As the ensign dropped the ship out of warp, nobody anticipated the Vorducaat welcoming committee. Tens of thousands of their ships, all strategically positioned to advance on the Odyssey’s position. The lack of sensor data left Starfleet’s trophy ship completely unprepared. Yellow Alert was only a word of caution, but it wasn’t enough to prepare the crew for the battle that was about to occur.
Behind the massive fleets of alien ships was their planet in the distance, a bright red ball with white strips of clouds scattered throughout. There was a thick sense of eeriness about this race that seemed to blanket its visitors with an uncanny chill. Perhaps it was the unknown factor, the fact that this area was almost entirely unexplored. Whatever it was, it was clear the Vorducaat knew they were coming and intended to show a wave of hostility.
As the Odyssey’s warp signature faded, so did the crew’s ignorance. There was barely time to react before the Vorducaat began firing their disruptors, which slid through the shields of the Odyssey with ease. The pulses of energy slammed into the haul, erupting with explosions like torpedoes instead. Their weapons were just part of the mystery. The only information available was what the view screen provided; sensors, warp capability, shields, they were all useless at the moment.
Though powerful, it wasn’t so much the force of their disruptors, but rather the sheer number of ships firing. Their ships swarmed the Odyssey, like a group of gnats all taking shots at vital areas. Immediately the bridge saw casualties. A computer console blew up, incinerating the face of a crewman. The smell of burnt flesh overtook the clean aroma of their new vessel. Steam began to jettison from the ceiling and many officers had trouble keeping to their feet. The Odyssey was more than shaken and it wouldn’t be long until the other two Federation ships would drop out of warp, their fate even worse.