Prelude to Disaster

Posted on Mon Dec 11th, 2023 @ 3:14am by Captain Kagami Izumi

1,269 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Blockade
Location: USS Okinawa
Timeline: MD01 - 05:00

[USS Okinawa]

Captain Michael Weiss was not an early morning person. He had never been a morning person. However a lifetime of service to Starfleet had force the ageing Captain to be up and around way before he would usually like.

His command, the Starship Okinawa was an old ageing vessel. Once a pride of Starfleet, the Excelsior class was now mainly limited to supply runs and inner patrols. The galaxy is now a very different place compared to a hundred years ago when these ships were designed, and in the case of the Okinawa, built. Weiss was also looking forward to retirement, along with his ship. He had commanded the ship for the last twenty eight years and this would be one of its last missions.

He stepped through the doors and onto his bridge holding a cup of coffee. The Alpha shift was just starting, and his Executive Officer, Commander Mahoney was in the process of handover from the night crew.

"Report." Weiss said lazily as he made his way to the center chair.

"All systems are good sir. We're en-route still to Starbase Frontier at warp four." Mahoney replied as he turned to face the much older captain.

"Good to know." Weiss said in reponse as he took his seat. He gently patted the arm of the chair. "Not now old girl, one more milk run after this and you'll be retiring just like me," he said in a hushed tone. It was like the ship was his own child, he had grown very attached to the ageing vessel and his crew.

He took a sip of his coffee, the warm bitter aroma filling his mouth. "Carry on..."

Suddenly, without warning the ship shook violently. Weiss lost the grip of his coffee cup and it tumbled to the deck, casting scolding coffee all over the carpet. "Report!"

"Klingon ships on aft. They've opened fire!" the young officer at Tactical responded quickly. "I'm reading three birds of prey and two Vor'cha attack cruisers!"

"What the hell..." Weiss said. "Hail them!"

The officer turned back to her console, her fingers franctically dancing over the surface. "No response Captain." The ship shook again, this time taking a direct hit to the warp nacelles.

The Okinawa, shuddered and began to roll as she was thrown out of warp and to sublight speeds. Plasma and fire erupted from her port nacelle as the crew tried to stabalise the old vessel. Not far behind the Klingon ships followed, switching their weapons to disruptor cannons.

The bolts of green energy struck the Okinawa, hitting hard against the shields. On the bridge, Weiss steadied himself as he gripped the arms of the command chair. "Ok, if they won't talk. Return fire!"

"Firing phasers." The Tactical officer instantly replied. Bright orange beams erupted from the Okinawa's phaser banks, darting across space and striking the Klingon ships.

"Direct hit, minimal damage..."

"Not surprising." Weiss sighed. "We're not exactly a frontline vessel anymore. Do we have photon torpedoes?"

The Okinawa shook violently again, taking multiple hits from the Klingon vessels. The tactical officer held on as the ship shook. "Those hits just took them out!"

"Damn!" Weiss scolded.

He sat there staring at the viewscreen, everything suddenly started to become blurry. He could hear his own heartbeat as he stared at the Klingon ships continuing to hit his ship. He had not been in a position like this since his time serving in the Dominion War. He couldn't hear what his officers were saying as he sat there numb to the situation.

Mahoney noticed that the captain seemed pre-occupied. The old war veteran had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress syndrome since the war, even if it was over twent years ago; there are some scars that never heal.

"Fire at will!" Mahoney ordered. He ran over to the Captain and grabbed his shoulder. He began to shake him, attempting to get him out of his daze.

"Captain!" Mahoney shouted. "CAPTAIN! Come back to us!"

It suddenly clicked, Weiss saw his first officer leaning into him, holding him by the shoulders. "Yes... Klingons... Right..." Weiss said. He pulled himself up and stood in front of his chair. Mahoney backed away and stood behind him, moving to one of the adjacent consoles.

"Lets give them a fight!" Weiss announced. "Hit them with everything we've got!"

The Okinawa unleashed its full arsenal at the Klingon vessels. Bright orange phaser beams darted from its phaser banks and turrets. However it seemed to have little effect on their shields.

"Why are we not hurting them?" Weiss pondered.

"Captain, shields are failing..." Tactical reported. You could hear the worry in her voice, the Okinawa was not a ship that was combat ready. They had been mainly been tasked with 'milk runs' since Starfleet didn't want Captain Weiss to suffer a relapse.

The Okinawa shook heavily again, this time taking direct hits on the saucer section. Then the Klingon ships just stopped firing as they held position surrounding the Starfleet starship.

"We have an incoming hail..."

Weiss looked over at his Operations officer. "I want you to send out a general distress call to Starfleet. Let them know we're under attack. I will attempt to buy us some time by talking to them."

"Aye sir," The operations officer replied. He turned to his console and began to put together a general distress call. It would have to be short and sweet, the Okinawa had sustained damage to her subspace radio array.

The image on the viewscreen revealed a silhouette of a Klingon sat in a large chair. "Starfleet Ship!" a gruff voice said. "You will not be permitted to progress any further!"

'Not exactly the best way to start a conversation...' Weiss thought as he stepped forward. He couldn't make out the Klingon Commander's features of his face. "I am Captain Michael Weiss of the Federation Starship Okinaw..."

"I do not care who you are!" the Klingon replied. "You will not be permitted to continue your mission your precious Starbase Frontier! It is against everything Klingon!"

"I... don't understand..." Weiss replied.

"You do not need to!" The Klingon commander replied. "From now on, this is a warning. No pataq Starfleet Ship or dishonourable Klingon vessel will enter the system! We will stop you from assimilating the Klingon Empire into your 'Federation'!"

"I don't think thats the idea... Starbase Frontier is about co-operation and peaceful co-existance..." Weiss tried to reason.

"Enough! It is a lie! You are attempting to undermine the Klingon Empire! My house will not stand for this! We will not ally ourselves with out greatest enemy!" The Klingon Commander shouted. "I give you a warriors death, puny Human!"

The viewscreen switched off. Weiss raised an eyebrow as he wondered what the Klingon meant by that. However he didn't have to wait long. The two Vor'Cha cruisers launched a spread of Photon Torpedoes, they began zooming across the blackness void of space towards the Okinawa.

They grew larger and larger on the viewscreen. "Oh cra..."

In an instant the forward bulkhead of the bridge disappeared as the torpedoes ripped through the hull. The Okinawa was then plummeted more and more by disruptor fire and torpedoes, ripping into its hull causing huge breaches. She rolled over in space, burning as her nacelles detached, and her saucer was ripped open. After their final assault, the only thing left of the Okinawa was a floating wreck of a once proud Starship, still burning in the void of space...

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USS Okinawa crew NPC'd by:
Captain Kagami Izumi
Commanding Officer
Starbase Frontier

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