Lt Alex Storm - Isn't Odds I'd Like to Gamble With

[Karen Morris]

(( Bridge - Deck 01 - USS Artemis-A ))

Everything to this point said that Havun wasn’t a fighter; he was a planner.  In Alex’s mind, planner was synonymous with tactician.

Storm: If we look at this situation from a tactical perspective, Havun wants to get away, but he wants to do so stealthily. The easiest way to do that is to stay still.

Jetripar: I'm not sure I understand. He gets nowhere that way.

MacKenzie: I'm a doctor, not a tactician. Someone help me here.

Munro: I disagree. We need to stop making assumptions about Havun because we don’t know anything about why he’s doing this? It doesn’t make any sense for him to stop now and then launch a probe. Unless he wanted to either distract us or contact someone for assistance?

Storm: If we pass him and our focus is out in front of us, he can sneak back in behind us and get away easily.

One of the first things you learn in countering marksmanship is that you stay still, even if you’re in plain sight.  It’s movement that gives you away.

Jetripar: Wouldn't that leave him in unfriendly territory, and in the path of a returning hunt?

MacKenzie: You think they're here? Or closeby?

Munro: No. There’s no physical evidence that indicates that. Yet. We’re also travelling at warp, so we’re to assume that Havun is matching our warp speed and staying on the same course as us? 

Alex opened her mouth, but before she said anything, she snapped it shut again.  Instead, she concentrated on her sensors. 

Jovenan: The Afalqi has the tactical advantage of being able to pick their methods. Leaving a probe behind and hiding near it in hopes we dismiss it would be a daring bluff.

Jetripar: Let's assume that he stopped here and is somehow cloaked. How long could he maintain the cloak?

Jovenan: We don’t know enough about the technology they have. Even the advanced, purpose-built Romulan cloaks need occasional maintenance, but if they have people who know how to keep it running without shutting it down, well, then it’s a question of resources and patience rather than technology.

Storm:  It depends on the type of cloak, but likely indefinitely or until he chooses to fire on us.

Jetripar: Well, we must do something. What was causing the sensor echo to pick up on this in the first place. Is that something we can magnify?

Munro: I’m trying to decrypt the signal now.

MacKenzie: Mr. Secretary, it would be helpful if we knew what to look for - are you able to give us access to the internal data you have for the Afalqi's scientific capabilities? It might help us narrow our search parameters.

Jetripar: Yes, I can do that. Finally, something I can help with.

The Secretary hurried to the console and began keying something in.

Jetripar: There. You should have access, as much as I can provide.

MacKenzie: So how can we figure out where he is? And, more importantly, can we flush them out?

Munro: The sequence I’m running is beginning the decryption :: to Jetripar :: that information was useful.

As Alex’s eyes shifted across her screen, her fingers slid to the side of her console and tightened around the edges.  The back of her mind tingled with surprise, movement, and then horror. 

Storm:  oO A Romulan? Oo

Alex stared blankly into her console.

Storm: oO How does a dying Oo ::She corrected herself.:: oO dead Romulan factor into the rest of the puzzle? Oo

Jetripar: Response

MacKenzie: How long do you think it will take?

Munro: A few minutes :: looks to the navigational data :: We’re approaching Nascaik territory. Captain, the shuttles have advised that the trails went dead. I’ve ordered them to return to the Artemis.

Jovenan: It’s difficult to follow the warp trail. Other ships flying in and near the Nascaik territory are causing it to become fainter.

Alex’s console lit up like the fireflies on an April night.  Her fingers flew across the smooth glass, coaxing any and all information she could get out of it.

Storm:  Captain, I’m picking up three Nascaik warships coming in bearing 233 mark 40.

Jetripar: Response

MacKenzie: Proceed.

Munro: We’re receiving a hail from a Nascaik warship. There’s three of them. Weapons are armed. They are on the border of their own territory. Im picking up debris?

Munro: It doesn’t match the Aflaqi. Looks like a Nascaik Supply Ship might have been destroyed.

Jovenan: I’m detecting ionisation from the debris suggesting weapons fire.

Storm:  The weapons signature on the debris shows a partial match to a Romulan signature.

Jetripar/MacKenzie: Response

Nascaik Captain: :: severe :: I am Dota Bundara Eos of the Nascaik Defence Coalition, we have no war with the Federation. Why have you attacked us?

Alex’s eyes drifted over to the minister, before settling on the Captain.

Storm: I can confirm, we have not fired a single weapon.

Jetripar/MacKenzie: Response

Eos: MacKenzie? :: lifts hand and closes her fist ::

The image disappeared from the main viewer. Alex swallowed. oO That was fast. Too fast. Oo

Jovenan: Is… is that a good sign?

Storm: I wish I knew.

Jetripar/MacKenzie/Munro: Response

Jovenan: The warp trail extends to the debris field, but not much further. The fire that destroyed the Nascaik ship and the radiation from its debris are obscuring it too much. The Nascaik might not realise there was another ship here before us, if they didn’t detect it in time.

Storm:  But no matter how we frame it, they are now blocking our way.

Jetripar/MacKenzie/Munro: Response

Jovenan: The Afalqi going deeper into the territory would be a very bold move after destroying one of their ships. If the Nascaik detect them, they’re outgunned. As are we.

Storm: I agree with the Commander.  Our one ship against three of theirs isn’t odds that I’d like to gamble with.

Jetripar/MacKenzie/Munro: Response

Storm: I recommend going to yellow alert, Captain.

Jetripar/MacKenzie/Munro/Jovenan: Response

Storm:  Their weapons are armed, but they haven’t targeted us … yet.

Jetripar/MacKenzie/Munro/Jovenan: Response

Storm:  I’m not picking up any survivors on the cargo ship.  Given that, I think we’re lucky they haven’t opened fire yet.

Jetripar/Jovenan/MacKenzie/Munro: Response

~*~

Tags / TBC!

~*~

Lt Alex Storm

Tactical Officer

USS Artemis

O240103SK2