The Rendezvous

Posted on Wed Aug 5th, 2020 @ 8:58am by Lieutenant Commander P’rel M.D & Commodore Jacob Kane & Lieutenant Dessame Sar & Lieutenant Commander Savin & Lieutenant Ausra Danton

Mission: The Shadow of Arachne
Location: USS Athena - Bridge
Timeline: MD-03
1439 words - 2.9 OF Standard Post Measure

The swirling and rolling pinkish-purple plasma storms flickering past them on the main viewscreen might have been beautiful, had they not posed such a significant hazard to any starship foolish enough to get too close. After two days travelling at impulse through the worst of it, Kane felt less apprehension around that and more concern at what might have happened to the Pico.

"Approaching the coordinates, sir." Ensign Brewster reported from the helm.

"Sensors?" Kane asked. "What are we looking at?"

"She's out there, sir, but the sensor readings are all over the place. Looks like she's adrift."

"A miracle they're in one piece in all of this mess..." Kane muttered. "Okay. Lt Danton, see what you can do to clean up the sensor readings. Commander Taeler will lead an away team to secure the ship and provide emergency aid."

"I am struggling to get a clear reading on life signs sir." Dessame furrowed her brow as she read her console looking for any clues that may offer insight. "A mix of 'life' but I can't distinguish one from the other. I've attempted hails but interference here doesn't allow that. Maybe if we get closer we can establish a link."

"Yes sir," Ausra replied to the Captain first. "Yeah," She said to Dessame, "Hold on. The storms creating echoes and the computer just isn't registering them correctly." She tapped a few more buttons and looked up at a screen. "That should help, try it now."

P’rel stood at the aft of the bridge, there wasn’t a station for her dedicated to intelligence operations, and it suited her to be tucked away by the MSD. After her discussion with the Caliban, P’rel had a working theory on what was going on; it was only a theory but whilst her colleagues on the Athena were focused on operational matters it was her job to look at the bigger picture, to draw lots of strands together. She found herself conflicted; she needed to get to the Pico and ascertain the whereabouts of Lieutenant Commander Brill but that would entail another excursion under the leadership of the operationally inept Taeler, based on Kane’s outline. If Brill was aboard, he wasn’t off the hook and she wouldn’t tip her hand, but if he was gone as she suspected then there would be a very definite mission profile emerging which would require Kane, Taeler and Shan being briefed in detail.

Savin was staring at the screen, finding the whirl of colours just hypnotizing. He seemed mesmerized however he was actually 'listening' for echoes of emotions, or thoughts. His eyes briefly flocked to Jerant, who was stood off to the side. The Betazoid, whose telepathic talents were far more superior than his own, quietly shook his head. Nothing out there yet. He signed quickly. They're running scans, I'll let you know when there is something.

The Romulan nodded briefly, returning his gaze to the screen. He was tense, his face a mask of concentration but again he looked sideways, seeking eye contact with the captain. "What was the crew complement of the Pico?" he asked softly, "how many are we looking for?"

"Over 500 officers and crew," Kane replied, his eyes flicking between the screen and the furrowed brow of his Intelligence Officer. "Not including any passengers they had."

"Commander..." Ensign Brewster pointed at the screen. The sensor adjustments had cleared the image enough to see the crippled ship. Both nacelles were dark. None of the running lights were lit. She was practically dead in space.

"Life signs?" Kane demanded.

"There are weak life signs coming from scattered parts of the ship sir." Dessame replied, her readings clearing up much like the image on screen. The closer proximity helping in this regard. "When we get closer a power transfer to reboot life support may be a quicker option to help save more lives."

Speaking up from inside the MSD alcove, P'rel looked towards the Tactical Lieutenant she recognised from Parata - "Are any of those life signs Bolian, Lieutenant?" - she gripped the PADD with her up do date information tightly, as if it were some kind of life support device. A steady rumble through the deck plates reminded her of yet another reason why she detested shipboard assignments, though it was a perfectly normal transfer of energy from the plasma storms interacting with the ship it still unnerved P'rel a little.

"No Lieutenant." Dessame replied as she looked closer at the readings. "Although due to the storms it is hard to pinpoint specific life signs or species." she admitted.

"No power readings of any kind..." Kane mused softly. The image on the screen, garbled by static, cleared for just a fraction. The hull of the Pico was lit up by a passing flash from the nearby storms. There were burn marks on the hull; probably from the storms. Or perhaps weapons damage? For a ship to be out here for days without any sort of power...it was unbelievable that it would have survived. Which presented a serious question: How? "This isn't right. Yellow Alert," he ordered.

Ausra turned her head at him curiously, wondering what about it exactly was spooking him. She wasn't one to be afraid of things normally, it just didn't come naturally to a science personality such as herself. She was forever curious. Sometimes that got her into more trouble than she'd anticipated.

"Shields are up Captain." Dessame reported back. "Weapons standing by. Actively scanning as best we can for potential threats."

Savin just stared, unconsciously leaning forward a little. "What happened out there," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else. "It looks like a ghost ship," he added, a little louder.

P'rel took a couple of steps to be closer to the Counsellor, "If ghosts are all that over there then we have little to worry about..." she replied quietly, as to not disturb the bridge crew, "...it's the living we have to be wary of". She winced inwardly, realising that once again she'd ignored Counsellor Savin's disability and spoken inaudibly, first by shouting back down a corridor and this time by quietly conversing.

Beside you. I missed what she said, sorry. Savin looked sideways as Jerant's voice reached him. "Lieutenant?" he queried, indirectly asking her to repeat what she said.

Disappointed that she had not remembered to speak to the Counsellor’s aide, P’rel dismissed the exchange with a brief shake of her head, becoming more interested in the way events were unfolding in the Command pit. She wondered if Petty Officer Saghir had managed to get the transceiver setup she’d asked for, and began to recite the protocols in her head for taking remote command and control of a stricken vessel as Kane spoke.

Kane's jaw tightened. He didn't like this at all. "Commander Shan, can we link into their computer systems? Get a reading on their status that way?"

"One moment," the Andorian responded. It took a few seconds, but Thy'lissa came back with a swift response. "Captain, I'm not sure what I'm looking at here, but the Pico is in full systems lockdown. Command-level emergency lockouts. I'm trying to get remote access, but there's...something here. If I didn't know any better I'd say this is an audio-visual file of some sort. Maybe a recording."

"Could explain what happened," Kane said, glancing at Taeler. "Let's take a look at it."

The viewscreen crackled again, this time replaced with a view of a Starfleet Bridge. The Pico, one would assume. Kane's mouth went very suddenly dry as he saw a half-dozen Starfleet officers, kneeling in a line as armed cyro-suited figures stood sentry over them. Kane recognised his old friend Marc Munro, battered and bloodied, shakily holding a PADD.

"To the commanding officer of the Federation vessel known as Athena. Thot Sen Tekk claims the lives of this ship as retribution for those murdered at your hand. Payment for...his son...will be paid in the blood of your own. Vengeance comes."

No sooner had the statement finished than the image cut out and the sound was overtaken by the whine of multiple Breen disruptors.

The message ended.

The bridge fell utterly silent for a moment. Kane felt a number of eyes falling back to him - looking for leadership amidst a moment of pure horror. He shared in their emotions. But only for a moment.

"This is a trap...for us..." he said, leaning forward. "Helm, get us-"

All hell broke loose.