SD 241302.22 || "Variables" || Plot Log || Kennedy XO || Commander George Isenhart

Posted on Fri Feb 22nd, 2013 @ 6:49am by Captain Robert Lansine

707 words; about a 4 minute read

Mission: Romulan Ale.. I mean Aide
Location: USS Kennedy - Bridge
Timeline: During Lansine's Conference with Captain Heifner and Romulan Commander

=/\= USS Kennedy - Bridge =/\=

The red glare of the alert klaxons danced across the reflective bulkheads and LCARS panels of the Intrepid-class ship's small bridge. Essentially defenseless and horribly outmatched, the Kennedy and her crew compliment nearly one-tenth the size of the behemoth Discovery-class Vindicator sat between two stubborn commanders and their ships. Captain Heifner had left a good while ago to attempt to reason with Commander Lansine and his rash crew, but she had yet to report back with any news. The waiting had left George Isenhart, First Officer of the Kennedy, and defacto CO in Heifner's absence, worried and pacing back and forth across the already tense bridge.

"Any change?" George said, looking up at his Operations Chief.

The Bajoran woman shook her head gently and pursed her lips, "I'm afraid not, sir."

George had assigned the Ops officer to monitor the Captain's vital signs while she worked out the details of their mission with Lansine and the others. All Starfleet officers' communication badges included the useful feature, operating on a narrow subspace band the information could be quickly relayed back the Kennedy's computers. George had used the function to monitor many different crews on many different away missions, but never one that put his Captain aboard another Federation ship. Their mission parameters, from the beginning, had him worried. A Starfleet Commander wanted in questioning for the bombings of foreign embassies on Earth? Such a charge was nothing to scoff at, and as Commander Lansine had shown, it seemed his personality fit the accusation. The young XO was brash, a trait fairly common amongst young human command officers, George knew that far too well from his earlier days, but something else colored the Vindicator First Officer's behavior, something George had also seen before.

Unfettered loyalty.

Lansine's abrasive defiance of the Captain's order to disengage and submit to the Kennedy in light of his crew's debacle on the surface spoke volumes. The young man's unpolished approach had originally led George to quickly judge his Vindicator counterpart. The harsh charges against Lansine almost seemed justified, but now, after witnessing how events had unfolded and how the Commander had reacted, George doubted Starfleet Security's claims.

Yet, his judgements continued to contradict each other. No one had imagined Lansine capable of crippling a friendly vessel, and although no one had been injured and the Kennedy crew was in no imminent danger, the action seemed on par with treasonous behavior.

Lansine was proving difficult to understand.

"Keep the signal strong, Ensign." George returned to the Command chair and relaxed a bit. "Lieutenant," he turned, this time over right shoulder. "Any progress connecting our weapon systems to the secondary EPS conduit system?"

The Vulcan woman looked up from her station and replied cooly. "No, sir. Engineering reports no progress."

"Well why don't you..." George began but was interrupted by the a shrill call from the Ops station.

"Sir, Captain Heinfer... She's gone!" The Barjoran Ops officer's voice was about as stunned as her expression.

George spun around in the chair, bewildered by the sudden change of events. "What?!"

"I don't know... I-," the young woman began to stammer but was interrupted by the a vicious rumbling across the main deck plate.

A more lively, but still emotionally empty report came from Tactical. "The Romulan ship has fired on us and the Vindicator, sir."

The disruptor vollies from the Warbird continued to crash into the Kennedy's shields, each one causing the bridge to rock from side to side. "Get us out of here!" Isenhart yelled, now firmly gripping the arms of his seat. "CONN, now!"

The distinct tone of the computer rejecting their Helmsman's input could be heard round the room. "Sir, we've lost computer control of the engines. That last hit did something to our ODN access. Attempting to reroute."

"Do it quick, Mr. Levine!"

They wouldn't last long in a fight with a Romulan Warbird WITH their weapons, let alone toothless in a fight between two juggernauts.

Now Captain-less, and defenseless the Kennedy and her crew now needed their First Officer more than ever. But for George, he knew it would all come down to one variable. One only a few minutes ago had plagued him uncertainty.

Lansine.

=/\= End Log =/\=

 

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