Joint Task Force Aegis

[Cptn d'Ka 0]

Joint Task Force Aegis

Captain Jerritt d’Ka, USS Missouri

Starfleet Border Patrol Command

 

USS Missouri dropped from warp and entered Aegis space flanked by two heavily armed multipurpose cruisers: the USS Tsinghua and the USS Anhui and their respective support vessels. Minutes later came the D’deridex Class RSE Praetor with its contingent, and then the K’t’inga Class Battlecruiser IKS Fek’lhr with theirs.

 

KraH’kHn had sent a message. The Allies had answered.

 

“Mr. Tan.”

 

Missouri’s operations officer turned to face Captain d’Ka.

 

“Inform Sky Harbor Aegis of our arrival and tell them we are ready to render any and all assistance.

 

“Commander Lie’ri,” the captain leaned close to speak to his Exec. in confidence, “contact Fek’lhr and Praetor to verify their mission parameters so we can coordinate their mission with ours. Be sure they contact the station this time. I want everyone on the same page so we don’t kill each other…” he breathed deeply, “...or even come close.

 

“Mr. Sojek,” d’Ka’s sideways lean swiveled his chair toward TAC, "set condition two throughout the fleet. Get me a full tactical assessment of the sector. I want a deep active sensor sweep, including the area where KraH’kHn was first reported. Leave the holographic display down for now and set the forward screen to tactical mode. As soon as Commander Lie’ri receives Preator’s and Fek’lhr’s patrol grids and mission directives, we’ll light it up and begin active tracking and tagging of all vessels coming and going.”

 

A chorus of acknowledgements followed. The lights dimmed to yellow alert and the forward viewscreen shifted at Sojek’s touch while fleet reports filtered in.

 

A Negh’var class Klingon vessel calling itself IKS KraH’kHn had been harassing ships in Aegis space for nearly a week and no one outside Aegis space had been officially notified. Whether it was due to communications failure or the perceived lack of imminent threat to Aegis was immaterial at this point. Unprovoked, the ship had savagely attacked the station during its most vulnerable reconstruction phase. Communication faltered, then died. When word did reach the Allied Powers, the station had been disabled and would have been destroyed were it not for the astute tactics of its acting commanding officer, Mr. Wesley Roberts, and Aegean’s captain, LtCdr Kallah Ramson.

 

D’Ka’s command console glowed with the latest report on the assault. Only a few hours old, it was incomplete, but it was all they had. And it raised his brows.

 

The ship was unknown - not just unregistered. It had no history whatsoever in any database, friend or foe. And yet, Aegis’ defense grid read it as friendly, from the Klingon Empire.

 

Strange.

 

Somehow it had slithered its way toward the station - a predator moving from tree to tree. It had systematically tested the waters by plundering small cargo ships carrying general cargoes before moving on to larger vessels - specifically those that transported Aegis’ reconstruction materials....

 

“Understood, Missouri.”

 

The Sindar captain paused to listen.

 

“Be advised we have recovery operations in progress. Revenge and Aegean are currently assessing defense grid status."

 

“Our mission is to protect and defend,” Tan responded, “and render any and all assistance. If you require that assistance, we have resources.”

 

“That would be appreciated.”

 

“Mr. Tan, tell Anhui to stand by their medical ship and engineering tender,” said d’Ka. “The station may have need of them as they continue to assess the damage.”

 

Still listening, he turned back to the report.

 

After a moment, his face grew grim. His deep sigh drew Lie’ri’s attention.

 

“By Eru,” the captain breathed, “On this recording she looks, acts, and sounds exactly like Chirakis, ‘Ri. She knew the station; she knew Roberts. She was intimately acquainted with their tactics and their weapons…” He waved a hand at the console, “…countermeasures for the Long Lance missiles, a dampening field against transport.”

 

The console swiveled toward Lie’ri. “Her Klingon is impeccable in the recording, as is her accent. She invokes her house - the House of GoragH. And...,” his lips drew thin, “...and she is wearing the uniform that hangs in her closet.”

 

Lie’ri’s double-take did not go unnoticed.

 

“But there are inconsistencies,” said the commander as he flicked through the report. “Here…. and here, especially.

 

“What gives you the right to bring a station into this territory, build a shipyard and consort with the Federation and the Rihan Empire, she says, and, I am not the only one who will come against you." He paged through the translated text, "You and this station will be destroyed and your children will become... our slaves? And, this was merely... a test?”

 

Their eyes met. “This is not the person we know, Captain. There is clearly something more to this than mere treason. If…” he broke off his stare, “... if she believes this area of space belongs to someone other than the Allied Powers, or that there are no Allied Powers, there is a good chance she is…”

 

“... from another time,” d’Ka snorted, “or another universe?” His eyes darkened. “Or is she merely an insane tactical genius? There are any number of possibilities, ‘Ri, and there is no guarantee she was telling the truth. Disinformation is a powerful tactic.”

 

“Captain,” Lie’ri pressed close and his voice dropped to a whisper, “her emotions are extreme in this recording. Did you… at any time… feel them? Did you have any contact with her at all?”

 

Their eyes locked in a long pause.

 

“No. I did not.”

 

“Then I strongly advise we search for anomalies, specifically for any that might coincide with the time or place of the appearance of her ship. There may be a correlation.”

 

“Agreed, Commander. Do it.”