System HW-35
Posted on Tue Dec 12th, 2023 @ 3:19am by Commander Patricia Cooke & Lieutenant Charlotte E. "Charlie" Yeager & I-400 & Boso Gane & Oko Gane & Lieutenant Commander Tsukasa Izumi & Lieutenant Commander Drauc ie-Jia'anKahr & Lieutenant Commander Lahki Bakshi Dr & Major Achilles Aurelius & Lieutenant Akira Kogami & Lieutenant JG Eradaar Ezazzan & Lieutenant JG Danielle Sidney
Edited on on Sun Dec 17th, 2023 @ 5:50pm
1,105 words; about a 6 minute read
Mission:
From the Inside
Timeline: January 15, 2400
The Missouri dropped out of warp at the edge of system HW-35. The dense asteroid belt marking the edge of the system had long been designated as a navigational hazard. All the more confusing as to the existence of a Ferengi dilithium mine in the belt. Whisperings were that the belt was actually rich in Dilithium as Klawe claimed it was. However, nobody in their right mind had bothered to fact check it, and those who did set out to investigate often vanished without a trace.
"Readings indicate we have arrived in system HW-35, Captain." Charlie reported from the CONN station.
"Great work, Yeager." Patricia said. "Activate our cloaking device. I'd rather not tip Klawe off that we're coming..."
"Activating cloaking device:" Charlie said as her fingers danced along the smooth surface of the CONN station's console.
Within seconds, the Missouri vanished, becoming indistinguishable to the space around it.
"Cloaking device up and running." Charlie reported.
"All hands, yellow alert." Patricia ordered.
Medical officers didn't usually get a console on the Bridge. Why would they? Instead, Lahki sat primly behind the Captain, at an empty console she assumed was for an extra Ops officer. "Ma'am, my systems are all online," she said. Down in the Medical bay, her assistant had the reigns.
"Phaser Banks are primed," Akira reported from her station. "Torpedo Bays are loaded and on standby."
"Everything's good over here" Danielle added.
Achilles was mentally ready for battle; it's what he lived for. The call to yellow alert could only mean one thing... they had arrived in the system. He tapped his combadge before speaking. "Aurelius to Marine squad leaders... perform final checks. We have arrived in the system." A brief moment later, team leaders began responding to his orders. "Alpha ready... Beta ready.... Gamma ready... Delta ready..." He hit his combadge again, "Captain, all marine teams report ready..."
Drauc looked at the status board for engineering, everything was green across the board. A quick glance at the engineers on duty showed they were prepared. He tapped his combadge =/\= Captain, engineering is ready. =/\= He stated in the typical Vulcan calm voice.
Patricia nodded. They'd had to slow down a couple times on the way to System HW-35 to take on additional crew, and the new Chief Engineer was one of them.
"Alright; let's begin with a sensor sweep." Patricia decided. "No sense needlessly damaging a brand new starship if we can avoid it."
Nestled within system HW-35's asteroid belt was a Ferengi orbital mining facility. It was here that the Ferengi maverick known as Klawe had set up to amass an ill-gotten fortune. Ill-gotten meant that Klawe was often communicating with a mixture of unscrupulous and legitimate customers, especially given the sheer amount of Dilithium to mine and sell at a markup. So, while his workers bustled below, Klawe was busy striking deals with customers in the foreman's office, which overlooked the ore processing center.
"Don't tell me your men swindled you: I send you a full spread of Starfleet grade quantum torpedoes, and in return, I get a bunch of rusty mining equipment." The Ferengi told a customer he suspected was trying to rip him off. "Now you will make things right, or the next torpedo I send you will come very much faster..."
Klawe terminated the connection and resumed a previous one with a different customer:
"Now, minister; where were we?" He asked.
Suddenly, there was a power surge, and the facility lost power for several seconds before the backup generators kicked in. Knowing something was up, Klawe opened a drawer under the desk and pulled out his disruptor. When the doors to his office swooshed open, he slowly raised the disruptor to the darkened hallway beyond and opened fire.
However, in the blink of an eye, Klawe found himself disarmed by a Cardassian... No, a Hebitian woman: The now-disabled disruptor having been ripped from his hand and placed on the desk.
Having avoided Klawe's shot, a Hebitian man now made his way into the office.
"Ah, the enhanced:" Klawe muttered. "The founders' prized prisoners... Want a snack?" He offered as he slowly assumed his seat. "The Dominion might have lost the war, but the founders knew precisely what they were getting into, experimenting on solids... Is this your first time intimdating someone? Because I'm not very afraid..."
"Everyone has something they're afraid of..." The Hebitian man said.
"The FCA." Klawe interjected. "Rom promised reform of the FCA when he became Grand Nagus, but they're just as corrupt as they've always been. Never appreciative of... New enterprises for profit. I'm wanted in at least five different systems for business-infractions."
In another blink of an eye, the Hebitian woman hastily helped herself to one of the bugs in Klawe's snack dish.
"So, if you're going to mess with my brain and make me see the FCA, then I know you're not businesspeople, and I know you're not in charge." Klawe explained. "And I only do business with the man in charge."
Without any prior warning, the window behind Klawe broke, and he was pushed out into the hallway. As Klawe looked back into the office, the Hebitians had now been joined by a pale, almost mechanical-looking young woman with pink hair.
"There is no man in charge." The mechanical woman stated before leaning over Klawe. "Let's talk business."
[USS Missouri]
"Captain, I am detecting a power surge coming from within the Asteroid belt." The Operations officer reported. "The power readings match perfectly for a Ferengi orbital mining facility of 2370s design."
"That's got to be our guy:" Patricia said. "Drop the cloak and raise the shields. Go to red alert. Yeager, take us in!"
Yeager worked effortlessly to trade out the cloaking device for the shields.
"Cloak dropping... Shields up." She reported. "Taking us into the asteroid belt."
[Engineering]
The red alert klaxon sounded and Drauc looked over to Lieutenant Bafi Wofahk, "I want you to lead the damage control teams." he knew the young Tellarite female was more than capable. "I am informed you know the ship intimately, as you were part of the team that layed the keel of the then USS Branson, later to become the USS Missouri." Bafi stood to complete attention "Aye Sir." as she was about to turn and go, Drauc added one last bit "If, after this mission I find your performance satisfactory I am going to recommend you as the assistant Chief Engineer." Bafi nodded her acknowledgement, "Thank you sir."
To be continued...
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