SD 241301.XX || "Friendly Fire" || Part II || JL || XO, CHelm, CSecTac

Posted on Fri Jan 18th, 2013 @ 6:07am by Captain Robert Lansine & Captain Landon Neyes & Lieutenant Commander Hayden Williams

1,503 words; about a 8 minute read

Mission: Romulan Ale.. I mean Aide
Location: USS Vindicator
Timeline: Part II

Only a few years ago the Romulan captain's soft threats would have managed to invoke more fear within Lansine, but considering the situation and the considerable firepower of the Vindicator the Romulan's insistence for conflict Rob was more afraid of what might happen on the surface if both ships opened fire on one another. "I am in command of a vessel quite well suited to defend itself, Captain. I'm sure your tactical officers have informed you of that much."

"Do the Federation run their ships without Captains now, Commander? I'd like to speak with yours, if you don't mind." The suggestive manner in which he said it implied he already knew Dar wasn'y on board.

The feigned coyness of the Romulan commander, while transparent, was equally unnerving. If they did indeed know what was happening on the surface the amount of possible explanations for their unexpected arrival drastically diminished. Deciphering between naval and Tal'Shiar ships was never an easy task, one Starfleet Intelligence spent many hours of work devoted to, but in open space with little information of the opposing ship it was near impossible without blatant identification. Getting back to the question at hand, Rob replied, "Captain Dar is currently unavailable. Any communications you wish to perform with this ship you can do so through me."

The Romulan commander seemed to weight the conversation for a moment before responding. Landon stood in the background behind Lansine, simply staring down the barrel of the viewer, doing his best to remain unyielding for Rob. The rest of the bridge was eerily silent. The crew had already been on edge since the Captain had been trapped on the planet, now they were face to face with a tenuously threatening situation. They were vulnerable. Landon knew it, Rob knew it, and the Romulans probably did as well, it was just a matter of if or when they took advantage of it.

Just when it appeared the Romulan was about to speak once more, a warning came from the Ops station. "Commander, the Kennedy is charging weapons!"

"They aren't targeting the Warbird... They're targeting us!" Capellupo reported frantically.

"What the hell!" Rob said, immediately looking down at the command station readout.

Landon began prepping the engines for whatever 'evasive' action a ship like the massive Vindicator was capable of. "Was it something you said, Robby?" Neyes teased.

D'rheav seemed more intrigued by the sudden change in circumstances than anything else. He gave a few orders to his crew and then turned back to the Vindicator's viewer, "It seems you have your own rebels to contend with. Do all your Captains threaten vessels with vastly superior fire-power? Or is it just the present company." He seemed almost amused.

Rob looked at the Operations station once more and gestured the universal sign of 'shut him up' to Capellupo. The Romulan captain and his smug grin instantly disappeared.

Commander Williams entered the bridge and took over the Tactical station. Thankfully for them they'd have a senior officer manning the Vindicator's weapons just in case the situation did fall apart.

"Landon, put us in a defensive position above the planet--and away from the Kennedy. Let's see how they like looking down a Romulan Warbird alone," Rob ordered. "Mr. Capellupo, get Captain Hiefner again, and Mr. Williams, keep an eye on the Romulans."

The screen once again changed, this time back to the agitated human woman. Firm expression staring through her own viewer, the other Starfleet commander seemed no more pleased than when they'd left her a few minutes prior. "Mr. Lansine, I'm appalled it takes a charged phaser array to get your attention," she shifted her weight to one side and continued to eye the Vindicator XO. "I was skeptical when Commander Parsons first briefed me about our mission, but you seem to be proving him right."

Lansine recognized the Starfleet Security Operations Chief's name, but it was hardly of consequence to him at this point in their exchange. "My advice remains the same, Captain. Captain Dar remains on the surface and I intend on doing everything in my power to extract him and the rest of our crew off the planet's surface. If you wish to speak about mission parameters, operating procedure or my CONN officer's aversion to peas I'd be more than happy to AFTER dealing with the Romulans."

Hiefner stood speechless on the other side of the viewer. Before Lansine could continue Williams voiced a word of concern from the Tactical station.

Hayden checked his board as his sensors chirped. It only took a few momemtns to confirm what his sensors were telling him. "Sir, the Warbird is activating their transporters. "It looks like they are transporting empty containers down to the planet and beaming what looks like cargo up."

"MR. LANSINE!" The Kennedy captain yelled. The well put together captain seemed to be having a breakdown onboard the small Intrepid-class ship's bridge. Her own Executive Officer even stood from his chair, also looking agitated. "I'm ordering you to stand the Vindicator down and prepare for my arrival. The Romulans wouldn't dare attack a Starfleet vessel, let alone two. I will deal with them once I have spoken to Captain Dar."

Neyes jumped in, "How do you plan to do that, Captain? We already told you our team is cut off from us on the planet's surface. Why is it you need to be on board right this minute? This is a delicate situation, surely you can see that."

The last thing Kaleigh needed was another insubordinate Vindicator officer. "Mr. Sevik!" She called for the Vulcan manning the station behind her and to the right. "Prepare phasers and standby my order."

Rob couldn't believe what he was witnessing: another Starfleet officer threatening weapons fire on a friendly ship. "Captain-," this time she cut him off.

"Save it, Commander. As I said, my orders are from the top. I'm not going to sit here and listen to your attack dog dog insult me."

The next moment would surely be reviewed by dozens of Starfleet Judge Advocates. "Do it."

A light show of crimson directed energy leapt from the small Intrepid-class vessel towards massive Discovery-class Vindicator.

Williams checked his read outs. "Minimal damage to our port shields. Shields holding at 96%" He said before adding. "Shall I return Fire sir?"

"I will continue firing until my transporter chief tells me you are safely aboard this ship, Commander Lansine. You are wanted for questioning by Starfleet Security. Your failure to accommodate these orders has led to this--this is on you."

The woman's audio signal was immediately silenced by the Trill helmsman, Landon adjusted in his seat as the phaser fire had caused a small vibration across the bridge. A few crew members exchanged glances, as they had all braced for impact, expecting something a little more jolting. Neyes scowled a little at the tiny Intrepid readout on his scanners. They were impressive ships, if a little bit aged for service. He started working furiously, and a few moments passed before he looked up.

"We obviously can't return fire?" Landon asked, more of an invitation to deny him the pleasure than anything else.

"I'm not prepared to open fire," Rob sighed heavily. "A mentality the good captain doesn't apparently share."

He turned back to his console. "Then I suggest we take some bite out of their bark. If the Romulans take this opportunity to start something, it's going to be a free for all up here." The viewscreen changed from the image of the Kennedy's captain to that of a schematic readout of an Intrepid class. The USS Kennedy's schematics. Each section of the hull zoomed in piece by piece, as Landon began to search the ship.

"Landon?" Rob began but stopped short of second-guessing the helmsman and now effectively the Second Officer. He knew better than that.

Neyes smiled. "We're going to launch a few tachyon pulses into their shield grid. They'll have to reset them in order to keep from having the shield bubble collapse..." he paused, realizing he'd found the item in question. The orange schematic littered with conduits and corridors zoomed into a ventral section of the ship near their deflector array. A large piece of equipment lit up on the screen, and some verbage appeared next to it. "When they do that," he smiled, "we take their weapons power array. It'll fit nicely in Auxiliary cargo-bay four."

Rob's brow rose, he always admired Landon's flare for the creative, albeit sometimes 'unique' methods of dealing with conflict. He looked to Landon and then to Williams.

"Do it."

Hayden nodded, "Already ahead of you two, sir, " he said. He had already set up the Tachyon pulse and began firing at the optimal locations on their shield bubble. He fired for several seconds then stopped. "Any moment now... There! they are resetting their shield Harmonics."

"Landon." Rob looked to the CONN.

"Energizing," Landon smiled a little as he entered the command. "Aaaaand done. They should be more talkative."

=/\= End Part II =/\=

 

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