Commander Serala: I have a plan. I hope.
Serala
(( Captain’s Ready Room, Deck 3 - Primary Hull, USS Chin’toka ))
Serala frowned and her brows furrowed. This was her ship and there was no way in the universe she was going to let the damned Borg take it. Starfleet or not, they were the enemy at the moment.
Serala: Beam her here, now!
The transporter beam appeared and deposited the prone form of Lieutenant Neshala. She was conscious, but just barely.
Serala: McGillian, get me a status on the Borg in the brig. Are they loose? Commander Sherlock, see what you can do with Neshala. There’s a medkit on the wall behind you.
McGillian: =/\= McGillian to Turnbull =/\=
Sherlock: Aye, Sir.
Serala: I am going to get a status on the fleet. We need to know what’s going on out there as much as in here.
McGillian: =/\= Turnbull, respond. =/\=
Sherlock: ::looking to McGillian:: Ensign... ::shaking her head::
Serala routed the controls to the sensors to her terminal and began to scan the sector. As she expected, the fleet was attacking Earth Spacedock in an attempt to take her down. If the station fell, Earth would be defenseless.
But that wasn’t all she saw.
Serala: Well, I’ll be damned.
McGillian: What is it Captain?
As she continued to stare in semi-disbelief at what was being displayed on her monitor, Sherlock moved to look over her shoulder.
Sherlock: That's...it's got to be a trick.
Serala: The Titan. And she’s cloaking and decloaking while attacking the fleet. And there’s more. The Enterprise — Enterprise-D! just arrived in system and is headed for Jupiter. What is that old goat up to?
McGillian: Old goat? You don't think...
Serala: Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, I would assume. He’s one of those VIPs I said was deemed irrelevant. I guess he’s not so irrelevant after all.
McGillian: ::grinning:: The legend himself.
Sherlock: Let's just hope he has a plan.
McGillian: ::serious and stern:: =/\= Petty Officer Turnbull, respond. =/\=
Serala looked at the Ensign. While she could appreciate his dedication to his team, it was very likely the crewman was hurt or incapacitated in light of the escaped Borg. It was time to move on.
Sherlock: ENSIGN. We need to focus up here.
Neshala: :: weakly :: I’m not … an Ensign … Commander.
Serala: :: jestingly :: Not yet, Lieutenant. But if you keep getting yourself hurt, I just might consider it. :: seriously :: Welcome back. :: to McGillian :: Ensign, it’s time to consider that the crewman is either hurt or dead. Either way, we need to get this ship back under our control or it’s not going to matter.
About that time, Serala heard a familiar voice. Connors had served in Chin’toka security since the original launch. It was good to know she’d come back.
MacKenzie “Kenzi” Connors: =/\= Petty Officer Connors to the Bridge. We’re under attack! The Borg have … blown up the Brig and we have others coming in! Please advise! =/\=
Sherlock: =/\= Conners, I need you to tell me what happened down there. We've been unable to get a report from down there. =/\=
Connors: =/\= I don’t know what happened, sir. There was an explosion and all of a sudden, they’re everywhere. I think they’re trying to get into the Armory. =/\=
Sherlock: =/\= Get your people out of there, Petty Officer. Lock it down now. =/\=
Serala: Good work, Number One. :: to the computer :: Computer, disable all hand weapons assigned to the USS Chin’toka.
It would hinder the remaining crew, but the other option was more dead crew, and Serala was not willing to take that risk.
oO No more plaques. Oo
Neshala: :: rising to her feet :: Where do you need me, Captain?
McGillian: Captain, I think it's safe to assume that the brig has been compromised.... and probably security as a whole.
Serala had been about to answer the Orion, but turned to nod in unison with Sherlock.
Serala: At this point, I am willing to consider all areas except the bridge and engineering compromised. And engineering is at risk. We need a plan.
McGillian: Sir, I think we need to make our way back onto the bridge. As Commander Sherlock mentioned, were heading towards the parade. We are drastically unprepared for an engagment. We should get the ship out of here while we can.
Serala wasn’t sure she agreed with that recommendation, but wanted to hear Sherlock’s input first. She turned to her First Officer and gave her a questioning look, her right eyebrow raised.
Sherlock: Or ::looking back and forth between them all:: we get in the fight as long as we can.
Neshala: Response
Sherlock: I think we have to accept that the ship will be lost. It's just a matter of do we let it go while we sit here, or do we go down fighting?
Serala looked at her First Officer with admiration and appreciation, a wicked grin spreading across her face.
oO I couldn’t have asked for a better First Officer. Too bad we’ll all be court-martialed after this is over. Assuming we don’t die here and now. Oo
Sherlock: We weren't ordered to steal this ship just to run. And we have just enough power to run the phasers and we have a few torpedoes, ::looking to McGillian :: right?
McGillian: Response
Serala: Right. I may be Starfleet, but I am also Romulan. And Romulans never surrender. We’re not going down without a fight. If we die today, we die with honor. Let’s give them one hell of a fight and let the name Chin’toka be remembered for more than just a battle site in the Dominion War.
She turned to McGillian.
Serala: We take the bridge, but we fight. Once I reactivate systems, ensure the bridge is secure from all points of entry, even transporters. Then arm all weapons and standby for one hell of a fight.
McGillian: Response
Serala turned to the Orion next.
Serala: I remember you saying when you first came aboard the Astraeus that what you wanted more than anything was to fly starships. You’re excellent in communications, but I need both a pilot and a comms officer. Are you up to that?
The Orion, battered and bruised from her encounter with the Borg, and no doubt still tender from having been nearly killed in the explosion on Astraeus’ Operations Center, lit up like a Christmas tree.
Neshala: Oh, there are not enough bombs or Borg to keep me from it. :: beat :: Captain.
Serala nodded in acknowledgement, a smile of pride on her lips.
Serala: I was hoping you would say that, Lieutenant. :: to Sherlock :: I would like you to coordinate with Engineering on our shields. I have a theory… It’s a wild one, with no substantiated facts, but I think it’s a sound one.
Sherlock: Response
Serala: According to the readings I am getting here, it looks like our deflector array is down. But shields are still operational, so we can use those to help deal with any micro meteors for now. Especially since I don’t plan to go to warp any time soon.
Sherlock: Response
It was all based on a weak hypothesis, something Serala wasn’t very good at. But it just might work. Unfortunately, they didn’t really have time to test the theory, so they were going to have to go for broke. If they failed, the ship was lost to the Borg and she would initiate the self-destruct. But if they succeeded….
Serala: Since we need shields up anyway, I was thinking maybe we could try to find a frequency to interfere with the Borg signal coming from the cube the Enterprise-D is currently facing off with. :: beat :: Apologies, McGillian, Neshala. I didn’t mention that detail a moment ago.
McGillian: Response
Neshala: No worries, Captain. It’s been a tough few days for us. What are you thinking with the shields.
Serala: I am glad you asked, Lieutenant. While you’re flying the ship and keeping the other ships from shooting us, I also need you and Commander Sherlock to identify and isolate what I suspect is a signal from the cube that is directing the Borg crew. A hive mind is standard procedure for them, so I can’t help but think there is some kind of signal. Find it, and then find a way to adjust our shields to block it. Sherlock, that’s your main task, but Neshala can help you. Reach out to Engineering as well. Hopefully, they haven’t been overrun yet.
Sherlock: Response
McGillian: Response
Serala: Alright, you have your assignments. Let’s get out there and reclaim the bridge.
She led by example, stepping to the doors. When they refused to open, she looked at the doors before speaking.
Serala: Computer, release the doors to the Captain’s Ready Room, Authorization Serala Delta One Four.
The computer beeped and the doors slid open onto the bridge.
TBC