Task Force: Gamma

Marek · Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 2:45 pm Post subject:

Croft watches the interchange, briefly stunned into silence. After Calodan makes his last statement, the new Captain walks over to an emergency storage unit, opens the door, and pulls out an emergency medkit. Handing it to Qech without a word, he then walks back to the tactical station.

"What was the peak output of the Hartington, 1700 MW?"

As Croft began adjusting shield output, the effect was nearly instantaneous. The ship began to shudder as it became less protected.

"I've got the shields down to 1800 MW, and the storm is already beginning to over power the shields."
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Davynn Qech · Graphics Chief Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 809

Qech looked down at the medkit as Croft handed it to her, and steadied herself from the well of anxiety that was forming in her stomach. She looked up at Calodan, who seemed to be wearing his usual mask of determination, and instantly hated herself for agreeing with him. There was nothing left to try. And they had to get home.

I just hope I won't have to use this she thought, grasping the handle of the medkit a bit tighter. The Ex-Captain looked around the bridge, watching the faces of the Hartington's new crew as it dawned on them what was going to happen.

"Aria, you should stand with Jim. Everyone else should get as far away from the consoles as you can. Space yourselves out. Let's keep the injuries to a minimum."

She sighed, and looked briefly over to Taj, satisfied that he'd stepped away from any of the consoles before she'd even spoke. Convinced that everyone was as safe as they could be, at least the ones not deliberately putting themselves in danger, Qech returned to her place near Croft and waited in silence, quietly hoping that her friends would live through the next few minutes.
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Antonio Coelho · Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 6:32 pm Post subject:

"Just one thing before you set away from tactical," Antonio said as he centered himself away from any major equipment. "Set up a quick function to reset the shields if too many consoles blow out, otherwise we risk some of the more extensive damage that happened after the incident if we're not careful, or someone else becoming unstuck between universes. We have to balance this carefully."
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Science has two purposes, to enhance life and to protect it. I embrace the former, what do you choose?

Aria · Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 7:36 pm Post subject:

"We have to balance this carefully."

"Which is hard to do, since we don't know what we're doing," Aria said, walking over to stand next to Calodan. She resisted the urge to inch away as the shields began to flicker visibly on the viewscreen. "I never thought I'd allow myself to get volunteered for an explosion," she added, her voice quivering for a moment. Her heart lodged itself in her throat after that and she couldn't say any more. She just waited to see what would happen next.
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ArjimCalodan · Posted: Wed Jun 23, 2010 8:49 pm Post subject:

Calodan took a seat at the Ops console and watched the ship's shields waver. The ion storm was having a similar effect on this Hartington as on the one he remember.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched Aria shy just slightly away. He swiveled the chair just slightly and and gave her a reassuring smile. It'll be alright Aria. Let's get home. he thought, hoping she'd 'hear' him.
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Captain David Brennon · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 6:10 pm Post subject:

All seemed to be going according to plan... even though the plan seemed well suited to dealing lasting damage to all involved. From the Tactical station, the ship's security officer called out to the Captain.

"Shields are collapsing, Captain."

Behind him, the Science Officer called out a report. "There is an energy surge off the port bow that matches the specifications requested."

At the helm, the ship's navigator looked very nervous at the thought of not dodging the impending doom.

"Captain..."

Before Captain Croft had the chance to respond, the Tactical Officer shouted out again, this time considerably more agitated than at loosing the ship's shields -- thought with good reason.

"Sir! Tal'Harton vessel decloaking at the edge of sensor range, they're moving in on an intercept course!"
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Davynn Qech · Graphics Chief Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 809

Qech was bracing herself as their plan started to unfold, watching the two time travelers as they nervously waited for the upcoming discharge. Just when she thought the tension in the room had reached its peak, the Tactical Officer on duty yelled out:

"Sir! Tal'Harton vessel decloaking at the edge of sensor range, they're moving in on an intercept course!"

She spun around to face the view screen, almost in disbelief. All that could be seen were raging ion clouds and energy surges, but she knew the Tal'Harton too well by this point. The ship was a sitting duck... Just the way they like it.

Bastards, she thought. They have no shame.

She looked quickly to Croft. "We're going to get more than an energy discharge if we don't get those shields back up."
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Aria · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 11:30 pm Post subject:

"It'll be alright Aria. Let's get home."

She heard Calodan's voice in her head as if he'd spoken. She turned and gave him a shaky smile. "Let's hope," she murmured to him.

Then things went from bad to worse.

The Tal'harton! Her head snapped up. Although she had arrived on the Hartington just after the crew had interacted with them, and had not seen them yet herself, she'd heard more than one horror story during her counseling sessions. Their arrival now was just about the worst possible thing that could happen.

Next to her Calodan bent over his console, working frantically to try to bring the shields back online. Aria stepped back a little to give him room to work. She wished she could help somehow, but knew if she tried she'd only get in the way. Helplessly, her mind began to spin over the the situation, looking at it from different angles. The moment she did one burning question flared.

"How did they know we'd be here? That we'd lose our shields?" she muttered to herself. No one heeded, nor did she expect them to. The Bridge crew was far too busy trying to save all their lives.
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Marek · Posted: Thu Jun 24, 2010 11:53 pm Post subject:

OOC here we go!

"Axillary power to shields! Arm pulse cannons and transphasic torpedoes! Helm evasive action, Delta Two!"

Croft reconfigured the shield modifications to normal, but they would still need to get that power from somewhere. Croft began moving towards the command chair, calling to Calodan.

"Transfer power from life support on the unoccupied decks to shields, that should give us something to work with!"

Croft was half way to his seat when the tactical officer yelled.

"Incoming! Brace for..."

Croft felt himself flying through the air as the inertial dampeners and artificial gravity were overloaded. He felt a sharp pain in his left arm and heard a sickening crunch as he collided with the rail behind the command chair. Several secondary consoles exploded, sending polymer and a distinct smell of ozone across the bridge.

"Damage Report!"
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Davynn Qech · Graphics Chief Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 809

"Incoming! Brace for..."

No one had the time. Qech felt the ship rock violently beneath her feet, tossing her to the ground. She was at least fortunate enough not to have been standing near anything and got back up quickly, stumbling in the aftershock of the collision. Her eyes moved directly to Croft, who was clutching at his arm, his face contorted in pain as he called out his next order.

With her medkit already conveniently in hand, Qech dashed to his side with the speed of a women half her age, motivated by years of medical instinct.

She braced her friend's arm and began working to mend the damage as quickly as she could. "Croft, you need to hold still. you can give your orders from here, stop trying to get up."

She looked through the medkit, realizing a few things were missing. She could see them a few meters away on the floor, not far from where Lioy was standing. "Aria! There's a bone regenerator by your feet. Hand it to me, please!"
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Aria · Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 7:00 pm Post subject:

Aria was thrown off her feet as the ship quaked around her. She rolled several feet on a floor that suddenly steeped downhill. The ship straightened itself a second later and she climbed shakily back to her feet.

"Aria!" Quech called. "There's a bone regenerator by your feet. Hand it to me, please!"

She looked down and saw a handful of instruments strewn around her, where they had also rolled. She didn't know which one was the bone regenerator so she scooped them all up and hurried to Qech's side.

"Here," she said, proffering the handful of machines. She looked worriedly at Croft, who was sweating and pale with pain as he continued to shout orders. Her heart went out to him. "Is he all r..."

That was as far as she got before the Bridge seemed to snap straight at her. She was thrown to the floor again, crashing into Qech and Croft as the entire ship shuddered. One of the consoles began shrieking warnings.
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Davynn Qech · Graphics Chief Joined: 16 Jun 2009 Posts: 809

Qech felt the ship shudder again and quickly lifted her instruments away from Croft's arm, afraid she might be thrown forward. She barely had time. As the ship lurched back, Aria was tossed into her, forcing her forward into Croft's arm. She heard him yell in pain as she was pinned against him. She tried to move, but the very next thing she felt was the back of Aria's head cracking into her temple. There was a bright flash of green, and her ears were ringing.

Qech tried to blink the pain away, attempting to force her now double vision back to normal. She was disoriented from the blow, but used the opportunity to get off Croft's arm the moment Aria gave her the room to do so. Everyone was fighting the momentum of the wayward ship, and getting back up was no easy task.

The Trill doctor looked around in dismay. Her instruments were completely scattered, and retrieving them would take too much time. She sighed, looking down at the milky-faced Captain.

"Croft, I'm going to have to sling your arm. I can't fix it here, not without hurting you more." She pulled a sling out of her medkit, along with a hypospray; the last one in the kit. "This will help with the pain."

She looked to Aria, who still appeared to Qech like she had two faces. The double vision was not going away. The Betazoid was rubbing the back of her head. Qech did a quick scan with her tricorder. Slight concussion. But it could have been worse.

"Aria, don't get up. I'll be there in a second."

She looked then to the Tactical Officer. "Try and hail those bastards. They should have easily taken us down by now. Find out what the hell they want!"
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Antonio Coelho · Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 10:44 am Post subject:

Coelho picked himself up off the floor after a quick check to make sure nothing was broken. Bit tongue, minor bruises. I'll live. A glance made him wonder who else would.

He rushed over to the science console, grabbing every rail along the way in case of another hit. Glancing at the tactical officer Qech addressed he chimed in. "If you can keep them busy for a bit, I might be able to get us some shields again, and stabilize the gravity situation."
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Science has two purposes, to enhance life and to protect it. I embrace the former, what do you choose?

Captain David Brennon · Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 11:06 am Post subject:

As the ship rocked again the Officer at the Tactical station nodded and worked his console, furiously trying to keep them in one piece while at the same time making the attempt to get their enemy to talk with them. He didn't have to wait very long.

"We're receiving a reply."

The static ridden view screen and the blurry starscape upon it were replaced with the inside of a Tal'Harton warship. The lean Saurians slinked around their bridge, going about many of the same tasks as their Starfleet counterparts. Sitting in the center seat of the enemy vessel was a familiar visage -- at least as familiar as these creatures could be to humanoid eyes. He certainly seemed to recognize those he looked down upon now.

"Captain Qech, it has been quite a long time. I was under the impression that you had resigned your commission in Starfleet and returned to a quiet life in the Alpha Quadrant. Yet here you are, aboard a brand new Hartington, with many of your former shipmates present. Clearly I must have been mistaken."

The creature before them seemed to smile -- though as before it was difficult to tell. His eyes fell on Taj and his eyes went wide.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Can that possibly be my dear one time guest all grown up? How are you Taj?"

On the bridge of the Hartington, next to his mother, Taj Bethal cringed at the voice speaking to him. He looked to Qech for a moment before turning back to the creature on the screen.

"Following in my mother's footsteps, in more ways than one..."

As the Cadet was about to continue, Ambassador Brennon stepped forward and interrupted.

"Inquisator Voss, you are in violation of the cease fire agreement negotiated between the Federation-Dominion Alliance and the Tal'Harton Holy Order. Your actions are tantamount to a declaration of war."

"Ambassador Brennon, thank you for that overview of the current political situation. I am well aware of the agreement we negotiated as I was one of the key parties to the negotiations. The reason I'm here today is very simple..." his eyes turn back to Qech. "Captain, we invite you, your son and every Trill aboard your vessel to be our guests. You have my personal word that none of you will come to harm."
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ArjimCalodan · Posted: Mon Jun 28, 2010 11:52 pm Post subject:

Calodan picked himself up from the ground where he had been tossed after the second blow. He definitely hurt more then he would have years...days...ago, but he was ok.

"Captain, we invite you, your son and every Trill aboard your vessel to be our guests. You have my personal word that none of you will come to harm."

Calodan looked at the Tal'Harton on the screen. He hadn't been..unfortunate...enough to encounter Voss on his own, but from the bit that his Qech had told him he knew he didn't want to be a guest. He reached up to his console and muted the transmission.

"I for one am not interested in his offer. Anyone else with me?"
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