241508.23: Joint Log: The Battle of Lambda Hydrae Part III, Conclusion
Posted on Thu Sep 24th, 2015 @ 4:15am 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
1,667 words; about a 8 minute read
Mission: Midnight on the Firing Line
-Bridge-
Alistar narrowed his eyes at the screen for a moment before he nodded. Sensors were only detecting seven BoPs left, plus the Vor'Cha, and the cruisers wasn't following the Endeavour into the asteroid field. "Helm, reduce speed to half impulse and head for the densest patch of rocks you can find," he ordered.
As Holland weaved the starship through the asteroid field at maximum speed, it was probably the first time in his life that the helmsman was grateful to hear the command to reduce speed, "Aye, aye, sir. Dropping to half impulse. We'll be inside the densest part of the field within ninety seconds." Holland altered his course slightly, trying to ignore the pursuit and focus on not flying the Endeavour into asteroids that could do any damage.
"Are the Klingons trying to follow us in?" Alistar asked as he studied the sensor readouts on the asteroid field.
Akira checked her sensors carefully before she responded to the Commanding Officer’s question. The Birds of Prey had entered the asteroid field, but they had slowed down even more than the Endeavour and were cautiously proceeding through the field. It was smart, and unexpected, of them.
“Five are still closing in on our position, the other two are hanging back. The Mrotzhol appears to be setting up an intercepting patrol around the asteroid field,” Akira said.
"Guess it's time to play for all the cards," Alistar said. "Helm, put us in the middle of the densest part of the field, and standby to engage evasive maneuvers. Tactical, ready a full spread of torpedoes, target every asteroid you can. As soon as the Klingons get within one hundred thousand kilometers, fire at will."
“Ready, Commander,” Akira said as she finished setting up the targeting and firing commands into her console. Silently, she wondered just what the Commander was up to. She had an idea, but until he gave the order, she wouldn’t know for sure.
Isabella couldn’t help but wonder just what McKeon had planned as she returned to her seat. The medical team from sickbay had finally arrived and started to care for the wounded, of which there were unfortunately quite a few. She shuddered to think of how many people had already been admitted to sickbay for injuries, and silently she wondered if the commander would be able to spare her in order to go help out. As Isabella sat down and turned her attention to the command display, she frowned as she tried to guess just what McKeon was doing. She kept silent, however, and waited.
"We're inside the densest part of the field now, sir," Holland said, a little nervously.
-Elsewhere on the ship-
Jera had made it to deck seven where the main fusion reactors fed directly into the shield generators and the entire shield matrix. One thing she was thankful for was that the ship had stopped shaking like a toy being thrown into a windstorm, but as she ripped an access hatch from the jefferies tube access and threw her tool kit in before she practically dove into the opening. Grabbing the strap of the kit, she quickly crawled towards the power distribution section, where she could instantly see what the problem was. The primary power transfer lines had blown from an overload. The safeties had engaged and killed the power flow through the lines, but as she grabbed a flashlight from her belt and aimed it at the ruptured line, Jera could tell that there would be repairing it anytime soon. The entire line would have to be removed simply replaced.
"Dammit!" the half Romulan engineer muttered before she tapped her commbadge. "Ros to bridge, the main power lines from the primary reactors to the shields have blown. I can't fix this anytime soon."
- Sickbay -
Corrigan pushed up his sleeves as another patient was placed infront of him. The man had plasma burns, he moaned in pain, his eyes fluttering. The tricorder showed erratic lifesigns, heart rate went up then down, the BP was steadily falling. The ship shook violently, lights flickered, then a few moments later everything seemed to stabilize. The man on his biobed began to go into shock, then flat lined. "On no you don't... Brooks, I need your help over here," he yelled out to the nurse.
After a few tense minutes, Corrigan shook his head and called out the time of death for the log. "Move him to the morgue," he said softly. He took one last look at the young ensign who now lay peacefully on his biobed, then turned to help another patient.
- Bridge –
Elanawen overheard the engineer’s report and she frowned at the operations console. She typed in a series of commands and quickly brought up a report of what power lines were still active. The primary lines to two systems had been damaged, but the auxiliary lines were still intact. Unfortunately, the secondary lines from the primary fusion reactors that fed the shield matrix were displayed on her screen as unavailable. Checking the auxiliary fusion reactor, which was currently unused, she discovered that those power lines were still online and intact.
“Sir, I’m diverting power from the auxiliary fusion reactor to the shields,” Elanawen reported.
Across the bridge, Akira frowned at her own console for a moment until the power transfer went through, then she nodded as the display changed.
“Sir, shields are recharging. We can get shields back up to seventy five percent,” Akira reported.
Alistar nodded as he watched the sensors until they registered that five closest BoPs had reached the range limit he had set up. Silently he hoped that this plan would work. "Tactical, fire!" he snapped. "Helm, engines to full speed, bow up 180 degrees, bring us out of the asteroid field. Go to full evasive maneuvers once we're clear."
Akira almost flinched as McKeon barked the order to fire suddenly. She fired a full volley from each launcher, firing sixteen quantum torpedoes in all. The projectiles streaked away to their targets, impacting and exploding, causing the asteroids to explode in brilliant and deadly fireballs. Her sensors registered the destruction of three Klingon ships instantly, the other two sustaining severe damage from the exploding asteroids. She turned her attention to the primary threat, which for now was the Mrotzhol.
"Aye, sir," Holland replied and punched the impulse engines to max and stood the ship up on its heels. As he had expected the Endeavour responded like a well trained dancer, surging forward and up. Holland's hands moved rapidly across his console as he weaved a course through the field, "Engines at full, clearing the asteroid field in twenty seconds. Standing by to execute evasive maneuvers."
"Stand by to engage attack pattern omega," Alistar ordered. A fresh series of alarms rang out as the Mrotzhol appeared from the other side of the asteroid field. "Evasive, now!" Alistar snapped seconds before the Klingon ship targeted the Endeavour and fired.
"Aye, sir," Holland said and stood Endeavour on her side, then he flipped her on her opposite side executing a roll that he hoped would throw off the enemy targeting systems, while still giving Sato good fields of fire with her weapons.
Alistar growled in the back of his throat as the Endeavour avoided the disruptor blasts. "All power to forward shields, standby to fire all weapons at will. Helm, engage attack pattern omega!" he ordered. Gripping the arms of his seat, Alistar watched the forward viewscreen as the Endeavour sped towards the Mrotzhol. When the Endeavour entered weapons range, Alistar nodded. "Fire at will!" he ordered as Holland jinked the Endeavour to the side and prepared to dive under the attack cruiser.
Holland was not a violent man, or one who delighted in battle, but even he felt a rush as the starship responded to the helm and dived below the enemy ship. It was clear that they had taken them by surprise.
This time, Akira didn’t flinch at the barked command to fire. Her hands flew over the tactical console panel, targeting and firing every weapon the Endeavour had that had a clear line of sight shot at the Klingon cruiser. Quantum torpedoes and phaser bursts lashed out at the Mrotzhol, slamming against the Klingon ship’s shields and eventually overloading the cruiser’s weaker shield matrix and emitters, causing the shields on the Endeavour’s enemy to drop. Finally!, the Endeavour’s phasers sliced into the bare unguarded hull and tasted the metal of her opponent, causing severe damage as Akira targeted every exposed section she could and fired with the unbridled fury the Intrepid class ship’s phasers could muster until the Endeavour streaked past the Mrotzhol. Realizing she had been holding her breath, Akira exhaled and checked her readouts, blinking at the readings.
Alistar checked the readouts on the command screen and stopped himself from shaking his head. The Endeavour simply outmatched the Klingon Vor'Cha, and had completely crippled the cruiser. The other Klingon ships in the system were withdrawing, speeding to the edge of the system and not even bothering to check in with their bosses. "Helm, bring us about, reduce speed down to one third and bring us alongside the Mrotzhol. Stand by to transport survivors directly to sickbay," he ordered.
"Sir, Long range sensors are detecting three Starfleet ships and a single Klingon ship entering the system. They'll be here in ten minutes," Sato reported. She frowned at her screen for a moment before she spoke again. "Sir, the starship Fakouri is sending instructions dispatched by Admiral Greer. We're to stand down and allow the Klingons to take the Mrotzhol and her escorts into custody. There's also an incoming transmission for you."
"I'll take it in my ready room," Alistar said as he stood. "Lieutenant Silvisi, head down to sickbay and get a full report from the doc. Lieutenant Sato, you have the bridge." Rubbing his eyes, he headed to the ready room.
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