"Beyond the Veil"

[Taurik]

Acting Commodore Taurik - Bridge, Flagship Radiant Thunder

"Captain," came the cool, synthetic voice of the Gallifreyan computer core, "you are receiving a transmission from the Starfleet vessel Normandy."

"Route it to my office," Taurik replied. He got up from his chair, into which a lieutenant commander occupied in his absence. He stepped into the office, and sat down at the beautiful desk, from which a completely holographic screen, with no physical frame, extended. The Federation logo could be seen on the screen, and Taurik "touched" the screen to activate the commlink. The face of Captain Rajnus appeared on the screen, sitting at what appeared to be his own ready room desk.

"This is Taurik. What can I assist you with, Captain?"

[Balkazar]

Colonel Balkazar - USS Normandy - Motor Pool

<Seeing Raszagal approach he got up from sitting down momentarily as she walked up>

"Yes, I need tactical information on Gallifrey.  Seeing as how we are going to be deployed to protect your enclaves, any information about the lay of the land and such would be useful.  This PADD has very little known information about your homeworld, So I figured I would use you for more then just a marine.  So sit down because I have a feeling that you are going to be telling me alot about your homeworld's terrain and position of your enclaves and such.  Why dont we start by you telling me which enclave has priority if things go to hell which undoubtedly they will." the Col. said sitting down on a nearby crate.

[The Heraan]

Warmaster Ar'Krakh - Gallifreyan Citadel of Adun

Ar'Krakh began to feel an emotion that he had never before experienced, one that the Heraan had no word for. The Terran word for it was "fear". It was becoming more and more obvious to him that, despite his own nigh invulnerability, that Taurik, the leader of the Gallifreyans, their so called "Nil'kimas", was going to best him. Defeat was something Ar'Krakh had never known, and now that he began to suspect his own defeat was near, the thought of the Gods' retribution frightened him far more than Taurik's blade. And as if to confirm his fears, he heard their presence in his mind.

"It was too much to ask that you simply destroy their whelp of a figurehead. We have placed much trust in the Heraan, warmaster, and it seems that such trust was sorely misplaced."

Ar'Krakh began to feel a pounding feeling in every neuron of his extremely powerful mind, and suddenly, power as he had never known began to run through his body. He could feel the intense mental energy of the Na'jigat all around him, and was deathly afraid that they were killing him. The sensation was torturous, their energy coursing through him, every particle of his form burning as if it were actually ablaze. The pain was excruciating, but it also began to have another effect. It began to make him stronger.

His mind, however, was no longer his own. He was still completely self aware, but somehow, felt that his thoughts were being guided. The realization came to him... the Na'jigat were inside him, controlling him in a way, empowering him in another. As he fell upon Taurik once more, no longer did he fear his own defeat. In fact, he was certain of his impending victory.

He projected his mind's voice for all to hear, but it was not his own words that emanated therefrom. "I am Na'jigat!" screamed the warmaster, now visibly aglow with the psionic energy of the entirety of the Na'jigat collective consciousness.

[Balkazar]

Col Balkazar - Lead Pelican, Atmosphere of Gallifrey

"Alright land fall soon." Balkazar told his marines.

<Balkazar recieved data about the Normandy and he silently cursed but saw several escape pods heading for the planet from the Normandy>

=^= "Raszagal, once we hit planetside we will have to intercept those escape pods, the Normandy crew is on them and I dont want them to fall into enemy hands, they wont beable to defend themselves for long.  Get me ahold of the Gallifreyan commander on the ground.  Those pods have to be retrieved with all haste that can be mustered." =^= Balkazar said over the comm to Raszagal's Pelican.

[Balkazar]

Col Balkazar - Gallifrey

<Noticing the Radiant Thunder crash landing and the appearance of the Starfleet officers, he looked around to make sure everyone was accounted for.  He knew he couldnt send anyone to meet them but knew that if he did send anyone they would most likely be killed soon after>

"Dolan you and your officers stay with us.  Make it clear that no one is to leave our sight." Balkazar said as he pressed the comm on the Puma.

=^= "To any survivors of the Cardinal Virtue, this is Col Balkazar of the 17th Battalion marine corp.  We are sending our coodinates to you now.  Hook up with us as soon as you can.  We will wait for you.  Col out." =^= Came Balkazar's gruff voice.

[Voyager]

Lieutenant Dolan - Antioch, Gallifrey

The fighting within Antioch was fierce and devastating.  From where the Pelican crashed, Dolan could see that many of the buildings within the city had either been turned into rubble or were well on their way.  The smell was disgusting: rotting corpses, burning flesh, smoke thick enough to step on.  The cries of battle and of pain were loud and could be heard everywhere.

All the while, Dolan kept a watchful eye out for any approaching groups of Heraan.  However, all the destruction seemed to be such a waste.  The Council members had not yet voiced the group's destination, perhaps assessing the situation also.

[Legudon]

Gallifreyan Master Legudon - Corridor, Starbase Avalon

Master Legudon stepped onboard the station, the Gallifreyan battlecruiser Tempest holding station near the starbase. This was the fourth Gallifreyan ship to arrive at the Starfleet outpost in the last six hours.

He reached out with his mind, and felt the presence of both Masters Techerakh and Taurik nearby. He sent a psychic message to the both of them. "Meet me on their command deck," he projected. "Our greatest fears are coming to pass."

Legudon made his way sternly to the Starfleet turbolift, and pressed the key that led directly to the command quarters. During the ride, the Gallifreyan master could not help but muse at the inefficiency of such an archaic method of travel. Eventually, he was deposited on the residential decks, and Legudon silently made his way straight to the correct door and, dispensing with the pleasantries, parted his hands and opened the door with a gentle psionic wave.

"We must converse," he said to the humans inside.

[Legudon]

Master Legudon - Turbolift, Starbase Avalon

"Patience, apprentice. Undue haste will be the undoing of us all."

Legudon, Alexia, and Karelia arrived at the command deck, and entered the wardroom. Legudon stepped up to the presentation display, and began to call up records on the Na'jigat, as well as maps of the galactic core and the Gallifrey system.

[Tara Lollock]

Capt. Tara Lollock - Admiral Julians' Office, SS Avalon

"Sir, i can be paxked in less than ten minutes. Is there anything else you need done or shall we remain at our post aboard the Iroquois?

[Voyager]

Lieutenant Dolan - Space Cannon's Secondary Control Room, Heraani Border World

Dolan was soon done coding the virus and downloaded it into the main console in the secondary control room.  After checking that it was done and leaving a backup virus in case the first one was detected and countered, he led his team back into the corridor.  They took a longer route back, since many of the main corridors were rapidly filling up with Heraani soldiers hurrying to cover the new breaches that the marines' mortars had opened up.  The group did encounter the occasional straggler, but they were quickly taken care of with a couple dozen phaser blasts to the chest and head.  Soon, they had escaped the compound and rejoined with the other marines.

After giving a quick summary to the officers in the command vehicle, the marines began to pull out of the complex.  A few signals to the Normandy notified them of their situation and would soon be on their way to pick up the marines.  If Dolan's calculations were correct, the Normandy would have to arrive within the next ten minutes if they didn't want the marines to end up dancing in a rain of flaming debris, assuming they weren't vaporized by the initial explosion.

[Tara Lollock]

Captain Lollock - Bridge USS Iroquois

**She stands up as the admiral enters the bridge.**

"Admiral on deck. Welcome aboard sir." **She shakes the Admirals hand**

"Sir, the Iroquois is almost ready to go."

[Simon Rajnus]

Captain Rajnus - USS Normandy, Bridge

"I dont think Taurik is willing to allow us to have the Rivendell unfortunately.  Its too late to ask such things, hes the Captain and is on the Rivendell is he not?" Rajnus asked Raszagal.

"Yes, your right it is a little bit of envy.  I am a starfleet Captain and I have Captained quite a few starship's in my time and the Prometheus class is by far the most agile and diverse ship I have ever had the priveledge and honor to Captain.  I just miss my old crew.  I suppose its a human flaw, before a major battle, Captains like to remember their past.  Oh, to Hope and Pray we come back alive too." Rajnus continued.

"As for the marines im not sure." Rajnus said.  "Ill be in my ready room.  Open a Channel to the lead ship and get me Taurik.  I want to talk to him.  Dolan you have the bridge." Rajnus said going to his ready room.

<Sitting down he turned his computer to face him waiting for the communications from Taurik>

[Voyager]

Lieutenant Dolan - Main Controls, Escape Pod

Dolan's escape pod detected a massive explosion where the Normandy and numerous Heraani ships once were.  Dolan himself hoped that everyone on the Normandy escaped the explosion.  He sent a message to the marines about the status of the Normandy and its crew's destination.

=/\= Lt. Dolan to Marine Command Staff =/\=
The Normandy has been destroyed.  Fortunately, the crew had time to make it to escape pods before its destruction.  Its remaining shuttles are escorting its escape pods to Gallifrey and we should be arriving soon.  Please send us your coordinates so we can meet up with you as fast as possible.
=/\= Dolan out =/\=

Dolan quickly check that the escape pod had enough weapons for everyone inside and was marginally relieved when he discovered it did.  He then turned back to the navigation console and continued to update the pod's course to the planet as he awaited the marines' response.

[Raszagal]

Private Raszagal - Bridge, U.S.S. Normandy

Raszagal logged out of her console, and turned for the turbolift. Thankfully, the lift car was already at the top of the shaft, and the door opened as soon as she stepped near. The Gallifreyan entered the lift and pressed the appropriate key on the wall to take her to the marine hangar.

As soon as the lift deposited her on that deck, she stepped out and walked briskly to the bay. She located the form of the colonel deeper into the cavernous room, and gracefully approached him.

"You wished to see me, colonel?" she asked.

[Taurik]

Master Taurik - Cardinal Virtue crash site

Taurik ensured everyone was uninjured after the Cardinal Virtue's crash landing, and then followed everyone outside. Admiral Karelia was visibly shaken by the loss of his vessel, but Taurik knew he'd put the distress aside for the time being.

"We need to call for evac," Karelia said. "The city--"

"No," Taurik said abruptly, noticing the admiral start a bit at being interrupted by his inferior. "The Heraan will notice any dropship sent for us, and will reach us first. Antioch is only a few kilometers away, we will have a better chance on foot."

"I agree," came Techerakh's input. "We know this world more intimately than any Heraan. I am confident we can evade them on foot. Via transport, I cannot make the same guarantee."

Without waiting for Karelia's response, Taurik continued. "Then it is settled. We will make for Antioch. Admiral, I suggest you gather any essential supplies from your ship, but we must travel lightly."


Lieutenant Stevens - Bridge, Radiant Thunder

Stevens gripped the arms of the command chair tight as the Thunder rocked hard under enemy fire. "Target all torpedoes on that destroyer!" he yelled.

The Thunder, battleship that she was, made a banked turn around the attacking destroyer, and two quantum torpedo turrets swiveled to meet the enemy's broadside. With a speed that astounded Stevens, each turret unleashed three torpedoes, and the salvo struck the Heraan's already weakened shields. The warheads found their mark, and the ship's superstructure began to glow as the chain reaction spread throughout it. And after a moment's hesitation, the ship burst into dozens of golden shards, with several thousand microfragments scattered in the midst.

The ship was graceful, yet possessed a power that even the Rivendell would be hard pressed to match. It made Stevens almost disappointed that he would eventually transfer back to that ship, because as beautiful as the ship was, and as at home as it made him feel, there would always be that envy of the Radiant Thunder in his mind.