“Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,

Do not go gentle into that good night.”

Dylan Thomas, 1947

Death rained down, indiscriminate and inviolate, upon the face of New Providence and Captain Geran reflected morosely upon the abject indignity of it all.

That a vessel as glorious as the ‘Sword of Morvai’, a Astika-class battlecruiser of such prodigious lineage, a Captain of his own station and potential was being wasted, nay insulted, by being so tasked to the bombardment of a collection of dirt – farming peasants, when the remainder of the fleet was free to take their pick of targets of obviously more poignant Strategic – value.

It was unconscionable.

It was more than that. It was a slight that was deliberate and designed by the loathsome ‘Old – Guard’ to humiliate and subjugate those who had endured the unthinkable and kept the eternal flame of the Supremacy alive for a thousand thankless years. Designed to keep them in their place, forever divorced from the glory of a yesterday that was their birthright.

It was enough to make you vomit.

“Captain?”

Had he not spent the majority of his career at the Morvai fleet – college preparing for this day? For this very hour? Were there not more logical and tempting targets of opportunity within a fingers – grasp (such as the nearby Dilithium Mining Operation in the adjoining asteroid – belt?) that would provide not only a victory of a magnitude more befitting for a warrior of his stature, but also yield useful strategic assets with which to wage their campaign?

“Captain?”

Not that the outcome of the final victory was in any doubt whatsoever in Captain Geran’s stolid – mind. The might of the Supremacy, the obvious advantages leveraged by their mastery of Underspace and the abject weakness of the decadent and divided foes they so easily dominated. How could Victory be anything other than assured?

“Captain? Sir?”

And here he was directing their glorious forces against…..farmers !! Oh yes ! They assured him that it was a cunning strategy to starve the nearby Terran miners into submission – a sort of economic siege – warfare, if you could believe the analysts (pampered elites that had purchased their commissions to a man, none of whom had ever known the weight and rigor of command!).

The sheer, bloody, wasteful, indignity of it all !!!

“Capt…”

“YES LIEUTENANT, WHAT IS IT !” The commander of the invasion force span around and bellowed at the Lieutenant that stood behind him on the battle bridge, Geran’s broad neck – hood flaring with darkening blood as he vented his ire at the nearest target.

Lieutenant Jerad gathered his composure, remembered his training and rallied to report.

“Captain. Our ground forces report that the Colony is secured and the surviving populace has been detained and secured in the main warehouse facility. Our interface forces have destroyed the orbital mirror arrays, as ordered. The planet is ours. Shall I order the Ortillery to cease the planetary bombardment sir?”

Captain Geran coldly regarded the blue/brown orb of the planet below, displayed on the viewscreen of the Command-and-Control space. If he’d been able to muster even a cold – contempt for the Cardassian Settlers that were incarcerated below or their miserable agricultural collective, that might have been something. But all Geran felt towards their plight was a weary indifference to their fate.

Was this really what they had trained for all of these long centuries of exile. This mummers – farce?

The Vaadwaur commander sighed at the injustice of it all and waved his hand absently.

“Negative Lieutenant.” Captain Geran murmured distractedly, “Our orders are clear. We are to raze the colony to the ground and destroy all assets. Continue the bombardment.”

The Lieutenant nodded efficiently.

“Understood Captain. And the settlers?”

Geran blinked for a moment. Not quite comprehending, then his features creased in annoyance.

“Well execute them. Obviously, Lieutenant.” Geran snapped peevishly. “They are of no value to us whatsoever. Kill them all and prepare to recall & evac the troops from the surface.”

The Lieutenant came to attention crisply and saluted.

“As you command, Captain!”

Captain Geran nodded vaguely and began to turn his attention to what the galley had prepared for lunch? At least the powers that be had had the foresight to furnish the vessel with a competent chef and….

“Captain!” Came the urgent call and the Vaadwaur commander turned testily around, ready to launch a tirade of vitriol, when the voice continued excitedly (and without permission).

“Enemy contact on the sensors. Range 12 AU, Bearing Seven/Two/Three – Mark 9!”

His interest piqued for the first time that day, Geran took his seat on the central dais and ordered crisply.

“Onscreen. Identify!”

The viewscreen switched to a view of an approaching smallcraft, unmistakably of Federation design.

“Target telemetry conforms to that of a Starfleet Danube – class Runabout, Captain.” The Tactical officer confirmed as he tracked the incoming vessel. “It’s staying at the extreme – range of our sensors, loitering outside of the effective range of our main weapons systems and pickets. Most likely reconnaissance – gathering, Sir.”

~“How disappointing”~ The Captain though to himself and nodded.

“Re-route a squadron of fighters to intercept and destroy.” He ordered listlessly and his mind began to wander back to the subject of lunch, when the same officer retorted with a renewed note of excitement in his voice.

“Second contact Captain!” The young officer confirmed and Geran wondered where they found these children, excitable as they obviously were. “Same telemetry. Just dropped out of Warp, range & location opposite but equidistant to the other. Your orders, Sir?”

Captain Geran frowned, an inkling that something else was at play here beginning to crystalize and focus in his mind. He straightened his uniform and sat up a little straighter in his chair.

“Order the squadron to divide into two wings. Intercept and destroy both targets with extreme prejudice.”

“Aye Sir. Sending the order now.”

As the main tactical display confirmed these actions were underway, Captain Geran nodded with satisfaction when he noted that the Squadron of Pythus-class assault fighters had divided as ordered and were heading to the outer perimeter of the invasion – forces operating area.

“Comms. Open a channel to the commanders of the ‘Dornis’ and the ‘Gaduin’.” Geran referred to the accompanying Manasa-class assault escorts, that comprised the remainder of the modest invasion force under his command.

“Inform them they are to continue the planetary bombardment, but to be aware that we have intermittent enemy contacts in the Outer – AO.”

“Aye Captain.” The Comms officer began but was again interrupted by the Tactical officer (whom Geran was now seriously considering showing to the airlock, without the luxury of a helmet).

“Captain! Sir! Enemy contacts have disappeared!” The eager young officer proclaimed, “They must have gone to warp!!”

Captain Geran, frowned at this development and was about to order the Battlecruiser to a higher state of alert when the Tactical Officer stammered in shock.

“Sir! Multiple enemy contacts dropping out of warp!  They’re right on top of us Sir !”

Geran gripped the hand rests of his seat and barked furiously at the young officer.

“IDENTIFY! DAMN YOU!”

“Starfleet Fighters Sir! Warp – capable! The tactical database confirms them as “Valkyrie” – class, Captain! They are engaging the ‘Dornis’ and the ‘Gaduin’!!!!”

Geran swore inwardly and screamed; “DON”T JUST SIT THERE ! ENGAGE THEM!”

“They’re too close in, Sir!” The officer responded miserably “If we fire, we’ll likely score hits on the ‘Dornis’ and the ‘Gaduin’ at this range!

Captain Geran’s eyes bulged in consternation and he sprang from the dais and stalked across the command space deck and grasped the Tactical Officer by the lapels of his uniform and physically hefted him from his console, screaming into his face.

“THEN RECALL THE FIGHTERS!!!”

Noticeable wincing, the adjacent Comms officer cautioned, “Sending the recall command now Sir. But the fighters are currently at the outer marker of the Operating Volume, it will take them some minutes to reverse course and come into range for effective engagement!”

Captain Geran threw the stunned Tactical Officer back into his chair and turned to the Helmsman.

“Helm get us underway ! Attain us a firing solution on the enemy fighters ! Do it NOW!” He screamed in fury, uncomprehending how everything had so suddenly fallen apart.

“But the ground forces have yet to be recalled Captain?” The miserable Tactical Officer pointed out and Captain Geran shrieked in sheer frustration, drew his sidearm and drilled a neat hole in the young officer’s forehead, drenching the Comms Officer in the contents of his skull.

The terrified Helmsman raced to comply with the infuriated CO’s order when the proximity alert began to clamor it’s desperate, urgent tones.

“CAPTAIN!” Cried the secondary Tactical Officer in abject terror. “ANOTHER SHIP’S DROPPING OUT OF WARP! IT’S MASSIVE!”

“LOCATION!” Screamed Geran, the chords standing out on his broad, hooded neck.

“She’s right on top of us, Sir!” The officer responded plaintively.

“I SAID GIVE ME A LOCATION!!!” Geran bellowed, not understanding.

The secondary Tactical Officer swiveled in her chair to face Geran, her eyes wide with shock and terror.

“NO, CAPTAIN ! SHE’S RIGHT ON TOP OF US, SIR !!!”

Captain Geran span around to face the viewscreen and gaped as the preponderous bulk of the encroaching craft slammed into Realspace from Warp, straight into the middle of the assembled Vaadwaur fleet, as it meted out cruel punishment upon the planet below.

The massive craft instantly intersected with the ‘Dornis’, it’s considerable hull and it’s enclosure of powerful Regenerative shields, physically smashing into the Manasa-class assault escort, as her captain desperately attempted to perform evasive maneuvers.

The ’Dornis’ was destroyed instantly & utterly, crushed, exploding and fragmenting as the huge vessel continued inevitably on in the ruin of her wake.

~”That Captain is…insane!”~ Geran’s mind raced as the hulking spacecraft smashed heedlessly into his own fleet assets, cleaving a heedless swathe of destruction and laying down a searing barrage of withering fire.

“Federation Starfleet Vessel Sir! “ The secondary Tactical Officer managed to retain some modicum of composure, but her voice was awed and terrified. “Capital ship – Odyssey-class! She’s opening fire, Sir!”

That last report provided ancillary to the point and roundly pointless, as the ‘Sword of Morvai’ was rocked by the violence of weapons impacts upon its own shields and the deck pitched churningly as the Helmsman tried to skew the Battlecruiser out of the path of the oncoming, inevitable, vengeful behemoth.

“RETURN FIRE!” Geran bellowed, as the Morvai’s own polaron cannons began to sing their own hymn of destruction.

“Shields at forty – percent and falling!!” Came an urgent damage control report from the Engineering Officer.

“The ‘Gaduin’ is reporting severe damage Sir, Captain Vorel reports that he is losing main power!”

“Our fighters are inbound, Sir! But the enemy Fighters are vectoring to engage them!”

“Shields at Fifteen – Percent. We’ve lost the entire portside battery – “B”, Captain!”

“Sensors show no life signs readings from the ’Dornis’, Sir! She’s gone!!”

“Fighters reporting heavy losses!”

“Hull Breaches on Deck 11, Frames Nineteen to Thirty – Two, Sir!!!!”

“The ‘Gaduin’ is caught in the gravity well, Sir. Captain Vorel has ordered the crew to abandon ship! She’s burning up on re-entry !! Reading multiple life pods away! ”

Captain Geran’s face was a rictus of fury and confounded defeat. The engagement had quickly pivoted into a disastrous rout and now this monstrous Starfleet – vessel was threatening the complete destruction of his own vessel too.

It was a waking nightmare made real.

“Comms ! Sound the retreat !” Captain Geran ordered with sickening regret.

“Aye Captain!”

Geran held his aching eyes with his pinched fingers for a long moment and then commanded.

“Data! Send the activation signal to the Platform! Initiate the Aperture! Helm! Make best speed for Underspace! Get us out of here !!!”

“Course laid in Captain! Breaking off the engagement.”

As the remnants of the Invasion fleet that had, only scant moments ago, reigned supreme in destruction over the Planet of New Providence – now most of that superior force lay decimated in her orbit and as the heavily damaged Battlecruiser made best speed for the safety of The Labyrinth, the ‘Valkyries’ of VA-307 pressed home their ferocious attack, picking-off the incoming Pythus-class assault fighters – seemingly at their leisure.

Triumphant, the USS Hikaru Sulu took up station above New Providence, her powerful & reassuring presence daring them to return.