Star Trek: Task Force Alpha

Chapter Four

USS Jasmine II NCC 93785-A
Delta Quadrant
Year: 2410

Admiral James Terranova of the Jasmine II had been asked to report to the USS Voyager NCC 74656 under the command of Admiral Tuvok along with his Andorian wife and First Officer Commander Tala Terranova. Instead of using the Jasmine II's transporters James and Tala decided for a little alone time and headed to the shuttle bay to take one of the Danube-class Runabouts aboard the Jasmine II to Voyager. Even though the journey would be uneventful it would give them a place to allow their Andorian-Human Hybrid daughter Andoria to play well her parents were away, especially since the tiny ship's systems could be locked down and rendered useless to their little toddler well she was in the Runabout's aft-compartment's living quarters.

Reporting to Voyager though proved to be less than uneventful than James and Tala had planned. After James powered up the Runabout's engines and allowed the Jasmine II's shuttle bay's computer to take control of the tiny ship's autopilot to ease the Runabout out into space through the bay's atmospheric containing shield that had been quickly erected the moment the Jasmine II's outer shuttle bay doors were opened. Slowly the Danube-class Runabout USS Sacandaga NCC 93789 passed through the atmospheric shield and entered open space. Well in transit to Voyager, three Hirogen Apex Class Heavy Battlecruisers dropped out of warp and promptly started attacking the three Starfleet vessels.

Aboard the Jasmine II the ship's Second Officer had assumed command since both James and Tala weren't aboard the starship. In command at that moment was a Klingon warrior who like Commander Worf of decades earlier had chosen to join Starfleet to fulfill a sense of honor even well the Klingon Empire had been had war with the United Federation of Planets, a war had been finally dying down due to the realization that all parties involved in the war had truly fallen for a plot to place them at odds with one another. The Alpha and Beta Quadrants had almost fallen to an Iconian Plot that Starfleet, the Klingon Empire and the Romulan Empires decided to form a new alliance with the help of Admiral Tuvok to find out if the Delta Quadrant had suffered from the same fate after Voyager's historical return to the Alpha Quadrant in 2379 after being lost in the Delta Quadrant for seven long years. Commander Hidg'Qo aboard the Jasmine II sitting in James' command chair wondered if the three Hirogen ships that dropped out of warp and proceeded to attack the three idling Federation starships were doing so under their own free will attempting to take the three Starfleet ships a trophies of the hunt if they could defeat them and kill their crews or if they were inadvertidly being manipulated by some unknown power such as the Iconians. Really it didn't matter, as a Klingon, Commander Hidg'Qo welcomed battle anytime and any place, this unexpected battle was just another way to gain honor or to die an honorable death.

Aboard the USS Voyager NCC 74656 Admiral Tuvok decided to hail the Hirogen vessels before engaging them in battle. He knew for the Hirogen engaging an Odyssey-class dreadnought cruiser such as the USS Jasmine II NCC 93785-A was a futile attempt and it would just lead to the Hirogens' destruction. The death of the Hirogen would be illogical but if they didn't heed his warning it would be brought as a means of self defense for the now three Starfleet vessels this there was a runabout in between the two larger vessels. "Attacking Hirogen vessels, this is Admiral Tuvok of the Federation starship Voyager; cease your hostile actions against this ship and the Jasmine II or you will surely be destroyed for the other ship with us is an Odyssey-class Tactical Cruiser, a type of Federation Dreadnought Cruiser. We are part of a joint Federation, Klingon and Romulan Task Force called Delta Fleet returning to the Delta Quadrant to assess the state of affairs in the quadrant since Voyager left 32 years ago."

"No reply Admiral," reported Voyager's Communications Officer Lieutenant Hamilton.

Opening a secured channel to Voyager and the Jasmine II from the Sacandaga James said, "Allow me try contacting them before we have no choice but to engage them."