From: tlb2665@usl.edu (Burleigh Thomas L)
Newsgroups: alt.startrek.creative
Subject: ST:USS Cavalier, Chapter 13, "Heavy Engagement"
Date: 5 Oct 92 14:56:29 GMT
Organization: University of Southwestern Louisiana


(C) Copyright 1992 by Thomas L. Burleigh. The following are the property
of Paramount Pictures, Inc: the characters of William T. Riker, Jean-Luc
Picard, D'Tan, and Spock; the Borg, Romulan, and Vulcan races; the
StarFleet organization; and, the USS Enterprise. This story is an original
work of fiction base on Star Trek: The Next Generation, a registered
trademark of Paramount. All rights reserved.


                                ST:USS Cavalier
                                 Chapter 13
                              "Heavy Engagement"

   "Battle Stations!", commanded Riker.
   This call was right on cue with an automatic red alert that just sounded
on the Cavalier.
   "Captain," said Thompson, at his Tactical station, "incoming Borg ships
at all directions!  Counting twenty-six of them!"
   "Twenty-six?", Riker asked in amazement. "Tactical display on the
TriScreen."
   Riker and Thompson regarded the situation as displayed on the TriScreen.
Centered on it was a miniature hologram of the USS Cavalier, surrounded by
like representations of the Borg ships on the outer edge of the display
area. Each Borg ship has terse information on it concerning its energy
levels, combat readiness, and an arrow for its trajectoy heading. Two
things were obvious to the Captain and First Officer in considering their
options....
   All the arrows on the Borg ships were pointing at the Cavalier....
   The formation of the Borgs ships was shaped like a cube!
   "Encagement, sir?" said Thompson.
   "Yes, yes.." Riker thought out loud, nodding his head, "they want to
assimilate this ship; so, they'll try not to destroy it if they can help
it. Their sensors are telling them how powerful we are. So...," Riker
snapped his fingers, "they're gonna encase us in a hollow cube made up of
their ships so they can take us apart!"
   "Helm," Riker looked up at his Bridge as he decided on his
counter-tactic, "engage course 180 mark 0 at full thrust - dead on to the
Borg ship at that heading. Mr. Shaw, orient the magnetic drives for particle
beams - anti-protron - and extend the emergency nacelles. Thompson -
phaser, torpedo, anti-matter, and anti-photon spreads as grazing fire; and
target the heat beams to center mass - just like an Alpha attack."
   Riker sat down squarely on his command chair, then added, "Acknowledge
when ready."
   "Course laid in," responded Ensign Comeaux, at the Helm.
   "Magnetic drive ready, nacelles out," added Lt. Cdr. Shaw, at Engineering.
   "Targeting sequence laid in," finished Cdr. Thompson.
   Riker reviewed the TriScreen for one more second; making sure this was
how he wanted to do it.
   "Okay, folks. Let's get out of this mess. Helm, engage."
   Ensign Comeaux engaged the thrusters, and the Cavalier banked in an 180
degree arc and shot towards the Borg ship. As the Cavalier approached, the
TriScreen showed the closer ships slowing down and the further ones speeding
up. (They obviously have thier hearts set on this) Riker thought to
himself.  Just then, the Borg ship they were approaching let loose with a
volley of phaser fire - shaking the Cavlier quite respectably.
   "Shields holding," Shaw reported.
   "Steady as she goes," Riker told the Helm. After another volley struck,
Riker ordered, "all possible power to shields and weapons. Commence grazing
fire when ready."
   The Borg ship was on the main screen. Riker watched as his phaser fire
danced across the Borg's shields, the impacts of his torpedo spreads
impacted on the shields, the anti-matter bolts made dents on the shield
sphere, and as the anti-proton beams knocked of large chucks of the Borg
ship.
   But the Borg ship did not take this punishment sitting down. The
frequency and intensity of their phaser volleys increased dramatically. As
much as one part of Riker was enjoy this slugging contest, his concern for
his ship came first.
   "Lateral evasive maneuvers, Helm," he ordered, "buy us some relief."
   The Cavalier bolted left, right, up, and down; dodging volley after
volley of the Borgs phaser fire - with only of few of the Borgs shots
making their mark.
   "Energy levels on the Borg ship down by fifty percent," reported Lt.
Darby at the Science station.
   "Great!" responed Riker, "Thompson, fire the heat beams."
   Riker looked back at the main screen to watch the thin, bright white
beams bore into the Borg ship.
   "Mr. Shaw," said Riker without taking his eyes off the viewscreen,
"engage warp four, heading zero mark minus twenty, at my command."
   After a moment of assaulting his keypads, Shaw responded, "Ready,
Captain, for your command."
   Riker's face was made of chiselled stone as he watch the heat beams
boreing into the Borgs ship. (Any moment now...)
   Just as he caught a glimpse of a bright red light come from the Borg
ship, Riker barked, "Engage!"
   The Cavalier shot in warp underneath the Borg ship as it exploded.  The
fireball pushed on the Cavalier's shields, pushing her her downwards.  This
unexpected push temporarily caught the inertial dampeners off guard,
causing everyone to float a couple of inches off the floor for a couple of
seconds.
   "Status report," Riker said, after he got his feet, and his lunch, back
down.
   "No significant damage to the ship," reported Thompson.
   "Good. Mr. Shaw, ready the Magnetic Drive to get us out of here...."
   Just then the red alert sounded again.  Riker spun back to the main view
and saw that the Borgs ships were closing in on him again, this time at
warp speed. (Damn, these mothers are TOO determined to get us!)
   "Sir!" yelled Shaw, "one of the drive units shifted off its turret. It'll
take about fifteen minutes to repair!"
   "Son of a bitch."

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