Lt. Robin Hopper: The Hornets’ Nest (Part 2)
Robin Hopper
((A Little Later – Bridge, USS Jemison, Zone 3))
Despite her initial confidence becoming slightly muddled with doubt, the fact that they’d remained in the battle for as long as they had gave her some reassurance. Whatever Nathan and Annamae had managed to pull off down there, it had helped stave off defeat… Of course, it had also given their enemy more time to regroup.
With everyone now back in their ‘proper places’, she began to feel as though perhaps everything was, in fact, moving along as it should… But she was still antsy. Standing, rather than sitting, she paced slowly about the Bridge while they returned to full readiness. It was only Wil’s call to return to the fray that got her to stop fretting and sit back in her seat once more.
Ukinix: Righto. ::rubbing hands together:: Mr Flint. Set a course to wherever the bloody hell the Janus is.
Robin retook her seat, and sent Flint updated telemetry from the sensor grid – the signal out in Zone 3 a little clearer, given their reduced proximity from the solar radiation. The Janus was currently engaged with the Halsey.
Flint: Aye, Sir… Taking us back in.
Ukinix: Annamae, ready all weapons, and hit them hard. I want them to taste the torpedoes. I also want to corral them into Zone 1.
Barberra: Oh, you got it, Commander. They’ll do as they're told once I’ve finished with them.
Ukinix: Robin, Nadeshiko, did you manage to get the Buzzies modified?
Robin’s eyes turned to Wil, and the rest of her head followed, an amused smile finding its way onto her face in spite of her earlier qualms.
Hopper: “Buzzies?”
Wil turned in his chair and looked at her with a small, embarrassed smirk.
Ukinix: ::Meekly:: Bussard collectors?
She mouthed an “ah” of understanding, with a little nod, then glanced at Nadeshiko for confirmation.
Nadeshiko: Response
Hopper: In other words, the harder the waves hit, the more power we’ll have to put towards systems like weapons and deflectors… ::Slight head tilt:: Uhh, within reason.
Ukinix: Lieutenant Richards, what have we had to sacrifice in order for Hopper’s and Nadeshiko’s plan to work?
Richards: Response
That didn’t sound so bad to her. Robin was grateful to have the chance to see Nathan in his ‘natural habitat’. She’d known well enough he was a capable and handy Engineer – but this sort of situation demanded all of them step up. And he had been. She wondered how he’d respond to being told she thought he had leadership potential… oO Probably laugh in my face. Oo
Ukinix: Alrighty. Lieutenant Flint, let’s go get ‘em.
The ship began to move, back much closer towards the pulsar nebula wind and the ongoing battle. Since the Kitty Hawk had been disabled, the fighting had slowed somewhat – everyone becoming a little bit more cautious and cagey, and without the ‘central target’ to fixate on, the two teams had found themselves locked into a near-stalemate.
The ship rocked once more with a wave – not a big one, but enough for them to feel it.
Ukinix: Shields holding?
Richards: Response
Ukinix: How about systems generally? Are the modifications working?
Hopper checked her readout.
Hopper: The “Buzzies” seem to be doing what we told them to. ::To Nadeshiko and Richards:: How much of an energy boost did that wave net us for Engineering to make use of?
Nadeshiko: Response
Richards: Response
Robin’s eyes caught Wil’s as they turned back towards the viewscreen.
Ukinix: Hops, see if you can raise the Halsey, hopefully they’ve got their comms back.
Hopper: ::Nod:: I’ll ping them – see if they respond.
Barberra: Commander, I have the Janus. Range six thousand kilometres and closing.
Ukinix: Hit ‘em hard, Annamae. Flint, don’t let ‘em escape.
Flint: On their tail, Commander.
The Jemison fired. Robin couldn’t help but look up from her terminal as a cackle erupted from Barberra that might have set her hairs on end – were the Crewman not so adorably eccentric all the time. Instead, Robin just smiled to herself and went back to work trying to reach the Halsey, with a soft little amused snort.
Nadeshiko/Richards: Responses?
Barberra: Well, I have bad news and extra bad news. We missed the Janus with our first shot, and made no damage with our second.
Ukinix: ::Small scowl::
Hopper: Well, I’ll swoop in with some good news, then. We’ve got the Halsey holding on Line 1.
Ukinix: Okie, dokie, on screen.
Robin switched their view, keeping her eyes on the telemetry feed coming to her console – the same one that helm and tactical would continue to refer to. She watched as Flint performed maneuvers to avoid colliding with the Janus, circling around to stay on them.
Ukinix: =/\= Hey heeey, you mob! It’s nice to have you back in the 25th century with comms. Having fun? =/\=
MacKenzie: =/\= We’re taking a lot of fire here, Commander, but holding on… Recommendations? =/\=
Iovianus: =/\= Ravarj should be our next target. Kathor is currently dealing with him so it wouldn’t hurt to lend a hand. =/\=
Hopper looked up as Iovianus chimed in – having expected this to be a conversation between the COs. She turned to Ukinix and found him looking at her. She held her hands out in front of her, palms two-thirds-of the way up. Wil responded with his own little shrug.
Hopper: =/\= It’s all attrition at this point. Any target is a good target. =/\=
Ukinix: =/\= Alrighty, sounds like a plan. Good luck, Commander. Jemison out. =/\=
As their view returned to the purple nebula outside, their warning tone indicated an incoming pulsar wave – but it was barelling towards them at unprecedented speed, and the algorithm had calculated for a ten second warn– GROAN… The ship’s hull made an awful noise as the Jemison was buffeted by the wave, sending it in a slight spin out of their intended course.
Ukinix: Bloody hell. Damage report!
Robin puffed her hair out of her face, and brushed it aside with a hand, looking at her display. oO Janeway may have been wrong about black coffee… but I’m seeing the benefit of a bun on the bridge. Oo
Hopper: That was an unusual wavefront… Faster than the others. Could have been precipitated by a solar flare… The Bussard collectors may be overloaded. ::To Richards:: Can we cool them down before we take another hit?
Richards: Response
Flint tapped frustratedly at his terminal.
Flint: And I’m afraid I’ve lost some helm functionality, Sir. Going to be bloody hard getting out of this spin…
That wasn’t the end of the bad news though.
Barberra: Commander, the Halsey has been hit with several attacks and is now disabled.
Robin felt her mouth drop open in shock. It had happened so quickly. She quickly shut it, then turned to Wil with wide eyes.
Ukinix: Crap, that means we’re next and down a teammate. Full power to shields and helm systems Nathan, I’d rather duck and avoid until we can get in a good position to slam someone with another volley of weapons.
Richards: Response
Ukinix: Mister Flint, take us into zone one mate.
Flint: Aye… ::Groaning:: Attempting to…
Hopper: ::To Richards:: Nathan – try diverting ten, no, um, eight percent of power output from the starboard nacelle to port. ::To Flint:: That might help counter the spin, Mr. Flint.
A moment passed as the purple nebula slowly wheeled around them, until it gradually slowed.
Flint: ::Slight smile:: Good enough! Taking us in.
Barberra: Ravarj’s escort is at bearing zero-eight-seven mark zero-three-zero.
Hopper: ::To Ukinix:: Bussard collectors are still cooling, Commander – but we’re certainly not short for power to spare to the deflectors.
Ukinix: Evasive maneuvers first, then set up for an attack run. One volley at the Hirogen, then let’s take a sharp detour and attack the Janus again, torpedoes full spread. Hit them with surprise.
Flint: I have just the pattern, Sir.
Richards: Response
Barberra: Aye, firing phasers at the Hirogen escort…
As the ship turned sharply towards the Hirogen vessel, a beam of bright phaser fire streamed past the viewscreen towards it. Without leaving time to see the effectiveness of the attack, the Jemison performed another vertical inversion, spinning to engage the pursuing Janus head-on.
Flint: There she is!
Richards: Response
Hopper: Fire torpedoes.
Barberra: …aaaand fired torpedoes and surprise at the Janus. Take *that*!
There was a brief pause as Wil turned his attention to Annamae with amusement.
Ukinix: You’re enjoying this, aren’t you.
Annamae’s eyes shifted left and up for a moment, slightly embarrassed at being called out for having fun.
Barberra: ::Eyes shifting up and left, almost deadpan tone:: Maybe?
An alert interrupted the proceedings on Robin’s terminal.
Hopper: The Hirogen Frigate is bearing down on us! Looks like we poked a hornets nest, everyone!
Flint: Doing my best to shake them.
Richards: Response
Hopper: They’re firing phasers!
For a moment, it was hard to tell if it was phaser fire or whatever death-defying maneuver Flint was pulling that rocked everyone in their seats – but the question would need to wait a moment longer.
Hopper: They don’t seem to be fooled by our sensor trickery anymore! Incoming torpedoes.
Ukinix/Richards/Barberra: Responses
TBC
