Lt. (j.g.) Ian O'Connor- If they're not here, then they must be...
rob mahardy
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((Main Bridge, Deck 3, USS Ronin, Outside the J-0922A System.))
No matter what Ian tried. The small and much more maneuverable craft were able to readjust and continue to get behind the Ronin.
O’Connor: Captain. Got an idea. Gonna drop us in backwards right behind Khitomer. Tush to tush.
Karrod
snorted at the unconventional suggestion but nodded in agreement.
Niac: Very well Mr. O'Connor but you're on the hook to send the
Khitomer flowers and chocolates tomorrow. Maneuver at your discretion.
Chief Tucker, use the cover we get from the Khitomer to redeploy your
repair teams. Commander Carpenter, load torpedo bays and set for
proximity detonation, fire across the fighters flight path. If we shake
them up badly enough you should be able to score a hit with the phasers.
O’Connor: Roses and bon-bons it is, sir.
Ian
maneuvered the Ronin in behind Khitomer.
Tucker/Carpenter: RESPONSE
The captain could feel the intensity of the battle waning as the remaining
fighters began to scatter and run back to the forces still lurking within their
target system. It gave the bridge a moment to catch their breath so
Karrod turned his attention to the crew.
Niac: Doctor Beck, what's the status of our people?
Doctor Beck turned and tucked away their tricorder as he glanced around the
bridge.
Beck: Inoculations are underway as we speak. We've split the medical
team into groups and they're going deck by deck to get everyone.
Nodding, Karrod leaned towards the viewscreen and pointed a finger towards the
remaining defense forces arrayed against them.
Niac: Well done Doctor. Advise your people to work fast, I'm
certain the Alliance has more to throw at us. Mr. O'Connor, while
Commander Carpenter picks off the stragglers from that fighter wing I want you
to bring us into formation with the Khitomer and standby to make a highspeed
run into the system. Chief Tucker, we need those aft shields re-enforced
or we could end getting the ships aft shot off...
Ian was about to swing around a nd begin the maneuver when an alert from the
captain’s console drew his attention and
Karrod found himself smiling.
Niac: Belay that...looks like Lt. Alieth's team has a little
present for us. Take a look at the shield modulations she's sending up
and get them implemented as soon as you can. I'll take any measure of
protection against another s-wave attack that I can get. Commander
Carpenter, any luck raising the Khitomer?
O’Connor: Holding on course adjustment.
Tucker/Carpenter/Beck: RESPONSE
Niac: Keep trying. If you can get a data channel open to them send across the modifications Lt. Cmdr. Alieth's team has come up with. The Khitomer is going to need that protection.
O’Connor: They know we’re behind them at least. We’re able to stay in relative synch.
Tucker/Carpenter/Beck: RESPONSE
Karrod
nodded as the sensor readings from the team in Stellar Cartography began
filling in the picture of what was beyond the boundary of the J-0922A.
The readings from their long range sensors, coupled with the probes
they'd been able to sneak in, was still incomplete...but something about it
caused his spots to itch. He spoke aloud, his concern deepening as the
seconds passed.
Niac: Where the hell are they? They've had months to
reinforce this system and their defenses are nothing compared to what we saw in
the Olidra system.
O’Connor: Does seem pretty unusual and a touch eerie. If they aren’t here. Where the hell are they?
Tucker/Carpenter/Beck: RESPONSE
Ian watched as Karrod stalked
towards the helm and leaned forward, demanding the viewscreen explain whatever
it was that rankled his backbrain. The feeling of wrongness deepened.
Niac: No capital ships. Not a single dreadnought or
leviathan. Even if we caught them by surprise we should see larger
vessels mobilizing by now, trying to respond to us. Unless....
A crushing wave of dread crashed over Karrod and his mind spun. There was
one horrifying possibility that would explain what they were seeing. He
slapped his comm badge as he all but ran back to his chair.
Niac: =/\= Bridge to Stellar Cartography. Lt. Cmdr. Alieth, break off your observations on the target system and launch a new series of probes aft...are there any ion trails or other signs of vessels departing the system in the last day? =/\=
There was a pause as Ian contemplated his previous question.
Alieth: =/\= Confirmed, there are ion trails suggesting that at least a dozen large spacecraft departed the system approximately twenty hours ago. The trails are quite degraded, so I cannot be sure of the presence or not of smaller ships in the group. =/\=
Niac: =/\= Can you project their course? =/\=
Again only a slight pause before the Commander’s voice replied.
Alieth: =/\= There is a 78.578% chance that the Flotilla is heading towards sector Alpha 113. =/\=
Not much more needed to be said. Sector Alpha 113 contained a large portion of empty space within the lsles, with a penchant for minor stardust events produced by a scattering nebula. A handful of young, uninhabitable or primitive star systems.... and in the heart of it all, waltzing along the invisible tension of the different gravitational forces that surrounded it, Deep Space 33.
oO Crap! Crap, crap, crap.Oo
Ian immediately began plotting a course.
Niac: =/\= Understood, Commander. Refine your projections as much as you can, try to give us an approximate force composition based on the size of the signature. Bridge out. =/\=
Karrod
pressed a hand against his forehead and found cold sweat there. His
thoughts turned to the people in and around Deep Space Thirty Three.
Colleagues. Crewmates. Friends. He glanced at the empty
First Officers seat and imagined himself in Commander Raga's place. He
shook off the thought and cleared his throat, trying to find his footing once
more.
Niac: Mr. O'Connor, break off from the system and set a course for DS33.
Commander Carpenter, I don't care if you have to shine a flashlight out a
viewport, I need communications with Captain Shayne right now. Chief
Tucker, have your teams prepare to conduct emergency repairs while the ship is
at warp.
O'Connor: Laid in. Just need to break away from behind Khitomer and angle off before we go to warp.
The Ronin started to curve off the rear of Khitomer.
Carpenter/Tucker/ Beck: RESPONSE
The viewscreen crackled into life as a channel was finally punched through the
interference and the Khitomer's CO stared back at him.
Niac: =/\= Captain Shayne...I believe we've been suckered. =/\=
Shayne: =/\= Response =/\=
Just as Ian was about to engage warp engines the comms chimed with the voice of the Second Officer.
Alieth: =/\= Alieth to Captain Niac. I have a proposition to make before the Ronin leave the system. =/\=
The petite Vulcan took a deep breath, intuitively knowing that what she was about to say would not sit well on the bulky Trill.
Niac: =/\= Response =/\=
Alieth: =/\= Leave me and my team behind, with a small runabout. The Rhine for example can fly undetected for longer than any larger vessel and will allow us to gather enough intel to learn more about Alliance technology, the science behind their weapons and how to combat them. The rest of our department can collaborate with the Khitomer science team to design a diffuser for Sencha weapons with what we have already shared with them, so our presence will only be of advantage to this mission. =/\=
The petite Vulcan spoke fast and factually, with that confident logic that characterized her kind.
Niac: =/\= Response =/\=
Alieth: =/\= Ensign Syrex, in fact, volunteered herself. That will cover any problems that might arise. =/\= :: Without letting the captain retort:: =/\= We will be able to relay the information to the Ronin before you reach Deep Space Thirty-Three and then hide until it becomes safe to return. =/\=
The plan made sense but it wasn’t without risk. Ian turned, looking to his CO for his decision.
Niac: =/\= Response =/\=
Carpenter/Tucker/
Beck: RESPONSE
Tags/TBC
Lieutenant (j.g.) Ian O’Connor
HCO
USS Ronin NCC-34523
R240009IO4