by Hauk – Pathfinder
Scene: Main Bridge — U.S.S. Artemis
Location: Solanae Dyson Sphere – Interior Space
—-
When I asked for the chance to test the Artemis before taking her to the Malstrom Expanse, this was not exactly what I had in mind.
My name’s Hauk’, fleet admiral in rank (surprised they let me keep that one) and captain of the U.S.S. Artemis … future task force commander of her to be assigned battle group.
I’d asked the chance to put the ship through her paces, yes.
But NOT immediately to the front lines.
Personally, I wonder if they simply wish to see how well we work as a team, putting us through our paces more than this Excelsior II-class cruiser we’re riding.
“Communications … Open a channel.”
“Channel open,” the young Andorian returned.
Swear she looks like one from back in the my home universe.
By Kahless, she could actually be a version of someone I knew back then, just this reality has been on a different track long enough people of the past went on to not meet some they connected with back in my verse and connected with others in this one.
Producing children and grandchildren in some cases similar but different from those I knew.
Makes life interesting sometimes figuring the ins and outs of who might be a version of who from when comparing “there” with here.
“Transport Zeta-3-7-8 … This is the U.S.S. Artemis. Let us lead the way so we can clear out those swarmers before you head for the docking port.”
“Then we’ll hang back just far enough for you to do your job and for us to keep the Voth off your back far enough they can’t get a lock on you.”
[“Acknowledged, Artemis … We’re hanging in your six on approach.”]
“Helm … Set course for the target docking port. … Take us in.”
Swiveled in my chair to look behind me.
“Weapons … Time to try out that new firing mode. Curing to see how this autotargeting system’s fire at will / beam overload mix does real world.”
The Romulan weapons’ officer, S’val, grinned and gave a nod.
“Primed and ready, Admiral.”
At first, all was smooth sailing … until the swarmers descended from the heavens like a plague of locusts.
“Let her rip.”
Yes, a human term, but then I’d spend the last couple of decades surrounded by them, since making the switch to Starfleet.
“Firing.”
Out in the space of the dyson sphere, antiproton beams of Ba’ul design lanced in several directions at once with powerful bursts thrown in her and there.
Striking targets, many of the beams then lanced out again to find another target and sometimes yet another.
It was the nature of these beams to spread their destructive love.
Although I’d had my doubts about these new weapons, they seemed to be more than capable of getting the job done.
The swarmers popped like a swarm of glob flies caught by a lightening bug zapper on a hot summer afternoon.
ZAP PAP POP BOOM!
The way clear, Transport Zeta-3-7-8 slipped under the Artemis and headed to the docking port as the heavy cruiser came about just as a squadron of Voth frigates and a couple battle cruisers turned their way.
‘Time to see what this ship can do,’ I said in the thought cage that is my mind.
— @P-A-T-H-F-I-N-D-E-R
Aka. Fleet Admiral Hauk
CO, U.S.S. Artemis
