Anything Can Happen In The Next Half Hour

Posted on Thu Feb 2nd, 2012 @ 6:59am by Captain Alexander Gunning & Lieutenant Marcus O'Connell & Lieutenant Palabra Suder & Lieutenant Commander Jonathon Bastin PhD & Lieutenant Lynsi Mason & Major Darian Riva & Lieutenant Commander Nilani Prax

Mission: The Invasion of Thane
Location: USS Antietam
Timeline: MD02 - Launch + 11hrs

[ON]

[Main Bridge - USS Antietam]

Gunning emerged from the Antietam's spacious ready room, just in time to see Lieutenant Commander Bastin handing out orders as though he had always been an executive officer. The last few hours of the journey had been rough as he did his best to work out some kind of plan. It didn't matter what way he looked at it, he was flying blind. "Report, Commander." He said bluntly.

"We're just about ten minutes out, Captain. Everyone's prepped and as ready as they can be," the Diplomat remarked as he rose from the center seat to allow Gunning to assume his position on the bridge.

"Okay. When we drop out of warp, we'll have another ten minutes to prepare until the Metis returns with its scan. That doesn't give us a lot of time. Lieutenant Suder, as soon as we're out of warp, I want the crew standing by at battle stations. O'Connell, signal the hangar bay. Tell them to prepare for deployment."

"Aye, sir. It was not an order that came unexpectedly, but Suder felt something in her chest hitch. She was excited, ready for the challenge, but still very aware that the Tactical station was not her usual home.

Marcus signalled the hanger bay, telling the pilots to ready their fighters. "Captain, the pilots say that they will be ready as soon as we are out of warp," Marcus said.

"Excellent, Mister O'Connell."

[Hangar Bay - USS Antietam]

Darian walked around her fighter running a hand along the leading edge of each wing as she conducted the usual preflight check. Conducting a visual inspection of the craft before climbing into the cockpit was standard operating procedure. Briefly she turned to her crew chief, "She looks good. Thanks," Darian took her helmet as she started to ascend the ladder to climb in. Once she was seated the Major put her helmet on and secured it while a ground tech helped get her strapped into the plane. Checking over the instruments Riva opened a frequency to her squadron and flight control, "All pilots comm check."

Lynsi checks her controls in her viper's cockpit and opens the squadron comm channel. "Pythons, this is Squadron Lead. All pilots check in." Mason listens to her pilots, each announcing their status in turn. With her squadron ready, she started firing up her engines. "Stand by for launch for orders. We're about to go hot."

[Main Bridge - USS Antietam]

Marcus reported, "Captain the USS Metis is hailing us."

"Put it on screen, Lieutenant." The Captain ordered, rising to his feet as he addressed the his friend on the viewer. "What've they got Nilani?"

"Not what we were expecting, Alex," the Trill responded from her position at the centre of the Metis' bridge. "There's only one Ritorian power signature in the entire system. The Thane seem to be completely grounded by whoever it is in command there, but the other power signatures in the system consist of Cardassian, Klingon and... Federation ships." she paused, almost as if for emphasis. "Alex, the warp signatures of the Federation ships match three of the vessels reported missing from the Salvage Yards by the Shiloh earlier this year."

Gunning swore under his breath. In his minds eye he was throwing chairs around the room so he figured a muttered expletive couldn't do him much harm. "For all we know about the Ritorians, this isn't their way of working."

"Same plan as before, we go in ready for combat. Join us at the rendezvous point. Gunning out."

[OFF]

Captain Alexander Gunning
Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Commander Jonathon Bastin PhD
Chief Diplomatic Officer

Lieutenant Commander Nilani Prax
Chief Science Officer

Lieutenant Marcus O'Connell
Chief Operations Officer

Lieutenant Palabra Suder
Chief Intelligence Officer

Major Darian Riva
Squadron Leader

Lieutenant Lynsi Mason (NPC - Cmdr Von)
Squadron Leader