The six ships of the Khitomer Alliance task force—USS Nexus, RRS T'Ret, USS Henderson, IKS L'Kang, the Lar'Kan, and USS Alliant—emerged cautiously from the shadowy corridors of the Voth Fortress Ship into the immense Central Power Core chamber. The space was bathed in an ethereal magenta glow emanating from the heart of the structure: an impossibly massive Dilithium crystal, its sheer size eclipsing the combined mass of all six ships. Suspended in mid-air, the crystal exuded an aura of untamed power, stabilized by two enormous, orbiting energy relays that served as both its shield and conduit.
"T'Ret to fleet," Shravuk's calm Reman voice sounded over the comms, cutting through the tension with precision. "Behold our final objective: the Central Power Core. With the Fortress's primary systems offline, its defenses are weakened. However, the Voth will undoubtedly commit all remaining forces to protect this vital asset. Focus all firepower on the crystal; it is the linchpin of the Fortress. Once destroyed, the ensuing explosion will render this vessel inert—a lifeless husk rather than a threat. Be prepared to retreat to the designated safe point upon detonation. We cannot afford delays."
As the gravity of the moment settled over the bridge, Captain Anzyl Praxas turned sharply toward Eroga at the operations station. "Anything on Nolan? Anything at all?" he demanded, the desperation in his voice impossible to mask.
Eroga shook her head, frustration etched across her face. "Every trace was erased or left behind during his transport. Everything detectable is Voth-origin tech—or fragments still on this bridge. Without a unique identifier, we're lost in a sea of interference."
Anzyl exhaled slowly, his expression darkening. "We won't have long to search when this thing blows. Keep thinking. We need something specific about him that the Voth can't mask."
Ahead of them, the T'Ret surged forward, its engines flaring as it led the charge.
"Helm, full speed ahead," Anzyl ordered, his voice tight but resolute. "Tactical… fire all the things."
—
The six warships, each a testament to the engineering mastery of their respective factions, launched an unrelenting assault on the gargantuan core. Torpedoes streaked through the magenta haze, energy beams slicing the air as they converged on the crystal. Explosions rippled across the chamber, but the core remained unscathed. The orbiting energy relays, spinning at seemingly random intervals, deflected nearly every attack with ruthless efficiency.
"Torpedoes are having minimal effect," Veirik called out, his tone tinged with disbelief. "The relays are intercepting almost every shot, and we've exhausted our torpedo supply. I… never thought I'd ever say that."
Kayuli, monitoring her station with grim focus, added, "Those relays are constructed from compressed carbon and tritanium alloys. They're molecularly reinforced—firing torpedoes at them is like throwing rocks at a mountain."
Anzyl studied the oscillating shields on the viewscreen, his mind racing. The spinning barriers seemed impenetrable, yet he focused on their pattern, watching for a crack in their defense. Inspiration struck, and he turned to Veirik. "Hey, Mr. Augmented Illyrian. Did your military enhancements include reflex training?"
Veirik straightened, a smirk forming. "You're looking at the fastest hands in Starfleet, sir. What are you thinking?"
Anzyl's gaze narrowed. "I need you to time the beam arrays to fire between those spinning shields. Thread the needle. You're the only one who can pull this off."
Veirik's smirk widened into a confident grin. "Consider it done."
"Heluna," Anzyl barked, turning to the comms officer. "Alert the fleet. Tell them we've got a plan to breach the core, but we need cover. Have them focus all fire on the Voth forces while we take the shot."
The fleet complied immediately. The remaining ships ceased their assault on the core, forming a defensive perimeter around the Nexus. They redirected their fire toward the approaching Voth reinforcements—hulking dreadnoughts recalled from deep-space deployments in a last-ditch effort to protect the Fortress.
—
Inside the Nexus, Veirik's hands danced across his console with breathtaking speed. The ship's eight beam arrays fired in rapid bursts, each a perfectly timed pulse of energy. The beams lanced through the spinning gaps in the shields, striking the crystal with precision. Each hit sent ripples of energy coursing across its surface, the massive structure glowing brighter with every impact.
The bridge was silent, save for the rhythmic hum of the beam arrays and the faint tap of Veirik's fingers. The crew watched in awe as his augmented reflexes turned what seemed impossible into reality.
The silence broke abruptly. "Raspberries!" Keten shouted from his Engineering console. His sudden outburst startled everyone except Veirik, who remained locked on his task.
Anzyl shot Keten a bewildered look. "What are you talking about?"
"Nolan!" Keten exclaimed. "He loves raspberries from Earth. I saw him eating them this morning in the mess hall! There might still be trace compounds in his body."
The idea ignited a spark of hope. Anzyl turned to Kayuli. "Scan for compounds found in Raspberries from Earth!" See if we can pick up a trail."
"Raspberries from Earth… Rubus Idaeus…"Kayuli's hands flew over his console, "Aha, Ethyl formate—the primary compound in raspberries." the sensor grid lighting up the viewscreen with a kaleidoscope of data. His excitement faded as he saw the results. "Ethyl formate detected… but…" He hesitated, his shoulders sinking. "It's everywhere. It's a common compound in space dust."
The crew deflated at the news, the brief glimmer of hope extinguished. Anzyl gritted his teeth. "Keep thinking. Nolan's life depends on it."
—
Outside, the Nexus held steady amidst the chaos, its beam arrays continuing their relentless assault on the crystal. The other ships of the task force, battered and burning, fought valiantly to hold the Voth at bay. Torpedo bays ran dry, beam batteries faltered, and shield emitters overloaded, yet they stood their ground, buying the Nexus precious seconds to complete its mission.
Inside, Veirik's precision never wavered. The core began to fracture under the onslaught, faint cracks spreading across its surface as the Nexus crew held their breath, the fate of the galaxy hanging by a thread.