Lt. Robin Hopper: Proactive, Not Reactive
Robin Hopper
((OOC – Apologies for my slow simming this week everyone. As mentioned in my earlier OOC message, I’m a bit preoccupied with some family matters this week, but I’m going to try and keep up as well as I can! Please don’t feel the need to wait for me.))
((Bridge, USS Jemison))
As the Jemison sailed away from the Kitty Hawk, riding the incoming pulsar wave’s force into the second battle zone, Hopper tapped the button on her console that would adjust the viewscreen in front of them to display the (simulated) damage that had been dealt to the Galaxy Class ship. If her hunch – that they wouldn’t be able to withstand the simultaneous stresses of a barrage and the pulsar wave – then their shields ought to be…
Barberra: Commander? The Kitty Hawk’s shields are damaged, possibly down.
Robin clenched her fists and gave one a little pump in the air out of excitement. That meant Blue Team’s plan to focus their attacks on the Red Team’s lead vessel was paying off – if the Kitty Hawk was nearly disabled, it would be a huge blow to Red’s ability to stay in the fight. A small smile began to cross her face. oO I’m starting to see what the Hirogen get out of this… Oo
Ukinix: Can you get a transporter lock?
Both Crewman Barberra and Lieutenant Hopper turned to look at their Commander with curiosity.
Barberra: On who?
Ukinix: Rahman. ::Pointing to nearby door:: To beam her to the ready room.
Barberra: Seriously?
Robin could hear the wicked excitement in Barberra’s voice.
Ukinix: ::clicking fingers:: Quick quick quick do it do it do it!
Barberra: ::fingers dancing across console:: Aye sir! Scanning life forms… ::Still tapping:: I have a lock, computer reports her biosigns, attempting transport…
Hopper sat back down in her chair, checking on the interference. It was certainly an intriguing move… one she was secretly glad that Wil would take the heat for, if they succeeded. oO Wil Ukinix – Commander, USS Jemison for one-and-a-half days. Killed in action. Oo He’d be the first entry on the Intrepid refit’s new memorial wall.
Ukinix: ::Quick clear of throat:: This could be one of the greatest strategic, whilst also being the most career limiting, moves in history.
As she looked at Wil’s blushing face, Robin overheard Nathan chuckle. Obviously they were all thinking the same thing. Their mirth was quickly interrupted when a warning began to sound from the engineering console. Hopper looked over her shoulder, a worried look on her face.
Hopper: What’s going on back there?
Nadeshiko: Response?
Richards: Transporter malfunction. Cancel that transport, or we might have a real situation on our hands here.
Barberra: ::Dissapointed tone:: Aww.
Robin stood and walked as quickly as she could to stand between Nadehisko and Nathan, looking back-and-forth at their consoles.
Hopper: Are we sure there’s nothing we can do to boost signal integrity?
Nadeshiko: Response
Hopper: Damn.
Ukinix: What’s happened?
Richards: The buffers have been overloaded from both the weapons fire and the EM radiation of the Nebula. Transporting Rahman isn’t possible…without making a mess…
Robin looked at Wil and shook her head. It wasn’t worth the risk. Not unless Ukinix intended to win this simulated war game by genuinely killing his former CO. Wil grimaced and inhaled for a moment.
Ukinix: Yeah, scrambled Rahman all over the ready room would mean straight to Auckland for me. Abandon transport attempt.
Barberra: ::Tapping console:: Aye Commander, scrambled Captain on toast has been cancelled.
Hopper: ::Sighing in frustration:: We’ve got our ‘sensor ghosts’ running, right? At least there’s that.
Nadeshiko: Response
Hopper: ::Smiling, half-heartedly:: I’ll take a clean getaway over a messy one.
Another trill from several consoles sounded. Hopper made her way back to her own console, shifting the viewscreen once again to get a look at the source of the alert – just in time for them all to watch as the Halsey swung tight over the Kitty Hawk and delivered a devastating series of (simulated) attacks.
oO Yes! Oo In her mind, Robin pictured S’Raga at the helm and Bec at the tactical console with pride. The Blue Team’s junior officers were certainly proving their skills today.
Richards: On the plus side, the Kitty Hawk is disabled. Commander MacKenzie and the Halsey took her out! ::bouncing slightly in his chair:: Yes!
Ukinix: Nice! Plan’s working so far.
Hopper: ::Checking her console:: That seems to have sparked some movement from the Red Team. The Hirogen Frigate is coming back to the fight... ::Tapping her console:: ...They’re on an intercept course… Lieutenant Flint?
Flint: I’ll do what I can, but the Indy got some strategic hits on our nacelles. We’re running with reduced power and maneuverability.
Hopper: ::Nodding:: Well, Nadeshiko, you’re up. Let’s see if we can ‘throw them off our scent’.
Nadeshiko: Response
Barberra: Sensors are detecting nearby weapons fire! They must be close if we can detect them that well.
Richards: Incoming fire. Recommend evasive maneuvers.
Flint: ::Focused on the controls:: Thank you, Mr. Richards, I hadn’t considered that.
The Jemison banked, and Hopper watched with bated breath as the incoming beam weapon fire shot past them, passing harmlessly through one of the ‘false sensor readings’ being emitted by the intrepid. A steep adjustment in pitch followed, as the transphasic torpedoes honed in on their targets and… detonated prematurely!
Hopper: ::Whistling:: That was beautiful. ::To Nadeshiko, chuckling:: If I had the authority, I might offer you a field commission for that idea, Nadeshiko.
Nadeshiko: Response
Hopper: I don’t think they even grazed us?
She looked to Annamae with an eyebrow raised, seeking confirmation.
Barberra: No damage recorded.
Richards: How was that for some excitement?
Ukinix: Well done, Mister Flint. Annamae, who’s nearby us that we can attack?
Barberra: With the Kitty Hawk disabled, the USS Independence.
Ukinix: Mr Flint, turn for an attack run on the Indy, we’re taking no prisoners today… after our earlier attempt to take a prisoner. ::Turning to First Officer’s chair:: Hops, send message to the Bronwyn to help us attack the Indy, tell them to target their propulsion to make them less nimble.
For a moment, Robin was distracted by Wil’s use of her nickname. She turned to the Commander with a soft smile. oO Aw. Oo Then she remembered that he’d given her an order immediately after, and returned her attention to her command terminal.
Hopper: ::Clearing her throat:: Ahem. Right. Sending updated priorities now…
Ukinix: ::Still to Robin:: Open a channel to the Halsey?
She attempted to do so, but an error tone sounded instead.
Barberra: Commander, the Halsey’s comms has been disabled.
Ukinix: Alright, I’m sure Commander MacKenzie can still do some damage while we have radio silence with them. Hopefully they see our tactics. Crewman Barberra, fire on the Indy, also target their propulsion. One quantum torpedo, followed by phaser fire.
Barberra: Aye sir.
As the sound of weapons fire could be heard, it was joined by a warning tone indicating an incoming shockwave.
Nadeshiko: Response
Ukinix: Anything we can do?
Flint: I’m doing what I can, but we need more power.
Richards: Response
Ukinix: Brace for impact!
Hopper: ::Simultaneously:: Hold on to something!
The ship was buffeted as the wave hit, and multiple warnings began to sound from different consoles. Robin closed her eyes momentarily, and gripped her armrests as tightly as she could. With limited maneuverability, the ship took the hit full on its starboard side, and numerous consoles ‘sparked’ and lit up, indicating that they were now ‘damaged’.
Ukinix: That hit us pretty hard, report!
Hopper checked her terminal. Multiple systems were showing significant damage – shields, weapons, and the starboard nacelle, for starters.
Hopper: Yeesh… Shipwide damage reports coming in. ::To Richards:: I’d like to sort those out before we become sitting ducks, Mr. Richards. Any proactive ideas?
Richards: Response
Hopper: ::Nodding:: Kick whatever you want and set whatever you need on fire. ::To Nadeshiko:: Assuming we survive Engineering’s repairs, I’d like to know if there’s any way we can utilize these pulsar waves to our advantage instead of more of that.
Hopper moved to the science terminal, bringing up a spectrographic report on the elemental contents of the plasma being ejected from the pulsar, and the chemical components of the nebulaic gasses surrounding them.
Hopper: If we reconfigured the Bussard collectors to make use of the high concentrations of sirillium gas in the nebula, rather than ‘the usual suspects’ ((OOC: hydrogen and deuterium)), maybe we can boost the efficiency of the deflector shields? Make the waves a net gain to shield integrity. What do you think?
Nadeshiko: Response
Ukinix: ::To Richards:: Repair team priorities are shields and weapons systems. We need to be able to defend ourselves. Helm, take us further away from the pulsar wind nebula, through Zone 2, towards Zone 3 so we can effect repairs but still stay in the fight. Stay in zone 2 if we really have to, or if an attack opportunity presents itself.
Flint: Limping away as fast as we can, Sir.
Barberra: Commander, the Bronwyn reports having fired at the Independence, once with torpedoes, once with phaser fire.
Ukinix: Response
Robin looked over to Wil and tilted her head, eyebrows raised.
Hopper: We might have something here. Running simulations now to see if it's feasible, but if the models are favorable, we might have one less thing breaking every time the waves hit us… I’m leaving that project in Nadeshiko’s capable hands – ::to Nadeshiko:: But I’m here to assist.
Richards/Nadeshiko/Ukinix/Barberra: Responses
She then turned her attention to Annamae.
Hopper: Crewman Barberra, Mr. Richards is going to need help with those repairs. I seem to recall you having some Engineering prowess…
Barberra: Response
Hopper: No time for modesty. Assist Lt. Richards – Mr. Flint can handle tactical, and Sh’Jinn can take the helm.
She recalled that Flint’s Starfleet record indicated that he had minored in tactical. And Sh’Jinn had proven more than capable during their battle with the crystalline entity four days ago.
Flint: Aye, ma’am… If you’re sure.
Richards: Response
Hopper: ::To Ukinix:: That is, assuming you approve, Commander?
Ukinix: Response
Nadeshiko/Richards/Barberra: Responses
TBC
