Captain Roshanara Rahman: Fashionably Late

[r.rahman]

((Bridge, USS Veritas))

Rahman: Parker, Orrey, get down there and secure that deck.

Parker: Aye, Captain!

As they left, the captain looked back at the view screen, holding onto her armrests as the bridge rocked again from another hit from a torpedo. Evidently Marths didn't have the same concern about possibly injuring his own boarders as she did.

Rahman: Lt. Ariadust, is there anything in this nebula we can use to our advantage? Cover? A countermeasure?

Ariadust: There's a few, but with shields down it's going to be a wild ride. There's some odd sensor echoes in the nebula. I can't pin down what they are, but between the ionization and tetryon fields, I think we can disappear off the enemy sensors. Maybe. This shouldn't have worked for them, but I'm all for following the lead of others when I've learnt something new.

Rahman: All right, began heading towards those echoes!

Ariadust: Aye, ma'am. Executing order.

As the ship started to make its turn, Roshanara turned to Ensign Seeker Macedon, the tactical officer who’d taken over for Parker.

Rahman: Continue phaser strikes against them. If we can keep them distracted, it might buy the away team more time.

Macedon: Yes, ma’am!

((Later))

From their station, Ensign Macedon called out.

Macedon: Captain, I’m reading a transporter signal… on deck 6.

Rahman: More boarders?

Macedon shook their head as they peered closer at the readings.

Macedon: No, Captain… it’s our away team to the Rampart. Minus one Iotian/Risan life sign.

Rahman: oO #$%@-ing pirate! Oo

She tapped her combadge to reconnect with her first officer.

Rahman: =/\= Rahman to Blake, what happened? =/\=

Blake: =/\= Response =/\=

Any from Blake’s team: =/\= Response =/\=

Rahman: =/\= Finish securing the deck and then get back to the bridge as soon as you can. =/\=

Blake: =/\= Response =/\=

Macedon spoke up again as they noticed the Wildfire’s sensor reading growing more distant.

Macedon: Captain, the Wildfire… she’s changing course… deeper into the nebula.

She looked back to Ariadust at helm.

Rahman: Lay in a pursuit course.

Ariadust: Response

Macedon: We are being hailed.

Rahman: On screen.

The static-filled viewscreen changed to a fuzzy picture of a wretched-looking pirate, his voice echoing through the com.

Marths: =/\= Heeeeeeeeeeeeey!  First of all, I just want to say I’m a *huge* fan, I’ve been watching your logs, and- ::hand on chest:: Captain to Captain, I like how you operate. =/\=

Rahman: =/\= Captain Henley Marths... =/\=

Marths: =/\= You can call me “The Marth”.  Or “The Marths”, both are fine.   Oh!  Question, how tall are you? Say, 158? ::wavering hand:: 159, maybe?  =/\=

The annoyed Kriosian leaned forward in her chair. If her away team wasn't there, she'd have blasted his ship already with a full volley of quantum torpedoes.

Rahman: =/\= I don’t care much for your nonsense. =/\=

He smiled though at her annoyance before taking a holo-snapshot and then a lance of phaser fire from the Wildfire rocked the ship.

Marths: =/\= It’s nothing, you know, personal, Roshanara, it’s just that – well I’m worried about our sister ship, the Rampart.  You wouldn’t happen to know anything about that, would you? =/\=

She ignored the bait and pressed onward.

Rahman: =/\= This is your only warning. Stand down now and surrender. =/\=

Marths: =/\= ::Flirtingly waving hand:: Oh, Roshanara. If you want your crew back, you’re going to have to find us in there.  ::Wink::  Unless you give me the spore canisters.  =/\=

Roshanara returned an amused and indignant laugh at the demand.

Rahman: =/\= You must think me a fool, Captain. =/\=

Marths: =/\= Response =/\=

She clenched her jaw, and when she spoke next, her voice was tight.

Rahman: =/\= If I have to go in there and drag you and your miserable ship out to face justice, I will be in a far less charitable mood. =/\=

Marths: =/\= Response =/\=

A proximity alert sounded on the tactical console.

Macedon: Captain, there’s another ship coming!

Rahman: The Rampart?

Had Zuccaro returned to do the right thing after all?

Macedon: No… it’s a Cygnetian vessel… registered as TRS The Thunder of Nations.

Ariadust: Response

As the growing static on the viewscreen continued to fill up the image, obscuring Marths, his own bridge rocked from weapons fire, this time from the new arrival.

Marths: =/\= Response =/\=

Rahman: =/\= Looks like someone else has joined me in the hunt. =/\=

Marths: =/\= Response =/\=

Rahman: =/\= The next time I see you will be in my brig. =/\=

She called out sternly to Macedon.

Rahman: Ensign, turn that damn thing off!

Marths: =/\= Response =/\=

He was cut off in mid-sentence as Veritas and The Thunder of Nations continued their chase. Roshanara stood up and walked over to stand behind Ariadust at the helm, looking over her shoulder.

Rahman: Coordinate our movements with the other ship’s helm.

Ariadust: Response

Rahman: ::back to Macedon:: Open a channel.

The viewscreen flickered back to life, showing a grainy image of the other ship’s captain, Resachi. She was a Cygnian female with blond hair and blue eyes, rather similar to the Veritas helm officer. Roshanara noted the resemblance but filed it away for later. They had more important things to deal with first.

Rahman: =/\= This is Captain Rahman of the Federation starship Veritas. =/\=

Resachi: =/\= Response =/\=

The bridge shook again as the Wildfire continued to return fire as it eluded its pursuers and ventured deeper into the nebula.

Rahman: =/\= I’ve got a team of Starfleet officers over there on Marths’ ship. We need to work together to disable it. =/\=

Resachi: =/\= Response =/\=

Ariadust: Response

TAG! TBC…

Captain Roshanara Rahman

CO, USS Veritas

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