Confrontation

Posted on Sun Jun 18th, 2023 @ 10:26am by Commander Lucy Heartfilia & Lieutenant Yōji Itami & Chief Petty Officer La'lei & Captain Tristan Faust & Lieutenant Commander Marc Kitchner M.D. & Lieutenant Azrel Vox & Lieutenant Shinobu Miyake & Lieutenant JG Marcel Knowles & Chief Petty Officer Meredith Corden
Edited on on Sat Oct 28th, 2023 @ 12:47pm

2,328 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Mission 3: The Peace Ship
Location: Bridge/Various
Timeline: M3 MD04 - 14:35 hours

Previously on Star Trek Midway:

Lucy sighed. "We can't all just up and leave our posts doctor. A starship doesn't run itself." She explained to him.

She looked down at Thraxina. "Reduce speed to Warp One and set us on autopilot," she ordered. She then stood up from the command chair. "Right people, issue a shipwide medical warning. Start decontamination procedures and..."

Lucy was cut off as suddenly the Midway was shaken hard. The emergency alarms sounded as the ship shook. The viewscreen suddenly switched to show a Romulan bird of prey barraging them with its disruptors.

"Battlestations!" Lucy called. "Those parasites will have to wait! We have bigger problems, return to sickbay doctor." She added.

And now the continuation...

"Ah not again" Aze uttered as she held tight to her console. She didn't fancy being flung against another bulkhead.

"Well, if this hasn't just been the week from hell!" Lieutenant Miyake grumbled as she braced herself against her console.

"Shields and weapons status?" Lucy asked.

"Shields are holding steady at 100%," Lieutenant Miyake reported, half thankful that they'd been prepared for the likelihood of this occurring. "Phaser banks are primed and ready to fire at your command, Ma'am."

"Phaser banks ready!" Thraxina answered, raising her aiming scope.

"Return fire, forward phaser banks. Load photon torpedo tubes," The science officer ordered as the Midway shook again from another barrage of plasma disruptor fire.

"Torpedos loaded and ready on your Command, Sir." He could never get used to calling a woman sir, though it was what was expected, and calling the wrong female captain Ma'am could get him in hot water! "Let's send them to their great beyond, Sir!" He could lay in a spread that would end this folly of theirs, post haste.

"Phaser Banks locked on target! Firing!" Thraxina snapped out automatically, all thoughts of itchy parasites instantly forgotten in the sudden fury of battle. "No damage, their shields are holding!"

"What in the devil?" came the voice of St. John Talbot, the loathed Federation diplomat. He had just stepped off the turbolift and was leaning the railing. His steely eyed gaze locked on the viewscreen.

Lucy ignored Talbot. She didn't even know why he was on the bridge in the first place.

Shinobu, in the meantime, was starting to put two-and-two together. First the sabotage, then a parasitic infection, and now a full-on Romulan ambush... this was all too convenient to be a coincidence, and if she had to wager a guess... it looked as if someone didn't want their dear old "Saint" John reaching his destination. And if that were the case, she was going to have to act quickly to guarantee that the Romulans were denied what they were here for.

"With all due respect, Sir, I think we'd best be getting you to a safe location," she remarked, grabbing St. John by the arm and leading him back to the Turbolift. "I think it's you that the Romulans are after..."

The diplomat was about to object, but decided against it. He sighed as the turbolift doors closed in front of him.

Slatterly returned to sickbay to await any causalities that may arrive.

"Sir, according to my readings, the Romulan's are jamming our communications. I believe that is a standard battle tactic for them." Aze advised.

"Making evasive manoeuvres Ma'am!" Thraxina informed Heartfilia, throwing them hard to starboard knowing that Stryker could still continue to lob photon torpedoes at the hostile craft while she tried to get them into position to try a phaser blast at their port shields. She, like everybody else, ignored Talbot as a irritation as minor as the itchy parasite they'd all contracted.

The Midway shook again as the Romulan ship swung around and again started to fire upon them. This time they were behind the starship. The viewscreen switched to the rear angle, the long nacelles showing on the side of the screen.

Green weapons fire bounced off their shields.

"I have an idea..." Lucy said. She pressed down one of the buttons on the command chair. "Bridge to Engineering. We're going to trick the Romulans into lowering their shields. I want you to vent dry plasma through the nacelles, make it look like we're having engine trouble. But only when I give the order." Lucy said.

"Helm. Increase speed, erratic flying, make it look like we're trying to run..." Lucy ordered. "Then we're going to cut engines, drop our shields and lower our power output once we vent the dry plasma. It should give the Romulans the impression that we're dead in the water..."

This seemed like a big risk, but if the Romulans had wanted to destroy the Midway they would have sent more than one ship. It seemed as if this ship was here to slow them down, or to distract them. "Now I'm betting that the Romulan Commander won't be able to resist the temptation to capture a Constitution Class Starship. It would be his greatest achievement..." Lucy told them all. "Once they lower their shields we're going to hit them with everything we've got. The plasma wake should hide our weapons signatures."

"Ready?" Lucy asked Thraxina.

"Yes Ma'am, increasing speed, heading 310, Warp 4" It occurred to Thraxina that they could just run for it anyway, but she obeyed the Commander's orders to the letter.

Stryker grinned, his fingers ready to dance over the launch buttons with a nasty array of photon presents for the pointy-headed little jerks! Some may say it was a risk, but the results from it would be a sheer delight, except for the Romies, who were about to learn about messing Constitution Class Starships!

"Ok..." Lucy said. "Engineering, Helm. Now!"

"Engines cut, we're drifting, shields are down" Thraxina reported mechanically as Lt. commander stryker launched his torps at just the right moment.

"Direct hit Commander," Toby said from the science console, "Considerable damage..." He trailed off and then shot his head away from the scope, "She's launching a plasma torpedo," he added before dropping to the Burke chair and tapping several buttons on the console.

Stryker smiled and said to himself, 'Nice array, John Stryker, nice job.' He awaited the command to reload the tubes, though he thought that probably would not be needed.

"Plasma Torpedoes are slow," Lucy said. "Lock phasers on that torpedo and fire!" She ordered quickly.

"Locking on Romulan torpedos, firing!" Thraxina announced her own actions as she performed them, her beady eyes frowning into her sighting scope.

"Redirect phaser targeting, aim for their weapons. They obviously aren't giving in easily." Lucy said.

"Targeting weapons array, firing!" Thraxina imagined if she had to spend the rest of her life shouting out loud what she was doing 'heading to the fridge, locking on to juice box, drinking!'

"Direct hit, Ma'am" Thraxina dragged her blue eyes away from the scope and checked over her helm control panel and the image on the big viewscreen at the front of the bridge. Yes, good: that bird was crippled. If this had been a ship of her own home fleet of Ardana, she would now be targeting a further blast of phaser fire into the enemy's life support systems. She found the spot on the aiming scope anyway, just for old times' sake.

Stryker looked across at Thrax with a grin and a nod, as if to congratulate her. Unnecessary words would not be appropriate, nor appreciated.

The Romulan ship began to drift. The lights from its few viewports were flickering and fire was burning out of a hull breach caused by Midways onslaught. The flames obviously feeding on the air from the life support systems only to be snuffed out by the vacuum of space.

"Lieutenant Vox, open a channel to the Romulan Vessel," Lucy ordered.

Aze tapped her console. A tone was heard. "Channel open sir."

"Romulan Vessel, this is Commander Lucy Heartfilia of the Federation Starship Midway. You have attacked our ship unprovoked. However, in the interest of galactic peace, we are willing to show mercy. We will be happy to take your crew to neutral space where you can arrange transport back to Romulan Space," Lucy said. Deep down Lucy knew that allowing Romulans anywhere near a Starfleet ship was a dangerous idea, but if this might lead to peace between the Federation and Romulan Empire it was worth the risk.

"Federation Starship, we agree to your terms," the voice said over the subspace radio, "We will stand by for transport. You may need to come closer due to the make up of our ship's hull."

Stryker smiled, but a cautious smile. He was well aware the Commander knew there was a good deal of risk in bringing the Romulan crew aboard. She would have a plan, of that he was certain, and the possibility that this might lead to a more permanent solution to hostilities might just be worth the risk. He just wished he had his phaser.

"Take us closer nice and slow, but keep our shields up. This could still be a trap," Lucy ordered.

"Aya aye." Thraxina responded and started to execute the Commander's orders.

"We'll only lower the shields for transport once we're in range." Lucy turned in her chair to face the security station. "Security, put the Romulans into secure quarters. Have guards at their doors, they are to be held there... for their own safety..."

"It is a trap," came the voice of Captain Faust. The swashbuckling captain had stepped on to the bridge wearing his mustard green wraparound tunic, the turbolift doors swishing behind him. "Helm, back us off now," he ordered,

"Yes Sir" Thraxina replied, wondering if Admiral Nogura was abut to suddenly appear on the bridge and countermand that order!

"Ensign Kinsley, full power to the forward shields," the Captain ordered. He saw the young woman nod and begin to key in the sequence.

Aze swung around in her chair to see the captain stood there in front of the turbolift doors. Something was different about him. He was always confident and bold but it was like it was all super charged. He looks mighty and impressive in his stance. She could even sense it in his voice in his commands. Aze was still on tenterhooks about what was unfolding around her but she had managed to regain the confidence that this might all work out, now that HE was back.

Thraxina might have responded to the Captain's countermanding of the Commander's command with alacrity; but she couldn't help feeling sorry for Heartfilia, having the baton snatched from her hand in mid-operation: especially after she had performed so wonderfully during the crisis of battle.

Lucy stood up and turned to face the Captain. "Are you cleared back for duty sir?" she asked simply. She didn't want to go against the doctors orders.

"I am," Tristan responded before heading down into the well. He looked up as the Romulan ship exploded sending a shockwave rippling through space. The ship shuttered slightly. They were too far away to suffer any damage. "But I see you had everything well in hand," he added with a smile.

"Gods!" exclaimed Thraxina. "Explosion on Romulan ship, Sir... I think she self-detonated!" She looked around: was she the only person shocked? Everybody else was acting like they were watching a simulation on the holodeck. Hundreds of sentient being had just perished: yes, the were their enemies, but the majority were just crewmembers, following orders, just like the crew of the Midway. She listened with disbelief to the callous comments by the various crewmembers on the bridge.

As the explosion dissipated on the viewscreen, Aze sighed with relief that the Midway escaped with only with a slight shaking. She looked around the bridge. "I like this ship. She's exciting." She exclaimed, putting the coms earpiece back in and turning to her console.

"Sorry Commander, I know you have everything well in hand," the Captain said as he approached the command chair, "But I've had nothing but time to read and I didn't just read Bond novels... I read every report, every veteran's account, everything I could find on the Romulans... And they all agreed if a Romulan Commander looses a fight, he'd rather destroy his own ship than surrender..."

"So it seems," Lucy replied as she moved over to the science station. "Romulan ship destroyed," she announced peering through the scanner. "No lifesigns."

The Captain nodded as he sat down in his chair, "All's well, that ends well, I suppose..." He mused. The whole trip they had come close to meeting the same fate, a strong reminder that a starship was far from invincible. "Mr. Stryker, adjust our course back to Nimbus III," he ordered, "Lt. Thraxina, best speed..."

"Course has been readjusted Captain, bound for Nimbus III," Stryker said after quickly factoring in the previous coordinates to the Nav computer. And, he learned something about the Romies. Lose the fight destroy your ship and your crew. Weird!

Aze started a short diagnostic check, just to makes sure the shock wave from the exploding Romulan vessel had any affect on the communications antenna. After a few moments, all came up that lush green that she liked to see after running any diagnostic.

Thraxina activated the course settings, but was disturbed by the attitude of some of her fellow Federation beings. If they had hated the Romulans that had attacked them, she could understand it: but this bland indifference, as if they had just swatted and killed a fly, confused her.

The Captain gazed out at the viewscreen, his face displaying a pensive mood. He thought about if the situation had been different, they may have met the fate of the Romulan Bird of Prey. Thraxina's assumption was far from the truth. He recited a silent prayer. Christ and Kahless had one thing in common, both said pray for your enemies...

 

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