241509.06: Joint Log: The Battle of Lambda Hydrae, Part I

Posted on Mon Sep 7th, 2015 @ 4:02am by Captain Alistar McKeon & Commander Isabella dei`Silvisi & Lieutenant Commander Akira-Ri Sato & Ensign Corrigan Landon & Lieutenant JG Daniel Holland & Ensign Natsume Ayuhara & Lieutenant Jera'turak Ros & Ensign Elanawen Valenar
Edited on on Tue Sep 22nd, 2015 @ 6:31am

1,546 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Midnight on the Firing Line

Isabella was sitting in her chair on the bridge, waiting for the Endeavour to arrive at Lambda Hydrae. The view screen was set to a forward view, displaying the stars as they streaked past the Endeavour at warp speeds. For a lack of anything else to do other than worry, Isabella had downloaded a copy of Starfleet’s advanced starship combat guidelines to a Padd and had been content to sit on the bridge and read.

Holland sat at his station on the bridge, having arranged the duty shifts for his department to ensure that he would be on the bridge when the Endeavour arrived at Lambda Hydrae. There was an undeniable tension building as they got closer to their destination and he took a deep breath before announcing to the XO, "We are approaching the edge of the Lambda Hydrae system, ma'am."

“Drop us out of warp, slow to full impulse, Lieutenant. Set a patrol course throughout the system,” Isabella said.

Alistar headed out onto the bridge and scratched at the five o clock shadow of a beard that had started to form and become annoying. He hadn't bothered with a shave since the first Klingon attack on the Endeavour, and until the situation had calmed down, he wasn't going to. The bridge was quiet as he walked across to his command chair. Seeing his XO, he nodded. "All quiet on the home front, Lt?" he asked.

Isabella raised her eyebrows at the odd question the commander had asked. She finally shook her head and dismissed it to the fact that McKeon was best described as ‘a very odd duck’ as the saying went and sat down in her seat.

“We’ve arrived at Lambda Hydrae and slowed to full impulse. I wasn’t sure where you wanted us to be sitting, so I ordered a patrol route throughout the system,” Isabella said.

"We're coming up on the outer system," Holland added to the XO's report, "I have us on a parabolic approach vector that will pass us by the system's main asteroid belt."

"Tactical status, Lt Sato?" Alistar asked as he sat down in his command chair.

“Shields are online and active, all weapon systems standing by for your command,” Akira reported from the Security/Tactical console. It went unsaid but was understood that her security officers were already at their positions throughout the ship.

"Very well, maintain course and speed and stand by," Alistar said. Before he could say anything else, an alarm at both ops and tactical rang out.

"Sir, sensors are detecting eleven Klingon warships decloaking. I'm reading ten B'rel class birds of prey and one Vor'Cha class cruiser," Sato reported from tactical.

"I hate it when I'm right," Alistar muttered. "Red alert, all crew to battle stations!" he called.

At the sound of the battle stations alarm, Isabella felt her body stiffen in response. Silently, she hoped that the commander wasn’t thinking to take on the Klingons directly if the situation turned into a firefight. She knew that he was an experienced officer who had seen combat, but Isabella had to question a single ship taking on eleven Klingon ships and surviving.

-Main engineering-

At the sound of the battle stations klaxon, engineering came to life as engineers scurried about. Until the action started, there was little to nothing for them to do, but when things started to get serious the engineering compartment was alive with activity. In the middle of main engineering, Jera Ros stood and barked orders to her staff, directing teams on where to go. To most, it would seem to be chaotic. "Parker, Hill, assemble your teams at DCS alpha and take all of the forward sections. Walker, take over DCS bravo and watch the aft section. Everyone else, get to your assigned DC areas!" Stopping, mostly for breath, Jera watched as the damage control teams hurried out of engineering and to their posts throughout the ship. More than anything, she wished she had taken the time for a cup of coffee earlier.

- Sickbay -
"Red alert, all crew to battle stations!"

For just the briefest of moments, everyone in sickbay stood there as the announcement happened. The klaxon sounded, and red strips of light began to blink in a steady rhythm. Deciding his lab coat would be a hindrance; Corrigan removed the jacket, and hung it on the back of his chair. For a moment he stood there himself, almost hesitant to go out into sickbay. Going out into the main ward meant that things were going to be happening, that wounded would arrive sooner than later. It wasn't that he wasn't used to these types of situations, he had seen his fair share of combat, and he just thought it all senseless. People died, and for what? As a doctor, it just made no sense to him. The officer side of him somewhat understood, the Federation needed to be protected... the physician side of him just screamed, at what cost?! What is the cost? It's never too high really if one thought about it.

Taking in a sharp intake of air, he blew it out slowly then exited his office. It was time to address the troops, to get everyone steeled before the poo hit the fan. "Alright people this is it. We are prepared for the worst, but let's hope for the best."


- Deck 5, Corridors -

The moment that Natsume had been preparing for had finally arrived. The klaxons bellowed the battle stations tune and crimson illumination splashed across the corridor walls and against Natsume's uniform. She had deployed her team in a circling search pattern throughout the deck; each team member was equally distanced from each other. This way, during patrol, they would all eventually see the same ground and be able to report any discrepancies. Now that red alert was on, the formation was going to change.

"Ayuhara to deck 5 team! Weapons to setting 3 and proceed to rendezvous point 1; eyes out along the way!"

Upon receiving acknowledgements, Natsume swiftly drew her phaser from her hip and thumbed the setting up to level 3. She then sprinted down the corridor to the meet up with her team.


- Bridge -

From the Science station on the side of the bridge, Elanawen forced herself to remain calm. It was easier said than done, since this was her first time to be on board a star-ship that was heading into battle. There wasn’t much for her to do at the moment, so she simply kept quiet and kept a close eye on the sensor readings.

"Commander, we're being hailed by the lead Klingon ship," Sato reported.

"On screen," Alistar said. The view screen changed from a forward view of the solar system to a rugged and older Klingon male wearing a style of Klingon uniform Alistar didn't recognize. Leaning forward in his chair, Alistar nodded. "I'm Commander Alistar McKeon, commanding officer of the Federation star ship Endeavour."

"General Toq, commander of the Mrotzhol. I demand the immediate surrender of your ship and crew, commander. Failure to comply will result in your ship being destroyed and the deaths of your crew," the Klingon said.

"On what grounds do you make these demands?" Alistar snapped.

"On the grounds that you trespassed into Klingon territory," General Toq shouted as he pounded the arm rest of his chair.

"General, the Endeavour has remained in neutral space since we arrived in this sector. Two Klingon ships attacked us, so we withdrew back to this system. We've done nothing outside the guidelines stated in the current Federation/Klingon treaty," Alistar said.

"It doesn't matter!" Toq shouted again. "You have two standard minutes to comply or I will order the destruction of your ship."

"This is an Intrepid class ship. She was built to fight. You want to destroy her, you better know how," Alistar said before he made a cutting motion. Sato was quick to quickly end the transmission. "Lock all weapons on the BOPs. Helm, stand by for attack patterns Beta 1 and 3."

"Ready when you are, sir," Holland said and started to plot potential attack vectors for either of those patterns. Being outnumbered, he knew which one he would prefer to execute, but he was ready for any decision the captain made. Holland was not at all happy about being in a situation that may very well start another war, but he cleared his mind and focused on the combat situation in front of him. His ship and fellow officers and crew were depending on him to perform and he had no intention of letting them down. He didn't join Starfleet to fight, but he was more than willing to do so if called upon. "Recommend Beta 1, Captain. We can still make for the asteroid field. We get them in there, and we might neutralize their numbers."

-Bridge of the Mrotzhol-

General Toq glared hatefully at the comm screen for a moment before he growled and pounded his fist on the arm of his chair. That insolent human dog McKeon simply had no clue just what he was facing. Turning to the weapons control officer, the general snapped his orders. "Order all ships to open fire. I want that ship destroyed!" Toq demanded.



To be continued.

 

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