Star Trek: Nexus

The Nexus sliced through the chaos, its sleek hull illuminated by the fiery glow of an exploding node. A precision strike from the beam arrays shattered the last integrity field node on the Voth Fortress Ship's surface.

"And that's node twenty-four!" Veirik exclaimed from tactical, his voice brimming with satisfaction.

"T'Ret to fleet," Shravuk's composed Reman tone resonated over the fleetwide channel. "All field integrity nodes aboard the Fortress are destroyed. Proceed to checkpoint two."

Captain Anzyl Praxas gestured decisively to the helm. "You heard the man, Helm. Take us to checkpoint two."

"Aye aye, sir!" Lusaalli's voice rang out as her hands flew across the console. The Nexus banked gracefully, skimming the Fortress's hull with a predatory elegance.

Behind it, the remaining four ships of the task force maneuvered in formation, their coordinated movements slicing a path down the trench-like contours of the Fortress's stern fin. Each vessel unleashed bursts of energy, their weaponry scarring the behemoth's surface as they advanced.

"Hard to starboard!" Anzyl commanded, leaning into his chair as the Nexus turned sharply. "Lusaalli, execute a hard 170-degree turn and follow the fleet along the hull. Tactical, engage full firepower. Let's see that Octo-Omnidirectional array in action!"

"Aye aye, Captain!" Veirik's hands danced over his console, and the Nexus unleashed a dazzling barrage of energy beams, their arcs carving through enemy targets with ruthless efficiency.

The task force pressed forward, the Nexus leading the charge as they skimmed the Fortress's surface, every ship's arsenal focused on disabling key systems and defenses. Explosions rippled outward, fire and debris filling the void.

"Captain," Kayuli's voice cut through the commotion from the science station. "I've detected a large structural weak point at coordinates 281 mark 273. Beneath it lies an interior chamber large enough to accommodate the task force. Torpedoes should breach the hull."

Anzyl turned sharply toward Heluna. "Relay those coordinates to the fleet."

Heluna nodded briskly. Moments later, Shravuk's voice came over the intercom. "T'Ret to fleet. Lock all weapons on the provided coordinates."

The task force unleashed a synchronized assault, every ship's torpedoes streaking toward the targeted section of the Fortress. A thunderous series of explosions followed, ripping a gaping hole into the vessel's interior.

"Advance!" Anzyl ordered, his tone commanding.

The five ships plunged through the breach, their hulls gleaming as they entered the cavernous interior of the Fortress. Azure and teal metals gleamed in the faint light, the chamber's walls lined with thousands of illuminated windows stretching across hundreds of decks.

Inside the Fortress, no defenses immediately challenged the fleet. The silence was almost disconcerting, broken only by the hum of the ships' engines.

Anzyl seized the opportunity. "Eroga!" he called. "Scan for Nolan. Locate his combadge and beam him aboard immediately!"

Eroga worked quickly, her fingers gliding over the console, but her brow furrowed. "Captain... the combadge signal is originating here."

Kayuli held up the familiar badge from his station, his expression grave. "They left it behind intentionally. A message."

Anzyl's jaw tightened. "Continue scanning for his life signs."

Eroga hesitated. "Sir, there are millions of Voth signatures in the vicinity. Without his combadge, isolating his location will be... difficult."

Anzyl clenched his fists. "Proceed with the mission, but don't stop searching. We will find him."

The fleet moved deeper into the Fortress, the massive interior expanding into a vast, open hangar that stretched for kilometers in every direction. Docked within were dozens of Voth vessels, from smaller warships to hulking dreadnoughts, their elegant designs gleaming in the dim light.

"T'Ret to fleet!" Shravuk's voice rang out sharply. "We've reached the heart of the Voth fleet. Destroy as many vessels as possible before they can scramble!"

Anzyl turned to Veirik, his tone steely. "You heard him, Veirik. Fire at will!"

The task force erupted into action, unleashing their full firepower on the dormant Voth vessels. Beams of energy and torpedoes rained down, each impact triggering a chain reaction of explosions. Flames consumed ship after ship, the hangar filling with the fiery wreckage of Voth vessels.

The unshielded ships stood no chance against the task force's assault. Smaller vessels were obliterated almost instantly, their remains scattering like ash in the vacuum.

But their advantage was short-lived.

—

On the Fortress bridge, chaos reigned. Alarms blared, and officers scrambled as reports of the fleet's incursion poured in.

"How is this possible?!" demanded the leader of the Circle of Science, his voice shrill with panic.

"They're firing through our shields!" bellowed the Circle of Defense leader, his voice a guttural roar. "It's as if..." He trailed off, his saurian features twisting in realization.

He turned toward a monitor, where the beaten and bloodied figure of Nolan Rivas sat slumped in an interrogation chamber.

"The apostate gave them our frequencies!" he snarled, his fury boiling over.

He whirled toward the bridge crew. "Rotate all shield and weapon frequencies immediately. Implement a randomized algorithm. All hands, prepare for combat! Deploy every available dreadnought!"

The leader stormed toward the exit, his voice echoing with resolve. "No warm-blooded creature leaves this Fortress alive!"