From: V. Rahul Chandra (vrccan_at_gmail.com)
Date: Fri Apr 27 2007 - 02:02:05 PDT
=========== “Pursuit” Con’t from Erik/Naomi’s “In The Dark” =========== Location: USS COUNTERSTRIKE Stardate: 2422 [2.7] 0427.0351 Scene: Bridge The situation on board both the PATRIOT and the COUNTERSTRIKE was tense and because everyone was on edge the approval from the mother ship came through almost instantaneously. As soon as he heard it Dirak had punched in the coordinates and the COUNTERSTRIKE sailed off in the direction of the sensor readings. The contact detection had been at the very end of the fighter’s sensor range and because of that the experienced crew of the marine runabout knew that they had to act fast regardless of what the ship was. Between the PATRIOT, the COUNTERSTRIKE, the three shuttles and the five fighters, the small task force wasn’t able to travel at a very fast speed but at the same time was still able to travel briskly and keep their sensor grid intact. “I’m picking them up now sir,” Logue reported from the operations console. “It appears to be a hull design that is very common among mercenary and pirate vessels. No sign of our missing runabout or crew.” Daniel felt a distinct stab of disappointment at that announcement, but pushed it away fiercely. There were more important things at play right now than his own emotional state. He drummed his fingers on his armrest as he quickly thought through the situation. Suddenly, he started punching in a few commands into the armchair. “Mr. Logue,” he said. “Send out instructions to the rest of the fleet, including the PATRIOT, that they should assume this formation.” Logue saw the formation Daniel was ordering and immediately understood his superior’s state of mind. With the sensor visibility in the region extremely low, Daniel wanted the Captain of the other ship to react to the appearance of a single runabout rather than the appearance of a whole fleet. He wanted the other man to base his initial decision on seeing just the COUNTERSTRIKE and nothing else. “Aye Major,” Logue replied, sending the signal through to the other ships. Within a few seconds the formation had changed from a spread out sensor net to much more of an arrow formation, with the sensor link between the COUNTERSTRIKE and the rest of the ships as thin as they dared make it. “Any indication that the other ship has picked us up?” Daniel asked. “None,” Logue replied. “But at the same time the ship is a very old design; we’ve probably got much better sensors than they do.” There were tense silence on the bridge for a few moments before Logue let an exclamation go from his station. “They’ve spotted us sir!” he reported urgently. “And they’ve reversed their course and are heading away from our currently trajectory.” “Lay in a pursuit course Mr. Dirak,” Daniel ordered grimly. “Don’t lose them.” “Aye sir,” Dirak replied, his experienced fingers manipulating the controls and causing the COUNTERSTRIKE to start motoring for the wake that the pirate ship was leaving as it fled. “The ship is increasing speed sir,” Logue reported from operations. “They’re trying to lose us.” “Keep with them Mr. Dirak,” Clarkson answered, his eyes never leaving the ship they were following. “We can not increase our speed without losing sensor contact with the rest of the fleet sir,” Dirak responded. Daniel directed his gaze over to Trish Michaels at tactical who noticed his stare and shook her head. “They just moved out of weapons range,” she said. “Well, I guess our trap didn’t work anyway,” Daniel muttered to himself, furiously typing on his arm console. “Mr. Logue, relay this formation to the rest of the fleet.” “That’s going to string our craft out and make us vulnerable to flanking at the same time it increases the linear sensor range,” Logue observed. “If an enemy wants to flank us in this nebula they’ll figure out a way to do it regardless of how much we try to prevent it,” Daniel answered. “Carry out my order Justin.” “Yes Major.” Presently, the fleet changed formation again and Dirak upped the speed the COUNTERSTRIKE was traveling at. The pirate ship began to get larger from their point of view as the runabout began to gain on it. “Sir!” Logue called urgently, shifting everyone’s attention from the pirate ship to him. “I’m picking up another contact. It’s definitely Federation…” he tapped a few more buttons and then looked up at Clarkson triumphantly. “Yep, it’s the COLUMBIA alright.” Daniel practically shot out of his chair at that and came to stand behind Logue’s console, looking down over his shoulder. “What’s their location?” he demanded. “Right there,” Logue said, pointing down to his console. “They’re out of our current flight plan, but we will be passing them in a few minutes.” “Life signs?” Daniel asked, taking his seat again. His mind was racing a mile a minute as it scrambled to process the rapid flow of information. “Two, both of them extremely faint,” Logue answered. “We need to get them off that ship as soon as possible.” “It’s more important to keep following the pirate ship,” Dirak broke in, sensing that the conversation was getting to a point where he might be forced to follow Maverick’s command. If at all possible, he wanted to avoid that. “If we lose them we’re stuck here in the middle of nowhere.” “I realize that Mr. Dirak,” Daniel said, thinking. “The nearest shuttle is fourteen minutes away from transporter range,” Logue reported. “We could be there in under a minute. Commander Kenta and Lieutenant Jade might not be alive in fourteen minutes.” **It is unfair that I have to make this choice,** Daniel thought bitterly to himself, as he noticed both Logue and Dirak looking at him, obviously expecting him to issue an order. He tapped the internal communications. “Convert half of the holo-hold to an enclosed space containing two biobeds,” he instructed, before turning the communications off. Logue looked pleased and Dirak looked like he was holding in extreme frustration. “If we lose that ship…” he began before being cut off by Clarkson. “We are not going to lose that ship Mr. Dirak because you and Mr. Logue are going to do exactly as I say,” Daniel said, outlining something on his console before sending it to both of them. “Mr. Dirak, follow that course exactly.” Brian looked at his console for a few moments, before grudgingly admitting to himself that the plan was a good one. “Aye sir,” he replied, turning the COUNTERSTRIKE onto another trajectory. “We’re going to do a double flyby gentlemen,” Daniel said. “In case you’ve both forgotten, we’ve got Klingon transporters on this ship. Very powerful, but their range is crap. Dirak is going to make sure that the dual flybys come close enough to the COLUMBIA that Logue gets two shots with the transporter.” As Daniel was talking, he outlined the plan on his console. “We won’t be in transporter range for very long either time, so here’s your chance to shine at ops Mr. Logue. If we miss both times, we’ll have to move on and hope that one of the shuttles gets to them before they are beyond saving.” “We’re coming into transporter range on the first flyby now sir,” Dirak reported, keying in the instructions to the computer. He was still acutely aware of Daniel’s actions and he wanted to see what the marine would do if they missed both flybys. “Okay Mr. Logue, let’s see some magic.” The marine at the operations console felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he prepared to attempt to catch onto the two faint signals with the transporter beam. “Wait for it,” Dirak muttered as the runabout slowed slightly and he corrected the course. Tension levels began to rise as the six people on the bridge of the COUNTERSTRIKE unconsciously held their breaths for what they knew was about to come. “Now!” Dirak hollered. Logue’s hands danced across the operations console but it was quickly obvious that he was fighting a losing battle. A few moments of silence were punctuated at the end by a loud string of curses as Logue was unable to get the transporter lock he wanted. “We’re out of range now,” Dirak reported. “Preparing to turn the ship for the second flyby.” Daniel’s heart sank inwardly, but outwardly he forced his expression to remain calm. “No sweat Justin,” he said. “You’ve got another chance. What is the status of the pirate ship?” “They are still well within our sensor range,” Logue reported. “Okay,” Daniel said. “Dirak, slow down a bit for the second flyby. Give Logue as much time as you can without losing the pirate ship.” “Aye sir,” Dirak replied as the COUNTERSTRIKE reversed and started down on the complimentary diagonal to the one it had just been traversing. “Let’s make it happen this time people,” Daniel said to nobody in particular, the first signs of the tension he was feeling inside beginning to strain his voice. “ETA to transporter range is twelve seconds,” Dirak stated and Logue got himself ready, his fingers poised over the keys on the console he would use to get the transporter lock. All was silent once again as they prepared for the second flyby. “ETA in five…four…three…two…one…we’re in transporter range!” the bridge remained silent as Logue furiously worked the keys. Dirak had slowed the pace of the COUNTERSTRIKE as much as he dared and to his eternal credit as a pilot managed to keep the marine runabout in transporter range for a few extra seconds this time. Sadly, it was proved to not be enough as Dirak quietly announced that they were out of transporter range and Logue slapped his console in frustration. Daniel sighed, slumping slightly in his chair. He felt weak and physically ill and for a brief irrational moment was tempted to just give up on the pirate ship entirely and go back to get the two officers. His officer mindset was waging a war with his heart and emotions and after an instantaneous intense struggle that nobody else on the bridge saw any physical sign of, he reached over and tapped his internal communications button. “Revert the holo-hold back to its state before my previous order,” he said quietly. “Mr. Dirak, increase speed to maximum and continue to follow the pirate ship. Mr. Logue, relay the co-ordinates of the COLUMBIA to the lead shuttle and stress that the condition of both officers is very life threatening.” “Aye sir,” Logue replied, afraid to turn and look at the expression on his superior’s face. No more words were spoken and indeed none were necessary. As the bridge crew of the COUNTERSTRIKE drifted into their pursuit routines, Daniel got up and walked back to the back of the bridge, looking out through one of the rear portholes and watching the image of the runabout recede. He felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Dirak looking at him with a sympathetic expression. “You made the right decision Major,” Dirak said quietly. Daniel took one last look out the porthole before turning around to face the helmsmen. “I know,” he answered. ======== NRPG: The plot thickens…dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuun ======== ========== V. Rahul Chandra <vrccan_at_gmail.com> Playing... Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey Gorman, MD Chief Medical Officer/2nd Officer GATEWAY STATION, GS-2 & Major Daniel Clarkson, MD Executive Officer - Marine Contingent USS PATRIOT, NCC 5781-A & Lieutenant Sevlock Junior ACT Instructor Starfleet Academy, EARTH No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.463 / Virus Database: 269.6.1/777 - Release Date: 26/04/2007 3:23 PM From HyperNews_at_youth.net
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