Ambush (Part 1 of 5)

Posted on 31 Aug 2013 @ 10:04am by Rear Admiral Lirha Saalm & Captain Jonathan Holliday & Commander Scarlet Blake & Lieutenant Commander Dea Mialin & Lieutenant Aria Rice & Lieutenant Jacob Pendleton & Commander Allyndra illm Warraquim & Commander Andreus Kohl & Lieutenant JG Delainey Carlisle & Lieutenant Commander Amynta Markos & Lieutenant Ammar Fahad & Lieutenant Jared Nicholas & Lieutenant JG Victoria Crawley & Ensign S'Ranna T'Srrr'Kharh & Ensign Im'er Mor'an & Ensign Natalie Chevalier & Command Master Chief Markum Quinn & Tarishiana Barel & Lieutenant JG Nenokah Ral & Chief Warrant Officer 2 Oliver Sylver & Chief Warrant Officer 3 Amon Mormont & Chief Warrant Officer 2 Riley Cameron & Chief Warrant Officer 2 Arthur Willis & Chief Petty Officer K8 Yellow & Senior Chief Petty Officer Keval zh'Erinov & Petty Officer 1st Class Victarion Jaqen & Petty Officer 1st Class Siren Hex Saalm & EMH Mark X-C "Shirley"

2,880 words; about a 14 minute read

Mission: Episode 04 - Exodus
Location: USS Galileo - Bridge, Various
Timeline: MD 03 - 0018 hrs

Previously, on Risk vs. Reward (Part 5)...

Grabbing hold of the table, John pulled himself off the floor and shot towards the door, his place was on the Bridge and he was damned if a little Borg pea-shooter was going to stop him from getting there. Emerging onto the Bridge, the XO leapt over the bar at the rear of the two command chairs and settled into his seat almost instantly.

"Battle stations!"

Scarlet wasn't far behind, letting out a tight breath at the throb in the back of her head as she moved quickly, shaking her head clear even as she viturally slung herself down into the seat to start collecting what reports she could from around the ship.

"Captain, I am going to try to increase the natural magnetic resonance around our ship slightly to make it more difficult for the Borg to try and beam aboard the ship if that is in their plans!" Jacob's fingers flew quickly over the console allowing a very tiny portion of the warp core's matter/antimatter dispersed energy to envelop the inner layer of the ship's shield and thereby increasing the magnetic field produced by all ships, starports, space stations and orbital species made objects that produce artificial gravity.

And Now, the Continuation...

[ON]

Lirha scrambled to the bridge and burst out of the turbolift after a group of several other officers who were also hustling to their stations. The ship suddenly shook violently again as another barrage of weapons fire pelted the Nova Class' shields, and the captain clutched one of the nearby rails to prevent herself from toppling over. Moving swiftly around the side of the bridge and finally reaching her command chair, she sat down next to John and began to bring up a tactical display on their mutual-use center console. There was no time to waste, and the initial analysis was not good; a ship with the size and speed of the Borg probe outclassed Galileo in almost every aspect, and they wouldn't last long in a straight-forward engagement. "Commander, get us out of here!" she yelled to her XO just as another blast of green weapons fire slammed into her ship's shields.

"My thoughts exactly! Helm - evasive manoeuvres pattern Omega 2!"

John yelled back in reply as a console erupted into a shower of sparks behind him, luckily nobody was in the way at the time. The Borg vessel was equally armed an Intrepid class starship, and even that would have given the Galileo a run for her money.

S'Ranna's paws darted over the navigational controls as she programmed in the evasive pattern. While the ship reeled about, she easily retained her seat, thanks to her tail held out behind her as a counterbalance; only a shower of sparks from an exploding console threatened to upset her position. Her golden eyes were narrowed in focus on the information coming into her station.

"Lieutenant Rice! Set our phasers to a rotating frequency and return fire! Random target and random firing pattern - don't give them chance to adapt."

The XO knew that there was not a particular area worth targeting on a Borg vessel, they were deliberately built so as not to have any centralised functional areas like a traditional starship would have, simply put, you could cripple most of the ship, and it would still keep coming.

Aria swore, her fingers moving quickly. She returned fire, her blue eyes focused on what she was doing as she swore. "They're adapting quickly!" she called out, getting the rotating frequency up. She then put up a separate panel, to monitor the different rotations so that they were not repeated. If they adapted that quickly, she didn't want to waste power either.

=^=Holliday to Engineering! Mister Fahad I hope you have had enough time to familiarise yourself with our systems to get some extra power into our shields? =^=

Ammar arrived in Engineering just as the call came through. "Not quite," he said loudly as he rushed into the small bay, "give me 30 seconds down here and I'll give you something."

The comm channel closed abruptly. Ammar was annoyed. He had been on the ship for less than a day and about half that time had been spent sleeping, under orders. Now, just when he had needed to be awake, they were attacked.

The engineer went to work.

While John was busy dealing with tactical orders and power management, Lirha took the opportunity to begin deploying some of Galileo's assets. Most of the ship's flight crew was on alert standby in the main shuttlebay, and although the Nova Class' shuttle's weren't exactly fighters, they could hopefully add an additional layer of defense and distraction to the battle. Tapping her commbadge, she called down to the chief flight control officer.

"Lieutenant Mialin, take your team and launch Virginia and Marina, and provide us with cover while we attempt to put some distance between us and the probe." the captain ordered with urgency. "We will attempt to beam you out if any of the craft sustain critical damage." she added, then called down to main engineering where Galileo's Nasat transporter chief was located.

"Chief Yellow, we are launching our support craft to help engage the probe. Keep a transporter lock on all four personnel, and at the first sign of trouble, beam them back to Galileo." she instructed.

In the transporter room, Kate brought herself up to her full height and clicked her antennae together in acknowledgement of the order. She used her first pair of hands to lock onto the two biosigns in the Virginia, the second pair to lock onto those into the Marina, and the third to operate the communications system and keep her updated with what was happening on the Bridge.

"Roger that," Dea responded as she sprinted across the shuttle bay to the waiting Marina. Feeling the knot in her stomach grow just a bit larger.


Shuttlebay

Dea turned to the other Flight Control officers just before boarding the Marina. "Ok we're launching to try to defend Galileo. You've all received your flight assignments. Stay sharp and watch your backs out there." She boarded the Volga class ship and took her place in the pilot's chair.

Sylver got in, strapping himself in before checking the systems. "We need to be creative," he said, aloud, his eyes serious as he made sure they were as well equipped as possible. "We'll be an open target."

With one commissioned officer and warrant officer headed for the runabout, Lamar paired up with the assistant chief and made his way over to Virginia, the smaller yet trusty Type-9 shuttle. Quickly opening the aft hatch and climbing inside, he moved forward to the co-pilot's seat and began the preflight sequence. It didn't take long for the craft's system -- which were already warmed up -- to register in the green, and he waited for his pilot to join him and launch the shuttle.

Nenokah climbed into the Virginia a moment behind Lamar. He was quick at the controls and soon had preflight sequence up and running by the time she was seated in the pilot's chair.

"Good work," she said gruffly in a rare show of approval. It wasn't that she didn't approve of her pilots normally -- she just didn't usually commend them on their work. Soon she had the Virginia lifted from her spot in the shuttlebay floor and exiting right behind the Marina. The Borg cube was in a view a moment later, causing even the stoic Nenokah to grimace at the sight.

"Don't thank me yet." Lamar replied with a nervous chuckle as they closed in on the bar-of-soap-shaped probe. They still had a lot of work to do with required a bit of luck to be on their side if they were all to survive the encounter. "I'm bringing our weapons online..." he reported as his dark fingers tapped away at the tactical/auxiliary console, "Phasers and micro-torpedo launchers are powered up, I'm going to try and target their weapons. Firing..." he reported.

The trusty little Type-9 unleashed a salvo of orange phaser fire at the probe, striking it's hull in coordinated bursts with both forward arrays. Sequential yellow flares from the micro-torpedo launchers sent miniature photon torpedoes streaking towards the target, and they too exploded in a bright display and sent a couple chunks of Borg hull plating out into the void of space.

"Direct hit on their ventral weapons array, but it probably won't take long for them to repair it." he reported, looking at his LCARS display to verify the information. "Can you bring us around for another pass?"

The only response Nenokah gave was to urge the craft back around. She kept them at a distance that allowed Lamar a good shot without getting too close to the probe. Her eyes jumped about, alert for flying debris and retaliation from the probe that could potentially damage the little craft.

After a quick comm check Dea piloted Marina out of the shuttle bay. All that stood between them and the Borg now was the hull of their small craft. "Evasive pattern Kilo 1." She issued the order. Hopefully they could keep the Borg guessing for a time.

"Go for their most vulnerable areas on the port side," Dea issued orders to Sylver.
She purposely was going to make it a quick pass before the Borg could lock onto them.

Sylver nodded as he brought up the panel, keeping an eye on what they had available. "I've scanned them to try and find the weaker points of their hull. We're not exactly flying with fighters today..." he said, a weak smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Ready..."

Dea responded while not taking her eyes of her task, "These aren't fighters
you're right we're more vulnerable which is why I don't envy sticking around in one place for longer than we have to. The best we can do is make ourselves a more difficult target to lock onto."

Sylver nodded weakly, but remained silent. It was one of those things that they couldn't win in. All they could do was to give them one hell of a fight.

Nenokah saw the Marina fly by and took the Virginia in the opposite direction. "Be ready," she called to Lamar as they swooped in close.


Bridge

With two of Galileo's support craft launched and now engaging the Borg probe , Lirha looked over her shoulder towards the science alcove. Her ship was uniquely equipped with the most advanced sensor systems in the fleet, as well as dual deflector arrays. Perhaps there was a way to use that to their advantage.

"Is there a way we can use our sensors to provide electronic countermeasures for our ship and shuttles? If we can disrupt the Borg's targeting scanners, it might buy us more time to escape." she suggested.

Jacob tapped his commbadge, "Science lab, Ensigns Chevalier, Fleming and Ms. Barel please work on electronic countermeasures, deceptive programming and emissions that could be used to throw off the Borg's attacks and whatever else is in their agenda. Be creative. Think outside the box. I know you all will do a great job. Pendleton out." He got up and walked over to Jared, "Lieutenant Nicholas, do you think it might be possible to create a computer virus that we could send on a transmission wave that might disrupt them even for a short time?"

"Yes sir, not exactly my expertise, but I have an idea. The Borg are all about assimilation. So why don't we give them something to assimilate. Two things actually. First a series of complicate algorithms and formulas. I am not mathematician but I'm sure there is someone on board that is or the computer might even be able to supply one.

Secondly we can send them 'overload' their computer by sending them something I've been working on. Dante's Inferno in every known language of the Federation.

It might overwhelm their computer at least long enough. You did say to think outside the box, I hope that's not too far outside."

Victoria nodded in agreement. "I might be able to help with the algorithms and formulas. I could also try to send their computer a virus; a small one, but it would help confuse them for a little bit," she said, already putting together some complicated algorithms.

Jacob replied to them both, "Good work, I shall also work on possible algorithms and add them to your work as quick as I can." He began to work on the piecemeal, off the cuff project.

Jared uploaded his file from the science lab computer to the one on the bridge using his remote access. It was a work in process, more a past time than an official project. Therefore he had been doing things by hand enjoying his work. But what was once a mere distraction now became a necessity. Using the universal translator it took him about five minutes to load and get ready his portion of the 'virus'.

"Ok, I've added my portion to Mr. Nicholas' batch, Ms. Crawley and Mr. Jacrux add whatever you have, we are running out of time." Jacob's voice was steady without any hint of panic or too strong in the demand. He believed in his team and whatever they could come up with.

Jared's hand was poised over the console ready to send the "Special Delivery" package as soon as he was given the order.

Typing in the last few digits of code, Victoria looked over at Nicholas and then at Pendleton. "Ready when you are, sir." She took a deep breath as quietly as she could as she held on to the console for dear life.


Multi-Purpose Lab

Nat arrived confused and scared. Broken equipment crunched under her feet as the ship's evasive manoeuvres continue to rock and roll about, and the probe caused the bulkheads to lurch and rattle. She found the nearest available comm panel just as Jacob's message was sent down. Shaken and pale, she tried to think what possible help she could be to the ship. Faced with Borg assimilation, synthesising quick acting poisons for the crew seemed to be the only contribution she could really make. It was a grim thought that did not suit her normally chirpy attitude.

She moved to the medical replicator. "Computer, one standard dose of anti-emetic drug. Cherry flavour."

It was a start, at least.

"Science lab, how goes it down there? Report please." Jacob's hopefully reassuring voice came across the speakers.

Tarishiana took the nearest science console she could find. She hadn't been prepared the first time she had encountered the Borg and this time wasn't any different. She pushed the current of terror that was rushing though her down as far as she could and set to work on the communication system. She was hoping to at least figure out a way to gum of the works for the Borg. Her skills in linguists weren't much use against a species that communicated wirelessly.

After working at the console, Nat was ready with her idea, furiously chewing the anti-emetic gum.

"Ok, Lieutenant, I think I have something. It may be a bit out there, but it's working off the idea I see you've been developing on the Bridge. I was thinking about adding a fractal recursion to Jared's - I mean, to Lieutenant Nicholas's - algorithm. It would mean the rate of information would increase in response to assimilation attempts: increase exponentially, in fact. The more the Borg tried to assimilate, the more likely it would be to cause an overload. I'm an ecologist, so I really don't know much about any of this, but I was basing it off the growth patterns of bacteria colonies."

She held her breath, not sure whether she was really contributing anything of use at all: the way the ship was rocking, studying bacteria growth patterns hardly seemed to be the major priority.

To Be Continued...

[OFF]

--

CAPT Lirha Saalm
Commanding Officer
USS Galileo

CMDR Jonathan Holliday
Executive Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Natalie Chevalier
Ecologist
USS Galileo

Lt. Cmdr Scarlet Blake
Chief Counsellor/2XO
USS Galileo

Lt. Andreus Kohl
Assistant Chief Medical Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign S'Ranna T'Srrr'Kharh
Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

Chief Petty Officer K8 Yellow
Transporter Chief
USS Galileo
[NPC - T'Srrr'Kharh]

Lt. JG Victoria Crawley
Psychologist
USS Galileo

Lieutenant JG Ammar Fahad
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Galileo

Crewman Apprentice Thanis Rothgra
Engineering Officer
USS Galileo
[Played by Fahad]

Lt Dea Mialin
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Galileo

Lt. Allyndra illm Warraquim
CMO
USS Galileo

Lt Amynta Markos
Chief Intelligence Officer
USS Galileo

Ensign Im'er Mor'an
Operations Officer
USS Galileo

Master Chief Petty Officer Markum Quinn
CoB
USS Galileo

& All Others

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