Lt Alex Storm - Space Rocks Are a Valid Strategy
Karen Morris
(( Cockpit of the USS Acheron - Ebers System, Balancar Sector, Alpha Quadrant ))
While Storm began to analyze the data on the false positives, a tickle skittered up her neck - a tickle that came from the direction of Cole. Alex didn’t need to look at Natasha to sense her unease in their situation, but wasn’t that what they were here for? Tactical and Security were the cynics of the fleet. According to them, something WAS going to go wrong. It was their job to figure it out ahead of time and be prepared for it.
K’Wara: =/\= Disregarding the false positives, has the station been able to respond to actual debris properly? =/\=
Researcher Zurah: =/\= Oh, yes, every time more debris slips through the rift, it alerts us in time for the station to move to alert status and activate the proximity defenses. Thus far, there’s been no, uhhh... ‘False negatives’, so to speak. =/\=
Cole: oO no that wasn’t it, what was her gut trying to warn her about? Oo
Storm: =/\= But we’re out here to test the limits of your abilities. Let’s see what we can do.=/\=
Researcher Zurah: =/\= Of course. We have prepared some testing material - it’s waiting to be ejected from the Sector 24-A9 airlock - that I believe should fit the specifications. =/\=
K’Wara: =/\= We should start from verifying response times, and then we can move to stress testing afterwards. =/\= ::to Storm:: Alex, is the Acheron’s tractor beam souped up for Operation Slingshot?
Alex turned her head briefly toward K’Wara.
Storm: I modified the specs myself, and we are green across the board, Lieutenant.
K’Wara: Good. ::to Cole:: Take us in, Ensign, but mind that rift. We want to stay clear of the threshold that flirts too much with the other side. ::to Vailani:: You’re on target calls. ::to Storm:: When Lieutenant Vailani calls it, hurl the biggest piece of debris you can at the station. =/\= Let’s get this rodeo started. =/\=
Vailani: :: nods :: Scanners ready.
Cole: Taking us in. ::smiling:: This should be interesting.
The shuttle slipped through the vacuum of space into position.
Storm: This is the first time I’ve used a rock for target practice. oO Though, I refuse to tell Roy … Bancroft that it’s okay to go throwing phasers at a combatant. Oo Should be fun!
::Her fingers slipped across the console, readying their systems.::
And here they came. The initial jettison from the station gave them a significant velocity. They looked like dolphins, always moving in the same main direction, but ebbing and flowing through the track they were on.
Vailani: First set of debris heading on a trajectory to the rift. Targeting debris field.
Cole: Let's get you closer. ::tapping the controls
Seeing Lieutenant Vailani highlight a section of debris, Natasha plotted a path for the runabout so Lieutenant Storm could scoop her ‘Space rocks’.
Storm: Let’s start them off easy.
Alex was already making mental adjustments as she watched the debris slip further away from the station.
K'Wara: Response
Vailani: Target locked. Over to you Lieutenant.
Storm: Got it!
The tractor beam’s claws penetrated into the piece of space junk that Vailani selected while still letting it travel at velocity. Then using the objects speed and the tractor beams ability, Storm slung the piece at what passed for a station.
Cole: Nice throw, wonder if it’ll be called a hailstorm maneuver someday. ::offering a coy smile::
Alex cast Cole a quick grin.
Storm: Hey! I like it. Feel free to patent it.
K'Wara: Response
Vailani: Stations defenses are activating.
The debris field was taken out surprisingly fast for a research station. Check that off their list.
Vailani: Defenses have a new target.
Both on her own sensors and the emotions rolling off of Vailanim, Alex knew exactly what was going on. With a grunt of frustration, her fingers tapped a configuration change on her console, bringing up their targeting computers for phasers.
Vailani: They've targeted the Acheron.
Cole: ::sigh:: of course they are. ::beat:: Hold onto something.
As much as she could, Alex secured her feet to the ground of the shuttle and braced herself against her chair. The inertial dampeners worked hard to keep up with Natasha’s fancy flying.
Cole: Storm, can you or Vailani project their weapons area of attack and range onto the display? I’d prefer not to have to try running that mental math while flying for our lives.
Storm: On it. Here’s where the computer thinks they will likely fire.
Several red areas appeared on the HUD.
Storm: And here’s the range of its weapons.
A shimmering incandescent line appeared on the HUD surrounding the station.
Storm: I suggest calling the station to see what’s going on.
Vailani/K'Wara: Response
Loud beeps and chimes echoed throughout the cockpit of the shuttle.
Cole: Thanks, I can keep us moving, but does anyone have any ideas why they're firing at us?
Storm: I can target their weapons, but that would leave them defenseless against the rift’s debris.
Vailani/K'Wara: Response
Alex trusted Cole’s flying instincts, but this time they were hit, and Alex wasn’t sure it was by the station’s automated defenses.
Cole: Either their automated defenses are getting smarter, or someone is actively targeting us. ::forcing the Acheron towards the port sharply::
Storm: Any chance we could actually land on the space station, where they couldn’t shoot us? I could grab some of the debris with the tractor beam and toss them ahead of us, so as to keep us out of their direct fire as we approach.
K’Wara/Vailani: Response
Storm: I’m going to begin grabbing other pieces of debris and flinging it in their direction to hopefully keep them busy.
K’Wara/Vailan/Cole:
Her eyes changed focus in quick succession. HUD - console - HUD - console. Two of Alex’s fingers double-tapped her console with intent, flinging several larger rocks at the station to take the pressure off them.
Storm: Three large pieces of debris away.
K’Wara/Vailan/Cole:
Storm: Cole, as it targets the second-to-last piece of debris, we may be able to make a break for it.
Brown curls bouncing in the wind flashed across her mind. Sweet little dimples, and blue eyes. oO Wait…blue? Oo Brown. Brown eyes, came into view. --And her breath hitched, chest locking tight for a heartbeat. She bit down hard on her lower lip, sharp pain snapping her back into the cockpit. At that moment, One of the chunks that Alex had flung at the station exploded, rocking the shuttle, narrowing Alex’s eyes with focus.
K’Wara/Vailan/Cole:
~*~
Tags / TBC
~*~
Lt Alex Storm
Tactical Officer
USS Artemis
O240103SK2