Joint Log | FAdm. Malone, Gen. Sharpe & Col. Towers | "The Battle of Logan's Nebula - Part 1"

Posted on 241405.03 @ 7:27pm by Fleet Admiral Kerry Malone & General Richard Sharpe

Mission: Insurrection [Fleet Plot]

= USS Ticonderoga, Klingon Space =

"Admiral on deck!" Barked a sentry as Malone entered the CiC of his massive command ship. He'd just come from a conversation with one of his contacts on Earth, and had been informed of the capture of the St. Helens.

He walked over to the large pool table in the center of the CiC, which was a tactical planning station to allow him to view a battlefield. He was pondering the information milling around his head, and he could only come up with one viable course of action for this new result.

"Where is the MCS Vesuvius now?" He asked one of the operations officers.

"Logan's Nebula, Admiral." The officer replied, and brought up the astrometrics data onto the main monitor.

"Monitor their progress, and tell me if anything happens." He said, and shockingly, didn't have to wait long for the response.

"Admiral! Eight ships just dropped out of warp in the Logan sector, approaching the Vesuvius. They're UFP IFF's sir. The St Helens and seven support ships." The same operations officer reported.

Damnit. Why did he have to be right?

"Very well. Mister Maddox, my compliments to Captain Nolan, and inform her to set course for the Logan Nebula at maximum warp. Also contact the captain's of the Ticonderoga Battle Group, inform them to warp in behind us." Kerry said. "Commander Keen, inform Admiral Hark of our imminent departure, and that he has command of the fleet until I return. Also, ask General Sharpe to get his people ready, and then get up here."

Both men responded to their orders.

= Meanwhile, MCS Vesuvius... =

The first fighters from the St. Helens opened fire on the fighters on the Vesuvius, signalling an official beginning to the battle. It also satisfied the rules of engagement enough for Colonel Horace Blackwell to order his own fighters to engage the enemy. This first part of the battle would be fought by the fighters in the space between the two carriers as the big ships closed towards each other.

Fischer felt strangely isolated on the bridge with Colson, Towers, and then Taylor all having left to prepare the ship against boarders. The problem with being a carrier commander was that most of the fighting was supposed to be done by the little ships, and all he could do was sit and watch.

"What are those other ships doing?" Fischer asked.

"Seven vessels... a few Excelsiors, an old Akira, a few others... They're hanging back, sir."

Fischer frowned. "Why?"

"I don't know, sir."

"It was a rhetorical question, Lieutenant. That formation doesn't make any sense." Fischer said.

"Colonel Towers reports squads are moving to various airlocks. Platoons have been placed around Engineering, the auxiliary bridge, the armory, and the hangar bay." Another officer called out.

"Good". Fischer turned his attention back to the fight in front of him, which at this distance looked like gnats buzzing around each other with flashes of light and fire all around them.

= USS Ticonderoga =

"ETA to the nebula?" Malone asked.

"Approximately ten minutes Admiral." Came the reply from the bridge.

"Very well. Have the Ticonderoga drop out of warp immediately near the Vesuvius. Inform the battle group captain's to drop out of warp in formation Gamma." Malone instructed, as he created a theoretical diagram on his map table.

= Logan's Nebula =

"We are within weapons range of the St Helens, sir." Tactical called.

"By all means, Lieutenant." Fischer gestured.

The two carriers opened fire on each other at nearly the same moment. Phaser arrays struck shields, torpedoes exploded, and point defense turrets opened up. Both ships were armed with these anti-fighter weapons and it caused the hornet's nest of over 200 fighters to spread out to the sides, staying out of the way of the big ships which now met in the middle.

"Her escorts are still hanging back, sir."

Fischer frowned. "Keep an eye on them. That's all we can do." He gripped the arm of his chair as the Vesuvius rocked. Both ships were passing each other on a broadside at close range, and the impacts were heavy.

"Phase arrays, target their point defense turrets. Let's see if we can pull a few teeth." Fischer ordered.

= USS Ticonderoga =

"Four minutes to target, Admiral." Reported an Ops officer. "Detecting weapons fire coming from the vessels. There's a full on engagement in progress."

"Very well." Malone said, looking up at the sensor readouts above his head.

= Logan Nebula =

"They are attempting to knock down our starboard shields, Colonel." Tactical called out.

"Roll us, helm. Try to keep strong shields on them." Fischer knew that if Towers' theory was correct, the second Vesuvius had shields down on one side, the St Helens would employ her assault transporters and begin beaming boarding parties onto the Vesuvius. Towers presumably had things covered, but he couldn't have every exit protected in strength.

"I'm detecting contacts coming into the system sir, but with the jamming I can't determine who or what they are, or where exactly they are coming from."

Fischer nodded. It was standard for the ships to jam each other, he was surprised that even that much information got through.

= MCS St Helens =

"Vesuvius is rolling, General."

"Alright, enough of this. Tell the Mulligan to execute their orders on Vesuvius' starboard side. Then deploy boarding teams. Shuttles and assault transporters. What of the other ships that were with Vesuvius?" General Clarke asked.

"The biggest thing they have is a damaged Norway class. They're hanging back out of the fight protecting a pair of refugee transports."

"Well, leave them alone for now."

The USS Mulligan was an old Excelsior class vessel, but it looked different. It's outer hull had been modified to accommodate certain 'additions'. Her weapons were gone to create more room for these surprises.

Given it's orders, the Mulligan shot forward, still capable of excellent impulse speed, and sped directly at the rotating carrier.

= MCS Vesuvius =

"What the HELL is that thing doing?" The tactical officer exclaimed.

"Lieutenant?" Fischer asked. The tac officer responded by putting up the starboard viewscreen, where a bulky looking Excelsior class vessel was screaming towards them at what seemed like full impulse.

"Oh christ. Brace for impact! All shield power to starboard!" Fischer had no other choice, despite the exposure of his port side to the St Helens and her transporters, as well as her weapons. An Excelsior class hitting an unshielded portion of his ship would be... catastrophic.

= USS Ticonderoga =

"We are in the Logan Nebula, Admiral." Nolan's voice said clearly through the comms. "Viewer ahead."

Kerry looked up at the viewscreen on the wall of the CiC, which was two decks below the main bridge, securely in the middle of the saucer section. If needed, the CiC could assume all bridge functions, but the big difference was that the CiC was designed as a command and control hub for fleet operations. Hence why it was Malone's flagship.

He could see the two Vesuvius class ships exchanging fire with each other, and other vessels in two distinct groups. There were seven ships off to his right, and a small handful of ships off to the left. Given that some of the ships to the left were freighters and other transports, that had to be the refugees that Towers and Fischer were escorting.

"Sir, there's an Excelsior class starship on a collision course with the Vesuvius. One minute to impact."

"Open a channel." Malone instructed. "Broad spectrum hail."

"Channel open sir."

"To all UFP vessels in the Logan Nebula, this is Fleet Admiral Kerry Malone of the Starfleet Vessel Ticonderoga. You are ordered to stand down and prepare to be boarded, or else you will be fired upon. The Excelsior class starship will halt all forward momentum and surrender."

He moved forward, so that his face filled the viewer. "I will only give this warning once, General Clarke. Oh yes, I know who you are. Stand down or I will blow you the *frack* out of space, you opportunist bastard."

The response was the Excelsior moving even more quickly. There was no chance for a vessel the size of the Vesuvius to get out of the way. The Excelsior hit the reinforced shields of the carrier, but at that moment...

The ship exploded. The 'additions' to the hull were simply massive packets of raw explosives, and thousands of pounds of explosives now added themselves to the kinetic energy of the Excelsior hitting the shields of the Vesuvius, which dropped in a flash, leaving torrents of explosive power to wash over the flank of the carrier.

Pieces of the Excelsior which had broken up after the explosion came next, gouging chunks out of the carrier and causing horrendous damage.

= To be continued... =