Shoot Someone Your Own Size

Posted on Sun Sep 11th, 2011 @ 4:15pm by Captain Vorn Krace & Commander Acle Walex & Lieutenant Commander Zim Drex & Lieutenant Elizabeth Lynn & Commander Jordan Gunning

Mission: The Fate of the Swiftsure
Location: USS Iapetus - Bridge
Timeline: MD08 1300hrs

Though most of the ship's senior staff had now gone off-ship, the bridge still remained fully staffed by the duty shift's relief officers, who had each taken over one of the vacant posts. The air on the bridge was one of diligence as the officers went about their duties - many of the relief officers were hoping some day to become department heads in their own right, and Vorn Krace had often noticed how their postures stiffened and their concentration on their tasks increased whenever he was present. Trying to impress the current CO in order to gain a recommendation should any seeking crew inquire, no doubt.

"Status of the shuttles?" Krace asked, turning towards Acle, who was standing near one of the auxiliary consoles at present.

Acle didn't look up from the console as he answered. "All shuttles have cleared the ship and are moving to their destinations." His eyes remained on the console, sometimes manipulating the controls ever so slightly to fine-tune the display screen.

"Excellent, keep a sensor lock on them for as long as we can in this field," the Captain ordered. Turning to the chief engineer, he said "Lieutenant, are the first of the relay probes ready for launch?"

Drex spoke up from the engineering console. "Signal feed is linked into the lateral sensor array." He tapped some buttons and then looked back toward the centre chair. "We're ready sir."

"Send it out then," Krace said, nodding his assent to re-affirm his verbal order. The bridge crew watched on the viewscreen as the probe raced away from the ship, chasing a space between the three departing shuttles. After a few moments of silence, the captain leaned over to the counselor, who had taken a seat in the third of the command chairs at the centre of the bridge, and said quietly;

"What do you think, Counselor? Are we likely to get any help from the locals in finding Varro?"

"I think you'll get about as much help as you have latinum with people like that... Depends on how deep your wallet is, Captain," Elizabeth said with a shrug.

"Figures," Krace responded. "Let's hope they don't crave latinum as much as the Ferengi..."

A series of beeps signaled a proximity alert, cutting the CO off. "Captain, I'm detecting a ship approaching at full impulse." Drex chimed in suddenly.

"Is it one of our shuttles returning?" the Captain asked.

"No sir, not a Starfleet energy signature. Ship registrations are a little fuzzy in this quadrant, but judging from their cargo stores and armaments, I think it's a trading vessel." he said.

"Sir, the approaching ship is charging weapons," the Bolian assistant operations officer called back from his post near the front of the bridge.

The bridge only shook minimally as the newly-revealed pirate vessel opened fire, thanks to Krace's standing orders that shields remain raised. "Return fire," the ordered. "Target their weapons and engines."

Cathcart turned to her targetting scanners. "All over it, Captain." Her hands fell on the auto-targetting scanners. She looked hesitantly at the probability readouts for the engines of the oncoming vessel. Not so good. She turned her attention to the weapons systems. A couple of well-timed volleys could knock out their primary phaser coils. She hoped. "Firing, sir."

Krace and the current bridge staff watched as the attacking vessel's weapons were taken out in quick order, followed by their engines, which flickered a few times before dying. "Looks like they were aiming a bit above their weight class," Krace commented, as he stood from his chair and strolled across to the front of the bridge to study the vessel on the screen.

"Cathcart," he said after a moment's pause. "You're with me. Get a team together, and get ready to do a search of the ship. We're looking for anything that suggests pirate activity, and we'll be taking the crew into the brig. Zim; lock a tractor beam on them." He held up a finger to put a stop to the objection he knew was coming from Acle. "Stay here and ensure that the mission goes ahead as planned in the mean time, Commander. You have the bridge."

Allison transmitted orders to the security offices for three security officers to meet her in the transporter room before standing up and transferring the controls to Ensign Vantas. "Done, Captain. They'll meet us in the transporter room."

Drex activated the tractor beam and watched as the rippling blue current snatched up the drifting vessel, pulling it into tow.

Just as she left the bridge, Allie turned to see the vessel aligning itself to their course. That's one problem taken care of, she thought.

------------------
Captain Vorn Krace
Commanding Officer

Commander Acle Walex
First Officer

Lieutenant Zim Drex
Chief Engineer

Lieutenant Elizabeth Lynn
Chief Counsellor

&

Lieutenant JG Allison Cathcart [Gunning]
Asst. Chief of Security
USS Iapetus