Story:Star Trek: Helena/Death of a Neutron Star/Act Three

The Helena is next to the star as it's starting to blow but isn't on the verge of it yet.

On the bridge red lights are flashing as klaxons are blaring the crew are at their battle stations as Captain Taylor turns to Lieutenant Crusher.

"Tactical status?" Captain Taylor asked as she looks at Lieutenant Crusher.

He looks at his console.

"Phasers are fully powered and photon torpedoes are fully loaded and Shields are at forty-five percent," Lieutenant Crusher says as he looks at his tactical console and then at Captain Taylor.

Sito looks at her console.

"Here they come," Ensign Sito says as she looks at her console.

Both Captain Taylor and Commander Martin look at the viewer.

The Helena is taking hits as the interceptor flies over the Intrepid-Class vessel.

On the Bridge the crew hangs onto their consoles and rails.

"Shields down to forty-one percent," Lieutenant Crusher says as he looks at his console.

Taylor turns to him.

"Return fire," Captain Taylor says as she looks at him.

Lieutenant Crusher fires phasers at the two Orion vessels, the ship jolts hard as sparks erupt from the MSD.

"Shields down to fifteen percent their buckling," Lieutenant Crusher says as he looks at his console.

Taylor turns to him.

"Photon torpedoes full spread and fire," Captain Taylor says as she looks at him.

He inputs commands into the console.

Helena fires a spread of torpedoes and hits the lead raider and then it rammed into the other vessel and it falls into the neutron star and blows up.

On the bridge Doctor Khan walks out of the turbolift.

"I've lost contact with the probe what happened?" Doctor Khan asked as she looks at them.

Taylor looks at her.

"We were just attacked again by two Orion interceptors and we disabled the lead vessel and it seems that they collided with the probe as well, how much data were you able to get from it?" Captain Taylor says as she looks at her.

She looks at the Captain.

"Just enough for my research," Doctor Khan says as she looks at her.

Sito looks at her console.

"Captain the three Orion vessels fell into the star and because it's the fusion core to go into a nova state we've got an hour before it explodes," Ensign Sito says as she looks at her console.

Both Captain Taylor and Commander Martin look at each other in shock.