Chapter 6 to 8 will be posted on seperate threads to reduce loading times for those with slow ISPs.

Refer to the other thread for Chapter 1-5

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The USS Athena Pt 6

The conn officer tried to get in touch with Kiev and the Manila but there was only static.
"My sensors are being screwed. We're experiencing a heavy ECM environment," Athena explained. "ECM radiations however possess their own unique racial signatures. We're experiencing a Romulan ECM saturation blanket."

"Romulan?" Garret asked, startled.

"I got confirmation," T'pak said, manning the Operations console. "The ECM signatures are Romulan."

"Those Romulan dogs are up to no good again. I swear by the King of Gihdahr," Drudge proclaimed, smashing his huge fists against the tactical console. "Those dogs will perish under the rightful sword of a Gorn Knight."

"Hey, T-rex, stop that, you'll break my console," Athena whined.

"We're going into red alert!" Garret ordered. "Battles stations and this time, it�s not a game. I can't take any chances. Send out a distress signal.�

�It does not look like the nearest Federation starship can be here in days,� T�pak said.
�Damn!� Garret cursed. �Ensign, get me the last known positions of the Kiev and the Manila. Anyone with any theories why they're here?"

"I only have one theory," T'pak explained as he pressed buttons in his console. "A few years ago, the Romulans were involved in an attempted hijack of the Prometheus prototype. It resulted in a severe defeat by their forces. I found this classified information in Athena's databases. I can only assume that the Romulans have a vested interest in the capture or destruction of this particular vessel. I must remind you that this vessel is in violation of the Algeron Treaty by using the phased cloak."

"We know the treaty is no longer worth the piece of paper it was written on ever since the Romulans were caught with phasing cloak technology, violating the Neutral Zone with intruder and spy ships, and stole Federation plans for tricobalt torpedos," Ka'nal explained. "Not to mention violating humanitarian rules of conduct in war by using psychonic weapons, and treaties concerning the use of weapons that create rifts in the space time continuum. I have to conclude that Federation relations with the Romulans are at an all time low."

"I welcome any war with the Romulan dogs," Drudge said. "The Romulan Star Empire is responsible for many crimes and atrocities against the Gorn Confederation. Our hate and feud run deep."

"But Athena, why didn't you tell me this incident with the Prometheus before? Why didn't anyone tell me this before?" Garret cried out. "Must I be the last to know like the case of your sentience, your phased cloak capability? What other surprises do you have in store for me?"

Athena crossed her arms around her chest and smirked. "You didn't ask and T'pak did beat me to it."

"I got the last possible locations of the Kiev and the Manila sir. They are all based on approximations, and I can't say they're precise," the ensign said.

"I don't care. Engage full impulse and get us there quickly," Garret ordered. "And while we're flying there, I suggest, Athena, if you still got any secrets, let me know now." The Athena shook slightly as her impulse engines whirred and hummed.

"It's not me you should ask, it's Hurst," Athena confessed. "He's the one with the most secrets. Taciticus shipyard is actually a front for a secret weapons research facility under the auspices of the Section. We Hurst used to be Section and is heading these projects. This ship was designed under Section specs. The shipyard is working on other projects like Breen type shield disrupters."

"Don't tell me you got a Breen shield disrupter," Garret said.

"and a Corbomite Reflector like they got on Sovereign class ships. The game rules of engagement did not permit me to use them. The disrupter is still experimental so it�s not that effective. I can only drop enemy ship shields for a short time at great expense of my own energy, which is not that efficient since I can accomplish the same thing with phasers. Against ships with regenerative shields, its only good for a short moment, but it leaves me low in energy. In the event of capture, I am also set to self destruct with a rift creator. Well, that's about it," Athena grinned. "Oh yeah, and Ka'nal here is Section too. He's here to watch you."

"The Section?" Garret asked.

"Think of it as the Federation's answer to the Tal Shi'ar," Athena explained. "A secret faction, an elite strike force, a force meant to do the jobs the Federation is too pussy wussy to accomplish."

"That is enough, Athena!" Ka'nal ordered sternly.

"No, the Captain is right. He deserves to know the truth."

"Who else is Section?" Garret demanded.

"They just recruited your friend Captain Wu. All the captains in this exercise including de Witt, they're all Section members," Athena confessed. "Sooner or later, they will ask you too. You fit their profile---young aggressive, idealistic, new, and of course, naive. In addition to the fact you�re in command of this ship. And lastly, my dear Captain, you're about to face, the Tal Shi'ar."

The legendary secret force of the Romulan Star Empire, Garret thought. How many surprises he can take for one day? "How do you know it's Tal Shi'ar?"
"By the radiation signature of their psychonic blasters," Athena said. "I have been programmed to detect their activities. Take a look. Onscreen."
There were the Kiev and the Manila, both smoking heavily and appearing damaged.

"Hail them!" Garret ordered. "I will deal with this Section issue later, Athena, Ka'nal, and whatever conspiracy is behind my back, after we deal with this enemy and still be alive. What is this psychonic blasters?"

"You're about to find out, Captain," Ka'nal said.

"We got no answer," the Conn officer said.

"We got fighting on the ships," T'pak said. "They're fighting among themselves."

"That's what a psychonic blaster does. It renders crew temporarily insane, causing them to attack each other," Drudge explained. "We have experienced such weapons during our war against the Romulan dogs. But the Gorn Star Navy had developed ways to counter this weapon. We will anesthesize the ship with gas to knock out the crew, and use a temporary crew to take over the ship."

"This ship is equipped with a knock out gas to assist in boarding enemy ships or to repel boarders in this ship," Ka'nal revealed. "We can use them. Get close enough to the ships and gas the ventilation system. We don't have much time to lose before the crew completely kills each other."

Just then eerie green birdlike ships suddenly materialized, a small fleet surrounding a large ship that resembled like a giant hawk.

A face appeared on screen. Her face was serenely beautiful in its symmetry, her exotic skin smooth like glazed porcelain, but her eyes were cold from a lifetime in the business of death.

"Welcome, Captain," Riana said. "Or as you Earthlings say, says the spider to the fly. As I see your situation now Captain, you have little choice but to surrender. You have seen what we have done to your comrades here. You can spare yourself this same sad fate. You can surrender this ship, and I will let you go healthy and sane."

There was anger in Drudge's face, and both Ka'nal and Athena nodded negatively. "Experiences with the Romulans suggest that you do not trust them," T'pak warned.
"Sorry lady," Garret answered to Riana. "It's nice to stay and chat, but we got some other urgent matters to do."

�You have been playing a game, Captain,� Riana said. �Now it�s about to time to play a real one.�

Garret made a gesture cutting his neck, and the conn officer turned off the screen. Riana's face was replaced with a black starry background.

"Engage full impulse to the Kiev, now!" Garret ordered. "Get the gas charged up," he ordered to Drudge.

The Athena jerked forward with immense acceleration, heading to the Kiev first. At the same moment, a volley of plasma torpedos headed the Athena�s way, but Athena�s quick acceleration and point defence phasers quickly outran and extinguished them. As soon the Athena moved off, two Shrikes were in pursuit. Their disrupters hit the tail of the Athena, ripping the shields.

�Aft shields down to sixty percent!� Ka�nal reported. �We better move quicker.�

Garret noticed a pained expression in Athena�s face everytime she was being hit. He first noticed it during the combat trials but disregarded it during the �fun� of the game. Now the atmosphere was far more serious. Computers are not supposed to be feeling pain, he thought, unless her bioneural circuitry had to be that complex. If she is feeling pain from every hit, then for her, this battle has a personal physical dimension that the crew does not experience. While they were having fun playing the combat game, Athena had been suffering silently, trying to hide her pain with a bubbling and outspoken demeanor.

�Fire phasers and torpedoes at will,� Garret ordered.

Two quantum torpedoes lashed out from the aft tubes and slammed at the leading Shrike. Having just uncloaked, it�s shields wasn�t strong enough, and there was visible fire and cracks on the hull. The lead Shrike banked off and disengaged, but the second Shrike remained hot on her tail.

�We�re running out of torpedoes,� Drudge said. �We�ve nearly used up our supply in the trials.�

�Does the Kiev has torpedoes in stock?� Garret asked.

�Yes,� T�pak affirmed.

�Then transport them at the same time we gas them when we make our pass,� Garret said. �Then we do the same on the Manila. I don�t think they have any use for it now.�
The Shrike fired a combination of disrupters and phasers. �Shields down to 40%,� Ka�nal ordered. Athena grimaced.

�We�re closing in on the Kiev,� Drudge reported. �Transporters ready!�

�Transport the gas and get the torpedoes when you are in position,� Garret said.

�Disengage forward shields. Maximum power to aft shields.� The Athena quickly slowed down, allowing Drudge to activate the transporters through the open forward shields.

The Shrike fired plasma torpedoes, and they slammed against the Athena�s shields. Athena cried out for the first time, and Garret was shocked there were tears in the hologram�s eyes. Athena was programmed to replicate human emotion and action, right down to the detail of human tears. This program is good, very good, but at the same time, Garret felt remorse seeing her like this.

�Shields down to 10%� Ka�nal warned. �The next hit will surely breech her shields.�

The Shrike fired phasers that broke through Athena�s shields for the first time.

�Uggh!� Athena cried out. She clenched her fists.

�Are you all right, Athena?� Garret asked. �Just hang on....�

Athena looked at him. There were both anger and tears in her eyes. �Yes, I am, and don�t look at me!!�

�We got hull breech on the rear engineering hull. Repair crews are on it,� Ka�nal reported. �Damage containment procedures initiated.�

The pass the Shrike did brought the ship in a front position relative to the Athena. Athena lashed out from her phaser strips and then from her pulse phaser batteries. The phaser strips tore at the Shrike�s outer shields, and the pulse phasers ripped at within. There was a trail of burning gases from the Shrike�s tail as it quickly heads off.

�I have gassed the main ventilation system, and have taken all of the Kiev�s torpedoes,� Drudge reported.

�Twenty percent of the Kiev�s crew is still alive...� T�pak said. �Out of a crew of nearly a hundred and fifty people...�

�Damn those Romulan bastards!� Garret said. �Get us to the Manila, quick. Engage full impulse.�

�We got three Talon class escorts heading our way,� T�pak reported. �Three plasma torpedoes have been launched.�

The Athena fired a quantum torpedo from her aft tubes. It hit one of the plasma torpedoes and the resulting shockwave destroyed the other two.

�The Talons are still closing in, Captain.�

�We�re over the Manila now!� the helmsman reported.

�Turn the ship around facing the talons. Open the aft shields for the transporters. Raise energy and reinforce the forward shields. Prepare to fire on my mark,� Garret ordered.
�Transporters activated!� Drudge reported. �I�m gassing the main vent system and I�m taking all the torpedoes. Like the Kiev, it�s not much and they have used up a lot of the torpedoes in the combat game, but we can use everything we can lay our hands on.�

�Sixteen percent of the crew is still surviving in various condition. This is out of a crew of two hundred in the USS Manila,� T�pak reported.

The Talons opened fire with disrupters and phasers, but the Athena�s strong forward shields held firm. �Fire torpedoes now! Fire all phasers now!�

Three torpedoes slammed at the lead Talon. The first two buckled its shields, the last turned the Talon into brilliant ball of light. Fire from the phaser strips stripped off the shields of the second Talon, and pulse phasers bore through the last shield, striking the naked hull. The Talon quickly banked away damaged, but not before it made parting shots with its phasers.

But the last Talon closed in, passed over the Athena and began another pass, this time headed to her rear. The Athena turned around to present her forward shields, as the Talon unleashed a plasma torpedo.

�Hold on� Garret warned. Low on energy the Athena could not counter the passing Talon, and she took it right on her front shield.

�I�m done!� Drudge said.

This was the opportunity the cloaked Shrikes were waiting for. The Talon had distracted the Athena, exposing her open rear end, which her transporter beam worked. Before the Athena�s aft shields could close, the two cloaked Shrikes decloaked momentarily and transported commando teams to the aft of the Athena.

�Transporter signatures,� T�pak warned. �We are being boarded from the rear.�

�Damn, raise the aft shields now!� Garret ordered.

�Aft shields raised. Too late,� T�pak said. �They�re already on board.�

�Time for some action. Time to take out some Romulan heads,� Drudge said. He quickly opened a reserve weapons panel in the wall of the bridge, taking a phaser rifle and his personal sword. �I�ve been waiting for this for a long time.�

�We only have a skeleton crew,� Ka�nal warned. �I suggest that everyone in the bridge should take arms and repulse the boarders. The USS Athena is capable of fighting herself.�

�Then go,� Garret said.

There was a cry of help from the Engineering section. It was from Ghia. �Captain, we are under siege here, requesting assistance!�

Ka�nal and T�pak had taken rifles. �Remember to watch your back out for Romulan spies looking like Federation humans,� Drudge warned. �A word of advice from this veteran who had dealt with the Romulans before. Let�s get ready to rumble, as you Earthlings say.�

�Beam them out Athena, and get us out of here. Engage maximum warp.�

Athena acknowledged, and she beamed out everyone in the bridge except Garret to the Engineering section. The engines on the Athena began to hum, the space flashed as stars turned to spectral strips.

�We got warp, Captain,� Athena said. �Warp four, five... The enemy have begun to decloak and is pursuing.�

�Too many hiding cats and not enough mice,� Garret remarked. �We got to go to deep space and draw them out.�

�It�s you and me now, Captain, in a glorious battle to the death against overwhelming forces. What a glorious day to be a Klingon!� Athena changed herself to Klingon garb.
�Sorry Athena, I don�t intend to die today. I intend to win, to survive, and save as many lives of my crew and the other ships,� Garret reminded her. �And get that ridiculous costume off. I like you better the other way.�

Athena�s hologram changed back to her usual self. �Captain, the Romulans are following. Their main vessel and all the escorts have engaged warp. They got the Gemini and the Colt with them. I believe they have successfully commandeered the two ships.�
�Any prisoners aboard those ships, Athena?�

�I cannot tell, Captain, not at this distance. I must presume that possibility. If the Gemini and the Colt were to attack us, what are your orders?�

�Do not destroy them, not yet, disable them first, Athena.�

�Aye, Captain! The lead ship is a Shadow class vessel, loaded with treaty banned weapons such as the pyschonic blaster. The Romulans officially deny the existence of such a ship, and taking photos won�t change their tune.�

�Glad to know that, Athena. How much anesthetic gas do we still have?�

�Not much Captain, but we only have a skeleton crew.�

�If that Shadow hits us with that insanity weapon, Athena, you must guarantee that you must flood the entire ship with the knockout gas. You will be alone Athena, you will be on your own. I trust that you will do the right thing.�

�Only if we get to that, Captain. Honestly I don�t want to be alone. I am scared to be alone.�

�How can you, a computer program on the Federation�s most powerful ship, be scared of anything?�

�You don�t understand, you really don�t understand. I am alone enough as it is.�

Garret turned around. Maybe he really didn�t understand. She was after all, the only one of her kind.

�Ka�nal! What�s the status report down there?�

�We got a stalemate situation down here, Captain. There is some damage on the Engineering section. We got several casualties, but we�re holding on.� There were sounds of phaser fire, screams and static in Ka�nal�s transmission.

�I�ll beam the casualties over to sick bay,� Athena said. �I got an EMH subprogram of myself in a nurse�s outfit that can take care of the wounded.�

�Do it quickly then,� Garret ordered. �You must look cute dressed like a nurse.� Athena smiled back.

�The Romulan ships are closing in on us...� Athena warned.

�Bring them on screen. I thought this ship is faster, Athena.�

�We are, supposed to be. But I have suffered damage in the engines from the rear hits, not to mention damage on the Engineering section. I can�t go faster than Warp 8.5, and they�re coming at Warp 9.�

�Damn this. We have to hold our ground,� Garret said. �Go into cloak mode�. The Athena turned translucent, then faded like a ghost.

�Someone is hailing us. It�s the Romulan flagship,� Athena said.

�Show it,� Garret ordered.

Riana�s face appeared on screen. �Phase cloak, how quaint. Not only have you violated our sacred treaties, but reveal yourselves as the dishonorable and treacherous dogs that you Federation humans and Vulcans are.�

�Guilty as charged,� Garret said. �After all, we have to do something when you send ships with phase cloak to spy on our planets, our people, and steal our secrets. You murder whom you please, with this psychonic weapon of yours, a weapon that I learned had been banned by treaty for humanitarian reasons. We�re not going to stand here and be naive fools forever. What peace do truly stand before us? A false peace. A dishonest peace, while on their backs we wage a silent war.�

�Our war, the Tal Shi�ar�s war, is not with the Federation itself,� Riana explained. �It is with the Section, as much as the Section is at war with the Tal Shi�ar. This secret war we fight, it has no rules, except not to involve the rest of our peoples. Do you think that I am not fighting for my people, Captain? That ship you�re captaining was designed to take a war right into the heart of the Romulan Star Empire. It is an offensive weapon built in contradiction to the very principles that your Federation is built upon. Don�t patronize me with your human righteousness, Captain, we are not the criminals here. You are.�

�Do not assume that you can hide with your cloaking device. My Talon class scouts and the Nova class science vessel that I had commandeered are equipped with tachyon grids that will find you. The Tal Shi�ar out.�

�Those people sure are hypocrites. As if it�s their God given right to be the only ones in the entire Universe who can be sneaky,� Garret explained.

�Don�t look now, Captain, but they�re scanning for our tachyons. It�s a matter of seconds when they will find us. What is your course of action?�

�It looks like we don�t have much of a choice do we? Arm all weapons, prepare to decloak .�

�Aye, aye, Captain.�

�Are you ready for multiple vector mode?�

�Nada Captain. Damage on the engineering hull.�

�Just my luck, we have to come out swinging against overwhelming odds with a few tools short.�

(to be continued)