The Hunt - Part 1

Posted on 27 Sep 2010 @ 8:31pm by Commodore Da`nal of the House of Varal & Colonel Stadi Andrus & Captain Antonio Vazquez & Captain Reva Madhava

1,527 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: M6: Blood of the Innocent
Location: USS Achilles - Saucer Section - Bridge
Timeline: MD: 3, 0800

The Bridge was a bustle with energy as crew prepared to blow up the USS Ballard. The team that went there had collected their samples and uncovered a possible reason for the destruction of the Ballard.....perhaps to stop the peace talks despite the Federation. The other team had meticulously planed the destruction of the Ballard's Saucer. Tika read the report and approved it, now it only had to be carried out.

The turbolift doors opened and Commander Phoenix-Patil stepped out onto the Bridge. She moved toward the center chair and sat down, running her perfectly manicured fingers over the arm rests. "Lieutenant Meru, I'm making you acting Executive officer. Should anything happen on this mission, you will take Command."

Anara nodded, "Understood, Commander." She took her place at the XO station and nodded for Reva to take a seat at the science station. Anara wasn't quite sure why Tika had chosen her over Jessica or Melanie, but she didn't plan on questioning it. Nor was she focusing on it as her fingers flew over her console.

Tika rotated the chair backward, facing Antonio. "Lieutenant...take Tactical will you....isolate the protocols that will allow us to destroy the saucer."

"Aye, Sir" Antonio then stood at Tactical and began initializing the process, accessing ODN commands that would be relayed through the Achilles' system into the Ballard's. "And...ready."

"Good..." Tika said, standing and walking over to the operations console. "Excuse me, Ensign." She said as she put her hand on the board giving the commands that would set off the Ballard's explosion.

On the viewscreen, the burned and battered galaxy class saucer ignited in a bright show of lights as she denigrated in plain sight. Eventually, what used to be a large and majestic starship, was not scattering dust.

Tika moved back and allowed Logan to take her station again. "You've isolated the warp trail of the attacking ship, right Ensign?"

"Yes ma'am, had that isolated earlier. The trail heads out toward the neighboring star system. Towards the Barathan asteroids."

"Wasn't that a former base of operations for the Larucians before the peace talks?" Tika asked taking her seat in the Command chair once more.

Jess tucked a few loose hairs behind her ear. "Correct. According to the reports the Larucian terrorist factions had used the asteroid belts there as a base of operations. I know that we've gotten several conflicting bits of evidence but its possible that there could be an extremist group that is still operating there."

Tika nodded. "Sounds like the most logical explanation....best way to find out is to see for ourselves..Helm, set a course. Warp 6." she ordered.

"Aye, Captain." Gant replied, setting the ordered course, though he had a damned bad feeling about this.

<<>>

Berathan Asteroid belts

[Old Larucan terrorist base]

Treyvan had finally finished preparing the facility. ~almost ready my ass...~, he thought as he set the last of the explosives. The detonation should not only blow he base but the ship as well.

After checking everything one last time he set the timer and started up his ship to leave. His pre-flight was brief and soon he was once maneuvering the asteroid belt. Suddenly his sensors picked up a ship at the very edge of his range. The highly reflective nature of the metals in the these belts often created ghost images but he wasn't taking any chances. Flying in tight to a large asteroid he found a cave from which he could observe the approach to the base. If someone WAS coming he could watch them visually and still remain hidden.

[Achilles Saucer Bridge]

"Take us out of warp." Tika ordered. "Ensign Madhava, scan the system. Our sensors will have a bit of trouble penetrating the radiation from the asteroid belt, but we should see what we can find."

Even before the ship dropped from warp, Antonio was using the long range sensors to watch for any potential dangers to the Achilles. While the ship as a whole was tactically superior to most anything around, they weren't whole. The Achilles saucer section was the least armed of the ships three sections... so the last thing he wanted was to fall into an ambush, and the asteroids ahead were perfect for that very thing.

As soon as the ship had dropped from warp, Madhava ran a scan. At first, it came back as gibberish. She refined it and, after a long moment, finally reported, "There's a lot of interference, Ma'am, but the sensors indicate a non-natural structure on an asteroid... here." She switched the view on the main viewer to an overview of the asteroid belt. One rock was highlighted in red.

Tika winced at the screen. "Is that the base?"

"That's where it is, yes, Ma'am. From this distance, we can't get an accurate read on any weapons or signs of life," the Science Ensign added.

"Take us in then. Get us at least close enough to read what's on that base." Tika said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Aye, Commander," following the LC's orders without challenging them, Reva sent the asteroid's coordinates, speed, and trajectory to the helmsman. Glancing at Antonio, she renewed the ship's sensors' sensitivity and sifted through the ghost readings coming from other rocks in the belt. Some info, that which didn't look like ghost readings, she sent to Antonio's console.

Upon receiving the additional science data, Antonio integrated the data. Even with the additional data the sensors were having a difficult time. "Commander, even with the computer compensating for duplicate imagery, its going to be 'very' difficult to detect anything in there. "Recommend we maintain line of sight on anything we want to examine."

"Commander," Reva spoke up as the saucer delved deeper into the belt, "The radiation is polydysmorphic. It'll interfere with shields, most of our sensors and maybe weapons. The hull plating and coating should withstand the radiation without shields for up to twenty minutes.

"Agreed." Tika said. "Bring us in close.. away team prepare for transport."


[Kyari henchman]

Treyvan maintained his position and cut his ships power, waiting for the Federation ship to make its move. He glanced at his timer to see how much time was left until detonation.

The Federation ship continued to move towards the station, but the rotation of the asteroid he was on was turning him towards the station as well. He was going to have to do something but there was no way he stood a chance against that ship.

[Achilles]

Tika looked toward the science and tactical stations. "Any new readings?"

Antonio's fingers continued moving on the console as he studied it. "No change, Commander", he answered, his tone slightly giving away his frustration as he worked to compensate for the radiations effects on the sensor readings. There was no telling what the away team would find on the station.

Tag

[Kyari henchman]

From his position he continued to watch...and wait. He could read the name of the vessel from its hull markings, not that it mattered. Suddenly his screen changed. The ship had lowered its shields. ~Probably going to beam someone over....shit~

He had to work fast!

With speed he hadn't had to use in some time his hand flew over his console. He simultaneously scanned and targeted two of the ships crew as he brought his small ship to full power. Darting from his hiding place he flew straight for and skimmed over the Achilles' hull as he transported his two hostages.


[Achilles]

"Commander, sensors are now detecting the attacking ship's power signature." Continuing to search the asteroids, Antonio sent the data to operations and science.

Receiving the information from Antonio, Reva ramped up her scans of the area. Suddenly, she got a hit: "Sensors report a power surge four kilometers off our port side. We've just been scanned!" Reva glanced at Tika. "Its a sma---," she was about to add more but was suddenly gone in a swirl of transporter harmonics.

Antonio had quickly initiated a red Alert at Reva's report, but it failed to initiate immediately due to the radiation. His head snapped towards the sound of the transporter effect, and he saw Reva being transported away. "Damn!" he growled as he continued pressing at the console.

Tika watched as the woman disappeared from the bridge. She was instantly on her feet. "Red alert! Raise shields! Ensign Logan, can you get a sensor reading on the vessel that just passed?"

As the bridge lighting darkened with the shift to red alert her hand moved over her panel as scanned the ship. "I'm not detecting anything! It appears to be jammed. Lt. Meru can you get anything?!"

Antonio shouted, "Shields are up now and holding!"

Anara shook her head, "No..I'm attempting to bring her back, but she's been pulled in. I can't get a lock. I can't even find her bio signature...I'm trying to find the source of what's blocking the signal." Anara's fingers moved swiftly over her console.

"Transfer all power to engines. Pursuit course, maximum impulse!!!l"

Logan was on the move again as she transferred power, "AYE sir."


TBC

 

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