Eye Spy
Posted on Fri Jul 2nd, 2021 @ 12:43am by Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell & Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Lieutenant Chester "Duo" Maxwell & Commander Dean House & Lieutenant Commander Thriss Kla'ren & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali & Lieutenant JG Avarak
Mission:
Gamma Quadrant
Location: In the depths of the Gamma Quadrant
Timeline: Current
The First of the Jem Hadar vessel was not happy. It had taken them days to track the Bajoran freighter, the last known remnants of the New Bajor colony - the last blight on their record of total annihilation of the planet. They would not stop until the freighter was destroyed. He stalked around the bridge of the warship, barking orders as though he had a personal stake in the matter. With the dissolution of the Dominion, the Vorta were few and far between, the Founders were finding some new meaning of life in the Great Link - leaving the Jem Hadar to find 'something to do. Patrolling the small territory was not the work of warriors.
" I have found it, hiding in a crater on the 3rd moon of the 5th planet" The Third announced, thankful to have some progress made else he might be executed for not finding it fast enough.
" Set a course, arm weapons. They shall not escape us this time" The First replied with conviction. The battle was his to be won.
Meanwhile on the bridge of the USS Sunfire
"I'm getting a distress signal. Message only." Dean read it over. "They're being hunted by a Jem'Hadar ship..no two Fighter 'bug' class ships."
"On viewscreen with a tactical overlay" The Sunfire's Captain ordered, rising from her command chair to approach the viewscreen. There was a Jem Hadar ship, obviously hunting something or someone, closing in on one of the moons in the nearby system.
Dean looked a little confused, "I thought that said two ships, not one."
" Are you picking up any energy signatures from that moon?" Rhenora asked, pointing to one particular moon.
An alert popped up on Avarak’s screen. “Captain, I am detecting some residual energy signatures but I can’t quite tell exactly what it is. It could be a ship.”
Out of the blue the Bajoran freighter rose from the moon, their hiding place discovered, meager weapons firing as they went.
" All hands, Red Alert, Helm - move us towards that freighter, let's give the Jem Hadar something bigger to pick a fight with" Rhenora ordered with conviction.
Arriving on the bridge Aurora turned to look at the viewscreen “I sensed we weren’t alone.” She made her way over to her chair.
Lieutenant Kla'ren was down in engineering working on the transwarp drive when the red alert klaxons went off. "Alright, folks this is the real deal. This is not a drill. Computer, raise force-field around the warp core." The Andorian said as the warp core was soon surrounded with the force-field. While he wasn't on the bridge, he could only assume it was because of the Jem'Hadar.
Duo was in his office when the klaxons began to sound. He stood up and armed himself with a Type 3 phaser and headed to the turbolift on Deck 6 so he could be ready to deploy where he was needed the most.
Savar began to scan the Jem'Hadar ship and come up with an analysis should the Captain require one.
She was sitting in her room, supposed to be off-duty, the book in her hand an easy read on positive and negative charged ions in a quantum state of fractal flux. When the red alert siren blared, she rolled her eyes with a sigh. There was no way in hell she was going to allow an enemy the chance to destroy or disrupt the work she and Lt. Avarak had been working on. As she headed out the door, destination CORE, she grabbed her targeting orb for extra protection.
Dean glanced up from his station on the Bridge, "Weapons all set, shields up, ma'am."
Avarak stood silently at his Science console. He remembered the last time he was at this very console when they encountered the Jem’Hadar and how it ended with him having to engage in hand-to-hand combat on the bridge. While that might have only been a simulation, it was still one that he was not eager to repeat.
Rhenora sat in her command chair, taking a deep breath and focusing her energy on the task at hand. This was going to get tricky. Technically they weren't in Dominion space - yet, but that could be a technicality if they'd expanded their claimed space recently and news hadn't trickled back to the Federation.
Picking a fight with the home dog in the home dog's own backyard was never wise.
"Tactical - give us some options. Maxwell - deploy internal security measures. Avarak - see if you can find some way of getting through their shields" She rattled off orders and waited for the Jem Hadar to hail them.
"Given there's two of them..that's going to be a little different now. We could back off a bit and bait them. You know they would rather a good fight first, then go for the Bajoran ship after..they think they can deal with us easily. They've not exactly seen the upgrades to this class." Dean suggested.
Savar glanced up from his console as Aurora appeared on the bridge. "Aurora, you should not be here. Your place is with Sidak." He stated calmly. even as he monitored the Sunfire's systems and the Jem'Hadar ship before them.
Aurora looked towards her husband, his comment had obviously struck a nerve as the gaze she gave him was purely one of annoyance. Turning around she said nothing more as she left the bridge.
Dean glanced over at what Aurora said before she sat down. Bit happy to see her since she helped them back on that planet. Helped him. Interjecting, if she'd stop, "Lieutenant Vali..if you'd wait." Looking to Savar and Rhenora, "We haven't even mentioned anything to her and she can tell. I won't fathom to know why she should not be up here, however. I think she can be of help."
Avarak worked furiously at his station, trying to find a solution to their problem. “Captain, I might not be able to get through their shields but I believe if we fire a phased antitetryon beam at the following location,” Avarak forwarded the location to tactical of the Jem’Hadar ship’s man sensor emitter, “should trigger a feedback loop in their energy systems. It won’t disable them, but it will drain much of their energy.”
"We still don't have eyes on the second Jem Hadar ship, I need to know where it's hiding. We could be walking into a trap" The Captain cautioned, her voice a little more tense than before.
"I know, Captain. Maybe they are still behind the moon in a shadow, which is masking it from our sensors." Dean started to look in those directions, "I'm sure with us being seen it will come out. However, the Jem'Hadar are known for pincer moves. Or straight up kamakaze."
Aurora looked towards Rhenora, in the long run the decision would be hers as to whether or not she remained on the bridge. “Captain?”
"It's your choice whether you wish to stay here and help out or return to your son. You're technically on leave so you can do as you wish" Rhenora replied calmly, not wanting to get involved in a personal dispute between the couple. She turned her attention back to the viewscreen, trying to find the second Jem Hadar vessel.
" Alright team, we go in, take up a position between the one we can see and the freighter. Avarak, set up the antitetyron beam and advise when ready" She instructed, gripping the armrest of her chair a little tighter - things were about to get bumpy.
Aurora understood Rhenora’s unwillingness to get in the middle of a disagreement, she felt she had little choice so she nodded and headed off the bridge to go back to her son.
As Aurora left the bridge, Savar realized he had overstepped his concern for her. Tapping his combadge, he spoke softly, "Aurora, I apologize. Your presence is required on the bridge and I would be most grateful if you would return."
Standing in the turbolift Aurora wiped away a few emotional tears before tapping her comm badge. “I’m on my way” halting the lift she had it return to the bridge, when it stopped she stepped out and silently walked across to her seat once again.
Savar turned his head as Aurora stepped back onto the bridge and made her way back to her seat. He nodded at her presence and silently mouthed "thank you." He then spoke to her again. "Are you sensing anything Counselor?"
Aurora’s own emotions were getting in the way, taking a moment she put her emotions aside letting her Vulcan half out for an airing. “I’ve been sensing the ships that are on screen. The people on the freighter are terrified.”
" I'm sure they would be, being hunted by the Jem Hadar is never a good experience," Rhenora said grimly as the Sunfire moved into a protective position. Like a mother protecting her innocent child, the Sunfire was large enough to block the physical view of the freighter from the Jem'hadar ship. She was graceful, yet full of teeth.
"Hail the lead Jem Hadar"
Dean nodded a little and pressed a few buttons, "Hailed."
"Are you sensing anything from the Jem'Hadar Aurora?" Savar asked.
Aurora frowned. “I can but... they’re extremely well controlled, it’s difficult for me to get a good sense.”
"Take your time Aurora and continue to monitor them," Savar replied.
“Yes Sir” Aurora nodded.
After working furiously, or one could say furiously logically, Avarak had finally configured the antitetryon beam. He was impressed by how much he could do from his lone station on the bridge. “Captain, the antitetryon beam is ready to fire on your mark.”
" Good work Leuitenant, hold for now." The Captain smiled at the new science officer. She rose and addressed the Jem Hadar First as he appeared on the viewscreen.
" The Federation has no authority here" The First sneered as he addressed the Starfleet Captain.
" The Federation does not take kindly to some of its' citizens being hunted" Rhenora replied back, the ice in her voice evident " We can end this without bloodshed, stand down, release the freighter and we can be on our way"
"You are mistaken, stand down or be destroyed" The First closed the channel and the Jem Hadar armed their weapons.
"Well that went well" Rhenora grumbled to herself as she returned to her command chair. All hell was about to break loose.
“They’re hell bent on getting that freighter Captain”:Aurora looked worriedly at Rhenora, her mind turned to her son suddenly afraid of what might happen next.
"Captain." Savar's cool unruffled voice sounded next to her. "The jem'Hadars shields are on a auto modulating cycle with a gap of o.9865 seconds between the new shield frequency. We could beam someone off that bridge." He left the rest unsaid.
"Work with the transporter room and give it a try, it may save some bloodshed, in the meantime, hail the Bajoran ship and tell him to run if the Jem Hadar engaged us first" Rhenora ordered.
"Yes Captain." Savar replied as he contacted the freighter and gave them instructions on what to do. He next contacted the transporter and conversed with them for several moments. When he closed the com, he spoke to Rhenora, "Transporter room says it can be done Captain."
Dean made a little bit of a face, "Do we believe that they would really care about one of the soldiers being over here. They ram ships into others to win." Giving a shrug, "Just saying."
" I realise that, but if we can disorientate them by taking their commanding officer, it may give the Bajoran ship a few minutes to make their escape" Rhenora explained. She knew the chances were small, but she had to try non-violence first.
“After what they did to Betazed...” Aurora stepped away from her seat and made her way around to where Savar was. “I’m staying well out of the way.”
"A very prudent and logical idea Aurora. Stay here." He said getting up out of XO's seat "Sit here, I will stand as it will be more to defend you and the others by standing." Savar answered.
Aurora nodded, her husband’s advice was sound. “Thank you” She offered a smile as she took his seat.
Savar slipped his hand down to hers and gave a gentle squeeze. "You are welcome Aurora."
TBC
