Runner Up 5 20403.14

Face of a World - Ens Lars Fafner

© 2004 by Federation Space and the author pen Lars Fafner

Lt Ravenstone looked over the plane. Hot air. No wind blew it into his face. It was a solid mass, making you stuck on you place. Being here was a torture, moving away even more. As far as eyes and binoculars could see, this place was covered by a sand desert, void of any features. Dune after dune. Sandgrain upon sandgrain. Rustred and painfully sharp. They would get into your clothes and scratch you, find their way into your boots and if you walked with sand in your boots for some miles, your feet were bleeding. Voidness all around him. The low table mountian was the local Himalaya, even though it was only about 100 meters high. Gregori Ravenstone stood on its top at the edge, his shuttlepod typ 16 parked about 70 meters behind him.

The Lt. tapped his commbadge: „Ravenstone to Korsakov. Please come in.“

The calm voice of Irene, the USS Korsakov's communication officer, responded immediately: „Lt we hear you.“

"I confirm area 1 as usable for the mission. We can proceed immediately“

He stood there. Waiting. This whole world consisted of waiting. No. Actually not the whole world. Half of this planet showed a richness of life in a vast jungle. Bursting with green and red and many other vibrant colours. Life supporting. For a colony of 3000 humans from all over the Federation. They lived there for nearly 7 years. But never left their half of the planet. Cause „outside“ death awaited every careless wanderer.

Lt Ravenstone walked back into his shuttlepod, where shadow and climate control would ease his job. This world had two faces, he thought. The faces of death and live. That's why the colonists changed it's name from B-10349CT to Ying-Yang. Ravenstone wondered, where he was? Was this Ying or Yang?

While he waited, cargo shuttles and personel shuttles left the USS Korsakov and the USS Winfield, a big cargo transporter. They little fleet of landing vehicles needed about 30 minutes with their first load to reach the dunes just at the foot of the mountain. Almost autmatically they unfolded into houses. Within an hour a small village, no more a fort of the wild west movies, took shape. This would be the newest outpost of the Federation. A few dozen scientists and technicans would make their home there and work to satisfy the needs of the fleet. He was still waiting, when a hiss could be heared behind him. He didnt turn, not even when the known voice of his captain, Angela Lysander, adressed him.

"Everything is running smoothly?"

"Yes, Ma'am. We are 40 minutes faster than the schedule. I would say, the Kosrakov will leave this planet tomorrow morning"

"No Lt. We have received new orders. Our ship will guard this facility, until the USS Hendriksen can take this position."

"Oh no" Gregori made a disappointed face. "How long are we stuck here?"

"Not more than 3 or 4 weeks. The Hendriksen hat border patrol duty in Sector B14 and will be replace by by outpost stations of the Mistral class...."

"Heavy fortresses. Weaponheavy" Gregori interjected

"...yes, but the political situation calls for that. Me must remain in a tactical balanced situation. I will beam up again"

"Yes Ma'am" and silently thought for himself: "I can't blame her leaving this desolate desert. Looking into this endless plane can get you down. But the scientists will most likely not see anything. They have consoles and prototypes to look at. Not windows"

One hour later, when he made sure that all cargo was safely on the planets surface and placed at the right position he himself beamed up and left the shuttle as a field office for a young Ensign who assisted him. As he entered the bridge he heard a loud argument that the captain and the man at the Ops had. It was about the need to build this weapons laboratory. The man at the Ops said that it was unnecessary to build more weapon producing facilties and that it was irresponsible to test weapons on a planet, where a civil colony lived. Lt Ravenstone agreed. This was a mistake. With a voice, as cold as ice, Captain Lysander turned to him:

"Lieutenant, i would be happy if you kept your political opinion for yourself during your shift and encouraged your shipmates to the same behaviour. This ship has the order to assist at building a scientific research outpost and guarding it for the near future against possible attacks. And now take the bridge, while i have other duties to attend."

Before he could response with an "Aye", she has left the bridge.

"Wow, what a cold fish" came from Ops

"I pretend i didnt hear that, Ensign" Gregori barked. He was angry at himself that he had allowed himself to get involved in a discussion about private opinions during his duty time.

At dinner, things looked better again.

"The Aubergines are very good" murmerd Angela with a full mouth.

"They are replicated. No need to compliment these. Try the beaf. It's from the Kobe colony"

"Mmmhm" as her only answer.

After the dishes were back in the replicator again, more serious topics were on the agenda.

"I am against having this ship all alone to guard the scientists." opened Gregori. "If any of the enemies should ever hear about this outpost and decide to attack, he will send a small fleet and we wont stand against him....... if he doesnt find out, well then we are "

"True. And soon it's going to be the Hendriksen. Which doesnt change that she will be in danger. I have sent the admiral a message. And now let us speak of something different"

--two weeks later--

The sound of the red alert deafened his ears. While rushing through the corridors of the wobbling ship, Lt Ravenstone already prepared himself that his future would end very soon. He was in the middle of a dream, wich he didnt remember anymore, when a big crashing sound woke him up, rather ungently. Ravenstone needed some minutes to get to the bridge. It was a beehive. Shouts and movement of many persons. Blinking lights from the consoles illuminated the scene. And the smell of fear was evident in each breath, he took. Suddenly steam broke out from a from a gap divergin in the ceiling. The lights there where broken. It was steaming water. Most likely something from the enviromental systems. He ducked and ran towards the seat for the chief officer. While he took place he shot a questioning glance at the captain. As always, she had reached the bridge earlier.

"Who is it? And how many friends did he bring?" was his question and she already had an answer prepared, wich she gave, before he even finished the last word.

"It is a warlord. His origin is a band of smuggler and pirates from the Esara Nebula. Recent intelligence reports said that he might be working for the Romulans."

"How cute that they dont come and risk ships of their own. I have never thought of mercenaries"

"It's 5 ships. Each one is weaker than the Kosakov. 3 are only tuned freighters. But all 5......" her eyes showed sadnes and helplessnes.

From the tactic console came a report about the damages from a torpedo hit. 3 decks where uninhabitable and have lost nearly all atmosphere. Already too many casualties. Communications informed the captain that a distress call had been made but the damaged antennas would not be able to pic up an answer.

"Keep calling for help" was Gregori's answer. He hadn't entered the bridge more than 3 minutes ago and already we was sweating and feeling exhausted. The enemy ships have split up. One ship each was attackign the civilian colony and the outpost. And the rest tried to get a good shot on the warp drive to blow the USS Korsakov up. The pilot was doing his best, to dodge the shots, but with 3 ships positioned around them, it wouldnt be to long, till one shot would force them into a position, where the shot of another ship awaited them. Some battles were over, before they even had begun. Some lasted seconds, some minutes. This was going to be one that lasted hours.

And it lasted hours.

The Korsakov was fighting for its live. It couldnt help the planet. It barely managed to get one direct enemy unable to continue fighting. But it cost to much. The warp drive was damaged beyond repair. Sickbay was full of patients and the ship was cut in two parts, as the turbolift tube have also been damaged on the decks 14 and 15, where a heavy detonation of a photon torpedo had taken many lives right at the beginning of the battle.

"Captain we are getting to near to the atmosphere. The hull will heat too much up."

[Sickbay to bridge. Doctor Lsan has been injured and is unconcious.]

[Engineering to bridge. The starboard nacelle is leaking plasma. We must close the EPS for 3 sections to prevent further leaking. If the enemy ships shoot on the plasma it ignites and endangers us. Backwards sensor are only on 30% from now on]

"Steer us towards the sun" ordered Captain Lysander.

"Captain. Three more ships entering the system"

Lt Ravenstones jumped up and ran to the now vacant science station and tried to identify the new danger from the ships. But the sensor where to damaged to make out anything but vague visual shapes at that distance.

"Bring us away. Get us nearer to the sun. Hopefully it will blind their sensors" the captain did her best to fight a battle that the rest of the crew had already given up.

The ship was running for its life, but it couldnt escape. When they where already so near to the sun that the solar flares where a bigger risk for the shields than any weapon fire from behind, the pursuers fell more and more behind. Lt Ravenstone was astonished.

"Captain they turn towards the planet. All of them."

"Yes." she answered."They are finish destryoing the colony and the outpost with joined powers."

Lights began to blink on the commstation. It was abandond, since Lt Orvak had to take over tactics. Someone was sending on a federation channel and with actual codes. Lt Ravenstone informed the captain and put it on screen. The face of a Ferengi, who somehow looked odd in a federation uniform filled the main screen.

[USS Korsakov. This is the USS Sheridan. Captain Himbog speaking. Can you hear me? We have followed you call for help together with the USS Tantalus and the USS Venice. The attack on B-10349CT has been stopped]

Soon later, everything was over. But the price was paid. The colony was a sea of blood and ashes. All have been killed. Men and women. Boys and girls. Of course the scientists, who never had contact to the civilians, where dead too. Gregori had always feared that the weapon developers would bring death to the colonists. But he had estimated a more direct variant. Beause of a few cuts and bruises that he got during the battle and that where still bleeding, Angela had ordered him to sickbay. A young woman with hair like flames came towards him.

"I am Doctor Hunter. I am the CMO of the Sheridan and will work here, till we have towed you into a dock where the ship will be repaired and the lost crewmembers will be replaced. Can i help you?"nothing can help" he answered. Sure the wounds of the survivors would heal. And the wounds of the ship. But could the friends and family of the lost crewmembers find a replacement? Could the innocent colonists be replaced?