A Step Behind
Posted on Mon Dec 18th, 2023 @ 12:18am by Lieutenant Shinobu Miyake & Captain Tristan Faust & Lieutenant Azrel Vox & Ensign Peter Novak & Ensign Tobias "Toby" Dienstag
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Mission 4: Through a Glass, Darkly
Location: Deck 7: Auxiliary Control Room
Timeline: M4 MD04 (2268.07.13) 1900-2000
Auxiliary control located on deck # was a fairly subdued duty assignment. Although in theory ready for any sort of emergency, it was usually manned by a duo of bored junior officers.
One of the bored officers was Ensign Dienstag. Toby's compelling case to the Commander for more bridge time in the meantime had landed him a rotating shift at auxiliary control in addition to his laboratory duties.
Always the nerd, Toby was sitting there reading an article on some of the latest breakthroughs in artificial intelligence including the reset of the M5 computer to basically try again.
“Auxiliary control checking in,” came the voice of Mr. DeSoto over the comm, the other officer… A lieutenant in his mid-20’s who was technically in command of the duty station. “Everything A-OK,” he said before tapping the switch to turn off the communicator. “So, is this an improvement over the science lab?” He asked with a chuckle.
“Not by much,” Toby responded with a sigh.
The door to auxiliary control opened.
Toby looked over with a puzzled look as no one walked in. A small metal object bounced into the room.
Thinking quickly, Toby hit the alert button then yelled “Get down!”
The stun grenade went off, knocking out both officers.
Shinobu, in the meanwhile, was in the process of making a sweep of Deck 8 when the whole ship shuddered, momentarily throwing her off balance.
"Geh," she grunted to herself as she picked herself up off the floor and pulled out her communicator. =Miyake to Novak; what the hell's going on?
"Desk officer reports someone pressed the panic button in Auxillary Control and just dispatched me and a team," Peter responded from his hand communicator as he walked down the corridor. He and his four person team were all armed with phaser rifles. They weren't taking any chances this time.
=Auxiliary Control...?=A= Shinobu glanced up at the ceiling. =Alright, that's directly above my current position; I'll head up there now and rendezvous with your team; Miyake out.=
"Sir, security reports an incident in Auxiliary Control. Something about a stun grenade. " Vox advised.
"Thank you lieutenant," the Captain responded as he stood up from the command chair, "Let them know I'm on my way." He headed towards the turbolift.
"Yes sir. ". She tapped her console. "Security, Captain Faust is on his way to Auxiliary Control. "
It didn't take long for the Captain to arrive, phaser in hand, in the corridor outside Axillary control where several armed officers had congregated. The Captain holstered his phaser after he saw the officers were fairly relaxed. The door to auxiliary control was open as he stepped inside.
Several engineers were working on the various consoles, attempting to track down all changes. He avoided the two stretchers, taking the two stunned officers out of the room. He noticed the cherubic face of Ensign Dienstag blur passed him, still out cold, his blonde hair a mess.
"Poor kid," Tristan muttered to himself. Always in the thick of it but always getting the burnt of it. He walked over to Lt. Miyake who was going over security footage on one of the monitors. "Report, lieutenant," he said.
"I'm afraid we're too late, Captain," Shinobu sighed. "By the time my team got here, the control room staff appeared to have been knocked out with some sort of stun grenade. They also appear to have sent out a message of some kind with details regarding our current location."
The Captain grimaced, "We've been one step behind this entire mission," he commented, "I thought I ordered security details around every vital area of the ship... I assumed Auxillary Control would have made that list."
"I swear to Christ, we're running around here like a bunch of chickens with our heads cut off looking for two people- two people!- and they can't be bothered to radio in with one another and determine who needs to be posted where?" Shinobu scowled. "This department wouldn't know how to find it's own behind if I weren't there giving out orders!"
"Sounds like a reshuffle is in order," Tristan responded, trying not to roll his eyes as his security chief. It was her department after all. Regardless, there would be time for reprimands and reassignments later, now the issue was the two Terrans on the loose. "Now is time to get a step ahead," he said, "They are bound to go to the shuttlebay and try and escape... Get a team down there. Have engineering security lock out every turbolift and Jefferies tube that won't lead there. Maybe we can funnel them into a trap.
"On it," Shinobu nodded before shifting her attention to the Security detail. "You heard him! Let's get a move on! Time's a-wasting! Go, go, go!"
The Captain looked at one of the officers, "Phaser," he said. The young man nodded and quickly handed him a Type II phaser pistol. "Alright, secure auxiliary control, everyone else with us," he said and gave a nod to Shinobu.
The Captain along with the security team made it down to the corridor by the shuttlebay. He saw Ensign Novak and the forward security team outside of the doors. "Any sightings," he asked.
"No sir, bridge reports internal sensors are down, but they are bound to reach here soon," Peter responded.
"Lock down the perimeter," Shinobu ordered. "I want guards posted at every entrance to the facility, Jefferies Tubes included. And make sure to radio in your status with me every two minutes; if any one of you fails to do so in that time, we'll know you're in trouble and converge on your location. If you see anyone who matches the description of our fugitives, you are to stop them and ask for credentials; do not let them try to persuade you otherwise! Do I make myself clear?"
"Send a team to the shuttlebay control room," Tristan added, before leaning against a nearby bulkhead. He scratched his chin with his phaser.
Shinobu rolled her eyes at having to be corrected by Tristan for glaring oversights. "And make sure we have a team posted in front of the Shuttlebay Control Room, please?"
"Of course Lieutenant," Peter responded before sending several officers to the Shuttlebay Control Room. He looked over at the young man down the corridor, "Mr. Bailey, stick with the Captain and the lieutenant," he said.
"Yes sir," the young man responded before approaching the Captain and Shinobu. He was shorter than the Captain, a slighter build and to top it off, a babyface.
"I feel safer, don't you lieutenant?" The Caption quipped.
Shinobu gnashed her teeth. "Don't rub it in."
The com chirped, "Contact made, deck 18." One deck above the hangar deck.
The Captain looked at Shinobu, figuring it was prudent to step back and let nature take it's course.
=Copy that,= Shinobu radioed in. =Hold your position, and don't let them out of your sights. Captain Faust and I will converge on your location momentarily. Miyake out.=
She proceeded to terminate the communication before shifting her attention over to the Security Officers who were still awaiting orders.
"Those of you who aren't already on guard duty, prime your phasers and let's get a move on!" She barked. "We are not letting these bastards get away! Move, move, move!"
[Deck 18]
By the time the Captain and Lt. Miyake arrived, there was a fierce phaser battle in progress. A stray shot hit the doorway of the turbolift.
The Captain ducked and rolled to a nearby open doorway and pulled out his phaser. "Heck of a welcome, wouldn't you say Lieutenant?" He asked as he looked around for the source of the phaser fire.
"Perhaps it's their way of saying hello?" Shinobu grinned as she set her phaser to heavy stun. "Affable bunch, these Terrans..."
"Incredibly dangerous," Tristan agreed, "Ths is what we get for being nice, I suppose..." He looked around the corner and saw the security team on both sides of the corridor. The Terrans were nowhere in sight, but it was evident they were pinned down and surrounded.
"You are surrounded," the Captain called out, "Your best bet is to drop your phasers and surrender..."
The response was a phaser blast which whizzed past the Captain's ear and impacted against the bulkhead. "I suppose there's our answer," he responded.
"Is that the best you've got?!" Shinobu shouted angrily. "You idiots couldn't hit the blind side of a barn, what makes you think you can take your chances with us?!"
"It's our job to keep you bogged down as long as possible," Calvin Ivers yelled from down the corridor, "Every minute you waste, the closer the Empire moves in," he said, "It's not us who should surrender, it should be you."
"You're only protracting the inevitable!" Shinobu called back. "We've got you outnumbered at least three dozen to two! You shoot one of us, and the rest will be on top of you in a matter of seconds!"
"We're worth a dozen of your officers," Calvin shouted back, "We are warriors... Conquerors... Not beatniks..."
The Captain heard the retort and had a flash of insight. He looked at Shinobu, "I have an idea," he said, "We need to change tactics and talk about thr merits of the Federation... I had a conversation with Lockwood... She seemed to be on the fence about us..." He looked down the corridor, "Maybe with a little pressing..." He commented.
Shinobu nodded in understanding.
"So, what do you stand to gain by this?" she challenged. "You think Empress Sato will reward you handsomely for your heroics? Maybe give you governance over a backwater planet or something?"
"Power and glory go hand in hand," Calvin responded, his pale face was flushed with excitement, his green eyes filled with bloodlust. He fired his phaser hitting one of the security officers in the shoulder.
Zara remained silent. She looked at Lt. Ivers. Calvin's slicked back red hair made him look like a snake... Which that's all what Terran officers were... Snakes which slept in the same bed, ready to eat one another...
"But do you have any way of knowing that your reward is guaranteed?" Shinobu was quick to call out. "For all you know, you could just be another cog in Hoshi Sato's machine!"
"We are all cogs in the machine, the strongest rule and the stronger over throw them," Calvin retorted, "I will prove my worth." He flung a plasma grenade far down the corridor.
The Captain quickly shot the grenade in mid air with his phaser as though it were a sporting clay. "I think I just passed my next marksmanship certification," he responded.
"Yeah, I'll second that..." Shinobu muttered breathlessly.
"Let's try this again," Tristan said and called out, "Remember what we talked about, about a brighter future? One with out fear, one of cooperation and betterment of all mankind?
Ensign Lockwood stood next to Lt. Ivers, frozen, thinking about the Captain's words. About the future he offered. She was tired of fighting and tired of running. He turned her phaser towards Ivers.
Calvin looked over at her. Before he could say anything she shot him, knocking him to the ground. But the stun setting wasn't enough to knock out the determined and angry Terran superman. He shot back her on heavy stun, which caused the young woman to fall to the ground.
A rain of phaser blasts carpeted the area. Several shots hit the already stunned Calvin Ivers as he dropped the phaser, out cold.
As the dust finally settled, no more than a dozen Security officers quickly descended upon the scene, removing anything that the two of them could use as a weapon and making sure that they were properly restrained.
"I can't believe it," Shinobu muttered as she and Tristan observed them from afar. "You somehow managed to get through to one of them? How did you know if that was even going to work?"
A twinkle was in the Captain's blue eye and a smile filled his face, "Simple answer is, I didn't," he said, "But I had a hunch and took a chance and sometimes that's all you can do in a situation like this."
RSS Feed