Whispers From The Dark

Posted on Sat Mar 4th, 2023 @ 6:54pm by Lieutenant Is'san & Commander Lillian Carter & Lieutenant Commander Hiro Sommers-Yoshida

1,778 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: Episode 5 - Objects In Motion
Location: USS Cerberus Bridge

USS Solvang - Bridge

Captain Keenan had often wanted to see more action but the California Class Starships had been specifically designed as transport vessels, follow up support craft and second contact. She more than wished at this time it had remained as such. Instead the sting of molten debris burned her cheek, the tell tale smell of smoke and fire somewhere on the bridge that had been darkened, only the pulsing of the red alert lighting illuminating the bridge every few seconds, a slick oily liquid under her hands as she tried to pull herself upright, she noticed the tell-tale smell or colour to be that of blood, her own or someone else's she didn't know.
"Report!" she called over the deafening silence coming from her bridge crew.

"REPORT!" she shouted louder... Still nothing.

Her eyes started to adjust as she finally stood looking at the rear of the bridge. Her tactical officer, an Insectoid Xindi... She had been pinned through her chest carapace by a fallen jagged beam to the rear science station, her compound eyes no longer containing the sarcastic but profound love for life.

She fell into her command chair before turning to face the front of the bridge... which was no longer there. Con and Ops had been removed, a chasm replaced the front of the command centre, it stretching down four decks, her young con officer floating lifeless just outside of the emergency forcefield.

"My god!"

USS Cerberus Bridge

"Commander" Is'san greeted as Lillian Carter crossed the bridge from the turbolift. "We have detected what appears to be a federation signal in the local cluster. Approximately zero point five of a light year from Cold Station Six. The signal is intermittent however and much weaker than one would expect from a Federation vessel!"

"Respond on the same frequency and try and get an identification." Lillian replied then turned and called out "Helm, lay in intercept course to the source of the distress call and engage at warp 9."

"Aye sir!" The Kelpian vacated the command chair, allowing Carter her seat as he made his way down to the flight control pit to assume his own customary position. "Course laid in and engaging!"

Dean moved his hands across the panel to try and better pinpoint the signal from the Federation signal. He managed to boost their sensor signal and clear up some of the interference and weakness of it. "The signal is coming from the USS Solvang, a California class vessel under the command of Captain Keenan."

Ensign Gibbs turned to look outward in the direction they were going. Taking in a deep breath he turned to his station in order to keep track of what may or may not come into their pathway.

"Coordinates received, engaging at warp nine!" Is'san offered, manipulating his console like a well practiced pianist. "Estimated time to intercept, t-minus seven minutes!"

When the ship dropped out of warp, nothing could have prepared Carter for what she saw on the viewscreen. It looked like the Solvang had been ripped apart. The outer hull had been breached in multiple places and a field of debris hung around the ship like a cloud of death.

Carter felt her mouth go dry. She realised time was of the essence. "Scan the Solvang for life signs." Then added "Bridge to sickbay, standby for possible survivors."

"Life support is offline on all deck Captain with the exception of the emergency locations like the bridge, mess hall and sickbay." Is'san was focused on his console but his voice sounded haunted. "I'm picking up on only twenty lifesign's out of over one hundred and fifty!"

He brought his gaze up to the view screen, his visual acuity much higher than that of the Humans on the bridge and he could already make out the lifeless bodies floating nearby the Solvang, mostly clustered around the wounds across her hull.

Ensign Gibbs as he was making his scans gasped out, "Sirs I am picking up Weapon signatures, and an indication of charged plasma. I am trying to get a better scan."

"Get a transporter lock on the lifesigns and beam them directly to sickbay." Lillian said. "We need to find out who attacked them. Can we establish a remote link to their main computer to access their logs?"

"I'm trying Captain." Dean announced. "I've started beaming over the lifesigns I can get but there is something interfering with our link up with the Solvang. I cant connect to their computer from here."

"Confirmed, I am picking up some sort of distortion field around the Solvang... It is interfering with communications, transporters and is becoming something of a navigation issue!"
Is'san piped up from the con, holding Cerberus in place becoming more challenging with every passing moment.

::Romulan Warbird Shr'vista::

Nurribe looked at the devastation he had caused then he smiled coldly, there before him was the very same ship he had come across earlier. Such a delectable irony "open hailing frequency."

::Cerberus ::

Ensign Gibbs piped up, "Sir we've got someone hailing us." looking towards Captain.

Liann snapped to attention. "Open a channel!"

Then a familiar Romulan Warbird, the Shr'vista came to view. "It seems we have a situation, on our hands. What brings you to this area of space." Nurribe looking rather disdainfully at the crew of the Cerberus.

Lillian recognised the Romulan Commander from their previous encounter. She put on her best diplomatic smile. "Ahhh Admiral Senclar. Such a pleasure to see you again. We were responding to a distress call from the Solvang. As you can see, she has been very badly damaged. I don't suppose you would know who attacked her?"

One of the Turbo lift doors opened and let Hiro unto the Bridge. One look at the View Screen told him enough. "Not again." He said under his breath. Then he moved to the Engineering station and activated it.

"I suppose I could say I know what happened to her." he looked to his left and gave a nod. And a word spoken in Romulan came across the translator, which meant Appear. And three other Romulan ships came to view after decloaking. "Perhaps there is a reason why we are here. Why praytell are you here? You are encroaching on our territory, and the same for The Solvang. Oh, and there will not be any answer from Cold station 32." a cold smile could be seen.

Ensign Gibbs shuddered as he saw a smile from the Romulan.

Is'san immediately started calling up the communications traffic and sure enough, nothing seemed to have come from Cold Station 32 in several hours. He sent the data to the Captain's chair bound consoles so she could review it later.

Dean noticed the other ships were moving, albeit slowly, into a position that would end up boxing the Cerberus in if they were not careful. As to not tip off the Romulan Admiral, Dean sent the information to the Captain's arm console as an alert to get their attention.

"I ask you again, what brings you here? Has the proverbial earth feline gotten your tongue?" Senclar responded. "I suggest that you clear out of here whilst you can, otherwise there will be an incident that I am certain your people will not like."

Lillian subconsciously clenched her fists as she asses the situation. Four against one was not favourable odds, even with all the tricks this Prometheus class starship had at its disposal, engaging in combat under these conditions was foolhardy.

"We were responding to a distress call from the Solvang here. Once we have all the survivors onboard and made preparations to take the Solvang in tow, we will be happy to leave the system." Lillian replied, hoping she could play for time.

"You will not be going anywhere." Senclar responded, then gave a nod towards his people as communications was cut off. The other three romulan ships were moving in to flank the Cerberus on either side.

Lillian's mouth went dry. It looked like this Romulan was making a play to get their hands on the Solvang for some reason and Lillian did not like that idea. not one bit. "We have to make one more sensor scan of the Solvang to make sure we have all the survivors and then we shall depart the system, Cerberus out."

"We're running out of time." Lillian muttered to herself "Give me a tactical view on screen."

The image on the viewscreen changed to show the different ships and their relative locations.

"Xo, things are going to happen fast so stay sharp. The Solvnags warp drive is damaged but her antimatter storage tanks are still full" She said as she started sending him coordinate information. "When I give the order to fire launch Quantum torpedoes at these coordinates on the Solvang. It should knock out the magnetic containment system releasing the antimatter which will vaporise the Solvang and hopefully cripple those Romulan ships. Then I want you to lay in a course back to the station and engage at maximum warp. Any questions?"

"Give the order sir!" Is'san was once again manipulating his console as if he had been a practised pianist of many years laying in the course and setting the warp speed and keeping it on standby so all he need do would be engage the routine.

Lillian sat up straight in the Captains chair and gritted her teeth. “Red alert! Shield at maximum…… Fire!”

A spread of quantum torpedoes shot out from the Cerberus and slammed home into the Solvang which was engulfed by an enormous explosion.

::Romulan Warbird Shr'vista::

Senclar thought he had the Cerberus where he wanted them then they did the unthinkable which made him furious. The loss of those other ships due to the willingness of the Federation to sacrifice a ship of their own! He wanted revenge, and they were were going to pay. He was grateful that he wasn't right in the vicinity of that explosion, but it caused his ship to buck and rock and took some damage. He also did like the coolness, he had to tip the proverbial hat to the Captain of the Cerberus, as her manuever was worthy of a Romulan tactic. Looking at his crew he gave the order. "Go after them!"

::Cerberus ::

Is'san was already punching in the command to engage the pre-set course. The Cerberus banked gracefully and quickly, the surge of power running towards the warp engines causing the deck to rumble underfoot before the ship sprang forth at the top possible speed.

-TO BE CONTINUED...

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