The Search Within the Search pt4
Posted on Thu Sep 23rd, 2021 @ 2:18am by Captain Rhenora Kaylen & Commander Finchley Kerr & Commander Savar cha'Salik hei-Surak Talek-sen-deen & Lieutenant Commander Bonnie "Bon-Bon" Durnell & Commander Dean House & Lieutenant Commander Aurora Vali
Mission:
Gamma Quadrant
Location: Gamma Quadrant - Ion Cloud
Timeline: Current
[USS Sunfire bridge]
Captain Kaylen Rhenora bristled as the Gul closed the channel with a look that could only be called smug. They were up to something and she wouldn't let them get away with whatever it was they were going to attempt.
" Alright Team, we have a number of Cardassian ships in that ion cloud, looking for something. Looks like they may have found it. Track their movements and extrapolate their destination. Tactical get whatever you can from the sensors and the probes we launched. Helm plot a pursuit course." Rhenora returned to her command chair, blood pulsing through her veins - the chase was on.
"Yes, Ma'am." Giving a glance down at the movement data, "At least we know if they are just Hideki-class. Normal compliment is just a crew of three. Typically only two phaser arrays and one torpedo launcher. They can jam subspace frequencies however.
“Maybe but they can’t jam my senses” Aurora looked at Rhenora, “There’s another ship out there, I’m more sure of that now than ever! I can sense those onboard.”
Savar moved to stand alongside his wife. "Aurora, you say you can sense those individuals onboard another ship. what are you sensing? Fear? Desperation? "
Rhenora let the energy on the bridge sink into her mind, allowing the shared passion of the crew to fuel her thinking. Finchley had said the Cardassians were looking for two Bajoran ships, the number and type of ships searching supported that theory. The biggest question was why. The poor Bajorans would be terrified, just as the freighter crew they had rescued the previous week had been. The hunt was on.
" Helm, move us along side the Gul's ship, match course and speed, he could take us on a trip around the countryside but the other ships would still be tracking....." The Captain ordered.
Meanwhile the two Bajoran ships were holed up in some large craters on an asteroid, trying to hide their engine emissions and trying desperately to stay alive. Things were grim - the Cardassians were heading straight for them. Heads down they cut all power and prayed for the Prophets to deliver them swiftly and painlessly.
To get a better sense and answer her husband’s query Aurora had let her mental defenses lower. She gasped her eyes filling with tears, her hands trembling with fear as she was hit by waves and waves of powerful emotion.
Savar silently placed a hand on Aurora's shoulders to steady her as she scanned for and picked up emotions from another ship's crew and passengers somewhere within in the ion cloud.
Rhenora watched, gauging Aurora's reaction and correlating it with her own information.
“So much fear...pain...desperation!!” Aurora snapped herself out of it as tears ran down her cheeks. “I...I’m sorry. They’re....terrified”
"Thank you Aurora. You have provided us with needed answers." Savar replied to her as he turned to face Rhenora. "Captain, I believe it is imperative we find the ship and crew Aurora has scanned before a disaster occurs."
Dean looked to Aurora, glancing down a moment, mostly just with his eyes. Given she was a friend and he didn't like seeing her like that. "I'm working on it as fast as I can. If.." Cutting himself off. More work for the moment than talk. The probe was still out there. He could, did, interlink it with the ship.
Shouldn't do this but it was faster if he did it. Bypassing Science for the moment. Isolating the search grid and then altering the ionized impulse trails and the timeline that the probe detected the signatures before the Bajoran ships shut themselves down.
Giving a glance up quickly, "I've got them, both ships." Dean, didn't wait, "Heading 94 mark 216, 3 million kilometers."
"Helm, get us there first and assume a defensive posture, I'm sure the Cardassian's won't be happy about it" Rhenora rose to her feet again, unable to sit still.
"I would suggest red alert, ma'am. By now they've called for more ships and not near as piddily as a Hideki class. Even four of those we could take on with moderate damage. Just one Galor would be a bit of a tussle. A Keldon, particularly if it's one that the Romulan's fitted with a cloaking device during the war, would easily give us one hell of a run for our money." Dean took a breath, "Our best bet is to be ready for anything and everything, even a trap."
[Arngard bridge]
"There, the asteroid straight ahead Gul, that's where the Bajoran ships are, both of them" Topar said.
"Open communications to the other two ships, tell them to assume attack formation" Traman called out.
"Yes Gul!" the Trooper at communications called back, setting swiftly to their task.
"The Federation ship is trying to get there first Sir, but they won't make it, we'll be there just before them" Topar called out.
"Good...good" Traman answered "Open disruptor ports, lock onto the closest Bajoran vessel, tell the Galander and K'inodo to target the second vessel!"
The Cardassian ships tore in at speed towards the asteroid, but then a shock surprise presented itself.
[USS Patterson bridge]
"NOW MR HARGRIEVES!" Captain Anderson shouted.
Climbing majestically over the top of the asteroid, the USS Patterson came out of silent running and sped towards the lead Cardassian ship.
"Target the lead ship, fire all forward phasers" Anderson called out "then when we pass, fore aft torpedo's!"
[Arngard bridge]
"GUL, there's another Federation ship!!! it's on a direc.." Topar began, but that's all he got out before phaser fire slammed into the Arngard and violently shook the bridge, throwing all there onto the deck. Consoles blew, beams fell, Troopers and Officers alike yelled and screamed as flames engulfed the bridge area.
The ship veered away from the asteroid like a puppet that had just had it's strings cut.
" Risa, scramble the fighters, get out there and defend those Bajoran ships" Rhenora ordered as she watched the interchange between what she assumed was the Patterson and the Cardassian ships. The problem was, she had concerns about the Patterson's Captain and his agenda. At this point in time though he was assisting ships in distress and had done nothing untoward. The Sunfire slid alongside the remaining Cardassian ships, easily dwarfing them in size as though her mere presence would deter them from trying anything further.
-TAGS RISA-
"Maintain red alert, let's just wait and see what they do next" The Captain returned to her command chair, breathing a sigh of relief that the Bajoran ships were still in tact and had not been blown to smithereens.
[USS Patterson bridge]
"The lead Cardassian ships shields are down Sir" Commander Thomson reported "they're engines are down to, she's done!"
Mark Anderson leapt from his Command chair and said "Get us alongside that ship, Commander, have an away team assemble in transporter room one immediately, get down there and board that vessel, you know what to do!"
"Aye Sir" Thomson replied, relaying his Captains orders and leaving the bridge straight away.
"Comm's, open a link to the other Federation ship" Anderson ordered.
A nod from the Lieutenant at Comm's said he could talk.
"This is Captain Mark Anderson to Star Fleet vessel, sorry about the surprise if it was one, we had to wait till the last second before we could make our presence known. We're going to put an away team onto secure Cardassian ship we took out to secure it then we'll be right back with you. We're also sending you information from the two Bajoran vessels on the asteroid, regarding who's onboard each of them."
He nodded to the Comm's officer "Send it now Lieutenant Baxter!"
The channel appeared to close the moment Anderson stopped speaking, leaving Rhenora no chance to respond. She had no reason to prevent him boarding the Cardassian ship, although Finchley had warned her about his 'stability'.
" Ops, keep a count on the Cardassian lifesigns on that Cardassian ship, if you see any of them diminish, beam the lot of them here, leave the Patterson's away team though..."
[Arngard bridge]
The transporter beam dissipated and the Patterson's away team quickly checked around for any movement, there was none.
"Life signs?" Thomson asked.
The Security Ensign next to him took out a tricorder and began scanning three sixty around the damaged bridge.
"Five Sir" she replied.
"Saw, check them over, make sure they're well enough to go" Thomson said to the Medical Officer with him.
"Aye Sir" he replied and within moments he added, they're all safe to go Sir.
"Good, attach a badge to each one" Thomson told the Security Officer. She did as she was asked and reported "All done Commander."
Thomson tapped his own COMM badge and said "Thomson to Patterson, we're ready to beam back, directly to sick bay."
Within another few moments, the blue haze of a transporter beam shone out then faded, taking everyone back to the Patterson.
Rhenora listened as the bridge crew reported the Cardassians had been beamed to the Patterson. It left the Sunfire Captain in a tricky situation - she doesn't entirely trust Captain Anderson due to Finchley's recent experience, but she no reason to not trust his words at face value either. For now - they would simply have to wait and see.
The fighter squadron had set up a defensive perimeter around the Bajoran ships, who's readings had remained stable over the last few minutes. Could they get through the next few minutes without all hell breaking loose?
[USS Patterson bridge]
Commander Thomson entered the bridge from the turbolift and went directly to his CO "I have the information Sir."
"Give it to the Communications officer" Anderson replied.
Nodding, Thomson did as he was ordered then said "They have it Sir."
"Open communications to the other two Cardassian ships!" Anderson said.
Moments later the Communications officer reported "Comm's open Captain."
"This is Captain Anderson of the USS Patterson to Cardassian vessels. I have Gul Traman and his crew in custody, unless you stand down immediately, they will be summarily tried for crimes and unwarranted attacks against the Federation and it's allies and sentence passed and carried out. You have one minute to follow out this order, no further communication will be made."
He nodded to Communications to close the link and waited.
Ten seconds went by, then twenty, thirty, forty and just as it came to the fifty second mark, the Tactical officer said "Sir, the Cardassian ships have pulled back, they've powered down their weapons and are now stationary."
"Good!" Anderson replied.
Looking at Comm's again he said "Open up a link to the other Federation ship."
Once the link was established he said "This is Captain Anderson of the USS Patterson. The remaining two Cardassian ships have powered down their weapons and are stationary, their yours to deal with. We've carried out our orders and will be on our way, Anderson out."
"Helm, new course, one one eight, mark one three six, warp five once we leave this ion cloud."
"Aye Sir, course laid in, warp five once we leave the ion cloud" the Helm replied.
The USS Patterson made it's way way from the scene of the skirmish and out of the ion cloud, once into open space, it warped away.
[ USS Sunfire Bridge ]
Aurora looked at Savar then at Rhenora. “Well that was direct and to the point, the Captain doesn’t hang around much.”
" We have no option but to let him go and hope he follows the principles he swore an oath to" Rhenora said sagely, looking at what was left before them. Two Cardassian ships, two Bajoran ships being guarded by the Sunfire's fighters, and who knows how many Cardassian reinforcements were on their way.
" Helm, move us to within beaming distance of the Bajoran ships. Commander Savar - organise two away teams to retrieve the Bajorans and beam then back to the ship" The Captain ordered, settling into her command chair again. The sooner they could rescue the Bajorans, the sooner they could get out of here.
