Editing Marcius Flavius (section)

== Story 18 ==

Command Marcius Flavius sighed. It was his tenth week as an exchange officer in the Federation-Imperium Officer Exchange Program, and secretly, he wondered if Battle-Brother Riker was having a better time than he was aboard the Phalanx, the Imperial Fists' massive battlebarge. What he wouldn't give to be among his brothers, among whom the inability to slay a tenscore of orkz would be laughed at. Here, he bet the average officer or enlisted man would lose a fight to a *guardsman.* The only two who wouldn't were a xenos and an iron man. He shook his head with disappointment. The Federation was a poor imitation of the glory of the Imperium. He'd barely even been able to convince them to let him wear his full battle armor at all times.

The iron man's console beeped one of the annoying toy noises that indicated something. "Captain, we appear to be in range of some kind of subspace anomoly." Data chirped.

"Put it on screen." Brother-Captain Picard ordered.

It was a white vortex of some kind, slowly rotating, crackling with some kind of reverse lightning. It looked vaguely like a warp storm.

"Recommend a full torpedo barrage, Brother-Captain." he said.

"Data, what are its effects?"

After a few moments of silence, Data replied. "It appears to be a reverse black hole, creating anti-gravity that propels the Enterprise away from it while pulling itself more and more into the universe. It's hard to see, but it is expanding. It is currently eight hundred miles in diameter, if it continues at the rate it is expanding, it will engulf the nearest Federation colony on Alphas-4 in eight hours."

"That must be why the planets in the system have started to get out of their alignment." Tech-Priest La Forge put in.

"Options?" demanded Picard.

Data thought for a moment. "I suggest we try Command Flavius' plan, sir. We don't have anything on board for this kind of situation."

Picard nodded to Flavius. "Make it so."

"Sensors indicate the torpedoes have increased the effect's size. It is now approximately twice as large." said the iron man.

"Damn!" cursed Picard.

"Sir," said the fifteen year-old boy who was inexplicably allowed to be an officer. "We're getting some kind of... reading, something is exiting the effect! It looks like a ship!"

Everyone on the bridge watched the screen with bated breathes as a tiny black figure exited the effect.

"Sensors indicate... it's an enormous ship, sir! It's kilometers long!"

Flavius had a button beep. "Sir, it is hailing us. Shall I respond with phasers?"

Picard sighed. "They might not be enemies, Commander. Open the channel."

Flavius hesitatingly did as he was commanded. The room flooded with noise.

"KILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILL
FRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILL
FRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFRENZYKILLFR" was all it got out before Flavius ended it on his own.

Picard was barking out orders, but Flavius knew what to do, now. He gripped his chainsword and bolter, comfortable knowing they were both with him. Regardless of what happened today, he would see the Federation's gall in the face of Chaos.