In Good Hands
Posted on Thu Jun 13th, 2024 @ 5:13pm by Captain Tristan Faust & Ensign Tobias "Toby" Dienstag & Commander Lucy Heartfilia & Lieutenant Commander Darrod Hanous & Lieutenant Commander Marc Kitchner M.D. & Lieutenant T'kara & Lieutenant Azrel Vox & Lieutenant Shinobu Miyake & Lieutenant JG Marcel Knowles & Ensign Zoya Solwick & Chief Petty Officer Meredith Corden & Luminous Traite Ms
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Mission 5: The Price of Paradise
Location: Bridge
Timeline: M5 MD07 (2268.07.30) 0900
Word had come down from the CIC at Starbase 10 that the Midway's launch window would be moved up by a week and would launch as soon as possible. The terminal in Captain Faust's quarters chimed on, the dignified figure of Admiral Fitzpatrick filled the screen, "Tristan," he said in an informal manner. His normal easy smile was gone replaced with a stern glare.
"Admiral," Tristan responded in an equally businesslike matter.
"I will jump to the point," the senior officer said, "I'm sure by now Commodore Anderson has relayed your change of launch window."
The Captain nodded.
"There has been a breakout of Regulan Bloodworms on New Paradise and the situation is grim," the Admiral continued, "A vital shipment of Xenoderm meant to quell the outbreak has been hijacked... We think by the Orions... The Midway is the only capable starship ready for deployment."
"Understood sir," Tristan responded.
"The details will be transmitted by courier to your yeoman within in the hour," the Admiral added, "Any questions?"
Captain Faust shook his head.
"Good... I know this mission will be in good hands," the Admiral responded, "Fitzpatrick out."
Bridge
Word spread down the chain of command regarding the change of departure. They were now ready to go. The Captain was sitting in the command chair surrounded by yeoman and other officers carrying clipboard after clipboard.
"Remind me to have a stamper made," Tristan quibbed to Meredith who was collecting the carbon copies.
Meredith gave a little laugh. "I could consolidate them more for you, sir," she suggested more seriously. But everyone wanted their moment with the captain.
"Maybe we can just preprint my signature on the forms moving forward, would save a lot of time," Tristan quibbed with a chuckle before returning the stylus.
"If only, captain," Meredith said with a smile.
The Captain saw a flash of blue streak behind him. He turned his head and saw Ensign Dienstag clipboard in hand heading towards the science console. "How did the test go?" Tristan asked.
The young man froze and sighed, "Not well sir," he said.
"Heh it rarely goes well, surprised you haven't taken it up until now," Tristan responded, "We can chat about it later."
After checking all the communication systems. Aze readjusted her ear-piece and cleared the board. She then turned towards the captain.
"Captain. All communications are ready for departure. The dockmaster for Starbase 10 has said we are clear to proceed when ready. " She advised.
"Acknowledge the signal," Tristan responded before punching the intercom button the right side of the Captain's chair, "Attention all decks, this is the Captain speaking... Prepare for departure... Bridge out."
Aze acknowledged the message from the dockmaster as the captain main his shipwide broadcast.
At that moment the doors of the turbolift swished open and Lucy entered the bridge. She had finished checking the Midway's departments, just in time it seemed.
T’kara made a quick visual sweep of the instrument panel before her. She had several green status lights, with the remainder quickly transitioning from yellow to green, indicating departments were ready to depart Starbase 10.
“Navigation ready for departure, Captain, ” T’kara reported, turning to glance back to the Command Seat and the Captain behind her.
"Thank you Lieutenant," Tristan responded, "Lay in a course for the edge of the star system and then for Ballard's Mint... Rig for silent running and passive scan for any Orion signal..." Finally revealing who they were going after.
"Whoop-de-doodle; Orions, my favorite assignment," Lieutenant Miyake could be heard muttering sardonically as she stepped out onto the bridge. "Security has been briefed as to the nature of our assignment, and we are currently in the process of conducting drills in anticipation of a hostile boarding situation; we won't be caught with our pants down like our last run-in with them, that much is certain."
"I would expect nothing less, Leutenant," Tristan responded.
Main Engineering
Darrod was down in Engineering with his team, looking over the repairs after the battle in that other timeline. While the small Andorian ships were a century behind Midway and hadn't managed a shot, they had taken real damage against Defiant; though not nearly as much as Defiant (even before the self-destruct). He kept glancing down at his sleeve, finding the change in his rank braid still hard to believe. Obviously, the Engineers were among the first to know that the ship was departing early.
"Solwick, have all repair and maintenance teams reported in that we're ready to launch?"
"I'm on it, Commander." Zoya said, and she started to prepare her maintenance teams. Luckily for her she already had a pre-existing list to go off of. She started to call off several members to join the team.
Darrod nodded at her with a smile. She was a good officer, and did her job well. For Darrod, that made her an excellent assistant. Plus, she followed his lead while recognizing the occasional need to improvise and innovate. If he'd had any doubts, her performance so far with this launch had put them to bed. "Excellent job, Solwick. I'm going to check in with Lemaire; if you need me, contact the Bridge."
With that, he headed out to the turbolift. The fact that Chief Corden was up there probably wasn't going to be lost on anyone in Engineering either. Darrod was focused on the ship, but if there was an excuse that let him see Meredith, he would take it.
Zoya just grinned as she continuing her work. She really appreciated the praise coming from her chief. She had heard rumors about other cheese being a little strict and tough on their crew, she hopes someday when she was a chief she could show the same level of professionalism that he was showing right now.
Bridge
"Whoop-de-doodle; Orions, my favorite assignment,"
Darrod came up from Engineering to check in with Lemare, his lead on the Bridge (and to check in with the Captain), as he heard the Security chief speak. He looked over at her, his expression starting with a smirk, then turning to grim. "I wish I had a quip to come back to you with. As it stands, Lieutenant Miyake, I can report that we have the phaser-to-EPS relays ready and tested, and all photon torpedoes have been checked. Also, the Engineering team have the retrofit time for probe casings to flashcubes down to five seconds. I know that's forever in a fight, but it's the best I can do, We'll take them down."
It was the first time that most of the Bridge crew would see Darrod's relationship to the majority of Orion pirates.
Shinobu shot a glare at Darrod as if to silently warn him that it didn't change her opinions of him, before slowly shifting her attention back to her console.
"Much appreciated, Lieutenant," she expressed, although the thinly-veiled iciness underlying her tone meant that the gesture practically reeked of sarcasm.
Meredith grinned and gave Darrod a quick wink.
There was nothing Darrod could do to ease Shinobu's feelings toward him in the near future. But they were on the same side. Her remark was sarcastic and cutting - but at the same time, no one lied on the Bridge of a starship. They both had to know exactly what kind of work he'd put in personally - and that it wasn't about her, it was about the pirates. The scars he still carried and the tattoos that couldn't be safely removed were constant reminders of his past. His hatred of the Syndicate and the Cartels burned brightly - and it was personal. For the moment, he and Shinobu had a common cause - protect the ship; and a common enemy - the Orion Syndicate.
For all that agony and rage, it disappeared in an instant when he looked at Meredith and grinned back at her. He crossed the Bridge with the apparent heading of the Engineering console where Lemaire was, but touched Meredith's arm gently as he passed her. It was a simple gesture, and most people wouldn't have caught it, but it was the most affectionate he could be and maintain Bridge decorum.
After another smile at Meredith, he finished his walk and looked at Georgette. "Are your readings and controls in working order? We're all set downstairs."
Meredith grinned more brightly when she felt the brush of Darrod's hand but she didn't say anything. There was decorum to be maintained. She looked to the captain.
Georgette nodded at the Chief Engineer. "Oui, All Bridge controls seem to be functioning fine," she replied her French accent coming through strong.
Darrod nodded, glancing over the sensors that told him everything he needed to know about his engines - and would tell Lemaire when they were in the real fighting. "Excellent. Keep in contact with Solwick." He turned to Tristan and nodded from behind her - Lemaire was his eyes and ears up here - he trusted her, but there was always something thrilling about being on the Bridge of a Starship when you felt the deckplates stir as the warp engines roared to life with the delicate interplay of the SIF, the inertial dampeners, and the external Cochrane fields. "Sir, Engineering is ready for launch. Full emergency speed available at your command."
He stepped back to the rail behind the Captain, to the accustomed 'kibbitzer's post' on the Bridge of a Starship, so often occupied either by a Doctor or an Engineer who didn't have anywhere better to be after making sure everyone they trusted with their lives was doing exactly what they could be trusted to do. Then again, there was nowhere better to be in the galaxy than aboard a Starship leaving dock, and on her Bridge was better than just being aboard. No matter how many times he experienced it, no matter how often it happened, it was a moment of glory every time.
Lucy turned from the science console. "All decks have reported in Captain. It looks like we're ready to go on your order." She stated as she moved a little closer to the red handrail.
"Alright, Mr. Knowles, you heard the Commander," the Captain said, turning his attention back to the viewscreen, "Take us out, full thrusters, then take us to full impulse once we clear the starbase."
Marcel turned in his seat. "I'll be gentle, Captain" replied the helmsman at his console bringing thrusters to full to take them out. "Thrusters at full, Sir" he added. The Midway began to exit and distance between them and the starbase slowly increased.
"We're a safe distance out, going to one quarter impulse and increasing" he stated. He would push them to full impulse when suitable.
Thrusters, then RCS engines, came online, and Darrod could see not only from Lemaire's panel, but all of them, the fact that the engines (his engines) were working perfectly. Power distribution was working nominally. He glanced over at Meredith, more than a little proud of this moment. He was an Engineer to his core, and the moment he could prove that this ship was in good working order and fully shipshape, he was in his glory. The steady hum of the deckplates and the soft sound of the Bridge indicators. They were headed into a version of hell that Darrod had fled years ago, but for the moment he could push that out of his mind and focus on this ship, on the Commander braid on his wrist, his successes; and of course, one person he never minded focusing on - Meredith.
Meredith glanced over at Darrod at just the moment he had that thought. She smiled and then she looked back at the screen. Her main task in visiting the bridge had been completed. She was nominally waiting a moment in case the captain needed anything else. But, really, it was nice to be on the bridge of a starship as it headed out.
"We are clear of dock and free to navigate sir," Toby relayed to the Captain from Commander Heartfilia who was bogged down in signing reports.
"Coordinates from Starbase 10 should be feeding into your console lieutenant," Tristan said to Lt. T'Kara, "Plot our course to them."
“Coordinates received; plotting a course for New Paradise, now” the Rigelian reported as she input the coordinates to the ship’s computer. She did a quick double-check of her work before submitting the plotted course and then stabbed the “send” command when she was satisfied it was correct.
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