A Sensor Ghost

Posted on Sun Jan 27th, 2013 @ 6:01am by Captain Robert Lansine & Captain Elar Keggle & 2nd Lieutenant Toby Barnes

1,119 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Romulan Ale.. I mean Aide

Elar was still sitting in a defensive permitter around the Vindicator with his squadron spread well thin. Even with the threat of the Kennedy gone they were now a defenseless ship with a potentially aggressive Romulan warbird. "Green and yellow flights stay near the Kennedy. Blue stay with us." Elar said over just the squadron comm.

"Red flight leader to Vindicator actual, need orders and status update?" Elar asked keeping an eye on everything some days he regretted being the CAG.

Having returned to the bridge and preparing for their set of new guests with Williams and Neyes, Rob was greeted with another problem. After listening to Keggle's comm Lansine slumped back into the commander chair and replied, "Nothing new, Captain," he glanced down at his data display. "I need you and your pilots to keep a defensive position around both the Vindicator and the Kennedy."

He paused and made the next order very clear.

"Nothing provocative. No bravado. Nothing to push the Romulan's buttons."

"Copy that, red leader out." Elar said sending out the orders of the commander out to the rest of the pilots. Which got him thinking how long they would last in a fire fight with that Warbird. He knew they were powerful but the last time he checked the Federation still didn't really know how powerful.

Toby rubbed her fingers along the edge of her control panel. She found herself admiring the sleek, if old, designs of the ship. The newer models were much cooler looking in her opinion and definitely resembled their name sake better.

"How much longer are we sitting here?" she asked as she shook herself out of her day dream.

"Until there is no longer a threat.....now stay focused." Elar barked quietly. Looking back at his HUD Elar was seeing something strange, "Red leader to Vindicator actual.......what's the status of transportation for ship to planet or vice versa?"

Almost forgetting about Keggle and the rest of the fighter wing, Rob paused for a moment before replying, "Commander Williams noticed some sort of transporting activity, but our scans couldn't identify what."

"Commander at this point it doesn't matter what they're beaming up or down. What matters is how they're doing it and how come we can't do it?" Elar said.

Keggle had a point and the idea had already crossed Rob's mind a few times. The ship was obviously in cahoots with the Governor's forces on the planet. Transport inhibitors only blocked the angular confinement beam of a transporter on certain frequencies. It was very possible the Romulans knew the exact frequencies needed to transport through the inhibitor field and on or from the planet. "Mr. Williams and Mr. Capellupo are working to identify the exact method the Warbird is using to get through to the surface. Until that, however, we have no contact with Captain or any of the crew on the surface."

A idea just hit Elar in the face, "what if we put a bird in the atmosphere and use it as signal buoys. In other words we use the fighter to enhance the communication from the Vindi to any ground communicators."

Rob's ears perked up, "That could work," the realities of the pilot's suggestion, however, could prove difficult. "We can't further risk agitating the Romulans," he paused, images of Dar and the others trapped on the surface, possibly imprisoned, filled his mind. "But we need to establish contact with our people. Mr. Keggle, if we do this it has to be quiet. The moment they think we're sending forces to attack the colony is the moment we drag the Federation in a war with the Romulans. Do you understand?"

"Understood......" Elar said switching his comms just so that Barnes could hear him, "Barns land and get your fighter outfitted with the holo-emitters you're gonna act as a communication buoys only."

Barnes screwed up her face at having to leave the defense line but throttled up and headed for the ship, "Roger that."

"Vindicator I've got a pilot heading in to get her fighter outfitted with holo-emitter hopefully it'll keep her hidden." Elar said.

"Understood, Mr. Keggle. Once they are in position we can begin relaying comms."

Barnes landed and waited patiently while engineers poked at her ship.

"Barnes update?" Elar asked.

Barnes peered over the edge of the cockpit, "Looks like we'll be ready soon. What am I doing again? Playing space debris or something?"

"Ideally you'll be a ghost on their sensors like if you've got two fighters flying close together and they appear as one on the scanners that's what I'm hoping for." Elar said handing out some new orders with the change of plans. "Also Rook well be your backup in a higher orbit if anything goes wrong bug out.....is that clear?"

"Clear, sir." she got the signal from the techs and powered back up, "Ready to go. Launching now." she turned on the new toy and swung around, heading back out the bay doors.

"Copy that......Rook is in position take it in nice and slow." Elar said again switching his com, "Red leader to Vindicator Actual Ghost is launching and well be in position shortly."

Still following the conversation and incoming data from spot on the bridge Rob replied, "As soon as your in position begin scanning all frequencies. Our people might not be broadcasting on typical Starfleet channels."

"Barns you copy that.......check for non-Star Fleet/Federation along with old Star Fleet/Federation frequencies." Elar said.

"Copy. Beginning decent." she turned the fighter smoothly down toward the planet and held back on the speed. Her shields could take it but an obvious atmospheric disturbance would give her away. Even so, it did not take long to reach her target altitude.

"In position, scanning."

After a few minutes Toby detected something but it made her frown at the display, "Boss, I'm getting a signal. Romulan in origin but it is not coming from the colony. Relaying."

"I'm getting it......it's Romulan but not any kind of Romulan frequency I've ever seen." Elar said changing his comms again, "Williams sending you a frequency see what you can find."

The Vindicator's Security Chief nodded as the new information appeared on both his, and Lansine's monitors. Unbeknownst to the others on the bridge, Rob knew exactly what it was.

The rebels.

"Lansine to Aerv," Rob called out over the channel. Some of the other officers on the bridge shared confused expressions as Lansine continued to call for the unknown Romulan. After a few more attempts and a moment of crackly static the comm finally came to life, the Romulan rebel's voice filling the speakers.

"Mr. Lansine, I was hoping you would call."

 

RSS Feed