Flashes of Fire - The Yankee Clipper: The Sword Falls

Posted on Tue Mar 10th, 2020 @ 4:01am by Rear Admiral Heather Yamaguchi-Johnson

Mission: Mission 79: Sound Trumpets! Let Our bloody Colors Wave
Location: Various Locations - Zol'Maz System
Timeline: 1845Hrs - April 15th, 2392

Fleet Commander Thartur Axehowl suddenly grinned. "So the Federation is not all talk after all. Hail their command ship. I would speak with their leader." he all but demanded of his personal.

Several Gorn meanwhile focused on their tasks as one of them suddenly spoke up. "I have Rear Admiral Heather Yamaguchi-Johnson for you sir." the Gorn in question could speak with a human accent rather than his own, now it was paying off as Axehowl did not look down on the Gorn under him who could speak as humans do. If anything, he wanted more of them in his fleets as he has great uses for them and sought to give them chances and opportunities they otherwise would not have gotten otherwise.

Meanwhile down in Engineering on the USS Yankee Clipper. Seated at her station was Lieutenant Commander Bronwyn Waugh, she was about 5'2 in height and as such, she was not a large or tall woman, however, she was also the Chief Engineer for the USS Yankee Clipper and as such she knew she was not to be taken lightly. "Status?" she inquired of the three engineers within earshot."

"All systems are online and we are ready for anything." responded Lieutenant Chris Judge, a man who carried a gangly build and was from Earth, Liverpool if one guessed right through he sometimes liked to toy with people as one could never seriously tell his accent.

"Thanks, Chris. Keep an eye on the power systems, just in case.." Waugh responded quietly, she then tapped the combadge. "Engineering to Bridge. We're ready down here skipper."

"Copy that, fine work." came the response from Captain Elizabeth Jones.

Meanwhile in sickbay, also on the USS Yankee Clipper. Lt Commander Patricia Cole and her personnel were all prepared and ready for anything, she wore her uniform well and while she made it look good, she also tended to not want attention from others in regards to her looks, she wore a medical lab coat over her uniform, tied about her waist with a belt. "Alright... This is going to get stupid, but if we all focus and keep our wits about us, we'll emerge on the other side. Right... you've all been trained and tested... You've earned the right to be here... So... Let's do what we do best.. off with you." and with that her medics and doctors scattered to go to their various posts as the tall female tapped her combadge. "Sickbay to bridge. We're good to go down here."

"Understood." The voice of Captain Jones came back. "We're getting ready up here to enter the battle.."

"Good luck up there bridge. Sickbay out." and with that Cole went back to her work as Lieutenant Terry Noland fell in beside her. "Doctor. I'm here to help."

"Thank you, Counselor. I fear I will require your help this day." Cole responded. "You'll help me with my issues."

"Okay," Noland responded simply as he followed her in silence.

Commander Siaxx Dhald smiled, she was a rather handsome Bolian female or so she had been told. It didn't hurt that she was the Chief Tactical Actions Officer for the USS Yankee Clipper. "All offensive and defensive systems are operational skippers." she then nodded to her opposite number from security. Commander J. Otis Kurleenbear who was easily the most massive person of the entire bridge crew, he nodded back to her. "All security fire teams are deployed and we're ready to meet the Klingons in glorious battle, should they try to board us."

Lieutenant JG Talaal Youm, who by all accounts was a very attractive Orion female who was a party girl and little else, she was also the Chief Conn Officer. "Sir... our escorts are falling back to give us some room to maneuver."

Captain Elizabeth "Beth" Jones, smiled. She was the Commanding Officer for the USS Yankee Clipper and generally, she ran the day to day operating of this particular ship as she turned. "Alright... I think we're ready." she turned to her exec, seated at her right. "Status?"

"All ships report ready skipper." came the voice of Commander Nathan Wright, seated at her right side because he was the Executive Officer of the Yankee Clipper. "Bridge to the Admiral. You are wanted."

The voice of Rear Admiral Heather Yamaguchi-Johnson came back. "Thanks, Nathan. Go ahead and put them through.."

Lieutenant Commander Nicole Borodin nodded her head. She was the Chief Operations Officer for the Yankee Clipper and at times she loved her assignment to this ship. "Routing... Happy chatting Admiral." the Russian female added almost as an afterthought.

On the display before Heather, a massive Gorn was facing her. "I am Fleet Commander Thartur Axehowl... I greet you." he paused. "You are Rear Admiral Heather Yamaguchi-Johnson... I have heard of you." he rumbled at her.

Yamaguchi-Johnson knew that her battle tactics were required reading but she didn't think that her name was this well known. "I try not to have too big a profile Fleet Commander... We're both very busy people... So shall we come to the point?"

"As it should be." the Gorn rumbled back at her. "We are to clean out this system of Klingon forces?" Axehowl inquired of her. "Your other ships here have fought valiantly, your losses will be honored and remembered by us forever."

Yamaguchi-Johnson nodded her head, yes, her ponytail swinging back and forth. "I don't think anyone expected the ambush," she commented. "However... Let's finish this... and kill these bastards."

"We are with you. Axehowl out." and with that, the com went dead as Yamaguchi-Johnson smiled. "Bridge.. status?"

"We're almost in range Admiral." came the response from Captain Elizabeth "Beth" Jones

"Good. Tell everyone to target the larger Klingon ships only. Ignore the smaller ships until we close with them... When the two forces merge.. target everything in range. Cause as much chaos as possible."

Captain Jones smiled as she nodded her head. "My thoughts exactly Admiral... The orders were already given a few minutes ago."

There was a soft chuckle via the comm system. "Alright... Then let's get to it... and let's do this."

Lt Commander Michael Dugan, the Chief Science Officer for the USS Yankee Clipper turned. "Skipper. I'm reading over two thousand warships involved, however, there are only six hundred active combatants. Our ships that are here are attempting to withdraw."

"Yeah... Most of those are heavily damaged and are trying to tow their compatriots off of the line." Master Chief Petty Officer Javis McPherson explained. He was the Chief of the Boat but right now he was handling communications. "They say they are being harassed by Klingon starfighters."

Heather Yamaguchi-Johnson nodded her head, she was overhearing all of this from the combat information center which doubled as her flag bridge. "Starfighter regiments six and seven. Clear out those Klingons and give our guys the chance to withdraw."

"Aye sir." came the prompt response from the starfighters that Yamaguchi-Johnson had selected for the task at hand. Heather watched in silence as the battle raged, with dozens of ships on both sides falling to weapons fire Meanwhile the USS Shield of Brazil turned and disappeared into warp, several of her escorts trailing her before the rest of the Lethal Shadow's battlegroup began withdrawing, a few at a time until they were all gone.

Yamaguchi-Johnson felt that a ball and chain had been removed. "All ships, open fire..." and with that, the die was cast and the battle was now joined.

Ten minutes of ferocious fighting ensured with several hundred more ships all falling to weapons fire before the Klingons broke off and then fled the battle site, losing more than half of their ships in the process.

The Seventh had lost only twenty ships as Yamaguchi-Johnson tended to keep her forces together so multiple ships could sponge damage off of each other, she also tended to pull back ships that had just lost their shields so as to preserve them for later battles. Her favored tactic was massed fire assaults with thousands of warheads impacting a single ship at a time.

Yamaguchi-Johnson sighed as she observed the battle site. "Yeah. This was." she let out a sigh as she added. "Stupid," she muttered to herself.

"Sir?" one of Yamaguchi-Johnson's aides inquired of her. "We still won a major victory."

"That's debatable Ensign. All we won was a battle. Not the war.." Yamaguchi-Johnson shook her head. "Alright... Check with the various commands and see about damage and the like. We still have lots of places to visit and people to see and Klingons to drive out." she then shook her head, not even believing what she herself was saying.