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current_story:nothing_ever_lasts_forever [2023/02/25 19:41] – cromwellcurrent_story:nothing_ever_lasts_forever [2025/03/05 04:36] (current) – cromwell
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 Timeframe:  Stardate 62033.7, 0745 hours shiptime** Timeframe:  Stardate 62033.7, 0745 hours shiptime**
  
-Once Leon was swept up in the tsunami of water that flooded deck eight, it took several minutes to find his bearings.  Fortunately, he found Drengal -- the Xindi-aquatic junior counselor -- who was able to offer a little more information regarding the takeover of Republic, as he was now free to navigate the water-filled corridors as easily as any air-breather under normal conditions.  The manatee-like lieutenant was on his way to the saucer section's warp core injector access junction to guard the engineering section interlock.  The plan was to cut off the engineering section from the saucer section, as the crew was in the middle of a shift change, and the skeleton crew in engineering had already secured the vessel's propulsion and power systems.  Otherwise, the lower decks of the saucer section were to be flooded with water from Cetacean Ops to keep crew who were still loyal to Roth-Dorian and the Marines from accessing the engineering section.+Once Leon was swept up in the tsunami of water that flooded deck eight, he took several minutes to find his bearings.  Fortunately, he found Drengal -- the Xindi-aquatic junior counselor -- who was able to offer a little more information regarding the takeover of Republic, as he was now free to navigate the water-filled corridors as easily as any air-breather under normal conditions.  The manatee-like lieutenant was on his way to the saucer section's warp core injector access junction to guard the engineering section interlock.  The plan was to cut off the engineering section from the saucer section, as the crew was in the middle of a shift change, and the skeleton crew in engineering had already secured the vessel's propulsion and power systems.  Otherwise, the lower decks of the saucer section were to be flooded with water from Cetacean Ops to keep crew who were still loyal to Roth-Dorian and the Marines from accessing the engineering section.
  
 Unfortunately, that was all the information Drengal could offer, as he was not privy to the full plan for protection via plausible deniability.  His advice to Leon was to follow Thaaj's advice and get to the bridge as soon as possible, directing him to the nearest Jeffries tube leading to deck seven where it had not yet flooded.  When he arrived, Leon was relieved to see that the deck was sparsely populated, as crew were scrambling to get to higher decks.  He kept his scuba gear donned, taking off the swim fins and hanging them over his shoulders to improve mobility.  Cautiously peering around corners, he used the Type 1 phaser to lead his way around the abandoned deck, setting it to a heavy stun setting.  Soon, he was encouraged by the emptiness in the corridors, and began sprinting his way to the turbolifts. Unfortunately, that was all the information Drengal could offer, as he was not privy to the full plan for protection via plausible deniability.  His advice to Leon was to follow Thaaj's advice and get to the bridge as soon as possible, directing him to the nearest Jeffries tube leading to deck seven where it had not yet flooded.  When he arrived, Leon was relieved to see that the deck was sparsely populated, as crew were scrambling to get to higher decks.  He kept his scuba gear donned, taking off the swim fins and hanging them over his shoulders to improve mobility.  Cautiously peering around corners, he used the Type 1 phaser to lead his way around the abandoned deck, setting it to a heavy stun setting.  Soon, he was encouraged by the emptiness in the corridors, and began sprinting his way to the turbolifts.
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 "If he told you THAT," she replied questioningly, her eyes narrowing with skepticism.  "Then where did he tell the CAPTAIN he was from?" "If he told you THAT," she replied questioningly, her eyes narrowing with skepticism.  "Then where did he tell the CAPTAIN he was from?"
  
-Leon studied Meridian's face in return, realizing she was digging deeper.  Point in fact, she was quizzing him; it was a test.  It suddenly dawned on Leon that Hendrix wasn't just being dodgy in their conversation on the holodeck three days ago when he revealed that he had misdirected the captain about his clandestine origins with SOG.  He was actually giving Leon a code... He was telling him HOW to communicate with Meridian if things went south.+Leon studied Meridian's face in return, realizing she was digging deeper.  Point in fact, she was quizzing him; it was a test.  It suddenly dawned on Leon that Hendrix wasn't just being dodgy in their conversation on the holosuite three days ago when he revealed that he had misdirected the captain about his clandestine origins with SOG.  He was actually giving Leon a code... He was telling him HOW to communicate with Meridian if things went south.
  
 "He told her... that he was from the See-Oh-Eee..." "He told her... that he was from the See-Oh-Eee..."
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 "Internal sensors are reading high levels of neurozine gas buildup," Lieutenant Ragnar explained from a monitoring console. "It's at toxic levels on the bridge, deck two, deck three, and deck four.  The bulkheads are successfully stopping it from entering deck five.  However, the comm systems are down and we're cutoff from the turbolifts.  Our mutineers appear to have gained control of the main computer.  Any crew who weren't in the engineering section have been effectively trapped on decks five and six." "Internal sensors are reading high levels of neurozine gas buildup," Lieutenant Ragnar explained from a monitoring console. "It's at toxic levels on the bridge, deck two, deck three, and deck four.  The bulkheads are successfully stopping it from entering deck five.  However, the comm systems are down and we're cutoff from the turbolifts.  Our mutineers appear to have gained control of the main computer.  Any crew who weren't in the engineering section have been effectively trapped on decks five and six."
  
-"They have to be running the ship from auxiliary control in the engineering section," the captain concluded.  "It's the only place they could be controlling those gas canisters.  It was a security feature designed into Republic during her construction phase.  Is there any way to get down there and stop them?"+"They must be running the ship from auxiliary control in the engineering section," the captain concluded.  "It's the only place they could be controlling those gas canisters.  It was a security feature designed into Republic during her construction phase.  Is there any way to get down there and stop them?"
  
 "Not from here," Ensign Goldman shook his head.  "We're cutoff from transporters, the access crawlways to the engineering section are underwater, and the ventral and dorsal lifeboat bays are unreachable from this deck." "Not from here," Ensign Goldman shook his head.  "We're cutoff from transporters, the access crawlways to the engineering section are underwater, and the ventral and dorsal lifeboat bays are unreachable from this deck."
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 Outside, the scintillating blue light of a tractor beam enveloped the monolithic superstructure of Republic's Mission Pod as the distance between it and Republic continued to widen.  Leading the pod on it's trajectory, a gray twin-engine winged vessel with the name "ACES HIGH" scrawled on it's lower hull kept it's aft-facing tractor beam emitter focused on the now maneuver-less scientific sensor suite.  Strapped into the cockpit of the fighter craft, and grinning from ear-to-ear, was a victorious Nathan Hawk -- Veteran of the Flying Aces 85th Attack Squadron, former first officer of Republic, and newly-minted renegade mercenary pilot.  With his tell-tale "devil-may-care" gleam in his eye, he treated himself to a celebratory cigar as he pulled the Mission Pod further and further away from its mothership. Outside, the scintillating blue light of a tractor beam enveloped the monolithic superstructure of Republic's Mission Pod as the distance between it and Republic continued to widen.  Leading the pod on it's trajectory, a gray twin-engine winged vessel with the name "ACES HIGH" scrawled on it's lower hull kept it's aft-facing tractor beam emitter focused on the now maneuver-less scientific sensor suite.  Strapped into the cockpit of the fighter craft, and grinning from ear-to-ear, was a victorious Nathan Hawk -- Veteran of the Flying Aces 85th Attack Squadron, former first officer of Republic, and newly-minted renegade mercenary pilot.  With his tell-tale "devil-may-care" gleam in his eye, he treated himself to a celebratory cigar as he pulled the Mission Pod further and further away from its mothership.
  
-"I luv it when a plan comes t'gether!" he exclaimed.+"I luv it when a plan comes ta'gether!" he exclaimed.
  
 Once he was confident the Mission Pod posed no further threat to Republic, the lieutenant commander produced a palm-sized device from his pocket, and flipped open a gold metallic top flap that registered multiple chirps.  It was, in fact, an old-style hand communicator circa 23rd century, complete with the black styling and silver highlights of yesteryear.  With the Republic's subspace communications network currently offline, it was apparent that the ship's first officer made alternate arrangements to communicate with his colleagues back on the bridge.  Once he was confident the Mission Pod posed no further threat to Republic, the lieutenant commander produced a palm-sized device from his pocket, and flipped open a gold metallic top flap that registered multiple chirps.  It was, in fact, an old-style hand communicator circa 23rd century, complete with the black styling and silver highlights of yesteryear.  With the Republic's subspace communications network currently offline, it was apparent that the ship's first officer made alternate arrangements to communicate with his colleagues back on the bridge. 
  
-"Aces High to Republic," Hawk hailed.  "Welcome ta the trial run uv Nat Hawk's Garbage Pickup Services.  It's been a pleasure servin' ya this fine mornin'."+"Aces High ta Republic," Hawk hailed.  "Welcome ta the trial run uv Nat Hawk's Garbage Pickup Services.  It's been a pleasure servin' ya this fine mornin'."
  
 =/\= //"Hawk, you did great!"// =/\= Maria lauded over the open channel. =/\= //"Hawk, you did great!"// =/\= Maria lauded over the open channel.
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 =/\= //"Should we wait for you to finish your 'garbage run' so you can re-dock with us here in orbit?  Or are we rendezvousing with you somewhere else?"// =/\= =/\= //"Should we wait for you to finish your 'garbage run' so you can re-dock with us here in orbit?  Or are we rendezvousing with you somewhere else?"// =/\=
  
-"Fraid neither, doc," the former first officer answered.  "I'm gonna hold this bunch til th' fleet arrives.  This is where you'n I are gonna have ta part company."+"Fraid neither, doc," the former first officer answered.  "I'm gonna hold this bunch til th' fleet arrives.  This is where you'n I are gonna hafta part company."
  
 =/\= //"No WAY!  I'm not going to let you go to prison for me!"// =/\= =/\= //"No WAY!  I'm not going to let you go to prison for me!"// =/\=
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 =/\= //"So this is goodbye?"// =/\= =/\= //"So this is goodbye?"// =/\=
  
-"Fer now," Hawk replied.  "But who knows what th' future'll bring.  Til then, ya'd better get outta here before th'fleet arrives."  +"Fer now," Hawk replied.  "But who knows what th' future'll bring."  
  
 =/\= //"Thanks for everything, Nat."// =/\= =/\= //"Thanks for everything, Nat."// =/\=
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 The first order of business was to brief everyone on the ship's status, and since it was not exactly in peak working condition, it fell to Lieutenant Pakita to report on their efforts at returning to normal operations. The first order of business was to brief everyone on the ship's status, and since it was not exactly in peak working condition, it fell to Lieutenant Pakita to report on their efforts at returning to normal operations.
  
-"The subspace array is back online, and we're issuing new combadges to the crew to replace the burned out ones," she remarked.  "Water cleanup is commencing on decks six through nine, and we're repairing the holes that Thaaj bored in the longerons.  The shuttle deck reports they have just completed re-capture of the lifeboat you ejected, but a type-nine shuttle is reported missing from its hangar.  The current crew compliment stands at 271."+"Internal comms and ship-to-ship communications are back online, and we're issuing new combadges to the crew to replace the burned out ones," she remarked.  "Water cleanup is commencing on decks six through nine, and we're repairing the holes that Thaaj bored in the longerons.  The shuttle deck reports they have just completed re-installation of the lifeboat you ejected, but a type-nine shuttle is reported missing from its hangar.  The current crew compliment stands at 271."
  
 "Understood," Leon replied, happy to hear Meridian made it out okay.  "Disregard the missing shuttle.  Casualties?" "Understood," Leon replied, happy to hear Meridian made it out okay.  "Disregard the missing shuttle.  Casualties?"
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 "Just one sir," she reported.  "Ensign Purcell..." "Just one sir," she reported.  "Ensign Purcell..."
  
-Leon looked across the table at Reittan with regret.  They both had discussed the situation, and it was evident to them that Purcell's disturbing behavior would be difficult to explain as being the actual perpetrator of the crimes that Leon was officially accused of.  Proof was in short supply, and the crimes themselves were still raw in Leon's mind.+Leon looked across the table at Reittan with regret.  They both had discussed the situation, and it was evident to them that Purcell's disturbing behavior would be difficult to explain as implicating him as the actual perpetrator of the crimes that Leon was officially accused of.  Proof was in short supply, and the crimes themselves were still raw in Leon's mind.
  
 "Record in the ship's log," Leon said somberly after a moment.  "One casualty:  Ensign Purcell.  Cause of death... Self defense action by crew following battle-induced psychotic episode.  End log entry." "Record in the ship's log," Leon said somberly after a moment.  "One casualty:  Ensign Purcell.  Cause of death... Self defense action by crew following battle-induced psychotic episode.  End log entry."
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 "Thank you." "Thank you."
  
-"M'Roww," Leon turned to the young Catian ensign sitting next to Tolkath.  "Brief us on how we're going to avoid the rest of the fleet on our way to the Bajor sector."+"M'Roww," Leon turned to the young Caitian ensign sitting next to Tolkath.  "Brief us on how we're going to avoid the rest of the fleet on our way to the Bajor sector."
  
 "As you know," she explained, pointing to a digital rendition of the quadrant on the conference room vidscreen.  "Deep Space Nine is clear across the Federation from our location here in Gorn space.  We'll have to make our way to the border between the Federation and Klingon Empire, then eventually traverse the Romulan Neutral zone before turning upspin across the coreward frontier near the Typhon Expanse.  Only from there can we reach the Bajor sector without entering Federation core worlds." "As you know," she explained, pointing to a digital rendition of the quadrant on the conference room vidscreen.  "Deep Space Nine is clear across the Federation from our location here in Gorn space.  We'll have to make our way to the border between the Federation and Klingon Empire, then eventually traverse the Romulan Neutral zone before turning upspin across the coreward frontier near the Typhon Expanse.  Only from there can we reach the Bajor sector without entering Federation core worlds."
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 "The Klingons are out," Lieutenant Graq added gruffly.  "They'll just hand us back to the Federation." "The Klingons are out," Lieutenant Graq added gruffly.  "They'll just hand us back to the Federation."
 +“The Romulans have their own problems with internal politics right now,” Narundi piped in. “They probably won't want to be dealing with us. They'd probably fire first and ask questions later.”
  
-"The Romulans have their own problems with the Supernova Crisis," Narundi piped in.  "They probably won't want to be dealing with us.  They'd probably fire first and ask questions later."+“We need to find the nearest neutral world,” stated Leon, folding his hands in thought. “Some place out of the way where no one will come looking for us.”
  
-"We need to find the nearest neutral world," stated Leon, folding his hands in thought.  "Some place out of the way where no one will come looking for us."+“Orion Space isn't too far away,” explained M'Roww.
  
-"Orion Space isn't too far away," explained M'Roww.+“Too risky,” Leon dismissed. “Pirates might start ganging up on us, even if our phasers are a match for one of their ships. I'd like to avoid combat as much as possible. Anywhere else?”
  
-"Too risky," Leon dismissed.  "Pirates might start ganging up on us, even if our phasers are a match for one of their ships.  I'd like to avoid combat as much as possible.  Anywhere else?"+M'Roww cross-referenced the navigational database with the help of Mahlenoy over the intraship navnet.
  
-M'Roww cross-referenced the navigational database with the help of Mahlnoy over the intraship navnet.+“We could try Nimbus Three,” she concluded, adjusting the controls to zoom in on the map at an area in the Neutral Zone. “It's technically a Romulan colony, but in neutral space with a mix of different Alpha Quadrant and Beta Quadrant species.”
  
-"We could try Nimbus Three," she concluded, adjusting the controls to zoom in on the map at an area in the Neutral Zone.  "It's technically a Romulan colony, but in neutral space with a mix of different Alpha Quadrant and Beta Quadrant species."+“Nimbus Three?” Leon raised an eyebrow quizzically. “I've never heard of it.”
  
-"Nimbus Three?" Leon raised an eyebrow quizzically.  "I've never heard of it."+“It's a twenty-third century diplomatic experiment gone awry,” Tolkath explained. “A class-L planet that the Klingons, Romulans, and Federation worked to colonize together during the pre-Khitomer era when each of the three Alpha Quadrant powers were constantly at each others' throats. It didn't work out very well and became what one could call a 'backwater' planet.”
  
-"It's a twenty-third century diplomatic experiment gone awry," Tolkath explained.  "A class-L planet that the Klingons, Romulans, and Federation worked to colonize together during the pre-Khitomer era when each of the three Alpha Quadrant powers were constantly at each others' throats.  It didn't work out very well and became what one could call a 'backwater' planet."+“I take it not many people in this day and age have heard of it?”
  
-"I take it not many people in this day and age have heard of it?"+“Correct,” he confirmed. “The Federation and the Klingon Empire try to steer clear of it, and the Romulans have basically ignored that it exists at all.  There's no mineral wealth, and it's strategically unimportant.  There's a small civilization managing to scrape out a living, but the population at last count about a decade ago was in the thousands."
  
-"Correct," he confirmed.  "Starfleet tried to evacuate it last year to get them out of the path of the pending supernova, but the Tal Shiar had other plans for the colony.  They executed a number of Romulan colonists after Starfleet abandoned the evacuation operation, and they've been a rogue world ever since.  They might not be too happy to see another Starfleet ship again."+"Are you sure there's no government presence on the planet from any of the major powers?"
  
-"Well, since we're technically not working for Starfleet anymore, maybe they'll be more accommodating."+"There might be a few Tal Shiar agents in the population," Tolkath surmised.  "But they'd be in place to keep an eye on the population and not the sky.  The sporadic reports available indicate that the population is more interested in just surviving from day-to-day than to be dealing with any interstellar governments.  It's possible that a Starfleet ship could lay low and not draw too much attention.”
  
-"Maybe," Maria replied with apprehension.  "But, if they're under-supplied and cut off from both the Romulans and the Federation, I'd urge caution and some sort of barter to offer so that they'll leave us alone while we make repairs."+“If we beam down and ask them for discretion, do you think they'd comply?” 
  
-"Well, like you said, we have a CFI replicator."+“Maybe,” Tolkath replied with apprehension. “But, if they're under-supplied, I'd urge some sort of barter to offer so that they'll leave us alone while we make repairs.”
  
-"Agreed," Tolkath added.  "They're going to be desperate for supplies, and since they haven't quite faced their fate yet with the Supernova Crisis, the situation could be unstable.  We should exercise caution."+“Well, like you said, we have a CFI replicator," commented Narundi.
  
 After hearing all of the different angles, Leon considered the situation and made his first command decision. After hearing all of the different angles, Leon considered the situation and made his first command decision.
current_story/nothing_ever_lasts_forever.1677354062.txt.gz · Last modified: 2023/02/25 19:41 by cromwell

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