Story:Star Trek: Archer (novel)/The Front/Act One

Archer is in formation with the fifth fleet awaiting the arrival of the oncoming storm of the Dominion/Cardassian Alliance fleet.

In the briefing room Captain Ronston, Commander Mason, Ensign Erikson, Ensign Marani, Lieutenant Chen, Lieutenant Commander Larson, and Doctor Williams are at the table.

Starfleet now believes the Cardassians and their new Dominion Allies are preparing to invade this sector. I'm convinced their invasion fleet should be here in under three hours. I intend to hit them before they reach us Captain Ronston says as she looks at them.

Commander Mason looks at her.

Captain, what if you're wrong? What if intelligence is wrong? Commander Mason says as he looks at her.

She looks at him.

Then we'll warn the rest of the fleet, Mr. Mason prepare a series of five hundred antimatter mines with magnetic targeting capabilities Captain Ronston says as she looks at him and then turns to Lieutenant Mason.

He looks at her.

Aye, Captain Lieutenant Mason says as he looks at her.

Ronston looks at Commander Larson.

I need you to prepare repair teams and damage control people to seal hull breaches Captain Ronston says as she looks at her.

She nods and then Doctor William looks at her.

You're still gambling hundreds of lives Doctor Williams says as he looks at her.

She looks at him.

Doctor we're at war and we need to get any advantage we can against the Dominion/Cardassian Alliance Captain Ronston says as she looks at him.

He leans back in his chair.

Erica, we're going to need the hull specially outfitted to operate in the nebula by fourteen hundred hours. Ryan, you'll need to Captain Ronston was about to say but Williams cut her off.

He looks at her.

Have Sickbay ready for the casualties you're about to send me Doctor Williams says as he looks at her.

She nods at him.

Dismissed Captain Ronston says as she looks at them.

They get up from their chairs and head onto the bridge.

Archer leaves formation and heads towards the nebula.

On the bridge Ensign Erikson looks at his console.

We're entering the nebula now Ensign Erikson says as he looks at his console and reports.

At the Engineering console Commander Larson turns to Captain Ronston.

The hull is modified we've got an hour before it starts to fail Commander Larson says as she looks at her.

Ronston looks at Mr. Mason.

Jack launch the anti-matter mines onto the asteroid rocks Captain Ronston says as she looks at Mason.

He nods and start launching the mines on the rocks.

The mines have been dispersed Lieutenant Mason says as he looks at his console and then at Captain Ronston.

She looks at Ensign Erikson.

Take us behind one of the rocks and shutdown all non-essential systems to lower our power reading, send our reports to the Admiral as we're waiting for the enemy fleet Captain Ronston says as she looks at Ensign Erikson and then at Ensign Marani.

The lights dimmed.