and the Phoenix Federation. You see yourself as special, as "Vice President" when in fact you are nothing more than a sentry, a guard. Vice President of what?", Erica grandstanded.
She stood up, "And Viceroy, Military Commander In Chief... Of what, a Task Group of 5 ships, 5 cast offs from the Federation and a bunch of reject Anticans who are so incompetent they are supported by a bunch of local tribesmen just to keep back some disorganized Tamarians. You all think you are so special. You are nothing and soon, you will be absorbed by the Federation and put back in your place as a minor colony in the Typhon Expanse that no one cared about before or will care about again."
Commander T'tan could hear the shouted speech and walked into the conference room. The once respected Vulcan turned Viceroy Aide seemed to be a metaphor for exactly what Lavigne was saying.
"Admiral, we need your permission to allow the Wolves and the Barracudas to engage the Romulan fighters.", T'tan looked at Viceroy.
"This is over. Engage the fighters. Have Adayus and Alexis leave the Tamarians without air support. No fighter is left flying. We are finished with diplomacy.", Vincent turned to Erica.
"Inform Captain Warren to address the Eagle's Talon. Inform the Romulans of our actions.", Viceroy ordered.
"Inform Vice Admiral Coren that the Phoenix Fleet is preparing to engage the Tamarians in a full scale war. Inform the USS Washington that interference would be considered an act of aggression against the Phoenix Federation.", Viceroy continued.
Nicole stood up, "Inform President Hunt of our actions and Inform Admiral John Williams of Star Fleet Intelligence. Williams supports the existence of the Phoenix Federation and independent control of the Omega Sands. He will keep the United Federation of Planets and Star Fleet out of this."
Erica stood up, "You don't have the guts to engage us straight up."
"You lack the killer instinct.", Erica screamed.
Commander T'tan slowly turned down the lights and then raised them up again.
She leaned over the shoulder of the Togre Chieftan, Tokken and the pair glared at Erica. Erica jumped back.
Elora walked into the room. She looked at Tokken and T'tan and shook her head, regaining her train of thought. Star-Wolf and the Wolves have engaged the Tamarians. Blade and the Barracudas are now engaging. We have achieved air superiority. The Romulan fighters are awesome but the Tamarians are not great pilots. This will be over."
Vincent looked at Nicole and then at Erica, "Summon Lt. Colonel Brown."
Brown and Soliel Viceroy-Todd entered the conference room. Vincent looked at Bell, "Belvedere, old friend, we have called on you too often since your arrival. You should be here for retirement. On Antican B7, you fought the Borg. Here you have fought both the Romulans and the Vulcans. We call on you once more, dear Bell to go into hell and return unharmed. This is a tall order. I will not order you to go."
The old Antican warrior stood there as Phillip walked into the conference room. He turned to his Caitian lover and smiled, "I go for you and Nicole, Vincent as a soldier and an honorable man but I go for the citizens of the colony and for Phillip out of love and respect for what the colony should provide. I go not as a soldier of war but as a warrior of peace."
Erica looked at Bell, "Shut up with this grandstanding bullsh**! You are not a hero. You are crushing the innocent!"
Bell grabbed her by the collar and lifted the young female lawyer off the ground, her feet dangling in the air, "I go for the innocents. You could have killed 250000 Talosians with your dud missile. I go because I must and you have not even seen what we can do. We fought the Borg!"
Bell turned to Vincent, "Cry Havoc, Unleash the Dogs of War!!"
Soliel just stood there shocked. She had never seen this side of the Antican before. She came after the rise of the Dogs of War. She grabbed her phaser rifles. The ground war has begun.
Adayus called it in, "Federation Complex this is Gold Leader. All fighters are down."
Bell was rushing by to the transporter room. He gave a little wink to Elora. She knew that the Antican had this one.
Tokken followed closely behind. The ground war was now in full swing.
John looked at T'Zohl, "Do you wanna do it?"
T'Zohl grinned, "We are two ships. We are staff by students of the Omega Academy; many with less than 2 years experience. Our Operations Commander is only 1 year out of school. We hold a pair of dueces, 5 of clubs high. I'd love to."
Giselle slowly opened a comm-link. T'Zohl looked at the Camera in all her Vulcan glory, "This is Commander T'Zohl of the USS Quasar Quest. The Phoenix Colony wishes to inform the Romulans that the Phoenix Fleet has engaged the Tamarians at Tokyo. Any movement in support of the Tamarians by yourself or others will be considered an act of war against the Phoenix Colony and the Phoenix Federation. This will be dealt with accordingly."
T'Zohl turned to Giselle who immediately cut off the signal. Giselle looked at John, "What now?"
Giselle looked at John, "Captain Lok is powering up the weapons on the Diana."
John smiled, "As I knew he would."
John had played this game a long time. Terralon was just knew to the game. He would take a defensive posture. John knew it. He turned to T'Zohl and smiled.
Giselle looked at John, "The Romulans are cloaking."
John looked at Giselle, "Can we track them?"
Giselle looked terrified and scared, "I don't know how."
Harper walked onto the bridge. He looked like he was twelve. He looked so young. Harper looked at John, "The cloak means we cannot see the ship but we can verify that their warp engines were engaged."
Harper walked over to the console and tapped on the screen. The main viewer showed four yellow streaks. Harper smiled, "The Romulans are bugging out."
John grinned, "Well done, Mr. Todd. Well done."
Giselle winked at Harper. He looked all embarrassed. John looked at Giselle, "Inform the Diana."
Alexander walked into the DRS Ops. Elizabeth looked at Alexander, "What are you doing here?"
"My ship is here, Elizabeth. I just want to see my old friends.", Alexander smiled.
Elizabeth looked at Alexander, "I'll allow it."
Alexander disappeared onto the Washington. Within moments, he emerged from the ship and the Washington almost immediately asked for clearance to disembark.
Elizabeth grabbed Alexander by the arm, "What did you tell them?"
"I told them that the Phoenix Fleet Intelligence had placed strategic weapons around the DRS in order to protect the colony from Federation invasion and they could be detonated from anywhere on the colony surface and then I showed them the Intelligence Decks video.", Alexander smiled.
"So you lied.", Elizabeth snapped.
"Did I?", Alexander left as the Betazoid woman rushed to Operations controls. Alexander waited and jumped into Anna's shuttle. Caitlin was sitting in the shuttle.
The Intelligence Officer looked at Alexander. He smiled, "Thank you."
"It is my job.", Caitlin grinned.
Alexander looked at her, "I have never worked anywhere where people work so well together."
Caitlin winked, "Welcome to the Pheonix Colony."
Nicole walked into the war room. Phillip was looking down at the battlefield view. Nicole looked at Vincent, "Update?"
"Within the hour, we will enter the city of Tokyo and then the occupation will begin.", Vincent explained.
Vincent rubbed his face. He knew what occupation means. This is not what anyone wanted. Occupation is a quigmire that has marred great civilization. Vincent knew the Earth history of Afghanistan in 2010. Occupation will never work. The Tamarians have to want to belong to the Colony.
Erica entered the War Room, "Your dogs are in my city. Call off your dogs."
Nicole turned around, "The city of Tokyo is now under our control. Your services are no longer required."
"Who will represent these people? Who will represent the innocents?", Erica pleaded. Your words once had meaning. Now they sounded like a politician trying to keep her job.
The words boomed into the War Room, "This is Colonel Soliel Viceroy-Todd and I plant the flag of the Phoenix Federation in the center of the city of Tokyo to proclaim its occupation by the Phoenix Defence League. Today, I stand and bay at the moon with the Dogs of War!!"
Soliel howled and the Anticans howled. Her marines howled. In fact, many Tamarians walked from their homes and howled. Free from the tyranny of Lavigne, they howled. Soliel teared up at the site, "Cry the dogs of war, but sleep as puppies of peace."
Posted by:
Nicole Branson
Vice President
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
R. Admiral Vincent Viceroy
Military Commander In Chief
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
Commander T'Zohl of Vulcan
Executive Officer - USS Quasar Quest
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
Based on Private Message from
Anna Baxton
Civilian Shuttle Pilot - Governor's Station
Phoenix Colony
Phoenix Federation
