Joint Log | FAdm. Malone, Gen. Sharpe & Col. Towers | "The Battle of Logan's Nebula - Part 2"

Posted on 241405.03 @ 7:29pm by Fleet Admiral Kerry Malone & General Richard Sharpe

Mission: Insurrection [Fleet Plot]

= MCS Vesuvius =

Fischer was about the only bridge crewman still in his seat after the impact which had sent man and machine flying in all directions. The force of impact had been incredible, and only sheer willpower and brute strength had kept Fischer clinging to his command chair. Every alarm on the ship was screaming bloody murder.

"Damage report!" Fischer bellowed. He had to call twice more before the Tactical officer was able to pull himself up enough to read the flood of damage messages coming across his screen.

"We're still functional. Shields are totally gone, the force of the explosion destroyed the generators. We have no power to starboard weapons and pieces of that ship went deep enough to compromise the hangar bay. Casualty reports are only just starting to come in." He read.

"Get us the hell out of here!" Fischer said.

= USS Ticonderoga =

The images on the viewscreen were horrific as they unfolded. Everyone stood watching, unable to speak. Some had gasped, others groaned. Malone stood, stoically, in the middle of his CiC, watching events unfold. "Report." He said, finally.

It took a moment for people to react, emotions overwhelming them, that Malone had to repeat his order firmly. "Report!"

"The Excelsior was packed with Tricobalt Explosives, Admiral. It was a deliberate tactic." The tactical officer assigned to the CiC reported.

"Suicide bombing... writ large." Malone said, appalled. "Scan the other ships!"

"Sir, they're all throwing off a sensor scattering field. I can't scan them." The Ops officer replied. "Sir, Vesuvius is a sitting duck."

"Not for long she isn't." Malone said, firmly. "Clarke just miscalculated." He tapped on his console. "Ticonderoga Actual to Fleet, engage."

At that moment, nineteen ships dropped out of warp into the Logan Nebula, forming groups, as squadrons of similar class vessels formed up. They made a big circle around the engagement area, surrounding the enemy.

"Defiant group, clear the fighters and then strafe the flagship. Prometheus group, attack the other ships in his fleet. Venture group, get between the Vesuvius and the St Helens. Typhoon group, focus fire on the St Helens. Sovereign group, support the Prometheus group. Armitage, deploy fighters and provide fighter support for the Vesuvius air group. Steamrunners provide support for the Vesuvius." Malone ordered, as the groups spread out and began engaging UFP forces. "All groups, watch those support ships, they might be kamikaze bombers."

"CiC to Bridge, attack the St Helens, and give the bastard a thumping. When shields are down, have Sharpe deploy." Malone ordered.

"Aye sir." The reply came, and the massive Magellen class dreadnought manouvered toward the slightly smaller Vesuvius class vessel, and opened fire with ten phaser beam arrays, eight dual phaser cannons, and fired a full spread from its eight forward mounted rapid fire torpedo launchers.

"I warned you Clarke." Kerry said to no one in particular, as he crossed his arms across his chest. "Prepare to taste what Starfleet thinks of you."

= MCS St Helens =

Clarke frowned, the worry creasing his forehead. This wasn't supposed to happen this way...

"Boarding parties are on Vesuvius, General. Sixteen squads report successful entry via assault transporters."

Clarke had no reinforcements to call upon, this was it. The other six ships were packed with just as much tricobalt and other exotic explosives as the Mulligan had been. He really only had one play here.

"Have the Moreau and the Spirit execute their orders on the vessels at 184 mark 27. That's where we punch through. Send the others on a collision course with the Ticonderoga." He ordered.

"Sir? We're leaving our parties and fighters behind?"

"They'll fight and die for the cause they believe in, Lieutenant. That's why we're here." He said, lying. The truth was he was only concerned about saving his own skin, and that of the St Helens.

The ships began to shift and carry out their orders.

= USS Ticonderoga =

"Sir, the enemy formation is breaking up." The tactical officer reported, projecting the courses. "Looks like four of the remaining ships are on an intercept course with us, two are going for the Trafalgar and Vincent."

"He's trying to cut and run." Malone said, smirking. "And he's leaving his fighters behind, and his boarding party. Just like his record states, he has no tactical initiative, and he doesn't value his people."

The tactical officer didn't really reply, since he didn't really think he was being asked an opinion. Admiral's generally don't solicit opinions on tactics from Lieutenant Commander's.

"Have the Sovereign group intercept the four ships heading our way, and warn the Venture group of their target status. Those ships are vuknerable at the point where the explosives are packed to the outside of their hulls. Have our fighters target those packets, take out the ships." Malone instructed.

"Yes Admiral." The tactical officer replied, running off to relay the orders.

"CiC to Bridge, bring us along side the St Helens, lock forward and aft tractor beams on her, slice through her shields, and deploy the boarding tunnels." Malone ordered. "Malone to Sharpe, you're up."

The Ticonderoga swung around and moved alongside the St Helens, which was far too ponderous for the maneuvers he was trying to pull. It was a carrier, not a combat ship. Twenty phaser beam arrays fired a massive broadside, with the eight torpedo launchers fixed on her starboard side fired their horrific salvo. The shields on the St Helens, already weakened by the Vesuvius and the Tico's first attack, collapsed.

The tractor beams engaged, and six black tubes burst out from the hull of the Tico and punched into the hull of the St Helens. Down these boarding tubes charged a full battalion of armed marines, under the command of General Sharpe - who was as pissed as hell.

The point defense turrets of the St Helens immediately turned on these boarding tubes and opened fire. She was stuck, pinned in place by the bigger ship, and Clarke looked to want to take down as many as he could.

Except himself, as a larger vessel, with the profile of a Defiant class, shot out of the St Helens' hangar bay and cloaked. If one was closer, they would see Starfleet Intelligence markings, explaining the presence of a cloaking device on a ship that looked like a Defiant, but wasn't quite.

There was no communication outgoing from the Vesuvius, though lights remained on around her bridge. With several massive holes in her side, most systems were likely down, and nearly 200 enemy soldiers were onboard, unaware that their flagship had tried to flee.

The tubes had minor shielding of their own, designed to withstand fighter fire for ten minutes, which was what the designers considered long enough to get marines through. All the same, Sharpe took no chances, and surged everyone through. 900 of his own troops stormed aboard the St Helens, and moved quickly - knowing the layout. A full company was assigned to each of the critical areas, with Sharpe leading the charge onto the bridge itself.

There was little resistance from the crew, with the larger portion of their combat strength either in fighters or as part of the boarding action, the minimal forces retained for security were soon overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity of the boarders, and the bridge, engineering, auxiliary control and the hangar were secured within ten minutes.

Only one of the kamikaze ships had managed to strike a target, the USS Cape St Vincent had been hit, and a large portion of the saucer had been blown out. It was limping under emergency power back away. Otherwise, the other five had been neutralized by strategic attacks by the fighter wing and the Defiant escorts.

Despite it all, it appeared that Clarke had escaped, as had the ship's political officer, and other senior commanders. The St Helens had in fact been left in the command of a rather timid looking Commander who had been the vessels science officer.

"Sir, the Vesuvius sustained considerable damage, and she still has boarders on board." An Ops officer reported to Malone.

"Very well, ask Sharpe if he can spare a company to go reinforce the Vesuvius. Also get the battle group ships to send over damage control teams and medical teams. They can beam over any critical patients to our sickbay." Malone instructed.

"General Sharpe reports he can release Baker Company, and insists on going over himself." An Ops officer replied.

"Very well, beam them over."

- To be Continued... -