[MISSION FINALE] Lt. Robin Hopper: Gunboat Diplomacy (Part 3)
Robin Hopper
((Bridge - IKS ngem qul - In orbit around Idrustix))
There was something funky about this transporter. It felt different. Less tingly and more… pin-pricky. Like a thousand little needles were poking around her body as she rematerialized aboard the USS Inde– Nope. Nope. Aboard the Klingon Bird of Prey they had found themselves unexpectedly allied with.
oO Well… That explains the guy with the bat’leth Oo Robin thought to herself, looking around in curiosity at the interior of the ship’s bridge.
Vataix: Thank you for the assistance… Captain.
Wong: ::Politely nodding:: No problem. But we still aren’t out of the woods yet.
Robin’s eyes settled on Ikaia, momentarily envisioning him as some tough-as-nails traditional Klingon captain, in full armor. It was a silly image, but somehow she couldn’t shake the thought that, at least right now, he looked like he deserved to be sitting in that seat. She’d never figured it would be something he’d seek out – he’d never really been the bossy type… oO Then again, maybe that was just because he was always hanging out with me and Alieth… Oo
Vataix: Wil and Bec are still down there searching for Keehani–our Keehani, that is.
Ikaia turned towards one of the Klingon officers and Ensign Kiani – now manning whatever the Klingon equivalent of a science / ops terminal was. Perhaps they were all multipurpose. She really wasn’t too familiar.
Wong: Do we have a lock on them?
Kiani: We’ve lost their signature, sir. The defense systems are back online. They seem to be onto us.
Robin walked over towards Kiani, standing over his shoulder and scowling down at the terminal’s display. She couldn’t make heads-nor-tails of the Klingonese symbols on it, but she could at least interpret the visuals. They were being jammed alright.
Richards: Well that’s just perfect, isn’t it?
The rebel Polgonz stepped forward, speaking brusquely.
M-Tri’lea: Surely they knew the risks when they agreed to this suicidal mission. We should leave. Escape, live to fight another day.
M-Dro: Response?
The other Polgonz replied.
Polgonz: We are not leaving our friends behind. ::Glaring at M–Polgonz:: Who’s the weak one now?
M-Tri’lea: ::Scoff:: You’re assuming there’s even anything left to rescue. I’ve seen what the Mother Eternal does to children who misbehave.
Vataix: We can’t leave her behind.
Wong: Ohana. Nobody gets left behind or forgotten.
Robin nodded, as did many of the Starfleet crew standing on the bridge. Even there, standing on a Klingon ship, in Betazoid Imperial space, in another universe, the defining principles of the Federation tied them all together.
The rebel just rolled her eyes and turned away, crossing her arms in frustration. A moment later, one of the consoles sounded an alert.
Esma: Captain, there’s another ship entering the area… it’s the Independence. The patrol ships are moving to intercept.
Wong: Good to see that we have the Indy. Less good would be those patrol ships. Prepare to take evasive maneuvers and assist the Indy. ::Glancing at the Klingons:: If we get the chance, let’s crush them!
The remaining Klingon warriors cheered with gleeful malice at the thought of glorious victory over the Imperial patrol ships. Even Robin found herself heartened slightly – not at the sight of crushing their enemies, but at the camaraderie on display… The mission had taken a toll on them all, but through it all they had never given up on each other.
She couldn’t help but glance at Nathan, taking in his profile while he looked at one of the consoles. Whatever was going on between them, one thing remained constant. They would never give up on each other either.
Kiani: Response
Richards: So, things are about to get interesting?
M-Tri’lea: ::From the back of the bridge:: The Imperials are predictable. They fight out of fear, but their hearts aren’t in it. Show them you’re a tough enough enemy and they’ll scatter… They’ll be back, and in greater number, but you’ll have had your chance.
M-Dro: Response?
Robin turned her attention back to the job at hand, looking back at Kiani’s terminal.
Hopper: If anyone can show those Imperials the business, it’s the Indy.
Polgonz: Then we’d best make our chance count.
Vataix: Any word yet from Wil?
Esma: They are still jamming communications from the surface. I have also lost signs of the Commander and Lieutenant’s transporter signal.
oO If we can’t find them again, we’ll lose our opportunity. Oo
Vataix: There must be something we can do…
Esma: If we reduce the distance between us and the surface, our sensors may be able to penetrate through the interference and give us clearer life signs to transport.
Vataix: Reduce the distance? You mean fly as close to it as possible?
Robin looked at Esma with wide-eyed admiration. She was certainly bold.
Esma: Yes, a low altitude approach over the complex. However, just as our sensors will become more effective, so will theirs, and our cloak may prove ineffective against their surface defenses.
Wong: They see us and we see them. So we storm the place to look for them?
Nathan moved towards the front of the Bridge – towards the helm – drawing Robin’s attention again. Kiani and Esma seemed to have the situation with the transporters under control. She wasn’t doing much good there, so she followed him forwards to see what exactly he was up to. She found him addressing the Klingon helmsman.
Richards: If we are going to pull this off, we will need to do some fancy flying. Think you can handle it? If not, hold onto your honor and step away.
The Klingon huffed and mumbled something under his breath before forcefully standing and moving away from the console. As he passed by Robin, she blinked at him, before looking at Nathan and raising her eyebrows in surprise.
Richards: Good choice.
Hopper: That was… bold.
Nathan took his seat at the helm. She didn’t doubt Nathan’s skill at the helm, but she still gripped onto the nearest console anyways. If his “fancy flying” meant what she thought it meant, then the Klingons’ inertial dampers might not cut it.
Kiani: Response?
Vataix: Captain, please…
Wong: Helm, take us in! We’re going in hot!
Richards: That’s what I’m talking about!
oO Yep… “Fancy flying” alright… Oo
She steadied herself as best as she could without taking a seat – there simply weren’t any available. Nathan turned back to the helm, taking control of the Bird of Prey. The impulse engines kicked in and the ship dove down towards the planet’s surface. The clouds gave way to the rocky surface of the planet, and beyond the rocky mountains lay the prison complex.
Wong: Anything that shoots at us, shoot back!
Richard: You got it!
M-Tri’lea: And shoot to kill.
Kiani: Response
M-Dro: Response?
Robin leaned over Nathan’s shoulder and spoke softly.
Hopper: Just, you know, try not to get us killed too, okay?
Nathan maneuvered the Bird of Prey through the rocky terrain, the rocks giving way to the complex as they soared over it.
Esma: Sensor resolution is increasing… I am picking up Commander Ukinix’s life sign. And Lieutenant Iko’s.
Vataix: Beam them aboard.
Esma: Energizing…
Vataix: Are you picking up Keehani’s signal?
The ship rocked as weapons fire came at them. Showers of sparks rained throughout the bridge and Robin was grateful she’d anticipated some shaky maneuvers. She gripped onto the nearby terminal, white-knuckled, but upright.
Wong: Damage report! What shot us? And more importantly, can we still shoot back?
Richards: Automated defense systems have found us. Short range defense turrets are locking onto us as we get near them.
Iko: Keehani was just with us, not even three metres away. She wouldn’t have gone very far.
Hopper: ::To Richards:: Maybe if you fly fast enough they won’t be able to keep up.
M-Tri’lea: At this close range, that just might work. ::Over her shoulder:: How fast can this thing go?
The relieved Klingon helmsman grumbled a response that Robin couldn’t understand – but seemed to be vaguely affirmative.
Klingon Helmsman: Hoch vaj tIq 'ej legh. ((My ship can fly like the wind.))
Kiani/M-Dro: Responses?
Esma: There are two life signs that match her signal. Presumably one is the Mother Eternal.
Vataix: Can we ust beam them both up?
Esma: Transporters have been damaged. We only have capacity to complete one more transport.
Another shot rocked the ship. Robin patted the back of Nathan’s seat urgently – as if that might somehow make him fly the bird of prey in a way that would get them shot less.
Esma: Ambassador, we can’t remain here.
Nathan brought the ship around one of the buildings. Through the viewscreen, Robin could see that they were coming up on the landing pad where they’d arrived. She recognized instantly the Gatineau – and beyond it, the familiar, and heavily damaged form of the Targhee.
Vataix: That one! Now!
As they beamed up Keehani (hopefully the right one!) onto the Klingon vessel, Nathan held their course for a moment longer as they passed over the landing pad. Robin watched as he pressed a blinky red button on the console, and a sound passed through the ship that had to be a torpedo being launched.
With a single explosion, the entire landing pad was engulfed in flame and smoke. Pieces of both shuttles rained down onto the planet’s surface, leaving nothing recognizable of the two craft. It was the right choice, she knew, but she also knew how hard choosing to destroy the Targhee would have been for him to make. She placed a hand on Nathan’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze, as the bird of prey sailed away from the smoking ruin below.
Their work on the Targhee was the foundation of their relationship… Now, while it lay in pieces in a universe they would hopefully never see again, she began to think about what would take shape between them once they’d returned home…
END Mission for Hopper
