Around the Block, Part 3
Posted on Thu Oct 19th, 2017 @ 10:09pm by Lieutenant Yzhara & Cadet Junior Grade Emma Phelps & Lieutenant Commander Tyler Vorran & Cadet Senior Grade Errowyn St. Cloud
Mission:
A Day in the Life
Location: USS Wainwright- Bridge
Timeline: 1000 Hrs
Vorran stood at the back of the bridge observing as the training cruise continued. The Wainwright was approaching the asteroid field which is where the cruise would get interesting. "Hope they are ready for the surprise." Vorran said to Yzhara.
Yzhara smirked, though she didn't take her eyes off of the ship's status display. A big part of her job on this cruise was to monitor real time performance, and her job was about to get even busier. "I'm sure they're not, but then that's half the fun, right? I'm ready when you are."
The two officers' whispers were unnoticed by the nearby cadets, who were focusing heavily on their work. Although she was taking a turn at the helm, Cadet Phelps was still carefully watching the output from the sensors. So far there hasn't been much of any interest. A few specs of space dust here, random spikes on the infrared there. If she hadn't had the attention of the instructors reviewing her performance, she would have started to drift off hours ago. Even then, it was a struggle. Finally something of interest caught her attention. "Captain, I'm picking up an increase in tachyon particles about five hundred thousand kilometers from our current position, heading oh-four-three mark oh-three-seven."
Errowyn had drifted off to sleep while waiting for something to happen as she worked on a major report for one of her course back at the starbase. At a glance it seamed that she was engrossed in the report she was working on, but under close observation, she was asleep. Even though she sat at attention, supported by the Centre Seat of Command, head tilted a bit forward and a few stray locks of hair hung down that escaped the regulation bun, blocked the view of her closed eyes, hiding the fact she was asleep.
Felicity was sitting next to Errowyn, in the XO's chair of the ship, looking over the sensor data that had detected the tachyon particles. She wasn't sure what it could be, but was interested to find out. "Cadet Phelps, adjust to heading oh-four-three mark oh-three-seven, full impulse."
Emma adjusted the ship's heading accordingly. "Aye, sir. Course laid in." Although the helm was not her specialty, it was an easy course adjustment to make. In short order, the Wainwright had reached the area where she had detected the tachyon particles. "We've reached the coordinates, sir. Shall I initiate scans?"
"Mmmmm.... looks delicious..." Errowyn muttered softly in her sleep reacting to the outside stimuli subconsciously, just loud enough to be heard by Felicity.
Felicity looked across at Errowyn and rolled her eyes. "Again?" She muttered quietly to herself as she nudged Errowyn away. "You ok?" She quietly asked the other cadet.
Eyes flew open, head jerking back startled as her eyes flew open, "Report!" Errowyn snapped out in her command voice, while giving Felicity the okay hand sign; thumb and forefinger tips touching and rest of the fingers extended; discretely to Felicity, playing it off as if she was totally engrossed in the Academy work, instead of sleeping. Then whispering to Felicity, "thanks." Smiling a bit sheepishly.
"I'm not picking up anything on sensors, sir," Phelps reported from the helm. But there is still trace tachyon signals. I'm adjusting sensors for a more detailed scan."
Almost as if on cue, when Phelps activated the scan a distortion appeared on the viewscreen. Before she could react, the distortion took the form of a Romulan warbird as it decloaked in front of them.
"Crap..." Felicity muttered under her breath. "Yellow Alert, Shields up!" She called across the bridge. "Tactical Analysis Cadet Sutherland?" She asked.
Errowyn nodded, letting Felicity take charge as she listened to Phelps reply. Refraining in giving the same order that Felicity did. She was curious as to why a Romulan Warbird was doing so far from their sector of space. "Hail the Romulan Warbird," After Felicity sent her inquiry to Tactical.
The green glow of a plasma torpedo launcher powering up was apparent on the warbird filling the viewscreen.
"Cadet St.Cloud I don't think they are interested in talking. You're options are run, hide, fight. The Wainwright is more maneuverable than the warbird at impulse speeds." Vorran suggested
"Helm! Evasive maneuvers, Shields up! Red Alert! Everyone to battle stations!" Errowyn snapped out orders in her clear voice. Her heart racing with trepidation and excitement as the adrenaline shot through her body. "Ready on the phasers and torpedoes." She thought a few seconds as she watched the main view screen. "Alert Starbase 332 of the Rogue Romulan Warbird."
“Phasers and Torpedoes ready, I have a targeting solution plotted!” Called Sutherland from the Tactical station.
"I'm not getting a response from the starbase, Captain," Phelps replied. The blaring klaxons were making it tough to concentrate. It didn't help that her heart was racing. "The Romulans seem to be jamming our transmissions."
"Kill the klaxons." Errowyn ordered as she tilted her head back to look at Sutherland, upside down from her point of view. "Fire a spread of torpedoes and phasers." Eyes ablaze with excitement.
“Aye! Firing spread of torpedoes and phasers!” Sutherland called back, tapping in the information to his console.
Errowyn tilted her head forward to watch the main view screen as the torpedoes and phaser fire shot towards the Romulan Warbird.
"Hit! Their shields are down to seventy-six percent!" Sutherland called.
Vorran looked at Yzhara as the battle continued. "I should have expected them to try and slug it out with a warbird."
Yzhara shrugged. "It's certainly a bold strategy. Let's see if it pays off," she whispered back to him.
"Try communicating with the Romulan Warbird." Errowyn turned her attention to Tactical, "Next salvo, Target their propulsion."
The viewscreen lit up with a bright green glow as the warbird returned fire. As the disruptor fire impacted against the shields, the ship rocked. Their opening salvo was followed by a plasma torpedo and more disruptors. This second hit was much harder. The main lights flickered as the power grid adjusted to the damage.
"Direct hit, Captain. Shields down to fifty-three percent," Phelps reported from the helm. "Engaging evasive maneuvers."
"Hit them hard, Tactical!" Errowyn commanded from the deck all sprawled out. Very undignified with her legs spread out before her. Her hair hanging loose in strands from the careful bun at the nape of her neck. Eyes blazing as she sat up and placed a hand on the Centre seat to assist herself to stand. Her face red from embarrassment from having been knocked out of the Centre Seat of Command to the Deck. "Damage report!" She snapped out harshly as she began to stand up.
The ship rocks again from other round of disruptor fire. The old ship didn't seem to be holding up well against the superior firepower of the Romulan warbird. "Shields at thirty-six percent, Captain! We won't be able to take many more hits!"
"Crap!" Escaped from Errowyn as she went tumbling back to the deck again. "Get us outta here, Helm! Operations! Alert the Starbase of our plight!" Errowyn snapped out orders looking like a train wreck from her second tumble to the deck. Her long hair had totally escaped the bun.
Phelps gave up on trying for evasive maneuvers, and instead plotted an escape course directly towards the station. The ship took another hit as they turned around, but Emma was able to get the ship to warp.
Sutherland checked his tactical panel. "Captain, that last hit took our shields down to fourteen percent. I'm hailing the station, but I'm still not getting a response." His eyes grew wide. "Sir! The Romulans have gone to warp and are in pursuit. They're firing torpedoes!"
Emma braced for impact. Now that they were at warp, there was little that she could do but switch the viewer to a rear view. The warbird was quickly gaining, and the viewscreen lit up with the bright green glow of two plasma torpedoes. The first impacted against what was left of the shields, which failed immediately. The second hit their port warp nacelle. Lights all over the bridge, including their consoles, flickered before shutting down completely. The entire ship went dark and silent. After a moment, the bridge emergency lights illuminated what was left of the bridge. The viewscreen display returned momentarily, revealing that the ship had dropped out of warp, and the Romulan warbird was no longer there.
Vorran looked at Yzhara and shrugged. He had hoped they would have found a better way out of the situation.
"Computer End Battle simulation." Vorran ordered. The lights on the bridge returned to normal.
"Set course back to Starbase 332 and we will conduct a debriefing as soon as we dock." Vorran ordered
The fearless Cadet Senior Grade Acting Captain (in her own mind) St. Cloud just laid back onto the deck before her Centre Seat. "Back to the Star Base 322." She gave the order to the Bridge ceiling. Errowyn took a couple of deep breaths and finally sat up. Then got to her feet. She looked over the crew she commanded and gave a heart felt sigh of relief. She settled in her seat with a simple stoic expression.
Lt. Commander Tyler Vorran
Senior Instructor
Lieutenant Yzhara [P:Von]
Junior Instructor
Cadet Senior Grade Errowyn St. Cloud [P:Akiashiro]
Acting Commanding Officer
Cadet Junior Grade Felicity Kaz [P:Steel]
Acting Executive Officer
Cadet Junior Grade Emma Phelps [P: Von]
Acting Helmsman
