Ships Passing In The Night

Posted on Thu Jan 12th, 2023 @ 9:43am by Captain Tristan Faust & Ensign Tobias "Toby" Dienstag & Lieutenant Braun Bernhardt & Lieutenant Thraxina
Edited on on Mon Jan 16th, 2023 @ 8:31am

189 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Mission 1: A Fool’s Errand
Location: Deck 1: Bridge
Timeline: M1 MD09 (2268.24.05) 0200

Four hours had passed since the Orion Pirates gave up their attempt to take the Midway as a prize. Replacing the dilithium crystal only took fifteen minutes but it took thirty for the warp drive to restart. The Orions had kidnapped forty-five of the ship's crew including Commander Heartfilia.

Captain Faust rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted but there was no way he could shirk his responsibility. He could use a cup of coffee, but his yeoman Chief La'lei had also been nabbed.

"Sensor contact, Captain," came the baritone voice of Ensign Dienstag from behind his right ear at the science console.

"What do you make of it Mr. Dienstag?" Captain Faust asked.

The young officer looked through the scope, "Klingon D-7 sir," he said, "Markings indicate... IKS Klak."

Although officially no hostilities existed between the Federation and the Klingons due to the Organian Peace Treaty, skirmished had been known to happen and both sides were at constant high alert. Tristan clicked the red alert beacon.

"Mr. Bernhardt, keep those torpedoes ready to go," Captain Faust said, "same with the phasers Lieutenant Thraxina."

"Aye, Captain," Braun replied. If anything the Orions had made a serious mistake. It was one thing to take shots at other gangs, but they had pretty much declared war on the Federation. that had all sorts of disturbing implications.

"Aye, Captain" replied the helmswoman mechanically. She looked a mess. When she had recovered after the attack and clambered in some pain back into her position, she had ordered a medic to give her a shot of cordrazine to kill the pain and shock. He had gingerly tried to lift her sleeve and she had snapped for him to "Rip it off", her torn uniform (Jim Kirk would have been proud) the blood on her head and neck and her hair, now tied in an untidy knot at the side of her head to keep it out of her eyes: she looked more like Zora of Tiburon rather than one of the 'beautiful people' of Stratos City.

"Do you need to be relieved Lieutenant?" Tristan asked again. He had asked several times already, receiving the same reply each time, "It's understandable if you need to be."

She turned and looked upon the man upon whom their success and the safety of their lost companions rested. She would go through hell or high water for him. But something did bother her, and it wasn't the pain in her head.

"Maybe I could just go and change my uniform, Sir. I don't want the Klingons to think we're... tatty."

The Captain looked at the young woman and then at the viewscreen, "Mr. Dienstag, time to intercept," he asked.

"Twenty minutes sir," Toby responded.

"Alright Lieutenant," Tristan responded, "We'll mind the store while you're gone."

Thraxina stood and one of the nonentities at the outer bridge stations took her place, to her hissed imprecation of "Don't touch anything!!" Of all her heroic and commendable actions in the Andaran Space Fleet, in Star Fleet, and beyond, her ability to get cleaned up, change her uniform and get her hair redone in fifteen minutes that day was ever her proudest achievement.

Thus it was that when contact was made with the Klingon ship, she was back at her station: a little bruised but otherwise fresh faced and pristine, frowning into the targeting sights of the ship's phaser banks as her fingers played almost musically upon the candy colored controls of the helm console.

"Hail them, this is the U.S.S. Midway of the United Federation of Planets. We are hunting a group of Orion Pirates which have kidnapped Federation citizens and members of our crew," Tristan said, "We will defend ourselves if fired upon."

The D-7 grew larger on the screen as the two ships quickly approached each other.

The two ships passed each other having gotten as close as several hundred meter.

The hailing indicator went off at the communications console which was unmanned. The ship's crew roster was completely upside down since the attack. Toby walked over to the console and stuck the earpiece into his ear.

"Sir, a message from the Klingon ship," Toby said.

"What do you make if it Mr. Dienstag," Tristan asked.

Toby cleared his throat and said, "Hoch jaghpu'Daj HoHbogh SuvwI' yIvup, jaj vIghaj" He thought the phrase over in his head since the universal translator didn't know what to do with it, "They say... Pity the warrior that kills all his enemies! Own the day," he added.

"I didn't realize you spoke Klingon, Ensign," the Captain said.

"I know enough of it to get me out of trouble, or into it," Toby responded with a smile.

"Send a reply... Thankfully we seem to be out of trouble," Tristan responded, "For now.

 

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