Pirates!
Posted on Sun May 3rd, 2026 @ 10:01pm by Commander Jenna Ramthorne & Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell & Remal Kajun & Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Commander Dean House & Lieutenant Commander Thriss Kla'ren & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali & Lieutenant JG Jacob Rosen & Lieutenant JG Micheal Stevens & Lieutenant JG T'Lar & Lieutenant JG Olivia Voight & Commander Jennifer Baldric
2,465 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Beholder
Location: USS Sunfire
Timeline: Current
“The most dangerous moment isn’t the attack… it’s the instant before, when you think you’re untouchable.”
The USS Sunfire eased away from the inner cluster, thrusters whispering in careful bursts as she turned to leave the asteroid field behind her. Her silhouette slipped between drifting stone, each movement measured, each adjustment deliberate as she navigated the narrowing gaps. The field pressed close around her, uneven and cluttered, a place that demanded patience. Beyond it, the remains of the old trader outpost hung in the distance, its structure fractured and hollow, a carcass of metal left to drift in quiet decay. It lingered there, silent and watchful, a monument to something long abandoned.
Fine impacts traced across the Sunfire’s shields, faint pulses of contact that shimmered and faded in steady rhythm. The pattern carried a subtle persistence, each strike landing with quiet precision, spreading across the shield envelope in a way that felt almost intentional. The ship registered the contact and adjusted as designed, routing energy where needed, maintaining integrity through constant, disciplined correction.
The tachyon grid wove through the asteroid field in delicate strands, a lattice of invisible energy that bent space in faint distortions. Its pulses carried a steady cadence, cycling with quiet purpose, extending through the debris with a patience that suggested design rather than chance. Each oscillation aligned with the motion of the surrounding fragments, drawing them into a slow, coordinated drift.
The asteroids responded in kind. Clusters shifted in subtle alignment, their movement guided by the rhythm of the grid. The impacts against the Sunfire’s shields carried more than force. They delivered structure, microscopic constructs that spread along the shield boundary in silent coordination. The energy field adapted with each contact, its strength redistributed, its balance gradually altered as the pattern deepened.
The change unfolded with quiet precision. Power flowed where it was needed, then flowed again, redirected and rebalanced in an effort to maintain stability. The ship’s systems compensated with disciplined efficiency, drawing from reserves, reinforcing key points, sustaining the illusion of control as the underlying structure shifted beneath them.
Behind the derelict outpost, motion stirred.
Engines awakened in low, controlled output, their emissions held close, contained within the shadow of the broken station. Two Nausicaan raiders slid free from the structure’s silhouette, their hulls dark against the field as they angled toward the Sunfire’s exposed vector. Weapon systems came online in sequence, their readiness building with quiet inevitability as they moved into position.
On their bridges, anticipation gathered.
Clawed hands rested against controls with restrained focus, eyes fixed on the Federation vessel as its energy signature began to soften. The readings shifted in small increments, then deeper, the drain compounding as the nanite constructs spread across the shield envelope in widening patterns.
The tachyon grid pulsed again. The asteroids shifted once more. And the Sunfire dimmed, her power draining.
The change moved across her in gradual measure, light receding in quiet increments, shield harmonics faltering as their balance gave way to the growing interference. Systems responded with continued precision, drawing power, redistributing load, maintaining structure through practiced design even as the underlying drain tightened its hold.
Energy thinned. Flow constricted. Control narrowed.
The ship drifted forward on her last vector, momentum carrying her through the field as her systems strained to maintain cohesion. The design around her had already anticipated each adjustment, each correction folding back into the pattern that held her in place.
From the shadow of the outpost, the raiders advanced. They closed the distance with measured intent, weapon arrays aligned, their focus sharpened on the vessel caught within the web.
The hunt had begun.
U.S.S. Sunfire
Bonnie’s console alerted her, small notifications at first, then more as deeper losses refused to stabilize. She leaned in, watching power levels dip and redistribute in ways that felt like something external taking hold. “Captain…” she started, quieter now, her voice threading through the growing tension on the bridge, “I am reading a drain on our power grid.”
Her fingers moved faster, attempting to isolate the source as the drain intensified, the ship’s responses growing sharper, more urgent as they fought to compensate. “It is not just the shields,” Bonnie continued, the realization settling in as she pulled the data together. “Primary power is dropping across all decks. Something is bleeding energy directly out of the system.” She swallowed once, steadying her tone as the implications took shape. “It is a dampening field… and it is spreading.”
" What's the cause?" Rhenora asked, not too sharply as to offend but enough to make the urgency felt. The shields fell first, followed by the weapons systems, warp core, engines, and life support. The bridge was plunged into darkness for an instant before the harsh red glow of emergency lighting took over.
"The Tachyon grid. Best guess, the asteroids... or nanites... triggered the Tachyon grid. Power is being siphoned into the asteroid field." Bonnie reported just before her console went dark.
" Whatever we've got left - split it between life support and the shields - I have a feeling this is intentional..." Rhenora ordered.
Savar spoke from Rhenora's side. "Recommend we go to battle stations, Captain. I realize it is purely for effect but it will alert the crew and security to heightened awareness. Also suggest we arm the bridge crew in case of borders."
Jenna's Conn station flickered and went offline. "Helm control is offline." She turned, "But just before it went out I spotted two incoming signatures on sensors. They were not there before."
"All hands, red alert, Battle stations!" Kaylen snapped without hesitation, wondering just what power they had left to fight with.
Jacob's entire Ops Console winked out with fizzle being echoed through most stations around the bridge. The ever present hum through the deck plating beginning to dissipate as he pulled up his PaDD, searching for the last scrap of sensor data. Furrowing his brows an incredibly stupid idea formed in his mind.
"Captain, I believe if we can manually kickstart the deflector with a high-frequency pulse we can disrupt the tachyon array long enough to jump away." Jacob said standing, a grave look on his face banishing his usual overly jovial attitude. "Requesting permission to EVA."
"That's an extreme high risk IF there Jacob" Rhenora cautioned as the emergency lights deepened to a more red alert tone - the ship's interior was cast into shadow. " Is there an alternative - cos we've got two raiders in bound and some crazy asteroids that seem to be sucking our power. I don't really want to risk having someone outside when it all turns to pot."
Jacob sat back down, attempting to keep the uneasy feeling of being unable to impact the situation at bay. Memories of being cornered by Jem'Hadar rising to the surface. Pushing them back down and returning his focus to where he was and what he was doing, Jacob looked back to Rhenora. "Aye, Captain. I understand."
Jenna pushed herself up from the darkened Conn station, red emergency lighting carving sharp shadows across the lines of her face as another warning tone echoed uselessly through the powerless bridge. Her attention settled on Jacob first.
“The Captain’s right,” she said evenly. “That walk comes with more potential risk than reward.” Her gaze shifted briefly toward the darkened systems around them. “There are three external interlocks on the deflector assembly. All three would require manual adjustment before a restart pulse could even cycle through the dish.”
For a moment she said nothing more, weighing the reality of it against the silence settling into the ship. “If it comes to that,” Jenna continued, quieter now, “I’ll gladly take that walk with Jacob.” Her eyes moved toward Bonnie, still illuminated by the dying glow of her console. “And just in case…” A faint, grim edge touched her voice. “We could take Bonnie with us.”
Bonnie looked up so fast she nearly smacked the side of her console. “Eep." The tiny sound barely escaped her before the Sunfire violently shuddered beneath their feet.
The impact slammed across the hull from port to starboard with enough force to throw several officers sideways. The deck lurched. Somewhere below, metal groaned in long, tortured complaint as structural supports absorbed the strike. A shower of sparks burst from an overhead panel near Tactical, drawing sharp curses from one of the junior officers as smoke curled into the dim bridge air.
"Tactical - report! What hit us?" Rhenora barked, wanting to know if it was the raiders or not.
"Captain, I can reroute emergency power to the weapons and sensors, but I need to do it from the junction on deck 4," Baldric piped up, and earned a nod from the Captain. With the ship on minimal power, the turbolifts were useless. She ran to the nearest JTube and began climbing.
T'Lar picked herself up off the deck and retook her station. She was bruised but otherwise unhurt.
"Captain, if I may. I believe I would be a better choice to accompany Lieutenant Rosen and Commander Ramthorne on the EVA. Commander Durnell's expertise is needed here on the bridge, and I am non-essential to bridge operations..." T'Lar observed.
Bonnie nodded her thanks at Lieutenant T'Lar and her suggestion to take Bonnie's place. It was just enough to settle her stomach at the very thought of a space walk.
Savar had moved to the small weapons locker located on the bridge and withdrew several phasers, he took one, gave one to Rhenora, another to House, and one more to T'Lar. It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
"At this stage, no one's going outside whilst we have two raiders breathing down our necks," Rhenora said firmly as she accepted the phaser from Savar and holstered it by her hip.
"Switch viewscreen to visual and pan to the raiders" she instructed. Wanting eyes on their enemy even if it was only visual without the data of the sensors.
I.S.S. Sunfire - Mirror Universe Vessel
MU Jennifer stalked onto the transporter platform, uniform and hair impeccable, attitude anything but. She had a job to do - and it was going to be delicious in it's execution.
"Ready"
The transporter operator glanced up from his console, “Prime Sunfire shield grid is fluctuating,” he reported. “Interference pattern is opening gaps through their dorsal coverage.” His eyes flicked once toward the display, confirming the timing. “Window is viable for transport. I'm dropping you in as close as possible to her last known location.”
A soft burst of static crackled overhead before Bonnie’s voice slipped through the comm system, smooth and controlled beneath the tension. “Baldric,” she said, each word precise, “you have ten minutes. Maximum.” A faint pause followed as if she were recalculating even while speaking. “After that, their systems will alert them to your presence.”
Jennifer smirked faintly at the warning, rolling one shoulder as the transporter field began to hum around her boots.
On the bridge, Remal stood motionless beneath the dim tactical glow, eyes fixed on the drifting telemetry of the crippled Federation vessel. The silence stretched for a moment longer before he spoke. “Initiate transport.” The order carried cleanly through the channel.
The operator’s hand dropped to the control surface. Energy surged upward in sharp columns of pale light, swallowing Baldric’s form piece by piece until the platform stood empty once more. For a moment, only the low vibration of the transporter coils remained.
Bonnie’s voice returned a second later, quieter now, touched with the faintest trace of amusement. “Think she survives?”
Remal’s jaw flexed once as he watched the tactical display update. “If she succeeds, we gain a door.” A breath passed through the silence. “If she fails,” he continued, calm and exact, “we lose nothing.”
U.S.S. Sunfire
Baldric shot out into the corridor like a rocket on a mission as she bolted towards the junction room. Her legs burned from the climb but they desperately needed to see who or what was firing at them. The ship bucked again, lurching as though heavily drunk and tripping over nothing. She hung onto a doorframe then saw a transporter beam, and then a direct copy of herself beam in.
"What the..." she started before moving to raise the alarm.
"Oh no you don't" MU Baldric snapped, and raised her weapon, shooting her in the hand.
MU Baldric stalked over and slapped a tracker on the other woman, watching her disappear into a cylinder of sparkles.
"Now, time to get stuff done."
I.S.S. Sunfire - Mirror Universe Vessel
Prime Baldric hit the transporter pad hard, one knee striking the deck before she caught herself with her uninjured hand, breath ragged from pain and surprise alike. The brig shimmered around her in cold blue force-fields and dark metal, the reality of where she had landed settling in all at once.
Two Nausicaan guards rose immediately from their posts, heavy boots thundering against the deck as disruptors leveled toward her chest. The transporter operator glanced up from his station with visible satisfaction. “Transfer complete,” he announced. “Prime counterpart secured.”
On the bridge, Bonnie confirmed the tracker’s signal now pulsing from somewhere deep inside the crippled Federation vessel. “Their Baldric is aboard,” she reported calmly. “Our Baldric is in position.”
Remal inclined his head once, slow and deliberate, as though another piece had simply settled where it belonged. His attention lingered on the tactical display for only a moment longer, watching the spreading chaos inside the asteroid field unfold exactly as intended. Then he turned away from it.
“Helm,” he continued, turning back toward the main display as if the engagement behind them had already concluded, “resume course.” A brief pause, measured. Final. “We have a prize to deliver.”
The stars shifted. The ship aligned. And without ceremony, without hesitation, the I.S.S. Sunfire slipped to warp, leaving the darkness behind to finish what had been started.
U.S.S. Sunfire
MU Baldric looked around, thinking about how she would take over the delicious ship from the inside out. Firstly, she had to drop what was left of the Sunfire's shields. Emergency controls were close by, one mistaken power coupling rerouted, and the ship would be defenseless.
"Now, time for part one of the Prime takedown," she murmured, yanking open the conduit panel and inspecting the circuits. A small toolkit was nearby, and she grabbed the recoupler, and demolished the power coupling. A surge of energy blossomed outward, knocking her backward with an unexpected yelp.
The ship plunged into darkness, and the chaos began.
TBC
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