SIM:Tiger Vs. Maquis, Round 2

Confrontation

The Tiger discovers a Maquis ship on an intercept course, and is forced to confront with them. ::Putting my feet up on the newly emptied chair across from me, I sit back. It's nice to have a few minutes off to sit with my crew. They're good people... still wild, but good. We laugh, and talk for a little while longer. With Locke and Jones gone, the others chat about them. I keep quiet, laughing here and there. It's only when Atrayu sits down at the table with a serious look in her eyes that the smile slides off my face:: ATRAYU: Sir, we have a problem. LYSANDER: What is it? LYSANDER: Perhaps we should go to the bridge... ::I stand immediately, leaving my drink and walk out of the lounge. She follows:: ATRAYU: Sensors just picked up a Maquis warship about an hour and 20 minutes away, and within hailing range in approx. 40 min. LYSANDER: Alright... ::we step onto the turbolift for the three deck ride:: When we get to the bridge, sound yellow alert. Bring us up to full emergency speed to intercept. LYSANDER: =/\= Lysander to all senior staff: Report to your posts immediately. =/\= ::We step off the turbolift onto the bridge, and I stand in front of my command seat, Riven next to me.:: LYSANDER: Report! LYSANDER: One Maquis ship, converted Klingon cruiser. Their course suggests that they are moving to intercept the Trill host-ship. LYSANDER: Understood, you're relieved of duty for the moment. Atrayu, take your position please. What is our new ETA at current speed? ATRAYU: At new speed we'll intercept the warship in about 40 minutes. LYSANDER: Good. At 10 minutes, move to red alert. =/\= Lysander to sickbay, please report on how the symbionts will fare if we get into a battle. =/\= LYSANDER: Here's where it gets ugly... Can we hail the Maquis ship? ATRAYU: Yes sir. LYSANDER: Do so. ATRAYU: Channel open. ::I stand and address the other ship:: LYSANDER: This is Captain Malcolm Lysander of the Federation starship Tiger. Powerdown your weapons and remove yourself from Federation terratory. Do not attempt to harm the Trill in any way. ::There is no response. They continue on their course. I cut the channel and turn to Locke:: LYSANDER: Enemy capabilities, Mr. Locke? ::There is a pause as he reads the sensor logs:: LOCKE: The ship is an old D-7 type Klingon cruiser, the kind the Empire was using around eighty or ninety years ago. Standard weapons for that model are warp nacelle and nose mounted disrupters and a main weapon of photon torpedoes. Sensors indicate that this ship had been retrofitted with more modern armaments. Class II disrupters and Class I torpedoes. She could definitely give us a nose-bleed, Captain. LYSANDER: Mmm, I agree. Locke, do whatever you can to ensure we're working at maximum efficiency. She's a powerful enemy, but with just a little work we'll be able to throw them aside. I guess it's time we see just what this new refit is capable of. LOCKE: =/\= Locke to Bizak. There's a fluctuation in the main power flow to the shields. It's causing a weak spot on the port side. See what you can do. I can't get at it from this console. =/\= LYSANDER: How much of a weak spot? LOCKE: Over all shield strength is down to 89%, the weak spot is down to 43%. Two good hits there and they could hole the shields at that spot. LYSANDER: Will their sensors show them that? LOCKE: Unknown, sir. My Uncle Tico told me the sensor packages on these old D-7 types were not very powerful. If they still have the original sensors I'll be able to block any probing of our shields. If they've upgraded the sensors with the weapons, they'll know as soon as their in range. BIZAK: =/\= I'm already on it, I should have it fixed in 5 minutes, 10 at most. Bizak out. =/\= LYSANDER: Good. ETA? ATRAYU: Six minutes captain. LYSANDER: Trill ship? ATRAYU: Thirty minutes at current speed. JONES: =/\= Captain! =/\= LYSANDER: =/\= What is it, Enisgn? =/\= JONES: =/\= The symboiants...sabotage...Isolation C-amber... =/\= LYSANDER: ::I frown:: =/\= What? =/\= JONES: =/\= I can hardly breathe...send help...too hot... =/\= LYSANDER: ::My head spins. Too much at once...:: =/\= Jones?! =/\= JONES: =/\= Send hel... =/\= ::her voice trailed off:: LYSANDER: =/\= HEDE!! Get to sickbay!! Something's wrong with Jones!! Find her, and keep those symbionts secure!! =/\= ATRAYU: Within firing range in 4 minutes Captain. ::Sitting, I nip my fingernail. What's going on in sickbay? What will this Klingon ship do to us? The next few moments are tense. The alarm is silenced, but the lights still blink red. The bridge is dim, as the lights conserve power. I feel the phaser sitting solidly against my side, and hope that all the other officers are wearing one:: ATRAYU: Firing range in 30 seconds Captain! LYSANDER: Open a channel. ATRAYU: Ready. LYSANDER: Maquis vessel, if you do not stand down in thirty seconds, we will be forced to fire on your vessel. Stand down now and leave Federation space!! ATRAYU: No change Captain. LYSANDER: Here we go... Locke, evasive manuevers. Atrayu, bring us up to max speed, let's see if they can keep up. ::My fingernail clicks my teeth as a drop of sweat runs down my forehead... if these Trill don't make it, we're going to be in some big trouble::

Missing!

The Tiger engages the Maquis ship, and the symbionts are found to be missing. LOCKE: Shields down to 53%! Port side shields down to 23%! Main Phaser power off-line... ::Locke pressed buttons quickly and saw one of his read-outs change from blinking red to amber:: ...but I've re-routed through the secondary systems! Quantum bays report ready! ::Locke looked to a different screen:: D-7 has lost it's forward array, torps and disrupters both! oO Nice shot, Mathias! Oo but the nacelle arrays are still online. ::The Maquis ship fires, but Atrayu forces the nimble ship to dive. The phaser fire misses us by inches:: LYSANDER: Fire two quantum torpedos!! ::Locke sends out two torpedos. One misses, the other hits hard:: LOCKE: Enemy shields down to 25%, Captain! Do we continue the engagement of break off for the Trill? ::I smile, considering whether we should crush them or not. Locke smells blood, and he doesn't want to let go. We've got a few precious minutes left before the symbionts are unsalvageable, and we have dropped out of warp. I consider whether the Maquis will follow us to cause trouble again:: LYSANDER: Can you beam the Maquis crew to the cargo bay? LOCKE: Negative captain, they still have some shield power. LYSANDER: Fire a photon torpedo, aim to disable. Then jump to maximum warp. ATRAYU: Aye captain. LYSANDER: ::Locke fires, and stars instantly streak as we continue to our destination. We took a nice beating, but the ship held together:: BIZAK: =/\= Bizak to the Captain, Sir, we have a crisis, the symbionts are gone, poof, missing from Sickbay. =/\= LYSANDER: WHAT?! oO Unholy crap! We are in some trouble now... Oo BIZAK: =/\= There seems to be an intruder onboard captain. =/\= LYSANDER: =/\= Bizak, I need you in engineering, get down there and work on getting us back to full power. =/\= LYSANDER: =/\= Jones, what's your status? =/\= JONES: =/\= I'm okay captain... I'm not sure what happened though. =/\= LYSANDER: =/\= Understood... I'll be with you in a moment. =/\= LYSANDER: =/\= Captain Lysander to Ensign Gugarin, respond. =/\= ::Nothing:: =/\= Gugarin, respond. =/\= ::Again, nothing:: GUGARIN: =/\= Captain... pant ... need assistance... help... ouch!! please...=/\= LYSANDER: =/\= Lysander to Jones, Gugarin is wounded. Do a site to site. =/\= LYSANDER: =/\= Hede, I need you on the bridge immediately. =/\= ATRAYU: Captain, the Maquis are heading to the Trill host-ship... and their shields are back at 52%. LYSANDER: Locke, check the logs, did our shields go down for any length of time during the battle? LOCKE: ::Scans the logs for a few moments, then frowns:: Yes captain, apparently when we dropped out of warp the shields went down. ::He reads again:: It was a system error though, it doesn't seem to be something that was manipulated. LYSANDER: ::I nod:: Someone onboard knew about this... the refit team suspected there would be bugs here and there. I'll bet anything whoever our intruder is got hold of this information, and was able to get the Trill to the Maquis ship. Now, anytime we drop out of warp, we'll be vulnerable for a few moments. LYSANDER: Alright, ETA to Trill ship? ATRAYU: Less than five minutes captain. LYSANDER: Atrayu, what's our current status. ATRAYU: Shields at 78%, phasers at 60%, three functioning torpedo cannons. All other systems report active. LYSANDER: How close is the Maquis ship? LOCKE: They're gaining. Just a minute or two behind us. LYSANDER: Damn, that's one powerful ship. ::I think for a minute. The Maquis ship has the Trill... so why are they still pursuing us? We need to disable them, and take control of the Trill:: LYSANDER: Are we able to hail them? ATRAYU: Yes sir. LYSANDER: Maquis, surrender yourselves and the Trill symbionts immediately. Attempt no communication with any vessel but ours, and wait to be boarded. ::An ugly Human face appears on the viewscreen, with much havoc behind him. They're obviously barely holding together, especially at this speed:: MAQUIS: Never! We will not give you back your pitiful creatures, or our ship! Just you wait to be boarded, then YOU shall surrender!! ATRAYU: Connection cut Captain. LOCKE: Captain, they're firing all they've got!! LYSANDER: =/\= All hands brace -- =/\= ::The ship rocks violently as things spark all around the bridge. We drop out of warp, the Maquis ship behind us. I am thrown halfway across the bridge, along with the rest of the bridge crew. By the time I open my eyes, I have a phaser pointed at me:: MAQUIS1: Do not move. You will be transported to the Tral'car soon. Reach for your weapons, and die. LYSANDER: Shit. ::Pulling myself up, I stand in front of him. Two other Maquis officers stand closeby, holding Locke, Atrayu, Riven, and the other two bridge crew:: ::A moment later, Hede walks onto the bridge, phaser firing. In an instant I swing my leg to the Maquis, pulling his feet out from under him. Both of us end up on the floor, but this time I have my phaser in his face. Atrayu and Locke both have turned on their captors:: LYSANDER: That was a good try though. ::I stand, keeping my phaser in the Maquis' face:: Hede, Weleran take those two to the cargo bay. Locke, get our shields back up if that's possible. You, I ::motion to my Maquis friend:: get up. ::He stands, my phaser at his chest:: Call your ship, I want those Trill back, now, or you'll die. Don't think I won't do it. ::I touch a button on the phaser, powering it to level 8:: ::He stares at me angrily before opening his communicator and says a few words to his ship:: MAQUIS1: They're beaming back now. LYSANDER: =/\= Lysander to Jones, are the Trill there? =/\= ::There is a pause:: JONES: =/\= Looks like it Captain. =/\= ATRAYU: The host ship will be here in just a few moments Captain. LYSANDER: Locke, get a tractor beam on that ship and transport that crew to the cargo bay. =/\= Lysander to all security officers, take posts at cargo bay 1. =/\= LYSANDER: Alright, Jones, it's your turn. When that ship comes in we need to begin this process immediately. ::With that, we wait for the Host ship to arrive.::

Escape

As the symbionts are transported to the Trill hosts, the Maquis ship escapes. ((0101hrs)) ::Within a few minutes of shuffling the Maquis to the brig, and engaging a tractor beam, the Trill Host ship arrives. It is a large mercy ship, bearing Trill designations on the side. I can tell by the information that scrolls onto my command-seat-viewer that they have some mighty powerful defense capabilities, but no weapons. They open communication:: TRILL: Captain, I hope you have the symbionts... LYSANDER: We do, and they're safe. I'm afraid we're down to 13 now, however. ::He is visibly crestfallen. I don't know many Trill besides Bizak, but I can see that they take the death of a symbiont very seriously, even if it was one they didn't know.:: TRILL: I understand. Please prepare them for transport. LYSANDER: =/\= Lysander to Jones, are the symbionts ready for transport to the Host ship? =/\= JONES: =/\= Affirmative Captain. =/\= ::I look back to the screen:: LYSANDER: We're transporting them to your ship now. ::Motioning to Atrayu, she touches a few buttons:: The Tiger is at your call for anything you'll need until the joinings are complete. After that time we will be returning to the StarBase. TRILL: Thank you for all of your efforts Captain. We appreciate them. ::He cuts the link. I turn to Mathias, Atrayu, Riven, and the two other bridge crew. All look tired, with dark circles under they're eyes. It's been a late night:: LYSANDER: Looks like we have a few hours now. Atrayu, if you'll please page the backup crew, you're all relieved of duty when they arrive. Get some sleep... we'll be departing at 0900 hours, barring further problems. ::I leave the bridge for my ready room, where I sit quietly for a few minutes, treasuring the silence. In just less than half a day I'll be returning to my problems... Othello, Nell, the duty of commanding a StarBase. Hopefully it won't be as bad as it was before, but, I doubt it. Before I can get some sleep, further duty calls:: LYSANDER: =/\= Lysander to Gugarin, please return to sickbay to have your wounds fixed up before you are relieved for the night. =/\= LYSANDER: =/\= Bizak, if you can just ensure that our warp systems are online, as well as our tractor beam, for our departure to the StarBase tomorrow, then you are relieved for the night. =/\= LYSANDER: =/\= Jones, please wrap up any further business in sickbay, including fixing up Gugarin, and then you are relieved. =/\= JONES: =/\= Captain, I'll need to see you as soon as possible. It's important that we talk tonight before you retire. =/\= LYSANDER: =/\= Understood, I'll be down there in about twenty minutes. =/\= ::Taking a last look at the systems report, I find everything at least semi-operational. The ship's going to need some serious repairs when it gets back to the base, but it held up better than it would have it we didn't have the refit. The walk to sickbay is a long one, even though the ship is so small. My feet hurt and I'm ready for some serious sleep. The battle, and consequent hand-to-hand drained me...:: JONES: I can see you in my office, Captain. ::Jones leads me into her office, which is small aboard this vessel. It is, however, clean and looks relatively unused. We sit:: LYSANDER: What's up? JONES: I do remember what happened in the isolation chamber, Captain... LYSANDER: Did you lock yourself in there, Ensign? JONES: ::She paused, clearly hurt by the quasi-insult, and pursed her lips.:: ...no, sir. It was set up. LYSANDER: How so? JONES: The Vulcan Nurse, Yan, sir. He locked me in there. He's in with the Maquis. Perhaps there are more...I do not know.  ::Valleri squeezed the bridge of her nose and shook her head.:: LYSANDER: Tired, Jones? oO She looks beat... Oo JONES: ::She snapped her head up.:: No! No. It is just a bit overwhelming. LYSANDER: I understand. It's late, Jones. I suggest you turn in...::As Valleri glared at him, he changed his words.:: ...er...relax for a while. The security team will be on it, I can already assure you. LYSANDER: oOYeesh... that's a scary stare she's got there... Oo ::She nods as we both leave. I barely remember getting back to my quarters. The next thing I do remember is waking up to the computer beeping at me. 0815hrs... great:: LCARS: Captain needed on the bridge immediately. Captain needed on the bridge immediately. ::With some deep breaths, I drag myself out of bed and get into the shower. The water feels good and cleansing. If there were an emergency, the alert would be up. This is just something small...:: ::The doors of the bridge slide open a few minutes later to reveal utter chaos:: LYSANDER: Uh oh. LOCKE: Captain, the Maquis ship has left the vicinity. LYSANDER: WHAT?! LOCKE: Whoever it was that was the spy aboard our vessel was able to access the Tiger's computer's at about 0756 hours this morning. The computer didn't detect the infultration for another fifteen minutes. After that point, the bridge crew began a system lockdown, but weren't able to complete it before the Maquis officers we had in the brig were transported off the ship. The Maquis ship then disengaged our tractor beam and warped away. ::Grounding my teeth, I sit. This is exactly the kind of thing I don't need on my first mission as StarBase captain:: LYSANDER: Alright, do we know where they went? ATRAYU: Towards the badlands Captain. LYSANDER: Perfect. Atrayu, signal the Trill ship that we have to leave. Maximum warp back to the StarBase. RIVEN: Captain? LYSANDER: No, we're not going to pursue. We don't have the capabilities at the moment. We can take care of them some other time. ATRAYU: Maximum warp in 9 in current condition captain. LYSANDER: Understood. Engage. ::The ship jumps to warp. Sensors show the Klingon ship is limping badly, I doubt she'll make it far before the Cardassians, or a dominon ship picks them up. At the moment, we need to head back to the base to access the overall damage to the Tiger and have her ready to deal with the Maquis just in case they decide to cause some trouble again. My console also shows that StarFleet has sent out a warning regarding a group of Cardassian warships which have left normal Cardassian space... perhaps for our sector...::

Reward

Some of the crew receive promotions. ((1000hrs.)) ::The replicator beeps and fizzles, causing a frown to make it's way onto my face. I request again. This time, it works. Three small black boxes appear on the replicator tray. Smiling, I pick them up and place them on my desk, then amending my crew log.:: LYSANDER: =/\= Lysander to all senior staff, report to crew lounge, pronto. =/\= ::My spirits are high. The crew has done a beautiful job on the mission... I can tell they're the best of the best from the academy. At the moment the Tiger is speeding back to the base, only some of it's systems working at full capacity:: ::No matter however, some contacts back at the StarBase have told me that there's more in store for this crew than the Tiger. What, I'm not exactly sure, but, supposedly it's good. Leaving my ready room, I head to the crew lounge. Most of the crew is already there. Dropping the boxes on the table, I address them:: LYSANDER: Okay folks, I'm not going to candy-coat things here. Our ship still needs some work, and there's not too much time before we get back to the base. I brought you all here to announce a few promotions. Let's start with Ensign Mathias Locke. Please come forward. ::The huge Terran stands and makes his way to the head of the table. He dwarfs me. I reach down, pick up one of the boxes and open it. In velvet cloth sits a small, hollow, gold pip. Carefully, I pick it up and reach up, up, up to the man's collar, pinning it on next to the filled pip. I then reach forward to shake his hand:: LYSANDER: Mathias Locke, I now award you the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. Your work as the tactical officer aboard the vessel has suggested that you should take the Chief of Tactical position. Congratulations on a stellar job. LOCKE: Thank you, sir. You do me a great honor and I shall strive to do my duty in a manner appropriate to the Federation and Starfleet! LYSANDER: Ensign Taalia Bizak, please step forward. ::She stands and takes Locke's place. I again take the pip from it's box and place it on her collar, which is much more on my level:: Taalia Bizak, I congratulate you on your promotion to Lieutenant Junior grade. Your performance on the USS Tiger has shown that you are a competent and well trained engineer. You now hold the post of Chief Engineer. ::We shake hands:: LYSANDER: And finally, Ensign Valleri Jones, please stand. ::Jones, smiling for once, stands in front of me. I place the pip on her collar and smile back:: You've done wonders in sickbay, and for that, I award you with the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade, and the post of Chief Medical Officer. Congratulations. ::The rest of the crew looks a little crestfallen:: Don't worry, your day will come. I have all of you in mind. Now, I'd like you all to take your posts and prepare us for our return to the StarBase. LYSANDER: Atrayu, notify 118 that we're closing in. Lysander returns to StarBase 118 to find his ex-wife Nell, by Othello's bedside. ::I take the free moment as a chance to take a breather. The ship is less than 10 minutes from StarBase 118. We've already passed warp buoys, and the base itself is within viewing distance:: ATRAYU: Captain, the StarBase is ready to take manual control of the ship. LYSANDER: Notify them that we grant them access to ship control. ::Atrayu does her thing, and within a few moments, the ship shudders as a StarBase begins pulling us in. The doors to the docking bay are enourmous. I marvel at the power behind this great, living machine that we live in. Starships sit silently all around the bay, lit in an artistic manner. Thousands of people are walking just on these ships alone. The great hive is bustling with more activity than I could ever imagine:: ::And, of course, there's a lot of non activity as well. I think of Othello. We haven't heard word from StarBase medical personnel in over a day, but I'm going to assume that he's in the same condition I left him in. I'm sure Nell is sitting diligently by his bedside. Perhaps I'll get lucky and he'll have woken up... I won't get my hopes up though:: ::There is a bump, and my eyes pop open. I fell asleep!! Guess I'm more tired than I thought...:: ::We go through all the standard docking protocol, and are finished within a half an hour. I order the crew to bring their things back to their quarters, get 8 hours rest, and meet in the crew lounge at 0900 hours tomorrow. With that, I sleepily drag myself to my room, and collapse in my bed. Before I know it, it's 0800:: ::With a good sleep behind me, and a new day of work ahead, I shower, dress, and head to sickbay. Nell is, as expected, sleeping upright next to Othello's room. I nudge her, and she wakes:: LYSANDER: Hi. NELL: ...about time... LYSANDER: There was nothing I could do about it. You know that. NELL: Well, he's in better condition. LYSANDER: Better? NELL: The doctor who's been looking at him thinks he'll be out of whatever coma this is within a few days, but we're still not in the clear. This virus is strange and new, and they don't have a cure for it yet. LYSANDER: Great... NELL: Be happy he's still alive. LYSANDER: ::I narrow my eyes, as she stands:: I am happy he's still alive. I'm not happy that you're giving me the attitude though... NELL: What do you expect?! You leave him alone, in the state he's in, and disappear for days!! LYSANDER: ALONE?! He has some of the best doctors in the quadrant by his bedside, 24-7. What, am I just supposed to resign from StarFleet everytime something goes wrong?! NELL: He's your SON Malcolm!! LYSANDER: AND HE'S YOURS TOO!! Maybe if you hadn't -- NELL: ::She cuts me off, speaking slowly and deliberately:: Don't you dare Malcolm, don't you dare... LYSANDER: ::I grind my teeth:: Fine Nell, you win. NELL: It's not about winning!! LYSANDER: Then what IS it about?! NELL: It's about your inability to care for your son -- JANICA: Alright folks, that's quite about enough. If you want to fight, take it outside. LYSANDER: ::I wave my hand:: No, we're done here. ::Turning my back on her, I leave sickbay for my ready room::