Richie sat down at his console in the war room. He noticed the positions of the Dominion ships that the intelligence surveys had given him. “Computer, sequence enemy movements from the last five days.” The computer promptly drew an animation showing where the ships are going. That's strange, Richie thought, those ships are disappearing in thesame place. “Computer, get me Admrial Ross.”
“Yes, captain,” the admiral replied.
“We've got a hole in our intellegence.”
All of the ship commanders in the squadron gathered in the warroom, “Here's the deal. We have a hole in our intellegence net. We've got bogies coming in here, but they don't come out.”
“Perhaps they are building for an attack and shilding us to keep us from finding out where and when,” Amanda noted.
“That is a possibility, Amanda,” Richie continued, “and something that must be seriously considered. The only way to find out is to go in there ourselves.”
“I'd be more than willing to Volenteer,” Amanda replied.
“I can set you up,” Richie replied. “But I do want someone else to go with you on this, though.”
“I'm in,” Andrea responded.
“Now that that's settled,” Richie said, “Have Nimitz and Wildfire ready for inspection in 45 minutes.”
Richie smiled when both ships arrived. “Are you two just trying to impress me?”
“Who, us?” Amanda and Shandy replied.
“Anyway, I'm having a cloaking device installed on your ships. It is still experimental, but it gets the job done.” Richie proceeded to explain how the phasing cloak works. He finished off with a piece of advice, “Just remember to be careful.”
“We will,” Shandy said.
“Betsy, what's our status?” Katy inquired.
“Cloaking device installed and online.”
“Good.”
“Riffin to bridge — are you guys picking me up?”
“We are,” Katy responded.
“Good, it looks like the pipline is working,” Andrea said. “Anna, are you ready for this.”
“As ready as I'll ever be,”
The turbolift doors subsequently opened, “How are we doing up here,” Shandy asked.
“We are done up here,” Andrea said. “I will head back to my ship.”
“Cloaking device is online and ready up here,” Anna continued.
“As soon as Andrea is away, set course bearing 1-2-5 mark 2-0.”
“Aye, sir.”
Richie gave some final words to the two ships, “Andrea, Amanda: be careful, good luck, and godspeed.”
“Betsy, set course and engage cloak.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Captain, we've got an alert from Captain DeSoto. He wants us to convene with the rest of the 5th pronto.”
“Thank you, JP. Kim, set course for the fifth fleet and engage maximum warp.”
“Aye, Captain.”
Minutes later, Richie's wing had rendevued with the rest of the fleet. “Kristy, hail Captain DeSoto.” Richie paused until Captain DeSoto's face appeared on the screen. “What's the situation?”
“We have enemy ships half a light year from here, and I have orders to engage them.”
“All right. All hands, Tactical alert. Captain, please be advised that two ships
from my wing are on a recon mission.”
“Understood.”
“Kim, follow the rest of the fleet.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Captain, we are entering a MuKelly-class nebula.”
“Understood, Betsy,” Andrea replied. “Are we picking up anything?”
“Negative on all sensors,”
“Nimitz to Wildfire, Amanda, are you reading anything?”
“Sorry,” Amanda replied.
“How bout a visual?”
“Forward visual on screen.”
Andrea was amazed at what was shown on the screen. “Amanda, have you checked your visual?”
“Oh, my,” Amanda exclaimed. “I bet there are dozens of enemy ships out there....”
“I've counted at least 50 fighters and 20 battlecruisers,” Shandy commented.
“As well as an apparant source of our problems,” Anna added.
“What do you mean?” Andrea inquired.
“I saw a sensor jammer amist all the ballteships,”
“Why would they use a sensor jam in the middle of a nebula.”
“Simple. They want to keep the upper hand in case intellegence finds a way to get past the nebula.
“If that's the case,” Andrea noted, “We need to take care of the sensor jammer.”
“We are approaching the enemy fleet,” the Edmund Fitzgerald's helmsman noted.
“Shields up,” Kelly said. “Ready phasers and load quantum torpedos.”
“Drop us to one-quarter impulse,” Captain DeSoto added.
The Baldwin was following the leader. “Dropping to one-quarter,” MacKenzie noted.
“All ships, this is Captain DeSoto. 1st and 2nd wings, target the fighters. 3rd and 5th, cover the larger carriers. 4th wing fill in as needed.”
“Targeting the lead battle-cruiser,” Rhiannon replied.
“Fire.”
“There is no way,” Shandy noted, “we can use phasers or torpedos in this nebula — even if we could, we can't target it automatically.”
“What about,” Kristl inquired, “a tetryon pulse from the main deflector.”
“Tetryon pulses would do the job,” Amanda replied, “However, how do we aim.”
“With a steady hand and a good pair of crosshairs,” Anna stated.
“Can you do that?”
“Absolutely.”
“Let's do it,” Andrea said over the com link.
“Shields down to 90 percent,” Roslyn said.
“How many ships left?”
“Thirty battlecruisers.”
“Captain,” Gloria inturrupted, ”The Tien An Men is reporting serious damage.”
“Have Wasp fill in so that they can pull back.”
“Aye, Sir,”
“Sir,” Kelly noted, “We've lost two ships, and the Tien An Men has to pull back.”
“I don't blame 'em,” DeSoto said. “Kelly, How about the enemy fleet.”
“They're down to 70% — we're down to 70%.”
“They are keeping us even, eh.”
“We've decloaked without any problems,” Andrea stated, “Amanda, you'll
take care of the array while we head out of the nebula to call for
reinforcements.”
“We're on it,” Amanda stated, “Anna, are you ready,”
“As ready as I'll ever be,” she replied, “Engaging the manual steering control.”
“Captain,” Roslyn said, “I'm recieving a message for you — It's the Nimitz.”
“Ask the Fitzgerald to monitor this call. Let's hear it.”
“Captain, I'm recieving a message from the Baldwin. He wants you to monitor Starfleet Channel 42.”
“Put the channel on,”
“Baldwin here, what's the news Andrea?”
“We've got a lot of Dominion ships hiding in a nebula nearby.”
“How Many?”
Anna kept a steady hand on the Joystick as the viewscreen showed the ship's intended target. “The Deflector is ready,” Maria stated.
“I have a good visual lock on the target,” Anna followed.
“Fire,”
“At least seventy ships? That's more than we have faced here,” Richie stated. “Captain DeSoto, I hope the hell that you have been listening in.”
“I have,” he replied.
“What do you think we should do?”
“This engagemnet was likely a trap to start with. We clearly need to cut off the big ambush. DeSoto to all ships: Back off and set course 1-2-0 mark 30.”
“Course set,” MacKenzie said.
“Good shooting, people,” Amanda commented. “Kristl, what do sensors show.”
“Sensors are reading at least 100 ships.”
“Anna, back us off to the Nimitz's position quickly.”
“No Arguing with that,” Anna replied.
“Roz, what are the Dominion forces we left behind doing?”
“They are on a pursuit course.”
“Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,” Richie sang, “Here I am — stuck in the middle with you.”
“Have you been listening to more of that rock and roll?” Reinette Commented.
“Captain,” Lindsay exclaimed, “The fifth fleet is approaching, and they have brought some company with them.
“Arm phasers and quantum torpedos,” Andrea replied.
“Maria,” Amanda said to her tactical officer, “standby all weapons.”
“Captain,” Kristl said, “They are coming out of the nebula.”
“Photon Torpedos — Full Spread.”
“Aye, sir, full spread.”
“We got numerous direct hits. Two down, several more damaged.”
“What's the report now?” DeSoto inquired.
“The Dominion are cunning planners,” Kelly stated, “but they did not expect us to figure this little puzzle out. They have taken a larger hit.”
The Dominion were not off guard for long, “We've taken several hits,” Rhiannon exclaimed, “Shields at 72%.”
“Make every shot count!” Richie replied.
SQUADRON LOG: Stardate 52180.4: Our mission into the Dominion's Danger Zone netted us a major victory over the Dominion. Although it is easier for them to lick their wounds than us, we intend to relish this victory.
“Now, for your viewing pleasure: The USS Baldwin dance crew,” Richie said to introduce the dance team that Reinette had put together.
“Where do I sign up?” Amanda asked Richie as he was watching his crew perform on the dance floor.
“You'll have to ask Reinette,” Richie replied. “You did a great job on that nebula mission, skipper.”
“Thank you, sir,” she replied.
Richie proceeded to take pictures of the dance. When it was over, applause erupted from the all watching.