through fire and smoke

Posted on 23 Mar 2009 @ 9:15pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal

2,542 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: M1: Prepare for Battle
Location: USS Freedom / DS5 (Ops) / USS Ashton
Timeline: 1350 hrs

Silonez and the rest of the Freedoms' crew were busily preparing the ship for what could be a very one sided battle, based on the reports he now had the ships were more of a match for the little ship. He felt a little uncertain as he walked on the bridge and saw XO Rodriguez looking over a report. Silonez finally spoke as he approached. "The ship is about 90% ready, some areas of the ship are not finished, and others need more work than we can do at the moment, I've devised a real simple anti-boarding protocol until we have more security."

"Hopefully it will be enough..." Mari said, turning to look at him.

"We'll use emergency bulk heads and force fields to slow'em down or even contain them. Also, I've ordered all personnel be armed with either type 2 hand phasers or Mk 17 phaser rifles. I've got three security assigned to sick bay and three more assigned to cover engineering. Are we going to be taking on any potential evacuation?"

"We don't have the answer to that, yet," Mari answered flatly before asking, "Do you think we have the capability to do so if needed?"

"Get what's his name, from DS5 on the horn...Lieutenant Commander Da'nal!"

Frowning and glaring, Mari looked at the chief intel officer and asked bluntly, "Why? Besides the fact that we have no commanding officer, he is the biggest reason we are still here and not running at warp 9 or higher to anywhere but here."

Silonez looked at Mari and spoke, "You're the senior officer, even if it's by three months, so until someone is assigned, you're the one in charge."

"Precisely," Mari responded, a look of challenge, annoyance, and triumph in her eyes as she asked pointedly, "So why are you trying to tell me how to do my job, then?"

Silonez just looked at her "I suggest we get DS5 ops on the blower, I'm not about too walk into a fight without instructions, how about you....Captain??" he said for effect.

'Puta de madre,' Mari muttered under her breath and glared before challenging, "What makes you so sure the Lieutenant Commander will have specific instructions for us? If there is intel that you have not shared, I highly recommend you do so now."



[1348 - Deep Space 5]

Da`nal walked quickly from Ops to the nearest transporter. As he did, he hit his commbadge. Da`nal to Monteros-t'Khellian. Report to the USS Ashton and contact me on the USS Freedom once there...per Cmdr Davies." As he closed the channel, he took a long hopping stride as he took position on the transporter pad. "Beam me to the Freedom...Now."

[USS Freedom]

As the transporter effects faded he leapt from the pad - ignoring the fact that the there was no operator. The sounds he heard indicated that those in the corridors were rushing about trying to complete the preparations he had ordered. He walked briskly to the nearest turbolift..."Bridge."

Silonez heard the turbolift open and looked, "Welcome to the bridge, Lieutenant Commander. I gather you're the acting CO?"

A 'Hmm' rumbled in Da`nal's throat, ~Awfully presumptive...even if correct.~ "You assume correctly, Lieutenant." Looking down at both officers from the upper level of the bridge. "Who's the ranking officer here?"

"That would be me, Commander," Mari stated, looking up at the man with a mix of emotions on her face that included relief, annoyance, and perhaps just a tad bit of disappointment, "Lieutenant Mariposa Hernandez Rodriguez. I have been assigned as Executive Officer of this vessel...apparently without having been assigned a commanding officer as of yet."

"Very well. By order of The Stations Commanding Officer I am assuming command of this vessel." Turning and joining them on the bridges command level, "What is her current status?"

Surprise showed on Mari's face but she took it in stride and responded, "We've come across a few setbacks but overall, we should be ready to depart shortly should the need arise."

"Most of the section heads have reported in. We have a few issues with torpedeo fire control that need to be ironed out and several decks aren't quite finished. Also, with some help from the security crew, we came up with some inventive anti-boarding measures."

Da`nal shook his head at the gaps in the report, "Forget the other decks. Concentrate on weapons. What about phasers, shields, propulsion?"

Mari's eyes flashed and her jaw clenched along with her fists. The man was essentially doing her job and no one had asked him to.

Silonez looked at the new CO and said "Phasers are ready. Impulse is online and functioning at 100%. Warp drive is also online. This ship is about 90% ready to go, Sir. The new ablative armor system is ready. The issues with the cloaking device are resolved now. The shield system is totally new according to engineering so there's no issues there. We're as ready as it gets, Sir."

"Apart from certain officers who apparently don't know their place," Mari blurted angrily as she turned to look at the Klingon from the station and said, "If you don't need me or my opinion on the matter, I'll just step aside, take my 'tan delicada' self and find something else to do. That is, *if* I'm dismissed," she spat with venom and finality.

Silonez knew the comment was aimed at him, he just looked at the captain, "If there's no more need for my engineering background or my services, I'll return to the intelligence office and organize my own department for the coming mission." he turned without permission, signaled to WO3 Cortice, and left the bridge.

Letting out a breath, Da`nal thought. ~Great - not in command for five minutes and already have a dispute between my senior staff.~ The entire time he looked at his XO until the other officer turned to storm off. Everything had stopped on the bridge as the two officers barked at each other. Looking after the the officer as he walked to the lift, he said, "Both of you - the Ready Room......nowwwww"

As the two head towards the ready room he looked up to the young woman at ops. "We should be getting a call from the Ashton, let me know the second it comes in." Turning, he headed for his ready room as they waited at the door.

Walking between them and through the door, he turn the second he heard the door close. "I don't know what's going on between you two....and I don't care. But leave it off the bridge." Waving at the view port. "We have enough of a fight waiting for us out there without fighting amongst ourselves. You two are senior officers and I will expect you both to act like it!"

Focusing on the man before him...baQa!...he didn't even know their names. "Lieutenent. The Warrant office out there is a member of your department, yes?"

Silonez stopped in his tracks, he turned and looked at the Klingon, "The Warrant Officer and I were assigned here for Intelligence duties, which we are going to get organized for."

"Good. She can get things....'organized'. I want you to get with engineering and get those problems ironed out. Dismissed."

Silonez gave a very anger-filled salute and left, fully aware his time on this ship just got shorter already.

As the other man left, Da`nal turned to his Executive Officer. "Do you always let other officers answer for you? You should have shut him down as soon as he opened his mouth. Now can you handle the duties you've been assigned?"

"What in el nombre de dios are you talking about?!" Mari asked angrily, "I have handled far more than the duties I have been assigned because YOU or whoever the hell else Starfleet is planning to assign as CO of this ship has not been here!"

Da`nal nearly jumped down the woman's throat...though before he couldm he heard Anita's voice...calling to him from Sto Vo Kor....calming him. She had always had been able to do that and even in death she still had that ability. After releasing a deep breath, he responded. "Watch yourself Lieutenant. You were assigned as the ship's XO, as such in the absence of a senior officer you ARE the CO. An Exec needs to be able to assume command at any time for any reason. One duty is the establishment of a chain of command. That duty was obviously not done as our intel officer clearly thought he was running things. Granted, you may not have had a great deal of time, but in a crisis situation, a clear chain of command is even more important.

"Five minutes ago I was supposed to be coordinating the defense of this station. Now I have command of a starship. Things can change quickly. The mark of warrior...of a command level officer... is the ability to adapt to those changes. Now I ask you again, can you handle the duties you have been assigned?"

Her eyes danced with fire and her jaw clenched as she tried to do what she'd been told she must as a child: take deep breaths to calm herself. She thought she had done pretty damn well considering she was straight out of the academy and command courses, but then again, what did he know? He'd just arrived. "Si, *Sir*, I am more than capable of the duties I have been assigned," was all she allowed herself to say in the end. The other thing she'd always been told was that she needed to watch her tongue...something she was equally unlikely to do when she was angry.

He could see the fury behind her eyes. ~This one has spirit...good~ he thought. "Excellent, I know being an exec is a lot to take on for a young officer. I doubt when you woke this morning you could have imagined finding yourself as second in command of a starship. Well, enough preaching. I was expecting to hear from the Ashton by now but nothing has come in. Please contact them and check there status. I need to contact Commander Davies for our orders."

"Si, Sir. I will do that for you right away," Mari responded, her temper still not cooled down but at least she wasn't being accused of being slack in her duties anymore.


[USS Leda]

~Oh, what the frack?~ Rianni thought, then refocused, =^=I'll beam to the Ashton right now, Monteros-t'Khellian out.=^= She turned her eyes to Gorman, "Guess you're in charge now, Chief, patch all those comms through to the Ashton for me."

"Yes, Ma'am." Gorman nodded.

=^=Monteros to Transporter room, beam me directly to the USS Ashton.=^= Rianni ordered, and as she dematerialized she wondered, ~All these reassignments and they still can't get me in a fighter where I belong?~

[USS Ashton]

Rianni rematerialized on the Ashton, not wasting time with introductions or anything else, she tapped her commbadge and opened a channel to the Freedom, needing to find out what Da`nal wanted quick.

=^=Monteros-t'Khellian to Da'nal, how about a sitrep?=^=

[USS FREEDOM]

Looking to his XO, "Well, never mind. Looks like they beat you to it." Tapping his commbadge, he said, "Da`nal here. I'll contact you on a secure channel. Out"

"Pues, I could just be that good at my job," Mari responded saucily with a haughty grin.

An eyebrow arched at he comment and with a slight upturn to the corner of his mouth. "Computer, establish as secure comm channel to the USS Ashton."

"Acknowledged, channel open."

=^="Commander Monteros-t'Khellian, you sounded flustered earlier....I know you'd probably wanted your fighter but against a Warbird I recommended you for the Ashton I thought you would want an upgrade from that Oberth. That Defiant class going to be too much for you?=^=

=^=Too much for me?=^= Rianni couldn't help but laugh at that, =^= Starfleet doesn't have anything I can't fly. So, what have you got for me?=^=

=^="Nothing new as yet. When we deploy we will do so in the middle of projections from the AHDA. If the Romulan's did get people on the station know doubt they know about the ADHA. They'll think they are facing a bunch of hologram. However when we put a few torpedoes across their bow they won't know what to think. For now get the Ashton ready to fly as best you can. I will contact Davies for orders."=^=

=^=Don't worry about me, just watch your own ass out there. =^= Rianni replied, she was truly coming to like this Klingon, =^= To our victory, Da'nal. Ashton out.=^=


[down in engineering]

Silonez sat at the Status board, while all the essentials were availible and ready even to new metaphasic sheilding was ready, he sat and pondered his future in starfleet, his train of thought was interupted by Warrant officer Cortice. "Sir, the last of the ship yard crews are leaving now, are you ok?"

"I've been better, ever get the feeling something really bad is about to happen?"

Janis was confused but let Silonez continue. "Best guess is there's three Romulan war birds out there waiting for us, this ship is no match for a D'Deridex warbird, maybe a Norexan, we're in deep, and its going to be the longest day for this ship."

Janis couldn't formulate a response, she knew that silonez was half right, but who knows what could happen. she just sat across from him and looked down at the damage control screen and waited for the inevitable flury of reports.

[Ready Room]

Da`nal grinned and look our the port towards the repair yard were the Ashton was no doubt as hectic as the Freedom. In a hushed voice he returned her toast. "Qapla ra'wl' (Success Commander). Look to the young officer still standing in his ready room. "Take a seat Lieutenant."

"Computer open a secure channel to Station Operations."

"Channel Open."

As the Channel opened Commande Davies voice filled the room, but it was not the Freedom he was addressing.

"Attention all decks. We are now at a full red alert. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill. All civilian personnel are to report to the central hub for safety. All crew are relieved of off duty status and you are to report to your department for further instruction. People of Deep Space 5, we are about to come under attack and we are to stand unified against this incursion onto our station. Good luck, Commander David Davies."

Muting his end of the comm he looked into the eyes staring at him. "Seal all exterior hatches and clear all moorings. Then move the ship clear our our docking bay and bring th ship to Red Alert. All technicans still aboard are to return to their assigned areas to man any empty station and assist Engineering and Damage Control parties."

Without another word he turned back to the comm panel on the desk and unmuted the connection. "Lt. Cmdr Da`nal to Cmdr Davies. I have arrived and assumed command of the USS Freedom."

As he waited for the reply he prepared himself for battle.

 

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