Two Days from Now – The Fall of Eos

The battle was over. Captain Harris sat in a chair, his arms bound behind him. His uniform was torn at the shoulder, and a small amount of blood was dripping down his face. He licked his lip, he didn’t even feel the cut above his eyebrow, that was the least of his problems. The mood in Ops was that of utter defeat. They fought hard and lost.

The room was still filled with smoke and the smell of burnt electrical circuits; the signs of a struggle were visible all around the room. The Vaadwaur had won.

Gab tried hard not to show any emotion, he just watched as the Vaadwaur moved from room to room, gathering up the remaining Officers. In front of him, the main viewscreen still displayed the Promenade. The Vaadwaur had exploited their greatest weakness, and it had worked.  Gab watched as civilians were moved into small groups, at their feet the ruins of several Federation banners torn and forgotten.

By now, the rest of the Vaadwaur were beaming aboard, ensuring that the chaos continued.  Overwhelming their security force, deck by deck.  In the center of the chaos was Commander Dovral. He was not armored like the rest, he wore a high-collared tunic.  His clothing was pristine, and his mannerisms educated.  He wasn’t military; there was something different about him.

Dovral folded his hands behind his back as he approached the station Commander. “Captain,” his voice was quiet, “This was never personal. You gave me no choice.”

Gab swallowed hard, trying to stay focused. “That’s what tyrants always say, as if their actions were the fault of someone else.” Gab looked to the left as a terminal was still feeding information into Ops.

He’d seen it all in real time, the Yeager was the first to fall the ship buckling under the initial assault. The Vaadwaur ships, appearing out of nowhere, took full advantage of the blackout. The sector-wide communications failure had left Eos blind. Without warning or reason, the battle began before the old station could even register what was happening.

Gab looked away from the terminal as the tactical report flickered: USS Yeager – DESTROYED. The escape pods had been launched, and survivors detected. How many? He didn’t know. He wasn’t in a position to find out now.  He only hoped that the other ships had been able to beam as many of the Yeager crew out before regrouping.

A groan from the other side of the room snapped Gab back into the present. Thompson, the Chief of Engineering, leaned over a chair as he held his left side. His breathing was shallow and labored. He’d taken the worst of it when the Vaadwaur stormed Ops. They had demanded a surrender, but Gab initially fought back. Actions had consequences.

Dovral sighed. “Chief Engineer Thompson,” he smiled, “in another time and place, I would have admired your work. You’re a man of invention. The station’s power grid, her emergency systems,” he took a breath, “it’s a piece of art.” He cupped Thompson’s face in his right hand, “Such a waste.”

Gab shouted, “Leave him alone.”

Thompson pulled his head free, as he spat blood on Dovral’s tunic, “go to hell.”

Dovral’s expression didn’t change; he merely glanced over at a nearby guard and took a step back. The shot was quick and clean.

Gab flinched as Thompson’s body hit the floor.  For a moment, no one spoke; it was complete silence. Dovral walked over to Gab, grabbing his head and forcing him to look up. “I told you, Captain. Actions have consequences.”

Dovral turned back to the body. “Secure the rest of the station. I want full control of what’s left.  No further bloodshed unless needed.” The Vaadwaur soldiers scattered, moving into positions as they replaced any lingering Starfleet Officer still manning a post.

The station was theirs.

Dovral looked around the room. “You believe this is a failure. That you miscalculated.” He smiled. “You haven’t even begun to see how much worse this could get.”

Gab didn’t speak; instead, he closed his eyes. The only thought he had was, “How did this happen?”