SIM:LtCmdr Rogg: Excrement hits the air conditioner

The events in this SIM occurred on stardate 238911.12

(( USS Discovery-C, Bridge ))

:: Head heavy with thoughts, Rogg manned the Engineering station. The ship was handling beautifully. The ride was doubtless some magical combination of Jorus Cogud's hands and the recent modifications. ::

BLUEHEART: We are approaching the Gurab system. ETA 12 minutes. Should we drop out of warp and raise shields, Captain?

WALTAS: Helm, take us out of warp and keep us on our side of the border.

COGUD: (response)

::Raj cracked his knuckles and winced in pain.::

WALTAS: Mr. James I need you to monitor the broadcast frequency for messages from the fleet that engaged the Kaleh. Inform me immediately if there are any reports or communiqués.

JAMES: (response)

:: Rogg saw the sneaky doctor Aven approach Raj in a sinister fashion. This in itself was peculiar - Rogg had abolished most fears of the bird person. Yet without past prejudice precluding proper perception, the Dachlyd Engineer was still aware of the Raskorian's presence, and noted the peculiar posture. ::

oO Obviously duplicity does not come naturally to the — Hey. Oo

:: Rogg's attention was once more demanded by the Engineering station. As a consequence, the Dachlyd Chief Engineering Officer missed the exchange between Raj and doctor Aven. ::

:: Shortly thereafter, Waltas appeared to object to the two officers' communications. ::

WALTAS: ::eyes narrowed:: Give me the PADD, doctor.

MORNING-SONG: (response)

WALTAS: ::voice rising slightly:: Give me the PADD. Now.

:: Rogg turned to see the confrontation. Tyr had been moody lately, which had made Raj sullen. Or so the Dachlyd reckoned. ::

oO I wonder will it come to blows? Oo

:: Raj folded his arms and pretended to be impatient with the doctor's hesitation. In his mind, he was about to be struck down by madness. He remembered Emerson and his inspirational words. He endeavored to remain focused. ::

:: Still distracted and just beginning to ponder which officer might receive the Rogg vote, an utterance from the more dutiful Vulcan disrupted Rogg. The guilty Dachlyd returned to managing Engineering from the station. ::

JAMES: (response)

WALTAS: ::glowering at Raj and the doctor before turning to face the main view screen:: On screen.

:: The badly damaged bridge of the USS Fearless filled the screen. Its commanding officer, Captain Taylor, explained, in ragged breaths, how the Kaleh had been waiting for them and had crippled them with a salvo of torpedoes. He was about to plead for assistance, Raj deduced, when without warning, the screen switched to static before a somber UFOP insignia took its place. An unnerving silence filled the Bridge, only to be shattered by the bone-chilling calm of the Captain's voice. ::

WALTAS: Helm, set a course for Gurab II and engage at maximum impulse. We're crossing into Romulan territory.

COGUD: (response)

WALTAS: ::turning, arms still behind him:: Commander Mitchell, I need you to program a series of orbital bombardments using the quantum and photon torpedoes.

oO Again with the orbital bombardments. Seems like we are always searching haphazardly for a miniscule spot on a planet's surface. Oo

MITCHELL: (response)

WALTAS: The Admiral's orders were clear. We don't know what continent the weapon is on and don't know how to track it. Therefore Gurab II is forfeit. Our orders are to bombard the surface.

oO Such a senseless waste. Ah, well. The perils of being on a political boundary, I suppose. Oo

MITCHELL: (response)

WALTAS: ::snapping:: You have your orders, Commander.

ROGG: ::placating:: Captain, with only a few probes before bombardment, sssurely we could limit—

WALTAS: ::rounding on the officer:: Did you see what they did to the Fearless? Would you rather Earth be a smoldering ruin before we act? The Kaleh have proven their intentions and we know what their target will be. We are the only ship that stands in the way now. ::turning back to Mitchell:: I want a firing solution in five minutes, Tactical.

:: Rogg wondered in how much danger Earth could be? From studies of Terrans, they appeared to have historically been their own worst enemies. Perhaps not so much as the Vulcans or Klingons, but they certainly had made several earnest attempts to eradicate life on their little speck of the galaxy. ::

oO Perhaps the Romulans are just using us to wipe out a rival political faction in their own body? Worse still, they could use this to rally their people to war if the Federation comes off as particularly villainous-looking. Oo

:: The series of doubts caused the Dachlyd to look around for Meng Tian. Of course, the Intelligence Director was rarely so conspicuous as to take a post on the bridge. ::

MITCHELL: (response)

WALTAS: Doctors, I believe you have a triage area to set up. Get off my bridge.

:: For the first time, the Dachlyd noted a new human face. Well, only briefly - until the doctor left Rogg's attention was mostly taken with her display crest of pale head-fur. ::

MORNING-SONG/VALENTINE: (responses)

:: The sensors were picking up distortions in the system. All stations had been on alert for as much, and in moments it was official. ::

:: Klaxons blared. Alert lights ignited on the Bridge. ::

MITCHELL: (response)

:: Two Romulan warbirds decloaked, directly in the path of Discovery, firing upon her. The ship shuddered. The bulkheads groaned. The Engineering console flooded with damage reports. The shields were holding well, but the fire had been concentrated on Discovery's weapons. ::

oO Great galaxy - what are they using? Oo

WALTAS: ::having returned to his seat:: On screen!

JAMES: (response)

WALTAS: ::accessing the command chair controls:: Course 147 mark 258, full impulse. Target the closest warbird and fire at will.

oO No particular target? I would think at least we would aim for their engines or the stupid cloaking device. Most unlike Tyr. Oo

MITCHELL: (response)

:: In a series of slick maneuvers under the guidance of Captain Waltas, the Discovery was able to permanently damage one of the warbirds, but not without sustaining damage herself. Now it was on to the second warbird. Amidst the edge-of-seat suspenseful battle, Lieutenant Junior Grade James turned to indicate an incoming message from Starfleet - Starfleet Command to be precise. ::

JAMES: (response)

:: In a brief instant, Rogg was alerted that the newly-installed console buffers were at critical levels. And they had just been installed as part of the refit. But it was too late! ::

:: Consoles started exploding left and right. A few officers were thrown off their seats as the Discovery took the brunt of another volley of disruptors. There was a violent shudder. Rogg's screen lit up with the unpleasant news of a hull breach. The nearby Security and fire suppression team (from Engineering) had lost a few of their number before emergency force fields stabilized the air envelope. ::

WALTAS: Engineering, damage report!

ROGG: Hull breaches, deckss six and seven. We have lost four phaser banks, port side. The Lady iss holding up, Captain. oO Good that Tyr had us increase the structural integrity field before this encounter. Oo Shields at Twenty four percent.

WALTAS: Range to warbird.

MITCHELL: (response)

WALTAS: Fire!

ROGG: ::strained:: We are losing power!

:: The second warbird was obliterated in a matter of seconds by photon torpedoes. The Bridge was bathed in a dim light. Silence once again returned to the Bridge apart from several displays and other electronics protesting their state of uselessness. ::

WALTAS: Auxillary power. Mitchell, status of the warbirds.

MITCHELL: (response)

:: The chief tactical officer handed the CO a PADD. Taking only a moment to read it, he tossed it at Raj, who grabbed it mid-air with a slight wince of pain. Raj read and re-read the message. Frowning and puzzled, he looked at the Captain, a cold steely look still cast upon his face.::

WALTAS: Continue on course to Gurab II. Best possible speed.

COGUD: (response)

WALTAS: ::snorting:: Survivors? Let the bastards burn.

:: Engineering was in a lather. The life support on decks seven and thirteen was running from back up. There were hull breaches. The gunnery technicians were racing to evaluate the damaged phaser banks to assess whether they could be salvaged. Even more important than the hull breaches - now sealed by emergency bulkheads, was the damage to their warp core. ::

:: Apparently the damaged interchange valves would take time to replace but the situation was nothing too dramatic. Decidedly inconvenient, but not anything which immediately required the expertise of the CEO. ::

BLUEHEART: ::calmly, almost inaudible:: We can beam the survivors directly to the Brig while—

ROGG: The auxiliary power is accounted for and then some, but we could put some systems on emergency reserves. ::Rogg felt out of place suddenly.:: ..if it would help the rescue.

:: The Dachlyd's claws stood poised over the system overrides. Additional drain from Transporters or anything for that matter would come principally from life support and the engines. The SIF was in a delicate state and Rogg could not justify tampering with it until repairs had been effected. Rogg looked to Raj, dear Raj, and then the Captain, awaiting a command. ::

ESKYYS: Like they did for Fearless. They where no longer a threat. :: Turning to his former assistant. :: And if we have to fight again?

ANYONE: (response)

WALTAS: That is not a message. It's a message fragment. We are continuing on course. If any of you wish to discuss this further, you can do it in the brig. Is that understood?!

ANYONE: (response)

:: Rogg thought a minute, but it was not a particularly hard decision. ::

ROGG: Captain, I have personal objections to leaving anyone to the mercy of space or the vagaries of a compromised vessel.

WALTAS: (response)

:: The Dachlyd likely would not have flinched more if Waltas had actually smote the CEO. ::

ROGG: Yesssir.


TBC.../Tags!


Lieutenant Commander Inarr "Steve" Rogg d'Squamos
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Discovery-C