Ens. Gnai - The Ship Cloaked?
Lich
((Crew Decks - Nova Gamma Borealis))
A cruise to the Gamma Quadrant, abruptly cut short by an influx of pirates. Not what Gnai had intended out of shore leave, but nothing seemed to be working out right. At the very least, they now had a plan - which they needed to get to setting in motion. With the help of the holographic emitters that the vessel used to trick its unsuspecting passengers into thinking that they had gotten their money’s worth, Gnai had programmed in a small scene of the USS Defiant warping in, gunports open, threatening the pirates.
And with the pirates soon coming to check up on their unconscious crewmate, laid on the floor of the hold and stripped of his communicator, a bit of pressure had been put on the officers. They had much to do and little time to do it in.
Gnai: Timer set... It would be prudent to leave, would it not?
The sound of a door cycle drifted towards them from a distance, a warning that evacuation might be in their best interest. Who knew how many pirates might be coming to investigate?
Dakora: ::Quietly:: The Comm Room, Mister Blueberry.
Clearly not a fan of his new moniker, the Guide nevertheless led the charge - thankfully in the opposite direction of where the pirate’s arrival had been announced - and the four Starfleet officers fell in line. Gnai tried to be as quiet as it could, but stealth wasn’t its strongest suit.
Savel: Response
Sadar: Understood.
Dakora: ::Still whispering:: Stay frosty, Savel. Can’t have them calling us in.
The speakers on its suit would be far too loud for Gnai’s comfort, so it remained silent, bobbing along as it walked.
Savel: Response
As they approached a T-intersection in the narrow walkway, the Bolian guide pointed to a door on the right, which seemed to be the comm room. The universe was delighting in the games that it played with the various officers this shore leave - weren’t they supposed to be relaxing?? - and another scaled pirate popped his head around the left branch of the intersection.
oO GREAT! Oo
The pirate’s eyes narrowed on their Bolian Guide, and then, the muzzle of his weapon began to rise. The Lieutenant Commander’s reaction was immediate. As was the sinking feeling in Gnai’s stomach. It was unarmed!
…
Not that being armed would be much better for it. But it was the whole fact of the matter. Being armed wouldn’t change a thing, but it would at least make it seem dangerous. And maybe then pirates would think twice about shooting at it. Gnai was sure that it made a tempting target, slow-moving and wide…
Dakora: Fire!
All it could do was run, somewhere.
Savel: Response
And Lt. Jg. Sadar seemingly had come to the same conclusion. She whipped around to Gnai, looking positively terrified, and Gnai felt the same way.
Sadar: Th-This way!
No questions asked, Gnai was fine with being a coward! And it was also fine to let Lt. Jg. Sadar throw her rank around a little. It doubted the Bolian would take well to being ordered about by just an ensign. They dipped through the door, headed for the comms room.
Guide: I can walk on my own!
Sadar: Then do so faster!
She seemed more confident with herself in this moment, compared to when Gnai had just met her on Romulus. What had changed?
Inside the comms room, there was a small array of screens and a scattered few consoles, most standard. One hinted at some of the other, more lucrative and perhaps less above-board dealings of the ship. The burnt orange of a Ferengi terminal was tucked away in a corner, under a light that had conveniently gone out, casting it in a bit of shadow.
Nothing to worry about though. Not while they were being fired upon and the timer was running down.
Gnai: Lieutenant Sadar, thank you. This was not anticipating combat.
If it could sound out of breath, it would be. Granted, there were numerous factors as to why that would be impossible, but sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways. It didn’t care that Gnai had exerted little to no energy to run after Lt. Jg. Sadar, or that it respired through water, or that it spoke through monotonous speakers. There was just something in the inflection, something in the way that the pauses between words crackled out over the speakers that made it seem out of breath.
But not as out of breath as the XO and Ens. Savel as they slipped through into the room right as the doors shut. Lt. Cmdr. Dakora had been injured, grasping his right shoulder. Everyone always seemed to get injured around it this shore leave! That conspiratorial thinking snuck back into its head again, much to its chagrin. Was the source of their bad luck itself, or was it Ens. Savel…?
Lt. Jg. Sadar called Gnai’s attention back to the task at hand, and it rushed up to the comms console with her.
Sadar: Ensign, how much longer until your distraction is triggered?
Gnai: One minute, sir. Give or take a few seconds.
It wouldn’t have been able to guess at all if it hadn’t looked at its chronometer. The journey to the room had been tense, taking up far more time than it needed, and then the firefight that had lasted but seconds had seemed to stretch even further.
Savel: Response
Dakora: Holy strokes. It's almost showtime.
Sadar: I guess we’re in a hurry then…
oO An understatement. Oo
Lt. Cmdr. Dakora nodded. He seemed confident, and they needed that. As much as Lt. Jg. Sadar had seemed confident just now, Gnai wasn’t certain that she could power them through the rest of this adventure on her gumption alone.
Dakora: This just might work. Need to see if we can tap into the comm system and fake a hail from the Independence.
Gnai stood back from the console, letting Lt. Jg. Sadar do her work. It had done what it needed to with the holo-emitters, and the nerves from the whole thing were starting to get to it. Even if it had been good at working communications, it'd have asked her to take over anyways.
Savel: Response
Sadar: Commander, we have access to communications.
And not a moment too soon!
Dakora: Outstanding. Now I just have to convince them that I'm a Starfleet Command Officer who is ready to kick their ass if they don't leave. Get ready to route the hail through my badge.
Gnai: ::haltingly:: Good luck sir.
This had better work. The seconds kept ticking down. Time waited for no one.
Savel: Response
Lt. Cmdr. Dakora seemed more than ready. His combadge was affixed to his shirt, and he had pulled himself to his full height, despite the injury that he was so clearly nursing. He seemed imposing, like he truly was the captain of some ship as bold as to be named the Independence.
Sadar: Response
Gnai felt nervous, watching the seconds pass. The closer they got to zero, the more nervous it got. What if it had programmed it wrong? What if the pirates weren’t convinced? What if, what if, what if!
In a moment, its fears were partially assuaged, as the Defiant-class ship appeared on the small monitor ahead of them, bristling with danger. It could only hope that these pirates, these New Idrans as they called themselves, would take the danger as real and flee.
Still standing straight as a rod, Lt. Cmdr. Dakora tapped his combadge, looking tense even through his mask of confidence to Gnai.
Dakora: =/\= Unknown vessel, this is Commander Talos Dakora of the Starship USS Independence. You are in violation of Gamma-Bajoran Anti-Piracy Accords. Vacate this system immediately or you will be fired upon. =/\=
The ship moved just as Gnai had programmed it, gliding slowly towards the ship. Defiant-class vessels had no need to go fast, if they didn’t want to. Of course, they could whip around like nobody’s business, but when faced with such an inferior vessel as the pirates? The Independence could take her jolly time creeping up to the pirates and flashing the armaments that were packed into her small frame. There was no hope, so why waste the energy getting there faster? She’d just as much like them to turn tail and flee. Gnai hoped that’s what the pirates thought, too.
Gnai: ::looking at its chronometer:: Half-way through the program, sir.
Sadar/Savel: Response
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Lt. Cmdr. Dakora’s comm came to life. It was probably only a few seconds, half a minute at most. But the stress made it feel like eons stretched between the XO’s broadcast and the communication system crackling to life from the pirates’ ship.
Pirate Vessel: We are the New Idran Confederacy, not pirates. We have a sovereign claim to this system and any vessels that trespass–
The XO nodded to Lt. Jg. Sadar, interrupting the pirate comms.
Dakora: =/\= Unknown Vessel, this is your final warning. Vacate the system now or be destroyed. =/\=
He slashed his hand across his throat - cut the comms. Diligently, Lt. Jg. Sadar complied, and they all sat there, silent. Waiting. The seconds kept ticking, and soon enough their own bluff would be called. The Defiant-class ship would fizzle out, and then warp in again. If the pirates didn’t choose before then, the ruse would be up.
Then Lt. Jg. Sadar’s voice cut through the silence.
Sadar: Response
That was… not good. What sort of idiots were they playing games with? The pirates had fired on the holo-ship?? It had passed straight through where the ship’s shields would have been, and impacted on the hull, to no reaction. Not even a stray spark.
Gnai: Oh no. Oh no no no.
This was not how it had intended to end its life of science. No major papers under its belt, no famous discoveries. Trapped in the underbelly of a fraudulent tour ship, because of its own failure.
Savel: Response
The pirates’ ship fired again, testing the holographic ship. It absorbed the energy weapons’ fire, still looking as unscathed as ever before. It was as if they had never fired at all, and the ship trundled on as Gnai had programmed it to. They had to know something was up, right?
The comm system came to life again, with a message from the pirates. In the background, voices could be heard yelling frantically, overlapping each other and giving the broadcast a frenzied air of concern.
Pirate Vessel: ::worried:: We refuse to acknowledge the sovereignty of the Federation, or Bajor. The wormhole doesn’t give you claim to our space in the Gamma Quadrant!
The crackle from the pirates’ ship’s comms continued, even after their captain’s meek threats. Gnai looked to the others, worried. It tapped the chronometer in its suit; there were seconds to go before the holoprogram ended, and their ruse was up. There wasn’t enough time to come up with a new lie, a new way to trick these pirates into leaving the system.
Savel/Sadar/Dakora: Response
As the timer wound down to zero, the hologram of the USS Independence (née Defiant) faded into nothing. Strangely enough, as it disappeared, the edges of the ship appeared to wobble and wave, reminding Gnai of holoprograms it had seen where Klingon Birds of Prey and Romulan Warbirds vanished into thin air. Some small error in the holoemitters, perhaps caused by the pirates or perhaps just caused by the haphazard engineering done to cobble together the tour ship, had managed to replicate something approximating a ship cloaking.
The staticky communication system, still broadcasting from the pirate vessel, had been mostly silent but suddenly erupted into a clamor. Had they forgotten to drop comms?
Pirate Vessel (Voice 1): ::stunned:: What? I thought the Federation didn’t have cloaking vessels?
Pirate Vessel (Voice 2): ::fainter:: They don’t!
Pirate Vessel (Voice 3): ::fainter still, far to the side:: Are you certain that this is the Federation? They could be lying just as-
Pirate Vessel (Voice 1): Shut it! We’re still broadcast– ::crackling comms end::
As the pirates argued, Gnai waited for the other shoe to drop. But as the seconds passed, no second Defiant warped in. Had it programmed something wrong?
Gnai: What’s going on?
Savel/Sadar/Dakora: Response
Wait. Waiiiiiit. No, it hadn’t done this wrong. Or, well, it had done something accidentally wrong which might turn out to be to their benefit. When it had programmed the holodeck, it had looped it, just in case. But had it looped just the Defiant? As the seconds passed with no second ship flying in, Gnai had realized what exactly had happened. The buffer time that it had added was being looped as well!
Gnai: The timer has restarted, there are only a few minutes before the decoy ship warps in again!
Savel/Sadar/Dakora: Response
Gnai: Commander, they seem afraid of the fact that the ship appeared to have warped out. That the USS Independence is not what it claims to be. Could that be used to scare them off?
Dakora: Response
Savel/Sadar: Response
Tags/TBC :)
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